As an aside, we’re currently starting our first garden! We have a large deck as a part of our second floor apartment above a commercial space and we’re so excited to have the chance to try to grow some of our own food! We have four types of heirloom tomatoes: Pink Brandywine, Roman Speckled, Tiny Tim and Chadwick Cherries, as well as Jamaican hot peppers, Chinese Five Colour hot peppers, mini bell peppers, sage and basil. There’s some cilantro started for an indoor herb garden, as it doesn’t like to be transplanted. We have plans for lots more, but we won’t start those from seed. Hopefully we’ll have something more to show you in a month or two!

Roasted Beet Risotto
Serves four
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: ~1 hour 15 minutes

3 red beets, with greens
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, green and white parts
5 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thinly
Pinch of dried thyme
1 1/2 cups arborio rice, or other short grain rice
3/4 cup dry white wine
~1 1/2 litres warm vegetarian chicken stock
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of half a lemon
1 tablespoon non-dairy margarine

Preheat oven to 400 F. Remove the greens and stalks from the beets and quarter them. Make a foil packet for the beets, drizzling with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast for about 30 minutes, until the beets have started to soften. Allow to cool enough to handle, peel and dice. Finely chop the beet greens; discard the stems.  In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and sautee until they are soft. Add the garlic, thyme and rice and stir so all the rice is coated in oil. Sautee for an additional minute, but make sure no browning happens. Add the wine and stir until it has all been absorbed by the rice. Add the diced beets and a ladle full of warm stock and stir until it has been absorbed. Continue adding stock, by the ladle full, until the rice has expanded and is soft but still toothsome. You may not need all the stock. Add the beets greens, a final ladle of stock and stir until absorbed. Remove from the heat, add the nutritional yeast, lemon zest and juice and the non-dairy margarine, stir and let sit to settle for ten minutes. Serve immediately after. Save any leftovers to make arancini, as it’s the only way to eat leftover risotto.

There’s something about this salad that says “autumn”, isn’t there? Lemon confit, for the uninitiated is a French method of preserving lemons in salt. It’s zippy, salty and unbelievably complex! The preserved citrus combined with the deep, earthy flavour of the roasted beets, carrots and garlic is the perfect pairing; each balancing and elevating the other to a new level. We’re serving this alongside a more traditional vegan Thanksgiving spread this year, but we’ve also had it with mock duck and risotto – a gorgeous side to a truly special and fantastic meal.

Roasted Carrot and Beet Salad
Serves 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

4 medium carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
4 medium red beets, tops trimmed and chopped to the same size as the carrots
1 head garlic, cloves removed from peel
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, or other oil for roasting
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 large pita bread, toasted and chopped into small pieces, substitute 2 cups cooked chick peas
Lemon confit, for the top of the salad
Flat leaf parsley, for the top of the salad

Preheat oven to 400 F. Using foil, combine all ingredients and seal. Place foil packet on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the carrots and garlic have started to go golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool enough so you can handle it. Add the carrots to a serving bowl. Using your finger, remove the peels from the beets and add them to the bowl with the carrots, along with the pita bread. Set aside the half the garlic for use in the dressing and toss the other half in the salad bowl.

Lemon Confit Dressing

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 roasted red pepper, diced
1 preserved lemon, diced
~ 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped fine
1/2 head of roasted garlic cloves, mashed
1/2 tablespoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients together and whisk until well mixed. Set aside until ready to use.

Assembly

Add the dressing to the bowl full of roasted vegetables and pita bread and toss to combine. Top with thinly sliced lemon confit and parsley, to taste.

Une salade aux allures automnales ! Le citron confit se marie ici aux saveurs terreuses et aux arômes profondes de la betterave, de la carotte, et de l’ail rôtis. Ces derniers contribuent à rehausser et à équilibrer l’ensemble tout en permettant à chacun de jouer la vedette de ce parfait trio.  Cette année nous ajoutons ce plat à un menu traditionnel d’Action de Grâce végétalien. Nous l’avons également présenté avec un risotto au simili canard – un somptueux plat d’accompagnement et un repas exceptionnel.

Salade de betterave et carotte rôties 
Portions : 8
Temps de préparation : 15 minutes
Temps total : 1 heure

4 carottes moyennes, pelée et coupées grossièrement
4 betteraves rouges moyennes, parées et coupées tel les carottes
1 bulbe d’ail, les gousses séparées et pelées
1 c. à soupe d’huile d’olive extra vierge, ou autre pour rôtir
1/4 c. à thé de sel
poivre fraîchement moulu, au goût
1 grand pain pita, grillé et coupé et petit morceau (utilisé un pain pita sans gluten, si voulu)
citron confit, pour garnir la salade
persil plat, pour garnir la salade

Préchauffé le four à 400°F. Combiner tous les ingrédient et bien envelopper dans un papier d’aluminium. Placer sur une plaque de cuisson et rôtir pendant 40 minutes, jusqu’à ce que les légumes soient tendres et carottes et ail soient dorés. Retirer du four et laisser refroidir avant de manipuler. Ajouter les carottes à un bol de service. Peler à la main les betteraves et ajouter au bol avec le pain pita. Mettre de côté la moitié de l’ail (pour la vinaigrette) et ajouter l’autre moitié au bol.

Vinaigrette au citron confit

1/3 tasse d’huile d’olive extra vierge
1/4 tasse jus de citron fraîchement pressé
1 poivron rouge rôti, coupé en dés
1 citron confit, coupé en dés
~ 2 c. à soupe de persil plat, haché finement
1/2 bulbe de gousses d’ail rôties, en purée
1/2 c. à table de paprika doux
1/2 c. à thé de cumin
1/2 c. à thé de coriandre
poivre fraîchement moulu, au goût

Dans un petit bol, mélanger tous les ingrédients à l’aide d’un fouet. Mettre de côté.

Assemblage

Ajouter la vinaigrette au bol contenant les légumes et le pain pita et remuer pour mélanger. Garnir de fines tranches de citron confit et de persil, au goût.

Look at that pizza; it covers almost everything good there is in life. You want to make this, trust me. I don’t feel like I need to say anything more – you already know you should be eating this right now. If you’re nervous about cooking eggplant, let me direct you here (x) for my best tips on choosing and cooking delicious eggplant. Eggplant is thirsty, generously drizzle with olive oil until it doesn’t look dry anymore for the best results.

Ratatouille Pizza
Makes 4 small pizzas
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 60 minutes

4 pitas, use gluten-free if needed
1 bulb garlic, roasted
~3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Italian eggplant, sliced thin into half moons
1 small green zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1 small yellow zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1 small red onion, sliced thin into half moons
6 Roma tomatoes, halved 
Generous pinch dried thyme
1 small red onion, sliced thin into half moons
1/2 small red pepper, sliced thin
1/2 small orange pepper, sliced thin
1/2 small green pepper, sliced thin
1/4 cup tomato sauce, your favourite
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
Handful of fresh basil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Cut the top end of the garlic bulb off. Place in a small roasting dish, drizzle with oil and season with salt. Slice and salt the eggplant, zucchini and onion. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Arrange eggplant, zucchini and halved Roma tomatoes (seed side up) in a single layer. Season with salt, pepper, thyme and drizzle with olive oil (paying special attention to the eggplant). Roast for about 30 minutes, until the vegetables have softened and just started to brown. Remove from oven and let cool enough for you to handle them. Cut the roasted Roma tomatoes in half. Reduce heat in oven to 350 F. Heat tomato sauce in a small sauce pan and add the roasted garlic, mashing that into the sauce. Spread sauce evenly over the 4 pita crusts.  Arrange roasted vegetables, red onion and peppers in a single, slightly overlapping layer over pizza crusts, paying as much or as little attention as you like to order. Place prepared pitas on a baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the crusts are crispy and the vegetables are soft. Chiffonade the basil and sprinkle it and the parsley on top of the pizza before serving. Eat at any temperature.

Cooking is an unbelievably valuable life skill and you’ll be so much better off once you master some basic skills and have a few signature recipes with which to knock all your friends’ socks off. By the way, if you feel you need more protein with a dish like this, consider using brown rice on the side or throwing in a handful of chickpeas or some diced tofu.

Sweet Pepper and Snow Pea Stir Fry
2 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes

1 teaspoon stir fry oil (recipe)
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into thin strips
1 bell pepper, or equivalent, sliced into thin strips
Large handful snow peas
Half a fresh tomato, cut into strips (optional)
1 green onion, sliced thin
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Begin by heating the stir fry oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions. To clean the bell peppers, slice in half and remove the white parts and top, rinse to wash away any seeds and then slice. Add the bell peppers, snow peas, tomato and green onions and stir to combine. Season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper, add the garlic and lemon juice. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure nothing sticks, before tasting and adjusting the salt and pepper. Serve hot with rice or whatever you like.
Stocking Your Pantry

Keeping some staples in your cupboard will allow you to cook on days you might not otherwise have the time or energy. Buy things on sale. Go to otherwise unknown stores, such as taking a trip to your local Chinatown. Keep your favourite ingredients at eye level, or even out on the counter, so you remember you have it! Keep snack foods higher up and covered up, so you’re more likely to cook for yourself. Fresh foods should be bought more often, so get into a rhythm that works for you (and your roommates).

Herbs and Spices

They allow you to season your food, obviously. Most importantly, they transform those vegetables you hated as a kid into something delicious and the tofu people scoff at into a tremendously tasty source of protein and fun. You probably shouldn’t keep more spices than you’d use in a year, particularly because dried herbs will lose their oils and thus a lot of their flavour. However, I’m not going to get all fussy on you; use what you have! My favourite place in Montreal for herbs and spices was Branche d’Olivier. In Toronto, we’ve been using Tutti Frutti in Kensington Market, but soon my husband’s work is moving and we’ll have to switch it up. My best recommendation for a place to buy them is to not use your usual supermarket, as they’re very expensive. Find a bulk place! Or go to a Chinese market! Or an Indian grocery! Or a health food store that packages them themselves. Just avoid the spices in jars, as they carry at least a $5 price tag here per piece, where you should be aiming for a $1 or so. My spice list is based on what I use, though most of them are also very common. You won’t see basil on my list, but that’s because my husband is allergic, so I use a lot of tarragon instead.

Thyme
Sage
Oregano
Rosemary
Tarragon
Celery seed
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Dill
Paprika
Cumin
Coriander
Chili powder
Chili flakes
Nutritional yeast
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Ginger
Star Anise

As bonus, for the serious cook:

Marjoram
Savoury
Basil
Chervil
Allspice
Cloves, whole or ground
Smoked paprika (hot or sweet)
Dry mustard powder
Fennel Seeds
Tumeric
Thai curry paste, any colour
Miso, any colour

Oils and Fats

You shouldn’t keep oil for too, too long, so buy as small a bottle as you can reasonably use in a couple of months. There’s nothing worse than the taste of rancid oil.

Non-dairy margarine (get sticks, if available, if you plan on baking at all)
Sunflower oil, or any neutral oil such as sunflower or corn
Extra virgin olive oil

Protein, Noodles, Pasta, Rice & Grains

Delicious carbs keep your energy levels up. A package of pasta will stay good for years, as far as I know, as long as it’s sealed, so buy when on sale or as you wish! Get what you like, you’ll eat them on the side of whatever vegetables you’re having and be so happy they were in the cupboard. Brown rice is a little bit of a time commitment, but it’s really very nice and doesn’t get the attention it should. Brown basmati rice takes less time to cook than other varieties of brown rice. If you think you’ll want to make risotto or sushi, get a small bag of short grain rice, as well. You should be looking for rice and noodles in bulk sections or at Asian grocery stores, as they’ll have the best prices. Pasta is always on sale somewhere!

Pasta, in assorted shapes
Noodles, any kind you like
Brown rice, long grain
White rice, short and long grain
Oatmeal, or other hot cereal
Flour, for coating tofu, mushrooms or baking
Corn Starch
Silken tofu, for fried rice
Dried beans and pulses, such as lentils, split peas and pinto beans

Canned and preserved foods

Having a couple of cans of food on hand will let you throw together a meal, without having to put much effort in. You can always use dried beans when you’re thinking ahead, but for those days when you’ve got a never ending to-do list, a can of chickpeas goes a long, long way. Keeping some canned vegetables around allows you to throw together a soup faster than you ever imagined possible! Not all canned vegetables are especially palatable, so don’t get canned peas thinking they’re going to be sweet and wonderful like fresh or frozen. Taste and see what you like!

A can or two of your favourite beans, such as black beans or chick peas
A can or two of baked beans
Several cans of tomatoes, tomato sauce and tomato paste
A can or two of corn niblets
A can or two of baby corn, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, if you like stir fries
A can or two of pineapple
Apple sauce

Frozen Foods

And I don’t mean pizza. They are particularly great for the winter, if you live in a cold place, when produce is not bountiful. All frozen fruit is tasty and most vegetables are, too.  A morning smoothie can help you get your fruit for the day, while keeping costs down. Get what you can and keep it in the freezer for a vegetable side that requires no chopping and three or four minutes cooking time. You can also roast frozen vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower, for a delicious, rich side which takes no more effort than turning on the oven, tossing them on a sheet with a little oil and salt and cooking until golden. They are an excellent, easy, cost efficient way to get enough fruits and vegetables to keep you feeling great.

Condiments and Sauces

Versatile! You can make your own sauces or just have something to dip your Gardein in.

Soy Sauce
Mustard, any kind you like
Ketchup (really not my favourite thing)
Vegan mayonnaise
Hot sauce, your favourite (mine is Cholula)
Salad dressing
Jarred teriyaki sauce, or any other sauce you might like

The magic texture is a fascinating chemical reaction between the acidic cocoa powder, baking soda, the hot coffee and vinegar. As though a little volcano was making perfect bubbles in this fantastic cake. Please take note that the cake is not dense enough be used in any context other than cupcakes, so don’t try a layer cake! It’ll collapse on itself. Trust me, I’ve done it more than once. Perfect chocolate layer cake will have to wait for another day.

The Best Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 36
Adapted from this recipe

2 cups all purpose flour (gluten-free one; use brown as the rice flour component)
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup hot espresso, or hot brewed coffee
1 cup canola oil, or other neutral oil such as sunflower
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon egg replacer + 1/2 cup water, mixed well
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 F. Prepare a muffin tin with liners. In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until very well combined. The batter will be relatively thin, but it should look dark and make ripples when you lift the spoon out of the batter. Fill each liner with about 2/3 full. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the cake bounces back at your light touch. Cool on baking racks for a few minutes, before carefully turning over and cooling completely.

Maple Buttercream

3/4 cup non-dairy margarine, softened
2 to 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 5 cups icing sugar
1 to 2 teaspoons non-dairy milk, if needed

Using a hand, or stand, mixer, beat the non-dairy margarine on medium speed, for several minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, beat to combine. Add the vanilla and 1/2 cup more powdered sugar and beat again to combine. Slowly add the remaining powdered sugar, tasting as you go along until it is where you like it. Add an additional tablespoon of maple syrup and the non-dairy milk, if needed. Pipe onto completely cooled cupcakes in desired shape.

I’ve come up with an easy to make oil that adds those can’t-quite-put-your-finger-on-it background notes that a strong oil like sesame provides to simple stir fries and dumplings and it only takes about five minutes to prepare! Throw a lid on this, toss it in the cupboard as use as you see fit: such as in stir fries, salad dressings, sauces and soups!

Stir Fry Oil
Makes 1 cup
Prep Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 5 minutes

1 cup sunflower oil, or other neutral oil
4 star anise pods
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced thin

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and gently heat for about 5 minutes, until fragrant. Remove from heat and store in an airtight container away from light.

I love tacos with a fiery passion. I love coming up with new vegan taco fillings. I love pineapple on tacos. I love homemade salsas, and usually make this mango-pineapple salsa whenever there’s a corn tortilla in sight. There are still local strawberries kicking about, so I decided to mix it up. Strawberries standing in made perfect sense to me – they’re sweet and a little tart just like pineapple. This particular salsa had a very rounded flavour, which was perfect for corn chips and on top of the jackfruit carnitas I made for a friend’s birthday. You can adjust the heat to be wherever you’d like it; we went mild for a friend who’s still learning to love the chili pepper.

Strawberry Salsa
Serves 4
Total time: 5 minutes

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and chopped fine
1/2 ripe mango, peeled and diced (optional)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/2 small red onion, peeled and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, top removed, diced (Use more or less; discard the seeds if you’re concerned about heat)
Large handful fresh cilantro, chopped fine
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or the juice of one lime
Pinch of salt

Place all ingredients and a small mixing bowl and toss to combine. Before serving, taste for seasoning and adjust. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Kabocha Croquettes
Makes 24 bite sized croquettes

1 Kabocha squash, seeds removed and sliced into 2 inch wide wedges
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
1 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup potato starch, or cornstarch
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, or gluten-free breadcrumbs
Canola oil, or other neutral oil, to fry croquettes

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out kabocha wedges. Season with salt, cinnamon, sage, cayenne pepper and black pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for around 40 minutes, or until the squash is soft and starting to caramelize. When the squash is nearly done, in a skillet over medium heat, allow the diced onions to sweat a little until they are translucent. Set the onions aside. Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool enough so you can handle it and remove the peels. In a large bowl, mash the squash until it is smooth. Add the onions and garlic. Preheat the canola oil, in a large heavy bottomed skillet, over medium heat (to around 350 F). Using a spoon or a small scoop, form the mashed squash into balls. Roll the balls in the starch, then the unsweetened non-dairy milk and finally in the breadcrumbs. Fry each ball until they are golden brown on all sides, about 4 minutes. Remove from oil to a plate lined with paper towel. Serve warm with soy sauce (if you’re not allergic to soy, of course) or any other dipping sauce you like.

Roasted Garlic and Sage Potato Salad
Serves 8

Roasted Potatoes

10 to 12 medium red skinned potatoes, scrubbed and chopped
~20 large sage leaves
2 heads garlic, tops cut off
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss together the potatoes, sage leaves and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Place the heads of garlic on a sheet of tin foil, drizzle with oil and seal the garlic heads with the tin foil. Place the package of garlic on the baking sheet and bake for about 35 minutes, until the potatoes have browned and the sage is crispy. Remove from the oven and open the tin foil to let the garlic cool.

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (use soy-free, if that is an allergy)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled and grated over a microplane
2 shallots, peeled and diced
Large handful Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
2 heads roasted garlic, chopped, see above
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Whisk or shake all ingredients together until well combined.

Assembly

Toss the roasted potatoes and sage with the red wine vinaigrette, while they are still warm. Taste for seasoning and adjust to your preference. Serve warm or at room temperature. Greatly improved if stored in the fridge overnight.

A few things: Whatever kind of kale you like or have, is going to be just fine. I buy a clamshell of already washed and torn mixed kale for the week. Use a really tasty balsamic vinegar, it’s part of what makes this worth the daily revisit. Your mango can be anywhere from not quite ripe to overly ripe. I find all variations thereof work very well . You want more vegetables? Go for it! Just make sure they’re sliced thin enough to not monkey with the toothsome quality of this salad. I like cucumber and very thinly sliced carrot, too.

Rubbed Kale Salad
Serves One
Prep Time: Five Minutes

2 handfuls kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon good quality balsamic vinegar, more to taste
Pinch of salt, freshly cracked black pepper and garlic powder
1 rib celery, sliced thin
1/4 mango, peeled and chopped
1/3 avocado, peeled and chopped
A few thin slices watermelon radish, or other radish such as daikon
1 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds, or other seed or nut

In a medium bowl, drizzle olive oil and balsamic over kale. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Dive right in with your hands and massage the kale until all the oil has been evenly distributed and the kale has started to soften, about a minute. Add the remaining ingredients, taste for seasoning and eat!