Onion gravy (or sauce)

 This was a little too salty for my taste, but not too bad.  Maybe the Stock Pot was a mistake....

2 large onions, chopped (mine were not as chopped as I should have liked, as I was going to do them in my mini food processor, and it was totally discharged)

A little sunflower or other vegetable oil

1 Stock Pot (I used beef, as we were having it with Cornish pasties, but chicken or veggie would work, it depends what you want to eat it with)

1-2 tsp plain flour (use cornflour or a gluten-free variety if you need to)

1/4 cup cold water and 1/2-2/3 cup boiling water

Seasoning to taste - I used a bit of vinegar and some black pepper.  I had salted the onions, but wished I hadn't!

Put a heavy-based pan on the stove and let  heat up, and add the cooking oil after a few minutes.  Then put in the chopped onions, stir, and turn the heat as low as it will go.  I think I should maybe have used a different burner, as mine caught slightly rather than caramelised nicely.  Cover, and leave to cook for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Then stir in the Stock Pot (if you are using a cube, dilute it in the boiling water).  Put the flour in a mug and add the cold water (quantities need not be exact), and stir, then stir this through the onions, and finally add the boiling water.  Now season to taste, and then leave on a low heat, uncovered for a further 20-30 minutes until it has reduced and is lovely and thick!

I was making chips in my air fryer, and thought afterwards I could have turned this into a curry sauce by adding a spoonful of curry powder to the oil before anything else, and then using a stick blender on it at the end.  Next time, maybe.

Rich tomato sauce

This is absolutely lush, and well worth the time it takes!

2 tsp cooking oil 

1 large onion

3-4 cloves garlic

1 tin tomatoes (ideally tinned cherry tomatoes, if you can get them)

1/2 tub soft cheese, ideally garlic and herb

Seasoning to taste - I find it doesn't need salt, just pepper.

Place the oil in a heavy-based saucepan and heat gently.  Peel the onion, and chop it as finely as you are able.  Put the chopped onion into the saucepan and stir well to coat. 

Let them cook gently to soften and go translucent.  Meanwhile peel the garlic, and either chop, crush or grate it -  I always use a crusher, but I know other people have other ways.  Add this to the onion and oil, and again, allow to cook gently for a few minutes.  Now add the tinned tomatoes and about 1/3 tin of water.  Stir thoroughly and bring to a simmer.  Cover, and let it simmer for about 45-50 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Then add the half-tub of cream cheese and stir thoroughly to mix.  Delicious with pasta, either as is, or as a pasta bake.  I also made a roast vegetable bake with it earlier in the week, which was lush!

Hollandaise sauce

This is incredibly easy, really.  I always think it's going to be harder than it is - but it's no worse than mayonnaise, which is also massively easier than I think it's going to be!

1 egg

Juice of 1 lemon

About 125 g butter (1/2 packet)

Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter - I use the microwave, and melt it in a little jug so that it is easy to pour.  Put the egg and lemon juice in a blender and process for a minute or two until smooth.  Leaving the blender running, pour the butter in a very thin stream.  When it's all in there, continue to run the blender until it thickens and is smooth.  Season to taste, and give a last whizz to mix the seasoning in.

Serve with fish and/or vegetables, especially things like purple sprouting or tenderstem broccoli, or asparagus.  It will keep, covered, for a couple of days in the fridge.

(The sauce in this photo is coating a salmon fillet and some new potatoes)

Fennel, onion and red pepper sauce

 This was fantastic with sea bass, but not very photogenic, so this is a generic picture of fennel that I found on the web: 

Ingredients

2 tbs olive oil

1/2 bulb fennel

1 red sweet (bell) pepper

1 onion

Salt, pepper, other seasonings to taste - I used za'ataar and Dunn's River fish seasoning

Chop the vegetables, removing the white ribs and seeds from the pepper.  Cook in the olive oil over a medium heat until they are cooked, stirring fairly frequently.  This will take about 15-20 minutes.  Transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth, adding a bit of lemon juice if it is too dry.  Serve with fish.  

Ratatouille and redcurrant sauce

This was delicious with duck and roast potatoes and parsnips, but I think it would be lovely with chicken or any meat - or with a nut roast, come to that!

1 small red onion

1 small or 1/2 large courgette

1/2 red or yellow pepper

1 tomato - you guessed it

1/2 punnet mushrooms (c. 125 grammes)

A little salt, pepper, Everyday seasoning and herbs (I used what I call "Scarborough Fair" mix - parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme)

1 tbs olive or other oil

About 100 ml water

1 tbs chicken or vegetable stock powder

1 large tbs redcurrant jelly

Pre-heat the oven to Mark 6 (200 C; 400 F).  Slice the vegetables and place them in an oven-proof tray.  Season and pour on the oil, and stir very thoroughly.  Roast for about 40 minutes.  Transfer to a saucepan and, using a stick blender, reduce to a puree, but you can leave some of the vegetables whole if you cba to do it thoroughly.  Add the jelly, water and stock powder, taste to check the seasoning and rectify if necessary, bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.  

Red pepper sauce

 I am absolutely sure that, back in the day, I had a recipe for red pepper sauce which involved a red pepper (well, duh!) and lemon juice, but couldn't find it until this minute.  So I googled a bit and made up this one, which was delicious with sea bass earlier this evening.  I'll post the original recipe below, for comparison purposes.  The sauce is, of course, vegan, so you can use it in all sorts of ways if you don't eat meat or fish.  It would be very good on roasted vegetables, for instance.

1 sweet red pepper

1 small head garlic

1 tbs lemon juice

Seasoning, as liked.

Pre-heat the oven to Mark 6, 200C. Remove the stalk from the pepper, and place it on a baking tray.  Remove the papery outside from the garlic, and, using a very sharp knife, cut through the top of the head, exposing all the cloves.  Spray with a little cooking oil, and wrap with foil.  Bake both pepper and garlic in the oven for 40 minutes.  Then put the pepper in a plastic bag to "sweat" so that you can easily remove the skin after ten minutes or so.  

Put the pepper into a food processor along with the garlic, which you have squeezed out from its skin, lemon juice and seasoning, and process until smooth.

This, now that I have found it, was my original recipe.

1 small onion
1 clove garlic
1 large or 2 small red sweet (bell) pepper(s)
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Chop onion and garlic and microwave for 5 minutes, or dry-fry*. Flame pepper(s) or toast under grill until skin blackens. Place in plastic bag for ten minutes, then peel skin. Remove pips and white veins, and chop roughly.

Place peppers, onions, and garlic in a food processor, and blend, adding lemon juice until mixture resembles a thick cream in texture. Season to taste. This is glorious with fish - salmon, trout, white fish.....

* These days I'd probably cook them gently in a little oil until translucent.

Courgette "hummus"

I hadn't made this for years, and had forgotten how good it was. 

1 medium courgette, peeled and cut into small pieces
1 clove garlic, crushed
1-2 tbs tahini
1-2 tbs lemon juice
1-2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste.

Put everything in the food processor and blitz until smooth.  I made this with a hummus-like texture, but you could make it runnier by adding more lemon juice and olive oil.  It makes a fabulous salad dressing, or just a spoonful of deliciousness on the corner of the plate.