April 4, 2012April 4, 2012 by betsy

Vegan White Bean and Kale Pesto Quesadillas with Tomato-Black Olive Salsa

Yield: 4 servings

What’s a gal to do when she needs to use her last little bit of Kale Pesto but is craving Southwestern food? Make White Bean and Kale Pesto Quesadillas, of course!

With its hazelnuts and orange zest, this one of my kale pestos seems a little Italian. So, I mixed it with cannellini beans and lightly caramelized onions (I’m usually too impatient to make true caramelized onions), and seasoned the mixture with a hint of dried oregano and smoked paprika. This creamy and tasty filling is the perfect consistency for a quesadilla filling.

For the salsa, I combined sliced black olives and vine-ripened tomatoes, a combo that could lean towards either Italy or the Southwest. So to nudge it toward The Boot, I sprinkled it with just a bit of balsamic vinegar.

Since kale is more of a cool weather veggie, and tomatoes like it warm, if tomatoes aren’t yet available in your farmers market, I would suggest substituting sundried tomatoes chopped a little more finely than the diced ones called for in the recipe. And, whatever you do, avoid the temptation to purchase sliced black olives in a can. They taste like what salt water would taste like if it was chewable. Instead, purchase olives whole from your grocery deli and slice them yourself.

Hurry and make this dish before this winter’s kale is all gone! You’ll have a new favorite in your repertoire.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, halved and then sliced

1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1-15.5 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup Vegan Kale, Toasted Hazelnut, and Orange Zest Pesto

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons vegan butter

4- 8 inch whole wheat tortillas (I buy a spelt four variety at Organic Depot that I love)

1/4 cup vegan sour cream

Tomato-Black Olive Salsa (recipe follows)

Approximately 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown. Lower heat to prevent burning if necessary. Add garlic and saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, pesto, oregano, and smoked paprika, and heat through. Scrape into a bowl and set aside. Wipe out skillet and heat/melt 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and vegan butter over medim-high. Meanwhile spread half of each of the 4 tortillas with 1/4 of bean mixture. Fold remaining half over and press gently to seal. Cook two at a time for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown and toasty. Keep warm while your repeat with the remaining quesadilla ingredients. To serve, cut each one in half, overlap one half on the other, top with 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1/4 cup of the salsa, and 1 tablespoon of the fresh basil or cilantro. Serve immediately.

Tomato-Black Olive Salsa

1/2 cup diced tomatoes (if tomatoes aren’t in season when kale is in your neck of the woods, substitute sundried ones)

1/2 cup sliced black olives (avoid using canned!)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small non-reactive bowl, and toss gently to combine. Set aside or refrigerate, covered, until serving time.

For 150+ more seasonal recipes, many with a flare for fusion, dip into The Blooming Platter Cookbook!

April 1, 2012April 1, 2012 by betsy

One Green Planet’s April Fool’s Day Tribute Includes Vegan “Knock-off-amole” aka Fresh Pea Guacamole from The Blooming Platter Cookbook

This recipe seemed like the perfect “fooled you” dish. And One Green Planet must have thought so too, as they published it today as one of their April Fool’s Day features!

My “Knock-off-amole” is so named because it is a delicious and nutritious guacamole “knock off” made with fresh green peas instead of avocado. And like every good art teacher knows, green and red are complementary colors, making each other “pop,” so the chopped tomato and diced red onion look glisteningly gorgeous in this Mexican-Southwestern dip.

There is nothing non-vegan or unhealthy about traditional guacamole; to the contrary avocado is high in “good” fat. So it wasn’t for those reasons that I sought a convincing substitute.

No, sadly, it was because I developed a food sensitivity or allergy to avocados in my twenties. It was a tragic day, as I was born in Texas, and loved my mother’s guac. However, even the tiniest bit left inside a veggie sushi slice even afer the avocado has been picked out does a number on me.

So, craving my Mama’s guacamole and perusing the farmer’s market last spring, it suddently occured to me that their beautiful fresh green peas might make a fine substitute. Indeed! Though no one will necessarily think they are eating avocado, they won’t care because it tastes so good and is deliciously respectful of its namesake.

Therefore, whether you are an avocado lover or not, I know you’ll enjoy this fresh take on an old favorite. Click HERE for the luscious recipe at One Green Planet.

February 2, 2012February 3, 2012 by betsy

Crash the Superbowl Snack Recipe #5: Vegan Queso Con Carne Dip

This hearty Vegan Queso Con Carne Dip is an oldie but goodie, and the essence of traditional Superbowl snacking.

Though this recipe lacks the seasonal influence of most of my other recipes, like those in The Blooming Platter Cookbook, frozen corn, soy crumbles, soy milk, and nutritional yeast makes it nutritious, and onions, green chilies, Ro-tel tomatoes, and a host of Mexican spices insures that it is fragrant and addicting.

Even though our dog Huff is co-starring in a “Crash the Superbowl” Doritos commercial. I like this “Queso” served with Frito “Scoops” to do just what the name says. And I don’t feel too badly, as Frito-Lay makes both products.

October 1, 2011October 2, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Southwestern Zucchini and Beans with Smoked Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream

I’m a MoFo Virgin. Hold on…get your mind out of the butter, I mean gutter. Well, same thing. Anyway, it’s just that today is the first day of “Vegan MoFo 2011,” that’s “Vegan Month of Food” for any neophytes out there, and it is my very first time to participate.

Click the link to visit the official Vegan MoFo Headquarters where you can learn more and subscribe to the feed…and we do mean feed!

Simply put, Vegan MoFo is a month-long celebration of vegan cooking and eating. Around the globe, vegan bloggers will be posting as much and as often as they can about vegan food. And you can be privy to it all by subscribing. You can also search Vegan MoFo online, as many bloggers, like me, use that category or tag.

Many thanks to vegan guru and cookbook author, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, and her Post Punk Kitchen for launching and maintaining Vegan MoFo. Isa and her team make it so easy to participate, even providing the cool banner (above) at no charge and with just a click to download–no copying of code into the bowels of one’s blog program–whew!

And now let the feast begin, quickly before the last of summer’s zucchini had withered up…

Yield: 4 servings (you will have leftover beans and cashew cream, but you won’t mind a bit!)

Plan to start making the Cashew Cream the day before you want to use it, as the cashews need to soak overnight.

Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream

3 cups raw cashews, divided in half (I buy Trader Joe’s reasonably affordable organic cashews)

1 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

Pinch of garlic powder

Sea salt to taste

Pinch of white pepper (black is fine; it just shows up more)

Zest of 1 small lime + juice of half of the lime

First make basic cashew cream: Place 1 1/2 cups of cashews covered with water in an airtight container and let soak, refrigerated, overnight. The next day, rinse and drain the cashews in a colander, and place into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add remaining cashews and process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. The processing will take several minutes. Remove a generous cup of the cream to a small bowl. Transfer the remaining cream into an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator for another use. (Adding a little sugar, vanilla and lime zest makes a lovely cream topping for sweet dishes.) To the cup of cream in the bowl, whisk in the remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Begin making beans early in the day, as they will need to soak;

1 pound bag of Anasazi beans (pinto beans or something similar would also work great)

10 cups of water, divided into 6 and 4

1 tablespoon of salt + more to taste

2 bay leaves

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup vegan beer or nonalcoholic beer (not all brands are vegan)

1/2 cup diced tomatoes (canned or fresh)

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder (you can use any chili powder you like, but I am especially fond of the characteristics of chipotle powder)

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/2 of a medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 zucchini

Pinch of sea salt

1 medium tomato, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 cup of Smoked Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream (recipe above)

Optional garnish: vegan sour cream, cilantro sprigs or chopped cilantro, and/or roasted pumpkin seeds

Bring beans and 6 cups of water to boil over medium-high heat in a covered 4-quart saucepan. Reduce heat and gently boil for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let beans sit for about 6 hours. Add remaining 4 cups of water, tablespoon of salt, bay leaves, and garlic, and gently boil uncovered for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until most of the water is evaporated. During the last half hour, add the beer, the 1/2 cup of diced tomatoes, and the cumin, oregano, and chipotle chili powder. Adjust heat as necessary. The bean mixture should be quite soft and creamy, but the beans should still hold their shape. Check for seasoning and adjust to suit your taste.

Meanwhile, heat the tablespoon of olive oil to shimmering in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, zucchini, and salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until softened and beginning to develop some color. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 2 cups of the bean mixture plus the diced fresh tomato. Cover and refrigerate remaining bean mixture for another use.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil 4 gratin dishes and divide bean mixture evenly among them. Drizzle-dollop one-quarter of the Smoked Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream over each serving. Place the dishes on a baking sheet for easy transport, slide the sheet into the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Serve hot dolloped with vegan sour cream and sprinkled with cilantro and or roasted pumpkin seeds if desired.

For more than 150 additional mouthwatering recipes to celebrate all year long, I invite you to check out The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

September 8, 2011August 20, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Nachos with Sage-Scented White Beans and Cheddar-Spinach Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

I love nachos. Does anyone not love nachos? I imagine I would love any riff on a vegan nacho that anyone could think up. I know I am passionate about this one.

It all started with the cheese sauce. I wanted to make a cheddary-spinach sauce using fresh finely chopped spinach. I added a fair amount of nutritional yeast to the sauce ingredients which gave them that “pot pie” flavor. Do you know the one I mean?

I had planned all along to load up the fresh corn tortilla quarters (not tortilla chips!) with a white bean, onion, and bell pepper mixture. But when I tasted my cheese sauce, I knew instantly that the beans needed to be flavored differently than I’d first imagined. And that only one herb would do: fresh sage from the garden. The sage marries particularly beautifully with this sauce, so while I normally encourage experimentation, I would, in this case, encourage you to follow the recipe closely. At least the first time. After that, riff to your heart’s content!

When the “not-chos” came out of the oven, I knew the flavor would be just right, but they definitely needed more color contrast. Hence, a tiny dab of vegan sour cream and a teeny wedge of fresh local tomato.

Honestly? They are irresistible.

4-6 inch corn tortillas, cut into quarters

Sage-Scented White Beans (recipe follows)

Cheddar -Spinach Sauce (recipe follows–you will have sauce leftover)

Approximately 4 teaspoons vegan sour cream

16 tiny wedges of fresh tomato

Position oven rack in top position and preheat oven to broil. Place tortilla quarters on a Silpat-lined baking sheet and divide white bean topping evenly among the tortillas. Top with a drizzle of about 1/2 teaspoon Cheddar-Spinach sauce and broil for about 3 minutes or until heated through and a little toasty on the edges. Remove from heat, transfer to plates or a serving platter, and top each nacho with about 1/4 teaspoon vegan sour cream and a tiny wedge of fresh tomato.

Vegan Cheddar-Spinach Sauce

2 cups fresh baby spinach, finely chopped in food processor and transferred to a 2 quart saucepan

1/4 cup roasted and lightly salted cashew pieces

1/4 cup roasted and lightly salted macadamia nuts (Note: if you prefer, you can substitute another 1/4 cup of cashew pieces)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk

1 tablespoon light miso

1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat)

1/4 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer

In the bowl of the food processor in which you chopped the spinach, place nuts and nutritional yeast, pulsing until very finely chopped and almost a powder. Add remaining ingredients and process until quite smooth. Pour into saucepan with spinach and stir well. In a small cup, whisk together flour and beer, and stir into sauce. Heat over medium to medium-high heat, stirring continually, for 3 to 5 minutes or until flour no longer tastes raw and sauce is heated through. Adjust seasoning with salt and garlic and onion powders. Set aside or keep warm over a double boiler.

Sage-Scented White Bean Topping

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

sea salt

2 medium cloves garlic, minced

1/2 medium orange bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice (yellow or red bell pepper would be nice too)

2-15.5 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

8 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped

freshly ground black pepper

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil until shimmering. Add onion and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and continue sauteing for another 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and saute, still stirring frequently, for 3 more minutes or until onions are quite soft and bell peppers are softened. Add beans and heat through. Turn off heat, add additional tablespoon of olive oil, and mash coarsely with a potato masher. Stir in sage and season to taste with salt and pepper.

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.

May 21, 2011May 21, 2011 by betsy

The Blooming Platter Cookbook Featured Again by Veggie Girl

TBPC_backcover_for_web1 — Back Cover, The Blooming Platter Cookbook

Dianne “Veggie Girl” confesses on her blog that, although she usually doesn’t feature the same cookbook twice in her “Cookbook Project” series, my vegan Carrot Cake Pancakes with Cream Cheese-Orange Sauce inspired her to break with tradition and feature The Blooming Platter Cookbook for Project 19 and 20. Thank you, Diane!

I commend her substitution of Spelt flour for the whole wheat. I do that myself sometimes and am a fan!

This week, she chose to prepare a total of four recipes from The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. I trust it will always give me a thrill to see my recipes prepared by someone else!

In fact, I would have loved to have eaten at Dianne’s house this week as this was such a busy one for me that my dinner one night was my Vegan Cheddar “Cheese” Spread on Melba toast and nothing at all last night!

This week included, in addition to a two hour appointment after work on Tuesday to have my braces removed and a beautiful closing exhibition reception for my students and their artwork at Old Dominion University’s Virginia Beach Higher Ed Center on Thursday, lots of cooking for the “Incredible Edibles” cookbook launch party that is tonight (so excited!).

So while I practiced poor nutritional habits, at least at night, Veggie Girl, in addition to my carrot cake pancakes, whipped up a batch of my Zucchini-Stuffed Shells with Blooming Marinara Sauce, my Caramelized Onion and Spinach Quesadillas (with White Bean Cheese) and my “White Cheese” Pizza with Kale and Sun-Dried Tomatoes.

Her addition of a pinwheel garnish of avocado slices on the quesadilla was gorgeous (but, sadly, I’m allergic to them). And her addition of Shitake mushrooms and red onion to the pizza looked like the delicious confetti that I’m sure it was.

It’s barely 5:25 a.m. and my mouth is watering for Italian and Southwestern food!

March 30, 2011April 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Spicy Spiked Skillet Chili

Yield: 4-6 servings

If you live in a part of the world where temperatures have dipped–or never rose to begin with–this ultra-simple, ultra-satisfying chili will warm you from the inside out. However, if you live in warmer climes, a bowl of this spicy soup just might get a little perspiration going and cool you down–nature’s own air conditioning.

The most difficult part of making this dish is waiting while the chili simmers for 25 minutes to allow the flavors to marry.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

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

2 large cloves garlic, chopped

8 ounces tempeh

sea salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground oregano

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon smoked, sweet or spicy paprika

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1-15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice

12 ounces light beer or non-alcoholic beer (see note below)

1 tablespoon miso paste (any kind)

1 tablespoon brown rice syrup or agave nectar

(Note: you may substitute 2 tablespoons of tomato paste for the miso paste and the brown rice syrup.)

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup frozen corn

1-15.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

Optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Optional garnishes: dollops of my Vegan Cheddar “Cheese,” dollops of vegan sour cream, and cilantro sprigs

Optional accompaniment: Frito Scoops for “Frito Chili Pie”

Heat oil to shimmering in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Crumble tempeh into the pa, add all spices and saute, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or just until tempeh starts to brown. Add all remaining ingredients and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 25 minutes or until all flavors have married. Serve hot garnished as desired.

Note: According to Ali Tadayon in “Beware the Beer: Is Yours Vegan,” found in the Vegan Mainstream e-newsletter, not all beer is vegan, as it may include albium (derived from animal blood), isinglass (derived from the swim bladders of fish), gelatin, charcoal, pepsin, lactose, and even insects. She recommends the following vegan-approved beers: Amstel, Corona, Heineken, New Belgium Brewery, Pabst Brewing, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, and Tecate over these non-vegan ones: Castle Rock Brewery, Guinness, Newcastle Brown Ale, and Red Stripe.

February 28, 2011October 12, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip Gets All Dressed Up

Presentation is everything, no?

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

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

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

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