Stir-Fry Salad

Makes 2 to 4 servings

• For the Tofu
• 1 container (16 ounces) extra-firm tofu
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon water

For the Dressing

• 5 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon tamari
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1 teaspoon garlic chili paste
• 1 clove garlic, minced

For the Salad

• 1 head romaine lettuce, shredded (about 4–5 cups)
• 2 cups napa cabbage, shredded
• 2 cups mung bean sprouts
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1/4 cup peanuts, chopped

Make the Tofu
Drain and press the tofu.
Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes.
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together the tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and water. Marinate the tofu in the mixture for about 15 minutes. Toss the tofu occasionally so all sides absorb the liquid.
Place the tofu on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes and then flip the cubes. Bake for another 10 minutes and flip the cubes to an unbaked side. Bake for another 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Set aside to cool.

Make the Dressing
While the tofu is baking, mix all of the ingredients together in a blender.

Make the Salad
Mix together the lettuce, cabbage, sprouts, bell pepper, and carrots.
Divide the salad mixture between 2 (or 4) plates. Top with the dressing, tofu, scallions, and peanuts. Enjoy!

 Recipe reprinted with permission from  What’s for Lunch? Lunchtime Favorites from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen. ©2016 Dianne Wenz. Download your copy of the e-book here: http://www.diannesvegankitchen.com/cookbooks/

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When you make your own veggie burgers you’re in control of what they’re made with, and you don’t need a dictionary to decipher the ingredients list. These burgers are easy to make, and they’re versatile, so just about any leftover grain or bean will work in the place of lentils and rice.

Chipotle Lentil Burgers

Makes 4 servings

Burger Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked brown lentils
• 1/2 cup cooked brown rice
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1/4 cup chipotles in adobo, minced (include both some chiles and the sauce)
• 1/4 cup roasted red pepper, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons onion, finely minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

For Serving (optional):

• Whole wheat buns
• Vegan cheese
• Sliced onions
• Pickled Jalapenos
• Lettuce
• Sliced tomatoes
• Chopped avocado

Preparation:
Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together all of the burger ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Mash everything together as you go. (Using a potato masher helps.)

Form the burgers into four patties. If you have one, a ring mold will help shape them, but forming patties by hand is completely fine.

Bake the burgers for 20 minutes. Flip them and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. They should be golden brown and firm.

Serve the burgers on whole wheat buns with all the toppings and enjoy!

 Recipe reprinted with permission from  What’s for Lunch? Lunchtime Favorites from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen. ©2016 Dianne Wenz. Download your copy of the e-book here: http://www.diannesvegankitchen.com/cookbooks/

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Stout, Seitan and Cabbage Casserole

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients 

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Feel free to play with the fillings and use whatever strikes your fancy. You’ll have some cheese sauce leftover, but it tastes great on just about anything, so go ahead drizzle it on tacos, salads, and anything that needs a little extra something-something.

Spinach-Mushroom Vegan Omelet

Ingredients

For the Omelet

• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon. garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kala namak (black salt)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 – 2 teaspoons olive oil

For the Filling

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced
• Pinch of sea salt
• 5 ounces baby spinach, coarsely chopped

For the Cheese Sauce

• 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked for two hours and drained
• 1/2 of a medium tomato, chopped
• 2 teaspoons raw sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons water

For Serving

• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes, optional
• 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, optional
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions, optional

Preparation

1. Whisk all of the omelet ingredients except the oil together in a medium bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes, while you prepare the filling.
2. To make the filling, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for about five minutes, until the onions begin to brown.
3. Add the mushrooms to the pan along with a pinch of salt. Stir frequently and allow them to brown.
4. Once the mushrooms have browned, add the spinach and stir quickly to allow to wilt.
5. Cover the veggies to keep them warm while you cook the omelets.
6. Brush 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of olive oil onto a large skillet. Heat over medium-high heat and pour in half of the chickpea batter. Cook for undisturbed for about 5 minutes, until the edges start to brown and the center bubbles slightly. Gently flip over and cook for another two minutes or so. Remove from the pan and cook the other half of the batter the same way.
7. While the chickpea omelets are cooking, mix all of the cheese sauce ingredients together in a blender or food processer. Add more water if necessary, to achieve a saucy-like consistency.
8. To serve, top half of one of the chickpea pancakes with half of the veggie mixture. Fold the pancake over and drizzle with the cheese sauce. Top with chopped tomatoes, parsley, and scallions. Prepare the other omelet the same way. Enjoy!

Serves two

Reprinted with permission from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen.

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When I discovered how quick and easy it is to make cashew cream, I replaced the nooch with the cream sauce, making it primavera-like in nature. If you don’t have kale on hand, you can use spinach or chard, and if you don’t have white beans, feel free to substitute in chickpeas.

Pasta in Cashew Cream Sauce

Makes 4 servings
For the Sauce

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 2 hours, drained and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

For the Pasta

• 12 ounces of pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups white button or crimini mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, cut into thin strips
• 11⁄2 cup cooked white beans, such as cannellini or navy beans
• 1 bunch kale, chopped
• 1/4 cup Kalamata olives, chopped

Preparation

Mix the cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, vegetable stock, and 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt together in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Cook pasta according to directions. Set aside until ready to use.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 5 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Add the garlic and mushrooms to the pan along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Continue cooking for about 10 minutes, until the mushrooms are fragrant and release their liquid.

Add the sundried tomatoes, beans, and kale to the pan. Cook until the kale is wilted and slightly tender, about 3 minutes.

Stir the pasta, vegetables, beans, and cashew cream together. Divide among plates and top with the chopped olives. Serve hot.

Recipe reprinted with permission from  What’s for Dinner? Dinnertime Favorites from Dianne’s Vegan Kitchen. ©2016 Dianne Wenz. Download your copy of the e-book here: http://www.diannesvegankitchen.com/cookbooks/

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According to the National Chili Day website, the origins of the dish are debatable. Some say it is an American dish with roots in Mexico, while Mexicans don’t want to have anything to do with it. Chili stands started popping up in San Antonio in the 1880s, where “chili queens” sold “bowls o’red” along with a piece of bread and a glass of water for ten cents.  Word got out, and the fame of chili began to spread, making the dish a tourist attraction. Chili con carne was featured at the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893 at the San Antonio Chili Stand.

Chili joints began popping up across the west by the 1920s, and by the end of that decade, chili parlors could be found in just about any town. They were often just a shed or a room with a counter and stools, but a bowl of chili was often the difference between going hungry and staying alive during the Great Depression, since it was so cheap.

Since then chili has gone on to be a well-loved comfort food dish, and it’s often a staple in vegan diets, as it can easily be made without animal products.

Here are 5 vegan chili recipes that will help get your through the cold autumn days. 

Classic Veggie Chili from Nava Atlas – This chili recipe isn’t revolutionary, but a plant-based repertoire wouldn’t be complete without it. For a classic combo, serve with Corn Kernel Cornbread and a colorful salad, combining mixed greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, olives, and pumpkin or sunflower seeds.

Photo by Hannah Kaminsky.

Green and White Chili Bowl from Zsu Dever – Red chili is all the rage, but its seldom-made cousin—green and white chili—is just as flavorful, perhaps more so. This chili is full of hominy (dried and treated maize), fresh green chiles, and two kinds of white beans.

Everyone’s Favorite Black Bean Chili from Robin Robertson – This versatile chili recipes uses soy curls and black beans, but lentils and kidney beans can be used as well.

Photo by Annie Oliverio.

Red Lentil Chili from Chef AJ – Red lentils cook very quickly and are not only pretty but creamy and delicious. This chili is delicious on its own, but is also wonderful over a baked potato or sweet potato.

Photo by Wendy Solganik of Healthy Girls Kitchen.

White Bean Pumpkin Chili from Dianne Wenz –  This chili contains a big dose of pumpkin, but you wouldn’t know it unless you saw the chef in action. (Or you made it yourself!) The base of this recipe is pumpkin, rather than tomato, to give the dish a fall feel, and to give it a little nutrition boost, since pumpkins are packed with vitamins and minerals.

SaveSave

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Here are 5 tips to keep you healthy this season:

Get Enough Sleep  Even though there’s less daylight, many people tend to sleep less during the autumn and winter months. Sleep is essential for health and wellbeing. While we sleep, our bodies are hard at work, detoxifying, repairing and rebuilding. When we don’t get enough sleep, we’re denying our bodies the time it needs for these functions and we’re compromising our immune systems. Studies have shown that lack of sleep leads to weight gain, and we tend to eat more to fuel our bodies through our waking hours. Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation causes increased levels in cortisol in the body, which means we’re all walking around feeling stressed out.

Plan Meals Ahead of Time  When we’re busy, we tend to grab whatever food is available, which is unusually unhealthy fast food or boxed processed meals. Spending a little time preparing for the week’s meals pays off big time. Pick easy recipes, shop for the ingredients and then chop vegetables and as soon as you get home from the store. Plan on making extra food so you will have leftovers for lunch, or prepare several salads at once and store them in containers in the fridge. Planning ahead takes the guesswork out of meal time, and preparing ingredients ensures that you will be spending minimal time in the kitchen on weeknights, when you’re busy. If you have one, break out the slow cooker, which cooks while you’re at work and welcomes you home with a nice, hot meal!

Eat Seasonal Foods  Nature provides what we need, when we need it. Fall foods help cleanse the body and prepare it for the cold months ahead. Autumnal foods such as apples, Brussels sprouts, onions, winter squash and sweet potatoes are all packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients as well as compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of developing cancer. And luckily, they’re all delicious!

Use Full Spectrum Light Bulbs  Shorter daylight hours can lead to Season Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a mild depression that tends to affect people during the winter months. Getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthy meals can help combat SAD, as can using full spectrum bulbs, which mimic the sun’s rays.

Don’t Be Afraid to Say No  It’s common to take on too much at once, especially at this time of year. A lot of people, especially women, have a fear of letting others down, and end up juggling far too many projects and activities, and self care tends to get pushed to the back burner. Saying no isn’t always easy, but it gets more natural with practice. Self care is just as important as eating healthily, as we need to nourish our souls just as much as we nourish our bodies. Make sure you make time for yourself and the things you love.

What is your favorite way to stay healthy in the cooler months?

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Chic Vegan will still be providing you with the articles on fashion, beauty and lifestyle that you have come to love the site for. We will also still continue to review new products and books, as well as to interview prominent vegans. I plan to add more content to Chic Vegan in the weeks and months ahead, just bear with us during this transition, as it will take me a few weeks to catch up.

Since I’m following in Gretchen’s footsteps, I will be adding an Ask Dianne column to Chic Vegan soon. Feel free to email me with your burning questions. I am a vegan health and lifestyle coach, and I have certification in plant-based diet nutrition, so I can answer anything from where do you get your protein to what to do about your parents at Thanksgiving.

Please let me know if there is anything you would like to see featured on Chic Vegan. I would love to hear from you, so please drop me a note and send me your suggestions.

Dianne (at) ChicVegan (dot) com

Cheers,

Dianne

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Chic Vegan:  How long have you been a vegan?

I went vegetarian in 1992 and vegan in 2001.

Chic Vegan:  Who or what inspired you to make the change to a vegan lifestyle?

I went vegetarian because I was never comfortable with eating animals. As a child I didn’t understand why cats and dogs were pets and cows and pigs were food. As soon as I realized that there was such a thing as a vegetarian, I decided to give it a try.

One day I was at a salad bar that I frequently went to for lunch, and as I reached for a hard-boiled egg to add to my salad, I suddenly realized what it really was and I was horrified. It was kind of an “aha moment”, and I gave up eating eggs, but I didn’t give up products that contained eggs, such as baked goods and some pastas just yet.  I later went fully vegan about a year or so later when I learned about the horrors of the dairy and egg industry.

Chic Vegan:  If you could give someone who’s thinking of going vegan advice, what would you say?

Helping people go vegan is part of what I do as a vegan health and lifestyle coach, so I give this type of advice all of the time! I encourage people to go vegan slowly and add focus on what they can eat rather than what they can’t. I tell people not to beat themselves up if they’ve made mistakes, because it happens to everyone. I also encourage people to find a vegan community in their area, because I think it’s important to have the support of friends and the knowledge that there are like-minded people in the world.

Chic Vegan:  Let’s talk beauty.  What’s your favorite cruelty-free product?

It’s really hard to for me to pick a favorite of anything! I’m a fan of Arbonne’s products. I use a lot of their makeup and skin care products. I like No Miss nail polish, and I just bought a Lippy Girl lipstick that I really like.

Chic Vegan:  Where are the best vegan bargains for groceries?

I like to shop at Trader Joe’s to save money on vegan staples such as canned beans, tofu, pasta, salad dressings, etc. I like to go to Asian and Indian markets for inexpensive spices, dried beans and rice. They usually have fun and unusual items that aren’t available in mainstream stores. The bulk bins at Whole Foods are another good place to find bargains on items like dried beans, grains and nuts. I also occasionally buy things like nutritional yeast and soy curls in bulk from Amazon.

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I was fortunate enough to be a recipe tester for her book Quick Fix Vegan, and since then Robin and I have stayed connected, thanks to the magic of Facebook. We usually talk about our pets since we’re both crazy about cats. When I was given the opportunity to interview Robin, I jumped at the opportunity, as I was curious to get a glimpse into the life of one of my favorite cookbook authors.

CV — WITH OVER 20 BOOKS UNDER YOUR BELT, YOU’RE PROBABLY THE MOST PROLIFIC VEGAN COOKBOOK WRITER WORKING TODAY. IS IT DIFFICULT TO COME UP WITH FRESH IDEAS FOR NEW BOOKS?

RR — Yes and no.  If I “try” to think of a new idea, I usually come up blank.  But if I go with the flow, I often find that ideas will just come to me in a flash of inspiration.

CV — TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK FRESH FROM THE VEGAN SLOW COOKER AND WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE IT.

RR — As with many of my books, the way I cook is what I like to share with others, whether it’s how to cook “on the cheap” or “quick and easy”.  Cooking in a slow cooker is one of my favorite ways to cook – it’s economical and convenient and a boon to people who are too busy to cook.  I make a lot of delicious vegan food in a slow cooker and I wanted to share the recipes in a book to show people how easy it can be to get a healthy vegan meal on the table.

CV — YOUR 2004 BOOK FRESH FROM THE VEGETARIAN SLOW COOKER IS A VEGAN COOKBOOK DESPITE THE TITLE. HOW DOES YOUR NEWEST BOOK DIFFER FROM IT?

RR — Well, the 2004 book, which I actually wrote in 2002, is mostly vegan, but it does include options for dairy products, at the request of the publisher at the time.  The new book differs in several important ways from the previous title. Most notably, it’s 100% vegan, but the recipes in the new book also use less oil (many of them can be made oil-free).  The recipes are also marked as being either gluten-free or soy-free (or both).  Ten years have passed since I wrote the first book, and rather than reinventing the wheel, a lot of the basics remain the same, with updates.  I used the experience of the first book as a jumping off point to share new recipes, techniques, and ideas I have developed since then.

CV — IN ADDITION TO YOUR MANY COOKBOOKS, YOU OFTEN POST NEW RECIPES ON YOUR WEBSITE. HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH SO MANY NEW IDEAS FOR RECIPES? DO THE RECIPES ON YOUR SITE EVENTUALLY MAKE IT INTO A BOOK?

RR – I’ve been a food professional for about 30 years, so it’s a natural process for me. It’s just the way my mind works.  I think about food all the time and I’m always thinking of new ways to use ingredients. Sometimes I even dream about new recipes!  I also draw inspiration from the ingredients themselves. Seasonal produce is a huge source of inspiration.  I often just get an idea and jot it down, or just go into the kitchen and start playing with particular ingredients and soon, a new recipe develops. Invariably, most of what I create for my blog ends up in a cookbook sooner or later.

CV — WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BECOME VEGAN AND WAS IT AN OVERNIGHT SWITCH OR MORE GRADUAL SHIFT?

RR — My love of animals was the great motivator in my becoming vegan.  When I was 18, I became vegetarian for ethical reasons, but it was difficult to sustain for lack of ingredients, support, and other pressures.  When I became a chef in mainstream restaurants, I felt conflicted because, in my heart, I couldn’t come to terms with cooking or eating meat.  During the late 1980s I decided to quit working in restaurants and on the same day, I stopped eating animals forever.  It was the best day of my life, because I was finally at peace with myself and the animals I loved. 

CV — YOU WERE ALREADY WORKING AS A CHEF WHEN YOU BECAME VEGAN. WAS IT DIFFICULT TO MAKE THE TRANSITION IN YOUR COOKING?

RR — It wasn’t at all difficult – it was actually exciting and empowering.  I had just quit working as a chef in a French restaurant when I went vegan, so the first thing I did was to figure out how to make all my favorite French dishes without using animal products.  It was challenging, but lots of fun, too.  Many of my original creations have made it into my cookbooks.

CV — WHAT’S A DAY IN YOUR LIFE LIKE?

RR — My day begins too early thanks to my cat Gary who likes to share some quality time with me in the early morning hours.  After feeding the cats and the ducks, I head back to my upstairs office and work at my desk all day, answering e-mails and working on my various projects.  During the day, I’m “forced” to have several cat breaks where Gary will come and sit in front of my computer monitor so I can’t get anything done. I also take breaks to make lunch and dinner, but I do put in long days, usually seven days a week.

CV — WHAT DO YOU TYPICALLY EAT IN THE SPAN OF A DAY?

RR — I start the day with a large coffee and either oatmeal or a smoothie made with SunWarrior raw vegan protein powder. Lunch is either leftovers from dinner the night before, otherwise it’s a salad or a bowl of soup.  Dinner might vary from something I’ve made in advance (I like to cook ahead) or have put in the slow cooker earlier in the day. Otherwise I’ll prepare a quick stir-fry or maybe a pasta dish.  Often, I just cook with whatever is on hand, especially produce that needs to be used while fresh. Fresh fruit is always on hand for snacking.

CV — WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE VEGAN INDULGENCE?

RR — I consider most vegan desserts an indulgence because I generally only make desserts when we have company or if I need to test a recipe.  My favorite desserts are fruit pies or anything with white chocolate.

CV — YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY WRITER IN THE FAMILY NOW THAT YOUR CAT GARY HAS HIS OWN BLOG, GARY WORLD. HAS HIS NEW-FOUND FAME GONE TO HIS HEAD?

RR — Not really.  Gary pretty much takes everything in stride.  He’s very easy-going and has a great attitude. My only issue with his blog is when he wants to use my computer while I’m working on it.  But I draw the line at getting him his own computer.  After all, I don’t want to spoil him.

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