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MB’s Hearty Vegan Lentil Soup
I love food that is inexpensive, filling, healthy, and flavorful. This recipe hits all of my requirements. For more of a kick, feel free to add some cayenne powder! Servings: 5
Almanack Contributor MB Mitcham
MB (Marybeth) Mitcham holds undergraduate degrees in the biological and human development sciences, a MPH, and is near completion of her Ph.D. When not working as a public health professional or professor of biology, this ADK 46-R can be found climbing all over the anorthosite of the Adirondack High Peaks, writing odd things, or munching on eggplant bacon.
Make it: Herbed Focaccia Bread
Herbed Focaccia Bread
A recipe for baking an herbed foccacia bread, an Italian yeast bread backed in a sheet pan and flavored with olive oil and herbs. It is simple, easy, and smells absolutely incredible when it is cooking.
Make it: Puréed Parsnip Soup
Puréed Parsnip Soup
My grandmother loved parsnips, and would use them in her cooking like most people would use carrots. You could find them in her red flannel hash, in soups and stews, and even mashed, in heaping bowls, alongside the mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. Although I did not appreciate parsnips when I was a child, I have grown to love them almost as much as my grandmother did. This simple recipe, which beautifully blends the earthy flavor of parsnips with the sweet acidity of tomatoes and the sharp bite of peppercorns, reminds me of her.
MAKE IT: Anadama Molasses Bread
Anadama Bread
This old-fashioned recipe is an easy way to make a delicious loaf of yeast bread. I usually use whole-wheat flour and blackstrap molasses, but you can use whatever wheat flour and molasses you have on hand (if you successfully substitute other types of flour for the wheat, please let me know!). It does not require a lot of kneading, and will make your kitchen smell amazing when it bakes.
MAKE IT: Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Easy Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls are a holiday breakfast staple in my home. Don’t let the number of steps in this recipe keep you from trying it – this is actually quite easy to make. Although I usually use traditional, animal-based ingredients when I make them for my family, I have also successfully made these cinnamon rolls using only vegan ingredients – and my family never knew the difference (shhhh!).
Make it: Eggplant bacon
This is one of those “don’t knock it until you’ve tried it” recipes. When I make batches of these, they do not last very long at all. I usually cook them in the oven (much faster than dehydrating!), and if I want them extra-crispy, will cook them directly on a cookie rack that is placed on a baking tray. That strategy allows both sides of the eggplant to cook, giving it a fantastic texture.
Make it: Skillet Cornbread
Skillet Cornbread
This old-fashioned recipe for skillet cornbread is simple, easy, and produces a delicious cornbread that has a perfectly buttery crust on the bottom.
Ingredients:
- ½ stick butter
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups cornmeal
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ cup milk
- 10-inch cast iron skillet
Make it: Vegan banana bread
Fat-Free Banana Bread (Vegan)
I follow a whole food, plant-based (WFPB) diet, and rarely bake treats for myself, because most baked goods have lots of ingredients that I simply won’t eat. This recipe for banana bread not only meets my dietary requirements, but also produces a dense, moist banana bread that is surprisingly delicious, considering the lack of oil, eggs, or most other ingredients normally found in banana bread recipes.
Local food: Venison Meatloaf
This comfort food recipe, courtesy of Cornell University Cooperative Extension’s Wild Harvest Table, is a fantastic way to showcase ground venison. Ground venison is a fantastic source of inexpensive, locally-sourced lean protein that is a staple in many North Country homes. If you do not have ground venison, you can easily substitute ground beef or turkey for equally delicious results!
Ingredients:
- 1.5 lb. ground venison (OR ground beef or turkey)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of quick oats
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp mustard
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
- 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped parsley, if available
- Salt and pepper to taste (~1/2 tsp each)
- ¼ cup ketchup or barbeque sauce for top
Eat local: Farmhouse Apple Crisp
Farmhouse Apple Crisp
This has to be one of my favorite comfort food recipes of all times. When I was growing up, my mom would make apple crisp in a giant pan. As soon as the crisp came out of the oven, my sisters and I would descend on the hot pan like ravenous vultures, happily devouring every last crumb. Although this version won’t make the giant pan-sized apple crisp that my mom made, it will allow you to enjoy the exact same delicious apple crisp that my sisters and I did, and still do to this day. Enjoy!
Make it: Vegan chili
I love yummy recipes that I can throw together very quickly on busy work nights. This one certainly meets that criteria! This simple vegan chili is easy to make, and comes together in only a few minutes, but is bursting with flavor, making it one of my favorites, especially during the colder months of the year.
Feel free to switch out different beans (I sometimes like to only use black beans or to use Jacob’s cattle beans), or to use fire roasted diced tomatoes.
This recipe is especially good paired with buttermilk biscuits or corn bread. Enjoy!
Local food: Roasted Tomato Fennel Leek Soup
With the cooler temperatures, my mind (and stomach!) automatically turn to soup. Although I dearly love fresh tomatoes and fennel in salads, they are absolutely incredible when roasted along with leeks, and then pureed into a delicious, low-fat, and nutrient-rich soup. In fact, this soup is so good that I ate the entire first test batch in one sitting (yes. By myself. It really is that good!). The tomatoes are rich in the antioxidant lycopene, vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Leeks are a fantastic source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, iron, and manganese. Fennel also provides fiber, vitamin C, potassium, and manganese. Each of these components assist in facilitating overall healthy body functioning, including repair of cellular damage and supporting a healthy immune system, making this soup an excellent choice for an immune-boosting dish. Roasting the vegetables allows the sugars in them to caramelize, creating a lovely darker color and fabulous flavor that shines in this simple soup. Although you can lightly drizzle olive oil on your vegetables prior to roasting them, you do not need to. They will still caramelize beautifully!
Local food: Easy Chunky Applesauce
Once you have eaten fresh, homemade applesauce, there is no going back to the sad, canned stuff! This recipe is simple, quick, and will make your kitchen smell incredible while it is cooking. Although you can use any type of apple, if you use apples that are bursting with flavor – especially ones picked fresh from your local orchard – then your applesauce will taste even better! If you would like to substitute stevia or another sugar substitute for the brown sugar, use one teaspoon of stevia for the 3 Tablespoons of brown sugar called for in this recipe. » Continue Reading.
Healthy recipe: Oatmeal Energy Bites
Here is a kid-friendly recipe for oatmeal energy bites. They are full of protein, nutrients, and healthy fats, are easy for people of all ages – especially kids – to make, and are the perfect school, work, or any time snack.
Oatmeal Energy Bites
Servings: 20
Eat local: Blueberry Refrigerator Jam
Here is a recipe for blueberry refrigerator jam that does not require any additional pectin (which is hard to find in some regions right now). In addition to making a fantastic spread for snacks and sandwiches, it also is an amazing topper for ice cream or sorbet.Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh blueberries
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
Latest News Headlines
- Advisory group makes recommendations for High Peaks in final report
- DEC stalling on release of High Peaks visitor recommendations
- Child care desert: Shining a light on struggles across the Adirondacks
- The reopening of a Piseco ski trail
- OSI buys land near Trembleau Mountain
- Salt study hailed by state leaders quietly scaled back
- Tupper moving forward on goal to become recreation hub
- Ski resorts stay strong this winter, tourism overall remains steady
- Ripple Effect: Boatbuilder Pete Hornbeck's legacy leaves lasting impact
- Adirondack Loj Road closes temporarily due to cement truck rollover
Latest News Headlines
- Advisory group makes recommendations for High Peaks in final report
- DEC stalling on release of High Peaks visitor recommendations
- Child care desert: Shining a light on struggles across the Adirondacks
- The reopening of a Piseco ski trail
- OSI buys land near Trembleau Mountain
- Salt study hailed by state leaders quietly scaled back
- Tupper moving forward on goal to become recreation hub
- Ski resorts stay strong this winter, tourism overall remains steady
- Ripple Effect: Boatbuilder Pete Hornbeck's legacy leaves lasting impact
- Adirondack Loj Road closes temporarily due to cement truck rollover
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