Preparing Gourmet Side Dishes
Relishes, Chutneys and Salsas - marinades and dressings, too.These side dishes, i.e., relishes, chutneys and salsas, are all related, but they have different taste and textural characteristics.
They are made from basically the same ingredients and differ from each other primarily in the relative proportions of these ingredients.
By changing the proportions, each side dish gets its distinctive qualities.
For example, salsas are usually the hottest of the three, i.e., there is more emphasis on the hot peppers. Chutneys are usually the fruitiest and relishes generally emphasize vegetables more than chutneys do.
Chutneys tend to be a tad thicker than relishes and significantly less south of the USA border than salsas. A red or green hot chili pepper is more appropriate than a jalapeno.
Frequently chutneys are paste-like. Water in a chutney recipe is usually for thinning to a desired consistency or to make it blendable in an appliance. Just as the point where a soup turns into a stew is arbitrary, the line of demarcation between relish and chutney is also a bit blurry.
A chutney can be treated as a spicy jam on a baked good, a condiment, a spread on a “refreshing” vegetable (like jicama), in a salad, used as a rub on the surface of a protein before cooking or what you will. Add a chutney to fat-free plain yogurt to make a spread, a dressing or to cut the heat if it is too spicy.
Closely related to these side dishes are dressings and marinades. Unlike the side dishes, they tend to be less substantial (less thick) and more fluid-like. However, their ingredients are similar. Following this discussion of the side dishes, marinades and dressings are explained even though they are not dealt with in depth at The Gourmet-O-Matic tm. The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating contains recipes for and more information about dressings and marinades.
Generally speaking, the ingredients used to make relishes, chutneys and salsas are:
Acid = e.g., vinegar, citrus juice
Vegetable or fruit = e.g., cucumber, eggplant, mango, papaya, pineapple, garlic, onion. Generally, The Gourmet-O-Matic tm presents "vegetables" and "fruits" as they are commonly understood and not as they are classified scientifically. For example, tomatoes and cucumbers are botanically fruits but they are commonly understood to be vegetables.
Flavors = e.g., herbs, spices, mustard, ginger, garlic, onion
Hot = e.g., hot peppers, pepper sauce
Added Sweet = sweet usually comes from fruit, but other sources, e.g., aspartame, sucralose, stevia, sugar can be used.
Oil = small amounts of oil have a place in relishes and chutneys, the former more than the latter. The oil used in The Gourmet-O-Matic tm can come from various sources, i.e., liquid oil (e.g., canola, peanut, olive), oily fruit (e.g., avocado, nuts), etc.
Note that ingredients like garlic and onion can act as vegetables or flavors. The difference is how they are used. When they are a primary ingredient by amount, they behave more as a vegetable. When used in smaller quantities, they act as flavorings.
It is easy to make any of these side dishes since there is a simple "equation" that rules their preparation:
The Generic Relish Formula:
Relish = Acid + Vegetable or Fruit + Flavors +/- Added Sweet +/- Added Oil
Where:
Acid = e.g., vinegar, citrus juice
Vegetable or fruit = e.g., cucumber, eggplant, mango, papaya, pineapple
Flavors = e.g., herbs, spices, mustard, ginger, hot peppers (for an occasional "kick")
Added Sweet = sweet usually comes from the fruit, but other sources, e.g., aspartame, sucralose, stevia, sugar can be used
Added Oil = a small amount of oil for flavoring and "mouth-feel"
A representative relish recipe:
Cucumber Relish
1/2 cup vinegar (acid)
1/3 cup lime juice (acid)
2 large cucumbers, sliced (vegetable)
2 tablespoons minced basil (flavors - herb)
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro (flavors - spice)
2 teaspoons chopped mint (flavors - herb)
1 jalapeno pepper, minced (hot - occasional kick)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (hot - occasional kick)
3 tablespoons sugar or non-sugar substitute (e.g., 6 pkgs. aspartame) (added sweet)
Combine all ingredients, except cilantro and mint. Let sit 1 hour in refrigerator. Top with cilantro and mint before serving.
The Generic Chutney Formula:
Chutney = Acid + Fresh, leafy things + Hot + Flavors + Vegetable or Fruit +/- Added Sweet
Where:
Acid = e.g., vinegar, citrus juice
Fresh, leafy things = e.g., cilantro, parsley, mint leaves in bunch quantities
Hot = e.g., red or green chilies, jalapenos, cayenne
Vegetable or fruit = cucumber, mango, papaya, pineapple, onion
Flavors = spices, mustard, curry, ginger
Added Sweet: sweet usually comes from the fruit, but other sources, e.g., aspartame, sucralose, stevia, sugar can be used
A representative chutney recipe:
Lotsa Herbs Chutney
2 tablespoons lemon juice (acid)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (fresh, leafy things)
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves (fresh, leafy things)
1/2 cup parsley sprigs chopped (fresh, leafy things)
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (hot)
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (hot)
1 medium onion, minced (vegetable)
1 tablespoon dried thyme (flavors - spice)
1 tablespoon dried oregano (flavors - spice)
2 teaspoons sugar or non-sugar substitute (e.g., 2 pkgs. aspartame) (added sweet)
to taste - salt and pepper
Blend all ingredients. Let sit one hour. Serve.
The Generic Salsa Formula:
Salsa = Hot Pepper + Acid + "Mexican" Flavors + Vegetable or Fruit +/- Added Sweet
Where:
Hot Pepper = e.g., jalapeno, habanero, chipotle
Acid = e.g., vinegar, citrus juice
Mexican Flavors = e.g., cumin, cilantro, etc. (you are not limited to "Mexican" flavors)
Vegetable of fruit = e.g., tomato, tomatillo, bell peppers, onion, zucchini, cantaloupe
Added Sweet: can come from fruit, but other sources, e.g., aspartame, sucralose, stevia, sugar can be used
A representative salsa recipe:
Basic Salsa
4 medium jalapeno peppers (hot)
juice from 1 small lime (acid)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin ("Mexican Flavor")
1 medium finely chopped onion (vegetable/flavor)
1 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes (vegetable)
5 cloves finely chopped garlic (vegetable/flavor)
4 teaspoons sugar or non-sugar substitute (e.g., 2 pkgs. aspartame) (added sweet)
to taste - salt and pepper
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Do not puree. Cover. Chill. Serve.
Dressings
Dressings are closely related to the relishes, chutneys and salsas.
Dressings flavor side dishes, especially salads. With slight modification, they can also be used as marinades and sauces.
Dressing recipes can be found in The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating.
The Gourmet-O-Matic tm Salad Greens Substitutions Guide provides alternatives to the usual and customary vegetables that are most commonly found in salads and some leafy greens side dishes.
Like relishes, chutneys and salsas, there is a formula to dressings and like these others, the ingredients are similar.
Generally speaking, the ingredients used to make dressings are:
Diluted acid = e.g., water and vinegar, water and citrus juice
Flavors = e.g., herbs, spices, mustard, ginger
Added Sweet = can be from fruit, but other sources, e.g., aspartame, sucralose, stevia, sugar can be used.
The Generic Dressing Formula:
Dressing = Dilute Acid + Flavors + Added Sweet
A representative dressing recipe:
Basic Dressing
1/4 cup vinegar (acid)
1/4 cup water (to dilute the acid)
1 clove garlic (flavor)
1 medium onion (vegetable/flavor)
2 teaspoons sugar or non-sugar substitute (e.g., 1 pkg. aspartame) (added sweet)
to taste - salt and pepper
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Chill. Serve.
Marinades
Marinades are closely related to dressings.
They are not side dishes.
They are primarily used with entrees, however, there is no reason they cannot be used in other ways, e.g., to make a sauce or dressing.
Generally, marinades are more acidic than dressings. In other words, their acid content is either not diluted or diluted less than dressings.
One very important thing to remember about marinades is that once they have been used to marinate, they should be tossed and not repurposed. This is for safety reasons. For more information about safe marinating and marinating principles in general, see The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating.
No matter the ingredients, all marinades are used by soaking foods in them to add flavor. They can also be used to tenderize foods before cooking.
Marinades only penetrate a short distance into food. Thinner cuts of food tend to be more flavorful when a marinade is used. The longer the time a food is marinated, the stronger the flavor. Some foods, especially finfish, shellfish and vegetables can become mushy if left in a marinade too long
Generally speaking, the ingredients used to make marinades are:
Acid = e.g., vinegar, citrus juice (sometimes diluted to cut the acidity or add volume)
Flavors = e.g., herbs, spices, mustard, ginger
Added Sweet = can be from fruit, but other sources, e.g., aspartame, sucralose, stevia, sugar can be used.
The Generic Marinade Formula:
Marinade = Acid (sometimes diluted) + Flavors + Added Sweet
A representative marinade recipe:
Basic All-Purpose Marinade
3/4 cup citrus juice (acid)
1/4 cup water (to dilute the acid and add volume)
4 cloves garlic (flavor)
1 teaspoon cumin (flavor)
2 teaspoons sugar or non-sugar substitute (e.g., 1 pkg. aspartame) (added sweet)
to taste - salt and pepper
Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Marinate.
On The Gourmet-O-Matic tm website Guides demonstrating how to combine ingredients to make gourmet side dishes - relishes, chutneys and salsas are available.
The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating contains recipes for side dishes, explains standard serving sizes for side dishes and how to calculate your caloric needs based on your current and desired weights.
The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating contains recipes for dressings, breakfasts, desserts, sauces, marinades, salads, soups and stews and explains standard serving sizes for these foods.
The strategies used by The Gourmet-O-Matic tm can be found in Dr. Applebaum's meal strategy guide, The FitnessMed tm Guide To Healthy Eating. That book contains recipes for over 1 trillion (yes, with a "T") meal combinations.
All of Dr. Applebaum's books can be found here.