Root Vegetable

This recipe is based on one of my favorite Chinese take-out dishes. The problem with the restaurant version is that it is often rather oily. I’ve devised this low-fat version as a way to satisfy my craving for it.

Offering an attractive presentation of steamed fresh veggies, this is a nice change of pace from stir-fries. It’s a fresh-tasting meal that gets its personality from a luscious sauce.

Years ago, on a trip to the Southwest, my husband and I (then vegetarians, not yet vegans) discovered the famous breakfast dish of the region and were quickly hooked. Huevos rancheros are scrambled eggs perched atop corn tortillas and topped with an incendiary sauce. It’s easy to veganize this classic, as I’ve done here. Like the next recipe, this can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner.

Common to many regional Middle Eastern cuisines, this is one of those supersimple dishes that, with the right ingredients, is amazingly tasty. Especially welcome as a fast summer dish, this is a good showcase for the abundance of delicious tomatoes in season. Shakshouka, in its original version, is made with eggs; in this vegan rendition, only one change needs to be made—silken tofu replaces the eggs.

On a visit to Israel, I came across a convenient vegan product called “mixed grill”-thin strips of tofu and seitan packaged together. Once home, I took this inspiration to create a simple, high-protein skillet dish.

Sweet potatoes and watercress are both splendid sources of vitamin C; they team up in this quick soup to great effect. As I mention in the ingredient list, I like this with a dark, robust variety of miso such as barley or hatcho.

Oh, how I adore this soup, which I discovered at The Bakery in New Paltz, New York. A simple Italian classic, this soup has a number of variations, but I find there’s no need to dress up the basic formula. Escarole is a sturdy green that’s too tough for many salads, but it cooks quickly and, combined with cannellini beans, gives an almost buttery scent and flavor to the soup.

Here’s a soup that comes together in no time, yet tastes as if it has been simmered for hours.

Orzo is a rice-shaped pasta. Look for the tricolor variety. While the orzo cooks, the vegetables for this soup roast in the oven, resulting in a sweet, smoky flavor when submerged in the broth.

Think of this pie as Pumpkin Pie’s cousin. The creamy potato puree (best when made from locally grown sweet potatoes) makes for a dense, sweet pie. Like pumpkin pie, this southern staple has a deep, rich orange color that, topped with a dollop of Whipped Cream (page 193) or cinnamon ice cream, makes for a beautiful centerpiece to your holiday dessert table.

These tartlets can be assembled and refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, three to four hours in advance; bake just before serving.

This tart can be made a day ahead and kept at room temperature, loosely covered with plastic wrap. Reheat in a 300°F oven until warmed through.

If you prefer less spice, omit the red pepper flakes. When you make the dough for this recipe, instead of shaping the pieces into disks, pat them into rectangles; this will make the dough easier to roll out and cut into squares.

An abundance of grated carrots makes these cupcakes moist, while granulated sugar, instead of the traditional brown, keeps them light.

The dough for these savory scones gets its unique texture and flavor from a combination of butter and olive oil. It was inspired by a similarly flavored yeast bread sold at Amy’s Bread in New York City.

Mildred’s grandson Aaron DiGrassie learned to make this pie during his days of cooking at the Excelsior Hotel in Italy. With its sturdy texture and perfect amount of sweetness, this recipe seems like it could have come from any Southern granny’s recipe file.

Although the flavor might seem unusual for a cupcake, sweet potatoes have long been pureed and baked into desserts, such as sweet potato pie. This playful rendition of a traditional Thanksgiving side dish—complete with mini marshmallows and candied pecans on top—will appeal to anyone who loves the sweet, earthy flavors of root vegetables. Serve the cupcakes as one component of a holiday dessert buffet. If you like, bake and mash the sweet potatoes the day before you make the cupcakes; let cool completely and refrigerate, covered.

This recipe was developed as a more healthy option to serve at a baby’s or young child’s birthday party. Sweetened only with a combination of maple syrup and molasses, the moist carrot cupcakes are sure to entice children and adults alike (which is helpful, since parents and other older guests often outnumber little ones at early birthday celebrations). Paired with a tangy, mildly sweet frosting—just cream cheese and maple syrup—the cupcakes are also a better choice than most for anyone watching his or her refined sugar intake. Mini cupcakes get only a dab of frosting and a candied carrot chip, while standard cupcakes are dotted with a generous amount of frosting.

A well-loved American layer cake is scaled down to cupcake form. Golden raisins give these cakes added texture, but you can omit them. You can also add one cup walnuts or pecans; toast them as directed on page 323, let cool, then finely chop before stirring into the batter at the end, after the flour mixture. Unfrosted carrot cupcakes make delicious snacks.