Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

These chewy little balls of dough are delicious to eat and full of protein. Personally I love chewy bread. Baguette, bagel, Italian bread. The chewier, the better. What could improve upon an already brilliant carbohydrate masterpiece. Add some tofu and then fry it! You make these guys like you're making pasta dough. Then you shape them into balls of whatever size you like. Boil first. Then pan fry. They are crispy on the outside and perfectly chewy on the inside. You can control the inner chew factor by how much you knead the dough. You can also add some baking powder to fluff them up a bit if you want. I prefer them more like little miniature bagels in the middle with a wonderfully crispy, sauteed outer shell. You can mix them with sauce or dunk them. You can eat em straight up. They are wondrous little orbs of heavenly carbohydrate and protein delivery. Ingredients 3-4 cups ap flour 1-2 cups water 6 ounces sliken firm tofu 1 tbl olive oil, more for frying 1 tsp gar...

This is a pretty straightforward tomato based ragout that's simple to make, but delivers big on flavor. It yields a nice sauce that's not too thick and perfect for mixing into rice, pasta or salad. Ingredients 1 pint cremini mushrooms, sliced 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes 5 cloves garlic, sliced 1 jalapeno, sliced 2 tbls olive oil 1/4 cup Marsala wine 1/4 cup vodka 1/2 cup water 2 tbls red wine vinegar 1 can garbanzos, plus half the can brine 2 tsps dry basil 1 tsp crushed pepper flakes 2 tsps salt and pepper 12 leaves fresh basil, sliced In a large, non-stick skillet blister the tomatoes with a pinch of salt by turning up the heat and allowing them to almost burn. Tomatoes can take a nice dark char. So don't be shy. It's easiest to do this if you're not watching the pan. Slice your other ingredients while the tomatoes are charring. Just be sure to keep an eye out that they don't go too far. It happens slow at the outset, but moves quic...

Since I was totally in love with the cilantro aioli that I had made previously, I decided to try a tofu pesto. Instead of nuts I went with a toasted whole wheat bread for the nutty aspect and used a little nooch for a bit of cheesy essence. It turned out with a creamy texture and a very clean flavor. With just a handful of ingredients, each one was really able to shine. The tofu simply provided that creamy mouth feel and filling protein. It's totally vegan. Ingredients 6 ounces silken firm tofu 2 bunches fresh basil, leaves only 1/4 cup white wine 3 cloves garlic 1 jalapeno pepper 1 small piece whole wheat toast 2 tsps nutritional yeast 2 tbls vegetable shortening 1 tbl olive oil 2 tsps each, salt and pepper I cooked half the basil and all the garlic and wine in a small pot with the shortening still on a metal spoon. After a few minutes, as the pot heated and the shortening softened I stirred the basil and garlic to coat it in the fat. Just barely wilting the b...

This recipe is inspired by korean bibimbap and spanish paella. It's neither of those things, but it takes a page from their respective rice cookery books and uses it to recreate the carmelized flavors and interesting textures that make those dishes such classics. Browned, carmelized rice is an easy technique to really ramp up the flavor on meatless dishes. It's picture here with olive oil glazed broiled potato slices and cilantro/tofu aioli . Ingredients 2 poblano peppers, sliced thinly 1 jalapeno, sliced thinly 1 serrano, cut into thin rounds 1 habernero, sliced thnly 3 dry japanese chiles, broken, deseeded 3 chiles de arbol, borken, deseeded 6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 1/3 can chipotles and adobo sauce 3-5 cups water 1/2 cup beer 2 tbls spicy mustard 1 tbl canola oil 1 tbl classic hot sauce 2 tbls red wine vinegar 1/2 cup white rice 1 can pinto beans 1 can no sodium added yellow corn 2 tsps celery seed 2 tsps thyme 2 tsps basil 2 bay leaves 2...

Inspired by Spanish romesco sauce and variations on traditional hummus, I created this red pepper and red bean puree. Ingredients 1 red bell pepper, chunked 1/4 cup tequila 1 can red beans, drained 3 tbls sriracha 1 lime, zest and juice 12 slices jalapeno 6 small slices habernero 1 tsp olive oil 1 tbl paprika 3 tsps salt 2 tsps black pepper 1 tsp crushed pepper flakes Cook the bell pepper and garlic in the tequila until softened a bit and the color brightens. About 5 minutes. Add the contents of that pot and all the remaining ingredient to a food processor and puree. It will be thin. Let it chill in the fridge for several hours to thicken it up and marry the flavors.

Continuing on my path of discovering just how versatile and tasty tofu can be, I've come up with this cilantro flavored aioli. It doesn't use store made vegan mayo, but it does feel and taste like mayo. I've been slathering it all over rolls and bread. I've been dipping carrots and potatoes into it. If you're one of those people who love cilantro, you'll love this. If you're one of those people who hate cilantro, substitute parsley or dill. It'll be just as good. Ingredients 6 ounces (half a package) silken firm tofu 2 tbls vegetable shortening 1 bunch fresh cilantro, including the thinner stems 1 lime, zest and juice 10-12 slices jalapeno/serrano 3 cloves garlic 2 tsps olive oil 2 1/2 tsps salt 1 1/2 tsps black pepper 1 tsp dry parsley In a medium sized sauce pan heat the cilantro and garlic on medium heat. Use a metal or heat safe spoon to scoop out the shortening and leave the spoon with the shortening on it in the pan with the ci...

This is a hearty dish reminiscent of traditional steak and mushrooms. The potato steaks are brushed with olive oil, seasoned with fresh cracked salt and pepper and roasted in a screaming hot oven until crispy and delicious. They're then smothered in a rich sauce of red wine braised mushrooms flavored with garlic, red onion and fresh parsley. The intent is to not to recreate the classic steak and mushrooms, but rather to re imagine the rich and decadent nature of the original in an animal friendly format. I love potatoes and personally these are some of the best potatoes I've ever had. Potato Steak Ingredients 2 large russet potatoes olive oil salt and pepper ***Revised*** My original post said to roast the potatoes at 425 F. I've since determined that broiling yields quicker and tastier results. Wash potatoes. Do not peel. Slice into thinnish planks lengthwise. Grease a baking sheet. Add potato steaks in a single layer. Brush with olive oil and season with...

I haven't done a puree in a while. They're a great way to take a food you're used to and transform it into something familiar, yet still totally different. I was watching Masterchef Professionals UK and one of the contestants made corn puree. The color was so stunning that I wanted to try it myself. I don't know what he put in his corn puree - they didn't mention it on the program. For mine, I used a Mexican influence with some tequila and cumin and threw a little bit of Asia in there as well.  I was a little surprised by how spicy it turned out considering I really didn't add much spice. You can try it and judge for yourself. In order to make a creamy and smooth puree and keep it vegan, I used silken tofu. I've really been exploring all the ways silken tofu can replace dairy and egg to take a wide variety of recipes and make them vegan while still maintaining the integrity of the original texture.  I've been having great success with it. Ingre...

This is kind of a take on Asian barbecue. It's got some sweet and some heat. It also has some Mexican influences. Those two cuisines pair really well in my opinion. It's simple to make, but boasts a lot of complex flavors. 1/2 pint button mushrooms, sliced 1 poblano pepper, sliced 1 jalapeno, sliced 1 serrano, sliced 1 habernero, deseeded, minced 3 cloves garlic, sliced 1/2 cup sliced, roasted leeks 3 chipotles 1 can pinto beans, lightly rinsed 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup water 1 tbl black coffee 1 tbl low sodium soy sauce 2 tbls sriracha 1 tbl canola oil 2 tsps real maple syrup 10-12 leaves basil, sliced 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper Silce leeks in half lengthwise. Clean out any grit. Roast under the broiler on high for 3-5 minutes to get a nice char on them and to tenderize. Slice into half rings when cooled. Add shrooms, all peppers, garlic, leeks, oil and vinegar to a large pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add coffee, soy sauce, sriracha, maple s...

This is a heartier riff on traditional risotto with a sweet and spicy broth. A range of hot chiles create a depth of heat and some sweet onions and bell pepper balance things out. It has a spanish backbone with a hint of mexican. As usual, it's vegan. I've been back on the vegan bandwagon for a little while now. Not that I ever strayed that far from it. But the challenge of creating interesting food without butter and cheese has been a lot of fun. 1 red bell pepper 1 poblano pepper 1 jalapeno pepper 1 serrano pepper 1/4 habernero pepper 3 dry japanese chilies 1/2 cup vidalia onoin 1/4 cup scallions 3 cloves garlic 1/4 cup pearl barley 1/4 cup lentils 1/2 cup white wine 1 tsp olive oil 4-5 cups water 2 tsps each salt black pepper 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp paprika Cook down all the fresh peppers, onion, scallion and garlic with the salt and pepper and oil on high heat until fragrant. About 8 minutes. Add dry barley and lentils and toast for 3 minutes. Stirring...