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Spicy Peanut Sauce

The easiest spicy peanut sauce for dipping spring rolls.

Course Dips

Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese

Keyword chicken satay with peanut sauce, peanut dipping sauce, spicy peanut sauce, spring roll sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1/8 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 1 tsp sambal chili paste or to taste

Instructions

• Add together peanut butter, hoisin sauce, hot water, and sambal chili paste into a bowl.
• Microwave for 30 seconds. Then mix well and serve.

This dipping sauce goes well with my Vietnamese pork spring rolls. Just substitute the barbecue pork for boiled shrimp or boiled pork belly.

Life is short. Eat dessert first, right?! I like to make bourbon salted caramel sauce to cook my apples in. That becomes a delicious base for apple pie and fruit crisp filling.

One of my favorite Food Network stars is Sandra Lee. She hosted a show called “Semi-Home Made.” I loved how she was a realistic cook in knowing that very few people have time and energy to cook everything from scratch. Sometimes you need help from the store, but there are ways to play things up and to put your own spin on prepared foods. I made this bourbon salted caramel sauce to go with brownies that were made from a Ghirardelli brownie mix. Sorry not sorry.

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this recipe. Caramel is actually really easy to make at home if you have the know-how and a little bit of patience.

Cooking Equipment Needed for Bourbon Caramel Sauce

If possible, use a sauce pan that is lighter in color when you’re making caramel sauce or caramel. Dark pans make it more difficult to tell if the sugar has gotten to the perfect level of caramelization, which is crucial for making a successful caramel.

Do not use plastic cooking ware (e.g., plastic ladle) to stir the caramel. It will melt and ruin your caramel and cooking ware. Instead, use silicone or wooden spoons for the job.

Safety First

Caramel requires that you heat sugar until it melts and then browns. Be VERY careful when melting any sugar because you need to heat sugar to very high temperatures to melt it. NEVER dip your finger in to have a taste when you’re making this sauce or any candy because you will burn yourself.

Secrets to the Perfect Caramel: Don’t Look Away!

Caramelized sugar goes from perfectly golden brown to very dark/burnt in seconds. Watch your melted sugar very carefully and do not let it leave your sight once it starts turning brown! Fun fact: this is the same process that you will have to undergo to make the caramel sauce for flan.

How much salt do I put in salted caramel?

Just a pinch. Maybe two. Don’t overdo the salt. Always taste for flavor. Of course, wait until the caramel sauce cools a LOT before putting it in your mouth. Please, no burnt tongues please!

Price Comparison

A jar of Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce from Trader Joe’s will rack you up approximately $11 and has about 10-15 servings in it. In making this caramel sauce, the sugar costs about $.20, the heavy cream is $1, the butter is $.20 worth, and the Bourbon is about $.20 worth. I made this for about $1.60 and it was about 4 servings worth.

Store-Bought ($.73) vs. Home-made ($.40).

Even though price difference looks relatively small, the difference in flavor is definitely worth it to me! But let’s be honest. Life is really busy. Since the savings are not as stark in this one and the jarred sauce is perfectly tasty, feel free to buy your own caramel sauce if you don’t have the time. It’s important to budget your time for home-made food where it really matters in terms of flavor and your wallet.

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Bourbon Salted Caramel Sauce

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword caramel sauce

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp or splash of Bourbon
• 1 tbsp butter
• pinch of salt to taste

Instructions

• Place the sugar in a saucepan and allow to heat on medium high heat. Allow the sugar to begin melting. If necessary, use a spoon to mix the remaining sugar crystals with the melted sugar for even melting.
• Once sugar is all melted, turn fire to medium or medium-low heat and allow the sugar to slowly brown, approximately 3-7 minutes depending on your pan and stove settings. Watch very carefully.
• Once sugar is light brown in color (the color of light brown sugar), immediately add in heavy cream. Slowly stir until the chunks of caramelized sugar have fully dissolved into the cream. Then add splash of Bourbon.
• Continue stirring and cooking on medium heat until sauce just coats the back of a spoon or until it reaches its desired thickness. At the end of cooking, add in butter and salt to taste.
• Allow to cool and then taste for seasoning. Add additional salt to taste. If it needs thickening, add additional brown sugar.

With all the pesto recipes, a household classic is the Genovese style basil pesto. Nothing is better than a homemade basil pesto. And I happened to make my version a vegan basil pesto. Traditional Genovese style pesto uses pine nuts, but pine nuts are considerably more expensive than almonds, walnuts, and other nuts that I tend to have in my pantry.

My philosophy in cooking at home is to use what you have. Since I did not have the traditional ingredients, my basil pesto recipe is a variation of the traditional basil pesto. I love making basil pesto with almonds because of the richness of the almond. But you can make basil pesto with pine nuts or even a mixed nuts blend. Just avoid using walnuts because they leave a bitter flavor.

Is vegan basil pesto as good as the original?

As I was freezing my pesto, I noticed that it had a better texture if I did not add cheese. Later, I would defrost the pesto and FORGET to put the Parmigiano Reggiano.

To my surprise, this basil sauce recipe was still very delicious. So that’s how I came up with this vegan basil pesto recipe. Cheers to happy accidents! Of course, if you are an avid cheese lover, definitely feel free to add the cheese. But I think that this recipe for basil pesto holds its own even without the cheese. Try it and decide for yourself.

How to Make Pesto

I love love love pesto of all kinds. You can make many types of pesto out of any nut and aromatic herb/vegetable combination with some oil. Some even use kale and spinach, but let’s not go too far off-base, okay? Whichever vegetable you choose to be the main flavor of your pesto, make sure it’s aromatic and tasty. That is why I wouldn’t use spinach or kale.

How to preserve basil pesto?

I hate it when my pesto turns brown due to oxidation from exposure to air. This is the same process that turns your cut apples and avocados brown. A quick tip is that I use a good splash of lemon juice in my pesto recipe to prevent browning. Not only does the lemon juice preserve the vibrant green color of the basil, it also adds a note of brightness that uplifts the pesto and rounds out its symphony of flavors. You’ll be making basil pesto with lemon from now on. 

Place into a sealed container and cover the surface with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the full surface of the pesto and gets rid of the air.

Can you freeze basil pesto? Yes! Place it in your freezer and you’ll always have pesto ready to go for yummy Italian recipes. Add cheese after defrosting if desired.

1. Aromatic Vegetables/Herbs: Basil, Cilantro, Parsley, Roasted Red Peppers, sundried tomatoes, garlic 
2. Nuts: pine nuts, almonds, pecans, hazelnuts (avoid walnuts because they leave a bitter taste)
3. oil: extra virgin olive oil or other kind of oil
4. Seasoning: salt, pepper
5. Optional (cheese): Parmigiano Regianno, Pecorino Romano, or other hard aged cheese

How long does basil pesto last?

Basil pesto can last up to 1 week in the refrigerator without preservatives. You can extend its life by freezing it and defrosting when you need it.

Making pesto: mortar and pestle vs food processor

I know that the authorities on authentic pesto would absolutely say that you must use a mortar and pestle. There’s speculation about how using a food processor breaks up the cells of the ingredients a little too much, resulting in less flavor.

But let’s be real for a moment: ain’t nobody got time for that! Sacrilegious much? I say use whatever tools you have on hand to get the job done: blender, food processor, knife and cutting board.

Make the delicious pesto and move on with your life! Also, I’ve tried both methods and I haven’t noticed a huge difference either way.

The only difference is my hands are throbbing from the pounding and gripping after grinding it by hand. It’s the food processor for me. 

What to eat with Pesto?

Make a simple appetizer with ooey gooey burrata cheese, splashed with balsamic vinegar, and served with heirloom baby tomatoes.

Make a basil pesto for pasta. Heat the basil pesto up in a sauce pan with some cream, then mix with veggies and protein of your choice, and you’ve got a simple and quick dinner!

Use it as a sauce for pizza with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese.

Use the basil pesto as a base for a vinaigrette. Add some vinegar, sugar, and, and presto! You’ve got a vinaigrette made of pesto.

Mix it with mayonnaise to create a delicious aioli for sandwiches.
No judgment here: just eat it by the spoonful. 

Cooking with the seasons

We have basil available all year round now due to outsourcing of our food all around the world. However, the best time to make basil is arguably in the summer, which is its season. Summertime brings about one of my favorite food seasons. I love the basil, the tomatoes, the berries, the melons….oh my goodness, the sweet sweet nectar of perfectly ripe yellow fuzzy peaches. Summertime usually means grilling, salads, and all things fresh to contrast the hot weather. I love home-cooking and home-made anything, especially when the recipe is quick and easy.

For more summertime recipes:
Vietnamese spring rolls
Thai papaya salad
Deconstructed peach crisp.

Price Comparison $$

Buying a jar of pesto will cost you anywhere between $6-12, depending on its quality. And, to be honest, there are very few good pre-made pestos out there because they oxidize quickly or they are too salty or oily. It tastes sooooo much better when you make it fresh. Trust me on this one. Jarred tomato sauces are usually fine, but you want to make pesto on your own.

Let’s see how much it cost me for my batch: 1 bunch fresh basil ($3 – $5), handful of almonds ($1), lemon ($.50), 2 cloves garlic ($.06), 1/2 cup oil ($.50).

Store Bought ($6 – 12) vs. Homemade ($5 – 8). The price really varies based on where you buy your basil pesto, but there is no beating the flavor of a homemade recipe for basil pesto sauce. Its freshness and cleanness are unbeatable. Make it yourself and see if you notice a difference!

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Vegan Almond Basil Pesto

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Italian, vegan

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 clove fresh garlic
• 1/2 juice of lemon
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt & pepper or to taste

Instructions

• Place basil, garlic, lemon juice, almonds, and olive oil into a food processor and allow the mixture to blend until it becomes a smooth paste. You may need to mix things up with a spoon to get the mixture going.
• Drizzle more oil if necessary
• Season with salt and pepper to taste

Chimichurri is a sauce featuring garlic, onion, freshly chopped herbs, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. Argentina and Uruguay are famously known for their chimichurri. My fusion chimichurri is a mashup of some of these traditional ingredients with some added tang and umami from Italian capers and Asian fish sauce. Sounds strange, I know, but trust me. It is super yummy. Your typical chimichurri is usually very tangy. The capers and fish sauce help to round out this fusion chimichurri and add lots of umami.

What do I serve with fusion chimichurri?

Grilled/roasted chicken, lamb, beef steak, salmon, other seafood

How long should I let my chimichurri sit?

Chimichurri is best after you let it sit for at least a day in the refrigerator. The flavors meld and blend with time. So make your chimichurri the day before.

Should I hand chop or use a food processor?

Either way is fine. The food processor may help because it makes life easier and it helps to emulsify the oil in the chimichurri.

Why is there no salt in this recipe?

The capers and fish sauce provide plenty of salt, while also adding depth of flavor. Feel free to add salt as needed, but you want to avoid over-salting any dish.

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Fusion Chimichurri

A fusion chimichurri with lots of umami and flavor

Course Sauces

Cuisine Argentinian, Asian, fusion

Keyword chimichurri sauce, fusion chimichurri

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Cost 6

Equipment

• 1 food processor

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp capers
• 1 tbsp caper juice
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 bunch green onion
• 1 bunch flat leaf parsley
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 lemon juiced

Instructions

• Add in capers, caper juice, garlic, green onion, parsley, cilantro, oil, black pepper, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, and lemon juice to a food processor. Blend for 5-10 seconds, or until smooth and oil has emulsified.
• Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional: add in red chili flake
• For best results, allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Romesco sauce is essentially a Catalan/Spanish-style pesto featuring red bell peppers rather than basil. It is garlicky, rich, sweet, and super yummy! You’ll love it as a spread in your sandwiches, or a dip for your next dinner party.

What nuts should I use for romesco sauce?

-toasted almonds

-toasted pine nuts

Pine nuts are often very expensive, so definitely feel free to substitute for roasted almonds.

Can I use raw nuts?

Ideally you should use roasted/toasted nuts for most pestos or any type of cooking. Toasting the nuts brings out their delicious rich flavor. There is a place for raw nuts (e.g., blended raw cashews for vegan cheesecake), but pestos and romesco sauce need that rich nutty flavor that can only be brought out by toasting your nuts.

How do I toast nuts?

My favorite way to toast nuts is to throw them onto a sheet pan in a 300 degree F oven and let them roast anywhere between 10-15 minutes. Any hotter and you have a high chance of your nuts burning. You’ll know your nuts are done with you smell that nutty aroma and the nuts are golden brown

What do I serve with romesco sauce?

• roasted cauliflower and other roasted veggies
• burger
• pita chips
• pasta
• toast
• sandwiches/wraps

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Romesco sauce

A rich, sweet, and savory blended red bell pepper sauce

Course condiment

Cuisine Spanish

Keyword caramel sauce, pasta sauce, romesco sauce

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 22 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Equipment

• 1 food processor

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 piece jarred roasted bell pepper
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1/4 cup toasted almonds
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flake

Instructions

• Roast garlic at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes
• Add roasted garlic to roasted bell pepper, sun dried tomatoes, toasted almonds, olive oil, salt, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and red pepper flake.
• Using a food processor, blend until the sauce is smooth like the texture of pesto. Scrape down the sides for even blending.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

What do I eat with Onion Fig Jam?

A good onion jam is a simple but tasty way to dress up a sandwich, burger, wrap, or pizza. You can also add it as a condiment on a lovely cheeseboard. You can also wrap it up in delicious puff pastry and bake for a quick appetizer. Fig onion jam is my way of adding natural sweetness and richness to this condiment. Many make onion jam with bacon, but this is a nice vegetarian version that has lots of natural sweetness thanks to the figs. The figs have a natural caramel flavor too, which sets a delicious flavor foundation to the fig onion jam.

You can whip up a batch of this fig onion jam and keep in your refrigerator for a few weeks, adding loads of flavor with each spoonful.

How to Make Caramelized Onions

First off, you need at least 1 tbsp of oil for every cup of onion. Not having enough oil will cause your onions to burn instead of caramelize.

Second, you need time. I remember watching cooking shows and thinking that caramelizing onions was a quick task. But in reality, caramelizing onions takes a long time. One way to speed up the reduction of the onions is to cover the pan with a lid. That helps to trap the heat and steam inside, accelerating the breakdown and browning of the onions.

Third, you need to add some flavorful liquid and sugar. You can de-glaze the pan with whiskey for a smokey onion fig jam or you can just use water for a cleaner flavor.

Fourth, sugar is a must because you are making a jam. It helps the consistency of the onions by thickening it up. Moreover, it imparts a delicious sweet flavor, which complements the natural sweetness of the onions. Because I used figs in this recipe, I did not need to add any other source of sugar. If you do decide to use sugar in your onion jam, brown sugar is best because it has a caramel-like rich flavor, but white sugar is fine too.

Here are some dishes that you can serve with this delicious condiment:

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Fig Onion Jam

Course condiment, Sauces

Cuisine American

Keyword fig onion jam, onion jam burger

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 sweet onion thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dried golden figs diced
• 2 tsp sherry wine
• 2 tbsp water

Instructions

• Heat a skillet on high until it just begins to smoke. Then turn the temperature to medium low. Drizzle oil in the pan and add onions. Move them around the oil. Cook onions on medium low for 10-15 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.
• When onions are softened and golden brown, add in diced figs, sherry wine, water, and salt. Allow to simmer another 5 minutes until figs have softened. Then remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve or store in a dry clean container with a lid.

Blended Bacon Burger with Fig Onion Jam

Easy Pita Pizza with Italian Sausage

Easy Pulled Pork Sliders

Nuoc mam is a fish sauce-based dipping sauce used for many Vietnamese dishes. It is as ubiquitous in Vietnamese cooking as salt and pepper in American cooking. These are some dishes you would serve with nuoc mam:

• vermicelli noodle salad
• fried egg rolls
• spring rolls
• meat-filled crepes (banh xeo)
• rolled stuffed noodles (banh cuon)

Mastering a nuoc mam recipe, or fish sauce for dipping is a must if you are going to be making Vietnamese food. In this post, you will learn how to make a balanced fish sauce/nuoc mam recipe. Oftentimes, nuoc mam is overly sweet. This recipe has more of a tang from lemon juice.

Nuoc man is a fish sauce-based dipping sauce that is a sweet, savory, spicy, and tangy. It is usually made from:

• fish sauce
• lime juice/lemon juice
• garlic
• chile
• sugar
• water
• (sometimes) vinegar

For other Vietnamese cooking ideas, check out my spicy garlic shrimp recipe.

How to Make Nuoc Mam

This nuoc mam recipe has fish sauce, lemon, sugar, chile, garlic, and water.

You can modify it depending on your taste. Add more sugar for more sweetness. Or add more fish sauce for more salty flavor. Add more lemon juice or even vinegar for more of a sour tang.

This prepared fish sauce is best when you give it time for its flavors to meld together. I recommend making the sauce the night before for best results. If not, then at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

How to Store Nuoc Mam

Always keep nuoc mam refrigerated and stored in a clean jar with a lid. This nuoc mam recipe is the same that is used for dipping in many Vietnamese salad and noodle salad dishes, so it is handy dandy to have some lying around if you are a fan of Vietnamese food.

You can keep it in your refrigerator for several months as long as you do not contaminate the jar of fish sauce with oils or any other foods.

Do not leave at room temperature as it will spoil and upset your tummy when you consume it.

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Nuoc Mam (Fish Sauce for Dipping)

A sweet, savory, spicy, and tangy Vietnamese dipping sauce that is commonly used for noodle, rice, and other dishes.

Course Sauces

Cuisine Asian, Vietnamese

Keyword dipping sauce, fish sauce, nuoc mam, Vietnamese food

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Rest Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

• 2 cloves garlic finely minced
• 1.5 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon or lime juice
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tsp sambal chile sauce

Instructions

• Make fish sauce by adding minced garlic, sugar, fish sauce, lemon juice, hot water, and sambal. Allow to sit refrigerated at least 1 hour before serving.

Happy cooking! Tag me on Instagram @Jennskitchendiary if you’ve made this!