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Some great sauces from !

Open For Critique / Constructive Criticism

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Top image shows the Pesto and Beetroot sauce in the beakers at the back and displayed on the plate. Lower image are the sauces stirred through pasta. The pest pasta was served with a heap of parmesan cheese and the beetroot pasta served with a dollop of sour cream with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce.

The latest thing on many cooking shows currently showing in Australia is a variety of sauces. So with this in mind I give you two of my sauce choices that can also be enjoyed as a dip or a stir through for pasta. Both are multi-purpose and can served on or with all manner of meats and veg, stirred through pasta and be used as a dip for crackers, cheese sticks and vegetable sticks. The modern bullet blenders make these so easy to make.

Main tools:

A blender or bullet blender
Ideally a grinder or mortar and pestle for grinding up nuts would also be helpful
The usual bowls, knives, cutting boards etc.

Beetroot honey garlic

Peeled and cooked (boiled) beet-roots (8 small)
8 fresh sage leaves
¼ cup of liquid from boiling the beet-roots
½ teaspoon Crushed garlic
1 large teaspoon of Honey
1-2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 teaspoons Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tablespoon Garlic Aioli
1 teaspoon fresh ground Pepper
A pinch of salt (optional)


Cashew Parsley Pesto

Cashew nuts (grind them separately to a texture you like)
1 hefty bunch Parsley (remove the stalks)
½ teaspoon Crushed garlic
1-2 tablespoons Lemon juice
1-2 tablespoons Olive oil
2 teaspoons Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 tablespoon Garlic Aioli
1 teaspoon fresh ground Pepper
A pinch of salt (optional)

Both recipes are similar and the trick is to balance the sweet, sour, oil and salt. So as you blend take the time to pause and taste it.

Method
Beetroot Honey Garlic

Chop up the beets and blend with some of the liquid, try to get a thick paste consistency, add the sage and honey, give it a quick blend then put in the remainder of ingredients and blend once more. If it’s a little thick but tastes balances and delicious add a small amount of the beetroot water to thin it out.

Cashew Parsley Pesto

I have a nut grinder head for my bullet blender so I run the nuts through first for a fine result. I then put the nut blend and herbs into the blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend and adjust to your tastes until all the herbs are chopped up and the oil has emulsified with the lemon juice. Thin the mix out with small amounts of oil or lemon juice.


For the Pasta - cook as directed, drain but keep a small amount of liquid, literally dump the whole batch of sauce or pesto onto the pasta. For that added touch when you cook the pasta add a cup of mixed vegetables and let it cook through with it. If you want to add a meat then I suggest dicing a couple of chicken fillets and cooking them in a pan with a little herb/pepper seasoning then when they're cooked through toss them into the pasta with the sauce.

As a dip - use as is or if desired stir through some finely grated fresh parmesan cheese. This works with both the beetroot and the pesto. Goes great with cheese sticks, veg sticks, crackers

As a sauce - same as above but rather than parmesan cheese add in some aioli sauce and serve either on or to the side of your choice of protein. The pesto works with everything from Alligator to Chicken, Fish to Kangaroo or even Zebra and anything in between. Great to go with vegetarian alternatives like mushrooms and Tofu or TVP and products made from soy protein. The beetroot sauce is just as versatile but better with red meats, mushrooms, seafood, TVP and products made from soy protein. The beetroot sauce can even be served with pineapple, banana and tropical fruits.


Minor warning: If you eat lots of the beetroot don't panic if your urine has a reddish colour change for a short time.

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Allergy warning – please read all recipes carefully
and be aware of any allergies or sensitivities that may affect your health and well-being