Vegan, Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
I couldn’t live without Vegenaise and always keep a jar of it in the fridge. For this cheat’s aioli, I dress it up simply with lemon, garlic, and salt. It takes 2 minutes, tastes amazing, and has multiple uses.
½ cup Vegenaise
½ teaspoon very finely grated or minced lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, very finely grated or minced
A pinch of salt
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Vegan, Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
MAKES 1½ CUPS
I am firmly of the school that “cilantro is the best herb ever,” and I think it makes almost everything better, including hummus. If you are one of those people who hate cilantro (and therefore love dill, a random correlation I find is almost always true), skip this recipe or substitute parsley for the cilantro. If you don’t have an immersion blender, I highly recommend investing in one—they’re really affordable and make cleanup a cinch.
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Juice of ½ large lemon, plus more as needed
1½ teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
3 tablespoons tahini
¼ cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
½ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl with ¼ cup water and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth (alternatively, use a food processor). Adjust with more lemon, salt, or water to taste.
Vegan, Gluten-free
MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
Coconut whipped cream is all the rage in the world of vegan desserts. The texture is impressively similar to that of whipped cream, and the coconut flavor pairs extremely well with a lot of sweets. It’s pretty easy to whip up, but remember that the can needs to chill in the fridge overnight to ensure that the cream and the liquid separate properly.
1 (14-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk, placed in the fridge overnight*
1 tablespoon coconut sugar
A small pinch of salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Scoop the solid coconut cream off the top of the can into a medium bowl. Use a fork or potato masher to break it up until slightly softened and smooth. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla extract and whisk by hand (or with an electric beater) until it has the texture of whipped cream, about 3 minutes.
Vegan, Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
MAKES ABOUT 1½ CUPS
Fresh coconut milk is like dairy-free half-and-half, it’s so creamy; and if you can find fresh cut-up coconut, it’s also really easy to make. Blend some and store in the fridge for up to 4 days (though mine never lasts more than a day).
1 cup diced fresh coconut meat (roughly ¾-inch square pieces)
1½ cups filtered water
Blitz the coconut and water in a high-powered blender until very smooth; pour through a fine-mesh strainer.
Here are two versatile and really easy sauces, great for dipping anything from crudités to frozen chicken nuggets. Hey, no one’s perfect, right?
Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
MAKES ABOUT ½ CUP
¼ cup Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon hot mustard powder
1 tablespoon very hot water
Whisk together all the ingredients.
Vegan, Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
½ cup Vegenaise
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 small garlic clove, very finely grated or minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Whisk together the first 7 ingredients; season with salt and pepper to taste.
Vegan, Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
MAKES ABOUT ¾ CUP
Furikake is a popular Japanese seasoning made from nori, salt, sugar, and sesame seeds. I love sprinkling it over rice, avocado toast, or anything that needs a little extra zip. I started experimenting with making my own this year, and I must say, the resulting recipe does not disappoint. Sprinkle this over sesame noodles, congee, popcorn, or do as Gwyneth does and eat it with your fingers as a snack.—TB
2 toasted nori sheets
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 teaspoons coconut sugar
½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
A pinch of salt
Use your fingers to crumble the nori into very small pieces into a bowl, then add the remaining ingredients. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Vegan, Gluten-free
MAKES ABOUT 5½ CUPS
I’m addicted to this granola. It’s slightly salty, slightly sweet, wonderfully crunchy, and makes the whole house smell like Thanksgiving. Buckwheat groats, which are actually seeds, can be found in the gluten-free grain section of most Whole Foods Markets or natural food stores.—TB
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
½ cup buckwheat groats
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
¼ cup hemp seeds
½ cup walnut pieces, very roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Preheat the oven to 250ºF.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Transfer the mixture to a large baking sheet and bake for 1 hour.
Use a large spatula to break up the granola and return to the oven for 15 minutes.
Let cool completely before eating.
I developed these recipes for my last cookbook, It’s All Good, but I wanted to include them here as well, because they’re so useful and versatile.
Vegan, Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
MAKES 3 CUPS
1 cup quinoa
Coarse sea salt
Rinse the quinoa thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer (although this may sound like an unnecessary step, it really makes a huge difference in flavor, since quinoa’s natural coating tastes like soap).
Place the rinsed quinoa in a pot set over high heat with 1¾ cups water and a big pinch of salt. Bring the water to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa’s germs look like lots of little spirals, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, place a dry paper towel between the pot and the lid, and let the quinoa sit for at least 5 minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork.
Vegan, Gluten-free
MAKES 3 CUPS
1 cup short-grain brown rice
Coarse sea salt
Rinse the rice thoroughly in a fine-mesh strainer until the water runs clear.
Place the rinsed rice in a pot set over high heat with 1¾ cups water and a big pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and cook until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through, exactly 45 minutes. Turn the heat off, place a dry paper towel between the pot and the lid, and let the rice sit for at least 5 minutes before giving it a fluff with a fork.
Vegan, Gluten-free
MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS
Roasting the tomatoes first gives this salsa a really nice roundness and hints of smoky sweet flavor. Be sure the roasted vegetables have cooled completely before blending them with the other ingredients. You want the cilantro to retain its bright flavors.
8 plum tomatoes, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 small white onion, cut into quarters, plus ½ small white onion, roughly chopped
Olive oil
A pinch of salt, plus more as needed
3 small dried chipotle peppers
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
Place the tomatoes, garlic cloves, and quartered onion on a baking sheet; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Roast for 30 minutes.
While the veggies roast, toast the chipotles in a small dry sauté pan for about 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and cover with boiling water to rehydrate.
When the veggies are very well browned and soft, remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature.
While the veggies cool, remove the chipotles from their water bath, tear them in half, and remove most of the seeds. Roughly chop, then add them to the bowl of a food processor along with the roasted veggies, roughly chopped onion, and cilantro.
Pulse until almost smooth, then season with salt and black pepper to taste.