West African Black-Eyed Peas & Bulgur

This was inspired by my favorite dish at Cookry, the West African restaurant in Des Moines. My version isn't nearly as butter-laden, and I'm far too lazy to make rice, but it was delicious over cracked wheat.

1 heaping tablespoon Earth Balance
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 small leek, thinly sliced
2 cans black-eyed peas, drained
1 can finely diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 vegetable bouillon cube
1 cup water
1/2 cup coconut milk
1-1/2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

1/2 cup cracked wheat
1-1/2 cups water
1/2 vegetable bouillon cube


Melt the Earth Balance in a heavy-bottomed large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the spices, garlic and leek and saute for 3-4 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Add the black-eyed peas, tomatoes, 1/2 of the bouillon cube, nutritional yeast, water and coconut milk and lower to a simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile, put the cracket wheat, water and the other half of the bouillon cube into a smaller saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the bulgur has softened.

To serve, spoon the black-eyed pea mixture over the bulgur. Eat with grilled plantains.

Hearty Vegetable-Barley Soup

I threw this together last night because I needed something easy and filling; when I ladled it out into bowls, my boy happily sighed: "I love this kind of soup!" Which just goes to show you that sometimes the simplest food can be the best.

1 tsp olive oil
1 leek, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 potato (preferably Viking Purple), diced
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup pearled barley
1/3 cup red lentils (optional)
1 veg bouillon cube
2 cans of water
1 bay leaf
1 small dried chipotle pepper (optional)
1 tsp white miso (optional)

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add the leeks, garlic and carrots, and saute for a few minutes, or until everything begins to brown. Add the tomatoes, potato, beans, barley, lentils, bouillon cube, water, bay leaf and chipotle pepper and mix well. Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Turn the heat down to low. Remove the bay leaf and chipotle pepper and stir in the miso until dissolved.

Note: I got Viking Purple potatoes at our farmer's market. I don't normally care for white potatoes, but these are wonderfully creamy and have an almost velvety texture.

Butternut Curry w/ Sweet Potato Leaves

I got the inspiration for this from a library book on African cuisine. The book included a recipe for pumpkin curry, which reminded me of all the times I had spicy, savory, coconutty pumpkin curry for lunch in Thailand. I was surprised at how easy it was to nail this recipe in one. Truly delicious.

1 medium butternut squash, seeds removed, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
6-8 oz. sweet potato leaves (or spinach)
1 cup green beans, cut into small pieces (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 drizzle olive oil
1/4 tsp each ground ginger, cardamom & garam masala
1/2 tsp red curry paste
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 tsp peanut butter
2 tsp tamarind paste (or lime juice)
1-1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp white miso

Arrange the squash cubes on a baking sheet and spray generously with canola oil. Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the cubes are tender. Meanwhile, steam the green bean pieces. Remove the squash from the oven.

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, spices and red curry paste. Stir until the garlic is well coated. Cook for a minute or two, just until fragrant. Add the squash cubes, green beans and coconut milk and lower the heat to a simmer. Whisk the peanut butter, tamarind paste, soy sauce and miso together, then add to the pot along with the water. Stir well to dissolve everything. Add the sweet potato leaves and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the leaves are wilted. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Autumn EquiDetox Soup

This soup is light, nourishing and packed with antioxidants and vitamins to help clear out toxins and ward off autumn chill.

1 tsp olive oil
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 small winter squash, diced (butternut or delicata)
2 cups summer squash, ribboned
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 can diced tomatoes, with juice
1 dried chipotle pepper
3 cups water
1 vegan bouillon cube
1 small apple, diced
1/3 cup uncooked barley
1/4 tsp garam masala


Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, diced squash and carrot slices. Saute for 5 minutes, or until browned. Add the water, bouillon cube, tomatoes, chipotle pepper, apple and barley and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, add the garam masala, and cook for 40 minutes, or until the barley are chewy and the squash is tender.

Guide to Weird Ingredients

A friend of mine recently (and rightly) pointed out that I call for all kinds of weird things in my recipes. Thus, I'm embarking on this master post, where I'll endeavor to explain the origin, purpose, and where to get most of my weird ingredients.

Nutritional Yeast

A yellow flaky or powdery supplement found in the bulk section of most health food stores. It adds a savory, nutty, almost cheesy taste to recipes. In most cases, it can be left out entirely. When it's called for in quantities over a few tablespoons, you might not want to leave it out. The main reason I include it in so many recipes is because it's a non-animal source of vitamin B-12, which is otherwise lacking in a vegan diet.

Seitan / Wheat Gluten

Also known as wheat-meat, seitan is made from rinsing wheat dough until all the starch washes away and all you're left with is protein. It has a meaty flavor and a tender consistency, which makes it one of my favorite foods. You can find it at health food stores, but my favorite kind comes in cans at Asian markets, where it's called 'Vegetarian Abalone.' It's also really easy to make your own using vital wheat gluten flour (available at health food stores) and some spices. I usually use the recipe from The PPK, found here:
http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/recipe.php?RecipeID=112

Tempeh

Yet another protein-packed soy product, this time made from whole beans. Tempeh has a firm texture and a nutty, unusual flavor that's fabulous in sandwiches. It can be found in the frozen section of health food stores. Once thawed, it should be cooked and eaten within a few days.

Tofu

These days, you can find tofu everywhere... in most well-stocked grocery stores as well as health food stores and Asian stores. Tofu is essentially a cheese made from soy milk. It has a very bland flavor on its own, but it soaks up flavors well from other ingredients. Tofu's texture can be somewhat gelatinous, so pressing as much water out as possible and cooking it until firm is important.

There are TWO kinds of tofu: silken (which usually comes in vacuum-sealed cardboard boxes) and water-packed (sealed in plastic tubs with water to cover it). The silken kind is very soft and flabby; it's usually best used in puddings and sauces where you need a creamy consistency. I always get the extra-firm variety of water-packed tofu; it can be crumbled to a consistency like ricotta cheese, or cut into cubes or slices and baked or fried. Silken tofu will last indefinitely on the shelf; water-packed tofu will last for months unopened or up to a week opened.

Miso

Yet another soy product, this time a paste made from fermented soy beans. Miso is intense, salty, savory and a little sweet. If boiled, it can turn bitter, but if cooked gently, it lends a deep, rich flavor to savory dishes and soups. It can be found in plastic tubs in the refrigerated section of health food stores and well-stocked grocery stores. It will keep for several months in the fridge.

Hummus

A spread made from chickpeas (garbanzo beans), olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and tahini (sesame seed paste). It's creamy and savory, a great sandwich spread and dip.

Baba Ghanoush

Hummus with pureed roasted eggplant mixed in, baba ghanoush has a creamy flavor and a lighter consistency than hummus. I think it makes an admirable substitute for sour cream.

Phyllo Dough

Light, thin leaves of pastry. Phyllo is great for topping casseroles or rolling up with sweet fillings to make dessert. It can be found in the frozen section of most grocery stores and health food stores. When I'm not in the mood to deal with it, I frequently use frozen puff pastry instead.

Panko

Light, flaky Japanese bread crumbs. These can be found at Asian markets and places like Target and World Market. (I've also found them at health food stores, but they're prohibitively expensive.)

Quinoa

A small, round grain that can be found in the bulk sections of health food stores and boxed at well-stocked grocery stores. Quinoa is packed with protein and cooks up in about 20 minutes, which makes it one of my favorite grains.

Chipotle peppers

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce can be found canned in the Mexican food section of some well-stocked grocery stores. They lend a smoky, spicy flavor to all kinds of dishes. I usually dump the contents into a small bowl and puree them, then transfer to a jar and keep in the fridge or freezer until needed.

Dark sesame oil

Available at health food stores and Asian markets, as well as the Asian sections of some grocery stores. Dark or toasted sesame oil has a nutty flavor that brings out the flavors of other ingredients. Just the smell of it makes me hungry.

Vegenaise

A soy or grapeseed-oil based version of mayonnaise, minus the eggs. It can be found at grocery stores and health food stores.

Sucanat

A dark form of sugar that comes in little round granules. Sucanat is essentially evaporated cane juice, which makes it a slightly healthier sugar. It can be found in the bulk section of most health food stores. Normal sugar can be subsituted in equal parts.

Raw cashews

Unroasted, unsalted cashew nuts. Blended into a powder, they lend creaminess and protein to smoothies and sauces. Can be found in the bulk section of most health food stores.

Plantains

Plantains looks like big, slightly black bananas. They shouldn't be eaten raw, but when they're baked, grilled or fried, they take on a delectable sweetness. Can be found in the produce section of most grocery stores and Asian markets. When they're black, they're ripe.

Crystallized Ginger

Chunks of ginger root soaked in sugar syrup. Sweet and slightly spicy, they're great for indigestion or nausea. They can be found in most health food stores.

Tahini

A paste made from sesame seeds, water and/or olive oil and salt. It can be found in the refrigerated section of health food stores and the Mediterranean/deli section of well-stocked grocery stores.

Pine Nuts

An essential for many Mediterranean dishes. They can be found in the spice section of most grocery stores, but they're much cheaper when bought at bulk stores like CostCo, where they're stocked with the other nuts.

Kale & Swiss Chard

Dark leafy greens that can be found in the produce section of most supermarkets. Kale takes a little longer to cook... chard can be used pretty much anywhere you'd use spinach. Packed with vitamins and minerals, they're nutritional powerhouses.

Mori-Nu Mates pudding mixes

Available in the baking section of most health food stores, these are designed to be blended with silken tofu to make desserts. I use them in my key lime pie and my smoothies, among other things. They're time savers.

Earth Balance

A form of margarine that doesn't use the evil hydrogenated fats that makes most margarine solid.

Gnocchi

Cute little potato dumplings that cook up in about 2 minutes, gnocchi have a softer texture than pasta but pair well with almost all pasta sauces. They can be found frozen or vacuum-packed in stores like World Market (and some well-stocked grocery stores). I've made my own, using mashed potatoes and flour, too. Very tasty.

Soba

Whole wheat Japanese noodles that cook up in 5 minutes or less. We use these in place of spaghetti a lot... they're much quicker to cook and better for you. They can be found in health food stores and Asian markets.

Bragg's Liquid Aminos

Very similar to soy sauce. You can substitue soy sauce anywhere it's called for.

Rice vinegar & umeboshi vinegar

Special kinds of Japanese vinegar with special flavors. Rice vinegar is very mild; you could subsitute apple cider vinegar. Umeboshi vinegar has a salty, savory quality to it. Both can be found in the Asian sections of well-stock grocery stores, health food stores and Asian markets.

Garam masala

A blend of Indian spices available in the spice section of most grocery stores.

Polenta

Cornmeal that's been cooked up until it's firm. It's sold in tubes in the refrigerated/produce section of well-stocked grocery stores and health food stores. You can fry, grill or bake slices of it and serve with tomato sauce.

Perfect Barbecued Seitan

seitan, preferably homemade
garlic powder
onion powder
nutritional yeast
2-3 drops liquid smoke
olive oil
barbecue sauce

Cut the seitan into bitesize chunks. Sprinkle with garlic powder, onion powder, nutritional yeast, and liquid smoke and toss to coat. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a frying pan. Dump the coated seitan in the pan and let sit for a minute or so before turning. A brownish crispy crust will form on the seitan pieces. When they're browned on all sides, dump in the barbecue sauce and lower the heat to a very low simmer. When hot, consume!

(If you're going to use store-bought seitan, you might want to simmer it in water + soy sauce for a few minutes in order to make it all tender and juicy. I'm too much of a cheapskate to buy it, so I make my own, using the recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance.)

Crunchy Seitan Fingers

* 1 lb. seitan strips, no more than 1/4-inch thick
* 1 cup panko
* 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
* 1 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp onion powder
* 1 tsp seasoning salt
* a few dashes each black pepper & paprika
* 1/4 cup flour
* 1/2 cup seitan marinade or water
* 1 tsp cornstarch
* canola oil for frying

If using store-bought seitan, simmer in veggie broth or water + soy sauce for 15 minutes. (If using homemade, they should already be sufficiently juicy) Combine the panko, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper and paprika and spread on a dinner plate. Spread the flour in a shallow dish. Whisk together the marinade or water and cornstarch in a shallow dish. Line up your dishes as follows:

1. Seitan strips
2. Flour
3. Cornstarch/liquid mixture
4. Panko mixture

Heat a thin layer of canola oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When it's bubbling, coat a seitan strip in the flour, then dip it in the cornstarch mixture, then roll in the panko mixture. When you've coated 4 or 5 strips, lay them in the hot oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Remove to a flattened brown paper bag or paper towels to drain off the oil. Then consume!

I used the homemade seitan recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance. We feverishly devoured our finished fingers with barbecue sauce and hot mustard. Delish!

Creamy 'Chikin' Pot Pie

When I first started eating vegetarian, I didn't understand the thriving market of meat substitutes. After all, I don't like the taste of meat... why would I try to replicate its taste and texture? And overall, I still think that new veg*ns are better off staying away from faux meaty/creamy favorites. Learn to love the new food for what it is, not as a pale substitute for remembered past glory.

Still, the longer I do this, the more I see the necessity of occasionally replicating those favorite comfort foods. The better you can satisfy a craving, the less likely you are to fall off the wagon. If you can convince your body and your brain that the way you eat is now is just as good (if not better) than how you ate before, you're much more likely to stick with it.

Today was a hard day. Two of my recently acquired office fish died over the weekend. When I came home, I just wanted a taste of the past. Of comfort. Of home.

2/3 cup faux-chicken tenders (White Wave chickeny seitan would work well here), diced
1 cob of corn, kernels cut off
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 med carrot, diced
1 head baby garlic (or 2-3 cloves), smashed
1 cups Imagine creamy portobello soup
1/2 cup dry cashew gravy mix
1/3 cup Vegenaise
a few shakes each pepper and celery flakes
1/4 tsp sage
1 package (6) puff pastry shells

Set out the puff pastry and the faux-chicken bits to thaw. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Steam the carrots for a few minutes, or until tender. Put the carrots, faux-chicken bits, peas, and corn in the bottom of a pie plate.

Meanwhile, combine the soup and cashew gravy mix in a small saucepan and cook until thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat and stir in sage, pepper, celery flakes and Vegenaise. Pour the mixture over the veggies.

Set the thawed puff pastry shells on top, brush or spray with oil, and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until browned and puffed up.

Basic Mediterranean Pasta

Tonight our planned broccoli-chickpea dish was derailed by the unwelcome presence of a worm in our broccoli. Thus, we needed something to throw together in no time at all. This took roughly 5 minutes and definitely hit the spot.

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can whole black olives
2 large spoonfuls artichoke hearts
1 tsp capers
2 cloves garlic
olive oil
a few fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)

Saute the garlic in some of the oil from the artichokes. When browned, add the tomatoes, artichokes, olives and capers. Add the nutritional yeast and heat until bubbly and hot. Serve over pasta!

Ginger Limeade

This nauseous-when-I-haven't-eaten thing is annoying, but fortunately it's easy to beat. I whipped this up while waiting for dinner tonight, and it really hit the spot.

1 knuckle-sized piece of ginger, grated
12 oz. water
3 ice cubes
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp maple syrup

Stir and be refreshed.

Berry-Ginger Smoothie

Tonight, like many Sunday nights, I just didn't feel like a full meal. But when 10 o'clock rolled around and I started feeling nauseous, I realized I'd better eat something. Voila, magic instant smoothie.

1-1/2 cups frozen mixed berries
1 knuckle-sized piece of ginger
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup fruit juice
2 smoothie ice cubes
2 handfuls raw cashews
splash lime juice
2 Tbsp ground flax seed

Blend for 3 minutes, or until smooth.

Grilled Plantains w/ Black Bean-Corn Relish & Gingered Mangoes & Strawberries

Grilled Plantains
1 semi-ripe plantain, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tsp sucanat or sugar or maple syrup
1/4 tsp lime juice
dash salt

Rub the slices with lime juice and sprinkle with sucanat and salt. Generously oil the grill pan and grill for 3-4 minutes on each side.

Black Bean-Corn Relish
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
kernels from 2 ears of corn
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp garlic powder
a few shakes chipotle hot sauce

Combine the corn kernels and a little water in a small saucepan. Cook the corn for 3 minutes, or until no longer raw. Drain the corn and add to the black beans. Add lime juice, cumin, garlic powder and hot sauce and mix well.

Gingered Mangoes & Strawberries
2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
5-6 strawberries, quartered
2 pieces crystallized ginger, chopped or 1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger

Combine the mangoes, strawberries and ginger in a bowl and mix well. Let set for a few minutes, then serve!

Vegan desserts in Des Moines

Tonight we felt like something special after a quick meal (I was craving fast food like crazy, so a quick dinner was of the essence). So we drove the few blocks to Gelaterie Stam and got a few creamy, dense servings of their non-dairy fruit sorbets. If you're in the mood for a sweet treat, their fruit gelato is really fabulous. They also had a chocolate soy flavor, but I couldn't resist the large pink mounds of triple berry. (My boy had the right idea, though, when he went for the lemon. It was bright, fresh and not too sweet.)

Our other dessert indulgence (beyond the box of Soy Delicious ice cream sandwiches that we've been steadily working our way through) is the black sticky rice at The King and I. It's a purply-black rice pudding made with coconut milk that's absolutely sinful.

Seitan Patties w/ Grilled Sweet Potato Slices

I've made homemade seitan twice in two weeks, and it's scarily delicious. It's so meat-like in texture and taste that it really kinda freaks me out -- after all, the big reason I gave up meat is because I don't like how it tastes. But somehow I always crave more of it. We had this with the Garlicky Kale w/ Tahini Dressing from Vegan with a Vengeance (a much tastier dish than I was expecting!). The marinade is based off an internet recipe for vegan Worcestershire sauce. Very tasty.

Marinade
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp chipotle pepper puree
1 pinch onion powder
1 pinch ground cloves

Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake to combine.

Seitan Patties
3-4 thick slices seitan, preferably homemade
1/2 cup marinade
steak sauce, for brushing

Marinate the seitan slices in the marinade for 20 minutes to overnight. Remove from marinade and smear (or brush) with steak sauce. Grill the patties for 2-3 minutes on each side.

Grilled Sweet Potato Slices
1 sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
1/3 cup marinade
1/4 cup maple syrup

Put the slices in the bottom of a skillet. Add 1/4 inch water, cover, and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the slices can be pierced with a fork. Meanwhile, combine the marinade and maple syrup in a jar and shake to combine.

Preheat your oiled grill pan. Grill the slices for 2 minutes on each side, liberally basting with the marinade.

Tahini (Sesame Seed Paste)

Tonight I made Garlicky Kale with Tahini Dressing from Vegan with a Vengeance. But alas, I had just thrown out my six-month-old tahini, so I was fresh out. Rather than going to the store, I made this version. While it was a little chunky, it was still utterly delicious. Tahini by itself is a little bitter, but after my first taste, I just kept dipping my finger back in. There must be something in it that my body needs (calcium, maybe?).

1/2 cup sesame seeds
1/2 tsp black sesame oil
1/3 cup olive oil
water to thin

In a dry saucepan, toast the sesame seeds for 2 minutes, or until they start to turn golden. Then dump them out into a mortar and pestle (or food processor), let cool, and pound with a tiny bit of salt until they form coarse crumbs. Combine ground sesame seeds with the oils and water (start with just a splash) in a bowl (or food processor) and blend with a stick blender until smooth. Add water to achieve the consistency you desire.

Chocolate-Nutty Protein Shake

I whipped this together tonight because we had baked zucchini and tomatoes -- which is super-tasty and very good for you -- but has very little protein. This was sweet, creamy and smooth... almost a drinkable dessert.

1 frozen banana
1 handful berries
6 oz. silken tofu (the vacuum-packed kind)
2 Tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tsp hemp seed nuts (optional)
1 handful raw cashews (optional)
1 cup soy milk
1/4 cup fruit juice
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Puree all ingredients in a blender for a few minutes, or until very smooth. Taste and adjust ingredients to your liking. Makes 2-3 8-oz. servings.

Ingredient Notes: Smoothies tend to get all of my pantry leftovers. I used the last of my farmer's market strawberries, which were a little overripe. I used Bolthouse Farms' Green Goodness smoothie for my fruit juice, and Mori-Nu Mates chocolate pudding mix instead of cocoa powder.

Total grams protein: 36.5g, or 12g per 8oz. serving
Banana = 1g
Tofu = 12g
Peanut butter = 8g
Cashews = 5g
Hemp seed nuts = 2g
Soy milk = 6g
Juice = 1/2g
Cocoa powder = 2g

Total percent calcium: 45%, or 15% per 8oz. serving
Banana = 1%
Tofu = 10%
Peanut butter = 1.5%
Cashews = 1%
Soy milk = 30%
Cocoa powder = 1.5%

Total grams magnesium: 300mg (100%), or 100mg (30%) per 8oz. serving
Banana = 30mg
Tofu = 44mg
Peanut butter = 50mg
Cashews = 82.5mg
Hemp seed = 5mg
Soy milk = 39.2mg
Cocoa powder = 50mg

Fresh Pesto

1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp hemp seed nuts (optional)
2-3 cups basil leaves, chopped finely
2 heaping tablespoons pine nuts
1 tsp white miso
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2-3 Tbsp olive oil

In a dry saucepan, toast the pine nuts just until they start to turn golden. Put the garlic, salt and hemp seed in a mortar and pestle and pound until it forms a paste. Add the basil leaves and pine nuts and pound again until finely pulverized. Turn out into a bowl, add miso, yeast and olive oil and taste until it seems right.

Red Lentil Rice Soup w/ Kale

This is partially inspired by a delicious soup I had at The Olde Main Brewery in Ames, but it also borrows a fair amount from an Indian lentil-rice porridge called kitchari. Kitchari is used to soothe the digestive system in traditional Ayurvedic lore, and this soup is both soothing and packed with nutrition.

1 vegetable bouillon cube
4 cups water
3/4 cup red lentils
3/4 cup rice
1 14-oz. jar finely diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp soy sauce or Braggs liquid aminos
2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
2-3 cups kale, washed and torn into pieces

Combine the bouillon cube, water, soy sauce and spices in a large soup pot and cook over medium-high heat until the bouillon begins to dissolve. Add the lentils, rice and tomatoes and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for 30-40 minutes, or until the lentils and rice are soft. Using a hand blender, puree the soup to desired consistency.

Put the kale and a little water in a covered saucepan and cook for a few minutes, or until darkened. Drain off the water and add the kale to the soup. Stir and serve with hunks of tasty bread!

Mango-Strawberry Sunshine Pie

12 oz. extra firm silken tofu
1 pkg. Mori Nu Mates vanilla pudding mix
3-4 mangoes, sliced
2 Tbsp lime juice
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup tart-sweet liquid of your choice (I used green goodness smoothie)

1 graham-cracker crust
8-10 strawberries, thinly sliced
1 tsp sucanat
1/2 mango, sliced into thin crescent moons

Place the tofu, mangoes, lime juice, ginger and tart liquid in a large bowl. Blend with a stick blender for several minutes, or until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Pour the mixture into prepared graham cracker crust. Arrange the strawberry slices in a layer over the top of the tofu mixture. Sprinkle with sucanat. Top with the mango moons in a sunflower-like shape on top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, or until set.

BBQ Grilled Seitan

Marinade
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
3 tsp Asian garlic chili sauce
5-6 drops liquid smoke
1-1/2 Tbsp sorghum molasses
1/2 tsp rice vinegar

2 cups seitan AND/OR 12 oz. extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
2 Tbsp sucanat OR brown sugar

Place the seitan in the bottom of a glass baking dish. Combine the marinade ingredients in a bowl, then pour over the seitan. Marinate for at least one hour (overnight, if possible).

Drain off the marinade and put in a small saucepan. Add the sucanat or sugar and simmer the marinade until bubbly.

Grease a grill pan very well. Grill the seitan over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until slightly blackened. Put the grilled seitan in a covered glass dish, coat with barbecue sauce and let sit until the whole batch is finished. Serve with the warm marinade on the side.

Notes: If using tofu, cut into 1/4-inch thick triangles. Unless you like your tofu wobbly, you'll need to bake it in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes to firm it up and/or pan-fry it before adding the grill marks.

Creamy Penne w/ Seitan & Tomatoes

This is total comfort food -- completely irresistible and makes for great left-overs.

1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup water
1/2 veg. bouillon cube
1/2 Tbsp. miso
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp paprika
salt to taste
1 Tbsp margarine
1/2 tsp mustard
2-3 Tobasco

Mix the flour, yeast, water and bouillon in a small saucepan and heat over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until thickened. Mix in miso, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Cook for 5 minutes or so. Stir in the margarine and mustard and Tobasco.

1 can braised wheat gluten, well rinsed and shredded
8 oz. small pasta, cooked
1 can finely diced tomatoes, undrained

Put the water for the pasta on to boil. When boiling, drop in the pasta and cook until done. Meanwhile, add the wheat gluten and tomatoes (with their juice) to the sauce and simmer until bubbling, hot and thickened. Drain the pasta over them. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Louisiana Lentil Stew

Adapted from The Ethnic Vegetarian, which has bunches of interesting-looking recipes that I'm just dying to try. This was quite possibly the most flavorful lentil soup I've ever had... very satisfying, and packed full of nutrients to boot!

1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups water
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
2-3 dashes liquid smoke
2 bay leaves
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup lentils
3 Tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp pureed chipotle in adobo OR 1/4 tsp chipotle hot sauce
1/2 cup sweet red wine
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 hefty pinch rosemary
ground pepper to taste
8-10 oz. kale and/or swiss chard

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Saute the onion powder and garlic for 3-5 minutes, or until browned. Add the water, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, bay leaves and salt and bring to a boil. Add the lentils, lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally and adding more water if the lentils start to look dry.

Meanwhile, put your kale and/or swiss chard in a steamer insert or metal colander and steam for 5 minutes, or until dark and wilted. Rinse the steamed leaves under cool water and use scissors to cut them up into bite-size pieces. Set aside.

Once the lentils are tender, add the wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle, basil, oregano, rosemary and pepper. Return to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Add the greens and simmer for 15 minutes more. Serve hot with crusty bread!

Baked Polenta w/ Puttanesca Sauce

Adapted from The Big Book of Vegetarian. I didn't have capers or green olives for the sauce, so I adapted to what I had on hand. This was delightful, and it only took 20 minutes or so to whip up. (My boy made himself a chicken/mustard sandwich and took twice as long.)

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup sweet red wine
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 jar finely diced tomatoes w/ juice
2 basil leaves, finely chopped
1 handful kalamata olives, pitted and smooshed
1 artichoke heart, smooshed
a few drops Tobasco

Heat the oil in a saucepan, and saute the garlic until golden. Add the wine, tomato paste, tomatoes and basil and simmer merrily for 10-15 minutes. Add the olives, artichoke and Tobasco and heat through, then remove from the heat.

6-8 slices sun-dried tomato polenta
olive oil
ground pepper

Meanwhile, smear the slices with olive oil and pop in the oven for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, or until browned. Transfer to a plate, season with pepper, and top with the sauce. Serve with a glass of red wine.

Des Moines: A Vegan Home Sweet Home

When we moved to Des Moines, I was initially skeptical about my chances of finding vegetarian-friendly restaurants. (I remember when a college friend from a small Iowa town said that it would be more shocking for her to come home and declare she was a vegetarian than to come home and declare she was a lesbian.) Contrary to my expectations, I've been pleasantly surprised at just how easy it is. Most of the Asian restaurants in town have entire menus of vegetarian food, and even some of the non-usual chains have been accommodating: Z'Marik's, Panchero's, HuHots, etc. As long as you don't go to a steakhouse, a barbecue joint or a McDonald's, I can almost always find something I can eat.

All that said, I've been absolutely delighted to discover two of the most vegetarian-friendly restaurants in Des Moines living side-by-side in Western Gateway Park: Ritual Cafe and Beggar's Banquet. We discovered Ritual Cafe a few months ago, when the new library opened. It's your classic funky coffee shop run by a team of happy hippie women, and the menu is all-vegetarian. I ordered a hummus sandwich minus the cheese, and they poked their heads up while making my sandwich to ask if I was a vegan. Needless to say, I happily nodded; I wasn't entirely sure any eating establishments in Des Moines even knew what 'vegan' meant. The hummus was amazing, as were their smoothies. They quickly replaced Gong Fu Tea as our regular post-library stop.

This weekend, during the Des Moines Art Festival, we eschewed the crowded food booths and headed to the Ritual Cafe for a plate of hummus and a smoothie. Sadly, they had locked up the grill to accommodate the Art Festival rush. They had pre-made wraps on hand, but all of them had cheese. The curly-headed barista remembered I ate vegan and promptly shuffled me off next door to Beggar's Banquet.

Beggar's Banquet reminds me of our favorite neighborhood deli in New Orleans. It's a no-frills sandwich shop staffed by friendly young people, and their vegan food is clearly marked as such (which nearly made me cry). I had a tempeh reuben with soy cheese, which was utterly divine. Needless to say, we'll be returning for future lunch engagements.

It so refreshing to discover such enlightened food in the middle of a traditionally meat-and-potatoes state. Anyone who thinks we're backward definitely needs to dive into these establishments. Tell 'em a happy vegan sent you their way.

Pesto Pizzas

I mourned pizza when I had to give up cheese. I deeply love pizza with all of my being, and I was just sure that you couldn't do pizza without cheese. Our first store-bought frozen no-cheese pizza held up that suspicion by being soggy and un-pizza-like. But these were delicious, and just salty and surprising enough that cheese honestly could not have improved them.

2 store-bought mini pizza crusts (or thick pita breads)
1/3 cup pesto
1 heirloom tomato, sliced thinly, goopy bits removed
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
10ish mushroom slices
4 basil leaves, sliced thinly
4-5 artichoke hearts, mashed lightly

Spread the pizza crusts with the pesto, then top with everything else in whatever order you desire. I put the tomatoes on first, followed by the mushrooms, artichoke hearts, garlic and basil. Spray the tops of the pizzas with baking spray and pop in the oven for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the crusts are browned and the veggies look delicious!

Easy French Toast

This morning, I really wanted to make the Fronch Toast from Vegan with a Vengeance, but I didn't have any chickpea flour in the house, and I was hungry and needed it *now*. So I did this instead (and boy, was it ever worth it).

1 banana
2/3 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 dash nutmeg
several hefty sprinkles of salt
1 tsp nutritional yeast

2-3 slices of stale or very lightly toasted bread
2 Tbsp canola oil

fresh or frozen strawberries
maple syrup

Blend the banana, soy milk, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and yeast together until they form a frothy, smooth batter. Soak bread in the batter. Heat the canola oil to medium high, then fry the soaked toast for 1-2 minutes on each side, or until crusty and golden. Meanwhile, put the strawberries in a small saucepan and just cover with maple syrup. Heat for a few minutes, or until the strawberries are heated through and the maple syrup is reddish.

Serve immediately, with strawberry syrup drizzled over each toast piece. Divine!

Pesto Gnocchi

If store-bought pesto didn't have cheese, this would be the ultimate in simplicity: gnocchi + pesto = love. But sadly, it's rare to find premade pesto without parmesan or asiago. I'd make pesto at home, but I rarely have enough fresh basil on hand to make a decent batch. Enter my local grocery store, which has packets of Simply Organic pesto sauce on hand, which (happily) are naturally cheese-free.

1 packet simply organic pesto sauce
1/3 cup pine nuts
1-2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1 package potato gnocchi

Put on 4-6 cups salted water to boil. In a dry saucepan, toast the pine nuts for 5 minutes, or until they turn golden. Add the pesto sauce packet, 1/2 cup water, oil and yeast and stir until thickened. Remove from heat.

Once the water is boiling, drop the gnocchi in and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until they float to the surface. Drain, return to pot and toss with a little pesto sauce.

Serve immediately with a large salad and extra pesto sauce to top each serving with.

Peanut Soba w/ Tofu & Peas

Super-quick, super tasty. You might want to make your peanut sauce on the sharp/savory side, since the peas are sweet and the tofu and noodles are mild. I'd use raw garlic to give it some extra bite.

4 cups water
4 oz. soba
1/2 cup peanut sauce, or to taste
2 cups sugar snap peas, ends trimmed
2 oz firm tofu, cut into tiny pieces

Boil the water while you're trimming the ends off the peas and chopping up the tofu. Drop the soba in and cook for 5 minutes, or until al dente. Put the peas in the bottom of a colander and drain the soba over them. Return peas and soba to the pot with the tofu and peanut sauce and toss well to combine.

Garden Greens Soup

I made this up on the spot tonight when my proud gardener boy presented me with several bowls of freshly picked greens from the back yard. I needed something light and filling to take to work tomorrow... on Tuesday I'm getting my first cholesterol test in 5 months. Wish me luck...

1 veg bouillon cube
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
1 jar diced tomatoes, with juice
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup quinoa
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1 bunch kale, washed and trimmed
1 bunch swiss chard, washed and trimmed
ground pepper to taste
2 dashes Tobasco
2 dashes lime juice

Boil 2 cups of the water and pour over the bouillon cube. Stir to dissolve. Pour into the bottom of a large soup pot. Add the garlic, tomatoes, beans, quinoa, nutritional yeast and remaining water and turn on high. Boil for 5-10 minutes, or until the quinoa start rising to the top. Lower the heat to a simmer and add kale & swiss chard. Cook for another 3 minutes, or until the greens are wilted. Season to taste with pepper, Tobasco and lime juice.

Super-Creamy Guacamole w/ Homemade Corn Chips

Boy, it's a good thing I got over my childhood aversion to avocadoes. Since I've started following a vegan diet, they have been my salvation. They're the perfect creamy/rich stand-in for cheese and sour cream in a Mexican meal, and they're just so damn good on toasted hummus sandwiches. While we were in Houston last month, we went to a Mexican restaurant that made its guacamole tableside, and it had a particularly creamy depth to it that I've been craving ever since. I tried to make it last week from a recipe and failed utterly; this time around I did much better. Sinful delight! (And since my boy doesn't like guac, I had it all to myself. Mua-ha-ha!)

Guacamole
1/2 avocado
1/4 tsp onion powder
2 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
salt & pepper to taste
2 tsp chipotle garlic salsa
1/2 Tbsp cilantro leaves, minced very finely

Chips
4 corn tortillas
salt to taste
baking spray

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Lay the 4 tortillas on a baking sheet. Spray them with the baking spray. Flip and spray again. Slice each tortilla into quarters, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 5-10 minutes, or just until they're starting to get golden. Don't let them burn!

While the chips are cooling, mash all guacamole ingredients together in a bowl. Serve immediately and relish your avacado-laden decadence!