Sauces and dressings

Here a few recipes for different sauces and dressings that are full of flavour and easy to make.

Pesto
Add to soups, pasta, salads or sandwiches. For a vegan version just leave out the cheese.

• 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup of grated parmasen cheese
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of pine nuts (cashews, walnuts and almonds also work well)
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• salt and pepper

Blend or finely chop the basil and nuts. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until combined. If you are using pesto as a salad dressing or in soup you might want it to be quite runny so just add more olive oil until you reach the desired consistency.

Mint oil
Swirl through soups

• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• salt and pepper

Chop the mint finely, add the garlic and olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Alternatively place all ingredients in the blender or food processor and blend until you reach the desired consistency.

Harissa
There are many different Harissa recipes, this one uses red capsicum and chillies. Swirl through soups, use to season meat or tofu or use as an accompaniment to curries. Warning – it is very hot! If you'd like to make a milder version you can use twice the amount of capsicum and half the amount of chillies. You can also use dried chillies, just rehydrate them in boiling water for 10 minutes.

• 1 large red capsicum
• 20 long red chillies, seeded (unless you like it really hot, then you can leave the seeds in)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil

Seed and core the capsicum and cut into three or four large pieces then place under the grill skin side up until the skin starts to blister and blacken. Remove and place immediately into a plastic bag for 10 minutes to allow the steam from the hot capsicum to soften the skin for easy removal. Peel the skin off then place the capsicum into a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and puree until smooth. It will keep for 2-3 weeks in a jar in the fridge.

Tahini dressing
An earthy, garlicky dressing for salads. Also good in burgers and Morrocan style fish, meats or stews.

• 1/2 cup plain yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Add a little water if the dressing is too thick.

Labne
You need to plan ahead if you're going to make labne, as you need to let the yoghurt drain for several hours. It's simple to make though as it's just strained, flavoured yoghurt and is a great accompaniment to curries and Middle Eastern dishes, or can be spread onto bread or eaten as a dip. Labne is good plain but can also be flavoured with spices, such as cumin or smoked paprika.

• 500g plain yoghurt
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• spices to taste (optional)

Stir together the yoghurt, garlic, salt and any spices that you'd like to add. Spoon into a square of muslin, or a clean, thin tea towel. Tie the four corners together and insert the handle of a wooden spoon just under the knot. Suspend the bundle over a deep bowl and place it in the fridge. Allow it to drain for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight then scrap the labne out into a container.