These sheet pan smashed broccoli florets have an irresistable, crisp-tender texture! If you’ve been looking for a flavorful and creative way to enjoy broccoli as a side dish or snack, then this recipe is for you. It’s easy and fun to prepare, and the recipe offers different seasoning options. I’m not usually one to jump on viral food trends. The primary reason for this is that I’m not quick enough on the uptake. The first time I made vegan baked feta pasta, for example, was about two years after it first started trending. However, that feta pasta is an example of a food trend that became popu ..read more

This vegan brown rice casserole with broccoli and beans couldn’t be any easier. Simply place the ingredients into a baking dish, cover them tightly, and bake—this is a quintessential “dump and bake” recipe! The casserole is full of wholesome nutrition, and it’s a great make-ahead recipe. A creamy topping of vegan cashew queso takes it to the next level. I’m calling this dish of baked brown rice and beans a casserole. But “casserole” may be a bit of an overstatement. When I think “casserole,” I think about lasagna, enchiladas, gratin, or something equally involved. This is really a “dump and b ..read more

This vegan cream cheese frosting calls for only four ingredients, and it makes one small batch. It’s the perfect amount for a dozen cupcakes or a single-layer square snack cake! The frosting is tangy, sweet, and an ideal accompaniment to vegan carrot cake. It’s springtime, the season of blossoming foliage, longer days, and gentler temperatures. Green things are starting to pop up at the farmer’s market: snap peas, asparagus spears, fava beans, and shelling peas. There are holy days to observe and celebrate within many different faiths and spiritual traditions. Perhaps least importantly—yet ve ..read more

These lemon-marinated, baked tofu slices are perfect for sandwiches or for serving as a protein source with any simple vegan meal. The slices are tangy and seasoned with herbs. I like to use super firm tofu in this recipe, so that the slices are especially dense and chewy! Yesterday evening, I put a batch of these lemon-marinated baked tofu slices into the oven. It had been one of those days when I felt resistant to any amount of cooking. I didn’t even want to whisk up a marinade. But whisk it I did, and after that marinade had a few hours to work its magic, I popped my lemony, seasoned tofu ..read more

This vegan cabbage stew with bulgur and navy beans is hearty, wholesome, and comforting. It has a brothy tomato base and lots of texture from chopped cabbage, white beans, and cracked bulgur wheat. This is a great soup to make ahead—it becomes even more flavorful after a couple days! We sprang forward into springtime this week. No sooner had we set the clocks an hour earlier (or woken up wondering why it seemed so late), than the weather got very chilly for a day. And now, suddenly, it’s warm again. Such are the unpredictable ups and downs of spring! In any case, there’s still a chill in the ..read more

These roasted chickpea quinoa bowls are a high-protein, flavor-packed option to add to your weekly meal prep or dinner rotation. They feature fluffy, cooked quinoa, crispy baked tempeh bacon and roasted chickpeas, chopped romaine lettuce, and a generous drizzle of creamy homemade vegan ranch dressing. Each bowl packs more than twenty-five grams of plant protein, along with fiber, texture, flavor, and color—what could be better? The longer I cultivate a habit of vegan meal prep, the more I appreciate the value of vegan basics. By “basics,” I mean straightforward components that can multitask e ..read more

This homemade vegan ranch dressing will transform your salads, wraps, and bowls. It’s also the perfect dip for vegetables and a great choice for vegan appetizer spreads or boards! Made with cashew nuts, this creamy condiment beats any ranch that you could buy in a bottle. I’ve never had a hard time making dressings from scratch. Half the time, homemade salad dressings taste better to me than store-bought ones. They’re fresher, less artificial, and less aggressively salty. There are some store-bought dressings, however, that I have, or used to have, a big soft spot for. Ranch dressing used to ..read more

These are the best fluffy vegan mashed potatoes! Soaking and rinsing the potatoes prior to cooking and use of a potato ricer will ensure that ultra fluffy, yet smooth texture. Steaming the potatoes, meanwhile, helps to lock in flavor. If you don’t have a potato ricer, don’t worry: this post gives an alternative, along with other tips and tricks for creating a perfect, versatile batch of vegan mashed potatoes at home. There’s just nothing like a heap of warm, fluffy mashed potatoes. For years, my mom and I would debate holiday side dishes. I would insist that mashed potatoes—her favorite—were ..read more

If you’ve ever fallen in love with a zesty, colorful bowl of greens, radicchio, tomatoes, and yellow peppers, then this vegan Italian chopped salad is for you! It’s a plant-based spin on a classic, and it incorporates chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes for heartiness and umami without meat. An herbed Italian dressing and cashew “Parmesan” cheese ensure that the salad is packed with flavor. Today’s vegan Italian chopped salad is posted in honor of an annual event: my winter salad craze. Yes, summer is usually hailed as salad season. But without fail, come January or February, I start to find mys ..read more

These easy vegan soy curl “chicken” strips are a versatile, nutritious and affordable homemade vegan alternative to chicken—and they’re made with only 5 ingredients! You can use a batch of them to make chili, tacos, sandwiches or wraps, stir fry dishes, and so many other meals. Let’s talk about soy curls. I still become surprised when I realize that more people don’t know about, let alone cook with, the wonderful plant protein that is a soy curl. Soy curls are extremely versatile and easy to work with. They’re also affordable in comparison to many commercial vegan meats. On top of that, they ..read more