Let me share with you three essential sauce recipes you should make this summer.
Summer is here , and it’s time to start cooking outside with your grill. If you’re not familiar with barbecue, there are a few essential sauces worth knowing about. To make your meals an awesome surprise, try these sauces recipes for the summer that are easy on the wallet as well as flavor-wise!
I always feel like during the summer, recipes should be fresh, light and most importantly done within 30 min!
The first essential sauce recipe you should make this summer is the spicy mango sauce.
Spicy mango sauce
This fabulous sauce recipe is is so versatile and can be used as a dipping sauce, condiment in tacos or in salads and sandwiches. It is incredibly easy to make and requires just a few ingredients. This recipe is not only unique; it has an intriguing tropical flavor that will bring you back again and again.
You’ll need:
2 ripes mangos (big chunks)
1 garlic clove
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp of honey
1/2 thumb size of ginger root
1 lime ( zest + half lime juice)
Directions:
Place mango, garlic, ginger, habanero pepper in a blender and blend until well combined.
Place the puree in a pot. Add the vinegar, salt, honey and stir with a spatula.
Put on the stove on medium high heat. Let it simmer for 3 min while stirring occasionally.
Turn off the stove and let it cool completely.
Add the zest, honey and lime juice. Stir with the spatula.
Pour it in a clean jar and store it in the fridge.
The second essential sauce recipe you should make this summer is the habanero sauce also know as pili-pili in central Africa .
Habanero sauce (Pili-Pili)
This sauce is so popular in Congo and can be found in restaurants, bars and supermarkets. It’s made of tomatoes, onion, habanero chilies and spices like cumin, garlic and ginger. There are two ways of making it. I will share you with you the easiest, no fuss method, that is perfect for the summer.
I grew up eating this sauce with yucca (cassava) fries, plantains, sweet potatoes, but you can also use it as a dip for vegetables and fruit. My mom would grind it in a mortar and pestle for quick and easy preparation. I remember how crucial it was to have some for every meal especially when we had guests over for dinner. Not having pili-pili would have been considered a faux pas.
Habanero sauce (pili-pili) is delicious on fish, meats, vegetables and in pasta dishes. It can be served as a main ingredient or as a condiment to add extra flavor to a meal.
It is a must have in my household. I prefer to use a food processor because it will make your onions, ginger, garlic fine and uniform.
Tip: The more you add tomatoes, the less spicy it will be.
You will need:
5 red habanero peppers (stems removed)
1 romano tomato (diced)
2 cloves of garlic
1 tsp of fresh ginger (chopped)
Half lemon
½ tsp salt
Half cup of extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
Place all in the ingredients in a blender and blend until well combined.
Pour the sauce in a clean jar.
The third essential sauce recipe you should make this summer is the chimichurri sauce.
Chimichurri sauce
The chimichurri sauce is hands down my favourite sauce. I like it with grilled salmon, steak, grilled chicken and even in salads. It’s got a lot of flavor and is easy to prepare, this sauce comes from Argentina where they use it on almost anything from meat to fresh vegetables.
I personally love chimichurri sauce with grilled meat served over plantains or cassava for a delicious appetizer or snack for my kids. You can also use in pasta or on sandwiches.
I have used mint and basil in lieu of oregano and parsley. I really enjoy the combination of mint and basil with olive oil. These herbs bring a coolness to the dish that is perfect for the summer.
The chimichurri sauce is full of great herbs that have the ability to heal and provide many health benefits. It’s also a great source of vitamin C, which helps as an antioxidant in your body. It has also been used in traditional medicine for its anti-inflammatory properties along with its ability to kill external parasites and work as a mild sedative.
You can prepare it several hours ahead or even the day before you plan to use so there is no last minute fussing around trying to get ready for dinner time! You can use this sauce as a dipping sauce or even add it to your rice or pasta dishes.
You’ll need:
Ingredients
A shallot
1 garlic
A bunch of cilantro
Some mint leaves, basil
2 Tbsp of red wine vinegar
½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp of red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Put everything in a blender expect for the virgin oil, give it a couple of pulses without making too runny.
Then incorporate the oil with a fork slowly by whisking.
Spicy mango sauce
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 5 min
- Total Time: 10 min
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: World
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Habanero is optional. This sauce is great on sandwiches, meat, fish, etc.
Ingredients
2 ripe mango (peeled and diced)
½ tsp ginger
1 clove of garlic
1 habanero pepper (optional)
1 lime (juice and zest)
2 Tbsp of red wine vinegar
1 ¼ tsp of salt
Instructions
Purée your mango, habanero peppers, garlic, ginger. You can add 1-2 Tbsp of water to make it smoother.
Transfer the puree in a sauce pan on medium high heat.
Add the vinegar, salt and mix.
Bring it to a simmer while stirring for 3 min.
Turn off the heat.
Add the lime juice, zest. Stir.
Let it cool completely before transferring it in a jar
Transfer the sauce into a clean jar.
Store it in a cool and dry place.
Habanero sauce (Pili-pili)
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 2 min
- Total Time: 7 min
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: African
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
It a great add-on sauce to anything you eat, should you want to spice up your meal.
Ingredients
6 red habanero peppers
½ romano tomato (diced)
2cloves of garlic
1 tsp of fresh ginger (chopped)
½ lemon
½ tsp salt
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
Put everything in a blender except the olive oil and mix it until it gets less chunky but not runny.
Add the olive oil while pulsing.
Pour it into a clean jar.
Store it in a dry and cool place.
Notes
Tip: you can make it less spicy by adding tomatoes.
Chimichurri sauce
- Prep Time: 3 min
- Cook Time: 3 min
- Total Time: 6 min
- Category: Condiments
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: South America
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Simple chimichurri sauce with basil and mint. Great for meat, fish, dipping sauce.
Ingredients
1 shallot
1 garlic
1 bunch of cilantro
10 mint leaves, basil
2 Tbsp of red wine vinegar
½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
Instructions
Put everything in a blender expect for the virgin oil, give it a couple of pulses without making too small.
Then incorporate the oil with a fork slowly by whisking.
Great recipes for the summer:
Black rice salad with shrimps and avocado
Plantains with Avocado and Mango
Love all these sauces, especially pili-pili. The heat is strong and yet cravable!
How fantastic are these sauces! Mangos are everywhere at the moment and was looking for some recipe inspiration and came across your sauce recipe. It was delicious! But the other 2 looked fabulous too and I have never tried pili pili before. It was super spicy but was delicious!
These sauces all sound fantastic! You’re spoiled for choice what to start with! I think I’ll try the spicy mango sauce first! Thanks for the great ideas!
Share a photo if you do!:)
That spicy mango sauce sounds amazing. I think I never tried that one before. I will definitely make that one first. Other recipes sound quite lovely too. Thanks for sharing them.
Let me know how it turns out!