February 23, 2016 by betsy

Day 9: Sage-Scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style”

(A sequential installment from Kim Hastings, my photographer friend and, along with her vet husband, owner of Independence Veterinary Hospital, who decided on her own to cook her way through The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes Julie & Julia Style for her omnivorous family as a strategy for more healthy eating.)

Tonight we were discussing what to make for dinner, and my intention was to go to great lengths to lead my family to choose the butternut squash I had bought but let them think it was totally their decision. This is a skill that most mothers possess and I’m employing it tonight because I really want to make the Sage Scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash.

Now what follows is a total breakthrough in this journey. I mention butternut squash and my husband says “Oh I saw a recipe for squash the other night that we can do. Where did I see that?” After a bit of thought he says “It was in that book you had out the other night when we had the zucchini.” No way! I swore I had hidden the book so well that night. So I ask innocently “what book?” “That vegetable book,” he says. Oh no!

I get the book out and, without showing him the cover, I turn to the Panko topped zucchini page. He takes the book and immediately checks out the cover and says “This is a VEGAN cookbook?!!!” See what I mean by “vegan phobic”?! So I grabbed the book and said “Oh my gosh, it’s just a book full of really good ways to cook vegetables. Remember the roasted cauliflower? Remember the awesome zucchini? You loved them!” I could see him really struggling with this, so I said “Let’s just find that recipe you saw for squash.” Crisis averted!

After that, we were flipping through the book together checking out different recipes. The one he had seen was for summer squash so we looked at two others for butternut squash and because neither of us wanted to go to the store for a can of black olives, we settled on the recipe I wanted in the first place!

He was more than happy to go watch TV while I cooked although he checked in every now and then. At one point he was looking over the recipe and saw Nutritional Yeast. (Now I had bought that on my last shopping trip so I could use it in this recipe.) “What the heck is Nutritional Yeast?” (ok, I paraphrased there). I admit I still don’t know so I mentioned that I think it’s a substitute for cheese. So he goes and gets cheese out of the fridge and sets it on the counter. Ok I get it. We will use cheese tonight but I will slip it into the next recipe that calls for it.

Now I am not a big risk taker when it comes to spices so I was super hesitant about the sage. I grow it in my herb garden but have never used it. Or so I thought. The minute I put it over the squash I knew where I had tasted it. Thanksgiving! I always buy the prepackaged herb stuffing mix that my mom always bought. That’s it! I love sage but didn’t even know it.

It got a little frantic towards the end pulling this recipe together. I had two frying pans and a pot going at the same time. (We joked later about how much easier cleanup was when we just stuck a veggie in the microwave.) Finally I got it all put together beautifully in a really pretty bowl and was about to take a picture and my husband points out that I had forgotten to add the cheese. So I scrape it off of the fettuccine and back into the frying pan to add the cheese. Then back onto the noodles. I decided last minute to add some Panko crumbs for garnish and it’s done!

Even though we treated this as a side dish, it truly was the star of the plate. Everyone agreed that it tasted amazing. I feel like tonight was a total breakthrough for me in this challenge. My family is losing some of their phobias about vegan cooking and I am actually enjoying preparing vegetables in a more creative way. Ok so I’m not enjoying the cleanup afterwards but at least my challenge is working and I’m happy.

~Kim Hastings

Kim Hastings

February 23, 2016February 23, 2016 by betsy

Day 10: Blooming Broccoli Dip–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style”

Blooming Broccoli Dip (A sequential installment from Kim Hastings, my photographer friend and, along with her vet husband, owner of Independence Veterinary Hospital, who decided on her own to cook her way through The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes Julie & Julia Style for her omnivorous family as a strategy for more healthy eating.)

Today I decided to try the Blooming Broccoli Dip to set out as a serve-yourself lunch option. I read that this could also be served as pita sandwiches so it sounded like a perfect choice.

My kitchen was undergoing some repairs this morning but I found a small space to set out a cutting board and start chopping up the veggies. Funny thing – no one thought it was weird that I chose this particular moment to start cooking – I guess that’s a good thing!

My son was was watching all the healthy vegetables going into the bowl and then he saw me pull out the mayo and says dryly, “Well there goes the healthy part.” Not true! Though I didn’t make the vegan mayo in the book, I still use a healthier option, so no worries.

This recipe turned out looking so pretty! Since I didn’t have to serve it immediately I was able to take some time to get a proper photo. Thankfully everyone was so busy doing their own thing that they didn’t see me with my fingers in the dip trying to face the broccoli florets up and wiping some of the mayo off the red pepper so the color would pop. It was definitely not normal looking!

Once I started shooting though, I did get some remarks like “Jeez, you’re taking pictures of food now??” Is that really so weird guys? I take pictures of lots of things, but then I started explaining that food photography was a new area for me and it’s big business now. My friend in California is doing it and she’s doing well. I look up from my viewfinder and no one is even there listening to my lengthy explanation. Seriously I get no respect!

But that’s ok because I was really stretching to come up with something to throw them off of what I’m really doing! We really loved this recipe. We ate it as a dip at lunch and then made wraps out of it for dinner. I even heated it with some leftover steak and shredded sharp cheese for my son’s wrap. I really like the versatility and the beautiful look of this one. Definitely a hit with our family.

~Kim Howard Hastings

Kim Hastings

February 21, 2016February 21, 2016 by betsy

Day 8: Pear-Rum Cupcakes with Tea-Infused Buttercream Frosting–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style

Pear Cupcakes (A sequential installment from Kim Hastings, my photographer friend and, along with her vet husband, owner of Independence Veterinary Hospital, who decided on her own to cook her way through The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes Julie & Julia Style for her omnivorous family as a strategy for more healthy eating.)

Today was a total girls’ day with my little grand daughter Henley. We spent the morning baking these awesome little cupcakes and then went shopping for clothes. After years of raising boys, this is a new experience for me and I love it.

I chose Pear-Rum Cupcakes with Tea-Infused Buttercream Frosting. So, as instructed, I prepared the tea bags and cream the evening before while I was making my own tea. Today I started the batter right when little one went down for a nap hoping she would stay down long enough for me to get them in the oven.

I started reading the recipe and really??? Again with the food processor?! I swear if a certain vegan chef and cookbook author was stranded on a deserted tropical island and could only take one kitchen gadget, it would be the food processor! So here we go again. I’m really thankful little Henley is sleeping so she doesn’t hear some of the words that always fly out of my mouth when I use my processor.

I have to admit I analyzed the recipe trying to find another way but I have to give in on this one. No other gadget that I own would be the same and I didn’t want to screw it up. Because we are not a vegan household, I confess I used white flour, white sugar, and whole milk. Aside from that I followed the recipe – winky face. I admit the part where you add baking soda to the vinegar was so fun I thought I was back in grade school building a volcano as a school project. I decided on mini cupcakes because I know myself too well. I never finish a whole cupcake although I will eat all the icing – so really a lot like a three year old.

Henley with Frosting Luckily for me they came out of the oven right before Henley woke up, so she got to help me with the frosting. She especially loved the decorating and the taste testing. That was her favorite part of the day. Shhh! Please don’t tell her mom and dad!!! So here’s the results… I thought the cake part was fresh tasting and not too sweet but I thought the frosting was too sweet so I added a little salt to it. Then I realized that together they are perfect.

My husband is not a big dessert eater but he loved the cake after he scraped off the frosting. My youngest son got so excited seeing cupcakes on the counter when he got home from school. He asked what kind they were and without thinking I said pear. I forgot pears are his least favorite fruit. So he loved the frosting and left the cake…much like how I eat cupcakes! I sent a dozen to work after lunch and my other son texted me “THEY ARE VEGAN!” the minute he saw them. Remember…vegan phobic family. I texted back ” No they aren’t. I used whole milk and white flour.” Still he insisted they tasted “vegan”. Whatever. It’s ok because little Henley was a huge fan and it was our special day.

~Kim Howard Hastings

Kim Hastings

[Betsy’s note: white flour is vegan–just not particularly nutritious–and white sugar is, though sometimes animal bone char is used to refine it.]

February 20, 2016November 28, 2016 by betsy

Vegan Stuffing Cakes
(Addicting even if it’s not Thanksgiving!)

Stuffing Cakes

I woke early this morning as I always do and felt almost “called” to make something for my neighbor–a retired fella who helps me out with guy things, e.g. changing lightbulbs in security fixtures atop a tall ladder–who had a tooth removed last week and still has a sensitive mouth. The package of stuffing in my pantry called out and these baked Stuffing Cakes were born.

They are seriously simple–as they start with the aforementioned dried stuffing mix–and seriously addicting. The stuffing mix I recommend is vegan and I had to read the back of every package to identify it, so save yourself some time by using it. Although, if you have another favorite brand you know is vegan, by all means, use it. I am always astonished at what manufacturers slip milk into.

Forming this as a cake allows for more exposed surface area and, hence, and more of that ever-so-slightly crispy exterior we all love. The amount of vegan butter may seem like a bit much, but I like this amount not only for flavor, but for aiding in a beautifully lightly browned surface.

Enjoy these cakes as a side or with something piled on top. Be imaginative…and please share your ideas.

They are best eaten as soon as they come out of the oven or reheated for just a few minutes in a 350 degree oven rather than in a microwave, though the latter will do in a pinch.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 to 2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 stalks celery, diced

1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon rubbed sage

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1- 8 ounce package Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Classic Stuffing

1 1/2 to 2 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

4 tablespoons vegan butter, butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat (like Silpat) or parchment paper. Heat olive oil in a large (4-quart) saucepan over medium-high. Add onion, celery, and salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in stuffing mix and herbs until well combined and then begin stirring in stock a little at a time. until a moist but firm consistency is achieved. Whisk flas seed into melted butter, drizzle over mixture, and stir to completely incorporate. Divide into 8 equal scoops on prepared baking sheet. Flatten each into a 3/4-inch disk and bake for about 15 minutes or until set and enticingly crispy on the exterior. Serve immediately.

February 18, 2016February 18, 2016 by betsy

Day 7: Krispy Kale–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style”

I have a huge, ugly confession to make. Let me explain.

Tonight I decided to give my family a break and feed them a regular dinner but I’m proud to say the veggie did have some thought put into it. However, don’t hate me – it was collards cooked the way my mom used to make them – with fat back. Ok that’s not the ugly confession. It’s coming.

While I was cooking I decided to try the Krispy Kale as a bit of a snack to munch on. One of my co workers had just talked about how amazing kale is when done this way. So why not try it. I had some kale left over for the turtle so I got it out, stemmed it and cut it up. The recipe was effortless and it was done (or possibly overdone, not sure) in 12 minutes. Now my confession.

Krispy Kale and Ali I absolutely and without a doubt ….hate kale. I’m sorry but I have really tried! I have tried it three times now and have done the same thing each time: spit it out. I’m sorry but there are no nice words to describe that. I guess a little self discovery is also part of this journey. So my new truth is… I hate kale.

My dog, on the other hand, was horrified that I was “reverse eating” it. So I gave her some. She had no problem with it. About that time my son came home and I had him try it. Heck, he had eaten two helpings of it on Shrimp and Grits night. He will like it. His reaction was similar to mine except that now he was determined to do something about it. He admittedly loved kale and now he was out to prove it.

Krispy Kale and seasonings So he opened up the spice cabinet and starting pouring things on it. I watched while he tried it again…and again. He now said it was good but that I just hadn’t put enough flavor on it. So my dog and my son enjoyed the Krispy Kale while I learned a bit about myself today, but I promise not to avoid cooking kale in this challenge. After all I am doing this for the health of my family right? So they can eat it!

~Kim Howard Hastings

Kim Hastings

February 17, 2016February 17, 2016 by betsy

Day 6: Panko Topped Cheesy Zucchini–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style”

Panko Topped Cheesy Zucchini (A sequential installment from Kim Hastings, my photographer friend and, along with her vet husband, owner of Independence Veterinary Hospital, who decided on her own to cook her way through The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes Julie & Julia Style for her omnivorous family as a strategy for more healthy eating.)

It’s leftover night at our house which is the night we clear out the fridge and put it all out on the counter as a self service buffet. There was a serious lack of anything green so I quickly decided to do a recipe that caught my eye a few days ago: Panko Topped Cheesy Zucchini. I read through the recipe while hiding out in the living room so I could impress my family by whipping up something new and tasty in less than 10 minutes and without them knowing it was from the vegan cookbook.

I grated up the zucchini on a box grater and started sautéing it. My husband was grazing at the counter and watching the preparation so now I can’t refer back to the book. Just great! I remember it said something about the zucchini releasing moisture. What the heck does that mean? So we watched expectantly and suddenly there it happened! Liquid started forming. Since he was standing there, I had described the process I now vaguely remember. Next I know it said something about evaporation. This is turning into a science project. So we watched until we decided the liquid had disappeared sufficiently. That’s when I threw in a handful of real Parmesan cheese – yes I cheated…again. Sorry.
Earlier I had dumped some Panko into another small pan and started toasting it. Unfortunately I burnt them a little when I ran to sneak a look at the cookbook about how much cheese. But no matter, I put the zucchini on a serving plate and topped it with the Panko. Done!! So easy!!

We each took a bite and literally couldn’t stop. We ended up eating almost all of it while standing at the counter. We only stopped out of guilt for not leaving any for our son (who loved it too).

This recipe is definitely going to be repeated over and over in our home. Oh and as part of my dedication to this challenge, I will be trying the “cheese” that is supposed to be used in this dish – I promise!

~~Kim Howard Hastings

Kim Hastings

February 17, 2016February 21, 2016 by betsy

Day 5: Vegan Grits and Greens with Mushroom Gravy–Cooking the ‘Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style

Grits amd Greem with Mushroom Gravy (A sequential installment from Kim Hastings, my photographer friend and, along with her vet husband, owner of Independence Veterinary Hospital, who decided on her own to cook her way through The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes Julie & Julia Style for her omnivorous family as a strategy for more healthy eating.)

[Betsy’s note: this is the only time you will see “dead animals,” aka the shrimp, on this blog…that is, unless I “kill” one of my mischievious new pups for, oh, say, removing the other arm of my $1,200 vintage sofa…]

I took a huge risk today giving my grocery list for tonight’s recipe to my husband to include in his errands. I chose Grits and Greens with Mushroom Gravy. First thing out of his mouth was “Kale?! Why?” Ok I had to come up with something fast because in our house kale is strictly turtle food for our Russian Tortoise, Desiree.

“Well, first I feel like I need to give it a second chance (I hate it); everyone else seems to love it and it’s super cheap.” I felt like that last point would seal the deal. I waited. “Why not collards?” he counters. I pointed out how badly they stink up the house… and we’re done! He’s getting the kale. I thought we were in the clear until he asked what vegetable stock was. Oh no!! Thank God I didn’t add the nutritional yeast to his list. I don’t even know what that’s for! I’ll look that up later.

When he brings the kale in, we both just stand there staring at it. I’m seriously having second thoughts. He starts talking about how bitter it is but when I push, he admits that he has never really tried it. So we both take a tiny bite of a leaf. “Well it’s not bitter”, I say. “True”, he says, “ but it tastes very…. vegetable-y.” So we decide, reluctantly, that we will share Desiree’s food for tonight’s dinner.

To be totally honest, I told my family we were having Shrimp and Grits with Greens and Gravy. You mention Shrimp and Grits in my house and everyone is on board. Since I don’t cook seafood well, I delegated that to my husband.

First step…grits! LOVE!!! I got those started because they take an hour. Admittedly I have never put milk in grits but I’m following the recipe tonight…sort of. So I used real milk instead of soy… guilty. I just didn’t think coconut almond milk would taste good and I had no more room in the fridge for a third type of milk. Oh, and since I didn’t get the nutritional yeast, I used Parmesan cheese.

Next step was mushroom gravy. Easy enough until I saw that I had to get the dreaded food processor out…ugh! But I had no choice here. It’s the only thing that will make white beans look like gravy. I must confess that I had to lie and deceive a bit during this step. There were two ingredients, rosemary and sherry, that, if my family knew I was using them, would probably head off to Taco Bell instead of show up to dinner. So, when no one was looking, I quickly ran out and snipped a few sprigs of frozen rosemary from my garden. (I only keep rosemary because it’s pretty). Then I dusted off the bottle of sherry and set it on the counter beside the twigs of rosemary.

Of course this is the moment my husband comes in and announces that he will start the shrimp now. Are you kidding me! It was pretty comical then. I’m trying to stand in front of the two offensive ingredients to block them from his view and convince him that I just need 10 more minutes. I begin analyzing the minutes required to bring everything together at the end. Men understand and respond well to this type of reasoning. Thankfully it worked! He left and I got the white beans and all the ingredients processed together into a beautiful gravy. Oh, and one more confession…I only used 1/8 teaspoon of rosemary instead of the 2 tablespoons arguing that mine was not truly fresh but very dry looking. Plus I only cussed out the food processor twice. That’s a record.

Now it’s time to get the kale started. I heated the oil in the wok, threw the stemmed and cut kale leaves in, and stirred them around; but I admit I had no clue what I was doing. They ended up really chewy so I don’t think I cooked them enough, but I was really struggling with the fine line between green and bright green to test the doneness.

The final product was beautiful! The grits tasted amazing and my guys never knew that the “gravy” was made of beans. We plated it as we were instructed in the recipe with the greens first then the grits and gravy. However my kale was so bad that we were soon scraping the grits and gravy off the greens and moving it over to cover the shrimp. My son was the only one to eat the kale and I thought he was just being polite until he got up for a second helping of it. Bless his heart! Overall, thumbs up for the best shrimp and grits we have ever had!

~Kim Howard Hastings

Kim Hastings

February 16, 2016February 17, 2016 by betsy

Day 4: Vegan Apple Peanut Butter Streusel Pie–Cooking “The Blooming Platter Cookbook” Julie & Julia Style

I decided to pick a dessert to celebrate Valentine’s Day so I chose the Apple Peanut Butter Streusel Pie. It was this and a clean garage for my man – strange how “gifts” evolve over 22 years of marriage!

I started reading through and it mentions the use of a food processor. Now it is a widely known fact in my home that I absolutely HATE my food processor. Just can’t stand it. My husband feels like I am totally irrational on this point. I admit my first excuse is lame. I tell him there are so many pieces to wash. He points out that we have a dishwasher. Ok true. Then I show him how I can’t seem to ever lock it in without a huge fight. He says…and I love this…”you’re doing it wrong”. So fine…you do it, I say. I cannot tell you the amazing sense of satisfaction I had watching him repeatedly try to lock it into place!! Ahhhhh!! Point made.

When I was very young, my mom taught me how to bake. Basic baking ingredients were affordable and it’s amazing what you can create with flour, sugar, powdered milk and imitation vanilla. If we found a great looking recipe with an ingredient we didn’t have, she would save up and get it for me. So I love to bake for the memories; and for this reason, I am really old school about it. So long story short, it’s a no on the food processor.

This recipe called for coconut oil. Ok that would be under the bathroom counter. I always thought it w Wedding Rings as for making great body scrubs. It never occurred to me to cook with it! I didn’t have enough so I went shopping. While I was standing in front of the overwhelming choices of coconut oils (refined, medium heat, virgin, unrefined) I was so tempted to text Betsy for advice. But seriously, did Julie have an option of texting the great Julia Child? Nope. I’m on my own here, so I chose the virgin, unrefined. It just sounded more vegan to me.

When it came time to make the tart dough, I was skeptical. Coconut oil instead of butter? Surprisingly it really did have the consistency required and it came together perfectly. I pressed it into a heart shaped pan but the sides kept slipping down so I gave up on that and just stuck it in the oven.

With the coconut oil out I just couldn’t resist giving my dry winter hands a spa treatment so I made a quick lemon sugar scrub in the palm of my hand. What could be better? Baking and a spa treatment!! Instant stress relief.

Everything else was a breeze and I was in my element. It was beautiful right out of the oven. I even sprinkled some red sugar over it for a more festive look.

Even though I was super careful to hide the coconut oil and the organic peanut butter, my men were circling it like a pack of wolves – going in, examining it, sniffing it and backing out again. What the hell guys! It’s just heart shaped!! Do they per chance suspect vegan?? Has my cover been blown so early in the game??

So here are the results. My husband kept shaking his head saying it needed more peanut butter (seriously I think he just meant it lacked Jif, his favorite), but he liked the crust saying it tasted like the apples. My son will eat anything and gave it a thumbs up on his way out the door. I, unlike my husband, tasted tons of peanut butter, but I must confess I really missed the butter in the crust and the topping. I do love the fact that the apples were sautéed before going into the oven. Overall thumbs up but sorry, I have to use butter next time. I sure will miss my hand scrub though.

~Kim Howard Hastings

Kim Hastings

February 16, 2016February 17, 2016 by betsy

Day 3: Vegan Spicy Grilled Pear and Spinach Salad–Cooking “The Blooming Platter Cookbook” Julie & Julia Style

If I were to channel a Southern Living or Martha Stewart magazine article, I would say today’s recipe, Spicy Grilled Pear and Spinach Salad, is a delight to the senses. The preparation is effortless and the presentation would make a beautiful addition to a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner.

But seriously, here’s how it really went down. It is a well known fact that my family hates fruit anywhere near their salads. I would have to blindfold them to get them to try this recipe. I, on the other hand, love salads with fruits. So I prepared this just for me as my lunch.

First I prepare the vinaigrette but my whisk is in the dishwasher so I simply shake it up in a covered bowl. Done! Next I core and cut the pear. Unbelievably, I have a corer so I tried it out, but it left the core in the pear so I just popped the core out of each slice. Perfect! I prepared the marinade in a small bowl as directed but no way could I get the pears coated in there so I scraped the marinade out with my finger (spatula also in dishwasher) and straight into a ziploc bag and threw in the pears. That works.

Kim Cooking Pears Ok wait. I don’t own a grill pan so how will I get the desired grill marks?? You got it – 14 degrees outside and I’m wiping snow off the grill and firing it up. I will have grill marks! I lay the pears all out and wait two minutes as directed. No grill marks. Ok fine. Two more minutes. No grill marks. This went on for 14 minutes. Once I saw a faint grill mark appear I placed them on a plate and went inside. Looking at the photo now, I may have been imagining the grill mark but I was freezing!

Finally I got to arrange it all on the plate and decided the photo should be taken in the snow. Once I brought the plate back inside, there was snow all over the bottom, so I tried to wipe it off and almost dropped the whole beautiful plate right in the sink. Story of my life! Almost!

I have to admit that, while crunching on the smaller pears as I waited at the grill, I wasn’t sure about this recipe – that is until I tasted all the flavors together, including the toasted almonds. Incredible! Seriously incredible! So far I have really liked every recipe. But then again I have not chosen one with tofu yet. Stay tuned!

~Kim Howard Hastings

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.

Vegan Recipes for Vegans and Vegetarians: The Blooming Platter in Virginia Beach, VA

A Bounty of Vegan Recipes, Tips, Links and More

Day 9: Sage-Scented Fettuccine with Butternut Squash–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style”

Day 10: Blooming Broccoli Dip–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style”

Day 8: Pear-Rum Cupcakes with Tea-Infused Buttercream Frosting–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style

Vegan Stuffing Cakes
(Addicting even if it’s not Thanksgiving!)

Day 7: Krispy Kale–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style”

Day 6: Panko Topped Cheesy Zucchini–“Cooking ‘The Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style”

Day 5: Vegan Grits and Greens with Mushroom Gravy–Cooking the ‘Blooming Platter Cookbook’ Julie & Julia Style

Day 4: Vegan Apple Peanut Butter Streusel Pie–Cooking “The Blooming Platter Cookbook” Julie & Julia Style

Day 3: Vegan Spicy Grilled Pear and Spinach Salad–Cooking “The Blooming Platter Cookbook” Julie & Julia Style

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