Nisha Melvani - Practically Vegan : More Than 100 Easy, Delicious Vegan Dinners on a Budget: A Cookbook

Acknowledgments

I wrote my first book during a pandemic. I never thought Id write a book, let alone in a pandemic. I mean, who would?

This book was my saving grace in 2020. I signed the contract in April, just when COVID-19 was raging in New York City. I felt so lucky to be given the opportunity to write a cookbook, especially at a time when all I wanted to do was cook my blues away. Thank you, Alison Fargis, my fierce, one-of-a-kind agent, and the warm and welcoming team at Rodale, for being certain about me even at a time of so much uncertainty. You made this happen.

Thank you to:

Jonathan Safran Foer, for believing in me and planting the seed for this cookbook. If you hadnt so generously offered to write the foreword, I would never have written it. You are why I can now call myself an author.

Naya, Nikita, and Asha, my three kind and resilient daughters, for being such adventurous eaters and trusting me when I encouraged you to eat your vegetables. Not many teens would have tested every single recipe for a vegan cookbook, even the ones that flopped and never made it in.

My dad, who continues to eat the entire banana, peel included, for constantly reminding me of my strengths along the way, every single time I doubted myself.

Kim-Julie Hansen (@bestofvegan), one of the pioneers of building a vegan community on social media, for supporting me and helping me grow my social media presence when nobody knew who I was. You, telling me to read Jonathans book We Are the Weather , is how this all began.

Dana Gallagher, for producing one amazing photo after another. You soldiered through and met the deadline despite it being a very difficult time in your life.

Cyd McDowell, the most gifted food stylist in the whole world, for taking on this project at the last minute and still managing to make everything look so delicious, all while standing over a hot stove, wearing a mask.

My diligent and generous recipe testers: Amina Sirry, the Fong family, Sara Silberman, Jennifer Kurani, Sanjana Samtani, Varsha Mahtani, Bindya Lulla, Deepa Massand-Vaswani, Aarti Kamat, Barbara Deli, Raam Melvani, and Siobhan Haber.

The Rodale team for making my cookbook more beautiful than I could have ever imagined: My brilliant editor, Dervla Kelly, for telling me I was strong and beautiful and never commenting on my poor sentence structure. Art director Stephanie Huntwork, for all the inspired creativity and for accepting my many quirks, like not wanting water glasses in the photos! (As you can see, I gave in!) Awesome designer Ian Dingman, who graciously acknowledged all my design requests and made them happen. The copy editor, Kathy Brock, who went through this entire manuscript with as fine-toothed a comb as I could ever have imagined and found all my mistakes (I hope). Huge thanks also to production editor Abby Oladipo, indexer Elizabeth Parson, editorial assistant Katherine Leak, production manager Kim Tyner, proofreader Rachel Holzman, and compositors Merri Ann Morrell and Zoe Tokushige.

Saucy, creamy, meaty, garlicky, butterypasta comes in all shapes, flavors, textures, and sizes, and this chapter captures them all.

Pasta, one of the ultimate comfort foods, is frequently villainized as being nutritionally empty or blamed for weight gain. While white pasta is classified as a refined grain, meaning it has been stripped of some of its healthy componentsfiber being the main oneit is still enriched with B vitamins and iron and contains a reasonable amount of protein. Certainly, whole-wheat pasta is a far healthier option that is rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and protein, but indulging in some white pasta now and then shouldnt be shunned, especially when its served with a healthful sauce and bulked up with veggies.

Lentil Bolognese

The umami quality of mushrooms makes them a fitting ingredient for this Bolognese sauce. Complemented by the thick, almost chewy texture of the brown lentils, this sauce is meaty and delicious.

Lentils are loaded with protein and fiber. Plus they cook pretty quickly and dont require soaking. Sometimes, I add a little baking soda to the sauce to tone down the acidity of the tomatoes. Sugar does the same thing but it will also sweeten the sauce.

This is practically a one-pot meal. (Okay. There is a second pot for the pasta, but that doesnt really count. Ill even wash that one for you if you like.)

Serves 4

1 tablespoon olive oil , plus more as needed

1 large yellow onion , diced small

2 medium carrots , diced large

1 celery stalk , sliced crosswise, about -inch-thick

2 (8-ounce) packages baby bella (cremini) or white button mushrooms , sliced

2 cups vegetable broth , plus more as needed

3 garlic cloves , minced

teaspoon dried basil

teaspoon dried oregano

teaspoon dried rosemary

teaspoon dried thyme

cup tomato paste

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 cup dried brown lentils

teaspoon baking soda

16 ounces spaghetti

Maple syrup to taste

Balsamic vinegar to taste

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add the carrots, celery, and mushrooms and saut for 7 to 10 minutes, until the mushrooms have released their moisture and browned, adding more olive oil as needed to prevent sticking.

Add cup of the vegetable broth and deglaze the skillet, scraping any browned bits from the sides and bottom of the skillet into the vegetables.

Add the garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme and cook for another 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Mix in the diced tomatoes, lentils, baking soda, and the remaining 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and the lentils are tender. Stir occasionally, adding more vegetable broth if needed to keep the lentils covered.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the package directions until it is al dente. Drain and set aside.

Once the lentils are cooked, stir in maple syrup and balsamic vinegar to taste and season with salt and pepper. Mix in the desired amount of cooked spaghetti and continue cooking just until warmed through.

Tofu Bolognese

You wont miss the meat while chowing down on this Bolognese. In fact, youll think its in there. This foolproof method transforms tofu into an ideal ground meat substitute by pressing, crumbling, browning, and seasoning the heck out of it.

My kids love this recipe so much that theyve committed it to memory. They make it for friends and family all the time. Not to belittle their culinary expertise, but its that easy of a recipe. No chopping required.

Its also a very nutritious one. You get a decent amount of plant-based protein and healthy fats from the tofu, B vitamins from the nutritional yeast, and lots of lycopene from the marinara sauce. Lycopene is what gives tomatoes that brilliant red-lipstick color. Its a very powerful antioxidant, and research shows that it may help lower the risk of several cancers as well as strokes. Its better absorbed when combined with some fat, so pairing it with tofu is an excellent idea!

Make sure to take the time to press your tofu before crumbling. This will allow for better browning in the oven and a more meat-like texture.