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| No more jarred sauce! |
You're tired. Nothing's defrosted. You don't feel like cooking. What do you
do? Pop open a jar of sauce and boil up some spaghetti! But after a while, that
go-to gets boring.
Even the culinarily enhanced go through it. You need a quick, easy meal that
only calls for a few ingredients and very few brain cells. But after a while,
tomato sauce from a jar gets boring and you want some other options. Well, look
no further! There's more than just tomato sauce from a jar! Below are some great recipes for your lazy night pleasure.
Béchamel:
Warm a cup of milk and a
bay leaf in a small saucepan making sure it doesn’t scorch. In another
saucepan, make a roux by melting 2 tablespoons unsalted butter then whisking in
2 tablespoons of flour. Stir vigorously for 2-3 minutes and slowly add in
warmed milk. Cook for about 5 minutes until sauce has thickened. Adjust
seasoning by adding salt, pepper and minced garlic.
Béchamel Cheese Sauce
See the Classic Béchamel
Sauce above and add 1 cup of the cheese of your choice and a pinch of nutmeg at
the end.
Butter Based:
Lemon Butter Sauce
Melt 4 tablespoons of
butter in a saucepan. Once melted and slightly browned, take off heat and add
the 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and the zest of one lemon. Add one teaspoon of
fresh chopped parsley.
Melt 4 tablespoons of
butter in a saucepan. Once melted and slightly browned, take off heat and add 8
sage leaves and the juice of half a lemon.
Cream Based:
Citrus Cream Sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons of
butter in a saucepan. Add 1 diced shallot. Once translucent, deglaze the pan
with ¼ cup of white wine. Cook until almost fully reduced. Add ½ cup of chicken
stock, 2 cups of heavy cream, the zest of an orange and the zest of a lemon.
Cook about 10 minutes until thickened. Optional: stir in ½ cup grated parmesan
Vodka and Herb Cream Sauce
Melt 2 tablespoons of
butter in a saucepan. Add 1 diced onion. Once translucent, add 1 tablespoon
fresh chopped thyme (or 1 teaspoon of dried), 1 tablespoon fresh chopped
tarragon (or 1 teaspoon of dried), 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil (or 1
teaspoon of dried), 1 cup vodka and 2 cups heavy cream. Cook about 10 minutes
until thickened. Optional: stir in ½ cup grated parmesan.
Spicy Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce
Sauté 4 diced garlic cloves
in 1 tablespoon of butter in a saucepan. Add 1 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes,
1 cup heavy cream, 1 jar roasted red peppers (chopped) and ½ teaspoon crushed
red pepper flakes. Simmer for 3-5 minutes and stir in ½ cup of chopped fresh
basil.
Pesto Based:
In a food processor, blend
together 4 cups of basil leaves, ½ cup olive oil,
1/
3 cup
pine nuts and 2 garlic cloves. Once smooth, stir in ½ cup grated parmesan
cheese and salt to taste.
Cilantro Lime Pesto
In a food processor, blend
together one bunch of cilantro leaves, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a handful of
your favorite nuts (I like pistachios), 3 cloves of garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons of
lime juice, ½ cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ cup chicken broth.
Cheese Based:
Melt 2 tablespoons of
butter in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of Mascarpone cheese and melt. Add ½ cup of
grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of nutmeg. If sauce is too thick, add some
milk or heavy cream.
Stock Based:
Garlic Basil Sauce
Heat a saucepan with 2 tablespoons
of olive oil. Sauté all of the cloves from a head of garlic along with a diced
yellow onion. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of sugar. When nice and caramelized
(about 6-8 minutes), add 1 cup of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add 2 cups
of basil leaves and 1 cup of spinach leaves and wilt. Blend mixture in a food
processor and add a tablespoon of butter.
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