I just served this at my bf’s family Thanksgiving. Even his meat-loving uncle loved it! The kicker is the peanut sauce, which goes well with pretty much anything. Add it to a meal or serve as an appetizer.

Tofu
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
1 lb. Firm Tofu

Preheat oven to 450*, and spread a sheet of tin foil on a cookie sheet.

Combine soy sauce and veg oil. Cut tofu into 1/4 inch strips, then dip strips in mixture. Place on cookie sheet. Cook for 20 minutes until slightly brown on top.

Peanut Sauce
2 tbsp. smooth Peanut Butter
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1-2 cloves minced Garlic
1/4 cup Water
1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
1 tbsp. Lemon Juice

Combine ingredients in non-stick pan over medium heat, stirring until peanut butter is melted. Serve as a dipping sauce with tofu.

This recipe is quick, flavorful, and especially good on a winter evening! Chili is great because it’s all veggies and beans–like a whole meal in one bowl. The meatless ground burger adds good texture, but isn’t necessary. You can even replace it with frozen corn. For a thicker chili, use crushed tomatoes; for a stewier one, use diced.

1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 med. White Onion
1 Green Pepper
1 Red Pepper
4 cloves Garlic
1/4 cup mild Chili Powder
1 28 oz. can Crushed or Diced Tomatoes
1 15 oz. can Pinto or Black Beans (or combo)
1 tsp. dried Oregano
1 tsp. Salt
10 oz. Boca Ground Burger (optional)

Heat vegetable oil in a large pot on medium heat.
Dice onion and peppers and add to hot oil, stirring often, about two minutes.
Add garlic, stir and cook one minute.
Add chili powder, stir and cook one minute.
Add tomatoes, beans, oregano, and salt, and stir well to combine.

Bring chili to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ground burger, stir, and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve with cheese (or my favorite, Cheez-Its). Makes about 6 servings.

Okay, so I stole this one directly from Everyday Food, but I tried it tonight and it’s delish!

Preheat oven to 350°. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add green beans; cook until bright green and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander; rinse under cold water, and pat dry.

Meanwhile, spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet; toast in oven until golden brown and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

In a large bowl, toss green beans with oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with toasted almonds.

People have had bad experiences with hummus–there are a lot of different ways to make it, and not all of them end up tasty. Try this one and you’ll have a whole different view.

In a food processor/blender, mix:
1 can drained Garbanzo beans (reserve some of the juice for later)
4 1/2 Tbsp Tahini (sesame seed paste)
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
5 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 cloves Garlic
2 Tsp Curry
Couple dashes of Cayenne Pepper
Couple dashes of Sea Salt

Mix it all up, then add some Garbanzo juice if it’s too thick. Add more salt, curry, cayenne to taste. Delish!

Sometimes i double the recipe just to make sure it lasts. This stuff is good with crackers, carrots, on sandwiches, with blue corn chips.

I was with the fam last week and got to enjoy some of my brother’s famous salsa. He’s long been perfecting this recipe, and the combination of sweet, spicy, salty and tangy gives it a fantastic fresh flavor. And it’s got a whole BUNCH of cilantro in it, which you know makes me happy.

The most important variable is the jalapeno—for a really mild version use a small pepper and remove all the seeds. Up the size and seed content to add some heat!

1 8 oz. can Crushed Tomatoes (a good brand, organic if possible)
1 8 oz. can Tomato Sauce (again, good and organic)
1 medium Jalapeno
1 medium sweet Yellow Onion (like a Vidalia), roughly chopped
1 bunch Cilantro
1 large clove Garlic
1 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
¼ tsp. salt (or to taste)
1 tsp. Maple Syrup (only the real stuff)
Juice of ¼ lime

Place everything except the crushed tomatoes in the food processor and mix well. Add crushed tomatoes at very end, pulse until everything is combined, and serve with good chips.