what are your favorite quicke/easy sauces?
I sometimes feel driven to distraction by the task of feeding my family, and it's only getting more complicated. In addition to us having a kosher home, and kids with some typical 3-year-old food reservations, Harold's been on Weight Watchers for about four months and I've recently acquired some kind of milk sensitivity. It occurred to me today that some yummy, easy sauces might help with this. I'm thinking about things that would have a variety of uses, from going over simple grilled meat or fish, to steamed veggies, to rice or potatoes, to maybe in a sandwich or on a salad. Then there can be a simple food for the kids, with a way to dress it up for the grownups, and a way for Harold to choose how much of the richer bits he wants to add, and me to maybe avoid a dairy component. Ideally these would be things with not too many ingredients (6 or less, maybe, not counting herbs and spices) and not too fussy a preparation -- something I can throw together while managing the three-ring-circus of dinner prep and kid watching. Something made with pantry ingredients and produce staples is especially handy.
Here are a couple of mine:
Easy-as-Heck Peanut Sauce
Beat together creamy peanut butter and boiling water until you get a consistency you like. You could use hot stock (meat or veg) instead of the water for a slightly richer flavor. Start with maybe equal volumes until you learn what ratio gives you a thickness you like. Season to taste with soy sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, and/or curry powder to taste. I like this tossed with ramen noodles (you can make the sauce while the noodles cook) and maybe some fresh veggies and tofu too.
My Mom's Steak Sauce
Slice a small or medium onion into rings and sautee until it's tender enough for your liking -- anything from still a touch of crispness left down to quite soft. Add a volume of ketchup to make as much sauce as you want, then enough Worcestershire sauce to give it as much bite as you want. Heat through and serve. My mom always served this with pan-broiled T-bone steak and mashed potatoes, and it's a great combination. I can also imagine it being good on chicken breasts pounded thin and quickly browned in a sautee pan or grill pan, broiled chicken, or a burger (meat, poultry, or vegetarian).
And cheese sauce (bechamel aka white sauce with cheese melted in) is fantastic on all kinds of veggies, or baked with potatoes or pasta.
What are your favorite easy, tasty sauces?
Here are a couple of mine:
Easy-as-Heck Peanut Sauce
Beat together creamy peanut butter and boiling water until you get a consistency you like. You could use hot stock (meat or veg) instead of the water for a slightly richer flavor. Start with maybe equal volumes until you learn what ratio gives you a thickness you like. Season to taste with soy sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, and/or curry powder to taste. I like this tossed with ramen noodles (you can make the sauce while the noodles cook) and maybe some fresh veggies and tofu too.
My Mom's Steak Sauce
Slice a small or medium onion into rings and sautee until it's tender enough for your liking -- anything from still a touch of crispness left down to quite soft. Add a volume of ketchup to make as much sauce as you want, then enough Worcestershire sauce to give it as much bite as you want. Heat through and serve. My mom always served this with pan-broiled T-bone steak and mashed potatoes, and it's a great combination. I can also imagine it being good on chicken breasts pounded thin and quickly browned in a sautee pan or grill pan, broiled chicken, or a burger (meat, poultry, or vegetarian).
And cheese sauce (bechamel aka white sauce with cheese melted in) is fantastic on all kinds of veggies, or baked with potatoes or pasta.
What are your favorite easy, tasty sauces?