White Wine-Braised Chickpea, Tempeh, and Spinach Linguine from the Slow Cooker

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Spring: some days are too hot for the oven, then you're hit with a blustery, rainy day that calls for a bowl of comfort. Either way, this recipe has you covered. Toss chickpeas, tempeh, spinach, artichoke hearts, and blissfully salty Kalamata olives into the slow cooker with a dose of herbs and white wine. Let it cook all day, and there's nothing left for you to do but boil the amount of pasta needed for the meal, and done. Repeat with leftovers, should you have them.

The whole thing depends on the garnishes to really shine, so don't skip them. A generous spoonful of chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a final squeeze of lemon over your plate are necessary ingredients to add color, intense bits of flavor, and brightness.

White Wine-Braised Chickpea, Tempeh, and Spinach Linguine from the Slow Cooker

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serves 4-6

For the legume-veggie mix:

8 oz frozen chopped spinach

1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives

3 TBSP quick-cooking tapioca

1 no-salt-added vegetable bouillon cube

2 15-oz can chickpeas, drained, but not rinsed

8 oz tempeh

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried marjoram

1 cup dry white wine

6 oz canned (and drained) or frozen (and thawed) artichoke hearts, chopped

fine sea or kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

To serve:

1 lb linguine

generous 1/4-1/2 cup julienned oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained well

lemon wedges, from 1-2 lemons

Layer spinach and olives into the crock of a slow cooker. Sprinkle tapioca evenly over the spinach. Place bouillon cube in the center of the crock. Pour drained chickpeas in evenly, then roughly crumble tempeh into the crock in small bite-size pieces. Sprinkle in each of the herbs, then slowly and evenly pour wine over the whole thing. Cover and cook on low seven to eight hours.

When ready to serve, stir in chopped artichoke hearts, add salt and pepper, to taste, and cover again. Cook pasta according to package directions. Divide pasta among plates and top with chickpea mixture. Add a generous tablespoon of sun-dried tomatoes to each plate and give a squeeze of lemon juice over the whole thing. Serve at once.

Smoked Tofu, Avocado, and Sage-Roasted Lemon Sandwich

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This sandwich relies on the convenience of store-bought tofu, the convenience of nature's perfect condiment (avocado), and takes just about 15 minutes to punch up that lovable combination with seriously dreamy roasted lemons. The result is sure to brighten up any Tuesday afternoon, but feel free to serve this to pals at any casual gathering, too.

Whole-lemon anything is never to be passed up, so when this salad recipe came into view, there was no question that the sage-roasted lemons would be put to work long before tomato season. Totally worth the light effort, these dreamy little lemon slices jazz up absolutely everything. New favorite ingredient.

Smoked Tofu, Avocado, and Sage-Roasted Lemon Sandwich

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yields three sandwiches

1 recipe sage-roasted lemon slices

8 oz smoked tofu, such as Soy Boy brand

1 ripe avocado

6 slices whole wheat bread from a small boule

flaked salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Prepare the lemon slices as directed.

While the lemon slices roast, place each tofu square on its thin side and cut into thirds, so you have a total of six thinner squares. Halve and pit the avocado, divide into eight slices, and scoop out.

To assemble, place two slices of tofu on three slices of bread. Divide the avocado as evenly as possible and place atop the tofu. Sprinkle with flaked salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Add lemon slices, sandwich, and serve at once.

Hominy, Poblano, and Potato Enchiladas with Spiced Black Bean Sauce

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Get ready to have a new favorite meal. And for any meal—these guys can handle it.

Golden hominy and (convenient frozen) potatoes combine to make a comforting, fluffy filling seasoned with a generous dose of garlic and contrasting little strips of gently piquant poblano pepper.

Top the whole dreamy thing off with a dead-simple black bean sauce seasoned with cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano, and a touch of smoke, and a big, fat platter of dinner is ready in under half an hour. Just make sure you have some leftovers to reheat for breakfast.

Hominy, Poblano, and Potato Enchiladas with Spiced Black Bean Sauce

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serves 4

To assemble:

12 6-inch corn tortillas

For the sauce:

1 15-oz can black beans, undrained

1/2 cup water

1 no-salt-added vegetable bouillon cube

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp Mexican oregano

1/4 tsp mild chile powder, such as ancho

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/4 tsp liquid smoke

1 TBSP olive oil

For the filling:

3 TBSP olive oil

6 large cloves garlic, minced

6 scallions, thinly sliced, divided

2 large poblano peppers, trimmed, seeded, and cut into thin 2-inch strips

2 15-oz cans yellow hominy

1 1/2 cups frozen hash browns (look for a brand that contains nothing but potatoes)

2 TBSP nutritional yeast (optional)

freshly cracked black pepper

salt, to taste

Heat oven to 350.

Blend all sauce ingredients, except oil, until smooth. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat, add sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and hot. Reduce heat to low and cover.

Meanwhile, divide tortillas into three stacks of four. Wrap each stack securely in foil and heat in oven for 20 minutes.

While the tortillas heat, prepare the filling. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, white and firm green parts of onions (reserve tender tops for garnish), and poblano strips. Cook five minutes, stirring frequently, until pepper begins to soften.

Meanwhile, drain hominy well. Add hominy and potatoes to the skillet, top with nutritional yeast, if using, and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Continue to cook until the peppers are tender, the whole mixture is hot, and the flavors have melded, about 7 minutes. Add salt, if needed (since canned hominy is already quite salty).

When the tortillas are ready, carefully open a foil packet (leave remaining stacks wrapped until you're ready to work with them) and take a warm tortilla from the top. Add filling, roll up and place seam-side down on a serving dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.

Taste the black bean sauce and adjust salt, if needed. Pour bean sauce evenly over assembled tortillas. Garnish with sliced scallion tops. Serve at once.

Lavender and Lemon Cheesecake

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Generally, MSV posts stick to explaining why the dish of the week works. It talks about what flavor combinations are contained within the recipe, and how that's effective, or what addition keeps your protein salad from being deadly boring (or even what makes it interesting, depending on the recipe). But this cheesecake? Well, it's totally lovely. It's a little floral, a little bright, sweet, rich, and creamy. It pretty much sells itself. It's also a special occasion kind of deal—not at all inexpensive—the kind of dessert you pause to scrape a vanilla bean for.

The only thing to note, really, is that the crust here is softer than a cookie crust, made with almond flour because it's destined to entertain a gluten-free pal. Feel free to make whatever vegan crust you like if you have a favorite and don't want to splurge on almond flour (though it's always worth having a pound or three in the pantry).

So let's depart from the formula and instead stop to appreciate how far vegan cooks have taken vegan food. After nearly two years of wishing I had some reason to go bananas over aquafaba (aside from that meringue French toast recipe that really, really needs an update and somehow never, ever gets it), I finally have one for you here. The cake part of this cheesecake is made with Kite Hill brand cream cheese and whipped aquafaba. So that means blended, strained, and cultured almonds combined with the liquid from a can of beans makes this totally delicious and elegant dessert. And it didn't even occur to me that that was strange in the slightest until it was time to write about this guy.

We've come a long way. We have a truly impressive toolbox that keeps getting better. Thanks to everyone working out there. You're the best.

And, hey, make this totally gorgeous cheesecake next time you have friends to feed.

Lavender and Lemon Cheesecake with an Almond Crust

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1/2 cup chickpea brine (aquafaba*)

2 TBSP dried lavender

1 1/2 cups blanched almond meal

1 cup natural cane sugar (evaporated cane juice), divided

1 tsp psyllium husk powder

pinch salt

1/3 cup canola oil

24 oz plain cream cheese, such as Kite Hill brand

1/4 cup lemon juice

contents of half a vanilla bean

Bring chickpea liquid to a boil in a small pot over high heat. Remove from heat, stir in lavender, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and steep two hours.

When your aquafaba is nearly done steeping, heat oven to 350. In a 9-inch springform pan, combine almond flour, 1/4 cup sugar, psyllium husk powder, and salt. Whisk to combine thoroughly. Add canola oil, stir with a fork until uniform, and press the crust into the bottom of the pan with your hands (be sure to press firmly around the edges, too). Bake 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, add remaining 3/4 cup sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Strain chickpea liquid into the bowl and discard lavender. Add whisk attachment. Turn mixer on low to combine ingredients, then turn to medium-low speed and beat one minute. Turn up to medium speed and continue to beat four minutes. The mixture should now be thick, fluffy, and hold tracks but will still flow back into the bowl from the whisk.

Meanwhile, beat together cream cheese, lemon juice, and vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add to whipped aquafaba, switch to the paddle attachment, and beat on low speed just until combined. Pour into prepared crust. Drop pan on the counter once to try to minimize air bubbles. Bake 50-53 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Cake center will be wobbly when removed from oven and will firm as it cools. Cool in the pan on a wire rack until cooled completely. Remove pan sides and chill. Best served slightly chilled.

(*I used Trader Joe's organic chickpeas. The brine is slightly thicker than in TJ's conventional canned chickpeas. One can of Trader Joe's organic chickpeas has repeatedly yielded more than 1/2 cup total brine, so you need only one can with this brand.)

Dijon Chickpea and Broccoli-Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Creamy Dill-Caper Dressing

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If there's one culinary benefit to winter, it's the freedom to crank the oven up and bake your veggies until browned and lovely. You're assured a plate with deep flavor with a minimum of effort. Make one of those veggies fluffy, earthy russet potatoes, and you've got a serious plate of comfort on your hands.

It goes like this: pop open a couple cans of chickpeas, tear up some broccoli, and toss that in a big pile of Dijon-style mustard (it'll seem like too much, but don't worry—it mellows out in the oven (thanks, Mollie Katzen)). The potatoes and the filling cook right alongside each other.

While all that takes care of itself in the oven, blend up a quick sauce that makes an ideal accompaniment for baked potatoes. It's cool and creamy thanks to a base of soy milk and tofu, and it's flavored with scallions, fresh dill, and capers. The dijon-roasted beans and veg also love this sauce. The three elements come together to make a totally satisfying meal.

Dijon Chickpea and Broccoli-Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Creamy Dill-Caper Dressing

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serves 4

For the potatoes, adaped from Food Network's Alton Brown:

4 medium-large russet potatoes, scrubbed

olive oil

fine sea or kosher salt

For the filling:

2 15-oz can chickpeas

3/4 lb broccoli crowns

1/3 cup Dijon-style mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

fine sea or kosher salt

For the dressing:

5 oz soft or firm tofu (one-third of a water-packed slab)

4 scallions, divided

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

2 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP packed fresh dill fronds

1 tsp drained capers

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Heat oven to 350.

Poke three sets of holes on each side of each potato with a fork. Rub potatoes lightly with olive oil (your hands work great) and set directly on a rack placed in the middle of the oven (leave half the rack open for the chickpea dish). (Place a piece of aluminum foil on the rack below to catch drippings.) Sprinkle potatoes with salt. Bake one hour. Check for tenderness, and, if needed, bake an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse chickpeas. Set aside in a sieve to let drain thoroughly. Break broccoli into small florets. Toss both with mustard, oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Add to oven and bake along with the potatoes, tossing once when the potatoes have been cooking for 30 minutes. The chickpeas and broccoli should be done when you test the potatoes at the one-hour mark.

Once the chickpeas and broccoli are in the oven, puree all sauce ingredients—using only the white and firm green parts of the spring onions—with an immersion blender in a wide-mouth mason jar. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to give the flavors time to mingle. Chop the scallion tops and set aside.

When the potatoes are done, carefully split them (press the ends to open them up for stuffing) and divide the filling among the potatoes. Serve at once. Allow each diner to add dressing to taste. Garnish with chopped scallion tops, as desired.

Sausage-Spiced Tempeh-Walnut Patties

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Before we get to the recipe, I want to mention that I've updated the MSV resources page to include a couple local folks, including Knox Vegan. If you haven't been reading over there, Emily is doing some incredible restaurant outreach and is actively courting guest posts on (some locally made!) skin care products and anything else Knoxville vegans can dream up. She's working to make Knox Vegan a visible place to continue building community, and I would recommend her site even if that initiative didn't include linking to my recipes in her weekly newsletter. But it does! And I'm seriously grateful. She also shares in the newsletter valuable ideas and tidbits (like where to find vegan pho in town) that isn't on the site-proper, so don't skip signing up for that when you visit.

Now, onto the food.

If you're a fan of savory, highly flavorful breakfast foods, today is your today. A block of tempeh—for chew and blissfully nutty flavor—and a pile of walnuts—for buttery richness and firm-tender texture—come together with a fully-stocked spice rack to make breakfasts that will definitely wake up your taste buds, if not your pre-coffee brain.

And they're so easy to make. No sauteing anything before assembly—just a couple of spins through a food processor. They beg to be made again and again.

Calling for a generous quantity of walnuts, this isn't the cheapest recipe around. But it yields eight servings (since there's so much going on in these guys, a little goes a long way), and you can always keep the cost down by purchasing walnut pieces rather than whole halves.

The texture here is pretty fabulous. It's tender without being mushy, and the robust combination of tempeh and walnuts lets the patties stand up to a variety of serving options. Munch on them alone to complement a stack of pancakes, or place one on a buttery biscuit.

The biscuit option has received some particularly enthusiastic feedback, but my personal favorite way to make effortless breakfasts that are good to travel involves keeping a bag of English muffins in the freezer. This option keeps the patty in the spotlight, since it doesn't have to compete with the fat in a biscuit. And these patties really deserve a spotlight.

Of course, you're not limited to breakfast here. Feel free to crumble a patty into pasta, or any other dish that could use a shot of flavor.

And the aroma while they cook? Unbelievable.

Sausage-Spiced Tempeh-Walnut Patties

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serves 8

6 oz raw, unsalted walnut pieces

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rubbed sage

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp crushed dried red chile pepper (or less, to taste)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

8 oz tempeh

2 TBSP reduced-sodium tamari

2 TBSP water

1 tsp psyllium husk powder

Add walnut pieces to a food processor and process to crumbs. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add all spices (basil through black pepper). Set aside.

Roughly crumble tempeh into the processor bowl. Add tamari, water, and psyllium husk powder. Process until finely chopped (not pureed). Transfer to the mixing bowl and stir to combine thoroughly.

Set mixing bowl aside for five minutes (to let the psyllium husk powder begin to work) while you preheat a closing countertop electric grill. After the five minutes has passed, divide the mixture into eight equal portions. Form patties and cook, with the electric grill lid closed, for five minutes, or until heated through and browned on both sides. (For most electric grills, you'll need to cook these in two batches. If one is not available, try cooking these on the stove top in a nonstick skillet for a few minutes on each side, carefully flipping once.) Let cool five minutes before serving.

Smoked Tofu and Avocado Enchiladas with Pinto-Chipotle Sauce

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These lovable enchiladas do it all. They make for an easy dinner, a fun and low-stress entertaining entree, and a breakfast you'll (probably almost) never get tired of. Relying on the convenience of flavorful smoked tofu, canned beans, and store-bought tortillas, this platter is a total breeze to put together. To balance all the ready-made elements, you'll season the tofu filling with fresh scallions and cilantro, plus add creamy satiety from avocado slices.

And the sauce! Bean lovers rejoice, because all it takes is a can of beans and a couple chipotles en adobo to make a seriously satisfying topping—all without much added fat or spending time toasting or soaking chiles. These guys come together in the time it takes to warm tortillas in the oven. No joke.

Unlike the Tex-Mex variety, these enchiladas require no baking after assembly. Simply top with the warm sauce, garnish, and dig in. The ease here is due entirely to the genius of Enchiladas. Being reminded enchiladas don't have to feel like a production (and bean sauce!) pretty much guarantees this won't be the last batch to appear on MSV. But it sure is a good start.

And if you feel froggy, go ahead and make your own tortillas. If not, don't sweat it.

Smoked Tofu and Avocado Enchiladas with Pinto-Chipotle Sauce

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serves 4, sauce adapted from (and full recipe inspired by) Enchiladas

8 oz smoked tofu, such as Soy Boy brand

12 6-inch corn tortillas

3 large spring onions

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro

1 15-oz can pinto beans

2 small-medium chipotles en adobo

1/2 cup water

1 no-salt-added vegetable bouillon cube

2 TBSP olive oil

2 ripe avocados

Heat oven to 350.

Grate tofu into a mixing bowl. Set aside to allow it to begin coming to room temperature.

Divide tortillas into three stacks of four. Wrap each stack securely in foil and heat in oven for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop white and firm pale green parts of spring onions. Add to the mixing bowl. Thinly slice tender green tops of scallions and set aside. Finely chop cilantro. Add half cilantro to the mixing bowl and set other half aside. Stir tofu, cilantro, and onions in mixing bowl to combine. (The tofu should be salty enough already, but taste and season, if needed.)

In a wide-mouth quart jar, use an immersion blender to puree pinto beans (along with the liquid in the can), chipotles, water, and bouillon cube. Blend until smooth, about a minute. Heat oil in a large skillet. Add bean sauce and cook until heated through, stirring frequently. (The adobo sauce, canned beans, and bouillon cube should provide enough salt, but taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.)

Halve and pit avocados. Use a sharp knife to carefully divide each half into six sections. Use a spoon to scoop slices from the skin.

By now, the tortillas should be ready. Carefully open a foil packet (leave remaining stacks wrapped until you're ready to work with them) and take a warm tortilla from the top. Place a generous spoonful of tofu just off-center and top tofu with two avocado slices. Roll up and place seam-side down on a serving dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, working quickly.

Pour pinto bean sauce evenly over assembled tortillas. Garnish with sliced scallion tops and reserved cilantro, if desired. Serve at once.

Lentil, Spinach, and Rosemary Crisp

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Lentil and spinach soup is probably the most common dish that gets thrown together in the MSV kitchen when there aren't any other bright ideas floating around. It's warm, earthy, comforting, full of protein, and ensures at least some chlorophyll makes it into the gut for the day.

Today, you get a little twist on that easy dish that increases the comfort factor by adding a crispy layer up top, and increases the dreamboat factor by folding fresh rosemary into that topping. For the tiniest bit of extra effort, you get a charming little meal.

Bonus: it's so easy. Nothing to saute, hardly anything to chop. Just throw it all in the pot and let it go. And if you make the whole thing in a Dutch oven, there's only one dish to wash at the end of the night. Okay, that and the small bowl you mix your topping in. Still, not bad.

Lentil, Spinach, and Rosemary Crisp

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serves 4

For the base:

2 1/2 cups water

8 oz brown lentils

8 oz frozen spinach

1 no-salt-added vegetable bouillon cube

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

2 tsp Dijon-style mustard

1/t tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

For the topping:

1/2 cup panko crumbs

1/4 cup rolled oats

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 TBSP chopped fresh rosemary

1/8 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

2 TBSP olive oil

Add all base ingredients to a dutch oven and stir. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir again, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 25 minutes.

In the last five or so minutes of cooking, heat oven to 350.

Remove lentils from heat and stir. The lentils should be almost done, and most of the water should have been absorbed, but there will still be some liquid in the bottom of the pot.

In a small mixing bowl, stir together all topping ingredients except olive oil. Add oil and stir with a fork until uniform. Crumble evenly over lentils.

Bake, uncovered, 18 minutes. Switch oven to the broiler and broil 3-5 minutes to brown the topping, being careful not to burn. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

The Basics No. 3: Black Beans and Rice with Roasted Plantains

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Continuing the MSV tradition of posting a helpful staple recipe at the turn of the calendar, today you get beans and rice. It doesn't get much more basic for vegan food, and for good reason. The combination of legumes and grains is seriously satiating, and it's an easy to dish to bolster with veggies and keep fresh with various spices, not to mention bean varieties. And finally, all you need is a garnish to make a simple, blissfully affordable meal feel fully formed (and good enough to serve friends).

Pico de gallo or a sofrito are always welcome toppings, but it's winter. So, to today's combo of black beans, coriander, cumin, and smoked paprika, you'll add an equally satisfying and equally easy helping of roasted plantains. A tiny bit of seasoning is all they need before getting totally delicious in the oven. (My favorite source for plantains in town is El Girasol. They keep three big boxes in the produce section for plantains in various stages of ripeness—green, yellow, and nearly ripe—so you can buy them to suit your timeline.)

The whole thing makes for a great meal that comes together breezily. The rice cooks while the plantains roast, and the beans simmer on the stove with their seasoning while the rice cooks. As ever, you can certainly make your beans from scratch. You can save money, control the texture better, and get deeper flavor if you do. But canned beans are wildly convenient and allow you to put a hearty meal together on short notice. Either way, you're well fed.

Black Beans and Rice with Roasted Plantains

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serves 4-6

2 ripe plantains

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

pinch ground cayenne (optional)

pinch fine sea or kosher salt

2 cups water

1 no-salt-added vegetable bouillon cube

1 cup long-grain brown rice

2 15-oz cans black beans

1 small dried bay leaf

1 tsp smoked paprika

3/4 tsp ground coriander

3/4 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

Heat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment.

Peel and slice plantains into diagonal chips about 1/2-inch thick. Add slices to a mixing bowl with oil, cinnamon, cayenne (if using), and pinch salt. Toss gently with your hands until uniformly coated. Transfer to prepared baking sheet in one layer and bake 15-20 minutes on each side, or until tender and golden.

Meanwhile, heat water in a medium pan and dissolve bouillon cube into it. Carefully measure out a half-cup broth and set aside. Cover pot, bring to a boil, and add rice. Replace the cover, bring back to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cook, undisturbed, 25 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed.

Add reserved half-cup broth to a small pan. Drain beans (do not rinse) and add to pot. Cover and heat over medium heat. Add bay leaf, paprika, coriander, cumin, and salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low with the lid cocked, and continue to simmer gently, stirring occasionally, while the rice and plantains cook. Five minutes before serving, remove beans from heat. They will remain saucy but thicken as they cool.

Serve beans over rice and garnish with plantain slices.

Party Animals No. 46: Thanksgiving 2016

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The all-vegan MSV Thanksgiving table for 2016 went a little something like this:

To welcome our guests, a version of this spiced pear and ginger cocktail. Totally lovely. This'll definitely show up on the MSV entertaining table again. (Also, I went a little bananas and made botanical drawings to accompany all the items.) Get my (slightly simplified) version of this great cocktail here.

Tofu-pecan loaf and fluffy biscuits (same as last year).

A lackluster citrus and green bean salad that I'll replace next year. Win some, lose some.

Cranberry relish, same as ever.

A first stab at horchata cheesecake that decidedly needs more tests. Still tasted good, though.

And, finally, the pleasant surprise of the year. I tweaked my regular dressing to streamline the process. I replaced the corn bread (which I used to bake a day or two before) with store-bought prepared polenta, replaced the figs (which I used to soak and chop) with already-small currants, and took the walnuts down just a bit. The result is totally dreamy and a little more harmonious than my old dressing. This couldn't have worked better. I seriously recommend this recipe over the old one. The polenta's creaminess adds an unbeatable textural improvement that I refuse to do without from here on.

______________________________________________________________________________

If you got a long weekend, I hope it was lovely.

MSV subscribers (you can join their ranks if you haven't already) got a little note about this in their emails, but I'm taking this week off, leaving the blog quiet for now while the East Tennessee communities try to work through this week's damage in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park and nearby towns.

See you again soon.

Autumn Fattoush-Inspired Salad with Tahini-Dijon-Herb Dressing

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This is such a simple but totally lovely—and seriously satisfying—salad. Start by combining only a few elements that play very well together: fresh romaine, mild and hearty chickpeas, vegetal and crisp celery, plus sweet and crisp apple. Meanwhile, chop a small pita loaf and toss the chunks with za'atar and and olive oil, then throw them under the broiler until crispy.

Finally, there's the dressing. It comes together in a snap with an immersion blender, and contains a whole lot of flavor: tahini, lemon, Dijon-style mustard, garlic, and parsley (or chives). It's a fabulous dressing for this salad, with its emphasis on fresh ingredients. (You may want to use the dressing regularly on your other green or grain salads, but keep in mind that it's both acidic and salty, so avoid adding particularly salty or pickled ingredients to your salads before testing it out all together.)

Autumn Fattoush-Inspired Salad with Tahini-Dijon-Herb Dressing

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serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

For the salad:

2 romaine hearts

1 15-oz can chickpeas

2 medium stalks celery

1 medium sweet apple, such as Honeycrisp

For the pita croutons:

2 small pita loaves (scant 6-inch-diameter), cut into 1-inch cubes

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 tsp za'atar

pinch fine sea or kosher salt

For the dressing:

1/4 cup tahini

2 TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP water

1 TBSP Dijon-style mustard

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup tightly packed parsley leaves [see variation note, below]

Chop romaine hearts into thin strips. Add to serving bowl. Drain and rinse chickpeas in a fine sieve. Set aside to let drain thoroughly. Meanwhile, chop celery thinly and cut apple into 1/2-inch dice. Add to serving bowl.

Heat oven broiler. Toss pita cubes with olive oil. Sprinkle za'atar and salt over top, then toss again. Thoroughly toast cubes on second rack from the broiler until crisp, watching very carefully to avoid burning.

Use an immersion blender to puree all dressing ingredients in a wide-mouth pint jar until smooth. Add chickpeas and crisped pita to serving bowl. Add dressing and toss salad until thoroughly combined. Serve at once.

[Variation: as desired, substitute all or part of the parsley with roughly chopped fresh chives.]

Smoked Tofu Salad Sub

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Your lunches are totally covered. Sunny October afternoon picnics, too. And thanks to commercially prepared smoked tofu, this satisfying baguette sub couldn't be easier.

Start with your smoked tofu, grate it, add a good bit of plain nondairy yogurt (Kite Hill or Silk recommended), and season that with lemon juice, cornichons, and capers.

Technically, you can stop right there, grab the crackers, and call it good. Or you can sandwich it up with romaine and top with salt, pepper, oil, red wine vinegar, and thinly sliced red onion. Totally classic presentation with a blissfully flavorful convenience item. Meet your new favorite protein-salad sandwich.

Smoked Tofu Salad Sub

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serves 3-4

For the smoked tofu salad:

8 oz smoked tofu, grated, such as Soy Boy brand

5 oz plain nondairy yogurt, such as Kite Hill or Silk brand

1 6-inch piece celery, thinly sliced

4-6 cornichons (1 to 1 1/2 inches each), finely chopped

2 tsp drained capers

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

To serve:

baguette loaf

romaine leaves

red onion, sliced into paper-thin half-moons

olive oil

red wine vinegar

fine sea or kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

Stir all tofu salad ingredients together.

To serve, cut off a desired length of baguette and split in half lengthwise. Line bottom slice with romaine. Spoon tofu salad on top, pressing down a little to aid cohesion. Top with onion, to taste. Drizzle oil over top, add several dashes red wine vinegar, and finish with a gentle sprinkle of salt and a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper.

Note: for travel, toast cut sides of bread before assembling. Will keep well, wrapped, for a few hours.

Dead Simple Warming Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup

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This brightly colored bowl really puts the potato back in sweet potato. Leaving the skin on the sweet potatoes here emphasizes their earthy quality over their sweetness, and spiking the pot with two chile powders adds a lovely warmth in the back. Nutritional yeast, a touch of garlic, and a bouillon cube add extra savory notes. To bump up the protein, plus add texture and visual interest, toss in a can of black beans at the end. (And to bump up the protein even more, you'll puree in a can of chickpeas.)

In the end, you have a simple, comforting, portable (tip: store leftover soup in mason jars), everyday meal that contains a bunch of stuff that's good for you (and a ton of it, too). And the only thing you have to chop is a couple of sweet potatoes. How's that for everyday eats?

But if you want to take an extra minute to whip up a little coconut bacon to sprinkle on top while the soup cooks, no one would question you.

Dead Simple Warming Sweet Potato and Black Bean Soup

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serves 10-12

8 cups water

24-26 oz sweet potato (2 large), cubed

1 15-oz can chickpeas (or white beans), drained

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 clove garlic

1 Not-Chick'n bouillon cube

1 tsp ancho powder, or other mild chile powder

1/2 tsp cayenne powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1 15-oz can black beans

Add all ingredients, except black beans, to a soup pot over high heat. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to maintain a strong simmer and let cook, covered, 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse black beans in sieve. Set aside to let drain well.

When the potatoes are tender, remove pot from heat. Carefully puree the soup with an immersion blender until very smooth. Return pot to heat, add black beans, and heat until beans are warmed through. Adjust salt, if needed.

Tempeh Pate with Olives and Capers

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Earthy, nutty tempeh and briny olives make a great match. This pate is a perfect example. Green olives, Kalamata olives, and capers combine with quickly steamed tempeh for a dead-simple spread that becomes more than the sum of its parts. (Naturally, the better your olives, the better the dish.) Finish it off with finely chopped fresh red pepper for a little color and crunch.

You can obviously spread this on crackers to your heart's content, but it's also quite nice on a slice of plain or spinach lavash. Apply a generous amount (about a third of the recipe) to a slice, roll it up, and slice it into little pinwheels with a sharp knife. Munch.

Admittedly, this recipe is pretty fabulous on the second day, but it's so tasty straight from the food processor that you may need to make a double batch to make it last that long.

Tempeh Pate with Olives and Capers

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serves 3-4

8 oz tempeh

1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1/4 cup pitted green olives

1 TBSP drained capers

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 cup diced (1/4-inch) red bell pepper

Steam tempeh 10 minutes. Meanwhile, rinse the olives and capers in a fine sieve. Set aside to let drain thoroughly. When the tempeh is done, set aside to let cool a bit while you chop the bell pepper.

Carefully transfer tempeh to food processor. Add oil, lemon, oregano, and garlic powder. Process until smooth (for tempeh). Add olives and capers. Process until olives are very finely chopped, pausing to scrape the sides, as needed. Add bell pepper and pulse to combine. Serve at once or chill until ready to serve.

Dead Simple Lemon-Pepper Tofu Spread

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Tofu on bread makes up a lot of easy dinners in the MSV house. This particular spread is a favorite for a couple of reasons, though. First, lemon and freshly cracked black pepper are a lovable combination that never gets old.

Second, there's pretty much always tofu and lemon hanging out in the kitchen, which means this mellow and simple spread can be on your plate pretty much any time you decide you feel like blending up a batch. And then you have leftovers.

This spread eats just fine on toast all alone (or crackers, if you need even more convenience), but the cool creaminess of the tofu, brightness of the lemon, and heat of the pepper are even better topped with, say, a little greens quickly sauteed with smoked paprika or smoked salt. With multigrain toast, that's a lot of satisfying flavor piled deep into a blissfully unfussy meal.

Dead Simple Lemon-Pepper Tofu Spread

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yields about one pound

1/2 cup pepitas, roasted and lightly salted

14-16 ounces firm tofu, drained

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

2 TBSP lemon juice

zest of 1 lemon

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Process pepitas in a food processor to fine crumbs. Add tofu, salt, and lemon juice, and blend until very smooth, pausing to scrape the sides as needed. Stir in lemon zest and black pepper. Adjust salt, if needed (particularly if you use unsalted pepitas). Flavor is best after chilling for an hour or so, but can be used immediately.

Rosemary-Dijon Tempeh Sandwiches with Sauerkraut and Smoky Tahini Sauce

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There are big flavors everywhere you turn in this tempeh sandwich.

Starting with the protein, there's not really any subtlety with the tempeh here. No gently enhancing its characteristics. Instead, you'll hit it with a good dose of Dijon-style mustard and fresh rosemary, plus a little tamari and sugar. The result is robust and heads straight for your pleasure center with no careful tasting required. Look at that gorgeous stuff.

Next, you'll add sauerkraut. It may already seem like there's a lot of acid piling up, but remember that between the tempeh, tahini, rosemary, and wheat bread, you have a lot of earthy and bitter elements in here that can stand up to the vinegar. The tahini gets a generous addition of lemon, but in the context of the sandwich, it keeps things bright without being sour (that's what the sauerkraut is for, of course). Along with the lemon, a nice sprinkling of smoked paprika is all you need to make this dead-simple tahini sauce your new favorite sandwich condiment.

Come fall, you may want to eat little else.

Rosemary-Dijon Tempeh Sandwiches with Sauerkraut and Smoky Tahini Sauce

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makes 2 large or 4 smaller sandwiches

For the tempeh:

8 oz tempeh

1 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP Dijon-style mustard

1 TBSP water

1 tsp reduced-sodium tamari

1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp natural cane sugar (evaporated cane juice)

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the tahini sauce:

2 TBSP tahini

2 TBSP lemon juice

2 TBSP water

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

To serve:

sauerkraut

wheat bread

Begin by preparing the tempeh. Turn the block on its thin side and carefully slice in half. Leaving both halves still stacked, place the block back in landscape position (long end toward you), and cut in half. Cut each half on the diagonal to make eight triangles.

Place tempeh triangles in a dish in a single layer. Sprinkle a generous pinch or so of salt over them and repeat with freshly cracked black pepper. Whisk together oil, mustard, water, tamari, rosemary, and sugar. Pour slowly over tempeh and spread it out to cover the surface entirely. Cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let marinate 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, carefully whisk together all tahini sauce ingredients until smooth.

When tempeh is ready, heat a nonstick pan over medium heat until hot. Shake excess marinade off tempeh (there won't be much) before adding each triangle, marinated-side down, into the hot pan—it should sizzle at once. Let cook, undisturbed, four minutes (less if you start to smell danger of burning). While cooking, use the small amount of extra marinade to lightly coat the bare side of the tempeh while it cooks—proceed carefully, as the pan is hot and the oil can sputter. Flip tempeh and cook another four minutes, or until golden on the underside.

Assemble sandwiches, using a generous spoonful of tahini sauce for each, and grill or press until bread is crisp and golden. Serve at once.

Party Animals No. 45: Lemony Potato (or Bean) Salad

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First, let's attack the obvious: this post is about potato salad, but eagle-eyes out there may have noticed that isn't potato salad up there, but rather chickpea salad. Despite not being made with potatoes, it's good stuff.

This potato salad came along to a backyard hangout a couple weeks back, and there was no plan to mention it on MSV. Not that the recipe isn't nice, but it's pretty straightforward: potatoes, celery, capers, lemon zest, and whatever herb you have lying around (the original recipe calls for basil, but it was parsley for the potato version for the party, dill with the chickpeas shown here). It's a long-time favorite in the MSV house and goes with pretty much anything, which makes it a great side to bring when you're planning on playing a quiet supporting role at a pal's gathering. But on the way out the door, the compliments started piling up. The host asked what was in the dressing. The answer is olive oil and lemon juice, plus a little dijon and sugar. That's it.

It's a good lesson for vegan cooking and entertaining. It's easy (and sometimes fun!) to sweat substitutes, but never forget that a little extra olive oil and lemon go a long way.

Naturally, the next step was to put together a protein-packed version. Relying on the convenience of canned beans, there's not a bit of heat to apply, and this recipe couldn't be easier. Or handier to keep in the fridge. Munch on it as-is, or tuck it into wraps or pitas with summer veg and sprouts. Leave the chickpeas whole or mash them up to make them easier to turn into sandwich filling. Try it with different beans, lentils, or tempeh.

So get the recipe. For the party, the recipe was doubled, using about four pounds of potatoes. For the chickpea version, make the recipe as directed using two cans of beans rinsed and well drained. You may not need all the dressing for a bean version, since beans aren't as starchy and absorbent as potatoes (but you may want to use it all, especially if you're making it as a sandwich filling—follow your bliss), but you won't be sad to have a little extra dressing in the fridge for whatever. You'll also need less salt for beans. Otherwise, you don't need any help getting this dead-simple side onto your plate.

Back next week with a new recipe.

Dead Simple Savory Zucchini Waffles

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This tasty, wildly handy, fuss-free little recipe is nothing more than a lazy fritter batter—stuffed with fresh grated zucchini—cooked in the waffle maker, where it won't heat up your kitchen in July. And isn't that pretty much everything your kitchen needs from summer?

Also, don't let the fork in this post fool you: you can definitely eat these guys with your hands for a snack.

On top of the deeply comforting flavor of seriously toasted wheat flour, there's a touch of extra protein here and a wonderful savory quality from chickpea flour. Relying on a heap of Old Bay seasoning ensures this recipe couldn't get any easier, which is the most important thing. Once you grate your zucchini, everything's a total breeze. Additionally, the Old Bay makes these guys enticingly salty (maybe serve them with a green salad) and spices them, of course, while the celery seed gently reminds you there's a bunch of veg in there. It's nice to play the zucchini up a little instead of trying to camouflage it entirely.

That said, now who's ready for a sweet chocolate zucchini waffle recipe?

Dead Simple Savory Zucchini Waffles

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yields about 18 waffles

2 very large zucchini (about 1.75 lbs total weight)

1 cup chickpea flour

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 TBSP Old Bay seasoning

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup canola oil

1 1/2 cups water

Grate zucchini into a large mixing bowl.

Heat waffle maker.

Add all other ingredients to the mixing bowl in the order listed, and mix with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Pour 1/4 cup batter into waffle maker for each roughly four-inch square waffle. Cook until steam no longer emanates from the closed machine, about ten minutes, or until crisp, golden, and cooked through. Toast leftovers to re-crisp before serving.

Note: Due to the large quantity of zucchini, the interior will remain a bit creamy when hot, but that's different from uncooked batter. If needed, use a tester to ensure no wet batter remains.

Creamy Lemon Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Fresh Zucchini

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This breezy pasta salad is what happens you have an abundance of zucchini (hi, summer), a limited amount of patience, and a need for loaded-in nutrition that eats well for lunch and dinner.

Chickpeas provide protein and heft, the fresh thinly sliced zucchini is a light element with gently crisp texture, and the sauce is made from blended tofu to really pack in the protein and other good stuff. Lemon juice and zest brighten the whole thing up. Fluffy, mild white orzo makes a particularly nice canvas for these summery flavors, but if you can't give up your whole wheat pasta, it should still make for a pile of seasonal and convenient meals.

Creamy Lemon Orzo Salad with Chickpeas and Fresh Zucchini

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serves about 6

1 lb dried orzo

15 oz firm tofu, drained

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1 small clove garlic

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1 15-oz can chickpeas

1 medium zucchini

Cook pasta in unsalted boiling water for seven minutes, or until tender but firm.

Meanwhile, combine tofu, oil, lemon juice, basil, salt, and garlic in a food processor. Process until very smooth, about a minute, pausing to scrape the sides as needed. Stir in lemon zest and pepper.

When pasta is done, drain well and transfer to serving bowl. Add tofu puree and mix thoroughly. Set aside to cool.

While pasta cools, drain chickpeas in a fine sieve. Set aside to let drain thoroughly. Slice zucchini into very thin half-moons. Add both to serving bowl and toss to mix. Taste, and adjust salt to taste.

Fluff the whole thing again before serving slightly warm or at room temperature. Bring chilled leftovers to room temperature before fluffing and serving.

Balsamic Onion Tofu-Pecan Meatball Sandwiches

Time to get out the slow cooker and satisfy your summer vegan meatball cravings.

As if tofu-pecan meatball sandwiches weren't lovable enough, today's version mixes in blissfully savory and sweet bits of onions cooked with balsamic vinegar. It's a breezy shortcut to seriously satisfying flavor. Keep those big flavors coming by topping it all with spicy mustard and tangy sauerkraut.

Balsamic Onion Tofu-Pecan Meatball Sandwiches

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see [Note] on yield , meatballs adapted from here

For the meatballs: 

1 small yellow onion, finely diced

2 TBSP olive oil

generous pinch fine sea or kosher salt

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1 cup water

1 cup TVP (textured vegetable protein) 

1 lb Twin Oaks brand extra-firm tofu [see note on tofu]

1/2 cup unsalted pecans

3 sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, roughly chopped

2 TBSP reduced-sodium tamari

1/2 tsp liquid smoke

1 cup oat bran

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp celery seed

To serve: 

sandwich/burger buns

stone-ground mustard

sauerkraut

Heat oil over medium heat. When hot, add diced onion and generous pinch salt. Cook until onions have released their liquid and begin to turn translucent, about five minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and continue to cook, stirring/scraping the pan frequently, until onions are deep in color, another five to seven minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Boil one cup water in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat, stir in TVP, and let sit 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, roughly crumble the tofu into a food processor. Add pecans, sun-dried tomatoes, tamari, and liquid smoke. Process well, until uniform with no large chunks of pecans. 

In a large mixing bowl, combine oat bran, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Stir to combine, add the tofu-pecan mixture, and mix thoroughly (hands are best). Add reconstituted TVP and onions when cool enough to handle and mix until incorporated.

Form meatballs, place them in a lightly oiled slow cooker and cook on low 4-5 hours (you may need 5-6 hours for golf-ball size). Alternately, bake in a 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, until warmed through and golden.

Note on yield: recipe yields 36-40 ping-pong size meatballs or 26-30 golf-ball size. Sandwiches will require 3-4 meatballs per bun, depending on bun size.

Note on tofu: Twin Oaks extra-firm is exceptionally dense. If you use a different brand, look for super-firm, or press your extra-firm tofu for 20-30 minutes, then weigh it out for the recipe.