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!

Arugula/Cilantro Pesto

What you need:

 1 bunch cilantro

 1/2 bag Trader Joe's arugula

 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

 1/2 cup properly prepared walnuts (or other nut)

 2-4 cloves garlic

 Juice of one lemon

 1 tsp. Celtic Sea Salt

 Dash of pepper

What to do:

 Place all ingredients in Vita-Mix

 Blend

 Enjoy!

Cassi's Yummy Dressing

Yes, that is what we have always called this salad dressing since December, 2014! ;-) My sister, Lori, gave us this recipe many years ago. She just informed me that it was my niece, Cassi, who came up with this recipe. Thank you, sweet Cassi! Really, it makes any salad taste delicious!

What you need:
 1 egg yolk (hopefully from a pastured chicken)
 2 tsp. sea salt
 1/2 tsp. pepper
 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
 3 to 5 drops Stevia
 2 garlic cloves
 1/2 apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
 3/4 cup olive oil (NOT extra virgin)

What you do:
 Place all ingredients except the extra virgin and regular olive oil in Vita-Mix
 Blend
 SLOWLY add the oil
 Enjoy!

Salad Dressing

For years I always bought salad dressing. But, now that I have learned about the dangers of many modern oils (canola, corn, etc.) and other unhealthy additives used in store bought dressings, I make my own! Easy, healthy, delicious! Our dear cooking instructor, Monica Corrado from Simply Being Well, taught us this recipe. By the way, Monica has an amazing little cookbook that I think everyone should own!

What you need:
 A mason jar
 Mustard
 Vinegar or lemon juice
 Extra virgin, cold-pressed olive oil or avocado oil
 Sea salt
 Pepper
 Honey (if desired)

What you do:
 Put a small forkful of mustard in mason jar
 Add the vinegar or lemon juice and olive oil (and honey if desired)
 Shake until well blended
 Add salt and pepper to taste
 Enjoy on your favorite salad!

Spaghetti Sauce

We have been making this spaghetti sauce at our home for years. In the past I served this over pasta. Later we ate it over brown rice. Now, since we have removed gluten and almost all grains from our diet, I serve it over zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash or, my favorite, just alone!


What you need:
 Ghee
 1 chopped onion
 Several cloves crushed garlic
 2 pounds ground beef
 3 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
 1 7 oz. jar tomato paste
 3 Tbs. oregano
 3 Tbs. basil
 1-2 tsp. sea salt
 1-3 Tbs. red pepper flakes
 1 peeled carrot, cut in several pieces

 Equipment:
 Large stock pot

What you do:
 Heat ghee in stock pot
 Add onion and meat, using metal spatula to break up meat
 Add garlic and cook until meat is no longer red, but do not overcook
 Mix in canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil, salt, red pepper flakes
 Add carrot and continue to heat
 As soon as the sauce begins to boil, turn to low and cook about 30 minutes
 Remove carrot and serve

This sauce is delicious with Parmesan cheese, olives and capers on top!  I store the left over sauce in mason jars. What we will eat in a few days goes in the refrigerator, and the rest goes in the freezer.


Food for thought on canned foods:
Is Canned Food Safe to Eat?, by Mark Sisson
Note: I have tried this sauce with organic jarred diced tomatoes. Just not as good. Canned tomatoes are about the only canned foods we eat, and not too often. So there you have it!