My best recipe ever? The stats sure say so.

It’s my third blogiversary, so I thought I’d share with you my top posts of all time. Five recipes are reader favorites, and five are mine.

MY FIVE MOST-VIEWED POSTS

Vegan Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
This must be a common Google search, that’s all I can say, as over 28,000 people have viewed this recipe. It’s a great basic one to have in your repertoire – easy, hearty, and delicious. Don’t forget the Tabasco on top!

Vegan Chocolate Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache
It doesn’t surprise me at all that this is one of my most popular recipes. It’s a cake that never fails to wow people, whether they are vegan or not. With a deep, dark chocolate flavor, it’s my go-to recipe for birthdays. I’ve recently been substituting Guinness for the water, and it’s even more awesome.

Vegan Apple Crisp
I should just devote a whole blog to apple crisp, and it would probably be very popular. Sweet and homey, this crisp recipe will make you wonder why people think butter is so essential in desserts.

Serious Vegetarian Gumbo
If it were up to me, this would be higher on the list. If you’re a gumbo lover, you really have to try this! It’s not one of those wimpy vegetarian gumbo recipes, people. Again, Tabasco is essential.

Vegan Thanksgiving Gravy
I’m obsessed with Thanksgiving, and I’m not willing to sacrifice a bit of flavor, despite my heart-healthy diet. This rich gravy lives up to my high Thanksgiving standards.

FIVE MORE FAVORITES

These are five gems that are every bit as good as the ones above – but for whatever reason, have been slightly ignored. So please, do yourself a favor and go back to these. You’ll thank me later.

Vegan Oatmeal Pecan Cookies
I recently made these again, and added about a third cup of 72% dark chocolate chunks. I highly recommend this variation – these are probably my best cookies ever. (But note that it was really hard to choose between these and my Decadent Lowfat Brownies.)

Soba Noodle Salad with Avocado and Mango
This noodle dish is incredibly refreshing and flavorful. Easy to throw together, too. Of course, I love anything with lime and mint.

Vegetarian Pozole
I never thought I’d find a meatless version that satisfied my pozole cravings, but this is it. Just get your hands on some dried hominy and make this. Don’t skimp on the toppings, they are essential.

Spaghetti with Vegan Bolognese Sauce
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as a plate of spaghetti and meat(ish) sauce. That’s why I come back to this recipe so often. Rather than relying on faux ground beef, this version includes nutritious tempeh, mushrooms and lentils.

Chipotle and Chocolate Vegetarian Chili
Of course I had to include a chili here, as it’s one of my signature dishes. This one is very distinctive, with layers of intense flavor. It’s worth hunting down the ingredients, such as Field Roast sausages and ancho chili powder.

That’s it for this anniversary post. Thanks for reading my blog, and keep the comments coming!

I feel a bit weird posting two soup recipes in a row – but hey, what else do you eat on a blizzard weekend?

Considering the weather, I wanted something warming and nutritious, so I started with an Alice Waters recipe (from The Art of Simple Food) for butternut squash and white bean soup. I went my own way with the additions of Aleppo pepper, spinach, dry sherry and sherry vinegar.  The effect is slightly different than the original, but I like to think Alice herself would approve.

This soup is one of my new all-time favorites – it’s comforting without being heavy. Sometimes I get a bit carried away and make all of my soups very thick, almost like stews. I’ve left this one on the broth-y side, and it’s lovely. Be thoughtful with your choice of broth here, because a standard tomato-tinged one would overpower this somewhat delicate soup. When I don’t have a homemade vegetable stock on hand, I like Imagine brand No-Chicken Broth (and of course, you can use real chicken broth if you’re not a vegetarian.)

I used spinach as an accent, but I could see trying it with Swiss chard or even broccoli raab. What greens do you think would be good here? Let me know and I’ll give it a whirl.

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Butternut Squash and White Bean Soup
Adapted from Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food

1 cup dried cannellini beans
3 cups vegetable broth (see note above)
4 cups water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch salt
1 bay leaf
¼ to ½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1/4 cup dry or medium-dry sherry
4 large thinly sliced shallots (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 medium butternut squash, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 4 cups)
1 5-ounce package baby spinach
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar

Rinse and soak beans in a large bowl of cold water overnight, or use the quick-soak method.  Drain and place in a medium saucepan with broth and water Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender (the time will depend on how old your dried beans are).  Drain, reserving liquid.

Heat the oil over low heat in a Dutch oven. Add the shallots, bay leaf, salt and Aleppo pepper, then cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Raise heat, add sherry and cook for 30 seconds. Add squash and 6 cups of liquid (reserved bean cooking liquid plus additional broth if necessary.)

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash is tender, then add beans and spinach. Simmer for one minute longer, then add sherry vinegar, add additional salt to taste and serve.

Serves 6

My story today is simple. I made a soup only using things I had on hand, which in this case was cranberry beans, leftover wine, a few vegetables and fresh herbs.

This was a big deal for me, because I decide what to cook without enough regard to whether I have what I need. Then I go to the store to buy the ingredients I’m missing (which inevitably ends up costing me at least $50, but that’s a different blog post, about my inability to resist things at the grocery store.)

I had pasta e fagiole in mind, and wanted a smoky flavor to replicate that of pancetta. So I reached for smoked paprika, which gave the greens and beans a satisfying earthiness. Whole wheat pasta turned the soup into a hearty meal. This smoky soup is a delicious twist on the usual “pasta fazool.”

I made this over the summer, but my friends pronounced this soup as best suited for fall or winter. So I’m sharing it with you now, so no one can accuse me of being season-inappropriate! If you do end up making this in the summer, you can substitute very ripe 2 fresh tomatoes (peeled and diced) for the canned.

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Smoky Pasta e Fagiole

2 cups dried cranberry beans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large red or yellow onion, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
¼ to ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper or Aleppo pepper flakes (use the greater amount of Aleppo)
½ cup dry white wine or vermouth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups vegetable stock (recommend Imagine No-Chicken broth here)
4 cups water
1 cup Pomi chopped tomatoes (or BPA-free crushed tomatoes such as Bionaturae or Muir Glen)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 bunches Swiss chard, stemmed and chopped well
1 1/2 to 2 cups (dry) whole wheat pasta (such as ditalini or smallish shells), cooked until al dente

Soak the beans in a large bowl of cold water overnight, or use the quick-soak method.  Drain.  Place in a pot and cover with cold water by a couple inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the beans are just tender, about 1 hour.  Drain, reserving cooking liquid.

Remove 1 cup of beans and ½ cup water to a food processor. Puree until smooth.

Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a large Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add wine, oregano and rosemary and raise heat to high and cook for until the liquid is evaporated. Add vegetable stock, water, tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper.  Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until carrots are tender.

Add whole and pureed beans, and Swiss chard, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pasta and heat through. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Serves 6