Toss pine nuts with 1 teaspoon olive oil and transfer to a large plate. Toast by microwaving on high power for 2 minutes. Continue microwaving at 30 second intervals until golden brown and nutty, 3 to 8 minutes total. Alternatively, toast in a toaster oven set at 375 F until golden brown and nutty, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant and cook, tossing occasionally, until completely softened and browned in spots (eggplant will initially absorb all of the oil then slowly release some of it), about 6 minutes.

Push eggplant to the side of the skillet and add 2 more tablespoons oil to the center. Add scallions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and toss to combine with the eggplant. Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until vegetables are softened and aromatic, about 3 minutes longer.

Add reserved pine nuts, mint, parsley, tomato paste, ground cinnamon, raisins, capers, sugar, red wine vinegar, and balsamic vinegar and toss to combine. Drizzle in remaining olive oil and bring to a simmer, adding water a tablespoon at a time as necessary until caponata has a sauce-like consistency that is loose, but doesn't run freely over a plate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut the tofu into slabs, 1 cm thick. Pat dry with paper towels, then cut into 1-cm cubes. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add half of the cubes of tofu. They should sizzle immediately. If the pan spits water excessively, it's either too hot or you didn't dry the tofu thoroughly enough. Fry, tossing occasionally, until evenly browned (about 15 minutes). Fry the second batch in the same way, adding more oil if needed.

While the tofu cooks, mince the garlic and ginger and slice the scallions. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Once the tofu is done, remove from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Wipe the broken bits of tofu and most of the oil from the pan, then add the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Cook briefly, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add the sauce and stir to combine. It should thicken substantially but maintain a sauce-like consistency. If it's too thick, add a little water.

Add the tofu back to the pan and stir, briefly, to coat. Sprinkle in the scallions and sesame seeds to coat the tofu. Serve with rice and roasted broccoli.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute the onion until softened. Add the sweet potato and saute for another 5 minutes, then add ginger and garlic, stir, and reduce heat to low.

Add the chili, lentils, and spices to the pan. Stir until the lentils are well-coated with oil, then add tomatoes and half of the water. Raise heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat until the mixture is at a fast simmer. Cook uncovered until the lentils and sweet potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed (about 25 minutes).

Season to taste with salt and continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened. Whisk to combine the lentils and sweet potatoes. Serve with rice and garnish with cilantro.

Heat the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, add the flour and reduce the heat slightly. Stir until combined, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture reaches a dark chocolate color (about 15 minutes).

Add the curry powder to the roux and stir to combine. Then add the garam masala and, optionally, cayenne. Stir and cook for 20 to 30 seconds, then transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Preheat a large pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onion, potatoes, squash, and carrot to the pot. Toss the vegetables to coat them with oil, then add the grated ginger and mix. Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low so the vegetables can steam for 15-20 minutes, until mostly cooked. Periodically shake the pot or remove the lid and stir to keep the vegetables from burning.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and eggplant. Fry until browned (8-10 minutes) and then transfer them to a plate.

Wipe the pan clean and add the last tablespoon of oil. Then add bell pepper and asparagus and saute until slightly tender. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer them to the plate with the eggplant.

Add the butter to the pan, then add all of the mushrooms and saute for about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then transfer to the plate. By this point, the hard vegetables in the pot should be ready.

Once the hard vegetables are about 80% done, add the vegetable broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then skim any scum and cook until the vegetables are done all the way through. Turn off the heat and add the sauteed vegetables (reserving some to put on top when serving later) and mushrooms to the pot.

Use a ladle to get some of the hot broth. Add some of the roux to the ladle, stir until completely dissolved, then add back to the rest of the curry. Taste the sauce and repeat until it reaches the desired flavor and consistency. Bring back to a simmer and add grated apple bit by bit, tasting along the way, for sweetness. Season with salt to taste. Serve with white rice and add any reserved vegetables back on top.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin and coriander seeds and cook for about a minute, until aromatic and somewhat darker.

Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes. Add water as needed to prevent the spices from burning. Add the garlic, ginger, and serrano peppers, and cook for one or two minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the ground spices and tomato paste. Stir frequently for a minute or two, adding water if needed to prevent the spices from burning. Add the tomatoes and salt. Use the released juices to deglaze the pan. Cook for five minutes, until the tomatoes are soft and start to release oil.

Add the coconut milk, chickpeas, tahini, and sugar. Adjust the consistency by adding water, a few tablespoons at a time, if needed. Simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add the chard and cook for a few more minutes, until the leaves are tender. Add the garam masala, cilantro, mint, and lemon or lime juice. Season with salt to taste.

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil. Once hot, add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and serrano. Cook for two minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning.

Add the ground spices and salt. Cook for 30 to 60 seconds, until fragrant, stirring frequently.

Pour in the vegetable broth and deglaze the pan. Add the lentils and crushed tomatoes and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes, until the lentils are cooked through.

Stir in the coconut milk and tahini. Continue cooking on low heat, uncovered, for about 5 minutes more, until the curry is thick and creamy. Add the cilantro and lemon juice, stir, and serve.

Heat a large, straight-walled saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and, once hot, the garlic and cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, until fragrant (1 to 2 minutes).

Pour in the vegetable broth and deglaze the pan, then add the lentils. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer. Cook until the lentils are fairly tender and have absorbed most of the liquid, adding more broth if necessary (25 to 30 minutes).

Turn the heat to low, add the tahini and soy sauce, and stir into the lentils to combine. Season with salt, if needed, and black pepper.

Add the water to a medium saucepan. Add salt, farro, bay leaves, and garlic, then reduce to a simmer and cook until somewhat tender but still slightly chewy (20 to 30 minutes). Once done, drain the farro and discard the bay leaves and garlic cloves. Optionally spread the farro on a sheet pan to cool to avoid the texture becoming mushy.

Combine the lentils and farro in a bowl. Top with pickled red onions and hummus.

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes. Toss with oil, salt, and garam masala, then place on a baking sheet. Cook at 375F for 30 to 40 minutes.

Grind the spices together. I like to include any pre-ground spices and the salt, too, since without them there's not much for the blades in the spice grinder to grab.

Sauté the onions over medium-high heat until slightly golden. Lower the heat to medium and add the poblano, garlic, tomato paste, and spices, cooking for a few minutes longer. Add the soy sauce, then the beans, and cook until the beans soften slightly, about 10 minutes.

Stir together the cooked rice, lime juice, and cilantro.

Serve the sweet potato, beans, and rice in a bowl. Top with avocado, salsa, and pickled red onions and garnish with cilantro.

Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the sweet potatoes with a drizzle of olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Roast until golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.

Toss the roasted sweet potatoes with the chickpeas, quinoa, scallions, cabbage, feta, almonds, and salad greens. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, then drizzle on the vegetables. Toss and serve in bowls.

Preheat oven to 400 F and arrange sweet potatoes and onions two baking sheets. Drizzle with a bit of oil. Bake for 10 minutes.

Drizzle the broccolini with a bit of oil, season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and add to the baking sheets. Return to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

Season the kale and add it, too. Bake for another 4 or 5 minutes.

While vegetables are roasting, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and toss with seasonings. Once the pan is hot, add oil and chickpeas and saute, stirring frquently. They should brown evenly over the course of about 10 minutes. Once browned, remove from the heat and set aside.

Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. Add hot water until a pourable sauce is formed. Serve the roasted vegetables and chickpeas in a bowl with the sauce poured on top.

Preheat oven to 400F. Toss sweet potatoes in olive oil and salt and spread on a baking sheet. Roast for about 15 minutes.

Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and toss with squash and onion in a large bowl. Spread over two baking sheets and return to the oven for another 15–20 minutes. (Note: parsnips and other kinds of squash also work well here.)

Combine all of the dressing ingredients other than olive oil in a bowl. Whisk to combine. Slowly whisk in the oil to incorporate. (Before mixing into the final dish, whisk again to recombine.)

Combine the roasted vegetables with parsley, pecans, golden raisins, dried cranberries, and chopped herbs. Pour the dressing over the salad. Serve hot or let chill and serve at room temperature later.

Slice the eggplant. This works best with the slender Japanese or Chinese eggplant rather than globe eggplants. Keep the skin on to help the eggplant maintain its shape. Salt, set aside for 15 minutes, then wipe off the excess moisture. Coat each slice in corn starch.

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the eggplant slices in a single layer. Cook until the bottom side is golden brown (3 to 4 minutes), then drizzle the rest of the oil over the top, flip, and cook the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Once the second side is cooked, reduce the heat to medium and add the mirin, soy sauce, and grated ginger. Bring to a simmer and spoon the sauce over the eggplant. If it thickens too fast, add a bit of water to loosen it.

Top with green onion and white sesame seeds. Serve over rice.

Soak the chickpeas in a baking soda solution overnight. The baking soda helps soften the chickpea skins and makes them easier to remove later on.

Drain the chickpeas from their soaking water. Add to a pot along with a few cups of fresh water and a large pinch of salt (the "1/2 tsp" is approximate, like every measurement in this recipe). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle boil. Cook for 35-45 minutes, until softened but not falling apart. Add more water as needed to keep them covered. Skim off and discard any foam that rises to the top early on. There's nothing wrong with eating it, but it makes it a little harder (for me) to control the boil.

Put the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover with plenty of water. Gently slosh them around to loosen the skins. Use a mesh strainer to remove the skins. This step is optional, but removing the skins gets you a smoother hummus.

Put the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, lemon zest, and garlic in a blender. Blend thoroughly, adding water a couple tablespoons at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If your chickpeas are still warm (e.g., you skipped the skin removal), note that the texture after chilling will be thicker than whatever you get here in the blender. Add salt and any other seasonings to taste. I prefer to add seasons, such as olive oil and za'atar, just before serving.