Fresh from the Vegetarian Kitchen

DIPS, SAUCES AND SPREADS

Tapenade

In the South of France, tapenade, or olive spread, is traditionally made with olives, capers, olive oil and, sometimes, anchovies, depending on the family recipe. The word comes from ‘tapenas’, which is French for caper. Tapenade is delicious spread on fresh, crusty bread or crackers, used to stuff roast peppers or baste aubergine steaks, as a dip for baked pita wedges, or even on sandwiches.

500 g black or green olives, pitted
45 ml (3 Tbsp) olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
45 ml (3 Tbsp) capers
10 ml (2 tsp) fresh thyme
10 ml (2 tsp) Dijon mustard
60 ml (¹⁄₄ cup) freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 ml (1 tsp) salt
5 ml (1 tsp) black pepper
2.5 ml (¹⁄₂ tsp) cayenne pepper

Place the olives in food processor or blender and pulse lightly until coarsely chopped. Add all the other ingredients and process to a smooth paste. Taste, and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and/or olive oil if necessary.
Tapenade will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge, in a sealed container.

Makes 375 ml

Apricot and ginger chutney

250 g dried apricots, roughly chopped
350 g onions, peeled and roughly chopped
375 ml (1¹⁄₂ cups) white grape vinegar
125 g raisins or sultanas, chopped
125 ml (¹⁄₂ cup) brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, crushed
10 ml (2 tsp) ground ginger
5 ml (1 tsp) grated fresh ginger
2.5 ml (¹⁄₂ tsp) cayenne pepper, or to taste
5 ml (1 tsp) paprika
5 ml (1 tsp) salt

Place the dried apricots in a bowl, cover with water and leave to soak overnight. Drain and set aside.
Parboil the onions until soft, then drain. Place the apricots and onions in a non-metallic saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer slowly for about 60 minutes, until soft but still chunky.
Pour the chutney into clean jars while still warm, and seal. Will keep for 2–3 weeks in the fridge.

Makes 1.5 litres

Passata di pomodoro

This home‐made tomato purée is a staple in our home. We use it nearly every day, in a variety of different dishes. It is often the star of the show but, like a blank canvas, it forms the base of many recipes. It is easy to make and freezes very well (for up to six months).

30 ml (2 Tbsp) vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 chilli, seeded and chopped (optional)
4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 × 400 g can chopped tomatoes
250 ml (1 cup) water
5 ml (1 tsp) each dried origanum, sweet basil and parsley
10 ml (2 tsp) brown sugar
2.5 ml (¹⁄₂ tsp) each salt and black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan, then sauté the onions, garlic and chilli until soft.
Add the chopped fresh tomato and tinned tomato. Stir well and add the water.
Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and cooked.
Add the dried herbs, sugar, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
Using a hand-held blender, purée the tomatoes until you have a smooth sauce. Cover the saucepan and simmer for a further 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Makes 500 ml

Béchamel sauce

You’ll find dozens of uses for this basic white sauce, including Spinach cannelloni (see page 55).

60 ml (¹⁄₄ cup) Wooden Spoon
45 ml (3 Tbsp) cornflour (Maizena)
500 ml (2 cups) Alpro Soya Milk
30 ml (2 Tbsp) nutritional yeast (optional)
2–3 whole bay leaves
5 ml (1 tsp) garlic salt or onion salt
black pepper to taste

Melt the Wooden Spoon in a saucepan over a medium to high heat. Add the cornflour and whisk continuously.
As soon as the mixture starts to thicken, pour in the milk while still whisking.
Add the yeast, bay leaves, salt and pepper, and stir.
Allow to bubble for 2–3 minutes, before removing from the heat.
Remove the bay leaves before using.

Makes 500 ml

Hot mustard mayo

This is excellent served with hamburgers, hot dogs or as a dip for chips.

15 ml (1 Tbsp) hot English mustard
75 ml (5 Tbsp) Trim Mayonnaise
5 ml (1 tsp) grape vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Makes 85 ml

Chilli mayonnaise

To make this even hotter, I add a pinch of cayenne pepper.

75 ml (5 Tbsp) Trim Mayonnaise
5 ml (1 tsp) dried chilli flakes
5 ml (1 tsp) grape vinegar
15 ml (1 Tbsp) olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Makes 90 ml

Cauliflower and macadamia dip

Serve warm with flatbreads, or as a chilled dip for chips or tacos. It’s also good piled onto a slice of toasted seedloaf.

350 g cauliflower, cut into florets
4 spring onions, chopped, plus extra for garnish
2 garlic cloves, crushed
250 ml (1 cup) parsley, finely chopped
15 ml (1 Tbsp) freshly squeezed lemon juice
250 ml (1 cup) macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
5 ml (1 tsp) sea salt
2.5 ml (¹⁄₂ tsp) black pepper

Cook the cauliflower florets until soft. Drain in a colander to remove any excess liquid.
Place the cooked cauliflower in a food processor or blender, along with the rest of the ingredients. Pulse until the mixture forms a creamy consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with some finely chopped spring onion (or parsley).
It will keep for up to 1 week in the fridge, in a sealed container.

Makes 375 ml

Apple sauce

Home‐made apple sauce has many uses: it replaces oil, eggs and butter in baking, especially sweet baking, makes delicious muffins, cakes and loaves, and is great added to porridge or plain yoghurt. You can vary the sweetness by choosing different varieties of apple (but don’t use only Granny Smith, as the resulting sauce can be too tart). It’s excellent for babies, but choose sweet, ripe apples, leave out the spices, and reduce the sugar to 30 ml (2 Tbsp).

6 red apples (Top Red, Royal Gala or Starking)
6 green apples (Granny Smith, Golden Delicious)
zest and juice of 2 oranges and 1 lemon
80 ml (¹⁄₃ cup) brown sugar
15 ml (1 Tbsp) Wooden Spoon
10 ml (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
5 ml (1 tsp) ground nutmeg
2.5 ml (¹⁄₂ tsp) salt

Peel, core and chop the apples. Place in a large bowl with the zest and juice of the oranges and lemon and toss to coat.
Transfer the apples to a large stainless steel pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes, then reduce the heat and simmer for 60–90 minutes, or until the apples are soft and mushy.
Transfer in batches to a food processer, or use a hand-held blender, and purée the apples to the consistency you prefer (a smooth purée for baking or a chunky sauce for stirring into yoghurt, for example).
Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 2–3 weeks, or decant into small containers and freeze for up to 6 months.

Makes 1 litre

Choc-nut spread

The boys just love this, especially on toast or English muffins. By varying the nuts, you’ll discover subtle differences in taste. Try cashews, peanuts or hazelnuts, and see which your family likes best.

200 g (500 ml or 2 cups) roasted macadamia nuts
60 ml (¹⁄₄ cup) cocoa powder
60 ml (¹⁄₄ cup) golden syrup
15 ml (1 Tbsp) vanilla essence
2.5 ml (¹⁄₂ tsp) salt
30–60 ml (2–4 Tbsp) Alpro Soya Milk

Place the the nuts in a blender and process to a smooth, buttery consistency. (Use the pulse function, stopping every now and then to scrape down the sides. This process will take a few minutes.)
Add the cocoa powder, golden syrup, vanilla essence and salt, and pulse until everything is mixed together.
At this stage, the mixture will be quite stiff. Depending on how thick you want the spread to be, start by adding 30 ml (2 Tbsp) of milk, pulsing between each addition. Add more as needed; too much will make the spread runny, so take it slowly. When you have reached the desired consistency, spoon the mixture into a clean jar.
Store in a cool, dark place for about a week, a little longer in the fridge.

Makes 500 ml

Macadamia nut butter

When you make your own nut butter, you can get it to exactly the consistency you like. And, if someone in the family prefers it crunchy and others like it smooth, it is easy to make both; just scrape some out when it still has texture, and continue blending the rest until it is smooth and creamy; or blend half the nuts to a smooth paste, roughly chop the other half and combine the two. You can use raw or roasted nuts, and you don’t need to stick to macadamias; try peanuts or cashews instead. If you want some extra sweetness, add a dash of maple syrup when blending the nuts.

200 g (500 ml or 2 cups) macadamia nuts (raw or roasted)
45 ml (3 Tbsp) canola oil, plus extra for storage
1 ml (¹⁄₄ tsp) salt
2.5 ml (¹⁄₂ tsp) sugar
maple syrup (optional)

Place the nuts in a blender with the oil, salt and sugar and pulse until the desired texture is achieved.
Scrape into a clean, sterilised jar and cover with a thin layer of canola or sunflower oil.
Store in a cool, dark place. Home-made nut butter only keeps for 10–15 days.

Makes 375 ml

NOTE To roast raw nuts, spread them in a single layer on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little salt and put them into a preheated 200°C oven. Toast until they are golden brown, but watch them, as nuts burn easily.