MEAL PREP SAUCES

MEAL PREP SAUCES

Thanks to those of you who commented and asked for the sauce ideas. I hear you! Let's make dinner better.
In this season of life, our meals are riffs on the same sort of thing, all made special by the rotation of a few sauces. As a girlfriend mentioned to me, "I can chop things for a salad or roast some vegetables, I just need to know how to make the sauces" - so hopefully this is helpful. The vinaigrette works on any sort of green salad, the mexi bowl sauce is what we put on tacos, stuffed peppers or burrito bowls, which happen weekly here. It is also great with scrambled eggs. The citrus tahini miso is the crowd favorite recipe from Bowl + Spoon. We use it over grain or noodle bowls, or any neutral seasoned roasted vegetable. They all are super easy, only one requires a blender, and they make meals come together so quick. Prep them on a Sunday, they store fine in the fridge for the week and use as needed. I also love this Vegan Caesar or this Green Harissa from the recipe index too.

I lean towards sauces being on the more acidic, zingy side. A few tips for "fixing" them when you wing it, or you misjudged the heat in your jalapeno, or perhaps my measurements here aren't to your taste:

too spicy? more sweetener
too salty? more of all the other ingredients, aside from the salty ones (soy, miso, parm, olives etc.)
too oily? more acid and herbs
flavorless? more acid and salt
too thick? water or citrus
too thin? blend in nuts, herbs, greek yogurt, avocado

// back pocket vinaigrette //

I put everything here in a jar with a lid and shake it up to mix. You could also whisk everything in a bowl or even whiz it in a blender, if preferred. I call for ACV here to use a pantry staple, but a squeeze of fresh lemon helps brighten everything here. I heart you forever, lemons.

2 Tbsp. minced shallot or red onion
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. grated parmesan
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley (1/2 tsp. dried oregano as a sub)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Into a jar with an available matching lid, combine the shallot, dijon, honey, salt, a few grinds of pepper, cider vinegar, parmesan, parsley and give it all a little swirl. Add the olive oil and shake it around to mix. Season to taste. 
Dressing will keep at room temperature for a day or two (the parm is fine), or in the fridge for a week. If the oil solidifies, just leave it at room temp for a few minutes before using. 

// mexi bowl sauce //

1 jalapeno, roasted over gas burners or broiled for 5 minutes
1 clove garlic
1/4 cup toasted pepitas
1 anchovy (optional but delicious, you wont even know its there)
3/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup fresh cilantro
juice of one large lime
1 Tbsp. white or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 ripe avocado

Do a quicky roast to your jalapeno, I do this over the stovetop. Chop it up, avoiding some of the seeds in the center. Put the jalapeno in your blender, along with the garlic, pepitas, anchovy (if using), sea salt, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, water and avocado. Blitz until smooth. Use citrus or vinegar to thin it if you prefer it thinner. It will firm up in the fridge. 
Best used within a few days. Will keep covered in the fridge for 5 days. 

// citrus tahini miso //
from Sprouted Kitchen Bowl + Spoon
I will say this yields enough for one meal? Depends how saucy you are. Double it if you'd like it on hand for more than one meal. 

1/2 cup tahini
2 Tbsp. yellow or white miso paste
1 Tbsp. honey or agave
2 tsp. sriracha
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, grated
1/4 cup citrus juice (orange or lime preferred)
2 Tbsp. water, more as needed
minced cilantro, optional
sea salt and pepper to taste

Into a bowl, combine the tahini, miso, honey, sriracha, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, citrus juice, water and whisk everything until evenly combined. Taste and adjust as you wish. Whisk in fresh cilantro, if using. 
Keep the dressing stored in the fridge for a week. 

NUT + SEED MILK

Popping in to add something to the pantry staple arsenal. Malk? Mylk? I can't. It's just milk made from nuts and seeds and has made no sense to my parents how one "milks" a nut so I hope I can clear some things up for them, if perhaps visually, here. See the nipples on that cashew, Dad? ;)

It's been chilly lately, so my coffee and tea consumption has been a pretty steady stream through the day until happy hour. I typically use an unsweetened coconut milk creamer from the market but have more recently fallen in love with homemade cashew milk in there instead (after the coffee has cooled down quite a bit, the milk just separates and falls to the bottom of a super hot cup). We also have a family wide adoration of peanut butter Puffins cereal that floats beautifully in the almond milk.  I am including a few recipes for nut and seed milk (for those with nut allergies) below. You do need a nut milk bag or small sieve (cheesecloth optional) to strain the almond milk. I tend towards the cashew milk because the fibers all blend into the milk enough that you can just include them in the finished product, leaving you with something that resembles whole milk versus skim. If you prefer it the viscosity of store-bought, strain it. I make muffins with the leftover pulp (reference this pumpkin muffin recipe, swap in overripe bananas for the pumpkin and use a dry sweetener instead of the maple to compensate for the wet pulp). The suggested soaking step helps break down the phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, making the nuts easier to digest. Overnight is easiest for me, it's all hands off time, then I can blend them in the morning, but at least 4 hours would likely do the trick. More notes on why to soak them on My New Roots. 

Are you thinking "Sara, I can buy this?" I know, I think that too, and usually do, so I won't sell this too hard. I will say this turns out much creamier and has a fresher, stronger nut flavor and you can personalize the sweetness or lack thereof and it is more cost effective and less wasteful. It's like anything homemade, I buy store-bought marinara sauce and cookies and such all the time, but making something from scratch has the extra magic you can't buy. Perhaps that is just from being close to the process. 

NUT + SEED MILKS
I use about 3 1/2-4 cups water and find that to be my optimum nut and seed milk viscosity - a little thicker than store bought stuff. You can play with that 1/2 cup either direction for something on the thicker or thinner side. Two dates in 4+ cups of nut milk is just barely sweet. Using maple to taste instead will be a bit more of an obvious sweet flavor. 

// almond milk //

1 cup almonds, soaked overnight
2 dates, pitted
pinch of sea salt
4 cups filtered water
1/4 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from half a vanilla bean

Soak the almonds and dates overnight. Drain off extra water from the top. Put all the nuts and dates in a high speed blender with 4 cups fresh water, a pinch of salt and vanilla. Blend on high for 2 whole minutes. Strain through a nut milk bag for a smoother milk, this is optional. 
Store in the fridge, covered, for a week. 

// cashew milk //

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
2 dates, pitted
4 cups filtered water
pinch of sea salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract or seeds from half a vanilla bean

Soak the cashews and date overnight. Drain off extra water from the top. Put all the nuts and dates in a high speed blender with 4 cups fresh water, a pinch of salt and vanilla. Blend on high for 2 whole minutes. Strain through a nut milk bag for a smoother milk, this is optional. I leave the fibers in.
Store in the fridge, covered, for a week. 

// pumpkin + hemp seed milk //

1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1-2 dates, pitted
3 cups water
pinch of sea salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Soak the nuts/seeds and date overnight. Drain off extra water from the top. Put all the seeds and dates in a high speed blender with 4 cups fresh water, a pinch of salt and vanilla. Blend on high for 2 whole minutes. Strain through a nut milk bag for a smoother milk, this is optional. 
Store in the fridge, covered, for a week. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH + KALE MINESTRA

I feel weird that I called it a "minestra." That is the Italian word for a mixed vegetable sort of soup, think minestrone, and it sounds way more intriguing that way right?! I skipped the pasta here, though you could totally add it or some brown rice or shredded chicken to fill it out if you're into that sort of thing. I have a tough time with salads when it's chilly out, so this pot of goodness serves as an alternative to pack in the vegetables. It is made of easy, pantry staples and some easy to find produce. Boring on its own (sell it, girl!), as brothy, all-vegetable soups go, so a heavy hand with the parmesan croutons is necessary. It tastes better the next day, so lunch leftovers or delivering it to a sick friend is encouraged. 

BUTTERNUT + KALE MINESTRA // Serves 6
Inspired by Williams and Sonoma
I understand wine and vinegar are not often subs for each other, but I hate when I have all but one ingredient. It's winter, I stock red wine in the cool months ;) The recipe listed here leaves you with a fairly stewy soup. Add a bit more broth, and you can add in a cup of cooked orzo, brown rice, some shredded rotisserie chicken or what not to bulk it up. 
Use a rich tasting vegetable broth if dietetically preferred, but a bone broth or fresh stock will add more body to this light soup. The soup can be made in advance, add the kale in the warm up to preserve its bright color. 

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 small fennel bulb, cored and sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
sea salt and pepper, as needed
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed (3 cups)
2 sprigs of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
1/2 cup white wine (or 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar)
1 tsp. dried oregano
dash of cayenne
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
1 14.5 oz. can white beans
3 cups low sodium broth, vegetable or chicken
1 bunch of kale, stemmed and roughly chopped

parmesan croutons
1/2 a loaf of day of bread (gluten free bread works too)
1-2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
grated parmesan, plus more for serving

In a large dutch oven or heavy pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and saute until they begin to brown. Add the butternut squash, another pinch of salt, whole herb sprigs and saute. Add the white wine and let it cook down, leaving the lid ajar so the squash softens, about 6 minutes. Stir in the oregano, cayenne, tomato paste, roasted tomatoes, white beans and broth (more or less based on how thick you like your soups). Bring the soup to a gentle simmer, leave the cover ajar and cook for 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. If it tastes flat, it likely needs more salt, maybe more cayenne and a squeeze of lemon. Stir in the chopped kale until it just wilts, about a minute or two.
While the soup cooks, make your croutons. Preheat the oven to 375'. Rip the loaf into rough 1" pieces. Toss them in the oil to coat, pinch of salt and pepper, and parmesan. Bake the croutons for 12 to 15 minutes until dry an browned on the edges. Set aside to cool.

Ladle the soup into bowls, finish it with a drizzle of olive oil, a heavy handful of croutons and more cheese.