Category Archives: Dinner

The MVP Avocado Sandwich w/Classic Deli Potato Salad

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The MVP Avocado Sandwich w/Classic Deli Potato Salad ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“But, you know, it’s still a drag to get your picture taken when you’re eating a sandwich. It’s a downer.” — Keanu Reeves

This MVP Avocado sandwich recipe from Betty Goes Vegan (page 83) is a stroke of genius! Served on a toasted baguette with melted dairy-free cheese, avocado, and an herb vinaigrette, this delicious little number will make you very happy. ;) We added some heirloom tomato slices and butter lettuce to ours because we had some that we needed to use up.

Served with tasty, tasty Classic Deli Potato Salad, also from Betty Goes Vegan, page 114.

Sandwich Fact: It is named after the man credited with creating the first sandwich, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich. Legend has it that he was unwilling to free up both hands during a 24 hour gambling event in order to eat. Instead, he asked his servant to put the meat from his meal between two slices of bread so he could hold it in one hand and continue gambling.

Camping Fare

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Camping Fare ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“Some national parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong.” — George Carlin

Keith and I recently got out of town for a couple of fantastic nights of cabin camping on the coast. We always like to prepare our food in advance before we go camping so it’s easier to relax and enjoy ourselves while we are there. Then we just have to fire up the old camping stove, heat, and eat! :) This was our menu this time around…

Breakfast: Some sweet-tart Cran-Apple Muffins from 1,000 Vegan Recipes page 410, served with fresh fruit, tea and espresso.
Lunch: Smoky Mac and Cheese from The Vegan Slow Cooker, page 115. This is our go-to macaroni and cheese recipe. It is so cheesy and melty you wouldn’t believe it. We added some roasted broccoli & red peppers for good measure.
Dinner: Thick and savory Seitan Beef Stew from Cookin’ Crunk, page 78. This stew is amazing and was just what we needed on those chilly evenings by the fire.
Dessert: Chocolate Banana Walnut Brownies with Holy Chocolate Icing from ExtraVeganZa, page 228. Yum, yum, yum! And for second desserts, some toasted vegan Dandies Marshmallows.

Camping Facts: Camping has been a recreational sport for over 140 years. However, the roots of camping go back hundreds of years. It can be traced back to Native Americans, the first settlers of the United States.

Vegan Chicken Chow Mein

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Vegan Chicken Chow Mein ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.” — Chinese proverb

I regularly crave chow mein and this great recipe from Betty Goes Vegan, page 256, definitely satisfies that craving.

This recipe is made using vegan chicken and a plethora of veggies, and the sauce is rich and thick. You can serve it over rice or noodles. We used udon noodles, which was delicious, and we served it with a side of store-bought spring rolls and kombucha.

Chow Mein Fact: Chow mein literally means “fried noodles.”

“Seeing Red” Borscht & Whole Wheat Beer Bread

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"Seeing Red" Borscht & Whole Wheat Beer Bread ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“Everything I do, I do on the principle of Russian borscht. You can throw everything into it beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, everything you want. What’s important is the result, the taste of the borscht.” — Yevgeny Yevtushenko, Russian poet

This slow-cooked “Seeing Red” Borscht from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, page 53, is so tender and flavorful that it really justifies the Russian proverb, “Better fed than taught.” This earthy soup was a steaming cauldron of chopped beets, carrots, potatoes, onions, bell peppers, and spices.

We topped it off with some Sour Dressing from Vegan Deli, page 123 and fresh dill.

The crusty, warm, buttery beer bread on the side was from Cookin’ Crunk, page 140. I can’t tell you how simple this bread was to make. The beer and baking powder give it it’s lift, so there’s no need to add yeast and let the dough rise. You just mix the few, simple ingredients in a bowl, pop the dough into your bread pans, and bake. About an hour later you’ve got the freshest, tastiest bread ever! We used a nice hoppy, organic German beer for ours, but you could use whichever brew you prefer.

Borscht Facts: Borscht is a soup made mostly from beets. It began as a specialty of Eastern European cuisine, primarily of the poorer people (beets were inexpensive). The soup dates at least to Medieval times.

Corned Beefless Brisket & Cabbage

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Corned Beefless Brisket & Cabbage ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“NO kitty, this is my corned beef and cabbage.” — South Park’s Eric Cartman as his cat tries to eat his food

I have some Irish blood in me, but I’d never tried corned beef and cabbage, until now that is! Cartman’s cat (in the quote above) isn’t the only kitty who’s fond of such a dish. Leonard couldn’t even stay away from the plate long enough for me to take a picture.

This Corned Beefless Brisket & Cabbage recipe from Betty Goes Vegan, page 147, was the heartiest, savoriest thing I’ve had in a while. The brisket was laced with whole juniper berries from the pickling spices added to this dish and the cabbage and potatoes were melt-in-your-mouth tender.

Corned Beef Facts: The First Mention of “Corned Beef” goes back to an English Book by Richard Burton in 1621, Anatomy of Melancholy…Beef ..corned young of an ox.

“Chicken” & Wild Rice Soup

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Chicken & Wild Rice Soup ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“What does good in bed mean to me? When I’m sick and I stay home from school propped up with lots of pillows watching TV and my mom brings me soup – that’s good in bed.” — Brooke Shields

Another scrumptious recipe from Betty Goes Vegan, by Annie & Dan Shannon, page 62.

This is the quintessential, comforting “chicken” soup, made from Gardein Chick’n Scallopini, wild rice, carrots, celery, onions, peas, and spices. This certainly did the trick on some cold days and we will be making it again soon. This is so easy to prepare that even a sicky could make a big pot of it, eat some, and then get back in to bed for some more rest.

Wild Rice Facts: Wild rice are four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China. Wild rice is not directly related to Asian rice although they are close cousins. The plants grow in shallow water in small lakes and slow-flowing streams; often, only the flowering head of wild rice rises above the water. The grain is eaten by dabbling ducks and other aquatic wildlife, as well as humans.


Country-Fried Tempeh Steak w/Buttermilk Biscuits & Soy Milk Gravy

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Country-Fried Tempeh Steak w/Buttermilk Biscuits & Soy Milk Gravy ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“To fulfill a dream, to be allowed to sweat over lonely labor, to be given a chance to create, is the meat and potatoes of life. The money is the gravy.” — Bette Davis

Each of these recipes are from the wonderful new cookbook Cookin’ Crunk, by Bianca Phillips. The Country Fried Steak with Soy Milk Gravy are on page 94, and the Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits are on page 136.

This meal was just too decadent and delicious! What says “comfort food” more than batter-fried tempeh steaks with a creamy sage gravy and warm, buttery biscuits?

Served with a side of pureed, roasted turnips topped with dairy-free butter. You could also serve this with pureed, steamed cauliflower or mashed potatoes.

We added a bunch of chopped chives to the biscuit dough because we had some in the fridge. We also substituted hemp milk for soy milk in the gravy recipe.

Country Fried Steak Facts: The precise origins of the dish are unclear, but many sources attribute its development to German and Austrian immigrants to Texas in the 19th century, who brought recipes for Wiener Schnitzel from Europe to the USA. Lamesa, the seat of Dawson County on the Texas South Plains, claims to be the birthplace of chicken fried steak, and hosts an annual celebration accordingly. John “White Gravy” Neutzling of Bandera in the Texas Hill Country also claims to have invented the dish.

Sweet Pea Ravioli

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Sweet Pea Ravioli ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“With Fellini, the fear dropped out of my work because it was such a happy experience… hanging out with Fellini, having pasta on the set with Fellini, and going out with Fellini!” — Terence Stamp

If you are craving some really good home made pasta then I highly recommend this delectable recipe from Great Chefs Cook Vegan, by Linda Long, page 90.

These tasty pasta pockets are filled with shallots, peas, tofu and served over a bed of pea cream made from peas, asparagus, baby spinach and soft tofu.

Then we drizzled them with a spicy, garlicky chili oil, and sprinkled caramelized shallots on top.

We made extra large raviolis using a 3″ cutter.

Ravioli Fact: The literal translation of  the word ravioli derives from the Italian verb ravvolgere, meaning ‘to wrap’. So ravioli is a form of the Italian verb ‘to wrap’ as the filling is wrapped in pasta.

Veggie Breakfast Scramble w/Tempeh Sausage Patties

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Veggie Breakfast Scramble w/Tempeh Sausage Patties ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll

These recipes are from The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook, and they are both easy to make. The Veggie Breakfast Scramble is on page 31, and the Tempeh Sausage Patties are on page 35.

The scramble is bursting with bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, summer squash, chard, and spices. This is such a healthy, delicious scramble filled with yummy veggies and no tofu!

The savory sausage patties were rich with flavors of onion, fennel, and sage, and honestly the best I’ve ever had. They were extra tasty with some hot sauce.

We ate these dishes with an English muffin on the side, but you could wrap the scramble up in a warmed corn tortilla for a gluten-free version.

We also doubled the recipes so we’d have gourmet breakfasts for a few days. We almost always double recipes, as this way we actually end up cooking a lot less that we would otherwise and we always have healthy food ready to eat.

Breakfast Facts: Breakfast (literally means to break the fasting period of the prior night; in Old English the term was morgenmete, meaning “morning meal”) is the first meal taken after rising from a night’s sleep, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day’s work.

BLT Potato Salad

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BLT Potato Salad ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“It is easy to halve the potato where there is love.” – Irish Proverb

This clever recipe combines two American picnic classics, fakin’ bakin’, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches and potato salad all in one big tasty bowl. This recipe from American Vegan Kitchen, page 95, is sure to be a big hit at your next vegan potluck.

BLT Factoids: The abbreviation ‘BLT’ first appeared in print during the early 1950s, but had already entered into common usage during the late 1940s.

The BLT (Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich) became popular when fresh lettuce and tomatoes became available year round with the rapid expansion of supermarkets after World War II.

Quinoa & Chard w/Sherry-Glazed Mushrooms

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Quinoa & Chard w/Sherry-Glazed Mushrooms ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

We made this wholesome, nutritious, and deeeelicious dish from Quick-Fix Vegan, page 60, for our lunches this week. We used black-eyed peas instead of the white beans that the recipe called for and we substituted millet for the quinoa, because that’s what we had in our pantry. We also substituted shiitake mushrooms for creminis because shiitakes are incredible immunity boosters and they are oh-so-delectable. Sometimes you have to improvise, you know? ;)

Quinoa Factoid: Quinoa is native to the Andes, and was a staple of the Incas (who called it the ‘mother grain’).

Nori & Sesame Crusted Seitan w/Gingered Sugar Snap Peas, Soba Noodles, & Edamame-Mint Sauce

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Nori & Sesame Crusted Seitan w/Gingered Sugar Snap Peas, Soba Noodles, & Edamame-Mint Sauce ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“Love is like seaweed; even if you have pushed it away, you will not prevent it from coming back.” ― Nigerian Proverb

I know some people aren’t big seaweed fans, but the flavors of nori in this recipe are subtle and refined. It is so good for you too; full of thyroid-protective iodine as well as vitamins A & C and iron.

If you can’t make it out to world-renowned vegan restaurant Candle 79 in New York City tonight just use their cookbook as a guide to prepare your own fantastic foodstuffs! Lay out a tablecloth, light a few candles, make this dish, and transport yourself there from the comfort of your own home (Note: you will have to wait on your own table and wash your own dishes, but I promise it will be worth it!).

Nori & Sesame Crusted Seitan w/Gingered Sugar Snap Peas, Soba Noodles, & Edamame-Mint Sauce, from the Candle 79 Cookbook (which I am eternally grateful for), page 84.

Simpler to prepare and even tastier than it looks, this is going to become one of our regular “fancy” meals.

Quinoa & Currant Stuffed Bell Peppers w/Raw Kale Salad w/Creamy Chipotle Dressing

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Quinoa & Currant-Stuffed Bell Peppers w/Raw Kale Salad w/Creamy Chipotle Dressing ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Both of these healthy and scrumptious recipes are from The Karma Chow Ultimate Cookbook, by Melissa Costello. The stuffed peppers are on page 161 and the kale salad is on page 117.

The peppers were nutritional powerhouses, stuffed with quinoa, beans, tomatoes, spinach, celery, carrots, and onion, and spiced with cumin and coriander. They were really tender and juicy, and quite meaty, actually.

We soaked and cooked some dried black beans in advance instead of using canned beans. Fresh, home-cooked beans always taste better than canned and they are much more nutritious.

We made extra stuffed peppers and froze them to heat up later.

They paired nicely with the raw kale salad, which was alive with flavors of chipotle, tahini, and lemon, and tossed with cherry tomatoes, slivered almonds and hemp seeds. What a great way to eat your raw greens! We will definitely be making both of these dishes again.

Thanks for the EXCELLENT cookbook, Cheryl and Joe. :)

Kale Factoid: Kale is on the menu for the adult hippopotamuses at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. Each hippo eats 10 pounds of kale, 3 gallons of high-protein cereal pellets, and ¼ bale of alfalfa hay a day!

Chick’n Normandy w/Apples & Brandy Sauce

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Chick'n Normandy w/Apples & Brandy Sauce ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“The sailor said Brandy you’re a fine girl, what a good wife you would be, but my life, my lover, my lady is the sea (dooda-dit-dooda), (dit-dooda-dit-dooda-dit).” — Brandy (You’re A Fine Girl) lyrics by Elliot Lurie, circa 1972

Apples, brandy, and seitan all in one place — savory, boozy, sweet and absolutely delicious! We’ve actually made this dish a few times already because it is that good. It’s also one of those easy-to-prepare recipes from The Vegan Slow Cooker, page 128. Served here with roasted sweet potatoes and toasted bread.

Marjoram & Peppercorn Brie

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Marjoram & Peppercorn Brie ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“Brother Ben, this is the best damn sandwich I ever ate, it’s a baguette, with brie and butter, had four of these damn things every day I was there. (he reaches in and finds another one) Got a couple left – here, try one.” — Jerry from David Lynch & Mark Frost’s masterpiece, Twin Peaks

Even the mice loved the vegan brie that we made using Miyoko Schinner’s inspired recipe from her newest cookbook Artisan Vegan Cheese, page 12.

This smooth and creamy cheese is made using cashews, coconut oil, and rejuvelac, which is full of probiotics. We made two big wheels of cheese but we ate most of it before we got around to taking this picture because it was truly tasty and went down nicely with some bread, apples, and kombucha.

We followed Miyoko’s recipe advice and made one wheel of peppercorn and one herb wheel (in our case, fresh marjoram).

Tempeh & Barley-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls w/Whipped Carrots

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Tempeh & Barley-Stuffed Cabbage Rolls ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

We love this cabbage roll recipe from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker, page 160, not only because these tender & tasty rolls literally melt in your mouth, but also because they are so easy to make it seems like little elves are doing the work for you while you, say… read a book, go for a walk, or take a nap!

We served these with some carrots that we’d peeled, steamed, and then whipped up with some dairy-free butter using our immersion blender, as a more nutritious substitute for mashed potatoes.

Cabbage Roll Fact: According to Wikipedia, Poles (Keith’s people) call cabbage rolls gołąbki (gaw-WOHMP-kee), which literally means “little pigeons.”

I’d rather eat one of these cabbage rolls than a little pigeon any old day! ;)

Blueberry-Balsamic Meatball Sandwiches w/Mashers, Mushroom Gravy & Pumpkin Pie

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Blueberry-Balsamic Meatball Sandwiches w/Mashers, Mushroom Gravy & Pumpkin Pie ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“From a man who’s eaten his fair share? I think it’s all about the… Jesus, what’s the secret to a good meatball? I have no idea. I like a lumpy ball, personally.” —Daniel Holzman, Meatball Chef

When we saw the recipe for Blueberry-Balsamic Meatball Sauce with Rosemary in The Vegan Slow Cooker cookbook, page 170, we just had to try it! This is like a slow-cooked, blueberry and red wine sweet-and-sour sauce. What could be better?

We made sandwiches from Nate’s Meatless Meatballs sauteed in the sauce and served on toasted ciabatta with a side of garlic mashed potatoes absolutely drowning in Mushroom Gravy, from The Real Food Daily Cookbook, page 69.

We also had a ton of fresh pumpkin left over after making Fall Harvest Fruit Butter, so we filled a store-bought graham cracker crust with the yummy Pumpkin Pie filling recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking, page 104, and we baked ourselves a pie.

Meen Deen Doughnut Burger Supreme ~ from Hella Vegan Eats

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Donut Burger ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

We cannot take credit for the creation this masterpiece, we got it “to go” from a Hella Vegan Eats popup at Dear Mom in San Francisco.

What you see pictured above is the Meen Deen Doughnut burger Supreme. Hella Vegan Eats describes this as a “Freekah-beet burger patty sitting pretty between two sugar doughnuts with heirloom tomatoes, kale, secret sauce, & pickled red onions.” Hella Vegan Eats is truly festive vegan cuisine! I haven’t stopped thinking about this heavenly burger since I quickly devoured it. Apologies for the less than stellar photo. To be honest we didn’t have time to set this shot up properly as our number one priority at that moment was eating that burger!

Many thanks to the glorious blog Vegansaurus for always tipping us off about great vegan events in the Bay Area.

Doughnut Factoid: People know a good thing when they eat one… the doughnut has existed since the dawn of time. To this day archaeologists continue to unearth fossilized pieces of what look like doughnuts in prehistoric Native American settlements.

Tofu Bouillabaisse

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Tofu Bouillabaisse ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

“…..all the charming and beautiful things, from the Song of Songs, to bouillabaisse, and from the nine Beethoven symphonies to the Martini cocktail, have been given to humanity by men who, when the hour came, turned from tap water to something with color in it, and more in it than mere oxygen and hydrogen.” – H.L. Mencken

Just in time for autumn… hot & hearty Tofu Bouillabaisse! From one of our most-used cookbooks, The Vegan Slow Cooker, p70. This flavorful recipe eschews the fish ingredients in traditional bouillabaisses (Scorpionfish, Sea Robin, European Conger, Sea Urchins, Octopus, Mussels and Crabs) and instead uses fish-and-sea-friendly tofu, with onions, garlic, fennel, celery, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, bay leaves, saffron, and lime juice. This is so easy to prepare. All you need to do is chop up all of the ingredients and toss them into your slow cooker, turn your slow cooker on, and 6 hours later you will have a piping hot, luscious, fennel-and-saffron-scented pot of deliciousness.

Tofu w/Roasted Peanuts in Chili Oil Served w/Congee & Braised Greens

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Tofu w/Roasted Peanuts in Chili Oil ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Bryant Terry has done it again with this terrific recipe combo! Tofu with Roasted Peanuts in Chili Oil served with Congee and Braised Greens, from The Inspired Vegan, page 164. The tofu was firm, spicy and peanut-alicious, the congee was creamy as can be, and the braised greens were tender and flavorful. For those who don’t know what congee is (like myself before coming across this recipe) it’s a Cantonese rice pudding, also known as Jook.

Potato & Leek “Risotto” w/Chanterelles & Spinach

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Potato & Leek "Risotto" w/Chanterelles & Spinach - From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

I just love the cookbook Great Chefs Cook Vegan by Linda Long. This healthy and scrumptious gourmet recipe is on page 16. Being a mushroom fanatic I was excited to see that this recipe called for chanterelles, porcinis, AND shiitakes, as well as white wine, shallots, leeks, potatoes, thyme, and spinach. This dish is perfect for those cool and cloudy autumn days. It will definitely warm you up inside! I recommend eating a nice big bowl with some gluten-free bread (as shown above) before curling up with a blanket (and a warm kitty if you have one about) on the couch to read a great book and then take a little nap.

Cheeze Platter

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Cheese Platter ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Craving a tasty snack? Fix yourself a cheeze platter! :) Tempeh pimiento cheeze ball from 1,000 Vegan Recipes, page 19, and smoked “gouda” from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook, page 161. Served with rice crackers and kalamata olives. Both of these dairy-free cheeses were delicious and really easy to make as well as gluten-free, wheat-free, and sugar-free. The “gouda” was made using carrots, cashews, nutritional yeast, agar flakes, tahini, lemon juice, liquid smoke, and mustard. The cheeze ball was made from tempeh, pimientos, vegan mayonnaise, soy sauce, and nutritional yeast, and then rolled in tasty toasted pecans. Say cheeze!

Pine-Nut-&-Basil Seared Gardein “Chicken” w/Lobster Mushroom Buerre Blanc, Braised Greens, & Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

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Pine-Nut-&-Basil Seared Gardein "Chicken" w/Lobster Mushroom Buerre Blanc, Braised Greens, & Roasted Fingerling Potatoes ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

From Tal Ronnen’s phenomenal cookbook The Conscious Cook. We love you Tal! :) This looks and sounds fancy, and it was, but it was actually quite easy to make.  Being a big mushroom fan I have been wanting to experiment with lobster mushrooms some more and this recipe provided the perfect opportunity to do so. This lobster mushroom buerre blanc is the richest, most decadent sauce in the known universe with flavors of shallots, white wine, dairy-free butter, and lobster mushrooms galore. We slathered it on top of the pine nut-&-basil-crusted fillets, thyme-roasted fingerling potatoes, and veggie stock-&-dairy-free butter-braised greens. A dinner to remember, for sure!

Soy Chorizo Black Bean Stew

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Soy Chorizo Black Bean Stew ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

This is bar none the best chili recipe that we have ever made, even though according to the the cookbook it is officially a stew. ;) This is what you dream a can of Hormel chili would be like if it was vegan, organic, and homemade. From The Vegan Slow Cooker, page 62. We soaked our own dry black beans because they are fresher, tastier, and less expensive than canned beans, and by cooking our own beans we avoided exposure to the endocrine disrupting BPA linings they are putting in cans these days, which is always a plus. This stew was perfect with warm tortillas topped with dairy-free butter. We will be slow-cooking this yummy recipe many more times, I am sure!

Tempeh Meat Loaf w/Garlic Mashers & Salad

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Tempeh Meat Loaf ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

The other night we made this comfort food dinner of tempeh meat loaf with cheesy garlic mashed potatoes (we added some nutritional yeast for a tasty cheesy flavor) and a side salad with home made gluten-free croutons. The satisfying tempeh meat loaf recipe is from The Real Food Daily Cookbook, page 177. We used my favorite vinaigrette recipe on the salad, which is from The Inspired Vegan, page 8. This vinaigrette is lemony and fresh, and the ingredients called for are basic ones that we always have on hand. We made the croutons form some gluten free bread that we had in the freezer. We just thawed out the bread, cut it into cubes, tossed the bread cubes in a bit of olive oil, garlic and oregano, and baked them in the oven at 350° for 20 minutes. We couldn’t find any store-bought croutons that were gluten-free and I’m so glad we made our own!

Millet-Crusted Mushroom-Leek Pie

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Millet Crusted Mushroom Leek Pie ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

This savory, meaty pie was a real treat! From The Urban Vegan by Denise Balcavage, page 140. It has a simple to make gluten-free crust, and a filling of mushrooms (we used shiitake and enoki) and leeks. I accidentally added 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast to the crust instead of 2 tablespoons and it was still amazing! This is the first time that we’ve ever cooked millet, and I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The crust recipe could be used as a gluten-free option for any savory pie filling. Millet is high in protein, rich in nutrients, and a great energy source.

Keith’s Tasty Garlic Cheese

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Keith's Tasty Garlic Cheese ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

I just adore Keith’s tasty garlic cheese! This is an “Eastern Block” classic, the foodstuff of Keith’s Polish and Hungarian ancestors. For the dinner pictured here we served it spread on toasted brown bread with vegan cold cuts and a side of sauteed dandelion greens (dandelion is a fantastic liver and kidney cleanser and tonic). Click here for Keith’s super-easy-to-make garlic cheese recipe! :)

Franks & Beans

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Franks'n'Beans ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

We made these smoky, hearty franks & beans for our workweek lunches. Doubling a recipe is always a good idea if you want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time relaxing with your family and friends. This easy and super-yummy recipe comes from the Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking cookbook, page 146. We used Field Roast’s Frankfurters (my favorite vegan dogs) for the franks. Boy did this hit the spot!

Roasted Eggplant & Spinach Muffuletta Sandwiches

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Roasted Eggplant & Muffuletta Sandwich ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

This is basically my favorite sandwich recipe ever. ;) Keith and I love to bring these when we go camping or hiking, they are such a treat in the wilderness or even indoors! This batch went down especially well at California Extreme, the annual vintage arcade and pinball game expo in Santa Clara, CA.  This is a classic New Orleans recipe from the essential cookbook Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moscowitz & Terry Hope Romero, page 100. To compile such a delicious sandwich you first roast slices of eggplant in the oven while you make an olive relish. Then you layer these goodies with roasted red peppers and marinated spinach on slices of bread (we used ciabatta), wrap the sammies up tight in aluminum foil, and press them in the refrigerator overnight until the flavors blend. We added some shredded Daiya vegan mozzarella cheese for good measure. Delicious served hot or cold.

Velvety Grits w/Sautéed Summer Squash, Heirloom Tomatoes, & Parsley-Walnut Pesto

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Velvety Grits w/Sautéed Summer Squash, Heirloom Tomatoes, & Parsley-Walnut Pesto ~ From Vegetate, Vegan Cooking & Food Blog

Can I tell you how much I am loving grits lately? :) This was made using another easy, winning recipe from Bryant Terry’s fabulous The Inspired Vegan, page 107. Such a great dish for summer! The flavors of the creamy grits, sauteed squash, juicy tomatoes, and lemony parsley pesto were bright and satisfying. I love the idea of a parsley-walnut pesto because parsley is an excellent tonic for the kidneys and walnuts are packed with omega-3 fatty acids. This is definitely one to make while heirloom tomatoes are in season.