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These are all favorite recipes of ours that we make frequently. We're whole foods eaters, and our diet is influenced by some of the same ideologies (and their cookbooks) as that intrepid first generation of hippie vegetarians from my parents' generation (not that my mother ever strayed far from Betty Crocker). we own several Moosewood titles and Laurel's Kitchen, and one of Deborah Madison's cookbooks. In deference to my vegan and other vegetarian friends, I use a couple of really ugly icons that I threw together in a couple of minutes to indicate which recipes are easily adaptable to a vegan diet, and which are vegan recipes. (The plain peapod indicates a vegan recipe, and the one with the smiley face is "vegan-friendly.") We eat meat (although I don't eat non-kosher animals), and some of these recipes contain animal products.
Where applicable I credit the inspiration for a recipe, but the recipes presented here include our own directions for preparation, and other modifications such as those of ingredients and amounts, based on our experience. Your feedback is welcome.
Breakfast is a state of mind, not a time of day. Nonetheless, we know what we mean by breakfast food. It's the thing you eat first thing in the morning, or whenever it is you wake up.
Oatmeal is the one thing I eat almost every morning. I like a hearty breakfast, so I eat it with an egg and sausage scramble or some yogurt and fruit, but for many people who don't eat a regular morning meal, oatmeal would be a satisfactory breakfast by itself. If you've already been turned off by powdery instant oatmeal, this is not the same thing at all. Comparing Quaker Instant to fresh homemade oatmeal is like comparing a freshly baked whole grain loaf of bread to a slab of Wonder bread. Real oatmeal really is that good.
Shmancakes are a Saturday morning institution at our house. (The "shmanification" of all things dawg is similarly a family institution.) They always have blueberries, apple, and banana in the batter, and when we have other fresh fruit we add it in layers between the schmancakes. Shmancakes with pan-roasted fruit is a special treat.
Roman Hash Paired with chicken or fish, this makes a hearty meal. Try it with purple potatoes: the colors are very striking. If the greens are very good, I make a lighter version of this without potatoes or cheese.
Pressed Salad can be made from whatever you have around that makes good pickled, pressed salad: finely chopped broccoli, any kind of cabbage, bell peppers, and jicama would all make good additions or substitutions in this salad. It keeps well in the fridge for at least two weeks.
New! Mushroom Risotto A classic recipe using short-grain brown rice makes a rich, delicious side dish, perfect alongside roasted meats and vegetables.
Lentil and Mushroom Tagine A tagine is a Moroccan traditional dish named for the conical clay bowl in which it's baked. We substituted dandelion greens for the spinach in this recipe, and enjoyed it with some cucumber raita and onion chutney, brown rice, and warm whole wheat pita. It's spicy! If you want less heat, halve the cayenne.
New!Harira A chicken, chickpea, and lentil stew with lots of spicy and sweet flavors. I used to beg Kevin to make it; now I just make it myself. The solid goodness of the chicken and legumes combined with the strong, fresh flavors of the Moroccan-style spices make this one of my favorite comfort foods.
Funky Dal We eat this about once a week with brown rice and steamed collard greens, although it would be delicious with any cooked grain and vegetable combination. It's full of garlic and is finished with lemon, so Kevin calls it "medicine food" because it's good for colds and sinus infections.
New!Szechuan Baked Tofu is a simple dish, easy to put together on a weeknight. We like it with brown rice and steamed cabbage: the sweetness of the cabbage pairs well with the heat of the chili in the tofu marinade.
Peanut Sauce We usually eat this served liberally over an all vegetable meal of something orange (steamed butternut squash, sweet potatoes, carrots), something green (kale, collards), and brown rice, but it’s also good over chicken and fried tofu. Don't try this for the first time for a romantic meal unless you usually eat a lot of peanuts: they make most people fart a lot. Trust an old fart to tell you these things.
Oatmeal Raisin Chip Cookies I love cookies. This is the all-purpose cookie recipe we use at our house. One of the ingredients is "1 ½ cups of raisins, nuts, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds, and/or candy, in any combination," so the recipe can be modified to your tastes. (I like a half chocolate chip, one-quarter raisin, one-quarter nut ratio, myself.) When my partner and I make it, we chop the nuts very, very finely so they become a coarse meal, because he likes the taste of nuts without the texture of nuts. (Weird, I know.) It makes the cookies a little heavier than when our housemate makes them, because he likes the nuts more coarsely chopped (as do I).