There are a lot of reasons to prepare a refreshing drink or a flavorful spread or dip. Whether you start the day, take a pause after school, or run out the door to a gathering, these recipes add plant-based creaminess, flavor, and spice to any occasion. The spreads are easily prepared ahead and tucked in the refrigerator. All you need is a whole-grain baguette or fresh sliced vegetables, and you’re snack- or party-ready. With a smoothie or hot cup of cocoa, you can enjoy drinks that supply plant-based and pantry-ready proteins.
Recipes
Serves 2
Golden Milk is a popular westernized version of traditional Indian haldi doodh, or turmeric milk, made with almond milk, turmeric, honey, and spices. Beejoli Shah, in an October 2016 article for Bon Appetit, described traditional haldi doodh as “simple: half a cup or less of piping hot milk, with a tablespoon of ground turmeric dissolved into it until the entire mixture, is a bright yellow.” This recipe westernizes Golden Milk even more by combining popular pantry items—cocoa powder and turmeric—to create a beverage that brings my life-long fascination with spices together in a warm drink. Any nut milk can be used here. Alternatively, serve over ice.
Ingredients:
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon water
2 cups almond, cashew, soy, or beverage-style coconut milk
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a small saucepan whisk together the cocoa powder, turmeric, ginger, honey, and water to make a thin paste. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the almond milk and blend well. Whisk in the remaining almond milk. Place over medium heat and whisk occasionally until steam starts to rise from the surface and the milk just starts to bubble gently. Remove from the heat and cover the pan. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Whisk until bubbly and serve hot, topped with freshly ground black pepper, or allow it to cool and serve over ice.
Turmeric Powder
Ground dried turmeric powder adds bright yellow color to food along with a pungent flavor. An ancient spice touted for its anti-inflammatory properties, turmeric will stain your hands, dishcloths, and cutting boards a nice shade of yellow. Mix with water to create a yellow dye for hard-cooked eggs.
Serves 2
Freeze your bananas before making this smoothie, or add crushed ice (or six ice cubes) if making this with a room-temperature banana. To freeze a banana for a smoothie, peel and slice the banana. Place the banana slices in a small zip-top bag. Flatten the bag’s contents so you don’t have a big clump of bananas, and freeze at least overnight. Now they are ready for a twirl in the blender.
Ingredients:
1 medium-size banana, sliced and frozen
1 ½ cups almond, soy, cashew, or beverage-style coconut milk
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon peanut butter
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Optional: ½ cup crushed ice or 6 ice cubes
Directions:
To make the smoothie, blend the sliced frozen banana, nut milk, cocoa powder, peanut butter, and cinnamon. Add optional ice if banana is not frozen. Serve in a tall glass or divide between two smaller glasses.
Coconut Milk
At the supermarket, coconut milk is sold in shelf-stable cans or boxes or as a beverage-style blend in refrigerated cartons.
If not specified in a recipe, canned coconut milk works best in soups, curries, stews, and other dishes or drinks that are heated so that the coconut fat melts and blends in to the dish or drink. It’s personal preference whether you select regular or lite coconut milk. Sometimes the light coconut milk is not as flavorful because it contains less of the coconut fat.
Beverage-style coconut milk contains coconut milk with added sugar, salt, and thickeners. It is sold refrigerated and is intended for drinking and not cooking. It works well for hot or cold beverages, smoothies, or coffee.
Makes 1 quart
Before you dismiss this recipe, please reconsider. I hope this changes the way you think and feel about making homemade pickles. All of the pickle brine ingredients are found in your pantry, so all you have to do is prepare four cups of vegetables and heat the brine.
You may think this recipe isn’t for you or is “out of reach” if you don’t have a garden, a canner, or all day to spend in the kitchen. Designed specifically with these barriers in mind, this recipe makes exactly one quart of pickled vegetables and is probably one of the easiest things you could ever make. The recipe can be easily doubled. Two suggested veggie mixes are listed below, although you can use any combination of vegetables. No matter what vegetables you use, you need four cups of prepared vegetables. Ideas other than what’s listed below include zucchini spears, red pepper strips, onion chunks, or whole green beans.
Pickle vinegar brine ingredients:
½ cup apple cider vinegar
1 ¾ cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or black peppercorns (optional for the Spicy Bahn Mi Mix because it already contains jalapeño and is spicy without the pepper)
Directions:
Thoroughly wash the jar and lid. Fill the jar with boiling water and cover the lid with boiling water to sterilize. Pour out the hot water before filling.
Prepare the vegetables. If using fresh dill, put the dill sprig in the jar first. Pack the vegetables and crushed garlic in the jar so that the dill is pressed up against the side of the jar.
In a small saucepan, heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt until it starts to boil. Stir to dissolve salt and sugar.
Turn off the heat.
Carefully pour the brine over the vegetables, using a sterlilized funnel if desired. The level of the vinegar should come to the top of the jar and cover all the vegetables. Close the jar with the lid and wipe off the outside of the jar. Let stand on the kitchen counter until cooled to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, if they last that long.
Spicy Bahn Mi pickles
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 radishes, washed and sliced
2 cucumbers, washed and cut into cubes
1 jalapeño pepper, washed and thinly sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
Pickled cauliflower and carrot mix
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup sliced carrot or carrot sticks
¼ large red onion, peeled and cut into slices or chunks
1 large sprig fresh dill
Pickled red onion and cucumber mix
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 cups cucumber chunks or spears
1 cup red onion chunks
1 large sprig fresh dill
Serves 4 to 6
Shop for tofu in the refrigerated area of the natural or “organic” food department. You can serve this dish as an appetizer with sliced celery or as a suppertime entree with a slaw or salad. Buffalo sauce and hot sauce are not the same thing. You can buy Buffalo sauce already prepared, but why not make your own with your pantry of ingredients, since Buffalo sauce is almost always based on hot sauce, with the addition of some sort of liquid fat and other seasonings, such as garlic, vinegar, or cayenne pepper. For this recipe, pick your favorite sauce—either mild or spicy garlic.
Ingredients:
One 14-ounce package extra-firm tofu
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup canola oil
Celery sticks
Mild sauce
1 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Spicy garlic sauce
1 cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
First, press the excess moisture out of the tofu. Slice open the tofu package and drain off the water. Place the block of tofu on a plate and put the tofu box on top of the tofu. Fill the tofu box with items such as lemons or a can of beans or tomato sauce. This places gentle pressure on the tofu and presses out excess moisture. Let the tofu sit and press for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce of your choice and keep warm.
Remove the box from the top of the tofu and move the tofu to a cutting board. With a paper towel, pat the excess moisture off the surface of the tofu. Slice the tofu in half across the middle, like a bun. You now have two rectangular slices of tofu stacked on top of each other. Cut the tofu in half widthwise (down the middle). You now have 4 sections of tofu. Cut each section into 6 cubes.
In a shallow dish, mix the flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
In a skillet, heat the canola oil over medium heat. Dredge cubes of tofu in the flour to coat. Cook the tofu cubes in batches, browning on the first side for about 5 minutes. With a spatula, turn the tofu and continue to cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the second side is brown and crispy. Move to a glass baking dish and keep warm in a 200°F oven. Just before serving, ladle warm buffalo sauce over the tofu cubes. Broil the tofu and sauce until hot and bubbly.
Makes about 2 cups
This salty, versatile spread pairs well with roasted vegetables, grilled bread, fresh sliced bread, or fresh vegetables such as celery sticks, zucchini spears, or whole blanched green beans. It is also good as a spread on a wrap sandwich.
Ingredients:
¾ cup pitted Kalamata olives
¾ cup pitted green olives
¼ cup sliced almonds
1 clove garlic, sliced
¼ cup fresh parsley or basil
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon water
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Mix until all ingredients are blended but still chunky. Serve at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator.
Frank’s RedHot Sauce
According to their website, Frank’s RedHot “original cayenne pepper sauce is made with a premium blend of aged cayenne peppers that add a kick of heat and a whole lot of flavor to your favorite foods.” I chose Frank’s for this book, and for the Buffalo Tofu recipe, because it’s widely available and is the hot sauce used to create the original Buffalo wings created in Buffalo, New York, in 1964.
Makes about 1 ½ cups
This simple, flavorful dip looks like guacamole. Serve with Skillet Croutons, page 79, pita chips, or sliced fresh vegetables. Save chickpea liquid to make a batch of Plant-Based Mayonnaise 1, page 48.
Ingredients:
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked beans but reserve the cooking liquid
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
2 cups baby spinach or baby kale
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth. If needed, add up to ¼ cup of the chickpea liquid to adjust the consistency to desired thickness.
Make about 2 cups
Roasted garlic and onion are more mellow than when uncooked and are sweeter too. Roasting the beans with the onions and garlic allows this dip to be served warm if desired.
Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil, divided
½ small red onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
One 15-ounce can great northern beans, or 1 ½ cups cooked great northern beans
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons lemon juice (from about 1 lemon)
¼ cup tahini
½ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In an ovenproof saucepan or medium skillet, over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften the onion. Stir in the garlic, beans, and water. Place in oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until starting to brown. Remove from oven and place beans in a blender or food processor. Add the lemon juice, tahini, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt. Blend or process until smooth.
smoked Paprika
This Spanish spice is made from ground, smoke-dried pimentón peppers. The smoky flavor is perfect for meatless dishes, rubs, cooked dry beans, marinades, and sauces.
Makes about 2 cups
Roast an eggplant over a gas flame or on a grill to “melt” or soften the interior of the eggplant and add a true smoky flavor. The smoked paprika adds an even smokier flavor. Alternatively, roast the eggplant in a hot oven. Serve with pita chips, whole-grain crackers, rice crackers, or thick sliced-vegetable.
Ingredients:
1 large globe eggplant, washed
¼ cup chopped roasted red pepper
¼ cup tahini
½ teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Optional: chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Place a small baking rack over the gas flame of a stove or preheat a grill to medium-high. Wash and dry the eggplant. Place the eggplant over the gas flame. Use a pair of tongs to turn the eggplant periodically during cooking until the eggplant is soft on the inside and blackened on the outside. This takes about 20 to 25 minutes depending on the size of the eggplant.
Move the eggplant to a bowl and cover with foil. Set aside until cool enough to be handled without burning your fingers, about 15 minutes. The eggplant will continue cooking and will be even softer and mushier when the foil is removed.
Meanwhile, place the red pepper, tahini, garlic powder, olive oil, red wine vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and mix well.
Cut the eggplant open, scoop out the eggplant pulp, and put it into the bowl with the other ingredients. Mix well, stirring vigorously until the dip is smooth with chunks of red pepper and eggplant. The eggplant may remain just a little stringy, but the dip should be creamy in consistency. Serve warm or refrigerate and serve at a later time.
