Sauces

Lemon and Parsley Vinaigrette

  This dressing is a part of my Turmeric Bowl recipe but it is so versatile that it deserves its own post. Now that we are in the thick of spring its the perfect opportunity to use all your herbs! I have an abundance in my garden so this dressing is being made just about every week here. Its perfect for a salad with some protein and raw veggies.       Ingredients: 1 bunch of fresh parsley 1 clove garlic, chopped 1 tsp. Lemon zest 1 lemon, juiced 1 TBS. raw honey or to taste ⅓ cup olive oil ¼ tsp. Sea salt Freshly ground black pepper   Directions:  1. In a food processor, add parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper. 2. While the food processor is running, add olive oil in a steady stream. 3. Once the parsley is all processed your dressing is done.  Taste to see if you need more honey or salt and pepper. 4. Store in a ball jar in the fridge for about a week, drizzle on any salad!!             © The Sown Life LLC, 2019    

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Chili, Lime and Cilantro dressing

  This dressing is featured in my Lemongrass Chicken Noodle Bowl recipe but it deserves its own post because it is so delicious and versatile. Whenever I have leftover cilantro, which is the main ingredient here, I pulse it up in my blender and make another batch of this dressing. It really is good on just about anything.  Both this dressing and my lemon parsley vinaigrette are perfect for using up extra herbs!    Ingredients:  Zest of 3 limes Juice of 2 limes 1 TBS. brown rice vinegar 2 TBS. raw honey 1 ½ TBS. Bragg’s Amino Acids 3 TBS. avocado oil 1 jalapeno, seeded 1 handful cilantro Salt & pepper to taste   Directions:   1. Add all dressing ingredients into a small blender or food processor.   2. Pulse until desired consistency.  (I like my dressing pureed pretty well but you can leave it chunky if you like.) 3. Store in a ball jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.           © The Sown Life LLC, 2019

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Kale and Toasted Pistachio Pesto

  Pesto is so delicious and I love making it so I challenged myself to try a vegan version and I have to say, I think it is the best I have made so far.  I removed all dairy by using nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan and also increased the nutritional value by adding Kale. I also added some toasted pistachios instead of pine nuts and wow!!!  What a difference it made. This pesto is so creamy and full of flavor that you are not missing a thing. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do. You can use pesto for so many things, I enjoyed it mixed with some brown rice pasta and a few tomatoes for an energizing meal!     Ingredients:  4 C chopped kale 1 C fresh basil 2 garlic cloves ½ C roasted and salted pistachios ½ C nutritional yeast Juice of 1 ½ lemons Zest of 1 lemon ½ C of olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Brown rice pasta cooked according to box *check the box and make certain it is gluten-free if you are gluten intolerant.     Directions:  1. In a food processor, add kale, basil, garlic, pistachios, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper.     2. While processor is on the low speed, add in olive oil in a slow and steady stream until pesto comes together.  If you want a looser consistency you can add some additional olive oil or water […]

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Grilled Lamb with Chimichurri Sauce

   Lamb Chops in a Lemon, Chive and Garlic Marinade Ingredients:  6 Lamb Chops 4 sliced garlic cloves 1 T chopped mint 1 T chopped fresh rosemary  ½ C minced chives or green portion of green onions ¼ C olive oil ⅓ C white balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper     Directions:  1. Combine garlic, mint, rosemary, chives, olive oil and vinegar and pour into a 9×13 baking dish. 2. Coat lamb chops with salt and pepper.  3. Add the lamb chops to marinade and flip once or twice to evenly coat them. 4. Refrigerate 4-6 hrs 5. 1 hour before grilling, remove lamb chops from the fridge, flip them over and allow to come to room temperature in the marinade. 6. Heat up the grill. 7. Grill lamb chops for 3 minutes on each side and then allow to rest covered in foil for 10 minutes.  This will give you a medium-rare lamb chop. If you desire well done, just add a minute to each side. 8. Top with chimichurri and ENJOY!     Chimichurri Sauce Ingredients:  ¼ C flat-leaf parsley ½ C cilantro 2 T fresh oregano 3 garlic cloves 3 T red wine vinegar ¼ C sherry vinegar 1 tsp crushed red pepper 1 tsp sea salt ½ C extra-virgin olive oil   Directions:  1. In a food processor or blender, combine parsley, cilantro, oregano, garlic, vinegars, crushed red pepper and sea salt.   2. With food processor on low, slowly drizzle olive oil in from the […]

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Use Up Those Herbs: My Favorite Sauces and Dressings

  Looking for a great way to integrate fresh herbs into your cooking?  Below are links to five of my very favorite recipes that call for bunches of herbs. They really come in handy when you have a big bunch of cilantro or basil that you don’t want to go to waste. It’s very simple to use fresh herbs for two or three different recipes at a time during your meal prep.  I hope you enjoy this collection because all of these sauces or dressings are my “go-to’s” to keep meals fresh and healthy.   1. Salsa Verde     2. Lemon Parsley Vinaigrette    3. Chili Cilantro and Lime dressing     4. Kale and Pistachio Pesto     5. Chimichurri Sauce  

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Homemade Ranch

  Let me tell you, my husband and I had this homemade ranch on our salads almost every day for a week and my kids loved it!!!  It has so much flavor and it was the perfect thing to have with fresh veggies as a snack as well. You will not miss Hidden Valley with this one!!! Making your own salad dressings is not difficult and the flavors are amazing!!  Give it a try!!!   Ingredients: ½ C avocado oil mayonnaise (You can use store-bought or my Homemade Mayo recipe) ½ C sour cream or plain whole-milk Greek yogurt ½ C milk (you can use creamy nut milk here as well) ½ tsp garlic powder ¼ tsp onion powder ½ tsp sea salt ¼ tsp black pepper 4 T fresh herbs, chopped finely (parsley, chives, dill) Zest of one lemon Juice of ½ lemon   Directions: Combine all ingredients in a ball jar with a lid and shake until well blended. Store in the fridge for about a week! Enjoy!!                       © The Sown Life LLC, 2020

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Roasted Tomatillo and Garlic Salsa

  Boy, I think I could eat Mexican food everyday…well homemade anyway! I have been making my own salsa for years but never really experimented with a green salsa. I’m not sure why but I am certainly hooked now. A tomatillo is wrapped in its own special package and when that is stripped away you have a green tomato of sorts. I roasted them in the oven along with some garlic, onions and serrano peppers for an amazing and easy salsa. Check this recipe out and if you haven’t made my Carnitas or Fish Tacos try one of those recipes as well!!!   2 lbs. tomatillos, husked and well rinsed 2 fresh serrano peppers 1 medium white onion, peeled and quartered 1 head of garlic 5 TBS. olive oil 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (I like to use the stems here because they have a ton of flavor and otherwise will be tossed in the trash) Juice of 1 small lime 2 tsp. Sea salt   To roast garlic:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Slice off the top of the head of garlic.  Drizzle the top with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap in foil and place on rack in the oven. Roast until golden and soft, around 45 minutes. Open foil packet and allow garlic to cool. To Roast Tomatillos:  Elevate oven temp to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.  Place quartered onions, whole tomatillos and whole peppers on the tray.  Drizzle with 4 […]

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Lemon Tahini Salad Dressing

  Honestly, among my clients this is the most sought after recipe.  This salad dressing has evolved over time in my kitchen but I have found the easiest and most delicious way to make sure it is on the table almost daily.  You will want to pour this dressing over everything, believe me.  This method is quick and easy and will only take you a few minutes at most.  I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!   Ingredients: 1 TBS. Tahini 1 TBS. Dijon mustard (I use whole grain) 1 tsp. White miso 1 TBS. Lemon juice 2 TBS. White balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar 3 TBS. Olive oil Salt & Pepper to taste       Directions: 1.Place tahini, dijon and miso in a small jar.  With the back of the spoon mash the three together. (I say mash because the miso tends to stay in a lump.)  This is the most work that you will do!!! 2. Add in vinegar and olive oil.  Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously.   3. ADD salt and pepper to taste and shake once more. 4. You are done!!!  Store in fridge for up to a week.  

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Avocado Crema

I think you can find a picture of an avocado on any health and wellness blog or Instagram. They are such a superfood!! There were so many years with excessive warnings about eating too many avocados due to their high fat content.  I am so glad those days are over!!  Avocado has healthy fat which is primary in reversing insulin resistance. They also contain a monounsaturated fat which is imperative for memory and brain health.  They have more potassium than a banana and are high in B & C vitamins. That is only the beginning when it comes to their health benefits. Avocados are part of my weekly diet and this recipe for avocado crema came to me in a moment of panic.  We were having some friends over and I was supposed to make an appetizer.  I had worked a little later than anticipated and only had a few minutes to come up with something.  Well, this was it!! I had no idea how it would turn out but it got eaten really quickly and so now it is a family favorite!  It is great as a dip for vegetables or tortilla chips and my favorite topping for any kind of taco or Mexican food!   AVOCADO CREMA 2 Avocados (scooped out) 8 oz. plain yogurt 1 handful of cilantro 2 TBS. taco seasoning (I use Bold Taco from Penzey’s or Frontier) salt to taste (if using unsalted taco seasoning) a squeeze of lime     1.Put all ingredients […]

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Parsley, Mint and Lemon Salsa Verde

  This is my own version of Salsa Verde. I added fresh herbs, took out the anchovies and what I got was a delicious, fresh and bright green mixture that goes great on anything! This is one of those recipes I’m continuously finding new ways to use. I’ve had it as a dip for veggies, a sauce to top any cooked fish or meat (especially lamb) and mixed with an aioli for sandwiches. I will also turn it into a quick salad dressing by mixing 1TBS. of the salsa verde with a little extra olive oil and vinegar. Spectacular! The uses for this one are endless. Enjoy it any way you want, let me know how you like it! This will be in my fridge most of the summer. Ingredients: 1 small bunch parsley 1 small bunch mint ¼ cup pine nuts (can substitute walnuts or cashews) 2 cloves garlic 1 TBS. capers 2 TBS. white balsamic vinegar ½ tsp. salt ¼ cup lemon olive oil or ¼ cup regular olive oil +the zest of 1 lemon. ½ tsp. crushed red pepper Directions: 1. In a food processor, combine parsley, mint, pine nuts, garlic, capers, white vinegar and salt. 2. Put lid on and turn it on slow speed. Drizzle olive oil in while the processor is running until salsa verde is the consistency you would like. You might need to add a little more olive oil if you want the salsa to be runny. 3. When done, stir in crushed […]

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