Heidi Ferguson

Heidi Ferguson

Deceptively Vegan Recipes

For someone who has cooked a lot, it’s fun to get creative with the limitations imposed by vegan cooking. It’s also about the closest we’ll get to cooking alchemy. “Transmute this spinach into brownies!” Done.

They’re delicious (you thought I was joking, didn't you?), and the recipe is included in the list below.

It’s best made fresh, as the flavor tends to dull over time. I’m also a heretic in that I use shortening whenever a recipe calls for vegan butter. Hey, now. It works!

No one can agree on these things. Everyone’s version of a recipe is always “the best,” only for someone to come along later and say, “Woah, woah, woah. Wait up. I was wrong. I improved on it.” Let’s just put “the best” to rest, shall we? They’re delicious. You can look at the picture and tell if that’s the kind of chocolate chip cookie you’re in the mood for right now, and if not, you will find a different recipe, and it all will be okay. Oh, same as above, I use shortening, y’all.

See what I mean? These are still perfectly good cookies, even though they don’t assume to be “the best.” I guess I’ll just have to bake all of them, just to be sure.

I was serious. See what happens when you don't take me seriously? (I sneak spinach into your brownies; that's what happens.)

And now these brownies are "the ultimate"! Where does it end?

You're not going to fool anyone with this recipe, but it is gooooooood.

It's so much easier than working with chicken. The sauce is perfect (especially if you use MSG-bomb soy sauce). The crispy cauliflower from the recipe above would work in this, too, but you really don't need it. The chickpeas just work.

I don't like lox. I don't like this. It's perfect!