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American Culture Main Courses

Canopy Cassoulet

As a volunteer with the refugee resettlement group Canopy Northwest Arkansas, I made a family’s first meal in their new home. The mom and dad, ages 30 and 28, have been living in camps since fleeing Democratic Republic of  Congo in 2003. Their son just turned 6. Who knows what they’ve been eating all this time. A recipe, […]

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Main Courses

Vegan Frittata

ForksOverKnives.com, the website of the 2011 documentary, piqued my interest a few months ago with a recipe for “Chickpea Omelet.” No, it’s not lumpy with garbanzos. The dish is a savory thick pancake using flour ground from the bean. Update: Similar versions use a thin batter for a crepe-like effect: the Indian dosa and central African […]

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Holiday Cuisine Main Courses

Forget John, It’s Time for Hoppin’ Ben

This is a vegan version of Hoppin’ John, the black-eyed pea dip/salad/soup said to bring good luck when eaten on New Year’s Day. (A mess of greens and cornbread complete the traditional charm). Like split peas and lentils, black-eyes do not have to be soaked before cooking. If served immediately, this is more of a […]

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Main Courses

Says Who? Miso

Miso is a fermented paste made of various grains and sometimes soybeans, originating in Japan. It’s popularly used for a soup, simple to make but complex in taste. The vegan dish often is eaten for breakfast. Here, it’s a quick lunch that can be made in the microwave oven in the break room at work, […]

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Main Courses

Lunch Flask Kitchari

It’s hard to find time rushing in the morning before work and school, but if you can make a few moments to throw together sandwiches to brown-bag for lunch, then there’s enough time for an incredibly filling, nutritious soup. This is an ayurvedic (ancient Indian system of health) take-to-work lunch, a single serving so large […]

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Main Courses

Fried Soup – Veganized

After consideration, here is a major revision of my 2010 vegetarian burger recipe, Fried Soup. While dropping the egg from the ingredients was a factor, the instructions needed further fluffing. Besides simple editing, feedback from students at my three-part October 2013 class “Vegan – As Easy as You Want,” showed a need to elaborate. Fried […]