sauces Archives - The Midnight Baker

Rich Creamed Spinach

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 28 Oct 2020 00:00:07 +0000

Creamed spinach is a perennial favorite side dish. My version is a bit richer and oh-so delicious.

Rich Creamed Spinach

Spinach is one of my favorite veggies. It seems to have become popular again since fresh baby spinach is a best seller for salads and lots of other recipes. Needless to say, I’m glad for its renewed popularity.

So it only follows that creamed spinach, a timeless favorite, is popular again. Either eaten as a side or topped with a sunny-side-up egg as a main dish, it’s just delicious.

I was lazy for years and always used to buy this in the pouch, but since it’s so easy to make, why not do it yourself?

Sauce How You Like It

The one thing I found I didn’t like about the frozen creamed spinach I’d buy is the texture of the sauce. For some reason, I don’t care much for a runny texture. You’d have to serve it in a separate dish–a bowl or monkey dish actually–and eat it with a spoon. I prefer a much thicker sauce and this recipe is for a thick sauce.

However, if you prefer a standard and thinner sauce, then reduce the flour in the recipe to 3 tablespoons. For a little more substantial sauce, increase it to 4 tablespoons. In the realm of 5 or 6 tablespoons, you’re entering the really thick category. The only adjustments are in the flour, nothing else is affected.

Frozen Or Fresh

When it comes to the spinach, the choice is up to you.

I’m usually partial to fresh, but in this dish I actually prefer the frozen cut variety of spinach. I have a great way of getting out the water–and it’s loaded with water–and that’s in the recipe instructions.

If you want to use fresh, I’d go with baby spinach and at least 6 cups of it. You can wilt it prior to adding it to the sauce, but that’d be an extra step. Again, it’s up to you.

The Recipe

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Rich Creamed Spinach

A very rich and homemade version of this classic side dish

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamed spinach recipe, homemade creamed spinach, richer creamed spinach

Servings: 6

Calories: 211kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

20 oz frozen chopped spinach

Sauce:

6 tbs flour
3 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Pinch of ground nutmeg

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Defrost spinach and squeeze out as much water as you can. What I do is put the spinach in a clean dishtowel and wring it out. Set aside.
Heat milk and cream in a saucepan until it's very hot.
Melt the butter in another large saucepan. Add the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg and whisk until there are no lumps. Cook for 5 minutes to cook the flour.
Slowly whisk in the hot milk/cream. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the drained spinach, stirring to mix well. Simmer for 2 minutes to heat the spinach.

Notes

This makes a very thick sauce where a spoon will stand up in it. If you prefer a thinner sauce, use less flour--3 tbs flour will yield a thin sauce that will make the spinach soupier in consistency. Using 4 tbs of flour will make a medium sauce.

Nutrition

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Baby Back Ribs with Cognac BBQ Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 16 May 2020 23:00:54 +0000

Get ready for summer with these succulent baby back ribs with a great cognac bbq sauce.

T’is The Season For Ribs

It’s almost time to kick off for summer.

Traditionally here in the USA, that’s Memorial Day weekend. In UK it’s May Bank Holiday weekend. But whatever your summer kick-off is, it’s time to bring out the ribs. While it’s true that ribs are a year-round thing, they always seem to be associated with summer.

There’s several methods to cook the ribs. Whatever method you prefer is the one you use. It’s the awesome cognac bbq sauce that’s the focus here. It’s full of flavor and a little boozy too. The alcohol cooks off so all you’re left with is the flavor of the brandy.

Cooking Method(s)

As I stated before, the method you choose to cook the ribs is up to you.

My two favorites are the oven or on my gas grill over indirect heat for 1-1 1/2 hours. I feel these methods lead to the best results. However, if I want them quickly, I use my Instant Pot. With that method, I do them on high pressure for 13 minutes and release the pressure immediately. I also place the ribs in the insert curled around the sides of the pot so they’re standing up. That results in ribs where the meat is still stuck to the bone. For fall-off-the-bone ribs, then cook for 18 minutes and let the pressure reduce naturally for 10 minutes before releasing the rest of the pressure.

My least favorite method is the slow cooker. I’ve done them that way when I’ve had oodles of time and I add NO water to the crock. There’s just something lacking with the taste done this way–at least for me. But if you prefer to use the crock pot, then by all means.

Sauce Base

The base of this cognac bbq sauce is a commercial BBQ sauce, which makes it pretty easy.

However, you have to use a high-quality sauce that’s pretty thick. Also, this requires a neutral-tasting sauce. Specialty flavors likely won’t work here, so use traditional or regular flavor.

The Recipe

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Cognac Ribs

A touch of brandy elevates ordinary ribs to the extraordinary.

Prep Time5

Cook Time1 35

Course: Appetizer, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bbq sauce with liquor, cooking with brandy, holiday rib recipes, pork ribs with brandy

Servings: 6

Calories: 373kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs pork baby back ribs or 1 rack
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
sesame seed optional

Sauce

1 cup thick BBQ sauce like Sweet Baby Ray’s
1 tsp orange zest or 1 strip of orange peel
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/3 cup brandy
pinch of thyme
1-2 drops hot sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

To make sauce: Add the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment or foil.
Place ribs on prepared pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 90 minutes, or until internal temperature is 170F/80C. You may brush the ribs with some sauce in the last 10 minutes of cooking.
Cut ribs into individual portions and brush liberally with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seed if using.
Use remaining sauce as a dipping sauce.

Nutrition

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Deluxe Florentine Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 09 May 2020 23:00:53 +0000

Chicken Florentine is really an amazing way to show what a sauce will do to elevate a simple chicken breast.

Make Chicken Special

Don’t we all get in a rut when it comes to chicken? I definitely do so I think the same applies to many others too. We all tend to make chicken the same old way most times and while it’s pretty good, sometimes you just need to shake things up a bit and do something glorious with it.

Now, “glorious” doesn’t take much here. All you are doing is combining some rather ordinary ingredients that combine to make something with a wonderful flavor. I’m also willing to bet you have most, if not all, ingredients right on hand.

What Makes Chicken “Florentine?”

To me, it’s the spinach. OK you have other things, but the basic ingredients are a creamy sauce and spinach. I had a box of frozen chopped spinach lurking in the freezer so I used that. I had to squeeze out the water but at least I had it on hand. If you have fresh baby spinach, that’s better to use because it eliminates the squeezing step.

You can add lots of other things to the sauce. I often add a touch of white wine or French vermouth. However, that addition is not totally necessary.

It also includes tomatoes, and the sun-dried variety is preferred. I happened to have some of those so I used them. But you can use fresh too. Just make sure to seed the tomatoes first. Removing the skin is highly recommended too.

When it comes to something such as this cream sauce, cream is called for. Where I’m into substitutions of stuff you don’t have, milk just won’t cut it here. Evaporated milk, as long as it’s not the fat-free variety, is ok in a pinch but the sauce just won’t have that creamy taste.

As gourmet as this chicken Florentine is, it’s pretty quick to prepare.

Pasta? Of Course!

This lovely chicken makes the best presentation when served over fettuccine or linguine. If you have plain old spaghetti, that’s just as good.

You won’t have gobs of sauce unless you double the sauce ingredients, but it’s so flavorful that a little goes a long way.

The Recipe

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Deluxe Chicken Florentine

Don’t go to that chain restaurant, make this at home!

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Course: Chicken, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken copycat restaurant recipes, chicken florentine, fancy chicken recipes, using spinach in main courses

Servings: 4

Calories: 882kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, about 4 medium
2 tbs olive oil

Sauce:

1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup Romano cheese grated (see NOTES)
1 cup chopped spinach (see NOTES)
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
8 oz fettucine linguini or spaghetti, cooked

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on both sides then remove to a baking dish and bake at 400F/200C for about 20-25 minutes until cooked through. Internal temperature should be 170F/85C. Tent with foil to keep warm
To make sauce, in the same pan you browned the chicken in, add the garlic and cook over medium heat just until it’s fragrant, a little less than a minute.
Add the cream, stock, Italian seasoning and cheese; whisk together well and cook over medium-high heat about 5 minutes until it begins to thicken.
Add the spinach and sun-dried tomatoes; stir well and heat about 1 minute.
Add the chicken back to the pan and coat with the sauce. Simmer about 5 minutes.
Serve over the pasta.

Notes

If using frozen spinach, squeeze out the excess water.

Parmesan may be substituted for the Romano cheese.

Video

Nutrition

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Raspberry Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 31 Oct 2018 00:00:34 +0000

This easy-to-make raspberry sauce is so good, you’ll eat it straight!

Make Your Own: It’s Easy

Raspberries have been on sale a lot lately. I’ve been getting them two for one and I take advantage of this.

Of course, most go in the freezer immediately because they will go moldy very quickly, but I wanted to try my hand at making some fresh raspberry sauce. The recipe is very simple and unlike some raspberry sauces (often called “coulis” in Europe), this one required a short cooking time.

Unlike doing a raw version–where you process the raspberries and add confectioner’s sugar–this one required cooking. I think that’s the key to the intense flavor since the liquid reduces somewhat. As I always say, any reduction results in a better and more intense flavor.

About The Seeds…

Raspberry seed are the bane of anyone with dental work and frankly even if you don’t have bridgework, they are annoying.

The only labor-intensive step here is you must strain or sieve the sauce. This is not difficult and you don’t need any special equipment. A simple screen strainer from the dollar store works very well. Of course if you have more sophisticated equipment such as a stand mixer attachment for straining or a Mouli food mill, use those since they’ll make the work even easier. However, you don’t need them. In fact, I have both of those specialty gadgets and I used the good ole dollar store strainer. For one thing, it’s easier to clean!

Use It Fast

Just like fresh raspberries, this won’t last forever once it’s made.

Sure, it’ll last a bit longer in the fridge than the fresh fruit, but it doesn’t have a long shelf life. Fortunately, this makes a rather small batch which can be used within a week. You can also freeze what you don’t use so you can have it on hand if you need it. Of course, I doubt it will last that long–most of mine was used with me eating it straight from the jar with a spoon.

The Recipe

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Raspberry Sauce

This easy-to-make raspberry sauce (raspberry coulis) is so good, you’ll eat it straight from the jar! The recipe yields one cup (8 oz).

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American

Keyword: dessert sauce, raspberries, raspberry coulis, raspberry sauce

Servings: 8

Calories: 40kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar (or up to 1/2 cup if more sweetness is needed)
1/2 cup water

Instructions

Place raspberries in a large saucepan.
Add the water and sugar (start with the minimum amount); stir.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 8-10 minutes. The liquid should be syrupy. Remove from heat and cool completely.
Process the raspberry mixture in a food mill (use the fine plate) or a fine sieve/strainer, pressing out the pulp. Discard the seeds.
Cover and refrigerate. This will last about 1 week.

Nutrition

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Alabama BBQ Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 23:00:27 +0000

Try this white Alabama BBQ sauce to change up your BBQ sauce routine. It’s great on chicken and ribs and is so easy to make.

A Different BBQ Sauce

In Alabama, BBQ sauce isn’t the usual.

First of all, there’s no tomato base, so the sauce is white. But the sauce is every bit as tangy as it’s better-known counterpart. It just gets it’s flavor from more unusual ingredients.

If you’ve never tried it before, I think you’ll really flip over the taste. My friend Pat, who is a native Alabamian, says she loves this sauce so much, she’d drink it with a straw!

Yes Horseradish

One of the flavor secrets in this sauce is horseradish.

Yes, you can use the kind you find on the dairy case shelf–and the white, not the red kind. That’s pretty obvious!

With the bottled stuff from the dairy case, you’ll get decent flavor–with a bit of acidity to boot, but it’s so much better to get an actual horseradish root and grate it fresh.

Your eyes will tear and your nose will run. Hey the stuff is potent, but there’s a silver lining here. If you suffer from sinus issues, THIS will clear your head guaranteed, and it’s all natural too!

Fresh horseradish will last quite a while if you put it in a pot and bury it in garden dirt or plain potting soil. A little goes a long way, but the flavor is unbeatable.

Mayonnaise Or Miracle Whip

It’s pretty much a toss-up what to use here.

I personally prefer mayonnaise–and the regular variety since I don’t get fancy with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, etc. I prefer the plain old variety sold for centuries!

However, I do think Miracle Whip aka “cooked salad dressing” would be a tasty substitute here.

What I’d do if I used Miracle Whip is mix it up first without the dijon mustard nor the cider vinegar. If it tastes good to you, then there’s your sauce. If you think it needs a bit more oomph and tartness, then add the mustard and the vinegar.

The Recipe

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Alabama BBQ Sauce

Try this white Alabama BBQ sauce to change up your BBQ sauce routine. It’s great on chicken and ribs and is so easy to make.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: condiments, GRILLING

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bbq sauce

Servings: 1 cup

Calories: 1563kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
3 tbsp prepared or freshly grated horseradish the white variety
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.
Place in a covered container and refrigerate until ready to use.

Nutrition

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Quick Alfredo Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 16 May 2017 23:00:44 +0000

Why buy Alfredo sauce when you can make your own, and cheaper too!

Quick Alfredo Sauce Is Easy–Why Buy?

I’ve never found a store-bought sauce that I’ve really liked. If you are like me, this sauce may be just the ticket.

It’s quick and easy. It’s also creamy and cheesy–exactly what an Alfredo sauce should be.

Get A Smooth Sauce

The secret to getting a smooth sauce is to add your grated cheese gradually.

Now, that may sound at odds with being “quick,” but the process doesn’t take that long and you’ll get top-notch results.

Plain Or Fancy

Made per my recipe, you’ll get a basic and slightly garlicky Alfredo sauce.

If you don’t care for the hint of garlic, by all means leave it out. On the other hand, if you want a distinctly garlicky flavor, up the ante on the garlic.

This sauce also lends itself to an herb flavoring. Some nice herb additions would be oregano, of course, but basil, rosemary and thyme are great additions as well. In fact, a couple of sprigs of lemon thyme would be a perfect flavor if this sauce is served over plain pasta.

The basic recipe calls for Parmesan cheese, and it will be delicious with just the single cheese. However, sometimes I add a bit of Romano cheese or Asiago if I want a bolder flavor. My rule of thumb when I add additional cheeses is to use 3/4 cup of Parmesan and 1/4 cup of Romano. If you plan to use only Parmesan, you will probably have to use the greater amount called for in the recipe.

The Recipe

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Quick Alfredo Sauce

Why buy Alfredo sauce when you can make your own, and cheaper too!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dips/Sauces/Dressings

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Alfredo sauce

Servings: 3 cups

Calories: 1036kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream/heavy whipping cream
1 large clove garlic crushed
1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter
1-1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

melt butter with crushed garlic clove over low heat. Let this cook for about 3 minutes so the garlic infuses into the butter, then remove and discard garlic.
Slowly add the cream to the butter, while whisking gently.
Add the cheese, about 2-3 tablespoons at a time and whisk until the cheese is melted—it’s VERY important to add the cheese in small amounts while whisking, otherwise the sauce will be very grainy. It’ll still taste fine and if you don’t mind it a bit grainy, then you can add more cheese at a time.
Whisk in the white pepper and salt (if salt is needed—taste first)

Nutrition

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Chipotle Scallion Dressing/Dip

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 24 May 2016 23:00:21 +0000

This boldly flavored chipotle and scallion dressing is so versatile, you can use it as a salad dressing, a dip or even a sandwich spread!

This dressing runs a close second to my Comeback Sauce for versatility.

It’s got such a fine flavor where all the ingredients meld together for a very unique taste.

This recipe originally came from an old Food Network magazine. I made it way back when and was very impressed with the taste.

The original had far to much cilantro for my taste. I’m really not a fan of this herb and if I use it, it must only have a faint flavor. If cilantro is the dominant flavor in anything, I find it tastes like soap. And curiously, I read a few years ago that people who are of “Nordic” complexion are the ones who find the taste of cilantro “soapy.” It had something to do with a gene particular to fair-skinned, blond and blue/grey eyed people. Not everyone with this complexion has that gene either. I found this very interesting and it explained why I don’t like the taste of that herb.

That said, a small amount of cilantro blended with other flavors so it enhances rather than flavors is the way I go. What I usually do is cut the called-for amount in half. That seems to work for me. However, if you’re a big fan of cilantro, load it on!!!

Another adjustment I made was to up the chipotle as I love this flavor. I also used more scallions/green onions. With the chipotle, make sure you diced it really small and then use the blade of the knife to mash it–that really releases it’s great smoky flavor.

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Chipotle Scallion Dressing/Dip

This boldly flavored chipotle and scallion dressing is so versatile, you can use it as a salad dressing, a dip or even a sandwich spread!

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dips/Sauces/Dressings

Cuisine: American

Keyword: CHIPOTLE, dip recipe, scallion

Servings: 1 cup

Calories: 1574kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions green onions
2 tbsp cilantro
1 large chipotle packed in adobo, finely diced and mashed
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
Cover and chill for about 1 hour.

Nutrition

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Golden Raisin Sauce for Ham

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 00:00:56 +0000

A delicious and mildly spicy raisin sauce for your New Year’s ham!

There are many sauces served with ham, but one of the best and most complementary is traditional raisin sauce.

Ham is traditional on New Year’s Day–actually I believe it’s fresh ham that is traditional, but most folks have substituted cured ham for the fresh because of it’s availability.

I was first introduced to this when I went to my Eastern Star chapter’s annual fall ham dinner not long after I became a member.

The sauce that was always served belonged to Pat (member and past District Deputy) and it had an incredible flavor. She was famous around here for her raisin sauce and one taste will tell you why.

Most raisin sauces contain multiple spices, but this only contains 2–dry mustard and ground cloves–and not in abundance. The sauce is very delicately flavored and not overpowering as some can be. It’s subtle spiciness is offset by a subtle sweet-sour flavor.

I deviate from Pat’s original recipe in that I use apple cider vinegar instead of the white variety. The apple cider vinegar gives it a slightly more fruity taste, but feel free to use any vinegar you have and suit your own taste. It’s important here to add the vinegar at the very last–reason being that the acid tends to break down the thickening quality of the cornstarch.

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Golden Raisin Sauce for Ham

A delicious and mildly spicy raisin sauce for your New Year’s ham!

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Dips, dressings, sauces

Cuisine: American

Keyword: raisin sauce

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 431kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup raisins
2 cups water
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cider vinegar

Instructions

In a small saucepan, bring raisins and water to boiling over medium heat; boil for 5 minutes
Mix together the brown sugar, cornstarch, dry mustard and cloves.
Add the cornstarch mixture to boiling raisins; cook for 1 minute
Add the butter, stirring till melted.
Add the vinegar and stir to blend.
Serve sauce immediately.

Nutrition

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Comeback Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Fri, 13 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Comeback Sauce

Many versions exist of this famous southern-style sauce. Here’s my slightly northerinized version of Comeback Sauce.

There’s a lot of different formulas for comeback sauce. I particularly liked the flavors in Mary Foreman from Deep South Dish’s Mississippi Comeback Sauce, so I tailored it to my own taste.

Mine has a bit less worcestershire sauce, as I’m not much of a fan of the flavor if there’s too much, and I upped some of her spices and removed the additional fat for the oil.

No doubt hers is a LOT more authentic than mine since she’s a native Mississippian and the sauce has it’s origins there. Read her story on her sauce recipe about the history of this sauce and some “saucy” other names that it goes by.

This sauce is delicious on french fries, onion rings, wings and just about every other darned thing you eat. Great on burgers and fish too.

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Comeback Sauce

Many versions exist of this famous southern-style sauce. Here’s my slightly northernized version of Comeback Sauce.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Dips, dressings, sauces

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Sauce

Servings: 2 cups

Calories: 849kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce i.e. Heinz, not Thai variety
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Creole Seasoning Blend
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp hot sauce

Instructions

Mix all ingredients.
Pour into containers, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours for flavors to blend.

Nutrition

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