Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp honey

2 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/3 cup hot water

Whisk everything together. Makes a couple cups.

Greek Yogurt Ranch Dip

1 cup Greek yogurt
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp dried chives
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper

Mix all ingredients and thin with milk if desired.

Cilantro Ranch Sauce

1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar plus more to taste
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 cloves garlic peeled
5 basil leaves
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Add water or milk to thin if desired.

{Recipe adapted from This Savory Vegan}

Citrus Spice Stir Fry

Sauce:
1 tsp rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder*
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional**)
1 cup orange juice
6 Tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce to taste***)

In a small bowl mix the vinegar, garlic, five-spice powder, and red pepper flakes with a fork. Stirring continuously with the fork, pour in the orange juice, then add the coconut aminos.

Stir Fry:
Assortment of veggies of your choice (broccoli, pea pods, onions, mushrooms, carrots, etc.)

Heat up a skillet or wok with a little oil (I use coconut), then add a pound of diced chicken and cook, splashing with a little of the sauce to keep it moist. Remove the chicken and set aside, then add chopped veggies to the skillet along with the rest of the sauce and cook until finished. Add the chicken back in and heat. Serve on top of rice.

* Chinese five-spice powder has a distinct clove flavor, so use less if you think your kids might not be into it!

** The only thing that makes this spicy is the red pepper flakes. The Chinese five-spice power is not "hot" spicy - it's more of a clove/cinnamon spice flavor.

*** Using coconut aminos makes this Whole 30 or paleo approved, but if you don't have any on hand (and don't care about that) you could probably use soy sauce. Soy sauce is more salty than coconut aminos, so I would add a little at a time until you reach the flavor you want - it might not take as much.

Serves 4-6 depending on how many veggies you use.

Paleo Mayonnaise

1 egg

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup plus 1 cup light olive oil *

Leave all ingredients on the counter for four hours to bring them to room temperature. This is essential to having this mayo turn out at the right consistency.

Place the egg and lemon juice in a food processor. Add the dry mustard, salt, and 1/4 cup of the oil. Whirl until well mixed, about 20-30 seconds.

Very slowly incorporate the remaining 1 cup of oil into the mixture. Do the skinniest drizzle you can possibly manage. This should take about three full minutes. If your food processor has a drizzle hole then use that! Seriously, go slow - this is key. Then you are done!

* You can also use avocado oil, but DO NOT use extra virgin or regular olive oil - the taste will be too strong.

{From Well Fed}

Caramel Sauce

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/3 cup water, boling
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

Put sugar in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until all of the sugar melts and becomes a caramel color. Add water (will sizzle/boil up), followed by butter and cream. Continue heating over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Add vanilla and salt. Allow to cool at least 30 min before serving.

Chicken Alfredo

1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 cup cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese
2 chicken breasts, cubed and cooked
3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup fresh, chopped parsley

1 pound penne pasta

In a large sauce pan, melt butter. Add mushrooms and cook until tender. Reduce heat to low and add cream, garlic and parmesan. Heat on low, stirring often, until cheese melts- this will take a while. Add chicken, tomatoes and parsley- keep warm.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne according to package instructions. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve.

Serves 6-8

My Favorite Peanut Sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce (or to taste)
2 tablespoons Splenda (or sugar or brown sugar)
1 heaping teaspoon fresh chopped garlic (a couple cloves)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 drops tabasco sauce (or to taste)
1/3 cup hot water

Mix everything together and pour over soba noodles or spaghetti noodles. Makes a couple cups (2-3 servings).

Also try:
Add chicken or tofu
Add fresh broccoli
Use brown rice instead of noodles
Add 6 drops of sesame seed oil
Substitute a third of the peanut butter with sesame tahini
Top with fresh scallions and edamame

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Originally this sauce was intended to be served over slices of polenta, but I recommend it on pork chops or medallions or even over pasta.

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup minced onion
1 pound mushrooms, such as white or cremini, sliced
2 cups stemmed and sliced shiitake mushrooms (4 1/2 ounces with stems)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
2/3 cup shredded fontina cheese (see Note)
2 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are softened and most of the liquid has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour in wine; bring to a boil and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the liquid until the pan is almost dry, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in sour cream and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, stir in cheese and tarragon. Serve the sauce over the meat of your choice.

NOTE:
If you can’t find fontina, substitute another melting cheese, such as Gruyère or Swiss.