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!
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.
(Click on link to view recipe)
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.
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.
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
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
Thank you so much for the feature! :)
Thank you! Those recipes look great!