I don’t know about you, but I love making things from scratch—especially things that you’d normally buy at the grocery store. It tends to be a lot less expensive and more healthy when you do this. And it almost always tastes better. 

But it can also be a big pain in the rear. Once I ran out of homemade taco seasoning, curry powder, ranch dressing mix, chicken broth, marinara, and pancake mix. 

All in the same week.

After I spent a couple of days restocking, I decided I’d love to hire someone to keep my kitchen stocked with homemade staples. If I had to choose, I’d probably pick Tasty Kitchen member Laurie for the job. Cooking and baking from scratch is her gig! Plus, she’s super nice. (And she’d be fun to hang out with.)

Laurie’s recipe for Homemade Teriyaki Sauce caught my eye one day while browsing around Tasty Kitchen. I’m not a big fan of commercial teriyaki sauce because I find it way too sweet and full of other “stuff” I’d rather not eat, so making some from scratch really appealed to me.

I’m so glad I tried it! Laurie’s version is light and perfectly sweet. Luckily, it’s super easy. Here, I’ll show you.

You’ll need pineapple juice, ground mustard, pepper, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, soy sauce, and a sweetener.

If you happen to have allergies or avoid certain types of foods, you can do some substitution here. Because we avoid soy products and refined sugar, I used coconut aminos (a milder alternative to soy sauce) and coconut sugar (a less processed sweetener that has a similar taste to brown sugar). 

Also, if you can’t have pineapple juice, then Laurie suggests white grape juice as a good alternative. 

Just be sure to use fresh ginger and garlic!

First, peel the garlic and ginger and mince it in your food processor. You can also use a knife if you like. Just make sure the pieces are really small.

Add the sugar. 

Add the soy sauce. 

And the ground mustard. 

And the pepper. Then give the whole thing a thorough buzz.

Pour it into a quart-sized jar. I used a Mason jar because I’m in love with them.

Seriously. I have a drawer in my kitchen dedicated to mason jar lids and rings. You’d think that I also do my fair share of preserving, but I don’t. I’m just a weirdo.

Now pour in the pineapple sauce and give it a good shake.

Aaand … that’s it. Voilà! Teriyaki sauce. It’s ready to use!

I noticed that mine is considerably lighter in color than Laurie’s. I think it’s because coconut aminos is lighter in color than soy sauce.

You can use this like you would regular teriyaki sauce.

One night I had some naked drumsticks staring at me and begging for a marinade. 

After a good salt and pepper shower, I poured about a cup of the teriyaki sauce on them and let them sit for a while. (It really wasn’t that long, and I’d definitely let them marinate for several hours next time.)

After baking for about 40 minutes, we ended up with this: juicy, tender, flavorful chicken and some CRAZY good pan sauce that my kids practically licked off their plates! 

(Did you know pineapple juice is a natural meat tenderizer? It has something to do with the enzymes in the fruit, but don’t ask me how. That’s as scientific as I get.)

I’ve also used it in a vegetable and pineapple stir-fry and on some foil-packet grilled salmon. I think it’s safe to say that this will be a regular pantry staple. Luckily it keeps for about a month in the fridge!

Thanks so much, Laurie! Be sure to check out Laurie’s TK recipe box as well as her own beautiful blog, Simply Scratch, for more from-scratch recipe inspiration.

Printable Recipe

Homemade Teriyaki Sauce

by Laurie - Simply Scratch on February 7, 2013 in Homemade Ingredients February 7, 2013 Homemade Ingredients

See post on Laurie - Simply Scratch’s site!

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

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Who knew making your own teriyaki sauce was THIS easy?

Ingredients

• 2 cloves Fresh Garlic, Smashed, Peeled And Roughly Chopped
• 1 Tablespoon To 2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger, Peeled And Roughly Chopped
• ¼ cups Dark Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Tamari Or Soy Sauce
• ½ Tablespoons Dry Mustard
• ¼ teaspoons White Pepper
• 2 cups Pineapple Juice

Preparation Instructions

Place the chopped garlic and ginger in a blender or food processor and pulse to mince.

Add the brown sugar, tamari, dry mustard and white pepper into the food processor with the garlic and ginger and pulse until combined and the sugar is dissolved.

Pour the tamari/garlic/ginger mixture into a large jar and add in the juice. Shake and store in the fridge for a month (maybe longer)!

Note: Use tamari instead of soy sauce to keep this gluten free. Also white grape juice can be substituted for the pineapple juice if in a pinch!

 
 
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Be sure to check out Natalie’s own beautiful food blog, Perrys’ Plate, where you can see her growing collection of lovely recipes. There’s always something new to see there. Go visit now!

 
Really quick ice cream. Like, zero to sweet, frozen goodness in under 15 minutes. NOT too good to be true!

When I saw Ice Cream in a Bag by Tasty Kitchen member whatthedogate (Donna) I wondered why I had never tried this before. I thought it might be a fun project to do with my kids, so I gathered up the troops and got started.

To make two servings of ice cream you’ll need two pint-sized zip top baggies, two bowls, and two willing helpers.

Pour a cup of half-and-half into each baggie. The bowl is there to help the little ones from spilling it all over the place.

In each bag, add a tablespoon or two of sugar, depending on how sweet you want it. I used raw sugar, which worked nicely.

Now pull out all of your fancy extracts and flavorings. Let the kids pick whatever flavor their little hearts desire. (Only to have them both pick vanilla. I swear my kids have more personality than that.)

Add about two teaspoons of vanilla extract to the bag. (Measurements may differ depending on the flavor you use.)

Zip it up tight! (Very important.)

Next pull out a giant bowl of ice and some rock salt. You know, the kind you use in them old-fangled ice cream makers.

Grab a gallon-sized zip top bag for each small bag and fill them about 1/3 full of ice. (The recipe says 4 cups for each bag.)

Add 1/2 cup of rock salt to each bag of ice.

Now place one pint-sized bag into each gallon-sized bag. To go one step further, place that whole thing into another gallon-sized bag. If that seems a little wasteful, I’m sure they can be easily rinsed out and re-used.

Now let those kids earn their ice cream. Shake, shake, shake! Or carefully kick it around on the floor.

May I take a moment to leave you with a mommy comment? I love my kids. A lot. Becoming a mother is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. But motherhood has absolutely crushed my pre-baby dreams of being in charge and doing what I want all day long. Oh, and dressing my kids up everyday to look like Gap models. I have very little say in what they wear and how (or if) I do their hair. Luckily you caught them on a good day.

Back to the ice cream. The bag needs to be shaken for about 5 minutes straight.

If after 45 seconds you start getting looks like this, you might want to step in and help. The recipe suggests sticking the bags in the washing machine through a couple of spin cycles. I tried it and it actually works!

The result? Sweet, creamy, frozen goodness.

If you’re expecting Ben & Jerry’s to come out of that bag, you may be slightly disappointed. The ice cream isn’t gourmet quality, but it’s made with fresh ingredients and tastes like homemade ice cream (which is more than most store-bought brands can claim).

Plus, I have never met a kid who was picky about their ice cream.

Thank you Donna for a great activity to do with my kids! Check out Donna’s blog What the Dog Ate as well as her recipe box for more great recipes, including Edible Ice Cream Bowls and Homemade Microwave Popcorn!

One note about the recipe: If possible, use freezer bags for the ice cream. Both of my bags leaked a little, and I don’t know if it was due to my daughter kicking it around on the floor, putting it in the washer, or using a flimsy pint-sized bag.

Printable Recipe

Ice Cream in a Bag

by whatthedogate on June 24, 2011 in Desserts, Ice Cream June 24, 2011 DessertsIce Cream

See post on whatthedogate’s site!

4.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4

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In honor of summer, you must, must try Ice Cream in a Bag. It is such a fun, kid friendly activity. And it’s so yummy!

Ingredients

• 4 cups Half-and-half
• 8 Tablespoons Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 4 whole Pint Sized Zip Lock Baggies
• 16 cups Ice
• 8 whole Gallon Sized Zip Lock Type Baggies
• 2 cups Salt, Rock Salt Type

Preparation Instructions

Measure out 1 cup half and half into a pint sized baggie. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Repeat for the remaining three pint sized baggies. I used a loaf pan to hold the baggies while I added the ingredients. No spills! Seal the baggies and place them in the freezer while you assemble the gallon sized baggies.

Fill each of four gallon sized baggies half-way full of ice. For me this was about 4 cups of ice for each of the four gallon sized baggies. Add 1/2 cup of ice cream salt to each gallon sized baggie of ice. Now double bag those puppies. That’s where you get the 8 gallon sized baggies from.

Remove the ice cream mixtures from the freezer. Recheck the seal on the ice cream mixture to make sure they are well sealed, and place one pint sized baggie into one gallon sized ice set up. Seal each of the gallon baggies.

Shake, shake, shake for at least 5 minutes. For my little ones, this proved to be a little challenging, so I helped out. Then it got a bit cold for my hands. You could try wearing oven mitts to insulate your hands from the cold. Me? I put all four set-ups in my front-loader washing machine and set it to spin. Three minutes did the trick!

This project would make a great summer time scientific inquiry for the kiddos. “Which agitation method produces an ice-cream like consistency in the fastest time?” I fully expect everyone to try this out and report your results in the comments section. Now get shakin’!

 
 
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Be sure to check out Natalie’s own beautiful food blog, Perrys’ Plate, where you can see her growing collection of lovely recipes. There’s always something new to see there. Go visit now!

 
Ah, lamb. I must admit, I haven’t eaten a lot of lamb in my life. My grandpa was a sheep farmer before he passed away, and my parents ate quite a bit of mutton meals in their home during the early years of marriage. My mom always thought mutton (and lamb) smelled funny, so we never ate it while I was growing up. Never. Ever.

Occasionally I’d take a few bites of my husband’s lamb curry when we’d eat out, but that is the whole of my experience with lamb. And with all of the lamb recipes buzzing around this past month, I got curious. These Lamb Tostadas from TK member rbrasher (Rebecca) were a successful attempt at recreating a dish she ate at a restaurant. I thought that would be a good way to ease myself into a new meat.

And it would be awfully hard to mess up a tostada.

So after making the very first lamb purchase of my life, I gathered the rest of the ingredients: black beans, tostada shells, sour cream, yogurt, chipotle peppers, tomatoes, a jalapeno, Mexican cotija cheese, salad greens, and the seasonings: salt, pepper, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and cocoa.

(See notes below for the adjustments I made in this recipe.)

First get the beans started. Dump the drained beans into a medium saucepan.

Add some smoked paprika. Smoked paprika is pretty easy to find these days, in the spice section of your grocery store. If you don’t have (or can’t find) smoked paprika, cumin would be a better substitute than regular paprika.

And some water. Simmer the beans on the stove over medium-low heat while you prepare the rest.

Next, combine the yogurt, sour cream, and pureed (or minced) chipotle peppers in a small bowl and let it hang out.

By the way, I’d recommend removing the seeds before you puree the peppers. They’re pretty spicy without the seeds. And if you’re wondering what to do with the leftovers, you can always spoon it into an ice cube tray. Once they’re frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag and store them in the freezer. You can find canned chipotles in adobo sauce in the Latin/ethnic aisles of most grocery stores.

Now for the lamb. Get a large skillet heated to medium-high heat and add the lamb and the cocoa, cinnamon, and smoked paprika. Stir it around a bit.

Now add some water.

Stir it around. Although the lamb already looks browned, it’s really the cocoa playing tricks on you. Let it simmer uncovered over medium heat for 15 minutes or so until the lamb is fully cooked, the water has cooked off, and the flavors have mingled.

Once the lamb has finished cooking, the beans should be nice and flavorful as well. Taste both and add salt and/or pepper as needed.

Chop the tomatoes and jalapenos and get ready to assemble!

Layer the tostada shell, salad greens, lamb, beans, tomatoes, chipotle cream, cotija, and jalapenos.

I really don’t need to tell you what to do next, do I? Just make sure you have napkins handy. Tostadas don’t make for very graceful eating.

These were great. I loved the combination of the flavors—the pungent meat, smoky beans, salty cheese, and spicy chipotle cream. The meat, alone, had a very strong flavor. I don’t know if it was my preconceived notions of lamb’s funky smell or the unusual spice combination, but I’m going to be honest with you. I didn’t enjoy eating the lamb alone. Assembled in the tostada? Yes. Please. If you’re a fan of lamb, you probably won’t have my weird issues.

I also want to call attention to this ah-mazing chipotle cream. It’s really the bomb. Rebecca recommends storing it in a squirt bottle (mine’s in storage. I almost cried.) and using it on salads, tacos, quesadillas, or any of your Mexican favorites.

My girls and I happily ate these for lunch three days in a row. Thanks so much Rebecca for a unique twist on a Mexican favorite! Visit her blog, Revising Rebecca, where she writes about finding balance in life (something we all need!).

 
Recipe adjustments: I omitted the rice (out of personal preference), and substituted sour cream for the mayo in the chipotle cream. If you omit the rice as well, I would cut the amount of cocoa and smoked paprika (in the lamb) in half to tone down the flavor of the meat. I also used queso cotija instead of queso blanco because that’s what I had on hand. Feta or goat cheese would also work well.

Printable Recipe

Lamb Tostadas

by rbrasher on October 13, 2010 in Lamb, Main Courses October 13, 2010 LambMain Courses

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 8

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We stopped into a little restaurant for the first time a few weeks ago and I tried this dish on a whim. Seemed like a good idea since almost everyone else in the restaurant were ordering it and raving about it. Loved it. Came home and tried to recreate it. This is really close, if not it!

Ingredients

• 2 cups Cooked Rice
• 1 can (15 Oz. Can) Black Beans, Drained
• 1 cup Water, Divided
• 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika, Divided
• 1 pound Ground Lamb
• 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons Dutch Processed Chocolate
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Pepper
• ½ cups Mayonnaise
• ½ cups Plain Yogurt
• 2 teaspoons Pureed Chipotle In Adobo Sauce
• 8 whole Tostada Shells
• 1 cup Queso Blanco, Crumbled Or Pepper Jack, Shredded
• 2 cups Shredded Lettuce
• 1 whole Tomato, Diced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Diced

Preparation Instructions

Cook rice according to directions.

Place black beans in a small sauce pan. Add half the water and half the smoked paprika. Stir and heat on low while you make the rest of the dish.

In a large skillet, combine the ground lamb, remaining smoked paprika, cinnamon, Dutch processed chocolate, salt, pepper, and remaining water and allow meat to brown. Stir often to break up meat and mix flavors. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes.

Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, and chipotle peppers and put in a squeeze jar. (You won’t use it all on this recipe but it makes for great burritos, quesadillas, and tacos!)

When meat is cooked, assemble tostadas on a thin bed of rice. First layer is black beans, then meat, then cheese, lettuce, tomato, and jalapeno. Drizzle with the chipotle sauce and enjoy!

 
 
_______________________________________

Be sure to check out Natalie’s own beautiful food blog, Perrys’ Plate, where you can see her growing collection of lovely recipes. There’s always something new to see there. Go visit now!

 
Pretty, isn’t it? Think: Mediterranean version of the classic (and sometimes overdone) Mexican 7-layer dip. On the bottom there’s a fantastic cilantro-pecan pesto, then a generous dose of hummus, and a sprinkling of diced vegetables, feta cheese, and toasted pine nuts.

We recently became homeowners and threw a little housewarming party last weekend. I thought this dip would be a perfect addition to an appetizer spread. Oh, it was. There were compliments all over the place.

Can I just tell you how thankful I am to have this dip in my life? Just in time for the Super Bowl, too.

Who do we have to thank for this easy, drool-worthy Layered Mediterranean Dip? Tasty Kitchen member campgrandma, that’s who.

I can’t wait to relive this. Let’s get started!

I doubled the recipe, so these photos show larger quantities than the recipe calls for. Just so ya know.

First we’ll start on the pesto. You’ll need some chopped fresh cilantro, chopped pecans, pine nuts, grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh garlic and some extra-virgin olive oil.

I know there are a few out there who despise cilantro. First, my condolences. Second, you could probably substitute a mixture of fresh parsley and mint to complement the Greek/Mediterranean flavors.

Pull out your food processor and throw in the cilantro.

Then the garlic.

Then a small amount of the olive oil.

Give that a quick buzz until a paste forms. Scrape down the sides, too.

Add the pecans.

And the pine nuts.

And the cheese.

Buzz that up as well, stopping to scrape down the sides again.

Then turn on the food processor and add the remaining olive oil down the chute.

I added a pinch of salt. Your mixture should be pretty runny by now.

Like this. Pour it into a bowl, and set it aside while you prep the vegetables. You can do this step ahead and keep the pesto covered and chilled for five days or frozen for one month.

Dice the onion, cucumber, and tomatoes. Crumble the feta, if needed. You may notice that there are olives missing. We don’t like olives—especially kalamata olives. (Return the condolences, if desired.) So I added something else in their place.

Chopped peperoncini peppers. We love these. And they add a little kick to the dip, which we liked.

Now the fun part! Grab a very shallow serving dish or platter. Spread the pesto on the dish in an even layer. I didn’t want it to get buried (it’s so pretty!), so I brought it within an inch or so of the edge of the platter.

Next, carefully spread the hummus in an even layer over the pesto. Depending on the hummus you use, it might be quite a bit thicker than the pesto.

Time to sprinkle! I don’t think the order really matters, just get those cucumbers, onion, tomatoes, and feta sprinkled evenly. Oh, and the olives and/or peperoncini peppers, if you’re so inclined. I also added a drizzle of olive oil, just for kicks.

I added some extra grape tomatoes, a sprig or two of cilantro and some toasted pine nuts as additional garnishes. We served these with pita chips, carrots, cucumbers, and red bell pepper slices. And we all lived happily ever after.

Thank you Beth for a great addition to our appetizer menu! Visit her blog, Grandma B’s Kitchen, for more of her recipes.

Printable Recipe

Cilantro-Pecan Pesto Layered Mediterranean Dip

by campgrandma on February 9, 2010 in Appetizers, Cold Dips February 9, 2010 AppetizersCold Dips

See post on campgrandma’s site!

4.66 Mitt(s) 3 Rating(s)

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: -

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 12

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If you love cilantro and fresh ingredients, this is the dip for you! It’s easy to adjust to your liking.

Ingredients

• FOR THE PESTO:
• 1-½ cup Fresh Cilantro Leaves
• 2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
• ⅓ cups Olive Oil, Divided
• 2 Tablespoons Pecans, Chopped
• 2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts
• ¼ cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese
• FOR THE REMAINING LAYERS:
• 2 cups Hummus, Any Flavor (I Like To Use Roasted Red Pepper)
• ½ cups Baby Cucumber, Chopped
• ½ cups Red Onion, Chopped
• ½ cups Kalamata Olives, Chopped
• ½ cups Grape Tomatoes, Chopped
• FOR GARNISH:
• Pita Chips
• Feta Cheese
• Roasted Pine Nuts
• Cilantro

Preparation Instructions

For the pesto:

Process cilantro, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until a rough paste forms. Add pecans, pine nuts and cheese, and process until blended, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, pour the remaining oil through the food chute in a slow, steady stream; process until smooth.

Pesto can be chilled for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month, if desired. Yields 3/4 cup.

For assembling the layered dip:

Spread pesto on a platter. Layer the remaining ingredients on top of the pesto in the order listed. Top with the garnish ingredients.

Serve with pita chips.

 
 
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Be sure to check out Natalie’s own beautiful food blog, Perrys’ Plate, where you can see her growing collection of lovely recipes. There’s always something new to see there. Go visit now!

My summertime needs are pretty simple: 1. Flip flops 2. Air-conditioning 3. Lots of fresh fruit 4. An ice cream maker There’s also grilling about 75% of our meals, attempting to tan without burning, and gardening (me=brown, shriveled thumb), but the ones above are absolutely essential. Luckily I was able to combine #3 and #4 […]

  My heart goes out to everyone without air conditioning this summer. Being hot is right up there on my list of “most unpleasant sensations” between having a cavity drilled and discovering my husband finished off the Nutella without telling me. The only redeeming quality to hot summers is the abundance of fresh fruit—especially melons.…

When I find quick, simple, yet healthy meals to feed our little family (that my girls like!), I do a little dance of joy. This recipe for Moroccan Eggs submitted by TK member Katie is exactly that.