Wasabi-Ginger Coleslaw for One

This tangy side dish can serve double duty—put it on your sandwich! Yummmm!

½ teaspoon wasabi powder

½ teaspoon water

3 leaves of cabbage, chopped (I used napa, but any kind of cabbage will do)

1 slice of red onion, diced

Small handful of cilantro or parsley, chopped

½ carrot, grated

1 radish, grated or chopped

½-inch ginger, peeled and diced fine

1 TBLSP vegan mayonnaise

½ TBLSP of pickle juice or apple cider vinegar

Ground black pepper, to taste

1 TBLSP peanuts for decoration

1. In a small bowl, combine the wasabi powder with the water and set it aside to think about stuff. (Wasabi is a very philosophical vegetable.) Use more or less powder, depending on your tastes—just keep the ratio of water to powder the same.
2. Chop and put the cabbage, onion, cilantro, carrot, and radish into a small bowl.
3. The wasabi should be a nice paste, so add the ginger, mayonnaise, pickle juice, and black pepper to it. Stir it with enthusiasm to make a nice dressing. Make sure that the lumps are ginger—not wasabi—or you’re in for some trouble later.
4. Slosh the dressing over the cabbage mixture and stir it up. Maybe “toss” is a better word.
5. Top with peanuts and devour.

Shown here on a Buttermilk Biscuit (recipe coming soon), with roasted asparagus draped across, and some vegan mozzarella melted over the whole lovely thing under the broiler. It wasn't a tidy sandwich, but it sure was good! 

Apricot-Glazed Cauliflower for One

Do you ever have a hankering for barbecue sauce and you’re allergic to tomatoes (on which most such sauces are based)? Try sloshing this sweet and tangy sauce on tofu, slabs of seitan, steamed veggies, or, as seen here, on cauliflower florets. Yum!

2 cups cauliflower florets

3 TBLSP apricot preserves

2 TBLSP miso (yellow or white)

2 TBLSP rice vinegar

2 TBLSP soy sauce or tamari

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for quick clean-up).

1. Place the florets on the baking sheet and heave it in the oven while you mix up the sauce, about 5 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients (preserves, miso, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic and ginger powders.
3. Pull the baking sheet from the oven and slather the florets on all sides with the sauce.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
5. Pull the baking sheet out again, flip everyone over, and bake for another 10-12 minutes. The florets should be fork tender and the sauce should be golden brown and bubbly.

Serve with a refreshing salad. Seen here is a purple rice and zucchini salad, recipe coming soon!