Welcome back to Good Food Reads Sauces Edition where we are going to talk about my absolute favorite thing-SAUCES! I have been accused by my husband of ordering food solely for the sauces I can put on top of it! Want to lure me into ordering something at a restaurant? Describe the sauce. Sauces, condiments, salsas…whatever name you prefer. Buckle up, I’m going to bring you some of my favorites… …
White Balsamic Vinaigrette
As I’ve become more comfortable in my kitchen over the years, I’ve discovered there are a few things in life that are just so much better when you make them yourself. Chief among them is salad dressing. I used to have about ten different kinds in my refrigerator at any given time. Most of them were loaded with creepy preservatives, a boatload of sugar, and far too many ingredients I couldn’t pronounce. Worst of all? They really weren’t that good. Once I discovered just how easy it is to make your own dressings my salad game changed forever (and I have a lot more refrigerator space!). One of my favorites is this White Balsamic Vinaigrette….
Roasted Pear and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette
I love winter food. Short ribs and mashed potatoes. Pastas and soups. My dutch oven works overtime putting out delicious comfort foods. But despite a temperature today of -21 (I am sadly not exaggerating about that one), I just craved salad. But it had to be a hearty one. One with a tangy dressing. A salad like Roasted Pear and Apple Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette.…
Salted Caramel Sauce
I have been making salted caramel sauce for several years now. One year I even gave it as Christmas gifts for my friends and family. (I love homemade gifts-both giving and receiving!) But what everyone didn’t know is that the recipe that I had been using was unreliable. Some days the recipe would work for me…some days the recipe turned into a yellow, gritty mess. I went through a lot of ingredients and wasted a lot of time. Until I discovered this recipe for Salted Caramel Sauce by Sally’s Baking Addiction!…
Cilantro Lime Sauce
Rarely have I been so excited to bring you a recipe. And sure-I know what you’re thinking-it’s a SAUCE. But trust me, if you are a sauce person like me, this is the one. This is the sauce that will change your life. This is Cilantro Lime Sauce (aka Magic Sauce!). Read on for a story about my fangirl crush on the creator of this sauce as well as the super easy recipe!…
Lime Curd with A Hint of Vanilla
The winter months are not known for their abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables. After the heavy meals of the holiday season, the arrival of the mid-winter citrus crop is always a welcome addition to my kitchen. A few weeks ago I bought a giant bag of fresh limes at Costco, and while a few wound up in gin and tonics, I was left with pounds of limes and a little inspiration. Enter: Lime Curd with a Hint of Vanilla. It’s an easy, creamy, bright and versatile treat that can be added to baked goods like tarts, cupcakes or scones, or simply eaten with a spoon (my preferred method!).
Lime curd is a careful meld of butter, sugar, citrus juice, and eggs. Gently heating the eggs in the presence of sugar allows them to stay creamy and light and keeps them from scrambling. If you’re into the science of cooking, check out this article in the LA Times (from 1998!). The beauty of a citrus curd is that its proportions are forgiving. I prefer a soft, slightly more tart version so I use whole eggs, less sugar, and a moderate amount of butter. If you want a sweeter and firmer version (for use in bars or pies, for example) you can simply increase the sugar and switch to egg yolks. The key to the recipe is really to take it low and slow and be sure to temper the eggs so they don’t scramble. Let it cool and then just try to keep from eating it all at once. It’s delicious on scones and really fantastic mixed into some vanilla Siggi’s yogurt in the morning. The curd will keep in the refrigerator for at least a week and freezes beautifully.
Lime Curd with A Hint of Vanilla
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Holly
Serves: 1 generous half pint.
Ingredients
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup lime juice (approximately 2 large or 3-4 small limes)
- zest of 1 lime
- ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a non-reactive sauce pain over low heat.
- While the butter is melting, pulse together the sugar and lime zest in a food processor until combined.
- Add the lime juice, sugar and zest, to the pan with the butter and whisk until the sugar dissolves.
- Gently beat the eggs in a small bowl.
- Working one tablespoon at a time, add some of the lime juice mixture to the beaten eggs. Be sure to keep whisking so as not to scramble the eggs!
- Add the egg/juice mixture back to the sauce pain.
- over continued gentle heat, whisk the mixture constantly until a smooth curd begins to form, somewhere just below a simmer (and around 160-175 degrees).
- Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in the vanilla bean paste to taste.
