Summer Sauce for Everything

A pile of tomatoes sitting on top of a table.

Ingredients 2 cups cheery and/or grape tomatoes 2 cloves minced garlic 1/3 cup water 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar pinch of red pepper flakes 1/3 tsp salt (or to taste) Directions In a small saucepan bring all ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until tomatoes burst and…

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Summer Succotash Salad

A plate of salad with asparagus, corn and tomatoes.

Ingredients ¼ lb fresh okra, 12 to 15 pods 1 cup butterbeans or lady peas, cooked 1 ear of corn, cooked and kernals removed 1 cup cherry tomatoes sliced ½ small red onion sliced 1 bunch arugula or other lettuce 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tb blackening seasoning Dressing 3 Tbsp balsamic or lemon balsamic…

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Summertime Tomato Tart

A cutting board with tomatoes and green beans.

Ingredients 3 or 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced in thick slices (optional: cherry tomatoes to fill gaps) 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped (reserve a little for the top) 1 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped 1 cup mayonnaise 1 egg 1/3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated (plus a little more for sprinkling on top) 1/3 cup Monterey Jack…

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Sundried Tomato and Cream Sauce for Pasta

A bowl of pasta with some vegetables and cheese

Ingredients 2 cups small tomatoes cherry or grape or a mix  (Hint: You can skip this step and buy sundried tomatoes in a jar.) 2 garlic cloves finely minced 2 Tbsp olive oil Salt and pepper ½ tsp butter ½ cup cream Pinch red pepper flakes (1/8 tsp) 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided  (about 2…

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Sweet Chili Shrimp Stir-Fry

Shrimp and rice noodles in a bowl.

I got a wok for Christmas! New motto “Cooking will be fun in 2021!”  Due to a knee injury and a downed tree (not related) cooking for fun has not been a priority lately. It took that wok to get me excited about experimenting in the kitchen again. If Santa didn’t leave you a wok…

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Sweet Potato Fries

A bowl of ketchup and some fries on paper

Ingredients 2 sweet potatoes, cut in 1/4 inch thick fries, you can leave the peel on 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp each, salt, paprika and pepper, or to taste (you can experiment with other seasonings, Like Old Bay or Montreal Steak Seasoning) Directions Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put potatoes in a medium bowl…

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Sweet Potatoes with Caramel Sauce

Sweet potato casserole in a silver dish.

At a gathering last week the conversation quickly turned to holiday dishes as we shared traditions and recipes. This involved important information linked with crucial decision making like turkey or tenderloin, country or city ham, mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes.  Those topics could all be worthy of debate, but finally we focused on the potato…

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Swor House Steak Sauce

A jar of ketchup and a container with a lid.

Ingredients 1 onion, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, smashed Juice of one lemon ¼ cup brown sugar 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar (or whatever you have on hand) 2 Tbsp Ponzu or Soy Sauce ¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce 1 ¼ cups ketchup Pinch of red pepper flakes 2 Tbsp water Directions Put all ingredients in…

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