Katie and Kate are two excellent cooks that were slightly disappointed when they switched to a whole foods, plant-based diet and realized that many condiments don’t align with how they wanted to eat.

Instead of remaining in a state of frustration, they saw this as an opportunity to recreate their favorite dairy-based concoctions with ingredients that are actually healthy and in line with their new eating lifestyle. This led them to collecting a slew of recipes for vegan sauces, salad dressings and dips over the years.

I’ve felt the same frustration as I’ve made the same diet-switch, and am so glad to have found their recipe. collection (see www.wellvegan.com). While we know full well that nothing compares to the real thing, these plant-based versions come really close. If you, too, are trying to eat a more plant-based diet, then take a serious look these intriguing recipe ideas.

Oh is the timing good on this one. If you have a bounty of fresh tomatoes from your garden and aren’t sure what to do with them, consider this condiment—Smokey Tomato “Jam.” When we hear the word, jam, we automatically think of a sweet treat, right? But now there’s savory jam. And this one is delicious as a topping for toast or your favorite non-meat burger. Or cover a pizza crust with it, add your toppings, and bake. And this is scrumptious when paired with fresh basil, by the way.

SMOKEY TOMATO JAM (yield: 1 cup)

2 pounds plum or Roma tomatoes

1/8 cup sugar

½ tsp. salt

Pinch of black pepper

¼ tsp. smoked paprika

½ tsp. white wine vinegar

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside.

2. Carefully drop the tomatoes into the boiling water and boil for about a minute. Remove the tomatoes from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and put them directly in the ice bath.

3. Peel the tomatoes by hand in the ice water and then transfer them to a cutting board. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and discard the seeds by squeezing the tomatoes over a bowl. Roughly chop the tomatoes into small pieces.

4. Place the chopped tomatoes in a large pot (you can use the same one you used to boil the tomatoes, but pour the water out first). Add the coconut sugar and stir. Allow the tomatoes to stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5. Bring the tomatoes to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 15 minutes.

6. Stir in the salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Lower the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the jam has thickened, about 10 minutes more. Remove from heat and stir in the white wine vinegar. Adjust seasonings to taste.

7. Serve on toast, crackers, sliced baguette, or as a condiment on vegan burgers.

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But what about a bona-fide Ranch Dressing substitute that people will really LIKE? This is a challenge. I’ve tried several that don’t even come close. This one is pretty good. Besides being great with salad, it makes a yummy dip.

PLANT-BASED RANCH DRESSING (16 servings)

1 cup vegan mayonnaise (Veganaise is a reliable choice)

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. parsley, chopped

1 tbsp. dill, copped

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

Whisk all ingredients together and chill before serving. Add a little more soy milk if you need to thin dressing.

And who doesn’t enjoy a Caesar salad? Here’s a recipe for a totally GUILT FREE dressing! Oil-free, no processed ingredients, plant-based, and even raw. Besides really good flavor and texture, one of the things I appreciate about this recipe is that it doesn’t call for odd or exotic ingredients (other than the plant-based mayonnaise, which isn’t all that odd today).

I found this on the wonderful site, It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken, (www.itdoesnttastelikechicken.com), and we want to thank its creator, Sam Turnbull for this treasure.

CREAMY CASHEW CAESAR SALAD DRESSING (serves 4)

1/2 cup raw cashews, softened (see step 1)

1/2 cup water or if you used soaked cashews 1/4 Cup + 1 Tablespoon Water

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons capers

1 clove garlic

1. Soften the cashews by putting them in a medium pot and covering with water. Boil for about 10 minutes until the cashews are tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Alternatively, you can soften the cashews by covering them with cold water in a bowl and letting soak for 4 hours or overnight.

2. Add the drained cashews to a blender along with all the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth and creamy. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for about a week. It gets thicker once chilled, perfect for dipping.

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Finally, there’s plant-based sour cream. No kidding, sour cream without dairy. And good thing, too. After all, what good is no-meat chili without a big dollop of sour cream? Okay, it’s still pretty darn good. But having a rich and tangy topping makes the whole thing so much better. This recipe from another plant-based recipe site, Oh She Glows (www.ohsheglows.com). You’ll

DAIRY-FREE SOUR CREAM (yield: 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked

3/4 cup water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Scant 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1. Place cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Soak overnight or for 8 hours if you have the time. For a quick-soak method, pour boiling water over the cashews and soak for 1 hour. Rinse and drain.

2. Place the drained cashews in a high-speed blender.

3. Add the water, lemon, vinegar, and salt. Blend on high until super smooth. You might have to stop to scrape down the blender now and then or add a touch more water to get it going.

4. Transfer into a small, air-tight container and chill in the fridge. It makes 2 cups. The cream will thicken up as it chills. The cream will keep in the fridge for about 1 week. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month. I like to freeze it in silicone mini muffin cups. Once solid, transfer the cups into a freezer-safe zip bag for easy grab and go portions.

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I’ve tried this sour cream substitute for my meatless stroganoff (lots of veggies replace the cubed steak or ground beef) and folks liked it very much. It’s also good atop enchiladas and bean burritos. This recipe is truly a treasure!