1 3/4 cup of cooked, drained chickpeas (or 1 15oz can). Reserve juice.
1/2cup diced roasted red pepper
3Tbs tahini
2Tbs lemon juice
1 large clove of garlic
1tsp cumin
2tsp coriander
1tsp salt

Mix all in a food processor.

If using dry chickpeas, soak for at least 2-3 hours. Cook in fresh water; bring to a boil and cook on low for 2-3 hours, until chickpeas are soft.

If roasting red peppers, Preheat oven to 450 at BROIL. Place peppers on a baking sheet under broiler for 30min, turn every 5-10 minutes as peppers blacken. Remove to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit 20 minutes. When peppers are cool enough to handle, peel off skin and remove stem and seeds.

Crust:
1cup flour (half whole wheat bread flour, half all-purpose)
1/4cup melted butter or olive oil
2Tbs cold water

Blend butter and flour. Add water and form a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and chill one hour.

Filling:
1Tbs olive oil
1/4cup onion
1 stalk of celery
1/4cup green pepper
1cup black beans
2 cloves minced garlic
1 banana, diced
1tsp. ground cumin
1/4tsp. coriander
1/4tsp. curry powder
1/4tsp. cinnamon
1/4tsp. chili powder
2Tbs lemon juice
3Tbs salsa
salt to taste

Over medium high heat, sautee onions, garlic, pepper, celery until onions are translucent. Add in beans, bananas, spices. Continue to cook over medium – low heat until mixture thickens to desired consistency.

Preheat oven to 400F
Divide crust into four parts. Roll each into a ball and flatten with a rolling in until 6-8in. in diameter and 1/4in. thick. Fill with 2-3Tbs mixture. Fold crust in half, seal and crimp edges with a fork. Chill for 10 minutes once all empanadas are formed. Bake 20 minutes. Let cool for at least 5 minutes.

1lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ pieces
1can (19.5oz) chickpeas
1/4cup fresh lemon juice
1/4cup tahini
2Tbs olive oil
2Tbs ground cumin
1 clove garlic, chopped
Coarse salt and pepper

Steam potatoes until tender, about 10-12 minutes.
In a food processor, combine ingredients. Puree about 1 minutes. Add water to thin if needed. Season with salt and pepper. Cool.
Refrigerate up to 1 week. Yields 4 cups.

This recipe is adapted from Mollie Katzen, author of the Moosewood cookbook. Ms. Katzen likes to cook her tofu in the sweet and sour sauce, but I prefer mine to be panfried.

1 can of chunk pineapple in juice
1.5cup OJ
2T tamari
1T honey, or to taste
2T cider vinegar
2T sesame oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
2T grated fresh ginger
1 bell pepper
1 small carrot chopped in thin slices
1 medium size tomato
3T cornstarch

Cook the tofu first and set aside in a bowl.

Empty pineapple juice into a 2c. measuring bowl and add enough OJ to reach two cups of liquid. Set aside pineapples. Add tamari, honey, vinegar. Whisk and set aside.

In a wok or fry pan, add some EVOO ad sautee the onions, garlic and ginger about 5 minutes. Add in the bell pepper, carrots, pineapple chunks and tomato and continue to simmer on medium high heat until the tomatoes cook down.

In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with a little of the juice mixture; when thoroughly mixed add this back into the juice mixture.
Over high heat, pour this over the stirfry once it has cooked down and stir constantly until the liquid begins to boil and the sauce thickens to the desired consistency.

Serve with rice; top the rice and tofu with the sweet and sour sauce. It’s delicious!

One block of extra-firm tofu

Mix the following to create a marinade:
1/4cup tamari
1/4cup sesame oil
1/8cup brown rice vinegar
1/8cup lemon juice
2T maple syrup
1/2inch minced ginger
2 cloves choped garlic

Cut the tofu into 1in. cubes.
Boil for 20 minutes and drain. Boiling gives the tofu a firmer texture and can be done in advance.
Marinate for at least 2 hours, being sure that all of the tofu is exposed to the marinade.
Heat a fry pan over high heat and add in approximately 2T olive oil. Drain the marinade from the tofu, and add the tofu blocks to the fry pan. Flip occasionally to keep from sticking or burning. Cook until the tofu is crisp and browned on the outside.

1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 potato, chopped in small cubes
3-5 beets, thinly sliced and chopped into strips
2 carrots, chopped
1 small cabbage, diced in 1/2in. strips
6cups vegetable broth
1 can tomato puree or tomato sauce
2-3 bay leaves
1/4 – 1/2 cup red table wine OR red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions, garlic and celery until onions are translucent. Add in potato, carrots beets and bay leaves and sautee a few minutes more. Add in vegetable broth and tomato sauce; when it comes to a boil add in the cabbage. Let the pot simmer until root vegetables are tender. Fish out bay leaves and blend some or all of the soup. Add in red wine to taste and let cook down about 5 minutes.
Serve with yogurt.

These are wonderfully flavored, light and fluffy, slightly sweet, with a warm hint of molasses!

1 3/4c. flour
1c. sugar
1Tbs. baking powder
1/4t. salt
1t. cinnamon
1/2t. nutmeg
1/2t. ginger
1/4t. allspice
1/8t. ground cloves
1c. pumpkin puree
1/2c. milk or soy milk
1/2. vegetable oil
2Tbs molasses

Preheat oven to 400F.
Sift together dry (flour through cloves).
Whisk together wet (Pumpkin through molasses) and combine with dry.
1/4c. finely chopped walnuts can be added at this point if desired.
Grease a muffin tin (makes approximately 12) and fill each cup 2/3 full.
Bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

3T. vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic
3 slices onion
1/2c. white flour
4t. nutritional yeast
3T soy sauce
2c. water
1/4t. black pepper
handful of brown mushrooms (such as baby bella, shitake, etc)

Saute garlic and onion until tender.
Add soy sauce, nutritional yeast and flour to make a paste.
Throw in some spices for added flavor: oregano, basil, thyme, sage
Add water gradually, stirring constantly, until gravy has reached the desired consistency. It may not take all of the water.
Add pepper and stir in sliced mushrooms

I used spelt flour and this worked out fine.

3/4c. onion
1/3c. celery
1T. olive oil
1T minced garlic
1.5c. chopped nuts
1/2t. thyme
1/2t. sage
1.5c. breadcrumbs
2T. nutritional yeast
1/2t. salt
1/4t. black pepper
1/3c. water
2 eggs

Saute onions, celery and garlic.
Add nuts and herbs and saute 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
Remove from heat.
In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and nut mixture. Whisk in eggs and add water.
Grease an 8×12 baking tin and bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving.

I used a mix of sourdough and whole wheat bread torn into small bits for the breadcrumbs.

This is exceptional with the mushroom gravy.

Sort of like a sweet and sour, somewhat like a take off of Pad Thai, it’s Thai something or other…. Very pungent, very delicious, not very authentic.

Udon noodles (2 sachets)
1 block extra firm tofu
1/4cup tamari
1/8cup maple syrup
1/4 cup white vinegar
1Tbs toasted sesame oil
2 Tbs lemon juice
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
1/4in. finely chopped ginger
3/4cup dry roasted unsalted peanuts, chopped

First: cover noodles with warm water and allow them to soak up to 30 minutes – until they are soft and flexible but not soft enough to be mashed with your fingers. Drain them and put them aside.

Next, press tofu to remove as much water as possible – wrap the block up in several pieces of paper towel and press firmly for several minutes until the paper towel is thoroughly saturated. Cut tofu into bite size pieces and bake on a lightly oiled pan at 375F for 15 minutes, flip tofu on pan and bake 15 more minutes. Set aside.

Mix the tamari, vinegar, maple syrup, sesame oil and lemon juice in a bowl and stir until well blended and set aside.

Next, stir fry or saute any vegetables desired for the dish (I like to do a mixture of onions, celery, carrots and broccoli – if using broccoli, keep this out until the very end) with garlic and ginger in a wok or cast iron skillet. Add in noodles and sauce, and let cook down until all liquid is absorbed. Be sure to keep turning it over in the pan, especially as the liquid is absorbed to ensure the noodles do not stick. When the sauce is almost all absorbed, add in broccoli and peanuts. Toss until broccoli is steamed to perfection.

Top with mung bean sprouts and serve!