This beautiful and refreshing slaw was a hit at a neighborhood retirement and Labor(less) Day Party for my (too-young-to-retire husband)…but it would be welcome on any table anyvtime. It brought the spice and the crunch, pairing beautifully with our host’s baked ‘bellas and chimichurri sauce, sliced tomatoes, and smash-baked baby potatoes.
Krunchy Kimchi Slaw with Chili Crisp (super simple, 6-ingredient, vegan& plant-based)
Yield: 8 servings
1/4 cup plant-based cream cheese (I use Tofutti Smoke, but any plain or savory flavor will work) 1-3 tablespoons chili crisp (I like 3, but adjust to suit your spice tolerance) 10 ounces shredded cabbage or slaw mix 10 ounces Kimchi 2 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally) Approximately 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (white or tuxedo)
In large bowl, warm cream cheese for 20-30 seconds on microwave. Stir in chili crisp followed by cabbage and kimchi until well-combined. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Just before serving, top with onions and garnish with srsame seeds.
If lucky you has a fig tree–or, like me, a generous neighbor does–and your figs are ripe for the pickin’, this is a delightful way to enjoy them for breakfast or a not-too-sweet dessert.
4 tablespoons quick or old fasioned oats 3 tablespoons walnut pieces, divided 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon 1-5 ounce carton Silk brand Greek style vanilla yogurt 2 fresh figs, quartered 1 teaspoon maple syrup
In a small skillet over medium heat, dry toast oats, 2 tablespoons walnuts, and cardamom for a very few minutes, stirring continuously. (Watch closely, as the mixture will seem not to be cooking and, all of a sudden, it will burn.) Remove from heat and cool. Layer half of yogurt, half of figs, and half of oat mixture into a glass and repeat. Garnish with remaining tablespoon walnuts and teaspoon of maple syrup. Enjoy immediately.
I created this recipe for my pals at Tofutti, though, truth be told, you can use any plant-based sour cream you prefer to make this quick-and-easy casserole. It is just as luscious straight off the stove as a dip or layered with chips and baked as a casserole for “Taco Tuesday”…or any other night of the week.
Cheesy Chorizo-Chickpea Casserole with Spinach Yield: 4-6 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil 2 plant-based chorizo sausages, crumbled 1 cup pico de gallo 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach 1 cup Tofutti Sour Cream 1 cup shredded plant-based cheddar style cheese 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 3/4 cup drained chickpeas 30 Tostitos Scoops (about 3 cups) or similar chip Garnishes: 4-6 tablespoons each Tofutti Sour Cream and pico
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch casserole dish. In large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add chorizo and saute, stirring frequently, until lightly browned. Add pico and spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until slightly wilted after each. Stir in remaining ingredients, except garnishes, until heated through. Spoon 1/4 mixture in bottom of prepared dish. Cover with 1/3 chips. Repeat twice and finish with last fourth of chorizo mixture. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Serve hot garnished with additional Tofutti Sour Cream and pico.
A hot and sticky July does not necessarily sound like warm casserole weather, but I was craving Mexican-inspired casseroles and created two this week, enjoying a serving each on different days and freezing the rest. Tofutti is publishing one and I am happy to share the other right here.
My versions boast two main sources of flavorful and chewy protein, two sources of colorful vitamins, and a sauce that will make you want to lick the skillet, which I highly recommend.
Pro-Tip: you need not bake the luscious mixture layered with chips as a casserole, but can serve it as dip with those chips instead.
Note: add 1/2 teaspoon chili powder if desired. I like chipotle, but it does bring the heat.
Cheesy Chicken & Black Bean Casserole with Spinach (vegan & plant-based) Yield: 4-6 servings
1 tablespoon olive oil 8 ounces plant-based “chicken,” chopped or broken into small bite-size pieces (I use Tofurky) 1 cup pico de gallo 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach 1 cup plant-based sour cream 1 cup shredded plant-based cheddar style cheese 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 3/4 cup drained black beans 30 Tostitos Scoops (about 3 cups) or similar chip Garnishes: 4-6 tablespoons + optional pico, fresh cilantro, roasted pumpkin seeds, etc.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch casserole dish. In large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add “chicken” and saute, stirring frequently, until heated through. Add pico and spinach, a handful at a time, stirring until slightly wilted after each. Stir in remaining ingredients, except garnishes, until heated through. Spoon 1/4 mixture in bottom of prepared dish. Cover with 1/3 chips. Repeat twice and finish with last fourth of “chicken” mixture. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. (Optional: Bake an additional 5-10 minutes uncovered if a “set” top is desired.) Serve hot garnished with additional Tofutti Sour Cream and pico.
If fluffy, buttery biscuits, moist cornbread, and creamy spoonbread had a lovechild, this would be it. It is delicious eaten with a spoon straight out of the dish standing at the counter as soon as it emerges from the oven. Or, if you are more civilized, it is a comforting side dish for a barbecue, a potluck, or a Thanksgiving meal.
Cornbread-Biscuit Spoonbread Yield: 6 servings
1/4 cup plant-based butter, melted + 1 to 2 tablespoons 1/4 cup plant-based sour cream (I love Tofutti brand) 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoon canned creamed corn 1/4 cup aquafaba (juice drained from canned chickpeas) Juice plus half the corn from 8.5 ounce can 3/4 cup Jiffy “Vegetarian” cornbread muffin mix (it is actually vegan) 3/4 cup flour (I like the texture of gluten-free 1:1 baking mix, but you can sub all-purpose) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Grease an 8-inch casserole dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large bowl, whisk together melted butter, sour cream, creamed corn, aquafaba, and juice from canned corn. Stir in remaining ingredients, transfer to prepared dish, bake 1 hour until top is set and golden, and remive from oven. Carefully rub remaining butter over surface to melt into the crusty top, and serve immediately.
After a steamy 4-mile hike this morning (temp was 98!), my friend reached into the shrubbery next to my car and pulled back her hand holding a tidy bag of freshly picked blackberries on ice. It was all I could do not to eat them all on the way home.
While I was tempted to make a cobbler with them, I couldn’t trust myself to eat the whole thing in one sitting, so I decided to go savory. And I bet you will be glad I did!
The crust is tender and flavorful thanks to an unexpected ingredient–hummus!–and the filling is simply more hummus topped with berries and vegetables, bright in both color and flavor. But, truth be told, you can top it with any ingredients you prefer, provided they are tasty raw or are pre-cooked.
Earthy pine nuts provide crunch and vegan feta a beautiful bright white and salty counterpoint. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top, sprinkle with optional basil leaves, and it is ready to serve.
Note: If summer heat has got you down, once you bake the crust, you don’t need to bake the filling. Baking sets it nicely but is not necessary, provided your toppings are tasty raw or are pre-cooked.
Easy & Elegant Summer Hummus Tart Yield: 6 servings
Crust: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons water 3 tablespoons soymilk 3 tablespoons olive oil 10 ounces hummus, divided Filling and Topping (recipe follows) Garnishes (see below)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl with a fork, completely combine all ingredients, using only 3 tablespoons of the hummus. Press into an 8-inch tart pan with removable sides. Dough thickness should be between 1/8 and 1/4-inch. Bake in center of oven for 10 minutes. Remove, spread with remaining hummus, top with berries, vegetables, and pine nuts. Sprinkle with sea salt, pepper, and Everything Bagel seasoning. Bake 7 minutes, sprinkle with feta, and bake 3 more minutes. Remove from oven, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with basil leaves, slice, and serve.
Filling and Topping: Remaining hummus 1 cup fresh blackberries 1 cup diced cucumber 1 cup halved grape tomatoes 1/2 cup diced red onion 2 tablespoons pine nuts 2 tablespoons vegan feta (I like Follow Your Heart) Pinch sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Everything Bagel seasoning
Note: I had a few slices leftover grilled peaches and added those too. Feel free to experiment.
Garnish: 1 tablespoon olive oil Optional: 8 fresh basil leaves, whole or torn if large
Chocolate chip cookie recipes, even vegan ones–even Doubletree Lookalikes–are a dime a dozen. So what makes this one worthwhile, you ask?
For me, not only are the flavor and texture exceptional, but the ease of not having to use an electric mixer to cream butter and shortening–and then having to clean it up–cinches the deal.
You simply melt the butter on the stove or in the microwave and stir everything together in the same pan or bowl. The whole process is delightfully streamlined.
And if it is brutally hot where you are and the last thing you want to do is bake, I encourage you to go for it and then enjoy these monsters with a big scoop of plant-based vanilla ice cream… or make ice cream sandwiches.
Pro Tip: Add chocolate chips with flour so you aren’t struggling to incorporate the chips into a stiff dough.
Chocolate Chip Cookies with Melted Butter (vegan/plant-based)
Yield: 1 dozen large cookies
1/2 cup vegan butter, melted and slightly cooled 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar 1/4 cup natural granulated sugar 1/4 cup aqua faba (juice from canned chickpeas) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (not powder) 1/2 teaspoon salt if butter is unsalted 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup oats 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup mini vegan chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat or for about sixty seconds in microwave. Cool slightly. Stir in both sugars, aqua faba, vanilla extract, baking soda, salt if using, and cinnamon. When completely combined, stir in oats. Then add all the flour and chocolate chips, and stir until completely combined. Dough will appear soft, but will bake up perfectly with just the right amount of spread. *Divide into 12 equal mounds–about 3-4 tablespoons–approximately 2 inches apart. Bake 15 minutes or until set and golden brown. Cool on baking sheet.
*I use the bakery style double-cookie scoop method in which you make twelve mounds with a two tablespoon cookie scoop and then place another mound of the same size on top of each pressing down firmly.
Beautiful, colorful, nutritious, and cooling and hydrating to boot, this is a perfect summer food alert…
I will likely not ever entertain again without making:
LUSCIOUS & LOADED GREEK HUMMUS!
Do the minimal chopping in advance, and it goes together in a breeze. Simply spread prepared or homemade hummus on a long platter, being sure to leave swirls to catch golden pools of olive oil.
Then–and I think an S-curve is prettiest–generously sprinkle with:
*halved grape tomatoes marinated a couple hours in a drizzle of olive oil, chopped garlic, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper; *chopped cucumber (from a friend’s garden); *diced red onion (I bought pre-chopped); *green or black olives; *optional but recommended vegan feta (Follow Your Heart brand is virtually indistinguishable from dairy); *optional toasted pine nuts; *tiny or torn basil leaves (I used Thai basil); *a generous swish of olive oil over the top; *and a mere whisper of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
That’s it! Serve with cucumber slices to maximize crunch, color, and hydration, and to provide maximum scoopage. Don’t ask a carrot stick or a bell pepper strip to do a cucumber slice’s job!
Pretty, cool, and refreshing, these easy bars take the edge off summer heat and humidity.
The base for the recipe is making the rounds on Pinterest, prepared by combining an angel food cake mix and lemon pie filling. But I leaned full-on into lemon.
And I don’t care what anyone says, the batter does NOT separate into a crust and filling as it bakes. In fact, the texture is a bit odd: a tad gummy and spongy.
BUT chilling mostly solves that issue, and topping the bars solves the rest. They ended up reminding me of a slightly and pleasantly sticky lemon brownie, and I will make them again…but I am not tossing out my traditional lemon bar recipe, as these are something altogether different.
Quick Lemon Bars with “Cheesecake” Topping
1 box lemon cake mix (make sure it is plant-based, but most are) 1-20 ounce can lemon pie filling (make sure it is plant-based, but most are) “Cheesecake” Topping (recipe follows) 12 thin lemon slices Garnish: 12 mint leaves and/or a few berries if desired. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray 9 x 13″ pan with non-stick spray, line with a piece of parchment paper or foil if desired (not necessary), and spray again. By hand or on low speed of an electric mixer, combine mix and filling thoroughly without overbeating. Spread into prepared pan. Consistency will be a little spongy. Spray hands with nonstick spray and pat into corners if necessary. Bake 30 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Cover and chill. Slice into 12 pieces, top with a couple tablespoons filling, garnish, and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.
