Vegan Recipes and Plant Based Cooking

  This is a whimsical one where I was going for a riff on classic steak and chimichurri.  I used baked potato and a chili pepper and broccoli puree. It's cute, but it's also a really tasty plant based composition.  Ingredients 1 medium crown of broccoli 1/2 package silken firm tofu 1 tbl nutritional yeast 1 jalapeno  1 serrano 1/4 cup olive oil 6 cloves garlic 2 tbls white vinegar 1 tbl salt Roast the broccoli and peppers whole on a sheet tray in the oven at 425 F for 10 minutes.  Add all ingredients to your food processor and puree until a chunky smooth texture is achieved.  Enjoy it with baked potato steak medallions.  

Just looking for different flavors and textures.  This sauce is basically just an amalgam of interesting ingredients that I had available to me. I figured let's see what happens.  It's as tasty as it is beautiful. Pretty easy to make too.  If I've learned nothing else from the insane amount of cooking shows that I watch, it's that a good sauce or puree ties everything together and finishes the dish.  Try this one the next time you're looking for something new.  Sauce Ingredients 1/2 package silken firm tofu 1 poblano, chunked 1 jalapeno, chunked 1 serrano, chunked 6 cloves garlic 1 tbl spicy mustard 2 1/2 tsps salt 1/2 tsp cayenne 1 tbl olive oil Water In a medium sauce pot bring to a simmer the peppers and garlic in the water and then allow to continue at a simmer for 10 minutes. Use enough water to cover the ingredients by 1 inch.  Add remaining ingredient to your food processor.  When the pepper mixture is done simmering use a slotted spoon to add the peppers and

The quest for good sauces compels me. I love to mess around with combining and pureeing beans with various flavor enhancers.  The results are usually pretty satisfying.  It's a pretty simple way to get some elaborate results.  The classic sauces tend to be fraught with butter, cream and other animal products.  I just fiddle around with getting equally exciting sauces from plants.  This one is a keeper.  Sauce Ingredients 1 can red beans, rinsed 3 cloves garlic 2 serrano peppers, mostly deseeded 1 jalapeno, mostly deseeded 1/3 cup water 2 tsps soy sauce 2 tbls olive oil 1 tbl caraway seed 1 tbl salt 2 tsps black pepper This is pretty easy to make. Use a small sauce pot to simmer all, but the red beans. Bring up to a simmer and then let it go for 10 minutes.  Add beans to your food processor. A pitcher blender might work as well. Haven't tried it.  Pour hot simmered mixture over the beans.  Puree until smooth.  It's a quick and tasty little sauce. It's kind of a fusion of

I find myself fascinated by sauces lately. A good sauce goes a long way to making everything else on the plate or in the bowl really shine.  This sauce is thick, rich, creamy and delicious enough to rival any dairy based counterpart.  It comes together pretty easily. Use it in fancy applications or gooey decadent sorts.  1/2 package silken firm tofu 3 large cloves garlic 2 tbls spicy mustard 1 tbl hot sauce 1 tbl soy sauce 1 tsp classic prepared horseradish 1/4 cup water 1 tbl olive oil 1 tsp oregano 1 tsp Aleppo pepper flakes 2 tsps salt 1 tsp black pepper Liquefy it in a blender until you have a smooth, thick sauce.  Easiest sauce you ever made. Creamy without dairy. A nice hit of protein from the tofu. Add a rich, creamy style sauce to any dish and still keep it vegan.  It has some bite thanks to the horseradish, hot sauce and the pepper flakes. But mostly it's just creamy and delicious.  No cows were harmed in the making of this sauce.