Author: betsy

by betsy

Raw Vegan Ya Ya Bars (dried plums, nuts, coconut, and melted chocolate, oh my!)

Photo Credit: Bryanna Barone
Photo Credit: Bryanna Barone

Yield: 24 squares (they are rich and dense, so I cut them smaller than usual)

If you are in need of a healthy bite for graduation parties, these are your ticket!  They are non-vegan male teenager approved (and meatatarian husbands love them too)!

These bars were inspired by my inimitable yoga instructor, Angela Phillips’, scrumptious “La La Bars.”  (Her nickname is La La.)  I call mine Ya Ya Bars after the Ya Ya Sisterhood.

But “brothers” love them too, as noted above.  Having taken the bars to enjoy as soon as my AP Art students got their portfolios assembled on May 9, I suddenly remembered that I didn’t have any pictures of them, so Bryanna snapped this photo before they were all devoured.

When Angela gifted me with the bars, I didn’t ask for the recipe.  So, since I love a culinary challenge, so I just made mine up as I went along.

She uses dates in hers, but my grocery store was out.  So, I substituted pitted dried plums, as I have had great success with my Vegan Plum Delicious Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies and my Vegan Chocolate-Plum Butter Mousse.  Who knew those two flavors were so compatible?  While I have not tried my recipe with dates, feel free to give it a whirl.  My assumption is that they will taste more pecan pie-like and slightly less fruity than my dried plum variety.  Very good, just different.

However you decide to make them, you are sure to love them as much as everyone else.  And thank you, Angela, for the inspiration!

1 cup nuts (I used a combination of walnuts and pecans)

2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut

18 ounces pitted dried plums (make sure they are very moist in a sealed cardboard canister or bag)

9 to 10 ounces vegan chocolate chips, melted

Pinch sea salt

Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil.  In a food processor, finely chop nuts and coconut and transfer to a medium size bowl.  Add plums to processor and pulse until finely chopped.  They will tend to mash together but avoid making a puree.  Transfer to bowl with nuts and coconut.   Using fingers, combine well without compacting.  Pour melted chocolate over the mixture along with a healthy pinch of sea salt, and continue to combine with your fingers until all ingredients are completely incorporated.  Press evenly into prepared pan, cover, and refrigerate several hours or until cold.  Cut into squares and serve.  If you prefer, invert them onto a cutting board, remove foil, and then cut.

by betsy

Vegan Bananas Foster Ice Cream with Caramelized Pecans (So Delicious and Go Dairy Free Spring Fling Dairy-Free Recipe Contest Entry!)

Bananas Foster Ice CreamYield: 1 quart

Just in time for Memorial Day menu planning, I am excited to offer you my newest creation: Bananas Foster Ice Cream with Caramelized Pecans!

Growing up in the Deep South, only about a three-hour drive from New Orleans, I was weened on the historic French Quarter and it’s legendary cuisine.  My parents honeymooned there, as did my husband and I, and we returned to the Creole capital to host my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, among many other trips in the distant and recent past.

Favorite French Quarter-steeped memory fragments abound, many having to do with food, like, as a fairly young child, trying to act completely nonchalant  as Bananas Foster and Cherries Jubliee burst into flames on rolling carts tended by tuxedoed waiters throughout Brennan’s dining rooms.  I guess I wanted fellow diners to think that flambeed desserts were a nightly affair back home.

For some inexplicable reason, I recently became obsessed with the idea of Bananas Foster in the form of ice cream–since it is served over vanilla ice cream–to combat our already high 80 to 90-degree days.  Sure, recipes on the internet abound–though few that are vegan–but I love a challenge, so I had to create my own…and I’m so glad I did.

Using canned Coconut Cream and So Delicious Coconut Creamer as the ice cream base makes this recipe go together in a flash.  And the few minutes it takes to caramelize the bananas are more than worth it.  While traditional Bananas Foster does not call for pecans, I associate them with Creole and Cajun cooking, so I caramelized some in the syrupy goodness left clinging to the skillet, and I’m really glad that I made this ever-so-slight break with tradition.  I think you will be too!

Make this ice cream a day or two before you plan to serve it, as the mixture must be well-chilled before making the ice cream, and the ice cream must set up in the freezer before serving.

3 tablespoons vegan butter

1/3 cup natural sugar

3 small bananas (about 3/4 pound), peeled, and sliced into 1-inch pieces

Pinch sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup raw pecan pieces

1 can Cream of Coconut (NOT coconut creamer; this product is canned and sold near adult drink mixers; Coco Lopez is a popular brand)

1 cup So Delicious Coconut Creamer

3 tablespoons coconut rum (or plain rum)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Garnish: a sprinkle of pecan pieces

Melt butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.  Add sugar, and cook for about 2-3 minutes or until thickened and caramel-y.  Add bananas and cinnamon and cook, stirring frequently, for up to 10 minutes or until the caramel is very thick and bananas very tender and coated with the caramel.  Reduce heat if necessary.  Scrape pan out well into the bowl of a food processor.  Return pan to heat, add pecans, and toast, stirring constantly for 3-5 minutes or until lightly toasted.  Reduce heat if necessary.  Transfer to a covered container and reserve.  Process banana mixture with cream of coconut until creamy and very smooth.  Transfer to a bowl, and whisk in Coconut Creamer, coconut rum, and vanilla extract, and process until very smooth.  Cool and refrigerate, covered, several hours or overnight until very cold.  Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions, swirling in pecans when ice cream is almost ready.  Transfer ice cream into a carton, cover, and freeze for several hours or until firm.  The texture will be delectably soft, but will hold its shape.

Spring Fling Dairy-Free Recipe Contest - $1000 Grand Prize; Two $250 Runner-Up Prizes

by betsy

Vegan Tacos with Chipotle Orange-Marinated Tofu (with black beans, kale, tomatoes, Chipotle Orange Sour Cream, cilantro, and toasted pepitas)

Tacos with Chipote-Orange Marinated TofuYield: 8 overstuffed tacos (2 per serving)

Believe it or not, this recipe was inspired by a “bean bowl” I enjoyed from a southwestern concession at the Atlanta airport.  (And it is such a hit that Tofutti published it here!)

I ordered their orange tofu version with grilled veggies, black beans, cilantro, and salsa,  and the combination was outstanding…and not just because I was starving for something fresh on a day of travel!

I don’t remember the terminal but the name of the establishment is Willy’s Mexicana Grill and the tofu is unforgettable!  Hopefully I can find it again on my next layover at ATL.  In the meantime, I created my own (that is even more fabulous) to share with you!

I saute the tofu–but you could also bake or even grill it–to enjoy in my stuffed soft tacos,  the aforementioned bean bowl, a buritto, an enchilada, or however your heart desires.

 

Vegan Tacos with Chipotle Orange-Marinated Tofu

Chipotle Orange-Marinated Tofu (recipe follows–prepare the day before you plan to use)

1 can rinsed and drained black beans (I like to have these ready to go in advance, and I like to saute a small onion in a tablespoon of oil, add beans, heat through, and lightly mash leaving some beans whole)

8-6 inch corn tortillas

Approximately 2 cups tightly packed fresh, raw, stemmed kale leaves, finely chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Chipotle Orange Sour Cream (recipe follows)

1/2 cup loosely packed  fresh cilantro leaves

Approximately 5 tablespoons lightly salted and roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

Lightly warm each tortilla shell in a dry skillet over medium-high for a few seconds on both sides.  Fold and place two on each serving plate, folds touching.  Fill each with 1/8 of the beans, kale, tofu, and tomatoes.  Drizzle with Chipotle Orange Sour Cream, and tuck in 1/8 of the tofu leaves.  Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and serve immediately.

 

Chipotle Orange-Marinated Tofu

Juice and zest of one large navel orange

Juice and zest of one medium, lime

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo), or to taste (it’s got some heat!)

1/4 cup olive oil

Sea salt to taste (don’t skimp!)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

14 ounces extra firm tofu, pressed and drained between paper towels, and cut into 12 cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

Whisk together all ingredients together, except tofu and oil,  in a non-reactive bowl or carton, taste and adjust seasoning, add tofu, turn over a couple of times, and marinate over night, covered, turning occasionally if you think about it.  Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, add tofu cubes and half of marinade (reserve remaining marinade), and saute without disturbing two to three minutes on one side or until lightly golden brown.  Flip, and cook two to three minutes more on the opposite side.  (It is not necessary to brown all 6 sides.)  Check, occasionally to make sure that tofu isn’t browning too quickly but, if it is, adjust the heat.  When cool enough to handle, cut each cube into quarters.

 

Chipotle Orange Sour Cream

Reserved Chipotle-Orange Marinade

1/3 to 1/2 cup vegan sour cream (I like Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream)

Whisk together an refrigerate, covered, until serving time.

 

Here’s a photo of my build-your-own-bowl from Willy’s Mexcican Grill.  I chose black beans, the orange-marinated tofu, corn salsa, cucumbers, and fresh cilantro:

Photo: Good vegan airport food? Yes! A black bean and orange-marinated tofu bowl with corn salsa, fresh cucumbers, and fresh cilantro at Willy's Mexicana Grill in the B Terminal at ATL. Yum!

 

 

 

by betsy

Vegan Ricotta Lemon Pancakes with Lemony Maple-Ricotta Cream and Fresh Berries–Happy Mother’s Day!

Ricotta-Lemon PancakesYield: 12 pancakes (4 servings)

 

This is the perfect light and lovely breakfast or brunch treat for Mom on her special day.  Tofutti Better than Ricotta Cheese is not available everywhere, but hopefully you can find it or another vegan brand where you live, as there really is not an equivalent product to substitute.

Happy Mother’s Day to all…regardless of who your children are!  (Mine happen to be 140 teenage art students that I am privileged to teach and “the twinz”: a pair of beloved lookalike canines.)

Tofutti loved my recipe and posted it HERE.

Vegan Ricotta Lemon Pancakes:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cup soymilk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

3/4 cup Tofutti Better than Ricotta Cheese

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Zest of 1/2  large lemon

Lemony Maple-Ricotta Cream (recipe follows)

Garnish:  fresh strawberries or blueberries plus additional lemon zest and/or confectioner’s sugar for dusting

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center, pour in soymilk, and whisk just until combined.  Add ricotta in several spoonfuls, and whisk into batter, along with almond extract and lemons zest.  Avoid over-mixing.  Spray cast iron skillet with non-stick spray.  (For more flavor, but also more fat and calories, you may use a little oil and or vegan butter, melted.)  Heat skillet over medium-high.  Make pancakes using a 1/4 cup measure, 3 at a time.  Cook for a couple of minutes on first side, or until small bubbles just begin to appear, pancakes puff slightly, and are golden brown on underside.  Flip and cook on remaining side for a couple more minutes or until pancakes appear set and are golden brown on underside.  Drizzle a tablespoon of Lemony Maple-Ricotta Cream over each pancake as you make the stacks.  Garnish top of stack as desired with fresh berries, lemon zest, and or a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar.

 

Lemony Maple-Ricotta Cream:

1/2 cup Tofutti Better than Ricotta

1 tablespoon soymilk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

1 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Process in food processor until smooth.  The mixture will be creamy for drizzling; not fluffy.

 

 

 

by betsy

Vegan Sunny Souk Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad

Sunny Souk Chickpea and Sweet Potato Salad

Yield: 4 servings

 

“Sunny” because of this salad’s golden color and bright pop of citrus, and “souk” because it is redolent of an Arab marketplace, you will love Sunny Souk Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad however you choose to enjoy it: over greens, stuffed in a wrap or pita pocket, scooped with veggie chips and more!  It is even veg(etarian) teenager approved!

*2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1-15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 pound cooked sweet potato, peeled and diced (I microwave the potato, allow it to cool a few minutes, remove skin–feed to dogs!–and dice)

1/2 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

Zest of 1/2 large lemon (don’t omit this little bit ‘o brightness!)

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and garlic powder.  Add chickpeas, sweet potato, and red bell pepper.  Toss lightly to distribute dressing.  Add lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and toss one final time.  Serve immediately or chill, covered, until serving time.

*I have just discovered a delicious brand of vegan mayo not advertised as vegan but as “egg free” at Whole Foods called “Just Mayo” that I highly recommend.  I also love Veganaise and my own Blooming Platter Mayo (in my cookbook).

 

by betsy

Vegan Potato Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Chili Mayo and Carrot-Cashew Topping

Potato Salad with Cilantro-Mint Mayo and Carrot-Cashew Topping 1This recipe is a two-fer: my delicious Cilantro-Mint-Chili Pesto is tasty enough to eat with a spoon, never mind the potato salad!  Use this versatile pesto, which can be nudged in a more Indian or Thai direction, in noodle dishes, rice dishes, soups, sandwiches, appetizers like crostini, and more.

Make it first so that you have it on hand to quickly stir into my potato salad whose topping puts it right over the top!  I pulse together carrots and cashews in a food processor, seasoning them only with a pinch of black salt for that inimitable, slightly sulfur-y “boiled egg” flavor, so perfect for potato salad.

 

Cilantro-Mint-Chili Pesto

Yield: approximately 3/4 to 1 cup

 

4 ounces cilantro leaves and tender stems, rinsed and dried

1 ounce mint leaves and tender stems, rinsed and dried

1 serrano chili, seeded

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Juice of 1/2 of a large lime

2-3 tablespoons natural sugar or agave nectar

1/4 cup olive oil

Pinch sea salt to taste

Place cilantro, mint, chile, and coconut in a food process and pulse to finely chop (this took about 30-35 pulses in my processor).  Add lime juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar or agave nectar, and pulse to fully incorporate.  Taste and add another tablespoon of sugar or agave nectar, if desired.  With motor running, stream in olive oil.  Season with a pinch of salt.  Adjust seasoning if desired and store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

 

Potato Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Chili Mayo with Carrot-Cashew Topping

Yield: 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (or whatever kind you have on hand, even sweet potatoes), cubed (I leave the skin on for nutrition and color contrast)

5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

2 to 3 tablespoons Cilantro-Mint-Chili Pesto

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup raw, peeled carrot, cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 cup lightly salted and roasted cashews (halves and pieces are fine)

Pinch black salt or to taste

Garnish: Additional pesto and cashews

Simmer potatoes in salted boiling water over medium-high heat, loosely covered, until tender, approximately 10 minutes.  Rinse under cold water and drain. In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, pesto, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add potatoes and fold together with mayo-pesto mixture until well-combined.  Taste and correct seasoning as desired.   In a food processor, pulse together carrots, cashews, and black salt until finely chopped (not mashed).  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve potato salad topped with Carrot-Curry mixture and garnish each serving with a dollop of the pesto and a cashew.

 

 

by betsy

Blooming Platter Cookbook Author is “Author of the Day” on Cookstr!

Cookstr--Author of the DayIt is my distinct pleasure to be the “Author of the Day”  for the 3rd time on  Cookstr, “The World’s #1 Collection of Cookbook Recipes Online.”  Once again,  I am so grateful and humbled!

Please visit their home page where, as they told me, “…your name and photo will be the first thing our visitors see when they click onto the site.” On a continual loop  inside the box are features like “Top Picks,” “Recipe of the Day,” and “Author of the Day.”  If you don’t see it right away and have time to wait just a minute, me and my recipe for Sassy Springtime Rolls will come back around!

Cookstr was founded in New York City in 2008 by Will Schwalbe, together with Katie Workman, Art Chang and the Tipping Point Partners team. The Author of Send,Will left his job as SVP and Editor in Chief of Hyperion Books to found Cookstr.

The organization’s stated mission is to:

“…organize the world‘s best cookbooks and recipes and make them universally accessible.

We are setting the standard for innovation in the delivery of 100% trusted, tested, recipes to home cooks around the world. Our online recipe library offers thousands of recipes by hundreds of the top chefs and cookbook authors, that are free for everyone on Cookstr.com. This year alone, Cookstr.com powered recipe searches in over 20,000 cities and 200 countries!”

Here are a few additional reasons to visit Cookstr besides sharing in my 15 minutes, or rather 24 hours, of fame:

  • Search and browse THOUSANDS of recipes from cookbooks, all with photos.
  • Visit the iBooks library.
  • Access the profiles, with photos, of hundreds of top authors, including celebrity chefs.
  • And, my favorite feature:  access nutritional information for EVERY recipe and search recipes by dietary considerations

By signing up with Cookstr, for free of course, you will receive a free, handpicked selection of recipes in your inbox weekly; be able to save, share and comment on your favorite recipes in My Cookstr; and get updates on new Cookstr features and tools.

Cookstr really is creating “meaningful experiences around food, and support(ing) healthy lifestyles.”  Let’s all be a part!

The warmest of thanks to Cookstr and to all of you for your support!

by betsy

Vegan “Peeps” (Chocolate-Dipped Almond Paste-Stuffed Date “Birds” Complete with a Cashew Beak)–Perfect for Spring!

Peeps in Nest with Wooden EggsYield: 8 Peeps

These “Peeps” that I created–which I think look more like Toucans!–were inspired by “Ugly Ducklings” sold at a local Mediterranean restaurant called Azar’s.

I wanted to take the store-bought ones to an Easter dinner on Sunday, but the restaurant was closed and I could find no recipe, so I decided to “wing it,” so to speak.  Fortunately, the ingredients are few.

I’m so glad I did, as they are super simple and so unique!  I apologize for not having them ready to share with you in advance of Easter, but they are nice for spring in general, and certainly next year!

Resting in decorative cupcake liners and tucked, along with softly colored wooden eggs,  into their straw nest, they looked peepin’ adorable and were also a rave in the taste department!

They seem especially appropriate for spring, but the ingredients are pretty season-less, so enjoy all year when a festive presentation and a little decadent bite is in order.

 

Approximately 1/2 cup (or slightly less) almond paste (I purchase it in a can on the baking aisle of the grocery store)

16 pitted dates, opened out (be sure to use fairly moist ones)

1-9 or 10 ounce package vegan chocolate chips

8 whole roasted and lightly salted cashews

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat.  Using your fingers, mold a scant tablespoon of almond paste into an egg shape.  Moisten your fingers if your paste seems dry.  Then press into one of the dates, pressing another date over the top to encase the almond paste inside, forming an egg or bird body shape.  Continue with all remaining dates and almond paste.  Cover and refrigerate them for about a half hour.  Melt chocolate in microwave in a narrow deep bowl for ease of dipping.  (For 9 to 10 ounces, I have found that 1 minute on full power, a slight stir, and then 20 to 30 seconds at full power, followed by a good whisking works in my microwave.)  Pierce each date-almond paste ball with a toothpick.  One at a time, dip them into the chocolate, covering completely, and place on prepared baking sheet.  Remove toothpicks and “patch” hole with a dab of melted chocolate if need be.  Then, one at a time, dip half of each cashew into the chocolate and attach it to the top of each “body,” slightly toward one end, with the cashew “beak” curving into the body and touching at each tip–chocolate toward the center–so that it is secure.  Refrigerate for a half hour or until chocolate is hardened.  Arrange as desired and serve.

Note: you will have some chocolate left over, but when it gets low, it is difficult to coat the date-almond paste balls.

Close-Up

 

Just-Dipped Peeps
Just-Dipped Peeps

 

Nest Ready for Peeps
Nest Ready for Peeps
by betsy

Simple Vegan Smoked “Ham” Salad (a childhood favorite veganized for Easter)

Ham Salad in Celery 2Yield: approximately 3 to 4 cups

This super-easy salad was a pre-vegan childhood favorite.  I remember consuming way too much of it when I was home sick from school one day.  The mere thought of it brings back feelings of nurturing and nostalgia…even more so now that I’ve replaced the ham with extra-firm tofu and finely chopped smoked almonds.  To recreate the total flavor profile that I longed for, I added a few additional spices like fennel, sage, thyme, etc., and then stirred in the requisite vegan mayo, pickle relish and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

This recipe goes together in a flash, so when the craving strikes, satisfaction is only minutes away!  Enjoy for breakfast on a toasted bagel half, in a sandwich or wrap for a brown bag or even company-ready lunch, or spread on crackers or raw veggie slices as an accompaniment to a bowl of soup for a light–and lightening fast–supper.

14 ounces extra-firm tofu (not Silken), lightly pressed and blotted with paper towels

1 cup smoked almonds, finely chopped (I use a food processor)

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (lightly crush with a mortar and pestle if desired, but not necessary)

1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional, but I think it is nice)

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

1/2 of a large vegetable bouillon cube

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

2 teaspoons Braggs Liquid Aminos

Freshly ground black pepper to taste (I am quite generous with it in this recipe)

Crumble tofu into a medium bowl.  Add almonds, fennel, sage, nutritional yeast, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder, and toss with fingers to combine well.  Mash bouillon cube with fingers and whisk into mayo.  Add mayo to tofu-almond mixture along with remaining ingredients.  Stir together gently until completely combined.  Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.  Delicious stuffed in celery sticks, mounded onto cucumber slices, or crackers, piled onto a sandwich, rolled in wrap, or heaped on a toasted bagel.

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