Chocolate Peanutbutter Pie (gluten free!)

This pie is so easy and delicious. It honestly can be ready in 20 minutes. If you want to cheat and buy a pre-made crust, some of the graham cracker ones at the grocery are vegan. However, the one below is super easy to make and gluten free!

Here I am making it, seven months pregnant and dying to lick the spoon:


For the crust:
1 & 1/2 cups of almond flour or meal
1/4 t sea salt
1/4 t baking soda
2 T agave
1/4 c neutral oil (like grapeseed or canola)

To make the crust:
Mix everything in a food processor until combined. Press with wet hands into a 9" greased pie plate. Bake at 325 degrees for about 12 minutes (until golden and aromatic).

For the chocolate pudding:
1 can full-fat coconut milk
2 T arrowroot (or corn starch)
1/4 t salt
1-2 T agave (depends on how sweet you want it)
1/2 t vanilla
1 c dark chocolate chips

To make the chocolate pudding:
Boil coconut milk and salt over medium high heat in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Once at a rolling boil, add arrowroot and whisk a bunch for about 2 minutes until thick. Add in agave and vanilla and stir just to incorporate. Take it off the heat. Let it sit (to stop boiling) for a minute or two. Toss in the chocolate chips, whisk to melt them fully and combine them. Let cool in fridge.

For the peanut butter fudge:
3/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar

To make the peanut butter fudge:
Melt peanut butter (the kind with no sugar!) over medium heat in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Add powdered sugar and stir well to incorporate. This is basically the lazy person's fudge.

Putting it all together!

Take your cooled (or cool-ish) pie crust. Spread the peanut butter fudge all over the bottom. Pour the chocolate pudding on top. Sprinkle on some nuts, chocolate, pickles, whatever your fancy. Chill 4+ hours (over night is ideal). Slice, eat, repeat!

BBQ Pineapple Tempeh Pizza

A new favorite in our house (proven by the fact when I made "regular" pizza last night, we ate it with sad faces on).

10-12 inch pizza crust (I make my own GF crust and then put it on a 10" pizza pan and cook it for 10 minutes before topping it)

BBQ sauce:

scant 1/4 cup margarine (I use Earth Balance)

1 small sweet onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup ketchup (I use organic and with no sugar added, if yours has sugar, reduce the amount below)

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup sugar

1 T blackstrap molasses 

1 T Worcestershire (you can buy vegan bottled)

1 T dijon mustard

hot sauce to taste (I put in about 2 t of chohula)

pinch of salt, pinch of pepper

Cook the onion and garlic in the margarine over medium low heat until the onions are totally translucent (maybe 10 minutes) and then add everything else and whisk to combine. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or more until it looks and smells and tastes amazing.

While the sauce is simmering...

Pizza topping:

1 T oil

1 sweet onion, sliced

8 oz tempeh, crumbled

6 thin rings of pineapple

1/2 cup of vegan cheese (I like Daiya mozzarella shreds for this)

Saute onion and tempeh in oil over medium heat until onion and tempeh are browned, 15 to 20 minutes.
 

Onto your pizza crust spread about 1/2 c BBQ sauce, sprinkle all of your onion and tempeh topping, then put on pineapple rings, and lastly your cheese.

Bake at 425 for about 12 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly and starting to brown. I like to finish with about 2 minutes under the broiler (set on high); but watch out, you can burn up your delicious dinner pretty quick if you don't watch it carefully!

Vegan Pantry.

Ten Vegan Staples (that you should know about!)

Regardless of whether or not you’re vegan, the following foods are nutritional powerhouses, super interesting, and fun to both learn about and cook with. One amazing thing that years of veganism has brought me is knowledge about foods I’d never even heard of. Most of these are now part of my weekly, if not daily, life. And my body’s better for it.

(Keep in mind I’m not going to include things like more commonly used fruits and vegetables, whole grains, whole wheat pastas, various beans, and a bunch of other delicious stuff I think you should be eating all the time. But, if you have questions about any of that, just email me!)

1. Quinoa: a great source of protein. Compared to other grains, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc. It's great in unexpected places like stews, curries, and even salads.
   Where to get it: anywhere! Even your local grocer should have some quinoa in the isle where they sell other grains. But it's cheaper, and kinder to the earth, to buy it in bulk bins at a whole foods store.


2. Azuki Beans: azuki beans (try to find organic) contain some of the highest levels of protein and lowest levels of fat in any variety of beans. They also contain high levels of potassium, fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc, and manganese. They're great in soups, dips, and casseroles.
   Where to get it: Possibly at your grocery store of choice, certainly at a health or whole foods store, and also likely at an Asian (or other ethnic) grocery.


3. Almond Butter: Almond butter is one of the most nutrient dense butters; it lowers cholesterol, and is high in the antioxidant vitamin E. Use it in spicy thai peanut sauce, baked goods, cookies, energy bars, and truffles.
   Where to get it: anywhere! Widely available at any grocery store. Almond butter will typically be with peanut butter.


4. Nutritional Yeast: chalk full of the B-complex vitamins (and generally fortified with B12, which is produced naturally and then added to the nutritional yeast). It is also naturally low in fat and sodium. The taste is nutty and creamy, making it a great cheese replacer. Try it on pasta, popcorn, and in dressings and sauces.
   Where to get it: health or whole food store in the bulk bins.


5. Hemp Milk: there are many non-dairy choices when it comes to milk (soy, almond, rice, and many others) and while all are excellent substitutes, hemp milk is really worth giving a try. Hemp milk contains 10 essential amino acids, making it an excellent source of protein. Hemp milk is…non-dairy, soy-free, gluten-free, sustainable, non-gmo, and herbicide and pesticide free.
   Where to get it: most local grocers, it won’t be refrigerated, so look in the “healthy” food section, it’s usually in a box! (Don’t let that scare you – great things come in boxes.)


6. Miso Paste: so miso paste is really just fermented soy beans (I know, I know…but stay with me here)…but it’s high in protein, rich in vitamins and minerals, and actually tastes pretty great (especially if you make a dressing out of it). Miso comes in different varieties, some are salty, some are sweet, some are earthy. I generally use a light, sweet miso (or a “white” miso) in most of my recipes (well, the ones that call for miso).
   Where to get it: in a tub, in the refrigerated section of your health or whole food store. Also, in the refrigerated section of any Asian grocery store (sometimes in tubs, and sometimes in clear plastic blocks).


7. Agave Nectar (raw and organic if possible): yes indeed, agave nectar (or syrup) comes from the same plant that gives us delicious, dangerous tequila. Agave has a high fructose content, and thus has a low glycemic index, making it a wonderful replacement for sugar. It is slightly sweeter than dry table sugar and can replace sugar in some recipes as honey would. Agave nectar is sold in light, amber, dark, and raw varieties. Light agave nectar has a mild, almost neutral flavor, amber has a medium-intensity caramel flavor, dark agave nectar has stronger caramel notes, and raw agave nectar also has a mild, neutral taste. Raw agave is produced at low temperatures to protect the natural enzymes, so give it a whirl if you can find it!
   Where to get it: Some grocers, all health/whole food stores. Generally with the sugar and/or honey.


8. Raw Cashews: lower in total fat than almonds, peanuts, pecans, and walnuts (those all of those lovely nuts are delicious and also good for you!), cashews provide essential fatty acids, B vitamins, fiber, protein, carbohydrate potassium, iron, and zinc. Raw cashews can be used in both sweet and savory dishes easily. You can powder raw cashews (in a blender) to make sweet cream sauces, cheesy cream sauces, creamy salad dressings, and more!
   Where to get it: Raw, unsalted cashews are easiest to find in bulk bins at your local health/whole food store. The roasted, salted kind that you generally find at the grocery store, while delicious, don’t work in quite the same way.


9. Refined Coconut Oil: Coconut oil is a great moisturizer for your skin and is very heat stable so it makes an excellent cooking oil. Refined coconut oil does not have a strong coconut scent or taste and can easily be used in many sweet or savory dishes. However, like any oil, it should be used very sparingly.
   Where to get it: Some grocers now carry refined coconut oil, certainly all health and whole food stores.


10. Agar: Agar (or agar agar) is a gelatinous substance derived from seaweed, which can be used as a vegan gelatin substitute or a thickener. Agar is also low in saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium and high in folate, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, manganese, vitamin E, vitamin K, zinc, and copper. Agar generally comes in flakes or powder and can seem tricky at first, but once you work with it, it’s absolutely amazing (think pudding, nacho sauce, block cheese, pie).
    Where to get it: health/whole food store, Asian grocery

Creamy Almond Dressing

Bottled salad dressing has been letting me down my whole life. Luckily, it's easy to make your own and oh-so-much better. 

1/2 Cup Sliced Almonds (blanched or raw)
1/2 Cup Water
2 T Nutritional Yeast
2 t soy sauce (I always use low sodium, if you have regular, back if off to 1 t)
1 T fresh lemon juice
2 Tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and no pieces of almonds remain. Refrigerate for up to a week (maybe more, you tell me...mine never makes it that long).

Vegan Ceasar

There was a boy I liked once and we used to play Hangman in his bar. One of his puzzles was "Et tu, Brute?" and when I hung myself before I solved it, he made fun of me. I think of him when I make this dressing. In hindsight, he was a jerk.

I love making a bunch of this, buying a fresh head of romaine, chilling it, chopping it up bite size, soaking it in this stuff, and then topping it with fresh ground black pepper. I eat it for dinner with some baked tempeh croutons on top.

1/2 c silken tofu
1/4 c. water
juice from half of a large lemon
2 T. light miso paste
1 T. red wine vinegar (or just plain old vinegar)
1 T vegan Worcestershire (if making GF, check the ingredients here)
1 t Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic
1/2 t salt
black pepper to taste

Creamy Walnut Balsamic

If you are using bottled salad dressings, stop.

1 cup walnuts, ground (will be a bit chunky) or powdered (will be nice and smooth)
1/2 cup oil (if I'm feeling fancy I go down to the oil shop and buy walnut oil, otherwise olive oil works just fine)
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
3 T agave
1 t salt
juice from half a small lemon
1 T dijon mustard

Blend until smooth and creamy. Pour over mixed greens. Eat 'em up.

AAA Cashew Cream (the As stand for amazing, all purpose, and awe-yeah)

My friend Toby and I have this joke and it goes something like this:

Him: "E, this is amazing! What's in it?"
Me: "Cashew cream."

It's not so much of a joke as a true story. Cashew cream can be savory (lasagna!) or sweet (peach cobbler!) and is a nutritious, delicious substitute for cheesy, creamy anything.

Ingredients:
1 c raw cashews, powdered (they must be raw and unsalted - look in bulk bins at the health food store)
1 c filtered water

Powder cashews using a spice grinder, coffee grinder, or magic bullet is best for this, but a blender will work in a pinch but it's best to then soak the nuts for 4 or 6 hours beforehand to make sure you get a very creamy (not gritty) result. 

Blend the powdered cashews with water until creamy and Voila! you have cashew cream. You can add savory spices (salt, pepper, basil, rosemary) for things like stuffed shells, or you can add agave and lemon zest for sweet things like blueberry pie.

Raw Marinara

Super simple, really quick, and incredibly good for you; this raw marinara is perfect over zucchini or squash noodles. Try it with a little cashew cream mixed in...delicious. 1 lb plum/roma tomatoes (or, really, whichever kind you like best) big handful of fresh basil leaves 3-4 sundried tomato halves juice from ¼ of a lemon (or half if it’s small) ¼ cup olive oil 1 medjool date, pitted 2 cloves of garlic, crushed 1 t salt ½ t black pepper ¼ t red pepper flake First chop all of your tomatoes very small. Then blend together everything save for the tomatoes in a food processor. Add a small handful of chopped tomato and pulse that for a minute. Then combine the mixture with the rest of the chopped tomatoes.

Super Simple Pomodoro

After 80 failed attempts at the perfect red sauce, I decided to apply the keep it simple, stupid principle to my marinara. Guess what? It worked. I use this on pizza, in lasagna, over pasta...

1 28oz can of peeled plum tomatoes in juice with nothing added (if you can find a can that indicates they are from the San Marzano region in Italy...well, your mouth will thank you)
1/4 c olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T dried oregano
1 T sugar
1/2 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t red pepper flake (or less, if you ain't spicy at heart)

Heat your olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan until it shimmers, add your crushed garlic, stir and cook for 3 minutes. I prefer to not let my garlic brown at all.

Add the tomatoes, oregano, sugar, salt and pepper(s) and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes. Crush the tomatoes with a wooden spoon (I like to hit the sauce with an immersion blender for just a minute). Eat and enjoy!

Kale Chips

Everyone has their version of kale chips (okay, not everyone, just us weirdos that like to eat a lot of kale), but here's mine:

Bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed, and torn into bite-sized pieces
1 c raw, unsalted cashews, powdered
½ c roasted red peppers
½ c water
¼ c nutritional yeast
1 t red pepper flake* (optional - if you like spicy goodness go for it!)
1 t sea salt
Blend cashews through salt until creamy, toss kale pieces in this dressing (in a very large bowl!) until all of the kale leaves are coated. Place in your dehydrator and dehydrate at 105 degrees for 3-4 hours, turning periodically. You can also do this on cookie sheets in your oven, on very, very low heat (we're talking 150 degrees) and it will have the same effect.

Hot Artichoke Dip

This is best served warm in a cute Pyrex, but straight outta the fridge via a spoon the next day is also damn tasty.
1 T olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 small red pepper diced
1 can green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup raw cashews, powdered
1 cup veggie stock or water
juice from half a lemon
1 T soy sauce
3 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
Preheat oven to 350 (if serving straight away – this also keeps well in the fridge and can be baked later).
Sauté the onions, red bell pepper, and garlic in the oil for about 5 minutes.
Add the can of green chiles and sauté 2 minutes more.
Add chopped artichokes and sauté for 5 minutes.
While that mixture is cooking down and smelling delicious, take your powdered cashews (powder them in a coffee grinder or a blender) and combine them with the water (or veggie stock!), lemon juice, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and salt, and blend until super creamy (about a minute).
Add the creamy mixture to the sautéed mix of delicious and stir to combine. Cook the whole thing until the mixture is thick and warm (about 3 minutes).
Pour everything into an oven-proof baking dish (like a Pyrex) and bake at 350 for 15 minutes until lightly brown on top.
I like to serve this with some veggies and a few kinds of crackers and maybe some sliced sourdough. It’s perfect to take to a party or serve as an appetizer at a dinner party.

Butternut Bisque

This soup was the very first recipe I ever wrote down. It is still the one I am asked for most often. It's a bit of work, but it makes a huge batch, so freeze half and enjoy it the following week (or be like me and eat butternut bisque four nights in a row).

4 lbs butternut squash
olive oil for roasting the squash
1 cup raw cashews, powdered
6-8 cups veggie stock
2 t dried thyme
1 t rubbed sage
2 t sea salt
3 t fresh ground black pepper (or less if you're scared of that)

Slice your squash (or squashes) lenghwise and then spoon out the guts and seeds and compost (or roast the seeds if you're feeling ambitious). Oil the inside and outside of the squash, roast face down on a dark baking sheet for 45 minutes to an hour or more (this will largely depend on if you got one huge squash, two mediums, four smalls, etc.) You want the outside of the squash to brown, but not burn, and the inside to get soft and yummy.

When the squash is done, put it all into a really large, heavy-bottomed stock pot. Add the veggie stock, and break up the squash. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let it cook for 20 minutes or more.

Add the salt, thyme, and sage to the mixture.

Combine your powdered raw cashews with 1 cup of warm water and blend until totally smooth.
Blend your squash mixture with an immersion blender until smooth (you can also do this, in batches, in a blender, just be sure to remove the plastic center of the blender lid to let steam escape while you blend and be very, very careful!)

Once the squash mixture is smooth, add the cashew cream and then your fresh ground pepper. Add more salt and more pepper to taste.

I like to server this in big white bowls, with a drizzle of leftover cashew cream on top and a sprig of fresh thyme and a grind of black pepper. Gorgeous and delicious. Just how I like everything I eat...

Classy Chickpea Soup

I think it's the fresh rosemary that makes this soup classy, that or I just like alliteration.

1 lb bag of dried chickpeas
4-6 cups veggie stock
4 T olive oil
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped
6 gloves garlic, crushed
1 t sea salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1 t red pepper flakes (more if you like spicy stuff!)
1 lemon, juiced (start with half if it’s big and see how lemony you like this)

This soup is a study in my cooking philosophy: you can always add, you can never take away. I start with lower quantities of everything, from rosemary to garlic to lemon juice, and add more as my taste buds demand.

The easiest way to do this is in your crock pot. Let the dried chickpeas cook on low in the veggie stock all day (or overnight – about 8 hours) until the chickpeas are nice and soft. When you’re ready to finish your soup, heat your olive oil in as saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, add the crushed garlic and let cook for 1-2 minutes, add the rosemary and cook for 1-2 minutes more (stir constantly so that the garlic doesn’t brown or burn). Take the sauce pan off the heat, and add salt, pepper, and red pepper flake. Add this entire mixture to your crock pot of chickpeas and stir. I generally then let all of this cook over low heat in the crock pot for a few more hours to let the flavors meld. Finally adding the fresh lemon juice just before serving. But, you could also finish it at that point, as long as your chickpeas are really soft, you can eat it whenever your stomach tells you it’s time. I also take an immersion blender and mash up some of the chickpeas to make a creamier soup, but that’s up to you. I like to leave plenty of whole chickpeas so the soup has a nice bite.

Note: you can also make this with a bit less veggie stock and end up with something less like a soup and more like a main dish. The chickpeas are then delicious served over rice or another grain. Or, in corn tortillas with some vegan sour cream if you’re feeling really boundary-breaking.

Chowdah!

This creamy, delicious stuff has no clams, and no cream, and does not hail from New England (but rather my kitchen) but uh…we call it Chowdah anyway.
2 T margarine (like Earth Balance)
8 ounces chopped mushrooms (lobster work fantastically, but oyster are also great, and shitake work too – and are easier to find!)
½ c raw cashews
2 c veggie broth
2 c water
½ medium sweet onion, diced
2 c cauliflower flourets, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ t thyme
1 t sea salt
1 c Yukon gold potatoes, diced
¼ t natural smoke flavor
fresh ground black pepper to taste
Cook your mushrooms in 1 T margarine over medium heat in a skillet for about 10 minutes, set aside.
In a blender, powder the raw cashews, then blend with 1 c veggie stock until smooth and creamy.
In a heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat other T of margarine over medium high heat and cook onion, cauliflower, and garlic for 10 minutes (careful not to burn the garlic). Add thyme, the rest of your veggie broth and the creamy cashew mix, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Blend until smooth with an immersion blender (if you don’t have one, you can do this in batches in a regular blender, just let it cool a bit, and be sure to remove the plastic piece in the center of your blender’s lid to let steam escape, and then cover it with a dish towel so you don’t end up with hot soup on your face). Add the diced Yukons to your smooth soup and cook over low heat (simmering) for 45 minutes. Finally, stir in your cooked mushrooms and the liquid smoke. Serve with a little sea salt with fresh ground pepper on top of each bowl.

Creamy Tomato Basil Bisque

Doesn't something with "creamy" and "bisque" in its name just sound....well creamy and bisquey?

Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion , chopped
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-ounce) can good quality whole peeled plum tomatoes packed in juice (unsalted)
1 T brown sugar
3/4 C cashews, powdered, blended with 1 cup water vegetable broth
2 C more veggie broth
1/2 t salt (or more, to taste)
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
fresh basil chopped (as much as you like!)

1. Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sautee onion, garlic, and bay leaf, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.
2. Stir in the whole can of tomatoes and their juice. Smash up the tomatoes with a big wooden spoon (put on your apron first).
3. Stir in the sugar and then the cashew cream and then the other 2 cups of broth and bring the mixture to boil.
4. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the mixture to blender (let it cool a while first if you do this - or the lid will cave in, or worse pop off and it's a mess - trust me - and even after it has cooled a bit take the middle of the blender cap out to let steam escape) or user an immersion blender.
6. Return soup to boil, add salt, and season to taste with freshly-ground black pepper.
7. Garnish with freshly chopped basil.

Groundnut Stew

Ground-what? Groundnut. Stay with me...

This delicious African stew is often made for celebratory events. I'd say eating it is a celebratory event.
3 T olive oil
1 sweet onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 inch (or 1 T) fresh ginger, crushed
3/4 c natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
5 c strong veggie broth
2 c cooked chickpeas
1 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
1 t salt (perhaps omit depending on your veggie broth)
2 T curry powder (I prefer Madras)
1 t smoked paprika
2 t roasted cumin
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 t coriander
chopped cilantro
handful of fresh spinach per serving (optional, but delicious)
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat oil over medium high, add onion, pepper, and garlic and cook for 5 - 8 minutes until onions are translucent (stir often so you don't burn the garlic!)
Add the ginger and spices and fry for a few minutes until very fragrant.
Add can of tomatoes and veggie broth, bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for at least 30 minutes.
Stir in peanut butter and cook for 5 minutes (until heated through), add chickpeas and cook for another 10 or 15 minutes to soften and heat chickpeas.
Serve in larger bowls over rice, with fresh spinach stirred in and chopped cilantro on top.

Tom Ka Gai

Tom Ka Gai is my favorite food of all time. It's a coconut milk based thai soup that is sweet and spicy and amazing. Usually there is chicken or shrimp in this soup, and almost always fish sauce, so after crossing over to the dark side I had to figure out how to make this one for myself. Luckily, with a trip to the Asian grocery store, this one is pretty simple.

Ingredients: for the spice blend...
1 small lime (zest and juice)
1 inch (or 2T) fresh ground ginger
1 t coriander
1 t cumin
2 large cloves of garlic
1 t salt
1 t red pepper flakes (or more if you like spicy soup)
2 stalks lemongrass
for the rest...
8 ounces chopped shitake mushrooms
1/2 sweet onion, diced
2 T olive oil
2 - 14 oz cans of lite coconut milk
1 T veggie fish sauce (most Asian markets sell this alongside regular fish sauce)
1 T veggie broth powder (or you could add a cup of strong, good quality veggie broth)
2+ T of chopped fresh cilantro
To make this really easy, I toss the lime juice and zest through the red pepper flake into a food processor with a few tablespoons of water and pulverize that into a spice paste. Then, heat the olive oil in a heavy bottom stock pot over medium high heat, cook the onion until it's translucent, add the shitakes, cook about 10 more minutes until the mushrooms are wilted and have released their juices. Add the spice blend and cook for 5 more minutes. Then add both cans of coconut milk and the veggie broth powder and fish sauce. Stir to blend and reduce heat to medium low.

The last thing you want to do is take the stalks of lemongrass, peel away the tough outer leaves and then bruise (either by pressing down on the whiteish stalk with a spoon or fork, or literally picking up and bending with your hands, a la one of those glow sticks you bend and crack to release the glowing juices inside before heading out to the club circa 1994). Put your bruised lemongrass stalks in the mix.
Cook for 30 minutes or more if you'd like. Taste to see if it's salty enough for you and spicy enough for you. Before serving, remove the lemongrass stalks (or leave 'em in there, just don't scoop them into your bowl).
Top each bowl with 1 T of more of chopped cilantro. I also usually squeeze just a little more fresh lime juice over the top of each bowl.

Raw Corn Chowder

In the heat of summer, when corn is 10 ears for two bucks and you don't want to stick anything hot in your mouth, this is just the ticket.

6 ears corn, husked and kernels cut off
½ c raw cashews, powdered
2 c water
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic
juice from 1 lime
1/4 t onion powder
1/8 t cayenne
1/2 t salt (or more to taste)
fresh ground black pepper to taste
garnish ideas:
chopped scallion
chopped cilantro
corn kernels
paprika
cayenne
black pepper
whatever your heart desires…
Mix powdered cashews and water in your blender until creamy, throw in everything else and process until desired consistency. I like to leave some of the corn kernels out and add them in for a little rustic chunkiness in the finished product.

Udon Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Udon noodles may seem really exotic, but you can pick them up at your local grocer . I prefer the cool Asian grocery on the other side of town, it may smell like canned fish and pork buns, but they sell cheap nail polish and fresh tofu (and udon noodles).

Ingredients:
1 package of fresh or frozen Udon noodles
2 scallions
handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 c peanut butter (natural, not the stuff with added sugar, though if that is all you have, just leave our or reduce the agave syrup)
2 T tahini (or a bit more peanut butter)
1 T rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 T fresh ginger (or 1 t powdered)
1 t thai chili garlic sauce (or a clove of fresh garlic, minced, and 1 t red chili flake)
1/3 c hot water
1 t salt
1 t cumin
1 T agave syrup (or maple syrup, or sugar if you have to)

1. Blend peanut butter through agave until smooooooth and creamy.
2. Heat over medium until warm and thick
3. Pour over Udon noodles (no cooking necessary unless they were frozen, in which case, stick 'em in a pot of boiling water for 3 minutes)
4. Garnish with chopped chives and lots of fresh cilantro.

Nomad's Pie

My take on Shepard's Pie...don't be discouraged by how long this is, it's not hard, and is seriously good.

2 small sweet potatoes
1 pound (about three) Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 c soy or nut milk
2 T margarine (like Earth Balance)
1 T Dijon mustard
1 c veggie stock
1/3 c white wine (cooking wine is fine or something not-too-sweet)
2 c beans (I like kidney, but another kind would do just fine)
1 c chopped carrots
1 c chopped green beans (fresh or frozen)
1 c peas (fresh or frozen)
1 c corn (fresh or frozen)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 T fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 t of dried)
1 t dried rubbed sage
1/2 t cinnamon
pinch of fresh ground nutmeg
sea salt to taste (1 t plus)
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375.

Start by boiling your Yukon gold potatoes (I simply wash them, chop them into small cubes, and toss them into salted, boiling water) for about 30 minutes until they're very soft. When they're done, drain them and mix them with the soy milk and the earth balance (and some salt and pepper - but not too much salt, you'll have some in the veggie mix as well). When they're fluffy and tasty, set them aside.
Wash, chop, and boil your sweet potatoes as well. I do these in small cubes also, and cook them for about 30 minutes (right alongside my Yukons but in another pot), then drain and set them aside - they go into the veggie mixture.

To assemble the filling for your pie: in a large, heavy bottomed pot, cook your carrots in a little olive oil or margarine for about 10 minutes. Depending on whether or not your other veggies are fresh or frozen, you will need to add them in stages so that, eventually, everything is nice and tender. I start my carrots, then add my fresh green beans, and finally add my kidney beans, frozen corn, and frozen peas - you get the idea. Once your veggies and beans are in the mix, add the crushed garlic and cinnamon, nutmeg, and sage. Saute for 5 more minutes.

Add the white wine, deglaze the pan, cook for 2 more minutes, then add the mustard, rosemary, and veggie stock. Bring the whole pot to a boil, reduce to a simmer, season with salt and pepper, stick a lid on it, and let it cook for 10 to 20 minute (just test the veggies for softness at the 10 minute mark). Remove from the heat, toss in any veggies that were frozen, and your cooked sweet potato chunks.
Spread all of the filling into a glass baking dish, top with the Yukon gold mashed potatoes and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the potatoes just brown a bit.

Blend all the ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and no pieces of almonds remain. Refrigerate until needed.