Chipotle Dipping Sauce

 My favorite restaurant, GOODONYA, use to make this amazing turkey kraut grilled cheese sandwich that came with this delicious chipotle dipping sauce. Well, they stopped making both the sandwich and the sauce. So, I decided to come up with my own sauce.

What you need:

Mayonnaise

Sour Cream

Greek Yogurt

Chipotle Powder

Bowl and spoon

What you do:

Mix 1/3 part mayonnaise, 1/3 part sour cream, 1/3 part yogurt (or whatever combination you desire)

Add chipotle powder to taste

Mix well

This dip is amazing on grilled cheese sandwiches, roasted veggies and chips. But, watch out...it's addictive. ;-)

Enjoy!

Fermented Ketchup

I've tried many fermented ketchup recipes. So far, I'm the only one who is a fan of any of them.  So, I've combined a few recipes. We'll see what the family thinks.

What you need:
2 7oz.  Jars organic tomato paste
2 Tbs raw honey
3 Tbs raw apple cider vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
2 Tbs whey

What you do:
Combine all ingredients in bowl
Mix well
Place in pint Mason jar
Close lid tightly
Place on counter for 2 to 3 days
Transfer to refrigerator
Enjoy!

Lectin-Reduced, Fermented Salsa

1 7oz. Jar organic tomato paste
Filtered water 7 oz.
1/4 onion
4 cloves garlic
Large handful of cilantro
Juice from one lemon or lime
1 tsp. Sea salt
1/2 tsp. Cayenne
3 Tbs. whey

Blend all ingredients in VitaMix until smooth. Place in 24 oz. mason jar. Place lid on tightly. Leave on counter for up to 2 days, then refrigerate. Enjoy!

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is usually made with soybean oil (which is most likely genetically modified if it isn't organic). I have avoided mayo for years, but am enjoying eating it now that I have found a healthy version!


From Tastes Lovely.

What you need:
  1/2 cup avocado oil

 1/2 cup EVOO    
 1 large egg
 1 tsp lemon juice
 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
 1/4 tsp sea salt

What you do:
 In a pint size Mason jar, add all ingredients
 With an immersion blender on high, start at the bottom and hold for 20-30 seconds
 Slowly lift immersion blender as mayo emulsifies
 Keeps in fridge for up to 4 weeks

To ferment, I add 2 tablespoons whey or sauerkraut juice to the recipe and let sit on the counter for up to 6 hours (not longer because of the raw egg), then transfer to refrigerator.

Veggie Salsa

Greg and I have a new favorite salsa to put on top of our spicy chicken!

I'm leaving for our family cabin in Wisconsin tomorrow and had some veggies I knew would be thrown out if I didn't use them. So, I came up with this:

What you need:
 1 red pepper
 1 yellow pepper
 1 orange pepper
 3 small cucumbers
 1/2 red onion
 4-8 cloves garlic
 1 bunch cilantro
 1 serrano chile
 1-2 avocados
 Juice of 1 lemon
 Juice of 1 lime
 Salt and pepper to taste

What you do:
 Finely chop all the veggies
 Mix in bowl with lemon and lime juice and salt and pepper
 Enjoy!

The coolness and crunchiness of this salsa was fabulous on spicy chicken with grated cheddar cheese and cultured cream! Yum!

Simple Guacamole

Over the years, I've tried many guacamole recipes. Ali shared this simple, delicious recipe with me. Love it!


What you need:
 2 to 4 ripe avocados, pit removed and peeled
 Juice of one lemon or lime
 Garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste

What you do:
 Put all ingredients in a bowl
 Mash together and adjust salt and pepper
 Enjoy!

Fresh Salsa

Our family goes through a lot of salsa! I use to buy an organic fresh salsa, but often it didn't taste very fresh, and it was quite pricey. So, now I just whip up a batch in my VitaMix in minutes! My precious future daughter-in-law, Maria, requested this recipe. So, my dear Maria, this one's for you...


What you need:
 A bunch of cilantro
 Several cloves of garlic
 2 serrano chili peppers
 1/4 onion
 1 tsp. salt
 juice of one lemon or lime
 2 28oz. cans diced tomatoes

Equipment:
 Vitamix or food processor

What you do:
 Rinse cilantro and remove thick stems (thinner stems are okay)
 Place all ingredients in VitaMix, with the tomatoes last
 Pulse several times to desired consistency
 Enjoy!

Ketchup

One challenge when transitioning to a real foods way of eating is finding condiments that are nourishing to our bodies. Most conventional condiments contain refined sugars and some corn or soy (probably genetically modified if not organic). I started by making ketchup and found that it is easy!


What you need:
 14 ounces tomato paste
 3 Tbs. raw honey
 2 1/2 Tbs. raw apple cider vinegar
 1 1/4 tsp. sea salt
 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
 1/4 tsp. ground garlic
 1/8 tsp. cayenne
 1/4 cup whey (if fermenting)

What you do:
 Whisk all ingredients (except whey) together
 Place in pint mason jar and store in refrigerator
 Enjoy!
 If fermenting, add whey with other ingredients, seal and allow to sit 2 to 5 days
 Store in refrigerator for up to several months, if fermented
 Enjoy!


Why ditch refined sugar?
141 Reasons Sugar Ruins Your Health, by Nancy Appleton, PhD
The Harmful Effects of Sugar on Body and Mind
Zapping Sugar Cravings, by Jen Allbritton, CN