Sauces

(Source: http://www.theppk.com/category/recipe/sauces)

Index

1. Roasty Soba Bowl with Miso Tahini
2. Sunflower Mac
3. Bestest Pesto
4. Cashew Queso
5. Spaghetti Pomodoro with Grilled Tempeh
6. Romesco Pizza with Caramelized Onion & Squash
7. Sanctuary Dip
8. Spaghetti-Nos with Mini Lentil Meatballs
9. Mac & Shews
10. Roasted Yellow Beet Salad with Warm Maple Mustard Dressing
11. Savory Mushroom Gravy
12. 3 ingredient Cranberry Sauce
13. Spinash Linguine with Edamame Pesto
14. Salsa Verde
15. Basal Mint Pesto
16. Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

1. Roasty Soba Bowl With Miso Tahini

Recipe:

• 8 oz buckwheat soba noodles
• 2 cups cooked brown or green lentils
• 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into large florets
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Severeal dashes Fresh black pepper

For the dressing:

• 1/4 cup mellow white miso
• 1/4 cup tahini
• 1 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water

Optional: fresh herbs for garnish (dill, cilantro and parsley are all good choices.)

Method:

1. Cook the lentils if you don’t already have prepared ones (1 cup dry is about 2 cups cooked.) While the water for the soba is boiling, preheat the oven to 425 F and chop the cauliflower into large florets. It’s easy to do this by chopping it in half lengthwise, pulling of the leafy base and then pulling off the florets with your hands.
2. When the water boils, prepare soba according to package directions. Once cooked, drain and set aside, rinsing with cold water to prevent sticking.
3. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with non stick cooking spray. Toss the cauliflower on the with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, flipping once, until aromatic nicely toasted.
4. In the meantime, place all dressing ingredients in a small blender. Start with 1/2 cup water, and then add another 1/4 to thin, if you like.
5. Assemble the bowl: Divide soba noodles into big bowls. Top with lentils, cauliflower and plenty of sauce. Garnish with herbs and serve!

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2. Sunflower Mac

Recipe:

• 8 oz macaroni pasta (Use brown rice pasta to make it gluten-free)
• 1 cup unroasted sunflower seed kernels, soaked (see directions)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1 small onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons organic cornstarch
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Sweet paprika for sprinkling

Method

1. Place sunflower seeds in a bowl and submerge in water. Let soak for about 2 hours and up to overnight. Drain well.
2. Boil a pot of salted water for your pasta.
3. Preheat a sauce pot over medium heat. Saute carrots and onions in oil with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent and carrots are slightly softened. Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds or so, then remove from heat.
4. Place the carrots and onions in a blender or food processor. Add vegetable broth, corn starch, nutritional yeast, tomato paste and sunflower seeds. Blend until very smooth. This could take up to 5 minutes depending on the power of your machine, so give your blender  motor a break every minute or so and test the sauce for smoothness. It should be very smooth, with only a slight graininess.
5. If your water is boiling, prepare the pasta according to package directions.
6. In the meantime, transfer the sauce back to the sauce pot. Turn the heat up to medium and let cook, stirring very often, until thickened. This should take about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice and taste for salt and seasoning.
7. The pasta should be done while the sauce is thickening, so drain and place back in the pot you cooked it in. Set aside.
8. When sauce is thick, pour most of it over the pasta, reserving some to pour over individual servings. Mix it up, and serve with extra sauce and paprika for sprinkling.

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3. Bestest Pesto

Recipe:

• 1/4 cup walnut halves
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 1/2 cups fresh basil
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• Fresh black pepper (to finish)

Method:

1. First toast the nuts. Preheat a large heavy bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-low heat. First toast the walnuts for about 5 minutes, tossing them often. Then add the pinenuts for an additional 5. They should turn a few shades darker and smell warm and toasty.
2. Transfer toasted nuts to a food processor. Add the garlic and pulse everything into fine crumbs. Add the basil, cilantro, thyme, salt, nutritional yeast and water and puree until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides at least once to make sure you get everything. Stream in the olive oil and blend until well combined. Last but not least, blend in the lemon juice.
3. Serve it over warm pasta (don’t rinse, it needs the starch to stick), and finish it off with some fresh black pepper.

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4. Cashew Queso

Recipe notes: ~If you prefer a chunky queso, double the vegetable ingredients (except for the garlic) and set half aside before the pureeing step. ~This reheats really well! Gently reheat in a small pot, drizzling in a little water and whisking often until it returns to its original creamy state. ~The nutritional yeast is totally optional. It adds a little extra cheezy kick, but if you aren’t a fan or don’t have any on hand, the queso will not suffer for it. ~White miso is my favorite, but since it’s such a small quantity, any miso will do here.

Recipe:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight
• 2 cups veg broth
• 2 tablespoons white miso (see recipe note)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced (keeps seeds if you want more heat)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ancho pepper (or any mild ground red chili)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Method

1. Drain the cashews. In a blender or food processor, puree them with vegetable broth, miso and cornstarch until very smooth. This could take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes depending on your device. Rub between your fingers to test; slight graininess is okay, but try to get it as smooth as possible.
2. In the meantime, preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Saute onion, red pepper, and jalapeno in oil with a pinch of salt until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute about a minute more.
3. Transfer vegetables to the blender where the cashew mixture is. Add cumin, ancho, nutritional yeast and salt. Blend again until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender with a spatula to make sure you get everything.
4. Transfer mixture back to the pot. Whisking often, turn heat up to medium until the queso comes to a slow rolling boil. Lower heat so that it doesn’t burn and cook for about 20 minutes. Whisk often and check to see that it’s thickening, if it’s not, then turn the heat up a bit. It should become nicely thickened but velvetty and pourable.
5. Stir in the lemon juice at the end. If the queso seems too thick, drizzle in a little water and whisk to desired consistency. Taste for salt, spices and lemon juice and adjust as you like. Serve hot!

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5. Spaghetti Pomodoro With Grilled Tempeh

Recipe:

• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 pounds tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Several dashes fresh black pepper
• 8 large basil leaves, torn into pieces (plus extra for garnish)

Method

1. First bring water to a boil for the pasta. Prep everything while it’s boiling. Once boiling, cook your spaghetti.
2. Meanwhile, preheat a 4 quart pot over medium low heat. Saute garlic in the oil for about a minute, being careful not to burn.
3. Add the tomatoes, salt, black pepper and basil leaves and stir. Cover pot and turn the heat up to medium high. Let cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often.
4. The tomatoes should be broken down and saucy. Toss in the spaghetti and toss to coat. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes or so, to let flavors meld. Serve topped with extra basil.

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6. Romesco Pizza With Caramelized Onions & Squash

Recipe

You’ll need: 2 balls of pizza dough, for 2 large pizzas Olive oil for brushing

For the caramelized onions: 1 tablespoon olive oil and 2 large yellow onions big pinch salt

For the sauce:

• 1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
• 4 red bell roasted peppers (you can also drained, jarred roasted red peppers)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
• 1/2 teasoon salt
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon agave nectar

For the squash: 1 large yellow squash, sliced into paper thin ribbons (with a mandoline or knife)

Method:

To make the caramelized onions:

1. The basic idea here is that you sweat the onions, which means you’ll be gently cooking them covered over low heat, and a lot of the cooking will be done from the steam as the water is released. You’re coaxing the sweetness out of them and locking it in. It looks like a lot of onion, and it is, but everything will cook down to manageable proportions. If you’ve never tasted caramelized onions, you might be surprised that an onion is even capable of this deep, sweet complexity, and with only two ingredients.
2. Preheat a heavy bottomed, preferably cast iron, skillet over low heat. Add the oil and the onions and toss the onions to coat. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, leaving a little gap for steam to escape. Stir occasionally, every 5 minutes or so. Onions should turn a nice mellow amber, but not burn, although a couple of darker spots are fine.
3. Remove the cover and turn the heat up just a bit, to a medium setting. Stir often for 10 more minutes. Onions should become a darker amber, and some of the moisture should evaporate.  Transfer to a bowl until ready to use.

To make the romesco:

1. If your red peppers aren’t already roasted, then do it now. Just place them on a rimmed baking sheet, into a 425 F oven, and turn occasionally. They’re ready when they’re blackened and collapsed, about 20 to 25 minutes. Remove them from oven and immediately place in a paper bag. This will steam the skin off as they cool. Place in the fridge and once cool, remove from bag, peel off skin and remove seeds.
2. Now toast the almonds. Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium low heat. Spread the almonds out in a single layer and toast frequently until fragrant and honey brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer almonds to a food processor. Now we’ll prepare the rest of the sauce.
3. In the same pan over medium high heat, saute onions in olive oil for 5 to 7 minutes with a pinch of salt, until lightly browned. Add garlic, several dashes fresh black pepper, dried marjoram and salt, and saute for 30 seconds more, then turn off the heat.
4. Now pulse the almonds in the food processor until they’re a finely ground powder. Add the roasted red peppers, the onion mixture and the red wine vinegar and agave nectar. Puree until fairly smooth. Taste for salt, and set aside until ready to use.

To assemble pizza:

1. Preheat oven to 500 F.
2. This post is getting really long, so it won’t be a treatise on how to perfectly roll out a pizza crust. But I’ll just say, use a lightly floured, cold surface and I’m just fine with using a rolling pin.
3. Roll dough out onto a large, lightly greased pizza pan. Spread a cup or so of romesco sauce onto the pizza. Place squash ribbons artfully over the sauce and drizzle with a little olive oil. Also, brush the crust with olive oil.
4. Place pizza on the bottom of the oven (yes, right on the bottom, no rack required) preferably on a pizza stone, but it’s ok if you don’t have one. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until crust is golden. Remove from oven, top with splotches of caramelized onion, sprinkle on some fresh black pepper if you like, slice and serve. Then prepare your next pizza the same way!

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7. Sanctuary Dip

Recipe

• 1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours, and drained 1 cup water 3 to 4 ounces extra firm tofu (1/4 of a typical package)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon agave
• 1 tablespoon plus
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon plus
• 1 teaspoon vegetable broth powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon dried dill

Method

1. Place cashews, water, tofu, lemon juice and agave in the blender. Puree until very smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula often to make sure you get everything. This can take up to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.
2. Add the onion powder, veg broth powder, garlic powder and salt, and pulse to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in the dried dill. Taste for salt and seasonings. Seal tightly and chill for at least an hour. The longer you let is chill, the firmer it will get.
3. Before serving, taste one last time and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve!

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8. Spaghetti-Nos With Mini Lentil Meatballs

Recipe notes:

~If you can’t find seasoned store bought breadcrumbs for the meatballs, add a pinch each of basil, oregano and thyme. Homemade bread crumbs won’t work as well (too soft), but cracker crumbs might fare a bit better if you must.

~If you can’t find crushed tomatoes with basil, just use a pinch or two of dried basil.

~If you don’t have a food processor, you can still get the job done (although you’ll need some sort of blender for the sauce.) Just get the onion grated and mash the lentils into a puree. If you warm them up a bit first they’ll mush up a lot easier.

~To soak cashews, just submerge them in water for at least an hour and up to overnight. This softens them up and enables them to get really creamy.

~The recipe makes a lot! Feel free to halve it. And if you’re short on time, just make the pasta or make the meatballs with regular sauce on regular pasta. It’s fun to do the whole shebang, but all of the elements would be good solo players as well.

~Lastly, while it isn’t difficult, this recipe does use quite a few pots and pans, so consider yourself warned! For time management purposes, start the sauce first and once it’s simmering, begin the meatballs. That should get everything done within an hour.

For the Cheesy Tomato Sauce:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 24 oz. cans crushed tomato with basil
• 1/4 cup cashews, soaked (see note)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

For the Mini Meatballs:

• 1 clove garlic 1 small onion, peeled (tangerine sized or equivalent)
• 1 1/2 cups cooked green or brown lentils, rinsed, drained (a 15 oz can is fine)
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten flour
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 cup seasoned store-bought breadcrumbs

For everything else:

• 1 lb anellini pasta (or small pasta of your choice)
• Olive oil for pan frying

Method:

To make the sauce:

1. Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Sautee onions in olive oil with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic about a minute more, then mix in the black pepper, oregano, salt and brown sugar. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the sugar is melted. Add the tomato sauce, cashews and nutritional yeast, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.
2. Now puree the sauce until smooth. It’s easiest to use an immersion blender. You can also use a blender or food processor, blending in batches. Once it’s smooth, keep warm in the pot until ready to use.

To make the mini meatballs:

1. We’re going to use the food processor fit with a metal S blade for most of the work here, so it should come together pretty quickly. First toss in the garlic and pulse until finely chopped. Now add the onion and pulse until minced. You don’t want any big pieces or they will ruin the texture of the meatball.
2. With a plastic spatula, transfer the onion/garlic mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside. It’s okay if some remnants are left, just try to get most of it.
3. Now in the food processor, pulse the lentils, nutritional yeast, wheat gluten, soy sauce, tomato paste, olive oil and water. Once everything gets mixed well, puree them until totally smooth, scraping down the sides to make sure you get everything.
4. Combine this mixture with the onion mixture and add in the breadcrumbs. Mix really well with your hands for about 2 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350 F.
6. Roll the meatballs into cherry sized balls. This goes very fast if you keep your hands clean and dry. Preheat a large skillet over medium heat and pour in a thin layer of olive oil. You don’t want to crowd the pan, so pan fry in two batches. You should be able to tilt the pan and have all the meatballs roll around and get coated in oil, cooking until browned (no more than 5 minutes.)
7. Transfer first batch to a baking pan, cook the second batch, and transfer all meatballs to the baking pan. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, shaking the pan every once in awhile to toss the balls so that they cook evenly.

To assemble: Boil the pasta while the meatballs are cooking. Drain pasta, and add to the sauce. When meatballs are ready, add them to the sauce as well. Toss carefully with a wooden spoon, being careful not to break the meatballs. Serve!

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9. Mac & Shews

Recipe notes:

~You really need to blend the beejeezus out of the cashews and sauerkraut. Although it won’t be completely creamy until after it’s cooked, it should still be relatively smooth, with absolutely no chunks, when it comes out of the food processor.

~Make sure that the roux is cooked and toasty before streaming in the veggie broth. It really makes a difference in the final flavor, so get your roux a really beautiful gravy color.

~You can use any smallish pasta. Small shells or traditional macaroni are both great choices, too.

~To soak cashews, just place them in a bowl and submerge with water. Soak for at least an hour, preferably two, or up to overnight.

~And lastly, the type of veggie broth you use makes a huge difference. If I use my own homemade broth, I make sure it’s super assertive. If you use the type of broth that comes from a powder or concentrate, that is totally cool, just make it a bit stronger than you usually do.

Recipe

• 1 lb small pasta like shells, macaroni or chiocciole
• 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked (see recipe note)
• 4 cups broth, divided
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cups sauerkraut
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• Several dashes fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1. First boil salted water for the pasta. Cook pasta and drain. In the meantime, prepare the rest of the recipe.
2. Place the soaked cashews and 2 cups of the vegetable broth in a food processor and blend until smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could take 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, preheat a large pan (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic and a pinch of salt in a tablespoon of the oil, until onions are softened.
4. Drain the sauerkraut in a sieve, pushing it into the sieve to remove as much moisture as possible. Add to the pan just to heat through, a minute or two.
5. Transfer sauerkraut mixture to the food processor with the cashew mixture. Once again, puree until relatively smooth. There will be some texture, just make sure it’s not chunky.
6. Wipe out the pan that you sauteed the onions in and preheat it over medium heat once again. Add 3 tablespoons of oil, along with the flour. It should become a gooey clump. You’re now making a roux! Add a little bit more olive oil if necessary. Toast the roux for about 15 minutes, until it smells toasty and turns a medium brown. Stir practically the whole time so that it cooks evenly.
7. Now stream in remaining 2 cups of broth, whisking constantly so that it doesn’t clump. Whisk until thick and smooth, about 2 minutes.
8. Stream in the cashew sauerkraut mixture, and whisk until well incorporated. Add the tumeric, black pepper, nutritional yeast if using, salt and fresh lemon juice. Heat through and stir occasionally, allowing the mixture to thicken.
9. Preheat oven to 350 F and lightly grease an 11 x 13 casserole with olive oil.
10. Add the cooked pasta back to the pasta pot and pour in the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper. Mix to coat, then transfer to the casserole dish. Cover casserole with tin foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot!

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10. Roasted Yellow Beet Salad With Warm Maple Mustard Dressing

Recipe:

For the beets:

• 4 small yellow beets, peeled
• Preheat oven to 425 F.
• Wrap beets in tin foil and roast for an hour.
• Remove from oven, unwrap and slice when they stop steaming.

For the Smoky Tempeh Croutons:

• 8 oz tempeh, diced (1/2 inch to 3/4 inch pieces)
• Olive oil or cooking spray

Marinade:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 3/4 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed

Method:

1. Mix all marinade ingredients together in a bowl. Add tempeh pieces and marinade for an hour.
2. Preheat a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Remove tempeh from marinade and saute in a little olive oil or cooking spray. When they’re browned (about 7 minutes) splash in some extra marinade and toss to coat. Remove from heat.

For the Maple Mustard Dressing:

1. 1/4 cup stoneground mustard 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1 tablespoon water
2. Mix everything together in a bowl. When ready to serve, microwave for 30 seconds or gently heat in a pan over low heat.

Needed to serve:

4 oz baby arugula, or your favorite greens Sliced red onion

To assemble:

1. Place the greens in a super large mixing bowl. Drizzle in the dressing and use tongs to coat. The greens will wilt slightly.
2. Transfer salads to 4 plates (or two, if you’re looking for entree-sized salads). Place slice beets snugly against the greens. Scatter on tempeh croutons and a few slices of sliced red onion.

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11. Savory Mushroom Gravy

Recipe:

• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil 16 oz cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried sage 1/2 teaspoons salt Several dashes fresh black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (chardonnay is great)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Method:

1. In a small bowl, mix the flour with about 2 cups of vegetable broth until well dissolved. Once dissolved, add the remaining broth and mix. Set aside.
2. Preheat a 2 quart pot over medium heat. Saute the onion in oil for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, sage, salt and pepper and saute for about 5 more minutes.
3. Add wine and turn heat up to bring to a boil. Let wine reduce for about 3 minutes. Add the broth/flour mix and the nutritional yeast, if using. Lower heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often.
4. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

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12. 3 Ingredient Cranberry Sauce

Recipe:

1. 1 12 oz bag fresh cranberries
2. 3/4 cup water
3. 1/3 cup agave syrup

Method

1. Place cranberries in a sauce pan with water and cover. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat off completely. Mix in agave and let sit for about 5 minutes. Cranberries should be broken down and saucy.
2. Transfer to a bowl and place in freezer. Stir every few minutes to get it to cool faster. Serve when cooled.

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13. Spinach Linguine With Edamame Pesto

Recipe

For the edamame pesto:

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• Handful (1/4 cup or so) fresh cilantro
• 14 oz package shelled edamame, thawed 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 teaspoon salt optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

For the pasta:

• 10 oz spinach linguine or other pasta
• 1 teaspoon olive oil Small red onion, in thinly sliced half moons
• 1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt Extra basil for garnish
• Cooking spray

Method:

Put on a pot of salted water to boil. Then prepare the pesto:

1. Place garlic and basil in food processor and pulse a few times to get it chopped up. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula to make sure you get everything. Add a little more vegetable broth if it seems too stiff. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Preheat a large pan over medium heat. At this point your pasta water should be ready, so add the linguine.
3. Saute onion in oil for about 5 minutes. Use a little cooking spray as needed, or a splash of water if you prefer. Mix in mushrooms, garlic, thyme and salt. Cover pot and cook 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. The pasta should be ready now, so drain it.
5. When the mushrooms have cooked down, add pasta to the pan, along with the pesto. Use a pasta spoon to stir and coat the linguine. Get everything good and mixed and the pesto heated through, about 3 minutes. The pesto should be relatively thick, but if it’s too thick (not spreading out and coating the pasta) add a few tablespoons of water. Taste for salt.
6. Serve immediately, garnished with a little fresh chopped basil.

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14. Salsa Verde

Recipe:

• 10 tomatillos (husks removed), cleaned and diced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth Juice of one lime
• 1 cup cilantro, loosely packed

Method:

1. Saute the garlic and jalapeno on low heat until, fragrant, about 3 minutes
2. Add tomatillos and salt, saute until tomatillos begin to soften and release moisture, about five minutes
3. Add vegetable broth, bring to a slow boil for 1/2 an hour, stirring occassionally
4. Remove from heat, let cool until it is not steaming, then add the cilantro and lime juice, pour into a blender and blend until it’s pretty smooth, about 30 seconds

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15. Basil Mint Pesto

Recipe:

• 2 cups basil leaves
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves ]
• 1/2 cup walnut halves
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Toast the walnuts in a toaster oven for 5 minutes, or on a baking sheet in a conventional oven for 10 minutes, turning once.
2. Combine the basil mint and oil in a blender until smooth. Add the toasted walnuts and garlic and blend until pureed. Add the lemon juice, nutritional yeast and salt and blend once more. It’s now ready to be used or stored in the fridge in an air tight container.

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16. Blueberry Chipotle Barbecue Sauce

Recipe:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch chunk of peeled ginger, minced
• 2 cups blueberries (I bet raspberries or blackberries would be great, too)
• 1/2 cup veggie broth or water
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 to 3 teaspoons chipotle powder (smoked paprika would work too)
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or more to taste)
• Salt to taste, if needed

Method:

1. Preheat a sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Saute the onions in the oil for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.
3. Add the garlic and ginger, saute for a minute more.
4. Add the blueberries, veggie broth and soy sauce and bring to a boil.
5. Once boiling, add the chipotle, molasses and sugar.
6. Lower heat and let simmer for about 45 minutes, until it’s reduced by about half. It should be nice and thick. Adjust sugar and salt if you need to.
7. Turn the heat off and let sit for about 15 minutes before using, stirring occasionally.
8. I used the BBQ sauce on tofu and tempeh.
9. For the tofu, I pressed it and dredged in 2 tablespoons peanut oil and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Bake for about 20 minutes, then flip and coat with lots of sauce.
10. Bake for 15 more minutes. Same for the tempeh, only I steamed that for about 10 minutes. I love the way basmati or jasmine rice taste with BBQ sauce, so make me happy and serve rice alongside.

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