Sauces

Here are some various sauces you can make and use in your cooking when you need to just throw something together!
I borrowed these recipes from my fav cook book "Forks over Knives: The Cook Book," however made some alterations of my own.

"No Cheese Sauce"

Ingredients:
1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 large red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1 cup nutritional yeast
3 Tbs cashews

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender and puree until smooth and creamy, add water as needed to achieve desired consistency

"Chinese Brown Sauce"

Ingredients:
1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup veggie stock
1/4 cup molasses
2 Tsp grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tsp arrowroot powder (can be found at your local food co-op)

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and cook over medium heat until thickened.

White Bean, Potato and Asparagus Salad

Ingredients:

1 Lb red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2  inch dice
1/2 Lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tbs brown rice vinegar
2 Tbs Dijon Mustard
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 can of white beans (your choice)
8 Green onions

Instructions:
Step 1: Steam potatoes and asparagus until tender (steam them separately of course!)
Step 2: Combine Brown rice vinegar, mustard and garlic in a small bowl and whisk until mixed
Step3 : Place potatoes, asparagus, beans and green onions in a large bowl and stir together
Step 4: Add the brown rice vinegar sauce to the potatoes and stir
Step 5: Chill and then eat or enjoy warm!

Black Bean Burgers

Black Bean Burgers

Ingredients:
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 can black beans
1/2 cup minced onion
2 TBS ketchup
1 TBS rolled oats
1 TBS basil

Note: I recommend you make a "double batch" for bigger burgers, depending on your food processor size, make the mix twice and combine it in a big bowl. More ingredients = bigger burgers!

Directions
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet
Step 2: Chop sunflower seeds in the food processor (or similar food chopping device), place into large bowl
Step 3: Mash black beans in food processor (it should look like black bean paste), place into large bowl
Step 4: Mix onion, ketchup, rolled oats and basil with the beans and sunflower seeds
Step 5: Form into patties and place on baking sheet
Step 6: Bake for 25 minutes, flip over, "smoosh" down the patties a little bit (they are more likely to bake through), bake for another 10 minutes
Step 7: Enjoy!


My recommendation: Pair this with "white bean, potato and asparagus salad," and some corn on the cob and you have the perfect summer dinner!

Eggplant roll-ups

Ingredients
2 large eggplants - peeled and sliced lengthwise (thinness or thickness as preferred)
2-3 Tbs water
2 Medium red bell peppers, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Pasta sauce (as needed)
Mozzarella cheese (as much as desired)

Instructions:
Step 1: Pre heat your oven to 350 degrees
Step 2: Grease a cookie sheet and place the eggplant in a single layer on it (you typically need two cookie sheets for the two eggplants) Bake for 20 minutes (this varies depending on you eggplant slice thickness), you will know they are done when they are flexible enough to roll up.
Step 3: While your eggplant is baking, saute the pepper, onion, carrot, celery and garlic.
Step 4: Transfer veggies to a mixing bowl and add in pasta sauce (just enough to coat the veggies, not drown them) and 1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese.
Step 5: Once your eggplants are done baking: Spread about 1/4 of a cup of pasta sauce in a baking pan
Step 6: Put a little of the veggie mixture on each eggplant slice and roll them up, placing them in the pan.
Step 7: Pour the rest of the veggie sauce in the pan over the eggplant rolls and sprinkle as much (or as little) cheese as you would like over the top.
Step 8: Bake for about 25 minutes
Step 9: Enjoy!