Sauces/6 recipes

General Tso's chicken double-fried until shatter-crisp, then tossed in a glossy soy and rice wine sauce with dried chilies, ginger, and scallions. The takeout favorite, made better at home.

Whole flounder scored and stuffed with ginger, ham, and Chinese black mushrooms, steamed and finished with a soy-rice wine sauce. An elegant Cantonese-style steamed fish ready in 40 minutes.

Bold herring salad, marinated herring tossed with apple, Spanish onion, potato, and beets in a creamy dill dressing. A sweet-tart, savory Northern European salad with a rosy hue, served chilled.

Pork kabobs marinate in lemon, garlic, and marjoram overnight, then grill over medium coals with a cucumber yogurt sauce on the side. Greek-style skewers ready for pita and salad.

A lower-fat version of traditional meat loaf made with ground beef. Could also be baked as patties with cooking time adjusted.

Tender beef chuck pot roast slow-simmered in a tangy homemade barbecue sauce with ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, and Worcestershire. Fork-tender and packed with smoky-sweet flavor.

General Tso's chicken double-fried until crispy, tossed with blackened dried chilies, garlic, and ginger in a soy-sherry-vinegar sauce. Restaurant-style Chinese takeout made from scratch.

Chipotle gives the spicy and smoky flavor, the meatless crumbles add the protein and the meaty texture. Fresh vegetables bring all the refreshing and yummy flavor together. You will enjoy every bite of these this delicious nachos!

Basil eggplant is a simple recipe, and this version substantially reduces the unnecessary oil that usually plagues eggplant dishes. The basil and chile pepper turn the basic eggplant into something exciting. Use either the long, thin Japanese eggplants or the big purple globe/Italian eggplants. We love this recipe – even without the chile peppers. And we always serve with Jasmine rice.

A classic Korean dish, seasoned vegetables are served with Korean noodles and spicy sauce along with a small bowl of miso soup and kimchee.

Hake fillet wrapped in serrano ham over spinach, served with homemade potato gnocchi and a creamy roasted red pepper sauce. A restaurant-worthy plated dinner that layers flaky white fish, crisp-salty ham, and silky sauce.

My craving for Korean food has officially come back to life again, and this was the dish I made for dinner yesterday. Instead of using cooked rice that traditional bibimbap does, this time I cooked soba noodles instead. Sauteed a few veggies that I had on hand separately, tossed with the spicy Korean chili sauce and a bit ketchup, and served with homemade kimchi. YUM!

Broiled porterhouse steak with caramelized Spanish onions and a mushroom-sherry pan sauce. A lighter steakhouse dinner for two with a Weight Watchers-friendly approach.

Chicken-fried steak with saltine cracker breading and hot pepper sauce egg wash, pan-fried crispy and smothered in a milk cream gravy made from the pan drippings. Pure Texas comfort.

Spaghetti with turkey sausage in a quick tomato sauce made from paste and seasoning mix. A lighter, leaner take on sausage pasta ready in about 30 minutes.

Tender beef cubes braised in a from-scratch garlic tomato sauce with red wine, then spooned over spaghetti. Slow-cooked in a Dutch oven for 3 hours of deep, saucy flavor.