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best veggie sauces for when you run out of ideas

July 28, 2019

words & photos: Sophie McKeand

In all honesty the most difficult thing I find about being a vegetarian who is mostly vegan these days is those times when my brain just won’t function and I can’t think of anything to make that sounds remotely interesting (unless of course it’ll take five hours which I do not have) with the veggies I have left in the fridge/cupboard. A big part of slow living for us is creating less waste and not shopping for fresh food until the fridge is bare. So here’s my two go-to sauces that you can chuck onto most veggies or carbs to make them more interesting if they’re nearing the end of their life. 

Honestly they’re super-simple, but most importantly a lifesaver when your brain is stuck.

Sticky, sweet, spicy, hot sauce:

Per person use:
2 tblsp soy
1 tblsp honey (or agave syrup if vegan) 
1 tsp hot sauce
1 tsp harissa paste

Whisk these ingredients in a mug with a fork then pour on top of whatever veggies you’ve got in the pan. Make sure you’ve cooked the other ingredients first – add the sauce for the last minute and stir so you get a lovely sticky glaze. So far, I’ve added this to chopped up veggie sausages with kale in a pan. I also made vegan fajitas with it: the veggies were leftover cauliflower, pepper and carrot (that’s all I had in), then put in a wrap with some guacamole, refried beans, or salsa. A favourite so far is marinading slices of aubergine in the sauce then pan-frying them and making giant veggie BLTs with them. To be honest it doesn’t taste like bacon, but it does taste great.

If you don’t like spice switch the harissa paste for plain tomato paste. 

Mixed herb & lemony paste (for two):

Handful of fresh mixed herbs (either foraged or from a friend’s garden) for this I was gifted thyme, rosemary, mint & sage, but you could use any combination including parsley, chives, basil, marjoram etc… (don’t go heavy on the mint though as it’s strong)
Zest & juice of ½ lemon
Glug of good olive oil
Clove garlic (finely grated)
Salt & pepper
Parmesan or vintage cheddar if you’re not vegan. 

Finely chop all the herbs and put in a bowl. Add the lemon, oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Boil potatoes, veggies, pasta or whatever you have, when cooked drain then put back into the pan and stir in the herby paste. Add cheese if you like. In these photos I added it to boiled potatoes and a chopped & dry-pan-fried courgette gifted by the same friend, then served with a zingy salad of grated beetroot & carrot that had apple cider vinegar, salt & pepper added to it. A really simple, lovely, fresh lunch. 

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