Cilantro-Garlic Sauce

I can hardly contain my excitement over this sauce. Seriously, it doesn’t feel normal to get this excited about a sauce. But then again, I hardly ever feel normal, so let’s go…

I should probably begin by explaining the way I feel about cilantro. People usually either love it or hate it…and I love it. Actually, I am IN LOVE with it. My mouth waters just thinking about it! When I have my own garden one day, the first thing I want to plant is a huge cilantro bush. I LOVE YOU CILANTRO!!!!!!

Me and one of the loves of my life...cilantro.

Whew. I’m getting carried away.

Anyway, if you’re a cilantro-lover too, you’ll want to make this sauce over and over again, and put it on everything you eat!

The inspiration for this sauce came from a restaurant in NYC called Mooncake Foods. There’s this green sauce they have there that’s so delicious I can hardly stand it. Whenever I go there, everyone orders extra sides of this mysterious, totally addictive green sauce. It normally comes with their sliced steak dish, but I love putting it on their avocado/watercress salad. YUM. One night I finally asked the waitress what was in the sauce. “I think it’s cilantro…and garlic.” Hmm. Ok. Although I didn’t have every ingredient, I was ready to venture out on my own and re-create this masterpiece.

SUCCESS! This may not be the exact same sauce, but it tastes pretty-freaking-amazing.

Here’s the recipe:

• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 small/medium cloves of garlic
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp tamari (soy sauce)
• juice of 1 fresh lemon (about 1/4 cup)
• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger
• Pinch of cayenne (optional)

Put all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth. Pour over your favorite dish – brown rice, lentils, beans, veggies, tempeh, tofu, meat, eggs, whatever you want!! Either way, just make it soon so I have other people to share my enthusiasm with.

Cilantro-garlic sauce on brown rice & tempeh

Are you a cilantro-lover? What’s your favorite way to eat cilantro?