It's become more and more evident how simple it is to come up with vegan Mediterranean recipes without making substitutions. While a vegetarian diet, to be completely honest, isn't really a sacrifice for me, a vegan diet is more so. There's still that part of my soul that has difficulty parting with the stinky cheeses and dark chocolate tortes of the world. But a Mediterranean diet focuses on beans, olive oil, herbs, and vegetables with little butter and cream. And the food is loaded with flavor. It makes eating completely meat-free enjoyable. And it's no wonder that natives of that part of the globe are known to live the longest.

This Tuscan white bean dip is a great example. I got it from The Complete Vegan Kitchen by Jannequin Bennet. But I substituted parsley for sage because that's what is currently growing in my backyard. Use the best organic olive oil that you can find for this. When I started to cook with high quality organic olive oil it upped the pleasure quotient of my food dramatically. I had no idea that a good portion of the cheaper olive oil that we buy is often rancid, that is, it's gone bad. I was so used to that rancid taste that I had no idea how fabulous olive oil could be until I taste tested the good stuff.

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