October 12, 2022October 12, 2022 by betsy

Blooming Platter Update and Promise of Tons of New Recipes

Betsy Hosting Her Annual Julia Child Birthday Bash, September 2022

Why am I smiling so big? And where have I been? Well, that’s a long story with much to smile about. But here is the short version:

After a 16-year art/art history teaching career with Virginia Beach City Public Schools, I was asked to join the faculty at Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, VA, where I have been happily ensconced as the Upper School art teacher and Perrel Gallery curator since August 2020.

I married Bob Friesen in a gorgeous love-filled micro-wedding for 48 at the rustic Southern Shores Marina in the Outer Banks of NC on May 15, 2021.

Bob and I designed and had built our mid-century/industrial modern weekend dream home just down the road on a forested dune.

And in spring 2022, Tofutti Foods –“First in Dairy Free”–invited me to join forces with their team as a contract recipe developer and food stylist.

Since then, I have created more than 50 new sweet and savory recipes using my favorite brand of cream cheese, sour cream, ricotta, and more. What a tasty joy and a creative stretch. I have received so much pleasure and fulfillment broadening my repertoire and upping my photo staging game–with my dog Urban looking on from just a few feet away in every. single. photo. session. He is such a good boy.

I can only post recipes here that my friends at Tofutti have shared on their website and social media. But I haven’t even taken enough time away from my kitchen lab to do that. I apologize and vow to do better! I hope you will enjoy these new recipes as I begin to share them here with a photo and a link to Tofutti. In the meantime, you can visit the Tofutti website Recipes tab.

Incidentally, if you are unable to purchase the creamy, well-balanced, tasty, and versatile Tofutti line of products, try online shopping through Vegan Essentials.

Cheers!

October 12, 2022October 12, 2022 by betsy

Beer Cheese Soup + Review of Spero Foods “The Cheddar” (vegan & plant-based)

Spero Foods recently gifted me with a generous supply of their vegan, plant-based, and eco-conscious sunflower seed-based cheese spreads to sample, and I am happy to share both the results of my in-home taste-test of The Cheddar along with my recipe for vegan and plant-based Beer Cheese Soup. You can find my mini-review of Spero’s The Goat and my recipe for a lovely fall butternut squash-based dip or spread made with it here.

Packaged in 6.5 ounce tubs with a fresh, modern look, I have found the ever-so-slightly grainy texture of these products to be appealing. I don’t necessarily need for my spreads to be unnaturally smooth in most dishes. However, though taste is a highly subjective sense, I find that they tend to be over-salted. This was true of The Cheddar, which was also a bit too tangy for me, though my recollection of earthy cheddar from my pre-vegan days includes a pleasant tang.

So, unlikely to eat this spread by itself, I would be more apt to serve it with a sweet chutney or pepper jelly. However, not in need of party food, but in need of a mid-week dinner, I wondered if it would be tasty in a soup sweetened with coconut milk to offset both the salt and the potent tang. It was luscious, delicious, and satisfying, and I hope you enjoy!

Beer Cheese Soup (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: 4 servings

1 tablespoon vegan butter

3 stalks celery, diced

1 small onion, diced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup vegetable stock

1/4 cup vegan beer or non-alcoholic beer

1-15 ounce can coconut milk, lite or regular (I used lite)

6 ounces Spero Foods The Cheddar spread

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon yellow or stone ground mustard

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha

Recommended garnishes: thinly sliced green onion, halved tri-color grape tomatoes, coarsely chopped smoked almonds, shredded vegan cheddar cheese, vegan croutons, etc.

In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add celery, onion, a pinch of salt and pepper, turmeric, and garlic powder. Sauté, stirring frequently, until very soft, but not brown; adjusting heat as necessary. Stir in flour until well-combined, followed by vegetable stock, beer, and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until smooth and creamy. Stir in The Cheddar spread, apple cider vinegar, mustard, nutritional yeast and Sriracha. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until all ingredients are completely combined and heated through. Serve in bowls, garnished as desired, accompanied by salad and chunks of vegan biscuits or a crusty bread, like maybe pretzel bread nuggets.

October 9, 2022October 12, 2022 by betsy

Vegan & Plant-Based Spero Vegan GOAT Cheese More of a BLUE (Review + Recipe)

Roasted Butternut Spread (recipe at bottom)

Recently, Spero Foods generously shared some of their sunflower-based products with me after I happily agreed to review their goat cheese alternative, The Goat.

I was excited to sample it–the fresh, modern packahing is appealing–but I wouldn’t say it is the “greatest of all time,” though It certainly has some merit.

I wanted to try it first without reading any reviews. My taste test revealed a creamy, but textured, product. However, I did not find that it tasted like the goat cheese that I recall from my pre-vegan days. Rather it tasted strongly–very strongly–of blue cheese.

Some of the reviews I later read raved about it’s exact match with goat cheese. Others shared my view that it tasted like blue cheese, and still others were much less kind about the flavor, the texture, and the aroma.

I tasted it plain and enjoyed it as a blue cheese-flavored spread, but then I made a Butternut Squash Spread with it. It was a little bit too robust in its flavor for the roasted butternut squash, so it would probably better complement something equally assertive, say a piquant Buffalo sauce.

I would buy the product, but I would buy it intending to use it more like a blue cheese. And I encourage you to see what you think.

Think above that comes broken, try this:

The Goat (Plant-Based Goat Cheese)

Roasted Butternut Spread

2 cups diced roasted butternut squash
1/4 cup vegan goat cheese, blue cheese, ricotta, or cream cheese
Leaves from 1-4 inch piece fresh rosemary
2 large fresh sage leaves, torn in half
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Garnish: fresh herbs and nuts, plain or candied

Process all ingredients together, except 1 tablespoon olive oil, in bowl of food processor until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary. Transfer to serving dish, make a swirl in center, drizzle with remaining olive oil, garrnish with fresh herbs and nuts as desired, and serve with crackers, toasts, or fresh vegetables.

#sperofoods #veganappetizer #plantbasedappetizer #vegancheese #veganspread #plantbasedspread

January 13, 2019December 28, 2019 by betsy

The Jazzy Vegetarian’s Vegan Miso-Parsley Hummus

Yield: 4 servings

Laura Theodore, aka the Jazzy Vegetarian, is hitting all the high notes and winning awards and accolades in the process. From her latest vegan cookbook, to the Jazzy Vegetarian on public television, to her podcast radio show, to her pop-up restaurant, this vibrant recording artist never misses a beat. She is everywhere: from Netflix to CBS to HBO, just to mention a few forums where she has been featured.

Her recipes are simple and straightforward; the resulting dishes colorful and flavorful. In fact, I gifted good foodie friends with one of her cookbooks, Vegan-ease this Christmas. Like me, they like to use recipes as a starting point for their own iterations, and no better place to start than with Laura’s, though her recipes are perfectly balanced as is.

When her latest cookbook, Jazzy Vegetarian’s Deliciously Vegan hit the stands, I had promised to participate in a “blog tour,” but life got in the way. So, better late than never. Today, I finally had an opportunity to return the favor to this energetic and supportive member of the vegan community, for years ago, she interviewed me on the Jazzy Vegetarian Radio when my cookbook, The Blooming Platter: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes was published.

Says Laura of her quick and easy recipe featured here, “Miso provides texture and taste to this hummus without adding any oil, keeping it a light and low-fat option for a satisfying snack.”

True confession, I added a tablespoon of oil because I love the mouthfeel of a hint of oil, but I also love Laura’s idea of using good ‘ole tap water for most of the moisture. Also, though I know the prevailing wisdom is to make a recipe as printed the first time and then adjust, I didn’t have any chickpeas on hand, it is pouring rain here, and I didn’t want to run into the grocery store. So, I made it with the edamame which I had in the fridge. Yum. And I used my food processor rather than blender.

Also, because my hummus was leaning in an Asian direction–and because I have been cooking and developing award-winning recipes for a very long time–I made a couple of other alterations: I added 2 large cloves of garlic, minced, and, over the top, I drizzled about a tablespoon of my Blooming Platter Mayo (basically, a white tangy “sauce”) and another of Asian Sweet Chili Sauce for color and zing. I think Laura would approve of my “jazzing up” my version just a little.

But, I guarantee that her unadulterated Miso-Parsley Hummus would be delicious as is:

1 can (15 to 16 ounces) chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
2 to 3 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (see note)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon mellow white miso
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Chef’s Note: For a more lemony taste, add 1 more tablespoon of fresh lemon juice.

Put all of the ingredients into a blender and process until smooth. Add a bit more water, as needed, to achieve the desired consistency.

January 13, 2019January 13, 2019 by betsy

Vegan Edamame Buddha Bowl (only 25O calories per huge serving)

Yield: 1 large serving; easily multiplies

Dinner on Friday night was delicious, nutritious, beautiful, and almost more than I could eat…but only 25O calories.

We had considered Chinese takeout, but I didn’t want to get back out after walking the dogs. So with Asian cuisine on my mind, I did a mental scan if what was in the fridge and created this satisfying and beautiful bowl.

Be sure to enjoy it with chopsticks; it is so much more fun that way.

1/2 cup shredded cabbage and carrot slaw mix (12.5 calories)

4 green onions, sliced

1 cup frozen, shelled edamane, thawed (110 calories)

1-8 ounce package Shirataki noodles, rinsed and drained (20 calories)

2 tablespoons vegan Fish Sauce (sold as vegetarian in Asian markets–20 calories)

1 to 2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons Blooming Platter Mayo (20 calories)

2 tablespoons Asian Sweet Chili Sauce (60 calories)

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro + 1 spring for garnish

Barely cover the bottom of a large skillet with water. Saute cabbage and green onion, just until slightly tender, but still bright in color. Add edamame and do the same. Add all remaining ingredients in order and heat through, stirring until hot and well-combined. Serve immediately in a bowl garnished with a sprig of cilantro.

January 4, 2019 by betsy

Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

For the 18th (!) Annual Christmas, Chanukkah, Curry, and Cakes Party & Swap for some 25 of my girl tribe, I kept the menu simple, healthful, beautiful, and delicious.

This one time buffet dinner morphed into a cocktail party-swap a few years back and then, last year, into a moveable feast and swap featuring curried pumpkin soup. Soup is self-serve from the stove, but I make it festive with a buffet of toppings. This year’s tasty accompaniments were vegan blue cheese-chutney cole slaw, quartered persimmons, and vegan sugar cookies. Oh, and wine. Lots of wine.

This year’s soup creation was superior to last and I am pleased to share it with you, as I wouldn’t change a thing.

Vegan Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup

Yield: 10 cups

1- 29 ounce can pureed pumpkin

1-15.5 ounce can lite coconut milk

1-30 gram package Jaswant’s Kitchen Chana Masala seasoning packet or the equivalent (you may prefer less–it is spicy)

4 cups vegetable stock or broth

Toppings bar: grated coconut, sliced green onions, roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries or cherries, etc.

Whisk together all ingredients except toppings in a large soup pan or Dutch oven and bring to a simmer over medium to medium-high heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Serve topped as desired.

January 4, 2019 by betsy

Vegan Middle Eastern Roasted Parsnip, Carrot, and Walnut Spread

My first recipe of 2019 is beautiful, bursting with flavor, nutritious, low in calories and fat, and a textural sensation. Happy Healthy New Year’s to all!

1 pound carrot chunks, peeled and roasted (I purchased already roasted at Whole Foods)

1 pound parsnips, peeled and roasted (I purchased already roasted at Whole Foods)

1/3 cup walnut pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup orange juice (app. one-half an orange)

2 tablespoons lime juice (or lemon)

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander or 1 1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds (the latter lends little bursts of flavor)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 large garlic clove, quartered

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Water to reach desired consistency

Garnish: walnut pieces (duh…I grabbed cashews for photo not thinking)

Process all but garnish in food processor until a coarse paste forms. Garnish as desired and serve with pita points (we like the decadence of frying them because the dip is so low calorie).

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #veganappetizers #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn

January 4, 2019January 4, 2019 by betsy

Creamy Vegan Middle Eastern Black-Eyed Pea Dip or Spread

Get your good luck on…any day of the year!

Though I created this recipe for New Year’s Day, it is too tasty, quick, and healthful to only roll out once a year.

I am happy to share black eyed peas like you’ve never had them for good luck throughout the new year and great taste in the present moment:

Creamy Vegan Middle Eastern Black-Eyed Pea Dip or Spread

1/2 red or yellow onion, diced
1-15.5 ounce can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
Pinch sea salt
8 ounces tofu, silken (dip) or firm regular (spread), patted dry
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Everything Bagel seasoning

Barely cover the bottom of a large skillet with water and saute onion, stirring, with a pinch of sea salt until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. Add black eyed peas and continue sauteing until onion is soft and water is evaporated. Place all ingredients in bowl of food processor and process until smooth. Serve garnished with a sprinkling of smoked paprika and, if you have on hand, a few pomegranate seeds. Serve with pita points, regular or fried, pita or bagel chips, or raw vegetables.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn