Richard's Garlic-Free Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

Tzatziki sauce is a sauce that is traditionally made with yogurt, cucumber, and garlic that pairs very well with lamb, grilled meats, falafel, and on gyros.  I can't eat garlic, so we don't eat Greek food very often.  Luckily, Richard came up with a tzatziki sauce recipe that uses fresh mint to flavor the sauce in lieu of garlic (thank you!).  This tzatziki sauce is fabulous with my Lamb Burgers Recipe or Minted Lamb Morsels.  Pictured above is a lamb burger gyro with grilled flatbread, lamb burger, tomato, lettuce, and Richard's Garlic-Free Tzatziki Sauce.  So good!

Garlic-Free Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

2 - 6 oz. containers of plain Greek yogurt
1 medium cucumber
2 tbsp minced fresh mint leaves (about 15 leaves)
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Add the yogurt to a medium-sized mixing bowl.  Peel, de-seed, and dice up the cucumber into small cubes.  Mince about 15 fresh mint leaves.  Add the cucumber and mint to the bowl.  Next, add the juice of 1/2 a lemon (no seeds), the sea salt, and the pepper and use a small whisk to mix it all together until the yogurt is smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 2 hours before serving.  Makes about 2 cups of tzatziki sauce.  Serve the sauce with lamb, grilled meat, gyros, falafel, grilled pita, fresh tomatoes, rice, or anything else you want a fresh-tasting cucumber sauce to accompany.  The sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Super Simple Chili Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe

I make this sauce at pho (Vietamese noodle soup) restaurants to eat with my pho and Vietnamese sandwiches. Hoisin sauce and chili paste are usually always available at the table at these restaurants. It is the best dipping sauce! The perfect mixture of spicy and sweet. I bought hoisin sauce and chili paste in the Asian section of my grocery store so Richard and I could eat it at home with roasted chicken and panko-crusted fried cod when we're in the mood for an Asian flair to our meal.

Super Simple Chili Hoisin Dipping Sauce Recipe

Hoisin Sauce
Sambal Oelek Ground Fresh Chili Paste

In a small bowl, mix 1 part hoisin sauce with 1 part chili paste until thoroughly combined. Goes great with chicken, fish, Mu Shu chicken or pork, egg rolls, or anything you want to add a spicy/sweet Asian flavor to.

Marinara Sauce Recipe (Vegan)

We rarely eat tomato sauce in our house due to Sam's and my tomato sensitivities. We can have tomatoes every now and then, though, and every once in a while we crave spaghetti with tomato sauce. I don't cook with onions and garlic, so my marinara sauce is flavored with lots of dry spices. This marinara sauce is rich and flavorful - perfect to put over spaghetti/pasta, gnocchi, or even on a pizza.

Marinara Sauce Recipe

2 tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 cups of canned tomato puree or crushed tomatoes(about half of a 28 oz. can)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp salt (depending on your taste)
1/4 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves

In a medium size sauce pan, add the olive oil and turn the heat to Medium High. Add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients and stir until well combined. Let the sauce heat up to a boil, then cover the pot, turn the heat down to low and let it simmer for 30 minutes or longer. Remove the bay leaves before serving. Serve over your favorite pasta. Serves 2 adults (and one small child).