May 31, 2011June 20, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Grilled Asparagus with Spring Onion-Radish Butter

Yield: 4 servings (you’ll have a bit of extra butter)

A gift of garden fresh asparagus from my husband’s colleague, Freddie Stant, inspired this dish. Be prepared for a new late spring favorite!

I knew I wanted to grill the asparagus and I knew I wanted something special on top, but that special something eluded me until I thought of the simplest and most elegant appetizer: radishes spread with fresh creamy butter and a garnish of sea salt. Perfect!

I simply mashed the vegan butter with the back of a fork and folded in finely diced radish and thinly sliced spring onion. Because the butter I use is already salted, I went easy on the sea salt. Then I dolloped the butter-vegetable mixture on the warm asparagus, allowing it to just barely start to melt.

Oh my goodness, this dish is amazing!

Vegan Spring Onion-Radish Butter:

1/4 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance), if too firm to mash, allow to warm slightly at room temperature

1/4 cup thinly sliced spring onion

1/3 cup thinly sliced and then diced radish (about 3)

Grilled Asparagus:

1 pound of asparagus, rinsed, drained and trimmed

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Sea salt (consider hand-grated pink Himalayan salt for the garnish)

Optional veggie garnish: 1 plump radish

In a medium-size bowl, mash butter with the back of a fork and gently fold in onion and radish until well combined. Set aside. Spray a seasoned grill pan with non-stick spray–or brush with olive oil–and preheat over medium-high. In a large bowl or shallow pan, toss asparagus with olive oil and season lightly with sea salt. Grill asparagus in one layer for approximately 8 minutes on each side or until lightly charred and crisp-tender. Grill in two batches, if necessary, keeping first batch warm in the oven until second batch is finished cooking. Place asparagus on a serving platter, top with butter mixture, sprinkle lightly with sea salt (hand-grated pink Himalayan salt would be fabulous!), top with optional whole radish, and serve immediately. Store any leftover butter in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Note: this brand new recipe isn’t in my just-published cookbook, but there are 150+ similarly fresh, beautiful, and seasonal dishes you and yours will love.

May 15, 2011May 15, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Indian Roasted Vegetables and Chickpeas in Cilantro-Mint Chutney Sauce

Yield: 4 salad, side dish or light main dish servings (easily doubles)

A heck of a multi-purpose dish–salad, side dish or even main dish–this new Indian inspired favorite goes together quickly and with few ingredients. It’s inspiration came from several sources.

After the VEER Magazine cover photo shoot for The Blooming Platter Cookbook, there were lots of veggies to cook and enjoy. So before the photographer was barely out of the driveway, I was roasting the asparagus and broccoli together. It was still in the fridge today, and still good, but I had almost forgotten about it.

Then yesterday, on a Hampton Roads Magazine reconnaissance mission for our “Best Of” issue, I came home with a couple of jars of different Indian chutney: a cilantro and a mint, not sure how I was going to use them, but knowing they would give something an extra special flavor boost. Some prepared foods are so good that I can’t make them better at home, and these are two examples.

And finally, I had purchased some poppadom on the International aisle of my local Kroger–another prepared item that I wouldn’t even try to make at home–to accompany a dish that I ended up popping in my freezer a week ago when I realized that there wasn’t time for a photo shoot. Stay tuned for that one!

With all of those tasty ingredients in my larder, I went for a pre-lunch dog walk, fantasizing all the way about what my mid-day repast would be. I decided to toss the roasted vegetables and a can of chick peas together with a dressing made of both of the chutneys and a small dollop of vegan sour cream (or yogurt), and serve the dish room temperature over a poppadom, tostato style.

Oh my goodness. This is a keeper for sure: so quick, so pretty, intensely flavorful and highly nutritious. Plus, it ‘s fun to serve and eat. Enjoy!

1 tablespoon vegan sour cream or vegan plain yogurt (I think the latter can sometimes be too runny and too sweet)

1 tablespoon prepared Indian cilantro chutney

1 tablespoon prepared Indian mint chutney

(or you can use 2 tablespoons of either type of chutney)

1 tablespoon vegan sour cream or plain yogurt

2 cup roasted vegetables (virtually anything would work, but I like asparagus and broccoli; I also like a lot of caramelization, so I roasted a small bunch of each with a little olive oil and sea salt for about 25-30 minutes at 450 degrees, and had twice as much as I needed)

1-15.5 ounce can chick peas, rinsed and drained

Optional Garnish: small slices or wedges of tomato and sprigs of cilantro

Accompaniment: one o per person, microwaved for 1 – 1 1/2 minutes

In a medium bowl, combine chutneys with vegan sour cream or yogurt. Add roasted vegetables and chickpeas and toss well to evenly coat. Serve one-fourth of hte vegetable mixture mounded on top of a poppadum, garnished as desired with tomato slices or wedges and cilantro sprigs. Wait until just before serving to heap the mixture on the poppadum to prevent them from getting soggy.

You may alternatively serve this dish slightly heated to open up the flavors a bit. Heat the vegetable mixture separately from the poppadum and mound it on top just before serving.

February 28, 2011February 28, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Creamed Corn and Spinach Cakes

Yield: 8 corncakes

This recipe telescopes me right back to childhood and my Mama’s Double Corn Fingers made with creamed corn. She would make a big pan–crusty on the outside and tender on the inside–and we would have nothing but them and a glass of milk, calling it dinner as a special treat when my dad was out of town.

Though “creamed” corn hardly sounds vegan, the canned version actually is, the natural starch in the corn helping impart a luscious creaminess. I love it mostly to cook and bake with. Mama baked her corn fingers, but in my iteration, I fry them up as skillet cakes.

And, though this recipe isn’t in my new cookbook, The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes (175 other delicious recipes are!), I add a mound of fresh baby spinach to the corncake batter for a nutritious burst of seasonal freshness. and flecks of green goodness. In summer, just substitute 1/2 cup fresh corn for the chopped spinach.

These cakes are addicting served as a combined bread-side dish or as the main event for breakfast or brunch. But I also love them topped with chili or my Vegan Spinach-Three Bean Dip. Make them silver dollar sized and serve them as appetizers, topped or not. Use your imagination!

2 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance) + additional for frying
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup self-rising cornmeal
pinch of garlic powder
2 cups loosely packed fresh stemmed spinach, finely chopped (should yield about 1/2 cup)
1-15 ounce can creamed corn (I like the yellow variety for rich color)
1/2 cup unsweetened soymilk
Optional garnish: vegan sour cream and cilantro sprigs

Preheat the oven to warm. Melt the 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together, flour, cornmeal, garlic powder and chopped spinach. Whisk in creamed corn and soymilk until well combined. Make cakes, two at a time, using a 1/4 cup measure. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, flip and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping skillet greased with additional butter as needed. Garnish as desired and serve warm.

May 23, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Creamy Spaghetti Squash and Veggie Potpourri (A Restaurant Redux)

The filling I used to stuff the peppers in my Creamy Spaghetti Squash and Veggie Potpourri is also delicious simply served hot or gently reheated in a ramekin sans peppers.

May 22, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Peppers Stuffed with Creamy Spaghetti Squash and Veggie Potpourri (A Restaurant Redux)

Yield: 6 generous servings

This beautiful meal-in-one dish is the result of wanting to rescue a restaurant meal. This restaurant, one of our Top 5 in the area, always has a couple of vegan dishes on its seasonal menus, but this spring’s choices are virtually devoid of protein. However, they happened to have some chicken-flavored vegan strips last night so I asked the chef to just surprise me. He is very young, very nice, very interested in learning more about vegan cooking and very accommodating. For instance, he also had some soy milk leftover from a special brunch and made me a custom order of fried dill pickle strips–to die for! I haven’t had those in years.

The meal however, missed the mark in that the individual ingredients didn’t come together as one dish. Essentially, he just piled the vegan chicken strips, flavored with a hint of chili sauce, and some nice sauteed veggies into lightly roasted bell pepper halves over a bed of cous-cous. After the dill pickles–oh, and their addicting bread–I only had room for one of the FOUR stuffed pepper halves, bringing the rest home with me.

I knew that I would let the dish spoil in the refrigerator if I didn’t do something with it, as there just wasn’t much that was compelling about it. So, after I walked the dogs, I set about on a Restaurant Redux. I simply cooked a spaghetti squash, made one of my favorite white vegan “cheese” sauces, and stirred both together with the chicken strips, veggies and cous-cous. The portions at this restaurant are enormous, so I had some broccolini and sweet potato cubes from a meal there a few days earlier and I stirred them in too, measuring it all carefully so that I could reproduce the recipe. I ended up with enough filling to refill the remaining 3 pepper halves plus 3 more. But, it seemed to need just a little spice to make it extra-special. Some paprika did the trick.

The filling is so creamy, scrumptious and satisfying that you will have to keep reminding yourself that it is a gloriously healthy melange of all the protein, vitamins and micro-nutrients that anyone could want in a single meal.

3 large bell peppers, any color or a combination, halved, stemmed, seeded and lightly blackened under the broiler (they should still hold their shape nicely)
Creamy White Vegan “Cheese” Sauce (recipe follows)
1 spaghetti squash, halved, seeds and pulp removed, and microwaved flesh side down in 1/4 cup salted water in a baking dish covered with plastic wrap for 10 minutes (I cook each half separately; you may bake if you prefer)
1 cup homemade chicken-flavored seitan or other chicken flavored strips like Meal Starters
2 cups cooked mixed veggies, seasoned according to your taste, cut in bite-size pieces (mine were from two restaurant meals and included squash, eggplant, a little onion and spinach, sweet potato cubes and broccolini)
3/4 cup cooked cous-cous (quinoa or another small grain or pasta like pastina or orzo would be nice too)
1/2 teaspoon sweet or smoky paprika (or to taste)
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
garnish: optional balsamic reduction (I really liked a little drizzle on my version) plus sprigs of fresh herbs (cilantro from our garden tasted nice with mine) and/or lightly toasted pine nuts or bread/cracker crumbs

Place roasted pepper halves in a lightly oiled microwave- or oven-safe baking dish. Combine vegan “cheese” sauce with remaining ingredients, mixing gently but thoroughly. Spoon into pepper halves, mounding the top. Reheat in microwave if necessary or keep warm in a preheated oven until serving time. Garnish as desired with balsamic reduction, herbs, pine nuts or crumbs.

Creamy White Vegan “Cheese” Sauce

1 cup unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup flour, any kind (I used whole wheat)
or 1/4-1/2 cup roasted and lightly salted cashews
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons cornstarch or kuzu
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons light miso
1 teaspoon onion powder or to taste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or to taste
coarse sea or kosher salt

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend/process until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and heat gently over medium-high heat for approximately 4 minutes, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens and flour no longer tastes raw.

Source for Vegan “Cheese” Sauce: Slightly adapted from Jo Stepaniak’s The Uncheese Cookbook.

May 8, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Cheesy Swiss Chard-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Yield: 4 servings

The produce looked so good in the market today that I loaded up and, realizing that I had probably purchased more than I could cook while it was still at it’s peak, started devising ways to combine the different veggies. This acorn squash and chard dish is even more than the sum of its farm-fresh parts. The sweet squash is an ideal foil for the tangy-salty greens, both of them creamy in their own luscious ways. And the light crunch of buttery bread crumbs is the perfect finishing counterpoint.

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 8, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

"Cheesy" Vegan Zuccini with Vegan Crumb Topping

Yield: 4 servingsThis recipe was inspired by a chicken dish my mom used to make. Though I didn’t eat the chicken, even as a vegetarian, I loved the filling that she stuffed just under the skin. It was made of zucchini, Swiss cheese, torn up bread cubes and eggs. My vegan version relies on a tasty homemade Swiss “cheese” sauce, doesn’t include eggs, and uses bread crumbs to create a crunchy topping that contrasts beautifully with the creamy zucchini.

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

April 27, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Corn Risotto

Yield: 2-3 healthy servings

If you read my Vegan Edamame Risotto post, you know that it was inspired by a dish our friend Jeff Berger ordered at The Green Onion in Virginia Beach last Friday night. He pronounced his dinner, which included a non-vegan corn risotto, “stellar.”

A couple of tiny tastes–just for research–of his creamy-fluffy mound of rice and sweet corn created a powerful craving in me. But I thought I had no corn, so I made an edamame version, which was on the money.

Still, though, I wanted to try the corn. The next day, I found a bag hidden in the freezer, so I made it again. Another keeper! Though the frozen corn was very good, I can’t wait to try the dish this summer when our fresh corn is in season.

As with the edamame version, the flavor of the risotto is largely dependent on stock, so be sure to use one that is very flavorful, but not too salty, as both the flavors and salt become concentrated as the stock cooks down. This happens quickly and, before you know it, you are adding more stock and what seems like protracted hands-on cooking time, “evaporates.”

1 tablespoon olive oil
2/3 cup rice
1 shallot, finely chopped (or about 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped onion)
2-3 cloves garlic
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio)
(or 5 cups vegetable stock)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste (you may not need any if your stock is adequately salted)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
optional: 1 teaspoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
optional: 1 tablespoon soy or coconut milk creamer
generous 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen corn (if fresh, just cut it right off the cob, raw)
optional garnish: a sprinkling of nutritional yeast and snipped chives

In a large cast iron skillet or pot over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add rice and, toast, stirring frequently. When barely, golden, add shallot and garlic and continue cooking until the color of the rice is a light golden brown. Meanwhile, heat stock and white wine to a bare simmer. Once the rice is the desired color, start adding half cups of the liquid to it, simmering while stirring frequently until almost all moisture is evaporated. Repeat until all liquid is used, which should take about 30 minutes. Be careful that, as the rice becomes creamy, it doesn’t stick to the pan. Lower heat if necessary. After about 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the optional soy sauce and nutritional yeast along with the salt, if needed, and pepper. After about 25 minutes, stir in the edamame and finish cooking the risotto, adding the optional vegan butter and creamer very near the end. Serve warm topped with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast and, if desired, snipped chives.

Note: if you prefer a risotto with a lighter color and less pronounced rice flavor, don’t toast the rice first.

April 24, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Creamy Vegan Edamame Risotto

Yield: 2-3 healthy servings

Last night we met our friends Jeff and Debbie Berger at The Green Onion in Virginia Beach for a meal that Jeff pronounced “stellar.” I agree. In fact, my husband and I have enjoyed dinner there every Friday night for a couple of months or more.

I had to sneak a tiny taste–or two–of Jeff’s non-vegan risotto so that I could try to duplicate it at home. His creamy-fluffy mound of rice and sweet corn was stellar indeed. So I set about to create my own vegan version at home.

However, I didn’t have any corn. But I didn’t want to stop at the grocery store because I’d been out and about most of the morning, had 80 pounds of dog food in my car and three hungry pups at home. So I decided I’d have to raid my freezer because I was jonesin’ for some risotto big time. The freezer yielded some nice bright green edamame and so my Creamy Vegan Edamame Risotto was born.

Because stock is what lends most of the flavor to this dish, be sure to use one you really like and that isn’t too salty, as both the flavors and the salt intensify as the stock is cooked down. Since risotto takes a fair amount of easy hands-on cooking time, if you go to your “happy place” in your mind or have someone on hand to visit with, the dish will be ready to dive into before you know it.

1 tablespoon olive or walnut oil
2/3 cup rice
1 shallot, finely chopped (or about 2-3 tablespoons of finely chopped onion)
2-3 cloves garlic
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup white wine (I used a Pinot Grigio)
optional: 1 teaspoon soy sauce (adds salt, so be careful, but in combination with the nutritional yeast, it creates a really delicious flavor that is difficult to identify)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste (you may not need any if your stock is adequately salted)
freshly ground black pepper to taste
optional: 1 teaspoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
optional: 1 tablespoon soy or coconut milk creamer
generous 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
optional garnish: a sprinkling of nutritional yeast and snipped chives

In a large cast iron skillet or pot over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add rice and, toast, stirring frequently. When barely, golden, add shallot and continue cooking until the color of the rice is a light golden brown. Meanwhile, heat stock and white wine to a bare simmer. Once the rice is the desired color, start adding half cups of the liquid to it, simmering while stirring frequently until almost all moisture is evaporated. Repeat until all liquid is used, which should take about 30 minutes. Be careful that, as the rice becomes creamy, it doesn’t stick to the pan. Lower heat if necessary. After about 15 minutes of cooking, stir in the optional soy sauce and nutritional yeast along with the salt, if needed, and pepper. After about 25 minutes, stir in the edamame and finish cooking the risotto, adding the optional vegan butter and creamer very near the end. Serve warm topped with a sprinkling of nutritional yeast and, if desired, snipped chives.

Note: if you prefer a risotto with a lighter color and less pronounced rice flavor, don’t toast the rice first.