Top 5 Vegan Starter Recipes (that'll leave you full and satisfied)

Salad, not included!

Today, I had a friend ask me for my top 5 vegan recipes.  That question is harder than it looks 

because the answer hinges on who is asking and what they hope to discover. 

If you are a newbie vegan, then it means I have to give my favorites at all 3 meal times so you have a full days worth of food.  If you are a vegetarian looking to cut out cheese and eggs, then I want to include things with cashew cream or flax eggs to make it seem like nothing is missing.  If you are a seasoned vegan looking for meat 

substitutes to grill, then I can get into the nitty gritty of seitan or veggie burgers.  The degree of kitchen skill also plays a role too, as you don’t want to scare anyone off from trying a plant-based diet with complex techniques or obscure ingredients.

My friend today was looking for  my favorite vegan starter recipes.  I thought about this long and 

Stir Fry, not included!

hard and have come up with a list, including 2 breakfasts, a sandwich, a soup and main dish as my top 5.  (Honestly, spinach chickpea salad and stir-fry are my go to dishes for lunch and dinner respectively, but since I make it different every time and there is no wrong way to do it, I didn’t include these in the top 5).  Enjoy!  

THE TOP 5

1.    Kale Strawberry Banana Smoothie
2.    Loaded Oatmeal
3.    Spinach Mushroom Hummus Panini
4.    Lentil Soup (with Field Roast)
5.    Black Bean Brown Rice Bowl

Recipes after the jump...

Vegan Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is about two things: food and football.  I debated doing a Thanksgiving post because its usually eaten indoors and not in a parking lot, but the distinctions from tailgating end there.  You gather around with friends and family to eat a lavish meal, watch football, drink a few drinks and have a good time.  Just like a tailgate! 

I'll be the first to confess that this is my first vegan Thanksgiving.  Last year I made an exception to the rule and ate turkey and all the fixins.  But this time around I was determined to give it a go plant based.  Plus I had a road game Sunday in Dallas (nothin says Thanksgiving like an almost win against the Cowboys) to allow me to cook from home and test out some new recipies.   

I pulled recipes from one of the most respected and creative vegan chefs around to create a complete feast.  Isa Chandra Moskowitz is a personal hero of mine for her endless pursuit of delicious food.  Her show, Post Punk Kitchen, spawned a book, which spawned a blog, which spawned many more books, is an inspiration to vegans everywhere.  Here's the menu: Seitan Roast Stuffed With Shiitakes And Leeks, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes with Golden Gravy (from Chef Chloe) and Pumkin Pie (from Kathy at Lunchbox Bunch.  This Thanksgiving post has nothing on hers).  Enjoy!