tamarind dressing with date purée

This dressing packs a punch. Tamarind paste is very concentrated, so a little goes a long way. The quality of the balsamic vinegar is key, most brands are red wine vinegar with only a little true balsamic. Below is the link to Fresh Harvest Tasting Room, my preferred source for balsamic. I used pomegranate balsamic in class, but traditional would work just as well.

Makes: about 1/4 cup

Serves: 3 to 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

¾ teaspoon tamarind paste

Dash fine sea salt

1 tablespoon date purée, recipe following

2 teaspoons high quality balsamic vinegar  

2 teaspoons juice from jarred pickled ginger, optional

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. (the pickled ginger is optional. It was in the dressing served in class, but I have made the dressing without it and the difference is negligible. No need to buy some just for this recipe).

This dressing keeps 1 to 2 weeks, covered, in the refrigerator.

date purée

With whole food plant-based living, date purée is a satisfying replacement for caramel. It makes a nutrient rich whole food sweetener, delicious swirled into a banana vanilla smoothie or shake, or added to salad dressing as a lovely balance to the acidity of lemon or vinegar.

Makes ½ cup

10 medjool dates

About ½ cup water

Place the dates in a heat proof bowl or pitcher, such as Pyrex. Cover with nearly boiling water, and steep for 15 minutes. Place the dates and half the water in a high-speed blender, such as nutri-bullet or Ninja. Blend on high until mixture is smooth and creamy, adding more of the soaking water if needed for consistency. Store in a sealed glass container for 1 to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

These recipes qualifies for the whole-food plant-based (WFPB) designation, meaning that it is made of only of whole plant foods and does not contain any extracted ingredients, such as sugar or oil, that would damage the body’s endothelium (the inner most lining of the arteries).