Sauces often conjure up images of heavy, goopy liquids that cover up the real food underneath. This has changed for the modern cook. The approach with these “sauce” recipes is to provide a set of rubs, spice blends, and sauces that can be used in many different ways. With a pantry stocked with tomates, spices, nuts, herbs, vinegar, and olive oil, the combinations are almost limitless. To make the best use of this chapter, mix the rubs and spice blends ahead of time. Store them in an airtight container or jar, so they are ready when you need them. The tomato-based sauces on their own create a nice dish when served over Pan-Fried Tofu, page 157, any cooked whole grain, or pasta. And the Fresh Herb Vinaigrette, page 52, is fresh and flavorful. Making it ahead allows you to keep your grocery budget focused on pantry ingredients and not on buying jars and bottled of premade salad dressings and sauces.
Recipes
Home-Blended Chili Powder and Curry Powder
Plant-Based Mayonnaise, Two Ways
Home-Blended Chili Powder and Curry Powder
With a pantry of spices, it’s easy to make your own spice blends.
Chili powder
Makes 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Mix all ingredients and store in a small jar or another airtight container.
Curry powder
Makes 3 tablespoons
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Mix all ingredients and store in a small jar or airtight container.
Makes about 3 cups
This homemade version of marinara is quickly assembled from your pantry and replaces the need to buy a jar of marinara sauce.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup red wine
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about 1/2 lemon)
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic to brown. Add the red wine and stir. Let simmer for about 1 minute to reduce the wine. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, thyme, sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered if it’s blopping out of the pan too much, for about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Makes about 3 cups
This Indian-spiced tomato sauce is good with cooked chickpeas, Pan-Fried Tofu, page 157, or slices of cooked tempeh.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon curry powder
½ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
¾ cup chopped fresh mint
Directions:
In a saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the curry powder, coriander, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes and mix well. Add the crushed tomatoes and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes or until slightly thickened. Top with chopped fresh mint before serving.
Makes about 1 ½ cups
Made with canned tomatoes and canned green chiles, this salsa pairs well with Smoky Red Beans and Rice, page 144, or Kidney Bean Burgers, page 148. For the best flavor, refrigerate for at least one hour before serving. If using red onion, soak it in a bowl of water for thirty minutes to kill the sharp onion flavor, if desired.
Ingredients:
One 14 ½-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
One 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
¼ cup finely chopped red or green onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice of 1 lime
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional: 1 ½ teaspoon hot sauce
Directions:
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, for a chunky salsa. For a smooth salsa, blend in a food processor. Store in refrigerator.
Makes 2 cups
For a smooth sauce, it’s essential to soak the cashews. If you plan to make this for supper, soak the cashews in the morning when you make your coffee. This sauce can be used on pasta, in soups, for scalloped potatoes, or as a cream sauce in vegetable lasagna.
Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews
1 ½ cups water, plus more for soaking cashews
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or ½ teaspoon garlic powder
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Place raw cashews in a glass or other heat-proof bowl. Cover with hot water. Cover the bowl and soak overnight or at least 8 hours. This softens the cashews to make them easy to blend.
To make the cashew cream, drain the cashew soaking water. Using a blender, mix the cashews and 1 ½ cups water on high speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and process again until smooth and creamy. Add the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Blend well. Store refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Raw Cashews
Raw cashews aren’t roasted or salted. At my supermarket, raw cashews are sold with bulk foods, although in other markets they may be sold in the produce department or the natural foods section of the store. It is possible to substitute unsalted roasted cashews if you can’t find raw. You can use either whole cashews or pieces, although the pieces may be more economical.
Makes 1 cup
This multiuse, tomato-based sauce stores well in the refrigerator. In the world of barbecue, Memphis utilizes a tomato-based sauce, and this is similar. Mix in chopped chipotle in adobo for added heat and smoke flavor. Used as a base in Barbecue Lentils, page 126, this sauce is also good with any cooked white bean; Pan-Fried Tofu, page 157; or slices of cooked tempeh.
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
One 8-ounce can tomato sauce (1 cup)
Optional: 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo
Directions:
In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the brown sugar, honey, vinegar, chili powder, smoked paprika, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Stir to make a paste. Whisk in the tomato sauce and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve warm or let cool and refrigerate in a bottle, jar, or other airtight container.
Makes about 1 cup
Sweet, salty, nutty, and herby, this pesto can be used on hot pasta or gluten-free pasta, cooked chickpeas, rice, or cauliflower.
Ingredients:
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup dried cranberries or golden raisins
½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until well blended but still chunky.
Storing Pesto
Use the pesto immediately or spoon it into a container to store. By pouring a thin layer of olive oil on the top of the pesto, you can keep the herbs from turning dark.
Curry Powder
This spice blend is readily available in most supermarkets. The blend commonly contains spices such as ground turmeric (which creates the yellow color), cumin, coriander, and black pepper. In India, blends of spices are customized by home cooks and blended at home for use in curries. These blends are sometimes called Garam Masala or Madras Curry Powder. You can also blend your own Curry Powder, page 30, from spices in your pantry.
Makes about 2 cups
There are multiple uses for pesto, including stirred into mayonnaise for a dip or thinned out with extra olive oil and lemon juice to use as a vinaigrette for salad. This recipe is also used on the Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato dish, page 122, or it can be tossed with hot cooked pasta or gluten-free pasta.
Ingredients:
2 cups baby kale
¼ cup fresh basil leaves
2 thin green onions, white part, and 2 inches of the green part, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Pulse until well blended. Use as desired.
To store, place the pesto in a storage container. Pour a thin layer of olive oil over the pesto. Cover and refrigerate. The thin layer of oil keeps the pesto bright green by blocking exposure to air.
Makes about ½ cup
This sauce pairs well with Kidney Bean Burgers, page 148, and is used as a dressing on Apple and Celery Salad, page 96. It would also be nice tossed with fresh spring greens or sliced, seeded cucumbers.
Ingredients:
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1 garlic clove, minced
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Optional: pinch cayenne pepper
Directions:
Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Store in the refrigerator.
Tahini
Like peanut butter is to peanuts, tahini is to sesame seeds—a creamy, off-white paste made from sesame seeds. Stir in the oil if it separates.
Plant-Based Mayonnaise, Two Ways
These two creamy sauces can be used in place of mayonnaise and are both made from plant-based ingredients.
Plant-Based Mayonnaise 1
Makes 1 cup
Aquafaba, or the liquid from cooking legumes, is the replacement for egg in this mayonnaise. Aqua is Latin for water and faba is Latin for bean. In this recipe, I use chickpea liquid, which has a thick consistency. The theory is that the starch and protein in the liquid acts as an egg, and these particles bind with the oil to make mayonnaise. The secret to success with this recipe is to drip drop the oil in at first very, very, slowly to allow the aquafaba and oil to emulsify. If you add the oil too fast, the liquid turns white but doesn’t thicken. The oil can be streamed in a little quicker toward the end, once the emulsion is formed. You won’t believe how much this tastes and looks like mayonnaise.
Ingredients:
¼ cup aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
1 teaspoon lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup neutral vegetable oil such as canola
Directions:
In a blender, mix the aquafaba, lemon juice, mustard, and salt. With the blender running, very slowly drip drop the first ¼ cup of oil into the running blender. It should start to look thick, and the sound of the whirring will even change as the mixture thickens. Then add the remaining ½ cup oil very slowly in a thin stream and process until all the oil is added and the mixture is creamy and thick.
Plant-Based Mayonnaise 2
Makes 1 cup
This savory sauce is based on silken tofu. These ingredients do not form a creamy emulsion, like plant-based mayonnaise 1, so it’s a little easier to make.
Ingredients:
8 ounces silken tofu
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from about ½ lemon)
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Blend all ingredients in a food processor or blender.
Other variations include the following.
Sriracha mayonnaise
To every 1 cup mayonnaise add:
2 tablespoons sriracha
Vegan caesar dressing
To every 1 cup mayonnaise add:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons capers
To every 1 cup mayonnaise add:
2 clove garlic, minced
Cayenne garlic mayonnaise
To every 1 cup mayonnaise add:
2 clove garlic, minced
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Green goddess mayonnaise
To every 1 cup mayonnaise add:
1 clove garlic, sliced
¼ cup chopped green onion
½ cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
½ cup minced fresh basil leaves
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Cilantro lime jalapeño mayonnaise
Use lime juice instead of lemon juice in the recipe and once blended, add:
2 cloves garlic minced
¼ cup fresh minced cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño, include seeds for more heat
Silken Tofu versus Traditional Tofu
Tofu comes in two main types: silken and regular. Silken tofu is softer in consistency than standard tofu, and it reminds me of tofu jello. Silken tofu may be packaged in a shelf-stable box that doesn’t require refrigeration. When shopping for silken tofu, check the refrigerated or grocery section of the natural food department. Use blended or pureed silken tofu in dishes that require a thick and creamy texture.
Make about 3 cups
A spicy, tomato-based sauce, this recipe is good served with Pan-Fried Tofu, page 157, and rice. Add chopped chipotle in adobo for smoke and heat, but vary the amount depending on how spicy you want the final sauce.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ to 1 tablespoon chopped chipotle in adobo
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
One 28-ounce can tomato sauce
Directions:
In a saucepan over low heat mix the olive oil, chipotle in adobo, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Stir in the tomato sauce and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat and keep warm until needed.
Makes about 1 cup
If you want to create a house vinaigrette good for chopped vegetables and leafy green salads, this just might be it.
Ingredients:
1 cup parsley
½ cup fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¾ cup olive oil
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender. Pulse to chop the herbs. Blend well to make a bright green vinaigrette.
Vinaigrette
A vinaigrette is a classic mixture of oil and vinegar and seasonings such as mustard, herbs, and spices. It can be used to dress salads and as a marinade. Some like to call a vinaigrette a salad dressing, which it is, but a vinaigrette can be used for more than just salads.
Makes about 1 cup
A nice dressing for noodle or cabbage salads, this sauce is very versatile. It’s also good served with assorted sautéed vegetables such as carrot, green beans, zucchini or summer squash, broccoli, red cabbage, or brussels sprouts on a bed of rice or mixed with thin spaghetti and topped with slices of red pepper, cucumber, and fresh chopped mint for a refreshing salad.
Ingredients:
¼ cup peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1–2 limes)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root or ginger paste
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together the ingredients. Store in the refrigerator.
Makes about 2/3 cup
Ingredients:
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice (from about 1–2 limes)
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root or ginger paste
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sriracha
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the water, vinegar, and honey. Whisk just to combine and dissolve the honey. Whisk in the oil, lime juice, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and sriracha, and combine until well blended.
Sriracha
Made from chile peppers, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and salt, sriracha is a hot sauce named after a city on the coast of Thailand, named Si Racha. Keep a bottle in the refrigerator to use in recipes or as a spicy ketchup to add flavor and heat to roasted vegetables, eggs, or noodle bowls.
Makes about ⅓ cup
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger root or ginger paste
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk the ingredients together until smooth.
