Green Harissa Sauce

(recipe from drhyman.com)

1 packed cup flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup mint leaves
2 medium cloves garlic
Juice from half a lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Place all ingredients except the olive oil into a blender and blend until smooth.  While the blender is running, slowly add the oil until incorporated.

(Delicious and easy sauce.  Can be used with noodles, zucchini noodles, any veggies.)

Green Salsa

(recipe from Eating Well magazine)

8 oz. tomatillos
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 jalapeno pepper
1/4 cup sliced white onion
1/2 ripe avocado
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse well.  Cook the tomatillos in the boiling water until soft, 5 to 8 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Toast garlic cloves, jalapeno, and onion in a dry medium skillet over medium heat, turning occasionally, until browned, fragrant and soft, 5 to 7 minutes.

When cool enough to handle, peel the garlic.  Remove the jalapeno stem and remove seeds if desired.  Combine the tomatillos, garlic, jalapeno, onion, and avocado in a bender or food processor.  Process until smooth.  Stir in the cilantro, salt, and pepper.

(Creamy and tangy sauce for tacos or whatever!)

Lima Beans and Mushrooms in Serrano Chile Tomato Sauce

(recipe from The Vegan Gourmet by Susann Geiskopf-Hadler & Mindy Toomay)
2 fresh Serrano chiles
One 28-oz. can whole pear tomatoes, undrained
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh-squeezed lime juice
1/8 tsp. plus 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 lb. fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/2 lb. button mushrooms
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups freshly cooked or canned lima beans, drained
1 cup fresh or frozen shelled green peas
1/4 cup Madeira or dry sherry
Several grinds black pepper

Remove and discard the stems of the chiles.  (Also remove the seeds for a less spicy dish.)  In a blender or food processor, combine the chiles, undrained tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and the 1/8 tsp. salt.  Puree to a smooth consistency and set aside.

Cut the shiitakes into 1/4-inch slices.  Quarter the button mushrooms.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven.  Add all the mushrooms and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until they begin to turn golden.  Add the tomato mixture and the lima beans.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, about 15 minutes, until the sauce has reduced to a nice, thick consistency.  If you are using fresh shelled peas, add them for the last 5-6 minutes of cooking time.  If you are using frozen peas, rinse briefly to melt the ice crystals, drain, and add them for the last 2 minutes of the cooking time.  Stir in the Madeira and plenty of pepper and heat through for another minute.  Serve very hot.


(Delicious sauce!  Serve with couscous, rice, quinoa to round out the dish.)

Cashew Sour Cream

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 cup raw cashews
2 tsp. cider vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/8 tsp. fine sea salt

Place cashews in a small bowl and cover by about 1/2-inch with boiling water.  Let soak for 30 minutes.

Drain cashews, reserving the liquid.  Place cashews in a blender with the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and 1/4 cup of the soaking liquid.  Blend until very smooth, adding more soaking liquid as required to puree the mixture.  Makes about 1 1/4 cups.

(This was fairly good as a sour cream alternative - just making note of it.)

Shakshuka

(recipe from davidlebovitz.com)

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
1/2 - 1 chile pepper (or to taste), stemmed, sliced in half and deseeded, minced
1 1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. paprika, smoked or sweet
1 tsp. caraway seeds, crushed
1 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed, or 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. turmeric
2 lbs. ripe tomatoes, cored and diced, or two 14-oz. cans of diced or crushed tomatoes
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. red wine or cider vinegar
1 cup loosely packed greens, such as radish greens, watercress, kale, Swiss chard, or spinach, coarsely chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, cut in generous, bite-sized cubes (I omitted this)
4 to 6 eggs

In a wide skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and wilted.  Add the chile pepper, salt, pepper, and spices.  Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.

Add the fresh or canned tomatoes, tomato paste, honey, and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened somewhat but is still loose enough so that when you shake the pan it sloshes around. (Fresh tomatoes may take a little longer to cook than canned.)  Stir in the chopped greens.

If you want to finish the Shakshuka on the stovetop, turn off the heat and press the cubes of feta into the tomato sauce.  With the back of a spoon, make 6 indentations in the sauce.  Crack an egg into each indentation, then drag a spatula gently through the egg whites so it mingles a bit with the tomato sauce, being careful not to disturb the yolks.

Turn the heat back on so the sauce is at a gentle simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, taking some of the tomato sauce and basting the egg whites from time-to-time.  Cover, and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

TO FINISH THEM INDIVIDUALLY:  Preheat the oven to 375F.  Divide the sauce into 6 individual baking dishes and press the feta cubes into the sauce.  Set the baking dishes on a baking sheet, make an indentation in each, and crack an egg into the center.  Bake until the eggs are cooked to you liking, basting the whites with some of the sauce midway during baking, which will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes - but begin checking them sooner to get them just right.  If the yolks begin to get a little firm on top before the whites are cooked, drape a sheet of foil over them, but avoid having it touch the yolks.

Serve with lots of crusty bread for scraping up the sauce.

(Such a flavorful sauce!  Very delicious and satisfying.)

Raw Cranberry Sauce

(recipe from Whole Foods Market)

1 orange, peeled
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
1 medium apple, quartered
5 pitted dates (or to taste)
1/3 cup pecans or walnuts
Zest of 1 orange

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse till chunky.

(So easy and delicious!  And healthy!)

Roasted Asparagus with Red Pepper Sauce

(recipe from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics, via a newspaper clipping)

1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more to oil the pan
1 lb. fresh asparagus
1 large garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 tsp. salt
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut lengthwise into 8 strips

Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 to 3 tsp. chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oven to 400F.  Lightly oil a baking pan.

Cut off the tough stem ends of the asparagus and discard.  Wash and dry asparagus.  Toss the spears with the Tbsp. of olive oil, the garlic and salt, and arrange them in a single layer on one half of the baking tray.  On the other half of the tray, arrange the red pepper strips.

Roast, turning vegetables every 10 minutes, until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.  Set asparagus aside and let come to room temperature.

Place roasted pepper strips in a blender with the sauce ingredients.  Puree until smooth.  Season with more salt and pepper if desired.

Arrange asparagus on a serving platter.  Drizzle some sauce over asparagus, and pass the rest when serving.  (Or, as I did, just dip the spears!)

(I very much enjoyed the roasted asparagus, as opposed to steaming.  The sauce was a nice accompaniment.)

Basil-Mint Pesto

(recipe from Williams Sonoma - Vegetarian cookbook)

1 1/2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/2 cup olive oil (I used half olive oil and half tahini)

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used 1 cup walnuts)

1 cup firmly packed mint leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine in a blender, process until smooth.  (Can add extra oil or tahini, if needed.)  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

(Very delicious!)

Arctic Char with Charmoula

(recipe from Food and Wine magazine)

3 unpeeled garlic cloves
1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 Tbsp. chopped green olives
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 tsp. paprika (I used smoked paprika)
Kosher salt
Four 5-oz., skin-on arctic char or salmon fillets (I used salmon)
Pepper

In a small skillet, toast the garlic over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the skins blacken, 7 to 8 minutes.  Let cool slightly; discard the skins.

In a food processor, puree 1/3 cup of the oil, the garlic, parsley, cilantro, olives, lemon juice, cumin and paprika until smooth.  Transfer the charmoula to a bowl and season with salt.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp. of oil.  Season the fish with salt and pepper and place it skin side down in the skillet.  Cook the fish over moderately high heat until the skin is golden, about 3 minutes.  Flip the fish and cook just until it flakes easily, 2 to 3 minutes.  Drain briefly on paper towels.  Serve the fish with the charmoula.

(After coming across this recipe, I read a post on David Lebovitz' lovely cooking site {http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2014/08/chermoula-hot-sauce-recipe/} about the spicy sauce called chermoula, so I had to try it!  I noted the ingredients in David's recipe, and sort of combined the two, tweaking the amounts of things, adding red pepper flakes, keeping the green olives, etc.  The sauce is very flavorful, and a nice addition to the salmon.)

Okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes)

(recipe from Food52.com)

Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sriracha, more or less to taste

Pancakes:
5 large eggs
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. sea salt
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups cabbage, shredded with a mandoline or finely chopped
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and chopped
3/4 cup (roughly) baby or chopped shrimp
oil for frying
1-2 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Whisk the first set of ingredients together and voila, your sauce.  Set aside while you make the pancakes.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs with the soy sauce, sesame oil, and salt.  Gradually add the flour until incorporated.  Fold in the cabbage, scallions, and shrimp.

Warm a couple glugs of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until glistening.  Ladle the batter into the skillet as you would for regular old pancakes.  I usually make them about the size of a saucer.  Cook on each side for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown.  Keep pancakes covered in a warm oven as you make the rest.  Scatter sesame seeds on top of pancakes and serve with dipping sauce.

(So yummy!  Kind of a pain to make.  The batter is runny, but I made my pancakes a bit smaller and babysat them a little, wielding a spatula to corral the runny batter in the pan.  They set pretty quickly, and I got into a rhythm.  Also, I mixed the sesame seeds right into the batter.  I ate a few warm, and the rest cold from the fridge, dipped in the spicy sauce.  Yum!)

Big Comfy Sweet Potatoes

(recipe from mynewroots.org)

4 medium-large sweet potatoes
1 1/2 cups black beans (1 can)
1 ripe avocado
Red Blanket Sauce (recipe follows)

Optional toppings:
cilantro
green onion
sprouts
lime wedges
crumbled goat's cheese
crushed chili flakes

Preheat oven to 400F.  Prick sweet potatoes a few times with a fork.  Place on a baking sheet in the oven and roast for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the potato.  You will know it's done when a knife can easily pierce the skin and the center is soft.

Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and slice each one down the center, almost through to the bottom.  Open up to reveal its orange flesh.

Stuff the sweet potato with black beans and top it with avocado and any other herbs, sprouts, or veggies you like.  Pour Red Blanket Sauce over the top. Serve and enjoy.


Red Blanket Sauce

knob of coconut oil or ghee (I used olive oil)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can whole, organic tomatoes
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. ground chipotle (I used 1/2 a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce)
pinch of cayenne, if desired
1 - 3 dates
2 Tbsp. raw cacao powder
1 Tbsp. nut butter or tahini
4 Tbsp. water, divided
1 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt oil and add all spices.  Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about a minute.  Add onions, a couple pinches of salt, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another couple minutes.  If the pot gets dry at any point, add a little of the tomato juice from the can.

Pour canned tomatoes into the pot and cook for 5 minutes.  Season to taste.

Carefully transfer the tomato mixture to a blender.  Add pitted dates, cacao powder, nut butter, lime juice, and a couple tablespoons of the water.  Blend on high, adding water to thin as needed, until desired consistency is reached.  Season to taste.

Serve.  Store leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.

(Delicious!  The sauce is amazing!  I added some sauteed kale to mine.  Just delightful.)