The Vegan Atlas

A Guide to Cherimoya — tips and best uses for an unusual fruit

October 17, 2021 By Taylor Jasmine Leave a Comment

Here’s a brief guide to cherimoya, one of the most unusual fruits you may encounter. It’s worth taking the time to carefully remove the large seeds so that the tantalizingly sweet fruit can be enjoyed. Here you’ll find some tips on how to buy and prep this fruit, and its best uses.

Cherimoya is a large, green, somewhat heart-shaped fruit that that grows on the cherimoya tree, a fruit-producing tree native to Colombia, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Cherimoya belongs to the custard-apple family (which includes soursops), and has more than 500 varieties.

Hungarian Lecsó — Stewed Bell Peppers & Tomatoes

October 14, 2021 By Nava Atlas Leave a Comment

Hungarian leczó (aka lecho; letcho), is classic stew of bell peppers and tomatoes slow-cooked to a silky texture. The most delicious way to present this simple recipe is in shallow bowls with a crusty bread to mop up the delicious broth, but you can serve it over rice as well.

Best made with firm tomatoes like Roma (plum) tomatoes or tomatoes on vine, both of which are available year-round, the real star of this dish is bell pepper. You’ll need three, and you can use any color, but a combination is more pleasing to the eye. If you were to choose only one color, I’d recommend red bell peppers, which are the sweetest.

Tofu Shakshuka (Middle Eastern Scramble with Bell Peppers & Tomatoes)

October 13, 2021 By Nava Atlas Leave a Comment

Common to many regional Middle Eastern cuisines, this is one of those simple dishes that, with the right ingredients, is amazingly tasty. Tofu shakshuka is as welcome for brunch as it is as part of a light dinner.

In its original form, shakshuka is made with eggs; in this vegan version, just one ingredient changes—silken tofu replaces the eggs.

Vegan Mango Lassi

October 10, 2021 By Nava Atlas Leave a Comment

Mango lassi is a simple, tasty beverage from Indian cuisine that’s usually made with yogurt and/or milk. Swap in coconut yogurt and your favorite plant-based milk and you’ve got a fantastic nondairy version of a classic refresher.

Lush, ripe seasonal mango is best for this smoothie. That said, frozen mango works too, when fresh out of season or unavailable to you. If your mango is a bit fibrous, a high-speed blender will smooth it out.