Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

It hasn't been all that cold yet, even though it's almost November. Still, my stomach is craving cold weather foods. I was going for a hearty vegetable broth based soup. I also wanted to see if I could successfully incorporate some vegan pea protein powder into the finished dish. It's my first time using it and I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I made sure to get an unflavored variety so it would be more versatile. It gave the broth a really nice color, but it's mostly flavorless. I kind of has a mild flour flavor to me. Which is fine by me. If I can put it into dishes and not notice it's there, that makes things easy. Other than that, my soup is a pretty classic vegetable soup  Of course, it's me, so it packs some heat. It's got quite a lot of depth considering I only simmered it for maybe 20 minutes after sweating the aromatics. My secret for a really tasty broth is turmeric and paprika. They really go a long way to creating that familiar ...

This one is whimsical as well as delicious. We take a normal baked potato and slice it and give it a quick spice rub and pan fry for a tender in the center and crispy on the outside potato steak. No one loves potatoes more than I do. They can do no wrong. But the ultimate ptoato. The potato to die for is soft and creamy in the middle and slightly crisp on the outside with a little hint of the oil it was cooked in and a good dose of warm spices. I'm not normally an advocate of cooking anything twice, but potatoes are the exception. They really become exceptional when you take the time to give them a second go in the heat. I bake my potatoes naked. No foil. I want a crispy skin. I bake them very hot. 450 F. A medium to large russet will take about 50-60 minutes. At 40 minutes, if they're sort of tender, I turn off the oven and leave them inside to soak up the residual heat. This further tenderizes the insides, crisps the outside and guarantees they won't burn or overcook. F...

There are a lot of vegan pesto sauce recipes out there. It's not a big stretch to convert pesto to vegan. You only need to sub the cheese for nooch. The thing is, nutritional yeast isn't really a great substitute for Parmesan's complexity. I think you need to add a little more finesse to replicate that salty, unami flavor for which Parmesan is known. I also have an issue with the expense of pine nuts. Great tasting food shouldn't have to cost a lot to create. I went with almonds instead. I would like to try a combo of walnut and almond in the future. I think you could really go crazy experimenting with various combos of nuts and seeds. There's the potential for so many wonderful variations on flavor and texture. Sunflower seeds combined with various nuts and nooch really create great flavors. At the time however, I had only almonds, so I forged ahead. I'm also a big believer in how chiles make vegan food better. They add another layer of complexity without a...

I often use tofu and coconut milk to recreate the richness and flavors found in dairy based creamy sauces. This vegan take on alfredo sauce expands on that in a really wonderful new way. In order to simulate the complexities found in parmasean and cream I used a variety of nuts and seeds. While you could probably make a wonderful vegan alfredo sauce with just one variety of nut or seed, I think that this method offers a more authentic depth and nuance of the original. 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/3 cup almonds 1/3 cup cashews 1/2 block silken firm tofu 1 can coconut milk 1/4 cup nutritional yeast 1 tbl olive oil 3 cloves garlic 1/4 cup pasta water 3 tsps black pepper 1 tsp garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp salt Cooked pasta, reserved water You can either soak your seeds and nuts in the coconut milk for a few hours or you can use a coffeee grinder to turn them to dust. This recipe yields a lot of sauce. Enough for about half a box of pasta and some mix-ins. . ...

This recipe uses tofu and broccoli to create a rich and thick puree that has a texture similar to a whipped cream cheese. The broccoli provides that wonderful 'green' flavor and the supporting ingredients give it pizzaz. It's easy to make. It's great on bread. On pasta. As a dip. It offers protein and all the great vitamins that broccoli provides. It doesn't taste like broccoli. It tastes and feels like a whipped cream cheese with broccoli and garlic. Ingredients 1 large head of broccoli 1/2 block silken firm tofu 2 tbls coconut milk 5 cloves garlic 1 tbl white balsamic vinegar 1 tlb olive oil 2 1/2 tps salt 2 tsps garlic powder 1 tsp onion powder Roast the broccoli at 425 F for 7 minutes. Once cooled, cut into small chunks and add to work bowl of your food processor. Add garlic, coconut milk, vinegar, oil, spices and tofu. Break the tofu into small chunks with your hand. Processor until smooth. Firm up in the fridge for a few hours at least. Overnight is better.