Tag: plant-based recipes

by betsy

Tomato-Peach Caprese (vegan & plant-based)

Today I offer a perfect late summer vegan/plant-based recipe and an apology…for being “gone” for so long.

First the recipe:

Tomato-Peach Caprese is perfect for a light summertime snack, lunch, or dinner. Made with Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese, fresh peaches and tomatoes, and chopped pistachios, it is especially light and refreshing served with cucumber slices, but serve it with crostini for a treat that is a little more substantial. We love the ricotta, but if you can’t find it locally, feel free to substitute Better Than Cream Cheese. But, good news: all Tofutti products are available at PlantX.

Ingredients:

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1.5 ounces chives, snipped (use kitchen shears); reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 large ripe peach, diced

1 large ripe tomato, diced

1 to 2 tablespoons pistachios, finely chopped

Sea salt

Accompaniments: crackers or cucumber slices

Directions:

At least 30 minutes before preparing, combine garlic and olive oil in a small container and let steep at room temperature.

In a small bowl, stir together Tofutti Better Than Ricotta Cheese, red wine or balsamic vinegar, chives, and pepper until completely combined. Spread onto serving plate or board.

In another small bowl, gently toss together tomatoes and peaches with 1 tablespoon garlic oil and spoon on top of ricotta. Drizzle with remaining garlic oil and sprinkle with reserved chives, pistachios, and sea salt to taste.

Serve immediately with crackers and/or cucumber slices.

*Created exclusively for Tofutti Brands, Inc. by Betsy DiJulio of The Blooming Platter.

The apology:

As some of you may know, over a year ago, much to my delight, Tofutti Brands hired me as a recipe developer and food photographer. But, since fall 2020, I have also been a full-time teaching artist in the Upper School at Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, VA, where I concurrently–and gratefully–serve as the curator of Perrel Gallery. This rich new path follows a 16-year career as a public high school art teacher. And Tofutti isn’t my only side hustle, as I manage a busy magazine and newspaper freelance writing business.

I share this not as an excuse, but an explanation for my too-long neglect of my beloved website, The Blooming Platter.

Initially, I planned to post a recipe every time Tofutti did, but that plan got sidetracked by life and by my obsessive weekly recipe creation and testing. However, with this post, I am recommitting to that plan. I sometimes create other recipes which I will also share here. But for the most part, I am so consumed–see what I did there?–by my tasty work for Tofutti that virtually all my new recipes include Better Than Cream Cheese, Better Than Sour Cream, or Better Than Ricotta.

Substitutions/Tested Recipes

You can certainly try substituting other brands BUT be advised that, not only are Tofutti my favorite plant-based cream cheese, sour cream, and ricotta, but the recipes have only been tested with these products.

Get the Skinny

To make sure you don’t miss a single recipe, visit Tofutti here and sign up for our mailing list where your privacy will be respected and you will not be inundated. But you will receive all our recipes and eCookbooks, with the next featuring recipes for busy school and work mornings, afternoons, and evenings, as we gear back up for another school year.

by betsy

FREE eCookbook! Quick & Easy Entertaining: The Holiday Edition (vegan & plant-based)

It’s Yours FREE!

As many of you know, Tofutti hired me last spring to create tasty content for them, a side hustle made for me if there ever was one!

I also love my day job as an art teacher in the Upper School at Norfolk Academy in Norfolk, VA, so when school let out last June, I went on a recipe development bender over the summer. You can access those recipes which have been published on the Tofutti site’s recipe blog. But there are many more in the can, as they say!

I backed off my flurry just a little once school started back in August but, for the most part, I have continued to create recipes, stage and photograph the finished dishes, and work on various special projects of which this eCookbook is my favorite.

Please note that, while I am paid a contract fee by Tofutti, the eCookbook is NOT monetized, so I am not promoting it for $$. Rather, I love these recipes, think the book is so beautiful to page through, even digitally, and wanted to share with you.

In Quick & Easy Entertaining: The Holiday Edition, you will find

Mex Chex Mix
Cream Cheese Pecan Balls
Turnip Greens, Red Beans & Vegan Sausage Soup
Roasted Butternut Squash, Arugula & Candied Pecans
Savory Vegan Sausage & Rice-Stuffed Microwave Baked Apples
Oatmeal Streusel-Stuffed Microwave-Baked Apples
Mini No-Bake Pecan Pie Cheesecakes
Mini No-Bake Pomegranate Cheesecakes

To access your book, simply click on the link below which will take you to a pretty page where you enter your email address and submit. You will receive your eCookbook via email right away. And, not to worry: you will NOT be inundated with email from Tofutti…or me!

Quick & Easy Entertaining: The Holiday Edition 2022 (mailchi.mp)

Once you have downloaded the eCookbook, you could certainly send it to friends, but we would love it if you would send them the link so that we know how many people are accessing it. And please share on your social media. The more the merrier.

We’d love to know what you think, as well as what other cookbook topics might interest you. We hope you love this little gift from us to you.

Cheers!

~Betsy

by betsy

No-Yeast Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Rolls (vegan & plant-based)

Yield: a baker’s dozen + 1 (approximately 14 rolls)

For some of us, it is always pumpkin spice season. But if you are more of a traditionalist, it is November, so ’tis the season to start your morning on a roll, a Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Roll.

These glistening golden spirals boast ideal proportions of spicy pumpkin filling, rich caramel-y glaze, and dough made tender and a hint tangy with Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream to balance the sweetness.

Our no-yeast cinnamon rolls are ready in a flash for weekend or holiday breakfasts that everyone will gobble up.  In fact, they are so easy and quick to prepare, you might find yourself rolling them out on a chilly weekday morning.

Visit Tofutti at the link above for this recipe–and many more–which is also included here, in case the link becomes broken.

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream

4 tablespoons vegan butter

1/3 cup pureed pumpkin (not pie filling)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or substitute mostly cinnamon plus a pinch ginger, nutmeg, and allspice)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Pumpkin Spice Glaze (recipe follows)

Optional Garnish: toasted pecan halves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Grease a 9-inch round baking dish, preferably ceramic or glass, and set aside.  In a small cup, whisk together non-dairy milk and vinegar; set aside to curdle.  Place flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl of food processor and pulse a couple times to combine.  Or mix dough by hand in large mixing bowl.  Add curdled milk and Better Than Sour Cream and pulse until it comes together as a ball.  If mixing my hand, stir with a fork until a uniform dough is formed.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead a couple times, and roll into a 10 x 14” rectangle with a floured rolling pin.  (This size creates the best ratio of dough to filling.)  In a small bowl, whisk together pumpkin, both sugars, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and almond extract if using.  Reserve 1/4 cup to make glaze and spoon the rest down the center of dough rectangle.  Spread to within 1/2-inch of border.  Roll up, jellyroll, fashion, staring at one long side.  If filling squeezes out as you roll, just scoop up excess with a spoon and add to the reserved mixture.  With a serrated knife, cut roll into 14 one-inch-thick slices and place, spiral up, in concentric circles in prepared dish, leaving a little space in between.  Bake 15 minutes or until golden.  Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack 10 minutes.  Pour and spread glaze over top, garnish if desired with pecan halves, and serve immediately.

Pumpkin Spice Glaze

¼ cup reserved pumpkin spice filling

3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional: 1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1 or more tablespoons non-dairy milk, as needed

Whisk together reserved pumpkin spice filling, 3/4 cup powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and optional almond extract, adding additional powdered sugar and non-dairy milk, as needed, to reach desired consistency.  It should be thick, but pourable.

by betsy

Eggnog Pancakes–For Tasty, Toasty Holidays & Weekdays (vegan/plant-based)

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (16 medium pancakes)

Thanksgiving is scarcely over and I am already making Christmasy-breakfasts!

The independent school where I have been joyfully employed as the upper school art teacher since 2020 includes the post-Thanksgiving Monday as part of our holiday–what?! So that left me with a little extra time this morning to have more than a cup of chai. With Chobani Oat Nog in the fridge and a nip in the air, I knew what I wanted to whip up after a couple miles of dog walking and before my longer hike at the Norfolk Botanical Garden: Eggnog Pancakes, or “Eggnot” Pancakes, as a silly play on words.

The distinctive noggy taste of Chobani’s welcome addition to the seasonal array of commercially-prepared products plus a little tang from my go-to, Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream, not to mention the addition of freshly-grated nutmeg–oh, and a little bourbon in the syrup–yielded a twist on a Christmas classic as delicious as its namesake.

1/2 cup Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream

1 1/2 cups Chobani Oatmilk Oat Nog

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup powdered sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or to taste

1/2 teaspoon salt

Garnishes: additional Better Than Sour Cream, maple of bourbon-maple syrup, powdered sugar, freshly ground nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and star anise

Preheat oven to low or warm, approximately 170 degrees. In medium bowl, whisk together Better Than Sour Cream and a little Oat Nog until smooth and creamy. Then slowly whisk in remaining Oat Nog. Add all remaining ingredients except garnishes and whisk just until smooth. Spray large skillet with nonstick spray and heat over medium. Make pancakes, 3 or 4 at a time, using 2 generous tablespoons batter each. Cook a couple minutes and, when a few bubbles start to appear, flip and cook 2 to 3 more minutes or until center is completely set. Adjust heat as necessary. Remove pancakes to cookie sheet and keep warm in oven. Continue with remaining batter. Serve pancakes warm topped as desired with additional Better Than Sour Cream, maple or bourbon-maple syrup, a dusting of powdered sugar, freshly ground nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, and star anise.

#vegan #veganism #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #vegansofinstagram #vegansofig #veganinvirginia #goveg #veganforlife #govegan #doitfortheanimals #doitfortheenvironment #dotiforyourhealth #animalsarefriendsnotfood #herbivore #crueltyfree #thebloomingplatter #foodstylist #recipedeveloper #foodphotography #eggnog #pancakes #holidayrecipes

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

by betsy

Mini “Cheeseball” Pops

It would be downright wrong of me not to share this recipe before New Year’s because every southern gal knows it’s not a proper party unless there’s a cheeseball on the table.

But for our Christmas Cheer Open House, I felt guests would enjoy the food more if they could pick it up and pop it in their mouths without a plate–though I provided plates–and I was right!

These were a hit and were even included on a New Year’s appetizer menu by a chef who saw my post in a plant-based Facebook group for chefs and serious home cooks.

But don’t wait for a party to make these. Filled with different ingredients, they just might be a way to get kids to eat more veggies!

Mini “Cheeseball” Pops

Yield: approximately 20 pops

8 ounces vegan cream cheese (I used Follow Your Heart brand though any brand–or home-made–could work as long as it is fairly firm)

1/2 to 3/4 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1/2 to 3/4 cup roasted and lightly salted shelled pistachios, chopped

1/4 to 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: pinch garlic powder

20 straight pretzels

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients with a fork. Using a small scoop–or just a spoon (but a scoop is so quick!)–form 1-inch balls. Place on parchment paper (or foil or waxed paper) in a lidded carton if not serving immediately. Insert pretzel sticks, cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Recipe notes:

1) As you insert the pretzel stick, it may hit a diced ingredient and start to force the ball apart just a little. Don’t panic! Just use the fingers of your other hand to gently squeeze it back together.

2) Feel free to experiment with other ingredients–though the red and green is especially pretty–maybe dates, pecans, and sliced green onions or parsley.

#vegan #veganrecipes #veganfoodshare #veganfoodporn #plantbased #plantbasedrecipes #plantbasedfoodshare #plantbasedfoodporn #veganappetizers #plantbasedappetizers #vegancheeseball #plantbasedcheeseball #veganholiday #plantbasedholiday

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.


by betsy

Vegan Butternut Squash, Brussels, Cauliflower, and Onion with Cointreau-Maple-Balsamic Vinaigrette

This was a favorite dish at our Friendsgiving this year…but it is too special–and easy–for a once-a-year feast.  Celebrate often!

Approximately 6 cups roasted vegetables (Roast on a rimmed baking sheet, two to four vegetables at a time, tossed with a very small amount of olive oil and sea salt at 425 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, stirring halfway through–be sure vegetables are in one layer–and cool completely.)

2 tablespoons Cointreau

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/4 cup pecan halves, toasted at 350 degrees for 5 minutes

Place all vegetables in a large bowl.  Whisk together Cointreau, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, and minced garlic in a small cup.  Drizzle over vegetables, add dried cherries and toasted pecans, toss well, and serve immediately.  You may roast and cool the vegetables a few hours or a day in advance.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.  Add dressing, dried cherries, and toasted pecans just before serving.


by betsy

Vegan Middle Eastern Roasted Parsnip, Carrot, and Walnut Spread

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



Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...