Not only does jackfruit lend itself well to shredding for that pulled effect, but it’s also great at soaking up the zesty barbecue sauce, making it an ideal candidate for these hearty sandwiches. Look for canned water-packed jackfruit in Asian markets or well-stocked supermarkets (be sure not to get the kind packed in syrup). If jackfruit is unavailable, substitute your choice of chopped seitan, steamed crumbled tempeh, or chopped or shredded mushrooms (portobellos or oyster mushrooms are especially good here).
1(16-ounce) can water-packed jackfruit, drained and shredded or thinly sliced
1tablespoontamari soy sauce
¼teaspoonsmoked paprika
Salt and ground black pepper
1 ½cupsbarbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade (recipe follows)
4sandwich rolls, split and toasted
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the jackfruit and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce and season with the paprika and salt and pepper to taste. Add as much of the barbecue sauce as desired, stirring to mix well. Use a fork (or two) to break up the jackfruit. If hard pieces remain, remove them to a cutting board and finely chop, then return them to the skillet. Cook for about 10 minutes to heat through and blend the flavors. Pile the jackfruit mixture onto the toasted sandwich rolls. Serve hot.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add the tomato sauce, chipotle, maple syrup, water, vinegar, tamari, salt, and pepper, stirring to mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the sauce reduces to the desired consistency. Near the end of the cooking time, stir in the liquid smoke, then taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt, maple syrup, or vinegar if needed to balance the flavors.
If you love your air fryer as much as I do, you’re going to be thrilled to own The Vegan Air Fryer, a new cookbook by JL Fields. And if you don’t yet own an air fryer, I encourage you to page through this book to see what you’re missing.
Like many people, the main thing I cook in my air fryer is potatoes — how great it is to have crispy French fries without oil! But air-fried French fries are only the beginning. In The Vegan Air Fryer you’ll find everything from appetizers to main dishes and even desserts. And for all you potato lovers out there, there are also loads of other recipes for air-fried spuds, including these Cheesy Potato Wedges.
Potatoes: Preheat the air fryer to 400°F for 3 minutes. Wash the potatoes. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and transfer them to a large bowl. Add the oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the potatoes. Toss to coat. Transfer the potatoes to the air fryer. Cook for 16 minutes, shaking halfway through the cooking time.
Cheese Sauce: Combine the cashews, turmeric, paprika, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice in a high-speed blender. Blend on low, slowly increasing the speed and adding water as needed. Be careful to avoid using too much water, as you want a thick, cheesy consistency.
Transfer the cooked potatoes to an air fryer–safe pan or a piece of parchment paper. Drizzle the cheese sauce over the potato wedges. Place the pan in the air fryer and cook for 2 more minutes at 400°F.
Hearts of palm stand in for raw fish in this plant-powered version of the classic South American dish. There are many versions of this salad throughout central and South America, so let’s add this plant-based pantry version to the list. If you like heat, add the jalapeno – if not, leave it out. The avocado is an optional but delicious inclusion. Hearts of Palm Ceviche makes a great salad served over lettuce or a fun appetizer spooned onto tortilla chips, crackers, or slices of toasted baguette.
1(14-ounce) jar hearts of palm, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1medium tomato, finely chopped or 1 (4-ounce) jar chopped pimientos
2tablespoonskalamata olives or green olives, pitted and halved
2tablespoonschopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped (optional)
Tortilla chips, to serve
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, oil, jalapeno, if using, sugar, scallions, capers, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
In a large shallow bowl arrange the cucumber slices in a layer. Top with a layer of the hearts of palm slices. Sprinkle the tomato and olives, then drizzle with the reserved dressing. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to 3 hours before serving.
When ready to serve, taste and adjust the seasonings if needed and sprinkle with the cilantro and avocado if using. Serve with tortilla chips.
These Breakfast Nachos are a favorite “anytime” meal at our house, and they can make an extra-special brunch on Father’s Day. I plan to make this for Jon on Sunday to thank him for being such a great dad to all of our kitties. Lucky for him, the cats won’t be helping me in the kitchen!
I hope you and your family enjoy this as much as we do!
Nachos for breakfast is a fun way to start the day. Make the queso sauce in advance and the nachos will come together quickly.
Yields4
AuthorRobin Robertson
Ingredients
1tablespoonolive oil
1small yellow onion, minced
2garlic cloves, minced
3scallions, chopped
12ouncesextra-firm tofu, drained and diced
1/2 teaspoonsalt
2tablespoonsnutritional yeast
1/2teaspoonground cumin
1/4 teaspoonturmeric
1 ½ cupscooked or 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1large tomato, diced
1jalapeno, seeded and minced
¼cupchopped cilantro, plus more for garnish (optional)
1ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
1recipeSmoky Queso Sauce (below), kept warm
1(13-ounce) bag restaurant-style tortilla chips
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and scallions and cook 2 minutes longer. Add the tofu and salt, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the nutritional yeast, cumin, and turmeric. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Stir in the beans, cover, and keep warm.
In a medium bowl, combine the tomato, jalapeno, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt to taste and mix well. Gently stir in the avocado.
To assemble, spoon a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a large plate. Place half of the chips on top of the sauce. Spoon half of the sauce on top of the chips, followed by half of the tofu and beans, and then half of the salsa. Top with the remaining chips and repeat with the remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, garnished with additional cilantro, if using.
This easy-cheesy sauce is great for nachos or folded into cooked pasta for a zesty mac and cheese. If chopped pimientos are unavailable, you can substitute 3 tablespoons chopped roasted red bell pepper.
Yields2cups
AuthorRobin Robertson
Ingredients
1(2-ounce) jar chopped pimientos, drained
1teaspooncanned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/2cupnutritional yeast
3tablespoonscornstarch
1/2teaspoonsmoked paprika
1/2teaspoononion powder
1/2teaspoongarlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1tablespoonolive oil
2teaspoonsfresh lemon juice
2teaspoonsrice vinegar
1 ½ cupsplain unsweetened almond milk or water
Instructions
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Use as desired.
I love New York — and I REALLY love NYC Vegan, the fantastic new cookbook by Michael Suchman and Ethan Ciment aka the Vegan Mos. It’s such a fun book, billed with personal anecdotes and stories about New York City. Best of all, of course, are the wonderful recipes — all the great food New York is know for, made deliciously vegan. One of my favorites is the Street Fair Corn (below) which I will be making regularly this summer.
Kudos to Michael and Ethan for a job well done and for bringing New York City into our kitchens! If you don’t own NYC Vegan, do yourself a favor and order a copy today.
1tablespoonfinely chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
4ears sweet corn, shucked
1lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
Heat a grill for direct-heat grilling, or heat a grill pan over high heat on the stove. While the grill is heating, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, nondairy parmesan, chili powder, garlic, and cilantro. Stir until completely combined.
Place the corn directly on the hot grill and cook, rotating occasionally, until cooked through and charred in spots on all sides, about 8 minutes total.
Remove the corn from the grill and transfer to a serving plate. Use a pastry or basting brush to generously coat each ear of corn with the mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle with extra cheese and chili powder and serve immediately with lime wedges.
With summer on the horizon, fresh fruit desserts are back on the menu. I especially love the combination of peaches and blueberries. One of my favorite ways to serve them is with this easy crumble that is best served warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.
Similar to a fruit crisp, this Peach-Blueberry Crumble is made in a skillet on a stovetop instead of in the oven. The basis of the “crumble” topping is healthful, toothsome oatmeal. Yum.
Halve and cut the peaches, then cut them into thin slices and place in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch and toss well to combine. Gently fold in the blueberries.
Transfer the fruit mixture to a 10-inch skillet (cast iron is preferable) and set aside. In a food processor, combine the oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt and pulse to combine and break down the oats somewhat. Add the butter and pulse until the pieces of butter are the size of peas.
Sprinkle the topping mixture evenly over the fruit. Cover and cook over medium heat until hot and bubbly, about 12 minutes. Turn off heat, remove the lid, and let stand for another 5 minutes to cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
