Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 99

1 pound firm tofu, drained and crumbled

1 teaspoons dried basil

1 teaspoons salt

IN A food processor, blend together the cashews, lemon juice, olive oil, and garlic until a thick creamy paste forms. Add the crumbled tofu to the food processor, working in two or more batches if necessarily, until the mixture is thick and well blended. Blend in the basil and salt.

ALMESAN.

MAKES CUP TIME: 5 MINUTES OR LESS.

This is our vegan version of Parmesan, made with almonds, sesame seeds, and a little lemon zest. It's great for when your pasta needs a sprinkle of a little some-thin' somethin'. If you have a mini processor, there is no better time to use it.

cup slivered or sliced almonds

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

teaspoon salt

teaspoon lemon zest

COMBINE ALL ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse until everything turns to tiny crumbs. That's it!

BACKYARD BBQ SAUCE.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS.

TIME: 40 MINUTES.

The basic components of a BBQ sauce are something sweet, something sour, and something tomato-y. This sauce is super versatile-you can replace the mola.s.ses with maple syrup or just plain sugar, you can replace the crushed tomatoes with tomato sauce or diced tomatoes (but you should puree it at the end if you use crushed tomatoes). Red pepper flakes add a little heat, but you can use a bit of cayenne or hot sauce instead. The longer you cook this sauce, the thicker and more delicious it gets, but if all's you got is half an hour, it's still yummy!

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped as finely as you can

4 cloves garlic, minced

teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

cup mola.s.ses

cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard (Dijon is fine, too)

2 teaspoons liquid smoke

PREHEAT A saucepan over medium heat. Place the onions in the pan and saute in oil until browned (about 7 minutes). Add the garlic and saute for another minute. Add all the other ingredients except the mustard and liquid smoke, and cook for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat if the sauce begins to splatter everywhere. Add the mustard and liquid smoke, and taste for sweetness/sourness. Adjust the flavors if you think it's necessary, and cook for 5 more minutes. If you like a smooth BBQ sauce then puree it, but that's not entirely necessary.

APRICOT BBQ SAUCE.

MAKES ABOUT 4 CUPS.

TIME: 40 MINUTES.

This is a fruity, kid friendly BBQ sauce that isn't too sweet. It's wonderful on any of the holy trinity (tofu, tempeh, or seitan). See the recipe for Baked BBQ Tofu (page 128). It's also wonderful on steamed veggies, especially broccoli. As with all recipes where you cook with fruit, the sweetness will need to be adjusted depending on how sweet your fruit is.

1 tablespoon peanut oil

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pounds apricots (6-8, depending on their size),

pitted and sliced about inch thick

cup vegetable broth or water

teaspoon ground ginger