What This Vegan Eats

Some of the foodstuff going around in my apartment this past month:

Oven-roasted artichokes on iceberg and spinach, with tomatoes, avocado and broccoli slaw. with sundried tomato and roasted garlic dressing.

Pho-ish broth, shiitakes, baby bok choi, nappa cabbage, red bell peppers and udon noodles with pan-fried tamari-sprinkled tofu, mung bean sprouts, shredded basil, a line of hoisin and a line of sriracha and a couple of lime wedges.

Oven-roasted collards with crushed garlic and Cheddar Daiya. Seitan chunks and pickles on an organic kamut bun with ketchup and mustard.

Mushroom-lentil stew with tomatoes, turnip, carrots and broccoli. Seasoned with smoked paprika and dried chipotle, dill weed and parsley.

Beets (oven-roasted w/balsamic vinegar and a touch of sea salt), fiddleheads, medium-firm tofu (marinated in a touch of organic tamari and sesame oil, dredged through multigrain flour and 12-spice seasoning, pan-fried in olive oil), ketchup w/a dab of blackstrap molasses.

Iceberg, red bell peppers, tomatoes, tofu marinated in a sweet onion/lime dressing, slivered almonds, hemp seed and a couple of Brazil nuts.

Tofu with turmeric, parsley, black pepper, a pinch of black salt and some nutritional yeast, scrambled with red onions, zucchini and corn. In the dish, fava beans cooked with tomato, cumin and a bit of lemon juice.

Iceberg, cucumbers, tomatoes, shredded purple cabbage, radishes, organic carrots, red bell peppers, walnuts, ancient grains Gardein chunks, scallions, hemp seed and a drizzle of sweet onion/lime dressing.
Sautéed green/wax beans, steamed baby Brussels sprouts & baby carrots, baked sweet potato and pan-fried multigrain Gardein chunks.

Romaine, tomatoes, purple cabbage, mushrooms, steamed broccoli, hemp seed, black sesame seed, a drizzle of sweet onion/lime dressing. Corn on the cob w/sriracha.

Red onion, Gardein chunks, shanghai choy, red bell pepper, organic heirloom rainbow carrots and mung bean sprouts stir-fried with Massaman curry paste. Rice noodles.

Into the blender went: A banana, three huge strawberries, an organic carrot, a plum tomato, a bosc pear, a large collard leaf, a heaping tablespoon of almond butter, a teaspoon of hemp seed, half a small pink grapefruit, a cup of frozen blueberries, half a cup of blueberry soy yogurt.

Steamed collards tossed with a sweet onion/lime vinaigrette, steamed carrots, oven-baked Gardein patty, good old reheated beans w/ tomato sauce.

Potato-onion whole wheat perogies, beet stems & greens sautéed with olive oil and crushed garlic. Green/yellow beans and baby carrots tossed in lime vinaigrette.

Pho-ish broth, shiitakes, baby bok choi, nappa cabbage, red bell peppers and udon noodles.

What This Vegan's Been Eating

To put a new spin on what's otherwise just a bunch of photos of vegan grub I've ended up making and eating and that I post monthly, I think that moving forward I'll attempt to provide an estimated cost for the dishes in the photos I'll share. Tara Parker-Pope's recent column in the New York Times may have perpetuated the myth that making vegan fare is complicated and expensive, but those of us for whom it's old hat know otherwise and should try to ensure that nobody considering going vegan buys into that sort of misinformation.

For now, though:

Phony pho: Shiitake mushrooms, shanghai choy, organic soybean sprouts, organic tofu (marinated in organic tamari & panfried), enoki mushrooms, pho paste, red onion, cilantro, lime, sriracha, hoisin sauce.

Romaine, orange bell peppers, red onions, pumpkin seed & ground flax, roasted garlic/sundried tomato dressing. Oven-roasted baby Brussels sprouts & heirloom rainbow carrots. Gardein "chicken" strips.

Dried mushrooms and kombu simmered gently with doenjang and gochujang. Tofu, nori, baby spinach, nappa cabbage, enoki mushrooms and udon noodles.

Kale with tahini, nooch, garlic and toasted black sesame seeds. Heirloom rainbow carrots, portobello mushrooms, Gardein "tips", spicy Thai basil seasoning.

Gardein, oven-roasted asparagus, oven-roasted radishes, blanched spinach tossed w/soya sauce, sesame oil, sesame seed, crushed garlic & sugar.

Garlic-ginger organic tofu, brown rice with baby bok choy, mushrooms, carrots, onions, zucchini, sesame and a drizzle of leftover soy-gochujang sauce.


Soup seasoned with Korean soybean & red pepper pastes & kombu. Yuba, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, nappa cabbage, mung bean sprouts.

Organic garlicky tofu, marinated in tamari, rolled in whole grain flour and pan-fried in olive oil. Almonds, cherry tomatoes, chunks of hot banana peppers. Caesar salad with the dressing from New American Vegan.

Organic tofu & soybean sprouts stir-fried with sesame oil, tamari and crushed garlic, tossed with udon noodles and sprinkled with toasted black sesame seeds and Sriracha.

Whole wheat pita with salsa, Daiya (mozza and cheddar), orange bell peppers, red onion, crushed garlic and soy "bacon" bits.

Pinto/black bean chipotle chili with red lentils and cracked wheat. Orzo with organic baby spinach, dried orange peel, garlic and smoked paprika.

Chickpea and Avocado Ceviche on baby spinach, oven-roasted radishes and asparagus and a couple of strawberries.

Spinach, orange peppers, red onion, sesame seed, ground flax, sweet Russian dressing. Gardein strips sauteed with red onion, smoky soy bits, spinach and organic Vegenaise in a whole wheat wrap.


Soba noodle and kimchi soup (more noodly than soupy).

Brown rice with adzuki beans. Clockwise from top: Soy/sesame/gochujang dipping sauce (w/garlic, scallions & sugar), pan-fried kombu, blanched rappini pan-fried w/garlic & Korean chili powder, spicy kelp/bamboo shoots, blanched baby spinach tossed w/sesame/sugar/garlic/soy, daikon & mini cucumber marinated in rice wine vinegar/sesame/sugar, kimchi and pan-fried tofu.

Green lentil and spinach soup with spicy Indian seasonings, mandarin oranges and minced cilantro.

Hummus w/toasted black sesame seed, hot banana peppers and asparagus on whole wheat pita, grilled and drizzled w/sriracha. Token lonely oven-roasted radish.

Kale with tahini, nutritional yeast, garlic & a pinch of salt. Slaw tossed with apples, rice wine vinegar, toasted sesame oil, sugar, crushed garlic and toasted black sesame seeds.


P.S. The next time someone tells you that they'd go vegan, but don't want to restrict their food options, or that they've gone vegan but are always hungry, tell 'em to drop me a line.

What This Vegan Eats

I think that it's safe to say that I'll have a fair number of posts about food this month. I have a few other Berkeley/Oakland restaurant reviews which should be popping up over this weekend. I am also in the process of inhaling the recipes in Vincent Guihan's excellent New American Vegan cookbook so that I can post a review with a couple of photos and sample recipes next week. (The aforementioned review will include details of a giveaway for a copy of the cookbook, so check back later in the week for it!)

Meanwhile...

Shredded collards, iceberg, tomatoes, radishes, onions, ground flax seed, topped with roasted asparagus, organic candied cranberries and a drizzle of sweet onion/lime vinaigrette.

Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, radishes, red cabbage, smoked soy bits, ground flax seed, dried jalapeno flakes and a sprinkle of lime juice.

Soup with Korean fermented bean paste and fermented spicy red pepper paste, this time with non-GMO soybean sprouts, tofu, bok choy, baby spinach, enoki mushrooms, nori, scallions.

Quinoa with caramelized onions, corn and dill weed. Carrots mashed with onions, parsley and black pepper. Frozen spinach cooked in the leftover cooking liquid from the carrots. Tofu marinated in tamari/sesame oil/liquid hickory smoke, dredged through whole wheat flour, sage, coriander & pan-fried.

Pinto bean soup with potatoes, carrots, celery, spinach, broccoli and quinoa. Seasoned with Indian chili powder, lots of garlic, salt and pepper.

Cream of tomato soup with pasta, asparagus, broccoli, dried onion, dill, dried orange zest, smoked paprika, pepper.

Greens tossed with a sweet onion/lime vinaigrette and topped with a few Brazil nuts. Orzo and diced tomatoes stewed with crushed garlic, dried chipotle, basil, zucchini, onions and corn.

Gardein strips and oven-roasted asparagus on a bed of oven-roasted collards. Mixed greens tossed with the Simple Vinaigrette Salad Dressing from "New American Vegan" (I used lemon juice) and cucumber.

Pho-ish? I picked up most of what I needed to make pho last week, then grabbed a jar of "instant pho" paste with various ground spices in it. I used it to rehydrate dried shiitakes, poured the broth over rice noodles and added the mushrooms, some pan-fried tofu, bean sprouts, chopped cilantro, shredded Chinese red pepper, a few drops of hot pepper sauce w/ vinegar and the lime wedges. Authentic? No. Tasty? You bet!

Green Thai curry soup with onions, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, shredded collards, cilantro and coconut milk.

Onion rings over collard greens and broccoli sautéed in olive oil with crushed garlic and dried jalapeno.

Thai yellow coconut curry with onions, carrots, zucchini, Gardein "chicken", asparagus and mung bean sprouts. Flat rice noodles.

Chopped cabbage, shredded collards, plum tomatoes, radishes, green bell pepper, hot banana peppers, smoked soy bits, ground flax, a drizzle of sweet onion/lime vinaigrette.

What This Vegan Eats

I've been eating more than writing. Oh, the shame!

Salad w/romaine lettuce, radishes, hot banana peppers. Tangerine. Mini fava bean burger patties (fava beans, rolled oats, wheat germ, grated onions, celery seed, ground chipotle, parsley and a dash of tamari, dredged through whole wheat flour and pan-fried).

Chopped purple cabbage and pineapple, shredded carrot. Tossed with: Lime/sweet onion dressing, sesame oil, grated ginger, dried jalapeno and a hefty pinch of sugar.

Soup: Turnip, cabbage, tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, onions, peas and garlic. Seasoned with caraway & dill seed and smoked paprika.

Red potato/tofu scramble with onions, garlic, black salt, turmeric and parsley. Tangerine & strawberries.

Guac with avocado, diced tomatoes, cilantro, garlic, jalapeno, lime juice & onion. Broccoli and corn chips.
Frozen banana & blueberries, fresh strawberries, a tangerine, minced fresh parsley, a heaping tsp of ground flax, a heaping Tbs of organic almond butter and a drizzle of water.

Organic tofu marinated in tamari, sesame oil and coriander, then dredged through whole wheat flour & five-spice powder and oven-baked. Bean sprouts, shredded cabbage/carrots sautéed with tamari, sesame oil, crushed garlic and ginger. Mustard dip for the tofu.

Lettuce, cherry tomatoes, shredded carrot, radishes, mushrooms, shredded beet greens, tofu & romano beans marinated in a lime/sweet onion/sesame vinaigrette, ground flax seed.

Red lentil soup with spinach, potatoes, onions, carrots, corn, ginger, turmeric and tons of other Indian seasonings (including hing).

Romaine lettuce, vidalia onion, radishes, topped with Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream and smoked soy bits.

Black rice, French lentils, carrots, purple cabbage, onions, potatoes, celery. Seasoned with (as odd as it may sound) rosemary, dill seed, parsley and black pepper. Hearty winter soup, sez I.

Udon noodles heated w/sesame oil and crushed garlic. Stir-fry (broccoli, onions, carrots, mushrooms, celery, tamari, grated ginger, five-spice powder). Organic tofu marinated in tamari and five-spice, dredged through whole wheat flour w/coriander & baked.