salsa verde

worth the effort. I had no idea what a tomatillo was until I made this.

• 1 1/2 lb tomatillos (better to overestimate than underestimate this one)

• 1/2 onion, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• cilantro to taste

• juice of 1/2 lime

• 2 jalapeño peppers, diced and seeded (I don’t like spice and the 2 seeded jalapeños was perfect; skip the seeding if you are not as big of a wimp)

• salt to taste

Peel and rinse the tomatillos. Cut each in half and place cut side down on a tinfoiled baking sheet. Place under the broiler until they just start to brown or if you are scared of the broiler like me, roast at 425º for about 10 minutes.

Combine with all other ingredients in a blender or food processor. Serve chilled.

sweet potato + chickpea burgers

perfect topped with vegan mayo and sautéed onions. makes 6 patties.

• 3 small sweet potatoes, boiled/steamed/however you want to soften them enough to scoop out the insides

• 1/3 cup dry quinoa, cooked

• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/2 onion, diced

• cilantro to taste

• 2 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tbsp sriracha or hot sauce

• salt to taste

• 1 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 400º. Combine mashed sweet potatoes, quinoa, chickpeas, onion, and spices. Use a potato masher to combine so that roughly half of the chickpeas are mashed.

Pulse the oats in a food processor until they are grainy, but not yet flour. Combine with burger mix - using your hands is the easiest. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop out patties with your hands and press them together. Place on a tinfoiled baking sheet for about 20 minutes, until you just start to see some color.

vegan pasta alla vodka

Just trust me on the coconut milk. I thought it was weird too. Serves 4 very generously.

• 1 lb pasta (rotini, elbows, penne, etc. - something small)

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 5 cloves garlic, minced (or more, who cares)

• 6 ounce can tomato paste

• 14 ounce can unsweetened/full fat coconut milk

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• black pepper, fresh basil to taste

• 1/4 cup vodka (if we’re being honest you can skip this but it’s in the name)

• optional: 3 handfuls spinach

• optional but highly recommended: 2-3 sundried tomatoes, diced very small

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water.

While the pasta is draining, heat the olive oil in the same pot over low heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. Do not let it brown or it will be gross. Add the red pepper flakes and sundried tomatoes if using.

Add the tomato paste. It’s really thick and doesn’t “stir” so I used the back of the spoon to smear it around and mix it into the garlic/olive oil.

Add the vodka if using. Shake the can of coconut milk well, and add. Whisk to combine so it’s not lumpy. Add salt, black pepper, and fresh basil.

Add the pasta water (until the sauce reaches your desired consistency) and the spinach. Stir until the spinach has wilted and the sauce just starts to bubble. Stir in the pasta.

carrot-ginger soup

feels a lot less healthy than it really is. makes 4 generous servings.

• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2'“ rounds (about 10 carrots)

• 1 onion, diced

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• 1 cup water

• 1/4 cup oats

• 1 tbs butter or equivalent

• 1 tsp ground ginger or fresh equivalent (do I look like the kind of person who has fresh ginger laying around?)

• black pepper to taste

Sauté the onion in butter until tender over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add the carrots, ginger, and black pepper, and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the broth, water, and oats and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until the carrots can be easily pierced with a fork - about 25 minutes.

Carefully add the soup to a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth. You can also use an immersion blender but I’m not that fancy. Add more broth here if you would like a thinner soup.

Top with croutons or paprika-roasted chickpeas.

quinoa salad

works served over lettuce or spinach, or in a wrap with a little bit of (vegan) mayo. serves 4 as a side dish.

• 1 cup quinoa

• 1/2 small onion, diced

• juice of 1/2 lime

• 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed

• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered (or 2-3 regular tomatoes, diced, but only if they are good tomatoes. don’t waste my time with off-season grocery store tomatoes.)

• minced garlic to taste

• red pepper flakes to taste

Cook quinoa according to package directions. Allow to cool. Combine with all other ingredients.