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Vegan Recipe Sites

Since I don't own very many vegan cookbooks, I find a lot of recipes online.  Here are a few of my favorite sources for vegan recipes:

Oh She Glows
Angela Liddon's extensive blog is full of creative, healthy vegan recipes, complete with beautiful photos.

Post Punk Kitchen
Created by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, the co-author of Veganomicon and several other vegan cookbooks, this is a really well-organized website with vegan recipes for every meal and occasion.

PETA
So maybe they are a little crazy... but PETA offers a great search engine for vegan and vegetarian recipes.  Plus, they have a helpful "Vegan Baking Cheat Sheet" that tells you how to substitute for eggs and dairy in non-vegan baking recipes.

Spiced Apple Raisin Bread

Quick breads are one of my favorite things to bake, because you can experiment so much with the flavors and add anything you want.  For this recipe, I used apples, raisins, and spices for a hearty, moist and lightly sweet bread.  Feel free to add nuts, chocolate chips, dried fruits, or whatever you like.

Red Pepper and Mushroom Lasagna with Spinach Ricotta

Most of what I know about cooking comes from my mom, who is an amazing Italian cook.  So naturally, the first recipe I want to share with you is for a vegan version of our family's lasagna.  For the sauce, I used my mom's recipe for sweet and tangy marinara.  For the "ricotta," I combined and modified the recipes for Cashew Ricotta and Tofu Ricotta from Veganomicon by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero.  (I definitely recommend this book; it's extensive and creative, and I have yet to find a recipe I didn't love!):

http://www.theppk.com/books/veganomicon-the-ultimate-vegan-cookbook/

So, this dish takes a little bit of work, but it's satisfying, a complete meal, and perfect for making ahead.  Hope you like it!

Getting Started

First of all, thanks for visiting my blog!  This is a blog dedicated to vegan cooking and baking.  When I became vegetarian five years ago, a whole new world of food was opened up to me.  Instead of the typical meal - meat, some kind of grain, and a vegetable - my plates were filled with creative, colorful concoctions.  I experimented with cuisines from around the world, zesty spices, and grains I had never heard of (quinoa?  amaranth?) 


However, I often resorted to using lots of cheese or other high-fat foods to fill in the gaps in my diet.  When I switched to vegan about a year ago - cutting out all eggs and dairy - I was forced to get even more creative, and also healthier.  Vegan food is naturally flavorful and diverse, which is why I try to use ingredients that are naturally vegan when I cook, instead of trying to find substitutes for popular non-vegan foods.  Hopefully you'll agree with me that vegan food is fresh, delicious, healthy and satisfying!


I do a lot of cooking and baking in my free time, but I usually rely on other people's recipes, at least as guides.  So, I'm pretty new to writing my own recipes, but I promise everything I post will be well-tested and detailed.  I love to bake more than anything, and I've found that vegan baking is especially delicious: moist and earthy.  My goal is to create baking recipes that use simple, on-hand ingredients (no egg-replacers or other store-bought substitutes.)


I can't wait to get started, and to get your feedback and suggestions.  Happy cooking!


Cayla   


~ "Vegetables are a must on a diet.  I suggest carrot cake, zucchini bread, and pumpkin pie." ~ Jim Davis