Plant-based on Bruce loves to cook

Cherry tomato and garlic spaghetti

Wed, 14 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Spaghetti, cherry tomatoes, and garlic cooked together in a little oily water, so the sauce makes itself as the water boils off. It’s the [[Cherry tomato and garlic pasta]] build of one-pan pasta.

Butternut squash curry

Fri, 18 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A simplified weeknight coconut curry built around pan-browned butternut squash and yellow Thai curry paste. Soy sauce keeps it vegetarian; fish sauce adds more depth if you eat it.

Ingredients

250 g long-grain white rice, uncooked
3 tablespoons coconut or canola oil, divided
½ small butternut squash (about 450 g), peeled and cut into 1 cm pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, peeled
3 tablespoons yellow Thai curry paste
1 can (400 ml) light coconut milk
1 jalapeño or Thai chili, halved
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 red pepper, seeded and cut into 1 cm pieces
2-4 tablespoons lime juice, plus lime wedges to serve
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or fish sauce if not vegetarian
140 g (5 oz) baby spinach, chopped
Chopped cashews and cilantro, to serve

Method

Cook the rice according to package directions. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet or medium Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the squash and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and beginning to soften, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Braised red cabbage

Sat, 29 Aug 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Cabbage is a comforting side dish on a cool, dark evening. It pairs nicely with schnitzel, sausage, roasts, and dumplings.

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1 small red cabbage, sliced thin, about 565 g (1¼ lb)
80 ml (⅓ cup) water
60 ml (¼ cup) red wine
2 tbsp red wine vinegar, or to taste
2 tbsp white sugar
Pinch of caraway seeds
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Halve the cabbage. Make an angled cut at the base of each half to trim out the core and the thick white ribs. Flip each half to the cut side and slice into thin ribbons; the exact thickness doesn’t matter as long as the cut is consistent, so it all cooks at the same rate.

Butternut squash soup

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a warm, filling soup that pairs nicely with garlic or cheese bread, or grilled cheese.

Mechanic

Roasting the squash and vegetables first concentrates their sugars and develops colour before anything goes in the pot. Straining the blended soup through a fine-mesh sieve at the end gives a silky texture you can’t get any other way. Loosen with stock until it pours easily. It’s not a pie filling.

Minestrone

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a classic, comforting soup, perfect for late summer or fall.

Mechanic

The vegetarian base replaces pancetta with deeply browned mushrooms, toasted bread, and smoked paprika. The bread is the surprising part: it toasts in the oil, adding a savoury nuttiness that disappears into the soup. Don’t skip it.

Vegetarian lasagna

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This was our kids’ first and favourite lasagna, and we used it as a vessel to hide vegetables in.

Mechanic

Eggs in the cheese filling bind the layers together so the lasagna cuts cleanly as a casserole. Draining the ricotta and cottage cheese if they’re watery prevents the lasagna from going soupy. The 20-minute rest after baking is non-negotiable: the layers need time to set before cutting.

Autumn glow salad with lemon dressing

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a fresh and delicious autumn salad.

On a women’s retreat in 2019, there was a private chef that cooked for the retreat for the entire weekend. They were a vegan chef who supports local, and they made this dish for one of our lunches. Everyone at the retreat absolutely loved it and Erika kindly shared the recipe she used with all the attendees. They noted that she added more lemon to the dressing, and also puts a bunch of herbs on the veggies as they’re roasting.

Oven-roasted corn

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This recipe works for most vegetables, though corn is a slightly special case as it needs a bit longer than most veg. It sounds simple (and is), but the trick is to get the corn to brown and char a bit, for those summer roasting flavours.

Spaghetti squash boats (or casserole)

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This dish is great when spaghetti squash is in season.

Both Grandma Rempel and my sister, Teresa, eat Spaghetti Squash Boats (Grandma) or Spaghetti Squash Casserole (Teresa) on a weekly basis! So we wanted to give it a try. The concepts are pretty much the same and both have room for variations.

Spinach mushroom flatbread

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a quick flatbread, similar to the Trader Joe’s mushroom and truffle flatbread (but without the truffle oil).

Ingredients

2 flatbreads or naans, about 20 cm (8 in)
1 tbsp mayonnaise
¼ cup grated Parmesan
½ cup grated Swiss or Emmental

Topping

1 tbsp unsalted butter (or olive oil)
1 cup sliced mushrooms (cremini work)
1 cup frozen spinach
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp MSG, for punch
salt and pepper

Method

Melt the butter in a medium pan. Add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt and cook until they release their water, then until browning. Add the spinach and cook until the water is gone. Add the garlic and cook until softened but not browned. Stir in the lemon juice, thyme, coriander, MSG, and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

Stuffed mushroom caps

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mushroom caps stuffed with Boursin, hummus, and finely minced pepper and onion, then baked.

Grandma Rempel (Ann’s Mom) used to make stuffed mushroom caps for special occasions. I never had a taste for them, but then one day, I realized I was missing out. There was no real recipe for these, and my mom just told me how she whipped them up and this is how I’ve been making them since. The ingredients can be altered/adjusted based on the number and size of mushrooms and you are welcome to add or change to your taste preferences. I’m basing this recipe on 8 large white mushrooms so alter as required.

T’s broccoli salad

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

What’s to say? This is a broccoli salad that has bacon. It’s a sweet and savoury salad that is more filling than most.

Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise (Hellmann’s or fresh)
½ cup white sugar or maple syrup
1 tsp white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

Whisk the dressing ingredients together. You’re way cooler if you use one of those tiny whisks.

Vegan burger

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A hearty bean, nut, and mushroom burger. The vital wheat gluten gives it a savoury chew, so it holds together in the pan instead of crumbling.

Ingredients

1 cup walnuts and/or cashews, chopped
1 cup black beans, chopped or mashed
1 cup chickpeas, chopped or mashed
1 onion, diced
225 g (8 oz) mushrooms, diced
1 cup oats, pulsed in a food processor if you can
½ cup grated beets
½ cup vital wheat gluten
2 tbsp soy sauce
½ tbsp ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, diced, or ½ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp vegan mayonnaise
1 tsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp liquid smoke
2 tbsp olive oil, plus more for frying
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Fry the mushrooms, onion, and nuts until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and everything is browning, 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Let cool.

Dal tadka

Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is a warming, filling, vegetarian delight.

Mechanic

Red lentils cook fast and dissolve into a creamy base. The ratio matters: 1 cup lentils to 4–5 cups water. Less water (1:4) gives a thicker dal you can heap on rice; more (1:5) gives something looser.

Egg roll bowls

Sat, 18 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000

All the flavour of egg rolls without the wrapper: ground pork with cabbage, carrot, ginger, and sesame. Low-carb, quick, and highly riff-able.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled ginger
450 g ground pork
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
¼ head green cabbage, thinly sliced
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
110 g shredded carrot
60 ml reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon sriracha
Kosher salt
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Method

Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Marinated pressed tofu

Tue, 24 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I ate a handmade wide noodle dish with this tofu that had chew, and depth. This is my version, which I usually use in Japanese-style dishes.

Mechanic

Freezing tofu (the Chinese dong doufu technique) expels water and restructures the interior into a sponge. Freeze solid for at least 48 hours, then thaw completely before slicing. The result is chewier and absorbs marinade far more readily than fresh tofu.

Garlic broccoli

Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Classic takeout garlic broccoli is very simple, and delicious.

Ingredients

400 g broccoli (about 4 cups), cut into florets
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon neutral oil
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
250 ml vegetable stock, chicken stock, or dashi
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water, combined into a slurry

Method

Heat a wok over high until smoking. Add the oil and garlic; stir-fry until fragrant and just starting to colour, about 30 seconds.

Mushroom and lentil freezer base

Thu, 01 Dec 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A savoury and tasty vegetarian base for stews, chilies, and soups.

Mechanic

This is a vegetarian analogue to [[Beef base]]. The mushrooms must go through three stages (dry → wet → dry + browned) before adding anything else: rushing this step produces a flat, steamed flavour instead of a deep savoury one.

Mushroom soup

Sat, 01 Oct 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A great bowl of soup, and our replacement for classic canned mushroom soup.

Mechanic

Two methods for different results. Velouté: a roux-thickened cream soup, rich and smooth. Potage: a blended potato-thickened version finished with cashew cream, dairy-free and lighter but equally silky. The mushroom base is the same for both.

Lentil tacos

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A hearty, frugal filling for tacos. Delicious, too.

Mechanic

Lightly roasting the nuts before adding them preserves texture inside the filling. Cook lentils to just al dente: they will continue softening in the sauce and mushy lentils lose all structure.

Coconut lentils

Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 +0000

A comforting, lovely lentil stew. Or is it curry?

Mechanic

1 part lentils to 3 parts liquid (coconut milk + broth combined) produces a thick, spoonable consistency. Red lentils break down fully; green or brown lentils hold their shape for a chunkier result, but need 35–45 minutes and a splash more broth. Freezes well and reheats without losing texture.

Onion bhaji

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

These are delicious fritters, best served with coriander-mint and tangy tamarind date chutney.

Mechanic

Bhajis are a spiced onion fritter bound with egg and gram flour. The potato adds body and absorbs some oil. Keep the batter loose rather than thick: tight batter produces stodgy centres. The salted onions release liquid that wets the batter; if the batter ends up too loose, add the extra flour before anything else. The frying oil does double duty: spent oil is fragrant and makes a good base for curries like [[Base curry gravy]].

Tomato soup

Mon, 01 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Who doesn’t love a warm bowl of tomato soup? Pair with simple grilled cheese!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
800 ml tinned whole tomatoes (2 × 400 ml tins)
250 ml chicken or vegetable broth (1 cup)
60 ml cream (¼ cup)
salt and black pepper

Method

Warm the olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.