A good variety of sauces and dressings add some zip to your meals and keep things interesting. They’re also simple to make yet hugely rewarding. They also contain no artificial preservatives so are much better for you. Here are just a small selection of my favourites. Enjoy!
Balsamic Vinaigrette
This is delicious as a green salad dressing or you can use it to brush onto vegetable kebabs before barbecuing which gives the vegetables an added sweetness and glaze.
Ingredients
100 ml balsamic vinegar
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
Juice of half a lemon
1 clove garlic crushed
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme
1 tsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Sprinkle milled sea salt and black pepper
Method
Whisk all ingredients in a bowl, bottle and store in the fridge for up to three days.
Homemade Burger ‘Secret Sauce’
Add a small dollop of my homemade sauce to your burger for that authentic restaurant ‘secret sauce’ taste.
1 tbsp full-fat mayo
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp Dijon or American mustard
Mix the three ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Creamy Mustard Salad Dressing
Ingredients – serves 2
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp bio-natural yogurt
1 tbsp linseeds
Method:
Mix together and add to a green salad for a substitute for a traditional Caesar dressing.
Pesto
Pesto is a real go-to sauce that can simply be stirred into your cooked pasta, served as a dip for raw veggies, or spread on your fish or meat. This recipe is basic but delicious and healthy. Once you’ve made it a few times you’ll begin to add your own variations. Try a dash of freshly squeezed lemon juice or more of your favourite herbs. Once it’s made you can store it in a jar and it will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
Ingredients:
1⁄2 cup of toasted pine nuts
2 cups of fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic crushed or finely chopped
1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional – 50g grated Romano, Parmesan or vegetarian equivalent
Method:
Using a mortar and pestle, or a food processor, mix all the ingredients together except the olive oil and blend until smooth. Gently add the olive oil a drizzle at a time and mix through with a fork. Pour the ingredients into a jar with a small layer of olive oil on top then seal and refrigerate.
Sesame and Honey Salad Dressing (serves 2)
Mix together 1 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, I tbsp. honey and a tsp of bran, linseed or chia seeds to bind.
1/2 cup raw almond butter,
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger,
1/4 cup of water (to thin)
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic peeled and chopped
A few jalapenos (depending on how hot you want it) Blend ingredients together until smooth.
Ingredients:
2 level tbsp cornflour
1 level tsp mustard
2 cups soya or almond milk
1⁄4 tsp freshly grated lemon rind 1⁄4 tsp nutmeg
1 bay leaf
White Sauce
A twist on traditional béchamel sauce (which is the base for classic lasagne or cannelloni), but without the butter and without the fuss. Add to white fish, chicken or pasta.
Sprinkle of milled black pepper
Method
In a cup mix the corn flour, mustard and a little milk together until smooth.
Add to a saucepan with remaining milk along with lemon rind, nutmeg, bay leaf and black pepper. Bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and serve.
Ratatouille Sauce
Ingredients
1⁄2 aubergine
1⁄2 green pepper
1⁄2 red pepper
2 courgettes
1 large onion
400g tin of chopped tomatoes 1⁄2 pint of water
1⁄2 tsp fresh or dried basil 1⁄2 tsp dried oregano, black pepper to season
Method
Dice the aubergine, peppers courgettes and onion. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 40 mins. Season with black pepper.
