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.

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.

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.

These stuffed peppers are really simple to make, but since they look all fancy-like, you can let the people you cooked them for think you slaved away in the kitchen for hours! 

I’m often asked what vegans eat for breakfast, which is kind of a weird question. I guess for most people, breakfast does usually include foods like bacon and eggs, which vegans eschew. Tofu a good stand-in for eggs, and there are plenty of vegan bacon products now on the market. 

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. 

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.

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.

We’re about to face another cold snap here in NJ, so warm soup is definitely on the menu for the upcoming week. This recipe was inspired by the pounds and pounds of carrots I receive biweekly in my Purple Dragon Co-Op share. 

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. 

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

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.

Not only is the Christmas season the most wonderful time of the year, it is usually also the most unhealthy. Indulgent dishes and sugary sweets are usually the only foods on the menu at holiday parties and family gatherings. This raw chocolate mousse pie is made with . . . 

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.

It used to be that kale was one of those weird foods that only “health nuts” and vegans ate, like chia and mung bean sprouts.  But in the last year or two, kale has really taken over and has become quite the trendy veggie - so much so that my friend Deana thinks it has “jumped the shark."

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.

Montclair is about to get it's first all-vegan cafe! Mundo Vegan will be going into the space on Church Street that The Stockpot used to occupy.

Now that it’s the middle of October, we’re deep in the heart of pumpkin season! For a twist on traditional pumpkin, I used a kabocha squash in this dish. Kabocha is also known as Japanese pumpkin and is one of the more popular members of the squash family due to its strong yet sweet flavor and moist, fluffy texture. This soup is perfect for chilly fall evenings.

Zucchini harvests are usually pretty large at this time of the year, forcing cooks to hit the kitchen looking for creative uses for the summertime squash. I love to make zucchini “pasta” with my spiralizer, turning it into long, spaghetti like strands. I also love pesto, and this dish combines both of those loves.

Cole slaw is quintessentially Jersey to me, as it always conjures up images of late night trips to the diner for a club sandwich with a side of fries. This broccoli slaw is a healthy twist on the diner classic, and is the perfect side dish for your summer time cookout.

This sunflower seed “tuna” salad is perfect for summer picnics and cookouts, as it travels well and there’s no need to worry about eggy mayonaise going bad in the sun. It’s delcious on it’s own, works well in salads and is wonderful in sandwiches.