Condiments on Bruce loves to cook

Quick relish

Sat, 17 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A quick, sweet-and-sour relish from the pickle shelf, for when a dish wants one.

Ingredients

½ cup sweet pickles, chopped
½ cup pickled peppers (mild–medium), chopped
½ cup frozen corn, diced and fried until the edges are brown and crispy
¼ cup red onion, diced
½ cup mustard
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp freeze-dried dill (or fresh, in season)
salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Combine everything, taste and adjust, and rest in the refrigerator for a few hours.

In-N-Out burger spread

Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Sometimes I’m craving a diner-style griddle burger with a classic hamburger sauce. This is a fairly close match to a popular burger chain that hasn’t made it to our region yet.

(Grand) Mom’s black bean & corn salsa

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Classic beany dip for nachos, which is also required for most family gatherings.

Ingredients

1 can (398 ml / 14 oz) black beans, rinsed
2 cups sweet corn
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, diced
juice of ½ lime
1 tsp salt, or to taste
½ avocado, diced
1 clove garlic, pressed (optional)
1 tbsp olive oil (optional)
zest of ½ lime (optional)

Method

Toss everything except the avocado together in a bowl or container. Let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Stir in the avocado just before serving, so it doesn’t brown.

Corn salsa

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

We were at the Rempels’ for dinner and Grandma made this corn salsa. We could not get enough of it.

Ingredients

5 cups corn, cut from the cob (about 4 large ears) or frozen
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika (optional)
¼ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sour cream
½ cup Parmesan, finely grated
2–3 tbsp lime juice
½ cup cilantro, roughly chopped
½ red onion, finely chopped
1 cup green onion, finely sliced (about 2 stems)
1 tbsp jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

Garnish

55 g (2 oz) cotija, feta, or Parmesan
jalapeño slices, cilantro leaves, lime wedges

Method

Cut the corn off the cob. If using frozen corn, don’t thaw it.

Gina’s tomato salsa

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Something similar to the fresh salsa at Gina’s Mexican Café, our favourite Nanaimo spot. This is a fairly liquidy salsa, great as a starter for a dinner party (or snack).

Pebre (Chilean red salsa)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Our take on pebre, the Chilean table salsa: a fresh, chunky tomato salsa sharpened with lime, lemon, and a splash of red wine vinegar. It’s better after a rest in the fridge, once the onion mellows and the juices come together.

Salsa verde

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A classic fresh tomatillo salsa. It’s fresh, tart, and great on chips or tacos.

Ingredients

500 g (8–10) tomatillos, husks removed, halved
½ onion, roughly chopped
2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, chopped, seeds removed if you don’t like it hot
- or dried chilies, rehydrated, or 1–2 tbsp good ancho powder
2–3 cloves garlic
1 handful cilantro, lower stems removed
Salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lime juice (optional)

Method

Wash the vegetables and chop them roughly. For a deeper flavour, roast the tomatillos, onion, and garlic until they have brown spots.

Simple, sweet pickled veg

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a quick, refrigerator sweet pickle, perfect for beets, cabbage, and other hearty veg.

Pickling solution

2 cups water
2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp kosher salt
10 whole peppercorns
10 cloves
1 tbsp pickling spice

Veg

about 1 kg (1 bag) beets, peeled
1 shallot, sliced
3 cloves garlic, halved

Method

Steam or roast the peeled beets until al dente, about 15 minutes steamed or 30 minutes roasted. Halve any larger beets so they cook evenly. Let cool until you can handle them.

Tofu pepperoni

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This vegetarian pepperoni substitute is great for pizzas, calzones, and rice dishes. It’s firm and sliceable like a hard cheese, with a nice, peppery flavour. It browns nicely, so put it on top of the cheese when using it on pizza!

Lime crema

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 00:00:00 +0000

A fresh-tasting sauce, perfect for nachos, tacos, or over rice bowls.

Ingredients

125 ml Mexican crema, sour cream, or Greek yogurt
30 ml mayonnaise
30 ml fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 clove garlic, minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt (adjust to taste)
30 g fresh cilantro (½ cup loosely packed), finely chopped
¼ teaspoon onion powder (or dehydrated or minced fresh onion)
1–2 g MSG

Method

Whisk or stir all ingredients together until combined. Taste and adjust salt and lime.

Sandwich sour pickles

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

These are delicious little pickles, perfect for fresh roast beef sandwiches.

Mechanic

A fast fridge pickle built for max contrast over sweetness. No sugar, no turmeric, no brightening agents: just sharp acid and mustard seed. The ratio is roughly 1.2:1 water to vinegar, which is milder than a straight vinegar pickle.

Thai cucumber relish

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This is our version of a common Thai side.

Ingredients

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ cm dice
60ml white vinegar (¼ cup)
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Method

Stir together vinegar and sugar until dissolved. Add fish sauce, red pepper flakes, shallot, and cucumber. Toss to combine. Fold in mint just before serving.