When my husband and I first started dating, our preferences in how we ate food couldn’t have been more different. He would take his time, I was in a race to the finish line; he preferred a protein/a starch/and a veggie, I liked using all of them in one cohesive dish; and maybe the most glaring distinction between our two styles, was our use of condiments and sauces. I’d love to be able to say I’m a thin layer of peanut butter and just a smear of jelly, girl, but that just couldn’t be further from the truth. And why limit yourself with possible flavors? Ketchup, mustard, mayo, horseradish, hot sauce, relish, sauerkraut… yes to all, please!
Unfortunately, as most of us know, sauces and condiments are where meals tend to get incredibly unhealthy. In fact, unless you’re sticking with plain mustard, or a plain hot sauce, odds are almost certain that your favorite everyday add ons are loaded with sugar, chemicals, and preservatives. Take a peak at the nutrition label on your favorite salad dressing, not just the “amount per serving” portion, but the actual ingredients list. These lists are usually a mile long and full of words that aren’t even worth trying to pronounce, because the main focus is on cheap flavor and the longest possible shelf life. And why is sugar (or some form thereof) always one of the first ingredients in almost everything we buy? We even find it in savory foods where it doesn’t make sense within the flavor profile?
The truth is, sugar is terrible for the consumer, but a phenomenal addition for any and all food producers. Even though “eating healthy” has a bad rap for being an expensive life choice, it often evens out in the quantity of food that we buy. Have you noticed that people who live on raw foods typically leave the grocery store with a small amount of everything? Whereas it’s very common to see someone with multiple packs of Little Debbies snacks or cases of soda all in the same cart. When sugar is introduced into the body, the body’s systemic blood pressure immediately rises, causing the brain to release mesolimbic dopamine - the reward response in the brain -, when the sugar hits the blood stream, the pancreas puts out a massive dose of insulin to counteract the sugar - great right?? Not so much, although the insulin does a great job at reducing blood sugar, it also increases serious problems like weight gain and inflammation throughout the body. It also causes a nasty “crash” when it drops the level of blood sugar so quickly. What does all of this mean for you? Eat the sugar —> feel great with a boost of energy and happy feelings —> quickly start to crash and feel lousy —> need more sugar to counteract the yucky feeling. It’s a never ending addictive cycle, and what’s worse, you genuinely are more hungry after eating sugar because even though you just consumed a large amount of calories, your body didn’t receive any long lasting energy to run on, so it continues to require more. And if you really want to see where the money is going on those grocery bills, just add up all of those bottled sauces and condiments!
So now we have to cut out sauces and condiments too… is life really worth it anymore!! Just kidding… but heads up, cutting out all that sugar can give your body and attitude a pretty nasty crash until you get it out of your system! But there’s no need to sacrifice flavor for the sake of health; instead let’s add real flavor while giving our bodies exactly what they need.
We call peanut butter and mayonnaise our ‘base condiments’ because you can go in so many different directions with them! From our peanut butter we make a delicious Thai peanut sauce for chicken, “fancy yogurt” (which is the girls’ favorite lunchtime choice), and an out of this world chocolate peanut butter sauce for our homemade ice cream, just to name a few! From our mayonnaise we can do unlimited aiolis for any occasion, any cream based salad dressing, some delicious warm salads, and you can imagine the endless other possibilities for that one. Needless to say, Ben and I have come together on our condiment usage over the years. I no longer need my meals to be dripping in every sauce imaginable, but you’d better believe he asks for an extra dollop of whatever the new condiment creation for the night is!
Nut Butter Recipe:
Peanuts
Almonds
Black Walnuts
2:1:1 Ration
Roast nuts at 300° until fragrant - about 15-20 minutes. Blend until desired consistency and store in the fridge.
*Note: Have fun experimenting and finding your favorite flavors and consistency.
Mayonnaise Recipe:
1 Large Egg
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Grainy Mustard
1 Pinch Salt
1 C Canola Oil
Process egg in food processor or blender until fully incorporated. Add Vinegar, Mustard, and Salt and process until fully mixed. While processor is still running, start adding Canola Oil as SLOWLY AS POSSIBLE to avoid the mayonnaise breaking. This is especially important when first starting to add the oil.
*Note: Be sure to have all ingredients out and room temperature before processing to help the mixture come together well without breaking.
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