The one and only vegan mayo + some wonderful variations!

In the Ambrosia Cafe, we really love mayo..

Healthy smoothies, salads and soups are all well and awesome, but sometimes, you just want a big serving of fries. Or a burger.. A drippingly junky sandwich.. Or anything.. with a load of awesome mayo.

When I first started eating vegan, one of my biggest struggles was finding a good substitute for cheese. Cheese was for me, like many other vegetarians, incredibly difficult to give up. The reasons for this is purely scientific: the bodys addiction to casein. But we might get to that some other time.
Luckily, the market of cheese-options is incredibly broad (I must admit I still have not gotten around to make one myself after almost four years..). Of course they dont contain any casein, but they help soothe the craving. No matter your preferences, you can find something to suit your cheesy needs. With a strong will, and some good substitutes, the cheese-cravings stopped bugging me after a little while. I also found hotdogs, steaks, pestos and pretty much everything I could need for a lazy evening after a long day at work, when I just want something quick that tastes decent.

Then, you have other things, like The Mayo. There might not be any scientific explanation for this craving, other than it's just so damn good. It is simply an essential part of any junky meal.. I wanted to find a good mayo, that was not over the top expensive. Sure, there was a lot to choose from, but honestly, 'til this day, I still haven't found one I actually enjoy very much. They always seem to have a odd taste lurking in the background, a strange consistency, or they simply dont taste like mayo at all. Or anything nice, for that matter..

Then we stumbled upon the mother of all mayorecipes, or as some like to call it "veganese"!

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Some of you might have seen something similar already, as it had an intense peak where it featured every vegan-related facebook group a couple of years ago. It was sensational. I am not sure who created it in the first place (who ever you are, THANK YOU!!), but it has become a stable and crucial ingredient in most sandwiches and wraps we've served in the cafe. And the best thing might be, that it is ridiculously quick and easy. As long as you stick to the basic ingredients and the simple steps, it is practically bulletproof. No matter your experience, you can pull this one off in less than 5 minutes!

We actually like it so much that it has already been featured here on Steemit, twice.. Both in the Wraps inspired by India and the infamous Ohm-let. But enough mayo-rant, lets get to it!

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For one portion of plain vegan mayo you will need:

• 1 dl Unsweetened soymilk
• 1 - 2 tbs Mustard (Dijon or a similarly strong and smooth kind)
• 1 - 2 tbs Apple cider vinegar
• 2 - 3 dl Sunflower or rapeseed oil (as neutral in taste as possible)
• A pinch of salt
  

  How to do it:

  
  Start off by mixing soy milk, vinegar, mustard, and salt in a bowl. I like to taste the mix first to see if the flavors are just right. Slowly, pour the oil in a thin stream, while using a hand blender. Pour and blend until you get a nice and thick dressing. How much oil you need depends on the consistency you want; the more oil you use, the thicker your dressing will turn out. Aaand voila, simple as that, you have delicious mayo in a matter of minutes.

Now, usually we like promoting playing with and tweaking things after your own liking, but the basis of this mayo one should not mess around with. It is the combination of the soymilk, vinegar, mustard and oil that gives the thick and creamy texture here. From what we and others have experienced, you can not sub the soy with other plant milk. It is some food science magic you cannot get around, at least not for this specific one.

Note: We have heard rumors that almond milk may work because of the high level of protein, but it has not worked out very well for us. If you try it and it works, leave us a comment and let us know!

The fact that you can not play with the base, does not mean you can't play around with everything else! Feel free to add in your favorite spices or flavors, and combine it with any dish you can think of. Even your super healthy salad.. we wont tell! Here are just some of the numerous options on how to tweak this, and make it go with whatever you want to dress up a little extra:

• Outstanding mayo-dip
  Finely chop one clove of garlic, half a red chilli, a handfull of basil and parsley and mix it in the mayo. Add a drizzle of cumin, a roughly chopped spring onion, and the juice from 3/4 lime. This one actually got created while I was having a little mayo-photoshoot here today. For a second I forgot all about the suggestions I was going to write about, and started to play.. about half an hour after it was finished it was all gone, as me and my roommates realized it might be the best chip-dip we ever had..
  It should also work wonderful in burgers, next to you're fries, you name it!

• Mango mayo-dressing
  Finely chop about half a mango and mix it with your mayo. Add in some pepper and some fresh herbs of your choice, and blend it a little extra for a smoother dressing.
  This one is absolutely brilliant in pasta-salads, for a beautiful summer-meal.

• Raita inspired mayo-dressing
  Grate around 1/4 of a cucumber, and chop up some coriander, mint and parsley. Feel free to skip the coriander if you are one of those who dont like it. Add it in the mayo together with half a teaspoon of ground cumin, pluss a little squeeze of fresh lime, and you're good to go!
  Enjoy in a spicy wrap, next to you dahl, or anything that might need a little extra oumph and freshness.

Note: Can be stored in a container for a minimum 3-4 days in the fridge. If it ever lasts you that long...

We hope you will enjoy this little mayo miracle as much as we do. Let us know if you try it, tweak it, or if you just want to join in on the crazy passionate mayo-rant!

Love and light, Ada - Ambrosia crew.

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We are 'Ambrosia ~ vegan food and herbal healing.'
A small group of passionate beings with a burning desire to both share and gain more wisdom about nature, our bodies, and how they connect.
With our traveling vegan cafe, we are looking to accomplish many things, you can read more about our vision in our introduction post.

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