Easy

If a meal I’m making needs a little protein boost, I must admit that the first thing I think of reaching for is tofu. But since we already use plenty of soy foods, I try to remind myself to consider beans instead. Beans of all kinds are inexpensive and delicious nutritional powerhouses—in short, a food category that deserves daily attention.

I love a good coffee cake to serve as a snack or for breakfast, and when I needed a vegan version, this recipe is the one I turned to. My friend Leslie Cerier is an organic caterer and the author of Going Wild in the Kitchen.

This has long been a family favorite as an everyday kind of cake. A version of it is in my first book, Vegetariana, but here I’ve updated it—no more margarine, milk, or eggs, but the result is still a moist, rich, super-easy treat. I often make it when I’m asked to bring dessert to a gathering, and when I do, I double the recipe so I can leave one of the cakes at home!

Wholesome and seductive all at once, this dark bread can be made in a flash. It’s wonderful with tea as a dessert or as a breakfast bread.

This recipe is one of those that has been passed around from person to person, its origin unknown. I’ve tinkered with it, replacing margarine with oil and adding whole wheat pastry flour. I also concocted the simple frosting, which makes this moist cake totally delectable. Our extended family’s favorite cake for birthdays and other special occasions, this demands just minutes of hands-on time.

Beverly Bennett, also known as the Vegan Chef (veganchef.com), is a talented and creative cook. A number of her desserts are the ones most requested by my sons. When strawberries are lush and ripe, this is an easy way to create a light and healthy dessert in a flash. Please use ripe, juicy strawberries for this; it just isn’t the same if they’re rock-hard and barely red. Make this before dinner, and it will be ready by the time you want dessert.

The preparation of this dessert is almost ridiculously easy, belying its showy result. Though I’d seen similar recipes in magazines for fruit pizzas, the first time I actually had this for dessert was in an Italian restaurant in Paris, presented as “Banana Pizza Chocolatino.” Combining a good-quality pizza crust and chocolate chips with bananas and another fresh fruit results in a most impressive dessert. Use a neutral-flavored crust for this, unembellished with herbs, dried tomatoes, or other savory flavors. I like sourdough, as its slight bite contrasts nicely with the sweet dark chocolate.

Berries and apples are my favorite fruit combination in crumbles and cobblers. I try to have blueberries and cranberries as often as possible for their powerful antioxidant goodness. Here’s a way to enjoy a sweet, delectable crumble, minus the thirty-minute baking time usually required. The twist here is that it’s made on the stovetop rather than baked in the oven.

I’ve become a huge fan of butterscotch lately; I’m not sure if it’s the flavor or the scent that appeals to me most. I love the synergy between the tart apples and the mellow sauce; it’s like making caramel apples in the pan.

The flavor of maple syrup marries well with pineapple, especially glazed right into the surface. If you like pineapple, you’re sure to enjoy this nearly instant dessert. This is particularly appealing when made with canned organic pineapple mini-rings.

One winter evening some time ago, our younger son said he had an idea for a dessert, and ordered us all out of the kitchen. He made the caramel sauce from scratch, but it was rather involved and made a bit of a mess (though it tasted incredible). Since this is a book dedicated to ease, I’ve used prepared caramel syrup in this recipe. When I was finally allowed to peek into the kitchen, I saw that Evan had combined apples with chocolate, a combination I thought wouldn’t work well. Pears and chocolate, strawberries and chocolate, yes, but apples? It turns out I was wrong. We loved this dessert, and since then have had it regularly. With prepared caramel sauce, it’s a snap to make and strikes a wonderful balance of raw and cooked, healthy and decadent. It looks pretty, too. Lucky me to have such a great young dessert chef in the family!

This dressing can be made in no time flat and offers an offbeat alternative for jazzing up green salads.

When you crave a rich-tasting dessert that can be eaten the minute it’s done, this is a fine choice. I like to serve it with sliced apples, pears, and/or Asian pears on the side. The pudding can be used as a dip for the fruits as well.

Easy to make and deliciously different, this lively salsa can be served with tortillas as an accompaniment or appetizer for a Southwestern-style meal. See Big Quesadillas with Refried Beans, Spinach, and Avocado (page 145), in which this is used as a topping.

This is a most useful dressing for me—perhaps even more so than the basic vinaigrette in the previous recipe. I love how it tastes on crisp salads, giving them an Asian accent. You can also use this on cooked Asian noodles to make an easy side dish.

A dollop of sweet-tart chutney is a nice way to dress up both spicy curried and mild grain and bean dishes.

Serve this versatile sauce to dress up sautéed tofu, tempeh, or mashed potatoes. See suggestions for its use in Smashed Yukon Gold Potatoes with Shiitake-Miso Gravy (page 208) and Tempeh and Green Beans with Shiitake-Miso Gravy (page 76).

As a marinade and an all-purpose dressing for salads and slaws, I find this recipe indispensable. Increase the proportion of vinegar if you prefer a more pungent taste.