Guidelines for creating your own recipe/template:

1. What grows together goes together - regionally and seasonally. Regionally think tomatoes/olives/lemon and coconut/lime/rice. Seasonally think tomatoes/basil and squash/corn/beans

2. High notes (acid) and low notes (savory rich umami) to create balance and harmony in a dish. Think a squeeze of lemon with fish or squeeze of lime with pho.

3. Sentence structure - when you understand the grammar of a dish and the purpose of each ingredient, you can determine which ingredients are essential, which can be substituted, which can be left out altogether.
   
   Sweet Sesame Garlic Miso Dressing/Sauce

   Romesco Sauce

   Peanut Sauce

   Tangy Coconut Sauce/Dressing

   Basic Vinaigrette

   Lemon Tahini Sauce/Dressing

   Avocado Za’atar Hemp Dressing/Sauce

   Maple Hazelnut Vinaigrette
   Katherine’s Lemony Garlic Vinaigrette

Sweet Miso Sesame Garlic Sauce
Makes 1/3 cup

2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil 
2 Tablespoons chickpea or white miso
1 1/2 Tablespoons honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small airtight container. Keeps for up to one month in the fridge. 

Romesco Sauce

Makes around 1 ½ cups

2 roasted red peppers, cored and seeded
1 dried Ancho pepper (or 2 teaspoons powder), rehydrated in hot water until soft, cored and seeded
2 - 3 garlic cloves
1 Jalapeño pepper or less
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts and/or toasted almonds
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all of the ingredients except for the oil, salt and pepper in the food processor and puree with ¼ cup of water. With the machine running, slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube and process until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for a few hours to allow the flavors to blend. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Peanut Sauce
Makes around 1 cup

1/2 cup peanut butter (freshly ground peanuts or no other ingredients on the label than peanuts, preferably)
¼ cup cilantro leaves and/or stems, optional
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1-2 Tablespoons honey
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos
Jalapeño or other chili pepper, to taste
1/2 cup water or coconut water (more or less)

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.

Tangy Coconut Sauce/Dressing
Makes 1 1/3 cups

3/4 cup coconut yogurt
1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons full fat canned coconut milk
2 Tablespoon honey
2 Tablespoon coconut amino acids or soy sauce
2 teaspoon lime juice
1 small finger ginger (2 teaspoons minced)
2 medium clove garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
pinch red pepper flakes

Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl or shake in a jar until well combined.

Basic Vinaigrette
Makes around 1 cup

1/4 cup Sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard         
1 Tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, shallot, salt and pepper. Slowly add the oil, whisking until emulsified. Alternatively, shake the ingredients in a jar.

VARIATIONS- To make different types of vinaigrette, do the following:

·      Substitute balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar, a different vinegar or lemon juice for the Sherry vinegar.

·      Substitute minced garlic for the shallot.

·      Add 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as tarragon, parsley, cilantro, or thyme.

·      Add ½ have cup crumbled blue cheese or ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese.

·      Use fresh lemon juice instead of vinegar; add 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan.

·      Substitute toasted sesame oil for the olive oil, add 1 teaspoon minced ginger, substitute lime juice or rice vinegar for the sherry vinegar.

Lemon Tahini Sauce - Adapted from My New Roots

¼ cup tahini
¼ cup lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 small clove garlic, minced
pinch salt
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons honey or other liquid sweetener
4-6 Tbsp. water, as needed

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to one week.

Avocado Za’atar Hemp Dressing/Sauce
¼ cup hemp seeds
2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons za’atar
1/2 avocado
large pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place all of the ingredients except for the za’atar in a blender and blend until smooth, adding water to thin. Transfer to a container or a bowl and stir in the za’atar.  

Maple Hazelnut (or Walnut) Vinaigrette

1 Tablespoon minced shallot
1 Tablespoon Sherry vinegar (or balsamic)
2 teaspoons pure dark grade A maple syrup
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons roasted hazelnut oil (or roasted walnut, or olive)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the shallot, vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard. Continue whisking and slowly drizzle in the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Alternatively, combine all the ingredients in a jar and give it a good shake.

Katherine’s Lemony Garlic Vinaigrette - love this on shredded kale!

2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed with the side of chef’s knife with some salt into a paste or put through a garlic press
Juice of 1 lemon, about 2 tablespoons (start with a little less and increase as needed) plus zest
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
4 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons olive oil

Shake the dressing ingredients together in a jar or whisk together in a small bowl.