March 30, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Peanut Butter-Cream Cheese-Chocolate Chip Frosting

Okay, so I said that the only thing that might make my Vegan Peanut Butter, Banana, Graham Cracker Brownies better was frosting, but that that “almost seems too decadent if there is any such thing.” Turns out there isn’t. The brownies are really good unadorned. But, with this frosting, they should be a controlled substance.

1/4 cup vegan butter, softened (I like Earth Balance)
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup plain or chunky organic peanut butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract plus 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
up to approximately 3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips, slightly softened in microwave (some whole chips should remain)

In a small bowl, by hand or with an electric mixer, cream together first four ingredients. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth and the desired spreading consistency is reached. Then stir or beat in chocolate chips. Use to frost your favorite brownies or cupcakes.

March 28, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan White Beans and "Chicken" with Caramelized Onion, Golden Raisin and Toasted Pine Nut Ragout

Yield: 4 servings

Honestly, I could eat all four servings of this dish at one sitting. There is something about the balance of contrasting tastes and textures that absolutely does it for me. And setting the creamy melange off with a perky side salad of lightly dressed baby spinach and grape tomatoes just sends it right off the charts. I hope you agree.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 small onions
3 cloves garlic
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup dry-sweet white wine
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
1 tablespoon fresh minced rosemary
2 tablespoon maple syrup
generous 1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted in a small dry skillet on top of the stove, just until fragrant and barely golden
1 can white beans, preferably the tiny little ones (I didn’t drain and rinse them, as they had little “juice,” but you can if you prefer)
4 ounces Morning Star Meal Starters chicken flavored strips, thawed
optional: zest from 1/2 of a small lemon
optional garnish: additional parsley, pine nuts, and/or lemon wedges/zest
optional side salad: lightly dressed (I used walnut oil, vinegar, sea salt and pepper) baby spinach and halved grape tomatoes

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat oil to shimmering. Add onion, garlic, a little salt and some pepper and saute, stirring occasionally until onion is soft, slightly golden, and most of oil is absorbed. Add the tablespoon of water and continue sauteing onion and garlic until the water is evaporated. Add next 6 ingredients beginning with white wine and cook down for a total cooking time of about 12-15 minutes, including the sauteing, reducing heat to closer to medium if necessary. Add parsley, pine nuts, beans, faux chicken, and optional lemon zest, and heat through. Serve immediately garnished as desired and/or with a side salad.

March 28, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Peanut Butter, Banana, Graham Cracker Brownies

Yield: one 8″ pan of brownies

These brownies are chock-full of everything I love. The only thing that might make them better is a frosting, but that almost seems too decadent if there is any such thing. See what you think.

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 mashed over-ripe banana
1/4 cup crunchy or smooth organic peanut butter (I heat it for 10 seconds in microwave so that it is easy to incorporate into the batter)
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup peanuts (I like the salted and roasted kind)
1/2 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a metal 8-inch square metal pan. (If you use a 9-inch pan, you should probably only bake the brownies for 25 minutes.) Mix together first 7 ingredients. With a wooden spoon, stir together until all ingredients until they are completely combined. Then stir in peanuts and chocolate chips. Gently spread batter evenly in pan and bake for 30 minutes or until brownies are set and top is slightly glossy.

March 27, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Bran Bud Pancakes with Vegan Golden Scotchy Raisin-Pecan Syrup

Yield: 8 pancakes

If you love starting your day with bran muffins or raisin-bran cereal–and I bet even if you don’t–you will be crazy for my take on these breakfast standards that is anything but. I cook up a full cup of bran buds inside pancakes that are whole grain- and fiber-filled, but won’t weigh you down. The raisins come into play in the warm syrup that I bathe them in. Don’t ask me why Scotch whiskey, golden raisins and pecans taste so good together, but they do and I’m just going with it. I hope you will too.

1/2 cup self-rising flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 cup bran buds (located in the cereal aisle of grocery stores)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)
optional: 1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Scotch-Raisin Pecan Maple Syrup (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 6 ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soy milk. Stir together with a fork until well combined. For added richness, if desired, melt 1 tablespoon vegan butter in a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat and stir into pancake batter. In the same skillet, melt 1 additional tablespoon of the vegan butter, the oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side until you see a few bubbles, get a nice rise and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. (While pancakes cook, make syrup.) When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm in the preheated oven, and repeat with remaining butter and/or oil and pancake batter. Serve warm with syrup.

Vegan Golden Scotchy-Raisin Pecan Maple Syrup

1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/4 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons Scotch whiskey

In a small cast iron skillet over medium-high, melt butter. Add pecan pieces and saute, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes. Reduce heat if bubbling too fast. Add raisins and do the same. Add maple syrup and cook another couple of minutes. Turn off heat and stir in Scotch. Mine doesn’t flame up with the heat off, but be prepared for some flambe action just in case.

March 23, 2010July 30, 2012 by betsy

Celebrate The Blooming Platter’s One Year Anniversary with Vegan Nutty Tuna Salad

Yield: approximately 4 cups

To celebrate the ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY of The Blooming Platter, I’m posting this very springlike recipe for an old standby, tuna salad, given fresh new life as a vegan delicacy.

My friend Angela Phillips served this faux tuna salad as part of a lovely, healthy and light Sunday brunch. It’s been a while, but as I recall, everything was served in sparkling crystal and seemed magical.

Thank you for your support during this fledgling year of TBP. It’s enriched my life immeasurably, and I hope it has yours in some small way.

1 cup raw sunflower seeds (I could only find roasted, so I used them and it was delish)
1 cup raw almonds
1/8 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon kelp or dulse
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 of an onion, processed to yield 1/4 cup finely chopped
approximately 2-3 stalks celery processed to yield 1/2 cup finely chopped
small handful of parsley processed to yield 1/2 cup finely chopped
optional: 2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish or to taste

Barely cover sunflower seeds and almonds with water and soak for 4-8 hours. Drain. Place in food processor with lemon, salt, and kelp or dulse. Blend until it is a texture you like and mix with other ingredients. Serve with lettuce leaves to make wraps, with crackers, in a sandwich, or any way you enjoyed tuna salad in your pre-vegan days.

Source: Angela Phillips

March 20, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Puff Pastry Sandwich Filled with Roasted Asparagus, Green Pea Hummus and Vegan Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise

Yield: 6 sandwiches (with lots of leftover Vegan Green Pea Hummus)

I created this “go green” sandwich for my “Veggie Table” column in the Virginian-Pilot, as it was published on St. Patrick’s Day, though it can be enjoyed whenever asparagus and peas are at their peak. If you can’t get fresh peas, frozen ones work just fine.

The Food Network’s Giada de Laurentiis’s use of puff pastry as the “bread” in her double-decker chicken and avocado sandwich inspired may approach, though I opted for only one layer because, while puff pastry is free of animal products, it is fairly rich and high in calories. So two pieces per sandwich are plenty. Her technique of baking the pastry between two baking sheets prevents it from puffing so that it lends itself perfectly to sandwich-building.

For my meat- and dairy-free green-on-green filling, I pair homemade Vegan Green Pea Hummus with skinny roasted asparagus. A thin layer of my Vegan Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise adds just the right kick of heat and citrus to complement the veggies. Like any sandwich worthy of the name, this one can be eaten with your hands, but is quite a bit neater with a knife and fork. Enjoy it served with fresh raw pea shoots as a side garnish along with some plantain chips. My favorites are spiked with chili, lime and salt and are available locally at Hispanic markets.

Vegan Green Pea Hummus

Combine first 7 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Puree until almost smooth and then drizzle in olive oil until very smooth. Refrigerate covered.

Vegan Orange Chipotle Mayonnaise
1 generous tablespoon vegan mayonnaise
2 generous tablespoons vegan sour cream
1-2 teaspoons adobo sauce, to taste (from a can of chipotle chilies in adobo found on the international aisle of some grocery stores and in Hispanic markets)
Zest of one orange

In a small cup or bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well combined. Refrigerate covered. Puff Pastry “Bread” Slices 1 box of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry, thawed according to package directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line one baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper and have another baking sheet and Silpat or piece of parchment paper ready. Unfold both sheets of puff pastry and cut each lengthwise along the fold lines into three strips and then crosswise into three equal pieces. (Each sheet should make six approximately 3 x 5” rectangles.) Arrange the 12 rectangles of pastry on a baking sheet, not touching. Prick the tops of each one with a fork. Cover with the remaining Silpat or piece of parchment paper and top with second baking sheet. (This will prevent the puff pastry from “puffing.”) Place on rack in the lower third of your oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a rack and allow to cool almost to room temperature. Meanwhile prepare and roast asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 bunch of, preferably, ultra thin asparagus, rinsed, drained and trimmed into approximately 5-inch pieces (thicker asparagus works, but is not quite as nice or easy to eat in a sandwich; you might slice it in half lengthwise before roasting)
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste

Pour olive oil into a roasting pan. Add asparagus, toss lightly to coat, and sprinkle with salt to taste. Place on a rack above puff pastry and roast for 10-15 minutes, stirring once, until tender, but beginning to wither and develop slight caramelization. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. Assembly: Spread a nice layer of Vegan Green Pea Hummus on half of the puff pastry slices. Top each with 1/6th of the asparagus. Turn the remaining puff pastry slices upside down and spread with a thin layer of the Vegan Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise. Then place them, mayo side down, on top of each sandwich. Serving suggestion: fresh raw pea shoots and plantain chips seasoned with chili, lime and salt (available at Hispanic markets)

March 20, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Green Pea Hummus

Yield: approximately 3 1/2 cups

Tofu ups the protein in this beautiful minty green version of hummus. The peas–fresh if you can get them, though frozen works perfectly well–lend a delicate earthy sweetness. And the lemon zest, olive oil and garlic and onion powders round out the flavors with depth and a little zing.

I love it served simply as a dip or spread with some kind of toasty chip, but I also love it in my Vegan Puff Pastry Sandwich Filled with Roasted Asparagus, Green Pea Hummus and Vegan Orange-Chipotle Mayonnaise.

Vegan Green Pea Hummus

12 ounces Silken firm tofu
16 ounces fresh or frozen peas, thawed
Zest of one lemon
Garlic and onion powder to taste (about ¼ teaspoon each)
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Optional: 2 generous tablespoons nutritional yeast
4 tablespoons olive oil
Serve with: pita, bagel or plantain chips. My favorites of the latter are spiked with chili, lime and salt and are available at some Hispanic markets.

Combine first 7 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Puree until almost smooth and then drizzle in olive oil until very smooth. Refrigerate covered if not serving immediately. Serve with pita, bagel or plaintain chips. Of the latter, I love the ones seasoned with chili, lime and salt, available at some Hispanic markets.

March 16, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

The Art of the Vegan

The lovely Lauren Rogers Museum in my hometown of Laurel, MS, is holding an art auction for which they wanted artwork created by people with ties to the town. They asked my mom if I would be willing to make a piece and, of course, I was happy to. So they mailed me an 8 x 10″ canvas on which I could paint anything. I was stumped because I wanted it to be “pretty” enough to sell, but I’m not one to make merely decorative art. This image came to me, kind of all at once, but only after I’d been ruminating on an idea for a while. It’s an intentionally ambiguous statement about what we eat, what we don’t, what we protect and what we choose not to. I’d love to know what you think.

Art Credit: Untitled, by Betsy DiJulio, acrylic and mixed-media on canvas, 2010

March 13, 2010October 29, 2012 by betsy

Vegan Oatmeal Pancakes with Dried Cranberries and Pecans

Yield: 8 pancakes

I love oatmeal cookies with dried cranberries and pecans and, in my never-ending quest for new pancake varieties, I thought the cookies would translate beautifully into pancakes. I think they are spectacular in a homespun way and hope you agree.

1 cup less 1 tablespoon unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (white vinegar is fine too)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup oatmeal

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice

3/4 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans (toast in a dry skillet for a few minutes over medium-high if desired)

Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying

Garnish: a few dried cranberries and pecan halves per serving

Preheat oven to warm. In a small bowl, whisk together soy milk and vinegar to make vegan buttermilk. In a medium mixing bowl, place next 7 dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in soy buttermilk. Stir together with a fork until well combined. Stir in cranberries and chopped pecans. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two at a time. Cook a couple of minutes on the first side until you see a few bubbles, get a nice rise and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm in an oven preheated to low, and repeat with remaining butter and/or oil and pancake batter. Serve warm with real Maple Syrup garnished as desired with dried cranberries and pecan halves.