Cream Cheese & Tofu Dip

A creamy dip to serve with raw vegetables or homemade crackers or chips. Enjoy!

3/4 cup soft tofu (6 oz.), well drained
1/2 cup light cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese (4 oz.) or Tofutti
1/2 teaspoon herb-and-spice seasoning blend
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1 green onion, minced

In food processor, combine all ingredients and process until smooth. Transfer to serving bowl and serve, or cover and refrigerate until needed.

*For a vegan version, substitute Tofutti for the cream cheese in this recipe.

Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce

Yesterday I posted a recipe for Pecan Balls with Apricot Sauce. The recipe I'm sharing today is for Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce. It can be used to cover the Pecan Balls instead of the Apricot Sauce. It can also be used in potato or pasta dishes.

Sour Cream Mushroom Sauce
Serves 10

1 teaspoon oil
1 - 2 chopped green onions
1 crushed garlic clove
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2/3 cup sour cream (soy)
1/2 11 ounce can cream of mushroom soup

Saute onions in oil until they are transparent and soft. Add the garlic and continue to saute 1 minute more.

Add the soy sauce, sour cream, and mushroom soup. Heat through. Pour over nut balls (or food you'll be serving this with).

Cashew Salad Dressing

I've been trying to use less processed foods and make more from scratch these days. I tried my hand at homemade mayonnaise and it was less than successful! I'll try again, but in the meantime I'm sticking with the old tried and true! This is a ranch-type dressing that is delicious and has been well accepted in our household. It's great on a green salad...or as an addition to baked potatoes. I hope you like it too!

Cashew Salad Dressing

In a blender mix:

1/2 cup water or soy milk
1 cup raw cashew pieces, washed
3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. mineral salt
1/2 tsp. sweet basil flakes
1 Tbsp. celery flakes

Blend until smooth and creamy.

Can be used as a dip or dressing. For a thinner dressing, add more water. Dill may be added for additional flavor.

Easy Enchilada Sauce

As summer draws to a close, food prep changes to match the season. During autumn I think of corn, beans, cilantro, and a bit more spice. Here's a recipe for enchilada sauce that our family loves! It is easy to make and really does kick things up in the kitchen!

Easy Enchilada Sauce

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup chili powder

2 cups vegan chicken-style broth

10 ounces tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil. Then, add cornstarch and stir with a wooden spoon. Cook for 1 minute. Add chilli powder and cook 30 seconds. Add broth, tomato paste, oregano, and cumin. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes. The sauce will thicken and smooth out. Adjust seasonings, adding salt if needed.

To make vegan chicken-style seasoning, mix 1 cup of water with 2 Tbsp. Bill's Best Chicknish' or McKay's Chicken Style Seasoning.

Cheesy Nacho Sauce

This recipe is a staple in my kitchen. It is easy and makes a great topping (either hot or cold) for nachos, taco salad, and cooked vegetables. It's also delicious on homemade pizza or mixed with pasta for a cheesy pasta dish like mac and cheese. If you don't like cashews, Brazil nuts work just as well in this recipe. Since there is no cheese in the recipe, you might prefer to call it "golden sauce" or a "savory gravy". Whatever you call it, it's quite tasty and adaptable. Garlic powder, onion powder, or herb blends can be added to enhance the flavors in the basic recipe.

Cheesy Nacho Sauce

1/3 cup cashews, washed
1 1/2 cups cold water
4 Tbsp. pimentos
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1 - 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt

Blend all ingredients in a blender until the cashews are completely broken-down and mixture is smooth and creamy. Then place mixture into a saucepan and cook over medium high heat, stirring constantly. After mixture starts to bubble, simmer for 3 minutes more. Remove from heat and pour into jar or bowl to serve.

Bean & Garlic Dip

Holiday meals are being planned around the world. Time is of essence and it is easy to get pulled into convenient foods that come pre-packaged. But, homemade is generally less expensive and healthier. I thought I would post a few festive recipes in the next few days. Maybe one or two will fit easily into your holiday menu planning.

Bean & Garlic Dip
{a touch of spicy hot}

2 cups fava beans, cooked

1/4 cup Veganaise (mayonnaise)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 1/2 tsp. red chili pepper, ground

1/4 tsp. salt

1 dash hot pepper sauce

Mix all ingredients together. Then cover and refrigerate for at least one hour. Serve with tortilla chips or raw vegetables.

A Supper Sauce for Fruit

Because it was a hot day, something cool and refreshing seemed perfect for a simple supper last evening. Beautiful strawberries, kiwi fruit, and bananas sliced and sweetened with the sweet herb stevia made a pretty fruit salad for our meal. It was all topped off with a pear sauce that added exactly the right sweetness and creaminess. Although the spearmint sprig was for garnish, I couldn't help but nibble it with every bite or so. It added just the right amount of 'perk' to the fruity combination. Delicious!

Pear Sauce

2 cups soft tofu
2 cups canned pears
1 cup pear juice (from jar of pears)
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon

Whiz in blender until creamy and smooth. Pour over individual fruit salad servings (or fold into entire fruit salad for a creamy salad). Garnish with a strawberry piece and fresh mint. Enjoy! You'll never miss the whipped cream!

Creamy Alfredo Sauce

 

Alfredo sauce is a creamy favorite for many who enjoy pasta.  Since it is usually made from cream, butter, and cheese, it is usually high in calories and cholesterol.  If you are concerned about these things, you don't have to give up Alfredo sauce.  Instead, try this recipe for a delicious vegan alternative to traditional Alfredo.  It's delicious and contains no cholesterol!

Creamy Alfredo Sauce

  1/2 cup raw cashews, rinsed
  1  1/4 cups water
  1 Tbsp cornstarch
  1 Tbsp chicken-like seasoning
  1/4 tsp onion powder
  1/2 tsp salt
  1/4 tsp sweet basil

Place the cashews, cornstarch, seasoning, onion powder and salt into a blender. Add the water and blend until creamy and smooth.Pour this mixture into a saucepan and bring to a slow boil. Stir constantly.  Add the basil and remove from heat.

For tabletop pasta, ladle over cooked fettuccine noodles and serve with steamed broccoli pieces.

For a creamy pasta casserole, pour one recipe of "CreamyAlfredo Sauce" over 6 cups of precooked pasta shells and bake for 30 minutes.

Or use as a creamy white sauce for an all-white pizza (add mushrooms, artichoke hearts, and soy curls).

*Gluten-free; use non-wheat pasta.

Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy

 
How about trying a new recipe?  Here's one that is delicious!  Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy is from the cookbook "Vegan with a Vengeance".  The seasonings are savory and meld well together. I made a few changes, using vegetable broth instead of water, and sorghum and corn flours rather than all-purpose. This is a great recipe! I hope you enjoy it also.

Punk Rock Chickpea Gravy

1/4 cup all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
2 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium size onion, diced
2 tsps. mustard seeds
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained, or 1 (16 ounce) can, drained
2 pinches of ground cumin
2 pinches of paprika
pinch of dried rosemary
pinch of dried thyme
pinch of dried oregano
pinch of ground coriander
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Saute onions in olive oil. Add mustard seeds and garlic and continue to brown until seeds pop and garlic is soft. Add water (or broth) and flour to skillet and whisk until well blended. Add seasonings and heat until gravy thickens. Add soy sauce, juice of lemon, and nutritional yeast. Stir to blend well. Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Sauce

Cheese --- delicious cheese --- high in fat, filled with cholesterol, difficult to digest. But oh, so hard to give up! Until now! How about a 100% plant-based cheesy sauce that helps to fill the gap? This recipe is for a savory and flavorful cheese-like sauce. Put it in a squeeze bottle to use like cheese whiz, use on chips for nachos, layer in lasagna, or stir into pasta for macaroni and cheese. Delicious!

Cheesy Sauce

1/3 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 cups cold water
4 Tbsp. pimientos
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 - 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Rinse cashews in a strainer using hot water. Drain and place in blender. Add remaining ingredients and blend until very smooth. Place mixture into saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thick. Remove from heat. May be served hot or chilled.

*Notes*

Thank you for the feedback and comments. In response to several questions: Brazil nuts can be substituted for cashews if you have an allergy or difficulty finding raw cashews. Nutritional yeast is available at most health food stores. Happy experimenting! If you have never tried a cheese substitute, I recommend that you don't 'think' of this as cheese, but rather as a wonderful, savory sauce or dressing. It is real food, just not real cheese. :D

Walnut Sauce with Spaghetti

Imagine yourself at a health spa with a beautiful name like Cedervale, pampered with plant-based meals, detoxification treatments, facials, massages, and classes on natural health. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Julie recently returned from several weeks of pampering at such a place! Since then she has been trying new plant-based recipes at home and inventing some herself. She shared this one with me recently and our family loved it! Although it sounds unusual, it's tasty and filling. I've adapted the recipe slightly, as there are some ingredient variations between her home near Newcastle, Australia and mine, but I think this recipe is pretty close to her original intention.

Walnut Sauce with Spaghetti

3 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped (fresh or canned)
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 onion
olive oil
2 tsp. sweet basil
2 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. salt

Sauté onions in olive oil. When tender, add tomatoes and tomato sauce. Add sweet basil, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. Simmer gently. In a food processor, grind walnuts until coarsely chopped. Add to sauce and stir. Remove from heat and serve over your favorite pasta.

*Photo shows walnut sauce served over corn and brown rice pasta for a gluten-free option.