Vegan Chick Fil A Sauce

 Copy Cat Chick Fil A Sauce adapted from Family Fresh Meals.

Vegan Chick Fil A Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegan honey, golden syrup or agave

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1/4 cup vegan barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

Method

Whisk until smooth and enjoy!

Creamy Agave Mustard Dipping Sauce

My husband said this tastes like Chick-Fil-A sauce. Full disclosure - I've never had Chick-Fil-A sauce so I can't verify if it tastes like it or not but this is still a delicious creamy sauce for all your dipping needs :)

 Creamy Agave Mustard Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup agave

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1/4 cup vegan barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise

Method

Whisk all ingredients together until creamy.

Cashew Cream Sauce

 From Rainbow Plant Life. This is my new favourite sauce, it literally goes with everything! If you want some variations here is a link to the original recipe. I recommend Rainbow Plant Life YouTube channel as well - so many great recipes!

Cashew Cream Sauce 

Ingredients

1 cup (135g) raw cashews, soaked in cool water overnight (or boil with water in a saucepan for 15 minutes)

½ – ¾ cup (120 – 180 mL) water (see the cashew : liquid ratios in the blog post)

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 teaspoon sea salt + more to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Method

Drain the cashews and rinse with fresh water.

Add the cashews to a high-powered blender or food processor along with the water, garlic, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and onion powder. 

Blend on high speed until smooth, thick and creamy, scraping down the sides with a silicone spatula as you go. 

This will take about 2 minutes in a high-powered blender like a Vitamix (works great in my Ninja), or about 4 minutes in a food processor.

Taste and adjust for seasonings, adding more salt for saltiness, more nutritional yeast for cheesy/umami flavors, or more lemon juice for acidity.

Fermented Tofu

 Also known as Stinky Tofu this pungent condiment is used for many Asian recipes. It's an acquired taste but not similar to a pungent cheese. I love it as a base for sauces or on top of morning Congee! Original recipe from Full of Plants.

Fermented Tofu

Ingredients

1 pound firm tofu, cut in half

4 cups water

1 tbsp salt

optional: 1/4 cup chili flakes

Brine

1 and 1/2 cup water

3 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup vodka (or 1/2 cup rice wine)

Method

Before starting use gloves when handling the tofu to prevent bad bacteria and mold from growing.

Bring 4 cups of water with one tablespoon of salt to a boil in a medium size sauce pan. Once boiling, add the tofu and boil for 4 minutes.

Remove the tofu from the water and place it on a few sheets of kitchen paper towel. Top with more kitchen paper towel and place a heavy weight on it to press the tofu and remove excess water. I usually use an iron skillet. Let it drain for about 90 minutes, changing the paper towel as needed if it becomes too wet.

Line a large plate with two layers of kitchen paper towel, or a clean towel. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes and place the cubes on the plate, leaving about 1 inch between each cube, so they don't touch each other. Top with another sheet of kitchen paper towel and cover the whole plate with plastic film. The plastic film will prevent bad bacteria from reaching the tofu.

Place the plate in a dark place at 77-86°F (25-30°C) and let it ferment for 2 to 3 days. The tofu will have taken a light orange color and will have a stinky smell. You may also see some white mold as well, this is okay. If you see blue or dark mold, scrape it off.

Prepare the brine: combine 1 and 1/2 cup of water with the salt and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Once boiling, remove from heat and let it cool completely. Add the vodka and stir to combine.

Transfer the stinky tofu to clean glass jars. If you want to make it spicy, dip each tofu cube in chili flakes before putting it in the jars. Pour the brine into the jars to cover the tofu. Close the jars with a lid and place in a dark cool place (around 68°F - 20°C) for at least 3 weeks. The longer you let it ages, the stronger and softer your tofu will be.

For extra flavor, you can add about 1/2 tsp of sesame oil into each jar after the 3 weeks have passed.

Use this fermented tofu to make dipping sauces, to top rice, add to vegan cheeses, use in marinades, soups, etc.

NOTES

For a quick dipping sauce, mash one cube of fermented tofu in a small bowl. Add about 1 tsp of lime juice, 1 tsp of sugar, and sliced chili to taste. Feel free to add a couple of tablespoons of water to taste if it's too salty. Use this sauce to dip steamed or roasted vegetables.

Onion Gravy (Bangers & Mash)

This is a super delicious Onion Gravy recipe from Daring Gourmet which I veganised. Bangers and Mash is a comforting British dish found in a lot of pubs. It mainly consists of Sausages, mash potato, onion gravy and peas (I love minty peas!). I make my mash pretty simply; boiled potatoes mashed with non-dairy milk, vegan butter and salt. The sausages were Beyond Meat Original Sausages. I took the salt ingredient out as I found the finished product very salty, I would add salt to taste.

Start the gravy at least an hour before you want to eat. It takes a while to make and every else takes 10mins. 

It's meant to be chunky like this;

My kids are fussy butts so I pureed it for them; 

Onion Gravy (Bangers & Mash)

Ingredients

1/2 stick (56 grams) vegan butter

2 large yellow onions , peeled, cut in half and thinly sliced (or diced if you prefer smaller pieces)

2 teaspoons vegan sugar

1/2 cup vegan red wine

2 sprigs fresh thyme (I used dried)

1 large sprig fresh sage (I used dried)

2 cups vegan broth (I used Massel "Beef Style" Cubes)

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon dark balsamic vinegar (I LOVE Mountain Town Olive Oil Co. 18 Year Aged)

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

2 tablespoons cold vegan butter (I accidently missed this step and it was still great)

Method

 

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium high heat.

Add the sliced onions and sugar and cook for about 30 minutes until caramelized (deep golden). 

Add the red wine and herbs, bring to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Add the stock, mustard, pepper and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. 

Remove sprigs of herbs. 

Add the vinegar, whisk in the cornstarch and simmer another minute or two until thickened, whisking continuously. 

Add the cold butter and whisk until dissolved. Add salt and pepper to taste and more mustard if desired.

Healthy Cheezy Fries

This sauce is also perfect for over nachos, vegetables, or as a dip.

Healthy Cheezy Fries

Ingredients

1 lb Fries (frozen or homemade)

Sauce 

2 cups of chopped potatoes (around 3 large)

1/2 cup sweet potatoes (around 2 small)

1 cup onion (around 1 large)

1 cup carrot (around 2 medium)

2 Tbls oil

2 Tbls Almond flour/ground almonds

4 Tbls Nutritional Yeast

1/4 cup roasted red peppers or jar peppers (optional)

1/2 tsp garlic

2 Tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

1/4 ground coriander

1/4 ground cumin

pinch black pepper

pinch cayenne pepper (optional)

2 Green onions, sliced thinly (optional for garnish)

Method

Boil the vegetables and simmer until soft.

Reserve the vegetable water and drain vegetables.

Add vegetables, 1 cup veggie water and all other ingredients (except the green onions) to a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Add more water if needed.
If gone cold just reheat on the stove so it’s warm for the fries.
Cook fries as desired.
Plate up fries (I like to sprinkle with a little chicken salt*)
Pour over Cheezy sauce and sprinkle with green onions.

Vegan Honey

So I wouldn't say this taste exactly like honey but it's close and certainly cheaper to make than buying agave or vegan honey brands. Small list of simple ingredients!

Original recipe from Vegan Kitchen Magick. She goes into detail of how to make your own flower teas/fragrances and infusing the juice with them for the honey too which is very cool. I just used some store bought chamomile tea bags and some loose leaf (that I put in a tea bag) which had chamomile, lavender, spearmint, passionflower, lemon balm, rose petals and silver lime leaves. Maybe next time I'll try my hand at DIY tea! Before you start check the weight of the large pot you're using. Once ingredients are in (minus tea bags) make sure you weigh before starting so you know what weight to end with. You will need to reduce the mixture to 1,360g (not including weight of your pot). I ended up having to use people scales because my pot was heavy and my kitchen scales don't go above 5kg.

Vegan Honey

Ingredients

2 quarts (1.89L) Organic Apple Juice (you will want 1,920g on the scales which is slightly less that the 2 quart bottle)

800 grams Vegan Sugar (I used turbinado)

3 Chamomile Tea Bags

Instructions

As written above weight your vessel and then weigh again with added ingredients, writing down the measurements.

Add the sugar to your juice, then heat while stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved. About five minutes.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and add tea bags, I had my makeshift bag clipped and my store bought bags tied around the handles - when it starts to boil they will dance!

                                                                                                                         

After 30 minutes take out the tea bags and reduce the heat and simmer for two hours to start. 

Stir the syrup every 10-20 minutes to prevent it from burning on the bottom.

After the two hours of simmering, check the weight of your pot with the honee to see how close you are to your target weight of 1,360g. 

It might seem thin at first but it will thicken as it cools.

Let cool for 20 minutes or so before transferring into your sterilized jars.

Allow jars to cool to room temperature before storing in the fridge.

With sugar as a natural preservative it should last for several months in your fridge.

I got about 2 pints of vegan honey.

Thousand Island Dressing

One of my favourite salad's dressings growing up - always the way to get me to eat lettuce. This vegan version comes care of Kitchen Treaty.

Thousand Island Dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish (
2 teaspoons finely diced onion (I use onion powder also)
1/4 teaspoon finely minced garlic (I've used garlic powder also)
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
2-3 dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)


Method

Whisk all ingredients together and serve!

Gluten Free Vegan "Vegemite"

Should really call it Sesamemite because it has sesame flavour due to the tahini. I really liked this recipe though. It doesn't taste exactly like Vegemite but is very pleasant and I think I will add less soy next time and more coconut aminos. I found it a bit too salty. Recipe from Unconventional Baker.

Gluten Free Vegan "Vegemite"

Ingredients

½ cup black tahini sesame butter
4 tbsp tamari (I used half tamari and half braggs/coconuts liquid aminos)
3 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes


Method

Place all ingredients in a blender and process into a creamy and smooth consistency.
(I used a food processor because my blender isn't that great.)
Store in the fridge.
Lightly spread on non dairy buttered toast and enjoy!

Black Bean Paste

This makes about 2 cups of black paste but it is a great Asian base for recipes such as black bean sauce and hoisin.

Black Bean Paste

Ingredients

500 g (31⁄2 oz) salted black beans (Asian store), rinsed to get off extra salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 tsp ginger, chopped finely
2 Tbls soy sauce (I use Tamari)
1 tsp grated peeled gingerroot
1 tsp grated orange rind
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper/sambol olak/chilli paste
2 Tbls rice vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup of vegan sugar (taste and add as desired)


Method

Place all ingredients except vinegar  and sugar in a saucepan and bring to boil.
Reduce to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and mix in sugar & vinegar.
Pulse in a food processor until smooth.
For black bean sauce add paste to water and whisk.

Hoisin;

Zucchini Dill Sauce

This is a fantastic dipping sauce my Hungarian grandmother makes. Delicious with potatoes, any kind of fritter, patty or faux seafood.

Zucchini Dill Sauce

Ingredients

2 Zucchinis, grated
1/2 bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1/4 tsp sweet paprika
1 Tbls GF flour
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbls white vinegar
150ml vegan sour cream
1 tsp salt
oil


Method

Place grated zucchinis in a bowl, sprinkle with salt and leave.
Simmer 3 tsp oil and onion in a pan.
Add dill and stir until onion is clear and tender.
Squeeze liquid out of zucchinis and add to onion mix.
Add 1/2 cup water and bring to boil.
Cover and simmer for 10-15mins on low.
In a small saucepan add 1 Tbls oil and flour, simmer to create roux.
Add 1 cup water, bring to boil then take off heat but continue stirring.
Add sugar to zucchini mix, and then add flour roux, paprika and vinegar.
Add sour cream, stir gently.
Add more sugar, salt or vinegar to taste.

Becky's Christmas Jelly

This easy but delicious recipe comes courtesy of my mother-in-law. It is great on vegan cheese & crackers, vegan faux meats and on toast :)

Becky's Christmas Jelly

Ingredients

7 cups vegan sugar

3 cups cranberry juice

1/4 tsp ground clove

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup port

2x 3oz packets of fruit pectin

Method

Combine sugar, juice & spices in a large pot.

Bring to boil.

Stir to dissolve all sugar.

Boil for 1 min.

Add in port and pectin.

Skim with a spoon if needed.

Pour into sterilized jam jars.

Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts

This recipe is from Veggie Primer and the dressing is from Forks Over Knives. I ended up using half wild rice and half black rice. I dried the cranberries myself in my dehydrator because I couldn't find any pre-made that didn't contain sugar :(

Wild Rice Salad with Cranberries & Walnuts

Ingredients

4 cups cooked wild brown rice mix (2 cups uncooked)
½ medium red onion
2 stalks of celery
2 packed cups fresh baby kale (I used baby spinach)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup dried cranberries
Magical Applesauce Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Method

If you do not have cooked rice on hand, cook rice in advance, fluff with fork and allow to cool.
Prepare Magical Applesauce Vinaigrette.
Place onion in a food processor fitted with the S blade and pulse until onion is finely chopped.
Scrape onion into a bowl and repeat the process with the celery and baby kale, separately.
Add walnuts and cranberries to chopped vegetables and stir until well combined.
Scape cooled rice into chopped vegetables with a fork (to help separate the grains) and stir until well combine. You may find it helpful to scrape and stir ⅓ of the rice at a time.
Add vinaigrette and diced apples to the salad, stir and serve or refrigerate for 1-2 days for later use.


Magical Applesauce Vinaigrette

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp mild miso
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4 Tbls apple cider vinegar
2 Tbls balsamic vinegar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbls pure maple syrup
1/2 rounded teaspoon sea salt (or more)
Freshly ground black pepper


Method

Place the applesauce, miso, cumin, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, mustard, maple syrup, and salt and pepper in an immersion blender with a deep cup, and blend until very smooth. I just whisked it by hand and it came out fine.

Homemade Dill Pickles

You can can these to make their shelf life longer but I just used the easiest method, just make sure to eat them within a few weeks...definitely not an issue in our house!
Original recipe from The Kitchn. Make sure you sterilize your jars first - wash in hot soapy water then rinse and place in the oven on 400F for 10-20 minutes. Lids can go in the last few minutes, if you put them in the whole time the rubber will burn.

Homemade Dill Pickles
Makes 2 pint jars

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds Kirby or Persian cucumbers
4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
2 tsp dill seed
2 tsp pickling spice
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons pickling or kosher salt


Method

Wash and dry the cucumbers.
Trim away the blossom end of the cucumber.
Leave the pickles whole, cut them into spears, or slice them into coins, as preferred.
Add the spices to the jars: Divide the garlic, dill seed, and red pepper flakes (if using) between the pint jars.
Pack the pickles into the jars, trim the ends if they stand more than 1/2 inch below the top of the jar. Pack them in as tightly as you can without smashing the cucumbers.
Combine the vinegar, water, and salt in a small sauce pan over high heat.
Bring to a rolling boil.
Pour the brine over the pickles, filling each jar to within 1/2-inch of the top.
Gently tap the jars against the counter a few times to remove all the air bubbles.
Top off with more pickling brine if necessary.
Once cooler place the lids over the jars and screw on the rings until tight.
Leave until cooled and store the pickles in the fridge.
The pickles will improve with flavor as they age — try to wait at least 48 hours before cracking them open.


Optional — For longer storage, place the jars in a boiling pot of water.
When the water comes back to a boil, set the timer for 5 minutes and remove the jars immediately. Make sure the lids pop down; if they do not, refrigerate those pickles and eat them first.
Let the jars cool to room temperature.
If you processed the jars, they can be stored on the shelf.
Canned pickles will keep for at least a year on the shelf and for several weeks in the refrigerator once opened; refrigerator pickles will keep for several weeks.

Creamy Mustard Mayo Dressing

Creamy Mustard Mayo Dressing

Ingredients

1/4 mayo
1 Tbls mustard
1 Tbls agave
1 tsp coconut aminos
1 Tbls olive oil (garlic)
splash flavored vinegar


Method

Whisk ingredients together.

Freezing Stewed Tomatoes

If you don't have a canner and don't want botchelism this is a great way to preserve your tomatoes.

I started with sterilizing my jars;

Wash jars with dish soap and rinse well with hot water.

Preheat oven to 120C and place jars in the over for 20 mins. 

I add the lids 5 mins before the end otherwise the rubber can burn.

Next I washed the tomatoes, slice an "x" at the stem and boiled on the stove until the skin splits and is coming away from the flesh.

Once tomatoes are cool enough to touch peel the skin off.

You can also de-seed if you like but I didn't.

At this point you can freeze them whole or puree them in a blender before freezing.

I added some fresh herbs to mine and heated so that they were ready as a sauce base.

Defrost completely before using.

Homemade Stewed Tomatoes

The last of our tomato harvest...so sad :( We won't eat those all before the go bad so I decided to stew and freeze them. We don't have a canner so freezing is the next best option!

First boil a large pot of water and add tomatoes. Boil for around 5 minutes and then blanch the tomatoes in cold water. The skin should just peel right off.

Add the peeled tomatoes to a food processor and blitz as smooth or chunky as you like.

I added in my herbs then too to save on chopping! I used parsley, basil and oregano.

In a large pot add the tomato mix and simmer on a low heat for around 30 minutes.

If you are making a base for a sauce then you can add in salt, pepper & garlic etc.

Once mixture is cooled you can add to sterilized jars, seal and freeze. 

I used Mason Jars because they are made to withstand heat and cold.

All the herbs from the garden I picked, washed and chopped and then freeze in ziplock bags until I'm ready to use them. 

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I had some vanilla pods left after making vanilla sugar that need something doing to them so I'm trying to make my own vanilla extract. I got this recipe from The Kitchn...after a month i'll know if it worked!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Ingredients

3 to 5 vanilla beans
8 ounces alcohol such as vodka, bourbon, brandy, or rum

Equipment

Cutting board and knife
Clean jar or bottle
New bottle(s) for packaging (optional)
Small funnel (optional)
Coffee filter (optional)


Method

Split the vanilla beans: Split each vanilla bean in half lengthwise. If you like, you can leave an inch connected at the end of the bean for an attractive presentation. You can also chop the beans into smaller pieces if necessary to fit in your jar or bottle.
Place the vanilla beans in a clean jar or bottle. Cover them with alcohol, making sure they are completely submerged. Cover the jar or bottle and give it a good shake.
Infuse for at least one month: Store the jar or bottle of vanilla beans in a cool, dark place for at least one month, shaking it from time to time. Taste the extract and let it infuse longer if you want a stronger flavor.
Strain it if you like: You may wish to remove the vanilla pods and decant the extract into a pretty bottle. The little flecks of seeds can be a nice touch, but if you want a clear extract you can strain them out using a coffee filter.
Or leave the pods in the extract: You can also leave the beans in the alcohol and top off the bottle as you use the extract. Eventually all the flavor will be extracted from the original vanilla beans, so you can periodically add fresh beans as well as leftover pods that you've scraped for other recipes.
→ Uses for spent pods. You can also make good use of the spent vanilla pods by drying them and then making vanilla sugar or flavored salt.

Simple Vegan Pesto

Pesto is ridiculously easy to make yourself because it only has 4 ingredients, and it's much nicer when it's fresh. Perfect as a spread or on hot pasta.

Simple Vegan Pesto
makes around 1 cup

Ingredients

2 cups basil (you can use any herbs but the flavour will change)
1/2 cup pine nuts (you can use any nuts you like but the flavour will change)
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
1/4 to 1/2 cup good tasting extra virgin olive oil, as needed
Sea salt, to taste
Some optional ingredients are;
1 tbls lemon juice
3 tbls nutritional yeast or vegan Parmesan


Method

In a food processor add the nuts, basil and garlic and pulse until chopped and mixed well.
Add extra virgin olive oil in a steady drizzle as you pulse the processor on and off.
Process until it becomes a smooth, light paste.
Add in optional ingredients if desired.
Season with sea salt, to taste.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for at least an hour.

Kale, Zucchini & Sweet Potato Croquettes with Tropical Salsa Verde

I made this using what I had left in the vegetable crisper :)
I had never tried tomatillos before and did not have the ingredients for a traditional Salsa Verde,,,so I was winging it a little...
Hubby just had the croquettes with some sweet chilli sauce and thought they were the best thing ever!

Kale, Zucchini & Sweet Potato Croquettes with Tropical Salsa Verde
Makes around 20 croquettes

Ingredients

3 large zucchinis
1 large sweet potato, peeled
1 bunch kale
4 Tbls GF flour
GF breadcrumbs

oil for frying (I used canola)

for the Tropical Salsa Verde;
(makes about a cup)
6 tomatillos
2 large sweet green chilli peppers
200g pineapple chunks
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 Tbls onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
4 drops liquid smoke
Juice from 1/2 lime
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mexican chilli powder (or taco seasoning)

Method

In a food processor grate the zucchinis, sweet potato and kale.
Place in a large bowl.Squeeze out excess liquid.
Add flour and mix well. Add milk or an egg replacer if you think it need binding. I didn't use this.
In a large frying pan add frying oil, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan and heat on medium.
I tried to shallow fry them first and they fell apart :(
Once pan is ready, grab some croquette mix and make a ball.
Coat in bread crumbs and add to frying pan.
Press down with a spatula to make into a pattie.
Fry for approximately 3-4 mins per side or until golden.
Place on a tray lines with paper towel.
Continue making batches until mix is finished.
Serve with Tropical Salsa Verde.


For the Tropical Salsa Verde;
Add all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until chopped and well combined.
Drain if desired.