Kosher Vegan Southwest Falafel

I love being an American! We get the best of everyone's foods. Let's take a little bit of Mexico, a little bit of Texas, and a little bit of Persia and throw them all in a blender. It turns out they play very nicely together.

As I've said before, you really can't go wrong with chickpeas. They're crazily versitile. Any time I start wondering what to do with a new spice blend or random vegetable I find in the fridge, somehow chickpeas creep into my improvised meal.

Therefore, I unwittingly turned an experiment with southwest spices into what I later realized was just fancified falafel. Ah, well. It felt so creative at the time. Somtimes it's fun to throw a couple different kinds of cuisine together and see what happens. This southwest falafel is just as easy as classic falafel but with a little fun for those of you who can't put the chillies down.

I suspect these would be even better in a deep fryer, but they're pretty darn tasty pan fried.

• 2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 four oz can diced green chilles
• 1/2 medium yellow onion
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 2 tbsp cilantro
• 1 tsp hot paprika
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup olive oil

In a large skillet, bring the oil to a medium heat. While the oil is heating, throw the chickpeas, chilles, onion, bell pepper, garlic, parsley, cilantro, paprika, oregano and cumin into a blender or food processor. I like to leave mine a little bit gritty, but you're welcome to blend it until it's completely smooth.

Mix the flour and baking powder. Now scoop everythign out of the blender or food processor and combine it with the flour mix. You should end up with a stiff dough. If it's too wet or falls apart in your hands, add another 2 tbsp of flour.

Make the dough into balls about the size of a silver dollar, then squish them slightly flat in your hands. Basically, you're trying to make sure the oil will cover most of the falafel patty. Don't mash it paper thin. Then you just end up with a confusingly crunchy crust.

Try one patty first to make sure it comes out alright. If the first one falls apart in the oil, add another 1 - 2 tbsp of flour to the batter. Once you're sure they're a texture you like, feel free to fill your pan with as many as it'll take.

Fry the patties for 2 - 4 minutes per side - basically until they're golden brown. Drain them on a few paper towels to cut back on any greasiness. If you have a deep fat fryer, try making the falafel into balls and cooking it for about six minutes. I'm guessing here, so if you try this, please let me know.

SERVING SUGGESTION

Since these are southwestern flavored, I recommend making sandwiches with tortillas instead of pita bread. Pile the patties with your favourite salsa, some corn relish, lettuce, and soy pepperjack cheese.

Kosher Vegan Lentil and Onion Soup

I love onions. When I lived in Germany, I'd sometimes saute a sliced onion with a couple cloves of garlic and eat it on a toasted baguette. My roommates thought I was The One Poor American, and therefore kept trying to kindly slip meat into my food for fear I'd starve to death.

• 1 pound brown lentils
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 1 small red onion
• 1 cup peeled pearl onions
• 2 leeks
• 6 cups vegetable broth
• 1 head garlic
• 1 tbsp basil
• 1 tbsp oregano
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tbsp olive oil

In a very large soup pot, bring the vegetable broth and bay leaf to a boil.

Meanwhile, dice the onions into different sized chunks for texture variation. Personally, I dice the red onion pretty fine, the yellow onion into larger chunks, and the white portion of the leeks into broad strips. Throw away the green portion of the leeks.

Bring a skillet to medium heat. Add the olive oil and all your onions (including the peeled pearl onions). Saute until the the onions start to turn translucent. Now press or dice all the garlic and add it in as well. Stir heartily and continue to cook until some of the onions just start to caramelize. Don't worry that a lot will still be translucent. They're different sizes and types. They're supposed to cook at different rates.

Now add the rest of the spices. Stir well so your onions are thoroughly coated.

Hopefully, your stock is now boiling. (If not, take the onions off the heat until the vegetable broth boils.) Add your pound of lentils to the boiling broth and stir well. Now dump in your onion mix. Try to scrape any lingering spices and such out of your skillet.

Once the mix is boiling again, give it another good stir. Now cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. If your pot is prone to boiling over, leave a tiny crack for steam to escape.

Stir once every half an hour. It should take about 2 hours for the lentils to fully cook.

Serve with a hearty brown bread. On the second day, it'll be thick enough to serve on top of cooked rice for a complete protein in one meal.

Kosher Vegan Pan Fried Basil and Herb Carrots

These were a happy accident. I wanted to make some lightly pan fried fingerling potatoes as part of a Hanukkah dinner. Oh, yes. While the rest of the country is dressing their dogs up to have photos taken with Santa, I'm indulging in the sinful delights of fried foods. The festival of lights is my excuse to enjoy donuts for breakfast, latkes and applesauce for dinner, and delicious experiments with oil.

On a whim, I decided to peel some carrots and throw them in alongside some herbed heirloom potatoes. At the end of the meal, the incidental carrots had been eagerly consumed while the allegedly main course potatoes sat lonely and accusing on the plate, wondering why they weren't loved.

• 1 pound carrots
• 3 - 4 tbsp basil oil
• 1 tbsp Herbs de Provence
• 1 tsp salt

Peel the carrots and cut them into 1.5 - 2 inch chunks. If you cut them on a diagonal, you'll have more surface area. This means more of the carrots natural sugars will be caramelized by the heat. Caramelization means tasty goodness.

Bring 3 tbsp basil oil to a medium heat in a large, sturdy skillet. Add the salt and mix well. Now add the carrots and stir until they're well coated in oil. If they look a little dry, add another tbsp.

Now comes the easy yet boring part. Stir fry the carrots until they're cooked through. This should take about 15 minutes. You don't need to hover over them nonstop. Go ahead and give them a good stir 3 - 4 times while cooking, just enough to make sure none of the chunks end up with one side burned and the other side raw.

After fifteen minutes, you should start to see some browning, maybe even a couple of crispy edges. I've tried this recipe twice this week and found that letting them darken until they flirt with that line between highly caramalized and lightly burned, they come out downright cracktastic. Take a risk. Worst case scenario, you've wasted 20 minutes of your life and $1 in carrots. So, once your carrots are well cooked, add the Herbs de Provence. You can get this French spice mix in an adorable overpriced rustic pot at Williams Sonoma, or for less than $4 in an ordinary plastic jar from Amazon.com.

Sprinkle the spices over the carrots and mix thoroughly. Cook the carrots for another minute or so, then serve. In case you're wondering, adding herbs at the beginning of a high heat or frying process will result in burned herbs. If you think about it, herbs are just little leaves, and a tiny piece of leaf cooks pretty quickly. Don't burn your leaves. Adding them near the end lets you bring out the flavor via cooking before they end up unpleasantly charred.

If you don't happen to have any Herbs de Provence around, you can make a little homebrew using the following ingredients. If you like the mix, scale it up, put it in an old spice jar, and use it to season fish, chicken, or potatoes.

• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp marjoram
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp sage
• 1/4 tsp lavender (optional)

Kosher Parve Sweet Honey Corn

To my surprise, a lot of people aren't entirely sure how to boil corn. It's okay. I knew how to make a good channa masala before I learned how to make basic tuna salad. We all have interesting little gaps in our kitchen skills. Pretend you're here looking for spice advice while you sneak a peek at the cooking instructions. I won't tell.

Most people love basic boiled corn on the cob slathered in butter. It's oh so delicious. However, if you're looking for a parve/vegetarian dish that, as an added bonus, won't smear your makeup while eating, give this variation a try.

6 ears yellow corn

6 tsp honey

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp kosher salt

Find a pot large enough to fit six ears of corn and a bunch of water. In an ideal world, this pot will have a lid. You may not live in an ideal world, though, so don't sweat it. Either way, fill the pot about half way with water and bring it to a boil. Throw in the corn. Now, if you have a lid, put it on top, turn the heat off, and wait 15 minutes. If you don't have a lid, turn the heat down to medium (just enough to keep the water boiling) and let it steam up your kitchen for 15 minutes.

Remove the corn from the water. How you do this is up to you. In an ideal world, a pair of tongs or super heat resistant silicone gloves might be involved. In my world, I usually use a couple of forks while doing the 'ow ow ow hot water just splashed my legs' dance. Do as I say, not as I do. Wouldn't it be better if we all lived in an ideal world?

Using your sturdiest knife, cut the corn from the cob. Now, you may be wondering why you nearly boiled your arm off when the grocery store sells perfectly good corn in cans. Trust me, the texture and flavor aren't even remotely the same. Fresh ingredients make a world of difference, and in the world of corn, it's like going from the inhospitable surface of a hostile, brackish world to the sweet warmth of a newly terraformed virgin planet.

Scoop your newly shorn corn kernels into a large bowl. Add the honey, garlic, and salt, then mix until everything is pretty evenly distributed. Serve warm. If you happen to have any leftover, add about 1 tsp water per cup of corn and it'll reheat pretty well in the microwave.

Variations:

I sometimes like to add 1/2 - 1 tsp paprika or cayenne to give this a little bit of a bite. The same quantity of freshly ground white pepper instead can also add a nice touch.

Kosher Vegan Thanksgiving Dressing

This hearty dressing makes a great vegetarian main course.

Home made bread cubes really aren't that hard to come by. If you pick up a baugette from the store, just leave it out overnight and it'll go rock hard. If you're well prepared, you can even cut it into chunks first. A baguette is easy, but this recipe works great with artisan breads. Go ahead and pick up that Rosemary and Basil Foccacia or Roasted Garlic Herb Bread. It'll add more flavor. Stay away from sweet breads, though. I'm not sure how this would turn out with Cinnamon Swirl Bagels or Blueberry Muffin Loaf.

• Roughly 7 - 8 cups of stale bread ripped into cubes
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 granny smith apple
• 1 onion
• 1 red bell pepper
• 6 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp sage
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp salt
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp rosemary

Preheat your oven to 350.

Peel the apple and cut it into roughly 1 inch cubes. Now peel the onion and do the same thing. Ditto for the bell pepper. Most people put celery in their dressing, but I don't like it. Therefore, we're going to forgo sauteing the onion so it'll still give a little bit of crunch.

Now, in a large bowl, mix all the spices and 2 tbsp of the olive oil with the canned vegetable broth. If your broth has some frighteningly high sodium content, feel free to leave out the extra salt. You're mixing the spices with the broth to better distribute them into the bread. Otherwise, you risk ending up with a big bite of sage at one corner and an unseasoned chunk of dull bread at the other.

I happen to like my dressing moist. I didn't grow up with gravy, so the dressing had to be able to stand on its own. For a vegetarian recipe, this is extra important. If, however, you like your dressing a little drier, only use 3 cups of broth.

Now dump your breadcubes, onion, apple, and bell pepper into the broth. Mix until everything is pretty damp and well blended. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so. This should give the bread a chance to really soak up all the broth. This is especially important if you used a dense artisian bread, like foccacia or cibata.

Rub your remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the inside of a large cake pan (I recommend glass or pyrex, as dark pans are more likely to make the bottom and edges burn.) Press the dressing into the pan. Don't be afraid to squish it down a little. You don't want it too fluffy.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Check it with a fork. Now, this is the only tricky bit. Some people like their dressing a little runny and others like it bone dry. I err on the moist side. If in doubt, go ahead and scoop out a discrete fork full from near the middle. If it's not dry enough for you, let it bake for another 10 minutes. If you bake it too much longer than that, once it hits the table, it'll dry out tremendously. (So much you won't want to use it for leftovers, which is always the best part of the holiday for me.)

Kosher Parve Mashed Sweet Potatoes Stuffed in Oranges

These are a great presentation dish for a dinner of 8 or less. If you're having a dozen or more people over for Thanksgiving, they can turn into a hassle.

Ironically, the best oranges for stuffing are not the tastiest ones for seasoning. Pick big, fat navel oranges with as flat a bottom as you can find. They're just for cosmetics. The actual orange juice should come from whatever OJ you normally drink at home (I go for the pulp free Tropicana with extra calcium myself.)

The banana may seem like an odd addition, but it helps firm up the potatoes while also adding an extra hint of sweetness. Go on. Give it at try.

• 8 large, attractive navel oranges, roughly the same size
• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 banana
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
  Peel and boil the sweet potatoes until soft. Drain the potatoes. If you don't need the pot for other things (holidays can be hectic) just dump them back in. If you do, put them in a large bowl for mashing. Add the banana, cinnamon, oil, salt, and orange juice. Mash the whole mess until it's well blended. The oil is just there to act as food glue, helping hold all the other ingredients together.

  Give it a taste. Some people like their holiday potatoes sweeter. Feel free to double the cinnamon, add 1/4 cup of brown sugar, or, if they're still fairly firm, 1/4 cup more orange juice.

  Cut the tops of the oranges. Hollow out the insides with a spoon and throw away the pulp. The goal here is to keep the oranges as solid and presentable as possible. Once you have nice, hollow oranges, stuff them with the sweet potato mix. Top the mix with generous sprinkles of brown sugar.

  After stuffing the oranges, there should be enough remaining for leftovers. These reheat just fine in a microwave. If in doubt, add 1 tbsp water or OJ before nuking.

  If you're in a hurry or not interested in schmancy presentation food, just put the whole mashed mess in a bowl and top it with brown sugar.

  VARIATIONS

  A slightly tropical flair works well for these. Try substituting pineapple juice for the orange juice.

  If you're not afraid of the spice blends, a teaspoon of "pumpkin pie spice" adds some flavor.

  You can add some Kosher Marshmallows to the top as well, but keep in mind that while the marshamllows are parve, they're made from fish gelatin and therefore aren't vegan. If serving vegetarians, check to see if fish is permissible in their diet.

Kosher Parve Honey Lime Yams

This parve alternative to the usual butter drenched candied yams goes great with spicy foods. It's also lower in fat and calories, but that's just a bonus.

• 2 large yams or sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup honey
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cayenne

Preheat your oven to 400F. Peel the yams and slice them into roughly 1/2 inch circles. The thinner you slice the yams, the faster they'll cook, but you don't want to slice them so thin you end up with slightly mushy yam fries.

Mix the honey, lime juice, salt, and cayenne in a bowl.

Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Dip each slice of yam into the honey/lime mix. Spread the yam slices in a single layer on the cookie sheet. Repeat on a second cookie sheet if you have more yam slices. Drizzle the remaining mix over the top of the yams. You don't want to take the easy route by layering the slices then drowning them in the mix because the honey will just pool between the slices and burn.

Bake at 400F for 30 minutes, or until the yams are tender.

Kosher Parve Wasabi/Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

I find these wasabi/horseradish potatoes go great with beef dishes. Try them alongside a nicely peppered New York Strip Steak (with a bit of extra horseradish on the side for the meat.)

• 3 pounds potatoes
• 1 cup soy creamer OR 1 cup soy milk + 1 tbsp light vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tbsp horseradish - FRESH, NOT PREPARED! (Prepared horseradish often has dairy)
• 1/2 tbsp green wasabi paste
• 1 tsp fresh ground white pepper

I recommend peeling the potatoes. You can leave the skins on if you prefer, but I think the added texture distracts too much in this recipe. Skinned or not, boil and drain the potatoes then return them to their original pot. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a separate bowl until smooth. This is just to ensure even distribution in the potatoes. You don't want to accidentally bite into a lump of pure wasabi. Add the mix to the pot of potatoes and mash until you reach your desired texture. I like mine a little lumpy, but you're welcome to get out a hand mixer if you prefer them uniformly smooth. If you'd like your potatoes a little creamier, add 1/4 cup soy creamer/soy milk. Don't add more sesame oil. It's more for flavor than texture.

If you want the flavor with a little less kick, cut the wasabi and horseradish in half and double the salt. If you're the type who loves the way horseradish clears your nostrils, go nuts with it. Or try adding a few cloves of garlic to enhance the flavor.

A note of caution - both prepared horseradish and some cheap wasabi pastes can be made with dairy. Please check the labels to be sure of what you're getting before you take anything home.

Kosher Parve Garlic Mashed Potatoes

In this age of excellent milk substitutes, parve mashed potatoes don't have to be mealy and dry. You can get that rich, creamy texture from nut milks.

In exchange for the texture, you're going to have to spice the potatoes up a little. Silk brand coffee creamer is a real joy in mashed potatoes, but there's no denying the heavy the nutty taste. I haven't been able to lay hands on Wildwood Organic's soy creamer, although I hear good things about it. 8th Continent soymilk tastes a lot more like the real thing (I especially love their light chocolate soymilk), but like most soymilks, is too low in fat to give the full, creamy mouthfeel. Regardless of which milk/creamer alternative you use, you'll want to disguise the flavor with spices. Luckily, those spices include garlic. You can never go wrong with garlic.

• 3 pounds potatoes
• 1 cup soy creamer OR 1 cup soy milk + 2 tbsp light vegetable oil (or parve margarine)
• 10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh grated mixed peppercorns
• 1 tsp onion salt

Boil and drain the potatoes. It's entirely up to you whether or not to leave on the skins. Dump everything else in the pot you boiled your potatoes in and start mashing. Again, it's entirely up to you whether to stop while they're still a little lumpy or get out the hand mixer and blend them until smooth.

The stealth ingredient here is the onion salt. Somehow, the slightly acidic tang of it really covers any nutty soy flavor. If you can't get ahold of onion salt, try throwing the garlic, 1/2 cup of diced onion, and a tsp of oil into a blender until you have a nice, smooth paste. I'd add a couple extra cloves of garlic, too, since a few precious scraps will still be left in the blender. Add the paste to the pot of potatoes and blend as per the other directions.

Just as some people like their potatoes lumpy versus smooth or with bits of skin versus pure pulp, there are degrees of creamyness. If these are a little dry for your taste, try adding 1/4 cup creamer (or 1/4 cup milk + 1/2 tsp oil or 1 tsp parve margarine) until they reach your ideal texture.

Kosher Vegan Yellow Lentils with Whole Spices

I love lentils. This sometimes surprises me, because I grew up hating beans. In retrospect, it turns out I didn't like the spices. Discovering South Asian and Middle Eastern food opened up a whole new word of tasty goodness for me.

Since they both take time to make and always taste better the next day, I tend to make lentil dishes in large batches so I can leave a pot in the fridge and graze out of it all week long. This particular lentil dish is a nice sweet variation loosely based on something I recently enjoyed at a Turkish restaurant.

• 2 cups yellow lentils, soaked overnight
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 2 tbsp minced garlic (or 4 cloves)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 inch peeled and chopped ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground white or mixed peppercorns
• 6 cups water

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the garlic, cinnamon stick, ginger, bay leaf, cloves, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir well, cooking the spices for 2 - 3 minutes. Trust me - this really brings out the flavor. You'll notice a real difference if you skip the step (although I've dumped spices in the pot without cooking them first in plenty of recipes and had the result turn out perfectly edible. But that's not what you want. You want mouth watering.)

Now add the chopped onion and apricots. Stir frequently, cooking 4 - 5 minutes, until the onions turn translucent. Once the onions are ready, you can finally add the water and lentils. Stir everything well, then bring it to a boil. Cover the pot and bring it down to a simmer. Let the lentils boil for a good hour.

Now you get to decide if you want them slightly soupy or thick enough to stand a spoon in. If you'd like a more soup like consistency, take it off the heat, fish out the bay leaf, cloves, and cinnamon stick, then serve. If you like your lentils thicker, take the lid off and continue cooking for another half hour - longer if you like your lentils really thick.

If you're feeling schmancy, let the lentils cool slightly, pick out the spices, and puree everything in a blender until it is nice and smooth. Personally, I like the mouthfeel of bits of onion and apricot (and, being honest here, I hate cleaning my blender).

Serve over rice or with naan.

VARIATIONS

Brown or red lentils don't need to be soaked overnight. If you're in a hurry, go ahead and use either of them. Red lentils hold up to to the sweetness of the apricots better, but they will fall apart faster, so you won't want to use the longer cooking time. You might also want to reduce the water by 1 cup. Brown lentils won't balance as well with the sweetness, but have a hearty solidity to them.

If you're feeling bold and daring, try substituting dried cranberries for the apricots.

If you'd like something a little mellower, try substituting diced dried apples for the apricots.

Kosher Vegan Banana Ice Cream

I made 2 ice creams this weekend - one with Lactaid milk, one with Soymilk. My husband raved over this one and said the Lactaid milk experiment was okay, but nowhere near as crack-a-licious. This is also so easy it's almost criminal. No scalding of milk or melting of cocoa - just mix and pour. In a couple hours, it's ready to eat. I can picture making it every weekend this summer.

• 2 cups vanilla soy milk (8th Continent or Sun Soy preferred)
• 3 ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup sugar

Mash the bananas until they're paste. The blacker the skins, the easier this is. Mix in the sugar. Mix in the soymilk. Keep mixing until relatively smooth. Pour into your ice cream maker and follow your manufacturer's instructions.

Variations:

I think 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips would be a tasty addition.

Kosher Vegan White Beans and Corn

I've never been fond of black-eyed peas, but I absolutely love most white beans. This is my (much lighter) take on a colorful southern dish.

• 1 cup Habichuelas Blancas (small white beans), soaked overnight (you can find canned ones in some Mexican groceries)
• 1 cup (two large ears) fresh corn, cooked
• 3 cups water
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic (or two cloves, chopped)
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp basil
• juice of 1 lime

Bring water to a boil. Add beans, cover, and reduce to low. Simmer until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes. If you haven't already boiled the corn, this is a good time to do so. You'll have some time to kill.

When the beans are nearly ready (no more than 15 minutes left to go), put a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Saute the chopped onion until translucent (longer if you like). Add the bell pepper, cooked corn, tomato, and garlic. Saute until tender-crisp, about 4-5 minutes.

When the peas are fully cooked (all water absorbed, tender when tasted), add the corn mixture and all remaining ingredients. Stir until well blended. Serve hot.

Variations:

• If using canned beans, cook the corn mixture as per directions. Drain the beans and add them directly to the frying pan, along with the vinegar, garlic, lime juice, and spices. Mix well and serve hot.
• You can make this even more colorful by adding half a green bell pepper to the corn mix.

Kosher for Passover Parve Deviled Eggs

These aren't lite by any stretch of the imagination, but they're very tasty and can be served with meat or dairy meals, or just eaten as an enjoyably fatty snack.

• 12 hard boiled eggs
• 1/3 cup Kosher for Passover mayonnaise, such as Manischewitz
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp paprika

Shell the eggs. Cut them in half lengthwise and remove the yolks. Mix the yolks, mayonnaise, lemon juice, cumin, pepper, and salt in a bowl. Mash until an even texture. Spoon the mash back into the egg whites. Sprinkle with paprika.

I don't dare figure up the Weight Watcher points. Assume it's a lot. A whole lot.

Kosher Vegan Vegetable Medley

This is so simple I don't even think it deserves the title "recipe." My husband disagrees. In fact, he disagrees so fervently he has promised, if I'll post it, he'll make dinner without me sitting in the other room and eyeballing everything for him. I can't turn down an offer like that. In case you've never tried, fresh vegetables with a dash of olive oil cook up beautifully in the microwave. The olive oil keeps them from drying out and the microwave cooking leaves them beautifully crisp.

• 2 cups mixed veggies (I use green beans, sliced carrots, red peppers, asparagus & sliced onions)
• 1 tbsp basil flavored olive oil
• 1 tsp minced garlic (the refridgerated kind that comes in a jar, or you can mince yourself)
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Mix the olive oil, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large, microwave safe bowl. Add the veggies and toss well until the veggies are coated. This may take a couple minutes. A tablespoon really will coat them all - you don't want them to drip.

Microwave on high for 3 - 4 minutes (we have a weak, cheap 600 watt microwave. A more powerful machine will need less time.) Mix well again, recoating veggies with oil. Serve hot.

Yes, it really is that easy.

Use whatever vegetables you prefer. Like broccoli? Go for it. Hate onions? Leave them out. All you need to do is make sure your vegetables cook at the same speed. That means if you add carrots or squash, slice it into thin pieces.

Other good oil-and-herb mixes include 1 tbsp garlic olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp of your favourite Jamacian, Cajun, or Moroccan spice blend. I've also used 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp steak rub (especially good on asparagus) or fish rub (good with carrots and green beans.) Sadly, curries and Indian spice blends do not work well.

Kosher Bread Pudding

I love bread pudding, but it's almost always dairy. I whipped up this parve version at home recently and absolutely loved it. The soy chai adds a nice punch of flavor.

• 3 cups Italian bread, cubed
• 2 cups soy chai
• 4 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/2 tbsp lite olive oil
• 2 shots bourbon or whiskey
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Mix everything but the bread until smooth, then mix in the bread. Pour mixture into a nonstick baking pan and let sit for at least 10 minutes so bread can soak up the mixture. Bake for 1 hour at 350. For an espically moist bread pudding, place your baking dish into a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with water until the water reaches about half way to the top of your baking dish. Put the whole caboodle in the oven, treating it like a giant creme brulee.

Since this is parve, there won't be a whiskey sauce. You can make one with veggie margarine, but it's just not as good, so why pretend? Instead of topping a good bread pudding with a merely adequate whiskey sauce, try combining 1 shot bourbon with 3 shot glasses of packed brown sugar (or a larger 3:1 ratio if you want more coating) so the sugar is soaking wet. Sprinkle wet sugar on top of your baked bread pudding and either heat dramatically with a creme brulee torch or just broil within 4 inches or less of the broiler for a few minutes, until the sugars start to carmalize. It'll make an incredibly tasty topping.

Variations:

• Slice 1/2 cup granny smith apple. Pour 1/2 bread mix into pan, layer half the apples. Add 1/4 mix in, layer remaining apples, then top with final 1/4 mix. Bake normally.
• Slice 1 medium banana. Mix in with the bread and liquid then bake normally.

Kosher Vegan Lite Confetti Soup

This is a light, tasty, zero point soup. The key to it is dicing the vegetables into very tiny pieces. A food processor works well in this regard. If you don't have one, just be patient when chopping.

• 6 cups home made vegetable broth
• 2 yukon potatoes, diced into 1/4 inch pieces.
• 1/2 large carrot, sliced very thin
• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1/4 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1 ear yellow corn (or 4 tablespoons canned)
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Bring broth to a boil. Add spices and potato. Cover and reduce heat to low. Add everything else. Mix well, cover and continue to simmer, uncovered, for another 15 - 30 minutes, or until potatoes are fully cooked. Makes about 8 cups. Like most soups, this one is even better the next day.

There are only 4 Weight Watchers Points in the entire pot. That adds up to about half a point per cup, so eat up and enjoy!

Kosher Vegan Basil Green Beans

Vegetables have a bad reputation. People think they're bland, difficult to prepare, or just tasteless. This is because people make the great mistake of steaming or boiling their veggies then failing to add any spices. It's positively criminal. This weeknight recipe cooks up in 5 minutes, fridge to table. No kidding. People who hate eating veggies will think you're a culinary genius. Their tastebuds won't know what hit them.

• 1/2 lb fresh green beans
• 1 tbsp basil flavored olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper (or 1/4 tsp pre-ground)

Mix everything but the green beans in a microwave safe bowl.

Add the green beans and stir until well coated.

Microwave for 3 minutes. (Microwaving veggies is the best way to keep them crisp and avoid cooking out all nutrients.)

Stir well and serve. Yes. That's it.

Flavored olive oils are a wonderful thing. They can be found at most grocery stores alongside the olive oil and at all Wild Oats, Whole Foods, and other upscale grocers. My personal favourite for cost/flavor is the Consorzio brand.

Kosher Fruity Angelhair

This is one of those recipes inspired by staring at the pantry and thinking, "I've got a lot of ingredients, but I don't have any food." It started as a way to concoct dinner from a lot of unrelated leftovers and evolved into something that gets regularly requested. It's fast, simple, and very versatile.

• Enough angelhair pasta to serve one
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup dried cherries
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
• 2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp basil flavored olive oil

Cook pasta according to package directions. It won't look like enough, but don't worry. The fruit and peppers are the stars of this dish with the pasta taking a backup role.

In a huge skillet, cook onions in olive oil until translucent. Add everything but the pasta. Mix well and continue to cook until onions start to brown.

This should be about the same amount of time it takes for the pasta to cook. This is no accident. :) Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet, mixing until well coated.

Continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until all excess moisture is gone. Serve with hot crusty bread.

Variations:

• If you can't get full without meat on your plate, add 1 cup of precooked, diced chicken after the onions are translucent.
• When seasonal, I sometimes add 1 -2 ears of fresh cooked corn. Canned gets mushy, and let's not talk about frozen, but a hint of fresh corn works surprisingly well and adds some nice color.
• Don't like raisins? Just add 3/4 cup of whatever dried fruit you like best. I use whatever's around the house. Just beware of dried apples - they turn into a sticky mess.
• Red peppers too expensive? Any 2 bell peppers will do.

Kosher Parve Lentil & Egg Curry

High in protein, low in fat, low in calories, and amazingly cheap to make - sounds like the worst dinner ever, right? But South Asian spices can rescue even the dullest of ingredients, and this combination transforms plain brown lentils and boiled eggs from sparkling glass to the rarest diamond. This a wonderful Parve dish is great as a side at either a meat or milk meal, or as the centerpiece of a hearty vegetarian meal. Like most (non dairy or soy based) curries, it tastes even better as leftovers, when the flavors have had a chance to mingle overnight. Ingredients

• 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 3/4 cup water
• 6 eggs
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 4 chopped tomatoes or one 14 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 heaping tbsp minced garlic (or 6 minced cloves)
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ginger powder (or 1/2 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt (unnecessary if using canned tomatoes)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 cloves
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Egg and Lentil Curry

Boil lentils according to package directions - approximately 30 minutes, or until just tender. Drain.

Meanwhile, hard boil eggs. When cool enough to touch, peel eggs and cut lengthwise.

Fry onions in a large saucepan until almost translucent. Add all spices and continue to fry another 5 minutes, or until onions are tender and spices are aromatic. Add tomatoes, sugar, and 3/4 cup water. (If using fresh tomatoes, add 1 full cup of water rather than 3/4). Stir well and bring to a boil.

Simmer 5 - 10 minutes until sauce thickens. Add boiled lentils and stir well. Drop in boiled eggs, drenching with sauce but not handling too much.

Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Serve with basmati rice or warm bread to sop up the juices.

Variations:

• I like my curries hot, so I use the canned tomatoes with "zesty jalapeno" and add another 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.
• Add 1/4 cup of diced dried fruit when you add the tomatoes to add contrast to both the flavor and texture.
• Simply leave out the eggs to make it vegan.

Kosher Channa Masala

I adore chick peas (also known as garbanzo beans). My quick version of channa masala (there are as many versions as there are languages in India) substitutes olive oil for dairy and canned beans for ones you'd otherwise have to soak overnight. Served with rice or bread, this makes a great weeknight meal. For carnivores, it also makes a great side served alongside curried chicken or spicy steak.

• 1 can chick peas/garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes, with liquid
• 2 chopped onions (or 2 cups frozen chopped onions)
• 1 inch peeled and chopped ginger, or 1/2 tsp ginger powder
• 1 tbsp minced garlic (from a can is fine)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you don't like hot foods)
• 1/4 tsp tumeric
• 1 tbsp olive oil

In a medium saucepan, over a medium heat, fry the onions in the olive oil until they turn translucent.

Add the ginger, garlic, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, and tumeric. Stir well and continue frying spices for 1 - 2 minutes, or until the seeds start to pop.

Add drained chickpeas, undrained tomatoes, and brown sugar. Stir until everything is well blended.

Cook uncovered for around 15 minutes, or until the liquid has boiled down to a thick sauce. If you forgot to drain the chickpeas first, increase all spices by 1/4 tsp (it's fine if you throw them in at the last minute), up the heat to medium-high, and cook for an extra 15 minutes.

The end result should have a thick sauce, perfect for serving with basmati rice and naan or pita.

Variations:

• My heavily carnivorous husband loves this (and most dahl's) with a hard boiled egg. If you're octo/lavo, boil some eggs, slice them in half, and cover them with the hot channa masala when serving. The flavors soak in beautifully.
• Use 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter in place of the olive oil if you prefer the flavor of dairy.

Garam Masala is just a mix of half a dozen commonly used Indian spices. Using the mix is a lot easier than using 1/8 tsp of five different things. It is available in the spice isles of most mega-grocery stores these days, right alongside Garlic Salt. If yours doesn't have it, the staff of your local Indian grocery will be more than happy to introduce you to their favourite blend.