2 pounds fresh asparagus
7 teaspoons salad oil
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
ground black pepper
4 ounces Mori-Nu tofu
water, as needed

Wash asparagus, cut off and discard woody bottom of stalks, and slice into 1-inch pieces. Steam asparagus until barely tender. Remove from heat and let it drain. Sauté soft bread crumbs in 2 Tbs. oil until lightly browned and remove from heat. Cut 4 oz. Mori-Nu tofu into chunks and place them in measuring cup; add water up to 1-cup level. Place in electric blender jar along with 1 tsp. salad oil and blend until smooth.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil an ovenproof dish (such as a 9-inch pie pan) or spray with nonstick spray. Place drained asparagus in dish. Sprinkle evenly with 1-1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tsp. salt, a tiny bit of sugar or sweetener, and a dusting of black pepper. Cover evenly with half the sautéed bread crumbs. Bake, uncovered, in preheated 400-degree oven for 15-20 minutes.
3 or 4 servings.

Mori-Nu tofu is aseptically packaged and is completely bland, with no tofu tang. You may use regular tofu if you prefer. It should be very fresh.

1 lb. (2-1/4 cups) green split peas
1 cup chopped onion (1 large)
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil (optional)
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram, crushed
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)

Rinse peas. Place in 4-quart soup pot with 2 quarts of water, chopped onion, salt, pepper, marjoram, and optional oil. Bring to boiling, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 1-1/2 hours. Stir occasionally. Add diced celery and carrots. Cover and continue cooking for 40 minutes. Add optional liquid smoke about 15 minutes before the soup is done. Purée in blender or food mill, if desired.
Serves 4.

1 29-oz. can pumpkin (unsweetened)
2 apples, chopped
1 cup raisins
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons molasses
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mix all ingredients together and spoon into a loaf pan (try 9"x5"x3"). Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, or till hot. Serve hot.

Recipe from Simply Vegan by Debra Wasserman and Reed Mangels. Find out more about this book at the Vegetarian Resource Group's Web site (#).

2 pints frozen green beans (1 lb.fresh)
1-1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon mild salad oil
1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-1/2 teaspoons fresh gingerroot, minced, or use ½ tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
5 ounces dry somen noodles or dry broken linguini

Steam fresh beans or cook frozen beans till crisp-tender and drain. Start cooking noodles. Drain when finished.

Sauté garlic and fresh minced ginger in the oils over low heat until fragrant and golden. Add red pepper flakes, drained beans, soy sauce, water, powdered ginger (if not using fresh), and salt. Cook over medium heat a few minutes till water evaporates and beans are coated with sauce. Stir often to prevent sticking. The sauce should begin to look glazed. Add drained noodles, stir, and cook for a few minutes, till everything is hot and flavors are blended.
2 main-dish servings.

If these seasonings are too hot for your taste, reduce the amount of red pepper flakes.