Vegan Yum Yum (45 page)

Roasted Eggplant and Caramelized Onion Marinara

Makes 4 servings, easily halved if cooking for two

step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF.

step 2
Slice eggplants, peeled or unpeeled, into discs. Stack up some of the discs and cut them into strips until all the discs have been cut. Spread them out in more-or-less one layer on a paper-towel-lined cookie sheet—you can alternate layers of eggplant and paper towels if needed. Make sure each layer of eggplant is sprinkled lightly with salt. Let rest and remove the now-damp paper towels.

step 2
Coat the eggplant lightly in oil and bake for 20 minutes.

step 3
Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to a large skillet or pot. Heat, then add the onion and sauté over medium-high heat. In a few minutes, the onion should begin to color. Do not burn, but cook until very soft and caramelized, about 10 minutes (or longer).

step 4
Add the garlic, thyme, basil, and oregano and cook for 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, pepper, and margarine and stir well.

step 5
When the eggplant has baked for 20 minutes, use a long spoon to stir it up—it should be starting to brown and soften. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until fully cooked, soft, and browned. If you want, you may add more oil at this point. When the eggplant is done, add it to the tomato sauce and stir well. Taste and add salt to your liking. (I put in 1½ teaspoons more!) Serve over your favorite pasta immediately or refrigerate or freeze.

Ingredients

2 eggplants, peeled, sliced into ¼-inch discs, then cut into strips

1 teaspoon salt, divided

½ cup olive oil, divided

1 sweet yellow onion, diced or cut into half-moons

3 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon thyme

½ teaspoon basil

½ teaspoon oregano

1 28-ounce can tomatoes, diced or pureed

Black pepper

1 tablespoon Earth Balance margarine
(optional; for crazies like me)

Salt for seasoning, up to 1½ teaspoons

Sesame Soy Dressing

I
created this dressing for the Pea Tendrils and Daikon Noodle Salad (page 129), but it's a great light dressing to be used over any salad you happen to be making. It's a savory rather than sweet dressing, a perfect contrast for sweet veggies like daikon, carrots, corn, and bell peppers.

Sesame Soy Dressing

Makes about 2 cups

Whisk together the soy sauce, soy milk, sesame oil, agave nectar, vinegar, ginger, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking vigorously, until emulsified. You can do this in a running blender or food processor if you prefer. Chill until ready to use.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons soy milk

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
(or fresh to taste; approximately 1 teaspoon)

1 small dash cayenne pepper

Black pepper, to taste

6 to 7 tablespoons canola or peanut oil

Sweet Miso Salad Dressing

T
his is the salad dressing that got my husband to eat, and enjoy, salads. I whipped it up one morning while we were cooking for a holiday meal, so I can guarantee it's quick and easy to throw together, even as an afterthought. We never buy salad dressings anymore!

Sweet Miso Salad Dressing

Dresses 1 head of lettuce

Put the miso, mustard, sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper into a bowl. Use a whisk to mix the ingredients thoroughly. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking constantly, creating an emulsion. The dressing should turn shiny and thick. Taste and reseason if necessary. Whisk in hot water to thin, if needed. Let the dressing stand for a few minutes and whisk again before serving.

Ingredients

1 heaping tablespoon sweet white miso

1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

2 pinches salt

Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste

3 to 4 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
(your choice)

1 tablespoon hot water

Tamarind Chutney

T
his is the perfect compliment to samosas (page 89), but it's great over tofu as well. Sweet and tangy with a little bit of spice, it's a real crowd pleaser.

Tamarind Chutney

Makes ½ cup

In a small saucepan, bring the water, tamarind paste, and sugar to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 30 minutes until reduced and thickened. Add the salt, red chili flakes, garam masala, and cumin. Cook for 1 minute more, then remove from heat and let cool completely. Serve with Samosas, or use in the tamarind tofu cabbage bowl recipe.

Ingredients

2 cups water

2 tablespoons tamarind paste

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon cumin

Tangy Cashew Spread

T
his is kind of weird, but I like it. It's sweetish, tangy, and creamy. It's like mayonnaise but not. It doesn't really taste like mayo, but that's the sort of condiment it is. I put it on my seitan black bean burgers with some ketchup, and it was delish. It would also be a fun thing to dip fries in, like some strange vegan version of the European favorite (fries and mayo).

I used my Vita-Mix, but this will mix fine in regular blenders. If you're using your blender, try soaking the cashews overnight, which might soften them up a bit and make them blend more smoothly. This makes a great base, so adding fun flavors to customize your meal would be great. Possible additions for flavor are chili powder, wasabi, lime, garlic, dill—anything you can think of.

Tangy Cashew Spread

Makes 1½ cups

Blend together the cashews, water, vinegar, and salt until smooth. Add the oil while the blender is running to emulsify. The mixture should be thick and creamy.

Refrigerate until ready to use.

Ingredients

1
cups cashews

½ cup water

¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar
(less if you're not a fan of tang)

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup mild oil such as canola, peanut, or light olive oil
(or water for a lower-fat version; but if you're adding more water, use just enough so that the mixture will blend smoothly and still remain thick enough to spread, like mayo)

Vegan Worcestershire Sauce

I
tasted bottled vegan Worcestershire sauce as I was making this recipe. My sauce is pretty close! It's not only cheaper to make than buying the bottles, but if you live in an area where vegan Worcestershire sauce isn't available, this will be a great stand-in!

Vegan Worcestershire Sauce

Makes 1½ cups

step 1
If using the shallot/onion, heat the oil in a sauté pan and add chopped shallot/onions and garlic. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes, then put into a blender. If not using the onions/shallot, just put the raw clove of garlic into the blender or food processor and screw the whole cooking thing.