Unless you live in a warm climate tomatoes are good at times and crummy at others (that's usually when they're most expensive, too). I don't think tomatillos vary so if you like this salsa it's always available - and always cheap to make.

1 medium onion peeled, quartered
2 small garlic cloves peeled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup cilantro minced
1 1/2 cups tomatillos husked, roasted
1 pinch sugar
8 sprigs cilantro
3/4 cup white onion chopped

Add onion, garlic and salt to a food processor and give it a pulse or two, that's all; the final product should have some texture.

Next, add minced cilantro, tomatillos, sugar and water and pulse again a few times.

Season to taste & sprinkle on some chopped cilantro and onion.

Basil better be looking over his shoulder because I'm seeing jars of this cilantro version in stores that feature such stuff. It probably costs the same as basil pesto at the store, but when you build it, the cost is much lower than doing it with basil. Don't get me wrong, basil pesto is great but now you have two great ones.

3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2 cups fresh cilantro, lightly packed
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Place the garlic and cilantro in the work bowl of your processor fitted with a metal blade. Run the processor and slowly add the oils, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Process until smooth, then bowl it - "bowl it"? Well, we cookers say, "plate it" for other foods so if you put something in a bowl, you're "bowling it", aren't you? - anyway, dip right in or spread it around.

No, I didn't misspell "Swedish". I'm referring to the brown sugar in the recipe. Anyway, I don't think a smorgasbord typically includes salsa.

1/2 medium red onion, diced
2 cups frozen corn kernels
½ red bell pepper, diced
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
1/2 cup lime juice (about 4 limes)
1/4 cup orange juice (about 1 orange)
2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Combine all the ingredients and gently toss. Serve immediately or store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

This is a great change-of-pace sauce for many dishes, but the true mojo would use 3 heated and processed guajillo peppers in place of paprika. That’s not as easy and quick and might be too hot for some of your eaters so here's the "sort of" version. Trust me, you'll like it.

3/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp sweet paprika
3/4 cup bottled minced garlic
5 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 & 1/2 tsp salt

Cook garlic in the olive oil heated to 350 F, stirring occasionally for 3 or 4 minutes or until golden. Move the pan off the burner.

Wait 5 minutes, then stir the paprika, lime juice, and salt into the oil-garlic mixture and you have mojo de ajo – sort of.

This is a HOT sauce from Argentina that can also serve as a nice marinade. The cilantro gives it a bit of lightness, and you can cut back on the cayenne if you like it cooler. Make it a couple days ahead if you wish but keep the parsley and cilantro out until just before using it.

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp chili powder (from ancho chiles if you can find it))
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

Just put everything in a lidded jar, shake it up and it's done.

Pasta, fish, chicken, whatever; this scrumptious sauce will make it better.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium red onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 14 oz can diced tomatoes in juice
3 Tbsp dry red wine
1/2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled
1/2 tsp dried basil, crumbled
Coarse salt

Add onion and garlic to a skillet, with heated oil over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 7 minutes.

Stir in tomatoes and juice, wine, oregano, and basil. Simmer 8 minutes or until lightly thickened. Season with salt to taste but be careful since canned produce may already have quite a bit.

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This super-hot paste is a blend of red chilies, garlic, and spices and is used in North African cooking.

2 roasted red bell peppers
2 Tbsp fresh red chilies, chopped, include the seeds for "REAL HOT")
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted
2 tsp caraway seeds
Olive oil
Salt

Blend in a processor or blender the red peppers, chilies (and seeds,if you dare) garlic, coriander and caraway seeds, and a pinch of salt. Add enough olive oil to make a thick paste.

Spoon Harissa into small, clean, dry jar and pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top to seal. Cover with tight-fitting lid and store in the fridge.

Use it to kick appropriate dishes WAY up or serve in small bowls on the table as a condiment.

After years of making my own pizzas (specializing in a super-crispy crust) this sauce has become my personal favorite. And now that you can buy pre-shaped crusts or crust-in-a-tube (Pillsbury or Wal-Mart's) pizza can be as quick & easy as almost anything on QuickEatsPlus.

1 28 oz can whole tomatoes broken up with your fingers - it feels g-o-o-od
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 Tbsp dried basil
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp each granulated onion and garlic
Pinch of sugar

Put all the ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for 15 minutes. Easy, huh?

Lay this on any cut of chicken or pork and you've got something really exciting and out of the ordinary to serve. We hate ordinary.

1/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/8 crushed red pepper

Put 'em all together they spell d-e-e-e-licious.

This marvelous sauce goes on steaks before you grill them up just the way you like them.

1/2 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup lime juice (the real stuff)
1 chipotle chili from small can, seeded and chopped
1 tsp sauce from the same can
2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Heat everything but the cilantro until the preserves melt down.

Add the cilantro, stir and it's ready for the meat. Once again, easy and quick.

These are so easy and quick that I've put 2 together - two for one, that's right. And to offer even more variety serve some out-of-the-bottle cocktail sauce if you're dipping seafood or shellfish.

Balsamic Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp green onion, thinly sliced

Combine ingredients - that's it.

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Mignonette Sauce

1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp water
2 tsp shallots, minced
1/2 tsp black pepper, coarse-grind

Instructions? Same as above.

When served over pasta this easy sauce will never give a hint that it took so little time to put together.

3/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
4 oz smoked chicken breast, shredded

Of course you're cooking your favorite pasta while you make'a da sauce.

Drain tomatoes saving a Tbsp of the oil. Slice the tomatoes into thin slices and place in a large bowl with the other ingredients including the reserved oil.

Next? Add it to your drained pasta and present it.