Ninja Food Chopper Express Chop with 200-Watt, 16-Ounce Bowl for Mincing, Chopping, Grinding, Blending and Meal Prep (NJ110GR), Gray

I was in your situation not long ago, and bought the Ninja Food Chopper Express, which has worked very well for exactly the kinds of uses you describe -- small amounts of mincing, chopping, and sauce-making. (In fact, I haven't had my giganto Cuisinart out of the cupboard in probably a year or two...)