Deep Dish Mexican Pizza

Before I went vegan, Taco Bell’s mexican pizza was a staple of my diet. Lucky for me, there are a million DIY recipes for such pizza on the Web. But I wanted something a little bit different, so instead of using flour tortillas, I decided to use a polenta pie crust and bake it like a pie. The results of my experiment were delicious! I hope you enjoy it too.

This pizza would be good served with a green salad and an ice cold Mexican beer.

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Easy Yeast Bread

This bread recipe makes a rustic, sort of dense yeast bread. It’s simple to make and requires very little kneading, although if you like a less dense bread, you can make it the traditional way, kneading for 6-10 minutes. An hour of the prep time is simply waiting for it to rise. It is delicious – and I’m lucky I took the photo before the dog stole the entire loaf off of the table. He likes my bread and hopefully, so will you. And don’t mind the scratch on my table!

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Black Bean Enchiladas

I think that if I had a favorite kind of cuisine, it would probably be Mexican. My mom used to make enchiladas much like these, except that she used real cheese and chicken or beef instead of beans. These hearty, “cheezy” enchiladas will satisfy even the most committed Mexican food-lover. I serve these with a green salad and a cold Mexican beer with a lime wedge.

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Black Bean Calzones

These calzones are hearty and satisfying. Even non-vegans will ask for seconds, so you may want to double the recipe! You can add any vegetables that you like. I’ve also made these with black olives and jalapenos and taco seasoning instead of Italian seasoning. As with any dish, you can make it yours with a little experimentation. Use your imagination! 

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The Best Vegan Food Blogs

It’s never been easier to be a vegan. There are so many recipe sites on the Internet that you could cook a different vegan dinner for the next ten years and barely scratch the surface. “Best” is entirely subjective, but these are the four best vegan food blogs in my opinion, especially for someone who is new to veganism and needs ideas and inspiration.

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Hearty Mushroom Soup

This soup is earthy and full flavored, redolent with onions and garlic, and thick with baby bella mushrooms in a rich vegetable broth. I based this recipe on the mushroom soup recipe at The Kitchn. I left out the dried mushrooms (since our own veggie broth used in this recipe was made with oven-dried mushrooms) and the 4 tablespoons of butter, bringing the cost and the fat way down. This soup will warm and comfort you on the coldest day!

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Vegetable Stock

This vegetable stock is a savory beginning to many soups, stews and sauces. It’s easy to make and it can be mega-cheap if you save odds and ends of vegetable scraps to use. You can use any combination of vegetables, but don’t use any of the cruciferous veggies, as you don’t want a sulfur taste to your stock. The measurements in this recipe are approximate; just be sure you use enough vegetables, keep the temperature low, and simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours.

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