2 large zucchini cut into spears evenly (690 g, I got 28 spears, you may need 3 if yours are small)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2-3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
I use this scale
This will give you about 3/4 cup of sauce—perfect for 1 or 2 quick meals!
Cashew Cream
- Soak a half cup of raw cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Drain and blend them with a half cup of fresh water or vegetable broth until completely smooth.
Blended White Beans
- Take a half cup of your butter beans or cannellini beans from whichever bean dish is being made
- Blend them with a splash of vegetable broth until smooth
- Stir it back into the sauce.
Silken Tofu
- Blend a few tablespoons of silken tofu until completely smooth
Store-Bought Plant Creams
Look for unflavoured oat cream or soy cream in the cooking isle. Brands like Oatly or Vitasoy make culinary creams that are designed for savory cooking and have a much more neutral flavor than coconut.
How to "Mute" Coconut Flavor if You Have to Use It
If you already have a can open or have already added it to the pan, you can chemically balance the flavor using the principles of taste-matching.
Coconut is naturally sweet and fatty, so you need to counter it with acid, salt, and deep umami.
Double down on Acid
A heavy squeeze of fresh lemon juice or a splash of that sherry/red wine vinegar breaks down the heavy, cloying sweetness of the coconut fat and forces it into the background.
Add an Umami Bomb
Stir in a teaspoon of white miso paste, a splash of soy sauce (or tamari), or a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. These deeply savory, salty ingredients anchor the dish so the tropical notes can't float to the top.
Up the Aromatics
Cook your onions, garlic, and tomato paste a bit longer until they are deeply caramelized, and add an extra pinch of smoked paprika. The bolder the savory base, the harder it is for the coconut to dominate.
Ingredients
- 3 large yellow onions, sliced
- 3 large sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped with oil saved
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 head garlic
- 1/2 Cup Coconut milk
- 2x cans white beans such as cannelini
- 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp sherry vinegar (red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°c
- Add the onions, fresh thyme leaves, sun dried tomatoes, salt, pepper and paprika, to an oven safe dish
- Slice off the top of the garlic head and place it in the middle of the onions.
- Drizzle the entire dish with the leftover sun dried tomato oil, cover and bake for for 45mins, tossing halfway through.
- Remove the pan from the oven and squeeze out the garlic gloves, using tongs to avoid burning your hands
- Add the coconut milk, beans, parsley, and sherry vinegar. Toss to combine.
- Return the pan to the oven and bake for 15 more mintues.
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Salt
- Tomato puree
- Chopped tomatos
- Butter beans
- Fresh basil
Add to Nutribullet cup:
- Couple spoonfuls of bean mix
- Tofu
- Noosh
- Miso paste
- Onion
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Sundried tomato
- Spices (Italian mixed herbs)
- Butter beans
- Coconut
- Spinach
- Lemon
Herbs:
- Oregano
- Smig chilli flakes
- Smoked paprika
- Salt & Pepper
