Great american/4 recipes

Kick up your Independence or Flag day celebration an extra notch by making your own home-made ketchup (catsup) to make your barbecued hot dogs and burgers extra special. This is an easy way to really impress your friends and family and it's much better tasting than store bought varieties.

It was so flavorful, instead of broth, we used canned tomato. Served the stew with homemade whole wheat bread, yum.

A creamy tangy herbed dipping sauces that makes a great dipping sauce for crab cakes. Works equally as well as a salmon cake dipping sauce or even as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers.

There are many variations of classic Mexican tortilla soup. In this vegetarian version (feel free to substitute chicken for the tofu for a non-veg version) the rich broth is flavored with earthy ancho (New Mexican) chillies and made more filling by adding some kale that retains it's texture well in a hot soup.

The other day while we were watching Gordon Ramsay's Hell's Kitchen, chefs were making flatbread, basically like pizza, just different shape, which really made my craving for pizza come back to life. Then start making this sun-dried tomato, olive and basil pesto flatbread, and it was so good...

Grilled or broiled asparagus is tender, crispy and full of flavor, drizzling some fresh homemade dressing, along with some other grilled seasonal vegetables. An excellent side-dish with barbecued meats. Simply delicious!

A delicious meat pie is great at Christmas. Feel free to use ground beef, pork, lamb or a combination of different meats. Make a few of these meat pies a few weeks in advance, then freeze them in the freezer. Reheat it in the oven directly out of the freezer just before serving.

Absolutely delicious! I love pumpkin but hate making pie crust, so this is a great alternative. Very easy, too. The maple syrup is a nice subtle flavor. The honey glazed walnuts are really a nice touch. Going to be using them in other things, too. I presented this two ways, one still in the ramekin, and one unmolded. Thanks for a great new addition to the fall dessert line-up.

Fluffy light cream pie great for St. Patrick's Day or anytime you want to impress your guests with this decadent dessert.

This is a great way to use up extra home made dressing. Cook pasta the day before. Then add your leftover dressing and marinate in the refrigerator overnight. The pasta will absorb all the goodness from the dressing and is perfect for a quick and easy lunch or supper.

Following this recipe makes a perfect focaccia, fluffy inside, crusty outside, and very flavorful. Several rising processes make the great texture and flavor.

A rich and crusty bread that's easy to make with this tasty recipe that's stress-free.

Pad Thai Tip: For even more flavor, I'll often make a double batch of the pad Thai sauce. Then, as I'm stir-frying the noodles, I'll add more sauce until I'm happy with the taste (I also add extra fish sauce). Any leftover sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Buttermilk vinaigrette and crispy bacon bring this cabbage salad back to life. It's creamy, tasty and flavorful. A delicious way to turn an economical ingredient into a tasty dish.

Add some fish to your summer diet with this savory dish that will have you and your family licking your lips.

An easy weeknight single skillet dish that delivers solid classic flavors.