Quick!
Before the birds get all the fresh figs…gather up a few and whip up this fresh summer salad.
It will have you “singing” it’s praises! And you might even want to “Tweet” it. 🙂 Okay, enough with the corny bird references. But, seriously, you will want to add this one to your summer repertoire.
Just click HERE for the recipe at One Green Planet.
These beautiful tarts are so easy to make from summer’s bounty of butter beans, figs and fresh herbs.
The availability of these ingredients along with my Southern-steeped heritage were the inspiration for this unusual but really mouth-watering combination.
The butter beans cook while you make and bake the crust and then just get processed with the other ingredients. And the drizzle is short on cooking time. So, the tart goes together much more quickly than you would think, especially for something so darn pretty.
Find my recipe at One Green Planet. Thanks OGP!
(Photography Note: TODAY is the day I am going to buy a new camera! As I mentioned previously, the one that had served me well for so long went on the fritz in June and my phone really doesn’t take very good photos as you can see here. So I apologize for the quality …definitely not up to Blooming Platter standards!)
On Saturday, July 7, I flew to MS to drive with my folks the next day to Ochsner’s Hospital (The Mayo Clinic of the South) in New Orleans where my robust 84 year old father had some surgery the next day. (My papa, Byron Gough, still works part-time as an engineer for Howard Industries, the largest transformer manufacturer in the world!)
He came through it like a rock star thanks to the expert medical team at Ochsner’s and his overall excellent health and attitude. We were relieved to learn that the orders for a week on a Clear Liquid Diet were incorrect and that he needed to be on the much less restrictive “Full Liquid Diet” followed by a week on the “Nissen Soft Diet.”
The Full Liquid Diet is a bit of a misnomer as it allows strained purees. So, after I drove them home on Wednesday and before I came back to Virginia yesterday, I set about trying to figure out how to get enough tasty and appetizing calories and nutrition in him. I plan to post a couple of the soups I created, one with fresh homegrown tomatoes, as they certainly didn’t look or taste like “recuperation food”!
In the meantime, though, I wanted to share this smoothie recipe. Lots of folk,s it seem,s are “juicing” and I have nothing against fresh juices. I find them very refreshing, in fact. (Hampton Roads residents: if you haven’t yet tried the new Fruitive at Hilltop, I highly recommend!) However, I love all of the fiber that comes from using whole fruits and vegetables as well as the protein that comes from soymilk in a smoothie. But the juice movement did encourage me to start incorporating dark leafy greens into mine.
This vitamin- and protein-packed version is a beautiful color, ultra smooth and creamy, and a perfect balance of tastes.
Yield: 4+ cups
2 cups unsweetened soymilk (app. 160 calories)
1 cup lightly packed baby spinach (app 10 calories)
1 cup frozen blueberries (app 85 calories) [blueberries must be frozen; if not, try adding a handful of ice, but make sure your blender can crush ice]
4 tablespoons orange juice concentrate OR 4 tablespoons of soy yogurt OR 2 tablespoons of each (app 100-110 calories)
Stevia or your favorite no calorie sweetener to taste (0 calories)
Optional Garnish: fresh mint sprigs.
Place all ingredients in a blender container. Stir them gently to combine with a long-handled spoon. Process on the highest speed until smooth, stopping two or three times to stir and press down any unincorporated ingredients if necessary. Pour into glasses, garnish if desired and serve, preferably with a straw.
Total Calories for Entire Recipe (all amounts were rounded up, so it is a little less than this): 365 calories
Yield:12 regular size (not super size!) muffins
Chunky natural peanut butter spread on apple wedges is one of my favorite snacks from childhood. So, this week when I was craving a wholesome and nostalgic baked good, I figured the combination would be scrumptious in a moist muffin. And it is!
Normally, I would load up an apple batter with warm spices, but I didn’t want them to overpower the peanut butter flavor and aroma. So I just used a pinch of allspice, cinnamon and cloves. But feel free to adjust to suit your taste.
Not too dense, but not light like a cupcake either these muffins are the epitome of balance in every way.
I know apples are not typically a spring fruit, but our farm market does have Virginia-grown ones in the warm months. You’ll love this recipe whenever apples are in season in your area.
1/2 cup chunky natural peanut butter warmed slightly in the microwave or in a saucepan on top of the stove (smooth would probably work just great as well)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk (you can use plain, but you might want to slightly decrease the sugar)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup natural sugar
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
2 large apples, cored and very finely chopped; approximately 3 cups (fine like food processor-fine)
Line muffin cups with papers or oil well with nonstick spray. In a large mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter, canola oil, soy milk and vanilla until well combined. Stir in sugar, flour, baking powder and baking soda just until a smooth batter forms. Then stir in chopped apples only until incorporated. Divide evenly among prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 minute or until a toothpick inserted in the center of one comes out clean. Allow to cool about 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to cool completely or to enjoy while warm.
Before the last of the winter pears are gone, I bet you might like to bake some up in this special pie from The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.
It was recently published by the good folks at One Green Planet and you can access itby clicking HERE.
Its crust has a secret ingredient–now known to be healthy–that yields a perfect flaky, yet tender, crust that’s a cinch even for novice bakers to manage. And you won’t have to wait very long to have this beautyon the table because of my stove top pre-cooking method.
Make it a la mode: As a bonus, you can also access my Cinnamon Stick-Vanilla Bean Ice Cream recipe which was created especially for this pie, but is delicious on its own.
Thanks to Team One Green Planet! Enjoy, everyone!
My mother always made a cherry pie on President’s Day as a tribute to George Washington and the myth, now thought to be apocryphal, of him chopping down a cherry tree. So, I had been thinking that I wanted to create some kind of cherry pie-inspired dish, but I wasn’t sure what.
But then, last week on NPR, I learned of a new exhibition of Martha Washington’s kitchen opening at Mount Vernon. And in the report, they happened to mention her hoecakes being one of “GW’s” favorite recipes. Field hands are reported to have cooked them on the back of a hoe or shovel over an open fire, hence the name.
Essentially, they are a pancake made with half cornmeal–I use self-rising cornmeal since I don’t use any egg–and half flour with melted butter in the batter. Evidently, President Washington ate them every morning with more melted butter and honey drizzled over, as if they need more butter! I veganized a recipe I found online and made them as small “silver dollar” versions so that they could be served as appetizers or tapas. I also added a pinch of sea salt to offset the sugar nicely.
Joe and I served as judged for Hampton Roads Magazine’s Platinum Plate Awards (what a fun thing to do together!) and so were comped a pair of tickets to the annual Strolling Supper Party last night at the Virginia Beach Resort and Conference Center. The winning restaurants set up stations and provided tapas size servings of some of their specialties. I love eating that way so I had tapas on my mind. As an aside, the only restaurants that prepared anything vegan were the two Indian establishments, and what they served was delicious: a tiny portion of lentil soup with one plump organic crouton and a cold chick pea and lentil dish topped with pineapple, mango, pomegranate seeds, cilantro, and a sauce they left off because it contained yogurt. It was DIVINE even without the sauce.
Back to the hoecakes: I didn’t stop with just the hoecakes because I wanted to somehow include my mother’s cherry pie tradition in my new tradition. Since fresh cherries are hardly available in February, she always used canned cherries or even cherry pie filling and we always loved her pies with their homemade crust. But, being a seasonal cook, I couldn’t bring myself to use canned cherries, so when I chose dried ones, I decided to take them in a savory direction and make a chutney.
I think the end result is a fitting tribute to George and Mom. Happy President’s Day!
Start chutney first and set aside:
Savory Dried Cherry and Walnut Chutney
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/3 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or walnut pieces
2 tablespoons maple syrup (note: you may use all maple syrup or all natural sugar)
1 tablespoon natural sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional, but I love the richness it adds)
1/2 teaspoon anise seeds
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
Red pepper flakes to taste (start with about 1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons red wine (I used a Vicious Petite Sirah–someone brought it to a party, probably because it had a dog on the label, but it’s good and spicy!)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Zest of 1/2 of a large naval orange
2 tablespoons minced dill
In a large cast iron skillet placed over medium-high, heat the olive oil to shimmering. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and continue sauteeing and stirring for another 2 minutes. Add garlic and saute, stirring, for another minute; avoid letting the garlic brown, so reduce heat if necessary. Add all remaining ingredients except orange zest and dill, and simmer, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking, for approximately 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium if necessary and add additional wine, 1 tablespoon at a time if necessary to keep mixture moist and pulpy. Stir in zest and dill, and serve warm or at room temperature atop hoecakes, toasted bread, crackers, etc. Dolloped on soup? Use your imagination!
Martha Washington’s Veganized Hoecakes
Yield: 16 hoecakes
1 cup yellow self-rising cornmeal
1 cup wholewheat or white whole wheat flour (all-purpose is fine if that’s what you have)
1/4 cup natural sugar (you may omit, but I think a little sugar is nice for balance)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup vegan butter, melted (I use Earth Balance)
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soymilk (use plain if that’s what you have, but definitely omit the sugar)
Preheat the oven to low. In a medium size mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add melted butter and soymilk. Using a fork, whisk the dry and wet ingredients together until well combined. A few lumps are fine. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat about a tablespoon of vegan butter. Fry hoecakes, about 4 at a time, using a generous tablespoon of batter. Cook for approximately 2 minutes on each side until a light golden brown, adjusting heat as necessary. Keep warm in the oven while you make the remaining 3 batches. For each batch, melt a tablespoon of butter in the skillet before you add the batter. Serve hoecakes with a dollop of the Savory Dried Cherry and Walnut Chutney. Note: the hoecakes are delicious plain and/or with a drizzle of maple syrup. But the chutney dresses them up and makes them extra special.
Photo Note: my hoecakes are perched on a plate atop a pot holder given to me by my good friend Becky Bump and made by our mutual friend, the incredibly talented Tammy Deane, who calls this line made from recycled or “upcycled” fabrics, sECOnd hand.
For 150+ more inspired seasonal recipes, check out a copy of The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.
Yield: 8 pancakes
I haven’t been on a pancake bender in a while. But I ate very lightly yesterday, and it’s gray and wintry here, so I woke up with pancakes on my mind.
A package of chopped dried dates and some already chopped and toasted nuts in the pantry, plus a fresh orange in the fridge, gave rise to to this delectable rendition. If it’s too late for you to enjoy them this morning, we still have a few winter weekends ahead or, if you live in the U.S. and have tomorrow off for President’s Day, sleep in and enjoy them for a late brunch. George Washington would approve, as his favorite recipe made by wife, Marta, was Hoe Cakes!
1/2 cup chopped dried dates
1/4 cup cream sherry (don’t worry–it’s non-dairy), brandy, etc. (I use cream sherry, but you may use fresh orange juice or even water keeping in mind that the flavor will be different than the original)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (white whole wheat or all-purpose flour would also work fine)
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/4 cup natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch ground mace or nutmeg
1 to 1 1/2 cups unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite; you may require the larger amount if using whole wheat flour, as it seems to absorb more moisture)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts, preferably dry-toasted for about 3 minutes in a small skillet over medium-high heat (pecans, almonds or cashews would also be good)
Zest of one medium-large naval orange (reserve a small amount of garnishing if desired)
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Maple Syrup
Optional Garnishes: orange zest, a few chopped nuts, and/or a very light sprinkling of powdered sugar
Preheat oven to warm. Place dates in a microwave-safe small bowl or cup, pour sherry or brandy over, and microwave for 20-30 seconds. Let sit while you prepare the pancake batter. In a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, sugar, baking powder, soda and nutmeg. Make a well in the center and pour in soymilk. Whisk together until well combined. Then stir in dates, nuts, and orange zest with a spoon or fork.
In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two 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 skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter and pancake batter.
Serve warm drizzled with maple syrup and sprinkled with optional reserved orange zest, chopped nuts, and/or powdered sugar.
For 150+ other seasonal specialties, please have a look at The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.
Well, if our dog, Huff’s, national Superbowl celebrity hadn’t overshadowed almost all else, I would have made these for our Superbowl party last Sunday and posted the recipe as part of my “Crash the SuperBowl Snack Recipe” countdown during the week leading up to the big event.
But alas, I didn’t make them until Monday night to take to my AP art students’ critique on Tuesday. We call them Critique Treats. However, I also had Valentine’s Day in mind.
These confections are as nutritious and delicious as they are beautiful. And though each one looks like a precious gem, they are super-simple to make. Another of their best features is their texture contrasts: plump chewy dried apricots, silken dark chocolate and crunchy wheat berry flake and flaxseed cereal coating.
This recipe–which is more of a procedure than a true recipe–was inspired by a gift of Uncle Sam Toasted “Original” Whole Wheat Berry Flakes and Flaxseed Cereal from Alisa Fleming, founder of GoDairyFree, who also does some online marketing for Attune Foods. When she asked if I’d be interested in reviewing a couple of cereals, and invited me to choose which ones I wanted, she happened to mention that my choices were good “recipe cereals.” So that got me thinking in terms of what I could do with the cereal besides eat it.
Though eat it I did. I put a little in my mouth and closed my eyes to try to get in “tune” with its distinctive flavor. I thought I detected the pleasantly subtle taste of barley malt, checked the box and, sure enough, there it was in the very short list of wholesome ingredients. Otherwise, Uncle Sam is deeply nutty in flavor. It just tastes wholesome, with pleasant texture contrasts.
So, next I poured a little unsweetened soymilk over it and tasted it before doctoring it up in any way. I decided that–and this admittedly sounds odd–it would be tasty with a sprinkling of both nutritional yeast and natural sugar to create the same sort of savory-sweet appeal of Kettle Corn. I loved it. Be advised, though, that, even without the nutritional yeast and sugar, Uncle Sam’s is calorie dense. I recommend measuring out the cereal so as not too meat too much. Because it is so healthy and tasty–10 grams of fiber and 7 grams of protein with less than 1 gram of sugar per serving–it would be very easy to go overboard.
Not being much of a cereal eater–I get a little carried away with it in the house and don’t know when to stop eating–I opted for making the treats mentioned above. Still thinking in terms of dried apricots and nuts from my morning hiking in Back Bay Wildlife Refuge/False Cape described in a previous post, and with a bag of vegan chocolate morsels in the pantry, I decided to dip the apricots halfway into the melted chocolate and then roll them in the cereal. The resulting color contrast of shimmering translucent orange and dark ebony brown chocolate studded with lighter brown flecks was just beautiful.
I can scarcely think of a more appealing nor unique box of Valentine’s treats than these combined with my Peanut Butter Brown Rice Cereal Treats with a Dried Apricot-Almond Surprise.
Vegan Chocolate -Dipped Dried Apricots with Crunchy Coating
Yield: 24 confections
24 plump dried apricots
12 ounces vegan dark chocolate (you won’t need this much, but I like the melted chocolate to be deep so that dipping is easy)
approximately 1/2 cup Uncle Sam’s cereal
Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper and set aside. in a small microwave safe mixing bowl or a 1 quart saucepan set over a double boiler, gently melt chocolate. While chocolate is melting, pour cereal into a small bowl. Holding each apricot between your thumb and forefinger, dip halfway up in the melted chocolate, gently roll in the cereal, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Store in the refrigerator between layers of waxed or parchment paper in an airtight container, but allow to come to room temperature before serving.
For 150+ more recipes for holidays and every day, please check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.
I did it again: missed a day yesterday in my “Crash the Superbowl Snack Recipe.” Darn it. It was a really busy day, but that’s no excuse. So, I owe you two today.
Let’s start with one of the recipes I intended to post a while back when I mentioned having been invited to present a program, complete with samples, on The Blooming Platter Cookbook for Alpha Rho, the educational sorority to which I belong.
I love this combination of rich cashew cheese (featuring my secret “cheesy” ingredient!) and tangy sweet-and-savory chutney. The pairing is perfect perched on a cracker but, after the meeting and some errands, I was starved, so I came home and made a grilled cheese-and-chutney sandwich on super-thin Danish rye bread. Oh, my…
My recommendation is to make the Vegan Cheddar Cheese Spread first so that it can be chilling while you make the chutney.
Next, make the chutney.
Fresh Pear and Dried Cranberry Chutney
Yield: 4-5 cups
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 of a red onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 Asian pears, stemmed, cored, and coarsely chopped in a food processor (I’ve only every seen Asian pears in one size and that’s large! About the size of a small grapefruit.)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup natural sugar
1/4 cup catsup
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 1/3 cups dried cranberries
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary or to taste
In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil. Add onion and saute, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and continue to saute and stir for about 30 seconds. Add pears and saute, stirring frequently, for another 5 minutes or so, or until pears release juices and begin to cook down. Add all remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until the mixture has reached the desired consistency. Stir in rosemary and cook and stir for another minute. Remove the skillet from the heat and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve chilled or at room temperature with crackers or crostini.
Note: To make a Grilled Cheese-and-Chutney Sandwich, melt about 1 tablespoon of vegan butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. While butter melts, spread one piece of bread first with the cheese and then with a layer of chutney. Cover with a second piece of bread and grill for a minute or two on each side or until golden brown.
