Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

Chicken soup is one of those foods that is just a part of the fabric of our lives. It makes us feel better when we're sick. It warms us up after a hard day out in the cold. It conjures up memories of grandma from when we were children. There's no chicken in this. There's no faux chicken in it either. It is however, designed to recreate the soothing and satisfying tastes, textures and aromas of classic chicken soup without the chicken. Veggies 2 cups diced celery 1 cup diced carrots 1 cup diced white onion 1/2 cup diced poblano 1/2 a jalapeno, minced 3 cloves sliced garlic 1 cup diced green cabbage 1/2 cup diced kale Liquids 1/2 cup white wine 3-5 cups water 2 tbls olive oil 1/2 cup dry pearl barley 2 handfuls fresh parsley Spices 2 1/2 tsps salt 2 bay leaves 2 tps thyme 2 tsps rosemary 2 tsps basil 2 tsps paprika 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp cayenne 2 tsps black pepper Combine all veggies, except cabbage and kale, liquids ...

First you'll need to marinate the tofu. Depending on what tofu you purchase you may need to drain and press it. If your tofu is sold stored in brine, then this step is very important. Drain it and press it between some paper towels and kitchen towels using cans for weight. Leave it drain for 1 hour. For this application I recommend firm, but not extra firm tofu. Marinade 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce 3 tbls sriracha 1/4 cup canola oil One 12-14 ounce package tofu Cut tofu into one inch cubes. Marinate overnight in the fridge. Small pieces more easily absorb more of the marinade. After the tofu has marinated mash it with a fork until the tofu and marinade form a smooth, loose batter. Dumplings 1-2 cups all purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2-3/4 cup beer All of the the tofu/marinade batter Lightly whisk together 1 cup flour and baking powder. Pour in 1/2 cup beer. Whisk lightly to form a batter. Gently fold in tofu/marinade mixture. Stir as little as possible. Yo...

1 pint baby bella mushrooms, sliced 1/2 cup white or yellow onion, diced 1/4 cup black olives, sliced 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1/2 a jalapeno, minced 2 cups curly pasta 1 cup garbanzos 1/4 cup pasta water 1/2 cup olive brine 1/2 cup marsala wine 3 tbls and 1 tbl olive oil 1 tbl flour 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp crushed pepper flakes In a very large skillet cook pasta to al dente. Set aside, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. In the same skillet, saute mushrooms in 1 tbl oil, Add salt and pepper. When mushrooms are fragrant and darkened add onion. Saute until onion turns translucent. Add flour, olive brine, remaining oil, garlic, jalapeno and olive slices. Stir to combine. Simmer 3 minutes. Add wine. Continue simmering 3-5 more minutes to thicken. Add crushed pepper flakes. Turn off heat. Fold in pasta and garbanzos. Garnish with fresh parsley..

12 cloves garlic 1 large bunch fresh cilantro 1 lime, zest and juice 2 tbls mayo or vegan mayo 1 tbl olive oil 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper Slice the larger garlic cloves in half and pan fry them in a little bit of olive oil until fragrant and lightly browned. Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until a creamy emulsion is formed. Shown with pretzel bread adapted from Alton Brown's recipe. Make my vegan variation of his soft pretzels , but shape into small loaves or buns instead. Cook at 50 F lower to avoid burning the outsides before the centers are done.

I decided to make Alton Brown's pretzel recipe . I've been a Good Eats fan for years and there are many things he's cooked that I've always wanted to try myself. Pretzels were pretty high on that lengthy list. Since I had all the ingredients, it seemed the perfect time to finally give it a try. I've made yeast breads before, but never pretzels. I wanted to keep it vegan though, because it didn't seem like it would be difficult to do or that it would cause a major shift in flavor or texture. So I used vegetable shortening instead of butter. I also switched out the egg wash with flavored olive oil. Another minor change was the kind of salt. I did not have pretzel salt, but I did have a pink himalayan salt grinder. I used regular table salt in the dough. But in the seasoned olive oil I used the fancy salt. I also finished each pretzel with a little more of the fancy salt, since it was a fine grind. It was easy and fun to do. The results were amazing! Incred...

Cooking the veg in a skillet with a few spices and some pantry staple liquids allows us to create an easy pan sauce that packs a huge punch of flavor. The aromatics release their juices into the pan and help create a sauce with a surprising level of depth without a lot of effort. Absolutely no meat or animal products required. 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms 2 cups sliced celery 1 cup slice baby bell peppers 1 can garbanzo beans drained, reserving 2 tbls of the aquafaba (can brine) 1 poblano, minced 1 jalapeno, minced 1 habernero, minced 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1/2 cup white wine 2 tbls sriracha 1 tbl spicy brown mustard 1 tbl olive oil 2 tps paprika 1 tsp cumin 2 tsps dill weed 1 tsp black pepper Cook mushrooms and celery over medium high heat in an extra large skillet. Add 1 tsp salt. Cook until the veggies begin to give up their juices. Add olive oil, baby peppers, poblano, jalapeno, habernero and garlic. Continue cooking 5 more minutes. Stirring often. Ad...

Red onions and red wine are natural companions. Mushrooms also love red wine. This is a fancified version of classic red beans and rice using those complementary pairings as the inspiration. Produce 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms 2 cups sliced celery 1 poblano pepper, diced 1 tbls each minced jalapeno, serrano, habernero peppers 3 cloves garlic, minced Handful fresh basil, minced 1 cup dry white rice 1 can red beans Liquids 1 cup red onion broth, see below 1 1/2 cups water 1 lime, zest and juice Spices 2 tsps dry basil 2 tsps dry thyme Red Onion Broth Skins and ends from 2 medium red onions 1 clove garlic, chopped 2 cups water 1/2 cup red wine 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 2 tsp olive oil 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper Bring all onion broth ingredients to a boil and then simmer uncovered until liquid is reduced by half and the broth is rich and deep. Strain to remove onion pieces. Add to your strained onion broth, mushrooms, celery, garlic, peppers. Simmer uncov...

If you show it a little love, tofu is a great starring protein. Seasoned flour and frying oil never met a food they couldn't make delicious. Breading Mix 1/4 cup all purpose flour 2 tbls nutritional yeast 2 tsps cayenne 2 tsps garlic powder 1 tsp savory 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper Marinade 1/4 cup soy sauce 1 lime, zest and juice 2 tbls hot sauce 3 tbls olive oil 1 package firm tofu, thoroughly drained and pressed. Enough canola oil to fill the bottom of a 10 inch frying pan. Drain liquid from the tofu. Wrap in clean paper towels. Wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Set on a paper plate. Weight with an icepack or bag of ice. Allow tofu to drain for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Cut it into 1 inch cubes. Once you've drained, pressed and cubed the tofu, you'll then want to marinate it. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a container suitable to hold the tofu. Add the tofu and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, preferably several. In the...

Having recently made potato leek soup, I found myself  with extra potatoes and extra leeks. As a huge fan of roasted potatoes and roasted leeks, I thought combining them into a variation on potato salad would be a delicious way to use them and a great excuse to create a little homemade salad dressing. It's easy. It's vegan. It tastes great. Potato Salad 2.5 lbs russet potatoes, cleaned and cut into 1/2 inch chunks 1/2 lb halved and cleaned leeks 1/2 a medium red onion sliced thinly Dressing 2 lemons, juice and zest 2 tsps spicy mustard 3 tbls olive oil 1 tbl sriracha 1 tbl hot sauce 1 tsp salt 1 tsp celery seed 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp paprika 1 jalapeno, minced 2 handfuls parsley, minced You're going to roast your potatoes and leeks in a 450 F oven. Leeks for 12 minutes. Potatoes for 35, stirring at the halfway point. I put the potatoes on a sheet pan in a single layer and laid the leeks on top of them. Spray your sheet pan wi...

I've wanted to make potato leek soup for some time, but have never actually done it. Finally, inspired by my local farmer's market and the availability of some beautiful and inexpensive leeks, I decided the time had come at last. Potato leek soup is a classic french recipe that's been done countless times. My spin on it is the addition of a little bit of jalapeno, some lemon and some wine. I tend to want to chuck a lot of things into one pot, but I really exercised a lot of restraint here. I think the simple approach really paid off. 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks 1/2 lb leeks, halved, then sliced thinly 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1 jalapeno, minced 32 ounces vegetable broth 1/2 cup white wine 2 cups whole milk, half and half or cream 2 tbls olive oil 2 tsp lemon zest 1 tsp lemon juice 2 big handfuls parsley, chopped well 1 tsp salt 2 tsps black pepper 2 bay leaves The thing about leeks is you have to clean them well. They get...

I don't often choose sweet potatoes as a main ingredient, but as someone who isn't that into their sweetness, a roast in a hot oven really transforms them into something interesting. They retain a bit of the sweetness, but they become mostly savory. Their texture is soft in the middle with a slightly chewy bite on the outside. If you're not that into sweet potatoes I think this method will turn you into a fan. Pairing the bitter notes of broccoli with the sweet from the potatoes and apple juice and the heat from the jalapenos and hot sauce is pretty much a party in your mouth. Salad 2 large sweet potatoes 3 cups broccoli 1 cup red onion 1 jalapeno pepper, minced Dressing 1/3 cup apple juice 2 lemons, zest and juice 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tsps spicy mustard 2 tbls hot sauce 1 clove garlic 1 tbl thyme 2 tsps crushed pepper flakes 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper Peel sweet potatoes and dice into 1/2 inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt. Roast on a greased sheet...