cheesy garlic sauce (vegan)

I learned to build a trellis last week. Seriously, I know it sounds ridiculous but I planted a few passion fruit vines and needed to get them growing up against the fence. It’s a simple task but it turned out to be not as easy as I thought it would be. Mostly because I refused to measure the height at which the hooks should go into the wood and and how to twist the vine. So my trellis looks a little off and wonky and until the vines cover it up, I won’t be sharing any photos due to shame. This sauce should make up for it.

Can a sauce make you feel cozy and warm inside. I think so! My most memorable pasta experiences are those that involved cheese and if they involved a cheese sauce, even better! Plus in this cold weather, cheesy things are comforting. For the past few weeks, I’ve been experimenting with vegan versions of cheese sauces and this one packs a mighty garlic punch with it. 

I used Califia Farms unsweetned almond milk because of its heat stability and flavor to prepare the base of this sauce and it works wonders.

Since capturing umami would be important to make a vegan version of this garlic cheesy sauce, I turned to my number source of vegan umami, the nutritional yeast. And along with the tamari/yuzu ponzu it does just that. But it also helps thicken the sauce and I add a little cornstarch to give it a little help. Pour this over pasta or eat spoonfuls but just remember not to go out afterwards with your garlic breath. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Kitchen tips;

• Both tamari and yuzu ponzu will work well here. A little bit goes a long way.
• Use a powerful blender to help get a silky texture.
• This sauce should be good for about 4 to 6 days in the refrigerator. Warm it up as needed. 

cheesy garlic sauce (vegan) 

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup minced shallots

6 garlic cloves, peeled (you can bump it up to 10 cloves if you’re really brave)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

1 cup Califia Farms unsweetened Almond milk

1 tablespoon tamari or yuzu ponzu

1 teaspoon cornstarch powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (optional)

1. Heat the oil in a medium-sized skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauteé the onions until they start to brown, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and nutritional yeast and cook for another 1 minute. Remove from stove and transfer to a blender. Add all the remaining ingredients and pulse until completely smooth and velvety. Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and cook on medium-high heat whisking constantly until the sauce begins to thick for about 4 to 5 minutes.. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Transfer the sauce to a serving dish and use as desired.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Califia Farms however, all opinions expressed are solely my own.