Sweetwater Style: Relishes to Relish!

Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Relishes to Relish!

RELISH is my 2016 word!

That is all about taking time to relish everyday things.

HMMMM......relishing below zero weather can be a bit of a challenge!

How about......?

there are a lot of birds at the bird feeder when it is this cold
my car has a remote starter
I save money because I don't go out shopping

Of course, relish can be a noun as well as a verb!

Growing up, about the only condiments we used were catsup, yellow mustard and miracle whip! My dad was "way out there" and liked tabasco sauce and Heinz 57!

Now....our refrigerator is filled with relishes or "condiments".

The definition of a condiment is: A substance, such as a relish, vinegar, or spice, used to flavor or complement food.

Adding a sauce to our meats and vegetable dishes to make them feel more like restaurant meals. Here are some of the favorite relishes we relish and the foods to pair them with.

Many of these are special enough to give as hostess gifts too!

1. Harry and David's Pepper and Onion Relish has a bite and some sweetness to it.

Add it to 3 ounces of Cream Cheese and some sour cream to make a wonderful dip.

When it is combined with some 1000 Island dressing it is the perfect sauce for Crab Cakes. Much simpler than making a remoulade and every bit as tasty.

2. Jimmy's Thousand Island has the perfect sweet flavor without any of the pickles etc. that "mess up" a perfectly good 1000 Island dressing!
"Just sayin' !"

3. Rothchild Farms Asian Ginger Teriyaki Sauce

AND

4. Rothchild Farm Ginger Wasabi Sauce

These two sauces add the perfect touch to Ahi Tuna Steaks. Those frozen Dim Sum and Pot Stickers from Trader Joes taste become something special with the addition of the flavorful condiments.

If you can't find them at your grocery....they are available at Amazon.

5. Beaver Sweet Hot Mustard

There are lots of different mustards in our refrigerator! DiJon, stone ground, yellow....all have a place. One of my favorites is this spicy mustard. It is particularly good on Bratwurst.

6. Joe's Crab Shack Mustard Sauce otherwise known around here as Secret Sauce!

The sauce is such a staple around here that there is always a pyrex container of it in the refrigerator.
Too funny.....when I looked up the recipe....I realized that over time, I have started to leave out the A-1 sauce, the cream and the salt. This really hasn't changed the flavor too much.

This sauce is a great dipping sauce for Artichokes. It is also perfect for asparagus.

This link will give you the background and recipe for a mighty good sauce that works as a great relish for all kinds of meats and vegetables.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/joes-mustard-sauce-235807