Pages, Pucks and Pantry

Baked Brie Bites

One of the reasons I love this little recipe is the fact that I can make as many as I want. If I'm craving a little snack, I can make just a couple of these at a time. If I have company coming over and want to make a quick appetizer, I can whip up a whole batch of these in no time to keep guests busy until dinner. The ease of making these is also why they can be dangerous. You might find yourself making two or three of these bites before dinner, every day for a week. Not that I would do any such thing....

Though I came across this recipe on Pinterest here, this recipe and many variations can be found...adding jams or fruit preserves, varying the types of nuts or cheese used...around the Internet (links to some follow).

I not only liked the flavor of these but I loved the texture...the crunch of the shell and nuts, the creaminess of the cheese and honey. Great little snack that also looked pretty good presentation wise.

Except for the mini phyllo shells I usually have all the ingredients for the Baked Brie Bites on hand which makes this a quick appetizer or snack to put together.  And since these can be so addicting, I may just start keeping those phyllo shells in the freezer for quick ideas like this.

 

BAKED BRIE BITES

Mini Phyllo Tarts
Brie
Dark Brown Sugar
Chopped Pecans
Honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions are for one brie bite:

Put a cube of brie (or a good melting cheese of your choice) in the middle of each phyllo tart. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar over the cheese in the tart. Top with the pecans. Drizzle some honey over the top of everything. Bake 15-20 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Note: I used Athens Mini Fillo Shells (there were 15 shells in the box), Small Bees Pure Raw Unfiltered Wildflower Honey US grade B (local from Los Gatos).

Note: The cheese kind of melts down a bit so you can see in my photos that the bites weren't as filled as most you'll see. I've tried to put in more cheese but then there wasn't room for the nuts and such. And I liked lots of nuts and sugar and honey in mine.

Really like this recipe and looking forward to trying all it's little variations.

More Baked Brie Bites Recipes:

Baked Brie Bites from Plain Chicken

Raspberry Brie Bites from Food.com

Mini Brie Bites from She Wears Many Hats

Brie and Honeyed Pear Tarts  from Athens Foods and Weight Watchers

Hot Brie Kisses from Recipe Girl

 

Zucchini Pizza

I admit, when I first saw this on Pinterest I passed right on by. I just didn't think it would taste that good. But as everyone and their Mother's Uncle seemed to be pinning it, I took a closer look. Seems the original recipe came from one of my favorite bloggers...Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen so I pinned it thinking I'd probably never use it.

Fast forward about a week to a co-worker giving me some extra zucchini that had been growing in his yard. One of them was those nice round, ball like zucchini that I've actually never cooked with before. The Pizza Zucchini recipe was still stuck in my mind so I decided to give it a try.

I was actually very surprised by how good this turned out. The zucchini didn't turn mushy as I had feared and even though it was pretty simple to put together it had great flavor. I didn't exactly follow Kayln's directions (she grilled hers, I used my broiler) but this will definitely be something I make again.

ZUCCHINI PIZZA
(Kalyn's Kitchen)

For Kalyn's recipe go here.

You will need the following:

Globe zucchini
Pizza Sauce (or doctored tomato sauce)
Cheese
Pepperoni
Olive Oil

Note: My zucchini was larger than the one shown on Kalyns blog. I cut a bit off the top and bottom of the globe zucchini and then sliced it making four rounds. I brushed both sides with olive oil and then broiled the slices until tender (I did turn them over once).

Note: I didn't have any pizza sauce but I did have a bit of leftover tomato sauce. I added some oregano and a bit of this and that to make my own pizza type sauce. I just spooned some on top of the broiled zucchini.

Note: I used some pre-shredded four cheese mix that I had in the fridge. I probably added more than normal on top of the sauce as I like things cheesy. I also added a bit of cheese on top of the pepperoni.

Note: I used presliced rounds of pepperoni (Hormel brand). You can also use turkey pepperoni to make this a "meatless" meal.

Note: Once I'd added the toppings, I broiled for only a few minutes to melt the cheese and heat up the toppings.

Since we had a big zucchini, we had this as dinner with a salad. I can see using smaller rounds of zucchini and making this as an appetizer.

For a detailed recipe go to Kalyn's blog here. As she states in her post, this is one of those recipes that once you have the basic idea you can just wing it. Loved that it helped me use some leftover tomato sauce I had no idea what to do with!

Pat Hull's Cheese Bites

One of the fun things about cleaning out my moms storage is finding her stash of recipes. Lots of cookbooks, but also lots of boxes of recipes she's either gotten from friends or clipped out of magazines. I'm finding some old favorites, some strangely interesting recipes (like the Vienna Sausage Cornbread) and recipes that really take me back to the 60's and 70's.

This recipe came from a friend of Moms named Pat Hull. My mom had a gazillion copies of the recipe so I'm going to assume that folks where my mom worked really liked it and the recipe made it's rounds back in the early 90's. Mom's had the recipe for years but I've never made them myself. I did laugh at one ingredient in the list, which tells that this isn't a recent recipe...it asks for Oleo.

You can find variations of these little bites all over the net. Some add more cheese or different kinds of cheese like Monterey Jack, others add more flour. Some use cake flour, others use Tabasco instead of Cayenne Pepper. There are versions with sesame seeds, pine nuts and cream cheese. The recipe on the Rice Krispies site even says you can substitute All-Bran for the Rice Krispies. Most of the recipes seem to have someones name associated with them...Mom's Cheese Bites, Aunt's Rice Krispy Cheese Bites.

I think this is a good basic recipe version to start with. Just a little heat from the cayenne. I wanted more of a cheese flavor so I might try adding more sharp cheddar next time or even trying an extra sharp.To me they were a bit bland, but Mr. L and my mom seemed to like them.

Now be aware that the Rice Krispies don't get pulverized in this version so when you bite into the little crackers (and I call them crackers for lack of a better description...they aren't cookies) there is a bit of a crunch. When Mr. L first tried these, unknowing of the ingredients, he stopped and almost spit the Cheese Bite out, afraid maybe I had mixed in something alien into the recipe. But once I gave him the ingredient list and he got over his "there are Rice Krispies in here? What for?" moment, I think he found these a bit addicting.

As an FYI, though it can be a bit decieiving by the photograph and the mini-plate I put these on, the size of each bite is just a bit bigger than a quarter.

The recipe is written exactly how it came from Pat Hull.

PAT HULL'S CHEESE BITES

1 cup oleo - room softened (not spread) !!! butter makes it better !!!
2 cups flour (sifted)
3 oz. grated cheddar cheese (sharp)
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Rice Krispies

When well mixed, pinch off small pieces and make into small balls. Place on cookie sheet - mash down with fork slightly. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes. More like an appetizer.

Note: I used Challenge Butter

Note: I mixed everything but the Rice Krispies together for a bit before adding them in.

Note: I started out with a spoon but ended up using my hands to mix the ingredients together.

Note: These can crumble easily so be sure to treat them gently.

 

 

Mini Crab Cakes

For Mothers Day this year, my mom said she wanted crab cakes. Which worked out perfectly since I had this recipe from Noble Pig on my list of blogger recipes to try. Just in case I tried to make the recipe and messed it up, I bought a couple of pre-made crab cakes from the local gourmet grocery store. No need, as these were pretty easy to make and satisfied both mine and my mom's craving for some crab cakes.

We actually had the crab cakes as the main meal. Since this makes 24 we even had some left over and they reheated fine the next day. I made a simple sauce to dip them in (see below). This would make a great appetizer for a summer brunch. To find the recipe go here:

NOBLE PIGS MINI CRAB CAKES

Note: Not having fresh crab, I used a good quality canned crab. You can find canned lump crab meat at gourmet grocery stores and even Trader Joe's sells a decent brand.

Note: I left out the fresh chives on top. Oh who am I kidding, I didn't pay attention to the recipe and tossed all the chives in with the mix. No one noticed until I pointed it out. Note to self: Don't tell folks you messed up if the dish still tastes good.

Note: I was concerned that the cakes would stick to the muffin tin, but the nonstick spray worked fine.

Note: To make a dipping sauce for the crab cakes, I just threw together some mayo, sour cream, cream sherry, a bit of garlic, lemon juice, dill pickle relish, Tabasco with some salt and pepper. There are a ton of recipes online for different sauces. I just picked several and combined the ingredients I had on hand to come up with my own sauce.

Half-In-The-Bag Chicken Wings

I'll be honest with you guys. I totally made this recipe because of the name alone. If you're going to make them, make them soon, since I hear the price of wings is going to go up. Didn't think this recipe was all that great at first but then I noticed that they seemed to disappear quite fast. I liked the orange flavor, not sure how much came from the vodka and how much from the marmalade. If you're looking for another way to serve chicken wings I'd give these a try. Just remember you'll have to either have some orange vodka on hand or make the Orange Peel Vodka to use (I say live a little and make the Orange Peel Vodka...there are more recipes coming to use it!). This came from The Vodka Cookbook.

HALF-IN-THE-BAG CHICKEN WINGS

12 chicken wings, halved at the joint, rinsed, tips removed
1/2 cup onions, finely chopped
4 tablespoons Orange Peel Vodka or vodka
4 tablespoons orange marmalade
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 8 cloves)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place the wings in a large resealable plastic bag (or plastic container). Add the remaining ingredients, seal the bag and shake to coat the wings.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours - turning the bag occasionally.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Drain the chicken wings, reserving the marinade. Place the wings on a broiler pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes, brushing occasionally with the marinade. Stop adding the marinade at least 5 minutes before removing from the oven. Alternatively you could just toss these wings on a hot barbecue grill, turning until cooked through. Makes 24.

If you want to serve the remaining marinade as a dipping sauce, be sure to bring it to a boil in a small saucepan over a high heat for several minutes to ensure it is bacteria-free.

Note: The recipe actually asks for KGB Sauce instead of hot sauce (but does say hot sauce can be used). KGB Sauce is a hot sauce made with vodka and the recipe for that can be found in The Vodka Cookbook.

Note: If you are going to use the Orange Peel Vodka remember that you have to make it several weeks ahead.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

When I saw this recipe on Noble Pigs blog last year before the Super Bowl, I knew that at some point I would have to try to make it. For some reason the recipe stayed in my mind over the past year, periodically popping up at various times with "I should make that Buffalo Wing dip from Noble Pig". It wasn't until last weekend, when I realized that I had some chicken breasts defrosting in the fridge and that the Super Bowl was coming up that I pulled out the recipe to give it a try.

Holy. Crap. Best Stuff Ever. Addicting. And before you say "Well, we don't eat dips in our house" forget the whole dip thing. Put this over rice. Make a sandwich out of it. Put some in a warm tortilla, add some sour cream and sliced avocado and maybe even some jalapenos. Killer stuff. Did I mention addicting? And yes, it makes a great dip, whether you use bread, crackers or veggies.

Now, before you think it's a lot of hot sauce, the cream cheese really kills a lot of the heat. It's spicy but it wasn't that "oh lord my mouth is on fire" kinda heat (might also have something to do with the wing sauce I used). I used ranch dressing so don't be put off of the recipe if you aren't a bleu cheese fan.

This stuff is seriously good. Who cares if it's not low calorie. Who cares if I can sit there and take spoonfuls of this dip and eat it all by itself. Make this. Trust the Noble Pig. Good stuff. And there are a ton of variations out there (one from The Bitten Word here), that call for slightly different ingredients or make smaller batches. But you won't want to make smaller batches. Make the big batch, take half to your Super Bowl party and then use half for meals for yourself. Trust us.

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

24 ounces cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded
6 ounces bottled Franks Red Hot Sauce
6 ounces prepared Buffalo Wing Sauce
1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 8-oz packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
12 ounces ranch dressing
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

If poaching your own chicken breasts - Place chicken breasts in a saute pan large enough to hold them in one layer. Add 1-2 cups water or chicken broth to pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 9-14 minutes until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from broth. Cool slightly and shred well. You do not want large chunks. (The alternative is to use cooked chicken from either cans or a rotisserie chicken).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix shredded chicken with hot sauce and buffalo wing sauce and set aside. (Noble Pig says you can do this a day ahead of time. I'm thinking this would make the sauce really sink into the chicken for even more flavor). 

Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add celery and saute just until tender. Take pan off heat. Add chicken mixture and combine. (I just added the sauteed celery to the bowl I had the chicken mixture in).

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. When cream cheese is creamy, add ranch dressing and stir to combine. Add chicken-celery mixture and mix thoroughly. 

Place mixture in a large casserole dish (12 x 9). Bake uncovered for 20 minutes. Add cheddar cheese and stir to combine. Bake for another 20 minutes or until heated through.

Note: Check out Noble Pigs recipe for her version. I made some changes in mine.

Note: I had about 18 ounces of cooked chicken after poaching. Her recipe asks for 4 chicken breasts or about 25 ounces of canned chicken so I think my version had less chicken than hers. I poached them in plain water.

Note: Original version asked for 12 ounces of Franks Red Hot sauce. Nobles version used 6 ounces of the Franks Hot Sauce and 6 ounces of Franks Wing Sauce. The only size of Franks Hot Sauce I found was the 5 ounce. And there was no Franks Wing Sauce. So I used 5-ounces of the Hot Sauce and 7-ounces of the most interesting Buffalo Wing Sauce the store had (Louisiana Gem Sauce).

Note: Nobles version used neufchatel cream cheese. I normally use nothing but Philly Cream cheese (full fat) when I make stuff so that's what I used in this.

Note: To make this true "Buffalo Wing" most recipes ask for bleu cheese dressing. When I order wings I always ask for Ranch instead of the usually served bleu (sorry, but I really don't like bleu cheese). I ended up using Hidden Valley bottled Buttermilk Ranch dressing. It was a big bottle so I just kinda eyeballed 12-ounces worth. I'm sure if you are a bleu cheese fan Noble Pigs recommendation of using a good quality bottled bleu would work just fine.

Note: Though this is probably best right out of the oven we've been "reheating" for various dishes and it comes out fine. It might separate a bit more than the first bake but I didn't see a big taste difference.

Did I mention how much I loved this? I think Mr. L and I went through an entire loaf of good crusty French bread when I made this "dip" for dinner. That was it. Dip and the bread. We had to stop ourselves from downing the whole thing. My mom loved her's over rice. My assistant got out tortilla chips to eat hers. The tortilla wraps? Yummy. I'm thinking this could be stuffed in pasta shells. And yes, I found myself just taking a spoonful and eating the dip all by itself.

Please note: I am not responsible for any weight gain or hip widening that might result in your hoarding the entire batch to eat yourself.

Baconnaise BLT Dip

I know. You're already shaking your head. Baconnaise? Yes, Baconnaise. The stuff isn't that bad. Now is it like regular mayo where you can take a spoonful and eat it straight from the jar? I can't with this stuff. (Wait, no one else can eat mayonnaise all by itself? Mayo sandwiches anyone??). Baconnaise is not so bad when you mix it into things or spread it on a sandwich (a little bacon, avocado, Baconnaise, tomato, very tasty sandwich. Good on burgers too). This dip was easy and quick to make and I liked it plenty on crackers. Ruffles potato chips worked too.

If you think that I'm joking with the Baconnaise stuff, you can buy it here. You can buy it on Amazon. You can also find it in your local grocery store (no really, just look). There are recipes on ways to use it here (I'm so going to make the Deep Fried Avocados and Baconnaise!). Be sure to pick up some Bacon Salt while you're at it.

This would make a good dip for a bunch of hungry meat eating men while they watch the Super Bowl. Serve it as an appetizer before you bring out The Bacon Explosion. What, you think I kid??

BACONNAISE BLT DIP

1 cup Baconnaise (Regular or Lite)
1 cup Sour Cream (Regular or Lite)
1 tsp Bacon Salt (they like the Jalapeno version)
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese (optional)

Mix all ingredients together, and let sit refrigerated for at least an hour to let all the flavors blend. Grind some additional fresh ground pepper on top at the end to taste. Serve with your favorite chips, pretzels or veggies.

Note: I used Regular Baconnaise and regular Bacon Salt.

Note: I added a few drops of hot sauce.

Note: My dip didn't come out as thick as photos shown with the recipe. Might not have drained the tomatoes enough and I don't think I added as much cheese as they said which might have had something to do with it.

Note: There are other versions of this; not adding tomato, stirring in some bacon bits. I'd say experiment and see what you come up with.

 

Trixie Belle cooks Bacon-Wrapped Potato Bites

When I came across this recipe on The Kitchn website I knew that it would be perfect for this months Potato Ho event. First, it had potatoes. Second, it had bacon. What's not to fall in love with?

Quick. Easy. Did I mention it has potatoes AND bacon?

The recipe came with a Spicy Sour Cream Dipping Sauce. It worked fine but I can see making many other little sauces to dip these little appetizers in, like maybe adding a little spicy salsa verde in the sour cream. But if you don't want the sauce don't worry, these bites taste fine without it. They also taste pretty dang good the next day cold right out of the fridge.

I bought small yukon golds and cut them in half. I thought they would be small enough to wrap the bacon around but the half strip of bacon barely fit. I think I'll make the potatoes a bit smaller next time as it will make it easier to wrap the bacon and easier to pop a full one in my mouth. Taking bites is so messy and if you pop a whole one in your mouth you only burn the roof of your mouth and tongue instead of adding your lips to that list. You can find the original recipe with step by step photos from the Kitchn here.

BACON-WRAPPED POTATO BITES WITH
SPICY SOUR CREAM DIPPING SAUCE

1 pound small or medium red potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped, fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
12 ounces to 1 pound thick-cut bacon
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Wash and dry the potatoes. Chop them into 1-inch pieces, keeping the chunks roughly the same size, even if they aren't the exact same shape. Put the potatoes in a medium pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Season the water with salt. Once the water begins to boil, cook the potatoes for about 3 to 4 minutes, until you can stick a fork into them without too much resistance. You want the potatoes to be almost, but not fully, cooked through (so they won't fall apart during the next steps).

Drain the potatoes and put them in a large bowl. Add the rosemary, olive oil, salt, and a few grinds of pepper, and toss until the potatoes are evenly coated.

Cut the strips of bacon in half (with a short, vertical slice). Wrap each piece of potato in a half-strip of bacon, securing it with a toothpick. Put the potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. You may need to cook potatoes in two batches.

Cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, then flip each piece. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the bacon is cooked through and crisp. Mix the sour cream and hot sauce in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pile the potato bites on a plate and serve alongside the dip.

Makes about three dozen bites.

Note: I used small yukon gold potatoes. I used Tabasco Sauce.

Note: I added more than a teaspoon of Tabasco as one teaspoon just wasn't enough. I cut the recipe in half. I used aluminum foil.

Did I mention potatoes AND bacon?

This months Potato Ho Down is being hosted by Donalyn on the Dlynz blog. Be sure to check out her blog on Wednesday for an update.

Stuffed Jalapenos

Ah yes, the infamous stuffed jalapenos. They actually turned out great, but uh, I had a little trouble actually getting to the final product.

See, in a weird state of "oh don't those habaneros look so beautiful and need to be cooked with" excitement, I originally decided to make these with habanero's instead of jalapenos. Which led to last years habanero fiasco. And being banned from cooking with anything that might come from the capsicum family for quite a while.

But the desire to make stuffed jalapenos continued and when I thought enough time had passed for Mr. L to forget having to clean up my habanero mess I tried to make them again. With jalapenos. And wearing gloves. With my contacts in their case.

These were tasty little things. Very simple to make. The only real time consuming part was cutting and seeding the jalapenos. I had some leftover stuffing because my jalapenos were more on the medium side (and I stuffed them quite full). The extra stuffing worked well in a baked potato. I baked the stuffed jalapenos in a 9x11 glass baking dish and I was able to kinda smush them together so that they didn't fall over and spill the stuffing while they cooked.

Surprisingly these heated up well the next day. I didn't use spicy sausage so there wasn't a lot of heat in the stuffing. The jalapenos I used seemed pretty mild but then my heat meter is higher than most.

This recipe came from the November 08 issue of Chile Pepper magazine. It had a zest meter of HOT but I would say it would depend on how hot your jalapenos turned out to be.

STUFFED JALAPENOS

1 pound andouille or other spicy sausage
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 pound large jalapenos, halved lengthwise and seeded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a skillet over medium heat, cook sausage until evenly browned. Drain grease.

In a bowl, mix the cooked sausage, cream cheese and Parmesan. Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage mixture into each jalapeno half. Arrange stuffed halves in baking dishes. Bake 20 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. Makes 6 to 8 snack servings.

Note: I used fresh ground sausage from the gourmet grocery store. I used fresh pre-shredded Parmesan cheese from the deli (no additives).

Spicy Soy Dipping Sauce

Potstickers, Jiaozi, Gyoza, Mandu, I don't care what it's called I like it. I always have to get an order when I get food from the local Chinese place and even if I sit at a counter for sushi, I usually get an order of gyoza from the kitchen.

Trader Joe's has some great bags of frozen potstickers. When you are busy (when are we not?) they make a great, quick meal. Just pop them in the microwave and you have a snack, or in our case, dinner. Yes, you can deep fry them or cook them by frying first and then steaming, but in a pinch, I usually just microwave them.

You can buy some packages of potstickers that have a packet of sauce included. And while that sauce is okay, that's just it...they are just okay. I've made my own potsticker sauce before but I never had the correct combination of ingredients and that too, just turned out okay.

When I saw this simple recipe in the Martin Yan Quick and Easy cookbook, i figured it was a great excuse to go buy a bag of potstickers and indulge.  So off I went to buy the sauce ingredients.

Chinese black vinegar? Couldn't find it at a regular grocery store so when I was near the Chinese market I stopped in to see if I could find it. It's a nice big market with tons of things I wanted to try. I searched up and down the isles looking for black vinegar. I went up and down the Chinese vinegar section. I checked the Japanese section. I checked the Korean section. No luck. I asked a clerk. No luck. The clerk went and got the owner/manager. The owner came smiling. I asked for 'Chinese Black Vinegar'. He looked at me like I was crazy gaijin messing in his Chinese market. Black vinegar? Yes. And then feeling like I had to explain my craziness, I volunteered in a small little voice "Really. Chinese Black Vinegar. It's from a recipe in a Martin Yan cookbook". The owner/manager still looked at me like I was crazy. He and the clerk looked at all the vinegars (seriously, there had to be at least 50 kinds in the Chinese section alone) and then shrugged and apologized, he had none. I ended up using balsamic vinegar which Martin Yan said was an okay substitute.

This tasted really really good. I will never use the packet stuff again since this was so quick and easy to make and the ingredients are pantry staples. The recipe mentions that this could also be used on white rice (which was a great idea) or spring rolls. This recipe made way more sauce than was needed for one package of potstickers. This was so easy to make and tasted so good that it will definitely be the go to sauce when I need it.

This is my entry into the Weekend Cookbook Challenge being hosted by Sara. The challenge was to use a recipe from a cookbook that had 5 ingredients or less.

SPICY SOY DIPPING SAUCE

6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce

In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir until combined. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator; it will keep for up to 3 weeks. Makes about 3/4 cup.

Note: I used good balsamic vinegar

Note: I am still on the hunt for Chinese Black Vinegar