How To Make Italian Tomato Sauce

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Tomato sauce is delicious and easy to make. For consistently great results, here are a few tips.

First, use quality tomatoes.  You don’t need to use fresh heirloom tomatoes for a Pomipomi side3wonderful sauce, which for most of us living in variable climates isn’t even possible most of the time.  Canned or boxed tomatoes are fine. Just look for tomatoes with no added ingredients like citric acid, sodium, sugar, or other preservatives or artificial flavors.  The ingredients should be only tomatoes and their juice, though added herbs Sclafani Crushed Tomatoesare OK.  Tomatoes with no added ingredients have been picked ripe, and therefore are naturally sweet and generally the best tasting.  Most canned tomatoes are plum tomatoes, with the two most common types of plums being Roma and San Marzano.  Many chefs prefer San Marzano tomatoes (not to be confused with the brand). San Marzanos are associated with a particular region in Italy, but also are grown in the USA and elsewhere.  Some chefs additionally prefer these tomatoes la fede dopgrown in Italy under very specific rules, and look for the official D.O.P. label (Denominazione d’ Origine Protetta). Try out a few to test what you prefer. Personally I buy a variety of ripe tomatoes, not only San Marzano D.O.P.

Second, go low and slow – start with aromatics and then let sauce simmer a long time.  Take time to build an aromatic base of flavor by cooking your onion and garlic in a little olive oil over medium-low heat.  If you like a little extra sweetness in your sauce, add in a little carrot as well.  Then add in your tomatoes and optional flavorings and let the sauce cook uncovered for at least 45 minutes, and up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. (I usually let it cook for about an hour.) Slow cooking will concentrate and thicken the sauce, giving it that delicious, authentic Italian taste.

Third, incorporate a few simple flavorings. After your sauce has cooked, turn off the heat and add in some torn, fresh basil.  You can make a delicious authentic Italian sauce with nothing more than your onion and garlic base, a little salt and pepper to season, tomatoes, and torn fresh basil leaves added at the end of cooking. This simplicity is really good. Often I like to include a few other ingredients, such as oregano, thyme, bay leaf, a little hot pepper, dry red wine, and fresh parsley.

That’s it.

Here’s my recipe for basic HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE.

Ingredients

  • 1-2 tbsp or as needed – olive oil
  • 1 medium – onion, diced finely
  • to taste – sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4-5 cloves – garlic, minced
  • ¼ tsp or to taste – crushed red pepper (optional)
  • 1-2 tsp – dry Italian seasonings – mix of oregano, basil, thyme (optional)
  • ½ cup – dry red wine (optional)
  • 2 tbsp or as needed – tomato paste
  • 2  28-oz cans – tomatoes, no additives
  • 1-2 – Bay leaves (optional)
  • 5-10 leaves or to taste – fresh basil leaves, torn
  • 2 tbsp. or to taste – fresh Italian parsley, chopped (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat pan over medium-low heat. Add olive oil and let heat for a few seconds. Add onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until the onions are transparent, 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic – and if you like a little heat, also add in a little crushed red pepper — and cook another minute or two.
  2. Add in your bay leaf, freshly ground black pepper, dried herbs and wine, if using, and let cook a few minutes.
  3. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another few minutes. Then stir in tomatoes and add a good pinch of salt.Tomato sauce
  4. Bring sauce to boil, and then reduce heat to a low simmer, and cook uncovered for at least 45 minutes, and no more than 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
  5. Adjust seasonings to taste, and add in torn, fresh basil leaves, and if using, fresh parsley. Optionally drizzle in a little olive oil. Remove bay leaf and discard.

15 Quick and Easy No-Recipe Vegan Sandwich Ideas

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If you’re in the habit of thinking of sandwiches as slices of meat – or fish, chicken, or egg salads – between two slices of bread, you may be at a loss for how to quickly throw together a vegan sandwich. Here are a few ideas. Vary the bread based on your preferences and what you have on hand – sliced, rolls/buns, pita, tortilla wraps, flat – or even just use Romaine lettuce leaves as your wrap.

1. Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich (or other nut butter, spreadable fruit, jam/preserves) – This old standby is vegan and kid-friendly.  Ideally choose a peanut butter with no added ingredients, and a fruit spread with limited sugar.  I usually buy Shoprite brand organic peanut butter, which contains only organic dry-roasted peanuts and sea salt.  For fruit spread, I vary brands, but look for ones that have about 6 grams of sugar per serving.  Many of them have way more than that, so always check labels.

2. Peanut butter and Banana Sandwich – Slice the banana thinly, or if it’s ripe enough, you can even mash and spread it. If you want to make it Elvis style, grill it. I like to use coconut oil, but any med-high heat oil or non-dairy butter works.

3. Hummus and Tabouli Sandwich – Just buy pre-made hummus and tabouli, and spread inside bread or wrap. There are many variations of hummus to choose from.hummus avocado pepper sandwich

4. Hummus, Roasted Red Pepper, and Avocado Sandwich – Actually hummus is a great starting point for many variations of sandwiches – and even mini-pizzas you can make quickly in the toaster oven. In the sandwich pictured, I used a hummus with sun-dried tomatoes.

5. Baba Ganoush, Tomato, Lettuce, and Avocado – Or use hummus instead of baba ganoush.falafel trader joes

6. Falafel Sandwich – you can buy pre-made falafel, like these from Trader Joes, and add whatever you like. Some typical options are hummus or tahini, tomato, and lettuce.Tofurky Field Roast

7. Veggie “Cold Cuts” Sandwiches – This “one” idea actually should give you many different sandwich ideas! There are lots of vegan deli slices options available, from substitutes for familiar deli meats like turkey, bologna, ham, to ones that offer something unique. For example Field Roast offers Lentil Sage, Wild Mushroom, and Smoked Tomato deli slices. Try your favorite combinations. I like adding sliced or mashed cranberry to turkey-style slices. Avocado and tomato is great in most sandwiches.  Add a little mustard, ketchup, and/or vegan mayo, and you’ve got a tasty deli-style sandwich.  When buying deli slices, be sure to check labels and buy the least processed.  Many brands use soy protein isolate, and while not horrible in moderation, it’s better to choose brands made of whole foods.  Tofurky and Field Roast are my usual choices. Tofurky is in most mainstream groceries. Field Roast is available at the Kings and Whole Foods near me and of course available online.  Don’t fret too much about ingredients if you can’t find the perfect option in your grocery store.  The processed veggie meats aren’t as bad for you as the processed animal-based deli meats you’re replacing.Tempeh bacon

8. V-Bacon Lettuce and Tomato (VLTs) – I usually use tempeh bacon, and sometimes seitan bacon.  Lightlife’s tempeh bacon is available in most mainstream groceries. Spread some vegan mayo on your bread, and if you like, also add some slices of ripe avocado.Wildwood baked tofu

9. Baked Tofu and Cranberry Sandwich – You can buy pre-made baked tofu and keep it on-hand to throw into salads as well as sandwiches.  If cranberry sauce isn’t your thing, add whatever fixings and condiments you like.

10. Southwestern Wrap – Spread some canned vegetarian refried beans on a tortilla – or you could use canned black or kidney beans. Season with a dash each of salt, pepper, cumin, and garlic powder. Add some salsa, black olives, green onions (or just onion powder), and lettuce, and roll up into a cold wrap. You could take this up a notch by rolling into a burrito and heating in the oven.

11. Mediterranean Wrap – Spread the following onto a tortilla and then roll up: some canned cannellini beans, jarred marinated artichokes, roasted red pepper, marinated mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, and fresh basil. If you don’t have, or like, all these ingredients, just use a sub-set. If you omit both the marinated items and basil, add a dash of Italian seasoning and balsamic vinegar for flavor.

12. Grilled Cheese and Tomato – Make like you would any grilled cheese and tomato, just use a vegan cheese.  There are many on the market. Most mainstream groceries carry Daiya.

13. Tofu Hotdog – These cook up in a matter of minutes. Add whatever you like, such as mustard, sauerkraut, and vegetarian baked beans.

14. Vegan burger/patty – There are plenty of options on the market. One of the healthier options is Dr Praeger’s California burgers. Try these with some unsweetened, organic, applesauce.

15. Veggie meatball subs – Use jarred marinara sauce and a hearty roll and heat up. Optionally sprinkle on some nutritional yeast, or melt on some vegan cheese.

Of course there are endless combinations.  And since I called this post “no recipe,” I didn’t include vegan versions of the traditional lunch sandwiches: Eggless Tofu Salad Sandwich, Tuna-style Chickpea Salad, but of course they would be easy lunch sandwiches as well.

 

 

 

 

How to Roast Vegetables – 7 Tips for Great Results

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Roasting vegetables releases their natural sugars, concentrating and intensifying flavors. Their exteriors get nice and caramelized, while the insides remain moist. The result is quite delicious and a great way to enjoy eating more vegetables.  Roasting is so simple to do.  Here are a few tips to help you get great results.

  1. Initial prep – Wash vegetables, blot dry (if too wet, moisture will cause them to steam rather than roast), and CUT INTO SIMILAR SIZE PIECES, so that they will cook evenly.
  2. Coat LIGHTLY with oil.  You still can get a good result with no oil, but oil helps the vegetables brown more evenly, and I think creates a little more intense flavor.  However a little oil goes a long way, so just DRIZZLE, and toss to coat evenly. Not only is a lot of oil not good for you, it will make the vegetables greasy.  I generally use a neutral oil, such as organic Canola, that has a high enough smoke point for the high heat of roasting.  I use about 1.5 tablespoons of oil for a large tray, about 1.5 pounds, of vegetables.
  3. Season with salt and pepper.  I always use freshly ground black pepper, and prefer coarse sea salt (about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt for the tray of vegetables). Using just salt and pepper is enough to bring out amazing flavor, but you can try endless variations by optionally adding any spices and dry or hearty fresh herbs of choice. (Delicate fresh herbs like parsley and basil are best added after roasting because the high heat would destroy them.) Roasted vegetables before oven
  4. Use an appropriate pan.  The pan should have low sides to allow the heat to hit the vegetables directly.  A simple sheet pan is ideal.  Also, the pan needs to be large enough to spread out the vegetables in a single layer.   rouxbe brussels roasting
  5. Optimally lay out the vegetables.  Most important, DO NOT CROWD. You want them to roast in direct heat, not steam.  Lay vegetables in a single layer.  Use additional pans if necessary.  If your vegetables are cut such that they have a flat side, lay them flat side down.  It just helps get a nice, even browning. And if you have some larger pieces, place them at the perimeters of the pan, which tend to get the hottest.
  6.  Use high enough heat and move the vegetables.  Most vegetables roast well at 400-450 degrees Fahrenheit.  Preheat your oven to the desired heat and try to maintain the heat by keeping the oven door closed as much as possible.   For even cooking, about halfway through the roasting time,  you’ll want to TOSS the vegetables.  It’s also a good idea to rotate the pan, since the back of the oven is a little hotter.  Ovens loose heat quickly when you open the door, so keep door opening to a minimum, and close the door while you’re tossing the vegetables.  Generally speaking, it‘s best to place your pan in the center of the oven for even cooking.  However if you have multiple pans and need to use multiple racks, just alternate the pans at the halfway point.roasted vegetables out of oven
  7.  Length of time – There’s a lot of variation depending on the vegetable and personal preference.  Personally, I roast most vegetables for between 10-30 minutes.  Harder, denser vegetables such as root vegetables, I’ll roast longer, typically 30 – 50 minutes.  I roasted the Brussels sprouts in the photo for only 12 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit. (Some people prefer to roast theirs much longer.)  I roasted the mixed vegetables pictured for about 25 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. cropped roube brussels finishedroasted vegetables plated

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

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eggplant dishHere’s a recipe for a really delicious and healthful version of eggplant parm.  Like any eggplant parm recipe, it is a little time-consuming, but it’s not difficult.

The traditional way to prepare eggplant parm is to coat eggplant slices in egg, fry in oil – and eggplant absorbs lots of oil – and then load the casserole with dairy cheese. Of course not only is the dish not vegan, it’s loaded with fat and calories, and frying the eggplant slices before baking the casserole is labor-intensive.  In this recipe we replace the egg and dairy with plant foods, and pre-bake rather than fry the eggplant slices.

You’ll want to allow about 2 hours to do everything start to finish.  However a lot of that time is inactive. The actual work time is about 30-40 minutes, and a little less if you don’t make homemade sauce.

INGREDIENTS

HOMEMADE SAUCE (Could use store bought if you prefer)

  • 2-3 tablespoons or as needed, olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 3-6 cloves garlic, chopped (I like a lot)
  • To taste, crushed red pepper (optional)
  • ½ cup dry red wine (optional)
  • 2  28-oz cans organic tomatoes of choice – crushed, pureed, diced, or whole that you mash
  • Tablespoon or as needed, tomato paste
  • Italian seasonings to taste – approximately 1-2 tsp dry (mix of oregano, basil, thyme, parsley).  Fresh basil leaves are very nice to add as well. Use 4-6.
  • 1-2 Bay leaves

TOFU RICOTTA

  • 1 package firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon or more of garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoons dry basil (or 2 tablespoons of fresh)
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
  • ½ teaspoon or more of sea salt
  • As needed, freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil

FOR THE EGGPLANT

  • 1 large or 2 small eggplant peeled and sliced thin (about ¼ inch). You can slice length-wise or in rounds.
  • 1 cup almond or soy milk
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (white vinegar or lemon juice work too)
  • 3/4 cup flour of your choice
  • 2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
  • Italian seasoning mix (or oregano, basil, thyme), garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, and fresh black pepper
  • As needed, olive oil

OTHER INGREDIENTS FOR CASSEROLE – ALL OPTIONAL

  • 10 oz fresh organic baby spinach, rinsed
  • Assorted chopped vegetables of choice, such as red pepper, mushrooms, broccoli, lightly sauteed
  • ½ cup or as needed, vegan mozzarella shreds
  • As needed, additional nutritional yeast

DIRECTIONS

The preliminary steps are to:

  • Gather and prep all ingredients per ingredients list.
  • Sweat the eggplant. Place the eggplant slices in a colander and salt them liberally on both sides.  Just leave them to sit for about 30 minutes. Then rinse with water and pat dry. Sweating the eggplant removes moisture, tenderizing the eggplant and removing bitterness. Sweated eggplant also absorbs less oil.  I confess I sometimes skip this step depending on my personal evaluation of the eggplant (and amount of time I have), but it does make a small difference.
  • Drain and press the tofu – Simply place the block of tofu on a plate, cover with a paper towel or clean dish towel, place another plate and something with weight, such as a large can of tomato sauce, on top and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Discard excess water and pat tofu dry.

MAKE THE TOMATO SAUCE — You could skip this step and use store-bought sauce. Just check the ingredients to make sure there’s not too much sugar. Making your own is very easy, economical, and you control what goes into the sauce.

  1. In a large pot, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil; add onions and sauté’ until transparent, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic – and if you like a little heat, also add in a little crushed red pepper — and sauté another minute or two.
  2. Add wine, if using, and let cook a few minutes.
  3. Add tomatoes and paste and stir.
  4. Bring sauce to boil; reduce heat to simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Adjust seasonings to taste.
  6. Remove bay leaf and discard.

MAKE THE TOFU RICOTTA

  1. Mix all ingredients in a food processor.  You may also mix by hand.  If mixing by hand, add olive oil last, after you have reached the appropriate “ricotta” consistency with the other ingredients.

PREPARE AND PRE-BAKE THE EGGPLANT

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and lightly oil a baking sheet.
  2. Make the batter.  In a large shallow bowl, mix the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar.  Let sit a few minutes and then mix in the flour.
  3. In another large shallow bowl, put the breadcrumbs and liberally mix in seasonings. (You also could just use pre-seasoned breadcrumbs.)
  4. Wet both sides of the eggplant slices in the batter, dredge them in the bread crumbs, and place on the baking sheet.
  5. Spay or drizzle a little olive oil on the eggplant slices
  6. Bake approximately 12 minutes per side until slightly crisp and golden

sliced eggplantbatterbreadcrumbsbreaded eggplantbaked breaded eggplant slices

ASSEMBLE THE CASSEROLE

  1. Cover bottom of pan with just a very thin layer of tomato sauce.
  2. Lay eggplant in single layer at bottom of pan. If you have more eggplant than fits in single layer, you’ll add it to the top.
  3. Add the tofu-ricotta and spread fairly evenly. Reserve some to spread on the top.
  4. If using, add the optional spinach and sautéed vegetables. Add additional eggplant slices if you have them.
  5. Cover everything liberally with Tomato Sauce.
  6. If using, sprinkle on optional vegan mozzarella shreds and/or nutritional yeast.
  7. Top with remain tofu ricotta.
  8. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

eggplant casserole

Recipe makes about 8 servings

Is A Completely Vegan Diet Really Necessary? Part 2: Compassion

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People curious about vegan diets often tell me how upsetting it is to think about the animals killed for food.  Yet the idea of completely changing their eating habits seems daunting, and frankly makes a lot of people just shut down out of overwhelm.  So they ask some version of: Besides being vegan, how can I make more humane food choices?

In my experience, there is no humane way to consume animals. If you’re not ready to eliminate animal foods altogether, simply start to cut back as much as you can on animal-based foods, and replace with a wide variety of PLANT-BASED FOODS. Please don’t replace one type of animal food, such as beef, with another type of animal food that may feel less bad to you, such as dairy or fish. More on this below. While you won’t be doing all you can do, it’s far better to start taking action rather than do nothing because you’re overwhelmed or not ready to commit to a total change. You still will be making a positive difference.

Do what you need to do to make sustainable changes because the goal is to succeed for the long term. Obviously the quicker you stop participating in killing animals, the better. Some people do best to make a total change immediately, while others succeed making small, gradual changes. You’ll likely find the changes are not too difficult, and hopefully decide to go completely vegan. Know that the fewer animal products in your diet (or closet, household, etc.), the less you’re participating in institutionalized violence.

And that’s the sum total of my advice. It’s really that simple. The rest of this post explains why I don’t recommend is changing the type of animal product you eat.

Many people say some version of: “I only eat chicken/fish/dairy/grass-fed/cage-free.”  It’s because people want to do something. I did. First I stopped eating mammals, then birds, then marine animals, and then animal by-products.  But in hindsight I understand that those choices, while they may intuitively feel more compassionate, really don’t reduce suffering and violence IF you just end up replacing those foods with more of some other type of animal product. Trying to convince yourself about the relative sentience of different types of animals, or the meaningfulness of humane food labels is mostly a waste of your energy.

Eating a different type of animal — Replacing cows, pigs, and other mammals with birds or fish doesn’t reduce suffering. Birds and fish also are sentient, and in fact because they’re smaller, more are harmed to produce comparable quantities of food. Furthermore, while there are a few, if inadequate, welfare laws for mammals, there are no welfare laws for birds and marine animals. (Plus over-fishing is itself a global problem.)

Eating more eggs and dairy in place of meat — Replacing meat with dairy and eggs doesn’t reduce suffering.  In fact some of the worst abuses come from dairy and egg production. And yes, these animals also get slaughtered after they are no longer economically productive. Many people assume eggs and dairy are just by-products of meat production. That’s not true. They’re distinct industries.

To highlight just a few issues, we need only look at the beginning of the process: breeding.

Eggs

Chickens bred for egg laying are different from those bred for their flesh, so male offspring of egg laying hens are of no economic value. The hatcheries dispose of these male peeps in the most economical ways, the two most common methods being suffocation and grinding alive.  Even the best of farms typically get their peeps from these hatcheries.

Dairy

Likewise, dairy production uses cows bred for dairy rather than meat.  Male calves have low economic value, and typically are sent either to immediate slaughter for cheap meat, or first are confined miserably for veal. The veal industry is a DIRECT by-product of the dairy industry.

Female dairy cows are forced into pregnancy by artificial insemination on what the industry terms “rape racks” because of course to produce milk, mammals need to become pregnant. Mother and babies are separated immediately after birth – which is immensely distressing emotionally for all mammals – and the milk designed to nourish the calves is taken to be sold to humans.  Think about it; it’s really quite insane.  When spent, after about 5 exhausting years (of a natural 20-year lifespan), females are sent to slaughter, often for cheap hamburger meat.

Hey I’ll confess. I’m guilty of not making the connection for a long time.  I was an ethical vegetarian for years, who consumed “organic/local small family farm/humane” dairy.

Choosing only “humane” animal products

Again, I’m only going to scratch the surface here.  This topic is huge and there’s a lot to explore.  The whole underlying premise that it’s OK to use animals is debatable, but even if you’re not concerned that we use them, only how we treat them, buying “humane” products still is not an effective solution.

For the most part, humane food labels are at best misleading, if not altogether meaningless.  For example:

  • “Cage free” simply means no cages. Cage free doesn’t equal pasture-raised, or plenty of space to move about. In fact cage free facilities typically are warehouses overcrowded with animals.
  • “Free range” simply means access to the outdoors – however limited. The amount of time is unspecified and very often “outside” is only on small concrete.  By the way, “free range” is only for birds raised for meat, not for egg laying birds.
  • “Organic” and “grass-fed” may indicate better choices for the consumer than eating animals raised on grain, genetically modified soy, hormones and antibiotics.  They don’t eliminate violence to animals.

Even in the relatively few situations where there probably are some real differences – e.g. clearly pasture-raised, grass-fed ruminants get to live more naturally than those in a confined feedlot – there still is plenty of exploitation and violence involved in the breed-raise-slaughter cycle.

There are no firm welfare standards.  And as a practical matter, even with the best standards it would be almost impossible to ensure the welfare of animals used for food, especially given the scale of meeting demand for 7 billion humans.

So in summary, the only compassionate choice is to not eat any animal-based foods.  Cutting back is a great first step and even if it’s all you do is still much better than looking away because the idea of total change overwhelms you. Make your habit changes workable and sustainable for you.

 

Is A Completely Vegan Diet Really Necessary? Part 1: Health

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People often tell me they want to be “more vegan” for health and compassion.  For a variety of their own reasons, they’re not ready to give up animal products altogether. This post will address health, and the next post will address compassion.

What percentage of my diet needs to be plant-based for optimal health?

The best advice simply is to eat A LOT of whole (unprocessed) plant foods.  While there still may be debate about whether 100% plant-based is better for optimal health than 80-90% plant-based, the evidence is clear that your diet should be at least largely plant-based, with a focus on whole foods.

There is no requirement for animal-based foods in the human diet, so you certainly can create an optimally healthful diet that’s 100% plant-based. The myth that plant-only (vegan) diets are inadequate finally has been busted. Even the conservative Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly the American Dietetic Association) says balanced vegan diets are adequate and healthful at all stages of life.

“It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes.”

By the way, please keep in mind that “vegan” does not equal “healthful diet.” A vegan diet just means no animal-based foods, so someone could eat lots of processed foods, sugar, simple carbohydrates, salt, and fat and still be eating a vegan diet. It’s true that vegan diets on the whole tend to be more healthful because most people eating this way usually eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds than the average person eating the standard American diet (S.A.D.). These plant foods contain all the nutrients needed without the cholesterol, saturated fat, and animal protein associated with increased risk of many diseases, including serious ones such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

In summary, from a health perspective, make at least the majority of your diet plant-based. Focus on eating:

  • Whole versus processed foods.
  • Plenty of variety. Include vegetables, grains, fruits, legumes, nuts & seeds. Eat widely from these groups and make your diet literally colorful.
  • Plenty of raw and lightly cooked vegetables.

Guide For Stocking Your Vegan Kitchen

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Here’s a table I put together to give you ideas about how to stock your kitchen so you’ll be ready to prepare many vegan meals. I hope you find it useful.

Grains and Starchy Vegetables Rice, potatoes, yams, pasta, quinoa, noodles, cereal, and your other favorites.  Choose whole grains as often as possible.High protein “grain meats” such as seitan and convenience foods based on seitan also are useful to have on hand.
Legumes  Lentils, beans, peas, tempeh, tofu, and prepared veggie meats can form the center of numerous meals. Keep cans of chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, cannellinis and other favorites on hand. You may also like to keeps some dry and frozen on hand.
Vegetables  Keep a wide variety of both fresh and frozen on hand. Include leafy greens such as kale, romaine, and chard, as well as lots of different color vegetables. Frozen are especially convenient when you want to prepare a super quick & easy stir fry.
Fruits  Keep a wide variety of both fresh and frozen on hand.  Canned fruits, especially pineapples, pears, orange slices, also come in handy for cooking and salads. Be sure to buy those packed only in juice. You may also like to use spreadable fruits and dry fruits.Canned tomato products – diced, crushed, puree, paste – are essential. And canned coconut milk is another great pantry staple.
Nuts, Seeds  Cashews, walnuts, brazil nuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, and any others you like.Nut butters, including peanut (which technically is a legume).
Fats and Condiments Olive oil, canola oil, eggless mayonnaise, Dijon and other mustards, and any other favorites.
Herbs & Spices Some basic herbs & spices to keep on hand include: basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, cayenne pepper ground, cumin ground, curry powders, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, black pepper corns, ground ginger, and garlic powder.Ground powders are good to keep on hand, but nothing beats fresh ginger, garlic, basil, and parsley.
Wines, Vinegars, Marinades Cooking with wines – red, white, marsala, rice wine/mirin – can make food taste gourmet. You don’t need to buy expensive wines.Balsamic, apple cider, and red wine vinegar are a few staple vinegars. (A few drops of balsamic go a long way in flavoring food.)Tamari soy sauce (or Braggs Liquid Aminos), vegan Worcestershire sauce (i.e. no anchovies), liquid smoke, and a few pre-made marinades – peanut sauce, soy ginger, BBQ – are useful to keep on handsVegetable broth and/or bouillon cubes are great for soups and many other recipes.
Sweeteners Unrefined sugar (sucanat), pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup, black strap molasses, molasses, and stevia. Of course fruits also make excellent sweeteners, especially dates.
Plant-based Milks Instead of cow’s milk, use plant-based milks (and creams), such as: soy, almond, hemp, rice, oat, and coconut. Find one or more that you like.
Other Nutritional Yeast is a fantastic ingredient to keep on hand. (Do NOT confuse it with bitter tasting Brewer’s yeast.) Sprinkle nutritional yeast on pasta and popcorn in place of parmesan cheese. It’s also wonderful to cook with as well, as you’ll see it in many recipes. It’s often a key ingredient in vegan cheeses and cheese sauces.

 

Mushroom Gravy

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This mushroom gravy is easy to make and really delicious. It’ll make a nice addition to your Thanksgiving table. You can use it on anything for which you’d use traditional gravy. It’s great with mashed potatoes as well as any number of “main” dishes including Tofurkey or other Turkey-style roasts, Lentil-Nut Loafs and Pot Pies.

Ingredients:

  • 1  onion, finely chopped
  • 12-16 oz  cremini mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves  garlic, minced
  • 1/3 cup  flour
  • 2 teaspoons  dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon  dried sage
  • 1/2 cup  dry white wine
  • 3.5 cups  vegetable broth
  • 2-3 tbls  vegan butter
  • 1 tbls  tamari sauce
  • 2 tbls  nutritional yeast (optional)
  • To taste  salt & pepper

Directions:

1. In a skillet over medium heat, heat vegan butter, add onion, mushrooms, salt and pepper, and sauté until translucent

2. Add sage and thyme & stir

3. Add flour and whisk, creating a roux

4. Add white wine and turn up the heat. Let wine reduce for about 3 minutes.

5. Add tamari sauce and vegetable broth (& optional nutritional yeast). Lower heat back to medium and cook about 15 minutes stirring often.

6. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

(Serves 8)

 

 

Quinoa with Black Beans and Mango Salad

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QuinoaBBmangosalad

This salad is a nutrition powerhouse as well as being tasty and satisfying.  It’s high in complete protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.

 

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced small
  • 1 red pepper, seeded and diced small
  • 1 small red onion, thinly sliced and chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (if you don’t like cilantro, instead add 1/2 teaspoon of coriander to the dressing)
  • 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
  • 1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed

For the dressing:

  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (fresh lemon juice also works)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin (or more to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)
  • To taste – coarse sea salt, freshly grated black pepper, cayenne pepper
  • As needed – lettuce leaves for plating (optional)

Directions:

1. Unless you have some left over cooked quinoa, you of course must first cook and cool the quinoa. Cooking about 3/4 a cup of dry quinoa will yield you the 2 cups cooked. Rinse the quinoa well in a fine mesh strainer before cooking to remove the bitter saponins (the plant’s natural insecticide). Cook quinoa for about 15 minutes in boiling water (2 parts water to 1 part quinoa). If necessary, strain off any extra water that didn’t absorb and then let the quinoa sit after cooking so it’s fluffy and dry. (You don’t want soggy quinoa.)

2. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, black beans, mango, red pepper, red onion, and cilantro.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients.

4. Drizzle dressing all over salad and toss to combine everything. Ideally let it sit for a while for the flavors to meld. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Serves 4-6

 

Ridiculously Easy Recipe for Brownie-Muffins

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I saw this recipe on an episode of the “Hungry Girl” cooking show. It was just so easy that I had to try it. The results were quite tasty.

Ingredients:

  • 1 (18 1/4-ounce) box of devil’s food cake mix
  • 1 (15-ounce) can of pumpkin

Directions:

  1. Pour cake mix into a large bowl and remove any lumps.
  2. Add pumpkin and stir until completely combined.   That’s it for the batter!
  3. Fill a 12-cup muffin pan – either lined with foil baking cups or lightly oiled – and bake in oven at 400 °F for about 20 minutes. (To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin; it should come out clean.)

Enjoy!