Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (77 page)

Read Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Online

Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz,Terry Hope Romero

Tags: #food.cookbooks

TIME:
15 MINUTES
 
 
This is the nooch (our shorthand for nutritional yeast) sauce that we use whenever we need a melty cheesy topping for a meal. It’s quick, tangy, and flavorful. So many sauces like this call for a stick (gasp) of margarine—this recipe needs a measly tablespoon of olive oil, which makes you wonder if some cookbook authors are just being hateful. We use this on nachos, pastas, brunch things (see Tofu Florentine, page 72), or just to dip raw veggies in.
2 cups vegetable broth or water
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of dried thyme (crumbled in your fingers)
¼ teaspoon salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon turmeric
¾ cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
 
COMBINE THE broth and flour in a measuring cup and whisk with a fork until dissolved (a couple of lumps are okay).
Preheat a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Place the oil and garlic in the pan and gently cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often and being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook for about 15 seconds. Add the broth, turmeric, and nutrition yeast, and raise the heat to medium. Use a whisk to stir constantly. The mixture should start bubbling and thickening in about 3 minutes; if it doesn’t, turn the heat a bit higher.
Once the mixture is bubbling and thickening, stir and cook for about 2 more minutes. Add the lemon juice and mustard. The mixture should resemble a thick, melty cheese. Taste for salt (you may need more, depending on how salty your vegetable broth is), turn off the heat, and cover the pan to keep it warm until ready to use. The top might thicken a bit while it sits, but you can just stir it and it will be fine. Serve warm.
DILL-TAHINI SAUCE
 
MAKES 1½ CUPS
TIME:
5 MINUTES
 
 
A great dressing for a Mediterranean salad or just to serve with steamed veggies, greens, sautéed veggies, roasted veggies . . . you get the idea. It has a vibrant and tangy flavor, so it isn’t recommended for anything that is already strongly flavored. It’s definitely one of those things that will have you licking the spoon after you ladle it out.
½ cup tahini, at room temperature
½ cup water, at room temperature
1 clove garlic, chopped coarsely
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (juice of 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon paprika (Hungarian, if you’ve got it)
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup lightly packed fresh dill
 
COMBINE ALL the ingredients but the dill in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the dill and pulse a few times until the dill is just small green flecks. You can serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to use, then bring back to room temperature because it will thicken a lot when cold.
CITRUS-DATE-SESAME SAUCE
 
MAKES 2 CUPS SAUCE
TIME:
10 MINUTES, PLUS 2 HOURS FOR SOAKING DATES
 
 
This sweet, tangy complex sauce pairs perfectly with kale, collards, and other bitter greens. Serve either at room temperature, or cold in warmer weather. Try it also on roasted green beans or steamed, sliced kabocha squash.
1¼ cups fresh-squeezed orange juice
½ cup soft pitted dates, chopped
½ cup tahini
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons sweet miso
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
Salt and freshly ground pepper
 
 
➣
Look for “sweet” or “white” miso at natural and health food stores. Chickpea miso can also be substituted.
 
➣
The sauce will thicken when refrigerated. Feel free to thin it out slightly with additional teaspoons of juice or water until the desired consistency is reached.
 
➣
For a tangier dressing, substitute ¼ cup of lemon juice for ¼ cup of the orange juice. Try substituting other sweet citrus for oranges, such as mineolas, tangerines, or clementines.
SOAK THE dates in the orange juice in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Put in a food processor or blender, add the remaining ingredients except the salt and pepper, and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste the sauce, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve over steamed greens or vegetables. Sprinkle the top of sauce with additional sesame seeds for garnish if desired.
JALAPEÑO-CORN GRAVY
 
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
Kids these days, they’ll make a gravy outta anything. We like this gravy on mashed potatoes for a change of pace. It’s yummy and corn-y with a little kick for ya.
1 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-size onion, chopped coarsely
2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
Generous pinch of dried rubbed sage
2 cups fresh or frozen corn (thaw partially if frozen)
¼ cup plain soy milk
¼ teaspoon salt
Juice of ½ lemon
 
PREHEAT A saucepan over medium-high heat. In a measuring cup, mix the cornstarch with the vegetable broth and set aside.
Sauté the onion and jalapeños in the oil for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and sage, and sauté for 1 more minute.
Add the corn and cook for about 5 minutes, until the corn is slightly browned.
Add the vegetable broth, soy milk, and salt. Stir often and let thicken for 3 or 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool a bit, just so that it’s not steaming very much. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree. Add the lemon juice to taste and puree again, then taste for salt. Gently heat before serving if not serving immediately.
SWEET VIDALIA ONION SAUCE
 
MAKES A LITTLE LESS THAN 2 CUPS
TIME:
40 MINUTES
 
 
Perfect over portobellos (page 28) or Chickpea Cutlets (page 133) or even just to dress up your veggie burger. You want the onions to caramelize, not crisp up, so it’s important that you keep a close eye and keep the heat low.
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large Vidalia onions, quartered and sliced thinly
(about 2 cups once sliced)
¼ cup mirin or white wine
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon white balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (not the whole-grain kind)
Pinch of salt

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