The Twitchin Kitchen - Sauces & Gravies

Alfredo Sauce ~ Italy

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:48:44 -0500

This is easy to make, delicious and will make a tasty lunch the next day. I posted this for a large amount so you can have left-overs. Ask for smaller sized recipe if you need it. I'm adding variations at the bottom as well. Enjoy!

Alfredo Sauce

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley (Italian parsley)

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes then add garlic and cheese and whisk quickly, heating through.
Stir in parsley and serve over fettuccine pasta.

Note: do NOT let the above boil!

Variation: Add some fresh broccoli to this dish. Sauté broccoli florets in garlic and olive oil and toss on top. You can also do the same with:
asparagus
peas
brussels sprouts

Add some chicken breasts for a more hearty meal. Pound boneless breasts very thin and sauté in olive oil and garlic, season with Italian herbs. Cut into small bite sized pieces and serve over pasta with sauce.

Applesauce ~ 2 versions!

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:09:32 -0400

I wasn't sure if I should put this in desserts or here so - obviously here won out! My reasoning is that I use applesauce in many ways from making desserts, fillings or just on the side with many pork dishes. I also make two versions... cooked and not cooked.
My not cooked version is great for serving with pork chops and pork roasts as a 'relish' and is quick and easy to make if you don't have a jar of pre-made stuff from the store but you have apples in the house!

Traditional Applesauce

Ingredients:

4 medium cooking apples - peeled, cored and quartered
1 cup water
1/2 cup brown sugar - packed
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg

Heat apples and water over medium heat to boiling.
Reduce heat, simmer stirring occasionally 5 to 10 minutes or until apples are tender.
Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and bring to a boil.

Let cool.
Makes about 4 cups.

Twitchy's Tasty Applesauce

Ingredients:

2 or more apples (depends on the amount of people eating at the time - I go by 1 apple per person)
Sugar
Cinnamon (optional)

Peel the apples and then core them. Cut them into pieces and place in a food processor. Process in spurts for a couple of turns until they are chopped into tiny bits. Add a spoon of sugar, process again to blend. Let this settle a couple minutes and then stir with a spoon.
Taste and add sugar if needed and process again quickly.

Repeat tasting and adjusting until you get the consistency and sweetness you like. Once you're satisfied, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon, mix well and refrigerate to let flavors set in.

Don't worry if this turns a little brown on you. This does not keep and should be used up in one sitting.

I like to use the superfine sugar for this as it melts in a bit faster and I find I use less of it.

Pick your favorite tart apple for this. Some good ones are:

Macintosh
Granny Smith
Winesap
Honey

White Clam Sauce ~ Italy

Sat, 03 May 2008 13:28:42 -0400

Mmmm nothing more delicious than this wonderful clam sauce over linguini! As kids we used to call it spaghetti with turtle heads to gross out my little brother! )

White Clam Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 (6.5 ounce) cans minced clams, with juice
1/4 cup clam juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste

In a medium sized saucepan using medium heat cook olive oil and minced garlic for a few seconds.
Add the chopped clams, clam juice or water, and chopped parsley.
*the clam juice from the cans should be enough for this. You can use bottled clam nectar if you don't have enough from the cans.
Add salt and ground black pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 3 minutes.

Serve warm over linguini pasta with salad and fresh Italian bread!

White Sauces ~ America

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:15:18 -0400

White sauce comes in three thicknesses and is used from many areas of the USA for all kinds of foods from Fried Green Tomatoes to Chicken Fried Steak.

Thin White Sauce:
this is the consistency of coffee cream. Used in soups or on vegetables

For each cup of sauce:

1 Tbsp butter
1/2 to 1 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup milk

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Medium White Sauce:
Like thick cream - used for creamed and 'scalloped' foods

For each cup of sauce:

2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup milk

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Thick White Sauce:
Like batter- used for croquettes and soufflés

for each cup of sauce:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 cup milk

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Remove from heat and SLOWLY stir in the milk, keeping the sauce moving to prevent lumps.
Heat to boiling stirring constantly. Boil until sauce is the desired thickness about 1 minute.

Twitchy's Vodka Cream Sauce ~ Italy

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:40:08 -0400

The creation of the Italian Vodka sauce is absolutely brilliant! The vodka serves not as an alcoholic addition but as an agent to "bring the tomatoes alive" with flavor.
The alcohol burns off during cooking.

Twitchy's Vodka Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 lb butter (1 stick)
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup vodka
1 can Italian crushed tomatoes or tomato puree (28 oz cans)
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese - grated
1/2 cup Romano cheese - grated
1 cup heavy cream
Pasta, prepared al dente

Melt the butter over high heat until bubbly.
Add the red pepper flakes.
RAPIDLY add the vodka. Simmer for 2 minutes to burn off the alcohol.
Slowly add the tomatoes with the two cheeses and stir as you add the tomatoes until it's all blended nicely. Simmer for three minutes then add 1 cup of heavy cream and simmer slowly for one more minute as it thickens some.

Pour over your favorite 'tube shaped' pasta and enjoy!

Note: I like to add fresh or frozen peas to my pasta, but you can use any fresh green vegetable if you like!
Sometimes you may need to add more cream if you like your sauce a little thicker.

Easy Sweet and Sour sauce

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:35:54 -0400

1/2 cup Apricot or Plum Jelly

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 cup catsup

1/4 cup corn syrup

2 Tbsp Lemon juice

combine and simmer 5 minutes --pour over fish, chicken or pork

Remoulade - 2 versions

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:44:16 -0400

This Remoulade (sauce) goes WONDERFULLY on my crab cakes Maryland! We used the first version but either one will do nicely.

Remoulade

Ingredients:

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped scallions (green onions)
1/4 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Creole or whole grain mustard (Guldens brand or any spicy brown could substitute if you can't find the real deal)
3 tablespoons yellow mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor with a metal blade and process for 30 seconds to one minute. Use immediately or store in the refridgerator. Will keep for several days in an airtight container.

*note: if you have one of those machines that can take out the air from a jar without making a mess, that will keep the sauce a little longer!

Version #2

ingredients:

1/4 cup chopped green onions (green part only)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Creole or whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon hot sauce (tabasco or Franks)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup vegetable oil

Put all ingredients but the oil in a food processor and process until smooth - about 30 seconds.
With the motor running, slowly pour in the vegetable oil through the tube.
The mixture will thicken.
Transfer to a container, cover and refridgerate for 1 hour before using.

Best if used within 24 hours.

Note: both recipes makes about 2 cups of sauce!

Tahini Cream Sauce ~ Middle East

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:40:46 -0400

This is a Middle Eastern sauce that is used throughout the whole Middle east. It is used as a condiment, dipping sauce, appetizer and just about anything you like it on.

This sauce can be used on meat. Try it on your next steak or burger!

Tahini cream sauce

Ingredients:
equal parts of:
Tahini
Lemon juice

one large clove garlic
pinch of salt

mix together until smooth and creamy. If it won't smooth out, add a few drops of water at a time until it does.

You can find the Tahini in the supermarket section where they sell the olives. I find the Kronos brand available here. It is in the Greek section. I kind of looks like peanut butter only it is sesame paste.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Taragon Sauce for Steak

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:33:56 -0400

Mushroom Tarragon Sauce

Ingredients:

a good fistful of shitake mushrooms (you can use baby 'bello's' if no shitake are available) slice these in half only. You want them to stay looking like 'shrooms'!
Pint of light cream
1 shallot
small bunch of tarragon
butter

Melt butter and reduce off the 'foam'. Toss in mushrooms and let them cook for a bit until they darken some.

Slice the shallot into very thin strips and toss them in at the last minute. You don't want to cook shallots too long or they turn bitter.

Add the cream and let simmer.
Chop up some tarragon and toss into the cream sauce.
Now stir it all up making sure to get all that tasty 'gunk' from the bottom of the pan the mushrooms made.
Your sauce should be turning a beige color by now.

Simmer slowly until it thickens to your liking.
Pour over a beautiful steak and enjoy!

Basic Spaghetti Sauce ~ Italy

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 20:30:03 -0400

Here is my recipe for sauce. It is thick and tasty. You can make it in giant batches like I do and can it in Ball jars. They make small and large jars so you can have sauce for anytime and anything. There's nothing like your own home made pizza with REAL sauce on it instead of the junk out of a can.

Spaghetti Sauce alla Twitch

calories: 107 per cup (8oz)

Serves 3-4+

*you will be using as many cans you like, I am only giving a basic one family, 2 meals version. simply double, triple etc for more.

Ingredients:
2-28 oz (or so) cans tomato puree
2 cans tomato paste
4 large cloves garlic, pressed
handful of oregano
handful of salt
half handful pepper
(all handful items are to your taste, adjust as needed)
1/4 cup olive oil
bay leaves - 2 or 3
fresh basil leaves, to taste

Crush garlic and brown slightly in olive oil.
Add the tomato puree slowly as it will splash the oil. Use the empty cans for measure, and add one can of water for each can of puree.
Add the tomato paste.
Add all other ingredients.
Let this come to a hard boil and reduce to a steady boil with the lid ON the pot for 1/2 hour.
Reduce to a nice slow simmer with the lid ON for another hour, stirring frequently.
Tilt the lid on the pot to allow for the steam to escape and cook like this for another hour or two, stirring often.
Take the lid off and cook for another hour or 2 stirring often.
If you find the sauce becoming too thick, add water a little at a time until you like the consistency.

*the longer it cooks, the thicker it gets!

If you want to add meat to the sauce, simply brown any meat, sausage, ground and seasoned, bracciole,( Remove the meat and add it when you begin to cook with the lid tilted. The meat will add tons of flavor to the sauce and make sure you DON'T clean the pot after browning it! That is where the flavor is.

If you want to add meatballs, you must make them first, fry or broil them and add them as per directions above.
No need to brown them like the other meat.
Don't worry if any meatballs are not fully cooked before adding to the sauce, cooking them for 3 hours will certainly finish them off nicely!

This is what 12 quarts of this looks like on the stove!

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And put up for storage

saucejars.JPG (Size: 1.94 MB / Downloads: 0)