Ingredients:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

The perfect homemade cocktail sauce is both smooth and slightly spicy, with just the right amount of zing to complement the flavors of shrimp or crab. While many store-bought sauces rely on horseradish for heat, it can be easily omitted without sacrificing flavor.

So how do you make a homemade cocktail sauce without horseradish? Start by combining ketchup, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and hot sauce in a bowl. Then, add a splash of Tabasco or another favorite hot sauce. If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with a little bit of water. Finally, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. within minutes, you’ll have a delicious homemade cocktail sauce that’s sure to be a hit at your next party.

To make the horseradish aioli

It is simple to make and can be served with a variety of dishes. Make this horseradish aioli is the perfect condiment for your next party.

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup grated horseradish root
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon freshly squeeze lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

To make the horseradish aioli, start by mixing horseradish, garlic, and mayonnaise in a bowl. Then, add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Mix well and serve. This horseradish aioli is sure to be a hit with your guests!

Recipe for making a super tasty pesto sauce – here’s how to make it yourself:

Ingredients for making the best pesto ever:

• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 large bunch of fresh basil , (40g)
• 50 g pine nuts
• 3 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil
• 50 g Parmesan cheese
• A pinch of sea salt

Pesto Making Method
Pick and wash fresh basil leaves (preferably home grown) in cold water and set aside. In a small pan, lightly toast your pine nuts in olive oil on a medium heat for a few minutes. Peel and crush the garlic in a pestle and mortar – Pesto is supposed to be a bit chunky, not super-smooth so it’s best to mash using a pestle and mortar but you can use a blender or food processor instead if you lightly pulse.

Add in the washed basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of sea salt and finely grated Parmesan cheese, using a little water to thin if needed. Then continue grinding and pounding your pesto until the texture is smooth.

Useful Pesto Making Tips

• Pesto will keep for a long time in the refrigerator with a layer of olive oil on top.
• Substitute pricey pine nuts with walnuts or pecans instead. Whichever nut you choose, make sure you toast them first.
• Pesto freezes beautifully. Just fill the trays with pesto and freeze. Once frozen, pop the cubes out and seal them in a freezer bag.

Pesto is so fun and easy to make, you’ll enjoy getting the kids involved especially when they can use it as a wonderful pesto pasta!

• 1/4 Cup of sun dried tomatoes (drained)
• 300ml Sour Cream
• 1 Clove of garlic – crushed
• 1 Tablespoon of freshly chopped oregano
• 1 Tablespoon of fresh, chopped Basil
• Cracked black pepper

Mix together all ingredients using a hand blender.

That’s it.

As promised super useful dip recipe that’s super easy to make.

Enjoy!

Once you’ve made your own avocado dip using this easy and useful recipe, you won’t be buying the sickly smooth versions of avocado dip from the supermarket ever again!

Instant and easy avocado dip that only take 5 minutes to prepare 

• Two avocados
• Lemon / lime juice
• Green chilies
• Fresh cilantro / coriander
• Spring Onions
• Tabasco sauce

Peel and roughly chop the flesh of two avocados.

Place in a bowl and squeeze over the them the juice of one lime or 1/2 lemon.

Mash gently with a fork – don’t over work it or put in the blender. Your avocado dip should be a little chunky – texture is a good thing!

Stir in one or two seeded and finely chopped green chilies, 1/4 cup of chopped fresh coriander and three finely chopped spring onions.

Add three or four drops of Tabasco sauce. Mix it all together until it is well combined.

If you prefer the avocado dip to be a little spicy, add extra drops of Tabasco. Further taste and season with salt and ground black pepper. Do stir in a little extra of the lemon or lime juice as needed.

Spicy Avocado Dip Twist

This delicious, zesty avocado dip is perfect for your next party or get-together. It’s also incredibly easy to make, and much healthier than store-bought versions. Give it a try!

• 3 avocados
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded
• 2 cloves garlic
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro / coriander
• Salt and pepper, to taste

This Salmon dip is made using canned salmon. Using tinned salmon is a useful alternative to fresh as this recipe is a quick dip to make and using tins means you’ll always have the ingredients on hand should guests turn up unexpectedly.

Salmon Dip

A useful and adaptable seafood dip recipe with various substitutions possible.

• 1 tub Cream Cheese
• ½ tsp Prepared Mustard (Any jar of mustard is fine. Variety to suit taste.)
• 3 drops Fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 210 gram Tin of Red Salmon

1. Mix the cream cheese, mustard, lemon juice and Worcestershire Sauce together until smooth.

2. Add the tin of salmon and mix well together

This is a useful recipe as crabmeat, mackerel or tinned tuna can also be used as a substitute to salmon.

Appetizer

Fresh dill makes for nice presentation with this dip, alternatively a light sprinkling of dried parsley flakes makes salmon dip pop.

Few easy dips offer such a return on time investment and versatility of serving suggestions. This yummy artichoke dip is so simple yet tastes so good – delicious served on its own with fresh sourdough bread or as a side dish to roasts or other vegetables. If you like artichokes or grow them in your garden this is a very useful dip recipe to have at hand.

Artichoke Dip

• Oven proof dish

• 1 can Artichoke Hearts (Fresh artichokes may be used but these will need to be prepared and cooked in advance.)
• 5 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 cup Grated fresh parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Garlic

1. Drain and chop the Artichoke Hearts

2. Mix all of the ingredients together – the mixture should be moist.

3. Put the mixture into a small greased oven proof dish and generously sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

4. Cook in a moderate oven for 30 minutes.

Appetizer

Vegetarian

Your creamy artichoke dip will improve if you make it ahead 12 to 24 hours (store in the fridge), allowing all of the flavors to meld and develop.

This Artichoke Dip is useful for

• Serve up warm on roasted vegetables
• Use cold from the fridge as a spread on fresh bread such as sourdough.
• Ideal for accompanying roast beef or silverside as a white sauce alternative
• Mix it up, add fresh shredded spinach for a dynamic flavor and iron boost.
• Inspiring you to grow your own? Growing artichokes for your very own fresh is easy to do. Here are their growing instructions.