Category: Sauces & Dips

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Tempeh with Cherry Balsamic Reduction Sauce

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This week I have been experimenting with some fancy vegan dishes to serve at my parents’ Passover seder. This dish definitely fits the bill. The colors and flavors are so rich and romantic. And it’s so easy to prepare that it shouldn’t be limited to special occasions.

Ingredients:
1 package tempeh, cut into 1/2-inch strips
3-4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup fresh halved cherries or 1/2 cup dried cherries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup nondairy milk (such as almond, soy, rice, hazelnut, hemp, or oat)

Instructions:
1. Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes in a steamer basket placed in a pot filled with a small amount of water.
2. Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat and sear the tempeh until it’s crispy on one side, about 5 minutes. Turn and do the same on the second side. Each side should be golden brown.
3. Remove the tempeh fro the skillet and set aside on a plate lined with paper towels (to absorb some of the oil).
4. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and gently stir over medium-high heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
5. Immediately remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cherries and balsamic vinegar. (If the sugar hardens after you add the cherries and vinegar, just return the saucepan to low heat and gently stir until the sugar melts once more.) Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
6. Meanwhile, in the skillet you used for the tempeh, heat the remaining 1-2 tablespoons olive oil, and add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion turns translucent, about 5 minutes.
7. Add the wine, bring the mixture to a boil, and boil until reduced to around 2/3 cup.
8. Add the stock, return the mixture to a boil, and cook until reduced to 2/3 cup again.
9. Stir in the milk and the cherry mixture and cook for just 5 more minutes until it’s reduced a little more and thickened up.
10. Divide the tempeh between 2 plates and top with the sauce. Enjoy!

Source: Color Me Vegan

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Dillon Panthers Team BBQ Tofu

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     We recently completed the first four seasons of Friday Night Lights in less than a month and now the imaginary people of Dillon, Texas hold a big place in our hearts. If Tim Riggins had more sense he’d probably eat this sweet BBQ sauce on his tofu all the time.

Ingredients:
BBQ Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable broth or water
1 medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28 oz) can tomato paste
2/3 cup blackstrap molasses
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon liquid smoke
Tofu:
1 pound tofu, drained and pressed, cut widthwise into eighths
1 tablespoon reduced- sodium soy sauce or tamari
Ground pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat a saucepan over medium heat. Place the onions in the pan and saute in broth until browned (5-7 minutes).
2. Add the garlic and saute for another minute.
3. Add all the other ingredients except the mustard and liquid smoke. Cook for 1 hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. If the sauce starts to splatter, lower the heat.
4. Add the mustard and the liquid smoke, and taste for sweetness/sourness. Adjust if necessary, and cook for another 5 minutes.*
5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place tofu slices in a 9×18-inch (preferably glass or ceramic) baking pan. Drizzle with soy sauce and pepper, then flip the slices and do the same to the other side.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then flip the slices and bake for another 15 minutes.
7. Remove from the oven and smother the slices with the BBQ sauce. Really let yourself go wild and lay it on thick! Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 15 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and serve.
(*Steps 1-4 can be done days in advance if you want. Just store the sauce in the fridge. Makes about 2 cups.)

Source: Inspired by recipes in “Veganomicon”

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Basil-Cilantro Pesto

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Robert and I agree that this basil-cilantro pesto is the best pesto we’ve ever tasted. It’s lemony and bright, and because it uses almonds in place of cheese, the texture is has just the right amount of creaminess. We enjoyed it with cannellini beans, but it would also be great on pasta, baguettes, or anything else you enjoy eating with pesto. This recipe makes about 1 cup.

Ingredients:
2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
1/3 cup almonds
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup water (if necessary)

Instructions:
1. Place the basil, cilantro, almonds, garlic, lemon juice, and salt in a food processor. Blend till pasty, scraping down the sides occasionally.
2. Add the water if necessary and blend till smooth. Yum!

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Kale Quinoa Salad

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We love this meal so much we probably have it twice a week, at least! It’s what I make when I’m short on time or don’t feel like putting too much thought into dinner. A “lazy lady’s dinner,” if you will.
This salad is rugged. Yeah, that’s right. I used “rugged” and “salad” in the same sentence. There is something about raw lacinato kale that is so strong and hearty and, well, rugged! Plus, kale is part of the cruciferous vegetable family, making it a true nutritional powerhouse. In fact, The World’s Healthiest Foods Foundation describes kale as “one of the healthiest vegetables around.” It has risk-lowering benefits for at least five types of cancers (bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate) and has a cholesterol-lowering ability comparable to the prescription drug cholestyramine (a medication that is taken for the purpose of lowering cholesterol). That’s a whole lot of nutrition in a meal that takes only 20 minutes at most!
Tip: I keep a constant supply of Goldhouse Gold Dressing in my fridge. I always double or triple the recipe and store it in a HUGE Manischewitz bottle. (Don’t ask… My husband loves Manischewitz.)  That way it’s ready whenever I need it, which is pretty much all the time because it’s SO good and it tastes delicious on practically everything.

(Serves 2 hearty eaters)

Ingredients:
1.5 cups dry quinoa
3 cups water
1 bunch of kale
1/4 cup shelled pistachios or walnuts, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries, raisins, or dried currants
Goldhouse Gold Dressing

Instructions:
1. Place quinoa in a dry medium saucepan and toast over medium-high flame for 3 minutes. Add water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and cover for 18-20 minutes until each quinoa has a curly little tail. It should be very fluffy like cooked couscous, not wet or porridge-y.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop the kale and place into a large salad bowl. Add the nuts and dried fruit of choice.
3. When the quinoa is done add it to the kale mix. Drizzle with Goldhouse Gold Dressing and fresh pepper to taste. De-lish!

Sources: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=38

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Quinoa with Dried Apricots and Baby Spinach + Moroccan-Spiced Dressing

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Our new love affair with quinoa began with this very dish. It has has become one of my favorite recipes, not just because it’s one of our very favorite to EAT but also because it’s one of the easiest to make. The Moroccan-spiced dressing’s sweet and lemony flavors harmonize all the different tastes and textures of the quinoa, apricots and spinach. Yum! (Serves 2-4 people)

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 cups baby spinach
Moroccan-Spiced Lemon Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy yogurt
1 1/2 teaspoons agave
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1. Toast quinoa in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until it becomes aromatic and begins to crackle, about 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Add garlic with a dash of water and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute.
3. Add the chopped apricots and salt, and then the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover for 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is very fluffy.
4. While waiting for the quinoa to “fluffifize”, make the Moroccan-Spiced Lemon Dressing.
5. Divide the spinach among 4 plates (or 2 plates if you are big eaters like us). Mound the quinoa salad on the spinach and drizzle the dressing on top.