Alfredo Sauce

April 27, 2025

Ingredients

amount	ingredient
2 T	butter
1 clove or ¼ tsp	garlic or garlic powder
1 cup	heavy cream
1 cup	Parmigiano-Reggiano, blended or shredded
to taste	salt
to taste	black pepper
to taste	red pepper flakes^*
1 handful	arugula or spinach, chopped^*
5	sundried tomatoes, chopped^*
1	lemon juice, fresh^*

^*optional

Process

in a saucepot on the stove, gently melt butter and add garlic; cook until fragrant, a minute or two
add heavy cream and parm
add salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes; simmer gently as sauce thickens
add greens and sundried tomatoes
when sauce thickens to desired consistency, turn off heat, add lemon juice and stir

If adding to pasta, set pasta to boil before starting the sauce and add it to the saucepot along with a little bit of pasta water once done. Stir to coat thoroughly and serve.

Notes

if the sauce is too thick, thin with milk or water (whatever you have on hand)
can also use milk or half and half if you don’t have cream, but may have to cook down longer to thicken

optional add-ins

Add whatever you have on hand, like:

parsley (fresh or dried)
white pepper
arugula
spinach
kale, finely chopped
sundried tomatoes

better than takeout ○ freezer friendly ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian

Simple Raita

June 2, 2024

For when you don’t have the ingredients or can’t be bothered to make shahi raita.

Ingredients

amount ingredient
— yogurt
— black pepper
— cumin seeds
— salt

Process

Crush the cumin between your palms and mix it (along with the rest of the spices) into the yogurt. Thin with milk to desired consistency.

Notes

All amounts are to taste; it’s not that serious.

Accompaniments // No Cook // Recipe

cold ○ condiment ○ desi ○ low effort ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ pakistani ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian
Creamy Garlic Dip

March 21, 2024
Credits

Recipe adapted from Don’t Go Bacon My Heart.

Ingredients

amount ingredient
120g mayo
120g sour cream
1 T white wine vinegar
1 tsp parsley, dried
1 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp garlic, minced
pinch sugar
pinch salt

Process
- mix all ingredients together in a bowl
- cover and chill for at least 1 hour before serving
Notes

The covering and chilling is actual pretty vital to this recipe, although it’s tempting to skip the step. If you eat it right away, the flavors will feel off and disjointed, maybe too sweet or too tart. But once it’s had a chance to meld together in the fridge, everything becomes much more cohesive.
Accompaniments // No Cook // Recipe

better than takeout ○ cold ○ condiment ○ dump and go ○ low effort ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian
Marinara Sauce

August 5, 2023
Credits

Recipe adapted from Budget Bytes.

Ingredients

makes 4 32oz jars

106 oz tomatoes, whole, peeled
300g onion, yellow, diced
110g butter
2 T garlic
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 T sugar
2 T basil, dried
1 T oregano, dried
1 T crushed red pepper
to taste black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tsp MSG

Process
1. add all ingredients to pressure cooker
2. mash everything up roughly with potato masher, or crush up tomatoes with hands
```
Pressure: low
Time: 30 minutes
Release: natural
```
1. blitz with immersion blender to desired consistency
Notes
- 106oz of whole, peeled tomatoes = 1 giant 10# can from Costco
- can also add negligible amount of baking soda to cut acidity instead of sugar (untested)
- can also slow cook for ~8 hours on low
  - after slow cooking, onions don’t necessarily become translucent, still have some raw bite; consider:
    
    running on high for 4 hours instead (untested)
    
    pressure cooking as above in addition to slow cook
    
    sauteing onions in butter and maybe some olive oil briefly before step 1 (untested)
See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.
Base Ingredient // Instant Pot // Recipe

better than takeout ○ dump and go ○ freezer friendly ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ photo ○ sauce ○ vegetarian
Balsamic Reduction

November 28, 2021
A cup of balsamic vinegar can be cooked down as-is into a thick, syrupy glaze. This is my preferred method, which I find sweet enough. If you must add sugar, use the recipe below.

Ingredients

Amount Ingredient
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 T sugar

Any kind of sugar should work here (cane, raw, brown, granulated,). I would avoid powdered, as I haven’t tested that and it tends to behave in sometimes unexpected ways.

Process
1. Add all ingredients in a small sauce pot set on medium high heat.
2. Boil until reduced by half or desired consistency is reached.
3. Cool to room temp before using (optional)
Notes
- Extra reduction can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container, preferably glass.
- Pairs great with caprese salad, bruschetta, caprese appetizers, drizzled on artisanal pizzas, in paninis, etc. Some rave about drizzling it over vanilla ice cream.
Accompaniments // Recipe // Stovetop

cold ○ condiment ○ dressing ○ italian ○ pantry ingredients ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian
Burger Sauce

May 20, 2020
Ingredients

amount ingredient
220g mayonnaise
110g ketchup
50g relish, sweet pickle
13g sugar
15g vinegar, white
5g black pepper

Process
1. mix all ingredients together; refrigerate
Notes
- made using homemade mayo; can use storebought
Base Ingredient // No Cook // Recipe

american ○ better than takeout ○ condiment ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian
Pizza Sauce

April 26, 2016
credits

Recipe from Kalville Free Presss.

Ingredients

Amount INgredient
12 oz tomato paste
1 ½ cups water
½ tsp oregano, dried
¼ tsp basil, dried
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
⅛ tsp garlic powder
⅛ tsp onion powder
⅛ tsp MSG

process
1. in small bowl: oregano, basil, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
2. add enough water to get everything wet and microwave
```
Power: 30%
Time: 2 minutes
```
1. mix spices with tomato paste, water, salt, sugar
nutrition

Yields: 990g pizza sauce
Calories: 485 total; 50 calories per 100g sauce

Notes

This is a Little Caesar’s copycat recipe. It can be used immediately if necessary, but the flavor will be best after it’s been in the fridge for 3-5 days.

See the freezing guide for tips and information on freezer-safe food storage.
Base Ingredient // Microwave // Recipe

better than takeout ○ calories calculated ○ dump and go ○ freezer friendly ○ italian ○ one pot pan or bowl ○ quick ○ sauce ○ vegetarian

amount	ingredient
—	yogurt
—	black pepper
—	cumin seeds
—	salt

amount	ingredient
120g	mayo
120g	sour cream
1 T	white wine vinegar
1 tsp	parsley, dried
1 tsp	oregano, dried
1 tsp	garlic, minced
pinch	sugar
pinch	salt

106 oz	tomatoes, whole, peeled
300g	onion, yellow, diced
110g	butter
2 T	garlic
2 T	balsamic vinegar
2 T	sugar
2 T	basil, dried
1 T	oregano, dried
1 T	crushed red pepper
to taste	black pepper
2 tsp	salt
1 tsp	MSG

Amount	Ingredient
1 cup	balsamic vinegar
1 T	sugar

Ingredients

Process

Notes

optional add-ins

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Credits

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Ingredients

Process

Notes

Ingredients

Process

Notes

credits

Ingredients

process

nutrition

Notes