Pear & Red Kuri Squash Soup

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The feeling of fall has moved in
right on schedule here in Los Angeles. So red kuri squash soup is where my
mind went when I saw some beautiful red kuris at the Farmers market. This
soup is super simple and can be made in a matter of minutes while you are
multi-tasking and doing other stuff. I love doing recipes that don’t require
a lot of measuring. Many people don’t realize how easy cooking is, and how it
often doesn’t have to be perfectly exact. Getting fresh, nutrient dense foods
into your body while also enjoying the flavors, shouldn’t be a daunting
project! In retrospect, I think it would have been nice to garnish this with
some pomegranate seeds. Perhaps there is an update in this recipe’s
future! Read More

Roasted Zucchini with “Creamy” Mushroom Stuffing

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I think at least a few of my
friends are scratching their heads at my new obsession with vegan cooking.
Here is the truth; it isn’t exactly the vegan I am obsessed about, but more
just having an in-depth go at figuring out how much essential nutrition I can
get from a vegan meal; the kind of nutrition that one would normally think
can only be obtained from an animal. And then there is another fascination
that comes with vegan cooking- to see where you can find the essential
“comfort” ingredients. That brings me to my current dating spree
with nuts, especially the rich, oily ones.  I am about a recipe away
from being convinced that nuts take the healthy lead in providing the comfort
essentials we all love and our tastebuds count on. Move over butter, cheese,
and cream, because I just made an entrée that takes the “comfort”
of creamy mushroom ravioli filling, and turns it on its gluten free, dairy
free, vegan ear. Read More

Mexican Braised Tofu with Smoky Yams

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This Mexican braised tofu, and
braising tofu in general, is a great, fairly easy way to add some variety to
otherwise bland and funkily textured traditional tofu. There are some key
components to remember though, if you want your tofu to really absorb
whatever flavors you are working with. This recipe explains how to
effectively drain your tofu so it can better receive the flavors in the
braising process. It’s a Mexican twist on combining tomato, sweet, and smoky
all together. Read More

Vegan Zucchini Lasagna Rolls with Herbed Almond Ricotta and Bruschetta Salsa

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Who loves that nuanced taste of
ricotta cheese blended with herbs, tomatoes, and garlic? Who doesn’t
actually? This recipe for vegan zucchini lasagna rolls delivers on the nuance
while providing a more refreshing, more nutrient dense, clean version, that
highlights the awesome natural flavors found in some of our favorite herbs
and vegetables. These rolls are better suited for a lunch, brunch, or
appetizer, but you could also have them for dinner along with some cooked
grains, cannellini beans, and-or a green salad. Don’t let the small size fool
you. The almond ricotta in these makes them quite rich and energy dense, and
one can fill up on just a few. Get ready for a fantastic blend of fresh
flavors! Read More

Mediterranean Style Romanesco Cauliflower Tacos

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Sometimes I just want my taco to
look a little more dazzling. And Romanesco cauliflower definitely does the
trick when it comes to dazzling a plate. These tacos are actually not much of
a taco, being that they contain mostly Mediterranean flavors and components.
But even though, the tortilla, albeit made of potatoes, is still a tortilla!
So I’m calling them tacos anyway. Now that we got that out of the way, enjoy
making this super simple, vegan, recipe!

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Spinach Persimmon Salad with Chickpea Miso Dressing

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I am such a lucky guy, because
my neighbor gave me a nice bag of Fuyu persimmons! And I picked up a
container of chickpea miso, all in the same week. I saw this as a cosmic
directive to whip up this Spinach Persimmon Salad; a Japanese-inspired salad
that will blend well with the traditional holiday table. Unlike their
counterpart, the Hachiya persimmon, the Fuyu can be enjoyed in various stages
of ripeness, making them a great addition to your holiday salad! You can
easily tell them apart because Fuyus are shaped more like a tomato, while
Hachiya persimmons are acorn–shaped. If you try to eat a Hachiya before it
gets completely soft, you will be left with a mouthful of astringent icky.
This recipe uses firm, crunchy-yet ripe Fuyu persimmons as the star
ingredient. Read More

Linguine with Cashew Cheese Sauce, Sage, Butternut Squash & Peas

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This month my kid got married,
and we got our first real feeling of autumn outside. My
son’s wedding plays a part in today’s post. I decided to prepare the food for
the wedding, and give it a personalized touch for the special occasion. The
bride and groom wanted a vegan menu, with vegan macaroni and cheese being
their favorite. The cashew cheese sauce for the mac and cheese came out so
yummy I have been thinking about it all week.

Then, it dawned on me that this sauce with a couple modifications
could make a great autumn pasta with butternut squash, sage and peas. And,
that’s how my first post of autumn came about! This sauce is easy to make,
packed with plant based protein and healthy fats. The crispy sage garnish
makes a nice garnish and crunchy finish to this comforting, cool weather
dish.

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Green Beans with Lemon, Tarragon & Chia Seeds

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This green beans with lemon
recipe is another one of those super simple, “too tasty and easy to be
true” dishes for an easy lunch or dinner side dish. Sometimes
demonstrating that you can grab one vegetable from your garden or the Farmers
Market, and easily turn it into a fairly complete meal or tide-over, is the
best way I can use my blog space! The chia seeds provide extra complete
protein and healthy fats to this, making it a decent light meal. And you can
always add more chia seeds to suit your own nutritional preference and taste.
So enjoy this one and let me know in the comments all the different ways you
did! I used some rattlesnake
beans from my garden for this recipe.

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Stuffed Ronde De Nice Squash with Tuscan Kale & Cannellini Bean Salad

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Each year I like to try a
different kind of squash in the food garden. And I am extremely pleased that
ronde de nice squash made its way onto my list this year! It has the
consistency of a summer squash like zucchini, yet it is hearty, with a soft
center and tender seeds that can be eaten, similar to a winter squash. And
it’s spherical shape lends itself to awesome stuffing potential! So it’s
extremely versatile. This healthy vegan recipe for stuffed ronde de nice
squash is a great summertime meal, as a warm-ish dinner entree or cold salad,
or even at brunch. Read More