March 31, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Savory Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 4 Servings

This recipe was mentioned in a recent post as a perennial Thanksgiving favorite by my good friend since childhood, Donna Lynn. Even as kids, my sister and I never cared for those sweet potatoes smothered in pillows of marshmallow. So, we pounced on this recipe when we found it. Simple though they may be, the flavors of the ingredients, when combined, are more than the sum of their parts. While the original recipe contained dairy, I’ve veganized it here:

2 medium sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons soy sour cream (the original recipe called for 1/2 cup–nowadays that seems like too much of a good thing)
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried
2 green onions, sliced
Optional Garnish: 4 teaspoons sour cream and the green part of 1-2 green onions, finely sliced

Either bake the sweet potatoes, oiled and pierced, for 50 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven or microwave them on “high” until just tender, about 6-10 minutes. Cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the pulp and, using a fork, mash with next 3 ingredients until free of lumps. Stir in parsley and green onions and spoon lightly back into potato shells. If potatoes have cooled down more than you like, return to oven or microwave just until heated through. Serve warm with optional garnishes divided among the four halves.

Source: This recipe has been a family favorite for so long that we no longer know from whence it came, so I’m going to credit my sister Ginny as she discovered it initially.

March 29, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes

Yield: 2 servings

As hard as it may be to believe, it is a fallacy that egg is needed as a binder in baked goods or breading, as this recipe deliciously demonstrates.

½ cup whole wheat or unbleached all purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened soy milk (plain works too, but is a little sweeter)
½ cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
(feel free to season to taste with pinches of cumin, curry powder, smoked paprika, etc.)
2 medium-sized firm green tomatoes, cores removed and sliced into 1/3” slices
¼ inch canola oil in a 10-inch skillet

Heat oil over medium-high heat until a drop off water sizzles briskly. Watch oil closely and remove from heat if it starts to smoke. Meanwhile, place flour, soy milk and cornmeal into three separate small bowls. Divide the salt equally among all three. Add ¼ teaspoon of both the garlic and onion powders and 1/8 teaspoon of pepper to both the flour and the cornmeal. Stir to combine well.

Dip each tomato slice into flour, then soy milk, then cornmeal, coating well. Place into oil and cook for a couple of minutes or until golden brown. Carefully flip and repeat on the opposite side. Drain on paper towel or brown paper. Sprinkle with a little more salt and serve with the sauce of your choice. I prefer my Tahini Topping which can be dressed up in myriad ways. I like a plain version of the topping with a sprinkling of capers.

Note: You will have a little leftover flour, soy milk and cornmeal, but you need the ingredients to be deep enough in the bowls to coat the tomato slices easily. The ends of the tomatoes may not take the coating as nicely as the interior slices because of the slick skin vs. the absorbent flesh.

March 29, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Tomato Tart(s)

Yield: 4-4” tarts or 1-8” tart

This recipe was inspired last summer by the heirloom tomatoes at our local farmer’s market. I fell hopelessly in love with the nearly black-skinned ones. They tasted like more savory cousins of red plums, but still very sweet.

Some people may wonder why not just eat the tomatoes raw, and I do that too. However, in this tart, they become more of a complete meal. Yet the thickness of the slices and the short cooking time sets the topping while allowing the tomatoes to remain virtually uncooked.

Crust

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar or raw sugar
½ cup canola oil
2 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
(or, for less calories, 6 tablespoons oil and 4 tablespoons soy milk—works great, but the crust might be just a tiny bit less crispy)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix together all ingredients with a fork in a medium bowl. Press into the bottom and against sides of an 8” tart pan with a removable bottom. Or divide into 4 equal parts and do the same with 4-4” tart pans with removable bottoms. Try to keep the bottom and sides of the crust a similar thickness. Use a drinking glass to assist with the pressing if desired (as the glass allows you to compress the bottom and sides simultaneously). Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool approximately 3 minutes.

Filling

Enough ¼-inch thick tomato slices, preferably heirloom, to make two layers of tomato in shell(s)
12 ounces (1 ½ cups) Silken firm tofu or lite tofu
1 bunch fresh basil or dill OR 2 generous tablespoons dairy free pesto
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes (optional but recommended, especially if not using pesto)
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
Additional salt and pepper to taste
Optional topping: vegan Parmesan or a sprinkling of nutritional yeast
Optional garnish: fresh basil leaves or dill sprigs

Layer slices of tomato into each crust. Combine tofu with next five ingredients in a food processor and blend well. Spoon mixture on top of tomato layer(s) and spread gently almost to the edges. Sprinkle with optional topping if desired and bake 15 minutes or until topping is almost set. Remove tart pan(s) to a rack until they are cool enough to handle and then push the bottom disk up through the ring, set ring aside, and gently slide the tart off of the disk onto the serving plate. Garnish, if desired, with basil leaves or dill sprigs.

March 25, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Grits and Greens

Yield: 6-8 servings

It’s no secret that belts are tightening around the world. Here’s an inexpensive, healthy and simple dinner to make those metaphorical pants fit a little looser while taking advantage of late winter greens. Leftovers reheat well and the grits, especially, lend themselves to optional stir-ins besides the two I’ve included. (Fresh corn kernels sound good or maybe a little chipotle in adobo???) If you experiment, please share your concoctions. The nutritional yeast lends a rich cheesy flavor to the grits and the smoked almonds impart a “bacony” flavor.

This dish would be equally good with fresh spinach or collards, though the cooking time would need to be adjusted especially for the spinach. Thanks to my good pals Sharon and Trish for inspiring this go-to meal.

Grits

4 cups water
2 tablespoons vegan butter (I use Earth Balance)
1/4 teaspoon salt (if not using salted butter)
*1 cups stone-ground grits (not quick-cooking or instant)
2-4 cups unsweetened soy milk
freshly ground black pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
onion powder to taste
approximately 1 tablespoon of Amino Acids or to taste
approximately 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes or to taste

Optional stir-ins:

1 onion, sliced or diced and caramelized in a heavy skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon of
olive oil
Finely diced sundried tomatoes in oil, drained (use as much as you like)

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring water, salt (if using) and butter to a boil. Stir in the grits, return to a boil, and reduce the heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes or until the grits are very thick and have absorbed most of the water, stirring the pot occasionally to prevent the grits form sticking. Over the course of the next 50 minutes, add soy milk 1/2 cup at a time and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is cooked off or absorbed and the desired consistency is reached: very creamy but full-bodied enough to hold their shape. Mix in remaining ingredients, including optional stir-ins (one or both), before serving.

Note: I use Hoppin’ John’s Freshly Stone-Ground Old Fashioned Speckled White Grits from Charleston, SC, 803.577.6404.

Greens

1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2 heads of fresh kale, rinsed, with leaves and tender stems only chopped in slightly larger than bite-sized pieces, as they will reduce (compost remaining stems)
1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste
1/2-1 cup water
2-4 tablespoons red wine or apple cider vinegar or to taste
2 tablespoons maple syrup or to taste
Optional: a few whole or chopped smoked almonds

In a very large skillet or wok, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add kale and salt and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add water, starting with 1/2 cup, and cook, still stirring frequently, for another 5 or so minutes or until kale is softened and cooked down a little, but still bright green and not wilted. Stir in vinegar and syrup. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately over piping hot grits topped with optional chopped or whole smoked almonds.