Now that fall is in the air, many of us are turning to heartier dishes. Eric, one of our readers, wrote in to tell us that one of his all-time favorite comfort foods is Beef Stroganoff, strips of beef in a creamy mushroom sauce over pasta or rice. But since Eric is no longer an omnivore, he wanted to know if we could create a vegan recipe: Stroganoff without the beef.

We think our recipe for Tempeh and Mushroom Stroganoff fits the bill.

Here are a few notes about the recipe:

• We subbed tempeh (fermented soybeans) in place of beef. With hearty flavor and texture, tempeh adds protein, fiber and very little saturated fat.
• Portobello mushrooms add a deeper, more savory flavor than other varieties.
• To keep this recipe quick to assemble per Eric’s request, we relied on vegetarian gravy mix (look for this near the soups and broths). You could certainly make it from scratch.
• We suggest serving the tempeh and mushrooms over brown rice for soaking up the flavorful sauce. For ease and convenience, we used frozen brown rice in this recipe, but it would be just as delicious over noodles. Try it over udon noodles, soba noodles, brown rice noodles or whole wheat or spelt pasta.

Want to adjust some of your favorite recipes to meet a new diet? Here are a few general tips for making great vegan and vegetarian recipes:

• For creaminess, use coconut milk, nut milk or silken tofu in place of dairy products.
• Use rich vegetable stock, shallots, garlic, leeks and other aromatic vegetables to create a flavorful base. Fresh herbs are wonderful additions as well.
• Other ingredients to consider for adding robust flavor are chipotles (smoked jalapenos available canned), sun dried tomatoes, olives, caramelized onions and wild mushrooms.

Do you have some tips for vegetarian and vegan cooking to share? We’d love to hear! Please post them in the comments below.

Check out our selection of vegan recipes. We have almost 500, so there’s something for everyone!

Post your idea for a recipe makeover. If we pick your idea, we’ll send you a $25 gift card and publish it our blog and our website!