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 1� cups)

Ingredients

6-7 ounce can organic tomato paste
� cup distilled white vinegar
� cup pure maple syrup
� cup filtered water
1 teaspoon sea salt
� teaspoon onion powder
? 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

� cup raw peanuts
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large bunch basil (2 cups tightly packed leaves, plus sprigs for garnish)
1 bunch mint (� 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 cup maple syrup


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.

Smoky Cheddar Dip

This is based on The Sexy Vegan's "Smoked Cheddar Sauce recipe from his amazing cookbook.

Smoky Cheddar Dip
makes around 2+ cups

Ingredients

1 cup whole raw cashews
One 12-ounce package soft silken tofu
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon yellow miso
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2/3 cup water
1-2 cups shredded vegan cheddar (I used Daiya)


Method

In a small pot, cover the cashews with water, and boil for about 8 minutes to soften them up.
Drain and let cool.
In a food processor or blender, process the cashews until they�re finely ground.
Add the tofu, garlic powder, onion powder, turmeric, liquid smoke, miso, paprika, salt, mustard powder, oil, nutritional yeast, and water.
Puree till the sauce is as smooth as the following.
Add to a saucepan on a medium heat and when heated add the cheddar cheese.
Stir through until cheese is melted and serve with raw vegetables or corn chips. YUM!

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

I don't remember a lot about what Hollandaise Sauce tasted like but this is pretty delicious! I got this recipe from Classy Vegan but had to make it gluten free. Featured here with tempeh bacon, Vegan "Scrambled Eggs", gluten free toast and steamed baby spinach.

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

Ingredients

3 Tbls Earth Balance margarine
2 Tbls brown rice flour
Pinch of turmeric
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
Big pinch of cayenne pepper
2 Tbls nutritional yeast
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
1 Tbls Vegenaise
Salt and pepper to taste


Method

Heat a small saucepan over medium low heat.
Add the Earth Balance 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.
Lastly, add the vegenaise for a little bit more creaminess.
Keep the sauce warm by covering it with a lid or you can put it over low heat if you watch it carefully and whisk periodically, as to keep it from burning.