Thai Dipping Sauce (Nam Pla Prik)

This is the most versatile thai condiment that you will find. It works so well with anything you want to dip into it, and it also tastes fabulous on other things like boiled potatoes, omelettes etc. It's also highly addictive from all the chillies! Beware of numb lip syndrome when you eat it tho, those chillies are f-i-e-r-c-e!! My sister will quite rightly point out that the variation of this I made to accompany the pork toasts is not authentic as it contains soy sauce and coriander. But I like the added tang of the coriander, and the soy enriches the sauce and takes away some of the OMFG fish sauce sting!

You will need
4 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 thai chillies, chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Mix everything together and serve. Yum!

Pasta with Courgette, Tomato and Lemon Garlic Sauce (v)

This was a spur of the moment, what on earth do I cook for dinner, how can I use up some languishing ingredients dinner and very tasty it was too.

For 2 portions you need
1 courgette, cut into slices then quarters as in pic
6-8 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 clove garlic, crushed
grated zest of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
pasta of your choice

Begin by cooking the pasta as per the instructions on the packet.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil gently and sautee off the courgette until softened and lightly browned (keep the heat quite high to ensure it browns before going mushy). Add the tomatoes, zest and garlic and cook for another 1-2 mins to warm everything through. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta and then place in the sauce pan and coat everything with the sauce. Scoff. Nom.

Creamy Curry Sauce (v)

When we were in Toronto we went to an amazing veggie eatery called Fresh. We had a sauce similar to this there with sweet potato fries. It's sort of like chip shop curry sauce but soooooooooo much nicer. It makes a large batch but keeps for a week or so in the fridge (or you can freeze it) so halve it if you don't want to be drowning in curry sauce...

For 8-10 portions you need:
1 can coconut milk
3 cups vegetable stock
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 chilli, chopped
1/2 cup tomatoes, chopped
3 tsp each turmeric, garam masala, coriander, cumin
2 tbsp plain flour
1/2 - 1tsp chilli flakes depending on how hot you like it
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Fry the onion, chilli and garlic in the oil for about 10 mins till softened. Add the flour and dry spices and cook out for a further 3-4 mins. Slowly add the stock, stirring to avoid lumps. Add the coconut milk and tomatoes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 mins. Serve with rice and lentils or whatever you fancy really. Including chip shop chips...

Balsamic and Soya Garlic Dressing (v)

This is a really rich and unctious dressing which works very well with a crisp salad e.g. iceberg or chinese leaf.

For 3-4 portions you need:
2 tbsp balsamic syrup
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 tbsp olive oil

Mix together and serve. Hard innit.

Minted Yogurt Dip

This goes well with the Butterbean, Cashew and Almond Patties along with lots of other things too.

For 4 people you need:
200g plain yogurt
1 tbsp mint sauce or 2 tsp dried mint or 2 tbsp fresh chopped mint

Mix together and dollop as necessary.

Cranberry Sauce with Clementines and Port (v)

This is a lovely, fruity sauce perfect for the big day.

You need:
350g fresh/frozen cranberries
4 tbs caster sugar
3 tbsp port
zest and juice of 2 clementines

Place everything in a pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-10 mins and then leave to cool in a serving dish. This will keep for about 3 weeks.

Sweet and Dark Dipping Sauce (v)

This is a delicious sauce to serve with loads of different things.

For enough to serve 4-6 people you need:
60ml dark soya sauce
60ml sweet sherry
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 spring onions, chopped finely
1 chilli, sliced
2 tbsp fresh corriander, roughly chopped
1 tsp honey (or use agarve nectar for vegans)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 inch length ginger, grated
2 tbsp sesame seeds.

Combine everything together and use liberally :)