Sauces/40 recipes

Steak Diane: thinly pounded sirloin steaks pan-seared in butter and topped with a warm Worcestershire-shallot sauce. Classic 1950s tableside dinner, ready in under 10 minutes.

Korean-style sigeumchi namul: blanched spinach tossed in soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed sesame seeds, and scallions. A classic banchan side dish ready in under 20 minutes.

Sambal goreng telor, Indonesian hard-boiled eggs simmered in a spicy coconut milk and red pepper sauce with galangal. A quick 20-minute Southeast Asian egg dish.

A punchy Venezuelan marinade with curry, fresh tomatoes, cilantro, and spicy barbecue sauce. Mix it in 10 minutes flat and slather it on any cut of meat for bold, smoky-spiced flavor.

Maple cranberry sauce with walnuts and orange zest, sweetened with pure maple syrup instead of sugar. Five ingredients, no refined sugar, ready in 10 minutes.

Ketjap manis, the Indonesian sweet soy sauce that flavors nasi goreng, satay, and bami goreng. Homemade syrup of dark brown sugar, soy, molasses, galangal, and coriander cooks in 20 minutes and keeps for months.

Slow cooker pot roast in a spiced red wine and tomato sauce with mustard, Worcestershire, and garlic. Set it and forget it for 10 hours of hands-off braising.

Dorm-room ramen upgraded with a fried egg, crumbled breakfast sausage, scallions, and a hit of hot sauce and soy. A fast, filling 20-minute bowl of comfort.

Grilled salmon with a honey mustard and soy sauce glaze brushed on just before it comes off the grill. Simple 4-ingredient glaze, 10 minutes on the grill, and dinner is served.

Sloppy franks are sliced hot dogs simmered in barbecue sauce and ketchup with onion and green pepper, served on buns. A 20-minute kid-friendly dinner.

Fusilli pasta tossed with a no-cook creamy tuna sauce of cream cheese, Parmesan, half-and-half, and chives. A 20-minute pantry dinner that beats anything from a jar.

Spicy Chinese stir-fried chicken with hoisin sauce, bamboo shoots, ginger, and crushed red chili peppers. Marinated in sherry and soy, wok-ready in 10 minutes.

Scampi Principessa with butterflied shrimp poached in white wine, flambéed with aquavit, then served in cold yogurt sauce. An elegant Italian-Scandinavian appetizer ready in 20 minutes.

Flaked tuna folded into creamy bechamel sauce with a splash of sherry, served three ways: over fried eggplant, in tart shells, or on buttered biscuits. Retro comfort food in 20 minutes.

Fiery habanero hot sauce sweetened with canned plums, apricots, plum jam, and sugar, then smoothed with vinegar and pimentos. A fruity, face-melting condiment that makes 10 cups.

Easy 10-minute chili uses just three ingredients: lean ground beef, tomato sauce, and a packet of brown-bag chili seasoning. A weeknight quick fix when dinner needs to happen now and the pantry is bare.