June 20, 2017June 20, 2017 by betsy

Vegan Carrot Fries
with Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce

Yield: 4 servings (8 carrot sticks each)

True confession: Far from vegan, Bob’s diet leaves much to be desired. So, in an attempt to help him make somewhat better choices, I have encouraged fish, even fried fish. (Sorry.) I don’t partake BUT I do make a kick@$$ batter, if I do say so, and it is delicious on, as I discovered for lunch today, carrot sticks to make “Carrot Fries.”

My presentation is cute as can be don’t you think? And the Lemon-Basil dipping sauce so summery and lick-your-fingers delish.

Vegetable oil

1 cup all-purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-12 ounce (vegan) beer, alcholohic or non-alcoholic ( you won’t need quite all of it)

1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard (I use pommery)

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (I use Sriracha)

32 carrot sticks about 3 1/2 inches long (I purchase them already in sticks, but if you prefer, trip and scrape slim carrots, cut them into 3 1/2-inch lengths, and then cut each into quarters lengthwise)

Sea salt

Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)

Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large skillet and heat to approximately 350 degrees over medium or medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Gradually whisk in beer until mixture is the consistency of pancake batter. Whisk in mustard and hot sauce. (You can taste it, but it will likely not taste especially appealing, though it is delicious after frying.) Dip carrot sticks into batter, one at a time, to completely coat and immediately transfer to oil. Fry about 10 to 11 at a time or until golden brown on one side, flip with tongs, and fry on the other side until evenly golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Remove to prepared baking sheet, lightly sprinkle with sea salt, and continue with remaining carrot sticks and batter. Serve in a martini glass with Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce at the bottom.

Lemon-Basil Dipping Sauce

1 cup plain vegan yogurt (most of it is too sweet for my palate, so I prefer vegan sour cream)

Zest of 1/2 large lemon (use the whole lemon if you prefer a more pronounced lemon flavor)

1 teaspoon fresh minced basil, or to taste

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Refrigerate, covered, until serving time.

January 16, 2017January 16, 2017 by betsy

Vegan Maple-Mustard Roasted Tri-Color Roasted Carrots
with Lemon

Yield: 8 servings

This Christmas, one of new traditions, I didn’t make a single recipe for Christmas Dinner that I had ever made before. All turned out to be new favorites, and none prettier than this delightful dish of roasted tri-color carrots (photographed pre-roasting). Everyone knows that maple and mustard is a winning combination, but I think the secret ingredient is the sliced lemon that gets roasted right along with the carrots.

2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 1/2 pounds rainbow carrots, scrubbed, halved lengthwise, and then cut into two-inch pieces
1 lemon, thinly sliced, seeds removed

Preheat oven to 450° and lightly oil a large roasting pan. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, cumin seeds, salt and pepper. Place carrots and lemon in prepared pan, drizzle with oil mixture, and toss to coat. Roast, gently stirring occasionally, until carrots are tender and lemons are caramelized, about 35 to 40 minutes. You may roast the carrots several hours ahead, let them cool, cover and chill them. About a half hour before serving time, bring them to room temperature and reheat for a few minutes in a 350 degree oven or in microwave.

February 16, 2016February 16, 2016 by betsy

Vegan Middle Eastern Roasted Tri-Color Carrots and Fennel with Cucumber-Chickpea “Yogurt” Sauce

Middle Eastern Roasted Carrots with Yogurt, Chickpea, Cucumber Topping Yield: 6 servings

On Saturday, I found myself bringing home produce before I had even prepared produce from a Whole Foods run a couple of weeks ago. Afraid that something would go bad before I could get to it, I just combined the beautiful tri-color carrots from the earlier trip with today’s fennel bulb. I also roasted golden beets, but in a foil pouch and I’m not yet sure what I’m going to do with those little beauties.

In the meantime, enjoy this lovely dish with it’s mellow Middle Eastern flavor notes in either–or both–of two ways. There are lots of tried and true carrot marriages, e.g. dill, mustard, orange, and maple. But I wanted something a little different. So, while I did include mustard and dried orange peel, I substituted tamarind syrup for maple and added several of my favorite Middle Eastern spices. If you aren’t able to find tamarind or pomegranate syrup, maple will be tasty; and fresh lemon zest–say 1/2 teaspoon– is a fine substitution for sumac, just not quite as earthy.

As you can see below, the carrots are a beautiful side dish and I hope you’ll trust me on the taste. However, yesterday, home form school for President’s Day, I wanted a lunch of the carrots, but with some protein. Remembering that I had purchased a cucumber on Saturday and had some chickpeas and vegan sour cream on hand (here, no one sells unsweetened vegan yogurt), it occured to me that, combined, they would make a luscious and fresh-tasting protein-packed sauce for the carrots. And they were. Enjoy these beautiful roots as a side or a main dish and you’ll be blissfully content either way.

Middle Eastern Roasted Carrots

1 fennel bulb with stalks

1 pound tri-color carrots (or any carrots, really), trimmed, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces on the bias

1 tablespoon olive oil

Sea Salt

Freshly ground black peopper

1 tablespoon tamarind or pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

1 teaspoon dried coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried orange peel

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon sumac

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

4 cloves garlic, halved

Optional Cucumber-Chickpea “Yogurt” Sauce (recipe follows)

Optional Garnish: reserved fennel fronds, whole or chopped pistachios, and smoked paprika (note, if you serve the carrots with the sauce, stir the fennel fronds into it and garnish with the pistachios and smoked paprika)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Remove fennel fronds from stalks, finely chop, and store, covered, in the refrigerator. Trim stalks from fennel bulb and cut into 1-inch pieces on the bias. Cut bulb in half and then slice each half into 6 to 8 wedges, about 3/4-inch thick at the widest part. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil into a large roasting pan. Add fennel stalks and bulb wedges, carrots, and about 1/2 teaspoon sea salt adn 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Stir well to coat vegetables with oil. Roast for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Whisk together molasses, mustard, corander, cumin, orange peel, smoked paprika, garlic powder and turmeric. Drizzle over vegetables, add garlic, and stir to coat. Roast another 10 to 20 minutes, stirring after 10, or until desired degree of caramelization is achieved. (I like a lot of caramelization, so I roast them another 20, but be aware that the sugar content in the syrup means that too they will scorch more easily after it is added.) Check for seasoning and stir in more salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature garnished, if desired, with the reserved fennel fronds, pistachios, and smoked paprika, or topped with the Cucumber-Chickpea “Yogurt” Sauce and garnished as desired.

Cucumber-Chickpea “Yogurt” Sauce

1/2 cup vegan unsweetened yogurt or sour cream

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1-7 to 8-inch cucumber, diced

Reserved finely chopped fennel fronds

1/8th teaspoon garlic powder

Pinch sea salt and freshly ground pepper

In a medium bowl, fold together all ingredients until well combined and chill in the refrigerator, covered, until serving time.

November 24, 2013November 24, 2013 by betsy

Countdown to Thanksgiving–Day #4: Vegan Lemony Parsnip Puree

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA As I noted in the original post of this recipe, it was here that my love affair with the humble parsnip began.

And how nice it is to be able to “whip” up a simple dish for a cooking-intensive holiday!

January 19, 2013January 19, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Gratin of Carmelized Onion and Fresh Fennel, White Beans, and Kale (Non-vegan Husband-Approved!

Yield: 4 main dish servings or 6-8 side dish servings.

This is rustic, yet healthy, comfort food–just the kind of food I crave in winter.

You can call this delectable melange a side dish or a main dish but, regardless, just call me when it’s ready!

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium-large onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch silvers

1 medium-large fennel bulb, halved, cored, and cut into 1/3-inch slivers

Sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon vegan butter (I use Earth Balance, but you could substitute olive oil)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1-15.5 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups finely chopped fresh kale (I use the food processor for this task)

1/4 cup minced fresh fennel fronds (I use the food processor for this task too)

Freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray an 9-inch ceramic baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. Pour one generous tablespoon of olive oil into a large roasting pan. Add onion, fennel, and a generous pinch of salt, toss well to coat, and roast for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10, until onion and fennel have developed some nice golden color. (Note: if you don’t want to wait this long, boost the oven temperature to 450 degrees and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 and watching closely). While vegetables roast, make breadcrumbs: in a one-quart saucepan or small skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add crumbs, toss to coat, and continue cooking and stirring until lightly golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat. When the onion and fennel have caramelized, remove the pan from the oven and stir in the white beans followed by the kale and fennel fronds. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season to taste with additional sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Spoon into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle evenly with crumbs, and bake just until heated through and crumbs are rich golden-brown, about 15 minutes.

November 26, 2012November 26, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Roasted Garlic Whipped Cauliflower

Yield: 4-6 servings

I’ll just confess right off the bat that I have no specific proportions for this dish inspired by my dear friend Yvette Hetrick. For some of you, the lack of a precise formula may come as a great relief, as you can ad lib to your heart’s content.

I started off keeping track of what I was adding for flavor. However, since I was working in 3 batches for the number of guests we had for Thanksgiving–and since I kept adjusting–I gave up at some point. (And, by the way, a double recipe would have been plenty for 8 people; I enjoyed lots of leftovers!)

So, following is all you need to know to veganize this old “Weight Watchers” standard to suit YOUR taste. Don’t let the dish’s dietary “roots” turn you off; it’s just that, ounce for ounce, cauliflower has far fewer calories than potatoes. However, by the time I get finished doctoring it up, I’m not sure how many fewer calories it actually has. But it does have it’s own unique flavor somewhere between cauliflower and potatoes. And for that reason alone, it’s a keeper. By all means, feel free to go easy on the ‘butta, sour cream and such, and then you can reap the low-cal benefits.

Be forewarned: cauliflower is LOADED with fiber, so it is very easy to feel overly full after a moderate portion of this dish. Of course, you could just exercise some portion control, but it is so tasty that that is easier than it sounds!

4 cups water

Sea salt

1 large head of cauliflower, cored, broken into florets, rinsed and drained

1 head roasted garlic (rub whole head with olive oil and roast at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until very soft)

Any or all of the following in whatever proportions you desire; let taste be your guide: vegan butter, vegan sour cream, vegan cream cheese, and nutritional yeast (do NOT omit the cheesy “nooch”!)

Pinch white pepper

Optional garnish: snipped fresh chives

In a 4-quart covered saucepan, bring generously salted water to a boil. Add cauliflower, loosely cover pan, and gently boil for about 6 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary. Drain cauliflower and WHILE IT IS STILL WARM (that is very important), add half the head of garlic and season to taste with vegan butter, sour cream, cream cheese, nutritional yeast, additional salt, and white pepper. If desired, add some or all of the remaining roasted garlic. Serve warm garnished if desired.

January 9, 2012January 14, 2012 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.

July 29, 2011August 13, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Thai-Fusion Beet Sushi with Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo

Yield: approximately 12 pieces of sushi

With beets in the fridge and an ever-present craving for Thai food, I decided to “bring” this dish to An Unrefined Vegan’s weekly Vegan LINKY Potluck 7 today.

My husband, “a vegan and more” as he likes to call himself, is wild for sushi. Many are the times I’ve sat and sipped miso soup, sake, and hot green tea while he satiates himself on huge platters of the stuff.

I think it is absolutely beautiful. The colors and presentations are beyond reproach. It’s just the death and dying aspect I have issues with.

So, being a huge fan of beets and able to buy them fresh and local this summer, I was trimming some one day when I had an “ah-ha” moment. It suddenly occurred to me that thin translucent slices of beet were reminiscent of raw fish flesh and that, perhaps, if I simmered them in some seaweed brine, they might also have a pleasant taste of the sea. And they did!

For some reason, my taste buds were telling me to go with a Thai-fusion approach, so I created a mayo–more often served in hand rolls than on sushi per se–tingly with typical Thai tastes. As the base, I decided on a sticky coconut rice. The combination of tastes and textures is as delicious as it is beautiful. I’m so excited to share this stunning dish with you!

Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo:

Note: you may have more than you need, but save it for another purpose or for extra dipping, as working with smaller amounts is a little tedious in the measuring department. Also, I refrigerated my sushi for a few hours before serving, which is why it turned pink. It starts out more of a pale creamy color with flecks of green.

3 tablespoons vegan mayo

1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce

1 teaspoon vegan fish sauce

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (about a 3/4-inch piece peeled and grated)

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Coconut Sticky Rice:

1 cup jasmine rice

1-15 ounce can thick coconut milk (not the sweet “Cream of Coconut)

Pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce (sold as vegetarian fish sauce at Asian markets)

Combine rice, coconut milk, and sea salt in a loosely-covered 2-quart saucepan (I like a non-stick for this) and place over medium-high heat. When mixture comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium or a bare simmer and cook, stirring frequently (or it will scorch on the bottom!), for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice appears moist and sticky. Removed from heat, stir in vegan fish sauce, and set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, cook beets.

Beets:

2 cups water

1/4 cup dulse flakes (red seaweed flakes)

Pinch sea salt

Approximately 3 medium beets, peeled, and thinly sliced into whatever shape/size you desire to sit nicely atop their rice bases (I halved them lengthwise, placed the flat side down, and then thinly sliced them).

In a 1-quart saucepan, stir together water, dulse flakes, and sea salt. Add beets, cover loosely, and place over medium-high heat. Simmer gently, reducing heat if necessary, just until beets are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, but avoid rinsing. Some of the dulse may adhere to a few of the slices and, if so, just brush off with your fingers rather than rinsing. Let cool to room temperature.

Assembly:

Scoop up palm-size balls of rice (about 1/12 of the total amount) and squeeze firmly in your palm, shaping into a “log” about 2 1/2 inches long and about 3/4 to 1-inch tall. Place on a work surface, spread with about 1/2 teaspoon of the Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo, and top with beets, however many slices cover the top nicely. I like to slightly overlap 3 small slices so that the sushi can be eaten in several bites. Transfer to a serving platter or plates. Repeat with remaining ingredients and garnish platter or plates as desired.

Optional garnishes:

Whatever you have and/or think would be pretty is what you should use! I used dabs of spinach pesto because green is so pretty with the color of the beets (but dabs of a mint or cilantro chutney or mint/cilantro oil squeezed into decorative lines would be nice too), cilantro sprigs (but Thai basil or mint would be lovely), and cashews (though chopped peanuts would be appropriate too).

June 14, 2011June 15, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Parsnip, Kasha, and Spinach Fritters with Indian Cilantro or Mint Chutney

These uniquely delicious fritters proved worthy of a very special celebration.

Monday night, ten of my beloved Advanced and Advanced Placement (AP) art students gathered for an end-of-year celebratory dinner at my home.

For several years, I have marked the conclusion of each academic year for these classes with an in-school soy yogurt parfait breakfast. This year, though, in light of the publication of my Blooming Platter Cookbook, they requested a vegan dinner party, and I was more than happy to oblige.

For starters, I served these Parsnip, Kasha and Spinach Fritters which received “extra credit” from my discriminating students. Also on the menu were:

Indian Spiced Lentil Sloppy Joe’s (I altered Food Network’s Aarti Sequeira’s Bombay Sloppy Joe recipe quite a bit, substituting steamed lentils for turkey and spicing them up a bit more; I will post when I’ve made the recipe again, and actually written down the ingredients);

Oven-Baked Three-Spice Sweet Potato Fries;

A barley, cous-cous and kasha salad featuring finely diced cucumber, red onion, basil, and lightly sauteed homegrown yellow squash-from one of my student’s garden;

and TFLC Cookies (Tea-Infused Five-Spice Lime & Chocolate Cookies)–stay tuned for this slightly exotic, but simple recipe.

Over dessert, I gave out my annual certificates to the AP students. Each one is specially illustrated and worded to reflect his or her Concentration theme and unique approach to the exploration of that theme. This year, I also gave out gifts that the students had made each other as a last “Creative Challenge.” After drawing a classmate’s name out of a basket, each student was tasked with creating a portrait of that person, i.e. a physical likeness done in the student artist’s own trademark style. Everyone loved their portraits and, as one student said, couldn’t stop looking at herself! At their request, we had an impromptu mini-critique of the artwork around the dining table; the best dinner conversation! The pieces–not to mention the students–are priceless, as you will see (I’ll post a photo soon).

They all agreed that this event should be an annual occurrence, and I concur!

To earn your own high marks for these teen- and teacher-approved fritters, here is the simple recipe:

Vegan Parsnip, Kasha, and Spinach Fritters

Yield: 36

1 cup cooked and cooled Kasha (prepared according to package directions)

1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled parsnip and onion puree (see below)

2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped coarse-fine in the food processor

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

Pinch chipotle chili powder

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest

Accompaniment: prepared cilantro and/or mint chutney (I purchase jars of these chutneys in a local Indian market, but any savory chutney with a contrasting color would be delicious and pretty)

Garnish: very thin slices or miniature “spears” of green onion and tiny leaves from a compatible herb (I used Thai basil buds)

Serving suggestion: place each fritter on a fresh baby spinach leaf

In a large cast-iron skillet, heat about 1/2-inch canola oil until a drop of water splattered on top sizzles. Fry generous tablespoons of the mixture (I use a small scoop with a lever), about 9 at a time, for two minutes on each side or until golden brown. Turn with a metal spatula. They may feel slightly stuck on the bottom, but they will loosen easily. Drain on paper towels, keep warm in a low oven, and serve warm or at room temperature accompanied and garnished as desired. The fritters may be made ahead, drained, cooled, covered and reheated, uncovered, for about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Parsnip Puree:

3 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced cross-wise into 3/4-inch thick rings

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

2-3 cups unsweetened soymilk

Pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place parsnips and onion slices in a large cast-iron skillet. Pour soymilk over almost to cover. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover loosely, and simmer over medium-high heat until parsnips are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Avoid letting all of moisture evaporate. Scrape mixture, including any remaining milk (don’t worry if top surface looks a little “scummy”), into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, until almost smooth.