February 28, 2011February 28, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Creamed Corn and Spinach Cakes

Yield: 8 corncakes

This recipe telescopes me right back to childhood and my Mama’s Double Corn Fingers made with creamed corn. She would make a big pan–crusty on the outside and tender on the inside–and we would have nothing but them and a glass of milk, calling it dinner as a special treat when my dad was out of town.

Though “creamed” corn hardly sounds vegan, the canned version actually is, the natural starch in the corn helping impart a luscious creaminess. I love it mostly to cook and bake with. Mama baked her corn fingers, but in my iteration, I fry them up as skillet cakes.

And, though this recipe isn’t in my new cookbook, The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes (175 other delicious recipes are!), I add a mound of fresh baby spinach to the corncake batter for a nutritious burst of seasonal freshness. and flecks of green goodness. In summer, just substitute 1/2 cup fresh corn for the chopped spinach.

These cakes are addicting served as a combined bread-side dish or as the main event for breakfast or brunch. But I also love them topped with chili or my Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip. Make them silver dollar sized and serve them as appetizers, topped or not. Use your imagination!

2 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) + additional for frying
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal
pinch of garlic powder
2 cups loosely packed fresh stemmed spinach, finely chopped (should yield about 1/2 cup)
1-15 ounce can creamed corn (I like the yellow variety for rich color)
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk
Optional garnish: vegan sour cream and cilantro sprigs

Preheat the oven to warm. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together, flour, cornmeal, garlic powder and chopped spinach. Whisk in creamed corn and soymilk until well combined. Make cakes, two at a time, using a 1/4 cup measure. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping skillet greased with additional butter as needed. Garnish as desired and serve warm.

February 28, 2011October 12, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip Gets All Dressed Up

Presentation is everything, no?

Recently, I needed to make a batch of my almost-famous Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip for a National Art Honor Society meeting. As my school’s sponsor, I created it a few years back knowing how popular spinach dip is, but wanting the kids to have a protein boost in their afternoon snack. It was a huge hit and my students still ask for it.

For this month’s meeting, I held a little back so that I could photograph it in a different guise than previously presented. In an earlier post, it looks as I intended: hearty and ready for the big game in front of the TV.

Here, I was going for a lighter and slightly more elegant presentation: a dollop in a Frito “Scoop.” Given the humble makings of spinach dip, some folks may think that trying to dress it up is futile, but since we eat with our eyes first, to me it’s like the difference between an ice cream scoop in a cone and one in a pretty parfait glass.

However you serve it, you’re sure to love it.

July 12, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Eggplant, Green Olive and Caper Caponata

Yield: approximately 5-6 cups

Scrumptious as an appetizer on pita triangles, the leftovers will either be used to stuff a tomato or pepper, tossed with pasta or spooned over grilled tofu for a satisfying full meal.

I found this recipe at the site listed below under “Source” and adapted it a bit. I omitted the mushrooms because one of our dinner guests doesn’t care for them; I used yellow instead of green pepper because it sits better with my husband; I reduced the amount of olive oil per the author’s recommendation; I used all green olives instead of part ripe as I didn’t have any; I substituted ketchup (sorry!) for tomato paste because, again, I didn’t have any; and I substituted red wine for red wine vinegar because, that’s right, I didn’t have any on hand.

The result was savory, beautifully golden in color, and lusciously balanced in flavors. I think I’ll make it my way every time. Here is my version:

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled and finely chopped

1 large onion, medium-fine dice

1/3 cup medium-fine diced yellow bell pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3/4 cup pitted green olives, finely chopped

1/4 cup drained capers

3 tablespoons pine nuts

6 ounces or 3/4 cup ketchup (or tomato paste)

1/3 cup water2 tablespoons red wine (or red wine vinegar)

2 tablespoons natural sugar

1 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt

1/ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Accompaniment: heated or grilled whole wheat pita triangles, toasts or crackers

In a large heavy saucepan, combine first five ingredients. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients, stir well, and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Eggplant should be cooked, but not overly soft. Refrigerate until serving time. (May be frozen.) Serve at room temperature with heated or grilled whole wheat pita triangles, toasts or crackers.

Source: Adapted from www.cyber-kitchen.com/cgibin who shared the recipe from Noteworthy, the cookbook of the Ravinia Festival in Chicago.

June 9, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Guacamole (or Vegan Knock-offamole) with Homemade Vegan Flour Tortilla Chips

Yield: approximately 2 cups

There is nothing “unvegan” about traditional guacamole but, unfortunately, I developed either a food sensitivity or an allergy to avocados in my 20s. It was a sad day, as I was born in Texas and loved my mom’s “guac.” But, recently, when I was making my Vegan Pea, Pistachio and Fresh Tarragon Hummus, I was struck by how similar the color and texture of the pureed peas was to mashed avocado.

So, with May peas still in season, I bought a pint at Stoney’s outdoor market, pureed them, and folded in all the traditional quacamole ingredients. I don’t think the resulting dip would fool anyone, but it is really delicious and very pretty with ruby red tomatoes dotting the creamy green puree.

Even if you can eat avocados with no ill effect, I think you’ll enjoy having this recipe in your repertoire for a little something different or when fresh peas are in season. It’s delicious plain and in quesadillas.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

May 28, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Fried Dill Pickles

Yield: 12 slices

Do you crave bar menu junk food every so often? I do and tonight was one of those nights.

We were low on fresh produce, but I had some bread & butter dill pickle slices on hand. And I remembered that a week ago, the chef at one of our very favorite restaurants had made me an order of vegan fried dill pickle slices–the thin long ones especially for sandwiches–using flour and soymilk. They were delicious.

I decided, just for a change, to try more of a tempura-style beer batter. So, while about a scant 1/2-inch of canola oil heated, I made a batter of roughly equal parts self-rising flour and lite beer. Then I dipped the slices in more self-rising flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper and next into the batter.

After frying them until they were a golden brown, I sprinkled them with a little paprika and devoured them with BBQ dipping sauce and fresh parsley sprigs. I intended for the latter to be a garnish, but I liked their fresh taste with the crisp fried pickles.

I can imagine these vegan fried dill pickles with all kinds of dipping sauces, maybe even an Asian one since the batter is very similar to tempura. I could also imagine seasoning the flour or batter with spices like curry powder for a whole different taste sensation.

I can’t say that I liked my batter-dipped ones better than the restaurant’s, but I liked them just as much. And as you probably know, dredging and battering are two different things, sort of like comparing apples and oranges, with batter-fried foods a bit more filling. Still, the leavening in the flour plus the beer makes for quite a light batter.

Don’t be tempted to try dill pickle spears. I tried a few with the leftover flour and batter, but felt they were too much of a good thing. Stick with the thinner sandwich slices for a superior product, including their pickle to batter ratio.

scant 1/2-inch canola oil in large cast iron skillet
approximately 1/3 cup self-rising flour
pinch salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
an additional approximate 1/2 cup self-rising flour
approximately 1/2 cup light beer
pinch garlic powder
pinch onion powder
12 sandwich-style bread & butter pickle slices
Optional garnish: a sprinkling of paprika and fresh parsley sprigs

Heat oil over medium-high until a drop of water sizzles and sputters. Meanwhile, drain pickles between paper towels. Place first 1/3 cup self-rising flour and a pinch of salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup self-rising flour and next 3 ingredients. Add more self-rising flour or beer if needed to achieve a pancake batter or slightly thinner consistency. Dredge pickle slices in seasoned flour and then dip in batter before carefully lowering into hot oil. Fry six at a time for a couple of minutes on first side or until golden brown, carefully flip and fry a couple more minutes on second side until the color matches the first. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Serve hot with the sauce of your choice optionally garnished with paprika and sprigs of fresh parsley.

May 16, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Pea, Pistachio & Fresh Tarragon Hummus

Yield: approximately 6 servings

With our good friends Karen and David coming for dinner Saturday night, I had a lite Greek menu in mind as, though they are not vegans, they are very health-conscious. And I wanted to build the meal around what was fresh at Stoney’s, a local outdoor market. Among lots of other delectable produce were pints of May peas. Processed with a few pistachios, olive oil, lemon juice and some tarragon from our garden, they became a beautiful green hummus-type spread. We enjoyed it with a bowl of mixed olives and some pizza dough wedges. I had two nice balls of frozen homemade dough in the freezer, so I pressed each into a small round, cooked them for 8 minutes, brushed them with olive oil, cooked them for two more minutes and then sprinkled them with coarse sea salt before cutting them into wedges. I made those ahead so that they were room temperature when I served them. This spread is so tasty, though, that Karen said she would have been happy to devour it with a spoon.

2 cups fresh raw green peas, simmered for 15-18 minutes in just enough salted water to cover and drained (or use 2 cups pre-cooked peas)
1/3 cup roasted and lightly salted shelled pistachios
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons walnut or olive oil
juice of one lemon
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Garnish: a few whole or chopped pistachios, a slice of lemon, and/or a sprig of fresh tarragon

Place all ingredients in food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed. Pulse one more time and scrape into serving bowl. Garnish as desired and served with the bread, toast, crackers or veggie dippers of your choice.

April 24, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Sweet Potato Latkes

Yield: approximately 8 latkes

I can’t believe I haven’t posted any new recipes since last Saturday, but I stayed at school late several days this week, so the light wasn’t good for photographing when I got home and time was short. I made these latkes last Sunday with the sweet potato left over after making pancakes on Saturday. I hope you enjoy this savory take on “sweet potato pancakes” as much as I did (and Minnie too…I let the mini-Dane share one with me).

2 fairly firmly packed cups of grated sweet potato (I used the grater attachment on my food processor)
2 tablespoons grated onion, drained of excess juice
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch garlic powder
pinch onion powder
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
canola oil for frying
Garnish: dollops of vegan sour cream and a sprinkling of paprika, coarse sea or kosher salt and optional snipped chives or parsley.

Preheat oven to warm. Place potato shreds in a large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining ingredients, trying to evenly disperse the cornstarch. Mix together all ingredients until well combined using a fork and/or your fingers to keep the potato shreds separated. In a large *well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat a thin layer of canola oil to shimmering. Place approximately 1/4 cup size mounds of the mixture into the skillet and immediately press firmly with a spatula so that latkes hold together. Latkes will be fairly flat. After about a minute or enough time for a crisp surface to begin to develop, gently loosen the bottom of the latkes from the skillet by sliding a spatula under each one. If the latkes appears to want to fall apart, remove the spatula, press again from the top and cook for another 30 seconds or so. In total, cook for approximately 4 minutes on the first side, pressing frequently, to insure crispiness, and checking to make sure latkes are not sticking to the skillet. Carefully flip and cook for another 4 or so minutes on reverse. Place on a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm in the oven while preparing remaining latkes. Serve with a small dollop of vegan sour cream, a sprinkling of paprika and coarse sea or kosher salt and, if you’d like, snipped chives or parsley.

*I have not made these in a non-stick skillet, but it might be even easier provided the latkes brown properly.

April 14, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Black Eyed Pea-Spinach Cakes with Vegan Sundried Tomato and Caper "Tartar" Sauce

Yield: 12 main dish cakes, 24 appetizer or 36 hors d’oeuvres portions

At Thanksgiving, my sister-in-law, Tina, and I made Vegan Thai Corn Fritters that were a big hit. Ever since, I’ve wanted to try the same basic method using other vegetables and legumes. So, when I saw a vacuum sealed box of seasoned and cooked black eyed peas in the grocery store, this southern girl knew just what she’d do with them. And, boy, am I glad I did.

Though fried in canola oil, these hearty and colorful cakes are otherwise nutritional powerhouses and lip-smacking good. Black eyed peas, fresh spinach, red bell pepper, green onion, parsley and seasonings are bound together by pureed tofu and a mixture of flour and panko bread crumbs for a little crunch.

The tangy sundried tomato and caper-studded mayo is just the right creamy kick to set complement the cakes’ creamy-chewy-crispy goodness. Garnished with parsley, grape tomatoes and lemon slices, they are pretty as a picture, don’t you think?

I hope you enjoy this sanitized version of southern soul food.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

March 20, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Green Pea Hummus

Yield: approximately 3 1/2 cups

Tofu ups the protein in this beautiful minty green version of hummus. The peas–fresh if you can get them, though frozen works perfectly well–lend a delicate earthy sweetness. And the lemon zest, olive oil and garlic and onion powders round out the flavors with depth and a little zing.

I love it served simply as a dip or spread with some kind of toasty chip, but I also love it in my Vegan Puff Pastry Sandwich Filled with Roasted Asparagus, Green Pea Hummus and Vegan Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise.

Vegan Green Pea Hummus

12 ounces Silken firm tofu
16 ounces fresh or frozen peas, thawed
Zest of one lemon
Garlic and onion powder to taste (about ¼ teaspoon each)
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 2 generous tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 tablespoons olive oil
Serve with: pita, bagel or plantain chips. My favorites of the latter are spiked with chili, lime and salt and are available at some Hispanic markets.

Combine first 7 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Puree until almost smooth and then drizzle in olive oil until very smooth. Refrigerate covered if not serving immediately. Serve with pita, bagel or plaintain chips. Of the latter, I love the ones seasoned with chili, lime and salt, available at some Hispanic markets.