FOK's DIY Vegan Queso

Sometimes I come across a recipe that changes up the game.  This is one of those recipes.  There are probably 4 or 5 go-to cheezey sauce recipes in my arsenal.  A couple of the best ones include unsalted cashews and lots of nutritional yeast.  So, imagine my delight and surprise when I found a recipe that doesn't use any of the calorie-dense nuts and only a mere 1/4 cup of nooch.  WhooHoo!  We Win!  

A huge thank you to the folks at Forks Over Knives for posting this on their instagram account. I've made only a few changes to this recipe, cutting down on prep time, and taste tweaks. I use this queso as a tortilla chip dip, poured over my steamed broccoli, rolled up with my pinto beans in a burrito, drizzled over my chili and baked potato, as a dip for my home fries, spooned on top of a black beans and rice Buddha bowl, or anytime my food needs a kick of color and a bit of spice-it-up!  To read the recipe from its original source, click HERE.

Get ready.  Get set.  Go!

1 cup regular rolled oats

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sea salt (I use No Salt seasoning-sodium free)

1 7-oz. jar roasted bell peppers, undrained

2 Tablespoons finely chopped onion (I'm lazy so I use 2 teaspoons of dried onion bits)

1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (so far I've only tried with the vinegar option)

1 -2 teaspoons bottled hot pepper sauce (didn't have hot pepper sauce so I used Sriracha. Finally got my favorite Cholula hot sauce and will try it next batch)

Directions:  Bring 2 cups water to boiling.  Meanwhile, in a blender place the first four ingredients (through salt). Pulse to combine. Add the next four ingredients (through hot sauce) and the boiling water.  Cover; blend on low until combined.  Increase speed to high; blend 5 minutes. Sauce will thicken as it blends. Serve immediately, or refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Yummers!!

Molly Patrick-Style Caesar Dressing

A few years back I was an ardent follower of Molly Patrick's cleanfooddirtygirl.com. This recipe is one that I have been making ever since. Find the original recipe post from Molly's website HERE. (If you like what you read here, check out some of her other posts.  Especially if you enjoy irreverance and charm all wrapped into one delightful post!) 

I've made this dressing often.  Perfect for my salads but also delicious as a veggie dip and drizzled on top of my favorite pasta dish...like an Alfredo.  I have it memorized but best that I note it here in my food blog for future reference. Seems I have a faulty wire in my recall ability.

Here ya' go, Molly's Caesar Dressing Recipe:

• 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked in water for at least 10 minutes 
• 2 small-ish garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vegan worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dulse flakes or powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup water

1. Drain and rinse the cashews (discard the soaking water) and place them in your blender, along with the rest of the dressing ingredients (garlic cloves, nutritional yeast, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire, lemon juice, dulse, Dijon mustard, salt and water) and blend until super creamy, about a minute.
2. If you have a nut allergy or want a lower fat version use 1/2 cup tofu (100g) instead of cashews.

I have made this dressing without the dulse flakes and it still takes good.  I've made it using powdered garlic when I was out of fresh or garlic in a jar.  I've made it with yellow mustard when there was no Dijon.  Swap when you need to.  Yes, it will alter the original flavor mix, but it will still taste creamy.

Enjoy!

Bean Burgers with 'special sauce'

Ripped from the pages of cleanfooddirtygirl.com, I can't resist posting yet again from this awesome chef's cook book.  After making these burgers exactly as directed and adding the 'paprika garlic burger sauce' made to the letter, Jeff took a bite and said 'this is the best bean burger I've ever had.'  I thought they were pretty tasty too.  

Thanks, Molly, for your delicious and healthy recipes.  I continue to be wowed and amazed.  We bow to your yumminess.

If you are interested in Molly's recipe and quit wit and repartee?  Click HERE (and scroll all the way to the bottom of Molly's page to find the recipe for her burgers and sauce)! Remember, cleanfooddirtygirl.com is not for the faint of heart i.e. strong language may put some people off.  If this is you, please resist the urge to click on the link.  For all others, I strongly recommend Molly's recipe for those who love eating a whole-foods/plant-based diet.