🎃 Squash soup, pumpkin granola and pumpkin cakes
Good morning,
One of the reasons this newsletter has become so sporadic is because a lot of my creative energy has been directed toward a big client project editing articles about climate change. It’s a heavy topic to be sure, but I’ve been learning a lot, too.
For instance, did you know that eating local has only a negligible effect on greenhouse gas emissions? (The exception is any food imported by plane, which comes with a huge carbon footprint.)
Overall, the two highest-impact things you can do are reducing food waste and eating fewer animal products. Which is why we’re all here, right? (If you want to learn more, I found this article from Carbon Brief very informative. And it has graphs!)
Personally, I never found it much of a challenge to give up meat. (And it was a very long time ago.) It’s dairy that’s the tough one for me, especially cheese and butter. (And I’m not very interested in the substitute products.) So please keep sharing your delicious vegan recipes to keep me from having quesadillas for dinner yet again.
But first, soup
One place I do manage to do fine with dairy-free options is soup. A little butter does go a long way, but I find you can get plenty of creamy mouthfeel without milk or cream.
I’ve been into the red lentil–based soups lately—they cook up so fast.
This Carrot and Red Lentil Soup, for example, I dug up from the depths of my archives while doing a cookbook purge. (La Tartine Gourmande was a keeper.) I used a red onion instead of leeks, and please, who has the time or inclination to blanch, peel and seed a tomato? I also used a whole can of coconut milk so I wouldn’t have to deal with leftovers, and it’s not a decision I regret.
I also really enjoyed this Palestinian Red Lentil and Squash Soup. Don’t be put off by the cinnamon—it’s very subtle. Next time I would make the croutons in the oven instead of on the stove—I find when you stir, they never flip over properly. And I salted throughout the process, not just at the end.
The Sprouted Kitchen
Also from my cookbook purge, I rediscovered The Sprouted Kitchen, which I cooked a lot from long ago. (I write notes in all my cookbooks, and now, at my advanced age, I look at these notes and have zero recollection of actually making the thing.)
This Moroccan Stuffed Squash is one of the recipes I’ve made a number of times. It looks fancy but it’s not nearly as much work as you’d think.
Another one I really enjoyed (and need to make again soon) is this Pumpkin Spice Granola. ‘Tis the season, right?
Cake
Yet another cookbook I dug out from the depths (are you sensing a theme here?) is The Caker, one I picked up in New Zealand and had never made a thing from until a very delicious banana-coconut cake a couple of weeks ago.
I can’t find that one online, but she has a ton of recipes on her site, including lots of vegan options. To continue today’s theme, one of them is these Vegan Spiced Pumpkin Cakes. Let me know if you try them.
Vegan takeout and delivery
I get a lot of guilt from all the plastic waste from a lot of takeout, but it does brighten the pandemic-exacerbated seasonal gloom. So we’re taking a once-in-a-while approach. Some places on my list:
• Mexican vegan from La Bartola. We got takeout for my birthday and the tacos are incredible, and they’re supposed to be getting delivery any time now via Door Dash.
• Malaysian vegan from Fat Choi. Takeout only and mostly preorder, but as a plus, they have vegan wine and beer, too.
• Vegetarian and vegan options from Ramen Isshin. My go-to is the spicy red miso and I fantasize about them developing a veg black sesame.
• Gelato and sorbetto from Nani’s Gelato. They change their flavours constantly so there’s always something new to try.
Send me your picks as well!
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Eat More Plants is a weekly newsletter by Kat Tancock, sharing recipes and inspiration for vegetarian and vegan dishes, restaurants, products and more. Please reply with your own tips so I can include them in a future issue, and send this newsletter to your friends.
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