When I was envisioning the vacation I had from work last month, I decided that I wanted a week of relaxing and fun low-stress things. Since I find vegan cooking classes fun, I searched NGI’s class calendar to see if they would be something that might work for my vacation dates, and so I signed up for Easy Go-To Vegan Sauces!
I last wrote about my little trip to Candle 79– I did this the same day. In between I did a ton of walking (I wanted to earn my Jobs badge on 4Square, but I’m guessing a lot of stores aren’t tagged properly). By the time I got to class, I was pretty worn out… but lucky for me, this was a demonstration class, not a participation class.
Normally I much enjoy the participation, but I was grateful for a more relaxed atmosphere- and my feet were thanking me for it!
The menu for this class certainly sounded good…
All-Purpose Savory Gravy over Mashed Root Vegetables
Creamy Lentil Dhal over Brown Rice
Zesty Ginger-Carrot Sauce over Mixed Grain Croquettes
Roasted Red Pepper Rouille over Steamed Vegetables
Coconut Curry Sauce over Pan-Seared Tempeh
Spicy Fresh Herb Sauce with Lemon and Garlic Over Quinoa and Grilled Tofu
None of these recipes were terribly difficult. If you’ve never taken a class before, this might be a good one to start with!
First up, All-Purpose Savory Gravy over Mashed Root Vegetables.
A creamy mixture of potato and parsnip, covered in gravy. The secret to a good vegan gravy? Starting with a good vegan stock.
Next, Creamy Lentil Dhal over Brown Rice.
Just your basic Dahl. Very flavorful!
The Zesty Ginger-Carrot Sauce over Mixed Grain Croquettes was probably one of the more interesting dishes of the evening!
The croquettes are probably one of the best reasons to take this class- I would use those with all kinds of different sauces!
The Roasted Red Pepper Rouille over Steamed Vegetables was actually served with celery instead, but was delicious nonetheless!
This was delicious- I could have just eaten that sauce with a spoon. I wish I had a gas stove for easier roasting of peppers so I could make this more often!
You know what stinks about being a bad blogger by not posing in a timely manner? I can’t remember this dish all that well- Coconut Curry Sauce over Pan-Seared Tempeh.
I remember everything in this class being good, despite not being able to remember this one specifically!
Last but not least, Spicy Fresh Herb Sauce with Lemon and Garlic Over Quinoa and Grilled Tofu.
This was a really good dish- very “fresh” tasting. I love things with fresh herbs!
This was a great class to sit back, relax, and eat some good food in- and one that I don’t think I would have minded taking on a work day either. It ran a bit shorter than in the description, but that was fine by me! A day I wasn’t so tired, I might have been a little disappointed by the inability to participate, but I think that if you know that’s what your getting into, it’s a perfect time to relax. Sounds good for a vacation, doesn’t it?
