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Vegan Sauces Five Ways — Series (2 of 5)

7/26/2015

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No-worry chimichurri sauce

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Welcome to the second recipe in my Vegan Sauces Five Ways series! This one's a crowd pleaser every time. The events recounted here may or may not be slightly autobiographical. I offer them as an illustration for how something as simple as a quick and delicious sauce can transform an ordinary meal into something special without a lot of fussing about in the kitchen. 

Let's say your mom, brother and his beautiful teenage daughter are visiting from San Diego and you decide to spend the day touring college campuses to fill her head full of aspirations as she enters high school in the fall. And let's say you're on day five of two different sets of out-of-town company back-to-back, you've been working and I haven't had time to plan much in the way of meals, which is embarrassing if you're a chef. Night falls, you're pooped, out of time, but want to create a memorable family meal before they head back to San Diego in the morning. You need something fast and fun that you can all to make together. What do you do? (Dun, dun, duuuuuunnnnnn). Well here's a menu idea that incorporates one of my favorite summer saucy saviors that can make an ordinary vegan meal extraordinary: 

PictureL-R: My niece, amazing mom and me at Stanford University.
Menu:
  • Grilled Field Roast Italian, grain-based sausages in fluffy toasted roll with grilled onions, lots of mustard and a dill pickle slice
  • grilled corn on the cob with my No-Worry Chimichurri sauce (recipe below)
  • a fresh green salad with grilled nectarines, toasted hazelnuts and a light, white balsamic vinaigrette
  • and if not too stuffed, maybe a little coconut ice cream with a drizzle of my strawberry date puree (recipe to come).

In the time that it's taken you to read this far, the chimichurri could pretty much be made, the grill fired up, and you could be 15 minutes away from the perfect summer family supper. Make this sauce ahead and you're nearing super-hero status. 

Recipe (makes about 3/4 cup)
This traditional South American condiment is the ultimate summer accompaniment. I call it No- Worry Chimichurri because I never sweat about how it’s going to come out, even when I’m just eye-balling measurements. You can dial the "kick" up or down by playing with the garlic, chili, lemon and cumin, and it’s always fierce and delicious.  Oh, I’ve flirted with other recipes, some calling for flat-leaf parsley, veggie broth and other chilies and spices; some not much more than four ingredients. I perfected this recipe earlier this summer, and haven't been without it on hand for very long ever since. 

Ingredients:
1 c. packed fresh curly-leaf parsley
1⁄2 c. packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 whole peeled medium garlic cloves, or more to taste
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes  (or jalapeno to taste)
1⁄2 c. good extra virgin olive oil (being in California, I like California brands. Less shipping. Great taste.)
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
3 Tbs. red wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon or more to taste 
1 tsp. kosher salt

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Preparation:
To make the sauce, slam everything into a small food processor or blender and pulse until well combined and drizzle-able. Let sit for 20 minutes to allow all flavors to get acquainted. It’s okay if it’s a little chunky as long as it’s emollient enough to pour or spoon over your dish. The consistency is yours to play with. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. 

Five Uses: 
Try this sauce drizzled on:  
  • grilled tofu or tempeh
  • baked sweet potatoes
  • corn on the cob
  • mixed into black beans as a side or main-course taco filling
  • an avocado, lettuce & tomato sandwich
  • a tortilla chip... or 10


It’s so good, I recommend doubling down and freezing some to satisfy your next longing for Rio. Leave a comment and tell me what you'll try this sauce on. 

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This Vegan Sauces Five Ways Series is a collection of five essential and versatile vegan "saucy saviors" that make summer-time meal planning easy!  Search Vegan Sauces Five Ways Series on this blog to find them all or click below to receive a free downloadable PDF of all five recipes. I really want you to have it because I made it on the computer all by myself and I need positive reinforcement for learning new tricks! Each recipe was created with outdoor grilling, alfresco dining and seasonal ingredients in mind. Each is highly versatile and can be made in 15 minutes (plus roasting time where indicated) with not much more kitchen gadgetry than a blender or bowl. Each is packed with flavors from around the globe for maximum intrigue. And each comes with five ideas for how to use them to make ordinary meals special. That’s a big head-start on 25 meals your family will love.  No doubt you’ll come up with your own brilliant ways to use them, and I invite you to post your creative ideas here in the comments section, Instagram me  or drop by my Facebook page to post your creations for us all to “ooh” and “ahh” over.   

Click Here for 5 Vegan Sauces You Can't Live Without This Summer
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Vegan Sauces Five Ways — Series

6/20/2015

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Holy Moly Smokey Chipotle Sauce

PictureHoly Moly Smokey Chipotle Sauce
Welcome to the first of my multi-installment series on essential and versatile vegan "saucy saviors" that make summer-time meal planning a snap!  Each was created with outdoor grilling, alfresco dining and seasonal ingredients in mind. Each is highly versatile and can be made in 15 minutes (plus roasting time where indicated) with not much more kitchen gadgetry than a blender or bowl. Each is packed with flavors from around the globe for maximum intrigue. And each comes with five ideas for how to use them to make ordinary meals special. That’s a big head-start on 25 meals your family will love.  No doubt you’ll come up with your own brilliant ways to use them, and I invite you to post your creative ideas here, Instagram me  or drop by my Facebook page to post your creations for us all to “ooh” and “ahh” over. Meanwhile, summer’s ticking away. 

Today, an all-time favorite — my Holy Moly Smokey Chipotle sauce. This is the start and end of Mexican sauces for me.  I adapted it from Culinary Mexico by Daniel Hoyer, which taught me a lot about authentic cooking techniques of the many regions of Mexico. I've added cashews for protein and the creaminess factor and invite a mix of onions beyond the white onion originally called for.  The heat from the chilis is hard to predict because size varies. I recommend starting with one and adding more to suit your preference. This sauce achieves a deep, complex flavor that comes from roasting the veggies, the clove, cinnamon and citrus juices — all vital ingredients here. 

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Ingredients:
6-8 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and roasted
3 large ripe tomatoes, quartered and roasted
1 medium white onion, quartered and roasted, or an equivalent mix of white, red, yellow, green, shallot, or any onions you have on hand
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ c. olive oil
¼ c. cashews (soaked for an hour or more)
1 to 3 chipotle chilies in adobo, to taste
1 pinch or 2 of ground cloves
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Freshly squeezed juice of two juicy limes
Freshly squeezed juice of one orange
¼ c. packed chopped cilantro

Five Uses: 
I’ve enjoyed this on:
  • tofu or mushroom tacos
  • as a topping for burritos
  • as a topping for grilled tempeh
  • dolloped onto quinoa-stuffed Portobello mushrooms
  • added to cooked brown rice with chopped carrots, green peppers & and cilantro for a quick riff on a Spanish-style rice.  
   
Preparation:
Soak the cashews. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the unpeeled garlic, tomatoes and onion mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper the veggies. Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes, turning once, until the tomatoes and onion begin to caramelize. Remove from the oven. When cool enough to handle, remove the peels from the garlic and transfer all the cooked vegetables and their juices to a blender. Drain the cashews and discard the water. Add the cashews, chipotles, clove, cinnamon and citrus juices to the blender. With the lid on, turn the blender on low to mix it up a bit, then add the olive oil through the feeder hole in a slow steady stream. Kick up the speed to medium and blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. The sauce should be fairly thick and adhere to the back of a spoon. Now add the cilantro and pulse a few times to combine. You should still see tiny cilantro bits in the final sauce. Use immediately or cool the sauce completely and store in an airtight container for up to a week, or freeze and thaw when ready for use.

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    Welcome to Thyme & Plate — a vegan lifestyle blog from Chef Stacey Ellis. Here you'll find a growing repository of delicious and healthy vegan recipes, cooking demos and tips for making life-long changes toward a healthier you. 
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    Click Here For 5 Essential Vegan Sauces You Can't Live Without