Cashew Ranch Dressing (Dairy Free)

We are doing a dairy free trial run for skin issues and we are in love with Cashew "Cheeses". Today I needed a dairy free ranch dressing, but I also didn't really want to use a ton of mayo(which was most of the recipes I was finding). Again we turned to the cashews and this turned out beautifully!!








2/3 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 large clove garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 Tb white vinegar
1 Tb apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp dill
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of sugar

Place cashews, almond milk, garlic, onion powder and vinegars in a high powered blender (like Vita-Mix*)
Blend until smooth

Add seasonings to taste and mix well.

Allow to sit in the fridge for flavors to mingle, and it will thicken up too!


*If you only have a regular blender, not high speed, soak your cashews overnight in the milk to soften them first.

SuperPickle's Secret Sauce

My delicious multi-purpose sauce. Great for a fry dip, a sandwich/burger spread, my Cheeseburger and Fries pizza and much, much more!!













1/2 cup mayo
2 TB quality BBQ Sauce
1 tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp pickle juice
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
salt and pepper to taste


Combine all ingredients, mix well and allow to mingle at least 30 minutes.

Fresh Tomato Ketchup

I still have tons of fresh tomatoes on my vines so I decided to try my hand at some fresh ketchup!












40 oz  fresh tomatoes*
1 oz sweet onion
1 clove garlic
2/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1 pinch of cloves
black pepper to taste

*I leave the skins and seeds, if you prefer you can remove them from your tomatoes beforehand. The skin and seeds holds some great nutrients so I really recommend leaving it!









In a high powered blender process your tomatoes until totally pureed. Add in onion and garlic and puree them as well.

Pour into a 6 quart stock pot and add remaining ingredients.

Bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring well.
Reduce heat to medium low, simmer for 60-90 minutes until thickened to your preference, stirring often.

When it is thick return it to the high powered blender and process one more time to smooth out the remaining seeds.  (If you want to cheat and thicken it up even more, add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum into the blender too!)



Return to pot , adjust seasonings and sugar to taste, cover and simmer 10 minutes more.

Pour into a bowl and chill completely and bottle as desired

24 hour Mock Apple Butter (Zucchini-Butter!)

Yep Yep, more zucchini, today its Zucchini Butter!!!
So yummy on a peanut butter sandwich, with cream cheese on a bagel, an ice cream topping or alone on some toast!











5 lbs zucchini, peeled , seeds removed and chopped
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
2/3 cup cane sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
generous pinch of nutmeg



Place a liner in a slow cooker (liner isnt necessary but it makes for MUCH easier clean up)

Combine zucchini, vinegar and lemon juice and toss well.
Turn on to high and cook for 8 hours.








After 8 hours, add remaining ingredients and toss well.
Reduce temp to low and cook another 10 hours








Stir and mash all ingredients into a puree(leave chunks as desired) adjust sugars and seasonings as desired and cook on high another 6 hours









This made me 4  jars. I stick them in the freezer but you can process them  any way you prefer














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Zuke Sauce (Mock Applesauce)

I have tons and tons of fresh picked Zucchini....and tons more growing..... time to start using it up.....
First up zucchini sauce! It is delicious and the kids scarfed it up!

Use anywhere you would use applesauce! Like on the side of pork chops, in place of oil in baked goods, on ice cream or just a bowl with some fresh cream and cinnamon!









2 lbs zucchini squash( In my case that was a single zuke!)
1/3 cup sugar(more or less to taste)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar(Bragg's raw and unfiltered tastes best)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice



Slice off the ends and peel zucchini












Cut into chunks and place in a food processor or high powered blended.















Add remaining ingredients and process until apple sauce consistency. Adjust sugars and seasonings as you see fit.













Store in a sealed container in the fridge, or freezes well.








zukesauce

Honey Bourbon BBQ Sauce

The other day at the store I was looking at BBQ sauce. Every brand on the grocery shelf had high fructose corn syrup in it. No thanks! Easy enough to whip up my own!!! Plus its a recipe without ketchup as a base...again lots of HFCS and salt!
Great for a marinade or as a dip.










18 oz tomato paste(3-6 oz cans or about double this recipe)
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar*
1/4 cup worcestshire sauce
1 small onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TB dry mustard powder
1-2 tsp hot sauce(I used chaoula)
1 tsp liquid smoke
salt and pepper to taste
1/2-3/4 cup  Bourbon


* you may want to start without this sugar addition and add to your sweetness preferences

 Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium low heat.

 Cover and Simmer over low heat for 1 hour. Adjust sugars, seasonings and bourbon as desired(If you make adjustments , simmer at least 30 minutes longer)


I prefer a smooth sauce so I ran my immersion blender through it, you can leave it chunky if you like.

 Pour into a container and enjoy!!!

Homemade "Nutella"

I made this to make Strawberry and Nutella Stuffed Pancakes with. SUPER delicious for all you Nutella fans out there!!!

This gave me 1 quart jar and 3/4 of a pint jar.....





3 cups Raw Hazelnuts
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar(I made my own with unrefined pure cane sugar, I just whirled it in my vitamix until it was powdered)
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 TB hazelnut, walnut or vegetable oil
6+ TB skim milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt





Preheat oven to 375.

Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 12-14 minutes until fragrant and a deep brown color, watch carefully, they go from roasted to burned quickly!






Remove from oven and pour onto a large clean towel. Fold the towel over them and gently rub around and get as much of the skin off as possible. Don't worry if you cant get it all, it wont hurt you or the flavor.

Cool completely.




Place cooled nuts in a food processor or high powdered blender, process until the natural oils are released and you get a smooth paste.

(I transferred to my food processor from my vitamix at this point, it was a little thick so I wanted more aeration)






Add sugar, cooca powder, oil and 1/4 cup(4 TB) of the milk, blend until smooth. Add remaining/more milk as necessary to get a smooth consistency. Add in vanilla and salt and blend until fully incorporated. Adjust sugar to taste if desired.






Pour into jars and store in the fridge....if it lasts long enough LOL...

24 Hour Apple Butter

I did a HUGE batch of Apple Butter in my Roaster Oven. It is FANTASTIC!!!!!
I went off this recipe from allrecipes, but changed it a little bit. I got 10 and 3/4 -12 oz jars....that should keep us stocked for a bit!










15 lbs apples, peeled and cored, quartered( I think the ones I have are gravenstein, my friend was nice enough to let me pick off the trees at her new house)
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2TB fresh lemon juice
2 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 TB cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp nutmeg



I used a slow cooker liner in my roaster oven, you can half the recipe and use a slow cooker. I prefer the roaster oven so I can control the temp better.

Easy peeling tip, half the apples, then use a vegetable peeler. Halving it gives you a better grip and hand position, in my opinion.

Combine prepared apples, cider vinegar and lemon juice, set the roaster to 200(high on slow cooker). Allow to cook for 8 hours, Reduce the temp to 180(low on slow cooker) and let it sit another 10 hours.

Stir in remaining ingredients, stir it very well, mashing up the apples as much as possible. Increase temp back to 200  and simmer for 6 more hours...









Mash the apples as you like, you can even run an immersion blender through it to make it nice and smooth.
Can it according to your canning preference(freezes well too)

Dandelion Syrup

Spring brings out the dandelions! Dont just mow them down or spray them, go get them(the flowers) and make some super yummy syrup!!! You can use it just about anywhere that calls for honey! You can use the greens in a salad too just like any other salad green, super nutritious! Of course make sure you are collecting from a place you know has not been sprayed or frequented by animals.
I got this recipe from HERE and didnt change a thing. It is AWESOME!!! And it is a good family project collecting the 12 cups you need LOL.



12 cups dandelion flowers, clipped as close to the base of the flower as possible and rinsed well
6 cups water
1 whole lemon

3 cups sugar


Chop lemon into small pieces(the WHOLE thing, skin and all)

Combine water, flowers and lemon in a large pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour(covered)










Remove from heat and allow to steep overnight.











Strain the entire concoction into a large bowl to catch all the juice(cheese cloth, thin cotton towel, paper towel or coffee filter in a colander works well.)
Squeeze the flowers out well.








Place liquid in a sauce pan and add 3 cups sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat and simmer, cook 1 1/2 - 2 hours until very thick.

Remove from heat and allow to cool and pour into a jar or bottle.


Store in the fridge.

Pepper Jelly

I had some red peppers that needed to be used up so I decided to make up a tasty pepper jelly.






2 cups minced sweet peppers
(You can use red, yellow, orange, green, or any mix you want, I even threw in a jalapeno!)
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3 oz liquid pectin
2 cups sugar



Sterilize 2 pint jars and lids. Set aside

Sorry there aren't more pictures, I didn't have a photo assistant today and the process goes too fast LOL.

In a large pan over high heat heat mix minced peppers , pectin and vinegar, stirring constantly, bring to a full rolling boil, then quickly stir in sugar.
Return to a full and boil 1 minute stirring constantly.
Remove from heat, skim off foam and quickly ladle into prepared jars filling within 1/4 inch of the top.




Proceed with your preferred canning method.

May take up to a week to fully set.

Italian Dressing

Very tangy Italian Dressing. Great for salad or a Marinade!





1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB water
1 cup olive or canola oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1.5 tsp white sugar
1 TB oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp celery salt
salt to taste



Combine all and whisk together(I actually put it in an old cottage cheese container put the lid on and shake it well. Then pour it into a dressing bottle. Allow to mingle for at least 30 minutes before use. Shake well before use.

1000 Island Dressing

Yummy 1000 Island Dressing for a Reuban or just to top a salad!

2 cup mayo

1 TB olive oil

1/2 tsp lemon juice

3 TB tomato paste(Ketchup works too just omit the sugar)

1/4 cup sweet relish

1 tsp ground mustard

1 egg, hard boiled and minced fine

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp onion powder

sugar to sweeten to taste

sprinkle of oregano AND basil

pinch of salt

black pepper to taste

few drops of Worcestershire sauce

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth(dont go nuts or it will get watery) You can add a touch of milk or water to thin if you wish.

Black Bean Mango Salsa

Perfect topping to a piece of pork or chicken! Or just enjoy with a bowl of tortilla chips. A nice summery, sweet but not too sweet treat....with the added protein boost of black beans!









1.5 cups cooked black beans
1 mango, seeded and chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
Jalapeño Pepper, seeded and chopped(size and amount depending on your heat preference)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 TB  fresh lemon Juice
2 TB fresh lime juice



Combine all ingredients and toss well. Allow to mingle for at least 1 hour.

Dry Ranch Dressing/Dip Mix

I don't like all the added MSG and other , non-pronounceable ingredients in dry ranch dressing packets, but I have many recipes that call for them.
I decided to see what I could come up with! This is going off of Hidden Valley Original Buttermilk




2 TB dry buttermilk powder*
2 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp dried onion flakes
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tsp dill
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp powdered gelatin**
1/2 tsp black pepper
You can play with the amount of seasoning a little bit to suit your taste buds!

Measure and mix in a small bag.

 Use anywhere a packet of dry ranch is called for!
Or add it to 16 oz sour cream for a yummy dip.....thin it with a little milk to make it salad dressing!(allow it to mingle for a few hours before using for best taste)



* If you cant find buttermilk powder you can use regular dry milk powder.
** If you are vegetarian and dont want to use gelatin, substitute carrageenan, agar-agar or certo

Condensed French Onion Soup Substitute

My husband wanted to have Salisbury Steak for dinner and the recipe I found called for a can of condensed French Onion Soup.....at the store the price is OUTRAGEOUS for a single can not to mention all the added junk on the ingredient list!  I set out to make a copy and this turned out quite well in my opinion....just be aware that the color wont be a rich brown like the store bought version....simply because of the lack of added "caramel coloring".

1 small onion(about 1/2 cup chopped)

1 TB olive oil

1 TB Molasses

2 beef bullion cubes

3/4 cup boiling water

2 TB cornstarch

1/4 cup COLD water

In a medium sauce pan heat oil and molasses over medium heat. Add onions and sautee for 5-7 minutes until the onions are soft and sticky.

Dissolve bullion cubes in boiling water

Add  broth to onions

Dissolve cornstarch in cold water

Add to onion mixture

Season with salt and pepper to taste

Recommended 1 TB dried cheddar cheese powder if available! (this is an ingredient in the store version, but IMO it does not really make or break the soup,  it does, however, give it a certain "something")

Bring it all to a boil and stir until thickened.

makes approx 1.5 cups....almost EXACTLY 1 can of condensed soup...

Nutritional Info-entire recipe-LINK