My first attempt at Indian cooking was a bit of a farce. It took me 5 hours to make a batch of samosas flecked with burnt mustard seeds and encased in tough, chewy pastry. As my husband and I sat down to a midnight dinner, you couldn't have convinced me that Indian cooking could be simple or easy. Little did I realize that samosas aren't exactly the easiest dish to tackle as a beginner, not to mention the fact that the recipe I was using was pretty unauthentic to begin with.
Read MoreSpinach Mushroom Quesadillas
There are lots of recipes for vegan quesadillas out there and many of them are fantastic. Sweet potato and black beans seem to be a popular filling, and although that works for a quick throw-together meal, it's not usually what I'm thinking about when I'm craving a quesadilla. Quesadillas are a special treat for me, and when I want them, I want the kind I used to order in restaurants. Savory, melty, spinach and mushroom quesadillas are my favorite, so that's what we're making today.
Read MoreGrilled Tofu Pesto Salad
Sure, pesto is a classic pasta sauce, but did you know it also makes a great salad dressing? Bursting with fresh basil, homemade pesto is a special summer treat that can be whipped up in a food processor. Combine it with grilled tofu, sweet new potatoes and juicy cherry tomatoes and you've got yourself a refreshing meal that highlights some of the best offerings of the season.
Read MoreBaked Rigatoni With Veggie Sausage and Broccoli Rabe
Broccoli rabe is one of those fun "new old" vegetables that have started becoming popular in farmer's markets and natural food stores. It has been a feature of cuisine in Italy for quite some time (where it is called rapini) and is just now making its way into trendy American dishes. Although it has little florets that resemble broccoli, it's actually related to the turnip. Broccoli rabe is also more tender than broccoli and has a spicier, earthier, dare I say, more exotic flavor. If you're looking to try out a new vegetable (that really isn't all that new) give this casserole a shot.
Read MoreRhubarb Sweet and Sour Tofu
If you're a fan of rhubarb, you likely look forward to rhubarb season with cravings for pie, cake and crumble. Although rhubarb makes wonderful desserts, its savory applications are often overlooked. Rhubarb can actually be used in any context where a little tartness is needed. Here, we'll add it to a Chinese classic: sweet and sour sauce.
Read MoreGreek Orzo Salad
Like a lot of folks, I tend to gravitate toward lighter foods as the weather warms up, moving away from hot soups and stews to sprightly salads. Yes, I know...the s word. Vegans can be wary of salads because omnivores assume they're all we eat, and omnivores are wary of salads because, well, I'll admit they can be boring and unfulfilling. Obviously, it doesn't have to be that way.
Read MoreRoasted Tempeh and Cauliflower With Meyer Lemon Aioli
Meyer lemons are a fun way to add variety to your cooking in the cold weather months. They're usually available from late fall through early spring and are becoming easier to find at conventional grocery stores. They're smaller than your standard lemon, have thinner rinds and are slightly sweeter and less acidic. I came up with this recipe to make use of them in a savory fashion, and it's become one of my favorite meals.
Read MoreBaked Risen Doughnuts
If you haven't done so yet, I highly recommend getting yourself a couple of doughnut pans. They might seem like a frivolous novelty, but once you can have fresh vegan doughnuts in the morning without all the grease, you'll feel like less of an idiot for buying them.
Read MoreDulce de Leche Blondies
Dulce de leche, or "milk jam" is a caramel type sauce that hails from South America. It's the kind of decadent ingredient that will make people seriously doubt you are feeding them something vegan. These blondies take some time to make, although they are simple and well worth it, especially if you're looking to knock the socks off your friends.
Read MoreSeitan and Dumplings
This recipe is based on possibly the most famous stew in the southern United States. It's the kind of dish that is passed down from generation to generation, creating feuds between families over minor variations, such as flat or fluffy dumplings (fluffy) and broth base or cream base (broth). Having come from the northeast, where the gravy is always brown, I never knew much about this stew before I met my husband. That's why, as part of the tradition I've started on this blog, I'm dedicating this recipe to him.
Read MoreStir Fried Tempeh With Baby Bok Choy and Shiitakes
Another favorite cold weather vegetable of mine, baby bok choy, is a type of Chinese cabbage. Its tender and flavorful stalks have made it somewhat popular in American supermarkets lately, and I've had no trouble finding it when it's in season. Like many greens, baby bok choy is high in calcium and has lots of other nutritional benefits. It's also quite yummy in stir-fries!
Read MoreBroccoli Lover's Pizza
A while ago, I was listening to a radio show in which a couple of accomplished chefs were being interviewed about what they like to cook for the holidays. The conversation turned to vegetables, and one of the chefs essentially remarked, "It's hard to eat fresh, local vegetables because they don't grow in the winter, so I just eat a lot of citrus fruit."
Read MoreGobi Manchurian
Throughout culinary history, both amazing and terrible things have happened when cultures collide. In America, for example, we have a merging of European and Mexican culinary cultures that have brought us chili, fajitas and this sort of thing.
Read MoreFall Soup
As the season draws to a close, I find myself eager to snatch up the last of the fall goodies at the farmer's market before it's gone until spring. This soup gives me a good excuse for that, and, in keeping with my newly-founded tradition of dedicating soups to people I know, this one goes out to my friend, Kate.
Read MoreMaple Iced Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf
Time for another pumpkin dessert! This one makes a festive and impressive option for holiday parties. The mild sweetness of the pumpkin bread is highlighted by the decadent icing and contrasted by tart bursts of fresh cranberries. It's become so much a favorite that I've started baking it every year.
Read MoreTofu Scramble Ranchero
A popular Tex-Mex breakfast, Huevos Rancheros, means "Rancher's Eggs" and typically consists of tortillas covered in fried eggs and spicy tomato sauce, sometimes with beans. My veganized version of this recipe turns the eggs into a yummy, protein-filled tofu scramble that is perfect for waking up and getting energized in the morning. It also makes a great breakfast-for-dinner.
Read MorePumpkin Snickerdoodles
In case you haven't noticed lately, the past few years have seen pumpkin flavored treats growing and growing in popularity each fall. This year it seems like EVERYTHING has to be pumpkin flavored, and you know what? I can't be more happy about it. BRING IT ON.
Read MoreGlazed German Apple Cake
I once had the great privilege of visiting Germany, and while I was in Munich, I sampled a cake I saw in a number of bakery windows. It was bursting with a multitude of luscious apple slices that were barely held together with a dense, lightly sweetened dough.
Read MoreWhite Chili
I decided it was time to inaugurate the first soup recipe on this blog, and with the weather turning colder and colder, a chili seemed like the best choice. I've also decided to start doing something new. From now on, I will dedicate each soup recipe to someone awesome in my life.
Read MoreBalsamic Sesame Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes With Mustard Greens
In our house, we often use the phrase "happy tummy feeling". It describes feeling full, but in a particular kind of way. There's a fullness that comes with eating a plate of french fries, but it's not really a happy fullness. It's more of a heavy, greasy, oh-my-god-why-did-I-do-that fullness, which is the opposite of happy tummy feeling.
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