Simplistic and balanced, the Unvirtuous Vegetarian recipe collection spotlights savory one-dish meals with easy to find ingredients for diversely seasoned and nutritious meals day after day.
find a recipe or ingredient
seasonal Recipes
These better for you confections aren’t just for celiacs! Being indistinguishable from my whole wheat & oat blueberry muffins, these delights are perfect for anyone who demands nutritional value with their breakfast sweets. The chewiness of oat flour offsets the chalkiness of the sorghum while a little guar gum binds the batter. Then, for tenderness, brown sugar and buttermilk boost the acidity. Add to that a generous portion of blueberries for an absolutely delightful “better for you” breakfast treat.
Borrowing the basics from my gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe, these better for you confections fill your home with the warmth of cinnamon and spice. The excellent moisture retention and natural sweetness of oats can balance out the grit and bitterness of almost any other whole grain. And because gluten-free flours don’t get as nutty when baked, I’m maximizing toastiness by toasting the nuts and browning the butter. Additionally, whisking a portion of the sugar with the eggs dissolves the sugar and fast-tracks the caramelization. The result is not only an absolutely delicious gluten-free confection but also a tasty way for anyone to diversify the grains in their diet.
Having just a vegan cookie was not enough! My goal was to fully convert my whole grain breakfast cookies into a vegan delight that’s just as crave-worthy yet nutritious as its non-vegan counterpart. I started with my regular whole grain recipe and borrowed some tips from pastry wizard, Stella Parks. Incorporating her vegan substitutes, I started with coconut oil and whipped up an oat slurry for the eggs. Then, I observed her tip about adding dry malt extract. I tested with and without it, and unfortunately, this very obscure ingredient took an ok vegan cookie and elevated it to as-delicious-as-the-original. You see, the milk solids in butter and in milk get toasty in the oven and impart a je ne sais quoi note that is difficult to replicate. But the dry malt extract is one of the few ingredients I have discovered that offers that background butterscotchiness that would otherwise be missing.
I loathe “fresh” winter tomatoes almost as much as I love summer heirlooms. And because I simply cannot exist without this crimson fruit, winter fare must make use of tomatoes canned or frozen at their peak. So when the bleak weather seemingly forever looms, my sourdough foregoes fresh tomato and mayo in favor of this flavorful condiment adorned with pickled banana peppers and calamatas. It tastes great on any sandwich, including grilled cheese, and even makes a delicious quick pizza sauce. Because I often pair with pickled veggies, I usually don’t add vinegar or lemon juice but feel free to opt for it. The acidity offsets the sweetness of the jammy tomato paste.
Converting my regular Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies into a gluten-free version was not-so-surprisingly easy. The high ratio of oats meant they were already halfway there. And because the fiber in whole wheat inhibits glutinous bonds, that recipe was already poised to overcome a lack of gluten. So, a one-to-one swap, whole grain sorghum for whole wheat, was all that was needed. The excellent moisture retention and natural sweetness of oats can balance out the grit and bitterness of almost any other whole grain. The result is not only an absolutely delicious gluten-free confection but also a tasty way for anyone to diversify the grains in their diet.
Studded with raisins and nuts, these gingerbread muffins are so tender and moist that you’ll forget they’re serving up fiber-rich whole grains. The sweetness, chewiness, and moisture retention properties of oats offset the coarse, bitter, and dry qualities that often plaque whole wheat goods. Then, for additional tenderness, brown sugar, molasses, orange juice, and buttermilk boost the acidity for an absolutely delightful “better for you” breakfast treat. Simmering the raisins with orange juice, hydrates and plumps them for juicier bites. Add the orange zest for an orange spice muffin, but skip it for a traditional gingerbread treat!
These apple studded delights are so tender and moist that you’ll forget they’re serving up fiber-rich whole grains. The sweetness, chewiness, and moisture retention properties of oats offset the coarse, bitter, and dry qualities that often plaque whole wheat goods. Then, for additional tenderness, brown sugar and buttermilk boost the acidity for an absolutely delightful “better for you” breakfast treat. Dice apples into smaller cubes for neater muffins or into larger chunks for tasty bites of apple. And for added crunch opt for the topping!
For hands-free steel cut oats, I reach for the pressure cooker, make a larger batch and refrigerate for breakfast all week. You can add whatever spices, dried fruit, or nuts you like, but I like to keep this simple with toasted oats, toasted nuts, maple syrup, and just a little nutmeg. Refrain from cooking with milk, sugar, or other additives. They tend to make the oats sputter more and create more mess inside your cooker. Instead, add everything else after cooking.
This rice pilaf is perfect with Mediterranean style dishes like my Green Bean and Chickpea Stew or as a side all on its own. Vary the textures by using some wild rice and farro, but all brown rice is tasty too. And during the growing season, mix in fresh herbs to give it that taste of summer splendor!
Upgrade your burger game with these soft and high rising buns. This recipe follows the same technique as with my whole wheat bread… It requires a 2 hour rest to fully hydrate the grains and kick-start the gluten. Then, the food processor does its magic to overcome the gluten-inhibiting fiber and encourage gluten development. Lastly, to offset the bitter dryness that often plaques whole wheat bakes, I employ oats, which add chewiness, sweetness, and increased moisture retention.
My go-to condiment for anything fried- wonton skins, eggplant, zucchini… Or drizzled on fried rice or grilled vegetables! Make it as spicy as you’d like, but err on the side of not burning your face off. This sauce is great mixed with a little sriracha when you need it.
Dark chocolate cake with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream and chocolate ganache American buttercream
Dark chocolate cake with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream and chocolate ganache American buttercream
Cheesecake with cherry amaretto jam and gluten-free shortbread crust covered in Swiss meringue buttercream
Tipsy Laird inspired flavors: Drambuie drenched vanilla cake with raspberry Chambord jam and vanilla bean custard covered in Swiss meringue buttercream
Tipsy Laird inspired flavors: Drambuie drenched vanilla cake with raspberry Chambord jam and vanilla bean custard covered in Swiss meringue buttercream
Gluten-free Shortbread Crust, Blueberry-Ginger Jam, and scant Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Gluten-free Shortbread Crust, Blueberry-Ginger Jam, and scant Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Gluten-free Shortbread Crust, Blueberry-Ginger Jam, and scant Swiss Meringue Buttercream
50th birthday cake. Vanilla buttermilk cake with peach amaretto jam and chai spiced German buttercream
While breading zucchini isn't something you'll find yourself doing on a weekday, you can bread, bake, and freeze so you have slices ready to go. These frozen slices are a great start to many meals... Obviously, fried eggplant and zucchini are wonderful in a parmesan casseroles, but what about pairing panko crusted eggplant with garlic sauce and rice? Or try corn meal on squash and bake up an enchilada casserole!
I abhor waste... So, when I finally started growing enough tomatoes to can, the sight of compost bin bound skins made me weep. This year, I ran across a post from Serious Eats that offered microwave instructions for drying tomato skins. Excellent! I loved the idea but considering the amounts of tomato skins I'd be drying at a time, their microwave method wasn't practical. So, I dried my skins in the oven just like I'd dry chilis or herbs. Keep the powder in your spice rack to top popcorn, french fries, or mozzarella.
After summer events, my fridge is often littered with containers full of bean, quinoa, and rice salads. Let these sides take center stage as quesadilla filling! Quesadillas are perfect for a quick lunch or dinner.
Fresh and dried basil are vastly different ingredients. While you can substitute dried for fresh in tomato based sauces and soups and still produce a great result, for pestos and curries, dried basil is simply not an option. But as autumnal colors paint the landscape, not only is fresh basil scarce, the stuff you find in clamshells is lacklaster, expensive, and the varieties are limited. So, if you want pesto in December, your best solution is to plan ahead and freeze your garden fresh basil. Your winter pesto may never be as bright as summer's, but when winter has come, you'll welcome a taste of summer.
No ice-cream machine? No problem. Ice-cream, sorbet, and their lovechild, sherbet, are all about texture. Smooth, soft, scoopable texture... And without a machine, you're just not going to achieve a decent scoop. But frozen ice pops are wonderfully forgiving and easy to make!
Lemongrass is a perennial that's only hardy to zone 9. So, here in zone 6, if you want fresh lemongrass, you got to grow it as an annual or grow it inside. Indoor plants never survive my neglect, but in order to get the most of my plant, I dry the leaves so that I can have herbal lemongrass tea throughout the winter. Being caffeine-free, this tea can be enjoyed all day, and the dried leaves don't have the bitterness that plaques steeped fresh leaves.
After a cook-out, I have way more burger buns than a single vegetarian can ever hope to use. I don't mind keeping a bag in the freezer for the occasional veggie burger, but I don't have the space for much more than that. So, this year, as I was breading my zucchini, I thought, "Why not make that extra bread into breadcrumbs?" You can use any sort of buns or bread, store bought or artisanal, stale or fresh. Failed attempts at baking bread work too! Before it ends up in the compost bin, try this...
Summer picnics and parties leave the fridge full of leftovers, and after a couple days, you're done eating that caprese pasta salad. Give these side dishes a second life as soup or chili. While mayonnaise heavy pasta and potato salads won't work, Mexican, Greek, and Italian inspired quinoa, pasta, and rice salads are perfect.
SPONSORED CONTENT
These better for you confections aren’t just for celiacs! They’re perfect for anyone who demands nutritional value with their breakfast sweets. The chewiness of oat flour offsets the chalkiness of the sorghum while a little guar gum binds the batter. Then, for tenderness, brown sugar and buttermilk boost the acidity. Add to that a generous portion of cherries for an absolutely delightful “better for you” breakfast treat.