Vegan Béarnaise Sauce

I veganized two recipes from Simply Recipes and Classy Vegan to get this delicious Vegan Béarnaise Sauce - served here with mushroom based Meati "Steak".

Vegan Béarnaise Sauce

Ingredients

3 Tbls vegan butter/margarine

2 Tbls brown rice flour

Pinch of turmeric

1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk

Big pinch of cayenne pepper

2 Tbls nutritional yeast

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

1 Tbls Vegan Mayo

1/4 cup vegan dry white wine

3 Tbls whte wine vinegar

1/4 cup shallots, chopped finely

1/4 tsp black pepper

1.5 Tbls fresh tarragon leaves chopped and divided (or 2 tsp dried)
Salt and pepper to taste


Method

Make the tarragon base:

In a small skillet or saucepan over medium-low heat, simmer the wine, vinegar, shallots, black pepper and 1/2 tablespoon of tarragon until most of the liquid has evaporated, but the pan is not completely dry. 

There should still be a tablespoon or two of liquid in the bottom of the pan. 

Set aside and let cool to lukewarm.

Heat a small saucepan over medium low heat add the vegan butter and heat until it is sizzling and boiling quite a bit.

Whisk in the flour all at once to make a paste and continue to whisk it constantly for about a minute.  Add in a small pinch of turmeric for color and mix well (you want your sauce yellow, but you don’t want it too yellow).

Slowly whisk in soy milk and bring sauce to a boil, whisking frequently.

Boil for 2 to 3 minutes and remove from heat.

Whisk in the cayenne and nutritional yeast.

Add the lemon juice and mix well, add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir the tarragon base into the sauce and stir in the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon. 

Lastly, add the vegan mayo for a little bit more creaminess.

Taste and add salt/pepper to taste, or a little more lemon juice, to taste.

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.

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.

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.

Magic Thai Sauce

This is a fabulous recipe that I veganized from Rin S Cookbook Youtube channel. She's amazing! All her dishes are so authentic but obviously not at all vegan so I wing it where I can! This sauce is great for marinating, using as a stock, a soup or other sauce base or as a sauce alone. I threw some in the pan with my soy curls and one tablespoon was enough to beautiful flavor the whole batch (maybe 1.5-2 cups of hydrated curls). Picture at the bottom. My son loved it and he’s a picky eater! I hate them just with rice and it was such a good meal! It tastes pretty strong when you try it but a small amount spread over that much food or as a base for something and it's perfect! This makes nearly around 3/4 cup. It will keep in the fridge for at least a month although you may find it won't last that long :)

Magic Thai Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegan sugar

1/4 cup vegan fish sauce

6 Tbls tamari or GF soy sauce

1 Tbls Braggs liquid aminos

1/2 cup vegan oyster sauce or Golden Mountain seasoning sauce (you can sub with Braggs if you need to)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

Method

Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil on a medium heat.

Once boiling lower to simmer for five minutes.

You can add a mixer of tap corn starch and 2 tsp water to thicken if you like if you're not using oyster sauce as it will help substitute the thickness but I was happy with it being liquid.

One month in fridge.

Marinated, mixed  vegetables, noodles, thai basil sauce.

 Soy curls cooked with Magic Thai Sauce

Caramel Sauce with Coconut Cream

This is an easy caramel sauce recipe perfect for ice-cream!! Original recipe from Alternative French Girl.

Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

130 ml canned coconut cream
2/3 cup unrefined vegan brown sugar
2 tbsp vegan margarine


Method

To make the caramel sauce, add in a saucepan on high heat, the 3 ingredients and bring to boil while whisking.
Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10 to 15 min.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

This original recipe was from Joy Food Sunshine. I freeze mine in ice cube trays which is around 2 Tbls per ice cube. I use around 2-4 ice cubes per pizza.

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Ingredients

6 oz can tomato paste
15 oz can tomato sauce
1-2 Tbls oregano to taste
2 Tbls Italian seasoning
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ Tbls garlic salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1-2 tsp sugar vegan sugar


Method

Mix tomato paste and sauce together in a medium size bowl until well combined (all the lumps of paste are incorporated into the sauce).
Add the rest of the ingredients (oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt, pepper and sugar) and mix well. Freeze left over sauce in ice cub trays, then transfer to an air free container once frozen.

Tzatziki Sauce

This Greek yoghurt based sauce is amazing with falafel!! Original recipe from Genius Kitchen.

Tzatziki Sauce

Ingredients

3 cups vegan greek style yoghurt (I use Kite Hill)
3 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice of one lemon)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large English cucumber, diced (the long, skinny ones)
1 tablespoon salt (for salting cucumbers)
1 tablespoon fresh dill (or both, depending on preference) or 1 tablespoon of fresh mint, chopped (or both, depending on preference)
salt & freshly ground black pepper


Method

Peel cucumbers and dice.
Put them in a colander and sprinkle with the tablespoon of salt (draws water out).
Cover with a plate and sit something heavy on top.
Let sit for 30 minute Drain well and wipe dry with a paper towel.
In food processor or blender, add cucumbers, garlic, lemon juice, dill and/or mint, and a few grinds of black pepper.
Process until well blended, then stir into yogurt.
Taste before adding any extra salt, then salt if needed.
Place in refrigerator for at least two hours before serving so flavors can blend.
This will keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but you will need to drain off any water and stir each time you use it.

Almond Butter Sauces

Yes not one, but three different sauces using almond butter! I frequently find almond butter on sale because it's about to expire, and this is a great way to use large amounts!

Almond Butter Dressing
From In It 4 The Long Run

¼ Cup of Almond Butter
1 Tablespoon of tahini
¼ Cup of Olive Oil
2 Tablespoon of warm water*
Salt and pepper to taste
*For a thinner texture, add more water

Whisk ingredients together

Creamy Garlic Almond Butter Sauce
Adapted from Imma Eat That

1 1/2 cup vegetable or vegan chicken stock
1/2 cup almond butter
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Heat in a saucepan over a medium heat whisking until frothy and creamy.

Sesame Almond Butter Sauce
From My Sequined Life

1/4 cup creamy almond butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tsp sriracha/sambal olak, to taste
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/8 - 1/4 tsp five-spice powder, to taste
1/4 tsp ground ginger
Sesame seeds, for serving

Whisk ingredients together

Basic Marinara Sauce

Great base for pasta sauce and soups.

Basic Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup good red wine

2 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan.
Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, basil salt, and pepper.
Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 45 minutes.

Homemade BBQ Sauce

Great recipe from DIY Natural. Note: I replaced all the sugars with brown rice syrup and used my own homemade Worcestershire sauce...

Homemade BBQ Sauce
(makes about 1 ½ cups sauce)

Ingredients

½ cup tomato paste
½ cup apple cider vinegar
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp molasses
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground mustard seed
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
2 cups filtered water


Method

Mix all ingredients, except water, in a medium saucepan until combined.
Add the water and bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking to eliminate any lumps.
Simmer the mixture for 50 minutes, or until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
Store in a sealed, glass jar in the refrigerator for 2-3 weeks.

Cranberry Sauce

I bought fresh cranberries meaning to dry them but then I found dried cranberries (sugarless always seems hard to find!) at the last minute so I thought I'd make a simple cranberry sauce. This recipe was from Simple Recipes but I had to change the yield as I had less cranberries than the recipe.

Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup vegan sugar

1 cup water

4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (roughly 12oz)

Method

Rinse cranberries and sort.

In a saucepan place water and sugar and heat on a high heat to bring to boil.

Keep stirring and add in the cranberries, lowering the heat to a simmer for around 10 minutes or until the cranberries have burst.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. 

If you want a smoother sauce process once cool enough. 

Fried Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Original falafel recipe from Tori Avey.

Fried Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Ingredients

1 pound (about 2 cups) dry chickpeas/garbanzo beans - you must start with dry, do NOT substitute canned, they will not work!
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
3-5 cloves garlic (I prefer roasted)
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch of ground cardamom
Vegetable oil for frying (grapeseed, canola, and peanut oil work well)


Method

Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl and cover them by about 3 inches of cold water.
Let them soak overnight. They will double in size as they soak – you will have between 4 and 5 cups of beans after soaking.
Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans well.
Pour them into your food processor along with the chopped onion, garlic cloves, parsley, flour, salt, cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cardamom.
Pulse all ingredients together until a rough, coarse meal forms.
Scrape the sides of the processor periodically and push the mixture down the sides.
Process till the mixture is somewhere between the texture of couscous and a paste.
Once the mixture reaches the desired consistency, pour it out into a bowl and use a fork to stir; this will make the texture more even throughout. Remove any large chickpea chunks that the processor missed.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Fill a skillet with vegetable oil to a depth of 1 ½ inches.
Heat the oil slowly over medium heat.
Meanwhile, form 2 Tbls of falafel mixture into round balls or slider-shaped patties using wet hands or a falafel scoop.
The balls will stick together loosely at first, but will bind nicely once they begin to fry.
Before frying my first batch of falafel, I like to fry a test one in the center of the pan.
If the oil is at the right temperature, it will take 2-3 minutes per side to brown (5-6 minutes total).
If it browns faster than that, your oil is too hot and your falafels will not be fully cooked in the center. Cool the oil down slightly and try again.
When the oil is at the right temperature, fry the falafels in batches of 5-6 at a time till golden brown on both sides.
Once the falafels are fried, remove them from the oil using a slotted spoon.
Let them drain on paper towels.
Serve the falafels fresh and hot; they go best with a plate of hummus and topped with creamy tahini sauce.


Tahini Sauce

Method

1/2 cup tahini paste
1 Tbls lemon juice
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
1 tsp fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste


Method

Whisk or process all ingredients adding a small amount of water and increase the water until you have the consistency you desire.

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.

Homemade Ketchup

Another amazing recipe from DIY Natural. I've been wanting to make my own ketchup (tomato sauce for my Aussie friends!) for ages since it goes super fast in our house and I'm sick of high fructose corn syrup being in everything. I like this ketchup because it tastes more like the organic farmers market type sauces. Family loved it.

Homemade Ketchup
(Makes about 1½ cups)

Ingredients

6-7 ounce can organic tomato paste
½ cup distilled white vinegar
¼ cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup filtered water
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder


Method

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium high heat.
Begin whisking to blend ingredients until smooth.
Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently and scraping around sides of the saucepan with a spatula.
Simmer until desired thickness is achieved (could take about 20-25 minutes or more).
Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Transfer to a jar, cap tightly, and refrigerate.
In the fridge this ketchup will last at least a month.
You can preserve this recipe using the hot water bath method just boil for 15-20 minutes.

Vegan Alfredo Sauce

This is simple and delicious...definitely a family pleaser! Original recipe from Freak Food Gourmet.

Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegan margarine
1 1/2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 Package vegan mozzarella shreds (I used Daiya)
1-2 cloves garlic
Pepper


Method

In a medium saucepan heat the margarine and garlic on a medium heat.
Stir in the almond milk and set heat on medium-high.
Once milk has heated up stir in the mozzarella shreds.
Stir until cheese has melted in. I like to use a whisk once the cheese has melted.
Continue to still until thicken - this should happen shortly after bubbles start appearing.

Turn heat down to low and add pepper to taste.
Serve with your favourite pasta!

Asian Style Pesto

This pesto is great for noodles, pasta and pizza (yes I said pizza). Teriyaki Asian Pesto Pizza recipe below.

Asian Style Pesto

Ingredients

½ cup raw peanuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large bunch basil (2 cups tightly packed leaves, plus sprigs for garnish)
1 bunch mint (½ cup tightly packed leaves, plus sprigs for garnish)
1 bunch cilantro (1 cup tightly packed leaves, plus sprigs for garnish)
1 tsp. salt, or more to taste
Juice of 1 lime
1/4-1/2 cup peanut or canola oil and sesame oil combined
1 tsp. chili sauce (I used sambal olak but you can use any)
1 Tbls agave or sugar


Method

Roast peanuts in the oven at 350F for 10 minutes.
Remove and pulse in food processor with garlic, not into a paste just into crumbles.
Place into a bowl and then add all the herbs to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
Add herbs to bowl and mix into the peanuts with the oil, salt, lime juice, chili sauce and agave.
Pesto is ready for use!

Before I went vegan I loved a pizza from the Gourmet Pizza Kitchen in Australia which had prawns cooked in Teriyaki sauce with an Asian pesto. This is a vegan replica I tried out. DELICIOUS! Not exactly like I remember it but still a great pizza.

Teriyaki Asian Pesto Pizza

Ingredients

1/4-1/2 cup Asian Pesto (recipe above)
1 batch Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 batch fried tofu (small cubes) - alternatively you could use vegan chicken or prawns
Fresh coriander/cilantro
1 GF Pizza Base
Fresh lime (for serving)
Agave for serving(optional)

Method

Spread the pesto on the pizza base.
Cook at 400F for 20-40 mins (depending on if your pizza base was cooked to begin with or raw).
Dredge the tofu in the Teriyaki sauce.
Remove pizza from oven and scatter tofu pieces and drizzle on the remaining Teriyaki sauce.
Scatter cilantro leaves and a spritz of lime if desired.
I also like a final drizzle of agave syrup.

Vegan Fry Sauce

I hadn't heard of fry sauce before I came to the States but if you haven't tried it before then you definitely should try it, it's almost like spicy thousand island/cocktail sauce. Obviously great with homemade fries and wedges but also great with crumed and battered tofu or faux seafood.

Vegan Fry Sauce

Ingredients

3 Tbls vegan mayonnaise
2 Tbls ketchup
2 drops liquid smoke
Few drops of Tobasco or hot sauce
1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/4 tsp onion powder (optional)


Method

Whisk all ingredients until mixed well.

Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

This syrup is based on a Nigella Lawson recipe.
If you think this is blueberry overkill you can just use regular pancakes with the syrup. It's so delicious! What I love about the blueberries in the pancake mix is that they stay tart while the ones in the syrup are cooked and sweet. I usually just use one punnet of blueberries and split it up into 1/2 for the syrup and 1/2 for the pancakes. This recipe is so simple but so delicious!

Blueberry Pancakes with Blueberry Syrup

Yeilds 4 serves

Ingredients

Pancakes;
Instant Pancake Mix (1 cup will feed 4 people)
1/2 cup Blueberries

Syrup;
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups blueberries


Method

Place syrup ingredients into a small pot and cook on medium-high until boiling, then turn down to medium. If it starts to boil to high up just turn down the heat.
Let simmer till all the blueberries have burst and the syrup is a deep purple (around 10 mins)
While syrup is simmering make the pancakes according to the Instant Pancake Mix instructions and drop blueberries on while cooking first side.

Once pancakes are done take syrup off the heat and allow to cool for a minute before transferring into a jug to serve.