Saucier

As any chef will tell you, the sauce is key to great food.
Unfortunately, most vegetarian food uses cheese, butter, cream or milk based sauces.  This just substitutes one animal fat for another so there is no health benefit.  You might as well eat hamburger since it has less saturated fat and cholesterol than cheese.
Anyway, I have been searching for good vegan sauces and I have found a few.

Almond hoisin sauce

A friend brought us a jar of almond butter and I had just opened a jar of hoisin sauce.  This is fast, easy and makes a great sauce for anything.  Traditionally used for spring rolls, we've had it on roast vegetables and potatoes as well as rice and pasta.

• Almond butter and hoisin sauce in a ratio of 2 to 1
• Water to thin

You can also add sweet chili sauce, lime juice, garlic or soy sauce (although most of these flavors are already in hoisin sauce so make your life easy).

Pesto

This is a classic which is usually made with parmesan cheese but is delicious without the cheese.  Some cooks substitute nutritional yeast for the cheese but I've found it's great without the cheese.

• 2 cups fresh basil (can substitute part cilantro, parsley, mint)
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 1- 2 (or more) cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Put everything in a food processor or blender and let er rip!

Thai peanut sauce

This is a classic Thai dipping sauce that it great with vegetables, rice, pasta.
This is one recipe which I've found to be good.

• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Just mix it in a bowl... no cooking required.  You can save the cilantro for a fresh topping.

Soy Ginger Cilantro Sauce

3 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably tamari

1/2 tablespoon minced ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 tablespoon minced shallot

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted and ground

1/4 teaspoon minced jalapeño

1 1/2 tablespoons honey

2 1/4 teaspoons lime juice

1/2 teaspoon lime zest

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 generous bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Peanut Ginger Sauce

3 tablespoons creamy unsalted, unsweetened peanut butter

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 to 2 teaspoons light brown sugar, to taste

1 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice (grate 1 tablespoon ginger, wrap in cheesecloth and squeeze)

Cayenne to taste

2 to 4 tablespoons warm water