FINE DINING MONSTER

  Citrus Spice Cranberry Sauce Ingredients 4 whole cloves 3 star anise 3 cinnamon sticks 2 medium navel oranges 2 14-ounce cans whole-berry cranberry sauce Directions Place spices on a small square of cheesecloth and gather into a pouch. Tie with twine. Zest 1 orange. Use a knife to remove peel and white pith from both oranges. Working over a medium pot to catch juices, slice oranges into segments, dropping segments into pot. Discard membranes. Add cranberry sauce and spice pouch to pot. Bring to a simmer over medium. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 15 minutes. Remove spice pouch. Stir in zest. Serve warm or at room temperature.

  Make-Ahead Turkey Gravy Recipe Ingredients 1/4 cup salted butter or bacon fat 1/4 cup quick-mixing flour (such as Wondra) or all-purpose flour 4 cups Rich Turkey Broth, warmed 2 tablespoons heavy cream 2 tablespoons (1 oz.) sherry, bourbon, or Madeira 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 3/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt Directions Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-high until sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with flour, whisking until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 2 minutes. (Flour will brown as it cooks, but if it starts to scorch, reduce heat as needed.) Add warm broth in a slow, steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking often, until gravy comes to a simmer and thickens, 6 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool 30 minutes. Pour into a bowl or jar; cover and refrigerate up to 3 days. To serve, reheat gravy over low. Stir in cream, sh...

Corn Dip Ingredients 3 (11 ounce) cans Mexican-style corn 10 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream ¾ cup mayonnaise 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles, drained 5 green onions, chopped 1 jalapeno pepper, chopped Directions Gather the ingredients. Combine Mexican-style corn, Cheddar cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, green chiles, green onions, and jalapeño in a medium bowl; mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or until ready to serve.

  Cranberry Sauce Ingredients Cranberries 450 g, fresh 250 ml Sugar 100 g Brown sugar Preparation Rinse the berries and drain. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugars and bring to a simmer, stirring to ensure that the sugar dissolves and doesn’t stick. When the water and sugar are simmering, add the cranberries. Return to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes. The cranberries will begin to burst and pop. Mash some of the berries with the back of a spoon. Allow to cool in the pan. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator until ready to use. To add some taste you can use 5 gr of chopped jalapeno or 10 g of chopped New Mexico green chiles. Chopped pecans (suggested quantity: 30 g) will be good as well. To obtain a fruity aroma use orange zest and a squeeze of orange juice. If using peppers, add them with 5 minutes left in the cooking time.

  Enchilada Sauce with Chocolate 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup diced onion 3 tablespoons chopped garlic 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons hot chili powder 4 ½ cups chicken broth ½ (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate Directions Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high high heat. Sauté onion until tender. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon; sauté for a few minutes. Stir in flour and chili powder until sauce thickens. Slowly whisk in chicken broth; reduce until sauce reaches desired consistency. Stir in chocolate until melted and well blended.  

  Pumpkin Dip Ingredients 1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin (such as Libby’s) 12 oz. cream cheese (from 2 [8-oz.] pkg.), softened 1 cup (about 3 1/4 oz.) sifted powdered sugar 1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice 1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Graham crackers, gingersnaps, piecrust cutouts, pretzel sticks, sliced apples, berries, or pecans, for serving Directions Add ingredients to food processor: Combine pumpkin, cream cheese, powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and vanilla in a food processor. Process: Process until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Chill: Transfer to a serving dish; cover and chill 30 minutes. Serve: Serve with an assortment of graham crackers, gingersnaps, piecrust cutouts, pretzel sticks, sliced apples, berries, or pecans.  

  Tzatziki Sauce Ingredients 2 medium cucumbers 1 (16 ounce) container plain Greek yogurt 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill ½ medium lemon, juiced salt and ground black pepper to taste Directions Peel cucumbers; remove seeds with a spoon. Grate cucumber on the large holes of a box grater, then squeeze to drain excess liquid.

  Classic pesto Ingredients 160 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided 240 ml (80 g) shredded Parmesan cheese 55 g (300 ml) fresh basil 55 g (95 ml) pine nuts 1 garlic clove salt and ground black pepper Instructions Mix all the ingredients for the pesto with a few tablespoons of the olive oil. Use a food processor or a blender. Add the rest of the oil and mix a bit more. Tips You can store the pesto in the refrigerator for at least 2 weeks. You can also freeze it. This pesto is amazing in sauces, soups and stews. Not to mention salads and spreads... Yum!    

  Keto Ranch dip Ingredients 240 ml mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise 120 ml sour cream 2 tbsp ranch seasoning salt to taste   Instructions In a medium-sized bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, and ranch seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes to let the flavors develop. Serve as a dip or a salad dressing.

  Keto salsa dressing Ingredients 120 ml salsa 60 ml light olive oil 120 ml sour cream 6 tbsp mayonnaise or vegan mayonnaise 3 tbsp cider vinegar 1 tsp chili powder 1 garlic clove, minced salt and pepper, to taste Instructions Whisk all ingredients, except for the salt, in a bowl until the dressing is smooth. Or blend ingredients by shaking together in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  Ranch seasoning Ingredients 180 ml (19 g) dried parsley 80 ml (50 g) garlic powder 80 ml (38 g) onion powder 1 tbsp dried dill 1 tbsp dried chives ½ tbsp ground black pepper Instructions Mix all the ingredients well and pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Tips Making your own spice mixes has many benefits. There are no unwanted additives, you can adjust the flavor to your preferences, and save money! If you prefer, blend all ingredients in a blender or spice grinder for a more powdery mix and a creamier end result when added to recipes.  

    Guacamole Ingredients 2 (400 g) ripe avocados ½ (55 g) white onion, grated or finely chopped ½ lime, the juice 1 (110 g) tomato, diced 60 ml (4 g) fresh cilantro 1 garlic clove, minced salt and pepper, to taste Instructions Peel the avocados and mash with a fork. Add the onion, lime juice, tomato, cilantro, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and mix until well combined.  

 Tex-Mex seasoning Ingredients 1 tbsp chili powder 2 tsp paprika powder 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder ½ tsp chili flakes ½ tsp dried oregano ½ tsp ground black pepper 1 pinch ground cinnamon 1 pinch ground cloves 1 tbsp sea salt (optional) Instructions Add all ingredients to a bowl and stir until thoroughly blended. Pour into a jar with a tight-fitting lid. If you use whole seeds, grind in a grinder either in advance or when cooking. Keep the spices in a dark, dry and cool/room temperature place. Small tin cans are great. Make a big batch to last for 4–6 months; after this the spices will lose some flavor and color. They won't go bad, but will just be less powerful.   Tex-Mex seasoning Ingredients 1 tbsp chili powder 2 tsp paprika powder 2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder ½ tsp chili flakes ½...

 Basic Vegetable Stock Ingredients 2 large carrots 2 stalks celery, including some leaves 1 large onion 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 bunch green onions, chopped 8 cloves garlic, minced 8 sprigs fresh parsley 6 sprigs fresh thyme 2 large bay leaves 1 teaspoon salt 2 quarts water Directions Gather all ingredients. Chop carrot, celery, and onion into 1-inch chunks. Heat oil in a soup pot over high heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, scallions, garlic, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables soften and begin to brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Add salt and water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Strain. Discard vegetables. Enjoy!

  Cajun Seasoning Ingredients 3 teaspoons salt 2 Tablespoons black pepper 2 Tablespoons garlic powder 3 Tablespoons dried thyme 4 teaspoons paprika 4 teaspoons onion powder 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper Before You Begin This recipe is perfect for prepping ahead and storing for future use. To store, you can either use a plastic zipper sandwich bag or an air-tight container such as a mason jar. Store at room temperature in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year. Instructions Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.  

  Ghee – t wo ways   Ingredients 2 lbs (4 cups) unsalted butter Instructions Stove top method Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Don't stir. Reduce heat and let the melted butter simmer for an hour or until a firm "foam" forms on the surface. Remove the foam with a slotted spoon. On the bottom, you'll now see white milk protein, which you want to leave behind in the pan or filter out of your ghee. Over a glass bowl, carefully pour the clarified butter through a filter; you can use cheesecloth or coffee filter. The white milk protein should remain in the filter, while the clear butterfat seeps through. Repeat the filtering a couple of times for optimal results. Transfer the ghee into airtight glass jars and allow to cool with the lid off. Once cool, store the ghee at room temperature or in the fridge. Multi-cooker method Place butter in multi-cooker, such as an Instant Pot or Ninja Foodi, and select the ’keep warm’ setting. Gently ...

    Jerk seasoning Ingredients 2 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp dried chives 1 tbsp dried thyme 1 tbsp ground allspice 2 tsp ground black pepper 2 tsp Scotch bonnet chili flakes 2 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp ground nutmeg ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tbsp sea salt (optional) Instructions In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients until blended. Store the seasoning in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and keep in a dark, dry, and cool place.

  Cowboy sauce Ingredients 7 oz. butter 1 (½ oz.) scallion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped 2 tbsp fresh chives, finely chopped 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1 tbsp fresh horseradish, grated 1 tsp dried thyme 1 tsp paprika powder ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 pinch cayenne pepper 2 tbsp heavy whipping cream Instructions Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the cream, and whisk together. Before serving, whisk in the cream until the sauce thickens. You can also use an immersion blender at this stage.  

  Enchilada Sauce with Chocolate Ingredients 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup diced onion 3 tablespoons chopped garlic 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon ground cumin ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 5 tablespoons hot chili powder 4 ½ cups chicken broth ½ (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate Directions Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high high heat. Sauté onion until tender. Stir in garlic, oregano, cumin and cinnamon; sauté for a few minutes. Stir in flour and chili powder until sauce thickens. Slowly whisk in chicken broth; reduce until sauce reaches desired consistency. Stir in chocolate until melted and well blended.

  Agrodolce Dressing Ingredients  3 tablespoons sugar  3/4 cup dry red wine  3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar  2 teaspoons minced garlic  3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns  3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried rosemary leaves  1/2 teaspoon salt  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil  2 teaspoons fresh lime juice How to Make It Put 3 tablespoons sugar in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart pan; shake pan often over high heat (do not stir) until sugar is liquefied and amber colored, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add 3/4 cup dry red wine and 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (mixture will bubble vigorously and sugar will harden). Return to high heat and add 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 3/4 teaspoon black peppercorns, 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried rosemary leaves, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir often until caramelized sugar melts again and mixture is reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Let stand for at least 2 hours. Pour throu...