Best Condiments for Quick and Easy Meals — Registered Dietitian Columbia SC

Cooking at home doesn’t have to be a hassle. Having pre-made sauces and other condiments on hand makes it easy to throw together a satisfying meal quickly. Here’s what I think are the best condiments to have on hand for quick and easy meals, so you can be a more intuitive cook.

I am so excited to be sharing with you all the first of a new series - Intuitive Kitchen. Over the past couple years, I’ve been thinking a bit about how to bring together the intuitive eating and recipe content on my blog. While certainly my approach to recipe development has changed quite a bit over the years - when I first started blogging 7 (!!!!) years ago, I felt quite a bit of pressure to make every recipe the “healthiest” possible version. Now, I view my recipes as a way to highlight how all foods fit, and how to incorporate nutrition in a flexible and gentle way.

While I often use recipes for cooking, one thing I’ve noticed for many of my clients is that cooking from recipes can be hella stressful. No matter how easy a recipe might seem, the first time you make it will almost always be a bit more complicated as you go back and forth between cooking and looking at the instructions. Also, cooking from recipes can require a lot of advance planning, making sure you have a recipe picked out as well as the ingredients on hand to prepare it. While having a flexible plan for food for the week can be helpful (I talk about meal planning in intuitive eating here), when it’s too rigid and entirely recipe based, that can be a barrier to eating intuitively.

Intuitive Kitchen: Best Condiments to Have for Quick and Easy Meals

Real life meals being able to whip up easy and satisfying meals with minimal planning and prep. When you have the ingredients on hand to be able to do that, along with some basic cooking skills, it allows for you to feed yourself in a more intuitive way, satisfying yourself with what sounds good in the moment - not what you thought might sound good on Sunday when you were meal planning.

With this first post, I wanted to focus on one of my favorite tips for more intuitive cooking, having a variety of tasty condiments on hand to flavor simply prepared dishes! It’s a little thing, but I find a lot of times people forget that it’s even an option. Thanks to the popularity of “clean eating,” I hear from a lot of people who feel scared to keep condiments on hand, fearing they may be “too processed.” This can be really limiting, as you’re stuck either making all your sauces and dressings from scratch, or eating food that’s bland and boring.

In reality, there is nothing wrong with eating store bought condiments and sauces. Many are made exactly the same as how you’d prepare it at home, and even for ones that may seem to have added sugar/preservatives/a type of oil you’re not comfortable with/etc, it’s OK! While there’s no reason to be afraid of totally innocuous ingredients, it’s still helpful to remember that it’s just a condiment that you’re using in small amounts. Adding tasty sauces and dressings adds major satisfaction factor with minimal fuss!

Here’s what I think are some of the best condiments to have on hand for quick and easy meals, and how to use them.

My Favorite Condiments for Intuitive Cooking:

Pesto

I almost always have a jar of basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto on hand! You could also keep red pepper spread or olive tapenade on hand and use it in much the same ways. Also, when I have greens or herbs that are about to go back, I often whip them up into a pesto and freeze in an ice cube tray, then pull them out to add flavor to meals. No need to follow a recipe - I just throw arugula, kale, spinach, parsley, dill, cilantro, etc into the food processor with a handful of toasted nuts, parmesan cheese, a garlic clove or two, and olive oil.

For an easy side, toss roasted vegetables, like carrots, broccoli, potatoes, or green beans, with pesto. To roast vegetables, here’s a handy how to guide.
Spoon a bit of pesto into cooked rice, polenta or other grains.
Mix pesto with mayonnaise or yogurt to make a spread to dress up sandwiches. I especially love pesto mayo on turkey and roasted red pepper sandwiches, or grilled veggie and cheese sandwiches on ciabatta.
Pesto makes a tasty marinade for chicken kebabs! I like to use chunks of chicken, zucchini, cherry tomatoes and red onion.

Favorite Brands: Cucina & Amore, Sacla Fiery Chili Pesto, Rustichella d’Abruzzo Pesto Sauce

Roasted fall vegetables with a kale-hazelnut pesto. Link to a recipe here, or ya know, toss roasted vegetables with pesto.

Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce

Technically Bachan’s is teriyaki sauce, but it is SO good it gets it’s own line. My brother-in-law introduced me to the local brand when we visited them in California, and I pick up a bottle or two every time we go, and usually order another bottle between visits!

I often whip up a quick stir fry with tofu and whatever veggies I’m trying to use up. Just stir fry in a neutral flavored oil, and when it’s cooked to your liking, squeeze in some Bachan’s and cook another minute to warm through.
Soba noodle bowls are another go to meal in our house. I usually top cooked soba noodles tossed with a bit of sesame oil (you can use rice noodles, Chinese egg noodles, or whatever you like!) with seared or roasted salmon and squeeze a bit of Bachan’s over the top.
Bachan’s is also fun for making fusion-y tacos, like pulled chicken or pork drizzled with Bachan’s and slaw, or grilled shrimp and pineapple with avocado.

Purchance: Bachan's Japanese Barbecue Sauce

An easy stir fry I made with tofu and leftover veggies, served over quick cooking quinoa

Harissa

Harissa is a North African paste made of roasted chiles and spices. It has a smoky and spicy flavor, although the level of heat varies from brand to brand.

Stir into a homemade or canned soup to flavor it up. I use it in my harissa bean soup, and also like to add it to canned minestrone, lentil vegetable soup, chili or tomato bisque.
Harissa makes a tasty marinade for chicken, pork or salmon.
I love the sweet and spicy flavor of winter squash or sweet potato roasted with harissa! Here’s a recipe for harissa roasted butternut squash you can adapt.
Add a scoop of harissa to jarred tomato sauce and use to make shakshuka. Here’s a basic recipe you can adapt.
Dress up tuna salad with a bit of harissa. I like to use it to make a sandwich with roasted red peppers and arugula, or enjoy over a bed of arugula with roasted potatoes, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, and cucumbers.

Favorite Brands: Dea, Le Phare du Cap Bon, Trader Joe's

Jerk marinade/paste

Jamaican jerk seasoning is usually sold as a marinade, paste or dry rub - I prefer marinades but any will work.

Kind of obvious, but make jerk chicken!
I love to use jerk marinade to season tofu and throw together an easy jerk tofu bowl. I like mine with coconut-cilantro rice, garlicky collards, and avocado, but you could also make it with zucchini, grilled pineapple, sautéed spinach and/or peppers.
Another favorite is jerk salmon bowls, made with jerk marinated salmon (or another fish you like) served over rice and topped with a fruit salsa.

Favorite Brands: Walkerswood, The Shizzle

Curry simmer sauce

Simmer sauces are a favorite of mine for quick weeknight cooking! Just briefly cook a protein, like chicken, tofu, or chickpeas in a pot with vegetables, like diced sweet or white potatoes, zucchini, green beans, spinach, pepper and/or carrots. Then add simmer sauce and cook. You can also make it in a pressure cooker or instant pot too.

Favorite Brands: Maya Kaimal, Mina, Patak's

Salsa

An easy dinner we make on the regular is a bowl of rice (often frozen or from a microwave packet) tossed with canned black beans and topped with fried eggs, some kind of veggie and salsa.
Migas, a scramble of eggs and tortillas/tortilla chips, is another favorite breakfast/dinner we love to make, and a scoop of flavorful salsa dresses it up a bit!
Stuff a baked sweet or white potato with cheese, black beans and/or chicken for protein, and top with salsa.
Dress up store bought black bean soup with a spoonful or salsa.
Make a potato hash with peppers and onions and top with cheese, fried egg and salsa.

Favorite Brands: Herdez Salsa Verde, Mateo's (I just discovered this brand a couple weeks ago and it's by far my favorite tomato salsa), Trader Joe's Tomatillo and Yellow Roasted Chili Salsa, Trader Joe's Hatch Valley Salsa

Enchilada sauce

Make enchiladas. Sounds like a duh, but seriously, there’s no need to follow a strict recipe. Fill tortillas with things like beans, cheese, chicken, grilled veggies, potatoes, etc, top with store bought enchilada sauce and cheese, and bake until bubbly.
Stuffed poblanos. Again, there’s no need to follow a strict recipe. Prepare roasted poblanos (I have instructions for that in this recipe) and fill with things like cooked ground meat, beans, cheese, and rice. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese and bake!
Cook chicken or pork in a slow cooker with bottled enchilada sauce. Shred and use for burrito bowls, tacos, etc.

Favorite Brands: Sky Valley, Frontera