Jade Sauce

Making sauces is awesome! A good sauce is key in plant based dishes, because it’s all about complementing the natural deliciousness of whole foods with something exciting. Since I love Thai food so much, I decided to make a ‘Flavors of Thailand’ sauce. I’ve made yellow curry sauce and peanut sauce before, but I wanted something that represented the cuisine primarily with herbs. Argentina has their Chimichurri, Italy has their Pesto, so Thailand needs this Jade Sauce. You can use it as a salad dressing, marinade, dipping sauce, or soup base (just add some coconut cream and veggies for a quick green curry.) Maybe even make some Thai inspired pizza! This is made from all vibrantly raw ingredients, and the result is an intensely bright and immune boosting condiment. It’s quite spicy, so you can go down to one chili if desired. Also, I was trying to create a low calorie sauce as an everyday salad dressing, but feel free to add some mild flavored oil or coconut cream to take it to the next level. I tried coconut oil in an earlier test, but I found that the other cool ingredients caused the oil to stiffen up and not blend well. Maybe in the summer it would be easier. Today I used it as a salad dressing on some baby greens, sliced avocado, sliced tangerines, edamame, red onion, and tomato. So much green yumminess!

Jade Sauce

Makes about 6 ounces

Juice of 1 lime

1 bunch basil

1 bunch cilantro

1 bunch mint

3 cloves garlic

1 green onion

1/4 cup raw coconut water

1/4 cup soaked cashews

1 tsp coconut sugar

1/4 tsp coriander

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp curry

1/2 tsp miso paste

2 green thai chilies (or 1/2 jalapeño)

Combine everything in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth and uniform. If you want it a little looser, just add a few more tablespoons of coconut water, one at a time, until desired consistency. To make it thicker, increase the amount of cashews by 1/4 cup. Keeps in the fridge about 5 days.

Chimichurri Sauce

I really love sauces. I think everyone in the world could be a happier plant-eater if only they would explore the magic of homemade sauces, dips, marinades, dressings, and spreads. The right sauce can turn a measly little carrot into a succulent morsel of the gods. It makes all the difference. Chimichurri sauce (one of my favorites) is a fantastically aromatic Argentinian sauce that is traditionally used as a marinade for steak. But of course, it is a mind-blowing condiment for veggies as well! Typically, it is bright and green and spicy, but there are also deep red variations with tomato and peppers. Everybody makes it a little differently and it’s the kind of sauce that you just cannot mess up. It’s delicious to sop up with a hunk of crusty bread, or brushed onto some roasted potatoes hot out of the oven. I also love tossing a pile of brightly colored veggies in a bowl of chimichurri, then threading them onto skewers and barbecuing until they reach a fragrant charred perfection.Give them another quick brush of the sauce right when they come off the grill. It even makes a bright and tangy salad dressing.

Chimichurri Sauce

makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup packed flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup packed cilantro

4 cloves garlic

1 cup first cold pressed olive oil

1 tsp fresh oregano

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp red chili flakes

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 small shallot, roughly chopped

Throw everything in a blender and blend until well combined.

Of course eggplants seem to be having a moment in my kitchen this month, so I just had to make some super delicious baked chimichurri eggplant fries. chop an eggplant into thick fry-like sticks and toss them in the chimichurri sauce. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes, flipping halfway through. Give them another brush of sauce after you flip them. They should get crispy and charred when they are ready to come out. I seriously just ate an entire eggplant all by myself, it was too good.