Sauces and Dips

This recipe is based on the one by Cooks Illustrated; it produces a creamy, delicious, "restaurant style" hummus that is unlike the usual grainy dip that often emerges from the home food processor. I'm using canned beans here to illustrate quantities, but I usually make my own and don't measure so precisely--it's the technique that matters most, and adding enough salt, and not adding too much garlic. ;)

--2 small garlic cloves
--1 1/2 tsp. salt

--2 25-oz. cans chickpeas, drained (Westbrae works well; if you use another brand, or make your own, you'll have to adjust the salt)

(adapted from Cook's Country)
Serves 6-8/Makes 13x18 sheet pan pie

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 3/4 cup hot water (110f)
1Tbsp sugar
4.5 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
2 envelopes or 4 1/2 tsp instant or rapid-rise yeast
2 tsp salt

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 200 degrees. When oven reaches 200 degrees, turn off oven. Grease large bowl. Evenly coat 18- by 13-inch rimmed baking sheet with 1/4 cup oil.

A really delicious Japanese condiment:

Preheat the oven to 350f. Rinse 1 cup of unhulled sesame seeds in a mesh strainer, and drain well.

Spread seeds on a baking sheet, and bake 8-12 minutes or so, until the seeds crush easily between your pinkie and thumb. Stir every two minutes after the 8-minute mark.

Put seeds in some sort of grinding device with 1 tsp. salt, and grind until about half of the seeds are crushed.

Sprinkle on everything! Enjoy. :)

--George St. Co-op Cookbook
servings: 4-6

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup tamari

2 tbsp. red wine or apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

2 tsp. honey

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 tsp. red pepper

1 tbsp. canola or olive oil

1 lb. spaghetti (wheat or rice), cooked with

1 bunch broccoli, chopped small, including stems (peel off tough parts)

1/2 cup scallions (optional)

Combine sauce ingredients and stir till creamy.

Adapted from "Pasta for All Seasons"

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. oyster mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white miso paste dissolved in 1/3 cup hot water
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 pound linguine (or use rice pasta, or cooked grain instead)

This is an awesomely complex and delicious sauce. I've adapted it from Mexican Vegetarian Cooking, by Edith Metcalfe de Plata

1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 cup chopped onion and

1/2 cup green pepper

3 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped

2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
(or other flour of your choice)
2 tbsp. chopped parsley

2 tbsp. paprika

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. clove

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. oregano

1/4 tsp. crushed cumin seed

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/4 tsp. mustard

1/4 tsp. sage

1/4 tsp. celery seed

servings: 6-8

source: Mama Dearest

4 tbsp. Parmesan (optional--I don't use it)

4 medium garlic cloves

1 tsp. salt

4 lightly packed cups fresh basil (2-4 oz.)

6 oz raw walnuts or pine nuts (heaping cup)
--I use ones that have been soaked and (optionally) dehydrated
~1 cup olive oil

Blend all ingredients except for olive oil in the food processor in the order listed, until they form a smooth paste. Add olive oil in a slow stream and process till blended.

4 Servings

Adapted from "The Complete Soy Cookbook"

3 tbsp. peanut butter

1 tbsp. dark sesame oil

1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. minced jalapeno pepper, or 3/8 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. minced garlic

1/2 cup water, or as needed

1 tbsp. canola oil

8 oz tempeh, cut cross-wise into 12 even-size slices

(I usually double the sauce recipe, and serve the tempeh over quinoa (about 1 1/4 cups (dry) is good for four servings) and sauteed kale.)

servings: 4-6

from Breitenbush Cookbook

Sauce:

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup hot water

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 tbsp. tamari

2 tbsp. molasses

1 pinch cayenne

1 pinch crushed red pepper

Saute:

1 1/2 tbsp. canola oil

1 tbsp. sesame oil

1 lb. broccoli

1 lb. tofu, cubed

1 cup onion, sliced

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp. ginger, grated

1 cup peanuts, chopped

1 tsp. black pepper

2 tbsp. tamari

1/2 cup scallions, chopped

From Peter Berley's excellent book, "Fresh Food Fast"

½ c. extra-virgin olive oil
½-1 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 ½-2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriender seeds
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
2 8-ounce packages soy tempeh, cut into 1-inch squares