Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

It's time for another curry. Because there's always room for another curry. This one is hot and herbaceous and filled with meaty mushrooms and rich coconut milk. I keep it vegan. I also use nooch to add that umami quality that makes things cravable. I used canned pinto beans for protein, for salt and also for the starch to thicken the sauce. I let Mexico, India and Thailand inspire me in the flavor combinations. Here's the trick with curry... do not use curry powder. You simply don't know how much of anything is in there. Make your own. It's easy and you control the flavor. As Alton Brown will be quick to tell you, there's no such thing as curry powder in India. Curry is in its most basic form a blend of spices. There are definitely certain spices that usually appear in the blend. And it's almost always very spicy and carries some heat. But curry is very subjective. If you're into Indian and Thai flavors you should be experimenting with your own ...

Looking to sort of reinvent my own repetitive preparations of lentils and barley I went for monster flavor on this one. I threw every punch of flavor I could scrounge up at it. The result was a rich porridge laced with heat and spices. Sauteing the vegetables really brings out their flavors so that they're much more present in the final dish. 1 poblano pepper, sliced 1 jalapeno, sliced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1/2 cup garlic puree 1 cup cucumber gazpacho pulp 1/2 cup dry pearl barley 1/2 cup dry lentils 1/2 cup white wine Several cups water 1 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper Saute the poblano in a large skillet with a touch of oil and a pinch of salt. This will really accentuate the flavor and the heat. When poblano is tender add jalapeno and garlic. Saute a few more minutes. Add wine, salt and pepper. Simmer 3 more minutes. Add lentils, barley and 2 cups water. Cover. Simmer until water is absorbed. Continue adding water as necessary to cook the lentils and barle...

This is a sweet and spicy concoction that has surprising nuances to offer. The mushrooms are meaty. The tomatoes provide acidity. The black beans fortify the broth into a rich sauce. Ginger and basil smack of Thailand. The sweet tomatoes and earthy mushrooms whisper of Italy. It's weird, but it really works. There's a lot of flavor to be extracted from this rather mundane list of ingredients. It just takes a little bit of passion and the right techniques. 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms 6 ounces white onion, diced 4 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved 1 jalapeno, chopped 1/2 a hot banana pepper, chopped 1/2 inch fresh grated ginger 1 large handful fresh basil, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 1/3 cup Marsala wine 1 tbl canola oil 1/2 cup cooked white rice 1 cup drained and rinsed black beans 2 tsps salt 2 tsps black pepper 1 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp cayenne powder Add oil and heat a large skillet. Cook mushrooms on medium high heat for 5 m...

A simple salad with few ingredients. I came up with this idea as an accompaniment to our Thanksgiving dinner. The main entree was a vegetable lasagna that was heavy on the cheese. The other side dish was oily, buttery, garlic knots. I wanted something to break up the monotony of all the decadence and richness. Something vegetal and acidic seemed like it would be the perfect foil. I also went very light on the spice to keep this friendly to all types of palates. The deeply sauted garlic has a lot of flavor, but isn't sharp at all. One 12 ounce bag frozen broccoli florets One large package cherry or grape tomatoes ( about 12 ounces) 11 cloves garlic 2 tbls red wine vinegar 1 tbl olive oil 2 tsps hot sauce 2 generous handfuls fresh basil, chopped small 1/2 tsp crushed pepper flakes 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper Quarter the tomatoes if using grape. Halve if using cherry. Set aside. Cook the broccoli in a large frying pan. No oil. No water. A pinch of salt. Cook until broccoli is ...

I love garlic. Seriously love it more than any other ingredient. Garlic can do no wrong. If you haven't yet tried fried garlic, you need to do so. Same goes for garlic puree. Two different preparations. Two awesome achievements in massive garlickly goodness.  Garlic puree 1 head of garlic, peeled 1/2 cup vodka 1/2 cup water 2 tbls olive oil 1 tbl white vinegar 3 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp rosemary Water as needed 2 tbls soy or almond milk Add all of the first set of ingredients to a small or medium sauce pot. Cover and simmer until garlic is very tender. Add 1/4 cup more water as needed if the mixture begins to dry out.. When garlic is tender, about 10 minutes, remove pot from heat. Add milk. Use a stick blender to puree or transfer to a pitcher blender to puree. You can drizzle in more milk or water to loosen it up if needed. For the fried garlic, simply cook heat a little bit of olive oil in a small fry pan. Toss in some garlic cloves and cook unt...

It's been a while since I've come up with a new curry variation. The wonder of curry is that it has limitless possibilities. This curry introduces Thailand to Mexico. Turns out they like each other. Curry is a perfect vehicle for flavor fusions. The strong spice palettes of Asia and Mexico play well together. I've been doing variations on this concept for a while now. Each time I discover an amazing new explosion of taste sensations. I began by making an onion broth. Instead of a plain onion broth I added some heat. 3 cups water skins and ends from 1 large yellow onion 2 chile de arbol, deseeded 2 guajuillo chilis deseeded 2 green tea bags 2 chipotles, plus 1 tbl the adobo sauce 1/2 cup white wine 1 tbl canola oil 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp celery seed In a large sauce pot bring all ingredients to a boil and then simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove tea bags after 5 minutes. Drain onion broth to remove pieces. To strained broth add second s...

While cucumber gazpacho is nothing new, I thought I'd try my take on it. I went green on green on green for the full green gazpacho experience. As always, it packs some heat. 2 large cucumebrs, sliced and slices halved 1/2 cup celery, sliced 1 large poblano pepper, diced 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 1/2 a habernero pepper, finely minced 5 cloves garlic, sliced 1 slice rye bread with caraway seeds 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 tsp celery seed 1/2 tsp garlic powder 2 tsps dill weed 2 tsps parsley 1/4 cup white wine 1/4 cup water 2 tbls olive oil 2 tbls white vinegar Cook celery over medium high heat in a large frying pan. When celery begins to soften add wine, oil, salt, black pepper. Cook 5  more minutes. Add all three hot peppers, celery seed and garlic. Continue cooking until all the veg is very tender. Stiring occasionally. Add sliced cucumber to food processor and puree. Add warm celery mixture, bread, vingear, water and remaining spices. Buzz until rou...

I had the idea to use the starchy, salty liquid from the can of black beans as a foundation for dark sauce. I was going for something thick, salty and rich resembling a traditional beef gravy minus the dead cow. The trick to thickening it up is to add a slice of toasted bread. You store the finished product in the fridge with the slice of bread for at least a few hours and the sauce turns into a nice, viscous gravy. You can use this technique whenever you want to take a thin sauce and tighten it up a bit. The main is a simple black bean and corn chowder spiced with peppers and onions. 1 poblano, diced 1 can yellow corn with liquid 1 can black beans, plus 1/2 the liquid 1 cup diced potatoes 1  jalapeno, sliced 1 serrano, sliced 1/4 cup yellow onion, diced 1/2 cup scallions, sliced 5 clove garlic, sliced 1/2 inch ginger, grated 1 lime, zest and juice 2 1/2 cups water 1/2 cup vodka 1/4 cup beer 1 tbl olive oil 2 tsps dill 2 tsps savory 1 tsps paprika 1 tsp cayen...

When it comes to desserts I'm all about apples. They are my favorite dessert fruit. Apple pie. Apple cobbler. Apple streudel. Apple muffins. Apple loaf. You put apple in it and some sugar and I'm sold. This is my take on apple muffins. I designed them to be a little less sweet, but added a sauce as an accompaniment. Muffins 1 1/2 cups flour 2 packets maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal or 1/4 cup rolled oats and 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 2 tsps cinnamon 2 tsps salt 1 tsp nutmeg if you have it 1 egg 1/2 cup almond milk 1/3 cup melted vegetable shortening or regular vegetable oil 1/2 cup apple juice 1 tbl real maple syrup 1 tbl vanilla extract 1 granny smith apple, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch chunks zest and juice from half a lime Preheat oven to 400 F As you peel and cut the apple place it into a bowl filled with water and the lime juice. Sift together dry ingredients. Whisk together wet. Add wet to dry and gently combine. Do ...

Mushrooms, artichoke hearts and capers join forces to create a classically inspired vegan Italian pasta dish. A minimum of ingredients allows each component to shine. 6 ounces dry pasta 1 jar artichoke hearts packed in brine 1 pint white mushrooms, sliced 2 poblano peppers, diced 1/4 cup white onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tsps capers with some of the liquid 1/2 cup white wine 4 tbls olive oil 1/4 cup pasta water 1 tsp flour 1 large handful fresh basil, chiffonade 1 tsp crushed pepper flakes 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper Cook pasta. Set aside. Reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Saute salt, black pepper, mushrooms, peppers and onions in 2 tbls of the olive oil until mushrooms darken. Add wine, artichokes, including packing liquid, garlic, pasta water. Simmer for 7 minutes. Add capers and flour. Simmer 3 more minutes. Add remaining oil, pepper flakes and pasta, Toss to coat pasta in veggies and liquid. Turn off heat. Add basil. Stir. Let sit for 3 minutes.