SUPER SAUCES
By Jacqueline Dunnington
To indulge in a flavorful sauce for rice, pasta, or an array of vegetables is no sin, but rather a joy to the palate and an opportunity to add healthy supplements to the diet.
The creative vegan or vegetarian can invent an infinite variety of sauces to suit the season, the wallet, or personal taste. No matter how you spell the appealing accompaniment to your food, be it sawse, salsa, saulce, saus, or another word used to describe these delightful preparations, a melt-in-your-mouth sauce is worth the time to fix it. All recipes can be adjusted for smaller or larger servings.
Enjoy making a sauce that is all your own with a touch of a favorite herb or spice. It is your sauce that will add personality to an often bland basic. Be inspired knowing that career chefs have been honored with prizes for their famous sauces.
SPICY SAUCE
(Yields about 1-1/2 cups)
A sinless sauce in which eastern and western flavors meet.
1 cup finely minced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 very ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced
1 small zucchini, finely slivered
1 ripe mango, peeled and pulp crushed
3 Tablespoons apple juice (amount depends on taste for a thick or thin sauce)
1 teaspoon each curry powder, cumin seed, ground ginger, cracked black pepper
2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)
In a deep-sided pot with lid, blend all ingredients and simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes. Stir often. Cool, purée, and reheat before serving. It's delicious with rice.
| Total calories per 1/4 cup serving: 54 | Fat: <1 gram |
| Carbohydrates: 13 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 9 milligrams | Fiber: 2 grams |
ROSEMARY-MUSHROOM-WALNUT SAUCE
(Yields about 1-1/4 cups)
A gourmet holiday for the palate.
1/2 pound white mushrooms, peeled and sliced (use stems)
2-3 shallots, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dry white wine mixed with ¼ cup water or 1/2 cup water only
1/4 cup very finely chopped walnuts
1 Tablespoon dried, crushed rosemary
Salt substitute and lots of freshly cracked pepper of choice
In a deep-sided skillet with lid, sear mushrooms and shallots in oil, stirring constantly to assure that all mushrooms are reduced. Lower heat and add liquid. Simmer, covered, until mushrooms are extremely tender. Add walnuts and seasonings and blend well. Serve hot over a platter of steamed spinach or spinach pasta (or a dish of your own selection).
| Total calories per 1/4 cup serving: 102 | Fat: 8 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 4 grams | Protein: 2 grams |
| Sodium: 4 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
LIME SHALLOT SAUCE, THAI STYLE
(Yields about 1/2-2/3 cup)
Use very sparingly, enjoy richly.
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 shallots, finely crushed
1 Tablespoon each lemon and lime juice
1 teaspoon each lemon and lime zest
1/3 cup coconut milk
Pulp of two hot green chilies, peeled and processed through a garlic press
1 Tablespoon creamy nut butter
1 Tablespoon tahini
In a ceramic pan, blend garlic and shallots with citrus juices and citrus zests. Stir in coconut milk and a few tablespoons hot water, then add chili pulp. Simmer a few moments and add nut butter and tahini. Simmer until a thick sauce results. Serve hot, by the spoonful, over noodles or rice. (Add a bit of finely chopped cilantro or parsley to sauce for eye appeal.)
| Total calories per 1 Tablespoon serving: 51 | Fat: 5 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 2 grams | Protein: 1 gram |
| Sodium: 12 milligrams | Fiber: <1 gram |
INDONESIAN PEANUT SATÉ SAUCE
(Yields about 1-1/4 cups)
Exotic and easy to prepare, this Saté traditionally enhances rice or vegetable dishes.
2/3 cup chopped white onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1-2 teaspoons shaved fresh ginger root
2 Tablespoons peanut oil
1 Tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 -1/2 cup coconut milk
5 Tablespoons crunchy style peanut butter
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger root in oil until soft; do not brown. Slowly add remaining ingredients. Simmer about 15 minutes, covered. Serve warm over brown rice, snow-peas, broccoli, or a vegetable medley.
| Total calories per 1/4 cup serving: 196 | Fat: 18 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 6 grams | Protein: 5 grams |
| Sodium: 198 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
SEARED SPANISH ONIONS IN TOMATO COULIS
(Yields about 2 cups)
An unusual, sophisticated, but not complicated sauce.
3 Spanish onions, peeled and cut into long, thin slices
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 very ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into thin wedges
1 Tablespoon minced fresh basil leaves
1 cup water blended with ½ cup dry white wine
Salt substitute and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1/2 cup unsalted pine nuts
Sauté onions and garlic in oil until clear and amber colored. Add tomato wedges and simmer until soft. Fork mash, then add seasonings and liquid. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until liquid reduces to yield about 2 cups of sauce. Stir in nuts. While hot, pour over pasta, brown rice, or well-cooked dried beans (limas, favas, garbanzos, etc.).
| Total calories per 1/4 cup serving: 110 | Fat: 8 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 6 grams | Protein: 2 grams |
| Sodium: 6 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
FOUR PEPPERS SAUCE
(Yields about 2 cups)
An enhanced version of a classic awaits you. Use less roasted green chili peppers if you want a less spicy sauce. Also, see a photo of this dish on the front cover of this issue.
1/2 cup peeled and finely chopped yellow onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 green bell pepper, seeded and slivered
1 red bell pepper, seeded and slivered
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and slivered
1/4 cup finely chopped roasted green chili peppers (fresh or canned)
1/3 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes
Large pinch dried crushed red pepper
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Salt to taste (optional)
1 cup (or a bit more) vegetable broth or hot water
In a deep pot with lid, sauté onion in oil until slightly brown. Add all peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and seasonings. Stir often and brown slightly. Finally, add the liquid (suit amount to your taste). Simmer uncovered about 10 minutes, stirring often. Cover, and continue cooking for about 10 more minutes. Serve steaming hot over pasta, rice, or large baked potatoes.
| Total calories per 1/2 cup serving: 103 | Fat: 7 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 10 grams | Protein: 2 grams |
| Sodium: 339 milligrams | Fiber: 1 gram |
Jacqueline Dunnington is a freelance writer from Santa Fe, New Mexico. She is a regular contributor to Vegetarian Journal.
