Month: July 2011

by betsy

Vegan Thai Coconut-Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Yield: 4 servings

I’ve never been a huge fan of the flavor of typical stuffed peppers.  But I love bell peppers, including in Thai food.  So why not stuff them with a creamy coconut filling chock full of other ingredients in some of my favorite Thai dishes?  Why not indeed!  The result is spectacular.  Feel free to use Jasmine rice in place of the quinoa.  The latter is what I had on hand and, even though it’s not typically Thai, I love it’s flavor, texture, and fairly high protein.  Japanese eggplants and bell peppers were beautiful at our farm market today, so I used them, along with some spinach from the grocery store and some Thai basil from our garden, but feel free to use any of your favorite Thai ingredients like small cooked cubes of sweet potato, green peas, cilantro, mint, etc.  Just be sure to contrast colors and textures.  I love onion and meant to add some sliced spring onion but forgot, as I was juggling several different things, but I’m not sure they were needed.  Still, onion is always good, so add if you like.  Bottom line?  This recipe is very flexible.  Have fun! 

2 yellow bell peppers, halved lengthwise, membrane and seeds removed

1 cup quinoa

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

generous pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch dice (approximately 1 cup)

pinch of sea salt and more to taste

1/2 cup 2-inch pieces of carrot, finely chopped (I use a food processor)

1/2 of a large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 small mild-medium chile pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1/4 cup vegan fish sauce + an optional additional tablespoon (sold as vegetarian fish sauce in Asian markets)

Juice of 1 small-medium lime (approximately 1 tablespoon)

2 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach, finely chopped (I use a food processor)

1 tablespoon minced Thai or Vietnamese basil

Garnish: sprigs of Thai basil, cilantro, or mint; whole or chopped roasted and lightly salted cashews or peanuts; and optional lime wedges

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a small baking dish and add yellow bell pepper halves, cut side up.  Bake approximately 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, make filling.  In a 1-quart saucepan, place quinoa, coconut milk and a generous pinch of sea salt.  Stir well, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until tender, thick, and creamy.  While quinoa cooks, heat olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high.  Add eggplant  and a pinch of sea salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about a minute.  Add carrot, red bell pepper, and diced chile pepper, and saute, stirring frequently, for another couple of minutes.  Add garlic, ginger, fish sauce, and lime juice, and cook, stirring frequently, for about another minute or until garlic and ginger is softened.  Stir in spinach and basil, stir, and heat through.  Taste and add additional salt and/or vegan fish sauce if desired.  Divide filling evenly among yellow bell pepper halves and return to oven for about 10 minutes or until filling is heated through and peppers are tender, but hold their shape.  Serve hot garnished as desired.

by betsy

Vegan Smoky “Cheddar” Shortbread Crackers with Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade

Yield: 48 crackers and 1 cup of marmalade

This pairing was inspired by those old-fashioned cheddar shortbread crackers kicked up with a little cayenne and served with pepper jelly in kitchens across the South.  

With tomatoes and blackberries at the peak of freshness at a local farm market, I created this glistening marmalade to showcase them both in place of the pepper jelly.  Thinking of Chinese dishes with tomatoey and fruit-infused sauces, I decided to combine the two with some hints of Asia to transform my farm market haul.

My take on the ubiquitous cheddar shortbread gets its rich flavor from smoked almonds and nutritional yeast, which may seem a little odd given the Asian direction of the marmalade, but there was a method to my madness, namely that almonds are frequently used in Chinese cooking.  What about the smokiness?  I have an answer for that too: smoked tofu sometimes seen on Chinese menus.  Does it work?  My lunch guest and I think so, but you be your own judge.  

Vegan Smoky “Cheddar” Shortbread Crackers

1/2 cup smoked almonds (feel free to use plain almonds–or any nut really–if you prefer not to have a smoky taste)

2 cups white whole wheat flour or 1 cup unbleached all-purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour (you can also try using all whole wheat flour, though I’ve not tested it that way)

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4-1/2 cayenne pepper or to taste

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 cup vegan butter, broken into small pieces

Accompaniment: Vegan Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade or your favorite marmalade, pepper jelly, or chutney.

Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, and pulse a few times until coarsely chopped.  Add remaining ingredients, in order, and then continue pulsing until dough pulls away from the sides and starts to come together in a ball.  Divide dough into quarters, knead each one a few times in your palms, and then roll into a cylinder 1 1/4 inches in diameter.  Wrap each in plastic wrap and set on a plate or baking sheet in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to 3 days.  (May alternatively be frozen for a month and thawed before slicing and cooking.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line one or two baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.  (If one, bake in two batches.)  With a sharp knife, cut logs into 1/3-inch slices and place coins 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Bake about 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool 1 minute on the sheet and then remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Store in airtight containers.  Serve with desired accompaniment.

Vegan Asian-Scented Tomato-Blackberry Marmalade

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small yellow onion, but into 1/4-inch dice

pinch of sea salt

generous 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, rinsed, drained, and quartered

2 large garlic cloves

1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and finely grated (I use a microplane grater)

1/2 cup red table wine (or a non-alcoholic variety)

1/4 cup natural sugar

2 teaspoons Chinese mustard (I like the “extra hot”)

1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce (sold as vegetarian fish sauce in Asian markets)

1 teaspoon soy sauce (I use a low sodium variety)

1/4 teaspoon sweet Paprika

generous 1 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, rinsed and drained

2 star anise pods

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

In  a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering.  Add onion and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, until some color develops, approximately 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, garlic and ginger, and saute, stirring frequently, until tomato begins to break down, approximately another 3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients except blackberries and simmer, stirring occasionally, an additional 3 minutes.  Add blackberries and simmer, stirring occasionally for another 15 mnutes or until blackberries break down and mixture becomes pulpy.  Reduce heat if necessary to prevent from sticking or scorching.  Remove the skillet from the heat and cool to room temperature.  Serve about 1 teaspoon dolloped on each cracker.  Store any leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

by betsy

The Blooming Platter Cookbook’s Southern Sweet Tea Salad Featured in FARM’s MEATOUT MONDAY e-Newsletter

The good folks at FARM have gone and done it again…featured one of the recipes from The Blooming Platter (vegan) Cookbook in their MEATOUT MONDAY eNewsletter.

I love FARM, I love this recipe and I love serving it in my late beloved grandmother, Virginia White’s (“Nana”), tea cups that I inherited.

Thanks, FARM!

by betsy

Vegan Mediterranean Beet Cakes with Beet-Pomegranate Reduction

Yield: 4 small-medium beet cakes (4 appetizer servings)

Ravishingly beautiful in color and tantalizing in taste, these beet cakes were created to us pureed beets and beet juice leftover after making my Vegan Whoopie Pies.

Plus, friends had invited us to a steak (ick) restaurant last night where I ate an heirloom tomato and arugula salad and a dab of sauteed spinach, portabellas and onions.   Needless to say, I was hungry when I woke up and starving my a decent brunch hour,  so I got this idea and went with it.  Oooh, I’m so glad I did, and I hope you are.

Beet Cakes:

1-15 ounce can beets, drained,  juice reserved (if you want to use fresh beets, trim about 2-3 of them, place them in a 1-quart saucepan covered with water, cover, bring to a simmer over medium-high, and cook until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes; drain, reserving liquid, and peel)

1/4 cup self-rising flour

1/4 cup white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all-purpose; feel free to try whole wheat; the results will be slightly more toothsome)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed

1/4 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons beet juice at room temperature

2 green onions, thinly sliced (both white and green parts)

Vegan butter and olive oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)

Garnishes: vegan sour cream and chopped pistachios

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree beets until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.  Remove 1/4 cup puree; store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients, including spices.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in beet juice. Whisk together until well combined.  Stir in the slice green onion.  In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, olive oil or a combination. Using 1/4 of the batter (about 3-4 tablespoons), make beet cakes, four at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep the skillet greased as needed. If beet cakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove cakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and make Beet-Pomegranate Reduction (below).  Serve each beet cake topped with a spoonful of the sauce, a dab of vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of chopped pistachios.  Sprigs of cilantro would also be nice.

Beet-Pomegranate Reduction

Remaining beet juice (about 1/3-1/2 cup)

pinch garlic powder

pinch onion powder

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (available at Mediterranean/Middle Eastern markets; you may use light molasses, maple syrup, balsamic reduction, etc., which would still be tasty, but would definitely have a different flavor)

Place beet juice, and both garlic and onion powder in a 1-quart saucepan.  Boil vigorously for several minutes or until reduced by half.  Stir in pomegranate molasses and heat through.  Serve immediately drizzled over beet cakes.

You’ll find other delicious pancakes elsewhere on this blog and in The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

by betsy

Vegan Whoopie Pies with a Secret Ingredient

Yield: 12 Whoopie Pies

I’m a southern gal and we didn’t grow up knowing what Whoopie Pies were.  But now I know I missed out!  These New England comfort snacks are all the rage and it’s easy to see why: what’s not to like about a fluffy white filling sandwiched between two cake layers that look more like cookies?

So, seduced into trying my hand by the appealing-looking version that Starbucks sells, I set about yesterday to create vegan Red Velvet Whoppie Pies but without all of that red dye.  My plan was to use a can of beets that has been in our pantry for I don’t know how long.  Why this seasonal cook had canned beets in her possession can only be explained by something like hurricane preparedness!

It turns out that the color is just not intense enough to turn the batter red.  The puree and juice look ruby red, but they become much more subdued in the batter, which is okay, as it just makes these chocolately Whoopie Pies a warmer brown color.   I think beet powder would do the trick, so I plan to experiment.

The trouble with canned beets as a food item is that they are virtually devoid of nutrition except a tiny bit of protein.  I suppose they contain micro-nutrients, but those aren’t listed on the label.  However, they do contain carbohydrate, a wonderful texture, sweet flavor, and the previously mentioned bit of protein, so they seemed perfect for adding body to my Whoppie Pies, red color or not…and they were!   Hope you agree!

Pies:

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 cup unsweetened or plain soymilk

1-15 ounce can beets, drained, 2 tablespoons of  juice reserved (if you want to use fresh beets, trim about 2-3 of them, place them in a 1-quart saucepan covered with water, cover, bring to a simmer over medium-high, and cook until fork-tender, about 20-30 minutes; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of liquid, and peel)

1 1/2 cups canola oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleached all purpose)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.  Make soy “buttermilk” by whisking apple cider vinegar into soymilk and setting it aside to curdle.  Whisk again before using.  In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree beets until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.  Remove 1/2 cup puree; if there are any leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Place puree, 2 tablespoons of juice, oil, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer.  Beat about 1-2 minutes or until completely combined and sugar starts to dissolve.  Then add flour, in three parts, alternating with “buttermilk,” beating only enough after each addition to incorporate ingredients.

Using heaping tablespoons (I like to use the traditional fairly shallow measuring spoon, as the shape is perfect) make 24 “patty” shapes, 12 per baking sheet.  Avoid crowding them and bake in two batches if necessary, though they won’t spread much.  Bake about 12 minutes until the “cookies” are firm, but not crisp.  They should be about the consistency of a cupcake top.  Let cool for 10 minutes on baking sheets and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely, covered with a dish towel.

Filling:

6 ounces vegan cream cheese

4 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter  (I like Earth Balance)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 1/2 cups powdered sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter at medium to medium-high speed, until smooth and fluffy.  Beat in extracts followed by powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, starting the speed on low and gradually increasing.  Keep beating until the mixture is very smooth and somewhat fluffy.

Turn half of pies upside down and, using a tablespoon, dollop frosting evenly among them.  You can coax the frosting to the edge with a spoon or spatula or, do as I do, and just gently press the top half of the pie down to squeeze the frosting to the edges. I like to wrap them individually in plastic wrap, store them in the refrigerator, but let them come to room temperature before serving.

Note 1: If you want to dress them up a bit, as in the photo, just melt some vegan chocolate chips in the microwave (about 1 minute at 20 second intervals) and, using a small spoon, just drizzle the melted chocolate over the tops and allow to harden before wrapping/storing.

Note 2:  These stack nicely in a wine sack for gift-giving.

by betsy

Vegan Plum Delicious Double Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

A small number of almost over-ripe plums gave rise to this unusual and unusually good cookie.  The plums provide mostly moisture in addition to subtle flavor and color, not to mention added nutrition–as do the walnuts– to an otherwise decadent treat.

To create this recipe, I started with my go-to brownie batter, omitting the water/coffee and adding plum puree plus a tiny bit of baking soda.  The results are plum delicious!    Note:  I only had a few plums, so I made one-fourth of this recipe.  It quarters or halves very nicely.

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or unbleached white flour)

2 cups natural sugar

1 cup unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/4 cups canola oil (this sounds like a lot, but you’ll need it)

2 cups very ripe pitted plums, pureed in food processor until fairly smooth

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups vegan chocolate chips (I like Trader Joe’s–what  a great value!)

2 cups chopped walnuts plus 36 extra halves or  large pieces for garnish, one per cookie, if desired

Preheat oven to 35o degrees.  Line a baking sheet with Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.  (Line two if you have them, or bake the cookies in two batches.)  In a large mixing bowl, stir together all ingredients, except chocolate chips and nuts just until well combined.  The dough should be just slightly stiffer than brownie batter.  Stir in chips and nuts.  Spoon tablespoon-size mounds of dough onto prepared sheet, about 2 inches apart.  (I use a very traditionally-shaped shallow tablespoon measure, as I like the ration of height to width.)  Bake 12 minutes.  Check after 8 and after 10.  They should be set, but shiny in some spots, as they will continue to cook after they are removed from the oven.  Allow the cookies to cool slightly until they are easy to handle and then use a metal spatula to remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

by betsy

High Praise on Amazon for The Blooming Platter Cookbook

On Amazon recently, I stumbled across a review for The Blooming Platter Cookbook written by one Terri Lynn Merritts.

It read like something my mother would have written(!) only Terri and I don’t know each other…or we didn’t until I sought her out on FB after reading her high praise.

Her words are music to my ears:

“I am seriously impressed with the recipes in Betsy DiJulio’s new book THE BLOOMING PLATTER COOKBOOK”…These are some of the most elegant and impressive recipes I have ever seen collected between two covers yet each one is easy doable by any cook. Betsy DiJulio has done an incredible job of sharing recipes you cannot find in any other cookbook. This is a truly unique, must-have cookbook.”

Thank you, Terri.

by betsy

VegNewsletter Features a Recipe from The Blooming Platter Cookbook

Hi everyone~

I just signed up for VegNews Magazine’s free online VegNewsletter and wanted to encourage you to do the same!

While you’re at it, you might want to subscribe to the actual magazine; it’s a great deal at only $20 per year with discounts for 2 and 3 year subscriptions.

The range of content is amazing.  Vegan food and wine is just the start.  There is travel and  fashion and, well, news on a host of topics as the title suggests.

Speaking of food and wine, the current issue features a recipe from The Blooming Platter Cookbook!  It’s my Mango Coconut Sorbet, a summertime favorite.

Thanks to all the folks at VegNews for including The Blooming Platter in VegNewsletter; it’s such an honor!  I can’t wait to meet all of you on my trip to San Francisco next week!

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