December 11, 2011March 19, 2015 by betsy

Chocolate-Orange Mousse from The Blooming Platter Cookbook

Following is another gift of the season from The Blooming Platter Cookbook. While I can’t purchase locally-grown oranges, I did notice a sweet shipment from Florida in the grocery store last week, which made me think of this recipe.

It is a luscious marriage of rich chocolate and fresh oranges. Especially if you spike it with a tablespoon or two of orange liqueur, it is a wonderful dessert for a cold winter evening. The mousse sets up almost instantly, so it is ready and waiting as soon as you put your dinner fork down.

Yield: 8 servings

This is a luscious marriage of rich chocolate and fresh oranges. Spiked with orange liqueur, it is a wonderful dessert for a cold winter evening. The mousse sets up almost instantly, so it is ready and waiting as soon as you put your dinner fork down.

2 large oranges

12 ounces extra-firm silken tofu

1/2 cup natural sugar

9 ounces bittersweet vegan chocolate,melted (see note) and slightly cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Pinch sea salt

Optional garnishes: vegan whipped topping, orange slices, or candied violets

Arrange 8 (4-ounce) ramekins in a 9 x 13-inch pan and set aside. Zest and juice the oranges and transfer to a food processor along with the orange pulp, discarding the seeds and pith. Add the tofu and sugar to the food processor, and process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the melted chocolate, vanilla and almond extracts, and a pinch of salt. Process for several minutes until smooth and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins. Cover the top of the pan with foil. This method is faster than covering each individual ramekin and makes them easier to transport. Chill the mousse until set, about 30 minutes. Serve chilled, garnished as desired.

Note: melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for about a minute at 30 second intervals, whisking in between. Alternately, melt on the stove in the top of a double boiler.

For 150+ additional gifts of the season, please consider The Blooming Platter Cookbook for yourself or as a gift for a health- and taste-focused friend or loved one.

December 8, 2011December 8, 2011 by betsy

Warm Up with Vegan Sage-Scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash

This recipe is a favorite among my recipes on Cookstr (the World’s No. 1 Collection of Cookbook Recipes Online!).

And here, in VA Beach, the weather has finally turned cool, so warming up with my Vegan Sage-Scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash from The Blooming Platter Cookbook is on the menu. A brand new butternut squash from a trip to the farmers’ market last weekend awaits!

Below I offer a little sneak preview of the recipe, one of several holiday “gifts” I’ll be offering this month. Enjoy!

Sage-scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash

Yield: 4 servings

This light recipe places golden squash center stage and uses just enough pasta to hold the dish together. I recommend using whole wheat pasta, as its nuttiness contributes significantly to the distinctive flavor of this dish.

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, quartered lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices

Sea salt

1 cup vegetable stock

1 yellow onion, halved and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/4 cup white wine

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons rubbed sage

4 ounces whole wheat fettuccine (or pasta of choice)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Freshly ground black pepper

Fresh sage leaves, optional

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash, sprinkle with salt, and cook for 5 minutes. Don’t worry if the squash starts to break apart. Add the vegetable stock and cook, still stirring gently until the liquid is almost evaporated, about 7 minutes.

2. Add the onion and season with a little more salt. Cook until the onion begins to soften, 3 minutes. Add the wine, and cook until moisture is almost evaporated and mixture is caramelized. Stir in the maple syrup, vinegar, and sage. Keep warm.

3. Cook the pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and return it to the hot pot. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, the nutritional yeast, and salt and pepper to taste; toss to combine. Add the vegetable mixture to the pasta and toss again to combine. Serve hot garnished with fresh sage leaves, if using.

For 150+ more seasonal specialties, including ones appropriate for the holidays, I invite you to check out my cookbook. A great holiday present, it’s the gift that gives all year long!

December 4, 2011March 28, 2012 by betsy

Restaurant Redux: Ruth’s Chris Tempura Onion Ring Cups with “Creamed” Kale

Okay, I know I have some explaining to do…Ruth’s Chris Steak House?

Well, you see, after we went to the movies one night this past December, my husband Joe and I headed over to a wine bar we like, only to find it was closed for a private holiday party. Not wanting to drive anywhere else, we considered our options and chose nearby Ruth’s Chris, opting to dine in their attractive bar with its dark, gleamy and very appealing “men’s club” aesthetic.

Unfortunately, my husband isn’t a vegan–or even a vegetarian–so ordering was no problem for him. However, for me, I think there were only two choices on the menu: tempura-battered onion rings and asparagus. But since seasonal cooking and eating is my thing, I just couldn’t do asparagus in December. Fortunately, I’d had a healthy snack before the movie, so we chose to split the onion rings which the bartender confirmed were vegan (a soda water and flour batter) after checking with the kitchen.

I have never seen such colossal rings in my life. A mere five came in an order, but I could only eat two and Joe one. Because they were so substantial, I couldn’t bear not to bring the last two home. But I wasn’t in the mood for a couple of honkin’ onion rings the next day, so I decided to do a “Restaurant Redux” inspired by my husband’s side dish of creamed spinach which I remember loving at Ruth’s Chris during my vegetarian days in Nashville.

The rings are so tall that they make almost a cup form. And the farmer’s market had gorgeous heads of kale that they had just cut, so I decided to fill the onion ring cups with “Creamed” Kale instead of spinach. With half a can of leftover white beans in the fridge, I decided to make the “cream” out of the beans, nutritional yeast, and unsweetened soy milk.

The result put less emphasis on the cream and more on the greens, but was still silky, luscious and reminiscent of the Ruth’s Chris specialty. I simply heated the onion ring cups, filled them with the “Creamed” Kale, and served them surrounded by Ruth’s Chris’s special sauce which has a tangy sweet-hot Asian flare.

Even if you don’t happen to have onion rings-on-steroids on-hand, the filling is delicious on its own.

With this recipe, you can enjoy a little taste of Ruth’s Chris without all the death and dying.

Yield: 4 servings

4 Ruth’s Chris onion rings (they’re about 2 inches wide/tall!)

1/2 can (a scant cup) white beans, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 cup unsweetened soy milk

Pinch sea salt

Pinch grated nutmeg (preferably fresh-grated)

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 cups lightly packed finely chopped kale (I remove the stems and then use a food processor for this task)

Pinch sea salt

Pinch garlic powder

Approximately 4 tablespoons Ruth’s Chris special Asian sauce served with their Tempura Onion Rings (or a prepared Asian chili sauce)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place onion rings on a terracotta stone or an oiled or Silpat-lined baking sheet and heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine beans, nutritional yeast, soy milk, salt, and nutmeg in a food processor and process until smooth. Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add kale and a pinch of salt and garlic powder, and saute for about 5 minutes or until tender, but still bright green. Reduce heat to medium and stir in bean mixture. Heat, stirring continually, for about a minute or until “cream” is heated through. Spoon kale immediately into the onion ring cups and serve with the sauce drizzled around the onion rings and over the kale. Note: I actually used this much filling for two onion rings because that’s all I had, but it would fill four of them generously.

For 150+ additional seasonal recipes for someone on your holiday list, I invite you to consider The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

November 27, 2011November 27, 2011 by betsy

Our Blooming Thanksgiving Platter–Third Up: Barley with Butterut Squash and Baby Bellas

For this addition to our five-star Thanksgiving feast, I turned to star chef, Emeril Legasse.

In a recent culinary magazine, his recipe for a barley, mushroom, and squash risotto made in a slow cooker really appealed to me. I gave my slow cooker away age ago–I just don’t enjoy cooking that way–but I loved his concept. So I simply made some quick-cooking barley and folded in cubed and sauteed butternut squash and baby bellas whose flavor I deepened with a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. It was a hit and it made a ton, so I plan to add broth and make soup with the leftovers.

Minced rosemary would be a nice addition, but I was flavoring the gravy with rosemary, so I didn’t include and it is still super tasty. Similarly, since our dressing included sauteed onion, I didn’t add, but sauteed onion and garlic would be nice, though my stripped down version was delicious and satisfying.

Yield: 16 servings (when served with a couple of other side dishes and a main dish)

4 cups vegetable broth or stock

Pinch sea salt

2 cups quick cooking barley

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 butternut squash about 8 inches long, seeds, membrane, and peel removed; cut ino 1/2 inch pieces

Pinch of sea salt

1 pound baby bella mushrooms, sliced about 1/4-inch thick (I purchased them pre-sliced from Trader Joe’s)

Approximately 1/4 cup nutritional yeast

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the broth or stock and a pinch of salt to a simmer. Stir in the quick cooking barley, and simmer, loosely covered, about 12 minutes or until tender and water is evaporated. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add squash and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until tender and just beginning to develop some color. Lower heat if necessary to prevent from sticking. Add mushrooms and continue sauteeing and stirring for about 3 minutes or until tender. Turn off heat and stir in nutritional yeast. Spoon cooked barley into a large bowl, add vegetables, and gently stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately. If you make the dish well in advance of serving, spoon it into an oiled heat-proof serving dish, cool, cover, and refrigerate until about an hour and a half before serving time. Remove the dish from the refrigerator about an hour before serving. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and heat barley mixture, covered, for 20-30 minutes or until lheated through. Serve immediately.

November 27, 2011 by betsy

Our Blooming Thanksgiving Platter–Second Up: Vegan Apple-Roasted Pecan-Sage Stuffing

On a recent Sunday, listening to our outstanding local public radio station, WHRV, announcer and jazz musician, Jae Sinnett, host of “Sinnet in Session,” shared his recipe–as he frequently does, for his show follows “Splendid Table” in their line-up–for an apple-pecan stuffing. I didn’t write the recipe down, since I was driving; rather I just used it for inspiration, thinking it sounded perfect for our Thanksgiving feast. To Jae’s basic recipe, I added cornbread to the bread base, as our family has always used a combination for what we think is the best taste and texture. I also used roasted pecans–and a lot of them!–for depth of flavor.

Yield: 10-12 servings (when served with a couple of other side dishes)

1-8 inch pan of cornbread, cooked and cooled

About 10 ounces of multi-grain bread

1 pound roasted and lightly salted pecan pieces or halves (I purchased them already roasted and salted and Trader Joe’s; if using halves, break them with your fingers as you add to the stuffing); reserve a few to sprinkle on the top if desired

1 tablespoon olive oil

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

About 3 stalks of celery, trimmed, and cut lengthwise into 4 strips and then cut crosswise ino 1/4-inch pieces

2 sweet-tart apples (I used an apple grown here in Virginia), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

Approximately 2 teaspoons of rubbed sage or to taste

Vegetable broth or stock, added a little at a time until mixture is very moist but holds its shape and is not soggy (this will take at least 2 cups, so start with that amount)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trader Joe's Roasted and Salted Pecan Halves — Photo Credit: SoupAddict.com

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Crumble cornbread into a large mixing bowl. Tear bread into bite-size pieces into the same bowl and toss gently to combine. In a large cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add celery, and continue sauteeing and stirring for about 2 minutes. Add the apple and do the same for about 3 minutes. All vegetables should be tender, but still hold their shape. Add them to the breads in the large mixing bowl along with the sage, and toss gently to combine. Begin adding broth or stock, stirring and “fluffing” with a fork until desired consistency is reached. Taste to check for seasoning, and stir in salt, pepper, and sage as needed. Oil a 9 x 13-inch glass or ceramic dish and spoon in stuffing without packing it down. Sprinkle with reserved pecan halves if desired. Bake just until heated through, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cover with foil if the top appears to be drying out during the baking process. Serve immediately. If you want to prepare earlier in the day and reheat before serving, simply bake for about 20 minutes, cool, cover, and refrigerate. About an hour and a half before serving, remove the dish from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for an hour. Then reheat, covered, in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes or just until heated through.

November 27, 2011November 28, 2011 by betsy

What Bloomed on Our Platters for Vegan Thanksgiving 2011–First Up: Vegan Roasted Pumpkin with Pepita and Sage Pesto

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Thanksgiving 2011 Hosts: Betsy & Joe DiJulio

This Thanksgiving was surely one of the best in recent memory, if a bit bittersweet.

In 1991, the year after my husband and I got married and moved to Virginia, we began a tradition of hosting the Thanksgiving celebration for both of our families. Over the ensuing two decades, our families changed and grew with everyone welcome, though busy lives, blended families, and family responsibilities to aging relatives meant that not everyone could come every year. However, some years, we happily picked up an aunt or two and a good family friend. More recently, both Joe’s and my mothers experienced increasing health issues to the point that his couldn’t travel for the last two years and mine couldn’t travel last year, so we went to our respective homes for the holidays in 2010. Sadly, Joe’s mother passed away last April (and had been predeceased a few years by his father), but my mother rebounded. So this year, nine of our clan once again gathered here to revive the tradition.

It was a joyful day of cooking and visiting. Our niece Gabriella and Joe’s Aunt Cathy stayed with us, with everyone else in beachfront hotels. Before everybody woke and/or came over, I sprung out of bed and cleaned out our kitchen and garage refrigerators so we would have a clean slate. The result was two sparkling fridges and an entire dishwasher load of food storage cartons. Cathy dried every single one of them (I don’t run the heated dry cycle on the fridge to save energy) and she somehow kept up with the food prep dishes and tools all day, as I hand wash a lot of them either because they are special or because they will be reused.

With the great fridge clean-out and a nice dog walk with Gab and Cathy under our belts, my parents and sister arrived and we all eased into a nice leisurely five hours of food preparation. Joe and his sisters went to the gym, stopped by to say “hi,” and then headed to their hotel suite, complete with kitchen, to see about their contributions, returning around 4 p.m. with them in tow for the feast.

Meanwhile, at home, our house guests and my family were wonderfully helpful and conversant kitchen companions, easily moving in and out to offer help as needed. And plenty was needed, as the only preparation my sister and I had done the day before was to make the dessert–Cranberry Crunch, a longtime family favorite–and a pan of cornbread for the dressing. My dad turned out to be the ace pumpkin cleaner and peeler. Doing that for a crowd is a bit of a chore, but was so much more enjoyable with my papa.

When we sat down to dinner my husband said he was surprised that there was nothing green on the menu. He was right: there were no green vegetables! But that was somewhat by design, as there simply wasn’t anything other than collards and broccoli at my go-to farmer’s market, and I didn’t have a particular hankerin’ for either. But the market did have beautiful pumpkins and butternut squash, so I served both.

Let’s begin with a recipe I’ve featured here on The Blooming Platter before: Roasted Pumpkin with Pepita and Sage Pesto. It is loved by many, including former pumpkin haters. And, after introducing it to our Thanksgiving guests this year, it has even more fans. Simply click on the link to access the recipe. Note that, for Thanksgiving, I used six small striped pumpkins about 6 inches in diameter (see photo below) instead of a Turk’s Turban Squash and doubled the pesto recipe to serve 10 to 12 people (with other side dishes). But we prepared the pumpkins the same way: roasting them for a little bit before removing the seeds, pulp, and peel; cutting it into chunks; and then roasting the chunks again for 17-20 minutes, or 8-10 minutes on each of two sides.

Striped Pumpkins — These Beauties Are as Tasty as They Are Pretty

Be sure to check out my three remaining Thanksgiving posts for my Apple-Roasted Pecan Dressing and Barley with Sauteed Butternut Squash and Baby Bellas plus my sister-in-law’s Cranberry-Orange Relish with Ginger and Walnuts and Aunt Cathy’s Caponata.

And for even more seasonal specialties, I hope you will check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook, great for everyone on your holiday gift list.

November 25, 2011November 25, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Thai Red Curry, Pumpkin and Coconut Milk Sauce with Fresh Peanut Butter-Roasted Pumpkin and Tofu Recipe

My Thanksgiving Day post is coming up, but–and I bet it is no different in your household–there is no time for carefully staging food photographs in the midst of the convivial holiday hubbub. So, before the throngs gather today–and, in any event, with less going on in the kitchen–I hope to photograph the components of our meal. I made one recent recipe and two brand new ones that received rave reviews, so I’m looking forward to sharing them with you.

In the meantime, though, I am excited to offer this Thai-inspired pumpkin dish. If you follow The Platter, you know that I am all about fresh pumpkin this year, including in Asian preparations, like this one and my Vegan Miso-Roasted Pumpkin and Grilled Tofu over Udon Noodles which was featured on OneGreenPlanet.org.

Pumpkin is so agreeable to rubs, and this peanut butter riff is no exception. Enjoy it with creamy white chunks of tofu over my silky, golden, and pleasantly spicy melange of red bell peppers, onions and chard in a coconut-red curry sauce thickened with pureed pumpkin. Its subtle tang is courtesy of fresh lime juice and vegan fish sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Fresh Peanut Butter-Roasted Pumpkin:

2 tablespoons smooth natural peanut butter

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

1 teaspoon prepared Thai red curry paste

1 1/4 pounds pumpkin (this weight is with seeds and pulp removed, but the skin still on) , peeled and cut into about 3/4 inch cubes

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Oil a large metal baking dish and set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter, vegan fish sauce, and curry paste until smooth. Add pumpkin and toss gently to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking pan, spread out, place in the oven and roast for about 8 minutes. Stir gently or flip chunks, and roast an additional 8 minutes or until lightly caramelized. While pumpkin roasts, make sauce. When pumpkin is finished cooking, remove the pan from the oven. If sauce isn’t quite finished, cover pumpkin to keep warm.

Vegan Thai Pumpkin and Coconut Milk Curry Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 of a large onion, cut into 1/4-inch wide slivers

Pinch sea salt

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into 1/4-inch wide slivers and then cut in half crosswise

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups finely chopped Swiss chard–I use the food processor for this task (about 1 bunch with thick stems removed; you may use kale or spinach instead, but the chard was lovely at our farmer’s market recently)

2 tablespoons prepared red curry paste (feel free to adjust the amount to your taste)

1-15 ounce can coconut milk or lite coconut milk

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup vegan fish sauce

Juice of one lime

Sea salt to taste

Optional, but recommended: 1 tablespoon each finely chopped Thai basil and cilantro or to taste

Accompaniments: 12 ounces regular tofu cut into 1 inch chunks (baked, broiled or simply heated and kept warm until serving time); and 2 cups cooked Jasmine rice

Garnish: chopped peanuts, sliced green onions, and optional lime wedges

In a large cast iron skillet or wok, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add onion and a pinch of sea salt and saute, stirring, for about 3 minutes or until onion begins to soften. Add bell peppers and continue sauteing for about 2-3 more minutes or until it begins to soften. Add garlic and chard and saute for one to two minutes or until chard is tender, but still bright green. Add curry paste and saute, stirring, just until smooth and incorporated. Add coconut milk and pumpkin puree, and cook until heated through. Add fish sauce and lime juice, and stir to combine. Check for seasoning, and add salt if necessary. Stir in optional Thai basil and cilantro and remove from heat. Serve sauce over cooked Jasmine rice topped with roasted pumpkin and tofu. Garnish with chopped peanuts and sliced green onion.

For 150+ more specialties of the season, I hope you will check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook.

November 24, 2011November 24, 2011 by betsy

A Blooming Platter Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Featured on Super Vegan

The good folks at “Super Vegan” have been posting vegan Thanksgiving recipes for the past several days and were kind enough to include my Sweet Potatoes Caribbean recipe which is from The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes .

Check out my recipe and all the other delicious offerings on the Super Vegan site.

And have yourself a beautiful T-Day (Tofu-Day) regardless of what’s on your menu.

November 19, 2011November 20, 2011 by betsy

Spicy Vegan Brussels Sprout Slaw with Maple-Mustard-Allspice Vinaigrette

Here’s a tasty twist on tradition for your Thanksgiving table: a spicy slaw made from Brussels sprouts inspired by an almost comical-looking stalk of this misunderstood vegetable at the farmer’s market. The spicy notes are courtesy of a hint of jalapeno and a light and lively vinaigrette made from the favorite fall flavor of maple kicked up with mustard and given depth with the incorporation of savory-sweet allspice. It’s also delicious with my “Pulled” Spaghetti Squash BBQ.

Yield 4-6 servings

2 cups whole Brussels sprouts, trimmed

1/2 cup red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 to 2 medium or hot small peppers (about 2.5 to 3 inches), seeds and membrane removed, and very finely chopped (I would add one, taste, and add part or all of another if desired)

Pinch sea salt

Maple-Mustard-Allspice Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Thinly slice Brussels sprouts using the slicer blade of a food processor if available. Place in a medium bowl and add remaining slaw ingredients. Toss lightly with a fork to combine. Pour vinaigrette over the slaw mixture and toss again with a fork to distribute the dressing evenly. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It is best if the flavors are allowed to marry for 2 or more hours before serving.

Maple-Mustard-Allspice Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon hazelnut or walnut oil

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice or to taste

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch sea salt

In a small bowl or cup, whisk together all ingredients until well combined.

For 150+ savory, spicy and sweet seasonal recipes, I invite you to peruse The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.