Braised Tofu with Mushrooms
Serves: 3-4
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes

A tasty way to serve up tofu!

3/4 pound tofu
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp minced gingerroot or ground ginger
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup mushrooms of choice
1 1/2 vegetable broth
1 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)
2 scallions, coarsely chopped (optional)

Press the tofu between paper towels to remove most of the liquid. Cut it into cubes and place in a flat dish with sides. In a small bowl, combine garlic, ginger, vinegar and soy sauce. Pour marinade over tofu and toss to coat. Marinate for an about an hour.
Spoon tofu and marinade into a large skillet and add veggie broth and mushrooms. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until tofu is cooked through and broth is reduced by half, about 10-15 minutes. Add sesame oil and sprinkle with scallions if desired.

Notes
Serve over rice and use the broth to season the rice.
This is good with or without the sesame oil and scallions.
Use any type of mushrooms that you like: shitake, button, baby bella, etc… and cut up to any size you like.

Roasted Potato, Garlic and Pepper Salad
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy/medium
Prep Time: 10-15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes

A refreshing alternative to traditional potato salad!

8 red potatoes – unpeeled, scrubbed and cubed
2 red bell peppers or one jar of roasted red bell peppers
2 medium heads garlic
2 tbsp olive oil (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp cup olive oil (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large bowl. Toss the cubed potatoes in the oil until coated, and then spread them evenly on a baking sheet. If using fresh red peppers, pass coat them with oil from the bowl. Place on a separate baking sheet. Cut about 1/2 inch off the tops of the garlic and drizzle with the remaining oil from the bowl. Place on the baking sheet with the red peppers. Sprinkle the potatoes, peppers and garlic with salt and pepper, and then place both sheets in the oven for about 20 minutes. Check the potatoes: they should be soft, brown and crispy. If not, return them to the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until they are done. The peppers and garlic will take longer, and are done when the skins on the peppers are black and garlic is brown and soft (no more than 40 minutes total).
Once everything has been roasted, place the potatoes in a large bowl and seal the peppers in a plastic bag to let them steam for 10 minutes. (This will loosen their skins.) Take the peppers out of the bag, remove their skins and seeds and chop them up. Add to the bowl with the potatoes and stir to mix.
To remove the garlic, use a fork to pull the cloves out of the head of garlic. Alternatively, turn the garlic heads upside down and squeeze the softened garlic past into a separate, small bowl. Mix in the balsamic vinegar, olive oil and oregano until smooth. Pour the dressing onto the potatoes and peppers and toss to coat. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Best when served warm or at room temperature. To prepare in advance for an occasion, refrigerate and then reheat in the microwave just until warmed through.

Green Pea Soup
Serves: 4
Difficulty:  Easy
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes

This soup made me fall in love with peas all over again. So quick and easy, it’ll soon be a staple in your home!

2 tbsp vegan margarine
2 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 cups veggie broth
3 cups frozen green peas, thawed
3 tbsp soymilk (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the shallots until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Pour in the broth and peas. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the peas are tender and heated through.
Puree the peas either by using a stick blender or by blender/food processor. Stir in the soymilk, if using, and reheat. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Notes
You can use 1/4 to 1/2 a mild onion if you don’t have shallots.
Substitute water for broth if none is on hand.
If using a stick blender, be careful not to splash hot soup out of the pot.
You can strain the soup for a smoother texture.
Add a clove of chopped or mashed garlic for some extra flavor.

Sweet Mash
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes

This is a fun twist on mashed sweet potatoes. Leave it chunky-style for texture!

1 (16 ounce) package baby carrots
1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup vegan margarine (optional)
1/2 cup applesauce, or as needed
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon or apple pie spice
1/2 cup raisins (optional, but good!)

Place carrots into a large pot and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover. Add potatoes after 5-10 minutes of cooking. Simmer until tender, about 10-20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two. When the potatoes are ready, mash until smooth. Meanwhile, melt the margarine (optional) in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the applesauce, spice and brown sugar and simmer until sugar dissolves. Then fold in the applesauce mixture and raisins.

Notes
The carrots will take longer to cook than the potato.
You can try to speed up the cook time by microwaving the carrots and sweet potatoes.
A food processor or blender might make for a smoother mash; save some of the cooking water to help facilitate blending and to adjust the consistency of the mash.
Omitting the margarine is optional and will reduce the fat content of the dish (note that Vitamin A needs fats to be absorbed by the body). You could also add it to each serving to accommodate individual tastes if you left it out of the recipe.

Indian Dahl with Spinach
Serves: 6
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes

This dish is hearty enough to be a complete meal! Serve with naan and basmati rice to complete the theme.

1 1/2 cups split red lentils
3 1/2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbs curry powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 can (14oz) diced and drained (or 2 peeled and chopped) fresh tomatoes
1/2 pound fresh or frozen spinach
salt and pepper to taste

Sort and rinse the split red lentils and let soak for 20 minutes. Strain the soaked lentils and add to a pot with the water or stock. Bring to a boil. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, sauté onion until translucent. Add curry powder, garam masala and ginger and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until soft and/or heated through, about 5 minutes. Combine the spices and onions with the lentils. Cook until lentils are soft and desired consistency has been reached.

Notes
Use cumin and/or coriander as a substitute for the garam masala.
As it cools, the dahl will thicken nicely. Tastes great as leftovers!
This dish freezes very well.
Mix this up any way you see fit. Many different spices can be employed depending on your individual style.
Add some cayenne or hot sauce to increase the heat.
Add more or less spinach if you would like. Drain the spinach if you like a thicker dahl.