Guacamole

Ingredients:

3 ripe avocados (peeled and pitted)

The juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon salt

½ cup onion (diced)

3 tablespoons fresh cilantro (chopped)

2 roma tomatoes (diced)

1 teaspoon fresh garlic (minced)

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a medium bowl mash the avocados. Squeeze in or add lime juice. Add salt. Mix in onion cilantro, tomatoes and garlic. Mix in cayenne pepper.

Step 2: Refrigerate for 1 hour or serve immediately.

(Makes 4 Servings)

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1 to 2 cloves garlic
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (use less table salt)

1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman’s or Best Foods preferred)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup buttermilk or regular milk, to taste
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 to 2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill, more if desired

Optional ingredients:
white vinegar
worcestershire sauce
cayenne pepper
paprika
fresh oregano
black pepper
tabasco

Directions: With a fork, make a paste with garlic and salt. Mix all other ingredients, adding optional ingredients as you wish, tasting frequently and adjusting seasonings as needed. Chill for a couple of hours before serving, thin with milk or buttermilk if desired.

Tomato Sauce

For a simple homemade, never-fail tomato sauce...
In a large saucepan, slowly cook six cloves of thinly sliced garlic in a couple tablespoons of olive oil for five minutes over low heat.  Add two large, fresh basil leaves and stir for a minute.  Add two 28-ounce cans of whole, peeled tomatoes along with their juice and two more whole basil leaves.  Bring the sauce to a boil, turn down the heat, season with salt and pepper and let it bubble away on low heat for 45 minutes. Cool and refrigerate.