Serves 4.

From Deborah Madison, This Can’t Be Tofu! New York: Broadway Books, 2000.

Sauce
2 heaping tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons molasses or brown sugar
1 tablespoon tamari or regular soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 cup red wine
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup water

Tofu and Vegetables
One carton regular or firm tofu, drained
5 teaspoons peanut oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, diced into 1/2-inch squares
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into large, irregular pieces
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
12 ounces mushrooms (mixed brown, white, and shiitake are good)
2 Roma tomatoes, peeled and diced (canned will do in a pinch)
2 cups broccoli florets or other vegetable
1/4 cup chopped parsley or cilantro

1. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cut the tofu into 1-inch cubes. Heat a nonstick skillet and brush with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Add the tofu and cook over medium-high heat until golden-brown on the bottom. Turn and cook until the other surfaces are golden as well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Add the remaining oil to a wide pot, such as a Dutch oven. Turn the heat to high, add the onion, bell peppers, and thyme. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown in places and a film appears on the bottom of the pot, after several minutes. Be sure to let the ingredients cook without stirring for 1/2-minute intervals so that they’ll brown. You can use this time to quarter the mushrooms and prepare the broccoli.
4. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, again stirring occasionally, until they are seared in places. Add 1 teaspoon salt and grind in plenty of black pepper. Once a number of the mushrooms have gained some color, stir in the sauce, scraping up the goodies from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to low, lay the tofu over the vegetables, and cover the pot. Cook for 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes add the tomatoes.
5. Blanch the snow peas or broccoli florets in boiling salted water.
6. Stir in the parsley and spoon the vegetables and their sauce over rice or noodles, adding the broccoli last.

Serves 6–8.

Adapted from Bruce Aidells, “Meat and Potatoes,” Bon Appétit, February 2010.

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Coarse kosher salt
• 2 1/2 cups dry white wine, divided
• 1 pound ground pork
• 2 ounces 1/4-inch-thick slices coppa or prosciutto, chopped (optional)
• 6 ounces mild Italian sausage, casings removed (about 2 links)
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes or crushed tomatoes with added puree
• 2 cup (or more) low-salt broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• Potato gnocchi, enough for 6–8 servings
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and sauté until mushrooms begin to soften, 2–3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup wine and simmer until mushrooms are soft, about 4 minutes. Set aside (there may still be liquid in skillet).

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Sprinkle pork with coarse salt and pepper. Add pork to pot and sauté until browned, about 6 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to medium bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pot. Reduce heat to medium. Add coppa and stir 1 minute. Add sausages and cook until brown, breaking up into small pieces with back of spoon, about 3 minutes. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cover pot and cook vegetables until soft, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 cups wine; bring to boil, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed. Add tomatoes, 2 cups broth, bay leaves, and reserved pork. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for about 1 hour, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if dry.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi in batches in a large pot of salted boiling water until gnocchi rise to the surface of the water. Continue to simmer gnocchi until cooked through and tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer gnocchi to bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat. Set aside.

Stir mushroom mixture in skillet into ragu. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon off fat from surface of ragu; stir in basil. Add gnocchi; toss gently to coat. Simmer over medium heat until gnocchi are heated through, 3 to 5 minutes. Divide gnocchi and ragu among bowls. Sprinkle with some of cheese and serve, passing remaining cheese alongside.

Makes 12 muffins.

Adapted from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero. Veganomicon. New York: Marlowe & Co., 2007.

• 1 cup vanilla soy milk or 2% milk
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1/4 canola oil
• 1/4 agave nectar, pure maple syrup, or honey
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (1 tsp if you substitute regular milk for the vanilla soy milk)
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/4 cup almond meal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 1/4 cups cooked quinoa, preferably a red-hued variety
• 1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots or currants

Preheat the oven to 350 °F and lightly grease a nonstick muffin tin. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the soy milk and ground flaxseed. Allow to sit for 1 minute; then whisk in oil, agave nectar, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, sift together flour, almond meal, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until just incorporated. Gently fold in the cooked quinoa and the apricots and mix until only the large lumps are gone.

Pour into the prepared muffin tin and bake for 20–22 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Guacamole with Basil and Shallots
Serves 8.

Kate and Scott Fogarty, Bon Appétit, January 2010

• 6 medium avocados, halved, pitted, peeled, diced
  
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil plus leaves for garnish
  
• 1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
  
• Bread slices, toasted
  
• Assorted crudités (such as bell peppers, celery, and carrots)
  

Place avocados in large bowl; add lemon juice. Using fork or potato masher, crush avocados coarsely. Mix in 1/2 cup chopped basil and shallots. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made 1 hour ahead. Cover and chill. Transfer guacamole to serving bowl. Garnish with basil leaves. Place on platter. Arrange toasts and crudités around bowl.

Adapted from Roy Choi, Kogi BBQ-To-Go in Los Angeles, Gourmet, October 2009

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
  
• 2 cups cabbage kimchi, drained and chopped
  
• 4 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  
• 4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
  
• 1/4 cup roasted sesame seeds (optional)
  
• 2 cups coarsely grated cheddar (6 ounces)
  
• 2 cups coarsely grated Monterey Jack (6 ounces)
  
• Vegetable oil for brushing
  

Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat; then cook kimchi, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden, about 6 minutes. Cool kimchi.

Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the cilantro over one-half of each tortilla and top with one-fourth of the kimchi, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, and 1/2 cup of each cheese. Fold in half to enclose filling.

Brush a 12-inch nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium heat until it just begins to smoke; then cook quesadillas, turning once, until golden and cheese is melted, about 4 minutes total. Serve immediately.

Ian Knauer, Gourmet, July 2009

• 3 pounds small boiling potatoes
• 1 cup chopped celery (about 4 ribs)
  
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
  
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• salt
• pepper

Cover potatoes with water in a large pot and season well with salt. Bring to a boil; then simmer until tender, 12 to 20 minutes. While potatoes cook, stir together celery, mayonnaise, chives, lemon zest and juice, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Drain potatoes and cool completely, then halve or quarter. Add to dressing and toss to coat.