Faced with a full pantry and a bare-bones fridge, I had to do some quick thinking for our next meal that we were quickly growing hungry for. Out came the tomatoes, olives, and pasta, but a plain old marinara would not do. We were both craving a good dose of flavor, and thus this Slightly Spicy Pasta Puttanesque-a Recipe was born. Most chefs would mock my version of puttanesca (hence my clever name, don’t you think?), but I still couldn’t think of a better label for this blend of flavors. True, it lacks the salty anchovies (making it suitable for vegans / vegetarians), and I did allow some leeway on the olives you can use (pitted kalamata olives would be best, but when you only have cheap black ones on hand they will just have to do!), but this is still a nice, flavorful dish that can be dressed up or down, however you like.

There are a few things you may not know about one of my very favorite bloggers, Ricki Heller. One is that she has a new cookbook out called Sweet Freedom, and oh how sweet it is! Two is that the book includes some of her most requested recipes from a popular bakery business she ran previously. Three (and this one is a doozy) is that she doesn't use any refined sugars, refined flours, eggs, dairy, or wheat flour in her recipes! Yes, that lovely, buttery tart pictured (also see the picture below where the rich, caramely filling just oozes out) has not an ounce of dairy butter, nor does it rely on margarine or soy in anyway ... it is an all natural, rich and indulgent treat. And the cake, well as Ricki says, this cake is "always a hit!" How does she do it? Get a taste of these recipes and you will find out ...

Quite the claim, I know. And while it may or may not be true, this meal is unbelievably simple and very food allergy-friendly. My husband quite literally threw this dish together one night when we were starving and uninspired, so of course it is aptly named (after him), Tony’s Two-Ingredient Salsa Chicken. It has since become one of our go-to meals on those hurried nights. But even more than its simplicity, I love the versatility of this recipe. You can easily customize the flavors with one simple tweak of an ingredient: go with a mild salsa (for timid taste buds), or extra-spicy (for fire lovers), use green salsa, a fresh homemade salsa, add a tropical flare with pineapple or mango salsa, what about a corn and bean salsa, or stick with the cheapest all-natural salsa in a jar that you located on sale at your local grocer for $1.34 (that would be our pick!). Tired of chicken? This will work well with fish too, just keep an eye on the cooking time.

As promised in my earlier comparison post of the latest Vegan Ice Cream Cookbooks, I am here to share a recipe from The Vegan Scoop by Wheeler del Torro - and choosing a sample from among his vast selection is no easy task. With 150 recipes for vegan ice cream, Wheeler kicks the pants off Baskin & Robbins. His flavors range from the basic to the exotic. This recipe falls somewhere in between, merging your typical cool and creamy dessert with good old-fashioned childhood comfort food. Like most of Wheeler's recipes, the ingredients are simple and few, but in the perfect proportions for ice cream parlor worthy treats that are also much lower in fat than their dairy-laden cousins.

This particular recipe uses soy creamer. Seek out brands such as Silk, Wildwood, and Trader Joe's. Though I haven't trialed it (and it is not written in the book), you may be able to substitute a nut cream, such as MimicCreme, or a light coconut milk should you want a soy-free, vegan ice cream ...

A couple of weeks ago I announced the FREE May edition of the Vegan Culinary Experience, entitled "Curries from Around the World" (yes, it really is free, just go on over and download it!).  But the month of May would not be complete here on Go Dairy Free without at least a couple of Chef Jason Wyrick's recipes served up as appi-teasers. Yes, if my bad pun didn't give it away, we are featuring two of his appetizer recipes from the May edition. While the curry theme really showcases the different types of traditional curries and how to make them, Chef Jason works his culinary magic to create new ways to enjoy the flavorful combination of spices otherwise known as curry ... and the following two recipes are ones I simply could not pass up. Both are light, refreshing, and easy ... perfect for enjoying in the warm spring and summer months ...

Last week our favorite “farmers” market (a grocery store, but focused on produce, bulk foods, fresh items, etc.) had boneless, skinless chicken breasts on for $1.67 per lb. Since we are using more lean protein, we stocked up. Okay, that is an understatement. We packed our tiny little freezer right to the ice maker! So, when my Taste & Create partner was announced, I ♥ Food 4 Thought, I went straight to the categories on her site and selected chicken. One dish immediately caught my eye, the Balsamic Chicken and Mushrooms. Let me tell you, it is delicious! In fact, I have already made it a few times. The first time I followed the recipe exactly, and then I added in some of her suggestions and a few of my own tweeks, to create this recipe for Balsamic Chicken with Sautéed Vegetables. The entire dish is very low in fat, sugar-free, gluten-free, egg-free, nut-free, soy-free, and of course, dairy-free.