Vegan Stuffed Peppers

3 yellow bell peppers, seeded and halved
Daiya pepper jack shreds
1 can pinto beans, drained
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp lime juice

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/2 veg bouillon cube
1/4 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, chipotle powder and cumin

Combine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid.

1/2 package veggie chorizo (I used Upton Naturals)
1 small onion, minced
1 Tbsp olive oil

Heat the olive in a skillet. Pan-fry the chorizo and onions for 5-7 minutes, or until slightly crispy and charred on the bottom.

Mix the cooked chorizo and quinoa with the beans. Mash the beans lightly. Add the nutritional yeast and lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stuff the pepper halves with the quinoa mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

Turn the heat up to 450. Sprinkle the Daiya shreds on top and cook for another 5 minutes, or until they're all melty.

Mexican Zucchini Soup

Unbelievably simple and tasty.

1 zucchini, sliced
1 can pinto beans, drained
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes with chilies, with juice
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 package soyrizo
1-1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn
1/2 tsp salt

Combine in a soup pot. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Serve with crushed corn chips mixed in, if desired.

Farmer's Market Quinoa Pilaf

2/3 cup dry quinoa
1-1/3 cup vegetable broth

Combine in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy.

1 Tbsp olive oil
8 oz. shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 green onion, diced
1 bunch asparagus, chopped into bite-sized pieces
salt and lime/lemon juice to taste
1 handful chopped fresh herbs (I used basil and tarragon)
1 can white kidney beans, drained
2 Tbsp red pepper-eggplant spread (optional)

Heat the olive oil on medium. Add the mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and let cook for 5 minutes, or until darkened and juicy. Add the onion and asparagus, sprinkle with more salt and lime juice and cook until the asparagus is fork-tender. Add the herbs, red pepper spread and cooked quinoa and heat through. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Vegan Cheesecake Cookie Dough Bars

These, adapted for vegan-friendliness from this recipe, are absolutely decadent.

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp brown sugar
5 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine, at room temperature

Cheesecake Filling:
8 oz vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup hot cocoa mix (I used Ghiradelli) OR 1/4 cup sugar + 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1-1/2 tsp egg replacer (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cookie Dough:
2 Tbsp Earth Balance margarine, at room temperature
3 Tbsp canola oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
1 cup chocolate chips

Before you start, set out your margarine and vegan cream cheese and let it warm up. (This isn't essential, but it makes things easier.) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Crush the graham crackers into crumbs. Mix with the sugar and 5 Tbsp margarine. Press the mixture into the bottom of an oiled baking dish. Bake the crust for 6-7 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let crust cool a bit. (You could also use a pre-made graham cracker or Oreo crust, if you want to skip this step.)

Mix the cream cheese, hot cocoa mix (or sugar + cocoa powder), egg replacer and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the crust.

Combine the remaining margarine, canola oil, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add the flour and mix well. Fold in the chocolate chips. Drop the cookie dough evenly over the cheesecake layer.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the top is crunchy. Let cool as much as possible before eating.

Kale Artichoke White Bean Strata

It's hard to say exactly how I came up with this dish. I was thinking spanakopita, but vegan. And then my pantry conspired to create this casticasserole.