This tzatziki sauce is thick, creamy, refreshing and a great spread for wraps and gyros, or to go with falafel, fries, bread or vegetables. It’s the perfect match for anything that needs a creamy element! I love it with my Easy Za’atar Socca bread.

Tzatziki is popular around the Middle East and the Mediterranean, especially in Greece. It is my dream to travel to Greece one day and learn more about their cuisine, but until then, I will have this recipe on repeat, so I can pretend I’m there.

Tzatziki is simply a combination of yogurt, fresh herbs, lemon, cucumber, garlic, olive oil and salt. It’s a perfect summer dip, sauce or spread, as it’s cool and bright!

It is incredibly easy to whip up at home. Follow my recipe below, and feel free to add extras of your favourite ingredients!

Homemade Tzatziki

Serving size: Makes 1 cup

Prep time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cucumber, shredded
• 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• zest of 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped dill
• pinch of salt
• olive oil (optional)

Instructions:

1. Place cucumber in a clean tea towel or paper towel and squeeze the liquid out over a sink.
2. Mix the cucumber, yogurt, garlic, lemon zest and juice, dill and salt in a bowl. Transfer to a small plate and use the back of a spoon to spread it out over the surface. Drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, if desired. Serve immediately.
3. Store extra in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

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I’m always diverting from traditional pasta sauces because life is too exciting to do boring things. The method this recipe follows is the tried-and-true method I use for most of my pasta sauces, and it’s SO easy.

It requires the cooking of the star ingredient, in this case, beets, followed by the blending, seasoning and simmering. Not to mention the addition of coconut milk to make it extra creamy and delicious. That’s it! So easy. So good!

You can use whatever pasta you would like, but I prefer a rigatoni or tortiglioni as they have those gorgeous grooves to suck up and hold onto this vibrant sauce. My most favourite pasta to use can be found here.

It’s tortiglioni time to make this dish!

Simple Beetroot Pasta

Serving size: 4

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 red beets, peeled and quartered
• 450 g pasta (I prefer tortiglioni)
• salt
• pepper
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup canned coconut milk
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta or goat’s cheese, for topping (optional)
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped, for topping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add the beets, cooking until fork-tender (about 25-30 minutes).
2. Use a wire spider (or a slotted spoon) to carefully remove the beets from the boiling water and transfer to a high-powered blender. Add the pasta to the same water the beets were cooking in and boil until ‘al dente.’
3. Blend the beets with the broth and a pinch of pepper, until smooth.
4. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan set over medium-low heat. When hot, add the garlic and saute for 30 seconds or until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Pour in the beet puree and simmer until smooth, stirring often. Pour in the coconut milk and let simmer until sauce thickens, approximately 8-10 minutes.
5. Transfer the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir to coat and finish cooking. Add more salt and pepper to taste. *If you salted your pasta water enough, you may not need to add more salt at this point.
6. Transfer pasta to a serving dish and top with the cheese and parsley, if using. Bon appetit!

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Pesto is a highly underused food, IMO. It is so versatile – from a sauce for pasta or pizza to a simple spread for toast, it is a complete flavour bomb!

Traditionally, pesto is made with five key ingredients: Basil, pine nuts, parmesan, olive oil and garlic (plus salt, but that doesn’t count). And, you want to know the greatest thing about pesto? The ingredients are easily adaptable. That is why turning it vegan is so easy to do.

The herbs – Basil is traditional in pestos, and I stick with it in this recipe as well. However, it can easily be swapped out for any leafy green such as parsley, cilantro, spinach or a combination of these. It depends on what you have, what you like and how adventurous you are!

The nuts – Pine nuts are typically what you find in pesto, but since one bag costs more than my monthly gym membership, I usually switch them for another type of nut. I love walnuts and I chose to use them in this recipe. Pecans would also be good for a sweeter turn-out. Toasting the nuts prior to using them in a pesto also adds another dimension of flavour.

The cheese – Pesto is made with a dry-aged cheese, like parmesan. You can, however, sub it for a cheese of your choice, like romano or even an old sharp cheddar. Since this recipe is vegan, I am using the cheesiest vegan ingredient I know of – Nutritional Yeast. Nutritional Yeast is an inactive yeast that is very cheesy in flavour and is packed with a number of healthy nutrients including: Thiamine, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate and my favourite, Vitamin B12. I am almost positive it is the only vegetarian food you can find that has B12 in it, which makes me love it even more! The one I use can be found here.

The oil – Use extra virgin olive oil. There are no exceptions for this ingredient. Make it a good olive oil, too, like this one.

Garlic – Same.

Acid – I like to put lemon juice as well as the zest into my pesto. It gives it a ‘zip’ of freshness that adds brightness and vibrancy to any dish!

The process of making pesto can be completed in many ways. Traditionally, it is made by cutting all of the ingredients together with a sharp knife and then pouring the olive over them. It could also be made in a mortar and pestle. I like to use my food processor to save on time.

Whichever ingredients you choose to use and whichever method you bring them together in, I hope you get to enjoy pesto this summer. There is nothing better!

Lemony Vegan Basil Pesto

Serving size: Makes about 1/2 cup

Prep time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2.5 cups packed fresh basil, washed and dried
• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• zest of one lemon
• 1.5 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/4-1/3 cup good extra virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. To your food processor, add the basil, walnuts, garlic, salt, nutritional yeast and lemon zest. Pulse until the mixture has broken down into smaller pieces. Add the lemon juice and set your processor to blend. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil slowly. If you want a thicker pesto, add 1/4 cup of oil. If you are looking for a thinner sauce, continue to add more oil until you have reached your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings (salt, lemon juice) accordingly.

This is best used immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

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“Tortiglioni” is really hard to say. It looks kind of like rigatoni, so I may just stick with that if I ever have to say it out loud. I use Molisana’s spelt tortiglioni. It’s a brilliant pasta with beautiful grooves meant for soaking up luscious sauces and thus, this roasted red pepper sauce is thick and creamy and suck-up-able. It’s also vegan.

Now, I’m not saying the jarred, store-bought sauces aren’t practical and quick, but they don’t even come close to being as tasty as homemade sauce. And, sometimes you need to treat yo-self! This sauce is not-at-all daunting and all delicious. It may take longer than twisting open a lid and pouring, but it’s worth it. Today’s your day.

You are going to start with your red peppers – cut them in half, remove the seeds and place them cut side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Pop them into a 425 degree oven for about 30-40 minutes, flipping once, until their skin begins to blacken and they are completely soft throughout. Carefully peel the skin off and discard. Toss the peppers into your blender with some vegetable stock. To help thicken in a vegan-ified way, add half a cup of raw cashews as well. Season with some salt and pepper and blend up until creamy.

It a saucepan, heat up some olive oil and add a bunch of garlic. Add the creamy pepper sauce and thin it out with some of the water that the pasta has been cooking in. Let this simmer until your tortiglioni is done and then transfer the pasta right to the sauce. Giv’er a toss so that the pasta is completely coated, turn the heat off and add in some fresh basil and a little hit of lemon.

This pasta is so good the next day, too. If you eat dairy, I would also recommend dolloping some fresh ricotta on top while it is still warm. Drool.

I hope this recipe makes it to your kitchen. It is one of my absolute favourites. It’s also great for kids as the veggies aren’t noticeable and are blended right into the sauce. Any feedback is welcomed in the comment section below!

Tortiglioni in Homemade Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Serving size: 3

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 large bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise and seeds removed
• 3 servings of tortiglioni (about 255 g)
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 tsp salt
• a few grinds of fresh black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 9-10 basil leaves, ribboned or sliced
• squeeze of lemon (optional)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the four pepper halves onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cut side down, and roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, flipping once. Peppers should have black areas and be soft throughout. Peel the outer skins off and discard.
3. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil and add tortiglioni. Cook according to package directions, until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water for the sauce before draining.
4. Place the roasted peppers, vegetable stock, cashews, salt and pepper into a blender and blend until smooth.
5. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the pepper sauce, stir and then add in the reserved pasta water. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes and then add the cooked pasta, stirring to coat.
6. Turn the heat off and add the basil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with more basil on top.

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