Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Saucy!

John B. Marine | 9/29/2021 02:53:00 PM | |
(UPDATED: September 30, 2021) My culinary interests are varied. Recently, though, I have developed interest in making sauces and dips. I am mostly relying on seasonings and whatever edibles I have around the house. So for this blog post, I want to share some of the sauces and dips I've tried to make. I also want to share some general thoughts and putting together these sauces and dips. So I'm certain you foodies can appreciate this upcoming blog post.


Before I Begin...

I don't know how healthy any of these experimental dips are that I made, but I made them to try to find new ways to jazz up food I eat. I can't guarantee any of these will be healthy for you to eat. So follow these cautiously if you are indeed following my recipes.

This blog post features links to Amazon. Read the "Affiliate Notes" for more information about any affiliate links in my blog posts.


LATEST UPDATE(S)/REVISION(S)

SEP 31 2021 - added more material, edited post, included recipes so you can see what I have attempted in my dip/sauce making






Saucy!


Allow me to tell my story on making sauces and dips.

Earlier this month, I thought about preparing some kind of dip or sauce to compliment things I normally eat. It began when my mother bought some compound butter dollops made of garlic and herbs. Those dollops are totally delicious melted as a dip or when melting on non-breaded meat. So I began thinking about if I had non-breaded meats to try the compound butter on. Examples include grilled chicken, grilled fish, grilled or cocktail shrimp... basically any non-fried meats. This then led me to think of a dip I wanted to experiment making.

As I attempted to make and test my creations, I used whatever really was available. I tried things like fast food biscuits or fried chicken to dip into my sauces.


My Butter-Based Sauces of Mine.

The COVID19/Coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of us to try to find new things to do or learn while the pandemic rages on. One thing I looked at was enhancing my culinary skills a bit. My entry into the culinary arts was in trying to develop my own sauces and dips for basic food I eat. I sometimes on Facebook made my "Food Friday" posts devoted to food, drink, and all things related. Most of my posts related to video recipes on YouTube. We all know there are many delicious meals out there. Often times, what can make some meals better is sauces, dips, and other condiments to enhance the flavor. That is where I come in with trying my own sauces and dips.

My first attempt consisted of this experimental recipe: spread butter, honey, garlic powder, and Kosher salt. I started off placing pieces of spread butter from a margarine tub into a small dish. I then melted the combination in a microwave for about 15 or 20 seconds. I never realized how quickly butter can melt in a microwave, especially after a good amount of time cooled in a refrigerator. This first attempt I did turned out pretty well.

Then, I decided to change up the recipe. I didn't really taste the honey, so I let that go along with having salt. I then tried mostly a combination of butter, cheese, and garlic powder. Trying to get this one right was hit-and-miss. One problem I sort of noticed was that the cheese didn't melt well (I used shredded cheese originally). I then tried powdered Cotija cheese. Instead of about 30 seconds in the microwave to melt, I then went to a full minute. The melted cheese can be a bit tough to wash out when done with the dish. I was trying to find the best balance of butter and cheese with a kick of garlic with the revised butter-based dip.

I am still trying to perfect the recipe as much as I can. I don't want to do anything fancy like use a stove or an air fryer. I am just going with what I know and trying not to burn the house down from the oven. What I've seen in various YouTube videos was seeing entire sticks of butter melted in a pan over a stove or on a small oven. What I want to be able is possibly have a creamy cheese and butter concoction I could dip things like breadsticks or maybe some non-fried shrimp in.


I found that the cheese will take longer to melt compared to the butter. I'm trying to achieve a creamy balance of cheese and butter while also offering some garlic flavor.


My Mayonnaise-Based Sauces and Dips.

After I made a butter-based dip, I had two ideas for mayonnaise-based dips. The first one I tested was recently (as in September 28, 2021) with an experimental recipe. I combined mayo, garlic parsley powder, and honey. I then mixed everything. It came out pretty well as I tried it on some Popeye's biscuits (the best fast food biscuits in my view). I could taste some of the honey along with the mayo.

The next one I want to try involves Tajin seasoning. If you don't know what Tajin is, this is a popular seasoning that is mildly spicy with a kick of lime. I had Tajin on elotes (Mexican street corn) before. I am normally not the spicy food type. However, I could see this sauce working if I wanted a little spicy kick.

I also wanted to go the two-ingredient route. So I was also looking at mixing mayonnaise with garlic parsley seasoning. I may, though, want to add something like chopped chives for a little texture.

The good thing about mixing mayo-based sauces is that you normally do not need to heat up anything. Just add the ingredients and mix well. You may need a mixer or a blender if you're preparing a copious amount of such sauces. It can be very simple preparing any mayo-based dips. Just look around for stuff to prepare the sauces with.

UPDATE! (September 30, 2021)
I tried two more experimental mayonnaise-based dips. The first one I tried was to be a spicy mayo-based dip. I wanted it to be spicy without being overly so. That is why I love Tajin. Tajin seasoning offers a spicy kick without overdoing it. It also has a hint of lime. Tajin is also a good bit healthy as it is low in sodium. As my mother prepared spaghetti, I found out we had a lot of Romano cheese from when my parents went to Olive Garden. The packs of Romano cheese was still good, and so I implemented that into my spicy mayo dip. I tried it out, and it came out fairly well. I could taste the Tajin seasoning as well as the Romano cheese. It had a mild spiciness to it along with a hint of cheesy flavor. I tested this with some grilled chicken fillets and a Popeye's buttermilk biscuit.

The other mayo-based dip I created is more of using garlic. I used garlic parsley seasoning, Italian seasoning, and Olive Garden Romano cheese for this one. The combination came out pretty nicely when I tried it with some grilled chicken fillets and a Popeye's buttermilk biscuit.




Saucy! The Recipes


So are you interested enough in seeing how I prepared each dip or sauce? This section is for you, then. You will see what all I used and what I retired using for each dip or sauce here. Take a look:

My Butter-Based Dips.

Let me talk you through the recipe I've tried to perfect:

INGREDIENTS USED/ATTEMPTED
• margarine from a tub of butter
• Kosher salt (retired)
• honey (retired)
• garlic parsley seasoning or garlic pepper seasoning
• shredded cheese (retired)
• cheese slices (retired)
• Cotija grated cheese (retired)
• Italian seasoning
PREPARATION
• without cheese, melt in microwave for 15-20 seconds; with cheese, microwave for 45-60 seconds


My Mayonnaise-Based Dips.

Since I tried several kinds, I will feature each by the individual ones. Because I don't have any official names for any of these dips, they are all listed with question marks(?). Check it...

--- Garlic Honey Dip? ---
INGREDIENTS USED/ATTEMPTED
• mayonnaise
• honey
• garlic parsley seasoning
PREPARATION
• combine all ingredients and mix well


--- Spicy Mayo Dip? ---
INGREDIENTS USED/ATTEMPTED
• mayonnaise
• Tajin seasoning
• grated Romano cheese (from Olive Garden)
PREPARATION
• combine all ingredients and mix well


--- Cheesy Garlic Mayo Dip? ---
INGREDIENTS USED/ATTEMPTED
• mayonnaise
• garlic parsley seasoning
• Italian seasoning
• grated Romano cheese (from Olive Garden)
PREPARATION
• combine all ingredients and mix well



If you have some recommendations or some other combinations you want me to try, feel free to comment!




Lessons Learned from Sauce and Dip Making.


I realize I could have better results with fresh ingredients and even if doing a little heating. However, simplicity is always something to achieve with things like this. I still will try to perfect sauce and dip ideas as much as I can. I also didn't think about preparing any specific measurements of these items.


The next section is voluntary to participate in. If you do not wish to take part in the next section, you can just skip ahead to the section afterwards.




Special Requests!


Do you have any ideas I may want to try out if I want to make sauces or dips? Feel free to contact me or comment to this blog post! Maybe I can expand my skill here.


A Special Offer...

If you enjoyed my blog post and want to support my work, I'd like to share this material from Amazon with you. I mentioned a lot of seasoning with the dips and sauces I've tried to prepare. If you want to fill your pantry or cabinets with seasoning, I'd like to direct your attention to the link below. (NOTE: Please read the Affiliate Notes notes regarding any and all products from Amazon featured here.)

Seasoning on Amazon

I mentioned Tajin earlier in this post. If you want to try some Tajin for yourself, please take a look at this on Amazon:

Tajin on Amazon

Consider going up to the link above if you want to get some seasoning. This is for things ranging from simple meals to proper seasoning for meats and meat rubs. Have a good time shopping for seasoning! :)





Well, thank all of you for visiting my blog! That is all for this one, unfortunately. Do share and follow and all that good stuff! Thank you for reading! Take care and be well.

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