Easy, Low-Fat Mustard Sauce Tastes Good on Everything

Just as we feared, yesterday's appointment with the doctor brought unwelcome news about our cholesterol. Even though we tried to blame the insanely rich egg nog we stupidly but delightedly drank just before our bloodwork, he didn't buy the excuse and ordered us to clean up our dietary act in the next three months, or else.

So we got home and leafed through our vegan cookbooks. Our experience with vegan recipes has been mixed—some are great, some are OK, and some taste strictly like penance—but Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero's Veganomicon has been pretty reliable. Isa and Terry understand that new vegans walk a tough road, so they load up on flavor and encouragement (also, they're a lot of fun to read). Their recipe for mustard sauce caught our eye, partly because it used only one tablespoon of fat: a single dollop of olive oil.

Could it possibly be as good as they said? We hauled out the ingredients and whipped it up in a matter of minutes, and we had to agree: this sauce is amazing. Packed with mustard and lemon flavor, it would be great on anything from roasted vegetables to pork loin to fried tofu. (We ate it over sautéed seitan and wild rice, and meat-eating Tim thought it was great, possibly because it disguised the seitan.)

Here's the recipe:

Mustard Sauce

2 T. cornstarch (we used arrowroot)

3/4 c. vegetable broth

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. dried thyme

1 T. olive oil

1/2 c. sherry (we used sake)

1 T. soy sauce

1/4 cup whole-grain Dijon mustard (we used regular)

1 T. lemon juice

2 T. capers (with brine)

1. Mix the cornstarch with the broth and set aside.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and thyme in the olive oil for about a minute.

3. Add the wine and soy sauce, and raise the heat to high. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to medium and simmer to reduce, about four minutes.

4. Add the vegetable broth mixture, mustard, lemon juice, and capers, and whisk. When the sauce is bubbling, lower the heat and simmer for about three minutes. The sauce should be on the thick side. 

Let cool a bit before serving; this sauce tastes great just above room temperature.