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Mary Margaret Chappell

Mary Margaret Chappell

When Mary Margaret Chappell first started out in the plant-based food world as a writer, editor, and recipe developer, she was a bacon-loving former pastry chef who didn’t think she could ever cook without butter. Fourteen years, four cookbooks, dozens of cooking classes, and hundreds of recipes later, her favorite thing in the world is sharing the tips, techniques, and recipes that show just how easy and delicious whole-food, plant-based cooking can be. The former food editor of Vegetarian Times magazine has done away with her dependency on butter and is honing her skills at baking with natural sweeteners. Chappell lives in France, where plant-based eating can often be a challenge, but the fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes available are simply amazing. Find her on Instagram and Facebook.

All Contributions from Mary Margaret Chappell (227)

  • three green unripe plantains on a rustic wooden surface

    Plantains, Explained: Everything You Need to Know to Start Cooking with the Latin American Favorite

    Got a recipe that calls for plantains? An urge to recreate a plantain dish you tasted in a Caribbean or Latin American restaurant? Maybe you’re just curious about how to use those big banana-like fruits in the supermarket. Whatever your reason for wanting to learn more about plantains, here’s everything you need to know, including […]
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  • 3 Bowls of 8-Ingredient Leek and Mushroom Soup sitting on a granite counter next to a small bowl of coarsely ground sea salt

    Shiitake Mushroom and Leek Soup

    This scrumptious potato, leek, and mushroom soup is a plant-based riff on Cock-a-leekie soup, a Scottish chicken-and-leek soup usually made with barley. Our version substitutes umami-rich shiitake mushrooms for the chicken and replaces the barley with freekeh, but you could easily use barley or any other cooked whole grains you have on hand. Red potatoes […]
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  • A table spread with a variety of fresh fig dishes: a pizza topped with fresh figs, hummus in a ramekin with a fig paste swirled in, fig jam spread on whole grain bread, a fig and apple salad, and maple-roasted figs

    Fresh Figs: From Pizza to Jam, Here’s How to Use Them

    Fragrant fresh figs are a perfect late-summer treat. The juicy jewel-tone fruits go with just about everything—even pizza. Here are five simple, tasty recipes to make with fresh figs today. Tip: Figs won’t ripen once picked, so look for fruit that is plump, tender, and fully ripe. When choosing a carton of fresh figs, look […]
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  • Overlapping slices of kiwi shown close up

    How to Peel a Kiwi + Kiwi Recipes to Try

    In 1959, growers in New Zealand rebranded their Chinese gooseberry crops as “kiwifruit” for export to the United States. They named the fruit after the large, spiky-feathered flightless kiwi bird, which is indigenous to the islands—and it stuck. Beneath kiwifruit’s fuzzy brown skin lies sweet-tart, fiber-rich flesh that packs more vitamin C than an orange […]
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  • whole tomatillos in their husks in a ceramic bowl in natural lighting

    Tomatillos: The Mexican Produce Item That Should Be in Everyone’s Kitchen

    Love the flavors of Mexican and Southwestern food? Time to add tomatillos to your weekly grocery list. The small, husked globes are a key ingredient in both cuisines, right up there with tomatoes (no, they’re not the same), corn, and chiles. Tomatillos are also a cinch to cook with, whether you’re blending up a quick […]
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  • stalks of barley plant laid beside a bowl of barley kernels, with some kernels scattered beside the bowl, on a light lilac background

    Rediscover Barley, an Ultra-Versatile Ancient Grain

    Barley is an ancient grain that’s overdue for a modern-day rebrand. After all, the tender kernels are just as tasty and versatile as their trendier cousins, freekeh, farro, and kamut—and often easier to find and less expensive. Read on to learn more about barley, including how to cook it in all its forms, from pearl […]
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  • Two whole passion fruit beside three cut-open halves of passion fruit showing the colorful pulp inside, on top of a plain light pink background

    Passion Fruit Primer: How to Make and Use Passion Fruit Puree, Plus More Tips

    Passion fruit goes by many names, including maracuyá in Spanish, maracujá in Portuguese, and lilikoi in Hawaiian. The award for best name, however, goes to the Chinese term bai xiang guo. It means “fruit of a hundred flavors,” which beautifully evokes the tropical fruit’s complex taste, which is hard to categorize but incredibly delicious. Here’s […]
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  • mangoes

    Types of Mangoes and Everything You Need to Know About Them

    One taste of a perfectly ripe mango is enough to make anyone a lifelong fan of the juicy, sunset-hued fruit. Here’s everything you need to know about mangoes, from their many varieties to ripeness indicators and the best cutting techniques. Where Do Mangos Come From?  The mangos you’ll find at grocery stores and specialty produce […]
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  • Mango Nice Cream in a green mug garnished with a sprig of fresh mint

    The Beginner’s Guide to Nice Cream

    Nice cream is a treat that totally lives up to its name.  What Is Nice Cream? Nice cream is a sugar-free, dairy-free dessert made by blitzing pieces of frozen fruit in a food processor or high-speed blender. The whole-food vegan ice cream is rich, creamy, and luscious enough for a special occasion (birthday party, anyone?) […]
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  • raw cassava (yuca) root shown sliced next to a bowl of cassava starch on a blue wooden table with leaves to the side

    What Is Cassava, and How Do You Cook With It?

    “Cassava,” “yuca,” “manioc,” and “tapioca” are all names for a large, hard root vegetable that is native to Brazil. Cassava is a staple food throughout Latin America, South America, the Caribbean, and West Africa, where it is best known in fufu, a chewy, dough-like side dish made of cooked, kneaded (and sometimes fermented) cassava flesh. […]
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  • a few air-fryer roasted chile peppers shown on a yellow background

    How to Roast Peppers in an Air Fryer (Works for Chiles and Bell Peppers!)

    Once you’ve roasted chile peppers and bell peppers in an air fryer, you may never go back to using the oven. The air fryer preheats fast, and its circulating high heat evenly blisters peppers’ skins for a sweet, char-grilled flavor. Here’s how to do it. 1. Core and Seed Raw Peppers If you’re seeding chile […]
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  • Halved fresh dragon fruit in a bamboo basket on yellow background

    The Dish on Dragon Fruit: How to Select, Store, and Eat the Tropical Treat

    Spiky, vibrant-hued dragon fruit is gorgeously alluring—but also a little intimidating. How do you pick a good one? A ripe one? Is scaly pink better than prickly yellow? And what’s the best way to cut that leathery rind and use the seed-speckled pulp? Here’s everything you need to know to take the guesswork out of […]
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