Sauces/51 recipes

Tomato basil mussels: fresh mussels steamed open in a broth of white wine, garlic, diced tomatoes, basil, and hot sauce. A 15-minute Mediterranean dinner served in its own briny-tomato broth.

Flambe bananas in brown sugar butter sauce with raisins, walnuts, and brandy. A 15-minute showstopper dessert with caramelized fruit and a dramatic flame finish.

Spicy peanut chili dip with soy sauce, lemon, garlic, and honey. A no-cook appetizer ready in 15 minutes, great with raw veggies or crackers.

Light pasta with sauteed baby artichoke hearts, garlic, lemon, and fresh Italian parsley in a brothy sauce. A low-calorie Italian dish ready in just 15 minutes.

Mini pizza pies built on flattened biscuit dough rounds, topped with pizza sauce, pepperoni, browned ground beef, mozzarella, and parmesan. No-yeast personal pizzas ready in 15 minutes.

Vegan stuffed avocados loaded with crunchy cucumber, radishes, scallions, and soy sauce, topped with sesame meal, nutritional yeast, and sprouts. A fresh, no-cook lunch in 15 minutes.

Quick sauteed salmon steaks pan-finished in butter with soy sauce and garlic powder, plated with lemon. Five ingredients, 15 minutes, weeknight-dinner heroics for under $10 a serving.

Pad Thai the authentic way: softened rice noodles wok-tossed with garlic, shrimp, egg, fish sauce, peanuts, bean sprouts, and green onions, finished with a squeeze of lime. Street-food speed in under 15 minutes.

One-dish microwave spaghetti with ground beef, Italian tomato sauce, and Parmesan. A complete pasta dinner for two cooked entirely in the microwave in 15 minutes.

Shortcut fettuccine with a creamy Parmesan sauce made from cream of mushroom soup, milk, and butter. A five-ingredient pantry dinner ready in 15 minutes flat.

Quick chicken stir-fry with snow peas, carrots, water chestnuts, and green bell pepper in a soy-ginger-garlic sauce thickened with cornstarch. Marinate the chicken, fire up the wok, and dinner is on the table in 15 minutes.

Two-ingredient cranberry relish made with fresh cranberries and sugar. The simplest stovetop cranberry sauce that beats canned every time, ready in under 15 minutes for Thanksgiving or Christmas.

Brussels sprouts topped with a warm white wine, lemon, and mayonnaise sauce with chopped hard-boiled eggs. A quick microwave side dish that turns frozen sprouts into something special in 15 minutes.

Itch pilaf is a no-cook Armenian bulgur salad soaked in tomato sauce, brightened with lemon, paprika, and fresh parsley. A cousin of tabbouleh, ready in 15 minutes with zero stove time.

Whipped cranberry orange butter made with just three ingredients in 15 minutes. Cranberry sauce and orange marmalade beaten into fluffy butter for rolls, toast, and holiday breads.

Pineapple salsa with fresh pineapple, red bell pepper, scallions, and a splash of fish sauce or salt with bright lime juice. A 15-minute tropical salsa for grilled fish, tacos, or chips.