Vegan chickpea, cauliflower + broccoli bake with lemon vinaigrette

A great way to use that cauliflower and broccoli hiding somewhere in your fridge or freezer … and yet another use for the easy, tasty lemon vinaigrette.

Ingredients

• cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
• broccoli, Chinese broccoli, or broccolini, cut into bite-size pieces
• sweet pepper, chopped
• mushrooms, sliced or quartered
• cooked or canned chickpeas
• cooked quinoa (optional)
• homemade broth, store-bought broth, or water
• lemon vinaigrette

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400º.
2. Steam the cauliflower and broccoli until just starting to soften, starting to check at 6 minutes. (Alternatively, microwave, starting with 1 minute and adding 30 second intervals as needed.) Drain.
3. In a baking dish, place the cauliflower, broccoli, sweet pepper, mushrooms, chickpeas, and quinoa. Mix and level in one layer if possible. Pour just enough broth to moisten the mixture so it can steam but not burn.
4. Bake, uncovered, until the vegetables are cooked through, checking at 20 minutes and adding more broth if needed. When cooked through, pour the vinaigrette over the mixture and stir. If desired, broil to brown the top and serve.

Vegan herby vegetable bread stuffing with mushrooms

Good any time of year but particularly when there’s a chill in the air, this stuffing ticks all of the boxes: comforting, addicting, full of umami. For a main dish, add cubed tofu, cooked chickpeas or white beans, and/or nuts of choice in step 3.

Ingredients

• a variety of favorite breads (about 1 loaf total), sliced, toasted, and cubed
• olive oil
• onion, diced
• vegetables of choice (such as sweet pepper, fennel bulb, jalapeño chile, kale, zucchini, sweet potato), diced or sliced
• dry sherry (a few tablespoons)
• mushrooms, thickly sliced
• herbes de Provence or thyme, sage, rosemary, and fennel seeds
• garlic, minced
• freshly ground pepper
• fresh parsley, chopped
• up to 1½ cups homemade vegetable broth or store-bought broth

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. In a large bowl, add the bread.
2. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onion and vegetables of choice and cook until tender. Stir in the sherry and cook about 5 minutes longer. Add the mushrooms and herbs and cook, stiffing frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and pepper.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl with the bread. Stir in 1 cup broth, making sure the entire mixture gets moistened. If too dry, add more broth, ¼ cup at a time, to moisten without pooling in the bottom of the bowl. Stir in the parsley.
4. Transfer the mixture to a baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 50 minutes. Uncover and broil to crisp the top.
5. Let sit a few minutes and serve.

Vegan bean + vegetable casserole with crispy cornbread topping

This satisfying combo of beans, veggies, and cornbread is a total winner with great taste and texture. The recipe calls for cooked or canned beans and cooked winter squash, so if you have those leftovers in your fridge, feel free to use them — or cook up the beans and roast or microwave the winter squash first. Inspired by a post on veggieinspired.com.

Ingredients: Casserole

• olive oil
• onion, diced
• mushrooms, chopped
• veggies of choice (such as sweet pepper, potato, golden beet, zucchini, fennel bulb, etc.), diced
• cooked dried beans or canned beans of choice (two or more varieties, if you like)
• super-firm tofu, cubed
• tomato sauce or pasta sauce and/or chopped fresh tomatoes
• winter squash (such as butternut, honeynut, delicata, etc.), microwaved or roasted and flesh scooped out
• tamari, soy sauce, or Bragg aminos
• sriracha
• balsamic vinegar or vinegar of choice
• prepared mustard of choice
• liquid smoke or smoked paprika
• turmeric
• freshly ground pepper
• greens (such as kale, chard, collards, or beet greens), slivered
• dried or fresh oregano
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• garlic, minced
• green onion, thinly sliced

Ingredients: Cornbread topping

• 1¼ cups cornmeal or polenta
• ¾ cup white whole-wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups unsweetened plant milk of choice
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

Method

1. For the casserole: In a large dutch oven, ovenproof frying pan, or regular frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook, without stirring, until starting to brown. Add the mushrooms and veggies of choice and cook until softened. Add the cooked beans, tofu, tomato sauce, winter squash, tamari, sriracha, vinegar, mustard, liquid smoke, turmeric, and pepper. Stir well and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water if the mixture starts to stick, 15 minutes. Add the kale, oregano, cilantro, garlic, and green onion and stir to combine.
2. Preheat the oven to 400º. If not using a dutch oven or ovenproof pan, pour the bean mixture into a casserole dish.
3. For the cornbread topping: In a medium bowl, whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, whisk the milk and olive oil. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir to combine. Gently pour the cornbread topping over the top of the bean mixture and lightly smooth into an even layer so the cornbread stays on top of the bean mixture as much as possible.
4. Bake, covered with a lid or aluminum foil, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cornbread topping comes out clean, about 25 minutes. If desired, broil uncovered to crisp up the topping. Let rest, uncovered, for 10 minutes before serving.

Vegan lasagna (dairy-free, gluten-free)

Complex in flavor, this dish is layers of sauce, uncooked lasagna noodles, and layers of choice. It all depends on what you have on hand, how creative you want to be and time you want to spend, and how big and deep your baking dish is!

Basic layers

• homemade tomato sauce or store-bought marinara sauce or pasta sauce
• uncooked lasagna noodles (made from whole wheat, semolina, or brown rice)

Layers of choice

• chopped onion and chopped mushrooms browned in extra-virgin olive oil
• zucchini, cut lengthwise into strips
• fresh tomatoes, sliced or chopped
• crumbled tofu mixed with dried and/or fresh herbs (such as thyme, oregano, rosemary, parsley, basil)
• fresh corn kernels, pine nuts, and sunflower seeds
• sweet peppers, thinly sliced
• kale leaves, slivered
• hummus mixed with olive tapenade
• vegan cheese shreds

Method

The number of layers depends on the size of your baking dish, how many lasagna noodles you have, and how many layers of choice you want to use.

Preheat the oven to 375º. In the bottom of the baking dish, spread a layer of sauce and add a layer of noodles. Then alternate a layer of choice, a layer of noodles, and a layer of sauce, ending with a layer of sauce. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and transfer the dish onto a rimmed baking sheet in case it bubbles over. Bake for 45 minutes. Lift the foil and pierce the center with a large fork to check if the noodles are soft and the sauce is bubbling. If not ready, bake, covered, at 15-minute intervals until the noodles are cooked. Then broil, uncovered, for a few minutes to crisp up the top. Allow to sit 5 minutes before serving.

Vegan lasagne noodle pinwheels with herbed tofu filling + marinara sauce (dairy-free)

Instead of your classic layered lasagne casserole, here you spread the filling directly on the cooked lasagne noodles, roll each one into a pinwheel, and bake them topped with marinara sauce — quite festive. Use leftover filling as a sandwich spread, dip, salad dressing base, or some other creative way.

Ingredients

• lasagne noodles
• olive oil
• kosher salt
• super-firm tofu, broken into chunks
• greens (such as spinach, kale, chard, or beet greens), chopped
• fresh basil, chopped, or dried basil
• fresh or dried thyme
• fresh or dried oregano
• fresh sage, chopped, or dried sage
• fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
• pitted olives or capers
• green onions, sliced
• nutritional yeast
• garlic powder
• unsweetened plant-based milk (such as soy or rice)
• freshly ground pepper
• store-bought marinara sauce

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt to the boiling water. Add the lasagne noodles and cook until almost done (al dente) according to the package directions. Drain and cool under cold running water.
2. Meanwhile, in a food processor, combine the tofu, greens, basil, thyme, oregano, sage, parsley or cilantro, olives or capers, green onions, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and pepper. Add a tablespoon or two of olive oil and enough milk to process the mixture until almost smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
3. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Spread a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of a baking dish. Using one noodle at a time, spread the tofu filling onto the noodle. Roll up and place the pinwheel on the marinara sauce in the baking dish. Repeat until all the noodles are used. Spoon more marinara sauce on top of the pinwheels.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer, then broil to crisp the top. Let sit about 10 minutes and serve!

Bread casserole with mushrooms, almonds, edamame + herbs (dairy-free, vegan)

Some people might call this a bread stuffing and make it only on holidays. But this casserole is comfort food anytime. For bread choices, consider using both sweet (whole wheat raisin bread?) and savory (rye or olive bread?). For the homemade broth, simmer the fennel tops from the fennel bulb in more than 4 cups of water while you prepare the other ingredients. Inspired by a Jacques Pépin recipe.

Ingredients

• assorted breads (1 pound total)
• olive oil
• onion, chopped
• mushrooms, chopped
• sweet pepper, chopped
• jalapeño chile, minced (optional)
• fennel bulb, chopped
• herbes de Provence spice blend (thyme, oregano, marjoram, savory, rosemary, and lavender)
• dried sage
• ground nutmeg
• 4 cups homemade vegetable broth or store-bought
• toasted slivered almonds
• fresh parsley, chopped
• Swiss chard, stalks removed and leaves chopped
• garlic cloves, minced
• shallot, minced
• frozen shelled edamame, thawed

Method

1. Slice the bread and toast in a toaster or toaster oven until hard then cut into 1-inch pieces, or cut into 1-inch pieces and toast on a baking sheet in a 400ºF oven until hard. Transfer the bread to a large bowl.
2. Preheat or lower the oven to 375ºF. In a large frying pan over medium heat, warm some olive oil. Add the onion, mushrooms, pepper, jalapeño, fennel bulb, herbes de Provence, sage, and nutmeg and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Pour in the broth and stir.
3. Transfer the vegetable-broth mixture to the bowl with the bread. Stir in the almonds, parsley, chard, garlic, shallot, and edamame with a sprinkle of more herbes de Provence. Pour into a baking dish (you might need two baking dishes, depending on volume). Cover with foil and bake, checking to see if more broth is needed, until completely cooked through and much of the broth is taken up by the bread, up to 60 minutes.

Vegetable + bean enchiladas with butternut squash sauce + tahini drizzle (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

Let your refrigerator and pantry guide you regarding what should fill your enchiladas: Allow yourself to be creative with your choice of vegetables and beans.  The winter squash for the sauce can be roasted in the oven instead of cooked on the stovetop. To fill and fold the tortillas without cracking them, soften first by wrapping them in a kitchen towel and microwaving for a few seconds or warming them in a toaster oven or regular oven for a minute. Inspired by the 101 Cookbooks blog.

Ingredients

• extra-virgin olive oil
• small winter squash (such as butternut, honey nut, or kabocha), peeled, seeded, and cut into cubes
• fresh tomato, chopped, or canned tomatoes
• chopped vegetables (such as onion, potato, sweet pepper, cauliflower, mushrooms, carrots, celery, cabbage, zucchini, etc.)
• jalapeño chile or other chile, thinly sliced (optional)
• canned or cooked dried beans of choice
• chopped olives of choice
• garlic cloves, minced
• ground turmeric
• taco seasoning (chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes or ground chile powder, dried oregano, paprika, and ground cumin)
• lemon zest and juice
• corn tortillas, softened
• chopped olives (optional)
• raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and/or raw sunflower seeds
• tahini thinned with warm water
• chopped fresh cilantro
• avocado slices
• hot sauce or salsa (optional)

Method

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, warm some olive oil, add the squash and tomato and cook, stirring and mashing, until the mixture becomes a puree. Transfer the puree into a large mixing bowl.
2. In a frying pan over medium heat, warm some olive oil and cook the chopped vegetables and jalapeño until cooked through. Stir in the beans and olives and set aside.
3. To the puree in the large bowl, add some olive oil, half of the garlic, the turmeric, taco seasoning, lemon zest, and enough water to make a thin sauce (2 cups or so). Whisk well.
4. Preheat the oven to 400F. Ladle 1 cup sauce into the bottom of a baking dish. Place 1 tortilla in your hand. Spoon some filling in a line down the middle of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla over the filling and place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling. (If you have leftover filling, spoon it around the edge of the baking dish.) Pour the remaining sauce over the enchiladas and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds and bake until golden, about 15 minutes longer.
5. Meanwhile, whisk the remaining garlic and several squeezes of lemon juice into the thinned tahini sauce. Drizzle the tahini sauce over the hot enchiladas, top with the cilantro, and serve with avocado slices and hot sauce.

Tortilla pie with greens, homemade sauce + pepitas (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian)

Here’s a simple way to enjoy the taste of enchiladas while using any leftover cooked beans or cooked or raw vegetables hiding in your fridge (almost any bits work). If you have a round casserole dish about the size of the corn tortillas, the finished product resembles a deep-dish pie. For a milder allium flavor, use green onions or leeks, or sauté the onion and garlic before blending with the other sauce ingredients. To add a hot, smoky flavor, use chipotle chiles with or instead of the dried chiles. For crunch when serving, toast some additional tortillas and break into chips or serve with store-bought tortilla chips. Inspired by recipes from Decolonize Your Diet.

Ingredients

• dried chiles, such as guajillo or ancho
• onion, chopped
• garlic, chopped
• cilantro, chopped
• tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped
• cauliflower florets, chopped
• firm tofu, chopped
• jalapeño chile, chopped
• cooked beans (optional)
• cumin powder
• dried oregano
• chopped pitted briny olives of choice (optional)
• kosher salt
• corn tortillas
• greens (such as beet greens, chard, kale, or collards), stemmed and slivered
• raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Method

1. Toast the chiles whole in a dry pan over medium heat for a minute or so. Transfer to a heatproof container and submerge in hot water until soft, about 10 minutes. Stem, seed, and coarsely tear them, then add to a food processor or blender, reserving the soaking liquid if needed to thin the sauce.
2. Preheat the oven to 375º. Add the onion, garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, cauliflower, tofu, jalapeño, beans, cumin, oregano, and olives to the food processor. Whirl into a coarse sauce, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl and to add some chile soaking liquid if needed to thin the sauce. Season to taste with salt.
3. In the bottom of a casserole dish, spread a generous layer of sauce, top with a layer of tortillas, then continue layering with greens, sauce, and tortillas to fill the dish, ending with a layer of tortillas. Cover, place on a baking sheet, and bake until the sauce is bubbling, about 50 minutes. Uncover, flip over the top layer of tortillas, sprinkle a solid layer of pepitas over the soft sides of the tortillas, and bake until the pepitas are toasted, watching carefully that they don’t burn. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes before serving.

Green bean, mushroom + black rice casserole (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

This casserole becomes a vegetable shepherd’s pie when topped with cauliflower-potato mash, but it is good on its own served alongside toasted or warmed corn tortillas. If you have the time, soak the rice in hot water for an hour or two, drain, and rinse before adding.

Ingredients

• coconut oil, extra-virgin olive oil, or other vegetable oil
• mushrooms, sliced
• onion, chopped
• sweet pepper, chopped
• jalapeño chile, sliced
• kosher salt
• Romano beans or fillet green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• black rice or rice of choice, soaked and rinsed
• turmeric powder
• freshly ground black pepper
• cumin seeds
• fennel seeds
• smoked paprika
• curry powder
• chopped fresh tomatoes or a jar of marinara sauce
• homemade vegetable broth, store-bought, or water
• chopped parsley, for garnish

Method

1. Warm the oil in an oven-safe pan with a lid or a dutch oven over medium heat.
2. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring only occasionally, until browned. Stir in the onion and cook until softened. Add the sweet pepper and chile and a few pinches of salt, cover, and cook for a few minutes. Add the green beans, rice, and seasonings and stir so the mixture doesn’t stick to the pan.
3. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Add the tomatoes to the mixture, stir, cover, and simmer until the tomatoes soften and give off their juices. Add broth to just cover the mixture, cover, bring to a boil, and simmer for a few minutes. Adjust the seasonings.
4. Carefully transfer the covered hot pan to the oven and bake, checking after 15 minutes. Add more liquid if dry or uncover the pan to reduce the liquid. Continue cooking until the rice and vegetables are completely soft. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Serve warm sprinkled with parsley.

Enchiladas stuffed with mole-inspired mashed potatoes (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian)

Instead of cheese, these dairy-free enchiladas are stuffed with seasoned mashed potatoes, which can also be used to stuff sweet peppers or cabbage leaves. Dried chiles add an irresistible smoky flavor, and raisins bring a hint of sweetness. Leftover enchiladas are delicious reheated for breakfast or lunch.

Ingredients

• raisins
• dried chiles (such as chipotle, ancho, pasilla, guajillo, or New Mexico), stemmed, seeded, and broken into pieces
• hot water
• potatoes, quartered
• extra-virgin olive oil
• red onion, diced
• mushrooms, chopped
• sweet peppers, diced
• jalapeño chiles, minced
• corn kernels, fresh, canned, or frozen
• green onions, thinly sliced
• slivered almonds
• toasted sunflower seeds
• fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper
• homemade enchilada sauce or store-bought sauce
• corn tortillas

Method

1. Put the raisins and dried chiles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with hot water and set aside to hydrate.
2. Put the potatoes in a saucepan with water to cover, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid, cover, and set the potatoes aside in the pan to keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, warm the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion starts to brown. Lower the heat to medium, add the mushrooms, peppers, and fresh chiles, and cook, covered, until cooked through.
4. Add the potatoes to a large bowl. Coarsely mash the potatoes with a large fork or potato masher. Stir in the mushroom-pepper mixture. Add the corn and green onions. Mix in the reserved raisins and dried chiles plus their hydrating liquid. Stir in some of the reserved potato cooking liquid if the mixture is too dry. Stir in the almonds, sunflower seeds, and fresh cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Put a layer of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish. Microwave or steam the tortillas in small batches for a few moments to soften. Put a softened tortilla on a work surface, fill with some of the potato mixture (do not overfill), wrap one side of the tortilla over the filling, and roll up. Place seam side down in the baking dish. Repeat until the baking dish is full (save any remaining stuffing for another use). Pour the enchilada sauce over the stuffed tortillas, making sure the tortillas are completely covered, including any spaces between them and the sides of the dish. Bake, uncovered, until bubbling and browned on top, about 40 minutes. Let stand about 10 minutes. Top with more cilantro and sunflower seeds and serve.