Yield: approximately 4 cups
Today is the last day of summer break for teachers in our district, as we go back tomorrow for a week of “pre-service” before the students return on September 8. School means school lunches, so I enjoyed spending some time this afternoon grocery shopping and creating a couple of different wholesome spreads for quick and satisfying mid-day meals throughout the week.
This time, my favorite Vegan Smoky Chicken Salad is back but with a Thai twist. (See also the Chinese version in the previous post.) Like its inspiration, this iteration emphasizes color, texture, taste and nutrition. But the ingredients, in virtually identical proportion, are decidedly Thai: red bell pepper, dried pineapple, carrots, green onions, cashews, cilantro, curry powder, vegan fish sauce and lime juice.
Enjoy as you would any chicken salad, only maybe with chopsticks.
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
Vegan Chinese Chicken Salad
Yield: approximately 4 cups
The veggie-resistant members of your clan will never know they are eating their broccoli and carrots when you serve up this Chinese-inspired twist on my Vegan Smoky Chicken Salad.
Like its forebear, this version is flecked with pretty contrasting colors and packed with nutrition. But the ingredients give a nod to Chinese cuisine. The carrots remain, but water chestnuts replace the apple, broccoli florets the celery, and scallions the onion. Peanuts stand in for the smoked almonds while Five Spice Powder is substituted for the tarragon and the smoked paprika and soy sauce for the lemon juice.
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
Vegan Oatmeal, Apple-Nut, Chocolate Chip Spice Cookies
Yield: 24 “normal” cookies or 12 “behemoths“
(If pressed for time, I make the big boys. But these are equally good large or small.)
Today, I had an appointment with a periodontist and scheduled gum-grafting surgery for September 3. It seems that for years I’ve done a little too good of a job of brushing my teeth and have some gum recession to tend to before getting the aforementioned Invisiline braces. I now know, first-hand, from whence the phrase “long in the tooth” comes.
What does that have to do with these cookies? It is the only reason I can think of for why I had an especially irrepressible craving for something sweet and tender, chock full of crunchy and chewy morsels like nuts and dried apples, foods I won’t be able to eat post surgery. I was told that I would need to eat a soft diet for two weeks. Hmm…that sounds like soy lattes, wine, soups and vegan ice cream to me. So, in the meantime, I think I should hoard the forbidden foods in my jaws like a squirrel.
Once again, my favorite dough (but with half whole wheat flour and a little oatmeal) plays a supporting role in these cookies that star dark chocolate chips, walnut pieces, dried apples and a warm and toasty blend of spices which is especially tasty. Be sure to use all four spices because they are more than the sum of their parts.
½ cup vegan butter, room temperature (I like Earth Balance)
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk, preferably at room temperature (plain or vanilla soy milk works too)
1 generous teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 cup + 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
pinch nutmeg
scant 1/2 cup oatmeal
scant 1/2 cup vegan dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
scant 1/2 cup walnut pieces (or almonds, hazelnuts, pecans)
scant 1/2 cup diced dried apples (a 1/4-inch dice seems just right)
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Slowly blend in the soy milk, vanilla and maple extract. Add the flours, baking soda and spices, and mix on low speed until well combined. Then fold in the remaining ingredients. Drop 24 small scoops onto Silpat-covered, oiled or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Press tops of mounds down slightly and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Or make 12 extra large cookies using two scoops of dough, pressing the mounds down to about a 1/2″ tall disk, leaving 2″ between, and baking for approximately 12-15 minutes. Check after 12 . Cool slightly on cookie sheets and then remove to racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.
Vegan Oatmeal, Dried Fig, Chocolate Chip and Nut Cookies
Yield: 24 “normal” cookies or 12 “behemoths“
(As I have said before, like so many people, I seem to always be pressed for time, so I make gigantic cookies. But these are equally good large or small.)
Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention. Last week, I needed a few food gifts and wanted to make my chocolate chip cookies (posted on this site), but with dried cranberries or cherries. However, I discovered that I didn’t have enough chips and the only dried fruit I had on-hand were figs, already cut into 1/4 inch cubes from a previous recipe.
No worries. I simply made the dough as usual, but nudged it gently in a more wholesome direction by substituting 1 of the cups of all-purpose flour with 1 cup of whole wheat flour. And, instead of adding 1 1/2 cups of chips (or 3/4 cup of chips and 3/4 cup of nuts), I added 3/4 cup oatmeal and 1/4 cup each of dark chocolate chips, nuts and dried figs. A combination of ground cinnamon and ginger provides just the right spicy background for these cookies that subtlely suggest that autumn is just around the corner.
½ cup vegan butter, room temperature (I use Earth Balance)
½ cup vegetable shortening
½ cup light brown sugar
½ cup sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk, preferably at room temperature (plain or vanilla soy milk works too)
1 generous teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt (omit if butter is salted)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup vegan dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup of pecan pieces (or almonds, hazelnuts, macadamias, walnuts, etc.)
1/4 cup diced dried figs (a 1/4-inch dice seems just right)
Preheat the oven to 350 F. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, shortening, brown sugar, and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Slowly blend in the soy milk and vanilla. Add the flours, baking soda and spices, and mix on low speed until well combined. Then fold in the remaining ingredients. Drop 24 small scoops onto Silpat-covered, oiled or parchment paper-lined cookie sheets. Press tops of mounds down slightly and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Or make 12 extra large cookies using two scoops of dough, pressing the mounds down to about a 1/2″ tall disk, leaving 2″ between, and bake for approximately 12-15 minutes. Check after 12 . Cool slightly on cookie sheets and then remove to racks to cool completely. Store in airtight containers.
Vegan Smoky Chicken Salad
Yield: approximately 4 cups
Smoked almonds and smoked paprika give this spread its subtle wood-fired flavor. Apple, celery and carrots up the vitamin quotient which, along with parsley, provide nice texture and flecks of color. The tarragon, optional nutritional yeast, and faux chicken seasoning enhance the chicken-y flavor. And the combination of lemon juice and vegan mayo provide just the right amount of tang.
This salad is delicious served in all of the traditional ways, but it is particularly enhanced by a simple side salad of long, narrow seedless cucumbers–preferably home-grown–sliced and sprinkled with vinegar and coarse sea or kosher salt to offset their natural sweetness.
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
Vegan Peaches-n-Cream Smoothie
Yield : 2 servings or 1 large one
In our area of Virginia, August means one thing: peaches. Sweet and juicy with just a hint of mellow tartness, they are a big and beautiful consolation for the heat and humidity.
Last week, I picked up several at Stoney’s Market and made some homemade vegan peach ice cream. With one leftover peach and with ice cream in the freezer, I knew what I was having for breakfast today.
Plus, I was in a rush to get to the orthodontist (yes, I’m getting Invisiline braces at my “ripe” age) and this smoothie travels well in my insulated Starbucks cup. You’ll notice I dressed it up a bit for the photo before transferring it into my travel cup and dashing out the door. Most days, I prefer a drinkable breakfast like this that hydrates with a delectable infusion of protein and vitamins.
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain, vanilla or vanilla light would be perfect too)
1/2 of a large peach, pitted, and cut into chunks (I leave the skin on for color and nutrition)
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
10 ice cubes
Optional: 1 scoop (about 1/2 cup) vegan ice cream (I used homemade peach, but vanilla or a sorbet would be nice too and purchased is fine; if you don’t add the ice cream, you might want to add a couple of packets of Splenda or the sweetener of your choice)
Garnish: 2 small wedges from the remaining 1/2 peach and 2 optional straws (or one of each if preparing one large serving)
Place all ingredients into the glass container of an electric blender and blend until smooth. My blender (Krups 4-speed) has an “ice crusher” feature, so I run it on that speed until the ice sounds broken up and then switch it to high for a few seconds. Avoid over-blending, as it may thin the mixture out too much. Pour into one or two glasses and garnish the rim(s) with a peach wedge. Serve with a straw if desired.
Vegan Chicken Paté with Sautéed Pears
Yield: approximately 12 appetizer servings
Following is one of the recipes I created and prepared for our “Happy Birthday, Julia Child!” dinner party this past Saturday night (see the post below for a photograph, menu and more). Though this is my own concoction rather than a veganized version of one of Julia’s, I created it in the spirit of her passion for all things French, including paté with butter!
Originally, I called this recipe a chicken liver paté, but a reader thought that “liver” sounded unappetizing, so I changed the name because there is nothing liver-like in the dish. Rather, it combines vegan chicken strips with all of the addicting ingredients for a chicken liver paté that my good friend and caterer *Monica Holmes used to make: toasted pecans, onions, mushrooms, cognac and more.
Often patés are served with cornichons but, for some reason, lightly sauteed pears sounded more beautiful and tasty with this dish…and they were! It was a hit with all of the guests, as was everything on our potluck menu.
Bon Appetit!
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
Happy Birthday, Julia Child!
When I realized that Julia Child’s August 15th birthday (it would have been her 97th!) was going to fall on a weekend when my beloved cousin Earl Weed from Houston was visiting, there was only one thing to do: throw a party! Since I knew that he and I would be out hiking and such during the day–and since our friends are gifted cooks–I decided to make it a quasi-French potluck. And I’m so glad I did.
Everyone’s contributions were just perfect: mouth-wateringly gorgeous, nutritious, plentiful, and lovingly prepared. Obvious care and attention was lavished on every detail, including the beautiful serving pieces and presentations right down to the totes and trays used to carry the dishes into the house. (Though my husband’s contribution doesn’t fit that description, his willingness to vacuum floors and rugs–after his afternoon cigar on the deck but before guests arrived–was appreciated just as much.)
I was the only vegan in the crowd, but everyone brought vegan food except Scott who, thankfully and generously, kept the meat-eaters well satisfied. Served buffet style (to keep the food mostly out of reach of our dogs!), the menu consisted of:
- A mound of Black Olive Tapenade on ruby red slabs of fresh juicy tomatoes with slices of whole wheat baguette, warmed lightly in the oven (Sharon and Mike Tanner)
- Vegan Chicken Liver Pate with Sauteed Red Pears served with bagel chips (me)
- Julia’s perfectly crisp and refreshing Chilled Cucumber Salad (Jonell Walthall)
- Julia’s lovely and savory Ratatouille (Becky Bump and Reese Lusk)
- Julia’s Veganized Pissaladiere Nicoise [caramelized onion and black olive tart–thank you, Earl, for pitting those olives] (me)
- Julia’s Roasted Jerk Pork En Brochette (Scott Walthall–he even roasted the herbs himself!)
- Vegan Chocolate Mousse (me–even Julia wouldn’t miss the heavy cream!)
- Red and white French wines and good ‘ole red, white and blue American stories and laughter
Bon Appetite!
Pictured from left: Scott, my husband Joe, Sharon, Mike, Reese, Becky, Earl and Jonell. Not shown: three drooling dogs. (Light conditions were not optimal for photographing the food–plus everyone was too hungry to wait–but stay tuned for post-party recipes and photos.)
Vegan Tempeh Chicken Salad
Yield: approximately 4 servings
I’ve been out of the country/state for the last 11 days and have truly missed blogging. But my travels to London and to see my family in MS were fun and rewarding on many levels, not to mention filled with delicious vegan food. Stay tuned for Three Bean-Sundried Tomato Cakes with Ale Chutney from one of the many pubs we visited in London and a couple of terrific recipes from my mother and aunt.
But, first, I wanted to post this faux chicken salad inspired by my family’s visit to The New Yokel Market and Side Door Cafe in Hattiesburg, MS (see link under “Platters for Purchase” in my sidebar). We fortified ourselves there before going to see “Julie and Julia” (more on a dinner party inspired by the movie and Child’s August 15 birthday in an upcoming post). Mom is remarkably tenacious at sniffing out vegan food in a state known for rendering vegan food the opposite by virtue of ingredients like fatback.
This utterly charming and rustic market and cafe sells goods otherwise challenging to find in MS and turns out simple mouthwatering vegan chow like this tempeh chicken salad and a curried vegetable soup over dense vegan cornbread. I’d never made chicken salad with tempeh because I don’t think tempeh tastes much like my faint and distant memories of chicken, but it turns out not to matter one bit (or bite).
This salad–as close as I could come to their version–is some very good eats. The addition of fresh red grapes adds color similar to dried cranberries, but without that intense flavor that tends to overpower everything else. They also add moisture and natural sweetness. Lightly toasted walnuts add depth of flavor, crunch and nutrition. And celery, of course, provides even more juicy crunch while contrasting beautifully with the red grapes. My secret ingredients are a mere teaspoon of maple syrup to offset tempeh’s slight natural bitterness and minced fronds of fresh fennel to impart a subtle anise flavor because I think it goes perfectly with “chicken.” Fresh or dried tarragon would be nice too, but I happened to have some fennel with overly abundant fronds that I was going to have to wrestle into the fridge. Dill would be lovely as well. If you use fennel fronds, be sure to mince them very finely or you’ll feel like you’re eating a little lower on the food chain than you intended.
Enjoy this salad in a wholegrain sandwich; with crackers, celery sticks or sliced tomato; or just with a spoon!
2 cups faux chicken stock or vegetable stock
1-8 ounce slab of tempeh, cut in half crosswise (I used the soy variety)
rounded 1/3 cup finely diced celery
rounded 1/3 cup red seedless grapes, quartered
rounded 1/3 cup chopped walnuts, dry roasted for about 3 minutes in a small skillet over medium-high heat
*optional (but delicious!): lightly packed 1/3 cup minced fennel fronds (or minced fresh tarragon or dried tarragon to taste); just use the fine fronds and not the thick stems
4 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
4 tablespoons vegan sour cream
1 teaspoon maple syrup
sea or kosher salt and freshly pepper to taste
*Note: Fresh or dried dill would be lovely as well, though it would impart a slightly different taste. Also, you can change the proportion of mayo to sour cream, even using all of one or the other.
In a large cast iron skillet, bring the 2 cups of stock to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat so that the stock is just simmering, add tempeh, and simmer for 8 minutes, turning once halfway through. Remove from heat and allow tempeh to cool slightly.
Meanwhile, use this cooking time to prepare other ingredients, placing them all in a medium bowl. With fingers, crumble tempeh into the bowl and stir everything together with a spoon or fork.
Serve in a sandwich, with crackers or veggies, or on a bed of lettuce.
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