Hummus is the work-horse, the go-to, the penultimate snack for many plant-only eaters, and why shouldn’t it be? It’s packed with good things like protein, B6, iron and folic acid and it tastes great on a variety of delivery vehicles. But, let’s face it, hummus is a little bit of a crutch for those snacky, what-to-eat-now moments and a little variety never hurt anyone.

This creamy, bright dip is packed with Vitamin A, potassium and beta-carotene provided by colorful, caramel-y oven-roasted carrots. So whip up a batch this weekend and give hummus a well-deserved break.

CARROT CURRY HUMMUS, or, A DIP of A DIFFERENT COLOR

1 lb. Carrots, peeled and cut into somewhat uniform chunks

2 Cloves of Garlic, Unpeeled

¼ c. Unsalted Sunflower Seeds

¼ c. Water, plus more for soaking

4 tsp. Olive Oil, divided

1 Tbsp. Tahini

2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

1 tsp. Curry Powder*

¼ Salt, plus more to taste

Preheat oven to 400 and toss carrots with 2 teaspoons of olive oil on a baking sheet.

While oven is preheating place sunflower seeds in a small bowl and cover with water to soak.

Place carrots in oven and allow to roast undisturbed for about 15 minutes. Open the oven, toss the two garlic cloves onto the pan and then give the pan a good jiggle to redistribute the carrots for maximum roasted surfaces. Allow to cook for about 15 more minutes or until caramelized to your satisfaction.

Remove carrots and garlic from oven and allow to cool.

While carrots and garlic cool, drain sunflower seeds and add to a high-powered blender like a Vitamix or a food processor. Add water, 2 teaspoons olive oil, tahini, lemon juice, salt and spices along with cooled carrots and peeled garlic cloves and blend in pulses until smooth. Scrape down sides and blend again until creamy. Taste and adjust salt and seasoning if necessary. Serve at room temperature with plenty of dippers or refrigerate until ready to serve and allow to come back to room temperature.

*I use “Americanized” Curry Powder from Penzeys for this dip, but you could use any Curry Powder that you are fond of Garam Masala would be nice here.

At the top of a lot of Can’t-Live-Without lists is chocolate. Giving up meat — and cheese — and dairy — is no small task. Whether it’s been a few days, or a few years, you’ve surely earned and deserve a plant-based pat on the back, a reward of sorts and I believe it should come in the form of a perfectly crafted, darkest-of-chocolate Chocolate Cupcakes. After many test batches, tested on non-vegan friends, we have arrived at the pinnacle of vegan chocolate experiences. Enjoy.

DEVILISHLY CHOCOLATE (and SECRETLY VEGAN) CUPCAKES

1 c. Milk Alternative

¾ c. Granulated Sugar

1/3 c. Canola Oil

1 tsp. Vanilla

½ tsp. Chocolate Extract (or just use ½ tsp. more of vanilla)

1 Tbsp. Brewed Dark Coffee

1 c. All Purpose Flour (you can also use half all-purpose and half whole wheat pastry flour and they’ll be just as delicious and a tiny bit more nutritious)

1/3 c. of the best, darkest unsweetened cocoa powder you can get your hands on

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar (weird, but trust me)

Preheat oven to 350 and fill your muffin tin with 12 muffins liners.

In a medium bowl, mix milk alternative, oil, extracts and coffee together and whisk in sugar until frothy.

In another bowl sift in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Fluff with a fork so everything is distributed evenly.

Add half of the dry ingredients to the milk mixture and stir until combined and mostly lump-free. Repeat with the second half of the dry mixture.

At the very last minute, stir in the 2 tsp. of vinegar and stir quickly until incorporated. Working quickly, fill the liners ¾ full of batter. I like to use a #12 ice cream scoop for mess-free batter transfer.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool before frosting.

CHOCOHOLATE YES! FROSTING

1/3 c. Earth Balance Margarine at room temperature

1/3 c. shortening (I like Butter-Flavored Organic Spectrum Non-Hydrogenated Shortening)

2/3 c. of the same deep-dark cocoa powder used for the cupcakes (sift first if it’s lumpy)

2 2/3- 3 c. powdered sugar, sifted to remove lumps

3-4 Tbsp. Milk Alternative

1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ tsp chocolate extract (or an additional ½ tsp. vanilla)

In a large bowl, combine margarine and shortening together with a hand mixer until fluffy.

Add half the cocoa powder and mix until combined. Now add the rest of the cocoa powder and beat until combined, adding a tablespoon of milk if necessary.

Now add the powdered sugar about 1/3 c. at a time and alternate in a tablespoon of milk so the frosting is workable. Continue alternating powdered sugar and milk alternative until you have a nice creamy frosting texture. Once all ingredients are incorporated, mix in extracts and beat for about 3 more minutes until fluffy.

I like to transfer the frosting to a piping bag and chill or about 10 minutes and then pipe onto the cupcakes.

Dear Retailers and Catalog Purveyors:

Summer is not over. Let us hang on a little longer. There’s proof we shouldn’t give up on summer yet: Peaches, tomatoes, and corn are still plentiful in the stalls at the Farmer’s Markets. Please stop pushing Halloween on us. Let’s get back to school first and until then, continue to bask in the fruits of summer without stressing out over what to reinvent ourselves as for Halloween.

So, ignoring outside retail influences, I am taking advantage of a pile of locally picked (by me!) peaches from Chiles Orchards outside Charlottesville, Virginia to make a still quite seasonally appropriate Peaches & Cream Pie. I promise, I’ll get around to Pumpkin Pie when it’s actually pumpkin season.

ONE LAST PEACH PIE

The Crust

2 c. Pastry or All-Purpose Flour

½ c. Whole Wheat Pastry or White Whole Wheat Flour

3 Tbsp. Sugar

1/8 tsp. Salt

8 Tbsp. Very Cold Vegan Margarine

8 Tbsp. Very Cold Nonhydrogenated Shortening (I like Spectrum’s Butter Flavored Shortening)

Up to 6 Tbsp. Ice Water

2 Tbsp. Cider Vinegar

To get the margarine and shortening nice and cold so they create little pockets of airy-goodness in your crust, cut them into bits dropped into a bowl and stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Add both flours, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine.

Prepare your ice water/vinegar mix by combining ½ c. of water, a handful of ice and the cider vinegar in a big measuring cup or glass, set aside.

Turn on food processor and drop bits of margarine and shortening in one by one as it whirs, continue running until you’ve dropped all of it in and the mixture resembles wet sand. 

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the food processor back on and add ice water, one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball and sticks together well when pinched. Stop adding water once the ball forms and dough sticks together. I usually end up using between 3 and 5 tablespoons of water.

Remove dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently a few times to work all the dough together. Divide into two balls, pat into flat disks and wrap well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before rolling out. (This is the perfect time to work on your peaches.)

The Peaches

2-3 pounds of Ripe Peaches

Juice of 1 Lemon

¼- 1/3 c. Sugar

2-3 Tbsp. Cornstarch, Arrowroot or Tapioca Flour

½ tsp. Almond Extract

½ tsp. Vanilla Extract

2 Tbsp. Vegan Margarine

I’m going to be totally honest: This first step is daunting. It might make you reconsider the whole idea of making a peach pie, but don’t let it stop you. Think of it as a little side project. The end result is soo worth it.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Score a small ‘X’ with a sharp knife into the top of your peaches. This makes them insanely easier to peel. You will be glad I told you about this. While you wait for your water to boil, make a big bowl of ice water and set aside. Once water has reached a boil, drop the peaches (gently) into the water a few at a time and allow the skins to loosen, this usually takes about a minute. Drop into the ice bath and continue this process until you have blanched all the peaches. This is a slippery endeavor, so keep a towel handy:  Peel, slice and pit all of the peaches and toss with lemon juice so they don’t brown. Transfer the peaches to a colander set over a large bowl and let them drain for at least 15 minutes. 

Mix sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl and add the drained peaches and toss well to combine. (I start with the least amount of sugar and add more depending on the ripeness of the peaches). Add the almond and vanilla extract and toss. Set peaches aside while you roll out the pie dough.

Preheat oven to 425.°  I like to roll out my dough between two sheets of waxed paper or parchment. 1) With a little sprinkled flour it never sticks and 2) It makes it crazy easy to transfer to your pie plate.

So, lightly flour a sheet of waxed paper and put one of your disks of dough on it, sprinkle the top with a little flour and cover with another sheet of waxed paper. Begin rolling the dough from the center out until it’s about 10 inches in diameter and ¼" or so thick. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper and gently flip the dough (dough side down) into a 9" pie plate. Slowly remove the remaining sheet of waxed paper and trim the bottom crust so there’s about a ¼"-½" overhang.

Now, roll out the top crust and set aside.

Drain the peaches one more time and then transfer to the pie crust. Top all over with little dots of vegan margarine. 

Remove the top sheet of waxed paper again, but this time, you may want to punch some tiny decorative holes or shapes to vent the pie. Transfer the top crust onto the pie and trim to match bottom crust. (I use kitchen shears, but you can also use a sharp knife.) If you didn’t punch holes or shapes, use a knife to vent the top crust. Seal the edges and crimp with your fingers or use the tines of a fork to make cute little crimped edges. (Easy! Cute!) Put the pie plate on a cookie sheet in case anything bubbles over.

Now it’s time for the pie to go in the oven and bake at 425° for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 350° and continue to bake for 45-50 minutes. About half way through, check the edges of the crust and if they’re getting too brown, lay a few strips of aluminum foil over them to shield them so the rest of the pie can catch up.

It’s hard, but I like to let it cool for at least an hour so the filling can set-up. You can certainly eat it sooner, but it will be on the juicy side. And I promise, it will still be warm in an hour.

A plant-based take on a diner classic is edible proof that eating vegan doesn’t mean leaving your tastebuds at the door of the co-op.

DINER-STYLE EGG SALAD WITHOUT THE EGG

12 oz. Extra Firm Organic Tofu (I like Naysoya No GMO Organic Sprouted Tofu)

½ c. Veganaise or Other Vegan Mayo (I like Soy Free Veganaise)

2 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Dill

1 Tbsp. Chopped Fresh Chives

3 Pickle Slices, Finely Minced (Bread & Butter Pickles for a sweeter egg salad, or my fave, Wickles!) or 1 Tbsp. of Pickle Relish

1 ½ Tbsp. Yellow Mustard (I recommend good ol’ yellow mustard to bump up the yellow yolk-y color and lend and old-fashioned taste)

1 Green Onion (Green Part Only), Finely Minced

1 Celery Stalk, Very Finely Minced

1 Clove Garlic, Grated

½ tsp. Finely Ground Kosher Salt

½ tsp. Tumeric

¼ tsp. Indian Black Salt (worth having a stash of this super-charged secret ingedient — find it at your local Indian grocery or, if you don’t have one, you can buy online)

Pinch of White Pepper

So there’s a little advance preparation here, but once that is done, the whole thing will come together in less than 10 minutes.

First, and most importantly, you need to seek out Indian Black Salt. Every vegan pantry needs this as much as it needs Smoked Paprika. (So if you don’t already own a tin of smoked paprika, stock up while you’re at it.) This somewhat elusive ingredient will make a hippie-tofu Eggless Egg Salad into a Grandma’s Secret Recipe Real-Thing Egg Salad you coud serve at a tea party and no one would question it. Black Salt has a very high sulfur content and thus, smells a lot like an authentic, real-deal egg. So, now, while you’re ordering your Black Salt, press your tofu.

Drain and remove your tofu from the packaging. Place it between two plates with a few paper towels and put two cans on top of the top plate to weight it down. This will keep your egg salad from being watery and keep the flavors true. Put this contraption back in the fridge and press it for at least two hours, but up to 24. Now all the hard work is behind you.

In a medium bowl, combine Veganaise, mustard, grated garlic, salt, black salt, tumeric, minced pickles and a pinch of white pepper to taste. Mix well with a fork or a whisk. Gently fold in the dill, chives, celery, green onion with a spoon or spatula.

Crumble the pressed tofu into the dressing mixture and fold again until well combined. Taste and add more salt, black salt or white pepper to taste.

You may eat immediately, or let it sit in the fridge for a few hours to allow the flavors to meld and soak in. Serve it on toast with a big slab of tomato, or make a classic egg salad sandwich, or totally go nuts and hollow out a fresh, ripe tomato and stuff it for a total side-of-the road 1970’s style lunch.

Serves 4-6

So, yes, I realize there are a million recipes out there for Fattoush. And many of them originate from more authentic sources than my Irish-heritage-self. But, I adore this salad. I love to make it. I love to chop it.  I love to toss it. I love to eat it. And that counts for a lot.

There may very well be a million variations on this salad out in the universe, but the one thing that is non-negotiable for a real Fattoush experience, it’s Sumac. It’s worth seeking out on Amazon if you don’t have a Penzey’s or Mediterranean Grocery nearby to scoop some up. You will love it. You will ask yourself ‘Where has this exotic and rare spice been all my life?’. It’s mysterious and lemony and transformational. 

So consider this recipe one million and one. But most importantly, track down some Sumac and make it.

MY FATTOUSH

2 Hearts of Romaine, Cleaned & Sliced Into 1" Strips

2 Pita Breads, Split Open & Cut Into Bite-Sized Triangles

2 Green Onions, Green & White Parts, Thinly Sliced

1 Large Tomato, Finely Diced

3 or 4 Persian Cucumbers, Diced (can substitue 1 Small English Cucumber)

½ Cup Fresh Mint, Roughly Chopped

½ Cup Flat Leaf Parsley, Roughly Chopped

3 or 4 Radishes, Thinly Sliced

1/3 c. Olive Oil, Plus 1 Tbsp.

1/3 c. Lemon Juice

2 tsp. Sumac, plus more for garnish

1 tsp. Za'atar (or can substitute Sumac)

2-3 Cloves Garlic, Grated or Very Finely Minced

1 tsp. Salt, plus more to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spread pita triangles on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil. Sprinkle with 1 tsp. of za'atar. Bake pita triangles for about 15 minutes or until they’re dry and crispy. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, sumac, garlic and salt in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Give it a taste and add a boost of lemon, salt or sumac if you like. Set aside to let flavors meld while you assemble the salad.

In a large bowl, combine lettuce, mint, parsley and vegetables. Add dressing a little at a time and toss to coat the salad. Continue adding until dressed to your liking. Set aside a few pita chips, and add the remaining pita chips and toss. I personally like to serve this in a big glass bowl or on a platter so you can see it in all its glory.

Crumble remaining pita chips, and use to garnish the salad along with a sprinkle of sumac.

This should serve 6 unless everyone is really hungry.

Things you want to do in the summer: Wear flip flops every day, take day trips to the beach, lounge about, nap at leisure, dangle your feet in the pool, read 6 novels, catch some fireflies and sleep in every morning.

Things you don’t want to do in the summer: Go to work, be the main dish for mosquitos or spend hours in a hot kitchen.

Summer should be easy. And so this recipe is. A few minutes at the grill, a few minutes in the kitchen. And a yummy, fresh multi-purpose salsa made with the best of summer, so you can kick back and do whatever you want. Or absolutely nothing.

FIRE ROASTED CORN & POBLANO SALSA

4 Ears Fresh Corn, Shucked and Cleaned

1 Poblano Pepper

½ Red Onion, Finely Chopped

1 Small Tomato, Finely Diced

3 tsp. Canola or Peanut Oil

1/3 c. Cilantro, Minced

½ tsp. Cumin

Juice of ½ Lime

Salt to Taste

Fire up the grill and throw on the corn and poblanos. Grill the corn, turning to cook and char evenly for about 7-8 minutes. Remove the corn to a plate and allow to cool. Continue turning and charring the poblano as well, but continue grilling until well charred all over. Remove poblano to a separate plate and cover with a towel to steam and loosen the skin.

Once the corn is cooled, remove the corn from the cob with a sharp knife. I strangely pride myself in keeping a few “planks” intact just because 1) It looks cool and 2) My grandfather used to be able to do it. Also, lay the corn down and slice kernels off lengthwise. I used to stand it on end for some crazy reason and at least 30% of the kernels would fly off into random parts of the kitchen. Set corn aside.

Now, peel the skin off the poblano. Rinse and pat dry if you need to. Remove the stem and seeds and finely dice the poblano.

In a skillet over medium heat, add the oil of choice and allow to come up to temperature. Add the red onion and sauté for 5-6 minutes until slightly translucent. Add the garlic and continue for another minute or so. Stir in cumin, then add corn, poblano and tomato. Stir to combine, add lime juice and salt to taste. Cook briefly, just enough to warm the corn. Remove from the heat, stir in cilantro, set aside and allow the flavors to meld for at least 5 minutes.

This can be served as a side salad, a salsa, or a topping for whatever you like.

The weather is full-steaming-humidity ahead for hauling the grill out from under its cover permanently. Of course, I’ve been known to pull the grill out and park it under the eaves when it’s snowing, but we can all sign-off on the fact that we have reached a more seasonally-appropriate grilling season. And in my seasonally-challenged world, nothing pairs better with anything that can or should be grilled than this Chimichurri. I have been fiddling with this since last summer to get all the proportions dialed in. It’s a little of everything that’s good in this world. It can take on almost anything — from shrimp to tofu to potatoes to peppers. And for the red meat crowd, I hear it’s awesome on some flank steak. It’s your new bright, fresh and speedy solve to turning plain and humble food in the fridge into dinner fit for company. 

CHIMICHURRI-IN-A-HURRY

½ c. Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Chopped

½ c. Cilantro, Finely Chopped

3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 Tbsp. Earth Balance (for vegan) or Butter

1 Tbsp. Turbinado Sugar

1 Tbsp. Garlic, Grated on a Microplane

1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano

1 tsp. Cumin

2 tsp. Kosher Salt

2 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes

Melt Earth Balance or butter and blend with olive oil in a medium sized bowl. (You can also use Refined Coconut Oil in place of the Earth Balance or butter since it is neutral in flavor. Do not use a Coconut Oil that is not refined or your Chimichurri will taste like coconuts, which I love, but do not recommend in this recipe.)

Stir in all the dry ingredients — which I guess is everything but the parsley and cilanatro — and blend well. Add the fresh herbs, and blend again. You are done!

If you’d like to marinate whatever you’re conspiring to cook in the Chimichurri —which I highly recommend — spoon some into a Ziploc or separate container (if you’re afraid of plastic like I am) and add whatever you want to marinate, store in the fridge for at least an hour so the flavors can really seep in. Be sure to stash a little supply to the side to baste as you grill too.

I always look forward to that first smoky smell of a grill that wafts up and drifts through the neighborhood as summer makes its way in — a sure sign that the season is upon us.

This smoky, fiery cashew-based dip is an ode to those BBQ Days of Summer — slather a (grilled) veggie burger with it and throw an avocado on for good measure…Serve a little dollop alongside a big plate of grilled veggies…Or, simply serve with some chips and watch it go. A margarita on the side would be a nice touch.

Its insane creaminess belies the fact that there’s not a drop of cream, yogurt or mayonaise in it. No one will know. Or care. It is an addictively delicious (and easy) vegan summer treat that is right at home by any grill.

SPICY-SMOKY CASHEW DIP

1 c. Raw Cashews, Soaked for 4-6 hours in cold water

½ c. Filtered Water

1 Whole Chipotle in Adobo

2-3 tsp. Lemon Juice

1 tsp. Smoked Paprika, I highly recommend Bourbon Barrel

½ tsp. Liquid Smoke

½ tsp. Salt

¼ tsp. Cumin

In a large bowl, cover cashews with fresh water and soak for 4-6 hours. You can soak them longer if you’re an over-achiever. The cashews have to be raw and unsalted to get the flavor base and creamy dip consistency you want. 

Okay, here’s the thing: I make mine in a Vitamix. It is as necessary for me in the kitchen as a wooden spoon. It makes this dip divinely creamy and unbelievably light. If you don’t already own a Vitamix, you may be saying, “What’s the big whoop? I’ll make it in the food processor, big shot.” And you’re right, you can totally do that and it will still be crazy delicious, but it won’t have that je na sais quoi of almost commercial-quality creaminess, but no one else will be the wiser. — So there’s my diatribe on why you need a $500 blender.

Strain the cashews, rinse and add to the blender (or food processor — I am really not judge-y), add the remaining ingredients and blend until creamy, scraping down the sides as you go so the texture is consistant. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. The heat of your chipotles is what everything hinges on, if it’s not spicy enough, add another ¼ of a chipotle until you get the heat right.

Serve with veggies, chips, pretzels or, as we found out recently, it makes an amazing topping for a veggie burger.