sauces

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PESTO: Quick & Easy!

We’re big pesto fans in our house, so I make sure we always have it on hand. Our favorite uses are mixed with fettuccine and on top of pizza with Feta cheese and Kalamata olives.

TIP: As self-proclaimed Queen Of Freeze, when I make pesto, I make plenty and freeze it in 1 cup batches.

The longest step in making this recipe is cleaning the basil – I wash each leaf separately so there are no bits of debris lingering in the crevises. Other than that, it’s just throwing all the ingredients into a blender and pushing the on button.

NOTE: I’ve not tried blending the ingredients in my food processor since I like using the vortex action of a blender. But it would probably be fine to use a food processor.

PESTO – makes 2 cups

  • 170g (6 oz) (4 cups) fresh basil leafs
  • 8 cloves garlic, chopped – use less if you’re not a big garlic lover
  • 42g (3 T) lemon juice
  • 88g (1 cup) Pecorino Romano (or any hard cheese of your choice, such as Parmesan)
  • 44g (1/2 cup) pine nuts
  • 114g (2/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp table salt

Place all ingredients in a blender.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Don’t have the blender running when you’re scraping down the ingredients.  I’ve done that with a wooden spoon.  More than once I’ve had the spoon get pushed down to the blades, yielding wood chips into my pesto which, of course, I had to throw out.  So please take my advice – just turn the machine off each time you smoosh down!  Throwing out food is heart breaking….and a waste of time and money.

Pulse several times to get desired consistency scraping down sides as needed.

If your machine doesn’t have a pulse button, turn the machine on a low speed.  Turn it off and smoosh the ingredients around.  Turn it on again for a few seconds, then stop. Smoosh it around again.  Keep doing this until it finally starts cycling on it’s own.  

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BARBECUE SAUCE: Fast, Easy, & Delicious!!!

This recipe is not only delicious, but cooks in 5 minutes! You just toss all ingredients in a pot and boil for 5 minutes. Done! (Don’t be daunted by the number of ingredients – half of them are spices.)

Before making a larger batch of this barbecue sauce, I recommend trying it first to be sure you like it. Then, if it pleases you, you can increase the amount. Since I don’t use barbecue sauce all that often, I quadruple the recipe and freeze it in portions.

BARBECUE SAUCE – makes about 250mls / 1 cup

  • 188g (1/2 cup + 2T) ketchup
  • 89g (1/2 cup, packed) dark brown sugar
  • 30g (2T) molasses – I use Grandma’s, unsulphured
  • 25g (2T) pineapple juice
  • 25g (2T) water
  • 8g (1/2T) vegetarian Worchestershire sauce
  • 1.25 tsp ground mustard
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne powder
  • 3/4 tsp Kosher salt (or, 1/4 tsp table salt)
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper

Into a saucepan, put all the above ingredients.

Bring to a boil. Maintain a low boil, stirring often, for 5 minutes. That’s it!

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AVOCADO SAUCE: Add A Creamy Tang To…Well, Everything!

AVOCADO SAUCE textAvocado Sauce is a quick and easy topping for tacos, salads, quesadillas, or anything else you want. As opposed to guacamole, which is usually chunkier, it’s meant to pour – thus covering more territory.

Queen of Freeze Bonus:  This sauce can be successfully frozen!!! So take advantage of avocados when they’re at bargain prices in the market (or if you’re lucky enough to have your own tree). Make up large batches (make sure you try the recipe first) and freeze in portion sized containers.

AVOCADO SAUCE

  • 8 oz tomatillos
  • 1 avocado
  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 T lime juice
  • 1 tsp garlic, pressed
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Remove and discard papery wrap from tomatillos. Wash thoroughly and cut into quarters. Place all ingredients in food processor.avocado sauce4Pulse until creamy – scraping down sides as needed.avocado sauce3 Adjust seasoning to your preference.