Vegan Brownies

In this episode of Chow-To, Guillermo meets with Francesca Chaney, the youngest restaurateur in Brooklyn, at her vegan café Sol Sips. Francesca teaches Guillermo how to make vegan cultured butter using coconut oil , creating not only a healthier and tastier alternative to the commonly found substitutes (looking at you margarine), but also an affordable option compared to store-bought. Cultured vegan butter can be used as a tasty spread or browned and used for baking as well. Francesca was named one of Eater’s Young Guns ’19, as recognition of her culinary talent and her amazing community work out of Bushwick. Her plan is to offer affordable wellness to underserved customers, and make sure her products are accessible to all.

Whether you’re looking for plant-based alternatives to replace conventional chicken or just want to eat a little healthier once in a while, these baked vegan cauliflower bites are incredibly crunchy and delicious—and way better for you than deep-fried poultry (but you’ll never miss the real-thing wings). A triple dredge in flour, a chia egg, and a spiced corn flake cereal coating means these bake to crunchy perfection on a sheet pan. The tangy vegan buffalo sauce adds another layer of deliciousness. Serve with our Vegan Blue Cheese Sauce for dipping! And don’t forget the celery. Vegan Buffalo Cauliflower Recipe and Vegan Blue Cheese Sauce Recipe

It’s unfair how little presence Iranian food has in the restaurant world. A cuisine as sophisticated and influential deserves the spotlight, and food explorers should have the opportunity to try Persian flavors and ingredients in all their glory. In this episode, Guillermo visits Sofreh in Brooklyn, and meets chef and owner Nasim Alikhani, to learn how to make her version of a traditional North Iranian bean and dill stew (baghali ghatogh). This recipe makes it easy for home cooks to introduce Iranian flavors and techniques into their kitchens. Move over chickpea stew! This hearty dish has the potential to become the next "It" recipe. The stew is completely vegan, and with the addition of a poached egg on top, you can make this a crowd-pleaser.

Store-bought hummus is convenient but you haven't lived until you've made your own. For this episode of Chow-To, we visit chef Eden Grinshpan at her Middle Eastern-inspired restaurant DEZ in New York City to find out how to make hummus that is way better than the kind you'll find in a store. Guillermo and Eden make a traditional version, and then, to make things more interesting, they take it to the next level with Eden’s signature Beet Meze. This delicious vegan, gluten-free, protein-packed base is easier to make than most people think.

In this episode Guillermo meets the queen of vegan cheese, Miyoko Schinner, and learns how to make a basic cashew cheese at home. They talk about the current state of the dairy industry, and how plant-based production can ultimately be its savior, and ours. Miyoko takes Guillermo on a tour of her animal sanctuary, and her vegan creamery, right in the middle of dairy country in Petaluma, CA.

Café Gratitude, a small vegan chain from California, has an interesting concept to improve the future of our planet. Meatless Monday deals and offerings across the country show no signs of slowing down. Growing concern over both the quality of mass-processed meats along with climate change and the humane treatment of animals, is inspiring folks to adopt vegan habits, at least part-time anyways. The café took a step ahead by offering 50% off on their most popular dishes every Monday for a limited time, as an incentive for diners, while trying to motivate other restaurants to follow the model. Café Gratitude’s motto “Be plant rich” means they want you to live a rich life mostly on plants.