The Wicked Good Vegan

Today I’m hosting the April 2013 edition of the Gluten-Free Ratio Rally, and I couldn’t be more excited! The theme this month is shortbread. And endless summer…

Few things say joy like chocolate chip cookies. If there’s a vegan in your life, or someone who happens not to be able to tolerate gluten, then I promise that you’ll make that person’s day by baking them chocolate chip cookies that they can eat. Make a baker’s dozen and keep one for the baker!

Speaking as someone who doesn’t really prefer mushrooms, this soup is a perfect mix of earthiness and creaminess. It makes for a pretty presentation and a perfect accompaniment to any Thanksgiving or other vegan holiday meal. But don’t you dare even think about subbing the leeks with yellow onions!

There are few simple luxuries in life like fresh, homemade popcorn. Even if you swear by a certain brand of microwave popcorn, I promise you that your taste buds will reawaken just a little bit if you try your hand at making your own. Bonus: you actually get to watch the kernels pop, instead of just listening to them in the bag!

Soy-free, gluten-free, vegan anything might first cause one to ask oneself, ‘What IS in it…?’ but I promise that good things come in restricted boxes. For this month’s edition of the gluten-free ratio rally, I tackled the quintessential pumpkin pie. The recipe basically consists of three stages of stirring things and a ridiculous amount of time in the oven. I bet that you can’t guess the secret ingredient in the filling!

This beautiful dish combines orange, green, and creamy yellow in a combination that both eyes and palates will love. It’s gluten-free, soy-free, vegan, and the perfect invite to a comfortable Sunday brunch. The vegan Gruyère cheese adds a tart bite to the dish and helps make the flavour a little more complex. Don’t be intimidated—it’s so easy to prep!

Consider this white sauce one of the mother sauces of lazy-but-elegant vegan cuisine.

These ANZAC biscuits (never cookies) are a chewy favourite, dotted with raisins and toasted coconut. Bonus: they crisp up if left out in the air, and can be taken on long deployments at war.

These are the best vegan chocolate chip cookies ever. That is all.