Meatless Mondays: Lentil and Grape Tomato Salad

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of The Tolerant Vegan

Nikki, a Brooklyn blogger with a husband and three cats, runs The Tolerant Vegan. She explains her blog title: “Change is hard. Life is hard. Let’s love our bodies and our souls, and for Pete’s sake, let’s cut ourselves some slack.” She sticks to simple recipes with accessible ingredients, and sometimes finds cooking “very therapeutic.”

Makes 4 big burgers

Ingredients

For burgers:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more to brush on eggplant before roasting
• 1/2 a large eggplant
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 14 ounce can cannellini beans
• 1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 cup classic hummus (or your favorite flavor hummus)
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Tahini (recipe follows), lettuce, tomatoes and buns for finishing

I recommend either tahini sauce or hummus as the topping for this burger. I ate both versions and they were equally awesome. Here is the recipe for the tahini sauce in case you decide to go that route.

For tahini sauce:

• 1/3 cup sesame tahini
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

1.     To make the burgers, preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.     Roast the eggplant by cutting it into 1/4″ slices and brushing each side with olive oil.

3.     Bake for 10 minutes on one side, then flip the slices and bake for another 5 minutes.

4.     While the eggplant is roasting, place the diced red onion and 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the onion softens.

5.     Once the eggplant is done and you remove it from the oven, turn the oven down to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

6.     Place the eggplant, onion, beans, bell pepper, parsley, pine nuts, garlic, sea salt and cumin into a large bowl. Add the hummus and stir.

7.     Place the mixture into a food processor and blend everything together. It should only take about 15 seconds.

8.     Pour the mixture back into a bowl, stir in the breadcrumbs, and use your hands to make four large patties.

9.     Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Place the patties on the foil and bake for 45 minutes, turning them over halfway through.

10.  While the burgers are baking, make the tahini sauce by tossing all of the ingredients into a food processor and blending until fully combined.

11.  Remove the burgers from the oven and eat!

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Leslie Durso, Veggie Dreamgirl

Southern California native Leslie Durso runs her eponymous blog, which offers “farm-to-stylish-table” recipes featuring a focus on “whole” food. She has been a practicing vegetarian since the age of eight, and her work has been featured on Mother Nature Network, Glamour Magazine, Maxim Magazine, and many other publications.

Recipe serves 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup water or vegetable broth
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 ½ cups diced Roma tomatoes
• 15 ounces of cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh basil to garnish

Directions

1. In a medium pot, bring the tomato sauce and water to a boil and add the quinoa, reduce heat to medium low or to a simmer. Add in the onion and garlic after about 5 minutes. Continue to cook until all the liquid is absorbed. Should take about 20 minutes total.
2. Stir in the beans, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper and let sit about 2 minutes to soften the tomatoes. Serve with fresh chopped basil on top.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of The Tolerant Vegan

Nikki, a Brooklyn blogger with a husband and three cats, runs The Tolerant Vegan. She explains her blog title: “Change is hard. Life is hard. Let’s love our bodies and our souls, and for Pete’s sake, let’s cut ourselves some slack.” She sticks to simple recipes with accessible ingredients, and sometimes finds cooking “very therapeutic.”

Makes two big bowls

Ingredients

• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped broccoli
• Salt
• Pepper
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
• 2 cups cooked brown rice
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomato
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions
• 4 cups romaine lettuce

Directions

1.     Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and chop up your vegetables. Toss the chopped veggies in 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

2.     Roast on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.

3.     While the vegetables are roasting, heat the remaining two tablespoons of coconut oil in a skillet and add the brown rice. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often.

4.     Remove the rice from the heat and stir in the golden raisins, sun-dried tomatoes and scallions. Stir in the roasted vegetables and pour the mixture over a bed of romaine lettuce.

5.     This bowl leaves me feeling full and energized. It’s also great as leftovers, so make twice as much as you need and save half to pour over lettuce for tomorrow’s lunch or dinner.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Fettle Vegan

Fettle Vegan is run by Amber, a 20-something blogger who hails from Maine. Formerly an omnivore, Amber turned vegan about three years ago after some health issues—and it has “changed my life for the better,” she writes on Fettle Vegan. She currently lives in California, living a vegan and mostly gluten-free lifestyle.

Ingredients

•      3 cups cooked black beans

•      1 cup cooked quinoa

•      1 cup mashed sweet potato

•      1/3 cup chopped onion

•      1/2 cup roughly chopped sprouted pumpkin seeds

•      1 cup freshly grated carrot

•      1/3 cup nutritional yeast

•      1 cup ground flax seed

•      1/4 cup chile powder

•      3 tablespoons vegan barbecue sauce

•      1 tablespoon (2 cloves) minced garlic

•      1 teaspoon salt

•      1 teaspoon pepper

•      1/2 cup sesame oil

•      1/4-1/2 cup water

•      1/4 cup gluten-free oats

Directions

1.     Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.     In a food processor, combine ALL ingredients except oil, water, and oats. Combine until ingredients are all mixed, but not mushy. There will still be some chunks in this burger!

3.     Pour contents of food processor into a large mixing bowl. Add water and oil, and stir well. Add oats to mixture, allowing it to absorb any excess moisture.

4.     Form into at least 12 hockey-puck-ish sized patties, and place onto a non-stick baking sheet. 

5.     Bake for about 15 minutes, or until burgers are uniformly browned and cooked all the way through. Serve with tomatoes, avocado, grilled onions, sprouts and your favorite mustard on a delicious whole wheat or gluten-free bun. 

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of The Iron You

The Iron You comes from Mike and Margherita’s love for both the eponymous superhero and the grueling Ironman triathlon. Self-described as “very active and curious people,” the two are bona fide athletes who strive for healthy recipes and plenty of exercise. Visit the duo’s blog The Iron You to learn more.

Serves 6

Ingredients


• 1 pound artichoke hearts, clean and trim into quarters

• 2 cups brown rice


• 4 cups + ¼ cup vegetable broth

• 4 tablespoons olive oil


• 1 medium onion, finely chopped


• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped


• ¼ cup or 1 glass white wine

• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped


• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated*

• 1 tablespoon berbere spice blend (plus more for topping)



*Skip if you’re vegan



Directions



1. Heat the vegetable broth in a saucepan and keep it on a low simmer. 


2. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, stir in garlic, half of the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes until the onion starts to golden. Lower the heat, add the artichokes, ¼ cup of vegetable broth and cook for 15 minutes. If the artichokes look dry, add some broth. Once the artichokes are cooked, turn the heat off and set aside. 


3. In the meantime, in a large saucepan heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the other half onion and sauté until translucent. Add the brown rice and give it a stir. Cook, stirring, until the grains of rice begin to crackle, about 3 minutes. 


4. Stir in the white wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The wine should bubble but not too quickly. You want some of the flavor to cook into the rice before it evaporates. 
When the wine has just about evaporated, stir in a ladleful or two of the simmering stock (around ½ cup), enough to just cover the rice. 


5. Cook, stirring often, until it is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, not too fast and not too slowly, stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, until the rice is cooked, 40 minutes or so. 


6. Halfway through (at the 20 minutes mark) add the artichokes and the berbere to the rice. 
It’s brown rice, so it’s going to be a little bit crunchy on the outside but make sure that it’s not too hard in the middle. 
When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat, add the Parmesan cheese, and stir to give the risotto that nice texture. Let sit for 2 minutes before serving. 


7. Serve sprinkled with a generous amount of parsley and a bit of berbere to add a touch of color.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Vegan Yumminess

Vegan Yumminess is the brainchild of Lindsay, a vegan home cook who currently lives in the South. With a husband in graduate school and a new baby daughter, Lindsay decided to use her time at home to write about one of her passions, vegan food, and the blog was born. As she writes on the blog, “If you love peanut butter, pasta, pumpkin, and portobellos, then you’ve come to the right place!”

Ingredients

·       1 large eggplant

·       3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)

·       Salt (for eggplant)

·       21 ounces extra firm tofu (or 1 and 1/2 blocks)

·       1/4 cup raw cashews

·       1/4 cup water

·       1 clove garlic

·       1/2 cup onion (chopped)

·       3/4 cups frozen spinach

·       1 1/2 -2 teaspoon salt (Or to taste, and yes, I know this is the second time salt is listed :))

·       1 1/2 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes

·       1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

·       20 jumbo pasta shells

Directions

1. Slice the top off of your eggplant. Then, cut it in half lengthwise. Score each half as if you were going to cut it into cubes when you're done roasting it.

2. Sprinkle each eggplant half generously with salt - in the scored cuts as well. Now, you'll let your eggplant halves sit, cut side up, for about 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F towards the end of the 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, you'll notice that each eggplant has quite a bit of water droplets on the top and in the cuts of it. Squeeze each eggplant half gently over the sink, and let the salty water run out.

4. Now, put your eggplant in a rimmed baking pan that is lined with either parchment paper or a silicon liner. Brush each eggplant half with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil, then place each half cut side down on to your baking sheet.

5. Bake your eggplant for about 40-45 minutes, or until the eggplant has mostly collapsed, and the inside is soft and mushy.

6. While your eggplant is baking, you can get started on your filling and cook your jumbo pasta shells.

7. Cook your jumbo pasta shells according to package instructions. I like to boil mine in an uncovered pot of salted water for about 11-13 minutes.

8. In a medium frying pan, sauté 1 clove of minced garlic and onion with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When your garlic and onion have been cooking for about 1 minute, add your frozen spinach to the mixture, and cook everything until the spinach is just thawed.

9. In a medium sized bowl, mash your tofu with a fork until it is crumbly. Take about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of your crumbled tofu and put it in your blender with 1/4 cup cashews and 1/4 cup water. Blend on high until the mixture is smooth.

10.  Pour blender contents back into medium sized bowl, and add garlic, onion, and spinach mixture as well. Mix it up.

11.  Once your eggplant is finished roasting, use a spoon to scrape out the eggplant contents from the skin, and put them directly into your tofu mixture. Stir it up!

12.  Stuff your shells with your eggplant tofu mixture, and place in a bed of your favorite marinara in a 9 X 13 in baking dish. Pour a little more marinara on top of your shells. At this point, you can sprinkle a little of your favorite vegan cheese on top, if you want. But I just left it out.

13.  Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 8-10 minutes, or until your tofu filling is just starting to turn more golden/yellow. Serve hot.

Note: While the ingredients call for 20 shells, I found that I used up all of my filling with 18 shells. Usually a few shells are damaged beyond repair with the boiling process, which is why I recommend cooking 20 shells total, just on case.

Raw Pad Thai

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Clean Plates

Whether you’re a meat-and-potatoes lover, a vegetarian or going gluten-free, Clean Plates takes the grunt work out of eating healthier. Founded by nutritionist Jared Koch, it features a free email, iPhone app, restaurant guides, food news and tips. If you eat…get fed by Clean Plates by signing up for their email here.

Inspired by and adapted from The Clean Plates Cookbook

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

·      2 limes

·      1 (1 1⁄2 inch) square tamarind pulp (see notes)

·      1⁄2 medium-size tomato, chopped coarsely

·      1⁄2 small shallot, quartered

·      2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

·      1 1⁄2 teaspoons raw agave nectar

·      1⁄4 Thai chile, seeded, or more to taste (see notes)

·      1⁄2 garlic clove

·      6 tablespoons organic naturally brewed soy sauce or organic wheat-free tamari, divided

·      1 medium-size orange bell pepper, cored and cut into matchsticks

·      1 medium-size baby bok choy, cut crosswise into 1⁄4-inch shreds

·      1 medium-size carrot, cut into matchsticks

·      1 large king oyster mushroom, cut into 1⁄4-inch slices

·      1 cup snow peas, cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces

·      1 medium-size zucchini, cut into matchsticks

·      3 scallions, sliced thinly

·      1 tablespoon organic extra-virgin olive oil

·      2 (12-ounce) packages kelp noodles, chopped into 4-inch pieces (see notes)

·      Bean sprouts, for garnish

·      Microgreens, for garnish

·      Chopped raw cashews, for garnish

Directions

1.     Cut one of the limes into wedges. Juice the remaining lime to yield 4 1/2 teaspoons of juice.

2.     Set the wedges and juice aside separately.

3.     In a small bowl, combine the tamarind pulp with 1⁄2 cup of very hot water. Use a fork to work the mixture into a paste, removing any seeds. Set aside and let soak for 15 minutes.

4.     In the jar of a blender, combine the tomato, shallot, sesame oil, agave, chile, garlic, 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce, and 1 1⁄2 teaspoons of the lime juice and process to a puree. Add the tamarind mixture and process until very smooth. Add more chile to taste and set aside.

5.     In a large bowl, combine the bell pepper, bok choy, carrot, mushroom, snow peas, zucchini, and scallions. Add the olive oil, remaining 1/4 cup/60 mL of soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon of lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of the pureed sauce, stirring to evenly coat. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

6.     Add the noodles to the vegetable mixture. Add more sauce to taste, tossing with tongs to evenly distribute the sauce.

7.     Serve garnished with bean sprouts, microgreens, cashews, and lime wedges.

Notes:

Tamarind pulp can be found in Asian, Latin, and Indian markets and at some natural foods supermarkets. Look for it packaged in blocks wrapped in cellophane.

Thai chiles can be found in Asian markets.

Kelp noodles can be found in the Asian section or the refrigerated produce section of most natural foods supermarkets.

Sunny Vegan is “a place to explore vegan cuisine in a relaxed way,” writes Amanda on her blog. Amanda, a yoga teacher in Connecticut, has been a lifelong vegetarian—and is now a passionate vegan. “I hope to showcase vegan food in a way you may not have seen before.”

Ingredients

For the grilled asparagus:

•  3 pounds asparagus (trimmed and cleaned)


•  2 tablespoons olive oil


•  Salt


•  Pepper

For the soup:

•  2 cups vegetable broth (low sodium), divided

•  Medium yellow onion, diced

•  2 tablespoons Earth Balance


•  2 tablespoons flour


•  3/4 cup soy milk

•  1 teaspoon salt


•  Fresh ground pepper, to taste

•  2 teaspoons lemon juice


•  2 tablespoons Tofutti Sour Supreme (optional)

Directions

1. On a pre-heated grill or grill pan, grill asparagus until tender (approximately 10-12 minutes) turning spears until all sides are lightly browned.

2. Cut asparagus into 2 inch pieces reserving a few tips for garnish.

3. Simmer onion in 1 cup broth for 3-4 min, add asparagus and simmer another 4 minutes.

4. Puree stock and vegetables in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth, and set aside.

5. In saucepan, melt earth balance and sprinkle in flour while stirring just until combined. Add remaining 1 cup veg broth and then vegetable puree.

6. Simmer 5 minutes then whisk in soymilk, Sour Supreme and lemon juice. Ladle into bowls, garnish with grilled asparagus spears, and serve immediately. 

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Sunny Vegan

Marly, a Missouri native, runs the blog Namely Marly. During a period of self-discovery, she decided to legally change her first name—hence her blog title. Marly’s family is vegan and “just so you know, being vegan is a really delicious way to live.”

Inspired and veganized by a recipe for Coconut Ginger Sauce by Simple Bites

Ingredients

•  3 tablespoons Bragg

•  1 tablespoon agave nectar

•  1 tablespoon olive oil

•  2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (or rice vinegar)

•  1 container tofu, drained, pressed and cubed

•  4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

•  1 tablespoon fresh ginger, roughly chopped

•  1 small sweet onion, peeled and quartered

•  2 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine

•  2 tablespoons curry powder

•  1½ teaspoons ground turmeric

•  1 teaspoon salt

•  1 can coconut milk

•  2 Tablespoons cornstarch

•  Assorted veggies of your choice (such as mushrooms, peppers, snow peas)

•  2-3 cups cooked brown rice

Directions

1.        Heat your oven to 350 F.

2.        In a baking pan pour the Bragg, agave nectar, 1 tablespoon olive oil and vinegar. Add the cubed tofu and gently stir so that the tofu is evenly coated. Place the pan in the heated oven and cook for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 200F and cook for an hour. Your goal is to have tofu that is firm on the outside and tender on the inside. That’s why I like mine slow-baked!

3.        While you’re waiting, combine the garlic, ginger and onion in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds. Add the Earth Balance and pulse for another second or two until everything is well incorporated. Pour this mixture into a slow cooker, add the curry, turmeric and salt and stir well, cooking over low heat.

4.        In a separate, small bowl, spoon out the thick, creamy part of the can of coconut milk—the stuff you find at the top of the can. Add the cornstarch to the coconut cream and stir well.

5.        Then pour the more watery part of the coconut milk into the slow cooker with the garlic-ginger mixture. Cook over low heat for about one hour, allowing the lovely aroma to fill your kitchen!

6.        After the ginger sauce has cooked for about an hour, add the coconut cream mix and turn the flame to medium and cook for 30 minutes or so until the sauce thickens.

7.        In a skillet sauté some of your favorite veggies, such as red peppers, mushrooms, onions and snow peas, with a small amount of olive oil, until barely tender.

8.        To serve: Place warm brown rice in a bowl, top with sautéed veggies, slow-cooked tofu, and coconut ginger sauce. You can even add a little—or if you’re like me, a lot—of Sriracha sauce to give it some additional spice!

Sala, the mind behind Veggie Belly, is a “software services entrepreneur by day and a hobby cook and food blogger by night,” as she describes on her blog. Originally from India, Sala was raised a vegetarian and “will never change.” She recently made the move from Virginia to Portland, Oregon, and offers up a variety of dishes, particularly Indian and Asian recipes.

Serves about 4

Ingredients

For the ranchero sauce:

•      1 teaspoon olive oil

•      ½ medium onion, diced

•      2 cloves over garlic, minced

•      ½ jalapeno, minced

•      ½ teaspoon ground cumin

•      ½ teaspoon dry oregano

•      One 14-can crushed tomatoes, or 2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes

•      Salt

For the vegetables:

•      6 small Portobello mushrooms (weighing about 8 ounces total)

•      1 teaspoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil

•      ½ teaspoon dry oregano

•      1 large zucchini, cut into small cubes

•      ½ cup cotija cheese (optional; feta, grated pepper jack or cheddar will also work) 

•      Salt

For the yellow rice:

•      1 large or 2 small vegetable bouillon cubes

•      2 cups warm water

•      1 tablespoon butter or olive oil

•      1 small onion, diced

•      ½ teaspoon achiote powder, also called ground annatto (substitute with ¾ teaspoon turmeric or saffron)

•      1 cup long grain rice

•      Chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

For the ranchero sauce:

1.     Heat oil in a medium saucepan and add the onions. Cook over medium heat till they are soft.

2.     Add the garlic and jalapeno and stir 2 minutes. Then add cumin, oregano, tomatoes, and salt. Cook the same on medium heat for about 3 minutes. If you are using fresh tomatoes, they will take longer to cook.

3.     Serve the sauce chunky or puree it in a blender. I pureed it.

4.     You can make this sauce up to 3 days ahead.

For the vegetables:

1.     Wipe the portobellos with a paper towel. Then using a small spoon, gently scrape out the dark gills. Using a small, sharp knife, remove the stem.

2.     Brush a little oil all over the mushrooms.

3.     Heat a skillet on medium high, and cook the mushrooms, gill side down, in a single layer for 2 minutes. Then flip the mushrooms and cook the other side another minute or till cooked through. While the second side is cooking, sprinkle salt and half the oregano over the mushrooms cavities.

4.     In a same skillet, heat a little more oil, add the zucchini and remaining oregano. Sauté on high heat for about 2 minutes or until the zucchini is tender but still a little crunchy, and not mushy. Season with salt and add the cheese.

For the rice:

1.    Dissolve the bouillon cubes in warm water and set aside.

2.    Sauté the onions in butter or olive oil in a medium saucepan. When the onions are soft, add the Achiote powder and rice. Stir on low heat for a minute.

3.    Pour in the bullion water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a low, cover the pan, and let the rice simmer for 10 minutes or till the rice is cooked, but the grains are still separate, and not mushy. Cooking time may vary depending on the rice.

4.    Fluff rice with a fork. Garnish with cilantro.

To assemble and serve:

1.    Spread ranchero sauce on a platter. Arrange the mushrooms, gill and stem side up, over the sauce. Spoon a little zucchini and cheese into the mushroom cavities.

2.    Serve the yellow rice on the side, along with sour cream (optional), extra cheese and extra chopped cilantro.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Veggie Belly

Sala, the mind behind Veggie Belly, is a “software services entrepreneur by day and a hobby cook and food blogger by night,” as she describes on her blog. Originally from India, Sala was raised a vegetarian and “will never change.” She recently made the move from Virginia to Portland, Oregon, and offers up a variety of dishes, particularly Indian and Asian recipes.

Makes about 6 mini bunnies

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1 tablespoon ginger paste
• 1 carrot, diced (1/2 cup when diced)
• 1 small green pepper, diced (1/2 cup when diced)
• 1 large tomato, diced
• 1 tablespoon curry powder (may need more or less depending on the brand)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika, optional
• 1 cup canned chickpeas, drained
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1-2 cups water
• 1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Salt
• Cilantro for garnish
• 6 mini ciabatta or other bread rolls (or 1-2 regular sized loaves of white or crusty bread)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and cook on medium heat till the onions are brown. Then add ginger and garlic paste and sauté 30 seconds. Add carrot, green pepper, and tomato and cook till the vegetables are soft. Now add salt, curry powder, turmeric and paprika if using, cook 1 minute on medium-high heat.  
2. Add chickpeas, tomato paste, 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Stir to make sure tomato paste has dissolved. Boil for about 2 minutes. Add more water if the curry it too thick. Turn off heat. Taste and add lemon juice according to taste.
3. Cut the tops off the mini bread rolls and gently scoop out the bread inside. Fill the bread ‘bowls’ with the chickpea filling. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve along with the scooped out bread for dipping.
4. If using larger sized loaves of bread, halve or quarter (depending on the size) the bread loaf. Scoop out the bread to form a bread bowl. Fill with chickpea filling. Be careful not to scoop out too much bread, your filling might leak out!

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Fuss Free Cooking

Fuss Free Cooking is the blog of Emily Tan, a Malaysian native who now lives in Australia. Tan, who has a self-described “savory tooth”, didn’t start cooking until she moved down under a decade ago. Now, she runs a one-woman blog and hopes to inspire others to enjoy cooking at home.

Adapted from Jill Dupleix

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
• Sea salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup virgin olive oil
• Extra coriander leaves
• Extra toasted pine nuts

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350F.
2. Scrub the squash but do not peel. Cut each squash into 6 or 8 thick half-moon wedges, coat in olive oil and place “sitting up” on an oiled baking tray. Bake for 40 to 50 min until tender and lightly scorched on the tips.
3. Pound the coriander, garlic, toasted pine nuts, sea salt, cumin seeds, cumin, lemon juice and a little of the olive oil in a mortar with a pestle, or in a food processor, until you have a mushy paste, then slowly pour in the remaining olive oil, stirring well.
4. To serve, drizzle the squash with the pesto and scatter with the extra coriander leaves and pine nuts.  To serve as a meal, toss in cooked pasta if you like.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Namely Marly

Marly, a Missouri native, runs the blog Namely Marly. During a period of self-discovery, she decided to legally change her first name — hence her blog title. Marly’s family is vegan and “just so you know, being vegan is a really delicious way to live.”

Ingredients

For Holiday Marinated Tofu:

• 1 block extra firm tofu (usually between 12 and 15 ounces)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme
• 2 teaspoons ground rosemary
• 2 teaspoons ground sage
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine (I used white zinfandel)
• 1 tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Cheesy Garlic Vegan Potatoes:

• 5 Russet potatoes, unpeeled & cut into small cubes
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup cubed or shredded vegan cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
• 1/4 – 1/2 non-dairy milk
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

For Holiday Vegan Stuffing:

• 7 slices toasted bread
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups celery, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium sweet potato, chopped (optional)
• 4 – 5 cups vegetable stock
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons sage
• 1 teaspoon ground thyme

For Vegan Holiday Casserole Assembly

• Cheesy Garlic Vegan Potatoes
• Holiday Vegan Stuffing
• Holiday Marinated Tofu

Directions

For Holiday Marinated Tofu:

1. Drain tofu and slice into thin, long cubes (or the shape of your choice) and arrange in dish for marinating. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined. Pour over tofu being sure to saturate each piece and let that marinate for a few hours.
2. When you’re ready, place the tofu pieces in your selected skillet and cook over medium heat. I was able to place all the tofu in a medium-size skillet and stir it regularly so all the pieces had their turn browning.
3. Pour any extra marinade over the tofu to let those flavors cook in nicely. You’ll know the tofu is done when it firms up a bit and most of the liquid is cooked from the skillet.

For Cheesy Garlic Vegan Potatoes:

1. Place chopped potatoes in a large pot of water and bring it to boil over high heat. Reduce heat slightly and cook potatoes until fork tender, approximately 10 minutes.
2. Drain the water from the potatoes. Drain well. Add the chopped garlic to the hot potatoes to allow the garlic a chance to soften a bit.
3. Next add the vegan cheddar cheese and nutritional yeast flakes. Stir them together, add the non-dairy milk and use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. We like a little texture to our mashed potatoes, but if you prefer a creamier texture, use an electric mixer and whip it up! Salt and pepper to taste.

For Holiday Vegan Stuffing:

(Adapted and veganized from Paula Deen’s Southern Cornbread Stuffing)

1. Use a large bowl and crumble the cornbread and dried bread into it.
2. Pour the olive oil into a large skillet and warm over medium heat. Add the celery, sweet potato and onion and cook until softened about 7 – 10 minutes or so.
3. Pour the onions mixture over the cornbread mix, follow with the vegetable stock and seasonings and stir until everything is well combined. There are no raw eggs in this recipe so feel free to take a little nibble to see if it meets your tastes. We like a lot of sage in our stuffing so sometimes we’ll add a teaspoon or two more (for good measure).

For Vegan Holiday Casserole Assembly:

Directions:

1. Fire oven up to 350F.
2. Place the Cheesy Garlic Vegan Potatoes in the bottom of a casserole dish. It should fill the dish a little over half full.
3. Then top that with the vegan holiday stuffing. Bake this in the warmed oven between 30 – 40 minutes. The goal is to let the stuffing cook and get a little browned on top.
4. Remove from the oven and top with the Holiday Marinated Tofu. I served our Vegan Holiday Casserole with gravy, but this meal is fine without it too. This casserole tastes so good and is easy to serve. I hope you enjoy it for you holiday dinner as much as we did!

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Spork Foods

Spork Foods is a Los Angeles-based gourmet vegan food company owned and operated by sisters Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg. They offer live cooking classes in Los Angeles and an online vegan video cookbook. Their cookbook, Spork-Fed, is currently in stores, with a foreword by fellow fans and sisters, Emily and Zooey Deschanel.

Recipe serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons non-dairy butter
• 1 tablespoon whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups fresh cherry tomatoes
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 4 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium)
• 1 large organic russet potato, diced
• 3⁄4 teaspoon sea salt, plus to taste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper, plus to taste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Wholesome Sweeteners agave nectar
• 1⁄4 cup soy creamer
• *Croutons for topping, optional

Directions

1. Preheat a large (6-quart) pot. Add non-dairy butter, flour, onion and garlic, and sauté over medium heat for about 3-4 minutes, or until slightly browned. Add fresh and canned tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.
2. Add vegetable broth, potato, sea salt, black pepper and cinnamon.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for about 20 minutes, or until potatoes are very tender. Add lemon juice, agave and creamer.
4. Blend soup with immersion blender, or in a blender with middle section of lid removed. If using a blender, place a dishtowel over top of blender to prevent spillage. Season to taste with sea salt and black pepper. Serve warm and top with croutons if using.

Creamy Veggie Lasagna 

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of In the Little Red House

In the Little Red House is run by Sheena, a Salt Lake City mom of two whose blog posts are sprinkled with delicious veggie dishes such as this one below. She writes about running, Halloween costumes, mountain trails and much more—not to mention, she really does live in a little red house.

Inspired by this recipe from Midwest Living. I added more veggies and fresh herbs.

Ingredients

·      12 lasagna noodles* (I use whole wheat no-cook noodles. If you use the kind of noodles you need to pre-cook, cook them and then follow the rest of these instructions)

·      1-15 ounce carton ricotta cheese 

·      4 cloves garlic, minced

·      2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

·      2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

·      3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

·      1 15-ounce can of artichoke hearts

·      2 cups roughly chopped fresh spinach

·      1 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese (4 oz.) 

·      1 egg

·      1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

·      1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·      2 cups half-and-half or light cream

·      Pinch of red pepper flakes

·      Salt and pepper to taste

·      1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (4 oz.)

·      Large handful of sundried tomatoes (learn how to make your own here)

·      Large handful pine nuts 

Directions

Preheat oven according to instructions on lasagna noodle package (375° for me).

In large bowl, stir in ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, basil, chopped spinach, artichoke hearts, the egg, and salt and pepper to taste. 

For sauce, in a small bowl combine broth and flour. In the large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the remaining garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes; cook and stir until garlic is tender but not brown. Stir in flour mixture and half-and-half. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat. Stir in the remaining Parmesan cheese and oregano and thyme. 

To assemble, spread a small amount of sauce over the bottom of an ungreased 3-quart shallow baking dish. Layer four of the noodles in the dish. Spread with more sauce, half of the ricotta mixture. Top with four more noodles, more sauce, and then the remainder of the ricotta mixture. Top with four more noodles, remaining sauce and top with mozzarella, tomatoes, and pine nuts.  

Bake, covered for 35 to 40 minutes, and then uncovered for 10 minutes until lasagna is bubbling and edges are brown. (*Check the kind of no-cook noodles you are using; cooking time may be a bit different.)

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Savage Cabbage

A few months before Kaya started her blog Savage Cabbage, she decided to cut out red meat and poultry from her diet — and she writes that she hasn’t looked back since. She focuses on buying seasonal and local ingredients and eating “primarily plants and other whole foods.”

Ingredients

• 7 bell peppers, halved and cleaned
• 1 cup grated Grana Padano cheese
• 1 cup low-fat medium-to-sharp cheddar cheese, melted
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup quinoa (red or white)
• 1/2 cup canned black turtle beans
• 3 cups diced crimini mushrooms
• 2 cups fresh spinach, leaves shredded
• Juice from two lemons
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1 onion diced
• 4 cloves garlic, finely diced or pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup of walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 or 5 fresh basil leaves, finely shredded
• 1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped (optional garnish)

Directions

1. Prepare the mis-en-place: Dice an onion and the mushrooms; Dice or press 4 cloves of garlic; cut in half and clean the bell peppers; wash and shred the spinach; coarsely chop the walnuts and finely shred the basil.
2. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
3. Boil 2 cups water in a covered pot.
4. While the water is boiling, place a skillet and a saucepan on medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, half the diced onion and half the garlic to each, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, slightly yellowed with brown flecks on some of the tips. Reduce the temperature to medium-low heat.
5. Once the pot of water has boiled, add the quinoa and simmer with the lid off for between 13-15 minutes or until quinoa is cooked, stirring occasionally.
6. While the quinoa is cooking add the crushed tomatoes, basil, dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground black pepper to the yellowed onions in the sauce pan. Reduce temperature to medium low. Stir frequently.
7. Next, to the skillet, add the crimini mushrooms, cumin, chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, lemon juice, black turtle beans. Sauté until mushrooms become tender. Add the spinach and stir. Once the spinach is cooked reduce to low heat. Add the walnuts and bread crumbs to the skillet mixing well. Stir in the cooked quinoa.
8. In an oven safe dish, stuff the bell peppers with the quinoa mixture until just slightly below even. Pour the sauce directly over the stuffed bell peppers.
9. Bake on bottom rack for 15 minutes at 425. Meanwhile, shred Grana Padano and the cheddar. (Grating the cheddar helps it melt faster)
10. After 12 minutes, remove the peppers from the oven. Sprinkle Grana Padano over each stuffed pepper.
11. Broil on middle rack until cheese melts and is slightly browned (roughly 2 – 3 minutes). Meanwhile, melt the cheddar in the microwave until it looses its’ shape and becomes completely gooey (roughly 20-25 seconds). Spread the cheddar over each pepper.
12. Sprinkle with chopped cilantro (optional) Serve.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Katherine Martinelli

Katherine Martinelli is an internationally published food and travel writer and photographer, who remembers watching her father cook dinner every night when she was a child. In the middle of graduate school, Martinelli decided she wanted to pursue a career in food, eventually landing a job at an online culinary magazine and spending a few years traveling and eating. Keep up with her adventures at her eponymous blog, and check out her cookbook, Puff Pastry at Brunch.  

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Ingredients

For the salad:


• 1 pound sunchokes, scrubbed

• 1 carrot, sliced

• 1 fennel bulb, sliced

• Olive oil

• Salt

• ½ cup pine nuts and/or walnuts, lightly toasted

• 4 ounces mixed greens

• 1½ ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 200 grams (7.6 ounces) halloumi, cubed

• ¼ cup thinly sliced red cabbage

• ½ onion, sliced

• 1 green apple, cored and sliced

For the dressing:

• ¼ cup olive oil

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Slice one of the sunchokes into paper-thin slices. Halve the remaining sunchokes.
2. Toss the sunchokes, carrots, half of the sliced fennel with olive oil and salt. Roast for about 20 minutes, or until tender. You may need to remove the thinly sliced sunchokes earlier if they get crisp.
3. Saute the mushrooms in a little olive oil over high heat for just a few minutes, until they are cooked and slightly browned. Or, to keep things simple, you can just keep them raw. Remove the mushrooms and set aside.
4. Heat a little olive oil in the pan over high heat and fry the halloumi. Be sure not to crowd the pan, otherwise the cubes will stick together. Flip once and remove from the heat once crispy ob both sides.
5. Put all ingredients in a large salad bowl and toss with the mustard vinaigrette (recipe below).
6. Note on dressing salad: the very best way is to put a little dressing at the bottom of the bowl, then the salad, then some on top and toss to combine.
7. For the dressing: Whisk together all ingredients until emulsified and combined. Season with salt and pepper and add more olive oil, lemon juice or dijon mustard to taste, if needed.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Thyme

Ingredients

For the ravioli and filling:

• 1 1/4 cups butternut squash puree (steam or roast, then puree to make this)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 3/4 cups diced (1/3 inch) butternut squash
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh tarragon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh pasta sheets

For the sauce:

• 1 stick salted butter
• 25 sage leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 1/2 ounces shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions

To make the ravioli filling:

1. In a heavy-based small saucepan, cook the puree over a medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until some of the moisture has evaporated and the mixture thickens slightly, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't stick to the pan. Let cool completely.
2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium to high heat. Add the diced butternut squash and sauté for about 10 minutes or until it is tender and golden brown. Allow to cool completely.
3. Stir the puree, diced squash, grated Parmesan cheese and tarragon in a bowl to combine. Season the mixture to taste with salt and pepper.

To prepare the ravioli:

1. Place 1 pasta square or round on the work surface. Place 1 tablespoon/20 g of the butternut squash mixture in the center of the pasta square or round. Brush water over the pasta dough that surrounds the filling. Top with another pasta square or round.
2. Press the edges together to seal. Repeat with the remaining pasta squares or rounds and filling, forming 20 ravioli total. Trim the ravioli squares, if necessary. Transfer the ravioli to a floured baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.

To make the sauce and serve the ravioli:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the ravioli and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the pasta is tender and the filling is heated through.
2. Meanwhile, place a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the butter and cook for about 4 minutes or until the butter melts and becomes a light brown color.
3. Once this begins to happen, add the sage leaves and lemon juice and simmer for 2 minutes or until the sage is crisp. Remove from the heat. Stir in the nuts. Drain the raviolis from the water and place five ravioli on each plate.
4. Spoon the brown butter mixture over and around the raviolis. Garnish with the shaved Parmesan cheese and serve.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Spork Foods

Spork Foods is a Los Angeles-based gourmet vegan food company, created by sisters Heather Goldberg and Jenny Engel. They offer organic vegan cooking classes on everything from homemade candy bars to Italian meals. The sister duo recently published a cookbook, Spork-Fed, offering up delicious vegan dishes such as the one below.

Serves 6

Filling ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup non-dairy butter
• 1⁄4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 large orange bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon neutral-tasting high-heat oil
• 2 cups seitan, cut into large dice
• 1⁄2 cup fresh or frozen English peas
• 1 medium carrot, diced
• 1 1⁄2 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3⁄4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

Biscuit topping ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup unsweetened almond or soymilk, plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons non-aluminum baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons non-dairy butter
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. For the filling: In a large (6-quart) pot over medium heat, whisk to combine butter and flour, creating a roux. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic, and cook for about 3 minutes.
3. In a sauté pan, add oil and seitan. Sauté until browned, about 
3-5 minutes, and set aside.
4. In the pot with the roux, add peas, carrot, vegetable broth, oregano, basil, lemon juice, sea salt and black pepper. Stir continuously over medium heat until mixture thickens, about
 5-7 minutes. Add seitan and cook 
for an additional 2 minutes.
 Remove from heat.
5. For the biscuit topping:  Add apple cider vinegar to almond or soymilk and set aside. 
6. Using a pastry cutter, whisk flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, oregano, sea salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cut buttery spread into flour until mixture resembles a coarse meal.  Add the curdled soymilk and agave to the flour mixture and knead just until the mixture holds together. 
7. Top with about 3 tablespoons biscuit topping. The biscuit mixture will be sticky, so using damp hands, apply to top of ramekin. Repeat for all ramekins.  Place all filled ramekins on a walled baking sheet and bake until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, approximately 30 minutes.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Season with Spice

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 servings of your choice of noodles (soba, thin ramen, or any Asian noodles)
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2 dried red chili peppers, broken into half (optional)
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
• 1/2 tablespoon young galangal (or ginger), peeled and chopped finely
• 1/2 yellow onion, sliced
• 300 grams or 3 cups of Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced thinly
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Generous dashes of sesame oil
• Sliced spring onion and fresh red chili peppers for garnish

Directions

1. Cook noodles in boiling water according to package instructions. When cooked, drain the water, and then run noodles under cold tap water to stop the noodles from further cooking. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium fire­, then toss in dried red chili peppers, and sauté for a minute until the chili infuses the oil (the oil should smell spicy). Skip the dried red chili peppers if you do not want the dish to be spicy. Add in garlic, young galangal, and yellow onion, and sauté for another minute or until the onion slices soften.
3. Add in the mushrooms, light soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and salt. Sauté until mushrooms are cooked and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Continuing on medium fire, add in the cooked noodles, and quickly stir to combine all the ingredients. Then season with black pepper and dashes of sesame oil.
5. Turn off heat. Serve noodles in individual bowls and garnish with spring onion and fresh red chili peppers.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Lauren’s Latest

Lauren’s Latest is the blog of a young wife and mother who “lives a happy and big life on a small budget.” Lauren works to take everyday ingredients and make them into extraordinary food, and her recipes have been featured on Good Morning America and Glamour magazine, among others.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 extra large zucchini from the garden or 4-6 small
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, crushed
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2/3 cup pizza sauce
• 1/2 cup sliced pepperoni (optional)
• 4 slices deli ham, julienned (optional)
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1/4 onion, sliced thin
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 10 fresh basil leaves, torn (if desired)
• And any other pizza toppings you’d like

Directions

1. Preheat skillet over medium heat with olive oil and garlic. Slice ends off of zucchini and slice down the center lengthwise. Scoop all the seeds out so you are left with a skinny boat shape, about 1/3-1/2 inch thick.
2. If you are using large zucchinis, slice in half, this time width-wise so you have 4 ‘boats’ per zucchini. If you are using small zucchinis from the store, you can forgo this step.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper over prepared zucchinis. Remove garlic from pan. Place zucchinis cut side down in pan and cover. Cook 5 minutes and turn. Edges should be brown. Cover and cook another 5 minutes.
4. Transfer cooked zucchini to a sheet pan. Fill with pizza sauce, desired toppings and cheese. Sprinkle with oregano. Bake under the broiler until cheese has browned. Remove from oven.
5. In small bowl, combine tomatoes with basil, salt and pepper. Top cooked pizza stuffed zucchinis with tomato mixture, if desired.

Note: I like my zucchini crisp-tender, meaning it is still a little firm but not crunchy like a totally uncooked zucchini would be. If you would like a softer pizza-stuffed zucchini, bake the pizza stuffed zucchinis at 375 for 10-15 minutes (as opposed to broiling). This should soften things up!

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Herbivoracious

Herbivoracious is the brainchild of Michael Natkin, a Seattle resident who left software engineering and computer graphics after 25 years to travel the world and experience the restaurant industry. He went from bringing dinosaurs to animated life to blogging about his vegetarian adventures, even recently publishing a Herbivoracious cookbook.

Ingredients

For the rice:

• 2 1/4 cups basmati rice (3 standard rice-cooker cups)
• 1 13-ounce can coconut milk

For the sauce:

• 1 ripe mango, cubed
• 1 to 2 jalapeno or serrano pepper (or if you are insane, some part of a habanero), seeded and roughly chopped
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
• 1 handful cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

For the dish:

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or vegetable oil
• 2 ripe plantains, peeled and sliced into generous 1/4-inch thick coins
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups cooked black beans, heated, seasoned with salt (or if you like, with garlic, onions, epazote, etc. as you please)
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 1 mango, cubed
• 1 handful cilantro
• Flaky sea salt
• 1 lime cut into quarters

Directions

1. For the rice: Cook the rice in your usual way, on the stovetop or in a rice cooker, but replace one can’s worth of water with the coconut milk, then add in an extra quarter-cup of water.
2. For the sauce: Roughly puree all ingredients in a mini food processor. Just 10 seconds or so should be sufficient, as you want to retain some texture. Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. To complete the dish: Warm your serving bowls or plates. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it is shimmering, add the plantains in a single layer. Fry, until brown on one side, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until browned and tender, about two more minutes. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. To serve, you may either divide the rice among four bowls and top with the plantains, beans, avocado, mango, cilantro and sauce, or serve all of the ingredients separately and let diners make their own. Pass the lime quarters to squeeze over the finished plate as desired.

Note: This recipe is vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of My Fancy Pantry

Recipe serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked arborio rice
• 5-6 cups veggie stock
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large shallots, chopped
• 3 large garlic cloves, smashed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine (I used a dry Marsala)
• Zest of 1 small lemon
• Juice of 1 small lemon
• 2 ounces chevre (goat cheese)
• 1 cup frozen raspberries
• Salt to taste
• Cracked black pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring stock to a simmer in a small saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat.
2. Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into a heavy bottomed pan (I used my Dutch oven) and heat over medium-high flame. Once the oil is hot, add the shallot and garlic, stirring constantly. You don’t want the shallot to take on a brown color, but you want it to be cooked through and semi-translucent—approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Once the shallot and garlic are cooked, add the Herbes de Provence. Stir to combine.
4. Add the uncooked rice to the pot and cook (stirring constantly) for about a minute. Add 3 tablespoons wine to deglaze. Keep stirring the rice until all the wine seems to be absorbed and the pan is looking dry.
5. Add one ladle of stock (approximately 1/2 cup) and stir until nearly all of it is absorbed by the rice. Keep stirring and adding stock 1/2 cup at a time as the rice absorbs it. I ended up using about 5 cups of stock, but it will really depend on how long your rice takes to cook (you want the rice to be al dente—it should have a little bite to it) and how creamy you like your risotto. This process will take anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Add the goat cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Keep cooking and stirring until the cheese is completely melted. The risotto should have a nice thick, creamy consistency at this point. Fold in the frozen raspberries. Cook 1 or 2 minutes longer, until the raspberries are no longer frozen. Remove from heat.
7. Serve as soon as possible for best flavor. Garnish with extra chevre.

Note: If you are bothered by the seeds in the raspberries or would like a pink-colored risotto, you can puree the berries and run them through a fine sieve before adding to the risotto.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Top of the Apple

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup pine nuts
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

For the filling:

• 1 ripe but firm avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for garnish
• 1 ear of corn, kernels removed
• 3-4 medium tomatoes, sliced
• 2 tablespoons Kalamata olives, chopped
• 5 basil leaves, cut into strips
• Salt to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In food processor, combine flours, cheese, pine nuts, sesame seeds and salt; pulse until well combined and mixture resembles sand.
2. Add butter; pulse until butter is completely distributed. Add 2 tablespoons of water; pulse a few times. Remove mixture to a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Press mixture into bottom and up the sides of the pan until evenly distributed; refrigerate 15 minutes. Remove from fridge.
3. With a fork, pierce the crust 5-6 times. Cover the crust with parchment paper and fill with pie weights. Bake 15 minutes; remove weights and parchment paper; bake another 10 minutes. Remove from oven; cool.
4. Arrange avocado slices on crust (see My Recession Kitchen). Brush avocado with olive oil to avoid browning. Sprinkle corn kernels over avocado and fill empty spaces. Arrange tomato slices on top; sprinkle with chopped olives. Garnish with basil strips and season with salt to taste. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Kalyn’s Kitchen

Makes two sweet potatoes, but can easily be doubled or tripled. 

Ingredients

• 2 small orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (often called yams or sweet yams in U.S. grocery stores)
• 2 ounces crumbled feta (or slightly more if you're feeling indulgent)
• Pinch of ground fennel seed
• Pinch of ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon finely minced garlic
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Ground sumac for serving (optional, but good; you could substitute a little bit of smoked paprika)

Directions

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350F/180C. Wash sweet potatoes, cut off sharp pointed ends if desired, and prick all over with a fork. 
2. Put sweet potatoes on small roasting pan and bake 50-60 minutes, or until the sweet potato is easily pierced with a fork.
3. While sweet potatoes are cooking, crumble the feta into a bowl. Mix in the ground fennel seed, ground coriander seed, minced garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, and olive oil and let the feta mixture marinate in the fridge while the sweet potatoes bake. (If you don't have all those spices I would substitute anything that tastes good with feta such as a little dried oregano or some chopped fresh mint or basil.)
4. When sweet potatoes are soft, remove from oven and cut a long slit in the top of each sweet potato. Use hot pads to gently squeeze the sweet potato to soften the flesh, then scoop out carefully into a small bowl. Mix in about half the feta mixture with the sweet potato flesh. Use a spoon to fill the sweet potato skins with the mixture, then divide the rest of the feta between the sweet potatoes, piling it on top.
5. Put sweet potatoes back in the roasting pan and put in the oven for 10-15 minutes more, just until the cheese has started to melt. Serve hot, sprinkled with sumac if desired and with salt and fresh ground black pepper to season at the table.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of My Fancy Pantry

Ingredients

• 1 pound asparagus
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon butter, divided
• 4 large shallots, diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 ounces chèvre (goat cheese)
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon 
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock (I used Trader Joe's)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup low-fat half &half
• 1/2 cup low-fat milk
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• Chives, chopped (to garnish)

Directions

1. Dice the shallots and the asparagus. Reserve most of the asparagus tips for garnishing the soup later.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the shallots for about 4 minutes, until they are soft and tender. 
3. Add the asparagus and the tarragon. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the asparagus becomes nice and tender. Toss in the chèvre and stir to combine. The cheese should melt and everything should begin to look creamy. 
4. Once the cheese melts, add in the flour. Stir and cook for 1 minute so the flour no longer tastes raw. Stir in the veggie stock and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer for 15 minutes until the asparagus is very, very tender.
5. Remove from heat and process the soup in a blender until very smooth. Press the pureed mixture through a fine sieve or cheesecloth into a clean bowl or pot.
6. Add the milk/half & half by pouring it in the sieve, over the asparagus puree. This way, you can get maximum asparagus flavor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the soup aside. It can be served either hot or cold.
7. In a small pan, melt 1 teaspoon of butter and add the reserved asparagus tips. Sauté for about 4 minutes, to soften. (I also added a little minced black garlic at this stage.)
8. When you're ready to serve the soup, ladle it into bowls and garnish with asparagus tips, chives and a few small chunks of chèvre.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Kalyn’s Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 pound sugar snap peas
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce (can use low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
• 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
• 2-3 slices fresh ginger root
• 2 large garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds or sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Remove the strings from each sugar snap pea by snapping the stem end and pulling the string down the side, then slice each one on the diagonal.  (The sugar snap peas actually have a string on each side, but on most of them I only removed the string from one side.)
2. Mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, and Sriracha sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Put the wok or heavy frying pan on the burner and preheat at least one minute. (It should feel very hot if you hold your hand above the wok.) When wok is hot, add the oil and let it heat until the oil is shimmering (about 15-30 seconds, depending on how hot your stove gets). 
4. Add the sliced ginger root and garlic and stir-fry just long enough so they become fragrant and season the oil, then remove. (Be careful not to brown the ginger and garlic or they will have a bitter taste.)
5. Add the sliced sugar snap peas and cook over high heat, stirring constantly, until the peas turn bright green and are just starting to cook, about 2 minutes. 
6. Pour in the sauce mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce just starts to coat the peas, about 1 minute more. (There will be some sauce in the bottom of the wok, but not much.) Serve hot, sprinkled with black sesame seeds or sesame seeds if desired.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Bella Bonito

Recipe serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 6 cups of vegetable broth
• 10 carrots
• 3 big stems of celery
• 1 big yellow onion
• 1 big yam
• 3 tablespoons of freshly ground ginger
• 3 cloves of garlic
• A small handful of fresh oregano and fresh thyme 
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt 
• Black pepper (I also added some white pepper because I like the flavor)
• 2 tablespoons of gluten-free tamari soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of cumin
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon of curry powder (optional).
• Chive for garnish

Directions

1. Chop all the vegetables into cubes.
2. Sauté veggies and garlic with olive oil on high heat for 10 minutes or so to sweat them. Add herbs too.
3. Then add vegetable broth into the pan and bring it to boil. Simmer it for about 20 minutes until the veggies are done and add freshly ground ginger and other spices into the pan. Mix it well and transfer it into a blender.
4. Blend it until it's smooth, then put it back in the pan. (You'll have to blend it in two batches).  
5. Garnish with chopped chives and serve!

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Top of the Apple

(adapted from Mixed Plate)

Makes about 8 cups.

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 1/2 bouillon cube (I use Rapunzel)
• 1 cup bulgur wheat
• 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup minced red onion
• 1 pinch sugar
• 1 cucumber, seeded and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and diced
• 1 cup chopped mint
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup lemon juice (Meyer if you’ve got them)
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. In a small saucepot, bring water to a boil. Stir in bouillon until dissolved.
2. Add bulgur, lower heat to a simmer; cook until water is absorbed and bulgur is dry, about 8 minutes. Fluff with fork and remove to a large bowl; set aside.
3. In same pot over medium-high heat, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil until hot. Add onions and sugar; cook and stir until fragrant and glossy, about 2 minutes.
4. Remove to bowl with the bulgur. To bowl, add cucumber, avocado, mint, raisins, almonds, lemon zest, lemon juice and remaining 3 teaspoons of oil; toss gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Top of the Apple

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1 (17.5-ounce) package whole wheat potato gnocchi
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch kale or swiss chard, roughly chopped
• 4 cups diced butternut squash (about 20 ounces)
• 1 portobello mushroom, thinly sliced and halved
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 1-1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 12 ounces ricotta
• 1/3 cup pecan pieces (I used hazelnuts but pecans would’ve been better)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of the salt to a large pot of water; bring to a rolling boil. Add gnocchi. Cook until gnocchi float to the top, about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. In same pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add greens and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt; cook and stir until wilted, about 3 minutes.
4. Once greens are cooked, add butternut squash, mushroom, pumpkin puree, vegetable broth, maple syrup and remaining 3/4 teaspoon of salt; stir and bring to a simmer. Remove to a 9×13-inch casserole dish.
5. Spoon heaping tablespoons of ricotta cheese over casserole; sprinkle with pecan pieces. Bake in oven until squash is tender and ricotta is slightly brown, about 35-40 minutes. Serve warm in bowl; drizzle with additional maple syrup if desired.

Recipe and Photo Courtesy of Bon Appetit

B&O American Brasserie in Baltimore, Maryland, offers everything from juicy steaks to local seafood, but our money's on the brick-oven pizzas (or flatbreads, as they're called at the restaurant). Savor the arugula, asparagus, and fried egg version while taking in the scene at the restaurant's downstairs bar.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (packed) fresh spinach (about 2 ounces)
• 1 cup (packed) arugula leaves (about 2 ounces) plus additional (for garnish)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus additional (for brushing)
• 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup (or more) warm water (110°F to 115°F), divided
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 1/4-ounce packets active dry yeast
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• Cornmeal (for sprinkling)
• 8 ounces fingerling potatoes, cooked, cooled, cut crosswise into 1/3-inch slices
• 8 ounces asparagus; thin stalks cut into 1/2-inch pieces, thick stalks cut into 1/4- to 1/3-inch pieces
• 2 large ears of corn, husked, kernels cut from cobs
• 2/3 cup fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed
• 3/4 cup ricotta cheese (not drained)
• 8 large eggs
• Parmesan cheese shavings

• Special Equipment

Heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook attachment

Preparation

• Place spinach in microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle with water. Microwave until wilted, about 20 seconds. Drain, pressing on spinach to release liquid. Place spinach, 1 cup arugula, 1/2 cup oil, and garlic in blender. Blend until coarse puree forms. Transfer pesto to small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.
• Stir 1/4 cup warm water and honey in small bowl. Stir in yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. Place flour and coarse salt in stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment. Add 3/4 cup warm water and yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed until dough comes together and pulls away from sides of bowl, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if too dry, about 2 to 3 minutes. Brush large bowl with oil. Form dough into ball. Place in bowl; turn to coat. Cover with plastic; place in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Place pizza stone or baking sheet in oven (if using rimmed baking sheet, invert sheet, rim side down). Preheat oven to 500°F. Knead dough in bowl. Cover and let rise again until doubled in volume, about 45 minutes. Divide dough into 4 equal portions. Form each portion into ball. Place on floured work surface; cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10 minutes.
• Sprinkle rimless baking sheet with cornmeal. Working with 1 ball at a time, roll out dough on floured surface to 12x7-inch oval. Transfer to sheet. Spread 2 tablespoons pesto over dough, leaving 1/2-inch plain border. Sprinkle 1/4 of potatoes, 1/4 of asparagus, 1/4 of corn, and 1/4 of peas over pesto. Spoon three 1-tablespoon dollops ricotta over vegetables. Slide pizza onto stone; bake until crust is golden brown on bottom and around edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, brush nonstick skillet with oil; heat over medium heat. Crack 2 eggs into skillet; cook just until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer pizza to work surface. Place 2 fried eggs atop pizza. Scatter shaved Parmesan and arugula leaves over. Cut pizza into wedges and serve. Repeat with remaining dough, pesto, potatoes, asparagus, corn, peas, ricotta, and eggs.

Want more meat-free ideas? Try this luscious Polenta with Green Beans, Mushrooms, Peas and Leeks or Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts.

Recipe and photo editor courtesy of Healthycrush.com

These healthy little nori rolls are exquisitely good and fun to make! I was turned onto the idea of nori rolls last week by my homegirl Robyn, who taught me how to make them. I adapted this recipe a little bit from the one I found in Kris Carr’s Crazy Sexy Diet. They are so easy, totally vegan, and make the perfect meal!

Ingredients:

     Directions:

• Place your nori sheet shiny side down. Spread a thin layer of rice evenly over the nori.

• Mix the juice from 1/2 the lemon into the tahini to make a thin sauce. Spread a very thin layer of the tahini sauce on the rice.

• Cut the other 1/2 of the lemon into a few slices.

• Place cucumber, carrot, avocado, scallions and sprouts on top of the rice. Squeeze a slice of lemon over the toppings.

• Roll nori tightly from the bottom and wet your fingers with water to seal the roll.

      • Either cut up into small pieces, or simply cut in half!

      • Mix the grated ginger into the tamari and use it as a dipping sauce! I put the ginger & tamari into my Vita-Mix and blended it up.

*If you’re not a fan of seaweed, you can make lettuce wraps instead, using collard greens or other lettuce of choice!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Healthy Crush

These savory little pot pies—named for blogger Jenny Sansouci's sister Lisa—are both meat- and dairy-free.

Ingredients:

Sauce:

Other ingredients needed:

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Lay down 4 sheets of fillo dough. Cut fillo dough into squares that are big enough to fill a muffin tin. Brush the muffin tins lightly with coconut oil before adding the dough squares.

Add the vegetables to a large skillet. Whisk together the sauce ingredients and add to the skillet along with the veggies.

Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat until the veggies and sauce form a thick mixture. (You can always add a little more liquid or a pinch more whole wheat flour if the mixture seems either too dry or too thin.)

Spoon the mixture into the tins.

Cut out smaller fillo dough squares that fit on top of the pies.

Use a pastry brush and coconut oil to brush the tops of the pies and fold the corners of the bottom dough layer over the top square.

Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until pies look golden brown.

Remove from tins and serve.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Umami Girl

This recipe makes a satisfying plant-based main dish with a big green salad alongside.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (uncooked) brown basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, minced
• 6 cups mixed fresh mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (chanterelles, chestnuts, shiitakes, and oysters are good choices)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• About 6 ounces baby spinach
• 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chopped chives

Instructions

1. Place the rice in a medium pot with two scant cups cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover, reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, and cook until water is absorbed, about 40 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, still stirring occasionally, until they have reduced in volume by about half and reabsorbed any water they’ve given off during cooking, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, one minute more. Add the spinach to the pan and cook, stirring, until just wilted.

3. When the rice and the mushroom mixture are both cooked, scrape the mushroom mixture into the pot with the rice. Add the soy sauce and chives and stir together gently but thoroughly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)

Cooking time: 40 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 6

Recipe and photo courtesy of Bon Appetit
Recipe by Ivy Manning
Photograph by Marcus Nilsson

Check out two more great recipes from Bon Appetit: Farro and Celery Salad and Almond-Banana Smoothie.

Courtesy of Generation Y Foodie

INGREDIENTS

2 medium delicata squash (approx. 1pound), sliced in half and seeded
1 pound fingerling potatoes, washed and halved
1 cup lactino kale, washed and chopped into 1-inch  ribbons
1 cup radicchio, washed and chopped into 1-inch ribbons
1 medium leek, halved and chopped (white part only)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, washed and chopped


INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Cut delicata squash into 1/2-inch slices and arrange in a large baking dish.

3. Toss squash, leeks and potatoes with 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

4. Roast for 30-35 minutes, until slightly crispy.

5. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar and rosemary.

6. Remove squash/potatoes from the oven.

7. In the roasting pan, toss the kale and radicchio with the squash and potatoes.

8. Drizzle with the dressing and toss thoroughly.

9. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. The heat will wilt the greens.

10. Serve with fresh pepper and a lemon wedge.

We know what you've been thinking. How am I going to keep my Meatless Monday resolution this year? There are so many blogs and too many recipes to pick through. Jinx! We were just thinking that too. So this year TakePart's food editors will be combing the web to bring you an amazing vegetarian recipe every Monday (thanks to our friends at Bon Appetit and lots of our favorite food blogs). Whether you're just gearing up or a longtime herbivore, your plant-based dinners are about to get far more delicious.

MONDAY, JANUARY 2: BLACK BEAN CHILI WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH