We occasionally get mail from people new to veganism, asking for meal suggestions. We'll often have a tofu and veggie stir fry, especially during the summer months, when the farmers market is overflowing with fresh, ripe offerings.

Now okra is something we hadn't tried until about two years ago. We had seen it at the farmers markets, but didn't have any experience with it. Then one weekend we were at Big Mama's Rib Shack in Pasadena (we were omni's then). One of the sides they offered was fried okra, so we tried that. And that was that... we were hooked.

Over time, Jane concocted this recipe. It's so easy, we are a bit reluctant to call it a recipe. But it's definitely one of our favorites. So here goes:

1 package firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 Tbs sesame oil
Olive Oil as needed
1 large onion, diced
2 pounds okra, washed and cut into ¼" pieces
3 medium tomatoes diced
½ t salt
½ t oregano
¼ t basil
two or three dashes of Braggs liquid aminos, optional

Heat sesame oil in skillet, when heated add tofu. Sautée the tofu until lightly browned, remove from pan. Add additional olive oil to pan if needed. Add diced onions and cook until onions are translucent. Add okra and cook for about five minutes, until bright green. Add tomatoes and spices, cook for two-five minutes, the okra will begin to brown and the tomatoes will cook down, then add the tofu. Stir and heat through. If using, add Braggs to taste

Makes 2-4 servings, depending how hungry you are.

It's just that easy. And we really love this dish.

If you haven't cooked with okra before, you should know that it's a little "slimy" when you cut it up. The "slime" cooks out, but if you overcook, it becomes a gelatinous mess. When you're choosing the pods, you should look for the slightly smaller pods as the larger ones tend to be tough and fibrous.

No, that's not a typo in the title. Here's the rap... , the hummus recipe is below. I found this video on YouTube the other day. It's stuck in my head, and I've been tormenting Jane with it. Now I'm sharing it with you. Enjoy! (It's not terribly P.C., but I don't think anything is overtly offensive here.)

... and here's Jane's recipe (courtesy of the guy she was dating before she met me... he's Arabic, so this recipe is pretty authentic):

• 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas
• ¼ Cup tahini (sesame paste)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• ~ ¼ Cup water (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Drain and rinse chickpeas and place in food processor. Add tahini, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil and process until smooth. The paste will be thick. If using, slowly add water until a creamy consistency is achieved. Add salt, process until incorporated. Taste. Adjust salt as desired.

Hummus is pretty versatile. Sometimes Jane will add a roasted red pepper to the food processor. Sometimes she'll throw in a bit of spinach. She's also made it in a bowl, just mashed with a fork (no water in that recipe), it's much thicker that way, but good too, and makes for an easier clean-up.

I love Jane's hummus. She gets a little bored with it, but I could eat it every day.

It's February and it's still cold here. I realize that sounds ridiculous to most of you; February is the dead of winter after all. But here in Southern California, it is often warm enough to have turned the heat off already, and the windows open. Not to mention the fact that there is a definite improvement in the quality and variety of the produce we can find at our local farmer's market. This weekend we bought plenty of asparagus, but it's been cold and rainy the last few days... soup weather, not grilled veggie weather.

Tonight, Jane made Vegan Cream of Asparagus Soup. Yum! Here's her recipe:

Ingredients:

Directions:

• Clean and chop the asparagus, reserving the tips.
• Add margarine to stock pot and melt. Then add onion and cook until translucent, about ten minutes. Add garlic and cook another minute or so.
• Add asparagus (keeping tips reserved) and sautee on medium flame for about 10 minutes. Slowly add flour to vegetables and sautee for five minutes. Mixture will be thick. Add two to three cups of vegetable stock, until vegetables are covered.
• Lower flame and use immersion blender to puree the mixture. Slowly add in the remaining vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low. Stir in nutritional yeast flakes slowly making sure no lumps form. Add salt and pepper to taste and reserved tips. Allow to cook for an additional five minutes. Serves 4 - 6.

Jane serves this with a loaf of crusty rustic bread, and a large green salad.

This is our first "published" recipe. It is our plan to post two recipes per month, but we'll see how well that goes over with all of you. There are certainly loads of excellent recipes out there already, and some really wonderful cookbooks. Let us know what you think.

Jane has always loved to bake. And I have always loved eating her baked goods. Times have been lean since eggs and butter are out of the picture, but today when I got home I was greeted by a heavenly aroma wafting out of the kitchen. I sniffed my way in, and what did my eyes behold but apple pie. Yay! Apple pie for dessert.

Alas, it was not to be. Jane made that pie for a party we are attending tomorrow night. No matter how much I tried to prevail upon her that we should have a slice to see if the crust came out good enough to bring with us, she wouldn't give in. I guess the thought of having to bake another pie tomorrow didn't really excite her as much as it did me.

Anyway, I'm certainly going to have some tomorrow night and I'm sure it will be great!