Balsamic Vinaigrette

Pure as the driven snow; thick, zesty and delicious. And it takes about 15 seconds to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 shallots, peeled
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
  
• 1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 10 seconds. Serve on any green salad.

Apple cranberry sauce

Adjust the proportions here according to taste; they can vary pretty widely. Mine comes out quite tart and not too sweet.

Note that applesauce requires almost no water; you just add enough to allow the apples to steam themselves into a sauce.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 lbs granny smith or other sour apple, peeled, cored and quartered
  
• 1 lb. fresh cranberries, rinsed
• 3 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
  
• 4 cloves, whole
  
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Mix thoroughly and turn heat to low. Let cook for 8-10 hours, stirring occasionally. Mash before serving. Refrigerate unused portion.

Horseradish Aioli

I really hate store-bought mayonnaise. I don't think I've ever bought a jar of it. The homemade stuff can be alright, though, as long as it has something going for it. This one does, and would make a good condiment to something that needs both richness and bite.

Use extra virgin olive oil if you like the strong taste that it gives. (I do.) For something less intense, use a milder variety of olive oil.

UPDATE 4/21/2008: Remember that garlic varies greatly in pungency. 3-5 cloves is meant to be emphatically garlicky. Adjust to tastes.

Thanks to eHow for the basic recipe I've used here.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 egg yolks
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 4 tsp. spicy (brown) mustard
• 3-5 garlic cloves (about 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp. chopped)
• 1 tbsp. chopped horseradish
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/4. tsp. salt
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put the egg yolks, garlic, mustard and horseradish into the blender. Run on low for about 1 minute.
2. With the blender still on low, remove the plastic stopper at the top of the blender and very gradually add the olive oil. If your blender doesn't have a stopper, shut off the blender, add a couple tablespoons of oil, put the cover back on and turn it back on. This should take 2-3 minutes at least.
3. Add the lemon juice and salt. Continue running the blender on low for another minute or until the contents develop a thick, foamy consistency.

Use wherever you might have used mayonnaise.

Thai Peanut Sauce

This peanut sauce is extremely good on a variety of pastas and grains, and would likely do a nice job for poultry and fish as well. Based on this recipe, but adapted for more readily available ingredients.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
• 4 tbsp sushi vinegar (or 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar + 2 tbsp sugar + 1 tsp salt)
• 1 tbsp. anchovy paste
• 1 tbsp. sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce
  
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
• Hot red pepper flakes to taste

Combine all ingredients in a nonstick saucepan; simmer until combined. Easiest to mix while still warm.

Sour cranberry applesauce

I think this tart applesauce is absolutely delicious. It's also very easy and you can use old apples for it. I'm planning on serving it with sweet potato latkes and sour cream. A variation I'd like to try is to use fresh rhubarb in addition to, or in place of, the cranberries. If you do that, compensate with extra lemon juice; rhubarb, though tart, is not as sour as cranberries.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4-5 lbs. apples, peeled and cored (firm, crunchy apples like Granny Smith and Golden Delicious are good)
• 12 oz. package fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. nutmeg
• 4 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. whole allspice (or 1/2 tsp. ground)
  
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 3/4 cup water
• Granulated sugar to taste (I used about half a cup)

RECIPE:

1. Cut the apples into quarters. Combine all ingredients except white sugar in a pot.
2. Heat until water is boiling, then reduce heat to a simmer, covered, for about 25 minutes.
3. Mash with a potato masher, then begin adding granulated sugar and tasting until you've reached the desired level of sweetness. (Warning: this is going to be REALLY SOUR before you start adding the granulated sugar!)

Banana Ketchup

Real ketchup has very little in common with the highly-processed red stuff you get in the plastic bottle. It also doesn't have to contain any tomatoes at all, although this recipe happens to have a little. Use this banana ketchup anywhere you would have used ordinary ketchup--on meat, eggs, fries, whatever. The banana flavor provides a smooth, gentle balance to the zesty sweetness of the vinegar and spices.

One note: this recipe produces a lot of ketchup. If you double it, you had better be planning on giving some away. (Although you should always give away jars of homemade sauces, preserves and jams: people will think of you whenever they eat it!)

My recipe is based on this one, with some significant modifications. In particular, I thought theirs was far too acerbic, not thick enough, and I strongly disagree that the ketchup should be strained: the good stuff is what was left in the strainer!

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 large, ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 medium onion
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 3 oz. tomato paste
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1 1/2 tsp. (=1/2 tbsp.) salt
• 1 tsp. allspice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• Hot pepper to taste
  

DIRECTIONS:

1. Chop onions in a food processor with the metal blade.
2. To the onions, add bananas, raisins, garlic, tomato paste and vinegar to the chopped onions. Puree until smooth.
3. Transfer the puree to a nonstick saucepan. (Nonstick or you'll be sorry!)
4. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the lemon juice, brown sugar, salt and hot pepper; stir thoroughly.
   
5. Bring to a gentle simmer and allow to simmer, uncovered, for 60 minutes, occasionally stirring and removing the scum from the top.
6. Add the molasses and the spices; let cook for another 30 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.
7. Let stand for 10 minutes.
8. Pour into glass jars, and/or set some aside to make barbecue sauce.

Refrigerate. Keeps for 1 month.