Updated: 7 October 2012

I once read that the average household rotates between about 11 basic entree recipes. Here are the staples of my cooking repertoire. I'm not a chef, so I mostly take things from cookbooks and online recipe sites (see Sources). Though I do modify things, and those suggestions are listed. Since I was vegan for the formative years of my adult cooking life (2002−2009), I have a large compilation of vegan recipes. Wherever there's a non-vegan ingredient listed, I substitute the most logical vegan product. When I became vegan, the most important thing for me (with respect to cooking) was to produce wonderful desserts, because I disliked when anybody categorically dismissed vegan foods, especially desserts. I went out of my way to prove how good vegan cooking could be, and I elected to pitch that battle over desserts. It was fairly easy, because fat and sugar are always tasty, right?

DISCLAIMER: These are hand-typed recipes. Use your common sense if something seems amiss (e.g., if it says add 1 Tbsp salt, presume it really means 1 tsp).

• On-line recipes
  Go Google. I've tried to refer to the website of the on-line recipes as I found them, though with the ephemeral nature of some websites...
• Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, 2002 (ISBN-13: 978-1-56305-711-3)
  This is the Joy of Cooking for vegetarians. It has a wide variety of recipes with a range of preparation time. She's honest when a dish cannot be made vegan, which I appreciate. Just beware that some recipes take a long, long time and may serve up to 12 people. Just look into that in advance.
• Plenty—Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi by Yotam Ottolenghi, 2010 (ISBN: 978-1-4521-0214-8)
  This is a wonderful and fancy cookbook. The author is not a vegetarian but knows that some good recipes just happen to be vegetarian. So he nicely puts them in a book. And sometimes recommends the meat dish to go with them.
• Vegetarian Express by Nava Atlas and Lillian Kayte, 1995 (ISBN: 0-316-05740-1)
  This was my first vegetarian cookbook. It's very simple and lays out the meal ideas with each recipe.
• The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, 1997
  If nothing else, read up on Mori-Nu aseptic/sealed tofu and the art of freezing tofu in the preface. This is generally a complicated cookbook, but there are a few true gems of culinary art. (Though I'm not a fan of the low-fat bent; I usually ignore the "lite" stuff.) It's also an architecturally smart book, since it lays flat.
• Swedish Cakes and Cookies, translated by Melody Favish, 2008 (ISBN: 978-1-60239-262-5)
  Swede's have a bit of a sweet tooth. And they love their "fika," which is the coffee and dessert you have with guests, like a tea time... but with coffee. Supposedly, you're suppose to have seven kinds of dessert for fika. And this is the book to help you with that.
• Joy of Cooking by I. S. Rombauer, M. R. Becker, and E. Becker, 1997
  No one can escape this cookbook. It's too comprehensive.

• FROM: Joy of Cooking by I. S. Rombauer, M. R. Becker, and E. Becker, 1997, p. 775
• INGREDIENTS
• This bread lasts for 2-3 days.
• Position a rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease an 8.5 x 4.5 inch (6-cup) loaf pan.
• Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl:
• 1 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Add:
• 1 and 1/2 cups light or dark beer (but not stout), cold or at room temperature but not flat
• PREPARATION
• Fold just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center and all the way to the bottom of the pan comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 5 to 10 minutes before un-molding to cool completely on the rack.

Lightly Glazed Baby Carrots (vegan possible)

• FROM: http://teriskitchen.com/vegetable/glazedcarrots.html
• NOTES: SERVES 4
  Did you now that the so-called baby carrots that are labeled as cut are not babies at all? They are actually cut from larger carrots into baby shapes. If you can get real babies, do so. They have a milder, sweeter flavor and get tender more quickly. But this recipe is very good either way.
• INGREDIENTS
• 2 pounds baby carrots
• 1-1/12 cups water
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Ground cinnamon
• PREPARATION
• Place carrots and water in a large skillet. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes depending on size and age. Remove the lid and add the sugar, orange juice and butter. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. Cook over high heat until most of the moisture has evaporated and the carrots are lightly glazed. Taste for seasoning.

• FROM: The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, p. 23
• INGREDIENTS
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger juice
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup apricot jam
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes OR
• 1/4 tsp minced fresh Serrano chili
• 2 Tsp finely chopped roasted peanuts
• PREPARATION
• Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl

• FROM: The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, p. 66
• INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup unbleached flour
• 2 teaspoons unrefined cane sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Mori-Nu Baking Blend (pg. 14)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• PREPARATION
• Place flour, cane sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium sized mixing bowl.
• Add Baking Blend and canola oil and mix with a fork until just blended. Don't over mix or dough will be tough. Form dough into a ball and refrigerate.
• Note: To make individual biscuits, roll or pat dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a 2 or 2&1/2-inch round cookie cutters. Place on a baking sheet that has been coated with cooking spray. Bake in preheated 425°F oven for about 12 minutes or until light brown.
• KATHY-NOTES: This biscuit recipe is specified for a deep dish pot pie on the same page. These are awesome biscuits! I don't roll them out so much as plop misshapen wads on the cookie sheet. Great with honey and butter. The Mori-Nu Baking Blend is (p. 14): 1 package Mori-Nu Tofu (extra firm); 1 cup water; and 2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar blended. Store in a covered container. Keeps for one week. (1 cup baking blend = 1 cup liquid ingredients.)

• FROM: Vegetarian Express by Nava Atlas and Lillian Kayte, p. 36
• INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 pound udon or soba noodles (see Note)
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce, or more or less to taste
• 1 tablespoon honey or rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon honey or rice syrup
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger, or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar or white-wine vinegar
• 2 to 3 scallions, sliced
• PREPARATION
• Begin cooking the noodles.
• Whisk the remaining ingredients, except the scallions, together in a bowl.
• When the noodles are done, drain and transfer them to a large serving container. Drizzle the sauce over them, then quickly toss together.
• Scatter the sliced scallions over the top.
• Note: Soba (also known as buckwheat noodles) and udon are delicious whole-grain noodles that are readily available in natural food stores. If you're in a pinch, use regular spaghetti or linguine; the results will be good, though not quite as interesting.
• KATHY-NOTES: Great, simple side or entree. I would recommend adding steamed edamame or broccoli.

• FROM: FROM: Vegetarian Express by Nava Atlas and Lillian Kayte, p. 93
• INGREDIENTS
• 2 10-ounce packages frozen baby lima beans
• 1 large shallot, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, or more or less to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon thick, plain low-fat yogurt
• 1 small fennel bulb (1/2 pound), quartered, cored, and sliced crosswise very thinly
• 1 tablespoons finely chopped fennel leaves
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• PREPARATION
• Cook the lima beans in a small amount of salted water for 5 minutes. Plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking process, drain, and transfer to a salad bowl.
• In a small bowl, combine the shallot, vinegar, and salt. Whisk in the vegetable oil, sesame oil, and yogurt. Pour over the lima beans.
• Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently. Taste and add more salt if desired.
• KATHY-NOTES

Salad of Limas, Green Beans, and Chickpeas with Lemon and Parsley (vegan)

• FROM: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, p. 103
• INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 pound green beans, stem ends snipped, sliced into 2-inch pieces
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen baby lima beans, thawed (or the equivalent if you are fortunate enough to find them, of fresh, raw limas)
• 2 carrots, well scrubbed, sliced into diagonal circles
• 1 can (15 ounces; 1.75 cups cooked) chickpeas, well drained
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 1/2 large red onion, sliced in half and then crosswise, pulled into paper-thin slices
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 to 2 lemons, halved
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
• 1 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• PREPARATION
• Bring 1.5 inches of water to a boil in a pot over medium heat. Places a steaming basket over the boiling water and add the green beans. Cover and steam until the beans are still crisp-tender with a little bite, but have lost all rawness ("just long enough to take the fuzz off them," as an old friend used to say). If the beans are slim and tender, this should be 3 to 4 minutes; fatter beans, which are no less delicious in this salad, can take 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the steamer from the pot, reserving the steaming water. Rinse the green beans under cold water, drain well, and transfer to a bowl.
• Repeat the same process with the limas over the same water, steaming for about 10 minutes. Once they're cooked, rinsed with cold water, and drained, combine with the green beans.
• Repeat the same process with the carrots, again using the same steaming water, steaming for 1 minute. Rinse, drain, and add to the beans in the bowl.
• Leaving the cover off of the steaming pot, remove the steamer, and raise the heat to a hard boil. Cook to reduce the steaming liquid to 1 tablespoon or less, 6 to 8 minutes. Watch closely so you don't scorch the liquid.
• While the steaming liquid is reducing, add the chickpeas, celery, and red onion to the bean mixture, along with salt and pepper to taste (be sure to add enough salt; beans require it to come up to full flavor). Squeeze the first lemon into the salad through a strainer (to catch seeds); if it's not very juicy, squeeze the juice of the second lemon. Stir in the minced parsley and the oil (much, much more oil is traditionally in these sorts of salads than is called for here, but I don't feel that it is necessary for a full-flavored, pleasing salad). Add the reduced steaming liquid and stir to blend.
• Refrigerate for at least 2 hours; overnight is better. Before serving, bring to room temperature, taste, and, if necessary, re-season. (If you didn't already use it, you might need that second lemon now.) Serve as a first-course salad as port of a Middle Eastern-style feast of small dishes, or as one element in a component dinner.
• KATHY-NOTES: The raw red onion becomes much milder when it's all steeped together for several hours (and it does become much less lemon-y). I think this was a good protein to serve with a hearty potato leek soup.

• FROM: Fantastic Arborio Rice box
• INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup Arborio rice to 2 cups water (general)
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion or shallots
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 5 cups hot broth
• optional: chick peas, green beans, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes
• PREPARATION
• Sauté 2 Tbsp finely chopped onion or shallots until translucent in 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• Add 1.5 cups dry Arborio rice and sauté 1-2 minutes until grains are opaque and pearl-like
• This next step will take 20-25 minutes. Add 5 cups hot broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon and waiting until the broth is absorbed before adding more. Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time until the rice is cooked but still al dente, or firm to the bite. (Some of the broth may not be needed.) Take care that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Serving suggestion: At last broth addition, add 1/4 cup cream and 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese. To cooked risotto, add 2 cups blanched spring vegetables such as asparagus tips, baby peas, green beans, sugar snap peas, or broccoli and 1 Tbsp fresh parsley
• KATHY-NOTES: add nutritional yeast for a nutty, cheesy taste (and to be vegany!)

• FROM: Thai Kitchen curry paste
• INGREDIENTS
• 1-2 Tbsp. Curry paste
• 2 14 oz. Cans of coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
• 4 oz. bullion
• 1.5 tsp. Salt
• 1 cup fresh chopped basil
• Any combination of following vegetables:
• 2 bell peppers
• 1 zucchini
• 1 carrot
• 6 shiitake mushrooms
• 8 oz. Sliced bamboo shoots
• 8 oz. Sliced water chestnuts
• 14 oz. Baby corn
• PREPARATION
• Boil one can of coconut milk with curry paste, salt, brown sugar and bullion.
• Add 2nd can with vegetables that need more cooking (carrots, bell peppers, baby corn) and let simmer until half cooked.
• Add remaining vegetables and cook until done.
• Stir in basil.
• KATHY-NOTES: Best if add just dry bullion or bullion paste equivalent to that for 4 oz. This keeps a very creamy curry. Also, to this end, minimize ingredients. I usually add only snap peas/snow peas/green beans, bell pepper, water chestnuts, and tofu. (Pat the tofu dry as best as possible.)
  Also, if you're a vegan/non-vegan couple, this is a good recipe to divide into two pots, since it's two cans of coconut milk. Then the non-vegan can add fish sauce instead of salt (like a 1 Tbsp.)

• FROM: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, p. 568
• NOTE: Serves 4 to 6.
• INGREDIENTS
• Cooking spray
• 1 teaspoon butter (or, for vegans, mild vegetable oil or vegetable margarine)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 poblano chile, diced
• 3 cups vegetable stock (see page 139)
• Salt
• 3 medium potatoes, preferably Peruvian purple potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 carrots, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
• 1 cup quinoa, thoroughly washed
• 1 cup corn, frozen whole-kernel or cut from 2 to 3 cobs
• 1 cup whole or low-fat milk, evaporated skim milk, or unflavored soy milk
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Minced Italian parsley
• Minced cilantro
• Grated jack cheese (optional)
• Sour half-and-half, Yogurt Sour Cream (page 910), or Tofu Sour Cream (page 909) (optional)
• Tabasco or similar hot sauce, or cayenne (optional)
• PREPARATION
• In a large nonstick soup pot, or one that has been sprayed with cooking spray, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cumin and sauté, stirring, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onion has softened somewhat. Add the poblano and sauté for 3 minutes more. Add the stock and salt if the stock is unsalted (1 teaspoon, or to taste), and bring to a boil.
• Drop in the potatoes, carrots, and quinoa. Let the stock return to a boil, stir well, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Lift the lid and drop in the corn. Cover and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Turn off the heat. Pour in the milk, stir once, and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with parsley and cilantro. If you like, pass the grated cheese, sour half-and-half, and hot sauce at the table, allowing guests to modify their own dish.

• FROM: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, p. 218
• NOTE: Serves 4 to 6.
• INGREDIENTS
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, cut vertically into thin slivers
• 1/4 cup unbleached white all-purpose flour
• 3 and 1/2 cups vegetable stock (see page 139)
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (see page 239)
• 1/4 cup tamari or shoyu soy sauce
• 1 cup hearty, full-bodied, tannic red wine such as Cabernet, Barolo, or Barbaresco
• 1 cup canned diced tomato in tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon umeboshi plum vinegar (see page 118)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 teaspoon Dragon Salt (page 900)
• A major grinding of black pepper---1/2 to 1 teaspoon or so
• 8 to 10 cloves garlic, quartered or thickly sliced
• 6 to 8 dried shiitake mushrooms, broken roughly into quarters
• 1 package (8 ounces) "traditional-style" dark seitan, well drained, diced into beef-stew-size squares, 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches
• 4 small potatoes, scrubbed, peel on, cut into large pieces
• 2 carrots, scrubbed, peel on, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch rounds
• 1 parsnip, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups green beans, stemmed and sliced into 2- to 3-inch pieces
• 1 zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
• Minced Italian parsley (optional)
• PREPARATION
• If using a conventional Dutch oven, spray it with cooking spray, but you will have better results with a nonstick one. Heat the oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until it starts to brown but is still a little crisp, about 6 minutes.
• Sprinkle the onion with the flour and, lowering the heat to medium, continue to sauté for 4 minutes. Add about 1/2 cup of the stock, stirring to blend it into the flour. When the liquid is free of any flour lumps, add a little more stock. When it is well incorporated, add the remaining stock, stirring. Add the nutritional yeast, stirring as the flakes dissolve. Add the tamari, wine, tomatoes, umeboshi plum vinegar, honey, Dragon Salt, and pepper. Stir in the garlic and bring the mixture to a boil. Immediately lower the heat to a simmer.
• Drop in the shiitakes along with the seitan, potatoes, carrots, parsnip, and green beans. Lower the heat slightly. Cover and cook, stirring every so often, at a bare simmer until the potatoes are nearly done, about 35 minutes. Uncover and add the zucchini. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender but still holding their shape, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot, with a sprinkle of parsley, if desired.
• KATHY-NOTES: The Dragon Salt is awesome so here's the recipe for a whole large batch. Combine 1/2 cup salt (preferably sea salt); 1/2 cup medium-coarsely ground fresh black pepper; 1/4 cup ground cayenne; 1/4 cup dried dillweed; 2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika; 1 tablespoon dried basil leaves; and 1 tablespoon celery seeds. Stand back as you toss the mixture. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid. This keeps indefinitely, though it begins to lose potency after a year or so.

• FROM: The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, p. 54
• INGREDIENTS
• 6 oz. small elbow macaroni pasta
• 8 oz. fresh mushrooms, washed, stemmed (save stems) and diced small
• 1 teaspoon olive oil (mushroom infused would be best)
• 2 shallots, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, vegetarian style
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• 2 cups water (for sauce)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable broth powder
• 1 pkg Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (firm) (1 and 1/2 cups puréed)
• 3 tablespoons white miso
• 2 tablespoons sesame tahini
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
• Canola oil cooking spray
• PREPARATION
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook macaroni according to directions on the package for al dente. Drain and rinse macaroni. In a heavy sauté pan, cook mushrooms with olive oil, shallots, sherry, Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce. Cook for 5-6 minutes and add to macaroni.
• In a small sauce pan, boil the 2 cups of water with mushroom stems and broth powder. Simmer for about 8 minutes, drain stems and reserve water. In the container of a blender, combine the reserved water, tofu, miso, tahini, salt and pepper. lend well. Add to noodles and mushrooms. Coat a 9" or 10" round casserole dish with cooking spray, fill with macaroni mixture. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and the curbs are golden.
• KATHY-NOTES: Err strongly on the side of al dente (to barely done) pasta. Try adding less water because it comes out sort of liquidy. I put the mushroom stems (boiled in the broth) in the purée mixture.

• FROM: me (hence, all the approximate proportions)
• INGREDIENTS
• 2 cans black beans, mostly drained (reserve liquid)
• 1 can kidney beans, drained well
• 1 can Ro-tel Original diced tomatoes
• 1 bell pepper, preferably red, diced chunky
• 1 medium onion, diced
• About 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• About 2 tablespoons red wine (great use of that bottle that's bean lying around)
• 3 to 5 cloves garlic, pressed
• Vegetable bullion cube or powder, equivalent to 1 cup (but don't add the water)
• 1 part Cayenne pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon)
• 2 parts red pepper flakes< (about 1 teaspoon)
• 3 parts chili powder (about 1/2 tablespoon)
• About 1/2 tablespoon honey (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Cheese (vegan or real; optional)
• PREPARATION
• Sauté onion and bell pepper until soft.
• Heat beans with all other ingredients.
• Add sauté mixture.
• Heat until everything warm and well mixed.
• KATHY-NOTES: It's hard to write up a self-made recipe. Here are my notes as I think of them: (i) add the spicy ingredients to taste; (ii) Bush's black beans work the best, for some reason, but I'm persisting in testing the organic options; and (iii) this is one recipe where vegan cheese works great, because I prefer to turn this into more of thick mixture and eat it with tortillas or chips. I sometimes add finely diced hickory or savory baked tofu.

• FROM: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, p. 608
• INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups whole mung beans (green gram if you buy them at an Indian market), picked over and rinsed
• 6 cups water, preferably spring or filtered
• 1.5 tablespoons ghee (see page 486), or mild vegetable oil
• 1 small red chile, such as a ripe serrano, halved (if no small fresh chiles are available, us a dried red one)
• 1 tablespoons brown or black mustard seeds
• 6 to 8 green chiles, such as serranos, split as described in the headnote ("To split the chiles, cut them from tip to stem, but do not cut through the stem, so the chile still holds together.")
• 1.75 tablespoons reconstituted tamarind paste (see page 90)
• 1.25 teaspoons turmeric
• 0.5 cup dried, unsweetened coconut shreds
• Plenty of salt to taste
• Chopped cilantro (optional)
• PREPARATION
• Combine the mung beans and water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer, half-covered, until the beans are very soft and mushy, about 1.25 hours. Remove from the heat and set aside.
• About 15 minutes before the beans are ready, heat the ghee in a small skillet over high heat. When it is sizzling hot, add the red chile and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop and the chile darkens, add the green chiles, tamarind paste, and turmeric. Lower the heat slightly and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the mixture to the cooked mung beans, along with the coconut and salt to taste−it'll need a lot. Return the bean mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are well blended, 20 to 30 minutes more. Serve hot, with an optional sprinkle of cilantro, if desired.
• KATHY-NOTES: This really needs a lot of salt. It's great with coconut rice (because it is sweet to mitigate the heat and goes with the coconut flavoring) and garlic naan. Don't be afraid of the numerous chiles. The heat gets pretty evenly distributed, but is a good idea to mostly remove the seeds. Serve with naan and rice.

Southern Tofu Fricassee with Mashed Potatoes (vegan)

• FROM: The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, p. 64
• INGREDIENTS
• 2 pkgs Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (extra firm), cut into 1'' cubes (Freeze & Thaw Method, pg. 13)
• 1/2 cup organic unbleached flour, mixed with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
• 1 stalk celery, sliced into 1/4 slices
• 1 carrot peeled, cut in 1/2 lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable broth powder
• 3 tablespoons quick cooking flour
• Mashed Potatoes:
• 8 cups peeled and quartered white rose or Yellow Finn potatoes
• 1 cup puréed Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (firm)
• 1/2 cup vegetable stock or potato cooking water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (or a flavor infused olive oil)
• PREPARATION
• Pat defrosted tofu with paper towels to dry out moisture. Place flour mixture in a paper bag and add tofu pieces. Shake gently to coat tofu and remove piece by piece while shaking off excess flour. Brown tofu over medium heat in a heavy skillet with 1 teaspoon of the canola oil. Remove pieces and reserve while you make the stew.
• Sauté onion in remaining teaspoon canola oil for 5 minutes. Add celery, carrots, garlic, water and salt. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix the cold water, soy sauce, broth powder and quick cooking flour. Whisk into the stew mixture and let simmer for another 2−3 minutes stirring constantly. Add tofu cubes and heat through. Serve with mashed potatoes.
• Prepare mashed potatoes:
• Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Add salt, bring to a boil and cook covered for 30−40 minutes. When they are very soft and tender, drain well reserving some of the cooking water.
• Put potatoes through a food mill or mash with electric beaters or a hand masher. Add puréed tofu, vegetable stock or water, salt, pepper and olive oil. Keep warm or cover until serving.
• [Mashed potatoes should be served at once, but if you need to make them ahead of time, they can be kept warm by placing the pan in a larger pot of hot water. They can also be reheated in the microwave. The puréed tofu replaces the milk, cream and fat used in traditional mashed potatoes. Look for Yellow Fin potatoes in gourmet supermarkets.]
• KATHY-NOTES: The ``Freeze & Thaw Method'' is to cut the tofu into the shapes you want (or just rectangular blocs, to be most versatile), dry them as best as possible, lay them without them touching on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and place in freezer for a few hours or more. You can layer tofu slabs on the same plate with a plastic wrap layer between them. I would recommend using regular, water-packed firm tofu instead of Mori-Nu, because the latter breaks up too easily.
  When you want to use the frozen tofu, either plan ahead and leave out to defrost or defrost in the microwave. Squeeze out all remaining water from the defrosted, formerly-frozen tofu. The tofu will have a new, meat-like texture (which is the point). It will also suck up liquid like a sponge, which makes it dangerous to use with very liquidy sauces, since the sauce will disappear and the tofu will be super-infused.



Leek Fritters

• FROM: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, p. 36
• INGREDIENTS
• Sauce
• 0.5 cup Greek yogurt
• 0.5 cup sour cream
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 0.5 cup parsley leaves, chopped
• 2 cups cilantro leaves, chopped
• 3 leeks (1 lb in total, trimmed weight)
• 5 shallots, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 fresh red chile, seeded and sliced
• 0.5 cup parsley (leaves and fine stalks), finely chopped
• 0.75 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.25 tsp ground turmeric
• 0.25 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp sugar
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 egg white
• 0.75 cup plus 1 tbsp self-rising flour (see page 28)
• Note: To make self-rising flour, combine 1 cup flour, 1.25 tsp baking powder, and a pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cup milk
• 4.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• PREPARATION
• To make the sauce, blitz all the ingredients together in a food processor until a uniform green. Set aside for later.
• Cut the leeks into scant 1-inch-thick slices; rinse and drain dry. Sauté the leeks and shallots in a pan with half the oil on medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to a large bowl and add the chile, parsley, spices, sugar and salt. Allow to cool down.
• Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and fold it into the vegetables. In another bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, whole egg, milk and butter to form a batter. Gently mix it into the egg white and vegetable mixture.
• Put 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a large frying pan and place over a medium heat. Spoon about half of the vegetable mixture into the pan to make four large fritters. Fry the for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp. Remove to paper towels and keep warm. Continue making the fritters, adding more oil as needed. You should end up with about eight large fritters. Serve warm, with the sauce on the side or drizzled over.
• KATHY-NOTES: Patrik hates cilantro so we've made the sauce without the cilantro and with extra parsley or with a bit of arugula. We've also baked them at 350 degrees (F) for about 20 minutes a side, until nice and crisp. These fritters are very rich, so the baking helps cut that feeling down and the longer baking time makes them more cooked through.



Neo-Traditional Falafel (vegan possible)

• FROM: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, p. 842
• INGREDIENTS
• 0.25 cup bulghur or cracked wheat
• 0.5 cup water, preferably spring or filtered
• 1 (15- or 16-ounce) can chickpeas, well drained
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large egg
• 0.25 to 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon cumin
• 0.25 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 0.25 teaspoon ground coriander
• Pinch of cayenne
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 1/3 cup crisp breadcrumbs
• Cooking spray
• Tahini dressing
• Tahini
• 1 to 3 crush garlic cloves
• 1 to 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• Water until desired consistency
• Salt and pepper to taste
• PREPARATION
• Soak the bulghur or cracked wheat. If using bulghur, simply warm the water, pour it over the bulghur, and let soak for 20 minutes. For cracked wheat, a coarse whole grain, bring the water to a boil, stir in the cracked wheat, and let soak for 1 hour (or even overnight). Most or all of the water will be absorbed; drain off any water that is left.
• Place half of the chickpeas in a medium bowl and mash slightly with a potato-masher or your knuckles; they should still have texture. Add the soaked bulghur or cracked wheat.
• Place the other half of the chickpeas in a food processor with the garlic, egg, salt, cumin, pepper, turmeric, coriander, and cayenne. Process until smooth, pausing several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the parsley and breadcrumbs and pulse/chop a few times.
• Combine the processor mixture with the mashed chickpeas in the bowl. Taste, and season the mixture to your liking, amping up any of the spices, salt, or pepper. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes, or as long as overnight, so it can firm up.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
• Remove the falafel mix from the fridge, and shape it into flattened disks, 20 to 25 small ones or 8 to 12 larger ones. Place them on a nonstick baking sheet, or one that has been well sprayed with cooking spray, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, flip the cakes, and bake for 5 minutes on the other side, or until golden brown.
• Serve with a drizzle of Tahini Dressing, a good scoop of Kibbutz Salad, and some shredded romain lettuce, all tucked into a toasted whole wheat pita bread or mini pita.
• KATHY-NOTES: Use egg replacer instead of egg to make this vegan. The Tahini Dressing recipe is my own. We actually prefer to eat the falafel in wraps (tortilla or lavash), because pitas fall apart too easily. Also, we include cucumber, tomato, Siracha, and French fries.



Caramelized garlic tart

• FROM: Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, p. 38
• INGREDIENTS
• 13 oz puff pastry
• 3 medium heads of garlic cloves separated and peeled
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp basalmic vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 0.75 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp chopped rosemary
• 1 tsp chopped thyme, plus a few whole sprigs to finish
• salt
• 4.5 oz soft, creamy goat cheese (such as chévre)
• 4.5 oz hard, mature goat cheese (such as goat gouda)
• 2 eggs
• 6.5 tbsp heavy cream
• 6.5 tbsp créme fraiche
• black pepper
• PREPARATION
• Have ready a shallow, loose-bottomed, 11-inch fluted tart pan. Roll out the puff pastry into a circle that will line the bottom an sides of the pan, plus a little extra. Line the pan with the pastry. Place a large circle of waxed paper on the bottom and fill up with pie weights or dried beans. Leave to rest in the fridge for about 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Place the tart shell in the oven and blind bake for 20 minutes. Remove the weights and paper, then bake for 5 to 10 minutes more, or until the pastry is golden. Set aside. Leave the oven on.
• While the tart shell is baking, make the caramelized garlic. Put the cloves in a small saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a simmer and blanch for 3 minutes, then drain well. Dry the saucepan, return the cloves to it and add the olive oil. Fry the garlic cloves on high heat for 2 minutes. Add the basalmic vinegar and water and bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, rosemary chopped thyme and 0.25 teaspoon salt. Continue simmering on a medium flame for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated and the garlic cloves are coated in a dark caramel syrup. Set aside.
• To assemble the tart, break both types of goat cheese into pieces and scatter in the tart shell. Spoon the garlic cloves and syrup evenly over the cheese. In a jug whisk together the eggs, cream, créme fraiche, 0.5 teaspoon salt and some black pepper. Pour this custard over the tart filling to fill the gaps, making sure that you can still see the garlic and cheese over the surface.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees (F) and place the tart inside. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until the tart filling has set and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool a little. Then take out of pan, trim the pastry edge if needed, lay a few sprigs of thyme on top and serve warm (it reheats well!) with a crisp salad.
• KATHY-NOTES: This is very rich.



Hearty Potato Leek Soup

Actually, I'm just referring to this wonderful dish (and beautifully formatted recipe): Hearty Potato Leek Soup for the Last Days of Winter at PinchMySalt.com.

KATHY-NOTES: We add Cholula sauce for a kick! Needs a lot of salt.

Quick Sour Cream Pasta

• FROM: me
• INGREDIENTS
• Sour cream
• 5 or more cloves of garlic
• Hot pepper flakes
• Olive oil
• Good marinara (optional)
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Protein, like meatballs, chicken (or faux meatballs and Quorn chicken bits).
• Pasta, like Farfalle
• PREPARATION
• Start preparing the pasta.
• Slice the garlic.
• Sauté the garlic over low heat with the pepper flakes, until golden. (The pepper flakes flavor the oil.)
• Add however much sour cream you need for who you're serving and mix with the oil, garlic, and flakes well. Simmer until thickens.
• It's nice to add some tasty marinara.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• KATHY-NOTES: Seems weird to have notes when it's my recipe but it's now tradition. So I'll just point out that this is now our go-to quick dinner, since we often have leftover sour cream and always have frozen protein.



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Desserts

Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake (vegan)

• FROM: Joy of Cooking by I. S. Rombauer, M. R. Becker, and E. Becker, 1997, p. 932
• INGREDIENTS
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 8 x 8 inch pan or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.
• Sift together into a large bowl:
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened nonalkalized cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Combine and add:
• 1 cup cold water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• PREPARATION
• Stir until smooth. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it from the pan. Invert the cake and peel off the paper, if using. Let cool right side up on the rack. Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar or frost with Quick Cookie Icing flavored with rum, brandy, or coffee liqueur.
• KATHY-NOTES: This sometimes comes out dry. Substitute a can of coconut milk for the water and oil for increased moisture. Or add port (hold off adding some water until you gauge the moisture.) One can also through fresh mint leaves in to make a nice mint-chocolate cake.

Ultra-Orange Cake (vegan)

• FROM: Joy of Cooking by I. S. Rombauer, M. R. Becker, and E. Becker, 1997, p. 932
• INGREDIENTS
• For less sweet cake, decrease the sugar by 2 tablespoons.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one 8 x 8 inch pan or line the bottom with wax or parchment paper.
• Whisk together thoroughly in a large bowl:
• 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Add and stir together until smooth:
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1 tablespoons white or cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• PREPARATION
• Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Slide a thin knife around the cake to detach it from the pan. Invert the cake and peel off the paper, if using. Let cool right side up on the rack.
• KATHY-NOTES: This usually bakes much longer than the recipe states (like 20 more minutes). Serve with cranberry relish (like boil 2 cups frozen or fresh cranberries in 2 cups water with 1 cup sugar until cranberries burst. Then pulse a few times in food processor and chill.)

• FROM: http://www.boutell.com/vegetarian/cookies.html
• INGREDIENTS
• 1 cup margarine, cold
• 1 1/2 cups tightly packed brown sugar
• 1 cup table sugar
• 1 ripe, mashed banana (if the banana peel isn't spotted black, cover the mashed banana with the juice of half a lemon for about 15 minutes before incorporating it into the mix)
• 3, 4, or 5 teaspoons vanilla (be generous)
• 2 tablespoons water or soy/almond/rice drink
• 2 cups all-purpose or whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder stirred into the flour for guaranteed dispersion
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (quick oats work well)
• 2 1/2 cups vegan chocolate chips
• PREPARATION
• Beat together the margarine and sugars. Electric mixers are unnecessary. Add the well-mashed banana and mix well, then add the vanilla, then the water. The water will try to separate; keep mixing with a figure-eight motion and add the dry ingredients, in the order above, bit by bit (say, by half-cup increments).
• The final batter should be almost too dry to hold the chocolate chips; if it isn't, I've misrepresented the amount of flour or oats you need and you should add more or less, according to the problem. Dry batter is good, since any chips that fall off the batter can go directly into your mouth, and no one will miss them. If the batter is too wet, the cookies will flatten while baking and turn out hard and flat.
• Bake them for 10 or 12 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit on an ungreased cookie sheet. Cook them longer if you prefer a hard cookie, but be aware that bananas only approximate the action of an egg in the mix, and you can get cookies as hard as the cookie sheet if you aren't careful.
• Let them congeal on the sheet for a moment after removing them from the oven, then cool on a plate or a wire rack. Store in an air-tight container. They taste even better after they sit overnight or in the fridge.
• KATHY-NOTES: makes about 3 dozen 4'' cookies; replace 1/2 cup flour with 1/2 cup cocoa powder; substitute chocolate chips for raisins; exclude oats and add flour (about 1/2 cup)

• FROM: Kate Chaberek
• INGREDIENTS
• 1.5 yeast packets
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar + 1/2 cup
• 1 cup soy milk, plus
• 1/2 cup margarine + 1/2 Tbsp, melted
• 5 cups flour
• about 1/2 cup coconut milk
• walnuts
• vanilla
• cinnamon
• PREPARATION
• Put 1.5 yeast packets in 1/4 cup warm water and add about 1 Tbsp sugar; leave for about 15 min until it has lots of foam
• Dissolve 1/3 cup sugar in 1 cup soy milk, melt 1/2 cup margarine, remove from heat
• Put yeast, soy mixture and 5 cups of flour together; knead until elastic Cover and rise for about 1.5 hours
• Roll out, spread with about 1 Tbsp melted margarine and a few Tbsp of coconut milk; sprinkle with walnuts and cinnamon
• Roll up and coat with margarine; cut roll into slices and put slices in margarined pan
• Rise for 1 hour
• Back for about 1/2 hour, until brown
• Frost with a coconut milk, sugar and vanilla glaze

• FROM: The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, p. 77
• INGREDIENTS
• 9'' or 10'' round springform pan
• Canola oil cooking spray
• 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 pkg Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (firm), puréed
• 8 oz. tofu cream cheese
• 1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin purée
• 1 cup unrefined cane sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons light molasses
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• PREPARATION
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat the springform pan with cooking spray.
• Mix graham cracker crumbs, canola oil and maple syrup together and press into prepared pan.
• Purée remaining ingredients in a food processor and pour into crust. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and refrigerate 5-6 hours or overnight before serving.
• KATHY-NOTES: I never liked pumpkin pie but I adore this one! I recommend Mi-Del Honey Graham Crackers for the crust (crumb them up in the food processor).

• FROM: The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, p. 74
• INGREDIENTS
• Two 9'' round baking pans
• Canola oil cooking spray
• 1 and 1/4 cups unrefined cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1 pkg Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (firm), puréed
• 1/4 cup canola or walnut oil
• 1/4 cup prune purée (pg. 11)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 and 3/4 cups cake flour
• 3/4 cup low-fat unsweetened cocoa powder (plus additional cocoa for dusting the pans)
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Chocolate Raspberry Filling (recipe follows)
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• PREPARATION
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat the baking pans with cooking spray. Dust the pans evenly with cocoa powder, and tap out excess powder.
• In a large bowl, combine sugar, maple syrup, water, tofu, canola oil, prune purée, vanilla and vinegar using an electric mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift again.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add liquid ingredients. Mix in lightly. Don't over mix or cake will be heavy.
• Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake layers for about 30-35 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pans for about 10 minutes. Remove from the pans, place on a wire rack and let cool completely.
• Place one layer of cake on a large plate and cover with as much filling as possible. (Save leftover filling as a snack or serve with cake.) Top with second layer of cake. Cover the top of the cake with fat-free chocolate sauce. Garnish with fresh raspberries.
• Chocolate Raspberry Filling
• 1 pkg Mori-Nu Mates Chocolate Pudding & Pie Mix
• 1 cup fresh raspberries
• 2 tablespoons fat-free chocolate syrup
• Additional 1/2 cup fat-free chocolate syrup for glazing the cake
• Purée fresh raspberries in a food processor. Strain through a wire strainer or cheese cloth to remove the seeds. Make pudding according to package directions, substituting the raspberry purée and the chocolate syrup for the water. Let cool until set.
• KATHY-NOTES: I brought this as a vegan alternative to a wedding. It received compliments that it was as good as the wedding cake! I've also removed the raspberry parts and made a chocolate-coated, double-layer chocolate cake with a vanilla filling. It was like an Oreo. You can also make it mint flavored with fresh mint.

• FROM: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, p. 1042
• INGREDIENTS
• Cooking spray
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 0.25 cup butter
• 0.25 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 0.75 cup brown sugar
• 0.75 cup white sugar
• 1.5 tablespoons instant decaf coffee crystals
• 1.5 tablespoons boiling water, preferably spring or filtered
• 1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached white all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened American-style (not Dutch process) cocoa powder
• 0.5 teaspoon baking powder
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate chips
• 6 to 8 ounces pecans or walnuts, toasted and chopped
• PREPARATION
• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Spray 2 double-insulated baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Combine the semisweet chocolate with the butter and shortening in a small saucepan. Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are uniformly melted. Remove from the heat, stir until smooth, and let cool to room temperature.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and both sugars at medium-high speed for 5 minutes.
• Place the coffee crystals in a small heatproof bowl and pour in the boiling water, stirring to dissolve. Stir in the vanilla. Add the decaf mixture, along with the melted chocolate mixture, to the egg mixture. Beat for 2 minutes.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using a wooden spoon, stir in the dry ingredients. When well blended, stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts, if using.
• To make ordinary-size cookies (about 3 inches in diameter), drop batter by the rounded teaspoonful, about 2 inches apart, onto the prepared baking sheets. To make very large cookies, 6 to 8 inches in diameter, scoop batter with a 2.5-inch ice cream scoop (3/8 cup capacity). You can get 2 or 3 of the large cookies on a sheet. (There is no need to "splat" the cookies out with your hand; they will spread while baking.) bake small cookies for about 10 minutes; large ones will take about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the sheets for 1 minute, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.
• KATHY-NOTES: The dough will be rather fudgy. You might want to splat them.

Creamy Peanut Butter Pie (vegan)

• FROM: The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, p. 78
• INGREDIENTS
• 9'' or 10'' round pie pan
• Canola oil cooking spray
• 1.5 cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 pkg Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (extra firm), puréed
• 8 oz. tofu cream cheese
• 2/3 cup unrefined cane sugar
• 1/2 cup reduced fat peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons clover honey
• 1/4 cup fat-free chocolate syrup (reserve for topping)
• PREPARATION
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Coat the pie pan with cooking spray.
• Mix graham crackers, canola oil, and maple syrup together and press into the prepared pie pan.
• Place remaining ingredients except chocolate syrup in the container of a food processor, purée until smooth and pour into the crust. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes and then refrigerate overnight for 5−6 hours before serving.
• Before serving, drizzle pie with chocolate syrup.
• KATHY-NOTES: Again, ignore their request for lite tofu and reduced-fat peanut butter. Embrace the fat! This pie lasts very well. I made it in a springform cake pan, and it's easily transferable to a plate for presentation.

Old-Fashioned Banana Almond Layer Cake (vegan possible)

• FROM: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, p. 1017
• INGREDIENTS
• 2 cups plus 1 tablespoon, unbleached white all-purpose flour
• 1.5 cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 0.75 teaspoon baking powder
• 0.75 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.5 teaspoon salt
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 0.25 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 0.25 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 0.25 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup puréed very ripe bananas (about 2 large)
• 0.25 cup buttermilk
• Almond Cream-Cheese Icing (recipe follows)
• 6 ounces cream cheese or neufchatel reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
• 3 tablespoons butter
• About 1 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
• 3.5 to 4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• Instructions: Cream the cream cheese, butter, and 1 tablespoon milk until smooth and fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar, adding more sugar or milk as needed to make a spreadable mixture. This is a soft icing that firms up when refrigerated. In warm weather, refrigerate the frosted cakes until 1 hour before serving.
• 8 ounces almond paste, at room temperature
• Confectioners' sugar
• About 1.5 cups slivered almonds, toasted
• PREPARATION
• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
• Combine 1 tablespoon of the flour and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle the sugar-flour mixture over the sprayed cake pans, knocking out any excess. Set the pans aside.
• Sift together the remaining flour, the baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and shortening together with the remaining sugar, beating until fully incorporated, smooth, and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat the eggs in one at a time. Add the almond extract, then the puréed bananas.
• Using a wooden spoon, stir half of the flour mixture into the banana mixture. When the flour is well incorporated stir in the buttermilk. Stir until smooth, then stir in the remaining flour mixture.
• Turn the batter out into the prepared pans and bake until the cakes are fragrant, golden brown, test done with a toothpick, and have pulled away from the pan edges slightly, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pans. Invert the cakes onto wire racks to cool completely. (As the cake cools, you'll have plenty of time to make the icing.)
• Knead the almond paste slightly to soften it. Then, on a flat surface sprinkled with confectioners' sugar, roll out the almond paste to a smooth round, 9 inches in diameter and a 0.25 inch or so thick. You may not get this exactly—don't worry. Lay one layer of the cake on a serving plate (or a 10-inch cardboard cake round) and lay the rolled out almond paste over it as best you can, patching any holes as needed. Completely cover the top of this cake layer, and trim off any overhanging paste with kitchen shears.
• Spread a little of the Almond Cream-Cheese Icing over the almond paste, and top it with a second cake layer.
• Ice the entire cake with a generous smoothing of Almond Cream-Cheese Icing. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or so, just long enough for the icing to firm up. Finally, press almond slivers into the sides of the cake, leaving the top plain. If some almonds fall off, don't worry−just press 'em back in. If you've placed the cake on a cardboard round, lift the cake, round and all, onto a serving plate. If not, just let it rest where it is, on the serving plate, in slightly messy but undeniable glory.
• KATHY-NOTES: This is an awesome cake! The cake never reaches the "golden brown" color, just bake it the 30 or so minutes (and it will still be gooey) but it gets really unfortunately dry if you cook it too long. It also works to use "faux buttermilk" by adding lemon juice or vinegar to whole milk at least five minutes in advance.

Maple-Oatmeal Cookies (vegan possible)

• FROM: Passionate Vegetarian by Crescent Dragonwagon, p. 1028
• INGREDIENTS
• 0.5 cup butter, softened to room temperature
• 0.75 cup grade-B maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1.5 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 0.25 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups rolled oats (regular cooking oatmeal)
• PREPARATION
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F).
• Spray a double-insulated cookie sheet (or two) with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, cream the butter. Gradually beat in the maple syrup, about 0.25 cup at a time. Add the vanilla. Set aside.
• Place the flour in a medium bowl. Sift the baking soda and salt into the flour. Add the oats and toss well to combine.
• Combine the two mixture together with a wooden spoon, stirring until all of ingredients are well incorporated; don't overbeat. Drop the batter by rounded teaspoonful onto the prepared cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.
• Bake until the cookies are firm, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, then remove them to a wire rack to cool.
• KATHY-NOTES: These are easy to make vegan and gluten-free (I tried using oat flour).

Florida Key Lime Pie (vegan)

• FROM: The Art of Tofu by Akasha Richmond, p. 79
• INGREDIENTS
• 9'' or 10'' pie pan
• Canola oil cooking spray
• 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 pkg Mori-Nu Lite Tofu (extra firm), puréed
• 8 oz. tofu cream cheese
• 0.5 cup Key lime juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lime rind
• 2 pkgs Mori-Nu Mates, Lemon Creme Pudding Mix
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons unrefined cane sugar
• PREPARATION
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees (F). Coat the pie pan with cooking spray.
• Mix graham crackers, canola oil and maple syrup together and press into the prepared pie pan. Bake for 12 minutes. Let cool.
• Purée remaining ingredients together in the container of a food processor until very smooth and creamy. Pour into cooled pie shell and let chill 2−3 hours before serving.
• KATHY-NOTES: The crust often comes out hard; consider under-baking. This takes great with fresh whipped heavy cream (no sugar), if you're not vegan.

Karen's Recreated Grandma's Cobbler (vegan possible)

• FROM: Grandma (Edna Lou Cooksey) via Karen Cooksey
• INGREDIENTS
• 1 20-oz can of crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
• 1 21-oz can of cherry pie filling
• 1 package of yellow cake mix (two-layer size)
• 1 3-oz can of pecans (1 cup), chopped
• 0.5 cup (1 stick) of butter or margarine, cold
• PREPARATION
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F).
• Grease a 9''×13'' pan.
• Spread pineapple evenly in the pan.
• Spoon the pie filling over the pineapple.
• Sprinkle the dry cake mix over mixture, thickly.
• Sprinkle the pecans evenly.
• Slice the chilled butter into thin strips evenly over the mix (the butter must cover all the cake mix).
• Bake for 50 minutes or until golden and bubbling.
• KATHY-NOTES: My sister remembers our Grandmother making this recipe, but I don't. In any case, it's a wonderful and simple recipe. It works well hot or chilled. I've had friends line up by the stove, waiting for it to be done at parties. Also, I think it can be done with other fruit combos, like peaches and blueberry filling.

Saffron Cake

• FROM: Swedish Cakes and Cookies, translated by Melody Favish, 2008, p. 59. (Their note: This recipe won a prize in 1984.)
• INGREDIENTS
• Oven temp: 175 degrees (C; 350 degrees F), convection 175 degrees (C; 350 degrees F)
• 200 g (3/4 cup) stick margarine or butter
• 0.5 gram (large pinch) saffron
• 1 sugar cube
• 2 eggs
• 3 dl (1.25 cups) sugar
• 4 dl (1 and 2/3 cup) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• powdered sugar, if desired
• PREPARATION
• Grease and flour a 24-cm (10-inch) springform pan.
• Melt the butter and let it cool. Crush the saffron with the sugar cube in a mortar.
• Beat the eggs and sugar until light yellow and very thick. Add the saffron, butter and milk. Combine the dry ingredients and add, beating well. Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake on a low oven rack for around 45 minutes.
• Just before serving, sift powdered sugar over the cake.
• KATHY-NOTES: I just use 1 teaspoon sugar for the sugar cube. This cake is suppose to bake at a low temperature, on a low oven rack, for a long time. It's a slow bake, but objet the time so it doesn't dry out.

Again, I'm referring to another site for this great recipe, which is fast and tasty: Simple Sugar Cookies at VegWeb.com.

KATHY-NOTES: I think it should be 0.25 tsp salt, not 0.5 tsp. Or maybe it was the baking soda, but my last batch was a bit bitter/salty.

Ginger Cookies (vegan)

I'm referring again to another site for this great recipe, which is fast and tasty too: Ginger Cookies at Food.com.

KATHY-NOTES: Beware! These are spicy! I think I've added fresh, finely minced ginger to these, just to use up fresh ginger (before I knew about freezing ginger).