Butternut Squash Chips
It’s 9:30 p.m. and I want some junk food. Good, healthy, vegan junk food. I searched through every nook in the kitchen and other than tofu and some brussel sprouts that have started to compost in my crisper drawer, the only thing giving me the eye like that stupid stack of money with googly eyes in the Geico commercial is a butternut squash. Not what I was hoping for. ...continue reading about Butternut Squash Chips...
Mushroom Pot Stickers
Here is another quick recipe (yes, it’s vegetarian) I made the other night. Pot stickers are a misnomer because they don’t stick, at least not for me. I thwarted that attack by using a non-stick pan. So, in theory at least, these aren’t pot stickers. I’m not sure what I’d call them. I guess this is how the jumbo shrimp and military intelligence discussions got started and Scott Adams comes up with Dilbert content with ease. Without a doubt, the process is still the same and can use fresh ingredients or leftovers with ease. ...continue reading about Mushroom Pot Stickers...
Mexican Tofu Casserole
It’s been averaging over 100 degrees every day here in Austin and the last thing I want to do is fire up the stove and start cooking. Yesterday driving home the thermometer in my truck read between 108 and 110 the entire way to the house. I’m certain this month that my electric bill will rival the amount spent on the federal bailout. My goals for dinner tonight were healthy, fast, and something that didn’t require a trip outside, especially to the grocery store. Luckily, the tomatoes in my garden are doing especially well I this heat and my herbs seem to be the most tolerant of the plants. However, if the heat outside didn’t kill them, I was certainly going to. ...continue reading about Mexican Tofu Casserole...
Tomato Sushi
I’ve been exploring vegan and vegetarian offerings in restaurants and I have to tell you that I’m disappointed. Now I understand what my vegetarian customers must have felt when they came into the restaurant and saw filet Mignon, duck, chicken, and only one vegetarian offering. Very few restaurants realize the market opportunity they are missing from this vast market. ...continue reading about Tomato Sushi...
Jicama “Fries”
Leslie and I disagree on this one and that’s OK. Peoples’ tastes differ and she has a right to her own opinion. (She’s wrong, but she has a right to her opinion 
. This is a dilemma I face every time I cook for a party or a group of people. What can I make that appeal to everyone? In reality, nothing. Not even ice water because some people will want bottled, others will want a lemon wedge, and someone else only drinks water from a 10,000 year old glacier. (By the way, the water that comes out of my refrigerator door once came from a glacier). ...continue reading about Jicama "Fries"...
Tomato and Corn Summer Soup
Summer vegetables are finally coming into the farmer’s markets and ripening in my garden. The spinach and lettuce are official gone because of the heat while tomatoes, corn, greens, and melons are all coming along nicely. One of my most favorite vegetables is the tomato. I have many memories of picking tomatoes with my Mom in the tomato farms of South Florida (sadly all gone now) and eating one or two really ripe and juicy tomatoes from the vine. While I probably consumed more pesticides and dirt that kids today are willing to do, there were apparently very good tasting pesticides. I don’t think my twitching is any indication of a problem, but the jury is still out on that one. Growing up with my grandmother on a chicken farm also availed Georgia sweet corn. ...continue reading about Tomato and Corn Summer Soup...
Daikon Radish, Sunflower Butter, and Broccoli Appetizer
I have to admit, this may look like an odd appetizer. At the least you might think, how in the heck do those flavors go together. I’m gonna take a shot at answering both and tell you how to make both a great vegan and raw appetizer. In case you’ve lived under a rock, or your are a post grad student, eating raw means exactly that; eating all your meals from raw ingredients. If you think that’s tough, try being a raw chef. I am not. The play now unfolds…You’ve carefully and thoughtfully cold smoked a brisket for 19 hours, the sausage was made right in your very kitchen, and the baked beans contain the best applewood smoked bacon money can buy and pigs can make. Your significant other announces, “oh, by the way, Mike’s new girlfriend is a vegan”. (Yep, one of those) But, you proclaim, that’s not possible. We don’t have interplanetary travel and you know for a fact life doesn’t exist on Venus. ...continue reading about Daikon Radish, Sunflower Butter, and Broccoli Appetizer...
Sprout Feta Quesadillas
I haven’t been in the mood to cook lately and my refrigerator looks more like a Sear’s display model than one in a home occupied by humans. It’s also starting to get warm in Texas so my lettuce and spinach are bolting (shooting up seed pods). Eating bolting lettuce is not for the faint of heart. You would be better off eating grass from your yard; trust me, I know. ...continue reading about Sprout Feta Quesadillas...
Roasted Fennel with Pancetta and Rosemary
I was in Italian mood this week and had to harvest a fennel bulb from the garden. I say “had to” because this fennel bulb and its assorted delicate green fronds were the size of a VW bug. Honestly, I’ve never seen a fennel bulb this big before. This one measured nine inches across and about four inches thick. I was actually getting worried that much like a huge catfish it would become too tough to eat if I left it any longer so it was time for picking. ...continue reading about Roasted Fennel with Pancetta and Rosemary...
Spring Whole Wheat Pasta
The weather has been gorgeous and everyone seems to be out exploring all the places I want to go. The Wildflower center was packed and the Austin Botanical Garden didn’t have a parking place available. I opted instead to go to our local gardening shop. You see, I have a aphid problem. ...continue reading about Spring Whole Wheat Pasta...
Spaghetti Squash “Pasta” Dish
I wanted to create another Italian dish that was super-quick to make yet one that used a lot of fresh ingredients and was healthier than one with enriched white pasta. I decided to do a makeover of a pasta dish my mom made and substitute spaghetti squash for the pasta. This recipe is one the kids almost might eat and is worthy of letting them give it a try. ...continue reading about Spaghetti Squash "Pasta" Dish...
Mango Fruit Salad
This mango fruit salad is quick, refreshing, and has the right amount of sweetness for warming temperatures. ...continue reading about Mango Fruit Salad...
Easy Spring Salad
This salad is quick and simple to make with easy to obtain ingredients. It’s also a vegan treat that your meat eaters will love. ...continue reading about Easy Spring Salad...
Whole Wheat Sesame Crackers
These crackers are always a big hit with friends and family. They last for up to a week assuming no one is home to devour them. Otherwise, they are gone in a day. ...continue reading about Whole Wheat Sesame Crackers...
Cucumber and Tofu Guacamole
English cucumber hit the farmer’s market this weekend. Along with this less seeded variety were also found fresh avocados. I was getting hungry as I left the market. I wondered how I could combine these fresh ingredients into something more substantial than guacamole and chips. ...continue reading about Cucumber and Tofu Guacamole...
Easy Garlic Rosemary Asparagus
Fresh asparagus is here. Asparagus is a wonderful side dish that can be precooked in advanced, refrigerated, and then finally finished just as dinner is ready. It can also be mixed with tofu, cashews, and meats and fish for a great, quick and healthy dinner. ...continue reading about Easy Garlic Rosemary Asparagus...
Golden Cauliflower and Ginger Soup
It didn’t take me long upon returning from the farmer’s market to roast this entire head of cauliflower and prepare it for a soup. Enjoy this not-so-typical soup with farm fresh golden cauliflower. ...continue reading about Golden Cauliflower and Ginger Soup...
Warm Vegetable Salad
It’s been cold here in Texas over the past two days and I’ve been eating a lot of soup. I was craving something more hearty so I put together a simple plate of roasted vegetables. It is a mix of beautiful butternut squash, small red potatoes, four different beans, and hard tofu. This dish is pan roasted and sauteed all in the same skillet and then family style plated for a quick and simple hearty dinner. It was so filling and delicious I didn’t even want anything else. ...continue reading about Warm Vegetable Salad...
Asian Mushroom Soup
This soup is a delicate mix of all things fresh from an Asian grocery store. We all have these little markets near us somewhere. It’s finding them and exploring that makes all the difference. ...continue reading about Asian Mushroom Soup...
Deconstructed Hummus
You may or may not of heard of the food term “deconstructed”. If you think of something that is taken apart to showcase individual components then it is deconstructed. It doesn’t mean the chef is too lazy to actually make the dish. Quite the contrary. It means the preparer it trying to highlight the individual components used to create the dish. This is often much more difficult because you can’t hide an inferior component when a recipe is deconstructed. It also gives you senses of individual flavors used to create ...continue reading about Deconstructed Hummus...
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions
We’ve talked about iron deficiency and vitamin C before. Because the body doesn’t make its own, it’s important that we consume vitamin C at the same time as we eat iron rich foods in order for the body to process the iron. The other thing we’ve touched on in other posts is the use of anti-inflammatories. Inflammation or the lack of anti-inflammatories can aggravate arthritis or trigger appendicitis, as well as lead to heart disease, Alzheimers, and even some types of cancers. ...continue reading about Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions...
A Tale of Two Soups
My mother in-law recently moved from California to New Orleans. I love New Orleans. They have great food, great music, and incredible people. Anyway, she came to visit for the holidays and was really excited to have some homemade soups. Why? She is sick of fried foods. ...continue reading about A Tale of Two Soups...
Caramelized Tofu with Asparagus Recipe
Tofu is like a blank painter’s canvas. It’s a thing void of taste and scent. It’s more like eating a kitchen sponge if you want to get to the bottom of it. So, why does everyone seem to want to eat this stuff? Why are vegetarians so keen on the idea of tofu. Tofurky? That’s just wrong. Here is this innocent little protein just screaming out for help and we’re there for the little package of bean curd. ...continue reading about Caramelized Tofu with Asparagus Recipe...
Idea Changing Brussel Sprouts Recipe
I always say that if you don’t like a food it’s probably because you haven’t had it cooked correctly, and I believe I can change your mind about brussel sprouts. No, really. I have converted an entire family to like and to actually fight over brussel sprouts. My friend’s wife hated them; I mean HATED them. They now have them at least twice a week and their daughters fight over the crispy leaves. ...continue reading about Idea Changing Brussel Sprouts Recipe...
Vegan Miso Couscous Soup Recipe
I picked up some fresh country barley red miso at the market the other day and was really looking forward to some homemade miso soup. Cheese making got in the way (as if that’s a bad thing) so I thought about how I could quickly put together a quick, vegan soup that normal meat eaters would really enjoy. ...continue reading about Vegan Miso Couscous Soup Recipe...
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