sauces

I recently participated in a Thai cooking class at Three Forks Ranch in their brand new cooking kitchen. It was an amazing morning and reminded me how simple it is to make sauces from the scratch (hence why I am writing this post!). Here are some simple sauces to make - no sugar, preservatives or additives. I may never buy another store bought sauce again! Enjoy!

Peanut Sauce (from Three Forks)

This makes enough for 2 people as an appetizer. Increase quantity as necessary.

1/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons unsweetened rice vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

2 teaspoons chili sauce (try your sauce and test for spiciness - adjust as necessary)

2 teaspoons lime juice

2 cloves garlic, peeled and grated

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1-2 tablespoons warm water

Combine everything in the bowl (apart from the water) and mix until combined. Add 1 tablespoon water and whisk until you have a sauce the consistency of a dipping sauce. Add more water as needed.

Salsa Verde

3 hatch chilies (optional)

10 tomatillos

1 jalapeno

1/2 yellow onion, roughly chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

Pinch of salt

Place the hatch chilies, jalapeno and tomatillos on a tray and broil until they are blackened. Add the yellow onion and cilantro to a food processor and process until minced. Once cooled, add the jalapeno, tomatillos and hatch chilies with the lime juice. Process until everything is minced and looks like the consistency of salsa. Season with salt.

This made enough to fill a 12 oz mason jar.

Pad Thai Sauce (from Three Forks)

1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon unsweetened rice vinegar

1/2 tablespoon to 1 tablespoon sriracha

1 tablespoon peanut butter

Mix all the sauce ingredients together. I suggest starting with a little sriracha and tasting the sauce. Add more sriracha to get the desired heat. Sriracha is HOT so start with a little - you can always add more.

This makes enough for 1 person so increase quantity as necessary.

Basil Lemon Pesto

1/2 garlic clove, peeled

3/4 cup cashews - unsalted and raw

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice (typically the juice of 1 lemon)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus more for thinning

1/2 teaspoon salt

With food processor running, drop in garlic to mince. Turn processor off and add cashews. Process until the cashews are finely minced and just start to become creamy. Add basil, lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt and process until well combined and smooth. For a thinner pesto, add slightly more olive oil. Serve fresh or refrigerate or freeze in airtight containers.

This makes a fair amount of pesto - enough to serve with pasta for 4 people for dinner.