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 Cashew Cream
Makes 1 ¾ cups 

1 cup raw, unsalted cashew pieces (about 4 1/2 ounces) 
2 pitted dates (about 1 1/2 ounces), roughly chopped (or 2 tablespoons grade B maple syrup)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt

Put cashews and dates into a large bowl, cover with hot water and set aside at room temperature for 30-60 minutes, until plump; drain well. Transfer to a high speed blender and add dates, vanilla, salt and 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons warm water and purée until smooth. 

Smoky Lime Cilantro Cashew Cream

1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
¼ cup chopped cilantro
2 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons lime juice (plus zest!)
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
Sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Place the cashews into a medium sized bowl, cover with hot water. Soak for 30 minutes, or until they are plump and softened, then drain. 

Transfer the cashews to a blender with the remaining ingredients and ½ cup cold water, and blend on the highest setting until smooth.

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.  

Simple 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.

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.

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
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
1 clove garlic
2 Tablespoons lime juice
1-2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon tamari, soy sauce, or coconut aminos
1/2 cup water or coconut water

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

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.

Sweet Miso Sesame Garlic Sauce
Makes 1/3 cup

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

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

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 balsamic vinegar.