Homemade Dressings and Sauces

Through the years my interest in DIY has escalated dramatically. I like the idea of making sauces and dressings from scratch because they aren't that difficult to make, the ingredients are easily available and the cost savings can be dramatic. Plus you have the confidence of knowing what is in the food you're eating and making. In my 30+ years of being married I have both collected tons of recipes and created a ton. At first the cost of buying the ingredients to make sauces and dressings can be daunting, but eventually you will just have items on hand and will be able to quickly make whatever you want!

So you want to try homemade mayonnaise? You will need: 1 egg, room temperature; 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar; 1/2 tsp. dry mustard; 1/4 tsp. paprika; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. cayenne (optional); 1 Tbsp. honey; 1 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1 cup vegetable oil. Place egg, vinegar, dry mustard, paprika, salt, cayenne and honey in blender; whirl until smooth. With blender on lowest speed, s-l-o-w-l-y add half the oil, then the lemon juice then the remaining oil. Continue mixing, scraping sides of blender until oil has been distributed throughout for a creamy texture. Makes 2 cups of mayonnaise. See? How simple can it be? The recipe can be doubled but not tripled.

The next recipe has story behind it. I used to make this in the early 1980's and my oldest daughter would give me an evil stare whenever I served it because she wanted "Heinz". "Geez, mom can't we just go to the store and buy it like everyone else?" So, because I was the only one using it, I stopped making it. Now my children have flown the nest, I have a bunch of tomatoes and onions to use up, so guess what I'm going to do with them?

How about homemade catsup? You will need: 4 lbs. tomatoes; 1 large onion, chopped; 1 tsp. ground cloves; 1 tsp. salt; 1 tsp. allspice; 1 cup vinegar. Prepare tomatoes by peeling them. To do this, bring a large pan of water to a boil. When the water is hot, drop two or three tomatoes at a time into the water. Leave them for a minute or until you see the skins begin to split. Remove them to a bowl and cool, or dip them into an icewater bath to hasten cooling. Peel and chop the tomatoes over a bowl to catch the juice. Simmer tomatoes and onion in a sauce pan until tender. This should take about 10 minutes. Cool slightly. Puree the cooked tomato/onion mixture in a blender, a food processor or use an immersion blender. Add spices and vinegar and cook very, slowly for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until the mixture is reduced by a third. Stir frequently. Cool completely and pour into containers. This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 months and up to 9 months in the freezer.

French Salad Dressing: 1/2 cup sugar; 6 Tbsp. water. Boil the sugar & water until they spin a thread. In blender mix: 2 cups salad oil; 1 cup catsup; 3 Tbsp. real lemon; 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar; 1 tsp. paprika; 1 tsp. celery seed; 1 tsp. salt; 2 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce; 1/2 cup grated onion (you can also use onion powder or dried minced onion to taste.) Add sugar and water mixture and blend well. Makes 1 quart.

Sour Cream and Vegetable Dressing: 1 cup sour cream; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 cup finely chopped or grated cucumber, 2 Tbsp. finely chopped green or red pepper; 2 Tbsp. finely chopped green onions including the tops; 1 Tbsp. dill or basil; 1 tsp. lemon juice. Combine and chill. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Basic French Dressing: 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar; 1 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. dry mustard, 1 1/2 cup salad oil; 1/2 tsp. paprika; dash of black pepper. Shake or blend ingredients together and store in refrigerator. Makes 1 pint.

Tangy Buttermilk Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1 clove garlic, finely minced; 1/2 cup buttermilk; 2 Tbsp. very finely chopped parsley; 1/2 tsp. paprika. Combine ingredients and chill. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

Thousand Island Dressing: 1/2 cup catsup; 2 cups miracle whip type salad dressing; 1 medium green pepper, minced; 1 1/2 Tbsp. dry minced onion. (A bit of sugar, if desired.) Stir to mix. Makes 1 quart.

Remoulade Dressing: (Very similar to tartar sauce)--3/4 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 tsp. dry mustard; 1/2 tsp. chopped parsley; 2 tsp. sweet pickle relish; 1/2 tsp. capers, chopped; 1/2 tsp dried chervil leaves (this is similar to parsley); 1/3 cup milk; 1 Tbsp.vegetable oil. Combine ingredients and serve on cold asparagus or a green salad. It is also good on a salad of mixed vegetables.

Italian Dressing: 1 small clove garlic, minced or garlic powder to taste; 1 tsp. salt; 2 Tbsp. wine vinegar; 1 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice; 6 Tbsp. olive oil; 1/2 tsp. black pepper. Mix ingredients together with whisk until well blended. Makes 1/2 cup.

Russian Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise; 3 Tbsp. chili sauce or catsup; 1 Tbsp. grated onion; 1 to 2 Tbsp. horseradish (optional). Blend with whisk or mixer and refrigerate.

Imperial Dressing: 1/4 cup brown sugar; 1 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. pepper; 1 tsp. onion salt or onion powder; 1/2 tsp. celery seed; 1 tsp. paprika; 2 drops hot sauce (optional); 1/2 tsp. dill; 1/2 cup red wine vinegar; 1 cup catsup; 1 cup olive oil; 3 Tbsp. capers; 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce; 1 clove garlic, minced or garlic powder to taste. Combine the sugar, salt, pepper, onion salt or powder, celery seed, hot sauce, paprika, dill and vinegar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cool for 10 minutes. Blend in the catsup, olive oil, capers and worcestershire. Add garlic and cool for 1 hour. Place in jar and cover. Refrigerate until chilled. Shake well before using. Makes
2 3/4 cups.

Dilly-Cucumber Dressing: 1 1/2 cups seeded, peeled and finely chopped cucumber; 1 cup mayonnaise; 2 Tbsp. minced onion; 1 Tbsp. milk; 1 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1/2 tsp. dill weed; 1/4 tsp. salt. Mix, cover and refrigerate. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Pleasing Cheese and Herb Dressing: 1 cup mayonnaise; 1/2 cup parsley; 1/4 cup grated parmesean cheese; 2 Tbsp. lemon juice; 1 clove garlic, minced (or garlic powder); 1 tsp. dried basil. Mix and refrigerate in covered container. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Tomato Dressing: 1/2 cup tomato juice; 1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice or 1 Tbsp. wine vinegar; 1 green onion, finely chopped including 2 " of the tops; 1 tsp. vasil or dill; garlic powder to taste, salt & pepper to taste. Combine and refrigerate in covered container. Makes 2/3 cup.

Creamy Roquefort Dressing: 3/4 cup mayonnaise; 1/4 cup milk; 1/8 tsp. salt; 1/4 cup crumbled roquefort cheese; 1 tsp. worcestershire sauce; 1/8 tsp. garlic powder; 1/8 tsp. pepper. Combine and refrigerate in covered container. Makes approximately 1 cup.