Now that I’m out on my own, I can see why this was a regular meal on our dining room table. It’s a flavorful dish that comes together easily and can be put on the table within the time it takes to make a pot of brown rice.

I had forgotten about this simple staple in my life, pushing it away for some time after I left home. In fact, these days it’s not just black beans I’ve been neglecting, but rice too. Quinoa has become my new rice. As one of my professors and fellow foodies once said, “Rice is so 2002.” But let’s not get carried away. It will always have its place, and with this dish, quinoa just wouldn’t do.

Anyways, now that some time has passed, I’m bringing this dish back into my life. Black beans and rice is no longer a mundane staple in my life. Now it’s just an easy and cheap meal that’s delicious in an unpretentious way. Add a little salsa and a few slices of avocado, and you might find yourself with a new weekly meal of your own. Just make sure you don’t go too overboard with the leftovers.

Black Beans and Rice

(Serves 4-6)

• -2 Tbsp. olive oil
• -15.5 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
• -1 small onion, diced
• -1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• -3 medium-sized cloves garlic, minced
• -1 cup diced tomatoes
• -1 scant cup frozen corn
• -1 tsp. cumin
• -1/4 tsp. salt
• -1 cayenne pepper, optional
• -Pepper, to taste
• -1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• -1 cup short grain brown rice

Combine rice with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook another 45-50 minutes, or until water is absorbed and rice is tender.

Meanwhile, heat oil in saute pan over medium-high. Saute onion, garlic, cayenne and pepper, until onion is translucent. Add cumin, salt and pepper. Saute for one minute. Stir in beans, tomatoes and corn. Reduce heat to a medium-low simmer, and cook another 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Add cilantro and cook another 1-2 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve atop rice. Pair with a side of spicy salsa, if desired.

Cold noodles in the winter? The looks of disgust I presume I’d get from some of my soup fanatic friends still doesn’t scare me from sharing this recipe with you. I’m a bit of a soup junkie too, but I save that addiction for the evenings. For lunch, what I’m eating is often premeditated and snapped away in my backpack during the early hours of the morning, meaning I could care less whether it was a steam-filled meal. In fact, I generally prefer a meal that tastes best at room temp. because that’s how I’ll be eating it come lunchtime. (See hummus recipe 1 – 1,000,000).

Really, this plate of noodles can be eaten at any temperature, but it was designed for my need to fulfill an unusual lunch craving. Tired of sandwiches and certainly tired of plain old noodles, I reached for Soba, which I don’t even put in the same category as pasta. Unlike pasta (unless it’s the doughy kind from the Italian market) Soba remains a novelty. It’s nutty, but notably less dense than whole wheat pasta, and has this unique texture that’s significantly easier to chew than your typical al dente spaghetti.

The noodles lends themselves particularly well to Asian flavors, hence their name Soba, the Japanese word for buckwheat. Here, I tossed them with gingery kale and a little sesame oil for a noodle dish that works either hot or cold. That way you can pick the temperature depending on your personal temperament. Can’t do cold in the winter? Then don’t. But if cold noodles for lunch don’t sound like a bad idea, pack them up and just be sure to add an extra sprinkle of salt before you head on your way. Whatever style you choose, this healthful meal is sure to help ward off any all too common winter colds from taking over your body. Enjoy.

Asian Kale and Soba Noodles

(Serves 4)

-1 Tbsp. olive oil
-1 Tbsp. soy sauce
-1 large bunch of kale, stems removed, and torn into bite-sized pieces
-3 garlic cloves, diced
-1 Tbsp. ginger, minced
-1-2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
-8 oz. Buckwheat noodles
-2 scallions, diced, optional
-Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook noodles according to package (6-8 minutes).

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium-high in large saute pan. Add garlic and ginger, and saute until browned, stirring as needed. Add soy sauce, and then stir in kale, and cook until just tender, 6-8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Toss noodles with sesame oil. Add kale. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve, topped with scallions, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

After whipping up my last quinoa pilaf, I realized I had forgotten how easy cooking can be. When I’m stressed or simply overloaded with too many extraneous ideas to allow for creativity, cooking turns into an obligatory homework project. From outside the kitchen, it can psychological feel like nothing but a tiresome stack of unwashed dishes.

However, cooking’s really no different than when you conquer that first mile of a run. Ten minutes in, and often you’re ready to take on the whole trail.

For cooking, this is especially true with one pot dishes like these, where there’s very minimal cleanup required once you hit the homestretch.

Simple pilafs like these also keep things light and healthy. There’s no stove full of pans to oil up but rather just one pot of quinoa simmering away. That being said, don’t skimp on the tahini when you finish this one off. The creamy component is needed and adds a perfect richness that compliments the flavors infused in the quinoa. Enjoy!

Bean and Vegetable Quinoa Pilaf with Tahini

(Serves 4)

• -2/3 cup quiona
• -1 cup water
• -15 oz. can cannellini beans
• -1/2 red or white onion
• -1/2 cup chopped baby carrots
• -2 banana peppers or equivalent of any sweet pepper
• -1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
• -Salt, to taste
• -8 Tbsp. sesame tahini

Place quinoa, carrots, peppers, onions, poultry seasoning and entire contents of can of cannellini beans into pan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat to simmer, and cook 30 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and carrots are tender.

Remove from heat. Sprinkle each bowl with salt, and drizzle with 2 Tbsp. tahini. Serve.

The following recipe started off with intentions of becoming a typical Waldorf Salad. Not that I was particularly craving it, but more like I had an abundance of apples on hand that I wanted to use.

I quickly abandoned the idea once I realized Waldorf salad traditionally calls for lettuce as its base rather than the rice which I wanted to pair with the apples. I don’t do too many sweet renditions of rice, but oddly that indeed was what I was craving.

Besides, it was easy to let go of the whole Waldorf thing, because really, when have you ever had a truly memorable Waldorf salad? For me, I can probably say never. Waldorf salad tends to be that mysterious item on the salad bar in which everyone takes a little spoonful because its creaminess looks, well, creamy. Creamy generally evokes those luxurious flavor adjectives such as smooth, rich, and buttery.  But does Waldorf salad generally embody any of these characteristics? Nada.

Occasionally, it’s worth a few bites, acting as a sweet, refreshing chutney in accompanying a heavy meal. But enough about forgettable Waldorf salads, let’s get to the rice recipe picture above. I decided to stick with the idea of creating a refreshing salad, and then veered off down a path of memorable flavor. I chose apples to keep it light, and then added curry powder to draw on the sweetness of the raisins and maple syrup I would be adding. I also chose to retain a light creaminess by adding yogurt, and then finished it off with some toasty, full-bodied nuts. The end result made me wonder why I don’t play with sweet and savory combinations more often. If given a spot on the salad bar, this Maple Curry Rice Salad would be worthy of more than just one curious spoonful. You’d bet I’d be back for seconds.

Serve this dish hot or cold. Note that if served warm, the cayenne will be more distinct, if used.

Maple Curry Rice Salad

-2 cups cooked brown rice
-1 small eating apple (Choose a sweet, slightly soft variety, such as a McIntosh), finely chopped
-3/4 cup plain yogurt
-1/3 cups raisins
-1/3 cup walnuts, toasted
-1 Tbsp. curry powder
-2-3 Tbsp. maple syrup
-1/8 tsp. salt
-1/4 tsp. cayenne, optional

When my friend came over to make this polenta recipe with me, he was surprised to see a mushy mixture cooking away on the stove. “What’s that?” he asked. I told him it was polenta, assuming he had never eaten this version of ground corn before. But I was wrong.

“That’s polenta? Shouldn’t it be sticking together?” I began to realize that today, most people are exposed to polenta in its caked form. Either in its tubed shape you can grab at the grocery store, or the little circles that the lonely few restaurants will occasionally feature, polenta is almost always served as a pan-fried or baked slab, with maybe a topping or two to go with it.

For some unexplainable reason, polenta doesn’t appear to be a common item in most households or restaurants around where I live, which is why a lot of people are unfamiliar with its pre-caked form. However, I enjoy it either way, each lending a slightly different epicurean experience. If for some reason you decide not to crisp this polenta up, I recommend adding a dab of butter to your bowl before consuming. It will just add a touch of richness that will draw out the creaminess of the polenta. However, if you have the time (or the leftovers), I definitely recommend the pan-fried version too. It makes a great meal for any meal of the day.

Pan-Fried Spinach and Mushroom Polenta Cakes

(Serves 3-4)

-3/4 cup polenta + 2 1/2 cups water
-1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
-3 small-medium shallots, about 3 oz., diced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-8 oz. baby portobellos, sliced
-5 oz. spinach (About 2 cups)
-1 tsp. thyme
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (or slightly less if you don’t like a little kick)
-Butter

Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high. Saute garlic, shallots and mushrooms until shallots are translucent. Stir in thyme, salt and crushed red pepper flakes, and saute another minute.

Add polenta and 3 cups water. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover, and cook 20-25 minutes, or until polenta is tender and water is absorbed. Stir in spinach and cook another 3 minutes, until spinach is wilted and tender.

Remove from heat, and place polenta in refrigerator until mixture begins to firm. Once mixture is firm, use hands to begin shaping into circular cakes.

Heat non-stick frying pan over high heat. Melt 1 – 2 Tbsp. of butter in pan. Add cakes, two at a time, and cook 4-5 minutes on each side, or until outsides of cakes are brown and crispy. Remove from heat and serve.

I’ve been experimenting with making homemade seitan lately. It’s surprisingly easy and definitely cheaper than buying it from Whole Foods. (Luckily it requires wheat gluten, still necessitating a trip to my local Whole Foods. AKA, I still get to be a grocery store nerd and spend my time window shopping through the aisles.) Once I refine the seasonings and simmering broth, I’ll write up a seitan post.

In the meantime, I’ve devised this soup, inspired by a batch of homemade seitan that erred slightly on the salty side. Rather than let it go to waste, I decided to give it a good rinse and throw it in a soup. Hence why I leave you to decide your own dosage of salt for this one.

The soup was also sparked by some beautiful dinosaur kale that I picked up on one of those habitual Whole Foods outings. I had to justify my liquid Kombucha spendings with something of actually substance, so I went for the kale. It builds a nutrient-rich, colorful base for this hearty soup/borderline stew. For a warming winter meal, serve with a slice of warm, crusty bread or corn bread. And since I’m on the whole “free PR for Whole Foods” roll today, let me add that the WF vegan cornbread is pretty darn good.

Kale, Seitan and Bean Soup

-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-1 onion, diced
-1 red bell pepper, diced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 cup corn, optional
-15.5 oz. can black beans, entire contents
-15 oz. no-salt added diced tomatoes
-2 Tbsp. tomato paste
-1 cup seitan, sliced
-3 cups water or vegetable broth
-2 tsp. smoked paprika
-1 Tbsp. cumin
-1/2 tsp. cayenne
-4 cups kale, chopped (about 1 bunch)
-Salt, generous pinch or two, to taste
-1/2 cup Greek yogurt

In large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high. Saute onion, garlic and pepper until tender. Stir in smoked paprika, cumin, cayenne and pinch of salt and saute for a minute. Pour in beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, seitan and broth.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add kale, and cook another  8-10 minutes, or until kale is tender. Serve, topping each bowl with a dollop of yogurt.

I’m definitely a salad girl. But please don’t think that means five bites of lettuce later and I’m satisfied. If that’s the case, there better be a plate of pasta to follow or some other hearty (but healthful) meal on its way. However, I can definitely rock a salad for lunch and often do when I’m feeling the need for something on the lighter side. (Hello too many Christmas cookies overtaking my breakfasts, lunches and dinners…). To complete the meal though, there better be toppings resting upon those crunchy leaves, and please, no iceberg. Iceberg is for airheads.

When I’m really in the mood for something special, I’ll whip up my own dressing. Warm dressings are my favorite because they help to tenderize the salad leaves, which is particularly favorable for spinach. With this vinaigrette, I used shallots, which are full in flavor and eliminate the need for too much fat, keeping this particular salad even lighter. By all means, feel free to add a few more toppings to make this a meal a little more robust, however, the dressing will speak for itself here and is suitable for a simple, poached egg. Otherwise, pair with a bowl of warm soup to finish filling up your tummy with a warm and guilt-free meal.

Spinach Salad with Warm Dijon Dressing and Poached Eggs

(Serves 2)

-6 oz. baby spinach
-2 eggs
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1/2 cup shallots, diced (2 jumbo shallots)
-2 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
-2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
-2 tsp. dijon mustard
-1/2 tsp. dried thyme
-Freshly ground pepper

Wash and dry spinach, and divide between two bowls.

In a small saucepan, bring 4 cups of water and salt to a boil. Add eggs and simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Fill a bowl with cold water. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the eggs to the bowl and let stand for 3 to 4 minutes. Keep the pan of hot water on the stove over low heat.

Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil in medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Saute shallots 4-5 minutes, or until tender. Add remaining oil, vinegar, mustard, thyme and freshly ground pepper. Cook another minute, until hot.

Pour warm dressing on spinach, divided between the two bowls. Slip eggs back into the pan of hot water on the stove and heat for about a minute. Then, top salads with the eggs. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve.

Apple cider rarely gets a chance to make it beyond my cup and into my recipes. However, as I reached for the button mushrooms to toss into this soup, an untouched jug caught me eye before I could shut the refrigerator door. Not long after, I was splashing that cider onto my lentils, but not until I poured myself a glass to clench my thirst as I cooked.

Apple cider adds a surprising touch of sweetness to the classic lentil soup. It actually makes me want to test out a curried version, as I think the two ingredients would pair well with lentils. But for this recipe, I stuck with the traditional seasonings, letting the thyme be the shining flavor alongside the cider. Spinach finishes it off, adding both a touch of color and earthiness. If you are feeding a crowd and don’t plan on having leftovers, I recommend doubling this recipe. The flavors get even better as they’re left to mix and mingle overnight.

Apple Cider French Lentil Soup

(Serves 4-5)

-1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
-1 cups French lentils, rinsed
-1 onion, chopped
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 large carrot, sliced
-2 stalks of celery, sliced
-8 oz. button mushrooms
-3-4 cups vegetable stock
-1 1/2 cups apple cider
-2 scant tsp. thyme
-1 tsp. paprika
-1 tsp. cumin
-1 tsp. plus a pinch of salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-6 cups spinach, loosely chopped
-1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

In large pot, heat oil over medium-high. Saute onions, garlic, celery and carrots until onions are nearly translucent. Add mushrooms, cumin, thyme, paprika, salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are tender.

Stir in stock, cider and lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Cover, and cook for an hour, until lentils are tender. Stir in balsamic vinegar and spinach. Cook another 3-4 minutes, or until spinach is tender. Serve.

Every year, I get together with all of my extended family on the day after Christmas for a traditional hearty, ham-filled feast. On actual Christmas day, however, it’s typically just my nuclear family dining at the dinner table. With half of us being vegetarian (AKA, my mom and I), this calls for a celebratory day of meat-free wining and dining. My mom likes to cover all of the basic veggie comfort foods, like mashed potatoes and gravy, while I, as of lately, am of course always yearning to experiment with something new.

Last year that meant making the whole Vegetarian Times collection of holiday recipes, but this year while the Christmas cookies were baking away in the oven, my mom and I decided to scan the New York Times guide to a vegan Thanksgiving. After salivating over countless recipes, we decided on the tempeh “Meatloaf,” which turned out surprisingly well. Even my brother’s girlfriend, the newest addition to our dinner table, was raving about it.

This can be made in advance up to a day ahead of time. I ended up adding a couple extra dashes of herbs to this recipes, so make sure to taste the mixture before you pat it into the loaf pan. Also, a side of mashed potatoes is a must for this “meatloaf” and makes this a true vegan comfort meal.

Country ‘Meatloaf’ via New York Times
(Serves 6-8)

-3 tablespoons olive oil
-1 large onion, diced
-2 large carrots, diced
-2 cups diced celery
-8 cloves garlic, minced
-2 teaspoons dried thyme
-2 teaspoons dried basil
-2 teaspoons dried parsley
-2 – 8 oz. packages tempeh
-1/2 cup soy sauce
-1/2 cup (low sodium) vegetable broth
-1 cup cooked brown rice, warm
-1/2 cup bread crumbs
-Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 10-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large deep-sided skillet and sauté onion, carrots and celery until soft, about 15 minutes. If vegetables begin to stick, add a little bit of water to the skillet. Stir in garlic, thyme, basil and parsley. Let cook a few more minutes. Crumble the tempeh into the skillet and add soy sauce and broth. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Add warm brown rice and bread crumbs to the bowl and mix thoroughly with a large spoon. The more you mix it and mash it, the better it will hold together when you bake it. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and pack it down very firmly using the back of a spoon. Cover the top of the loaf pan with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, covered, then remove foil, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before unmolding. Run a knife around the edges of the cooked loaf to loosen, then flip onto a serving plate to unmold. Slice and serve.

A little late on this holiday post…but this is definitely a meal worthy of any time of the year, especially during the cold winter months when you need a hearty meal to warm you up. For me, I’m generally entirely satisfied at holiday meals as a vegetarian. Turkey, and especially ham, were never personal stars of the meal, even for the few years I did dabble in the meat department. With stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, and apple and pumpkin pie, it’s impossible to say I’ve ever gone home remotely hungry. It’s always quite the opposite, and even though I’m not cracked out on tryptophan like the rest of my turkey-induce fam., I’m still always ready for a long crash on the couch.

So for me, a special vegetarian main is never a mandatory component to a Thanksgiving or Christmas meal. However, if I had it my way, the entire meal would be vegetarian-based, with all the traditional holiday dishes alongside some more innovative counterparts. Kale and garlic mashed potatoes? Yes please. These kinds of deviations don’t always fly in my family though, which is understandable because there’s something special about the standard annual traditions.

However, with all the cooks in my family, the basics always get covered, leaving me to put on my thinking toque and allowing me to put my experimental cooking skills to work. Plus, I’m always jumping on the opportunity to cook for a crowd and make crowd-worthy dishes like this pot pie. Vegetarian pot pie might just be my all-time favorite comfort food. So even if I don’t have to have a vegetarian main dish at a holiday meal, a veg-friendly pot pie like this is always more than welcomed!

Dare I say this is one of the best meals I’ve ever made? It takes a couple steps, but every step of the way is entirely worth it. Feel free to substitute the butter to make this irresistible comfort meal entirely vegan.

Vegetable Pot Pie

(Serves 8-10)

For the filling:

-2 Tbsp. olive oil
-1 large onion, diced
-2 garlic cloves, minced
-1 bulb fennel plus fronds, diced
-8 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, chopped
-4 oz. shitake mushrooms, sliced
-2 large carrots
-2-3 medium potatoes, chopped (about 2 1/2 cups)
-2 cups vegetable broth
-1/4 cup flour
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 cup peas
-1/2 cup corn
-12 oz. (4 links) vegetarian Italian-style sausages, cut into bite-sized semicircles
For the crust:
-1 1/2 cups flour
-1/2 tsp. salt
-1 stick butter or 1/2 cup vegan substitute, at room temperature
-1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced
-1 Tbsp. fresh sage, minced

To make filling: Steam carrots and potatoes in steamer basket over boiling water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside.

Heat oil in large pot over medium-high. Add onion, garlic, fennel and mushrooms. Saute until veggies are tender, adding salt halfway through. Stir in flour and saute for another minute. Add broth. Depending on the sodium content of your broth, adjust salt as needed. Saute another 2-3 minutes, or until veggie mixture begins to thicken.

Dice potatoes and carrots. Add them to the pan, along with sage, thyme, veggie sausage, peas and carrots. Remove from heat. Lightly oil large casserole dish. Transfer to veggie mixture to the dish.

To make the crust: Preheat oven 375F.

In large bowl, use a fork to mix flour, butter and salt, until crumbly. Knead in cold water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until dough begins to stick together (3-5 Tbsp. water). Knead in herbs.

Place dough in a ball between two sheets of wax paper. Use rolling pin to roll out the dough to the length of the casserole dish. Remove top sheet of wax paper, and flip the dough on top of the veggies in the casserole. Seal any dough overhanging the edges to the dish. Use a fork to poke a few holes in the crust to allow the release of steam during cooking.

Bake 40-50 minutes, or until top of crust is golden brown. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.