2 Ingredient Sauce for Everything

When one is tired or just does not want complicated long recipes, this is a go to basic bbq sauce to put on vegetables or meat substitute you have on hand. It has the umami to give your palate a lift. The two sources of such flavor are hoisin sauce and catsup. It is up to you to enhance it with garlic or onion powders and heat from sriracha or hot sauce for example if you are into that.

The two main ingredients are preferred to be mixed in 1:1 ratio but I have lowered one over the other when I need to.  One such situation was when my husband was wary about his rising blood pressure and had to lower his salt intake. I then decreased the amount of hoisin sauce.  If I have a guest who is watching his or her blood sugar I then would lower the catsup. One can also prepare the catsup by simply mixing tomato paste with water and maple or date syrup to taste.  You also avoid the corn syrup in catsup as a result. Another alternative is to prepare your hoisin sauce yourself using the recipe I give below and alter both soy sauce and sugar to your taste and needs.

Since this is a “I am too tired recipe”, I usually have resorted to store bought hoisin sauce and catsup from my fridge.  The combination is magical.  Every time my picky taster, my husband, devours what I prepare with this sauce. Try it.

Two Ingredient Sauce for Everything  

Ingredients:

1/4 cup catsup or 1 tbsp tomato paste plus water and maple syrup to taste.  (note hoisin is sweet already)

1/4 cup or less store bought hoisin or home made hoisin.( recipe below. adjust salt.and sugar)

drop of sriracha or hot sauce

Instructions

Mix all ingredients in a bowl  

Add to vegetables or meat substitutes such as tofu or vegan meatballs.

Homemade Hoisin Sauce

(From CDKitchen)

(Makes 1/2 cup)

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons peanut butter or black bean paste 

1 tablespoon honey or molasses or brown sugar

2 teaspoons white vinegar

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1-2 teaspoons sesame oil 

5-20 drops chinese hot sauce, habenero or jalepeno 

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together.   At first it does not appear to be mixing together, Keep at it and whisk a bit longer.