Get Ahead – Sauces for Quick Dinners
If you’re anything like me, your weeknights get BUSY –that’s why having a stash of delicious, homemade sauces makes all the difference. Every Sunday, I prepare a batch of sauces that transform the simplest dinner into something special. Top tip, I store these in my favourite glass Kilner jars – perfect for keeping them fresh throughout the week. Whether you’re looking to elevate pasta, salads, or even sandwiches, these recipes will help you get ahead in the kitchen.
I love Stanley and I love his sauce. It’s so delicious and can be used with practically anything: chicken, eggs, pizza, salmon, tuna pasta. (For the tuna pasta, just cook spaghetti, add a jar of this marinara, toss in a tin of good-quality tuna, and enjoy. Devine!).
I usually double this recipe to fill three Kilner jars – two for Theo and me, and one for Dawny.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, halved
½ white onion, thinly sliced
1 (35-oz) can whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano), undrained
3–4 fresh basil leaves
Pinch dried oregano
A big pinch of salt
Method:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and onion; cook 3–5 minutes or until onion is tender but not browned.
Add the tomatoes to pan and gently crush with a fork. Stir in basil, oregano and a generous pinch of salt.
Bring to a low boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat; simmer 25–30 minutes or until tomatoes have thickened and sweetened, stirring occasionally.
Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
Caeser Salad Dressing
A Caesar salad is just elite, and nothing beats a homemade dressing over the shop-bought kind – especially when you factor in both taste and cost. I mean you’re talking £4.50 for a few lettuce leaves, a couple of croutons and the dressing?! So, make your own. It’s way more delicious. To store, I use half-size Kilner jars, which is just the right portion to dress at least six salads. It even makes a fantastic dipping sauce!
This recipe is from Once Upon a Chef
Ingredients:
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste or 2 -3 anchovies mushed with a fork
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I like the brand Maille)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's Real
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Method:
In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce.
Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.
Taste and adjust to your liking.
The dressing will keep well in the fridge for about a week.
Pesto
Pesto is just brilliant, isn’t it? Great with pasta, in a sandwich, with eggs, the list goes on. Nothing beats a fresh homemade pesto. This recipe was originally given to me by my excellent friend, Dom, better known as Dom in the Kitchen
Ingredients:
50g pine nuts
30g (half a bag) of rocket leaves
30g (1 small bunch) fresh basil – chopped (include the stalks)
2 cloves of garlic – peeled
The juice of ¼ lemon
1 tablespoon Greek yoghurt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil. It’s gotta be the good stuff. My favourite is made by my friend G’s family. You can get it here. Sitalia.com
Method:
Place the pine nuts into a dry frying pan and gently roast on a medium heat for about 5 mins, tossing regularly until they turn golden. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Combine all the ingredients into a food processor and whiz until you have a thick, rough paste. The ingredients can be adjusted to taste and texture; a little more or less oil, more Greek yoghurt etc.
This will keep in the fridge for about a week.
Hummus
Hummus is not only a healthy snack but also a great addition to any meal. I love spreading it on rice cakes topped with fresh tomatoes and a pinch of salt. The great thing about hummus is that you can change up the flavour. For example, one week you might want to add in some roasted peppers, the next, some beetroot. Experiment as its very hard to get wrong. Here’s my favourite basic recipe to use as a base.
Ingredients
1 (15oz) tin of chickpeas, drained or 1 ½ cups (250g) cooked
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice, 1 large lemon
1/4 cup (60ml) well-stirred tahini
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons (30ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water
Method
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine tahini and lemon juice and blend for 1 minute. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then process for 30 seconds more. This extra time helps “whip” the tahini, making the hummus smooth and creamy.
2. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, cumin, and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the whipped tahini and lemon juice. Blend for 30 seconds, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then blend for another 30 seconds or until well blended.
3. Drain the chickpeas. Add half to the food processor and blend for 1 minute, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, then add the remaining chickpeas and blend them until thick and relatively smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. The hummus will likely be too thick and still have tiny bits of chickpea. To fix this, slowly add 2 to 3 tablespoons of cold water with the food processor turned on until you reach the perfect consistency.
5. Taste and adjust as needed. Serve hummus with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of paprika, sumac, or Za’atar.
6. Store homemade hummus in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to one week. Freeze, covered with a thin layer of olive oil, for up to one month.
There you have it my fave sauces that can transform weekly dinners into stress-free, delicious, meals. By preparing these sauces in advance, you’ll always have a gourmet touch ready to go. I hope these recipes inspire you to experiment and enjoy the convenience of homemade goodness. Happy cooking and be sure to share your favourite sauces in the comments – T and I are always looking for new recipes.
Love,
Lisa xx