Pupusas and Tacos and White Girl Curtido...Oh My!

It's been a helluva week folks. My plan was to be at Expo West all week, but it was postponed/canceled due to COVID-19 (aka Corona Virus) and then Super Tuesday election results had me all, like, whoa. Mr. Newman took off for the week to gamble away our life savings in Laughlin (I kid! I kid!), and I have had the house to myself all week. That means I can make a big ol' mess in the kitchen and make foods with onions and peppers and spice! Haha.

Soup and a Sandwich! Slow and Low Onion Soup & Oil-Free Egg Salad Sandwich

Everybody knows soup and sandwiches go together like peanut butter and jelly! Both of the recipes below definitely stand on their own without depending on one another, but because they both are great make ahead recipes, it makes it a snap to plan a few combo meals throughout your busy week.

Southwest Peanut Butternut Squash OR Sweet Potato Tacos

There are so many ways to fill a taco, without using "meat substitutes." Beans, grilled vegetables, bbq pecans, tofu, corn, or in this case...butternut squash or sweet potatoes.

Foods that Nourish: Sweet Potato, Kale, and Brown Rice Bowls with Creamy Savory Cashew Sauce

If you hate reading long, drawn out stories before getting to the actual recipes, well...start scrolling now, because this one? This one's gonna be a doozy.

Vegan Yaka Mein

Yaka Mein (aka "Old Sober") from my cookbook Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen.

UPDATE: This recipe was originally posted in February 2, 2013. I wanted to start a new tradition for New Year's Day and this is one of my favorite recipes from the book so I spent a little time retaking the photos when I made it today to celebrate the new decade. Happy New Year to you and yours.

Since I won't be traveling to New Orleans this Carnival, I am bringing Mardi Gras to me with a traditional Louisiana favorite known as Yaka Mein.

The Better Mac (Vegan Version of a Big Mac!)

The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet (just got better!) has been out for a few months now, and I have been doing veggie burger cooking demos out and about. I am not doing a full blown book tour this round, and since most of you aren't gonna be able to make it out to one of my demos in Southern California, I figured I would share it here!

This is the Better Mac...aka a vegan version of McDonald's Big Mac. You know...two all vegan patties, Better Sauce, lettuce, cheeze, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun? With that excessive third bun in the middle? Follow below and you can have your fast-food fix at home whenever your heart desires.

The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet...Just Got Better! (Recipes and a Giveaway!)

This Burger is Nuts (page 82) with lettuce, vegan provolone, red onion, sauteed mushrooms,
and guacamole on a toasted sesame seed bun. Styled and Photographed by Kate Lewis.

Over a decade ago I began writing a book, I had every intention of self-publishing, that was tentatively titled Just the Burgers: 101 Homemade Veggie Burgers. It was pretty much done. But, as luck would have it, I got a book deal! Not for this book, but for 500 Vegan Recipes with Celine Steen, and it was so successful, we immediately got to work on The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions, and then Home Cooked Vegan Comfort Food, and then...finally I could breathe, pfew! A few years had gone by and I decided to ask if I publisher would like to take over the burger project...and they did! In 2011, the first edition of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet was released. And now, in 2019, The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet...Just Got Better!

Quinoa Chili for the People

Another chili! I've been stoked on soups, stews, and chili this past few months. Southern California has been uncharacteristically wet and cold this past winter, so warm bowls of yummy always comfort the body and soul, but now it's spring so it's time to lighten it up a bit. But, I'm not quite ready to give up on the bowls of comfort quite yet! This hearty, yet light, chili is chock-full of veggies (You can literally swap out any seasonal veggies when making this!), beans, quinoa, and hominy.

Easy Vegan Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup

Cold outside? Warm up your insides with this easy to throw together Broccoli Cheese Potato Soup!

Butternut Squash Chili

Most of y'all know by now that I work at Tanaka Farms. I've been there about four years now, and the longer I am there, the more I love it. Tanaka Farms is a family owned and operated farm. Farmer Tanaka (a third generation Japanese-American, also known as Sansei) and his son Kenny (Yonsei) run the farm. Since working at the farm, I have learned so much about Japanese, as well as, Hawaiian culture!

One of my favorite bits of knowledge gained is "Chili & Rice." Just like it sounds, it's chili served over steamed rice! Using the farm's fresh produce, including some stellar butternut squash, I came up with this chili that we served at the Tanaka Grill over the holiday season. It was a big hit, and I ended up teaching a cooking class showing folks how to make it at the farm. 

Butternut Squash Chili
Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free