Casa Petrie

(Hi Friends.  It’s been quite busy here.  I miss my blog.  I need to write more!  I hope you are having a great October.)

One of the ways to make plain food more enjoyable is by adding a sauce or condiment.  The sauces I make are generally very inexpensive and easy to make.  A few sauces I make on a regular basis are:

• salsa and guacamole,
• cheese sauce using real cheese and milk,
• fruit sauce utilizing whatever soft fruits we need to use up,
• green chile sauce from the roasted green chile we buy and freeze,
• red and green chile sauce from powdered,
• yogurt dips such as dill dip or ranch dip,
• pesto from our own basil,
• cream cheese dips such as fruit dip and alfredo sauce,
• hummus and baba ganoush,
• and tomato sauce using our own tomatoes.

There are always tons of coupons for condiments and sauces and they can be very inexpensive.  We buy:

• ketchup,
• mustard,
• mayonaise,
• BBQ sauce,
• soy sauce,
• Schiracha chile sauce,
• Tabasco,
• A-1,
• sour cream,
• salad dressing,
• and tomato sauce and paste.

Some of the items I buy or make are really versatile and can be added to meat, veggies or pasta for a fun meal.  Here are some examples of what I cook.

• I can add salsa and guacamole to pretty much any food and it is great!
• Cheese sauce can be added to macaroni for homemade mac and cheese or potatoes for a fancy potatoes au gratin.  It’s also a great base for broccoli cheese soup.
• Fruit sauce can be poured onto pancakes, waffles, french toast, ice cream, or yogurt.
• Green chile sauce (which is much spicier than canned sauce) can be added to hamburgers, grilled cheese, and eggs.
• Red chile sauce is great for Frito Pie, in stews and in enchiladas.
• I serve yogurt dips with fresh veggies.
• Pesto can be added to pizza, pasta and sandwiches.
• Cream cheese and marshmallow fluff makes a wonderful fruit dip.  I will heat cream cheese, milk and pesto for a very tasty alfredo sauce.
• Hummus and baba ganoush are tasty as a dip with crackers or pita chips, in a pita sandwich, and as a dip for veggies.
• Tomato sauce (both homemade and store bought) can be used for pasta, pizza and rice dishes.
• The kids eat ketchup and mustard on lots of foods.  I’m sure no explanation is needed.
• Mr. Petrie uses mayo on tuna.  I am not a big fan of mayonaise.
• BBQ sauce is great on beef, pork and chicken.  We make BBQ chicken pizza regularly.
• Soy sauce is great on rice dishes or as a marinade for meat.
• Mr. Petrie uses Schiracha on stir fries and meat.
• Tabasco is good on beans and eggs.
• A-1 is great on meat.
• Sour cream can be used as a veggie dip, as a way to cool down spicy foods like enchiladas and in beef stroganoff.
• Salad dressing can be used on salads (haha), as a marinade for meat, as a cold pasta salad dressing, and as a veggie dip.

Although I have often tried to make gravy, mine always ends up lumpy.  Eventually, I would like to add it to my repertoire.

Any sauces you make to jazz up meals?