Smoky Roasted Vegetables Cheese Sauce [dairy-free, gluten-free, vegan]

1 very small onion, chopped
1 carrot (washed and unpeeled), chopped
1 cup Butternut squash, peeled and diced (or use a cup of frozen)
a large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped into 4 pieces
1/2 cup orange grape tomatoes (which needed to be used up!)
3 cloves of garlic (leave in husk)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place the above vegetables on a parchment paper-lined baking tray with sides.
Roast for about 25 minutes (check at 20 minutes to see if the potatoes, carrots, and squash are fork tender).

Then, add the roasted veggies to the Vitamix with:

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 t salt
1 t liquid smoke
1/4 t chipotle pepper
1/8 t cumin
1 1/2 cups water (more if needed)

Blend until smooth and creamy!

Tropical Plantain Buddha Bowl [gluten-free, vegan]

Waiting on plantains to ripen is kind of a downer, but when you finish and they taste amazing, it's worth the wait! This recipe makes two large portions or three slightly smaller.

Ingredients you will need for this recipe:
1 cup brown rice
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
2 plantains
1 package organic firm tofu
3 T lime juice (split between the peanut sauce and pepper-mango salsa)
1/3 cup Naked PB peanut powder
2 small cloves of garlic
2 T low-sodium gluten-free tamari or soy sauce (if not GF)
1 T date syrup (or maple syrup)
1 t crushed sesame seeds (or 1 t dark sesame oil for flavor)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 yellow bell pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
2 ripe mangoes
3-4 cups of broccoli florets, steamed
2 cups slaw mix (green cabbage with some purple cabbage and carrots)
1 cup shredded purple cabbage
Green onions, to garnish if desired
Chopped peanuts, to garnish if desired

To make the cilantro rice in the Instant Pot:
1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups water
1 handful of cilantro, chopped finely
1/4 t salt

Place all ingredients in your Instant Pot. Set the HIGH PRESSURE for 22 minutes, then click cancel and wait until the lid can be opened. Keep the lid on until plating up.

To make the baked tofu and plantains:
2 plantains, ripened to half yellow, half black, then peeled and sliced into angled 1/4" slices
1 block of tofu, pressed, drained, chopped into cubes, and marinated in teriyaki sauce (my recipe or store-bought) for 30 minutes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place tofu and plantain slices on a parchment paper-lined pan. Bake for about 30 minutes.

To make the pepper-mango salsa: (This can be made ahead!)
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, remove seed pod, and dice finely (do not touch your eyes!)
2 sweet mangoes, peeled and diced
handful of cilantro, chopped finely
1/4 t salt
1 T fresh lime juice

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, cover, and chill in fridge.

To make the peanut-lime sauce:
1/3 cup Naked PB peanut powder
2 small cloves of garlic
2 T low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1-2 T date syrup (or maple syrup)
2 T fresh lime juice
1 t crushed sesame seeds (or 1 t dark sesame oil for flavor)

Laying the bowls in this order (from the bottom up):
Brown Cilantro Rice
Slaw Mix
Purple cabbage
Steamed Broccoli
Tofu
Plantains
Pepper-Mango Salsa
Peanut-Lime Sauce

Disclosure: Mrs. Plant makes use of Amazon.com affiliate links when they are available. These are products I have personally purchased and recommend based on my experience with them. Your use of these links for product purchases provides me with a commission which pays for the food and supplies I use to keep this website alive. However, your use of these links as a reader is not required.

Smoky Sun-dried Tomato Almond Cheese Spread [gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan]

UPDATED 4-20-2020

2 cups almond flour (white)
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 clove of garlic
1-2 t liquid smoke
 4-6 leaves of fresh basil (1 t dried basil if you absolutely cannot get fresh)
1/8-1/4 t red chili flakes
1/2 t salt
1 cup water
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
hemp seeds and a few more chili flakes to garnish, if desired

Soak sun-dried tomatoes in water for about 15 minutes. Drain well and set aside. In a high-speed blender (using the tamper or a spatula to scrape down the sides), combine all ingredients (except the sundried tomatoes and basil) and blend until smooth. Pulse in sun-dried tomatoes and basil. Remove to a small serving bowl and top with more red chili flakes and hemp seeds if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and chill. Serve with whole grain crackers.

Inspired by High Carb Hannah

The Creamiest, Garlickyest, Deliciousest Hummus

This amazingly delicious hummus came from a recipe in High Carb Hannah's new "Let's Get Saucy"eBook. It's called "Traditional Hummus" and PEOPLE, it is PLANTASTIC!

Check out her eBook with more than 55 oil-free, dairyfree,wholefoods sauces, dips, and dressings recipes at my affiliate link:
Bit.ly/mpsaucy2
Use the code MRSPLANT for 10% off!

Oil-Free Roasted Garlic Pepperoncini Hummus

This makes a LARGE batch of hummus. It is best when made with chickpeas previously cooked in the Instant Pot, but you can use canned.

4 1/2 cups of freshly cooked chickpeas (in the Instant Pot) or canned, reserving some of the liquid
6 T fresh lemon juice
6 roasted cloves of garlic*
1/2 cup Jeff's Naturals (got them at Sprouts) or other brand of Pepperoncinis, along with some of the juice from jar
3 T raw tahini
salt to taste

Blend all in the Vitamix or other high-speed blender with a bit of the aquafaba (chickpea cooking liquid) until very smooth and a bit loose (as it will thicken in the fridge).

* Cut the top of a head of garlic off, revealing each clove.
Place in a square of foil, adding a few sprinkles of water on top.
Wrap loosely in the foil, and roast at 375 degrees for 35-45
Squeeze cloves out and into your recipe.

THE BEST Veggie Cheeze

There are a lot of vegan cheeze recipes out there, and most are very delicious and healthier alternatives to animal-based cheese. Somehow, I managed to make one that I like better than all I have tasted before (except for our cashew-based queso, which is the bomb!), and I actually wrote down the ingredients! 😋

1/4 red bell pepper, cut into chunks
2 small peeled yellow potatoes, cut into chunks
1/2 small onion, cut into chunks
1 garlic clove
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1/2 t salt, or to taste
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

In a saucepan, add red bell pepper, potatoes, onion, garlic, carrot and water to cover everything. Bring to a soft boil and cook for about 10-12 minutes until everything is fork tender. Strain off water except 1/4 cup of it. Add the veggies and the 1/4 cup of water to your high-speed blender with the salt and nutritional yeast flakes. Blend until very smooth.

Makes about 1 pint.

Roasted Eggplant Hummus

1 eggplant, free of blemishes
1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas (homecooked in the pressure cooker are best!)
2-3 cloves of garlic (make sure it is fresh) or you can roast a head of garlic with the eggplant and use that instead
3 T tahini
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1/2 t. cumin powder
1-3 T water (depending on the consistency you like)
salt to taste

NOTE: You can also roast a head of garlic instead of using raw in this recipe. Simply cut the top of a head of garlic off, revealing each clove. Drizzle a tiny bit of water over the head, wrap loosely in foil, and roast with the eggplant on the tray at 400 degrees for 1 hour. Squeeze cloves out and into the blender.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash eggplant well and prick it several times on all sides.
Place the eggplant on a baking tray on top of a silpat mat or parchment paper.

Roasted eggplant should begin to implode when done

Cut open and let cool before removing flesh from the skin

Roast for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes--until the eggplant begins to implode.
Remove the eggplant from oven and cut it open lengthwise to cool.
Scrape out the center (including the seeds) and add to your high-speed blender jar.
Add all of the rest of the ingredients and only 1 T. of water and blend until VERY smooth. If needed add additional T of water as needed to reach desired consistency.

Serve with fresh, raw veggies, baked oil-free lavash crackers (made from Trader Joe's whole wheat lavash bread -- instructions below), or whatever you like to dip into your hummus!

To make whole wheat lavash crackers:
Buy Trader's Joe's Whole Wheat Lavash Bread.
Cut into small rectangles and bake (no oil!) in the oven at 325 degrees until crispy (8-12 minutes, depending on your oven. Cool.

Fat-Free Hummus

The nutritional yeast in this hummus is a GAME CHANGER! No oil or extra fat required! It's truly luscious!

1 1/2 cups of cooked chickpeas (I made mine in the Instant Pot from dry beans)

1 clove of garlic

1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice

1/4 t. cumin powder

2 dashes of cayenne pepper

1 t.. nutritional yeast flakes

1/4-1/2 t. salt (or none if you're doing SOS-free)

water or aquafaba (liquid from the chickpeas) to thin and blend smooth

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender for quite a while until very smooth and creamy.

Smoked Salmonless Spread

Before I became plant-based, I LOVED smoked salmon spread. Since I am a believer that it's not actually the food itself you love but rather the flavors and textures, I love to recreate the experience I had with animal-based foods with plant-based ingredients. So, here's my version of smoked "salmon" spread...

1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup unsweetened plain soy yogurt (I used silk) -- do NOT use vanilla!
1 T. ketchup
2 T liquid smoke (yes, TABLESPOONS)
1/4 t. onion powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/8 t. black pepper
1/8 t. dried dill
1/8 t. sea salt
one 2-inch x 3-inch piece of nori paper

Place all ingredients in blender or food processor EXCEPT the nori paper. Blend on low, scraping down sides often. It will take a while to get the mixture smooth. It should be smooth, thick, and spreadable.
Then, cut nori piece into thin strips with scissors, then again into tiny little squares. Stir by hand into spread mixture. Chill and serve!

Homemade Oil-Free Blender Hummus

There is really nothing like homemade hummus...I mean making hummus from dried garbanzo beans that you cooked yourself! This version was adapted from the beautiful Susan Voisin's FatFreeVegan.com recipe. It came out smooth, creamy, and amazing!

Step 1: Rinse and Drain 1 pound of dry garbanzo beans
Step 2: Place them in your electric pressure cooker with 8 cups of water
Step 3: Cook on high pressure for 35 minutes with NATURAL release
Step 4: When the beans have cooled a bit (and you can open the top of your pressure cooker), measure out 3 cups of the beans from the pressure cooker and place them in your high-speed blender with 1 cup of the cooking liquid. You can refrigerate or freeze the remaining bean and aquafaba (cooking liquid) for another use.
Step 5: Add the following to the blender...
3 cloves of garlic
2 chunks of roasted pepper
2 T. tahini
3 T lemon juice
1 t. cumin powder
1/4 t. smoked paprika
1/4 t. ancho or chipotle chili powder
3/4 t. salt

Blend until very smooth and serve with baked pita chips!

Oil-Free Basil Walnut Pesto

2 cups of fresh basil
1/2 cup walnuts
1 T. chia seeds
1-2 cloves of garlic
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1/4 t. salt
1-2 T water

Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Serve over pasta, as a base for pizza,  or as a salad seasoning!

"Oat" Cheese Sauce [gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan]

Recipe update on 10/14/16
I'm calling this "Oat" Cheese Sauce because rather than the base being cashews (like our Cashew Queso recipe), this recipe calls for oats! I originally saw this recipe on "Simple Daily Recipes" by the hilarious Jill Ann McKeever. I have made some modifications to give it a more Mexican flavor. ENJOY!

NOTE: You can add in cumin, onion powder, and cayenne to make a Mexican-flavored for chip dipping and other Mexican recipes. See additional spices to add, below.

1/2 cup old-fashioned organic rolled oats [gluten-free variety if you want this sauce to be GF]
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 t. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup of roasted red bell pepper (about 1/2 of a medium-sized roasted pepper)
1 T. non-GMO corn starch or arrowroot powder
2 cups of water
1- 1 1/2 t. salt (start with 1 t and add more if needed)

For Mexican style add:
1 t. cumin powder
1/2 t. onion powder
dash (or more) of cayenne pepper
dash (or more) of black pepper

DIRECTIONS:
Throw everything in your blender and blend for a few minutes until very smooth. Pour into a saucepan and cook over medium heat until thickened, whisking the entire time after about one minute. BE PATIENT! It will thicken to a beautiful, smooth, cheesy sauce.

Baked Pita Chips (NO OIL)

Place pita triangles on trays in a single layer

What can you eat with low-fat/fat-free hummus or dips besides veggies? You can make your own whole wheat pita chips easily without any oil!

Step One: Buy 100% whole wheat pitas.
Step Two: Cut them into 8 triangular sections.
Step Three: Cut the ends off so they are easy to separate. Don't throw out the ends! Bake them and use them to dip in your oil-free hummus!
Step Four: Separate each triangle into two pieces and place on baking trays in a single layer.
Step Five: Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Place triangles on baking sheets and bake them until crispy (golden) but not burned! Approximately 10-15 minutes. If they're cold from the fridge, it will take longer. Keep checking them after 10 minutes to see how they look. Store in airtight container for weeks!

Cooling the pita chips altogether on one tray

Low-Fat Sweet Potato Hummus

1 1/4 cups mashed sweet potato
3 cloves ROASTED garlic (see how to roast garlic, below)
1 15 oz. can sodium free chickpeas/garbanzos, drained (reserve some liquid and set aside)
2-3 tbsp chickpea liquid (or as needed to cream hummus)
3 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4-1/2 teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)

Pulse all ingredients in a high-speed blender or food processor. Serve with baked whole wheat pita chips.

To roast a head of garlic:
Peel the outer skin from a head of garlic. Chop off the top end flat. Place inside a piece of foil. Loosely close foil around the head of garlic. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or under the cloves are golden brown and tender. Squeeze roasted cloves out and use in soups, hummus, spread on bread, and in other recipes!

Adapted from lowfatveganchef.com

Quick Cashew Queso

NOTE: If you do not have a high-speed blender, soak cashews for several hours, drain water off, then add to the recipe. This will soften them and make your queso more creamy.

1/2 cup raw cashews
¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes*
1 t onion powder
1 t salt
1 t cumin
1/8 t black pepper (optional)
a dash of cayenne pepper (I added more to make it spicier)
1 1/3 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1/2 T white or yellow miso paste**
1/2 cup roasted red bell pepper (you can roast your own or use jarred--not soaked in oil!)
1 t lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a HIGH-SPEED BLENDER and process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, allowing the cheese to thicken. Serve with baked chips.

*Nutritional Yeast Flakes can be found at Sprouts in the vitamins section, at Whole Foods in the bulk bin area, or  online. They are FABULOUS on air-popped, salted popcorn!

** Miso paste is found in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods or Sprouts usually near the plant-based meat alternatives. You can also go to an Asian store and purchase it there.

Low-Fat Beet Hummus

1 small roasted beet, peeled and quartered
4 cloves of roasted garlic
1 15 oz. can organic garbanzo beans, drain but reserve the liquid
juice of one large lemon
1/4 t. sea salt
1 T. tahini
2 t. raw organic agave nectar

Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender, adding reserved liquid from garbanzo beans until you reach your desired consistency (very smooth!).
Served with baked pita chips.

Homemade Roasted Garlic Hummus

Snack time! Homemade Roasted Garlic Hummus (I used a whole head of roasted garlic!) with fresh veggies!

1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 T. fresh or frozen lemon juice
1 head of roasted garlic*
1 T tahini
1/4 t. dried thyme
1/2 t. sea salt
2 T. water (or more if needed)

Blend in high-speed blender until very smooth.

* Cut the top of a head of garlic off, revealing each clove.
Place in a square of foil, adding a few sprinkles of water on top.
Wrap loosely in the foil, and roast at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes.
Squeeze cloves out and into your recipe.

Salsa Fresca

Makes 1-quart jar

Two 14-oz cans of fire-roasted organic diced tomatoes (salt-free if desired)
½ small organic sweet onion, chopped into quarters
2 cloves of garlic
1 jalapeno, seeded (leave a few seeds if you want it spicy!) OR 1 T. chili in adobo sauce (for a smoky spicy flavor!)
1 T agave, maple syrup, or date syrup
½ t salt
1 t cumin
medium handful of Cilantro - no big stems
juice from one lime

Put all ingredients in the blender EXCEPT the tomatoes. run on low until everything is chopped well. Then, add the tomatoes and PULSE a few times until the desired consistency is achieved. DO NOT blend.

NOTE: This Salsa Fresca CAN be made salt and sweetener-free, if desired. It will taste different, but if you are already SOS-free, you will like it regardless!

Mexican Cashew Ranch Dressing

I try not to buy store-bought salad dressing whenever possible, and I like to experiment with making my own dressings. Since tonight we are having a Mexican meal, I decided to make a big salad with Mexican Cashew Ranch Dressing. I tweaked it a bit tonight, and it's delightful! This recipe makes enough for 4 salad servings.

1/2 cup cashews, soaked in cold water for at least 2 hours (IF you don't have a high-speed blender)
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/4 t. dried dill
1/2 t. dried oregano
1/8-1/4 t. sea salt (to taste)
1 clove of garlic
1/4-1/2 cup water (to desired thickness)
1/2 cup oil-free salsa
Cholula sauce or other red pepper sauce (add some drops to make the dressing spicier if desired)

Drain cashews. Add cashews and all other ingredients to high-speed blender and blend until smooth. Chill before serving.