Sauces, Dips & Condiments
How to Incorporate Beautiful (and Edible!) Flowers into your Meals
Edible flowers have long been used in cooking for decoration and flavoring. They make a beautiful garnish, but they can also be an integral part of any recipe. Different flowers bring unique flavors and colors to a dish. Some flavors are just the thing for sweet dishes, while other flowers are more suitable to savories. While some vegetable flowers and wild plant foods might require a foraging expedition or a visit to the local health food market, many edible flowers are available for convenient home delivery. Clever cooks can get flowers delivered in the evening so that they are fresh and in time for dinner.
Crispy Lentil Burger with Curried Avocado Mayo
You can always tell the success of your veggie burger by the amount that has (or has not) spooged out the back end after a couple bites. I’ve been feeling some serious burger envy lately, as my man has been concocting different veggie patties for himself packed with eggs and cheese, and the spooge-factor has been very low. These enviable binders, although effective, can be mimicked quite effectively using the amazing flax egg. So I whipped up these simple veggie patties to enjoy with him tonight on our lovely patio, and they successfully held their form after the telling first bites. You can never have too many varieties of veggie burgers on a vegan food site, I always say.
Big Dreams + My Cookbook Challenge + Homemade Chili Oil!
For the last few weeks now I have not been able to cook or share recipes very much because my ever so talented boyfriend has been renovating our kitchen island (pictured above). And if you’re like me, when you are unable to express yourself through your chosen medium, you start to feel imbalanced, self-doubting and a general sense of ‘hmmph’. I begin to question if this is the path I am meant to be on, and whether my efforts are (while enjoyable) ultimately futile.
Mad Men Inspired Cocktail Party Menu
Last night was the fifth season premier of one of our favourite shows, Mad Men. We love the cast, clothes, storylines and overall production value, and of course, the smoking and drinking all day long 
Beetroot Dip
This season’s Taste Magazine, A season for Giving Holiday Gift Guide, is full of great ideas for entertaining over the next couple of weeks. While not many of the recipes are vegan, they can be modified, with this recipe for Beetroot Dip being completely vegan on its own. I made this the other night for a group of friends and they LOVED it! It’s basically a simple hummus recipe, adding steamed beets to get that gorgeous (and festive!) bright fuschia colour.
Spicy Wine Mustard
This year for the holidays, I wanted to make homemade goodies and put it in jars to give to my loved ones. This Whole Foods Application for iphone gave me some great ideas! It is free, and really easy to navigate through the different features. You can search recipes for specialty diets such as vegan, input what you have on hand and get recipe suggestions, and lots more! If you don’t have an iphone here is the recipe for their Spicy Wine Mustard below. It couldn’t have been more simple! has a bite, so leave out the red pepper flakes if you’re sensitive to heat. Enjoy!
Rosemary, Walnut and Sun Dried Tomato Tapenade
All I can say about this recipe is…yummers! The combination of flavours is just right, and get even better the longer they sit together.
Salsa Sam’s Mango Salsa
Animal rights advocate and long time supporter and friend of The Vegan Project, Sam Shorkey (middle), is famous for her hilarious accents and her delicious salsas. We recently had a chance to sample one of her salsa specialties and managed to nag her into emailing us the recipe. It’s fresh and sweet take on salsa, and it helps us desperately hang onto the remnants of summer while we devour it along with far too many tortilla chips.
Julie Beyer’s Versatile White Bean Dip
One of the great things about Julie Beyer’s whole food recipes is their versatility. Many of her recipes can be adapted and combined with other recipes to make delicious and healthy creations. Case in point: her White Bean Dip. Start by making this basic recipe in a big batch, then spice it up with some tasty additions to keep things interesting as you use it in different dishes throughout the week. Yum!
Vegan Shanghai Dumplings
These vegan Shanghai dumplings feature a tender, hand-made dim sum wrapper cradling a rich and savoury filling. This recipe makes enough for a four-person Chinese New Year celebration. These dumplings require a lot of time and love, so they are the perfect make-ahead dish. Just freeze them and steam them when you are ready to eat!
Soaked Almond Pesto
To help you stay on track and interested with your healthy/yummy veganism, keep lots of tasty options pre-made in your refrigerator. I try to keep cooked quinoa and brown rice on hand, as well as a homemade salad dressing and a couple sauces and dips.
Vegan New Year’s Cocktail Party
This New Year’s Eve we all decided to travel the high seas over to Salt Spring Island for a couple of nights to ring in 2011 with mimosas, hot tubs, and good friends. The plan this evening is to get all dolled up and indulge on a decadent assortment of appetizers and cocktails, transcending into numerous rounds of shots and panties on our heads. Here’s a sneak preview of this evening’s menu:
Sun Dried Tomato, Spinach and Artichoke Dip
This creamy, savory dip is a great crowd pleaser and the perfect dish to bring to a Christmas party or social gathering.

Ingredients:
1 package frozen chopped spinach, all water squeezed out
1 tin artichoke hearts, chopped
3 tbsp sundried tomato pesto (make sure there is no cheese in it, San Remo makes a great vegan one)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp herbes de provence
2 tbsp red chilli pepper flakes
1 tbsp poulty seasoning
1 dollop miso paste diluted with a few tbsp warm water
Half a fresh lemon
1/3 cup veganaise (Add more if you like a creamier dip)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Method:
Caramelize onions in frying pan over medium heat (Cook over medium heat til golden brown and sweet). Add artichokes, garlic, sundried tomato pesto, herbes de provence, red chilli pepper flakes, and poultry seasoning. Cook till all ingredients incorporated. Turn off pan. Add chopped spinach and miso. Pour all ingredients into a large bowl. Squeeze fresh lemon over top and stir. Put mixture in fridge til cool. Add Vegenaise.
Presentation suggestion:
You can hollow out a crusty loaf of olive or sourdough bread and pour the dip inside, and serve with slices of baguette or veggies. If making ahead of time, you can also reheat the dip just prior to serving (Just make sure you heat it in a Tupperware container before putting it into the bread bowl).
Courtesy of Contributor Jenny Duffy
~The Vegan Project
Smokey Vegan Basil Pesto
I often find myself with fresh herbs leftover in the fridge that are too limp to cook with, but still too good to throw out. My favourite thing to do with them is throw them into a fresh vegan pesto, which I keep on hand for sandwhiches, paninis, pastas etc. A good vegan pesto is truly a must-have staple in any vegan foodies pantry!
Of course, a pesto can be made with assortment of fresh herbs, nuts and vegan cheeses. Be adventurous and use whatever you have on hand!
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh basil
1 handful fresh parsley
6 cloves peeled fresh garlic
Handful or so of roasted salted cashews
A chunk of Bute Island’s Smoked Cheddar Sheese
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Method:
Throw all ingredients into food processor. Blend till smooth. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Enjoy!
*Courtesy of Contributor Jenny Duffy
~The Vegan Project
Smokey Vegan Basil Pesto
I often find myself with fresh herbs leftover in the fridge that are too limp to cook with, but still too good to throw out. My favourite thing to do with them is throw them into a fresh vegan pesto, which I keep on hand for sandwhiches, paninis, pastas etc. A good vegan pesto is truly a must-have staple in any vegan foodie’s pantry!
Basil Hemp Seed Hummus with a Kick!|Sponsored Post
While flipping through a brochure from Manitoba Harvest that was leftover from our launch party, I came across a recipe they had for hemp seed hummus. Hmmm, that sounds interesting…so, I thought I’d give it a try with a few tweaks of my own, of course. The result was a really creamy and delicious new version of a vegan staple. And let’s face it, as yummy as hummus is, it definitely needs an update from time to time. And throwing hemp seeds into the mix adds extra protein and omega fatty acids. I added lots of fresh basil because it grows in my kitchen and is a gigantic monster right now, so I am always looking for an excuse to use it.
Ingredients:
2 cans chickpeas (I used about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
4-6 garlic cloves
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons shelled hemp seeds
2 teaspoons salt
Large handful of fresh basil
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Method:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth. If you have an archaic processor such as myself, you may want to bend the chickpeas first, then add the rest of the ingredients that you have roughly chopped first. All done! Should last in the fridge for about 5-7 days.
~The Vegan Project
Cashew-Nooch ‘Parm’
Ingredients:
1/4 cup raw cashews
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend till a fine, crumbly texture is achieved.
Sprinkle on salads, pastas, soups and casseroles…oh heck put it on everything!
Store in the refrigerator between uses.
~The Vegan Project
Pineapple-Sage Salsa
1 Cup fresh pineapple, chopped
2 Small tomatoes, chopped
1/2 Green pepper, chopped
1 Green onion, chopped
1/2 Jalepeno, seeded and chopped
1 Tablespoon Pineapple Sage
1 Lime, zest and juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine ingredients in a medium bowl and let sit in the refrigerator for about an hour so the flavours can marry (important step).
~The Vegan Project
Creamy Lemon-Basil Pesto
This creamy pesto is lemony and fresh, super simple and keeps well in a jar in the fridge for a week. Put it on EVERYTHING! (Makes 2 cups)
Lemon basil, thai basil, sweet basil, purple basil...
Creamy Lemon-Basil Pesto
1 cup raw cashews
the juice of 2 lemons
the zest of one lemon
2 packed cups lemon basil (any variety will do)
4-6 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (i felt like it needed a bit more tang when i tasted it)
1/2-1 cup of olive
water to thin to a desired consistency
Chop the cashews in the blender/food processor first, then add the rest of the ingredients.
~The Vegan Project