Featured Recipes

Recipes this month are contributed by Susan Voisin. Susan eliminated all animal products from her diet in 1988, learned how to cook without added fat, and lost over 100 pounds. Susan maintains the Fatfree Vegan Recipes website, a collection of over 1400 low-fat vegan recipes sent in by hundreds of people.

VEGAN GERMAN POTATO SALAD

Though the smoked salt gives this potato salad a somewhat bacony flavor, crumbled tempeh bacon, if you happen to have it, is a great addition.

Serves: 5

Ingredients
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons vegetable broth
1 teaspoon creole or other whole grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
generous grating of black pepper
1/16 teaspoon hickory smoked salt or other smoked salt
1/3 cup sliced green onions or chopped red onions

Instructions
Wash the potatoes well and if they are large, cut them into halves or quarters; try to keep your pieces about the same size so they cook at the same speed. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the potatoes, and cook until they are tender when pierced with a fork. The time will depend on the size of the potatoes (my large, cut in half potatoes took about 25 minutes).

Drain the water from the potatoes in a colander and rinse them with cold water to cool them down enough to handle. If you want, you can peel them (I didn't). Chop them into bite-sized cubes and place in a large bowl.

Whisk together the remaining ingredients except the onions in a small bowl. Pour over the potatoes and mix well. Stir in the onions. Check flavor and add more vinegar, salt, pepper, or smoked salt to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.

BBQ BLACK-EYE PEA BURGER

Delicious and meaty, these vegan black-eyed pea burgers are seasoned with just a touch of barbecue sauce for a spicy, smoky flavor.

Serves: 6

Ingredients
1 can cooked black-eyed peas, drained (or 1 3/4 cups cooked)
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup organic barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons coconut aminos, soy sauce, or tamari
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups rolled oats, panko, or dried bread crumbs

Instructions
Put all ingredients except the oats (or bread crumbs) in the food processor. Pulse a few times, just enough to break up the peas a little but not puree them. Stir in 1 cup of the oats. Check the consistency. It should be moist but not wet. Add more oats to achieve the right consistency.
Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Form burger patties on the prepared surface using about 1/2 cup of mixture per burger. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Burgers will be hot throughout, but don't let get too dry. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before serving.

INTERNATIONAL QUINOA SALAD

This vegan quinoa salad features tiny pearls of quinoa drenched in tangy, chili-seasoned dressing, with cubes of avocado that melt in your mouth and cucumbers and chickpeas for a little bit of crunch.

Serves: 8

Ingredients
Quinoa:
1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed very well
2 1/4 cups water
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
Vegetables:
1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
2 medium-large tomatoes, finely chopped
kernels of 2 ears of cooked corn (about 1 cup), optional
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup scallions, thinly sliced
2/3 cup parsley — minced
1/3 cup fresh mint — minced
1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced (reserve a few slices for garnish)
Dressing:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (NOT lemon)
3 tablespoons vegetable broth or bean cooking liquid
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper

Instructions
To cook the quinoa in a pressure cooker, place it and the water, garlic, and salt in the cooker and lock the lid. Over high heat, bring to high pressure and cook for one minute. Remove from heat and allow the pressure to come down naturally. Fluff the quinoa and allow it to cool. (To cook it on the stove, use 2 1/2 cups of water. Rinse the quinoa and toast it in a saucepan over medium heat. Add water, garlic, and salt and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and cook until all water is absorbed, about 15 minutes. Fluff and cool.)

Combine all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the quinoa and mix well. Whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour over the salad. Mix well and refrigerate until chilled. Taste before serving, and add more lime juice as necessary (you want it to be tangy). Garnish with avocado slices and serve. Makes about 8 servings.

PEACH UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

No long introduction to this recipe, folks. I could talk about how it's peach season and the sweetest, juiciest, not-quite-local peaches come from Chilton County, Alabama. Or I could travel down memory lane and plague you with childhood stories of how I used to gorge on peaches in my family's orchard until the fuzz burned off the skin under my nose. But no. Sometimes a few pictures and a recipe are all you need. Feel free to chat amongst yourselves.

This is a lightly sweetened cake that allows the fresh flavor of the peaches to shine through. If you like your desserts sugary (like my daughter does), feel free to increase the amount of sugar that goes into the skillet by up to double. The same goes if your peaches are not quite sweet enough. But my husband and I like it just like this.

Serves 8

Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 cup natural sugar (I used demerara for all the sugar in this recipe)
1/8 teaspoon salt

Liquid ingredients:
1 cup vanilla soy milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest (or 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract)

4 cups peeled and sliced peaches
2 tablespoons natural, raw or brown sugar
1/4 cup natural, raw or brown sugar
2 tablespoons water

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Combine the liquid ingredients in a separate bowl. Set aside without mixing them together.

Combine the peaches with the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Wipe or spray a 10-inch, well-seasoned cast iron skillet with oil. (This step is very important if you want to be able to get the cake out of the pan.) Begin heating it and add the 1/4 cup (or more) of sugar and the water. Heat and stir until the sugar is completely melted. Continue to cook and stir until the mixture is bubbly and slightly reduced (but be careful not to burn it). Place the peaches on top of the sugar and remove from heat.

Add the liquid ingredients to the flour mixture, stirring briefly just to moisten. Pour and smooth the batter over the peaches, covering them entirely. Put the skillet into the oven (you may want to place a cookie sheet or foil on the shelf below it to catch drips) and bake until the sides of the cake pull away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick comes out clean (about 30-40 minutes).

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15-30 minutes. Then, run a knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Place a large plate or serving platter over the top and invert the skillet. Remove the skillet carefully from the cake

Be sure to scrape any caramelized juices from the pan and smooth them over the peaches.

Voilà! Peach Upside-Down Cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature, alone or with vanilla non-dairy ice cream. Makes about 8 servings.

VEGAN SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH VEGAN CHICKPEA CHEESE SAUCE

You can leave the skins on the potatoes if you like, which makes this casserole come together much more quickly. The skins do make it slightly less easy to cut and messier to eat, so for special occasions, I suggest peeling.

Serves 6

Ingredients
3/4 cup chickpeas, canned or home cooked with liquid
3/4 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk, plain and unsweetened
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 large garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chives, snipped
2 pounds potatoes, Yukon gold or red
additional snipped chives, for garnish

Instructions
Open a can of chickpeas. Pour the liquid into a 2-cup measuring cup and add enough non-dairy milk to reach the 1 1/2 cup mark. (If using home-cooked chickpeas, use 3/4 cup cooking liquid.) Pour into blender. Add 3/4 cup of chickpeas, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, turmeric, and pepper. Blend on high speed until completely smooth. Add the chives without blending and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400F and lightly oil a medium-sized casserole dish. (The oil prevents sticking; leave it out at your own risk.)

Wash the potatoes and peel them if you like. Slice them about 1/4-inch thick (a mandolin speeds up the process and ensures that they are all the same thickness.) Place about a third of them overlapping to cover the bottom of the dish. Pour about 1/2 cup of the sauce over them. Add another layer and cover with another 1/2 cup of sauce. Repeat with remaining potatoes and sauce.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 15-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. If the top starts to brown too much, loosely cover with foil until potatoes are done.

Sprinkle with additional chives and serve hot.

OVEN-FRIED EGGPLANT POBOY SANDWICHES

Dipped in this gluten-free batter and baked, eggplant comes out crispy on the outside, soft and creamy on the inside, and it's perfect on a poboy sandwich.

Serves 5

Ingredients

1 large eggplant (approximately 1 1/4 pound)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk of choice
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt (if desired)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more or less, to taste)
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Instructions
Peel the eggplant and trim off the ends. Slice it into rounds about 1/2-inch thick. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and mix well. You should have a batter a little thicker than pancake batter. If it seems dry, add a splash of non-dairy milk.
Dip each eggplant slice into the batter and turn it to coat both sides and edges well. Holding the slice between two fingers, allow any excess batter to drip back into the bowl, and place the eggplant on the baking sheet. Repeat with as many slices as you can fit on the baking sheet, being careful that they do not touch. (If your baking sheet is small, you may need to make two batches; batter can thicken between batches, so add more liquid if necessary.)
Place in the oven. After 20 minutes, remove and gently turn each slice–you may have to hold the parchment paper and peel it from the eggplant. Replace and cook until outsides are brown but not burning, about 15 more minutes.

Serve hot on hoagie rolls or French bread with marinara sauce, lettuce, and tomato.

Notes
I used soy milk, which thickens with the addition of lemon juice. If you use another plant-based milk, you may need to add a little extra flour if the batter seems thin.

Other flours should work, but I have only tested it at this time with brown rice flour. If you use a different flour, use your judgement about whether the batter needs to be thinned with extra milk or thickened with extra flour.