Sauces and dressings

Cheezy Queso Sauce

karenwpullen Recipes, Sauces and dressings, Snacks, Dips, and Smoothies , , , ,

This is such a great sauce! It goes on anything Mexican like tacos, nachos, chips. Put some on a baked potato or other vegetables, or over pasta.

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Print Recipe

Best “Cheezy” Queso Sauce

Course: Sauces and dressings, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: American, Mexican, Vegan
Servings: 12

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 1 large potato peeled and diced
  • 1 carrot chopped
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup cashews soaked in hot water 20 minutes, drained
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

  • Boil the potato, carrot, and onion in the vegetable broth until soft, about 8 minutes
  • Add the rest of the ingredients to a blender, along with the vegetables, and blend until smooth.

Notes

Makes about two cups; can be frozen.
This thick and creamy sauce is perfect for any Mexican-style food like tacos, quesadillas, nachos. It makes an excellent dip for chips. Add it to a baked potato or pasta dish.

Vegan Bolognese Sauce

karenwpullen Main Dishes, Pasta, Recipes, Sauces and dressings , , , ,
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Print Recipe

Bolognese Sauce for Pasta

Wonderful, flavorful sauce for any kind of pasta.
Course: Main Course, Pasta, Sauces and dressings
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • food processor

Ingredients

  • 1 12-oz package pasta, any kind whole grain is best
  • 1 green bell pepper, chunked
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, chunked
  • 1 small zucchini, chunked
  • 4 oz cremini mushrooms, chunked
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chunked
  • 2 stalks celery, chunked
  • 1 large onion, chunked
  • 3 garlic cloves, smashed
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 15-oz can tomato puree
  • 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Add vegetables, peppers through garlic, (in small batches) to the food processor. Pulse until they are minced but still chunky.
  • Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables, stir, and cook until all moisture is cooked out and vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and wine. Simmer another 5 minutes.  Add tomato puree and spices, stir and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • Cook the pasta per package directions.
  • Mound the pasta on plates and ladle on the sauce. Sprinkle with vegan parmesan.

Notes

Since the vegetables are minced in the food processor, they are all about the same size and will cook quickly.
Try not to omit the fennel seeds — event that little bit adds a lot of flavor!

Broccoli Salad with Cashew-Aquafaba Mayonnaise

karenwpullen Recipes, Salads, Sauces and dressings, Side Dishes , , , ,
Broccoli Salad with Cashew-Aquafaba Mayonnaise

This one’s a classic, perfect for a holiday meal with with its colors of red and green.

The flavors are so fine: zing of onion, sweet tang of cranberries, crunch of nuts, healthy broccoli.

The instructions call for for a 1/2 cup of vegan mayo. Bottled vegan mayo usually has a lot of oil, so I prefer cashew-aquafaba mayo (recipe below). It adds creaminess without saturated fat.

Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Print Recipe

Creamy broccoli salad

Lots of flavor and texture from cranberries, chopped nuts, red onions, broccoli.
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Vegan
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chopped broccoli
  • 1/2 cup red onion chopped fine
  • 1/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
  • 1/3 cup chopped nuts

Instructions

  • Add all the salad ingredients to a bowl and stir in a half-cup of vegan mayo.
  • Taste, add salt & pepper if you like.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time3 minutes
Total Time8 minutes
Print Recipe

Cashew-Aquafaba Mayonnaise

A creamy no-oil spread that's perfect for sandwiches and salads.
Course: Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine: Vegan
Keyword: aquafaba, cashew
Servings: 8

Equipment

  • blender

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup cashews
  • 1/2 cup chickpea aquafaba
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

Instructions

  • I soak the cashews in hot water about an hour, then drain them. This is optional if you have a high-speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec.
  • Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend for about 3 minutes. It takes that long to get the aquafaba incorporated, foamy, and creamy.