I was lucky enough to spend last weekend at a Culinary Wellness Retreat led by vegan chef Lauren Marshall. She fed us, taught us, laughed with us, and sent us away with an amazing recipe package which I will be sharing with you all over the next few weeks... her recipes are just too good not to share.
My first batch of recipes will be Sauces. These sauces are all so delicious and versatile. They can be used as yummy, healthy, salad dressings, veggie dips, pasta sauce, spreads for sandwiches, sauce for "Buddha bowls" or protein bowls (recipes all to follow in upcoming posts). I give more specific examples in each recipe. And best of all, these recipes are easy. You mostly just throw the ingredients into a blender! Well, I suppose the best BEST thing is that they are all soooo good for you. Most dressings are packed with healthy fats (necessary for our brain, eyes, nerves, hormones, gallbladder), garlic, ginger (both good for your immune system), nutritional yeast (high in B vitamins), apple cider vinegar (good for digestion)... so no need to skimp, the more the better with this stuff!
My first batch of recipes will be Sauces. These sauces are all so delicious and versatile. They can be used as yummy, healthy, salad dressings, veggie dips, pasta sauce, spreads for sandwiches, sauce for "Buddha bowls" or protein bowls (recipes all to follow in upcoming posts). I give more specific examples in each recipe. And best of all, these recipes are easy. You mostly just throw the ingredients into a blender! Well, I suppose the best BEST thing is that they are all soooo good for you. Most dressings are packed with healthy fats (necessary for our brain, eyes, nerves, hormones, gallbladder), garlic, ginger (both good for your immune system), nutritional yeast (high in B vitamins), apple cider vinegar (good for digestion)... so no need to skimp, the more the better with this stuff!
Amazing Sauces
Creamy Tangy Sauce:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup tamari
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup – 1 cup water to thin as necessary
Directions: Blend all ingredients together in blender, add oil in last to emulsify
What now? Use as salad dressing, “Buddha Bowl” dressing, dip for veggies
Savada’s Super Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 2 chopped garlic
- 1.5 tbsp tumeric
- 1 small nob fresh ginger
- small bunch of fresh herbs (either dill, thyme, basil, parsley, cilantro... or mix!) If you don't have fersh herbs you can use 1-2 tsp of dried herbs.
- 1 tsp salt
Directions: Blend together in blended. Add oil in last to emulsify
What now? Use as salad dressing, “Buddha Bowl” dressing, dip for veggies
Asian Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup tamari
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Directions: Blend in blender. Add oil in last to emulsify
What now? Use as salad dressing… great on finely sliced cabbage or on a bed of spinach/kale topped with steamed broccoli and fried tofu, “Buddha Bowl” dressing, dip for veggies or rice paper rolls/cold spring rolls
Pad Thai Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste (get this from Pete’s or an Asian or Indian grocer)
- ½ cup tamari
- 2 chopped and pitted dates
- 2 tbsp siracha
- 4 large shallots, lightly sauted with the garlic
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 bunch green onions
- handful cilantro
- fresh chopped peanuts or almonds
Directions:
- Blend everything together except green onions, cilantro, and nuts until smooth
- Fold in green onions and cilantro
- Top dish with toasted nuts
What now? Use as salad dressing, “Buddha Bowl” dressing, dip for veggies, on your Pad Thai
Pesto
Ingredients:
- 1 cup walnuts
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup water
- salt to taste
Directions: Blend in blender. Add oil in last to emulsify
What now? Use as salad dressing, use fresh mint in the recipe and top roasted beets, use as spread for sandwiches, wraps, burgers
Nut Mayo
Ingredients:
- ½ cup blanched almonds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds or mix together
- Enough water to cover the almonds
- 1 tbsp Dijon
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¼ cup olive oil
- squeeze of fresh lemon
- salt to taste
Directions:
- Soak nuts in water for 2-24 hours.
- Process nuts and water until smooth and creamy
- Add Dijon and vinegar
- Slowly stream in olive oil
- Finish with salt and lemon juice
What now? Use as pasta sauce, spread for sandwiches burgers, bean salad
Creamy Tangy Sauce:
Ingredients:
- ½ cup tahini
- ½ cup tamari
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- ½ tbsp maple syrup
- ½ cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 4 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup – 1 cup water to thin as necessary
Directions: Blend all ingredients together in blender, add oil in last to emulsify
What now? Use as salad dressing, “Buddha Bowl” dressing, dip for veggies
Savada’s Super Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/8 cup maple syrup
- 2 chopped garlic
- 1.5 tbsp tumeric
- 1 small nob fresh ginger
- small bunch of fresh herbs (either dill, thyme, basil, parsley, cilantro... or mix!) If you don't have fersh herbs you can use 1-2 tsp of dried herbs.
- 1 tsp salt
Directions: Blend together in blended. Add oil in last to emulsify
What now? Use as salad dressing, “Buddha Bowl” dressing, dip for veggies
Asian Peanut Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ¼ cup lime juice
- ½ cup tamari
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp minced ginger
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
Directions: Blend in blender. Add oil in last to emulsify
What now? Use as salad dressing… great on finely sliced cabbage or on a bed of spinach/kale topped with steamed broccoli and fried tofu, “Buddha Bowl” dressing, dip for veggies or rice paper rolls/cold spring rolls
Pad Thai Sauce
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp tamarind paste (get this from Pete’s or an Asian or Indian grocer)
- ½ cup tamari
- 2 chopped and pitted dates
- 2 tbsp siracha
- 4 large shallots, lightly sauted with the garlic
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 bunch green onions
- handful cilantro
- fresh chopped peanuts or almonds
Directions:
- Blend everything together except green onions, cilantro, and nuts until smooth
- Fold in green onions and cilantro
- Top dish with toasted nuts
What now? Use as salad dressing, “Buddha Bowl” dressing, dip for veggies, on your Pad Thai
Pesto
Ingredients:
- 1 cup walnuts
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup fresh parsley
- ¼ cup water
- salt to taste
Directions: Blend in blender. Add oil in last to emulsify
What now? Use as salad dressing, use fresh mint in the recipe and top roasted beets, use as spread for sandwiches, wraps, burgers
Nut Mayo
Ingredients:
- ½ cup blanched almonds, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds or mix together
- Enough water to cover the almonds
- 1 tbsp Dijon
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ¼ cup olive oil
- squeeze of fresh lemon
- salt to taste
Directions:
- Soak nuts in water for 2-24 hours.
- Process nuts and water until smooth and creamy
- Add Dijon and vinegar
- Slowly stream in olive oil
- Finish with salt and lemon juice
What now? Use as pasta sauce, spread for sandwiches burgers, bean salad
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