August 21, 2011August 21, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Roasted Corn with Spicy Romesco Sauce

Yield: 4 servings as a side dish

So far, I’ve found nothing that isn’t enhanced by my new summer rave: Romesco Sauce!

Though I’ve cooked for as long as I can remember, Romesco Sauce never appealed…something about breadcrumbs in a sauce. Boy, had I been missing out! But all that changed in July when we enjoyed the last of several of my birthday dinners this year–I like to stretch it out–at the amazing Ubuntu in California’s Napa Valley. This veg restaurant deserves its Michelin stars in 2010 and 2011 and then some!

Their bar snack of chick peas enrobed in a delectable Romesco Sauce created a near obsession. Because the sauce recipe I created made a “gracious plenty,” as they say down South, I found several ways to enjoy it. If golden grape tomatoes are still coming in in your area, be sure to try both my Vegan Golden Grape Tomato Tart with Spinach Pesto and Spicy Romesco Sauce and my Vegan Spicy Chickpeas Romesco a la Ubuntu featuring this delectable sauce. And, definitely, before the last of the summer corn is gone, try this recipe which is less a recipe and more of a “procedure” with plenty of flexibility.

4 ears of fresh corn, husks and silk removed (save 4 thin strips of the husks if you like to tie around the “stem” end of the corn as a decorative touch)

1 generous tablespoon of olive oil

5 tablespoons nutritional yeast, divided (optional but recommended)

pinch sea salt

approximately 1/2 cup Romesco Sauce (click on link for recipe)

optional: 4 Romaine lettuce leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Pour olive oil into roasting pan and then roll each ear of corn in the oil, leaving them in the pan. Sprinkle the corn with approximately 2 tablespoon of nutritional yeast, total, and a pinch of salt, turning to coat.

Roast for 20-25 minutes, turning after about 10 minutes, until desired color is achieved; just avoid drying it out. Remove the corn from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, spread each cob with approximately 2 tablespoons of Romesco Sauce and sprinkle with a couple of teaspoons of nutritional yeast. Serve on a lettuce-lined plate if desired. And for a special touch, tie a strip of the reserved husk in a knot or bow around the “stem” end of the cob.

For 150+ additional seasonal recipes not on this website, I invite you to explore The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

August 12, 2011August 21, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Lima Bean Puree with Heirloom Tomato Sauce Rustica

Yield: 4-6 servings

Like so many of my recipes, this one was inspired by a visit to Stoney’s market, my go-to farm market, as it’s the closest to our home, the staff is very friendly and the atmosphere appealing, it’s open every day, and the produce, mostly grown across the street, is beautiful and delicious.

I purchased a bag of shelled Lima beans, but I just couldn’t get excited about eating them whole. So I thought of a puree, but the mild creaminess of the beans would need something to brighten them up in terms of color and flavor. For flavor, lemon zest and a little tarragon did the trick. For color–since red and green are complementary on the artist’s color wheel–a rustic heirloom tomato sauce seemed the perfect pairing. The end result is as pretty as a picture.

Lima Bean Puree:

1 1/4 pounds of shelled fresh beans (not dried), rinsed and drained

2 generous teaspoons powdered veggie base or bouillon cubes

Pinch sea salt

1/3-1/2 cup water in which beans were cooked

1 large clove garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 tablespoon fresh minced

Zest of 1 large lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

Place beans in a 2-quart saucepan and barely cover with water. Add veggie base and salt. Loosely cover and place over medium-high heat. When simmering, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain beans reserving 1/2 cup liquid (and the remainder for another purpose). In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade process beans with 1/3-1/2 cup reserved liquid, salt, garlic, and olive oil until smooth. Add tarragon and lemon zest and pulse a few times. Check for seasoning and adjust with additional sea salt, if needed, and black pepper. Reheat in the microwave if necessary. Note: After the leftover puree sat in the refrigerator over night, it stiffened considerably. So, I incorporated some of the reserved bean liquid into the puree to restore its creaminess before reheating.

Tomato Sauce Rustica:

You can be very “approximate” with these measurements, as you can’t go wrong!

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium tomatoes (preferably heirloom), cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Pinch sea salt

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons snipped chives

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add tomatoes, garlic and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and garlic begins to turn golden. Reduce heat if necessary. Add wine and simmer 2-3 more minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in chives and remove from heat. Serve warm over warm Lima bean puree.

For 150+ additional seasonal recipes not on this website, I invite you to explore The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

July 31, 2011July 31, 2011 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.

July 25, 2011July 25, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Cheesecake Stuffed Fresh Peach Halves

Yield: 8 servings

Okay, I admit it, I shamelessly “lifted” this idea straight out of a recent culinary magazine. I don’t even know which one. And I didn’t even read the recipe–which was non-vegan–I just saw the title and the picture, and then raced as fast as I could to our local farmer’s market for the biggest, juiciest, ripest local peaches I could find.

The concept is so simple, yet so brilliant; I don’t know why I hadn’t thought of it by now, epecially since I live in the land of peach perfection. Little dollops of vegan cheesecake batter–so little you don’t even need to feel guilty–are baked inside the depression left by removing the stone. That’s it. I simply garnished mine with sprigs of fresh mint, but you could drizzle with a sauce or liqueur, add a dollop of vegan whipped cream, or sprinkle with berries and/or nuts.

To my way of thinking, though, all of that is just guilding the lily. Trust me, it just doesn’t get much better than this dessert in its purest form. Two friends who popped by yesterday, separately, for impromptu visits swooned. Hope you do too!

Note: you will have extra batter, probably enough for 8 more peach halves which, short of a large gathering, is too many to have on hand. However, unless you have a petite food processor, it’s a little difficult to work with half this amount of cheesecake ingredients. So I would just get creative with the leftovers. You can use it as a sauce or bake it up in a couple of little tart shells.

8 very large ripe, but still firm, peaches, cut in half lengthwise and pitted

1/2 of a 12-ounce block of Silken firm tofu

4 ounces of vegan cream cheese

1/4 cup natural sugar or to taste

1/2 cup soymilk (unsweetened or plain)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + more for brushing on cut peaches (if you want a more pronounced lemon flavor, add the zest of half a lemon rather than more juice)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Pinch sea salt

Garnish: fresh sprigs of mint or lemon verbena

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a large glass or ceramic baking dish with non-stick spray. Using a small scoop, hollow out a tiny bit more of the center of each peach half to make a large enough depression to hold a generous tablespoon or so of cheesecake batter. (Just nibble on what you scoop out; it won’t be enough to save.) Brush cut/scooped surfaces of peaches with lemon juice. Set aside. Make filling: place all remaining ingredients except garnishes in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Fill each peach depression with a generous tablespoon or so of cheesecake batter and bake for 30 minutes or until set and slightly less shiny. (Check after 20.) Do not overbake. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully transfer the peaches to individual serving bowls. Allow them to cool to room temperature, cover, and chill for an hour or so in the refrigerator before serving. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve. (I was in a rush to try them, so I transferred them straight from the oven to uncovered bowls to the refrigerator and chilled them for about 30 minutes before serving.)

July 23, 2011September 14, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Green Chilies Casserole

Yield: 4-6 servings

What is the largest section of the local church cookbook? Probably casseroles, the ultimate comfort food, at least for those of a certain persuasion.

When I was a kid, my mom, Sallie Gough, made one that I have not seen anywhere before or since: Green Chilies Casserole. It was a fairly creamy and nicely spiced amalgamation of ground beef, onion, sauteed tortillas, diced green tomatoes, and green chilies all held together with, yep, condensed cream-of-something soup. And surely there was some melted cheese in the mix too.

While I don’t cook or eat like that any longer, I do have fond memories of that casserole, including making it. It was super-satisfying to eat, fun to assemble, and created an intoxicating aroma in the kitchen. So, when I was at the farmer’s market a couple of days ago, the green tomatoes were firm and beautiful. I instantly thought of mom’s signature casserole and the tempeh at home in my fridge that would substitute nicely for the ground beef. To stand in for the canned soup and cheese, I decided to make a simple creamy vegan cheese sauce. And I substituted green salsa with green chilies for the can of green chilies for extra moisture and flavor without an overwhelming green chili taste.

It’s been a lot of years since I last had this casserole, but to the best of my recollection, my vegan version comes close and is a LOT lighter yet it still has that creamy-comfort factor. I hope it beomes a staple at your house.

Cheese Sauce:

1/4 cup roasted and lightly salted cashew halves or pieces

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/2 cup total unsweetened soymilk and beer or nonalcoholic beer (I like about 5-6 tablespoons of soymilk and 2-3 tablespoons beer)

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

pinch sea salt

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Casserole:

2 tablespoons olive or canola oil, divided

4 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

sea salt to taste

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

1-8 ounce package tempeh (any flavor)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup green salsa (salsa verde), homemade or prepared (these salsas typically contain tomatillos, green chilies, and cilantro)

1 large green tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)

Freshly ground black pepper

about 7 small dollops vegan sour cream

Garnish: sprigs of fresh cilantro and a sprinkling of smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a small round baking dish and set aside. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon of oil to shimmering. Add tortilla pieces and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently until they soften and start to develop some color, approximately 3 minutes. Transfer tortillas to a small bowl and set aside. Add remaining oil to the skillet, heat, and saute onion until softened, approximately 3 minutes. Crumble tempeh into the pan, add garlic and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, until tempeh is heated through and just begins to develop some color, again about 3 minutes. As the mixture starts to dry out, add 1/4 cup of the green salsa and stir well. Add green tomato, cumin, and smoked paprika, and saute, still stirring frequently, about 5 minutes, adding the remaining 1/2 cup green salsa during the cooking process. Remove from heat, stir in cilantro and tortilla pieces, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then stir in half of the cheese sauce and spoon into prepared casserole dish. Drizzle remaining cheese sauce over the surface of the casserole dish and dollop with sour cream (I place 6 dollops in a circle and one in the center). Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and top appears creamy, but slightly set. Serve hot garnished with fresh cilantro sprigs and a dusting of smoked paprika.

July 21, 2011July 21, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Golden Grape Tomato Tart with Spinach Pesto and Spicy Romesco Sauce

Yield: 4 4-inch tarts (you will have enough pesto to make 8 and lots of Romesco sauce for drizzling over any number of dishes that would benefit from a creamy kick)

A lunch that ended up in the woods beside our house is the inauspicious beginning of this recipe that may just be an all-time favorite.

After a nice long hike at First Landing State Park (previously and more picturesquely named Seashore State Park) with my close friend Mary Beth Nixon, I stopped for an Indian buffet to-go from a fairly new restaurant near her house. Neither the restaurant, nor the styro-box, emitted that intoxicating aroma characteristic of Indian restaurants. Turns out, there was a good reason. It was the blandest Indian food I have ever eaten. Correction, it was the only bland Indian food I have ever eaten. So I nibbled a little at it on the way home, but on the way up our long driveway, I stopped and tossed all but the container and spoon into my unofficial compost pile in the woods.

Pretty hungry after no breakfast, dog walks, and our hour-long park hike, I wracked my brain for what I could make from the ingredients I had on hand. Yesterday, I had picked up golden grape tomatoes and bell peppers, among other produce, at a local farmer’s market. Noting that I had half of a red pepper leftover from a dish I’d made for lunch yesterday, I remembered the outstanding Romesco sauce that had been served over chickpeas at the 1 Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant, Ubuntu, where we had celebrated my birthday (for the final time this year!) last Saturday night in Napa. I didn’t have almonds, but I had walnuts and they would have to do.

We had also been served the fruitiest, “meatiest” olives in a captivating fennel pesto. So, while I didn’t have fennel, I did have some fresh baby spinach that I knew would make a lovely pesto. With my go-to press-in dough baked to make the crust, I could then nestle the grape tomatoes onto a creamy layer of spinach pesto and drizzle the Romesco over the top for beautiful color contrasts and bursts of exciting flavors.

Voila! Golden Grape Tomato Tarts were born.

Spicy Romesco Sauce:

1/2 of a large red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded

1 extra-large tomato, cored and quartered

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup walnuts (or the nut of your choice; almonds are traditional, but use what you have and feel free to mix and match)

1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

2-3 large cloves garlic, fairly thickly sliced

2-4 small red dried chilies, ends removed, split, seeds removed, and torn into about 3 pieces

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or 1 tablespoon red wine + 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place oven rack in top position and preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with Silpat or foil and place bell pepper and tomatoes, cut side down, in center of sheet. Broil for 5 minutes or until the pepper’s skin is charred. Remove the pepper and broil the tomatoes 5 minutes longer or until their skin is charred. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard skin. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium-high in a large cast iron skillet. Add nuts, bread crumbs, and garlic, and saute, stirring almost constantly, until ingredients begin to turn golden, about 1-2 minutes. Then add chilies and cook 1-2 minutes more until the color of the chilies brighten and the nuts, bread crumbs and garlic are golden. Watch carefully to prevent scorching. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor, including the bell pepper, tomato, all of the contents of the skillet, including the oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until almost smooth. Scrape into an airtight container and set aside. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Crust:

1 1/2 whole wheat flour (I love spelt, but any kind will do, even white whole wheat or a combination)

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons natural sugar (may omit, but I like the slight sweetness with the sweet tomatoes and spiciness of the Romesco sauce)

2 tablespoons soy milk

1/2 cup canola oil (sounds like a lot, but it is needed; just eat low- or no-fat meals for the rest of the day)

Preheat oven to 400. Place 4 4-inch tart shells with removable bottoms on a baking sheet (I line my sheet with Silpat). Then place dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in wet ingredients. Stir together with a fork just until completely combined and mixture holds together. Divide into fourths and press each evenly into the bottom and sides of each tart pan. The bottom of a drinking glass can help with this task. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the crusts are barely starting to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 minutes. Leave oven on. While crusts bake, make Spinach Pesto.

Spinach Pesto:

4 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup shelled pistachios (or the nut of your choice)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar or fresh lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place spinach, nuts, and nutritional yeast in the bowl of a food processor and process until a paste begins to form, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the motor running, drizzle in olive oil, balsamic vinegar or lemon juice, and a pinch of both salt and pepper. Continue processing until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Scrape into an airtight container and set aside until needed. Refrigerate any leftovers.

72 golden grape tomatoes or about 1 pint (red would be fine, but not as nice of a color contrast with the Romesco sauce)

Garnish: fresh basil sprigs

After crusts have baked and cooled for about 3 minutes, spread each with 1 generous tablespoon of Pesto Sauce. Arrange 18 tomatoes–or whatever will fit nicely in one layer–on top of the pesto. Drizzle each with 1 generous tablespoon of the Romesco Sauce. Return the tarts to the oven and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the crusts are nicely browned and the Romesco Sauce looks slightly set. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and carefully remove the tart pans to a wire rack until cool enough to handle. Remove the tart bottoms from the side rings, leaving the tarts sitting on their removable bottoms. Serve warm garnished with sprigs of basil. You may heat and pass additional Romesco Sauce if desired.

July 20, 2011July 20, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Thai Coconut-Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Yield: 4 servings

I’ve never been a huge fan of the flavor of typical stuffed peppers. But I love bell peppers, including in Thai food. So why not stuff them with a creamy coconut filling chock full of other ingredients in some of my favorite Thai dishes? Why not indeed! The result is spectacular. Feel free to use Jasmine rice in place of the quinoa. The latter is what I had on hand and, even though it’s not typically Thai, I love it’s flavor, texture, and fairly high protein. Japanese eggplants and bell peppers were beautiful at our farm market today, so I used them, along with some spinach from the grocery store and some Thai basil from our garden, but feel free to use any of your favorite Thai ingredients like small cooked cubes of sweet potato, green peas, cilantro, mint, etc. Just be sure to contrast colors and textures. I love onion and meant to add some sliced spring onion but forgot, as I was juggling several different things, but I’m not sure they were needed. Still, onion is always good, so add if you like. Bottom line? This recipe is very flexible. Have fun!

2 yellow bell peppers, halved lengthwise, membrane and seeds removed

1 cup quinoa

1-15 ounce can coconut milk (lite or regular)

generous pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch dice (approximately 1 cup)

pinch of sea salt and more to taste

1/2 cup 2-inch pieces of carrot, finely chopped (I use a food processor)

1/2 of a large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 small mild-medium chile pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/4 cup vegan fish sauce + an optional additional tablespoon (sold as vegetarian fish sauce in Asian markets)

Juice of 1 small-medium lime (approximately 1 tablespoon)

2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach, finely chopped (I use a food processor)

1 tablespoon minced Thai or Vietnamese basil

Garnish: sprigs of Thai basil, cilantro, or mint; whole or chopped roasted and lightly salted cashews or peanuts; and optional lime wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a small baking dish and add yellow bell pepper halves, cut side up. Bake approximately 20 minutes. Meanwhile, make filling. In a 1-quart saucepan, place quinoa, coconut milk and a generous pinch of sea salt. Stir well, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until tender, thick, and creamy. While quinoa cooks, heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add eggplant and a pinch of sea salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about a minute. Add carrot, red bell pepper, and diced chile pepper, and saute, stirring frequently, for another couple of minutes. Add garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and lime juice, and cook, stirring frequently, for about another minute or until garlic and ginger is softened. Stir in spinach and basil, stir, and heat through. Taste and add additional salt and/or vegan fish sauce if desired. Divide filling evenly among yellow bell pepper halves and return to oven for about 10 minutes or until filling is heated through and peppers are tender, but hold their shape. Serve hot garnished as desired.

July 20, 2011July 20, 2011 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.

July 11, 2011July 11, 2011 by betsy

The Blooming Platter Cookbook’s Southern Sweet Tea Salad Featured in FARM’s MEATOUT MONDAY e-Newsletter

The good folks at FARM have gone and done it again…featured one of the recipes from The Blooming Platter (vegan) Cookbook in their MEATOUT MONDAY eNewsletter.