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Top 5 Quick & Easy Sauce Recipes
Sometimes we want to cook up a storm, but sometimes we just want a fast meal or way to dress up leftovers. That’s when these quick and easy sauces come into their own; they aren’t recipes that require precision, so feel free to substitute and improvise based on what you have on hand.
Salsa Verde Italy
www.food-wine-travel.com/salsa-verde
Salsa verde, meaning ‘green sauce’, is a great condiment to have in your repertoire; it’s delicious drizzled over steak, poultry, seafood or vegetables. Add more or less garlic, capers or anchovies to suit your taste and substitute coriander or other soft green herbs for some of the parsley.
Romesco Spain
www.food-wine-travel.com/romesco-sauce
One of Spain’s most popular sauces, Romesco is from Catalonia where it’s traditionally served with local spring onions (calçots) charred over open fires. It’s very versatile, popular with seafood, and also delicious with poultry and red meat. Use just hazelnuts or almonds if that’s all you have.
Hollandaise France
www.food-wine-travel.com/green-peppercorn-hollandaise
Hollandaise is one of the mother sauces, from which so many others come. I love this variation with pickled green peppercorns (available in tiny cans), but you can add herbs, wasabi, tomato paste, chilli … just about any flavouring you like to dress up steak, chicken, seafood or vegetables.
Tuna Mayonnaise Italy
www.food-wine-travel.com/vitello-tonnato
I think the popular Italian dish vitello tonnato (‘veal tuna-style’) is really just an excuse to eat this delicious tuna sauce. It’s so good, you’ll want to spread it on everything, especially vegetables. It’s also great tossed through pasta or used on sandwiches instead of butter.
Butterscotch Sauce UK
www.food-wine-travel.com/sticky-date-pudding
When I need something quick and easy for dessert, this is my go-to. You can leave out the alcohol (but why would you!) or substitute Cointreau, amaretto or whatever liqueur you have on hand. It keeps well in the fridge for a week and makes plain vanilla ice cream irresistible!
