Friday Food: Dairy-Free Cheesiness, Egg-Free Egginess, and More

Photo courtesy Happy Herbivore

There's lots of goodness in this roundup of some of the past week's great vegan food/recipe posts (I'm certain my forgiving readers don't really care that about a fourth of my Friday Foods have ended up being Friday Food on a Saturday the last few months, right?). Vegan brunch, comfort foods, beer-and-beans, grilled fruits, fruits frozen, fermented veggies--it's all here.

Cashew Mania from Vegan Hope. Natala has been talking about the nutritional benefits of cashews--and linking to a whole slew of creative recipes involving them.

Dessert Pizza with Rum Glazed Grilled Pineapple from Vegan Dad. Have you had grilled pineapple? I hadn't until a couple years ago when my ex's dad threw some on the grill, and oh my god--yum. And I was actually just discussing this deliciousness with my grandpa last weekend. Clearly, the universe is telling me to grill some pineapple.

Soy-Free Mac 'n' Cheese from Happy Herbivore. I've tried and loved several different vegan mac 'n' cheese recipes, but a note for the not-yet-vegans among us: many (arguably most) vegan mac 'n' cheese recipes don't taste exactly like the non-vegan sort. So don't go into it expecting an exact replica. But mac 'n' cheese doesn't have to be identical to the non-vegan sort to be absolutely delicious; it's yummy stuff in its own right, so enter the world of vegan cheesiness with an open mind and palate, as if you're trying something new rather than a replica of something familiar--because you are.

Green and Golden Kiwifruit Sorbets from Raw Epicurean. No soy, no cooking, and no ice cream maker required! All you need is fruit, a food processor, and a freezer to make this sweet summer treat.

Savory Swiss Chard Pie from FatFree Vegan Kitchen. This is "a quiche-type pie," Susan explains. And in fact, Susan has multiple recipes of this sort (quiche, frittata, omelet) that I've been dying (but never making the time) to try out for the last couple years. Quiche is something from my pre-vegan days I miss, and the fact that I accidentally took a giant bite of non-vegan quiche a couple weeks ago makes me want a vegan version even more. (Note to unnamed STL restaurant: If you label something on your brunch buffet "Vegan Sausage Mushroom Quiche" in giant letters, vegans will think it's vegan! Printing "not vegan" in smaller letters in the bottom corner of the label, when another pan covers that part of the label as a patron is coming down the line squealing with excitement about vegan quiche, is not good enough. Seriously, who cares if the sausage is vegan if the dish itself isn't vegan? This is a recipe for mass confusion and an irritated vegan customer. </rant>)

Fried Not-Egg Sandwiches from the Voracious Vegan. Part of this blogger's Simple Supper Series. "The best part of these is how the tofu gets brown and crunchy around the edges, that is my favorite bit." I think that would be my favorite part too.

Tipsy Soft Tacos from Show Me Vegan. Beer-soaked beans. Need I say more?

Fermented Veggies from Crazy Sexy Life. If--like me--you know nothing about the nutritional benefits of fermented vegetables (or the idea sounds unappealing to you), be sure to click through for an education.

Asparagus and Sun-Dried Tomato Frittata from Yeah, That Vegan Shit. Adapted from the Vegan with a Vengeance recipe.

And finally, if it seems like the vegan blogosphere has brunch on the brain more than usual lately, you can probably thank (or blame, if you feel the need to be like that) popular vegan cookbook author Isa Moskowitz. Much of the vegan world is going crazy over her newest cookbook, Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For. If you want to order it, I recommend purchasing from one of the vegan stores carrying it (e.g., Herbivore and Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe).