Reader C.F. asked, “What is your favorite vegan cookbook?“
There is one easy answer to that simple question: Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero. It is the mother of all vegan cookbooks, and features recipes such as curried carrot dip, chestnut lentil pate, apricot bbq tofu, lemongrass risotto…I could go on and on. The book features high-class, high-quality dishes that are 100% animal and cruelty free. Moskowitz & Romero tout their book as “recipes you wish you grew up with”, and describe their concoctions as “real and honest home cooking”.
Allow me to share with you one of my all-time favorite recipes from Veganomicon – one that is perfect for summertime. I first made this dish two years ago for my omni dad on Fathers day, and have since recreated it for Cinco de Mayo celebrations and other sunshine-soaked festivities.
Black Bean & Quinoa Salad (from Veganomicon)
You will need…
- 1 mango, peeled and cut into a small dice
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced as small as you can get it
- 1 cup chopped scallions
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, cooled
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- A few leaves of lettuce for garnish
Method…
- Combine the mango, red bell pepper, scallions, and cilantro in a mixing bowl. Add the red wine vinegar, grapeseed oil, and salt, and stir to combine. Add the quinoa and stir until everything is well incorporated. Fold in the black beans.
- You can serve immediately or let it sit for a bit for the flavors to meld. To serve, place a few leaves of lettuce on a plate and scoop some salad on top. This tastes good chilled and is even better at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Questions about veganizing meat dishes? Questions about vegan baking? Questions about anything in particular? Email cookingfortheotherhalf@yahoo.com – answers will be featured in posts to come.
