Vegan Diner (34 page)

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

¼
cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

2 cups plain unsweetened soymilk, plus more as needed

1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

1 teaspoon granulated onion

1 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

¼
teaspoon ground white pepper, or to taste

1 tablespoon non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, softened

In a large saucepan, whisk together the flour and nutritional yeast flakes. Whisk in the soymilk, until the mixture is very smooth. Alternatively, use a hand or immersion blender and blend until smooth. Whisk in the sage and granulated onion. Add the salt, and white and black peppers to taste.

Place the saucepan over medium heat and, whisking continuously, bring to a simmer. Whisk in margarine. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue whisking and cooking until the gravy is thickened and smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste, adding more soymilk to thin as needed.

Serve the gravy hot.

This silky sauce is perfect for drizzling over
your homemade breakfasts, especially for the Breakfast Benedicts Florentine (see
page 48
) as an alternative to Hollandaise sauce. Not only is it creamy and flavorful, but it has none of the saturated fat that you'd find in traditional Hollandaise. Feel free to make this a day ahead, so that your Benedicts go together in a jiffy!

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1 (12-ounce) package silken tofu

4
½
tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

1 tablespoon fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried

¾
teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

¾
teaspoon granulated onion

¼
teaspoon ground turmeric

Freshly ground black pepper

In bowl of food processor or in a blender, combine the tofu, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, olive oil, nutritional yeast flakes, garlic, dill, salt, granulated onion, and turmeric. Blend well until the sauce is very smooth. There should be no lumps of tofu visible. Add additional salt (if necessary) and pepper to taste, blending again briefly.

Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Whisk continuously, until the sauce is hot to the touch. Remove from heat and serve as needed.

If the sauce thickens too much after refrigeration, simply stir well and add a tablespoon of water or plain soymilk to thin as needed.

This sauce is
fantastic over the Breakfast Benedicts Florentine, scrambled tofu, or even sliced ripe tomatoes.

Growing up, Hollandaise sauce on Benedicts was
a favorite. After lots of experimenting, I came up with this delicious twist, making use of silken tofu, fresh lemon juice, and tarragon. It makes one fantastic Benedict!
 

MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS

1 (12-ounce) package silken tofu

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast flakes

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried

2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced

3 tablespoons non-hydrogenated vegan margarine, melted

¾
teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

⅛
teaspoon ground turmeric

Freshly ground black pepper

In the bowl of a food processor or in a blender, combine the tofu, lemon juice, white wine, nutritional yeast flakes, tarragon, and garlic. Blend for several minutes, until very smooth. There should be remaining lumps of tofu visible. Add the melted margarine, salt, and turmeric blending again until smooth. Add additional salt (if necessary) and pepper to taste, blending again briefly.

Pour the sauce into a medium saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Whisk the sauce continuously, until warmed through. Remove from heat and serve sauce over the prepared Breakfast Benedicts Florentine (page
48
).

If the sauce thickens too much after refrigeration, simply stir well and add a tablespoon of water or plain soymilk to thin as needed.

Look for silken tofu
in unrefrigerated aseptic boxes in supermarkets, health food stores, and Asian markets. I like using the Mori-Nu brand in this recipe, as it gives the sauce a truly silky texture.

Ranch dressing is certainly the darling amongst
creamy salad dressings. I love the versatility of it; it goes on salads,
can be used as a dip, and is delicious on sandwiches.

MAKES ABOUT
⅔
CUP

½
cup non-dairy sour cream

3 tablespoons unsweetened plain soymilk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

½
teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder

½
teaspoon granulated onion or onion powder

½
teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

¼
teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, soymilk, lemon juice, parsley, garlic, onion, salt, and pepper. Whisk until smooth and creamy.