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Photo: K Wudrich / Flickr

Olive oil is unique in that is comes from a fruit, unlike other plant-based food oils which are extracted from grains or nuts. ‘The most prized olive oils are sold unrefined and shortly after harvest, as fresh as possible, and are used more as a delicious, delicate flavouring in their own right, not as a medium in which to cook other ingredients,’ says food scientist, Harold McGee. Below are some olive oil-based sauce recipes that don’t call for any cooking at all.

Coriander and rocket pesto sauce

What you’ll need for this recipe, besides two cups of coriander and a cup of rocket, are: two cloves of peeled garlic, four tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice, two-thirds of a cup of olive oil and a third of a cup each of Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Pop all the ingredients into a blender and blitz until they are well mixed. Add salt to taste and if you want an extra healthy boost, add half a teaspoon of kelp powder.

Dairy-free nut mayonnaise

To make a dairy-free mayonnaise, place the following ingredients into a blender: half a cup each of cashew nuts, macadamia nuts, apple cider vinegar and water. Add three tablespoons of olive oil, one clove of garlic, three pitted dates and one tablespoon each of tamari (a type of Japanese soya sauce) and lemon juice.

Blitz all the ingredients together and add salt to taste.

Dairy-free garlic white sauce

Blend together one cup of water with three quarters of a cup of macadamia nuts, four cloves of peeled garlic, the juice of one ripe lemon, three tablespoons of olive oil and about one to one and a half teaspoons of salt to taste.

Salad dressing

Shake the following ingredients together: half a cup of olive oil with the juice of one lemon, three tablespoons of honey, three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and salt to taste.

Spicy Thai sauce

This Thai sauce calls for the following ingredients, which are to be blended together until well combined: one red pepper, three peeled cloves of garlic, a two centimetre piece of peeled ginger, one teaspoon of curry powder, one teaspoon of cayenne pepper, one tablespoon of coriander, one cup of olive oil, one and a half tablespoons of honey, two tablespoons each of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar ‑ and three tablespoons of tamari.

Add salt to taste.

Spicy Indian sauce

Blend together the following ingredients: a quarter of a cup each of olive oil, sundried tomatoes and pitted dates and half a cup each of dried peaches, coconut milk, cashew nuts and macadamia nuts.

Then add eight tomatoes, one red onion, a two centimetre piece of peeled ginger, three cloves of garlic, half a teaspoon each of turmeric, cayenne pepper and ground cinnamon, two tablespoons of curry powder and salt to taste.

This sauce goes well with rice.

See Rawlicious for more nutritious raw food recipes.

Tags: eating healthily