Skip to content

Top Navigation

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Recipes
  • Cooking 101
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
SUBSCRIBE
Pin FB

Explore Cooking Light

Cooking Light Cooking Light
  • Explore

    Explore

    • 31-Day Healthy Meal Plan

      Our 31-day calendar of meals and tips shows you how to cook more and love it with fun, family-friendly meals that come together quickly and deliciously. Read More
    • Dinner Tonight: Quick and Healthy Menus in 45 Minutes (or Less)

      Hundreds of delicious recipes, paired with simple sides, that can be on your table in 45 minutes or less. Read More
    • Our Favorite Healthy Air Fryer Recipes

      Who ever said that chicken wings, doughnuts, and pizza couldn't be healthy? Read More
  • Recipes

    Recipes

    See All Recipes
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Lunch
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Recipe Makeovers
    • Quick & Healthy
    • Diabetic
    • Gluten-Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cooking Light Live
  • Cooking 101

    Cooking 101

    See All Cooking 101
    • Essential Ingredients
    • Cooking Techniques
    • Meet the Chef
    • Cooking Resources
    • Budget Friendly
    • Smart Choices
  • Eating Smart
  • Healthy Living

    Healthy Living

    See All Healthy Living
    • Weight-Loss
    • Health
    • Fitness
    • Home
    • Travel
    • Nutrition 101
  • News

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Email Preferences

Manage Your Subscription

  • All Access Subscribers
  • Magazine Subscribers
  • Cooking Light Diet Subscribers
Login
Logout
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Cooking 101
  3. Flavor Boosters

Flavor Boosters

By Tim Cebula February 11, 2009
Skip gallery slides
Pin
Credit: Lee Harrelson
Keep an assortment of condiments on hand to add quick, no-fuss flavor boosts to simple dishes. Here are some of our favorites.
Start Slideshow

1 of 4

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Sambal Oelek

Credit: Lee Harrelson
This Indonesian chile paste lends spice and tang to a wide variety of dishes. Made of ground chilies and vinegar, it adds zip to soups, stews, sauces, vegetables, and even Bloody Marys (use one to two teaspoons in place of the hot sauce in this recipe). Use the potent mixture sparingly.

Recipes that get a kick from sambal oelek:
Bibimbop (Rice and Vegetable Medley)
Hot and Sour Coconut Soup
Chile-Glazed Shrimp
Spicy Tofu Udon Noodle Bowl

1 of 4

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 4

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Chutney

Credit: Lee Harrelson
Bottled chutney comes in many flavors, including cranberry, peach, tomato, and mango. Work it into stock-based sauces or use it to add subtle, fruity sweetness to the cooking liquid in braised dishes. On its own, it pairs nicely with roasted and grilled meats and curry dishes.

Try different chutney flavors in these recipes:
Cheddar Rice Casserole with Tomato Chutney
Grilled Chicken Sandwiches with Arugula and Chutney
Ham and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich with Mango Chutney
Broiled Salmon Fillets with Curried Chutney Sauce
Barbecued Flank Steak with Chutney-Bourbon Glaze

2 of 4

3 of 4

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Salsa

Credit: Lee Harrelson
One of the most popular condiments, this versatile blend isn’t relegated only to south-of-the-border dishes. Use it to spice up pasta dishes, or as the sauce for baked fish such as snapper or grouper or grilled meats including beef, chicken, and pork.

Use your favorite bottled salsa in one of these more than 200 main-dish recipes.

3 of 4

Advertisement

4 of 4

Pin
Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message

Peanut Sauce

Credit: Lee Harrelson
This Southeast Asian concoction is rich and mildly spicy. Stir it into noodle dishes, mix it with rice wine vinegar and peanut oil for a distinctive salad dressing, or use it as a dip for dumplings and summer rolls. Despite its exotic provenance, its peanutty flavor often makes it a hit with kids as well.

To save time, use bottled peanut sauce instead of making your own in these recipes:
Spicy Chicken and Sunchoke Stir-Fry
Stir-Fried Tofu and Spring Greens with Peanut Sauce
Spicy Peanut Noodles with Shrimp
Beef Sate with Peanut Dipping Sauce
Chicken Burgers with Peanut Sauce

4 of 4

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Tim Cebula

    Share the Gallery

    Pinterest Facebook
    Advertisement
    Skip slide summaries

    Everything in This Slideshow

    Advertisement

    View All

    1 of 4 Sambal Oelek
    2 of 4 Chutney
    3 of 4 Salsa
    4 of 4 Peanut Sauce

    Share & More

    Facebook Tweet Email Send Text Message
    Cooking Light

    Magazines & More

    Learn More

    • Customer Service this link opens in a new tab
    • Advertise
    • Content Licensing
    • Accolades this link opens in a new tab

    Connect

    MeredithCooking Light is part of the Allrecipes Food Group. © Copyright 2023 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Cooking Light may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
    © Copyright Cooking Light. All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.cookinglight.com

    View image

    Flavor Boosters
    this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.