01Black Bean Verb Burgers
Serves 435 minutesEasyCh. 1 · Comfort Food
This is the burger that started the whole lifestyle for me. First time I made it, my homies didn't even know it was vegan until I told them after they asked for seconds. That's the test every recipe in this book has to pass.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked black beans, drained well
- 1/2 cup rolled oats, ground in a blender
- 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 brioche-style vegan buns
- Vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled red onion, vegan mayo
Method
- Pat the black beans dry on a paper towel. Wet beans give you a wet patty.
- In a large bowl, mash the beans with a fork until 75 percent broken down. Leave some texture.
- Add the ground oats, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, onion powder, soy sauce, tomato paste, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix with your hands until it holds together.
- Form into 4 patties. Press a small dimple into the center of each so they don't dome up while cooking.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high with a tablespoon of oil. Cook patties 4 to 5 minutes per side until you get deep char marks.
- Toast the buns. Stack the patty with cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickled onion, and vegan mayo.
Verb's Tip
The dimple in the center is the difference between a burger and a hockey puck. Don't skip it.
02Smoky Vegan Mac & Cheese
Serves 645 minutesEasyCh. 1 · Comfort Food
The cashew sauce is so close to the original that aunties ask for the recipe and don't believe me when I tell them. Smoky paprika and a little nutritional yeast carry the whole thing.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1.5 cups raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter, melted
Method
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook macaroni 1 minute less than the package says. Drain.
- Drain the soaked cashews. In a high-speed blender, combine cashews, plant milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt. Blend on high for 60 to 90 seconds until silky.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked macaroni in a large bowl. Stir until every noodle is coated.
- Transfer to a 9x13 baking dish.
- Mix panko with melted vegan butter and a pinch more smoked paprika. Sprinkle evenly over the top.
- Broil on high for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is deep golden brown. Watch it. Broilers move fast.
Verb's Tip
The lemon juice is what you taste when you taste the cheese flavor. Don't skip it. That's the move.
03Jerk Seitan
Serves 445 min + 1 hr marinadeMediumCh. 2 · Caribbean
Smoky, sweet, hot, allspice-deep. Charred seitan strips drowned in real jerk marinade. Eat it with the rice and peas on the next page and you got the plate.
Ingredients
- 1 pound seitan, sliced into 1/2-inch strips
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 1 to 2 scotch bonnet peppers (seeded for less heat)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon salt · Lime wedges & thyme for serving
Method
- Combine all jerk marinade ingredients in a blender. Blend until you have a thick green-brown paste. Taste. It should be hot, sweet, sharp, deep.
- Place seitan strips in a large bowl. Pour two-thirds of the marinade over and toss to coat every strip. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight. Reserve the remaining third of the marinade for finishing.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or grill pan over medium-high until very hot. Add a tablespoon of oil.
- Lay the seitan strips in a single layer. Don't crowd them. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, pressing down once with a spatula, until you get real char on the edges.
- Transfer to a plate. Brush with the reserved marinade while still hot.
- Serve with lime wedges and fresh thyme over the top.
Verb's Tip
The allspice is the whole point. Real jerk is allspice-forward, not just hot. If your jerk only tastes hot, you used too much pepper and not enough allspice. Fix the balance.
