I've been on a quest for many years to find a recipe that will make a pecan pie that tastes and looks like those I remember from my childhood. If you've been on a similar search, you probably know that many of the recipes out there lead to watery pies that never set, gooey pies that run over while baking, or a dessert that is way too sweet to be considered edible. Finally though, I've found a recipe that passes the test.

Vegan Pecan Pie

The recipe isn't new—just new to me—and comes from the Post Punk Kitchen forums. Toddx's recipe creates a pie that isn't too chewy or too gooey—it's just right. I won't reprint the recipe here because you should head over to the Post Punk Kitchen and check out the many delicious recipes that are posted on their forums! It's a great resource for long-time vegans and for those new to vegetarian cooking.

Enjoy!

If our recent contest for the ice cream recipe book The Vegan Scoop left you thinking, "Who wants ice cream with jalapeños in it?" or "I prefer alcohol in a cocktail, not in my ice cream, thank you," then we have a new ice cream contest that is perfect for you.

Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love is the kid-friendly ice cream recipe book that has something for everyone. It contains more than 200 recipes for completely dairy-free ice creams and frozen treats that are made from natural ingredients. Sure, there are some gourmet flavors, but the real stars of this cookbook are the traditional ice cream flavors that can be used in pies, cakes, sundaes, shakes, and more!

Now is your chance to win one of five free copies of Lick It! Creamy Dreamy Vegan Ice Creams Your Mouth Will Love!

To enter, just tell us which classic ice cream flavor is your favorite and why:

a) Chocolate
b) Vanilla
c) Strawberry
d) Neapolitan
e) Other

The contest ends on July 20, and five winners will be chosen at random by July 24. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!

It's not often that I come across veganized French food in restaurants or stores, which means that if I'm in the mood for the rich cuisine of one of my favorite European countries, I have to make it at home. Cream and wine sauces are easy to alter, and I often do, but what about crêpes?

Vegan Crêpes

Crêpes are very thin, almost paper-like pancakes made from a wheat-flour batter. It's fairly simple to make a veganized version—once you have the technique down. Best of all, though, is that crêpes are diverse. Unlike the pancakes that I'm used to, crêpes can play a sweet or savory starring role in any meal.

Here's a recipe for basic crêpes, but I'd like to know: What's your favorite filling?

I've always had a slight aversion to the typical three-bean salad made with kidney beans, green beans, and wax beans. But it's not the salad's fault. Before this weekend, I had only tried three-bean salads after they had been sitting on a salad bar for who knows how many hours. To give the salad a fair chance, I decided to make my own version this weekend.

Summer Three-Bean Salad

It was built around kidney beans, green beans, and chickpeas. Most versions I've tried use wax beans, but I'm not a huge fan, so I opted for chickpeas instead. The dressing that brought all the ingredients together was typical for a bean salad—apple cider vinegar, sugar, oil, salt, and pepper—and to add a summery lightness to it all, I threw in diced cucumber and chopped parsley. In the end, it was much tastier than the salad-bar version I was used to, and it only takes minutes to make. Enjoy!

Fathers' Day is the perfect time for hearty, no-fuss meals, so why not whip up a "man meal" this Sunday for your dad? You can check out our list of hearty and healthy Father's Day fare, or just try out the recipe I'll be using—Beer-Basted Vegan Brats With Caramelized Onions and Hot Mustard.

Beer-Basted Vegan Brats With Caramelized Onions and Hot Mustard

They're not very complicated, but they're still delicious. Enjoy!

We're looking for the best faux chicken sandwich in North America, and we need your help! As much as I would love to travel the continent to explore the plethora of faux meats on the menus of restaurants, diners, and even fast-food joints, my schedule simply won't allow it. That's where you come in.

Do you know of a local restaurant that serves up a faux chicken sandwich that's to die for? If so, tell us the name of the restaurant and why it's the best by leaving a comment below. We'll use all the information that you give us here to help compile our list of the top faux chicken sandwiches in North America.

Not everyone is lucky enough to live near a restaurant that serves faux chicken sandwiches, but that doesn't mean that you have to miss out on all the delicious flavor. Try store-bought faux chicken, or you can order it from one of the great online vegan grocers.

Thanks for your help!

Relaxing during a warm summer weekend inspires me to eat one thing: barbecue. This past weekend, we fired up the grill at my house and stuck to a strict "no recipe" policy to create a delicious feast full of comfort foods. The "no recipe" policy lets you get a little more creative—and you can taste as you go!—in order to create dishes that are perfect for your taste buds.

Here's a look at what ended up on my table and in my tummy, along with suggestions for how to make them.

Seitan slathered in barbecue sauce can be cooked on the grill in slices, then cut into chunks or shredded to make a hearty sandwich. Make your own barbecue sauce, or use a bottled store-bought product.

Don't forget to leave a few pieces of the seitan unsliced so they can be enjoyed on their own. All you need to make these is seitan and barbecue sauce.

For simple sides, try tossing tomato halves and corn on the cob with a little oil, salt, and pepper. That's all you need.

To make a more complex and carb-heavy side, grill potatoes, onions, and jalapeños. After removing from the grill, dice the onions and jalapeños, mash the potatoes, and mix them all together. The only additional ingredients you'll need to add are salt, pepper, and a little oil.

Enjoy!

Sailing over crystal clear water to Isla Mujeres, Mexico, I was most excited about one thing: the delicious food I would eat during my week-long vacation in Mexico. I had done my research and found that the small island in the state of Quintana Roo offered a variety of options that were mostly targeted at tourists. I wanted nothing to do with that. Who goes to Mexico to eat pasta and pizza anyway?

My food sights were set on one thing—finding delicious vegan Mexican dishes. And to make a long story short, it definitely was not a challenge.

Many of the restaurants on the island featured Mexican food that seemed more like Americanized Mexican, rather than traditional recipes, but it was still delicious. Everywhere we went, fresh guacamole and homemade warm tortillas were served in heaping quantities. Fresh veggies were abundant and diverse. And restaurant staff could easily point me toward meat-free menu options.

Here's a quick peek at some of the food I ate on Isla Mujeres, which not only was a great destination for vegan travelers but also has one of the most beautiful coasts I've ever seen.

Guacamole and corn tortilla chips at Don Chepo.

Nopales tacos served on fresh corn tortillas.

Vegetable fajitas that go beyond just onions and peppers—carrots, nopales, and broccoli were included too.

Nopales fajitas have tart flavors not commonly found in American fajitas.

Organic tofu and vegetables covered with herbs, at Elements of the Island.

Isla Mujeres, Mexico

The temperature is getting warmer outside, and for many folks, that means it's time for fun weekend getaways, which include camping and nights spent sitting around a fire roasting marshmallows and making smores. Fortunately for vegans, the compassionate folks over at Sweet and Sara have created some superb vegan marshmallows that will stand up to your campfire and hot cocoa and are even good when veganizing your favorite rice-crispy-treat recipe without the nasty gelatin found in most marshmallows.

Now is your chance to win. VegCooking Blog and PETA Living fans can enter to win a fabulous gift basket of vegan marshmallows!

Sweet and Sara founder Sara Sohn has been vegan for 17 years. A few years back, she decided it had been way too long since she'd had one of her favorite childhood snacks: the rice crispy treat. With no culinary background but a lot of determination (and vegan sweets on the mind), Sara began her quest to create a vegan marshmallow, "the Holy Grail of animal-free sweet treats," and she did it!

With Sweet and Sara's marshmallows, the possibilities are endless. Mix them into vegan brownies for a rocky road effect. Dip them in chocolate fondue. Add them to holiday yams. Sweeten coffee or tea, or simply enjoy them as they are!

Enter to win a fabulous Sweet and Sara gift basket containing vanilla marshmallows, toasted coconut marshmallows, original smores, peanut butter smores, and bark. Just leave a short comment below telling us about the delicious vegan creation you will accent with your marshmallows if you win. One winner will be chosen at random.

The contest ends on June 30, and we'll contact the winners by July 3. Be sure to read our privacy policy and terms and conditions, as you're agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!