2 tablespoons Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 small Onion, minced
3 tablespoons Flour
2 tablespoons Ancho Chili Powder
1 teaspoon of Cumin
1 teaspoon Dried Oregano, Mexican preferred
1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 cups Beef Broth

Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan. Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Stir in the flour. Heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Strain the mixture. If the sauce is too thick you can thin it out with a little more broth. Serve over enchiladas. This enchilada sauce recipe can be store for up to 3 days refrigerated.

1/4 cup Butter
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 1/2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups Freshly Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 teaspoon Ground White Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat. Add cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Wisk in garlic, cheese, white pepper and salt. Simmer for 3-4 more minutes or until heated through. Stir in parsley and serve.

When preparing the sauce do not use a freshly ground peanut butter. This will result in a sauce that is too oily. A creamy peanut butter works best. Garnish with some chopped roasted peanuts and some chopped green onions.

1 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 can (14.8-ounce size) Chicken Broth
1/4 cup Fresh Lime Juice
3 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons Fresh Ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Place peanut butter in saucepan over medium heat. Gradually mix in the chicken broth. Add remaining ingredients and stir over medium heat until smooth and thick, about 6 minutes. Makes 3 cups of sauce.

1 cup Fresh Mint Leaves, tightly packed
2 tablespoons Sugar
2 tablespoons Boiling Water
2 tablespoons Malt Vinegar

Combine the Mint and the sugar in a food processor and chop until fine. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Add the boiling water and stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the vinegar. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. The sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.

The BBQ sauce recipe below is a classic example of Kansas City style BBQ sauce. Make sure to reserve some for dipping. It’s finger licking good!

1/4 cup chopped onion
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup ketchup
1 cup molasses
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat oil in a saucepan. Add onions and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the onion and garlic mixture to a food processor or blender and add the remaining ingredients. Puree until smooth. Pour the puree into a sauce pan and cook over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce. Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container. This BBQ sauce will keep up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

3/4 cup Cilantro
1/4 cup fresh Oregano
1/8 cup fresh Basil
5-6 cloves of Garlic
1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
Pinch of Cayenne Pepper
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar
1 tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

While making caramel sauce is easy, the process requires close attention. The very first thing you need to understand is that molten sugar is extremely hot, much hotter than boiling water. Therefore you need to be extremely careful when handling this mixture (keep the little ones out of the kitchen). The second item to be aware of is that the process happens very quickly. The line between a rich caramel and burnt sugar is very fine. You need to pay close attention to the pan through the entire process to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn. For this reason it is also very important to have all of your ingredients ready to go in advance. Follow these simple guidelines and you’ll soon find yourself in caramel heaven!

1 cup Sugar
2 tablespoons Water
6 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Over high heat, bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium sauce pan with very high sides (2-3 qt). The high sides are necessary because the mixture will foam up once the other ingredients are added. As the sugar begins to melt stir vigorously. Stop stirring when the sugar begins to boil. You can wipe down the sides of the pan as necessary with a wet pastry brush. Once all the sugar crystals have melted and the mixture is an amber color, add the butter. Wisk until the butter has melted. When all the butter has melted remove from the heat. Slowly add the cream while stirring continuously. Allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan. The sauce can be served warm, or it can be stored for future use. To store the sauce, pour the warm mixture into a glass mason and allow to cool to room temperature. Put on the lid and the sauce can be stored refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

A basic Bechamel sauce consists of milk wisked into a roux. The following recipe is for a classic Bechamel.

1/8 lb. butter
4 T. Flour
2 c. cold milk
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. white pepper
Dash of nutmeg

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook 3 minutes stirring constantly. Do not let the flour brown. Whisk in the milk and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add salt and nutmeg. Reduce heat and simmer until thick enough to coat back of spoon. Makes about 2 cups of sauce.

2 cups basil
3-4 garlic cloves
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until it forms a smooth paste. The sauce can be stored covered in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or it can be frozen.

In eastern North Carolina they use a vinegar sauce with spice and a little bit of sweetness to balance it out. South of there, in southern North Carolina and South Carolina, they add mustard to this concoction. West of there they add ketchup. These vinegar based BBQ sauces are a wonderful complement to a tender slowly smoked pork shoulder. The BBQ sauce recipe below is a classic eastern North Carolina vinegar sauce.

2 cups cider vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the best results, make this 1-2 days in advance to allow the flavors to blend. Combine all of the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously to blend. Store the sauce in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.