Saint Patrick's Day Stout, Seitan and Cabbage Casserole

by Dianne Wenz


Despite being part Irish, my family never really did anything to celebrate St. Patty’s day while growing up. There was no Irish soda bread, no corned beef and cabbage, no colcannon. Since it’s turned into a bit of a foodie holiday, I wanted to make something to celebrate my Irish heritage this year, but there were no family recipes to veganize. I came across an interesting dish in Better Homes and Gardens and it seemed perfect for converting. It’s not really a casserole in the traditional sense, but I wasn’t sure what to call it, and since it’s a casserole dish, I decided to roll with it. If you’re unfamiliar with seitan, it’s a wheat meat that can often be found next to the tofu in the grocery store.

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Meatless Monday - Tempeh Marsala

by Dianne Wenz


Anything chicken can do, tempeh can do better. At least that’s my motto in the kitchen. I like to browse through omnivore cooking magazines for meals that I can veganize. I came across a chicken marsala recipe and it seemed ripe for the veganizing. I don’t know if I’ve ever actually had anything marsala, to tell the truth, so I don’t know how close this tastes to the “real thing”, but it was a damn fine tempeh dish.

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Meatless Monday - Curried Coconut Spinach & Chickpeas

by Dianne Wenz


It seems that no one has told Mother Nature that March is here and spring is just around the corner, because the cold weather just doesn’t seem to stop. This recipe for curried coconut spinach with chickpeas is hearty and comforting and perfect for chilly evenings. This is a thick curry that can be eaten with a fork, rather than a spoon. Serve it over baked sweet potatoes or brown rice for a complete meal.

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Vegan Chocolate Bliss Cups Recipe

by Dianne Wenz


Valentine’s Day is almost here, and what better way to celebrate than with some chocolate. This raw cacao mousse is easy to make and it's rather healthy, and absolutely no one will know that it's made with avocados unless they see you make it. If you don't want to splurge on raw cacao, regular cocoa powder can be used, but cacao has so many health benefits that it's probably worth the extra cost, especially since it's a special occasion. 

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Meatless Monday – A Very Vegan February in Montclair

by Dianne Wenz


When I adopted a vegan diet in 2001, there wasn’t much in the way of vegan food or activities in the Montclair, NJ area. (Yes, there is such a thing as vegan activities.) If I wanted to eat a good veg restaurant, I would have to rely on New Jersey Transit to whisk me over the Hudson River into New York City. If I wanted to attend a vegan cooking class I would have to pay quite a pricy fee to do so at Natural Gourmet Institute, the only place in the area that really offered plant-based cooking classes. If I wanted to attend a talk on vegan cooking or have a cookbook signed by a notable author, I would have to trek to a rinky-dink bookstore in the East Village. Things have definitely changed with time and Montclair is becoming quite the vegan place to be.

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Meatless Monday – Three Bean Chili

by Dianne Wenz


I’m not really into sports, but I’m told that there’s a big game this weekend. I’ve also been told that chili is often the food of choice at game day viewing parties. A few years ago my coworkers had a chili cook-off in the office at lunchtime, and my veggie Three Bean Chili was a big hit. A few people whispered in confidence that they preferred it over the meat-filled chili dishes other coworkers brought in. This recipe makes a lot of chili, so it’s perfect for gatherings with coworkers or friends.

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Meatless Monday – Easy Weeknight Dinner Cooking Class

by Dianne Wenz


Join Dianne Wenz (that’s me!) as she cooks up a quick and easy weeknight meal using easy to find grocery store ingredients. I will be making an Asian-inspired salad, a vegetable noodle stir-fry, and a healthy no-bake dessert. You’ll be able to try everything, and you’ll go home with all of the recipes so you can make them for your family in your own kitchen.

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Meatless Monday – Temeph Fricassee

by Dianne Wenz


It is cold here in New Jersey, and I’ve been craving warming comfort foods, like this Tempeh Fricassee. For those of you unfamiliar with tempeh, it’s a traditional Indonesian food made with soybeans, and it’s perfect for use in recipes that usually call for meat. Since tempeh is fermented, people have told me that the taste is too strong for them, and I usually recommend that the steam it before adding it into the dish that they’re making. Steaming cuts downs on the fermented taste and allows for the tempeh to readily absorb the flavors of what it’s being cooked with. 

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Meatless Monday - Hoppin' John

by Dianne Wenz


Hoppin’ John is a southern dish that’s supposed to bring good fortune to the new year. It’s traditionally made with black eyed peas, greens such as collards or kale and some sort of pork or bacon. The black eyed peas are symbolic of coins and since the greens are the color of money, they’re supposed to add extra wealth

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Meatless Monday – Mulled Wine

by Dianne Wenz


You would think that all alcohol is vegan, but the truth is that some of it isn’t. Some beers and wines are filtered using gelatin or isinglass, which is the dried swim bladder of a fish. There are many, many beers and wines that are vegan though, and the website Barnivore is a good site to check for info. There are so many different brands in the world that it’s impossible it keep a comprehensive list, so if you’re really worried, the best thing to do is ask the company. I recently met a wine rep who tried to tell me that all wine was non-vegan, so while most winemakers are now savvy to what's vegan and what isn't, there is still a learning curve.

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Meatless Monday – Curried Pumpkin Peanut Soup

by Dianne Wenz


Last year I created it a Curried Pumpkin Peanut Soup recipe using roasted pumpkin. It was a big hit with people, but some told me that they just didn’t have time to chop and roast a pumpkin. I hear ya – sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in a day. I’ve reworked the recipe so that it uses canned pumpkin puree, rather than roasted pumpkin. 

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Meatless Monday – Savoring the Shore Cookbook

by Dianne Wenz


Born in an effort to help with Hurricane Sandy Relief, Savoring the Shore is a community cookbook full of recipes that celebrate the Jersey Shore. Some recipes are signature dishes from local restaurants, some are family recipes that have been passed down for generations and others are fresh twists on classic New Jersey fare. 

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Meatless Monday - Pumpkin Baked Ziti

by Dianne Wenz


Thanksgiving can be a tough holiday for those who don’t partake in meat, but with some careful planning, it is possible to get through the day relatively unscathed. Even though pasta isn’t traditionally thought of as a Thanksgiving dish, it’s been showing up on the table more and more throughout recent years and it’s a safe meatless option. The pumpkin and pecans in this recipe give it a fall feel, and the tofu ricotta tastes close enough to the “real” thing that even omnivores will enjoy it.

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Meatless Monday – Lentil Stuffed Eggplant

by Dianne Wenz


This recipe was inspired by a bunch of small eggplants I received in my Purple Dragon Co-op share a few weeks ago. I wanted to something different than the usual grilled eggplant or pasta dishes, so I decided to hollow out the veggies and fill them with a meaty lentil mixture. This recipe will work with larger eggplant as well - just use 2 of them rather than 4.

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