I’m done with my book. I sent it to the publisher a few weeks ago, and everything is fine- so far (knock on the wood!). I even picked an image and a template for the cover. So, no more sleepless night, right? Wrong.
It has been another loud night in the neighbourhood, and I could not sleep. Way after midnight, here I am, tons of ideas for the blog, excited about the new chapter in my life, decided to respond to one of the questions I receive the most on Instagram and Facebook. People who are much better than I am, with a stronger will and determination to, say, cleanse and detox, are hesitating because, well, many detoxes don’t allow oils, and thus, detox-friendly salads can be a little boring without delicious dressings we are used to. But they don’t have to be, because you can have your healthy (unprocessed) fat and eat it, too! Imagine a chickpea quinoa salad with a healthy tahini dressing; a bean salad with a vegan ranch; or a kale salad with some creamy avocado sauce.
Everything is possible in the world of plant-based eating!
Creamy herb sauce
You are going to need:
- 3 cups cashews
- 1/2 cup of water (adjust according to your desire. Some like it more watery, some like the dip-like consistency)
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- Himalayan salt to taste
- Lemon pepper to taste
- and, whatever fresh herbs you desire- fresh dill, thyme, basil, mint, cilantro.
Soak the cashews overnight. In the morning, place all ingredients in your high-speed blender and blend until smooth.
Balsamic with a Twist
I love balsamic vinegar SO much. According to Ayurveda, as a Pitta, I should not consume too much vinegar, so I try not to overdo it but I do love it. To make the balsamic dressing extra yummy, mix the following:
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp Organic Djon Mustard
- 1 tbsp date syrup
That’s it!
Detox ranch (inspired by Kite Hill ranch)
You will need:
- 1 1/4 cups cashews (Again, soak overnight)
- 1 cup water (again, adjust according to your desire)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp dried dill
- Himalayan salt to taste
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
After draining the soaked cashews, blend all these ingredients until smooth.
Creamy avocado
This is my go-to. It’s SO easy to make, and also, I mean, who doesn’t like avocado?
- 1 avocado, sliced.
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- Lemon pepper to taste
Fortified Tahini
Another favourite! I call this “fortified tahini dressing” because it includes nutritional yeast which is huuuugely beneficial, especially for vegans. It might provide extra protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. I make my toddler this chickpea omelette with nutritional yeast to make sure that he has his Vitamin B12.
You will need:
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup water (or more to thin)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1-2 Tbsp coconut aminos
Asian fusion
This one has coconut aminos as well. If you are not familiar with coconut aminos, I can say that it is an easy, healthy way to add flavour to low-sodium diets. Unfortunately, I have a thing for salt and sodium in general, but that’s another story. We are here to help you, not me.
You will need:
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp date syrup or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice
- And a really tiny bit, like around 1/2inch, fresh ginger, peeled and reaaaally finely diced. But watch your fingers. Use something like this, maybe?
Blend it all, serve on noodle salads, kelp noodles, even, or oil-free stir-fries!
https://www.bbc.com/news/51929628
Wow!!! These recipes sound amazing! Thank you so much for sharing. I can’t wait to try ALL of them!! 😋
Yay! Thank you so much, Ashley! Let me know what you think!