Category: Vegan Greens

by betsy

Oh My “Dog”!: Vegan Thai “Not” Dogs with Asian Kale Slaw, Chili-Lime Mayo, Cilantro and Cashews

Dear “dog”!   This is surely the best “dog” I’ve ever eaten, much less made, and it ranks right up there with some of my favorite meals.

Last night, my dear, dear friend, Sharon Clohessy, aka Ms. C–the art specialist for our district–and I went on a beach picnic for two.  She lives at the oceanfront, so we loaded up, walked across Atlantic Avenue (think Monopoly board) up a little path shaded by a canopy of trees, and we were at the wide sandy beach.  

 We love being able to do such “frivolous” things mid-week when school is not in session.  But we enjoyed ourselves so much that we plan to continue right into the fall.  Time spent with Sharon is always magical, and we happened to be at ocean’s edge during the “magic hour” when everything takes on a silvery, barely pinkish hue.  I haven’t been so relaxed, yet stimulated by our conversation, in a long time. 

For our meal, I was inspired by a food feature in a recent magazine–maybe Southern Living?–about non-traditional hot dogs.  One was Thai and I have been fantasizing about it ever since.  However, I didn’t use their recipe, which wasn’t vegan anyway, preferring instead to create my own.

I decided on a kale and cabbage slaw (even though kale isn’t in season here)–because a day without kale is like a day without sunshine–and a Chili-Lime Mayo, though that name doesn’t do it justice, as I also whisked in creamy natural peanut butter and coconut cream.  OMG!  It is out of this world, good enough to eat unaccompanied, as you can see in the photo below.  We topped our dogs with fresh cilantro leaves and chopped cashews.  Truly, this is a stunning rendition of a lowly “dawg.”  I ate leftovers for lunch AND dinner today!

Sharon contributed marinated cucumbers, a delicious Cupcake Sauvignon Blanc, and, for dessert, simple pitted cherries and sliced white peaches.  So perfectly simple and elegant.

Even if the beach is far away from wherever you call home, I hope you will “relish” this special dog.

Yield: 4 servings

4 whole wheat hot dog buns, split in half lengthwise not quite all the way through, drizzled with olive oil, and toasted 7 to 8 minutes on a baking sheet at 400 degrees (wrap in foil and keep warm, if desired)

4 of your favorite vegan “not” dogs, grilled (2 minutes on each of 4 sides on an oiled indoor grill pan; adjust time if grilling outdoors; wrap in foil and keep warm if desired)

Asian Kale Slaw (recipe follows)

Chili-Lime Mayo (recipe follows; you will have some left over and you’ll be glad!)

4 or more tablespoons cilantro leaves

4 or more tablespoons chopped roasted and lightly salted cashews or peanuts

Place about 1/4 of the slaw on each toasted bun.  Top with a grilled “not” dog.  Add a generous squiggle of the Chili-Lime Mayo, and top with 1/4 each of the cilantro leaves and chopped cashews.  Serve immediately.

 

Asian Kale Slaw

If I’ve learned anything about cooking, it is that people’s palates vary dramatically.  So, while this balance of flavors tasted perfect to me and my friend, you may want to adjust the sweet-tangy balance, and you should feel free to do exactly that!  Fluffying with a fork is a key step.

2 cups coarsely torn and lightly packed fresh kale

6 leaves ocabbage (I used green cabbage, but use red if you prefer)

1/2 cup 1 1/2-inch carrot pieces, peeled

1/2 of a yellow, orange, or red bell pepper, stemmed and cored, all seeds removed

1/4 cup vegan fish sauce (sold as vegetarian fish sauce in Asian markets)

2 tablespoons natural sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 

Pinch sea salt or to taste

You may shred the veggies by hand, but I use the grater attachment of my food processor.  If using a food processor, pack the kale into the tube, turn the machine on, and use the plunger to press the kale firmly and steadly onto the blade.  Repeat with cabbage, tightly rolling two leaves at a time and feeding them into the tube in the same manner.  Repeat with carrots.  Scrape veggies into a medium bowl before repeating with bell pepper, as it may create significant moisture that needs to be drained/blotted.  Add the pepper to the bowl of veggies along with remaining ingredients and toss the mixture with a fork to combine.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

 

Chili-Lime Mayo

As with the slaw, this balance of flavors tasted delicious to me and my dining companion, Sharon–as you can see, she’s “drinking” it out of the bottle!–but feel free to adjust to suit your taste.

1/4 to 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise (homemade or prepared; to cut the tang, use half vegan sour cream)

Zest and juice of 1/2 large lime

1 teaspoon Sirachi chili sauce or to taste (feel free to substitute your favorite chili sauce)

1 tablespoon softened creamy natural peanut butter (I heat it for a few seconds in the microwave)

1 tablespoon cocont cream (not coconut milk)

Pinch of sea salt

Optional: 1 clove garlic, minced (I don’t prepare this mayo with garlic, but I think it would be tasty, so if it sounds good to you, add it!)

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth in a small bowl.  Spoon into a “squirt” bottle if desired to allow you to add it to your “dogs” in a pretty squiggle.  Refrigerate until serving time.

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by betsy

Papa’s Vegan Blueberry and Spinach Smoothie (Bonus: Meets Full Liquid Diet Requirements)

(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

 

Where can you find more delicious vegan recipes that make the most of the season?  Check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes!
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by betsy

Blooming Platter is Featured Cookbook Complete with Featured Recipe of the Week on VegKitchen

It’s such an honor when Nava Atlas, noted vegan cookbook author, blogger and artist, embraces a cookbook as she did The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes again in today’s VegKitchen Newsletter, also choosing my Angel Hair Pasta with Chard and Bell Peppers as her Recipe of the Week.

Just follow the link to this recipe which Nava calls “beautiful and nutritious” because, now that warm weather is here again–at least for many of us–chard will be showing up in gardens and farm markets across the country.  And, as Nava also says, this dish is at least as good if not better the next day…thanks so much, Nava for your ongoing support!

If you don’t already receive the VegKitchen Newsletter, you will want to.  Just click HERE to subscribe.

And be sure to heck out one of Nava’s latest projects: the Vegan Minute Channel on YouTube.

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by betsy

Happy Cow Features a New Blooming Platter Recipe for Meatless Mondays: Vegan Southern Style Cashew Cheese Grits with Kicked-Up Kale

Yes, I know, it’s not Monday.  So sorry.  Eric Brent and the good folks at Happy Cow published my recipe for Vegan Southern Style Cashew Cheese Grits with Kicked-Up Kale  this past Monday, but we are dealing with dog drama, so I hope you’ll forgive my tardiness.

Our 14 year old Auzzie Shepherd broke her toe and, though it’s a long story, suffice it to say that our lives have been disrupted in the extreme.  We live in a sea of baby gates, a huge crate, new runners on our tile and hardwood floors so that she can stay upright, and an inflatable bed in front of our fireplace (the one up-side) so that I can sleep downstairs with her.  My poor back couldn’t take sleeping on the floor another night AND carrying her almost 60 pounds self up and down, 5 stairs to do her business (our house is on pilings and there is no way in or out without negotiating stairs).

But I digress.  I hope you’ll follow this link to access the recipe and that you’ll enjoy my cheese grits-and-greens any day of the week!

While you’re at the Happy Cow, I encourage you to spend some time; it’s a terrific site.

Thanks Happy Cow!

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by betsy

Vegan Kale, Toasted Hazelnut and Orange Pesto

Yield: approximately 2 cups

I almost don’t want to see winter end because its departure signals the end of the season of kale.  (And the truth is that I actually enjoy cold, gray days…just not every day.)  True, plenty of spring delicacies will sprout from the ground to replace kale, but it is undoubtedly my favorite leafy green.

Although,  I have to say, some genius brought collards to a girls’ night potluck recently that were to die for.  Thick ribbons about the width of pappardelle pasta were lightly sauteed in a little olive oil and salt just until barely tender.  I couldn’t stop nibbling on them.  And then my friend Brent, who had been on a trip to Nashville, told me about a sandwich that he’d enjoyed at The Hermitage.  I’d love to veganize and miniaturize it because it haunts me: fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese and sauteed collard greens.  Are you kidding me?!

Anyway, before the last of the kale is gone, I can’t stop creating new ways to enjoy it, like this pesto which is ridiculously simple to make–like all pesto–and deliciously different.  It is a great recipe to keep in your culinary bag of tricks because it lends itself to the small bites that are one of my favorite ways to enjoy almost any food.  But it is also luscious thinned with a little pasta water or soy creamer, tossed with whole wheat pasta, and sprinkled with my Vegan Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.  On a recent Saturday night, our friends Pat and Ronn Ives joined us for dinner so, as you can see in the photo, I spread grilled baguette slices with a little of the pesto and then topped it with my Savory Dried Cherry and Walnut Chutney.

Don’t you agree that that color combination of rich, bright green and shimmering ruby red is hard to beat?

4 cups lightly packed, coarsely chopped fresh kale, thick stems removed

1 cup lightly toasted chopped hazelnuts, cooled to room temperature (I dry toast them in a large skillet over medium-high heat for just a few minutes, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted

Zest of one medium naval orange

Approximately 3/4 cup olive oil (I love Trader Joe’s brand–it’s an outstanding value with balanced flavor and a pour spout)

Sea salt to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse kale until finely chopped.  Add hazelnuts and pulse until finely chopped.  Kale will be almost minced.   With motor running, drizzle in olive oil, adding more or less until the desired consistency is achieved.  Turn off motor, check for seasoning, and add a pinch of sea salt if necessary.  Then add the orange zest and pulse just a couple of times just to combine.  Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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by betsy

Not Your Mama’s Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup with Orange-Scented Kale and Pepita Pesto

My Mam-ma was an excellent country cook, but this soul-satisfying vegan soup rivals her chicken-n-dumplings.  Plus, while it hasn’t forgotten where it came from, it’s gone a bit uptown.

Not Your Mama’s Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup is a healthy and simple version of the chicken noodle soup you may remember from childhood.  But, not only is it vegan, it’s a bit more grown-up and “gourmet” courtesy of the orecchiette and, especially, the pesto.    The latter celebrates some of winter’s finest ingredients: oranges and kale.  A dollop of it is optional, but I highly recommend it for a delicious burst of contrasting flavor, texture and temperature atop a mug of the warm soup.

With chilly rain in our forecast starting this evening and continuing through tomorrow, and the fridge is nearly barren of leftovers, I think this soup may be in order to warm up the weekend….but, trust me, t’s just as good when the sun is shining!

Not Your Mama’s Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup

Yield: 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup yellow onion cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup celery cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 cup carrot, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 teaspoon rubbed sage

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

1 teaspoon powdered thyme

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

8 cups faux chicken or vegetable stock (I purchase extra large faux chicken bouillon cubes and use 4 with 8 cups of water, as I think the seasoning lends more of a “pot pie” flavor than vegetable stock does)

2 bay leaves

4 ounces dried Orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta rarely made with egg, but check to be sure)

8 ounces chicken-flavored seitan (I use MorningStar Farms® Meal Starters® Chik’n Strips which have plenty of salt and pepper for my palate)

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk

Sea salt to taste, if needed

Freshly ground black pepper to taste, if needed

Optional accompaniment (but very good!) : a little “glug” of sherry in each bowl or mug

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil until shimmering.  Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until translucent and softened, about 3 minutes.  Add garlic and saute, stirring, for 30 seconds.  Avoid over-browning.  Add celery and carrot and saute, stirring frequently until both are slightly softened, or about another 3 minutes.  Add sage, tarragon, thyme, flour and nutritional yeast, and stir to distribute evenly.  Stir in stock and bay leaves and heat to a simmer.  Add pasta and simmer until al dente, about 7-8  minutes.  Stir in chicken-flavored seitan and heat through, followed by the soy milk.  Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot  in bowls or mugs topped with my optional, but recommended, Vegan Orange-Scented Kale and Pumpkin Seed Pesto.  I also LOVE this soup with a little “glug” of sherry added to each serving.

 

Vegan Orange-Scented Kale and Pumpkin Seed Pesto

4 cups stemmed, roughly chopped or torn, and lightly packed fresh kale

1 cup roasted and lightly salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds) (I purchase Trader Joe’s Brand)

1/4 cup olive oil or to taste

Zest of one medium naval orange

2 teaspoons fresh orange juice

Sea salt to taste, if needed

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Place kale and pepitas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  With the motor running, drizzle in the oil, and turn off the machine as soon as the last drop of oil has fallen in.  Remove the lid and add zest, juice and salt and pepper to taste.  Pulse a couple more times and then chill, tightly covered, before serving.

For 150+ additional inspired seasonal recipes, I invite you to peruse The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

 

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by betsy

FARM Publishes Vegan Kale and White Bean Stew (with Fennel and Vegan Sausage) from The Blooming Platter Cookbook in Today’s Meatout Monday eNewsletter

Thanks to FARM for not only publishing my vegan White Bean and Kale Stew recipe from The Blooming Platter Cookbook, but for also including nutritional information, Gimme Lean product information, and an article on the fast food-obesity connection.  Just click HERE to access the newsletter, including recipe.

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by betsy

VegKitchen Features The Blooming Platter Cookbook’s Vegan “White Bean and Kale Stew” with Fennel and Vegan Sausage

Has it turned chilly where you are?  If so, I thought you might appreciate a sneak preview of a nutritious and delicious winter soup that my omnivorous husband asks for by name.  If so, just click on the soup name below.

This beautiful “White Bean and Kale Stew” hails from The Blooming Platter Cookbook and was featured this week as the Veg Kitchen’s “Recipe of the Week.”  (Thanks, Nava Atlas!)  Not the ubiquitous white bean and kale stew that we all know and love, my recipe is extra special with the addition of fennel and vegan sausage.

Fragrant with that faintly anise scent so appealing and particular to fennel, and “kicked-up” with the addition of winter spices, this stew is like aromatherapy in a bowl.  And it’s very quick to make.

Our family started a tradition of making a special soup on Christmas Day because none of us wanted to repeat the (healthy) excesses of Thanksgiving less than a month before.  Plus we had come not to relish opening presents and then leaping up to hit the kitchen for hours of work–pleasant enough, but work all the same.  Our soup tradition takes any residual stress out of the day and has been enjoyed for several years.  If you have the same inclinations, this soup would make a lovely choice.

Please, everyone, have yourselves a wonderful holiday.  And stay-tuned for my extra special post for New Year’s Eve.  It may be the simplest, quickest and most beautiful “recipe”–if you can call it that–that I’ve posted in Blooming Platter history!

And, quickly, if you are in need of a last minute gift, I would like to suggest running out to your local bookseller and snagging a copy of The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.  (You can purchase it for 25% off its regular retail price through December 31!)  If you already have purchased one for yourself or others, my sincere thanks!  People’s generous support of TBPC has been extraordinary.

 

 

 

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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.

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