Sauces, Dressings, and Condiments

Mayonnaise

Makes: ½ cup Prep time: 12 minutes 1 egg yolk ¾ cup olive oil, divided 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar ½ teaspoon lemon juice sea salt, to taste

1 . Place egg yolk in small bowl with a pinch of salt, and whisk while adding the olive oil in a slow drizzle. 2 . Once half of the olive oil has combined with the egg yolk, add the vinegar and the lemon juice and mix well.

3 . Drizzle in the other half of the olive oil, mixing well until all of the ingredients are emulsified. Add salt to taste, mix briefly again, and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Garlic Aioli Variation: Mash two cloves of garlic into a smooth paste with a mortar and pestle; if you don’t have one, you can mince the garlic very finely. Place half the garlic paste in a small bowl with the egg yolk, and whisk together with a pinch of salt before beginning to incorporate the oil as described in step 1. Follow the recipe and taste at the end, adding more of the garlic paste to your preference.

Smoked Paprika Variation: Add ¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika to the finished mayonnaise, adding more, ¼ teaspoon at a time, to taste.

Guacamole

Makes: 4 servings Prep time: 10 minutes juice of 2 limes, divided 2 ripe avocados, mashed 2 tablespoons chopped onion 1 jalapeno, minced 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro sea salt, to taste

Squeeze half of the lime juice over the avocados and sprinkle with a dash of salt, then mash thoroughly. Fold in the chopped onion, jalapeno, and cilantro. Mix and salt to taste. Squeeze a bit more lime on top to help the guacamole hold its color.

Olive Tapenade

Tapenade can be used as a sauce or condiment for any protein dish, or as a dip for vegetables.

Makes: 12 servings Prep time: 8 minutes 2 cups pitted olives 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped 1 clove garlic, chopped ½ anchovy fillet, chopped

Place the olives in a food processor and pulse until they are chopped very small, but before they become pureed, then add them to a bowl. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, and anchovy to the olive mixture. Mix well and store in refrigerator.

Tahini Dressing

This recipe is about as simple as it gets! Tahini is a great sauce for roasted vegetables as it gives a nutty, earthy flavor.

Makes: 6 servings Prep time: 5 minutes ⅓ cup tahini ⅓ cup water ¼ cup lemon juice 2 cloves garlic, chopped ½ teaspoon honey sea salt, to taste

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

Avocado Dressing

Makes: 4 servings Prep time: 5 minutes 1 ripe avocado 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon lime juice 1 cup olive oil sea salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Blend avocado, vinegar, lime juice, salt, and pepper in a food processor until the ingredients are creamy, then turn the food processor to low (if your machine has multiple speeds), or pulse, while slowly adding the olive oil until all is blended. Chill in the fridge and store for up to 1 week.

Easy Balsamic Dressing

I make this dressing in batches and use it for just about every salad I make simply because it’s easy and available. Choose whichever herbs you like best for this recipe; I like to use dried oregano or thyme.

Makes: 8 servings Prep time: 5 minutes 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon dried herbs ⅔ cup olive oil ½ teaspoon salt

Whisk together the mustard, vinegar, salt, and herbs. Add the oil a little at a time, whisking to emulsify. If you like a thick dressing that will not separate while storing, then use a blender. For a lighter texture, hand whisk.

Garlic-Butter-Lemon Sauce

This sauce pairs extremely well with salmon.

Makes: 4 servings Prep time: 2 minutes Cook time: 5–6 minutes 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced ¼ cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 . In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until lightly golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. 2 . Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Let sauce simmer until it has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in remaining butter and whisk until combined. Serve immediately.

Sauce Gribiche

Sauce gribiche goes well on top of fish, meat, or vegetables.

Makes: 4 servings Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 12 minutes 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon capers 2 cornichons, finely chopped 1 hard-boiled egg, finely chopped sea salt, to taste 1 tablespoon chopped parsley freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Mix everything except the parsley in a bowl and adjust seasoning to taste. Stir in parsley just before serving.

Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillo salsa goes great on eggs, fish, and pork.

Makes: 8 servings Prep time: 8 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes 5–6 medium tomatillos, husked and rinsed ¼ cup chopped white or yellow onion 2 serrano peppers or 1 jalapeno, stemmed 1 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped, thick stems removed ¼ cup water sea salt, to taste

1 . Preheat a broiler.

2 . Roast the tomatillos, onion, and peppers on a baking sheet 4 inches below a very hot broiler until well roasted, about 8 minutes. 3 . In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatillos, onion, and peppers, including all the juice that has run onto the baking sheet. Add the cilantro and water, blend to a coarse puree, and transfer to a serving dish. Season with a generous amount of salt.

Asian Dipping Sauce

Serve as a dipping sauce for meat or a glaze for vegetables. Use mild versions of soy sauce and olive oil to allow the other flavors to stand out.

Makes: 8–10 servings Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 3 minutes 2 medium cloves garlic, minced ½ cup light or low-sodium soy sauce ¼ cup rice wine vinegar 2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger 2 tablespoons chopped green onion 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil ½ tablespoon light olive oil

Roast garlic in a pan with olive oil over medium heat until golden brown, just about 1 minute. Then add all of the ingredients to the pan, remove from the heat, and stir well. Combine everything in a lidded jar, and shake well.

Chimichurri

Chimichurri is a great accompaniment to steak.

Makes: 8–10 servings Prep time: 10 minutes ½ cup red wine vinegar 1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste 3–4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced or minced 1 Fresno chile or red jalapeno, finely chopped ½ cup minced fresh cilantro ¼ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 . Combine vinegar, salt, garlic, and chile in a medium bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. 2 . Stir in cilantro and parsley. Using a fork, whisk in the oil. Adjust salt to taste.

Pesto

In my opinion, pesto goes well on just about anything, especially noodles (including no-carb shirataki noodles), fish, and chicken. It brings a bright, fresh, basil flavor to your dish. You can store pesto in a clean ice cube tray and defrost individual cubes when you want to use them.

Makes: 4–6 servings Prep time: 15 minutes 4 loosely packed cups fresh basil leaves ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ⅓ cup pine nuts or walnuts 3 cloves garlic, minced ¾ cup olive oil, plus more as needed sea salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 . Pulse basil and nuts in a food processor until homogeneous. Add the cheese and garlic, and pulse until combined.

2 . Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the processor is running on low speed if your machine has multiple speeds, otherwise, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil at a time and check consistency before adding more. Once the oil is completely combined and the pesto is the consistency you want, mix in the salt and pepper.

Tomato Sauce

Makes: 8 servings Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 30–35 minutes 4 cloves garlic, sliced ¼ cup olive oil 2 (16-ounce) cans whole or diced tomatoes ½ teaspoon sugar (optional) ½ cup fresh chopped basil sea salt, to taste freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 . In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the garlic in the oil, just under 1 minute. 2 . Add the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Simmer, cooking until the sauce has thickened to desired consistency, 20 to 30 minutes. 3 . Taste, and adjust seasoning. If it’s too acidic, add the sugar and mix well, then taste again. Stir in chopped basil and serve with vegetable of your choice.

Pickling Liquid Base

You can pickle any vegetable you want in this liquid—cauliflower, string beans, carrots, turnips, or whatever is lying around. Just place the vegetable in a jar, pour in enough pickling liquid to cover them completely, and store in the refrigerator until they are ready. They’ll turn more vinegary over time.

Makes: about 2 portions, but you can reuse the liquid once the pickles are gone Prep time: 3 minutes active, 24 hours total Cook time: 10 minutes

1 cup water ½ cup rice wine vinegar 4 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt

Combine the water, rice wine vinegar, sugar, and salt in a medium pot, and bring to a boil. Let cool and wait 24 hours before using.

Pickled Red Onions

Pickled onions go great with pork dishes and hamburgers.

Makes: 20 servings Prep time: 10 minutes active, 48 hours total Cook time: 10 minutes 2 cups water 1¼ cup red wine or apple cider vinegar ½ cup sugar 2 teaspoons sea salt 3 red onions, sliced into thin rings 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 . Place the water, vinegar, sugar, and salt in a pot and bring to a boil. 2 . Place the onions in a large glass pickling jar set in the sink, in case of spills. Season the onions with black pepper, pour in the pickling liquid, and let them cool at room temperature. Then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 48 hours before using.