Sauces/Dressings – Bark & Twigs

Big Mac “Special” Sauce

Let’s face it, big mac sauce is definitely not healthy. It’s filled with tons of sugar, sodium, and oil as well as many ingredients that we cannot recognize.

“Soybean Oil, Sweet Relish (Diced Pickles, Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Corn Syrup, Xanthan Gum, Calcium Chloride, Spice Extractives), Water, Egg Yolks, Distilled Vinegar, Spices, Onion Powder, Salt, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Garlic Powder, Vegetable Protein (Hydrolyzed Corn, Soy and Wheat), Sugar, Caramel Color, Turmeric, Extractives of Paprika, Soy Lecithin.” (McDonalds.com)

Although, people still seem to crave it on their burger.

So I decided to make a similar “special sauce” for you to enjoy on your burgers but instead it’s made from healthy whole food ingredients that you can understand.

Cashews make up the bulk of this sauce which provides you with a plethora of health benefits including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants while taking in protein and healthy fats to keep you full.

Cashews contain a good amount of:

Vitamins E, K & B6
Copper
Phosphorus
Zinc
Magnesium
Iron
Selenium

Eating cashews helps to reduce your blood pressure therefore lowering “bad” cholesterol levels. The copper and iron in cashews help your body to keep forming healthy red blood cells keeping your immune system, blood vessels, nerves, and bones functioning properly (healthline.com).

The high levels of antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin in cashews have also been linked to promoting eye health, protecting them from light damage, decreasing the chances for developing cataracts (healthline.com).

Also by choosing this sauce for your burger you will help to take in mono-and polyunsaturated fats which will help keep you full and manage a healthier weight. Harvard research has shown that just two servings of nuts a day helps to protect you from cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and heart disease (healthline.com).

I hope you try out this delicious vegan “special” burger sauce recipe and let me know what you think. You can lather up your veggie burger or even regular meat burger and know that you’re heading in the right direction for yours and your families health.

Big Mac Special Sauce

Servings: 8
Time: 20 Mins
Difficulty: Easy
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`Ingredients`

3/4 cup soaked cashews **see notes**
1/4 cup water (I use luke warm as I find it blends the ingredients better achieving a smoother consistency)
2 tsps yellow mustard
1 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsps minced red onion
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsps dried dill
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1-2 tbsps pickle brine (juice from a pickle jar)

Directions

First, you will want to soak your cashews if you have not done so in advance. Take a cereal bowl and place your 3/4 cup of cashews into it and cover with boiled water until they are fully submerged. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, until they are tender enough to blend into a smooth consistency.
Gather a small blender cup (I use the 300g ninja blender cup) and mince your red onion finely, placing it in your blender cup. Add the rest of the ingredients: mustard, tomato sauce, salt, dill, maple syrup, and apple cider vinegar.
Add your soaked cashews to the blender cup and finally the 1/4 cup of water (I use luke warm as I find it blends into a smoother consistency) and blend on a medium setting.
**NOTE** Usually before I blend I shake my blender cup to get all the ingredients to be somewhat mixed and not stick to the sides of the containers. I also do this half way through blending.
You may find that your ingredients are not blending as smoothly as you would like or the consistency is a bit too dry, you can always add 1-2 tbsps of warm water to your sauce and continue to blend until it has reached a thick, creamy, smooth consistency.
You will want your sauce thick and creamy so it was stay on veggie burgers nicely or add a creamy element to a buddha or burrito bowl.

**You may want to soak your cashews 12 hours in advance, but if you don’t have the time to prep (like me) or just want something faster you can pour the cashews into a cereal sized bowl and cover them with boiled water from your kettle and leave them sit for 10-15 minutes as you prep the other ingredients.**

Garlicky Lemon Tahini Dressing

Tahini is a paste made from sesame seeds and can be used in a ton of different recipes. It originates from North African, Greek, Iranian, Middle Eastern, and Turkish cuisine and can be used in savory or sweet dishes. Tahini comes in two forms: hulled and unhulled. Unhulled tahini is better for you as it leaves the sesame seeds intact when grinding it into a paste, keeping the nutritional value. Hulled tahini is stripped of all it’s nutrients giving it less benefits but a smoother consistency.

Tahini is rich in many nutrients and vitamins including phosphorus, lecithin, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It is also high in protein and calories and should be eaten in moderation or be added to recipes. The nutrition breakdown of 2 tablespoons (tbsps) of tahini (30g) is:

178 calories
16.13g fat (14g of fat are monounsaturated being beneficial to heart health)
6.36g carbohydrates
2.8g fiber
0.15g sugar
5.1g protein

Tahini contains antioxidant nutrients called lignans which help support the immune system and balance the bodies hormones. For women experiencing problematic hormone imbalances or going through menopause, tahini is a great food for you to incorporate into your diet as it contains phytoestrogens, which reduce menopause symptoms such as: hot flashes, bone loss, weakness, mood changes, and low sex drive. Phytoestrogens may also help protect the body from cancers related to hormone production (ie. breast and ovarian cancers).

Studies have also shown that tahini helps patients with osteoarthritis because it has positive effects on oxidative stress and cholesterol levels in the body. A study group who consumed sesame regularly reported less knee pain from their osteoarthritis and did not experience any negative side effects from the tylenol they were given. “Because tahini contains such high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats it also plays a role in lowering cholesterol levels protecting the heart from disease and stroke.”

The fatty acids, amino acids, and vitamins E & B in tahini all work together to help your skin stay youthful and protect against aging. Tahini is a natural antifungal and antibacterial agent which means that it kills bacteria that are trying to clog pores. The fats within tahini also help to keep the skin moist and bring inflammation down in the body. If you are suffering from dry damaged skin, adding a bit of tahini to your regular diet may help.

I hope you enjoy this delicious garlicky lemon tahini dressing by adding it to your burgers, falafels, salads, avocado toast, and veggie wraps. While taking in all the added benefits it provides.

Garlicky Lemon Tahini Dressing

Servings: 1-2
Time: 5 Mins
Difficulty: Easy
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`Ingredients`

1/3 cup tahini
1/2 cup water (I prefer using warm water)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder (2 garlic cloves)
1/2 tsp paprika

Directions

Peel and mince garlic cloves (if using instead of garlic powder).
Juice 1 fresh lemon, enough to get 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice.
Blend all ingredients in a nutribullet or small blender cup until smooth (I use the small 300g salad dressing cups on my ninja blender).
Pour over salad, burrito bowl, or potatoes and enjoy!