Vegan on Bruce loves to cook

Focaccia

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

I started making focaccia when I needed to find a use for some leftover pizza dough. I enriched it with olive oil, topped it with kosher salt, and baked it in a pan. We ate it with olive oil and balsamic, and it was lovely.

Peanut sauce

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

A good peanut sauce is perfect with salad rolls and satay.

Ingredients

150g (½ cup) hoisin sauce
60g (¼ cup) peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon sambal oelek
60 ml (¼ cup) warm water

Method

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Thin with more water if needed.

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.

Beetroot and chickpea hummus

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

A bright red, earthy hummus. Makes about three grocery-store tubs’ worth.

Ingredients

200 g raw beetroot, cubed (or 200 g already roasted)
400 g tin chickpeas, drained
3–4 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
80–100 ml tahini
60 ml lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground coriander
⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
a few ice cubes
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for roasting and to drizzle

Method

Toss the beets in a little oil and roast at 200°C (400°F) until a knife slides through easily, about 40 minutes. While they roast, simmer the chickpeas in water until very soft, 15–20 minutes, then drain.

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.

Lemon-lime iced tea

Sat, 16 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This is my favourite spring and summer drink.

Ingredients

400 ml cold brewed tea
3 heaping tsp sugar
15 ml (1 tbsp) fresh lime juice
10 ml (2 tsp) fresh lemon juice
ice

Method

Put the sugar, lime juice, and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker (or a pint glass, with a second one to cap it) with ice. Add the tea and shake until cold and slightly frothy.

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.

Beetroot dip

Sat, 31 May 2025 00:00:00 +0000

This is a fresh, delicious dip for pita and vegetables.

Ingredients

430 g canned chickpeas, drained
140 g cooked beets
2 teaspoons dried or fresh oregano
30 g extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)
½ teaspoon minced garlic
1 medium lemon, zest finely grated and juiced
Black pepper
Salt

Method

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust salt, lemon, and garlic.

Essence of cola

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Who doesn’t like cola? This is a great mixer or addition to a glaze.

Mechanic

A concentrated syrup of citrus oils, warm spices, and caramel notes that forms the flavour base of a homemade cola. Gum arabic is the traditional emulsifier that gives cola its characteristic mouthfeel; it’s optional but worth including. The browning sauce adds the dark colour without bitterness.

Sandwich sour pickles

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

These are delicious little pickles, perfect for fresh roast beef sandwiches.

Mechanic

A fast fridge pickle built for max contrast over sweetness. No sugar, no turmeric, no brightening agents: just sharp acid and mustard seed. The ratio is roughly 1.2:1 water to vinegar, which is milder than a straight vinegar pickle.

Simple marinara

Tue, 01 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A perfect sauce for flatbreads, pizza, and as a quick pasta sauce.

Mechanic

A short, hot cook: the tomato paste goes in first and caramelizes briefly in the fat, the wine lifts it off the pan, and the tin of tomatoes finishes it in 15 minutes. Cooking it in meat drippings instead of oil (see Variations) makes it much more savoury.

Quick pizza sauce

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

A quick pizza sauce that requires only tomato paste. One batch makes enough for about one pizza.

Mechanic

Built on double-strength tomato paste rather than crushed tomatoes. The paste is already concentrated so the sauce is ready in under 15 minutes and has a deep tomato flavour without a long simmer. The splash of wine deglazes and adds acidity.

Vindaloo paste

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Vindaloo is my favourite curry, so I developed this paste.

Mechanic

In this version, the fenugreek and dried chilies set the paste apart from a generic curry paste. Toast all whole spices first: the heat activates their oils and deepens every flavour in the final dish.

Asian slaw dressing

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This is my approximation of an Asian slaw dressing, based on pantry ingredients. It’s a great base for a slaw or chunky salad.

Mechanic

A weight-based emulsified dressing at 2:1 oil to acid. The Dijon acts as both flavour and emulsifier; the sesame oil is for aroma, not bulk.

Sweet soy sauce (kecap manis style)

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This is a great glaze for pork or chicken, perfect for rice bowls.

Mechanic

A 1:1.5 ratio of soy sauce to brown sugar by volume. Heat is what makes this a glaze rather than just a sweetened soy: the sugar dissolves and begins to thicken as it reduces.

Thai cucumber relish

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

This is our version of a common Thai side.

Ingredients

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into ½ cm dice
60ml white vinegar (¼ cup)
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 shallot, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce

Method

Stir together vinegar and sugar until dissolved. Add fish sauce, red pepper flakes, shallot, and cucumber. Toss to combine. Fold in mint just before serving.

Adobo seasoning mix

Wed, 01 Nov 2023 00:00:00 +0000

This dry rub is especially nice on beef flank or chuck. Great for tacos.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons dried oregano
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder

Method

Combine all spices and store in a sealed jar. Label with the date.

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.

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.

Pizzeria pizza sauce

Wed, 01 Dec 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Our pizza sauce continues to evolve. This version uses passata and is uncooked.

Mechanic

Built on strained tomatoes rather than crushed, so the sauce is smooth without blending. All quantities by weight: this scales cleanly. The balsamic adds body and a mild acidity that a straight tomato sauce lacks.