Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

There are a lot of vegan mac and cheese recipes all over the internet. What makes this one a little different is the use of silken tofu. I think it creates the ideal cheese sauce texture and viscosity. Since tofu has no fat and real cheese has fat I used some olive oil to add the richness you'd expect. White mushrooms add the umami factor to bring it all together. Some chick peas and their aquafaba complete the creaminess profile. Cheese Sauce 1 12 ounce container silken firm tofu, drained 2/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes 1/2 pint button mushrooms *** see revision notes below 1 tbl spicy mustard 1/3 cup chick peas + 2 tbls aquafaba 1/3 cup almond milk 3 cloves garlic 3 tbls olive oil 2 tsps turmeric 2 tsps paprika 3 tsps garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cayenne powder 1 tsp crushed pepper flakes 3 tsps salt 2 tsps black pepper This makes enough sauce for an entire box of elbow macaroni. It's surprisingly easy to make. The list of ingredients ...

I was craving some cookies and decided to try my hand at vegan cookies. Several recipes on the internet suggested that oatmeal peanut butter cookies would be an easy and satsifying dessert. I kept it very simple. Just a few ingredients. But it turned out really delicious. 1/2 cup rolled oats 1 tsps vanilla extract 1/2 cup maple syrup 3 tbls peanut butter 1 tsp ground coffee 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp sea salt Bring maple syrup, peanut butter, salt and coffee to a soft boil. Stir in oats, cinnamon and vanilla. Continue stirring while cooking over low heat until mixture thickens and adheres to itself, but is still easy to stir. About 2 minutes. Spoon in 2 inch balls onto a greased cookie sheet. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes. Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes. These start out crunchy and chewy. If you seal them in an airtight constainer they turn softer and chewier when left on the counter overnight.

I had some leftover tofu and was trying to come up with a use for it. Cream soup. Creamy sauce. Muffins. My mind went through the various possibilities. Then in a flash inspiration struck. Pudding. Years ago when I first went vegan I made several failed attempts at vegan pudding using almond milk and those little boxes of pudding powder. I mostly got pudding soup. I hadn't thought about that in a long time, but apparently my subconscious was still holding onto it. Silken tofu has a texture not unlike soft cooked eggs. This is what gives the pudding its body and the creamy texture you'd expect. Because tofu is literally tasteless the other flavors are able to shine. I was going to do chocolate pudding, but alas, no cocoa powder and no sugar on hand. That's when the second inspiration struck. I had just bought double stuff classic Oreos. Any good vegan knows Oreos are egg and dairy free. I separated the chocolate disks and scraped out the filling and I was well on...

I had an inspiration. What if tofu could replace the eggs in Parisian gnocchi batter. Wouldn't that be something special. I'd never made a pate a choux dough before, but I'd seen Alton Brown make it on TV, so I was cautiously optimistic. This whole process was trial and error for me. I wasn't really sure what was going to work or how well. I found that a few techniques worked with varying degrees of tenderness/crispiness/difficulty. The first time I went the traditional route and poached the dough before frying it. This worked well in that the gnocchi were fluffy and tender on the inside and pleasingly crunchy on the outside. However, when the dough comes out of the water it is extremely tender until it's had a chance to cool. You  have to be careful with it and have a sheet pan ready to lay out each little pillow single file to rest. It's imperative that you let the poached gnocchi rest at room temperature for at least 15 minutes to cool and firm up before t...

A sweet and spicy broth laced with smokey chipotle. Crispy and tender sauted pasta. Meaty beans. The broth is comprised of such a rich array of veg that it has a depth that makes it truly slurp worthy. I dare you to make this broth and tell me it isn't incredible. 1/2 pint white mushrooms, sliced 1 cubanelle pepper, diced 1/2 cup celery, sliced 1/2 cup carrots, chunked 2 shallots, sliced small 1 jalapeno, deseeded and diced 1 serrano, sliced into rings 1/2 a habernero, slivered 5 cloves garlic, sliced 2 chipotles and 1 tbl adobo sauce 1 tbl olive oil 1/4 cup beer 1/3 cup vodka 1/2 cup water 1 tbl spicy mustard 1 can red beans, plus the can liquid 1 handful fresh basil, chopped small 1 tsp dill 2 tsps each salt and pepper All the veg gets sauted in the oil, salt and pepper until the mushrooms begin to darken. Add beer, mustard. Cook 3 more minutes. Add vodka, beans. Cook 5 more minutes. Add water, remaining spices. Cook until broth is dark, rich and flavorf...

Vegan meatballs are fun to make and easier to do than burger patties. My trick to a nicely textured vegan meatball or burger is rolled oats. They provide cohesion during the initial mixing process and help the pureed bean mixture firm up during cooking as the oats absorb excess moisture. You get a nice crust on the outside while the middle stays moist and tender. Black beans have an inherent meaty sweetness that I feel makes them a great substitute where ground beef is expected in a recipe. Their color also mimics the appearance for that whimsical factor. The Balls One 15 ounce can black beans - drained, but not rinsed 1-1 1/2 cups uncooked rolled oats 1 1/2 tbls canola oil 1 small shallot, sliced 3 cloves garlic 2 tbls spicy mustard 2 tbls sriracha 1 tbl low sodium soy sauce 1 tsp crushed pepper flakes 2 tsps paprika 1 tsp garlic powder 2 tsps dry basil 2 tsps black pepper 1 tsp sea salt Add all ingredients to a food processor. Add 1 cup oats only. Grind into a t...

A great bowl of soup is a cold weather essential. The inspiration for this one is childhood and snow. My mom used to serve Campbell's chicken noodle soup when it was cold outside or I was not feeling well. My mom was a lousy cook. That's what inspired me to become a good one. Thanks Mom! This is a vegan faux chicken soup made with chick peas. It's complex and full of depth thanks to many fresh vegetables and some help from beer and wine. This is the kind of soup where you gobble up all the chunks and then you pick up the bowl and drink the leftover broth like it's your first cup of coffee in the morning. It's kind of a long list of ingredients, but nothing fancy. All the cooking takes place in one pot. So it's actually very simple. If you love soup, this is the recipe for you. If you don't, this soup will change your mind. 1/2 pint favorite mushrooms 1/4 lb chopped baby carrots 1/4 small red onion, diced 1/4 lb chopped celery 1 poblano, diced 1 jala...

For a creamy effect I used hummus in the preparation of my black bean and pearl barley risotto. It made for a velvety and rich texture. . The beans and barley give off a lot of starch which thickens the broth from all the veg to form a nice sauce. I experimented with the spices and wound up with a pleasing fusion of the Mediterranean and Asia. When you're working only with veg and spices you need to get creative to really make the flavors pop. 1/4 lb baby carrots, sliced on the bias 1 poblano, sliced into small strips 1 pint cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 small red onion, sliced thinly 1 jalaepno, sliced small 1 habernero, sliced small 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 1 tbl olive oil 2-3 cups water 2/3 cup red wine 1 tbl hummus 1 lime, zest and juice 1/2 cup pearl barley 1 can black beans, plus the liquid 3 pieces cloves 3 bay leaves 1/2 tsp coriander seed 1 tsp celery seed 1/2 tsp cumin seed 1 large handful fresh basil chiffonade Cook down the carrots and mush...

A sweet and acidic combination that works over pasta, rice or beans. I made this as a sauce for fresh pasta, but wound up using it on its own with rye toast and homemade vegan pesto. Italian inspired, but with a Spanish soul. It's as easy as it is tasty. 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved 1/4 lb baby carrots, sliced into wide strips 1 poblano pepper, sliced into thin strips 2 handfuls spinach 1/2 pint cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 small red onion, sliced thinly 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 2 tbls olive oil 2/3 cup white wine 2 tsps thyme 2 tsps crushed pepper flakes 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper 1 large handful fresh basil, chiffonaded Cook the mushrooms and carrots down over medium high heat in the oil and salt until tender. Add wine, peppers, tomatoes, garlic. Simmer until the tomatoes begin to give up their juice. Add remaining dry spices and spinach. Simmer 7 more minutes. Add fresh basil. Turn off heat. Let sit 2 minutes. For the pesto simply pu...

1/2 pint white mushrooms, sliced 1/3 lb baby carrots, julienned 1/4 small red onion, sliced into thin rings 1 medium poblano pepper, cut into thin, short strips 1 jalapeno, cut into thin strips 1 serrano, cut into thin strips 3 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 2 inches ginger, grated or minced 1 can garbanzo beans, plus half the can brine 1/2 cup white wine 1 tbl soy sauce 1 tsp sriracha 1 tbl olive oil 1 tbl prepared vegan roux 1 large handful fresh basil chiffonade 2 tsps salt and black pepper 1 tsp dill In a large, high sides frying pan saute the carrots, mushrooms, poblano and onion in the oil and season with salt and pepper. Saute until tender. Add jalapeno, serrano, ginger, garlic. Saute 3 more minutes. Add wine. Let it simmer to reduce for 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, sriracha, garbanzos and brine. Continue simmering 5 more minutes. Add basil, dill and roux. Simmer and stir to melt the roux and until sauce is thickened slightly. It will thicken more after coo...