It's All About the Sauces!

Once thing I have heard over and over again is that, when it comes to the best vegan food, it's all about the sauces. The best vegan meals I have had at restaurants and at home have had amazing vegan sauces. Restaurants, unfortunately add sugars and oils to their sauces that I just don't want. So when I'm at home, I make sure to omit those things from my sauces, making them not only delicious, but much much healthier. 

I have a few sauces to share with you that I have created myself and a few from various blogs that were just amazing and worth a shout out. 

First of all, there is a sauce that I use for sour cream. It's great for Chili and tacos because it also tastes kind a cheesey, so it takes care of that cheese flavor and gives you the sense that you also have something creamy. It's also the easiest sauce to make. 

Simple Cashew Cream Recipe: 

Juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 cup raw cashews (soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes)
1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt

First soak your cashews, then drain. Put all ingredients into a high speed blender. (I use a nutribullet). Blend until smooth. This sauce never lasts long in my house, but it does keep in the fridge for up to 1 week. I usually put it into an air tight glass jar. 

The next sauce I want to share is called a "Yum Yum Sauce" It was created by my friends over at Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures. I linked it above. After making it, I first used it on a portabello mushroom sandwich, which was freaking amazing! Then I tried it on avocado toast, also freaking amazing! I think this sauce would be good on just about anything! The next thing I plan on trying it on is a Buddha bowl! Yum! 

What to use for Mayo? Mayo is a hard one, it's hard to get the taste right for mayo without using any oils. The closest recipe I have found was created by a blog called Clean Food Dirty Girl. They have lots of great recipes if you want to check them out. Their Mayo Recipe is delicious and totally worth trying if you want to switch to plant-based and need something for your sandwiches. 

My favorite dressing for salads is a Turmeric Tahini Dressing. I've been playing around with others, but this one has been the best so far. 

Easy Tahini Dressing:  

1/2 cup Tahini
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 cup coconut aminos
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water (to thin)
2-3 cloves garlic
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 tsp oregano

Put all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until smooth

Cilantro Lime Sauce  (This sauce is great for Tacos, Taco bowls, Avocado toast, and even a dressing if you thin it out a bit!)

Best Vegan Hollondaise Sauce (This link brings you to a recipe for a tofu breakfast sandwich! The Hollondaise sauce is amazing, I had leftovers, so the next day I made a tofu scramble and used this sauce on it and it was amazing!) 

Vegan Cheezy Sauce (This will bring you to a vegan ranch sauce, I have to warn you that it does not taste like ranch, I have yet to find a good Vegan Ranch sauce. But, it has a cheezy flavor, and is also delicious on bowls, sandwiches, french fries, cauliflower, really whatever you want to use it for.)

Best Vegan Alfredo Sauce Recipe: (this recipe is great for a white pizza sauce, or a pasta sauce)

1 Medium White Onion
1-2 cups Vegetable Broth
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/2 Tsp Pepper
4 Large Cloves Garlic
1/2 heaping cup unsalted cashews
Juice of 1 lemon
2-4 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

Add onion and 1 cup of broth to a large pan over medium heat, cook for 8 minutes until onion is tender. Add the garlic cloves and cook a few minutes more. Cook until broth is gone. Add cooked veggies to a blender along with 1/2 cup of vegetable broth. Add remaining ingredients to the blender. Blend on high for a couple minutes until creamy and smooth. 

These are all of my go to sauces. I do use a few others, but these are the best and most flavorful ones that I use on a regular basis. If I find more, I'll add them. I hope you enjoy trying out some new healthy sauces! The Alfredo one listed above is great for pasta!