Category: Vegan Appetizers

by betsy

Vegan Tunisian Zucchini and Chickpea Flour Fritters with Pomegranate-Maple Syrup

Yield: 8 fritters

I only stopped eating because there were no more.

These fritters are a beautiful brunch dish, appetizer or side dish.  Warmly spiced and golden with flecks of bright green, they are the perfect foil for my Vegan Pomegrante-Molasses Syrup and the tiniest dab of vegan sour cream.

Last night I attended an art opening with my close friends, Trish and Ken Pfeiffer.  When we returned to their house, I saw their bountiful rosemary bush and lamented that mine had not done well this summer.  So Trish snipped me off a big bag full of beautiful piney stems.   Once home, I drifted off to sleep thinking about what delectable dish I would make with it.  Actually, I went to sleep watching a devastating program about the 9/11 terror attacks, whose 10th anniversary is today, but my dreams were perfumed with rosemary.

I should never walk the dogs on an empty stomach, but I did this morning, fantasizing for two miles about what I would whip up when we got home.  With a zucchini in the fridge from my last run to the farm market and North African flavors on my mind from what I’ve been cooking lately, I came up with Zucchini and Chickpea Flour Fritters flavored with some spices that scent the food from that part of the world.  

But, when I had lowered my nose into the fragrant bag of rosemary last night, something told me that it would be delicious paired with chipotle peppers in adobo.  Not having any, but instead having some chipotle chili powder, I used it and arrived at the non-traditional but subtlely intoxicating spice mixture, that makes these fritters extra special.

For serving, they are delicious topped with my chutney (search “chutney” on this site for some tasty ones), Moroccan Chickpeas and Eggplant, Marrakesh Olive Pesto and believe it or not,  plain maple syrup.  But if you want to send them right off the charts, by far the most simple, interesting, and addicting is my Pomegranate and Maple Syrup with a tiny dab of vegan sour cream.

Fritters

1/2 cup chickpea flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Sea salt to taste

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 cups lightly piled grated zucchini, including the skin (avoid packing zucchini shreds)

Canola oil for frying

Pomegranate-Maple Syrup

Vegan Sour Cream

Rosemary leaves for garnish

Line a platter or plate with paper towel or a brown paper bag.  In a medium bowl, whisk together all fritter ingredients, except zucchini and canola oil, until well combined.  Avoid over-mixing.  Lightly fold in zucchini just until well distributed.  In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat a 1/4-inch layer of oil.  Drop batter by rounded tablespoons into the oil and cook approximately 3 minutes on one side until golden brown.  Gently flip and repeat.  Lower the heat if necessary to allow you to cook the fritters for this amount of time, which they will need to be cooked completely through.  Note: the fritters may look golden and crispy on the outside, but not cooked completely through, which is why timing them is necessary.  Remove the fritters to the prepared platter or plate to drain and then transfer them to serving plates.  Serve immediately drizzled with Pomegranate-Maple Syrup and topped with a tiny dollop of vegan sour cream and a couple of rosemary leaves.

Pomegranate-Maple Syrup:

Note: This is not so much a recipe as the most basic of formulas.

1 part Pomegrante Syrup (available in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern markets)

4 parts maple syrup

Whisk together in a small bowl until well combined.

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by betsy

Vegan Spanish Chorizo Pizza with Green Olives, Creamy Macadamia “Cheese” and Marconi Almonds

Yield: 4 pizzas

A couple of weekends ago, Hurricane Irene battered our coast, fortunately with much less ferocity than was anticipated.

When a major storm like Irene threatens, everyone’s minds turn to food and drink.  Water for some, wine for us–ha!  Seriously, we joined our neighbors who cleared the grocery store shelves of bottled water–also recycling bottles and filling them with tap water–but we had plenty of wine on hand too.  For this dish, I recommend something like an Albarino.

Around lunch time, we still had power, and I got the inspiration for this quickie pizza which I figured would just require 3-5 minutes under the broiler.  Surely the power would stay on that long.  And it did; in fact, it never went out.  We were so lucky!  However, the light quality on that stormy day wasn’t optimal for photography, so I apologize for this photo.

At any rate,  when you need a quick fix, regardless of the reason, this one is a keeper.

4-6 inch corn tortillas

1 cup vegan chorizo filling (This delicious filling comes from a new crostini recipe of which I had leftovers; just click the link.  Note, you only need the chorizo, not the white bean, filling.)

8 green olives stuffed with pimentos, sliced in half lenghwise (if you want more, use more!)

approximately 1/2 cup  vegan Creamy Macadamia “Cheese” Spread (this recipe was published on One Green Planet; again, just click the link.)

16 Marconi almonds (these are especially good, but any roasted and lightly salted almond will work)

Preheat broiler to high.  Place the tortillas on a baking sheet; I like to line my baking sheet with Silpat.  Spread each tortilla with about 1/4 cup of the chorizo mixture.  Top each with a pinwheel of 4 olive halves(or more if you choose), cut side up, dollop with approximately 2 tablespoons of cheese, and dot with 4 or so almonds.  Broil on top oven rack for 3 to 5 minutes or until heated through with toasty edges.  Serve immediately with a knife and fork.

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by betsy

Vegan Crostini Topped with White Beans, Spicy Chorizo, Fresh Figs, Green Olives, and Marconi Almonds

Yield: approximately 12 crostini or 4 servings (you may have slightly more bean and chorizo topping than you need)

I love figs any way I can get them, which is dried most of the year.  But come late August in our area, we are treated to a brief and fleeting flourish of the fabulous fresh fig.

Though there is nothing wrong with enjoying them straight out of the bag, I like to make them last by using them to top salads, tarts and, here, a hardy, yet summery, crostini.  This preparation was partially inspired by a non-vegan dish that our friend Sharon Tanner brought to our annual “Happy Birthday Julia Child’s” potluck dinner party.   The sauce for her dish featured prunes and green olives.  It was but a short mental leap from there to my slightly Spanish summer stack.

Grilled rustic bread serves as the crostini.  A simple and flavorful mashed white bean mixture forms the first layer which is topped with a spicy vegan chorizo, orange bell pepper, and spinach mixture followed by chopped green olives and deliciously different Spanish Marconi almonds.  When figs are not in season, you could stop right there and be perfectly happy.  However, when they are, crown this layered Mediterranean mini-feast with half of a plump fig and the herb of your choice and you will have created a still life on a (blooming) platter.  See the photo at bottom for the special ingredient in my still life.

12 pieces rustic bread, sliced on the diagonal about 1/3 to 1/2-inch thick and grilled (about 3 to 3 1/2 inches in length is a nice size)

6 to 8 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Sea salt to taste

3 large cloves garlic, minced

2-15 ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained

Freshly ground black pepper

Approximately 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1 orange bell pepper, stemmed, cored and seeded, cut into 1/4-inch dice (red or yellow bell pepper would be just as lovely)

12 ounces vegan chorizo, casing removed and crumbled (I use Trader Joe’s brand)

2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach, finely chopped (I pulse it about 10 times in a food processor)

approximately 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pitted green olives

approximately 1/4 cup coarsely chopped Marconi almonds (feel free to substitute another roasted and lightly salted type of almond, but these have an extra-special flavor and crunch, especially if the skins are left on)

In season: 6 fresh figs, stemmed and sliced in half vertically

Garnish: 12 leaves of your favorite compatible herb (I used a pineapple sage in the photograph)

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat  1 tablespoon of the olive oil to shimmering.  Add the onion and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until softened.  Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds to a minute or until also softened.  Stir in beans and heat through.  Season with salt and pepper and mash the mixture coarsely with a potato masher.  Stir in 4 to 6 tablespoons of olive oil, just until the beans take on a pleasant creaminess, followed by the parsley.  Scrape into a bowl and set aside.

Wipe out the skillet and heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to shimmering over medium high heat.  Add the bell pepper and saute about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until softened.  Add the chorizo and saute, stirring, until heated through.  Stir in the spinach and cook, stirring  continuously, for another minute.  Remove from the heat.

To serve, top each crostini with about 1/12th of the bean mixture, followed by about 1/12th of the chorizo mixture, 1 teaspoon of chopped olives and 1 teaspoon of the chopped almonds, nestling a fig half on top and garnishing as desired.  Serve immediately.  Note: if 1/12th of the bean and chorizo mixtures seems like too much of a good thing, use whatever amount seems appropriate.   Store any leftover mixtures in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

Still Life with Crostini and Minnie
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by betsy

Vegan Brie, Homemade Chutney, and Fresh Fig Tart

Yield: 1 8-inch savory tart

In my opinion, having a friend with a fig tree is almost better than having your own because the birds make such a mess of them.

So, when one of the barristas at my local Starbucks recently invited me over to pick figs from her abundant tree, I jumped at the chance.  I had never seen anything like it!  The tree–which had been split by lighting to or three decades ago and had formed two enormous trees–dwarfed her suburban back yard.  So, I battled all manner of flying thing for my fair share.

Though I wasn’t greedy, I nevertheless bagged more than I could eat, so when I needed to stop over at a friend’s last Sunday afternoon to consult with him about a fun project (that you will be reading about here in a few weeks; I don’t want to do anything to jinx the outcome!), I decided to make a little fig treat for him and his fiance.  And I wanted to make something sweetly savory.  Remembering that I had some leftover chutney-topped vegan brie in the fridge (the brie is from a recipe on p. 30 of my new Blooming Platter cookbook), and that one of my favorite all-time appetizers is fresh figs stuffed with vegan brie and a smoked almond, I decided to make a tart that combined all those flavors.

I started with my never-fail press-in crust as the base.  Then I gently swirled the brie and chutney together before smoothing it evenly over the crust.  Next came concentric circles of gorgeous red figs halves with whole smoked almonds nestled upright between them and a very light drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

I think you’ll agree that the result is quite stunning.  Apparently it was also a taste sensation because I received an email message with the subject header “Holy Tart!” and a text message saying, “D***!  It’s good!”  See what you think before the last of this summer’s figs disappear from market shelves…or your friends’ trees.

1 1/4 cups vegan brie (recipe follows–make the day before or very early in the day you plan to serve it)

1 baked Press-in Pie Crust, cooled to room temperature

3/4 cup homemade or purchased chutney (if you’d like to make a fresh one–the best!–just search “chutney” on my blog and you will find several outstanding ones to choose from; in fact, for this recipe, I used a combination of two in contrasting colors)

Approximately 20 fresh figs, stemmed and sliced in half vertically

Approximately 20 whole smoked almonds

Optional: a drizzle of about 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar or balsamic reduction

In a medium bowl, swirl together brie and chutney, stopping before they are completely combined.  Spread evenly over the bottom of the cooled tart crust.  Arrange the figs, flesh side up, in an attractive pattern over the surface of the cheese and chutney mixture, and then tuck whole almonds, standing upright, between the figs.  Serve immediately with a very light drizzle of balsamic/balsamic reduction.  Or store, covered, in the refrigerator until about 30 minutes before serving time, waiting until you serve the tart to drizzle it with the balsamic.

 

Vegan Brie (you will need about half of this recipe, but you’ll enjoy having the leftovers around)

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, pressed, drained and blotted dry

3/4 cup roasted cashews

6 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon miso

3 tablespoons beer or non-alcoholic beer

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon ground coriander

Combine the tofu, cashews, nutritional yeast, miso, beer, lemon juice, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and coriander in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary. Line two soup bowls, approximately 5 inches in diameter, with plastic wrap and scrape half of the mixture into each one. Smooth the tops, fold the edges of the plastic wrap down to cover the surface. Top with a smaller bowl or plate and place a heavy can on top to weight it down. Refrigerate for 4 or more hours.

Press-In Pie Crust

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat, unbleached all-purpose, or whole wheat flour (or a combination)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened or plain soymilk

Place dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour the oil and milk over the dry ingredients and work around with a fork and/or fingers until all of the liquid is absorbed. Press the crust firmly into the bottom and sides of an 8 to 9-inch tart pan. The bottom and side of a glass work nicely for this task. Bake crust for 10-12 minutes or until firm and slightly golden.   Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Source: http://www.steptalk.org/

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by betsy

Vegan Spicy Chickpeas Romesco a la Ubuntu Restaurant

Yield: 4 servings

The fun and delicious vegan food continued to flow in California after The Blooming Platter Cookbook book-signing dinner at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco. 

The next morning, our host Yvette Hetrick, her husband Randy, my husband Joe, and I took a TRX class at the TRX Training Center and then headed to the Napa Valley for two nights at Auberge du Soleil (think yoga each morning in The Pagode that looked out over the terraced vineyards), a belated “milestone birthday” celebration for grateful me.  

For Saturday night’s dinner, Yvette had made reservations at Ubuntu, a 1 Michelin starred vegetarian restaurant in the town of Napa.   So amidst a chorus of teasing from our husbands, we set off to find this mecca of plant-based cuisine.  And it turns out that all of us–even the guys–were glad we did. 

A warm and energetic ambiance in a converted warehouse space provided the context for our stellar meal of one tapas style dish after another, most made with produce and herbs from the restaurant’s organic garden.  All of the vegetarian dishes on the menu can be prepared vegan, so I went vegan while the others opted for some cheese. 

One of the vegan dishes that was a favorite of all of ours was not on the menu, but we eyed it on some other diners’ table.  Happily, we were told that it was considered a bar snack but that we were welcome to order it, so order we did.  These chickpeas with Romesco Sauce were so delicious–tender chickpeas in a silken, vibrant sauce perfect for “sopping” with a little bread–that we ended up ordering them again later in the meal.   

Back here at home in Virginia, I was fantasizing about that Romesco Sauce, among many other dishes from our tantalizing meal at Ubuntu.  So first, I created my new Golden Grape Tomato Tart with Spinach Pesto and Spicy Romesco Sauce.  Afterwards, with leftover Romesco Sauce in the fridge, I decided to try the dish that inspired it all.  The key to this dish, in addition to the livelyRomesco, is the drizzle of olive oil at the finish.  By all means, if you’re fortunate enough to have an opportunity to dine at Ubuntu, do!  But if not–or in between visits–I hope my dish will tide you over.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice

Pinch sea salt

1 medium tomato (preferably an heirloom), cut into 1/4-inch dice (a generous half-cup)

1-2 large cloves garlic, minced

1-15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup Romesco Sauce

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Garnish: a drizzle of fruity olive oil, olives and cilantro sprigs

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering.  Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until softened.  Cook another minute or two if you want a little color to develop.  Add tomato and garlic and cook down, stirring frequently, for another 3 minutes, or until tomato juices release and start to evaporate.  Add Chick peas and heat through, followed by Romesco sauce and smoked paprika.  Cook until mixture is hot through and thickened.  Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.  Serve drizzled with olive oil–it adds just the right finish to the dish in taste, texture and appearance–and garnished with olives and cilantro.

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by betsy

Vegan Thai-Fusion Beet Sushi with Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo

Yield: approximately 12 pieces of sushi

With beets in the fridge and an ever-present craving for Thai food, I decided to “bring” this dish to An Unrefined Vegan’s weekly Vegan LINKY Potluck 7 today.

My husband, “a vegan and more” as he likes to call himself, is wild for sushi.  Many are the times I’ve sat and sipped miso soup, sake, and hot green tea while he satiates himself on huge platters of the stuff.

I think it is absolutely beautiful.  The colors and presentations are beyond reproach.  It’s just the death and dying aspect I have issues with.

So, being a huge fan of beets and able to buy them fresh and local this summer, I was trimming some one day when I had an “ah-ha” moment.  It suddenly occurred to me that thin translucent slices of beet were reminiscent of raw fish flesh and that, perhaps, if I simmered them in some seaweed brine, they might also have a pleasant taste of the sea. And they did!

For some reason, my taste buds were telling me to go with a Thai-fusion approach, so I created a mayo–more often served in hand rolls than on sushi per se–tingly with typical Thai tastes.  As the base, I decided on a sticky coconut rice.  The combination of tastes and textures is as delicious as it is beautiful.  I’m so excited to share this stunning dish with you!

Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo:

Note: you may have more than you need, but save it for another purpose or for extra dipping, as working with smaller amounts is a little tedious in the measuring department.   Also, I refrigerated my sushi for a few hours before serving, which is why it turned pink.  It starts out more of a pale creamy color with flecks of green.

3 tablespoons vegan mayo

1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce

1 teaspoon vegan fish sauce

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (about a 3/4-inch piece peeled and grated)

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate until needed.

 

Coconut Sticky Rice:

1 cup jasmine rice

1-15 ounce can thick coconut milk (not the sweet “Cream of Coconut)

Pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce (sold as vegetarian fish sauce at Asian markets)

Combine rice, coconut milk, and sea salt in a loosely-covered 2-quart saucepan (I like a non-stick for this) and place over medium-high heat.  When mixture comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium or a bare simmer and cook, stirring frequently (or it will scorch on the bottom!), for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice appears moist and sticky.  Removed from heat, stir in vegan fish sauce, and set aside to cool to room temperature.  Meanwhile, cook beets.

 

Beets:

2 cups water

1/4 cup dulse flakes (red seaweed flakes)

Pinch sea salt

Approximately 3 medium beets, peeled, and thinly sliced into whatever shape/size you desire to sit nicely atop their rice bases (I halved them lengthwise, placed the flat side down, and then thinly sliced them).

In a 1-quart saucepan, stir together water, dulse flakes, and sea salt.  Add beets, cover loosely, and place over medium-high heat.  Simmer gently, reducing heat if necessary, just until beets are tender, about 10 minutes.  Drain, but avoid rinsing.  Some of the dulse may adhere to a few of the slices and, if so, just brush off with your fingers rather than rinsing.  Let cool to room temperature.

 

Assembly:

Scoop up palm-size balls of rice (about 1/12 of the total amount) and squeeze firmly in your palm, shaping into a “log” about 2 1/2 inches long and about 3/4 to 1-inch tall.  Place on a work surface, spread with about 1/2 teaspoon of the Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo, and top with beets, however many slices cover the top nicely.  I like to slightly overlap 3 small slices so that the sushi can be eaten in several bites.  Transfer to a serving platter or plates.  Repeat with remaining ingredients and garnish platter or plates as desired.

 

Optional garnishes:

Whatever you have and/or think would be pretty is what you should use!  I used dabs of spinach pesto because green is so pretty with the color of the beets (but dabs of a mint or cilantro chutney or mint/cilantro oil squeezed into decorative lines would be nice too), cilantro sprigs (but Thai basil or mint would be lovely), and cashews (though chopped peanuts would be appropriate too).

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by betsy

Vegan Smoky “Cheddar” Shortbread Crackers with Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade

Yield: 48 crackers and 1 cup of marmalade

This pairing was inspired by those old-fashioned cheddar shortbread crackers kicked up with a little cayenne and served with pepper jelly in kitchens across the South.  

With tomatoes and blackberries at the peak of freshness at a local farm market, I created this glistening marmalade to showcase them both in place of the pepper jelly.  Thinking of Chinese dishes with tomatoey and fruit-infused sauces, I decided to combine the two with some hints of Asia to transform my farm market haul.

My take on the ubiquitous cheddar shortbread gets its rich flavor from smoked almonds and nutritional yeast, which may seem a little odd given the Asian direction of the marmalade, but there was a method to my madness, namely that almonds are frequently used in Chinese cooking.  What about the smokiness?  I have an answer for that too: smoked tofu sometimes seen on Chinese menus.  Does it work?  My lunch guest and I think so, but you be your own judge.  

Vegan Smoky “Cheddar” Shortbread Crackers

1/2 cup smoked almonds (feel free to use plain almonds–or any nut really–if you prefer not to have a smoky taste)

2 cups white whole wheat flour or 1 cup unbleached all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour (you can also try using all whole wheat flour, though I’ve not tested it that way)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4-1/2 cayenne pepper or to taste

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup vegan butter, broken into small pieces

Accompaniment: Vegan Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade or your favorite marmalade, pepper jelly, or chutney.

Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.  Add remaining ingredients, in order, and then continue pulsing until dough pulls away from the sides and starts to come together in a ball.  Divide dough into quarters, knead each one a few times in your palms, and then roll into a cylinder 1 1/4 inches in diameter.  Wrap each in plastic wrap and set on a plate or baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 3 days.  (May alternatively be frozen for a month and thawed before slicing and cooking.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line one or two baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.  (If one, bake in two batches.)  With a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/3-inch slices and place coins 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool 1 minute on the sheet and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Store in airtight containers.  Serve with desired accompaniment.

Vegan Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, but into 1/4-inch dice

pinch of sea salt

generous 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, rinsed, drained, and quartered

2 large garlic cloves

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (I use a microplane grater)

1/2 cup red table wine (or a non-alcoholic variety)

1/4 cup natural sugar

2 teaspoons Chinese mustard (I like the “extra hot”)

1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce (sold as vegetarian fish sauce in Asian markets)

1 teaspoon soy sauce (I use a low sodium variety)

1/4 teaspoon sweet Paprika

generous 1 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained

2 star anise pods

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In  a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering.  Add onion and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, until some color develops, approximately 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, garlic and ginger, and saute, stirring frequently, until tomato begins to break down, approximately another 3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients except blackberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, an additional 3 minutes.  Add blackberries and simmer, stirring occasionally for another 15 mnutes or until blackberries break down and mixture becomes pulpy.  Reduce heat if necessary to prevent from sticking or scorching.  Remove the skillet from the heat and cool to room temperature.  Serve about 1 teaspoon dolloped on each cracker.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

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by betsy

Vegan Mediterranean Beet Cakes with Beet-Pomegranate Reduction

Yield: 4 small-medium beet cakes (4 appetizer servings)

Ravishingly beautiful in color and tantalizing in taste, these beet cakes were created to us pureed beets and beet juice leftover after making my Vegan Whoopie Pies.

Plus, friends had invited us to a steak (ick) restaurant last night where I ate an heirloom tomato and arugula salad and a dab of sauteed spinach, portabellas and onions.   Needless to say, I was hungry when I woke up and starving my a decent brunch hour,  so I got this idea and went with it.  Oooh, I’m so glad I did, and I hope you are.

Beet Cakes:

1-15 ounce can beets, drained,  juice reserved (if you want to use fresh beets, trim about 2-3 of them, place them in a 1-quart saucepan covered with water, cover, bring to a simmer over medium-high, and cook until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes; drain, reserving liquid, and peel)

1/4 cup self-rising flour

1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose; feel free to try whole wheat; the results will be slightly more toothsome)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons beet juice at room temperature

2 green onions, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)

Vegan butter and olive oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)

Garnishes: vegan sour cream and chopped pistachios

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree beets until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.  Remove 1/4 cup puree; store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, including spices.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in beet juice. Whisk together until well combined.  Stir in the slice green onion.  In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, olive oil or a combination. Using 1/4 of the batter (about 3-4 tablespoons), make beet cakes, four at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep the skillet greased as needed. If beet cakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove cakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and make Beet-Pomegranate Reduction (below).  Serve each beet cake topped with a spoonful of the sauce, a dab of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.  Sprigs of cilantro would also be nice.

Beet-Pomegranate Reduction

Remaining beet juice (about 1/3-1/2 cup)

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (available at Mediterranean/Middle Eastern markets; you may use light molasses, maple syrup, balsamic reduction, etc., which would still be tasty, but would definitely have a different flavor)

Place beet juice, and both garlic and onion powder in a 1-quart saucepan.  Boil vigorously for several minutes or until reduced by half.  Stir in pomegranate molasses and heat through.  Serve immediately drizzled over beet cakes.

You’ll find other delicious pancakes elsewhere on this blog and in The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

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by betsy

Vegan Beet Muhummara from The Blooming Platter Cookbook was on My July 4 Menu

For us, July 4 has never been about BBQs or really even hanging out with friends.  In fact, I can’t remember what I’ve done on most of these holidays.  I do remember one July 4, just after graduate school when I still lived in Nashville, going berry picking with my roommate and good friend to this day, Mary Gattis.  Other than that, I’m blank.

Today was no different.  I worked until about 2:3o and then, while my husband smoked a cigar (I know; I can’t do anything with him) and read on the deck, I spent about 4 methodical hours in our garden.  We live on an acre and a half of wooded marsh-front property from which we removed only enough trees to build our house.

Because we live on the marsh, I’m sensitive to run-off issues related to lawns, so no lawn!  I also didn’t want a lawn because they are such resource hogs.  I opted instead for rock gardens with planting beds in our narrow back and side yard s(our property is long and narrow with a 200-foot driveway and our house situated sideways), and a dry creek bed, raised berms, and other plantings with a quasi-Asian feel in the front yard and along the street.

Soon I’ll post some photos of the improvements I made today using plants I’d purchased yesterday and according to a plan that has been a long time in coming.  Also partially responsible for the new look are 25 (!) canna lilies I found on a dog walk–rhizomes still attached–stacked next to someone’s curb waiting to be discarded!  The basic structure of the landscape was created with the help of a landscape designer about three years ago, but there were some things I wanted to change, yet a solution had been eluding me.

Anyway, that’s a long way of saying that I was glad  that I had made fresh Beet Muhummara yesterday and created (and photographed) a beautiful plate of the beet spread and accompaniments earlier today so that it was ready as soon as I had showered.  I served the spread with cucumber slices, spinach leaves, and some fresh fried sweet potato slices that I sprinkled with a mixture of 1 tablespoon sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, and 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika.  Oh, and some champagne.  🙂  Forgetting that walnuts were in the spread, I sprinkled a few pistachios on top.  That’s okay, though, the green nut looked really pretty against the bright fuscia spread.  And I think I’ll make some brownie bites with those leftover walnuts.

The recipe is in the Starters section of The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. Honestly, this recipe–my take on a traditonal Turkish roasted red pepper spread–is so good that it’s reason alone to purchase the book!  But there are some 150+ other excellent reasons as well.

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