Polish summer stew: leczo

This recipe is like a well-kept secret. Leczo is not as well known as some Polish dishes, but it’s delicious, healthy and filling. It took me almost two years of living in Poland before I was introduced to it. It’s also very adaptable, particularly for when your garden explodes. It’s a rich stew with a...

Lazy pierogi, vegan & gluten-free (leniwe pierogi)

This recipe involved talking a co-worker into helping me buy a meat grinder on Allegro, the Polish version of eBay. But your version doesn’t have to be so involved. If homemade pierogi sound delicious but too time-consuming, this is the perfect recipe. After several tries, I finally mastered this one, and so happy that I...

Vegan fish cakes

After vacationing in Denmark, I realized something. While there were fabulous vegan restaurants, none of them had vegan takes on traditional Danish food (at least none that I’ve found.) Since I didn’t find a Vegan Viking restaurant, I decided to try to make my own. Fish cakes were popular on all the restaurant menus I...

Rici bici (family Christmas recipe)

For the holidays at my grandmother’s house, it wasn’t ham or turkey served up on the special heirloom china: it was a rich casserole of rice, beans and vegetables. This dish will always remind me of the holidays, and sitting around the table with family, Christmas tree lights twinkling in the background. Inspired by some...

Tofu with tomatoes (Dau Sot Ca Chua)

What I love about this dish is how simple it is— just a couple ingredients, and though it looks elaborate, it is very easy to prepare. When the tomatoes cook down, they create their own rich, delicious sauce. I first had this dish at Affinity Gardens in Winnipeg, and the savory, tangy tomatoes were a...

Red lentil and chickpea veggie burgers (wheat-free and vegan)

Inspired by the chilled, spicy köfte I had in Turkey, I decided to make my own veggie burgers— and man, did they turn out wonderful. Easy recipe, filling, great tasting results— I think I have a new favorite food! The allure of a package of veggie burgers in the fridge is two parts: the convenience...

Goulash: vegan, gluten-free, and possibly Polish

Seeing signs for “authentic Czech goulash” all over Prague brought back memories of my grandmother’s goulash, which I’d always assumed was a Polish dish. What “goulash” means is a bit vague— and as my research and conversations with other relatives points to, that goulash is less about a specific recipe and more about what’s in...

Vegetable lasagna, with brown rice noodles

At 14, when I was a newly-minted vegetarian, there was only one all-vegetarian restaurant near my house— the Salad Bar, on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn. One of my favorite dishes was their baked vegetable lasagna, made with broccoli. In middle school, my grandmother and I would often go together, splitting a salad and an entree....

Smothered tempeh with wheat-free mushroom gravy

I've spent too many Thanksgivings eating too much mashed potatoes. After skipping the family dinner one year to cook a Tofurky with a friend, I realized what my meals had been missing: flavor. Thus, I’ve spent the last couple Thanksgivings trying to perfect gravy— both vegetarian and gluten-free. The trick to vegan wheat-free gravy lies...

Turkish-syle stuffed peppers

These stuffed peppers will make your house smell absolutely delicious. This is an adaptation of a Turkish recipe I saw at a demo given by the Turkish American Society of Michigan. While the blend of mint and cinnamon was unusual and delicious, I wanted something more filling than just rice. I used walnuts because they’re...