Find of the week:  Simmer Sauces

Simmer sauces are something that we keep in the pantry for nights that our planned dinner didn’t work out, or for a fast weekend lunch.  Almost any protein (garbanzo beans, fried tofu, chicken, beef, pork, shrimp) can be added to simmer sauces, in addition to a great variety of vegetables (potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, onions, cauliflower).  While the protein and vegetables are simmering, make a pot of rice or quinoa, or heat some tortillas and voila – a meal!

We recommend two brands that have high quality sauces with good flavor and natural ingredients:

1.  Chef Rick Bayless, famous for his Mexican cooking TV series and Chicago restaurants, has a line of Frontera Mexican Seasoning Sauces that are made from natural ingredients without artificial coloring, high fructose corn syrup, or preservatives.  Many of the sauces are also made without gluten ingredients.  He includes helpful instructional videos on his website for how to use the sauces.  Some sauces in our regular rotation are the Classic Fajita Skillet Sauce, the Red and Green Chili Enchilada Sauces, and the Texas Original Taco Skillet Sauce.

2.  Saffron Road World Cuisine Sauces.  We’ve tried and like Thai Lemongrass Basil, Korean Stir Fry, and Tikka Masala.  These delicious sauces are a great way to introduce multiple cuisines to your children without the investment in spices (and time) to create the sauces from scratch.  Once you find some favorites, you can expand your menus to include more dishes with those flavors.