I’m not huge on fancy breakfasts. I usually have an obscene amount of French-press coffee with oatmeal and fruit. However, if I’m cooking for company or even better- folks that don’t realize how limitless a vegan diet is, I make French toast. Its easy to prepare and guaranteed to be as delicious as its non-vegan rival.

French Toast

1 block tofu (medium to firm)
1 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp cinnamon (more or less to taste)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
4 slices bread
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Lasagna is usually judged by its meat and cheese ingredients. It’s a dish I enjoy very much when prepared well so I had to find a way to recreate it within some pretty high standards. Up until this last attempt, I had failed to love the outcome. Last night, I’m happy to report- it was (finally) spot on. We had it with crusty garlic bread, steamed broccoli, and a bottle of heartbreakingly good Valpolicella. I found that the tofu proved a worthy substitute for ricotta and the sauce was so flavorful that we used our bread to appropriately mop every last drop of it off our plates. (more…)

With this dish I prepare everything before hand since it comes together so quickly in the end. What that means is I boil the soba noodles, chop my vegetables, mince my garlic and ginger and set out the necessary sauces. After its all laid out nicely it takes about 10 minutes to cook. Its good hot or cold so its excellent backpacking food if you’re going on a hike, camping etc.

Stir Fry

2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
2 Tbsp fresh garlic (minced)
1-2 Tbsp mirin
1 Tbsp black bean sauce
1 tsp hot chili sauce
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 lemon
3 scallions (cut into inch long pieces)
1 Chinese eggplant (cubed)
1 carrot (diced)
1 block tofu (frozen, defrosted, excess water pressed out then cubed)
buckwheat soba noodles
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
toasted sesame seeds for garnish
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Madison Market is a local co-op grocery that bakes an incredible chocolate cake. It just so happens to be vegan, which of course I love. This recipe is just as good and may be just a little bit better based solely on the fact that its homemade.

Chocolate Cake

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain soy milk
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Although one can find Indian dishes that are vegan, a good amount of them contain ghee (clarified butter)and other covert ingredients. Its hard to decipher exactly what each dish contains in a restaurant setting so naturally the best way to be assured of good ingredients is to cook at home. I have always been intimidated with the idea of preparing this type of cuisine. The spices and flavors are so entangled that I figured it truly took a native cook to navigate. I went about it the best way I know how- researching spice combinations,perusing recipes, and lastly… exploring how to vegan-ize it without compromising the flavors I worked so hard to capture. (more…)

I have frequented this restaurant for as long as Puerto Vallarta has been in my history. It resides a short distance from the celebrated historic Church of Guadalupe, quietly cuddled amidst the shuffle of the city. Inventive dishes, a relaxed atmosphere and the amiable owners, have me anticipating my meals here as much as I look forward to the tropical weather.

On this particular trip, famished, I took a bus to Planeta Vegetariano directly from the airport. I unload my satchel at a small table and after catching up with the owner for a quick minute, grab a plate and head towards the spread of food. (more…)

I have a plot of farm land in Mexico… the “rancho”. Its gorgeous… green, lush, very fertile. I have planted there for the last eight years and nothing has failed to take…everything from avocado to papaya, guanabana, plantains, onions, garlic, pineapple, cucumbers etc. There’s an orchard with a few different varieties of oranges, a cactus garden filled with nopales (delicious pan fried in olive oil and traditionally accompanied with eggs), and countless other native vegetables & fruits. I went South to check in last week and discovered that corn had sprouted up in my absence. There were a few stalks and I helped myself to an ear to check for sweetness. Disappointedly it seems as though I had missed its harvest mark and it sat mealy and flat on my tongue. (more…)