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Home / Eat Well / Food News

Condiments and toppings to perk up your meals

Bite
By Suzanne Dale

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Get to know these simply made toppings, sauces and fresh pickles and turn everyday meals into something more.

Sprinkle it over

Keep a jar of these savoury toppings in the pantry or fridge for a last-minute flavour boost.

Clockwise from top left:

  • For a salad: Sesame sprinkle and almond topping
  • To add a Middle Eastern touch: Dukkah
  • For winter salads, roast chicken and pork chops: Gremolata the grove
  • For enchiladas, scrambled eggs and mince: Gremolata the heat
  • For soup, roasted veg and cooked greens: Gremolata the crunch
  • For osso bucco, winter stews and braises: Classic gremolata
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A great idea: Vegan parmesan

Aaron Brunet writes: Plant-based "parmesan" is surprisingly delicious and easy to make. It has a base of cashews (which are sweet and rich) with nutritional yeast and garlic powder (savoury and fragrant) and a bit of salt. Big plus: you can feel good about sprinkling this generously on top of your meal. Add a hearty grind of black pepper plus a drizzle of good olive oil and the result is a really tasty way for plant-based eaters to swap the carbs and meat of traditional pasta dishes for healthy veges and protein. See the recipe below. He sprinkles it atop his black bean bolognese.

1 cup raw cashew nuts, or lightly toasted
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt, to taste

Use a food processor to blend all ingredients into a fine crumble. This keeps well in the fridge or pantry.

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Make a fresh pickle

Thinly slice veg and drop into a flavoursome brine. Store your fresh pickles in the fridge to add crunch and delight to practically everything - meats and fish, salads, pate platters and toasted sarnies too.

Pictured, clockwise from top left:

  • Japanese pickled vegetables
  • Moroccan salad pickles
  • Burmese cucumber pickle with fried shallots
  • Crisp sweet sharp relish
  • Chinese-style pickled vegetables
  • Quick pickle

Put a sauce on it

Whip up one of these beauties to perk up everything from fish fingers to schnitzel to burgers.

  • For fish fingers and calamari: Chipotle sauce
  • For crumbed chicken, in a burger or salad: Mustard sauce
  • With grilled chicken or kebabs: Roasted tomato sauce
  • For beef burgers and kumara fries: Homemade BBQ sauce
  • For satay, a tofu burger, Asian meatballs, and this gado-gado (above) with peanut sauce
  • For smoked and crumbed fish: Remoulade sauce
  • For practically anything Vietnamese: Nuoc cham dipping sauce
  • For leftover roast lamb: Green sauce

Finish on a sweet note

Like Jan Bilton's mandarin and lychee topping which can transform a plain store-bought cheesecake, you'll love these sweet topping ideas.

  • Macadamia nut crumble topping for winter desserts
  • Toffee nutty praline to top icecreams and cakes
  • A healthy citrus crumb to top fruit for breakfast or icecream for dessert
  • Four luxurious icings for cupcakes
  • And Ray's video on how to make impressive chocolate shards. Your icecream sundaes, tarts and cakes will thank you.
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You'll find these and many more condiment recipes in this collection.

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