Favorite Vegan Recipes (No Soy Please)

I make my own version of La Madeleine's Mediterranean Pasta. Saute sliced mushrooms in olive oil and garlic, add chard, pine nuts, artichoke hearts and Kalmata olives. Serve over bow tie pasta with a TPSP of balsamic vinegar.

TONS of pasta options. As a matter of fact, you can buy the italian bible (the silver spoon) on amazon now for a decent price (used to be $100-125, and now it's only $32) for several hundred amazing recipes. Pretty easy to nix the meat source and you just sub lemon juice for parmesan and sea salt for pecorino. (obviously not a direct/matching volume sub, but squeeze lemon over anything it requires parmesan to be sprinkled over, and sprinkle sea salt over anything requiring pecorino). Gnochi is a fantastic sub for salads requiring fresh mozzarella.

Also Italian; Risotto (adding dairy to risotto is just cheating, pure and simple, the way to a creamy risotto is pulling a couple stools up to the stove, pouring yourself and a friend a glass of wine, and stir, stir, stirring for an hour), stuffed mushrooms, stuffed cabbage leaves, focaccia, baguette with pesto, slices of cherry tomatoes, salt, pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and under the broiler, stuffed olives, oil soup, bread w/ cannelini beans, eggplant parm sans parm (sub that lemon)

Indian curries by the gazillions. Coconut curries, tomato curries, saag paneer (sub the paneer with gnochi).

Spanish Tapas & Paella

Japanese sushi, onigiri (stuffed rice balls; plum, red bean, etc), mochi, udon (most udon has a bonito aka smoked fish base, but you can make your own very easily with soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, a little veggie stock, drop of liquid smoke), tempura

Gumbo or Jambalya (again, a few drops of liquid smoke make up for the smoked meats that are usually found in them), or if you're like me Gumbolaya

Stuffed Peppers (of soooo many different kinds. Not just red rice and green peppers... but cannelini beans cooked with onion, olive oil, garlic to a half whole half paste and stuffed in Anaheims (or jalapenos)

Greek Spanakopita (brush each layer of phyllo dough with olive oil instead of butter... although read the dough package... phyllo dough *should* just be flour, water, and a little bit of oil but some companies add egg or butter), hummus & pita, marinated veggies (plain or grilled),

Moroccan (chicken or beef) Tagine (absolutely *delightful* sans meat sub rice. DO make sure to get the raas el hanout)

Grilled fennel (alone, or in a salad)

Sweep potato empanadas

Watermelon gaspacho

Just sooooo many things :)

I make a quinoa salad:

3 cups cooked quinoa
~1.5 cups black beans
~1.5 cups pidgeon peas
3 chopped bell peppers (I like green, red and yellow)
1 chopped avocado
3 diced tomatos
1/2 onion, diced
Cumin, salt, pepper, chili powder and lime juice to taste.

I make really simple Portabello fajitas that are delish! Saute your favorite bell peppers, onion, and strips of the meaty mushrooms and put em on a multi-grain tortilla. Serve with vegetarian refried beans and this homemade Spanish rice recipe:
1 cup whole wheat rice
2 cups water
1 small onion, chopped
half (or whole for me cause I love it!) bell pepper, chopped (your fave color or a mix of them all)
10oz can of diced tomatoes and green chiles with juice
chili powder to taste
1-2 tbsp oil or vegan butter (I use Safflower oil)
Saute the rice, onion, and peppers until onion is soft, usually about 5-8 mins
Add water and cook until rice is done, about 30 mins. I usually have to add a little more water after 15-20 mins, but I'm not the best rice cooker ;) The whole meal takes 30-45 mins, including preparation.
This dinner is a HUGE hit with my meat eating husband and friends! You can even cook the fajitas on the grill for a summer BBQ (: