Vegetarian

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.

This Moroccan spiced root vegetable stew with parsnips and squash (or sweet potatoes) is hearty, healthy, and delicious, not to mention easy to make in the slow cooker. If you use vegetable broth, it's also a great vegan meal. Read more.

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.