Category: Sauces and Marinades

Yassa (Caramelized Onion Sauce)

West African caramelized onion sauce called Yassa originates from the Wolof people in Senegal and Gambia.  If you love onions you will love this onion extravaganza of incredibly  flavorful Senegalese sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 c vinegar
  • 1 Tab soy sauce
  • 2 Tab Dijon mustard
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1/2 -1 tablespoon chile pepper flakes

Directions:

  1. Heat the sauce pan with oil in a frying pan and fry the onions with the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Remove from the heat and adjust for seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Discard the bay leaf.

 

This is usually served over grilled chicken with white rice or couscous and vegetables on the side .

Some recipes include lemon in the sauce.

Servings:  about 1 cup

Source: Kadi’s African Recipes and AfricanBites – edited for use on a camp out.

Kumine (Cumin Sauce)

Cumin has been used for centuries in the cuisines of Northern Africa, Arabia, and India, where it is usually mixed with other spices. When cumin was introduced to Central Africa is unknown, but recipes like this one  Chicken in are common there. This recipe is also good when made with bushmeat such as antelope, gazelle, or pangolin (or even beef if the grocery is out of pangolin). Cook chicken in this sauce for another traditional African dish.  

Ingredients:

  • 2 onions, finely chopped
  • 1 can tomato paste (or tomato sauce)
  • 1 large can of stewed tomatoes or several fresh tomatoes
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • cayenne pepper or red pepper or hot sauce (Sriracha)
  • black pepper, salt (to taste)

Directions:

  1. In a large stew pot combine everything.
  2. Stir until all is well mixed.
  3. Bring to a slow boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about twenty minutes, stirring occasionally.

To make Chicken with Cumin  Sauce, add chicken, cover, and simmer for another half hour or more, stirring occasionally, until chicken is thoroughly cooked.  Serve with rice.

Serves:  2-3 cups

Source:  Genius Kitchen, congocookbook.com

Pinati (West African Peanut Sauce)

Peanut (or Groundnut) sauces and soups are common throughout Sub-Saharan Africa. This sauce can be served with any grilled chicken, meat, or fish, or with boiled sweet potatoes or rice. This sauce can also be served as a soup. 

Ingredients:

  • 2 spoonfuls of oil
  • 1/2 small onion, finely minced
  • 1 c roasted, shelled, skinned, mashed peanuts (or 1 c peanut butter)
  • 2 c water or chicken broth
  • salt, cayenne pepper or red pepper (to taste)
  • fresh hot chile pepper, finely minced (optional)

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in skillet.
  2. Fry onions and optional fresh pepper in oil, until soft, and set aside.
  3. Combine peanuts (or peanut butter), water, salt, and spices in sauce pan.
  4. Stir until smooth and simmer over low heat for ten to fifteen minutes.
  5. Add onions and hot pepper.
  6. Stir and simmer until completely heated.
  7. Serve over grilled chicken, meat, or fish, or with rice. Can also be served as soup.

Serves:  Makes about 3 cups.

Source:  congocookbook.com

Sour Cream Sauce for Salmon

Make this the day before so it has time to age.  Quite good on cold poached salmon (or any fish for that matter.)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 c sour cream
  • 1/2 c mayonnaise
  • 1 Tab dried dill
  • 1 tsp grated onion
  • 1 egg, hard-boiled, sieved
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

Mix well.

Serves:  About 2 cups

Source:  Janice Stoffer

Mock Devonshire Cream

Traditionally served with scones at high tea, this makes a great topping for many pudding type deserts or fresh fruit (even jello).

Ingredients:

  • 3 oz cream cheese
  • 1/2 c chilled whipping cream.

Directions:  

  1. Mash cream cheese until soft.
  2. Add cream and blend thoroughly.

Serves:  Makes about 1/4 c – enough for 2 desserts.

Source:   Bobby Westling at Girl Scout Camp Scherman

An Even More Wicked Mock Devonshire or Clotted Cream

Ingredients:

  • 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1/4 c butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 c sour cream

Instrictions:

  1. Place the cream cheese in a medium bowl and beat with a hand mixer until fluffy and smooth.
  2. Add butter and beat.
  3. Add sour cream and beat once more until smooth.
  4. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for about a week. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or so before serving.

Servings:  4

Source:  Pioneer Woman, May 22, 2016

 

Pinot Braised Onions

Use this anywhere – on beef, lamb, chicken, peas, beans, etc.  A little goes a long way.

Ingredients:

  • 3 large sweet onions cut into slivers (about 6 cups)
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1 Tab butter
  • 1 1/2 c pinot noir
  • 1 Tab sugar
  • 1 tsp grated orange rind
  • 1 small cinnamon stick

Directions:

  1. In a 10-12 inch skillet, on lowest heat, saute the onions, stirring often (About 30 minutes – don’t let them brown).
  2. Add the pinot noir, sugar, orange rind, and cinnamon stick.
  3. Continue to cook on low heat until all the liquid is gone and the onion are very soft – about 30 minutes.
  4. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves:  Makes abut 3 cups.

Source:  Annett Martin

Pesto alla PedzzWell

The measurements below have been found to work best for mixing in a blender/ninja/food processor in batches (1 pound of basil will produce about 6 1/2 c of basil leaves and about 6 cups of pesto.)
For Garlic Scape (garlic shoots) Pesto, do as below minus the minced garlic and substituting the scapes for the basil.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups packed basil leaves and sprigs (loosely chop after measuring) 
  • 2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ cup toasted pine nuts
  • ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp Romano cheese

Directions:

  1. Chop basil and put into food processor.
  2. Add salt, garlic and pine nuts.
  3. Run the food processor to preblend the items until the basil is in 1/8” bits and the nuts are powdered.
  4. Scrape the sides of the food processor so that the bits are back down at the blades.
  5. Slowly pore the olive oil into the food processor while you run it.
  6. When the oil is completely in, run it for another minute.
  7. Rescrape the sides of the food processor.
  8. Add the cheese.
  9. Blend again for another minute.
  10. (If makeing a full pound of basil – about 3 times the recipe – pour contens of food processor into a bowl and mix as each batvh is made.)
  11. For storage in the freezer, pour into freezer bags in ¼ cup to 1 cup amounts.

Serves:  Makes about 2+ cups

Source:  Stan and Mary

Mustard Sauce for Salmon

Mustard on salmon??? Yea, it works.  Nice change from dill-sour cream sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 2 Tab dry mustard
  • 2 Tab Dijon mustard
  • 2 Tab sugar
  • 1 1/2 Tab fresh dill (or 1 Tab dried dill)
  • 1/s c olive oil

Directions:

  1. Mix well.
  2. Better if aged over night in fridge.

Serves: 1 cup

Source:  Janice Stoffer

 

 

Tomato and Cream Sauce (for Gucci Balls – Gnocchi Verdi)

A really good Italian sauce – put it on everything!

Ingredients:

  • 1/4 lb butter
  • 3 Tab onion, finely chopped
  • 3 Tab carrots, finely chopped
  • 3 Tab celery, finely chopped
  • 2 1/2 c canned Italian tomatoes, with juice
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 1/2 c heavy cream

Directions:

  1. Put all ingredients in cream in a saucepan.
  2. Cook at at the merest simmer for 1 hour, uncovered.
  3. Stir from time to time with a wooden spoon.  (Tradition!)
  4. Puree with a food mill.  (You can prepare the sauce up to this point and refrigerate or freeze.)
  5. Place in saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon.
  6. Add the cream and cook, stirring, for 1 minute more.
  7. Correct for salt.
  8. Use immediately.

Serves:  6

Source:  Bob Dell-Imagine

 

Mexican Sauce

This is good with eggs or steak (or chicken, pork, whatever).  Add more chili sauce for more heat.

Ingredients:

  • 1 large can diced tomatoes
  • 1 small can diced green chilies
  • 1 small can red chili sauce
  • 1/2 small can chopped black olives
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 1 large onion diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp marjoram
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and cook over low heat for about one hour.

Serves: 6-8

Source:  Gerrie Hastings