I think the biggest mistake people make when they approach a veggie burger is assuming that it will taste like meat. This is apparent in a lot of commercial veggie burgers that try to mimic the look, taste and texture – and if you’re looking for that, this might not be the burger recipe for you.

I had wanted to try out Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s Quarter Pounder Beet Burgers since I had first seen them on her website, The Post Punk Kitchen (really, the vegan Bible). Shredded beets, lentils and cooked brown rice combine to create a whopping 1/4 veggie burger that wouldn’t look so out of place at a backyard barbecue, but doesn’t even pretend to want to be compared to a beef burger. The texture is fabulous, and this is the first homemade veggie burger recipe I’ve used that stayed dense and compact down to the very last bite – no crumblies here!

I baked my beet burgers to save on calories, but Isa herself recommends lightly frying the patties in a hot cast-iron skillet to create a crunchy char. Even without the frying, though, my burgers came out of the oven with a very pleasant golden-brown crust.

Quarter Pounder Beet Burgers

from The Post Punk Kitchen

1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup brown lentils, cooked

 1 cup shredded beetroot

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon dried thyme

 1 teaspoon mustard

3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons tahini paste

1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs

1. Preheat oven to 375º.

2. Combine the brown rice, lentils and shredded beet in the food processor and pulse 15-20 times so that the ingredients are mixed, but still have some texture. It should have a very eerie resemblance to ground meat.

3. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and use your hands to incorporate everything. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Form into four large patties. I used a 1/2-cup measuring cup to scoop, and then flattened them into patties with my hands. Place on a greased baking sheet.

5. Bake patties for 10 minutes on each side. Serve with your favorite burger fixin’s.

Nutrition per Serving: 250 calories, 6g fat, 38g carbohydrates, 10g protein.

Bonus Recipe: Simple Baked Sweet Potato Fries!

1. Preheat oven to 400º.

2. Cut one medium sweet potato into fry shapes. Place fries onto a sprayed baking sheet.

3. Sprinkle fries with desired spices – salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin or even curry powder – whatever strikes your fancy.

4. Bake for 20-30 minutes until easily pierced with a fork. Dunk in ketchup!

Nutrition per Serving: 102 calories, 0g fat, 24g carbohydrates, 2g protein.

  It’s been a less than stellar week.

  On Monday, I had a minor, albeit painful procedure done on my right foot. I wasn’t really prepared for the amount of pain and discomfort I’ve been experiencing, so I’ve spent the majority of the week sulking around my house, looking at craft blogs on the couch and drinking entire bottles of diet root beer. The moral of the story is, make sure your running shoes fit your stupid feet properly.

  Normally, I’d be inclined to bury my sorrow under a big pile of vegan mac & cheese, but considering I purchased my first bikini over the weekend (thank you, thank you), I figured it might be a bad week to start eating heavy comfort foods straight out of the casserole dish.

  I love the combination of brussels sprouts and cranberries – the flavors are somewhat reminiscent of the holidays, but they’re pleasantly light enough for spring. The thick tofu triangles are coated with a little sprinkle of corn starch before baking to create a golden, crispy crust – you can make the slices a little thinner, but I like having a big honkin’ portion of protein on the plate.

  I chose to simply salt and pepper the tofu baking, but I happen to enjoy tofu’s natural beany, earthy flavor. If this isn’t your style, or you’re cooking for more picky patrons, feel free to marinate the tofu with your favorite flavors – soy, citrus or even balsamic would be just dandy.

  This is a gluten-free recipe.

Baked Tofu with Brussels Sprouts and Cranberries

Serves 2

1 12 oz. block of extra-firm tofu, pressed and sliced on the diagonal

1 small red onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, pressed

1/2 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

1/4 cup dried cranberries

 3/4 cup vegetable broth

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons corn starch

1 teaspoon vegan margarine

Salt, pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly coat tofu triangles with corn starch and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 20-30 minutes, turning once, until golden and crispy on both sides. Leave in oven to keep warm.

2. In a skillet sprayed with non-stick spray, cook the red onion and garlic until it begins to soften. Add quartered brussels sprouts, cranberries and vegetable broth and cover for about 5 minutes. Add the rice vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. The brussels sprouts should still be crisp-tender, so be careful not to overcook them. Stir in the vegan margarine before serving for a little added richness.

3. Serve with the sprout-cranberry mixture spooned over the baked tofu.

Nutrition per Serving: 271 calories, 9g fat, 28g carbohydrates, 18g protein.

  I love a good PB&J as much as the next guy, but sometimes I crave something that tastes a little more…adult.

    Something magical happens when Granny Smith apples, red onion and balsamic vinegar come together – the combination of tart, sweet and tangy is one of my favorites. Usually, I get my fix in a salad (generally, it has the word “harvest” in the name), but I’ve been on a real sandwich kick lately. Slabs of browned tempeh make this a hearty lunch – and just so happen to be the perfect vehicle for a slightly-sweet balsamic marinade.

  On its own, this sandwich is pretty heavenly, but as I sit here with half of it already in my stomach, I can’t help but think that a slice of vegan cheddar, melted til brown and bubbly, would transform this dish from sandwich to religious experience.

Balsamic Tempeh Sandwich with Apple and Onion

Serves 2

For the marinade:

4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar-free maple syrup

2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

4 oz. tempeh, sliced lengthwise

For the sandwich:

1 Granny Smith apple, sliced thinly

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

4 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted

1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade. Marinate tempeh in the fridge overnight.

2. Cook tempeh in a frying pan until browned well on both sides.

3. Assemble sandwich ingredients on bread, using any leftover balsamic marinade to drizzle on the toppings.

Nutrition per Serving: 258 calories, 7g fat, 37g carbohydrates, 16g protein.

 Among the fabulous gifts I received were three books I have been pining for for quite some time now: Will Write for Food, Plate to Pixel and The Everything Grow Your Own Vegetables Book.

 My neighbor has graciously offered me her gardening space for the season – a glorious 15×13 foot fenced-in space that, with a little TLC, will be home to sweet corn, tomatoes, zucchini, lavender, radishes and a menagerie of other vegetables and flowers.

 I’m excited to have my own vegetable garden. I had a very small one back in high school, but it was a short-lived project (it was a lot of work for my notoriously lazy 16-year-old self).  I’ve spent the last few weeks growing nine different plants from seeds, and after carefully watering, bringing them in and out of the house and giving them afternoon pep talks, it is so exciting to see life burst from the soil. The little seedlings look different every day, so I am doing my best to photograph them often and document their progress.

 Curtis and I spent a good chunk of this weekend pulling weeds in the very-overgrown garden patch – including two very big, very angry thistle plants. Today, I am sunburned (surprise!) and sore in places I didn’t know I had, but it’s so satisfying to look out to the garden and see huge patches of soft brown soil just waiting for planting.

 Saturday’s strong sun and heat gave way to a chilly, rainy Sunday, but I can’t complain – there’s something very comforting about rain on a Sunday morning.

 I’m not sure why, but I always associate rain with chili. It makes me think of walking home from the school bus stop in overcast and drizzle, setting my things down at home and heating up bowl of leftovers. After a quick change into sweatpants, there were few things that made me feel better than bringing the bowl next to the open window, curling up on the couch and listening to the rain outside.

 Serve this protein-packed bowl of comfort over rice or with crusty bread.

Lentil Chili

Serves 8

16oz. dried brown lentils

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1 1/2 white onions, chopped

5 cloves garlic, pressed

2 cans stewed tomatoes with liquid

1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

7 cups vegetable broth or water

3 tablespoons ground cumin

2 packets Goya Sazon con Azafran (optional…but highly recommended)

1/4 – 1/2 cup canned jalapeno slices (optional)

Salt & Pepper

1. In a large stock pot, cook garlic, onions and bell pepper until slightly tender.

2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer about 30 minutes until lentils are tender and the chili is slightly thick.

Nutrition per Serving: 232 calories, 0g fat, 53g carbohydrates, 22g protein.

  About a year ago, my now-boyfriend Curtis and I started spending an awful lot of time together – and an awful lot of time ordering take-out from our favorite Chinese place in nearby Princeton. We tended to gravitate toward the same dishes – I got eggplant in garlic sauce, while Curt was fond of the General Tso’s Tofu. We would bring our big paper bag back to Curt’s apartment, where we would watch episodes of Scrubs and eat our food on separate couches.

  Since then, a few things have changed (we sit on the same couch now!), but one thing has stayed constant – Curtis almost always goes for General Tso’s.

  I had always sort of been turned off (read: afraid) of General Tso’s because of the spice – even with a generous helping of sweetness, that sauce packs a serious chili punch. But they say that your taste buds evolve as you get older, and these days I find myself boldly incorporating ingredients like jalapeños and cayenne peppers into my meals. I’d say that my taste for sweet is changing too, but Curt would probably point to the three Splendas in my morning coffee and politely disagree.

  I adapted this dish from a General Tso’s Chicken recipe in Men’s Health Magazine. The baked tofu is a great vehicle for the spicy-sweet sauce. Serve it over brown rice and tons of bright green steamed broccoli.

  Make this the next time you’re jonesing for take-out – or when you want a certain someone to join you on your couch.

The General’s Tofu

Adapted from Men’s Health Magazine

Serves 2

12 oz. extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed

1 tbsp corn starch

 2 tsp vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 inches grated ginger

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp tamari soy sauce

1 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp sriracha

1 tbsp corn starch + 2 tbsp water

4 cups steamed broccoli florets 

1. Preheat the oven to 400º. Toss tofu cubes with 1 tbsp corn starch and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until slightly brown.

2. While the tofu bakes, cook garlic and ginger in a medium saucepan for about two minutes. Add water, vegetable oil, hoisin, rice vinegar, brown sugar and sriracha and cook for about 3 minutes. Add corn starch and water mixture slowly, stirring constantly, until sauce reaches desired consistency.

3. Toss baked tofu with sauce. Serve over brown rice or quinoa with piles of freshly steamed broccoli. Enjoy!

Nutrition per Serving: 282 calories, 13g fat, 22g carbohydrates, 22g protein.

  When I got my braces on in middle school, my orthodontist gave me a rather long list of foods I’d have to strike from my diet for two or so years – it included, but was not limited to, bubble gum, pizza and corn on the cob. Quite a price to pay for straight choppers – especially when summertime barbecues rolled around. If it wasn’t bad enough that I had to eat pizza with a fork and knife, backyard picnics weren’t quite the same now that corn and I couldn’t be together anymore.

  Eventually though, my mom came to the rescue – instead of chewing the corn straight off the cob, she used a knife to slice it off the cob off in beautiful yellow slabs. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this “new” delicacy – in fact, I’ve been braces-free for almost a decade now, but this is still my preferred method when it comes to corn.

  With Memorial Day weekend in progress and summer on the horizon, the time for corn is now. Make sure you get fresh, sweet corn for this recipe – canned corn has a tendency to get mushy. To make sure you pick a winner, pull the husk and silk back slightly and prick one of the kernels with your nail. It it squirts millky white juice, you’re good to go!

  I roasted my corn, but this would be fabulous with grilled corn as well! Either of these methods will highlight the corn’s natural sweetness.

  Enjoy as side dish at a barbecue, or add some crumbled pressed tofu to make it a substantial lunch.

Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salad

Serves 4

2 ears fresh white or yellow corn, husks on

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed 

1 red bell pepper, finely diced

3 green onions, sliced

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons ground cumin

Hot sauce, to taste

Salt & Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Place corn directly on oven rack and roast for 30 minutes, or until corn is soft. Let cool slightly before removing husks and silks. Holding the cob vertically at a slight angle, slice corn off in large slabs. Place kernels in a large bowl.

2. Add the beans, bell pepper, green onions and cilantro to the corn and mix thoroughly.

3. In a small bowl, mix together lime juice, oil, spices, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Dress salad and mix well. Refrigerate until serving.

Nutrition per Serving: 148 calories, 1g fat, 32g carbohydrates, 9g protein.

  I’ve always been a little particular about my granola bars. A good granola bar is moist, not too sweet, and big enough to serve as a substantial snack.

  When I discovered Clif Bars, I was ecstatic that they met all my qualifications – I still do enjoy them as midday snacks at work and fuel for the gym. However, the $1.69-per-bar price tag means I’m not really able to incorporate them into my diet as often as I would like. And as with all homemade delights, it allows me to customize the flavors, which I am totally into.

  By using gluten-free rolled oats and Koala Crisp cereal, even those with Celiac Disease and other gluten intolerance can enjoy the beauty of the simple, substantial granola bar. If you don’t have Koala Crisp on hand, any crispy rice cereal will do – I’ve even used crushed Rice Chex in the past with great success.

Gluten Free Cranberry-Almond Clif Bars

Makes 6 bars 

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1 1/4 cup gluten free cereal, such as Koala Crisp

2 tablespoons ground flax seed

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup sugar-free maple syrup

1/2 cup natural almond butter

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Combine oats, cereal, flax, cranberries and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.

2. Combine syrup and almond butter and microwave 30-60 seconds until melted. Stir together, then add vanilla. Stir until creamy.

3. Add the syrup-almond butter mixture to the dry ingredients, mixing well first with a spoon and then with your hands. Ensure that everything is well-coated and scrape the stickies off your hands.

4. Firmly press mixture into a greased 8x6inch pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Slice into 6 bars and wrap each individual bar in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator.

Nutrition per Bar: 209 calories, 10g fat, 27g carbohydrates, 6g protein.

After enjoying several months of spring-like weather, winter has finally arrived here in New Jersey. The chill in the air is more appropriate for February, and Saturday night even brought in a few inches of snow.

The vegetable offerings are really the only thing I enjoy about winter. As much as I’d love to trade in boots for flip-flops, the produce aisle at my local grocery store makes it a little more bearable. People tend to get into produce “ruts” when the temperatures drop, relying heavily on root veggies, but just because the landscape looks barren doesn’t mean that the kitchen has to. Beets, broccoli, winter squashes, brussels sprouts, persimmons and yams are just a handful of the delicious offerings available during the winter months.

When the temperature starts to dip, I like to make recipes that remind me of sunnier times. Curry powder and lime juice combine with winter staples to create a dish reminiscent of the Caribbean. This pot of warmth, comfort and color is the perfect way to shoo away the winter blahs…for an afternoon, anyway.

And with butternut squash and kale a mere 79 cents per pound, it’ll be comforting for your wallet, too.

Caribbean Squash, Rice and Kale

Serves 4

1 two-pound squash, peeled, cut into 2″ chunks

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 jalapeño pepper, minced

Juice of one lime 

1. Coat the bottom of a stock pot with non-stick spray. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the squash, garlic, ginger and jalapeño. Cook for 1 minute.

2. Add the chopped kale in handfuls, stirring as the greens wilt down. Stir in the uncooked rice, salt, pepper, curry powder, nutmeg and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a vigorous boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 35-40 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the rice grains are plump.

3. Remove from heat and add the lime juice. Allow to sit, covered, for five minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve!

Nutrition per Serving: 268 calories, 2g fat, 62g carbohydrates, 7g protein.

  Seitan with Peppers and Gravy is the dish to make for the skeptics in your life – your “steak-and-potatoes” boyfriend, your traditional grandmother, that one co-worker that makes a lame twigs-and-leaves comment when you heat up your lunch. Think of this dish as the friendly ambassador of vegan cooking – it’s familiar, comforting and all-around delicious.

  I only discovered seitan recently, but ever since, I’ve been absolutely hooked. Also known as “wheat meat”, seitan is high in protein, low in calories and an almost spot-on substitute for tender, juicy chunks of meat.

  I adapted this dish from my grandmother’s recipe for Pepper Steak, using a batch of homemade seitan from this recipe at The Post-Punk Kitchen, but you can use store-bought seitan if you’re pressed for time. If you do decide to go the store-bought route, however, you’ll need to make the gravy separately.

  Even I was shocked at how close the finished product came to the original – I think Grandma would be proud.

  There are two big keys in the success of this dish – the first is to cook the green peppers until they are very soft, almost mushy. The second key is to serve this over white rice. I know, I know, brown rice is generally the healthier option, lower in carbohydrates and lower on the glycemic index, but it just doesn’t absorb the gravy the way good ol’ white rice does. In fact, I would argue that the best part of the whole thing is the gravy-soaked rice at the bottom of the bowl. It just isn’t complete without it – you gotta trust me on this one.

Seitan with Peppers and Gravy

Serves 4-6

1 lb. seitan, sliced and lightly browned

 1 large onion, cut in half-moons

5 green bell peppers, cut into strips

Reserved simmering broth from seitan*

Corn starch + cold water

Garlic powder, to taste

Onion powder, to taste

Soy sauce, to taste 

*If using store-bought seitan, make the gravy from 4 cups water, 4 cups vegetable broth and 1/4 cup soy sauce. 

1. In a very large pan, cook the onion until golden brown and softened.

2. Add the simmering broth and green pepper strips, adding water if broth does not completely cover the peppers and onions. Bring to a simmer and cover.

3. Cook until the green peppers are very soft and almost falling apart. In a cup, combine corn starch and cold water to form a thick liquid, and pour in slowly, being sure to break up any lumps. The gravy will lighten and gradually thicken.

4. Reduce heat and add browned seitan. Add 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce if desired.

5. Serve in a bowl or plate over white rice.

Nutrition per 1/4 Recipe, without rice: 281 calories, 5g fat, 32g carbohydrates, 30g protein.

Nutrition per 1/6 Recipe, without rice: 187 calories, 3g fat, 21g carbohydrates, 20g protein.

  I’m going to be honest – I don’t really like to bake.

  I mean, don’t get me wrong – I sure enjoy eating baked goods, but I find the process of baking to be incredibly nerve-wracking. When it comes down to it, cooking and baking are fundamentally different. Baking is very much a science – you need precise measurements of each ingredient for it to work out, while I’ve always been more of a “glug of this, a pinch of that” kind of girl. I wind up standing in front of the oven the whole time, wringing my hands to thoughts of sunken cakes and black-bottomed cookies. For the most part, all my “homemade” baked goods are boxed mixes that I’ve doctored up with various spices.

  For a few weeks though, I’ve had grandma’s Pineapple-Walnut Bread on the brain.

  The bread, making its debut on my maternal grandmother’s Thanksgiving table nearly forty years ago, has since become something of a staple in my house, being mailed off as holiday gifts and gracing the table of nearly every family gathering that I have ever been to. When my mother bakes for the holidays every year, my father requests his own individual loaf, which he generally enjoys for breakfast the morning after Thanksgiving. I can’t say I blame him – pineapple chunks and walnuts enveloped in a buttery, not-too-sweet bread are a superb way to begin any day.

  This, of course, sent my already level-orange baking anxiety into overdrive. Not only I would have to find substitutes for the butter and eggs, but I was also determined to make it gluten-free so that my mom, who was diagnosed with Celiac Disease when I was in high school, could enjoy a slice.

  The butter and flour were both easy swaps – I used Olivio Coconut Oil Spread and Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour for both. In an effort to find an egg replacer that wouldn’t add a lot of calories, I decided to use 2 tablespoons each of cornstarch and water to replace each egg in the recipe.

  After a nerve-wracking hour in the oven, the breads came out looking golden brown and beautiful. They have a slightly crunchier crust than the original, but for a gluten-free, sugar-free and completely vegan version of the original, it comes out pretty darn close. I also used pineapple chunks, which my dad suggested were a little on the large side, so next time I would try lightly crushing them, or pineapple tidbits.

  Mom and I generally bake this bread recipe into one large loaf for parties or mini-loaves for gifts (or to up the cuteness factor). I’d imagine that they would make fantastic muffins too – just remember to grease the tins well!

Gluten Free Pineapple-Walnut Bread

Serves 12

2 cups gluten free all-purpose flour

1 cup undrained, unsweetened pineapple chunks, slightly crushed

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add Splenda and chopped walnuts.

3. Add the melted margarine, cornstarch mixture and pineapple. Mix only enough to moisten – the batter should be on the thicker side. Pour into a well-greased loaf pan.

4. Bake for about one hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Slice and enjoy!

Nutrition per Serving: 171 calories, 10g fat, 21g carbohydrates, 3g protein.