Bay Seasoning for Seafood (Home made)
Yield: 1/4 cup
1 Tbsp. ground bay leaves
2 1/2 tsp. celery salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground mustard seed
1 1/2 tsp. black pepper
3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. red pepper
1/4 tsp. ground mace
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
Combine and store in an airtight container.

Also, if you’d like to order the real thing, here's the address of the company:
Old Bay Company, Inc. 
P. O. Box 1802 
Baltimore Maryland 21203-1802 

Ingredients of the REAL Old Bay Seasoning made by McCormick:
CELERY SALT (SALT, CELERY SEED), SPICES
(INCLUDING MUSTARD, RED PEPPER, BLACK PEPPER,
BAY [LAUREL] LEAVES, CLOVES, ALLSPICE [PIMENTO],
GINGER, MACE, CARDAMOM, CINNAMON), AND PAPRIKA.
(from their website)

Homemade Enchilada Sauce
In case you don’t care for canned sauce, you can adjust these ingredients to make a sauce all your own, to suit your own taste!
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Shortening
3 tbsp Flour 
1 C Beef stock
2 tsp Red Chile Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 C Tomato Sauce
½ tsp Salt
2 C Salsa Verde* (included below)
Directions:
Heat shortening and flour together. Gradually add stock and remaining ingredients. Stir constantly until well blended. Simmer 10 minutes. 

*Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
1 lb. peeled tomatoes, rinsed, chopped (or large can whole, peeled tomatoes and 2 large fresh tomatoes)
½ C Cilantro leaves
2 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
2 tbsp Onion, diced
Salt
Directions:
Simmer tomatoes in saucepan, barely covered with water until soft, about 10 minutes. Place half in blender jar. Add cilantro, garlic, and onion. Blend until smooth. Add remaining, and pulse a few times, just enough to break up any larger pieces. Return sauce to pan and cook for another 10 minutes. Season with salt.

Creole Seasoning
Ingredients:
2 1/2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp dried leaf oregano
1 tbsp dried thyme 
Directions:
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container. Makes about 2/3 Cup.

Avocado dip
Ingredients:

1/2 cup sour cream

2 teaspoons chopped onion

1/8 teaspoon hot sauce

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, mashed

Directions:

Combine all ingredients. Serve immediately.  Note: This mixture is good over fish and chicken. It can also be used as a dip for chips or vegetables or as a dressing for green salad.   Yield: About 1 1/2 cups (3 servings).

Basic Pizza Sauce

Ingredients:

1 can (28-oz) Whole Peeled Tomatoes, in juice
1 sm. White/Sweet Onion finely diced, minced
1 clove Garlic, peeled and minced
3 to 4 fresh Basil leaves
1 teaspoon dried Marjoram
Pinch Salt
Pinch fresh ground Black Pepper
Pinch Sugar, optional
2 tbsp Olive Oil, to sauté

Directions:

Empty Tomatoes into mixing bowl and coarsely crush w/fork or hands, until a little chunky. In heavy 2-qt saucepot, add olive oil, over med heat and heat a little. Add onions and sauté until slightly translucent. Add garlic and sauté about a min until golden. Quickly add crushed tomatoes. Stir well and bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and add fresh basil and marjoram. You can add touch of sugar if desired or if tomatoes are tart. Simmer low, stirring often for at least 15 min. If not using right away, cool and store in airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week.

Vinaigrette Dressing

Ingredients:
½ C. Vinegar

½ C. EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil) for flavor

salt

pepper

fresh basil

fresh rosemary

celery seed

dill

dry mustard

sugar

Directions:

When I was a young woman, this was called “Oil & Vinegar Dressing,” and most young women were taught to make it in school.  However, the trend is, and has been for some time, toward using French names, so that is where this name comes from.  If you should find yourself out of salad dressing that looks appealing, then you should try this.  It is best if you do some experimentation with different herbs and spices, to make vinaigrette that is most pleasing to your own palette.  I have known several people that make absolutely “killer” dressings this way.  I am listing some spices that are usually used for this, but you will have to experiment to get the proportions you like.  Then you will have your own dressing.  Note: You will need to whisk together or process in a food processor or blender, the oil and vinegar, since they don’t readily mix.  Most often they add all the ingredients except the oil, and pour it down the spout of blender or processor while running to get it well mixed.  Good luck!

Pineapple Glaze Sauce for Ham

This recipe is a glaze sauce to put over baked ham.  4 servings.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/3 cup vinegar

1 (6 ounce) can pineapple juice

1 (1.5 ounce) box raisins

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, mix together cornstarch and brown sugar. Stir in soy sauce, vinegar, pineapple juice and raisins. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 10 to 15 minutes or until sauce has thickened.

Orange Sauce for Duck

Ingredients:

3/4 cup orange juice, plus 2 tablespoons
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon cornstarch
4 duck breasts
1 tablespoon paprika

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine orange juice, chicken broth, and orange marmalade. Bring to a boil over high heat and then lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. If the mixture is too thin, then mix cornstarch with 2 tablespoons orange juice in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add slurry to sauce and briefly return to a boil. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Refried Bean Dip

Ingredients:

1 Can Rosarita Traditional Refried Beans*

½ - ¾  C. Whole Milk

½ C. Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Refried beans, as they come from the can are thick, and taste like they came from a can, compared to freshly cooked and prepared beans.  I came up with this while trying to achieve a more “fresh” or “homemade” bean taste from them.

Empty a can of beans into a small to medium saucepan, add ½ C. milk, and the cheese, mix well with a spoon, and set the heat at medium low.  Watch them carefully so they don’t burn on the bottom, stirring frequently.  Once they heat, continue to add milk to reach the desired consistency of a dip that’s easily eaten with nacho chips of your choice.  This makes a quick and tasty protein snack.

*Note: This is the brand and variety of beans I use; you may prefer another kind, and if so, you may need to adjust for taste and other preferences, such as: You may need to add salt, or to add more milk or cheese.  You may want spicier beans than we can eat, in which case various peppers, green chilies, “hot” sauce or other items to spice this up can easily be added.  It’s your food, so make it right for you!  Once it’s right, remove to a bowl set in the center of a large charger or plate and serve with different varieties of Tortilla or Nacho chips placed around the plate.

Betty Hall’s Hot Sweet Mustard

4 oz. Can Coleman’s English Mustard (yellow can) use dry

1 C. Vinegar

(Combine and let stand overnight)

Next day:

2 eggs, beaten

¼ tsp. Salt

1 C. Sugar

Cook with mustard mixture, stirring constantly until it comes to a boil and is smooth. Keep boiling until it thickens. Let cool, add about 2 C. Mayonnaise.  Use more or less mayo, depending on taste. Store in covered jar in fridge.

Simple Tomato Sauce:
Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
4 to 6 basil leaves
2 dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, optional
Directions:

In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and simmer covered on low heat for 1 hour or until thick. Remove bay leaves and check for seasoning. If sauce still tastes acidic, add unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon at a time to round out the flavors.

Apricot Chutney

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
1 jalapeno, finely chopped
2 cups apricots, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained, then coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions:

Preheat grill or side burner. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until soft and lightly golden, approximately 6 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and jalapeno and cook for 2 minutes. Add apricots, sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve at room temperature.

Peachy Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients:
1 28 ounce can peaches
2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. chopped dried chilies
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
Zest 1 lemon
Juice one lemon
Pinch salt
Directions:
Place the peaches into a blender and puree. Pour them into a saucepan and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes until thick and syrupy.

Raspberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 half-pint package fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam
Directions:

Place the package of raspberries, the granulated sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries and the jam into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Alfredo Sauce (served with Linguini)

Ingredients:
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 C.(1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 C. freshly grated Parmigian cheese
Freshly cracked black pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

1 pkg. Linguini pasta
Directions:

To prepare Alfredo sauce heat heavy cream over low-medium heat in a deep sauté pan. Add butter and whisk gently to melt. Sprinkle in cheese and stir to incorporate. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. In a large stockpot, cook pasta in plenty of boiling salted water for 3 minutes. Quickly drain the pasta and add it to the sauté pan, gently toss the noodles to coat in the Alfredo sauce. Transfer pasta to a warm serving bowl. Top with more grated cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.  Serves 4.
 

Note: This recipe can easily be converted to a main dish by sautéing shrimp, thinly sliced beef steak, or other meat that can quickly cook and be added to the sauce.