Healthy and Versatile Homemade Sauces

The best thing about these sauces is that you can store them in the fridge for days, so you can make plenty of them and use later with other recipes. They're very versatile: you'll want to add them to all of your favorite dishes! 

Who said you can’t eat delicious sauces while on a diet? We often associate sauces with unhealthy food or food with too many calories. But, in this post, we will suggest some recipes to show that sauces and healthy food can go together. All you need to learn is how to choose the right ingredients and add them in the right quantities. 

Versatile sauces: hamburger with carrot sauce

Burgers are usually deemed as junk food; we link them to weight gain or obesity and to unhealthy habits. But, in reality, hamburgers can be a very healthy meal, as long as they’re homemade and you choose healthy ingredients to make them. If you like this recipe, make sure you also check out our cheese salad recipes, they’re delicious as well!

Ingredients (for one burger):

• Burger bun
• 2 lettuce leaves
• 1 veal hamburger
• 1/2 tomato
• 1 slice of low-fat cheese
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 garlic clove
• Olive oil
• Salt

Directions:

1. We’ll start by making a unique carrot sauce. Peel and wash the carrots.
2. Put them in a pot with water and boil them for about 15 minutes, or until they’re cooked.
3. In a blender, place the previously chopped carrots, as well as the garlic clove, a pinch of salt and a tablespoon of olive oil. 
4. Blend until you have a creamy texture.
5. In a pan, cook the burger until it’s brown on both sides.
6. Once all of the ingredients are ready, it’s time to assemble the hamburger.
7. Place the cheese, lettuce, tomato and the hamburger in the bun. Add two tablespoons of the carrot sauce.

It’s that easy! A homemade burger with fewer calories than the ones you can buy at fast food restaurants!

The best side dish for this burger is roasted potatoes. Cut a potato into slices, spray some olive oil and sprinkle some thyme on top. Put them in the oven for 15 minutes at 320 degrees and they’re ready to eat when they’re golden brown.

Roasted tomato sauce and grilled chicken

Grilled chicken is a classic family recipe. And tomato sauce is also a worldwide traditional sauce. In this recipe we bind the two in order to create a healthy and tasty dish. 

Ingredients (four servings):

• 1 pound of ripe tomatoes
• 2 green bell peppers
• 2 carrots
• 1/2 onion
• 4 chicken thighs
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Rosemary

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 356 degrees.
2. Mix the olive oil, salt, and rosemary and spread this mixture on the top of the chicken thighs. Then, put them in a broiler pan with the skin facing up.
3. Put the pan in the oven for 50 minutes. Remember to flip each of them after 30 minutes. If they’re too dry, brush them again with the oil mixture when it’s time to flip them.
4. While the chicken is cooking, start making the roasted tomato sauce. This is a very versatile sauce, so you can make plenty of it and store it in the fridge for another day. It goes perfectly with pasta, rice or as a substitute for ketchup. As you can see, this recipe has no added sugar, unlike the tomato sauces that we find on the market.
5. In another oven pan, place the chopped onion, chopped bell peppers, together with the peeled and chopped carrots. Then add the whole tomatoes (complete with the skin). Pour some olive oil on the top and then roast in the oven for about half an hour.
6. Once the veggies are roasted, remove them from the oven. Peel and chop the tomatoes into large chunks. 
7. Put it in a food processor and add salt to taste.
8. When the chicken is ready, put it on the plate with a couple of tablespoons of the healthy, tomato sauce.