Healthy SAUCEry 5: From Zsu’s Vegan Pantry

We conclude this week’s Healthy SAUCEry series with some super delish  Tex-Mex vegan sauces created by Zsu Dever , author of the blog Zsu’s Vegan Pantry.

¡Que aproveche! 

Healthy Sauce #1 from Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
ADOBO SAUCE
Makes about 1 cup

Type of Sauce: marinade/spread
Vegetarian Diet Type: vegan
Taste: mildly spicy and smokey
Cuisine-inspiration: Tex-Mex
Nature of Sauce: cooked

Healthy Sauce #1 from Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
ADOBO SAUCE
Shown above on Zsu’s Portobello Burger

Ingredients: 

• 1 ounce (about 6) guajillo peppers
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
• ½ small onion, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon dried oregano
• ¼ cup water
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon natural sugar
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• Fresh ground black pepper

 Procedure:

1. Toast the peppers in a dry skillet over medium heat until the peppers are pliable and lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. When cool enough to handle, stem and seed the peppers. Soak the peppers with fresh water just enough to cover in a medium bowl for about 20 minutes. Drain and transfer the peppers to a blender.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano. Stir and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to the blender.
3. Add the water, salt, sugar, vinegar and black pepper, to taste, to the blender. Blend until smooth.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Healthy Sauce #2  from Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
AVOCADO-CILANTRO SAUCE
Makes about 3/4 cups

Type of Sauce: spread
Vegetarian Diet Type: vegan
Taste: creamy and smooth with avocado and a punch of cilantro
Cuisine-inspiration: Tex-Mex
Nature of Sauce: cooked

Healthy Sauce #2  from Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
AVOCADO-CILANTRO SAUCE
Shown above on Zsu’s California Burger

Ingredients:

• ½ avocado
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• ¼ cup vegan mayo
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a personal blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Healthy Sauce # 3  from Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
TOMATO and CHILI SAUCE
Makes about 1 cup

Type of Sauce: dip, spread
Vegetarian Diet Type: vegan
Taste: mildly spicy with an acidic-lime flavor
Cuisine-inspiration: Tex-Mex
Nature of Sauce: raw

Healthy Sauce #3 from Zsu’s Vegan Pantry
TOMATO and CHILI SAUCE
Shown above served alongside
Zsu’s Tamale Bean bowls

Ingredients:

• 1 small jalapeño
• 2 ripe medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Salt and fresh black pepper

Procedure:

1. Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapeño and cook until charred. Turn the jalapeño every 3 or 4 minutes. Transfer the chili to a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Set the chili aside for 15 minutes to steam. Using your hands rub the skin off of the pepper.

2. Remove the stem and chop the chili. Transfer the chili, tomato, onion, cilantro, garlic, lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste, to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

 About ZSU DEVER

Zsu Dever , author of the cookbook “Everyday Vegan Eats: Family Favorites from My Kitchen to Yours“, has been involved in the restaurant business most of her life. She hails from a long line of culinary professionals and restaurateurs. She is the author of the blog Zsu’s Vegan Pantry. Zsu is passionate about teaching new vegans and vegetarians how to succeed with their newly chosen diet and become lifelong vegans. She is a homeschooling mother of three teenagers and resides in San Diego, California.

Follow her on Twitter, like her on Facebook, and pin her on Pinterest.

Everyday Vegan Eats: Family Favorites from My Kitchen to Yours
By Zsu Dever
Preview & Order thru Amazon

So do… as Zsu Dever does – experiment with veggies and spices, and find joy in sharing your discoveries…