I Quit Sugar for Life (55 page)

This dressing is a detox juice used as a dressing. Pour it liberally over salads, meat and vegetables when sugar cravings or lapses hit. Make the Dressing in a Jar. Add 2
tablespoons of lime juice, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander and ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Shake vigorously.

Commercial tomato sauce is often up to 45 per cent sugar. My version does contain a lot of tomatoes (and generally I steer my choices away from
concentrated tomato-based stuff as they use up so much of the fruit: the fructose adds up), but if you’re eating it as a condiment – only a tablespoon or two – you’re right
as rain.

Bring all the ingredients to the boil in a saucepan, stirring to distribute the spices. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes or until the sauce reduces by almost half
and is quite thick. Blend with a stick blender or in a food processor. If the sauce is still a bit runny, return it to the heat and reduce for a little longer. Store in a clean glass jar in the
fridge for up to 1 month. (I divide my mixture and freeze half so it doesn’t spoil.)
NOTE:
You can also do this in an electric slow cooker: cook all the ingredients on high for 2–2½ hours. After
blending, you might want to return it to the cooker for another 30 minutes, without the lid, to thicken.

Homemade BBQ Sauce Variation:
Mix together 250 ml Homemade Tomato Sauce, 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, 1 clove garlic (finely chopped), 1 tablespoon paprika and 2 tablespoons
chilli powder. Makes about 300 ml. Keeps in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Make as for the Take-Me-Anywhere Asian Dressing (see
here
) but omit the olive oil and the sesame seeds, and triple the soy sauce or tamari and the sesame
oil.

MAKES
CUP (150 ML)
The commercial stuff is generally a very gooby affair, achieved through large amounts of sugar, rendering it more sugary than ice-cream topping. True
story.

Purée the vinegar, stevia, chillies, water, fish sauce, garlic and salt in a blender, or finely chop the chilli and garlic first then combine with the rest of the
ingredients in a jar, shaking vigorously. Pour the mixture into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5–10 minutes until reduced by about half. Meanwhile, combine
the cornflour or arrowroot and 2 tablespoons of extra water to make a thick paste. Whisk the paste into the sauce and simmer for 1 minute more. Cool and store in a glass jar in the fridge for 1
month.

MAKES ABOUT
CUPS (500 ML)

400 ml can coconut cream

½ cup (115 g) natural, sugar-free and salt-free crunchy peanut butter

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

pinch of ground cumin

½ teaspoon sea salt

Throw all the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, for the sauce to
thicken. Transfer to a jar and keep in the fridge for 2–3 weeks.

MAKES ABOUT
CUPS (500 ML)

1 cup (150 g) strawberries (frozen or fresh)

1 cup (250 ml) water

2 tablespoons rice malt syrup

2 tablespoons chia seeds or arrowroot

Throw all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth, then pour into a saucepan and heat over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat and
whisk constantly until thickened, about 3–5 minutes.

HAVE YOU MADE YOUR OWN MAYO YET? It’s one of those kitchen staples that is so Martha-Stewart-y satisfying to make. Apron pinned, you really feel like
you’ve completed a worthwhile, homely project. I make mine with whey. Why? It turns the condiment into an activated, stomach-benefiting food, plus it means it will keep for 3 months instead
of 2 weeks. I make a batch then divide it up and choose my own adventure with a bunch of different flavours.

MAKES
CUPS (350 ML)

1 egg

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon whey (see
here
, optional)

big pinch of sea salt

1 cup (250 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Whizz all the ingredients except the oil in a food processer on a low speed for 30 seconds. With the motor running (still on low), very slowly drizzle in the oil until the mayo
is thick and smooth. (Did I mention to drizzle it very slowly? You want it to pour in a very, very fine stream, otherwise it won’t form an emulsion.) If you included the whey, cover the
mayonnaise and let it sit at room temperature for 8 hours before refrigerating. This activates the enzymes in the whey. If you didn’t use whey, refrigerate immediately.

MAKES
CUP (180 ML)