The paleo sauce, dressing, and condiment mega-post

01/03/12 by Dawna | Blog, Paleo Recipes | 8 Comments »

It’s the start of another paleo challenge. Whether you are a paleo veteran or newbie you are probably looking for some fresh ideas to spice up your meals. I’ll post some of my favorites and go-to’s here, and if you have a favorite recipe that meets the challenge requirements feel free to add it in the comments so everyone can enjoy it!

Basic balsamic dressing

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar (or replace with white balsamic vinegar for a slightly sweeter flavor)

1/2 cup good quality olive oil (I’m a fan of Red Island)

1 clove of garlic, or more to taste

1 tsp ground mustard powder

pinch of salt

fresh ground pepper

pinch of your favorite herb (I like thyme, oregano would be good too)

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, whir until well combined and store in a glass jar in the fridge. This should stay fresh for about a week.

Tangy avocado dressing

1 ripe avocado

3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt

dash of pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender (a small one might work best, like a Magic Bullet) and blend until smooth and creamy. This makes a creamy and filling dressing for salads. Store tightly covered in the fridge for up to 2 days

 

Creamy avocado dressing

Can’t remember where I got this one, but it’s not mine

2 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic

6 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves

1 large ripe avocado

1/2 med cucumber seeds removed and cut into chunks

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Puree olive oil and garlic until smooth, then add cilantro, avocado cucumber, and lemon juice and pulse until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Sundried tomato and balsamic dressing

approx. 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil (just the tomatoes, leave the oil behind if there are tomatoes left in the jar)

1/2 c + 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 clove of garlic or more to taste

3/4 c olive oil (I use a blend of light tasting and extra virgin)

Add all ingredients except vinegar and oil to a food processor or blender and process until the garlic is well chopped in combined. With the blender running, slowly add the balsamic and blend/process until the mixture is smooth. Slowly add the oil until it is well combined. A little goes a long way with this dressing, it’s pretty flavorful. If you enjoy the flavor of extra virgin olive oil feel free to use it otherwise I suggest half light and half extra virgin.

Variation: Mix 1/2 and 1/2 with paleo mayonnaise for a creamy tomato dressing.

 

Sesame ginger dressing

from Make it Paleo

1/2 tbsp garlic, minced

1/2 tbsp ginger, minced

2 tbsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbsp coconut aminos

2 tsp sesame seeds

1/2 tsp each: salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl.

 

Cocktail sauce

from Make it Paleo

6 oz tomato paste

4 tbsp horseradish

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients together in a small mixing bowl, then whisk together with a fork until an even consistency.

Zesty bbq sauce

adapted from the famous Son of Grok recipe

1 6 oz can tomato paste

1 to 1 1/2 cups beef stock (depends on the consistency you want. Start with 1 cup)

4 large cloves garlic

1 whole small onion, finely diced

2 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp chili powder

1 tbsp honey

Saute the diced onion in the olive oil until soft. Add all other ingredients to the pan and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. If you want a smooth sauce, puree in a blender. This may be stored in the fridge for a couple days.

Variation: add 1 tsp chipotle powder to the sauce

 

Almost fool-proof mayonnaise

In my experience making your own mayo requires patience and the right kitchen appliance. I have a small food processor that has only let me down once or twice in the heat of summer. You will need an appliance which will vigorously blend a small amount of ingredients, and will allow you to add ingredients while it’s running. If you add the yolks and lemon juice, turn it on, and that stuff is not blending at a high speed you’ll end up with egg and oil soup – yuck! I like this recipe because using two egg yolks provides extra emulsifying power to the mixture (ie: less chance for failure) and I’ve sometimes found mayo made with whole eggs to be kind of runny.

2 egg yolks

juice of one lemon (3 to 4 tbsp juice)

1/4 tsp ground mustard

1 cup light tasting olive oil (you may use another oil of your choice but light olive oil will provide a nice neutral flavor)

Place all ingredients except for the oil in your appliance of choice and turn it on. Very, very slowly (just a drizzle, really) begin adding the oil. You can not start this process slowly enough. Continue slowly adding oil (still just a drizzle) until the mixture begins to thicken. By the time you’ve added half of it, it should start to look glossy and thick. Continue slowly adding oil until it’s gone. You should now have a substance that is recognizeable as mayo. Store in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.

If your mayo breaks: You will know if this happens, I guarantee. But, don’t despair and don’t throw it away (yet). Assuming you have the proper appliance you should be able to re-emulsify the egg and oil soup into mayo. Transfer the slop into a bowl or measuring cup, add two more egg yolks to the blender/processor, two more tablespoons of lemon juice and turn it back on. Again, very very slowly, begin adding the egg and oil soup to the processor. By the halfway point it should start to thicken into a recognizeable form. Keep adding until you’ve reached the end.

“Why not buy the stuff from the store?”

All storebought mayo is made with junk oils like highly processed soybean and canola. These are oils that should hardly be used to lube up your car, let alone fuel your body. Yep, even ‘olive oil mayo’ is primarily junk.

“So… what do I do with this stuff now that I’ve made it?”

Combine with 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, a clove of garlic, and a tsp of chili paste for chili-garlic mayo. Combine with roasted red peppers for red pepper mayo. Use to make deviled eggs. Combine with your favorite vinegar based salad dressing for a smooth and creamy new dressing.