If you have any form of allergy sauces and condiments are an extremely problematic area because they’re usually highly processed and full of junk. They should make you go “wow” when they hit you with their amazing natural flavors, but not because they contain sugar, MSG, or tons of salt. The only solution is to make your own at home. All our sauces take only a few minutes to make, ready to be whipped together when called for. Green Condiments are also a great way to get into cooking—its so hard to get something like Harissa wrong, you’ll feel inspired to try the rest of our delicious recipes!
TOMATO sauce is one of the most versatile sauces in the world. You can use it in so many different ways—with pizza or pasta, with Baked Potatoes (page 49) or Homemade French Fries (page 50). This sauce is a sort of ketchup replacement, but it tastes so much better!
2 onions, peeled and chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 scallions, cleaned and chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds of canned tomatoes, chopped
1 cup tomato passata
1 tablespoon fresh basil, torn
few sprigs rosemary, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES APPROXIMATELY 2 CUPS
MOST people like garlic butter, so if you have to remove it from your diet, you can replace it with this recipe. The only real work is peeling the garlic cloves. It’s much better for you than “normal” garlic butter, whether you are dairy intolerant or not, and it can be used as a dip, spread, or as a sauce. It will keep for up to a week in the fridge.
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons organic butter, preferably warm
½ tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
¼ tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
THIS sweet/savory relish is good with roast potatoes, on top of toast, or as a sandwich filling.
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon organic butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
about 12 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried or 1 tablespoon fresh basil
1 chunk your favorite cheese (we use feta)
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
MAYONNAISE from a jar is at worst full of horrendous chemicals, emulsifiers, and preservatives, at best loads of sugar vinegar. It takes only a little skill to make up your own—try this and you’ll never buy another jar. For health reasons, use the best free-range, or even better, organic eggs. This will keep for several days in a jar in the fridge.
½cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼cup sunflower oil
yolk of 1 free-range egg
a good squeeze fresh lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Aioli is garlic mayonnaise, absolutely delicious and better than ordinary Mayo for that extra zing. Just add 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed, to the egg before you start adding the oil.
This is a creamier Mayonnaise that can be used as normal Mayo, but is better suited to people who like a mild Mayonnaise. Simply add 4 tablespoons organic bio-live natural yogurt, 1 tablespoon fresh chives, parsley, rosemary, or mint or a mix of the four, finely chopped, once the Mayo is made, to either the Mayonnaise or Aioli recipes.
WE are addicted to the salsa from Temple Bar Food Market and this is our attempt to re-create its peppery tomato taste. Salsa is an excellent accompaniment: with a toasted Farl, some goat cheese, atop a burger, or as part of a light salad lunch. Try and make the salsa a few hours before you plan to eat it, to allow time for the flavors to develop.
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
7 raw very ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon each ground cumin, chili powder and coriander
1 tablespoon each fresh parsley and coriander, finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
If you want to further enliven the Salsa, add 1 medium-hot chili, very finely chopped, to the above.
WHEN you’re eating Green, suitable sauces are one of the hardest foods to locate. We use Harissa to pep up many different foods, such as burgers (veggie or not) and sandwiches. Just be careful not to add too much. Harissa will keep for days in the fridge, as long as you renew the layer of olive oil.
9 medium-hot red chilis, deseeded and roughly chopped
1 tomato, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon each ground cumin and coriander
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
MAKES 1 JAR
PESTO is so trendy, but also very healthy, as long as you make it at home. The store-bought gunk isn’t worth eating. Roasting the pine nuts is optional—they taste better, but if you’re very rushed then they are fine unroasted. Pesto is multifunctional, and you can use it in association with breads and pastas for the best results.
1 cup very fresh pine nuts
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4-6 handfuls fresh basil, finely chopped
MAKES 1 JAR