"Hide The Lentils" Tomato Sauce & Italian Pizza Bread Sticks // Italian Night!

Let me just say, I lost my love for spaghetti a few years ago.

Blame it on store-bought marinara sauce. I have tried SEVERAL different types, and find all of them to be too acidic, and they taste slightly rancid to me.

They all include oils, too much salt, sometimes sugar. Which I REALLY don't like.

Once removing ground beef from spaghetti, the sauce became even less appetizing. I think the fat helped to balance out the acidity. It also doesn't help that without the ground beef, or meatballs, the meal kinda' seems a little out of balance. Not complete.

Which is sad. Spaghetti with Marinara dishes are not only Italian, but have become very much an American food as well. I have thought about how I could revive spaghetti. Plant-based.

Remove the meat -- no brainer.

Then what? Sauce and pasta? Some peas on the side?

Or. Or I could spend an extra hour making bean-based meatless meatballs.

Don't get me wrong, I am not bashing meatless meatballs. My black bean ones are REALLY good. But they take forever. Stresses me out.

SOOOOO. I was so excited when I ran across this recipe in Dreena Burton's cookbook, "Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan!" Called, "Hide The Lentils" Tomato Sauce.

Red lentils. Very good source of plant-based protein, and they don't taste like dirt. Some lentil recipes are known to taste like dirt, I have heard. Of course, I have not yet had that experience in MY kitchen. Just kidding.

Simplicity is beautiful, isn't it?

Chop some garlic. Open some cans. Measure out spices, lentils, agave, and water.

Throw it all together and simmer on the stove for 25 minutes.

This is how it should look when it is done.

To REALLY hide the lentils, I like using my new toy. Immersion blender from Costco.

This is where you get to decide just how chunky or just how smooth you would like to have your sauce. The smoother it is, the less your picky-poos will notice that their sauce has a very healthy ingredient hidden inside.

This sauce is a complete meal when tossed with or poured over a whole grain (quinoa, millet, or brown rice are VERY good options) or some whole grain pasta.

But if you ask my kids, they like using it as a dip for their Italian Pizza Bread Sticks. Made in the bread-maker so that you don't have to. Knead. Rise. Knead. Rise. Not my thing. Bread-makers ARE my thing.

If you are looking for something Gluten Free, look here. I have never tried these before but they look really good. I probably WILL try them someday. They look super-healthy and I like finding alternatives to wheat.

But for now, my kids LOVE (I do that a lot, don't I? Capitalize LOVE!) these bread sticks.

PROJECT VEGAN KIDS

To make this VEGAN FAST FOOD!: Cook whole grain pasta or a fast-cooking grain (quinoa or millet) while the tomato sauce simmers. Instead of bread sticks, serve with toasted, whole grain bread or vegan store-bought bread sticks. While waiting for the sauce to finish cooking, toss some spring mix with cucumbers or broccoli slaw and serve with Ranch Dressing.

We put this all together -- Lentil Tomato Sauce over Millet or Potatoes, Pizza Bread Sticks, and spring mix salad with Ranch Dressing, and had a very enjoyable Italian Night at the Crozier's!

"Hide The Lentils" Tomato (Marinara) Sauce
Modified from Dreena Burton's "Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan!"

Note from Ashlee: If you have guests, or hungry eaters, you may want to double the sauce. We generally use leftovers from dinner for Paul's lunch the next day. This time, there were no leftovers. The sauce is Gluten Free. To make this meal grain free, serve over tender, boiled potatoes with grilled zucchini, chopped or coined, using this method.

Makes 4-5 servings.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup water (for water sauteing, use 1 TBSP olive oil to oil saute)
3-4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste (I used about 1/2-3/4 teaspoon)
3/4 cup dry red lentils
1 can (28 oz/796-ml) crushed tomatoes (I didn't have crushed, so I used Italian Stewed, diced tomatoes, and just blended them with my immersion blender)
1 1/2 cup water
2 tsp fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp. dried)(If you don't have rosemary, can use 1 tsp oregano)
1 1/2 tsp. dried basil
1 heaping teaspoon dried parsley
1 tsp. agave nectar
1 fresh or dry bay leaf (I didn't have one, and it still turned out great)
1 TBSP red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (I used Balsamic Vinegar because Dreena is always saying her kids love Balsamic with tomato sauce, it gave it a deeper, slightly sweet flavor)

Directions:

In a large pot on medium-low heat, add water (or oil), garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes (reduce heat and/or add a few drops more water if needed to prevent garlic from burning).

Rinse lentils. (I always skip this step...I am lazy).

Add lentils, tomatoes, water, rosemary, basil, agave nectar, and bay leaf. Increase heat to high to bring mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 22-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are fully softened.

Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce liquid (do not skip! or it will be too watery!).

Stir in vinegar and season with additional salt, pepper, and/or agave nectar if desired. Remove bay leaf, and serve sauce as is, or puree (I highly recommend doing this!)it with a hand blender to hide the lentils from picky eaters!

Italian Pizza Bread Sticks
by Ashlee Crozier

Note: I basically took our favorite pizza dough, added Italian seasonings, and then shaped them into bread sticks. Brushed them with non dairy butter to prevent them from drying out, and baked it at a lower temperature for 5 minutes longer. You'll want to shape them a little thin, they rise quite a bit in the oven. When dipped with "Hide the Lentils" Tomato Sauce, these are seriously addicting! This dough also can also be shaped into pizzas, after all, that's what it started out as, and we use it at least once a month for our pizzas.


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2 cups unbleached, all purpose flour
2 cups, scantly measured, white whole wheat flour
3 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. yeast

Non-dairy butter, for brushing (optional, you could try to use non-dairy milk, but I haven't tried this, and cannot vouch for the outcome).

Combine all ingredients in your bread-maker, in the order listed. Set the bread-maker to the "Pizza Dough" setting (about 55 minutes) and push start.

Once the dough cycle is complete, remove the dough and cut into 10-15 strips, depending on how big you want your bread sticks to be.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

On a lightly floured, non-stick, or greased surface, roll the strips with your hands, individually, until they resemble bread sticks. Remember that they will rise in the oven, so you may want to roll them just a tad thin.

On a greased baking sheet, or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread the bread sticks out at least 2-3 inches apart so they don't bake together.

Using a pastry brush, lightly butter each bread-stick with non-dairy butter (I like Earth Balance Buttery Spread). See picture below for example.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the edges are slightly golden brown. To bake them faster, you can set the oven to 500 degrees, and bake them for 9-10 minutes. If using the dough to make pizza, it bakes best at 500 degrees for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and let them cool on baking rack or a cold plate. Dip into your plant-powered, high protein marinara sauce! And Enjoy!

P.S. No matter how carefully I measure, the amount of flour to water ratio needed for the bread maker always differs. The moisture in the air seems to even have an effect! So, I recommend that you watch the pizza dough mixing for the first few minutes. If it looks too wet, sprinkle in some more all purpose flour, a little bit at a time. If too dry and crumbly, add WARM water very slowly and intermittently until the bread forms. It should slightly stick to your finger with the right moistness, but not be so wet that it sticks to the sides of your bread maker and won't knead correctly.

Nachos With Cheesy Sauce & Veg

Colds tend to hit me pretty hard. Much to my hubby's chagrin, who does not enjoy listening to sniffles, coughing, sneezing, all that stuff.

Mom's just aren't allowed to get sick. Come to think of it, I can only squeeze one childhood memory from my brain when my Mom was sick. She didn't get sick. Or so I thought.

So a little bit of the feminist comes out in me when I see this going on. What happens when Dad gets sick? He can take time off of work, take a nap, watch movies. Kids? Just skip school, sleep in, watch movies, and then when magically feeling better in the afternoon, go jump on the trampoline.

When MOM is sick? Change dirty diapers, do the dishes, call in and take the day off...wait, what? Oh, yeah. This is a job that does not accept sick days, vacation days, or paid holiday.

By the way, what's for dinner?

I have learned to ask for help. I know, novel concept. In the past, I have expected others to just see what is bothering me, feel my pain, give me a break and take over. That's not always how the male mind ticks. Or any mind, for that matter.

I have this thing in my head where, if I have to ask for it, it means he loves me less.

Paul is available. He is willing. You may remember this post and how he completely took over my responsibilities, taking the kids on hikes and more. Sometimes he is not able to do that. Conferences at work, collaborations with people from Germany. Company dinners.

But female pride rears it's ugly head and claims that if he loved me he would read my mind and know exactly what I want, so I would never have to talk. Not one word. Now I don't know WHO to feel sorry for. Me, or him?

Here's another problem. Paul used to cook for me all the time when we were GF/BF. Granted, usually it consisted of opening a few bags, boxes, or cans, but I must say that it was genuinely good food. I loved it. Both the fact that he cooked for me, and the food he made.

When I was pregnant with any three of our kids I would tend to get emo. BAD emo. While I was crying and completely beside myself he would frantically make some food, put it in front of me, and say, "Eat it." And I would respond, between sobs and tears, "But I'm not hungry!"

After consuming everything he had given me, and more, I would then be smiley and cheerful and say, "Oh, I guess I was hungry." Ha! Crazy me.

NOW. But now. We are plant-based. In this marriage, we have decided to take on the mantra, "Divide, and conquer." I am a psycho-control-freak-perfectionist when it comes to MY kitchen, MY food and what my family eats. I take pride in being able to cook for my family, sometimes a little too much pride, and am guilty of not allowing others to help me. I have gotten better at letting Paul do dishes for me...which happens just about every day now.

So when I get sick, he's at a loss. Because of me and my pride, he doesn't know where to start when it comes to plant-based meals. How to make cheese sauce. One of his pre-vegan meals was a cheese melt. Bread, a slice of deli meat, with slice of cheese, heated for 30 seconds in the microwave until cheese melts. Pretty yummy back in the day.

Back to the novel concept of asking for help. I wrestle my pride. Eventually find a way to beat it down long enough to say, "Paul, I need you to help me make dinner." And to my surprise, he responds, "Okay, tell me what to do."

Wow, that was not as hard as it should have been. I was gearing up for an angry fest. Well, switch gears, and just tell the man what to do, Ash.

Chop veggies, using the mini-food processor (my new toy, $30 from Costco).

Heat up a can of refried beans. Set the table.

Little hands can't wait to eat.

Find some juice, and the corn tortilla chips.

And let me make cheese sauce, uninterrupted.

Mom, you don't need to wait to get sick to make an easy dinner. And when you are sick, ask your dear, sweet hubby for a little bitty help. Because he's so willing. Loves you, even if he doesn't read minds. And if I remember correctly, I went and watched a movie right after eating dinner, while he cleaned the kitchen. A little gratitude may be in order; some kindness.

Paul proclaimed, "Mm, this is delicious, I think this is my new favorite meal!"

Because this, is some DELISH VEGAN FAST FOOD!

Kids LOVE it. Have them build their own nachos, so it's exactly the way they want it, and they can take some pride in their work.

PROJECT VEGAN KIDS.



Basic Nachos, You will Need:

Tortilla chips (ours are gluten free, Costco Kirkland Brand)
Cans of refried beans, heated
Optionally, this would also taste great with some Tofu Sour Cream
Chopped veggies, we like:
Olives
Tomatoes
Corn
Avocados sprinkled with pepper
Romaine lettuce
Red onions
Green chile
Bell Peppers


Simple Cheddar Cheese Sauce
From Neva Brackett's, "Seven Secrets Cookbook."

Note From Ashlee: I've had quite a few taste testers try this cheese sauce. Family and friends have all stated that it tastes exactly like the dairy nacho cheese sauce. Or better. It's ALWAYS been gobbled up. Sometimes I have to go back and make a second batch. Amber has incorporated it into her home, and met with great success. Her kids STILL don't know it's dairy free.

If you follow the directions EXACTLY, you will find yourself with a really good cheese sauce. Best for Mexican types of dishes, but also good on kids' pizza.

Ingredients:

1 cup raw cashew nuts
2 cups water
1/2 large or 1 small red bell pepper, or 1/4 cup canned pimentos or roasted red peppers (I ALWAYS use the jarred, roasted red bell peppers, also called pimentos.)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 tablespoons food yeast flakes (nutritional yeast)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Blend smooth (about 2 minutes) and then bring to a boil, stirring until thick. Use for pizza, lasagna, burritos, etc.

Lite Cheese Option: Use only 1/2 cup cashew nuts plus 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

*Makes 3 Cups*



I also use this cheese sauce for:

Cheesy Mexican Casserole
Tamale Pie Casserole

The Zucchini Grillini // Kids' Tofu & Hummus

Takes less than 30 minutes. FAST FOOD!

Is Paul's and my favorite sandwich.

Easy. Yummy.

Copycat from Jason's Deli. Have you ever been to Jason's Deli?

This is more of a method, because not everyone likes/loves/enjoys the same veggies. To make it yours, use your favorite veg.

What You Will Need:

100% Whole Grain bread, or Gluten Free bread for GF version
Hummus, creamy dressing, or pureed avocado sprinkled with pepper
Leafy greens
Zucchini (2-3 medium sized zucchini will feed about 4-5 people)

Optional add-inns that Paul and I like:

Kalamata Olives, chopped, (buy them already pitted) (If you add these, place them on sandwich in the creamy dip so that the olives don't fall out of your sandwich)
Thinly sliced tomatoes
Thinly sliced red onion
Grilled, sliced red bell peppers
Coined cucumber
Green chile, fire roasted and chopped (my personal preference, adds heat)

The Zucchini Grillini Sandwich, the Method

Start with some really good bread. Notice the ingredients?

100% whole grain, no oil. Costco has some other fantastic sprouted and whole grain breads that they sell most everywhere, which are also oil free.

Optionally, you can toast your bread in the toaster if you want additional crunch.

You will need some thick spreads/dips that you like or are flavorful.

On one side is my ranch dressing, on the other side is an avocado and tomato puree, sprinkled with pepper. It was 1 avocado to 3-4 grape tomatoes, blended in a mini food processor. That's it. The creamy spreads help hold all of the sandwich ingredients in place, and add flavor. This is what your cheese USED to do. Hummus also works very well.

While assembling your sandwich, grill the zucchini. Start by cutting zucchini into long, thin strips, about 1/4 inch thick. Too thin and it doesn't have the meaty bite to it that you are looking for.

Grill on each side on high for 4-6 minutes, until tender crisp.

It should work in a fry pan, or your outdoor grill as well. If using your fry pan, it just won't get the grill marks. I don't use ANY oil in this step because my cookware is high quality non-stick. After all of the water has been cooked out of the zucchini, and the pan is piping hot, I add water, about 1/4 cup at a time, to help steam-fry/grill the zucchini. This would not be necessary on an outdoor grill.

While zucchini is grilling, continue to assemble your sandwich.

We love leafy greens, and I found this at Costco last week.

Baby kale? Pre-washed? ORGANIC? For like 3-4 dollars? This is going to become a regular on my shopping list. No longer will I have to wash kale, then remove it from it's woody stalks. Much higher likelihood that I will use the stuff. They are really good, too! Tender and slightly sweet, like spring mix.

Add your favorite veg of choice from the list above. Pictured are cucumbers and baby kale.

Then thinly sliced red onions. I have a friend who doesn't like raw onions. Totally understandable. Just leave it out or replace with another favorite veg.

Green chile is peaking out under my onion. I LOVE this stuff. If you like heat, add green chile, or optionally sprinkle with roasted red pepper flakes.

Your zucchini is probably done. Spread it out on your sandwich.

This time I threw some raw, red bell peppers on the grill to add. Tasted great and added more flavor. It's nice to have some grilled veg, and some raw veg. A good mix.

Add in any other veg you want, like sliced tomatoes and chopped kalamata olives, put the two halves together, and VIOLA!

You've successfully crowded out all of the junk. I really don't see any room in this sandwich for meat, or cheese. You?

And no. My kids will not eat this sandwich. So I throw together something easy for them with some of the same, basic ingredients.

Minced Tofu and Hummus Sandwich, for Kids (my kids LOVE)

For Kids, You Will Need:

Good, whole grain bread they like, and are familiar with
A good hummus they are familiar with, and/or ranch dressing
Pre-baked, seasoned tofu, finely chopped in food processor or with knife. My kids like the savory flavor.
Their favorite vegetable. Probably not leafy greens. My kids discovered they like coined cucumbers with the ranch dressing. Samuel loves chopped olives. Essie does like chopped spinach, if she is in the mood for it.

Finely chopped tofu on the left, kids' cheesy hummus on the right. Add a few cucumber slices, some ranch dressing. My kids loved it. Carrot sticks and honeydew melon on the side. I always serve my kids' meals with fruit.

Spread hummus on one slice of bread, and ranch dressing on the other. Place favorite kid vegetable on ranch side, and minced, savory tofu on the hummus side (hummus keeps minced tofu in place). Optionally, you can use hummus on both sides. The ranch dressing will not hold the tofu in place, so I don't recommend using ranch on both slices of bread.

Try to pack in as much finely chopped tofu as you can in the sandwich, into the hummus, without it falling out. The tofu offers flavor, healthy fats, and protein.

PROJECT VEGAN KIDS


I'll be filling out my "Yesterday I Ate..." section. Check it out.


Hope you are having a great, veg-filled day!

Hugs,

Ashlee

P.S. I've had a little somethin' bothering me. In this post I mention that I don't always follow a recipe.

I wanted to clarify, that I change recipes to make them suite my tastes -- more flavorful, more robust.

I ALWAYS post recipes EXACTLY how I made them. Cauliflower Bechamel was an exception because the recipe states, "Salt to taste." People forget to salt to taste. So I wanted to measure it all over again to see exactly how much salt and other seasonings it took to salt the sauce to MY taste.

I want to reassure you, that you should be able to follow the recipes here, exactly as listed, and meet with success. If not, please tell me. These recipes should taste good, and I value your feedback.

Women Will Always Need Women

My throat is sore, my body aches. A cough is just at the edge of my mouth. I am still so tired. I ate terribly yesterday. Cookies. Raunchy food.

It makes me feel terrible.

My excuse?

Alana. Love her. But I can't do it anymore. I have three kids. Laundry piled up sky high. It breaks my heart. Tell her Mommy. My sister. But I don't want to.

Sisterhood is the deepest bond. Do you have a sister? Did she take care of you at night, when all others were asleep? Did she run with you in the cold, do homework with you in the quiet rooms at the library, feed you, cry with you? Mine did. I have four of them. Four. They are the most beautiful girls I have ever seen. Especially on the inside.

I correct myself. I now have five.

A beautiful new sister (in-law). Very talented. She sings, makes wedding cakes, sews baby blankets, alters clothing, arranges flowers. I could go on. Has the most adorable laugh.

I have so many memories of these beautiful girls, that I could not even begin to record them. I think usually sisters fight. There have been only extremely rare occasions where we have. I could probably count them on one hand.

Sleep has overcome me. I can feel an illness creeping in. Maybe I will write again today. Share with you Paul's favorite sandwich recipe. But for now, I need to sink back into nothingness.

~Ashlee

P.S. We had family guests last night for Megan's birthday party, and I made my lasagna. Very picky eaters. I cannot even begin to describe. They loved it. Gobbled it up.

What I did for the cheese? Mixed 1 cup of cauliflower puree with Italian pizza cheese. It was delish. Would you like the exact recipe? Or will you not make it if it requires that you also have to make your own "cheese?"

They also ranted about my Ranch dressing. Good stuff.

Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing! Weekend Adventure. Major Plant Infusion.

Saturday was one of our best days in a long time.

Paul is often very busy. We don't get to spend quality time with him often. We felt like a family. Together.

It's the days like Saturday that keep us going. Keep life worth living, as Paul says. He got the idea that we could drive up the mountain, and then navigate our way back home on foot.

An adventure.

Good opportunity to teach.

He told Essie and Samuel he would give them a dollar if they could push over a dead, rotting tree trunk by themselves.

They only got 33 cents. Daddy had to step in and help.

There was mass rebellion.

I just had to laugh because Paul is so good at arguing/weaseling his way out of anything. Mastermind. While I stew, and fret, and stress about any minute detail I may have forgotten to give to the kids. Girl guilt issues.

My favorite quote from the whole excursion?

Samuel: Dad, what if we get hungry? Or what if there is a bear?
Paul: I guess you'll have to eat the bear. [And with a big smile.] Let's just hope it's a tofurky bear.

As we were laughing, I thought, It feels pretty good to make fun of ourselves.

There were a lot of water breaks.

A few ouchies.

A LONG hike. Towards the end the kids got tired and tripled up on our stroller. Is this legal?

We made them run the last bit. Trying to build up their endurance.

Some of my favorite scenic shots from the hike.

Leaves are turning color. Beautiful mountain peaks in the distance.

We ended the day with Blueberry Banana Ice Cream.

Paul decided, last minute, to take us all out to dinner at Samurai Restaurant. Each table has it's own grill, and the chef cooks your food right in front of you. Exactly how you want it. The kids got fried tofu, with seasoned pasta. Paul and I had huge orders of sauteed, seasoned vegetables, steamed rice, and the BEST tofu I have EVER had.

My camera had died by this point, hence lack of pics. But the chef also lights large, showey fires, and does knife tricks in front of you. He told us that of all the years he had worked, we were the easiest table he had ever prepared food for. I was surprised. He said veg was easy. Tofu? Easy. Steak, and other meats took forever and people are often picky about their done-ness. I felt so much better, because we were picky and wanted water-saute and not oil saute. No butter.

The kids repeatedly said, "This was the best day, ever!"

I'm not gonna' lie. We had a blast.

Crazy pic my kids took. Samuel looks like he's being consumed by something dreadful.

Makes me feel better about my photography!

And.

It's Megan's birthday, today. She turns two.

An early birthday present. A card from Grandma and Grandpa that meows the happy birthday song. I think we know that song very well now.

Megan is one seriously feminine chic.

She loves shoes.

Men.

PARTICULARLY her father.

We're keeping the celebration simple. Us. Just us. Berry pie. A few presents. Lasagna for dinner. (I am going to try cauliflower mixed with Italian pizza cheese to replace the cheese.)

I know this post is already VERY long. I am going to break all the rules and make it longer. I am just so excited to share a recipe and some food we ate, with you.

As you can see, I bought a LOT of fresh veg this weekend.

What you cannot see, is the additional veg/fruit on my counters and in my pantry.

Yikes.

A favorite pre-vegan meal of ours was veg/fruit/cracker/cheese trays.

Paul asked, where did that meal go?

It's baaaaack.

To use up all this veg, and to get a good dose of pure, raw energy I felt like I really needed.

I made this.

And this.

Put them together.

With a whole grain cracker and bread tray. Add some YUMMY dips.

A big, scrumptious lunch, filled with flavor, texture, color, variety. The kids. Paul and I. We ate it UP. SO delicious. Not a lot of leftovers.

A major plant infusion.

You might think you could never get full on a meal like this. Try it out.

You will feel so good. Awesome. Energetic. Happy. Stuff yourself silly.

No cheese. The trick?

Delicious dips. Cream for the fruit. Hummus for the crackers and bread. Ranch dressing...for the veggies.

If you think about it, this is a complete meal. Fruits, vegetables, starch, and protein and fat from the dips made with nuts, beans, and tofu.

Essie told me one day at Sweet Tomatoes (soup and salad bar) that she would eat loads of veggies if she only had a dip like this one.

Ranch dressing.

Ugh. I had tried at least three different kinds of plant-based ranch. Yuck. Nothing like the "real" stuff.

Last Friday I stumbled upon this recipe on Chocolate-Covered Katie.

She named it, "Crazy-Good Ranch dressing." I made it. The problem was. It wasn't crazy-good. But. I could tell it was a good base. A good start.

So I played with it. Added my fave ranch dressing seasonings. Some agave nectar.

NOW it's crazy-good. My kids couldn't tell the difference, and kept saying how yummy it was.

Ashlee's NOW It's Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing

Note from Ashlee: It's not oil free, but this is one of those recipes where it is so worth it. If I can watch my kids stuff their faces with veg? Yup. It's happening.

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz (1 package) silken-firm or lite silken-firm tofu (such as Mori-Nu)
3/4 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
2 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
2 tsp dried basil
1/3 cup water, or more or less depending on desired thickness (I use 100g)
2 tbsp apple-cider vinegar
1 and 1/2 vegetable broth cubes (I use Better than Bouillon No Chicken base, 2 tsp.)
2 tbsp, heaping, Veganaise (I used Earth Balance vegan mayonnaise.)
1-2 teaspoons agave nectar (Start with one, add more for additional sweetness)

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients, except for dried herbs, and blend until creamy. Pulse in dried herbs. Taste, and add additional sweetener if needed. Let chill in the fridge.

Or, if you are like me, and never plan ahead, throw it in your freezer for about 20 minutes or less, to get cold while you prepare your salad or veggie trays.


Variation: Green Chile Ranch. Add 1-2 tablespoons chopped, roasted green chile and pulse in with the dried herbs.


Weekend Spin: Megan. Vegan. Only one letter off. Paul says we named her Megan to prepare us for our vegan days. Hm. I don't think so.