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Laura@LauraForteFitness.comSo picture this:
You are in the kitchen making dinner for the fam and want to jazz up the flavor of the dish you are making. You reach for a dressing/marinade you bought from Publix, and take a peak at the ingredients. Here’s what you’ll most likely see: corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, soy or large quantities of sodium.
I love a delicious meal though and I want some flavor! So what’s the solution?
You can actually make a lot of the condiments you buy easily from home.. and it isn’t nearly as hard as you think! Here’s a few recipes for sauces and marinades that you can make in a pinch.. minus all the highly processed ingredients you get in store-bought.
Here we go:
Quick & Easy Marinara Sauce
One of the easiest condiments to make and keep on hand is marinara sauce. This recipe is inexpensive, stores well, and is a great topping for spaghetti squash or zucchini ‘pasta.’
Ingredients:
• 1 teaspoon olive oil or coconut oil
• 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 TB chopped fresh basil
• 1 small bay leaf
• 1 tsp oregano
• salt and fresh pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute until golden, careful not to burn.
2. Add crushed tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, and a small bay leaf. Stir and reduce the heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 15 – 20 minutes. Remove from heat and add fresh basil. Enjoy!
Paleo Pesto
Pesto is an awesome sauce to flavor up your dishes! Try it over grilled steak or roasted 
vegetables.
Ingredients:
• 8 cups fresh basil leaves
• ¾ olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ cup pine nuts
• 4 garlic cloves
Directions:
1. Toast pine nuts in a saute pan over medium/low heat. Toast until the pine nuts are light brown and be careful not to burn. Remove from skillet and allow to cool.
2. Place basil, garlic, sea salt, and olive oil in your food processor and process for about 1 minute or until smooth.
3. You can use your pesto sauce right away or allow to cool and then store in a jar in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
Pumpkin Butter and Apple Butter
Pumpkin and apple butters are a delicious treat! Spread on apple and pear slices or your favorite paleo pancakes.
Ingredients:
A
pple Butter:
1 cup applesauce
1 cup apple cider
¼ tsp ground allspice
Pumpkin Butter:
1 cup roasted pumpkin
1 cup apple juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp gound allspice
Instructions for either recipe:
1. Combine all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth.
2. Pour into a medium sauce pan over low heat. Cook uncovered and stir until thickened, 30-90 minutes. Enjoy! Store in a jar in the fridge.
Honey Garlic Barbecue Sauce
Barbecue sauce is a classic marinade on chicken, pork or ribs. I’ll give you a challenge: go take a look at the bbq sauce in your kitchen right now. Does it have high fructose corn syrup? Almost ALL of them do!! This recipe can be made spicier if you prefer, just add a bit more garlic, a touch more cayenne or if you like it super-hot, toss in some red pepper flakes.
Ingredients:
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 TB minced garlic
• 3 TB honey
• 5 1/2 oz can tomato paste
• 1 cup beef broth
• 2 TB cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• salt and pepper, to taste
• cayenne pepper, just a pinch
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onions and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are soft.
2. Reduce heat to medium and stir in the honey and tomato paste.
3. Stir in beef broth, mustard powder, cider vinegar, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce and cayenne pepper.
4. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes, until the sauce thickens. You can use it immediately on your meal, or store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Source: The Foodie and the Family
Give these easy recipes a try and feel good knowing your sauces are clean eats!
Pin this recipe to your Pinterest board and save for later!
