10 simple sauces for quick meals
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Sauce in French means “gravy”, and the Latin salsus means “salted”. For some reason, many people think that preparing sauces for dishes is a long and troublesome process. Today we will debunk this myth. We present to your attention a selection of 10 sauces from different cuisines of the world that can be made in 5-20 minutes.
Tzatziki
An incredibly delicate and spicy sauce will highlight the taste of fried fish, meat, and fresh salad. In its homeland, Greece, it is used as a snack, served with gyros and souvlaki.
Recipe:
- Grate 2 fresh cucumbers on a coarse grater. Drain the juice.
- Crush 2 cloves of garlic and pour 1 tbsp. spoon of olive oil.
- Mix everything with 200 ml of natural yogurt.
- Add chopped parsley, dill, salt and lemon juice to taste.
Cooking time – 7 minutes.
Apple horseradish
This sauce is loved in Austria and Germany. Apple horseradish goes best with beef, boiled meat, and smoked fish.
Recipe:
- Peel and core 4 apples. Cut into quarters.
- Pour some water and simmer in a saucepan for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 teaspoon of sugar, zest of half a lemon.
- Cover the saucepan with a lid and leave to simmer for another 7 minutes.
- At this time, grate 3 tbsp on a fine grater. spoons of horseradish.
- Pass the apples through a sieve, add salt and lemon juice to taste, 1 teaspoon of butter and grated horseradish.
Cooking time - 20 minutes.
Salsa
Mexican salsa sauce is served with meat dishes, beans, as well as fried chicken, fish, and pasta.
How to make quick salsa:
- Place in a frying pan: 450 g of tomatoes without stems, pierced in several places, 2 chili peppers, 1 onion in quarters, 2 cloves of garlic.
- Fry over high heat in a dry frying pan until golden brown.
- Remove the seeds from the pepper.
- Grind the peppers, garlic and onions in a blender until they form small pieces.
- Add the tomatoes and run the blender for 1 more minute.
- Tear 4-6 sprigs of cilantro, add salt and the juice of half a lemon.
- Beat for 15 seconds.
Cooking time – 14 minutes.
Pesto
A versatile green sauce originally from Italy. You can add it to pasta, meat, sandwiches, season salads, or dip chips and cheese into the mixture.
Recipe:
- Grind 2 cloves of garlic and 3 teaspoons of coarse salt in a mortar.
- Heat 40 g of pine nuts in a frying pan until fragrant.
- Grate 40 g Parmesan.
- Chop 30 g basil leaves and 10 g parsley.
- Place nuts, garlic and salt, and herbs in a blender bowl. Add 3 tbsp. spoons of olive oil.
- Beat the mixture at low speed in intervals of 30 seconds for 3 minutes (it is important that the sauce does not heat up). During breaks, add 1 tbsp. spoon of vegetable oil (3 in total).
- Pour the grated cheese into the bowl and turn on the blender for another 30 seconds.
- Place in the refrigerator for a while.
Cooking time – 13 minutes.
Bechamel
Basic sauce of European cuisine. It is used for lasagna, fricassee and other stews. It also serves as a base for many other sauces.
Quick bechamel recipe:
- Melt 3 tbsp in a saucepan. spoons of butter.
- Add 2 tbsp. spoons of flour.
- Reduce heat to low and pour 150 ml of milk into the mixture.
- Stir vigorously.
- Add salt to taste and nutmeg on the tip of a knife.
- Continuing to stir constantly, pour in another 350 ml of milk in portions.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes until thickened.
Cooking time – 9 minutes.
Cheese sauce
A delicious European sauce that goes well with spaghetti, pancakes, pizza, mushroom dishes and seafood. It can be served with poultry, potatoes, and used in sandwiches.
Recipe:
- Prepare bechamel sauce (see above).
- Bring 100 ml bechamel in a saucepan to a boil.
- Add 200 g of grated cheese in portions.
- Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste.
- Stir until the mixture becomes homogeneous.
Cooking time - 5 minutes.
Gribisch
French sauce reminiscent of mayonnaise. It perfectly complements chicken, fish, and meat pates.
Recipe:
- Mix 1 yolk and 1 tbsp in a bowl. a spoonful of mustard. Whisk until smooth.
- Continuing to beat, pour in 120 ml of sunflower oil in portions.
- Add finely chopped 20 g gherkins, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of capers, 5 sprigs of thyme.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, mix well.
Cooking time - 10 minutes.
Aioli
The name of the sauce literally translates as “garlic and olive oil.” Aioli is very popular throughout the northern Mediterranean coast. It is served with croutons, fish, boiled vegetables and many other dishes.
Recipe:
- Crush 2 cloves of garlic with 2 pinches of salt in a mortar.
- Add 2 raw yolks.
- Add 1 teaspoon of mild mustard and 100 ml of olive oil.
- Stir until smooth.
- Squeeze the juice of half a lemon.
- Stir.
Cooking time - 5 minutes.
Honey mustard sauce
For some reason, men love mustard and honey sauce. It is served with poultry, salmon, meat, cheese appetizers, and on salads.
Recipe:
- Mix 1 tbsp.spoon of honey, 1 tbsp. a spoonful of grainy and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard.
- Pour in 1 tbsp. spoon of red wine vinegar and add 1 clove of garlic (chopped).
- Salt, pepper and stir thoroughly.
Cooking time - 5 minutes.
Bordelaise
A rich, deeply flavored red wine sauce ideal for beef and other meats.
The recipe is borrowed from French cuisine:
- Pour 150ml red wine into a saucepan, add 1 roughly chopped shallot and half a bunch of thyme.
- Boil over high heat for 5 minutes. At the same time, bring 250 ml of beef broth to a boil with 5 peppercorns.
- Pour the broth into the wine and evaporate the liquid for about 10 minutes.
- Strain through a fine sieve and place over low heat.
- Cut 25 g of butter into pieces and add them to the sauce, one at a time, swirling the pan.
Cooking time – 17 minutes.
People have been making sauces since ancient times. They improve the taste of dishes, promote rapid digestion, and nourish the body with useful substances. The first sauce, garum, was prepared back in the 4th century AD. e. The leftover fish were fermented in large stone vats for many months. Today, most sauces can be prepared in less than a quarter of an hour. We recommend trying each of the recipes presented above. They are all different, but delicious in their own way.