150 Vegan Favorites (9 page)

Yield: 4 cups

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, oregano, pepper, salt, cayenne, and crushed tomatoes and mix well. Place three quarters of the mixture in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process for 5 seconds, creating a chunky vegetable mash.

Return the mash to the bowl and blend well. Chill the salsa for 30 minutes to 1 hour to allow the flavors to meld.

The “holy trinity” of Creole cooking—peppers, onions, and celery—form the basis of this prickly red sauce. Serve the sauce as a topping for pilafs or as a spicy sauce for pasta.

Yield: About 3 cups

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the bell pepper, onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, oregano, thyme, Tabasco, salt, black and white pepper, and cayenne and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat.

Serve the sauce over rice or pasta. Refrigerate any leftovers for later.

As a chili pepper connoisseur, I like to collect an immense array of bottled hot sauces. Sometimes I take my passion one step further and prepare my own sauce. This fruity and fiery concoction is one of my favorites. Serve it as a condiment or barbecue sauce (and remember to warn your guests before serving!).

Yield: 2 cups

In a medium saucepan, combine the chili peppers, carrot, vinegar, mango, onion, lime juice, garlic, sugar, and turmeric and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool slightly. Ladle into a food processor fitted with a steel blade or into a blender and process until smooth, about 5 seconds. Transfer the sauce to a bowl and serve at once or refrigerate for later.

This marriage of papayas and avocados is a blissful union. If you like guacamole, you’ll love this rendition. Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips or vegetables or as a condiment for burritos and other tortilla dishes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Place the avocados, papaya, tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper into a food processor fitted with a steel blade or into a blender and process until
chunky-smooth, about 5 seconds. (Or mash the ingredients in a mixing bowl with a large fork or spoon until a chunky paste is formed.)

Transfer the guacamole to a serving bowl and top with the scallions.

Traditional Thai curries radiate with the exotic flavors of coconut milk, spicy curry paste, and aromatic herbs. Spoon this sauce over rice dishes, Asian noodles, steamed vegetables, or stir-fried meals.

Yield: 2 cups (about 8 servings)

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the curry paste and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute over low heat. Stir in the coconut milk, soy sauce, and lime juice and cook over medium-low heat until the mixture begins to simmer, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the warm water. While the curry sauce is simmering, gradually
whisk in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce should thicken slightly. Stir in the cilantro and remove from the heat.

P
asta forms the foundation for a variety of delicious home-cooked meals. After all, who doesn’t like pasta? This Italian import has become as American as apple pie and baseball. Scores of fancy-shaped pastas can be found in the aisles of supermarkets and natural food stores; gourmet pasta restaurants have opened up from coast to coast. Suddenly, pasta is everywhere.

Despite the dizzying shapes and sizes, traditional Italian dried pastas are processed from durum wheat flour (also called semolina). On the other side of the world, Asian noodles (such as lo mein and rice vermicelli) are made with rice flour, buckwheat flour, wheat flour, or in the case of cellophane noodles, mung beans. Furthermore, for those with adventurous palates, there is a cornucopia of gourmet noodles made from whole wheat flour, spinach, tomatoes, beets, quinoa, spelt, Jerusalem artichokes, and garlic and basil.

Cooking pasta is a breeze. The goal is to serve noodles that exhibit an “al dente” texture, meaning the texture is slightly firm, not too chewy nor soft. The routine is easy. In a large saucepan, bring plenty of water to a boil over medium-high heat (it is not necessary to add oil or salt). Place the pasta in the boiling water,
stir the noodles, and quickly return to a gentle boil (slow-cooking the pasta over low heat results in sticky, floury noodles). Occasionally stir the pasta throughout the cooking process.

Always cook the pasta for the recommended cooking time. It is a good idea to check for doneness (al dente texture) about 1 to 2 minutes before the allotted time has elapsed. Do it the old-fashioned way: pull a noodle out of the water, cool it slightly, and bite into it. When the pasta is ready, pour the noodles into a colander and drain the cooking liquid. Do not run water over the pasta unless you are making pasta salad. Transfer the cooked pasta to warm serving plates and serve at once with your favorite sauce.

By itself, pasta is not fattening. However, when the noodles are drowned in a rich cream or butter sauce, the calorie meter starts to climb skyward. In the world of vegan cookery, pasta meals are both enticing and healthful. Canned and fresh tomatoes, seasonal vegetables, bountiful herbs, and aromatic garlic are the main staples, while soy sauce, cilantro, sesame oil, and peanut butter often appear in Asian recipes. The bottom line: If you stock your pantry with a variety of pastas, you will never get bored of this nourishing staple.

Macaroni, an all-American staple, blends nicely into this unpretentious one-pot dish of vegetable chili.

Yield: 6 servings

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the macaroni, stir, and return to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat until al dente, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain in a colander.

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, beans, corn, chili powder, oregano, cumin, pepper, and salt and bring to a simmer. Cook over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Blend in the cooked macaroni and cook for 5 minutes over low heat. Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Ladle into bowls and serve at once.

The secret to creating a great marinara sauce is to use canned plum tomatoes. They have a rich, robust flavor and thick texture. Broccoli adds a nice crunch to this dish.

Yield: 4 servings

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley, oregano, basil, pepper, and salt and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In another large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta, stir, and return to a boil. Cook for 8 minutes, then stir in the broccoli florets. Cook until the pasta is al dente, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta and broccoli in a colander and transfer to a large serving dish.

Transfer the red sauce to a food processor fitted with a steel blade (or to a blender) and process until smooth, about 5 seconds. Return the sauce to the pan and stir in the beans. Return to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Ladle the sauce over the pasta and broccoli and serve at once.

This is an easy way to include nutrient-rich leafy green vegetables into your everyday meals.

Yield: 4 servings

In a large, wide skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the chard, broth, pepper, and salt and cook, stirring, until the greens are wilted, 4 to 5 minutes.

In a large saucepan, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the spaghetti, stir, and return to a boil. Cook over medium heat until al dente, 9 to 11 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain in a colander.

Using tongs, transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Add the chard mixture and toss. Serve at once.