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2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

1. Boil water in a medium-size pot, for the udon. Cook the noodles for 5 to 6 minutes, only until just al dente, as they will continue to cook when you put them in the hot broth later. Strain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, start heating the water in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Chopping as you cook, add the mushrooms, tofu, leek, carrots, snow peas, bok choy, hijiki, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, miso, sea salt, and celery seeds. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Add the parsley, cooked noodles, and green onion. Serve hot. If you are taking this dish to go, store the noodles separately and reheat them together.

SEITAN CURRY BOWL

Here is another simple variation on the bowl recipes. There are several brands of seitan (a wheat gluten product); you can also look online for instruction on how you can make it yourself. This dish also uses thin rice noodles available in the ethnic food section of most markets. If you don’t have any on hand, you can replace them with the pasta of your choosing.

SERVES 4 TO 6

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 cup yellow onion, chopped small

3 large garlic cloves, pressed or minced

6 shiitake mushrooms, halved

8 ounces seitan, chopped

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

1¼ cups water

1½ cups assorted chopped vegetables,

such as broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower

1 small hot pepper, seeded and diced (optional)

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon powdered turmeric

Cayenne

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 ounces uncooked vermicelli noodles or mung bean threads

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1. Heat the oil in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and mushrooms, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the seitan, coconut milk, and water.

2. Add the veggies and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining ingredients except the noodles and cilantro, and mix well.

3. Add the noodles and cook for 5 minutes, or until all of the vegetables are tender. Add the cilantro and enjoy.

Variation

• Try adding 2 tablespoons of almond or peanut butter along with the coconut milk.

QUESADILLA

A staple in households across Mexico, this works best if you have a cast-iron or sauté pan that fits the tortilla, or you may use a griddle. Be sure not to overload the quesadilla with too much cheese or ingredients, to ensure even melting and for keeping the ingredients inside. This is a popular snack for kids, who may just want the cheese and tomato, depending on their finickiness level. You can top with Guacamole (page 88) and/or Salsa (page 82), and Vegan Sour Cream (page 289).

SERVES 4

Vegan butter or oil of choice

4 large whole-grain flour tortillas

(6- to 8-inch)

1 cup grated vegan mozzarella

2 cremini or other mushrooms,

sliced thinly

1 tomato, sliced thinly

2 green onions, sliced thinly

4 olives, diced

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

1. Lightly oil a pan or griddle with the vegan butter. Place a tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the cheese in the center of the tortilla, top with one-quarter each of all of the ingredients. Fold the tortilla in half. Heat for a few minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.

2. Gently flip the mixture and continue to cook for a few more minutes. Covering the pan helps the cheese melt faster.

Variations

• Create a spicy version by adding sliced jalapeño or habanero peppers.

• Create an Italian quesadilla (is that an oxymoron?) by using pesto, tomatoes, and vegan cheese.

• You can create a large quesadilla by using two tortillas instead of one folded in half. Simply top the first tortilla with a second tortilla after adding your fillings. Gently flip while heating.

• For a sweet version, see the Fruit and Cream Cheese Quesadilla (page 98).

If You Have More Time

Replace the mozzarella with cashew cheese (see page 291), Nacho Cheese (page 242), or the filling from the Stellar Stuffed Mushrooms