Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

Since I started back up running outside again, I've been a little obsessed with tofu purees.  They offer a tasty way to incorporate vegan protein into your diet with a limitless set of flavor possibilities.  Watching the UK versions of Masterchef, I've seen them dot their plates with countless mushroom purees. It's about time I actually made one.  I really focused on umani here. Mushrooms, soy sauce, nutritional yeast all have lots of it.  The amazing thing you'll discover about tofu purees if you decide to try some is that when you eat them it feels like you're eating something rich and creamy and luxurious when in reality it's lean and nutritious. That's the magic of tofu! 1 pint button mushrooms 1/4 cup pinot grigio 2 tbls olive oil 1/2 package silken firm tofu 2 tbls sunflower seeds 3 cloves garlic 1 serrano 2 tbls nutritional yeast 1 tsp turmeric 1 tsp cayenne 2 tsps soy sauce 2 tbls soy milk 2 tsps salt Use a  large cast iron skillet to caramelize the

This is a variation on a classic Spanish romesco sauce. It's simple, yet very tasty.  Ingredients 1 red bell pepper, roughly diced 1/4 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 package silken firm tofu 3 cloves garlic 2 tbls olive oil 2/3 cup water 1 tbls salt 2 tsps black pepper 2 tsps ground cumin 2 tsps crushed pepper flakes 1 tsp cayenne powder 1 tsp garlic powder Saute the red pepper in a large frying pan with a little of the salt and oil. Cook for 5 minutes over medium heat.  Pour in the water. Add garlic. Continue cooking until most of the water is gone.   Garlic and pepper should be tender. If not, add 1/4 more water and continue to simmer until peppers are tender.  Add other ingredients to food processor.  When pepper/garlic are done add those to the food processor, including any remaining liquid in the frying pan. Don't waste that flavor.  Puree until smooth.  It's great right away, but you can stash it in the fridge to firm up some more.  It's a soup, it's a sauce, it'

I watch a lot of cooking shows and whenever they want to make the competitors sad they give them tofu. It's the ingredient no one seems to understand how to use.  When I see tofu as a main ingredient in a cooking show I get excited. It's awesome. I love it.  The key to tofu is understanding the different kinds and how each can best be utilized. And also knowing how to manipulate the texture. The reason most people don't enjoy tofu isn't its lack of flavor. Any good cook can add flavor. It's the texture that puts people off. But it's not that difficult to take the inherent properties of tofu and use them to your advantage.  Silkens... always in a puree or sauce. They are a perfect vegan substitute for the texture of cream or mayo. The firms... dehydrate them and give them chew.  In this recipe little cubes of extra firm tofu are marinated in a salty and spicy mixture and then cooked off in a cast iron skillet to achieve a smokey flavor and a slightly chewy exteri

3 1/2 cups flour 2 tsps baking powder 1/3 cup nutritional yeast 2 tbls ground flax seed 2 tbls pea protein powder 2 tsps garlic powder 2 tsps crushed pepper flakes 2 tsps aleppo pepper flakes 3 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper 1/2 tsp turmeric 1 tbl olive oil 1 tbl white vinegar 1-2 cups water as needed I've seen recipes out there for no yeast bagels. There are a multitude of variations. However, most of them seem to forgo the poaching process. If it's not poached before it's baked it's just bagel shaped bread. It's not a bagel.  It's fine to use chemical leavening to expedite your dough, but if you want bagels, you can't skip the poaching. And it is poaching, not boiling.  This dough is softer than traditional dough because of the additions of yeast, flax and pea protein, but it comes together quite nicely just the same.  I know flavorings on the top of a bagel look prettier, but flavorings inside the bagel taste better. They run throughout the dough and are pr

Lentils are a highly underappreciated protein. And, yes, they are a protein.  I credit Alton Brown with my discovery of lentils and their culinary clout. His show Good Eats first introduced me to the product and showcased its versatility. However, it wasn't until I went vegan, that I truly began to appreciate the enormous power of the lentil.  In the legume universe the lentil is second only to the soy bean in protein density. While not technically a complete protein, it is damn near close.  This recipe is, to me, is pretty much the perfect lentil recipe. While there are many wonderful lentil recipes, applications and uses, this recipe is the lentil at, what I consider its very best.  All the other ingredients are there simply to make the lentil shine its brightest. Ingredients 1/2 cup dry lentils 1 small red bell pepper, diced 1 pint cremini mushrooms, sliced small 7 cloves garlic, sliced thinly 2 jalapenos, minced 1 tbl dijon mustard 1/2 tbl soy sauce 1/2 tbl hot sauce 3 tbls ol

So my brother had a ripe avocado he couldn't use and he gave it to me. That was thoughtful of him.  I don't generally buy avocados for myself. I don't like them plain, so I am forced to process them to enjoy them. But his gift inspired me.  I decided to do an avocado crema, but using silken tofu. It's a flavor bomb and a nutrient bomb too. Tons of potassium and protein.  It's super garlicky and creamy. You'll want to just eat it by the spoonful. Now I'm back on the avocado bandwagon and want to make this again and again.  It's really simple and comes together very quickly.  1 ripe avocado 1/2 package silken firm tofu 5 cloves garlic peeled and destemmed 1 long hot pepper, chunked 1 tbl white vinegar 2 1/2 tsps salt 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground cayenne 2 tsps oregano Buzz it all up in your food processor until smooth. 

This is a sweet with a little heat spanish style rice and beans. It gets great depth of flavor from the caramelization of several of the components. It has a dark, smoky sweetness that is incredibly satisfying. It takes some time, but as Alton Brown often says, your patience will be rewarded.  Ingredients 1 medium red bell pepper, diced 1 medium green bell pepper, diced 3 vine tomatoes, diced 1 medium red onion, diced 1 jalapeno, minced 1 habanero, minced 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can garbanzos, drained and rinsed 1 1/2 cups dry white rice 1 small can low sodium V8 juice 2 3/4 - 3 1/2 cups water 1/4 cup whtie wine 3 tbls olive oil 2 1/2 tbls salt 2 tbls paprika 2 tbls garlic powder 1 tbl ground cumin 2 tsps turmeric 2 tsps cayenne powder 2 tsps black pepper If the spice measurements seem high, it's just because this makes a huge amount of food. Feel free to halve everything.  The V8 juice is my secret flavor bomb. No, I'm not being compensa

I'm a fiend for tofu purees. It's such a great way to incorporate a big dose of protein into a few flavor packed spoonfuls.  Silken tofu makes an ideal puree base. It blends up smoothly and adds that creamy mouth feel. Any other flavors you pair with it, they take center stage and really shine.  Ingredients 1/2 package silken firm tofu 2 tbls sunflower seeds, ground 7 cloves garlic, roasted 1 jalapeno, roasted 1 serrano, roasted 1 habanero, roasted 1/2 cup cooked corn niblets 2 tbls olive oil 1 tbl white vinegar 2 tsps salt Roast the chiles and garlic in a foil packet in a 425 F oven for 30 minutes. Set aside I used frozen corn. Cook in the microwave according to package directions Grnid sunflower seeds in a spice/coffee grinder. You can skip this step, but the puree will not be as smooth. De-stem an de-seed cooled chiles. Add all ingredients to food processor and puree until smooth. . Enjoy with anything that needs more flavor. 

Longing for something a little different I decided to try using a green bell pepper in a tofu puree. I've already espoused the merits of using tofu when composing vegan purees. It's just such a natural substitute for dairy in this case. It creates a smooth and creamy texture. It's also a great source of complete vegan protein.  Puree Ingredients 1 large green bell pepper 1 jalapeno 1 serrano 1 green habanero 1 garlic clove 2 tbls olive oil 1/2 package silken firm tofu 2 1/2 tsps salt 2 tsps celery seed 2 tsps oregano 1 tsp cayenne powder I didn't want to turn on the oven for a single bell pepper, so I used the microwave. You can microwave a potato, so why not a pepper? I cooked it that way for 5 minutes and it smelled like cooked green pepper, but it was still pretty firm. It was probably cooking from the inside out; internally steaming itself. So I forged ahead and set it aside. . I also microwaved all the smaller chile peppers and garlic clove together in a bowl for

I'm gonna call this one a stew. It's an onion and mushroom based broth that's thickened with a little flour. Why thicken it and not just leave it as broth consistency? It eats differently than a soup this way. It feels heartier. It has a sauce like viscosity that coats the other ingredients as well as the tongue. 3 medium tomatoes, diced 1 pint white mushrooms, diced 5 cloves garlic, minced 1 green pepper, diced 2 jalapeno, minced 1 medium yellow onion, diced Skins from the onion 1 can garbanzos, drained and risned 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 1/4 dry white wine 5 cups water 2 tbls flour 2 tbls olive oil 1 tbl hot sauce 1 tbl dijon mustard 1 tbl dry basil 1 tbl salt 2 tsps aleppo pepper flakes or crushed pepper flakes 2 tsps garlic powder 2 tsps black pepper Caramelize the mushrooms and onions in a large stock pot with the olive oil and half the salt. When mushrooms and onions are nicely browned, about 20 minutes, deglaze with wine.Cook