Spiced Lentils with Veggie Sausage

Those of us who eat, specifically those who cook at home, do so for different reasons. To nourish ourselves, for a start. To feed our families, or use up some vegetable languishing in the fridge, or to practice our skills in the hope of becoming the next Master Chef. All of these are admirable reasons to cook. But I would argue that the most powerful urge to cook something is brought on by a different kind of necessity--to recreate a memory. Whether it's making a grandmother's beloved cream puffs, carefully piping out the pate a choux and turning the old, flour-coated pages of Joy of Cooking with newly floury hands, or attempting the Chinese pork dumplings your host family taught you abroad and cautiously prodding the bobbing dumplings across a sea of bubbling water, nothing compares to cooking when you have a specific, personal memory in mind. 

Which is why it was absolutely necessary that I cook these spiced lentils tonight. While the old jar of brown lentils stonily waiting in the pantry urged me on, I truthfully made this because I miss my friend, Dave. He is in Israel, which I imagine is dry and summery now. It's a cold and rainy night in New York, and I know that David would be soldiering on on the Upper West Side with his smart coat and scarf and hat if he were here, probably on his way home to make something warm and delicious and comforting. This was the first vegetarian recipe I ever learned how to make, and it was Dave who taught me. Spiced lentils are cheap, fast, easy and delicious. Make them immediately, eat in a large bowl while reclining on a couch, and think about those dear to you. Cheers, Dave. 

Carrot Apple Muffins, Failures, and Inspirations

I like muffins because they are, at their core, socially acceptable breakfast cupcakes. That was the thought behind these Carrot Apple Muffins, which were intended to be a healthy, New Year's Resolution-appropriate morning nosh. Thing did not turn out well, as can be seen in the picture above, where the muffins look like astronaut food, or, generously, something you would buy at an overpriced vegan bakery in Park Slope. These are not vegan muffins. Don't get me wrong, they're not horrible tasting. They just don't have any sugar. Which, as it turned out, made them not sweet. Who knew?! Apparently the natural sugars in carrots and apples are not powerful enough to counterbalance the crazy amounts of healthfulness in these muffins. There's whole wheat flour and whole steel cut oats and almond milk and tahini and maple syrup...I know, I had you at "healthfulness" in the previous sentence, but I wanted to see how far I could go to horrify you. 

This, my friends, is what happens when you try to combine three recipes together. 

Roasted Red Pepper and Corn Polenta "Pizza"

There are some things a typical food blogger can take for granted these days. For example, I can rest assured that you know what quinoa is. And probably kale. And you have heard of and maybe even practice Meatless Mondays. One thing I can't take for granted, though, is that you'll go for something like cashew cheese, especially on a blog that has waxed poetic on the deliciousness of bacon and all things porcine. If you kept reading after "cashew cheese," well done! This dish is delicious and amazing. Here is how I plan to convince you:

• This recipe was inspired by a super hip pizza place in a super hip city called Portland, Oregon. Dove Vivi's cornmeal crust pizza is divine, and since Brooklyn and Portland are hipster soul mates, I was pretty sure I could replicate it on the East Coast. This recipe is pretending to be a pizza--that's why there's "cheese" and toppings.
• This probably one of the tastiest and easiest things you can make from all-pantry ingredients. 
• Cashew cheese is basically hummus. Trust me, if you like hummus, you will like cashew cheese. You can even call it cashew hummus if that will help you get over it. 

Porbably the best recommendation I can give is this; I, who truly appreciate all things meaty and bready and non-vegan-y, made this for myself. And I loved it. I promise you will, too.