Hummus

2 cups canned chickpeas, drained but save the liquid

1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)

6 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)

2 tablespoons water or liquid from the chickpeas

8 dashes Tabasco sauce

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste for seasoning and serve chilled or at room temperature. Makes 2 cups.

Tomato Gravy

1/3 cup onion chopped

3 Tablespoons bacon grease or oil

2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

2 cups canned tomatoes

salt and pepper

1 ½ cup water. (optional)

Sauté onion in bacon grease. Add flour and brown slightly. Add tomatoes and stir until it gets thick. Add salt and pepper. Water may be added as needed. Great with biscuits and on pork.

Angie’s Basil Pesto

2 c fresh basil leaves

½ c parsley leaves

½ c olive oil

3 T pine nuts

2 garlic cloves

¾ c fresh Parmesan cheese

2 T softened butter

Salt to taste

Puree the basil, parsley, olive oil, nuts and garlic in blender or good processor. (At this point, the mixture may be frozen for future use.) To finish thaw in refrigerator and add cheese and butter, stirring in by hand (not in a food processor or blender). Good on pasta or cream cheese.

Fred’s Dill Sauce

1 c mayonnaise (or ½ c mayo, ½ c sour

cream)

¼ t dill week

¼ t celery salt

½ c scallions

½ c chopped dill pickles

1 T Worcestershire

3 T lemon juice

Pepper

Tabasco to taste

Mix all ingredients and serve with fish, especially salmon!!

Alternate: mix mayo with brine from pickled jalapenos (a lot!), dry dill, S&P, lemon.

Pop-Pop’s Lamb Sauce

An Easter staple at our house.  Lamb is always on the table and its best with this sauce.

 

Lamb Sauce

1/3 c Worcestershire

2/3 c Ketchup

1/3 c water

Juice of ½ lemon

Dash of salt

1 t sugar

(4-5 pounds). Wash Lamb. Add 1 pint water in bottom of pan. Cook 40 minutes in a 500 degree oven. Brown before adding sauce. In low oven, bask every 15 minutes. Might have to add more water. Cook for 3 hours. Can be doubled.