the thought of preparation time first comes to mind. But some basic
sauce recipes are quick, easy and store well. They can turn your seem-
ingly simple and boring meals into culinary delights. Below are three
basic sauce recipes that you can make with very little preparation
time, and the results will keep well for use a second or third time. You
may also find yourself feasting on just the sauce!
A Note About Recipes
I learned to cook by intuition, “throwing ingredients into the
pot” rather than by following a recipe and measuring every-
thing. I recommend you do the same. Over time, you’ll make
more delicious meals in less time and without the anxiety often
associated with following a recipe. I do, however, highly rec-
ommend reading through cookbooks to get more ideas about
combining ingredients.Basic Butter Sauce
The most basic of sauces is also the easiest to make — a butter sauce.
When you make your vegetables, put some “sweet” butter on the
vegetables when they’re still hot, along with some sea salt. (“Sweet”
butter is made without salt — the cream used to make this butter is a
higher quality and more tasty than that used for salted butter.) Even
those who never liked vegetables will usually eat them with a butter
sauce. Don’t be afraid to use generous amounts of both ingredients,
unless there’s a real reason to limit these ingredients in your diet. This
is the real key to a great butter sauce. If you have the time and want
to get more fancy, sauté some garlic or onions, or add some other
spices (tarragon works well) into the butter. The addition of olive oil
is another nice option. Prep time is just 30 seconds for the basic sauce,
and less than 5 minutes for the fancy butter sauce with garlic.
Basic Tomato Sauce
This is an easy, tasty and healthy all-around red sauce. Just put some
chopped tomatoes in an uncovered pot, add some sea salt and let it
boil for an hour or two to reduce the water content for a thick sauce.
Blending the tomatoes ahead of time is a nice option. If you can’t get
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