Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Filling and Ganache - Vegan

Surely this is the most divine layered cake I have made yet. I made it for Christmas, but it has been sitting in my draft folder since. I don't eat eggs, so I adapt baked goods to suit my preferences. Moist, sweet, but not overly so, and it is vegan, though you would not know if I didn't tell you. The cake is not too difficult to make either, and the result, well try it and taste.

Best-Ever Cream of Tomato Soup

I don't ordinarily take to using the "best-ever" label lightly unless something is really exceptional, but I've made this cream of tomato soup now on a few occasions for family and friends and no one can get enough of it. My husband in particular grew up eating canned cream of tomato soup with toast for one of his favorite snacks or lunches, so he ought to know … if this isn't the "best-ever" cream of tomato soup, it sure must be close!

The depth of tomato flavor in this soup is incredible, and enhanced by a generous helping of sweet peppery fresh basil, a few dashes of dried herbs, a light seasoning of cumin and paprika or chili powder spices, and just one fresh jalapeño for the gentlest bit of kick. But what I really like about this cream of tomato soup is that the cream comes from coconut milk and a paste made from cashews and nutritional yeast, making the soup not only vegan but also a fair source of protein — not something that you could expect from a can of tomato soup!

Mung Beans with Fresh Mustard Greens

This simple and spicy mung bean dish is my second foray into cooking with mustard greens. I've quite fallen in love with the fresh peppery flavor of these greens since I recently discovered them in a local Asian supermarket. Rather as though fresh chard leaves were infused with a little hot mustard, they're a delicious snacking green on their own but add texture and a zesty warmth to cooked bean dishes as well. And they combine wonderfully with the medley of hot and aromatic Indian seasonings and spices in these creamy mung beans.