Cook Like a Top Chef — In Your Own Kitchen

Ever wish you could cook your favorite restaurant dishes at home? That’s exactly what Jamie Isabella Parker wanted to do when she began working on Best Vegan Recipes from North America’s Vegan-Serving Top Restaurants. Her quest across the continent required hundreds of miles of travel — and nearly as many bites of delicious vegan food from the world’s best chefs.

Of course, with the growing number of vegan restaurants dishing out decadent vegan meals, Jamie acknowledges it wasn’t easy selecting which eateries to include: “I was directed to these restaurants by respected industry professionals, vegan groups, and media sources, and then I approved them because of their incredible food. You will find the restaurants have reviews, reputations, and often awards that demonstrate a general consensus that they are North America’s best.”

Through this endeavor, Jamie has compiled a cookbook for those of us who may not have the time or the resources for such an adventure, but wish to be able to enjoy the hallmark dishes of the vegan-cream-of-the-crop restaurants. Some of these recipes include:

• Sour Crème & Onion Kale Chips from Power House Living Foods in Nanaimo, BC
• Roasted Kabocha Squash Salad from the Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco, CA
• Mushroom Walnut Pate from the Bloodroot Restaurant in Bridgeport, CT
• Raw Stuffed Avocado with Pico Sauce from Lov’n It Live in East Point, GA
• Tempeh Bourguignon from Great Sage in Clarksville, MD
• Raw Key Lime Pie from Peacefood Café, in Manhattan, NY
• Banana Crème Pie from Lovin’ Spoonfuls in Tuscon, AZ

We guarantee that these recipes taste even better than they sound. But don’t take our word for it — indulge in the sweet treat below for an experience that’s equally divine and kind!

 Chocolate Orange Mousse Pie

Recipe excerpted from Best Vegan Recipes from North America’s Vegan-Serving Top Restaurants,
and created by Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro

Preparation time: 20 minutes; Serves: 8
Equipment: Food processor, double boiler or pot, and metal bowl

Ingredients

• 1 12 ounce package of silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur, optional
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 12 ounces semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips
• 1 pre-made vegan chocolate graham cracker crust
• sliced toasted almonds and grated orange peel for garnish

Directions

1. Blend tofu, liqueur, and coconut milk in food processor until smooth.

2. Melt chocolate in double boiler or bring a small pot of water to a boil and place chocolate chips in a medium sized metal bowl over the boiling water. Stir chocolate constantly as it melts.

3. Put melted chocolate into food processor and mix with the tofu mixture until creamy.

4. Pour into the prepared chocolate graham cracker crust. Chill in the refrigerator.

5. Top with sliced almonds and orange peel for garnish and serve.