Stir Fry Sauces

Stir Fry Sauce is a basic combination of four tastes.The flavors should be balanced so that no one overwhelms the others. This usually means there is about 3 to 4 times more wine than soy. The sour and sweet are usually in smaller amounts;
Salt - usually Soy Sauce in one form or another, ie Thick, Thin, etc.
Bitter - Wine - Cooking Sherry, Mirin, Sake, Chinese Cooking Wine (also adds saltiness), etc.
Sour - Vinegar in whatever form you like (balsamic, rice wine vinegar), OJ (combines sour & sweet)
Sweet - Sugar, agave,

Then you can add other flavors like fermented black beans (makes it saltier), peanut butter, almond butter, chili, garlic, herbs, etc.The Corn Starch is only used for thickening. It doesn't add any appreciable taste (unless it's undercooked, and then it's not particularly good.Likewise, the Sesame Oil doesn't add much taste if it's cooked along with everything (just adds extra calories and oiliness). It's meant to be used as perfume, and should be added just after the dish is taken off the heat. Only a small amount is necessary.

Basic Stir Fry sauce
(makes for 2)
1 1/ 2 tsp. sesame oil
1/ 2 tsp. minced garlic
1/ 2 tsp. minced ginger
1/ 2 cup broth
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1/ 8 tsp. Tabasco
1/ 2 tsp. salt
1/ 4 tsp. pepper
1 1/ 2 tsp. lemon or lime juice
1 1/ 2 tsp.cornstarch
1 Tbs. rice wine or sherry

Heat the sesame oil in a small saucepan. Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry 15-30 second over medium heat to bring out the flavor. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Bring just to a boil, stirring. Dissolve the cornstarch in the wine and whisk into the sauce. Heat until sauce thickens and reaches a full boil. Simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Garlic Sesame Stri fry sauce
(makes for 2)
1/ 2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbs. soy sauce
3 Tbs. broth
1 Tbs. sugar
2 1/ 4 tsp. lemon juice
1/ 3 cup sesame oil
2 1/ 4 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. cornstarch mixed with 1 1/ 2 tsp. water

Combine the pepper, soy sauce, chicken broth, sugar and lemon juice. In a small saucepan heat the sesame oil. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute until soft but not browned. Add the soy sauce mixture and bring just to a boil. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture and let boil 20 seconds. Remove from the heat.

10 Minute Stir-Fry Sauce
3 tablespoons tamari sauce or soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons chili-garlic hot sauce
2 tablespoons ginger-garlic paste (or 3 cloves minced garlic and 1 small piece ginger minced)
3-4 tablespoon ketchup

Bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add 2 vegetable bouillon cubes. After the cubes dissolve, add 3 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, 1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce, 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste and 3-4 tablespoons ketchup. Cook on medium heat and bring to a boil.

or use 2 tbsp of brown sugar instead of the ketchup, throw in a little peanut butter to thicken the sauce.

Simple asian sauce
soy sauce
sugar to taste
orange or lime juice
S + P
cornstarch to thicken it

Vietnamese Sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice or white vinegar
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks
3 tablespoons
sugar
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1/4 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, chopped fresh hot chilies, dried red chili flakes, or other hot sauce

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a mini food processor or a blender and blend until smooth. Serve in small bowls at room temperature, or cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Makes about 2/3 cup.

Thai Stir-fry Sauce
3 to 4 T low sodium soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos
1/3 c. filtered water, vegetable stock
2 T. Natural peanut butter (smooth)
1 jalapeño pepper (deseeded)
2 cloves garlic
, chopped
2 T scallions, chopped
1 t. ginger, chopped
2 T Mirin (sweet sake)
2 fresh mint leaves (1/4 t. dried)
1 T chopped cilantro

Combine all ingredients in a blender, blending until smooth.

Onigiri balls and Sushi Rice Vinegar

Ingredients
(makes about 2-3 rice balls)
1 c short Brown Rice
3 c water
1⁄4 t Salt
8 Sheets sushi nori seaweed
Umeboshi paste

Place a cutting board or wax paper on the counter and wet your hands throughly. This is to keep the rice from sticking to your hands (although some grains will still stick) and to keep your hands cool from the hot rice. Then place nori on top of paper and several spoonfuls of rice in the center of each nori sheet. Scoop some rice with a spoon or scooper approx 1/3- 1/2 cup of rice for every rice ball
Make a deep crater in the rice ball, but don't puncture it to the point that your fingers slip to the other side! This is where your filling is going to go, so just deep enough to place things in. Insert your fillings into the hole. Make sure that you don't overfill it! Fold some rice over the hole/crater so that all fillings are hidden.

Tips:
Mix sesame seeds in with the rice before you form the rice balls. You can use regular sesame seeds (goma) or black sesame seeds (kurogoma).

Umeboshi either in the center or torn up and mixed into the rice.

Fresh ginger salad dressing mixed with rice!

Use commercial rice seasonings which typically contain some nori, sesame and some other flavors.

Use vinegar or salt on the rice for additional taste or make a solution of the two plus sugar and pour a little at a time onto the hot rice, cutting and folding it into the rice. Don't use too much of the solution as the purpose is to enhance the flavor of the rice -not overpower it. A solution of salt, rice vinegar and water folded into the rice will make the rice a bit stickier which can be beneficial if your rice balls tend to fall apart.

Dip your hands in salt water to prevent the rice from sticking to your hands as your form the rice balls.If you have difficulty sealing up rice balls with fillings, when you form the rice ball, form two halves with filling and put them together, using the salt water solution to help you to smooth and seal the seams.Try to get all the liquid out of a filling, because wet fillings makes your onigiri soggy, unappetizing, and falls apart.

Serve with a sauce made of soy sauce and some gari (pickled ginger) and wasabi.

Other fillings:
Sweet red bean paste (Anko) for a more desserty onigiri, however doesn't go well with nori
Grilled smoked Tofu
Steamed Carrot sticks
chopped up pickles (tsukemono)
pickled plum (umeboshi)
Ground veggie meat cooked with grated or chopped ginger, then flavored with soy sauce, some red pepper flakes, sake or mirin, and sugar. It should be quite dry. Curry flavored veggie ground meat mixture works surprisingly well too.
Tofu Wasabi Spread (really Thick)


Sushi vinegar mix (awase-zu)
If you can't get prepared sushi vinegar you can make it thus:
Mix 1/4 cup of rice vinegar or mild cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of mirin, sake or sweet brandy, and 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Heat over low heat in a small saucepan, and stir until the sugar and salt have dissolved. This is enough to flavor 4 cups of rice, so adjust the amount according to the amount of rice you have.

Bechamel Sauce (Flour Based) and Variations

Sauce to serve with meals or as topping. Semi-liquid béchamel sauce can be poured over vegetables, rice, etc. (esp goes well with roasted asparagus)

Pour over Casseroles for Vegetable, pasta and fish bakes. Top with béchamel and breadcrumbs or béchamel and cheese and bake. Especially can be used for creaming in macaroni cheese, lasagne and moussaka, au gratin potatoes, spinach or chard gratin etc

Basic white sauce (Bechamal)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. butter (or clarified Ghee or Vegan Butter like eartbalance)
2 Tbsp. flour (whole Wheat Flour or Vital Wheat Gluten would work as well)
1 cup milk or soy milk
dash salt
dash white pepper
1 pinch nutmeg (Optional)

Preparation:
In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Stir in flour with a wire whisk. Cook over low heat for three minutes, stirring constantly (This mixture is called a roux). Do not allow the mixture to brown. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly. Cook over low heat for 3-5 more minutes until sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat when the sauce is sufficiently thick – it should coat the back of a spoonSeason to taste. Makes 1 cup.

extra notes:
Once you've heated the butter and flour, add the milk very slowly, while stirring. The flour will bubble and expand; stir vigorously to keep lumps from forming. Should they form anyway, reduce the flow of milk to a trickle until you've stirred them out. Once you've added all the milk, stir the sauce slowly over a moderate flame until it thickens. Depending upon what you plan to use it for, you may wish to season it with salt and pepper to taste.

OR To avoid getting lumps, let the flour and butter form a paste that comes off the sides of the pan when you add the first bit of milk. If not, cheat and use a blender.

Healthier Version:
Replace the flour with cornflour, leave out the butter, and use semi-skimmed or skimmed milk. Mix 40g of cornflour and 500ml of milk in a bottle and shake vigorously, then thicken over a low heat.

Flavouring béchamel:
Add seasoning and flavouring to béchamel at the end of cooking so you get the quantity right.

Mornay Sauce:
Add 1/2 cup of grated Swiss, Gruyere or Emmanthal cheese after sauce thickens. Remove from heat and whisk until melted and smooth.

Onion White Sauce
Cook 1 Tbsp. minced onion in the butter until translucent. Then add the flour and continue with the recipe.

Mustard White Sauce
Whisk in 1-2 tsp. prepared mustard after the sauce is thickened.

Brown Sauce
When cooking the flour and butter mixture together, stir constantly and cook until the mixture begins to turn brown. Use stock instead of the milk.

Curry Sauce
Add 1-3 tsp. of curry powder (to taste) to the butter and simmer for 1 minute before adding the flour. Continue with the recipe as directed.

Tips:

1. To make the standard Béchamel, after adding the milk to the medium white sauce recipe add 1 small onion studded with 3 cloves, a bay leaf, and a grating of nutmeg.
2. Light stock, cream, or a combination may be used in place of the milk.
3. Add more flavor by seasoning with celery salt, nutmeg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, onion juice, or sherry, or a few tablespoons of chopped chives or parsley

Alfredo/ White Creamy Sauce

Makes 2-3 Servings

It’s also a great sauce for casseroles, over steamed veggies, on top of lasagna — wherever you want a basic creamy sauce.

1 Cup Soymilk
1/3 Cup Raw, Unsalted Cashews
1/4 Cup Nutritional Yeast
3 Tbs Low-Sodium Tamari or Soy Sauce
2 Tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 Tbs Tahini
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp Paprika (smoked is awesome)
1 Pinch Nutmeg
2-4 Cloves of Garlic, optional
Black pepper, to taste

Add all the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. This may work best in a high-speed blender (like a Vita-Mix), but you can definitely make it in a regular blender. Just blend extra-long, or perhaps strain if if you want it perfectly smooth. Tiny bits of cashews won’t hurt anyone though!

If you’re making this sauce for pasta, drain the pasta and return it to the hot empty pan. Pour the sauce over, place on medium heat, and stir until heated through. Serve with lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I love it with steamed broccoli added in!

Sauté of chickpea, butternut squash and chard, served with mint yoghurt

Chickpeas
o 70g dried chickpeas
o 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
o 2 tbsp olive oil
o 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
o 1 tsp caraway seeds
o ½ tsp castor sugar
o 1½ tsp ground cumin
o 100g Swiss chard leaves
o Juice of ½ a lemon
o 3 tbsp picked coriander leaves for garnish
o Salt and black pepper

Butternut squash
o 200g butternut squash
o 2 tbsp olive oil
o Salt and pepper

Yoghurt sauce
o 80g Greek yoghurt
o 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
o Juice of 1 lemon
o 3 tbsp olive oil
o 1 tsp dried mint
o Salt and black pepper

Soak the chickpeas in enough cold water to cover them twice. Add the bicarbonate soda and leave for at least 12 hours.

Drain the chickpeas, put in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of fresh water. Bring to the boil and simmer for at least an hour and sometimes up to 90 minutes. The chickpeas should be totally tender but retain their shape. Occasionally you would need to skim the froth off the surface. When ready, drain the chickpeas into a colander and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 200°C.

Peel the butternut squash and cut into 2cm cubes. Put them in a baking tray, drizzle the olive oil on and season with salt and pepper, mix well to coat and roast for 25-30 minutes or until soft.

While cooking the butternut squash, prepare the chickpea sauce. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the onion, caraway seeds, sugar and cumin and fry for 10 minutes, while stirring, until golden brown.

Stir in the chopped chard, and then add the cooked butternut squash and the chickpeas with about 5 tablespoons water. Mix together and cook for another 5 minutes or until hardly any juices are left. Add the lemon juice, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Make the yoghurt sauce by whisking together all of the ingredients. Taste for salt and pepper.
To serve, spoon the warm chickpeas on a serving dish, spoon over a bit of the yoghurt sauce and garnish with coriander leaves.

Pasta with Roasted Vegetables and White Bean Pesto

Makes 6 servings.

3 medium summer squash (yellow or zucchini), halved lengthwise and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8 ounces baby portabella mushrooms, larger ones halved
2 fennel bulbs, halved and sliced
1/2 large yellow or red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 large green bell pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
freshly ground pepper
olive oil spray
1 1/2 cups tomatoes, diced
salt (optional)

16 ounces uncooked whole grain pasta

Pesto:
1 1/2 cups (1 can) great northern beans, rinsed well and drained
1 cup fresh basil
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp. nutritional yeast
1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
salt to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a large rectangular baking dish with olive oil and add all the vegetables except the tomatoes to it. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper, and stir in the garlic. Give it a very quick spray with the olive oil (1/2 second) and put it in the oven. Set the timer for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, stir the vegetables and add the tomatoes. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, until all vegetables are done.

While the vegetables are roasting, prepare the pasta according to package directions and make the White Bean Pesto:

With the food processor running, drop in the garlic and process until minced. Add the basil and chop coarsely. Add the remaining pesto ingredients and process until smooth. Add salt to taste, if desired.

When the vegetables are done, add salt to taste. Serve the vegetables on top of the pasta, topped with a spoonful of pesto.

Tofu Pesto Pasta Salad

3 cups fresh basil (or 2 cups basil and one cup spinach)
3-4 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup walnuts, pine nuts, or raw cashews
1/2 container silken tofu (about 6 ounces)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp. salt, or to taste
1 lb. pasta, cooked according to package directions and rinsed with cool water
1-2 large tomatoes, chopped
additional nuts, to taste

In food processor, chop garlic and nuts until finely minced. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth.

Toss pasta with sauce and tomatoes, and sprinkle with nuts. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Artichoke Pesto Pasta Salad

Makes 4 servings.
1 cup basil, packed
1 can quartered artichoke hearts (packed in water)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 tbsp. vegetable broth
1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
salt, to taste
8 ounces whole wheat pasta, cooked
1 large tomato, diced
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Place the basil and 3 artichoke hearts (12 quarters) in a food processor, and pulse to coarsely chop. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, and lemon juice, and process until it becomes a thick paste. Add salt to taste.

In a serving bowl, combine the cooked pasta with the pesto and blend well. Add the remaining artichoke hearts, the tomato, and the pine nuts and toss. Serve at room temperature.

Pesto Variations

Cilantro-Lemon Pesto
1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese, shredded
2 cups fresh cilantro
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 lemon, juice of
Salt, to taste

Combine ingredients in food processor. Puree until ingredients are fully combined and the pesto has a smooth texture with no significant lumps (may still be just a little gritty). You may add additional olive oil if you like. May be served hot or at room temperature. Leftovers can be frozen in small tupperware containers or ice cube trays and thawed when you're ready to use.



Fresh Basil Pesto With Variations
SERVES 12 (2Tbs each), 1 cup
2 cups fresh basil leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts
1/2 teaspoon salt (I use finely ground sea salt or kosher)
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Fit your food processor with the steel blade attachment. To bowl add basil, garlic, oil, pine nuts, salt and pepper. Pulse several times, scraping bowl if needed, and continue until the mixture is a smooth paste. Add a tiny bit of oil if mixture gets too thick.
When the consistency is right, transfer to a small bowl and fold in the shredded parmesan cheese.
To Serve: Stir a few tablespoons of pesto with a splash of cooking water from your favorite pasta and toss with hot pasta until coated. Use as a condiment on grilled panini sandwiches, on toast points for an appetizer, as a pizza sauce, or garnish your fresh soup with a few teaspoons.
To Store: Cover with a thin layer of olive oil or spray with non-stick cooking oil and keep in the fridge for several weeks. For long-term storage fill ice cube trays with pesto, freeze and then pop out into a resealable plastic bag. Thaw just the right amount of fresh pesto for your meal any time you want it!
*NOTE: Other aromatic herbs, nuts, oils or hard cheeses can be used in place of or in combination with the basil, pine nuts, extra virgin olive oil and parmesan. Keep in mind the herb is the star of the show and should have the most prominent flavor when mixing and matching ingredients. Also, consider the rest of your meal and what fresh flavors might compliment it best. Have fun experimenting with some of the following!

Herbs: fresh cilantro, spinach, oregano, sun-dried tomatoes; Italian flat leaf parsley can be used by itself but is also great to use with any of the other herbs when you may be running short on them.

Nuts: Walnuts, almonds, pecans.

Flavored Oils: porcini mushroom, walnut, lemon, rosemary, raspberry.

Cheeses: parmigiano-reggiano, asiago, romano.

Almond Soba Noodles Recipe (with Tofu and red curry paste)

Serves 6-8 as a side, less as a main.
You might want to add a touch more curry paste if you like your noodles on the spicy side. On the other hand, if your curry paste is on the spicy side, you might want to go for a bit less - it is to taste really. As I was eating this I couldn't help but think that some blanched broccoli would be a nice addition or substitution for the pea spouts.

2 teaspoons red curry paste
1/3 cup unsalted almond butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
very scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
6 - 8 tablespoons hot water
12 ounces dried soba noodles
12 ounces extra-firm nigari tofu
4 ounces pea shoots (or other greens, or tiny pieces of broccoli)
12 leaves fresh basil, slivered
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Make the almond sauce by mashing the curry paste into the almond butter. Stir in the lemon juice and salt. And then whisk in the hot water one tablespoon at a time until you have a pourable dressing that is about as thick as a heavy cream. The dressing thickens as it cools, so feel free to thin it out with more water later on if needed. Taste, and add more salt or more curry paste if you like.

Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, then drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain and shake off as much water as possible.

While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into matchsticks or 1/2-inch cubes. Cook the tofu, along with a pinch or two of salt, in a well-seasoned skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Add a tiny splash of oil if needed to prevent sticking. Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy. About 15 seconds before the tofu has finished cooking, add the pea shoots to the hot pan.

In a large bowl combine the noodles with 2/3 of the almond sauce. Toss well, be sure all the noodles get coated. Arrange the tofu and pea shoots on top of the noodles, drizzle with the remaining sauce, and garnish with the slivered basil and toasted almonds.

Zucchini Noodles, Veggies & Spicy Almond Butter Sauce

Almond Butter Sauce ingredients:
• 1 cup almond butter
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup tamari
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons fresh, grated ginger
Noodle Ingredients:
• 4 medium zucchini, peeled and cut in half
Veggies:
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 cup snow peas, halved lengthwise
Garnish:
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced

Place all the ingredients for the Almond Butter Sauce in a high speed blender and blend until smooth. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Almond Butter Sauce will keep for five days.
Transform the zucchini into noodles using a vegetable peeler or spiral slicer. Toss the zucchini noodles and veggies with enough Almond Butter Sauce to coat well. Garnish with minced cilantro and serve immediately

Tofu and Quinoa with Almond Butter Sauce

Serves 4.

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 450g package of firm tofu, cubed
2 zucchini, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
3/4 cup of peas (fresh or frozen)

sauce
2 tbsp almond butter
3 tbsp tamari sauce
2 tbsp water
2 tsp hot chili sauce (less if you don't like spicy--I like spicy! Or more if you like very spicy)
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

Method
Rinse quinoa, and put in a saucepan with 1 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 20 min until cooked. Fluff with a fork when ready to serve.

Meanwhile, heat your cast-iron pan or wok at medium-high heat and add your tofu. Sear on each side, then add your diced veggies and let them cook for about 5-10 minutes.

While the veggies are cooking, add all of the sauce ingredients into a blender and whir. (Or, use a jar and just whisk them together really well.) Add the sauce to the veggies and tofu and cook for another minute or so.

Serve sauce mixture over the quinoa.

Tomato Pizza Sauce, Thick & Hearty

1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Medium Onion Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic
2 8oz Cans No Salt Added Tomato Sauce
1/2 6oz Can Tomato Paste
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Basil
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Marjoram
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

In a sauce pan, medium heat, saute onions, garlic with olive oil until translucent. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, basil, oregano, marjoram, sugar and salt. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Creamy Spinach Sauce (or Tofu ricotta with spinach)

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Blanched Slivered Almonds
1/2 Cup Soy or Rice Milk
2/3 14oz. Block Firm Tofu
1/2 Tablespoon Canola Oil
1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
1/2 Lemon, Juice
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
Dash Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Grated Onion, Well Drained
1 1/2 Cups Frozen Spinach, Cooked & Well Drained

Place almonds, soy milk, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, onion powder and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.Squeeze water from tofu and place into mixing bowl and crumble with a fork. The key is to make this look like riccota cheese. Now place the almond mixture and spinach into the bowl and mix well.

Vegan Cheddar Cheese

Yield 2 cups

1 1/2 cups white beans (like Great Northern), rinsed* and well drained
1/2 cup pimiento pieces, drained
1/4 - 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons roasted tahini
1 Tablespoon miso
1 teaspoon onion granules
1/2 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt

Blend all ingredients until completely smooth. Refrigerate unused sauce.

Macaroni and un-Cheese with Tomatoes

Ingredients
(Serves 4)

3 cup dry Elbow Macaroni, whole wheat
6 Tomatoes, Roma
1 large Onion
2 cups White Beans
1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 Chipotle Pepper, optional for a spicy smoke flavor
bit of salt and pepper

Directions
Microwave oven or conventional oven at 350 degrees F can be used to prepare this dish. Wash, peel, and dice the onions and place in a large covered baking dish. Cook until the onions begin to become semi transparent (about 5 minutes in the microwave oven).
While the onions are cooking, place the water in the pasta pot and heat to boiling.
Wash the tomatoes and remove the stem ends and any blemishes or bad spots. Cut into bite-sized pieces, and add to the onions when they are cooked. Cover the baking dish and cook until the tomatoes are hot, but not cooked through. When the pasta water boils, add the elbow macaroni, and cook until the macaroni softens, but is still slightly chewy.
Open the cans of beans and drain off the excess liquid. Place the beans in the container of a high speed blender. Add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and chipotle pepper (stem removed). Cover and run the blender at high speed until the ingredients are creamy smooth. Use the tamper rod as necessary. Combine the cooked and drained pasta and the bean sauce with the onions and tomatoes in the covered dish, and mix well. Cover and bake for about 10-15 minutes

Lemon Herb Yogurt Sauce

(serves 2)
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain low fat yogurt
1 tbsp (15 mL) each minced fresh Italian parsley and mint
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) finely grated lemon rind
Pinch salt

In bowl, stir together yogurt, parsley, mint, garlic, lemon rind and salt. Great for chickpea patties, falafel etc

Tahine Sauce (Taratoor)

Yields about 1.5 Cups

One of the most frequently used sauces in Lebanese cuisine. It is used for fish, Falafel, Kibbeh, grilled lamb or Kafta, to name a few.

1 cup Tahine
¼ cup Lemon juice (or more if you like)
1 tsp mashed garlic
2 tsp ground Cumin
Salt

Mix all the ingredients together with enough water (about 1/2 cup) to make a nice and creamy (NOT PASTY) mixture. The Tahine sauce might seem as if it is going to turn pasty at first but with enough water it will loosen up.

Variation: A very tasty variation on this is to use half the amount of Tahine and substitute a ½ cup yogurt for it. Finish with some fresh chopped parsley if you like. This goes great with Kibbeh.

Parsely Pesto with Sundried tomatoes

2 cups parsley, chopped
½ cup soaked sun dried tomatoes
¼ to ½ cup pine nuts
1-2 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice or more
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
¼ cup olive oil