Sorta-Sonora Dip

I was searching different dips I could make with the few ingredients I had on hand and came up with this.  It's sorta of like Sonora Dip - not that I really knew what Sonora Dip was - but I combined elements from at least 3 different recipes and then, of course, gave it a few more sprinkles of originality along the way.  End result was YUMMY!

Sorta-Sonora Dip

1 C Cashews

3 Tomatoes

1 T Minced Garlic

1 t Smoked Paprika (or more to taste)

Pink Himalayan Sea Salt to taste

Sriracha Sauce to taste

Homemade Sauces and Such

WOWZA!  What a Week and THEN Some!  Glad I'm able to take a few moments to start trying to catch up on my blog and many other things around the house!  I was extremely busy with work and our county fair last week but I will be chatting about that throughout this week, I am sure!  For now I would like to share a few things I did last week for quick food in between all of the CRAZINESS!  I didn't crop these photos - sorry about that!  This DARK Sauce was VERY rich and flavorful.  I used it as a dip, a dressing, and a sauce.  It's a variation of a recipe in one of my many Moosewood Cookbooks I have laying around the house. 


Here is what's in it...
6 Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 Tomato
2 Cloves Garlic
A Few leaves of Sweet Basil
2 T Balsamic
Water for Consistency

Here's a strange angle on my funky pasta noodles I had the one night.  I did a Chunky Tomato Marinara which included:

1 Onion
3 Cloves Garlic
1 C Crushed Tomatoes
2 T dried Basil (ran out of fresh)
1/4 tea Thyme
1/4 tea Oregano
1 T Parsley
2 tea (or less) of Grapeseed Oil
Raw Cane Sugar to taste from Wholesome Sweeteners

This is just a little something I threw together - sorry I didn't have the exact measurements.  But I used what was left of the Daiya Shreds, a bit of Almond Milk, a few Tablespoons of Medium Salsa, and a bit of Earth Balance and melted it down.  It was thin but super flavorful.  It was a nice comfort food that night.

I'm still re-cooperating from all of the hustle-bustle last week.  Actually it was Saturday the 3rd thru Yesterday!  I did quite a bit of volunteering, tho, so that felt good.  I worked in two food booths for the fair in between all of my other responsibilities between work, concerts, and helping the hubby with his stuff, too!

Blueberry Sauce, Tomato Tahini Sauce, Crispy Potato Dinner

I tried to get a little cute with this photo - artsy, if you will!  On occasion I have found Nature's Path vegan items on sale and I will pick them up every now and again.  I do like their Chia line.  I actually had this for SNACK last night.  What's that on top - you might ask!?  Well, it was my successful attempt at Blueberry Sauce.  Some might even call it Blueberry Jelly or Jam - vegan style!  It was really quite simple.  And I used all organic ingredients!  A pint of Organic Blueberries, Organic Lemon Juice, and Wholesome Sweeteners Raw Cane Sugar.  Here are the measurements in case you were wondering:

1 Pint Blueberries
1/3 C Raw Cane Sugar
2 teas Lemon Juice

Here's another look at this yummy sauce!  I have to be honest I have had a bit of a sweet tooth lately - that usually isn't like me - but I have been trying to stay to fruit.  I think this did the trick!  Of course I wouldn't turn down a piece of Vegan Cheesecake if I were to come across one. teehee.  Actually there is a place in Buffalo that I LOVE that has Vegan Cheesecake and I haven't had it yet.  I really need to take a trip soon!  Anyhow...this sauce was pretty amazing!  It's sweet and rich and pretty thick, too!  I'm so glad I used my pint of Blueberries for this!  I still have some in the frig and hope to incorporate it into my foods this evening in some way, shape, or form!

I'm kind of going backwards here, but that's ok, right!? 

Check this bad-boy out!  It's Tomato Tahini Sauce!  Here's what I did for this little gem:
6 Cherry Tomatoes (or a bit bigger than Cherry)
1/3 C Tahini
1 T Rice Vinegar
1-2 T Balsamic
Pinch Cayenne Pepper

Next time I think I will just use the Balsamic instead of Rice or using BOTH like I did here.  I really prefer the Balsamic to give it that ZING and the little bit of KICK from the Cayenne is neat but my favorite part is that I used Tomato AND Tahini together in this!  It's almost like a Sour Cream consistency but you can taste all 4 main ingredients separately AND together!

And here is what I did for dinner on the stove top!  Yellow Potatoes, 3 kinds of Sweet Peppers including - Red, Orange, and Yellow, Onion, and Wildtree's Rancher Steak Rub to taste.  As I've mentioned before I like crispy foods on occasion so I accomplished that with this dish as well.

So last night I was 3 for 3 on my food attempts and I am looking forward to incorporating both sauces in other foods SOON.

What do you think of them!?