Your April Recipes Are Here

Featuring guest chef Alex Shytsman of The New Baguette

Welcome to your April edit of Weeknight Simple - which is going to be open access! This month, I am delighted to introduce you to

Alexandra Shytsman

of

The New Baguette

, a dear friend of mine who wears many hats - recipe development, food writing and photography. She’s the magician behind the drop-dead gorgeous photos in my cookbook. I learned so much from her process during our photoshoot, and even followed up with a photography lesson.

Alex’s vegan recipes are elegant yet accessible, while being full of flavor. Her blog, The New Baguette, won IACP 2023 Food Blog of the Year! These 3 dinner recipes are the perfect combination of being produce-forward yet cozy enough for this bipolar April weather - I hope you love them as much as I do. Find Alex on Instagram here and make sure you subscribe to her newsletter. Thanks for joining us, Alex!

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But first, join me in The Vegetarian Reset Masterclass! Sign up for either session below:

In this FREE masterclass, I’ll walk you through my 4-step system to help you build low-carb, high-protein vegetarian meals that are flavorful, satisfying and sustainable.

Whether you're navigating the menopause transition, managing blood sugar, or simply tired of guessing what to eat, this session will give you practical strategies, tools, and recipe ideas to completely make over your meals and customize them to your needs - no weird ingredients, no extreme diets, and no bland tofu.

You’ll Learn:

• How to build balanced meals that actually keep you full

• The key proteins, veggies, and pantry staples I always have on hand

• Smart swaps to reduce carbs without losing flavor

• How to add variety without spending hours in the kitchen

You’ll walk away with concrete tips, inspiration, and a new level of confidence in the kitchen—plus, a sneak peek into how my full course can support your long-term goals.

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And now, on to Weeknight Simple, April Edition, by Alex Shytsman.

Hello, everyone! I’m so honored Vasudha asked me to contribute recipes to this series. For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Alex, and I’m a recipe developer, food photographer, cookbook author, and creator of the plant-based recipe site, The New Baguette - and the companion Substack newsletter of the same name.

The aim of my work is simple: to combine my love of eating well with my quest to eat for health, and to share my creations with others who have the same goal.

While I’m not a full-time vegan, I love cooking vegan food. What really excites me is combining nutrient-rich ingredients - particularly vegetables, whole grains, legumes, tofu, and tempeh - with global flavors and cooking techniques.

Vasudha and I met several years ago, when she contacted me to photograph her debut book, The Vegetarian Reset. We had an absolute blast shooting the recipes in her apartment! The best part was, of course, getting to taste everything she made, which really pushed my love of Indian flavors to the next level.

For this edition of Weeknight Simple, I’m sharing three recipes I’m excited about this season, and that happen to be high in both protein and fiber.

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(Click on link to view recipe)

Shredded Tofu Tacos

Super firm tofu gets grated onto a baking sheet, tossed with oil and spices, and roasted into a chewy, savory taco filling. Guacamole and a cilantro-scented purple cabbage slaw round out the tacos.

Garlicky Mashed White Beans with Lemon-Roasted Broccoli

This easy pantry-led dinner doesn’t require any special equipment - and it’s budget-friendly, too. I love the contrast of the creamy beans with the snappy broccoli, punctuated with bitter bits of roasted lemon slices.

Tempeh Curry

This Thai-inspired creamy coconut curry is the perfect starter recipe for tempeh beginners, since it is virtually foolproof. Flavored with peanut butter and red curry paste, it has a similar vibe to massaman curry.

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Meal Prep

20 minutes

• Shred purple cabbage for tacos

• Chop broccoli into florets for mashed bean dish

• Chop onion and bell pepper for curry

• Crumble tempeh for curry

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Grocery List

• Produce + Refrigerated

  • One 16-oz block super firm tofu

  • One 8-oz block tempeh

  • 1 small head purple cabbage

  • 1 pound broccoli

  • 1 red bell pepper

  • 1 large Yukon Gold potato

  • 3 medium ripe avocados

  • 2 small red onions

  • 1 small yellow onion

  • 1 bunch cilantro

  • 3 limes

  • 1 lemon

  • 1 head garlic

• Pantry

  • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil

  • 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter

  • Three 15-oz cans cannellini beans

  • 12 corn tortillas

• Condiments + Spices

  • One 13-oz can full-fat coconut milk

  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste

  • 2 teaspoons pure maple syrup (or honey)

  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

  • 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes