October 30, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Savory Sundaes (Made with Vegan Tater-Tot Potato Salad)

Yield: 6-8 servings

I recently created this recipe in response to a contest. Regardless of whether I win, I have a super-cute new savory side dish served up like a sundae or banana split. (Don’t worry…it’s not too cute.) The contest sponsors were looking for a side dish to serve with barbecue. When I started thinking about my favorites, I couldn’t choose just one, so I combined all the “barbecue side” flavors and textures that I love into an ultra-easy multi-component dish: potato salad, barbecue sauce, dill pickles, a smoky taste, and, I admit it, I like fried food in moderation, so something fried.

In these vegan sundaes, dill pickle spears replace the banana, a Vegan Tater-Tot Potato Salad the ice cream, barbecue sauce the ice cream topping, vegan sour cream the whipped cream, a cherry tomato the cherry, and chopped smoked almonds the chopped pecans. The Tater-Tots yield that crispy texture of fried foods that I love. Of course, you can substitute your favorite potato salad and barbecue sauce recipe or even purchased varieties.

However, I hope you will try my Vegan Tater-Tot Potato Salad at some point, as I think you’ll love the taste and texture. Though the outer crust of the potatoes isn’t as crispy after the potato salad has sat overnight, it is still appealing and enough different that it doesn’t seem like “the same ‘ole.” (Although, “the same ‘ole” is pretty darn good.)

To serve, I used sundae glasses instead of banana boats, as I discovered I don’t have any of the latter. (If anyone needs any holiday gift giving ideas for me…) Either way, the presentation is as fun as the dish is tasty.

12-16 dill pickle spears (or 6-8 spears, cut in half)
1 recipe Vegan Tater-Tot Salad, warm (see recipe below or use your favorite potato salad)
1/2-3/4 cup Bloomin‘ Barbecue Sauce, warm (search my index for this recipe or use your favorite, including a purchased variety)
8-12 teaspoons vegan sour cream
4-6 cherry tomatoes (or 2-3 cherry tomatoes halved, if large)
2-3 tablespoons smoked almonds, chopped

In 4-6 banana split boats or sundae glasses, place two pickle spears (or two halves). For each split or sundae, nestle on top 1-2 scoops Vegan Tater-Tot Salad. Top with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, 2 teaspoons vegan sour cream, a cherry tomato (whole or half) and 1/2 tablespoon chopped smoked almonds. Serve immediately.

Vegan Tater-Tot Salad:

6 servings Tater-Tots (approximately 54 “tots”)
5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
5 tablespoons vegan sour cream
1 tablespoon sweet salad cubes or pickle relish
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt or powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 stalks celery, finely diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced parsley

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place “tots” on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and transfer to another sheet to cool slightly. (They don’t need the full recommended cooking time.) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together next 10 ingredients. Stir in celery, green onions and parsley. When “tots” are just cool enough to handle, break in half into bowl with dressing. Stir together well. Serve warm. Reheat in microwave if necessary.

August 4, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Tostones (Fried Plantains) with Spicy Lime Sea Salt

Yield: 2-4 servings

I’m not quite sure why I got a taste for tostones with a coarse citrusy spiced salt, but I did and what I concocted is indeed tasty. Typically served as a Puerto Rican side dish with black beans and yellow rice, tostones are also quite good on their own as an appetizer. Their crispy golden crust encases a creamy and subtlely sweet interior that is perfectly balanced by the zing of my zesty salt.

Spicy Lime Sea Salt:

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pinch ancho chili powder (or your favorite variety–not too spicy unless you’re looking to heat things up)
1 pinch ground allspice
1 pinch ground cumin
1 pinch ground coriander
1 pinch ground curry powder
zest of one-half of a fresh lime

Using your fingers, lightly combine all ingredients in a small bowl or cup. Feel free to substitute any herbs and spices you like. Hold them together under your nose and whiff. If the aroma is appealing, they will probably be tasty together.

Tostones:

approximately 2 cups of canola oil (enough to reach 1/2-inch in large cast iron skillet)
2 plantains, peeled and sliced on the slight bias (diagonal) into 1-inch pieces

Optional Garnish: lime wedges or slices and sprigs of fresh cilantro

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high until a drop of water sputters. If it begins to smoke, it is too hot. Remove from heat and allow to cool down for a couple of minutes before continuing, as the high sugar content of plantains makes them susceptible to burning.

Place plantains into the oil and cook until LIGHTLY golden in color on both sides, approximately a minute on each side. Remove slices from skillet and drain on paper towels. Place each slice between two pieces of waxed paper and, being careful not to burn your hand, flatten with your palm to about 1/4″ thick. One firm press ought to do it. Return flattened slices to the skillet and continue frying until golden brown on both sides, approximately another 30 seconds to one minute per side. Remove slices from skillet, drain on paper towels and, while still warm, transfer to a serving plate(s). Sprinkle with Spicy Lime Sea Salt. (You will have extra salt for another dish.) Garnish, if desired, with slices of lime and sprigs of fresh cilantro. Serve warm or room temperature.

July 20, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Smashed Plantains

Yield: 4 servings

Plantains may be my new favorite side dish. With their pleasant sweetness, about on the same scale as a potato, and unmatched texture, they play very nicely with others. Think of my recipe as a starting point for your own creations (and please share any you come up with). These plantains are delicious as is, but lend themselves to endless adaptations through the addition of other ingredients from herbs and spices to scallions and other veggies to chopped nuts.

3 large ripe (not green) plantains, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil
3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk or coconut milk
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
generous 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
generous 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional Garnish: a drizzle of olive oil and fresh cilantro, sprigs or minced

Place plantain pieces in a steamer basket in a large saucepan over simmering water. Cover with lid and steam for 10 minutes or until a knife can be easily inserted into the center of one of the pieces. Turn off heat and carefully remove basket. Place plantain pieces into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add remaining ingredients, except garnishes and pulse until fluffy and completely combined, adding more soy or coconut milk if necessary to reach desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Spoon into a serving bowl or individual serving plates and garnish if desired. Serve warm.

Note: I tried both pressing the plantains through a ricer and mashing them with a potato masher, but neither worked well, as they were too firm. I suppose I could have steamed them longer, but I liked their consistency, so the food processor is the ticket.

July 6, 2009February 10, 2011 by betsy

BD’s Grilled Summer Squash with Chutney

Yield: 4 servings

You know how sometimes the most memorable meals are the simplest? Well, that was decidedly the case last summer when I visited with friends Iona Drozda and Brenda Davidson aka “BD” at their respite of a home known as Wren House. (You’d never know you were in the ‘burbs.)

Despite a warm summer drizzle, we sat out next to the wood burning stove near the lake while BD perfectly grilled ciabatta bread which we ate on the porch overlooking their “relaxed” formal garden. She served it with a refreshing and slightly “zingy” veggie salad.

This summer, they sent me the accompanying photo as a teaser which I asked if I could post. Iona, a wonderful artist, was embarrassed that she hadn’t “styled” the photo, but I thought it was “stylish” in its simplicity. Check out those “unretouched” grill marks! So I requested instructions for these “beauties” as Iona referred to them, which BD was happy to supply below. Their squash came straight out of the aforementioned garden, so if you don’t “grow your own,” try to visit your local farmer’s market, though a grocery store will do.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,

I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:

A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press

Spring 2011

Photo Credit: Iona Drozda

June 21, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Asparagus-Red Pepper Puff Pastry Bundles

My friend Anne Frerichs, quite an inspired cook in her own right, created this scrumptious version of my Vegan Green Bean Bundles. Aren’t the colors beautiful? She took them to a summer barbecue, but the colors would make them a festive addition to the winter holiday table (provided you can find good and affordable asparagus in December).

She followed my recipe at:
/search?q=Vegan+Green+Bean+Bundles

with these adaptations (paraphrased):

“All I did was roast the asparagus in extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and a good balsamic vinegar until bright green and slightly underdone. Then I wrapped them up with a strip of red bell pepper in the puff pastry and baked them like you said. I did sort of brush the tips with some extra balsamic vinegar just to give that first bite a little “kick,”but I don’t think it was necessary. “

Thanks, Anne. This is a keeper for sure!

June 6, 2009February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Sweet Potatoes Caribbean

Yield: 4 servings

This recipe was inspired by a childhood favorite. My mom used to serve mashed sweet potatoes on a ring of pineapple with a marshmallow baked on top. I borrowed that presentation sans marshmallow for my tropical take on a southern staple.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

May 31, 2009February 8, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Green Bean Puff Pastry Bundles (with Red Bell Pepper Option)

Yield: 12 bundles (approximately 4 servings)

Pure joy is learning that Pepperidge Farm brand puff pastry sheets are vegan. These little bundles of joy are delicious as a side dish or as an hors d’oeuvre. They are so scrumptious that a dipping sauce seems a little like gilding the lily, but if you want to dress them up, a lemon vinaigrette would be nice. A whole box of puff pastry will make 48 bundles for a party. If you choose to make only 12 to serve four people, you can bake the remaining strips for crunchy “straws” to accompany just about any soup or salad.

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

May 7, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Chana Dal

Yield: 4 servings

I love the mellow undertones of this tangy dish. Plus, it’s pretty as a picture and ultra-healthy to boot.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion slivers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-14.5 ounce can garbanzo beans
1-14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice
juice of ½ lemon
salt to taste
½ cup water
1-2 teaspoons garam marsala (a spice blend available in Indian markets and some supermarkets or you can make your own; recipes abound)
1 small cinnamon stick

Garnish:
Cinnamon stick
Sprig of fresh cilantro

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil to sizzling. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until onion begins to turn golden. Add butter and continue sautéing and stirring frequently until onion turns a rich golden brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Stir in garbanzo beans, tomatoes and lemon juice. Season with salt. Simmer, stirring frequently, until tomatoes cook down a little and most of moisture is absorbed. Add water, garam marsala and cinnamon stick and cook, loosely covered, until mixture cooks down and most of additional moisture is absorbed. “Fish” out the cinnamon stick and serve hot or warm garnished with it and a spring of fresh cilantro.

May 7, 2009 by betsy

Vegan Coconut-Cardamom Dal

Yield: 4 servings

This dish is pure creamy comfort. And while I detest cardamom in sweets (I seem to recall discarding an entire batch of cardamom cookies one Christmas), it is what makes this dish so irresistible.

1 cup lentils, rinsed and drained
4 cups water
½ tablespoon olive oil
½ tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1 cup onion slivers (about 1/4″ thick)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-14.5 ounce can coconut milk or lite coconut milk
salt to taste (it takes a fair amount)
2-3 teaspoons ground cardamom

Garnish:
1 large Roma tomato, diced
3-4 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine lentils and water over medium high heat. Partially cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of the moisture is absorbed. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil to sizzling. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn golden. Add butter and continue sautéing and stirring frequently until onion turns a rich golden brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. When most of the moisture is absorbed from lentils, add coconut milk and simmer until most of the additional moisture is absorbed. Mixture will be thick, but most of the lentils should still be intact. Season to taste with salt. Then stir in 2-3 teaspoons of ground cardamom and cook 2-3 minutes more, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and serve hot or warm sprinkled with diced tomato and minced cilantro.