Creamy Green Chile, Tomatillo, and Avocado Sauce

Earlier in the week I posted on Facebook about a dinner exceeding my expectations. This is that dinner. When I read the list of ingredients, poblano peppers, tomatillo, avocado, cilantro… OF COURSE I knew I would like the sauce. What’s not to love about all of those things? What I didn’t expect was standing over my food processor bowl with a spoon hoping that I could manage to leave enough sauce in it to actually serve for dinner. That’s how much I liked loved this stuff. (Notice in the photo I put sauce under AND over the chicken).

What makes this sauce even better is its versatility. I used it as a semi pasta sauce and served it with grilled chicken and a black bean and corn salad. Of course it could easily go over rice or just plain right on top of chicken. I also have plans in the near future to serve it over top of fish. I’m guessing it would also go perfectly grilled shrimp. The possibilities are endless. And I’m all about versatility in the kitchen.

Looking for more sauce recipes?

Tzatziki Sauce
Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce
Jack Daniels Sauce
Southwest Marinade and Sauce

 

Homemade Italian Dressing

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m a dip and dressing fanatic. I have always especially been a fan of cool, creamy Ranch and Blue Cheese dressings. I’ve even been known to dip pizza in Ranch dressing on occasion (don’t knock it till you try it!). So you can imagine my surprise in the first trimester when the thought of cool, creamy Ranch made my stomach turn. What I craved instead was something tangy and zippy. Not that I haven’t ever liked these kinds of dressings before (because I have) but my obsession went to a whole knew level. I felt like I was literally just using salad as a vehicle to get that sweet, tangy, zippy dressing to my mouth. Mmmmm….

With such strong cravings you can imagine how disappointed I was when we ordered pizza and a salad and the dressing I ordered (and paid for!!) didn’t come. I’m embarrassed to say how upset I really was. I’m looking at you Dominos. Then of course I realized that I do love to make my own homemade versions of foods and that it was a bit silly to be that upset over something I could easily make on my own (but still a little upset, Dominos, your shaming isn’t over yet).

The awesome thing about homemade Italian dressing is that you can change it up to really fit your tastes. This is the recipe that’s been working for me lately. But of course you should taste as you go and add things as necessary. This particular recipe also made a killer roasted veggie pasta salad (which will be shared tomorrow!).

 

 

Check out these other DIY/Homemade sauces/condiments!

Homemade Spicy Garlic Buffalo Sauce
Homemade Chocolate Syrup
Homemade Jack Daniels Glaze
Homemade Mayonnaise

Pretzel Crusted Chicken with Honey Mustard Dipping Sauce

As I recently mentioned, I’m a sucker for sauces. I don’t think I could ever chose just one favorite, but I think honey mustard is towards the top of the list. Honey mustard seems to go especially well with chicken and pretzels, so pretzel crusted chicken and honey mustard dipping sauce seemed like a match made in heaven. And it was!

My friend Nikki recently shared the recipe she uses for honey mustard, so I used that as a jumping off point. Side note, I said “recently” then when I went to copy the URL I realized the post was from January. Wow. Time flies!! I wanted a stronger mustard taste so I cut the mayonnaise in half and added a little dijon mustard. The result was a dipping sauce that I easily could have eaten with a spoon.

For the chicken, I used a classic breading method. We loved how crunchy the crust was, and it really seemed to hold in the moisture of the chicken. It was really the perfect vehicle for the honey mustard dipping sauce.

 

 

Copycat Jack Daniels Glaze

One thing you might not know about me is that I am a dip and sauce fanatic. I’m the girl that bugs the waiter/waitress for extra sauces – pretty much every single time I go out to eat. Extra side of salsa, a side of ranch, extra buffalo sauce, extra Yum Yum sauce…. You get the picture. Especially if there are fries and/or a wrap/sandwich of some sort. I think I might even embarrass Jesse a little bit because I’ve been known to ask for 3 or more sauces at one time.  It’s a problem, that’s for sure.

There is a popular chain restaurant that has a featured menu that is all about Jack Daniels Glaze. It’s sweet, salty, sticky, and delicious. We don’t go to that restaurant very often, but when we do, you can bet we’ll order the Sesame Jack Chicken Strips as an appetizer. And chances are good that I will also ask for an extra side of the sauce, just so I can dip my fries in it later.

When I came across this copycat on Kate’s blog during a previous recipe swap I was super excited. Of course that time around the Enchilada Casserole won the blog spot, but I didn’t forget about this glaze. When I was assigned Kate’s blog again for this swap, it was fate.

In the interest of full disclosure, I have to come clean and tell you that the sauce I made would technically have to be Johnnie Walker Glaze, since the only whiskey we have on hand at the moment is a bottle of black label. It’s technically different because it’s a Scotch whiskey and not a Tennessee Whiskey, but it worked. And guess what, this sauce is pretty spot! The only other change I made was to use only soy sauce instead of soy and teriyaki because… well, because I can’t read most of the labels at the grocery store (Chinese characters) so I’m not sure if my store had teriyaki sauce!