Month: July 2017

by betsy

Blooming Platter Vegan Mayo
2 Delicious Low-Cal and Low Fat Versions

Ah, vegan mayo.  I love it so.  But, alas, at 100 calories per tablespoon–sadly, no different than egg- and oil-based mayo–I don’t allow myself to indulge nearly as much as I would like.  Or I end up having to log extra miles just to burn it up.  Enter Blooming Platter Mayo which I created in 2010 for The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

My Mayo, made with regular tofu, contains only 10 calories per tablespoon so you can slather it on to your heart’s desire.

My dear omni friend, Allison Price, attests to keeping a container in her fridge at all times and I suggest you do the same.  I love “Just” brand mayo, Vegenaise, and all the rest.  But both the calories and the price tag are a bit too high for me.

This mayo blends up in a few seconds with either 12 very basic ingredients or just 6 .  A dozen may sound like a lot, but I tested and tasted, carefully balancing all of the flavors to create what I considered to be the perfect balance.

BUT, everyone’s palate is different–and mine has changed–so have created a second version that usrs half as many ingredients and I think I prefer.

My cherished partner, Bob eats like a 10 year old midwestern boy–and will only eat Duke’s “real” mayonnaise.  So, with a jar in our fridge, I tasted miniscule amounts of it for comparison as I was tweaking the recioe from my cookbook.  I ended up using 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, as opposed to the original recipe’s 2 teaspoons, as a result.

I also added another pinch (1/8th teaspoon) of sweet paprika for a total of 1/4 teaspoon.  And, since the cookbook was published, I have discovered black salt (which is really grayish pink) with its distinctive sulphery and eggy taste.  So I used that in place of the original 3/4 teaspoon of salt, but I added some additional sea salt necessitated, I thought, by the greater amount of vinegar.  Find black salt online or in Indian markets.

However, wondering just how few ingredients I could get away with and still absolutely love the taste as much, if not better, I made another batch. For now, this will be my go-to recipe and it follows my tweaked original.

Here’s to a long-lasting love affair with mayo whixhever version you choose!

Blooming Platter Vegan Mayo

12 ounces extra-firm Silken tofu OR 14 ounces firm regular tofu + 2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

3/4 teaspoon black salt or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/8-1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

Process all ingredients together in food processor until thick and very creamy, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary and adjusting seasoning if necessary.  Store in an artight containter in the refrigerator.

 

Blooming Platter 6-Ingredient Vegan Mayo (not counting salt)

12 ounces firm or extra-firm Silken tofu

1 tablespoon white vinegar

Juice of 1/2 a large lemon

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon mustard powder

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste (delicious with about half black salt, if you have on hand, for a sulphery “eggy” flavor)

Process all ingredients together in food processor until thick and very creamy, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary and adjusting seasoning as desired.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

by betsy

Vegan Flax & Chia Seed Pancakes
Oil-Free and Oh-So-Quick & Easy

Yield: 1 serving of 4 silver dollar-sized vegan pancakes (recipe easily multiplies)

 

With more ground chia seeds and flax seed meal than I knew what to do with–courtesy of a friend’s church pantry where the higher end donations from grocery stores apaprently aren’t what the needy need–I wondered what would happen if I used equal parts flour and flax/chia seeds in a vegan pancake recipe, as opposed to the typical 2 to 3 tablespoons per cup or so of flour.

Nutritious deliciousnes is what happens!

Enjoy these low calorie, oil-free wonders for a quick, easy, and satisfying breakfast that refuses to weigh you down.

1/4 cup whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour

2 tablesoons ground chia seeds

2 tablespoons flax seed meal

2 teaspoons Truvia (stevia sweetener) or the sweetener of your choice to taste

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons unsweetened soymilk or other non-dairy milk

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Optional Toppings:  maple syrup, vegan sour cream or nut butter, chopped nuts, fruit, etc.

Preheat skillet lightly sprayed with non-stick spray over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except toppings. Divide batter into four silver dollar-sized pancakes in skillet, gently smoothing the tops.  Cook a couple of minutes or until set around the edges and starting to turn golden brown on the under side (you can peek carefully). Carefully flip each pancake with a spatula and continue cooking on the opposite side until puffed, golden, and completely cooked through.  Adjust heat as necessary. Serve with your choice of toppings.

325 calories per serving of 4 silver dollar pancakes (if made with stevia sweetener and unsweetened soymilk; does not include syrup and walnuts)

by betsy

Vegan Parmesan Crisps
Yes!

Yield: 4 crisps (recipe easily multiplies, but they are rich)

Yesterday, I purchased a new carton of Follow Your Heart brand vegan parmesan for a dinner party last night. But about 3 tablespoons remained in the previous carton. Wanting to save room in the fridge, I was about to combine them when the Parmesan Crisp idea struck.

I was afraid of a failed gooey or frizzled up failure, but 3 tablespoons wasn’t a huge gamble.  Wow!  I needn’t have been concerned. The results were company-worthy.

I squirted a little Just brand vegan Ceasar dressing on top and garnished with a sliver of marinated red pepper and a sprig of rosemary, as these are perfectly firm enough to pick up, sturdy enough for a topping, and both crispy and chewy.

They are delightful and deeply satisfying.

Vegan Parmesan Crisps

3/4 cup Follow Your Heart brand Non-Dairy Parmesan Cheese (it is sold shredded)

Toppings and garnishes of choice

Lightly spray a skillet with nonstick spray and place over medium heat. Using 3 tablespoons each of the parmesan cheese, make 4 mounds and then carefully  press them out with your fingers or a fork into a fairly flat pancake shape. Cook a couple of minutes or until cheese melts, holds together in a disk, becomes crispy around edges, and is lightly browned on underside. Flip with a spatula and cook just another 20 or 30 seconds. They should flip very easily. *Adjust temperature as necessary.  You may want to make one test crisp to determine correct time and temo on your range before making a batch.  Top as desired or offer options and let guests top their own.

*Note: I have a very powerful new range and what used to require medium-high heat, now takes medium or even low heat.

 

 

by betsy

Best Vegan Plain New York Style Cheesecake
Adapt a Million Ways!

Yield: 8 to 12 servings

I have loved baking–and now vegan baking–for as long as I can remember:  both the art and the science of it.  Experimentation and solving culinary puzzles have kept the excitement in the relationship.

This New York Style cheesecake represents a veganization triumph.  I think my mother–who considered her dairy-based recipe the iconic version, the one to which all others were compared–would be proud.  Or maybe, like the omnivorous Bob, she would say, “Not bad.”  Though I don’t think so.

Please note two things: 1) while I love demerera, coconut and other less-processed sugars as much as the next gal, this recipe needs white granulated sugar for it’s pure color and clean taste; and 2) I use coconut cream in this recipe and can’t detect a pronounced coconut flavor, but feel free to substitute a non-dairy creamer of your choice.

Crust:

4 cups whole vegan gingersnap cookies (the crispy/crunchy kind), shortbread cookies, or graham crackers broken into cookie-sized pieces

1/2 cup nuts (pecans, almonds, etc.) or another 1/2 cup cookies; graham crackers

Optional: 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup vegan butter, melted

Pulse cookies or graham crackers in a food processor until coarse crumbs are formed.  Add optional nuts and sugar and continue pulsing until finer crumbs are formed.  Drizzle in butter and pulse just until moist crumbs are formed.  Distribute mixture into the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch springform pan and press evenly onto the bottom and 2 inches up the sides of the pan.  Freeze while you prepare filling.

Filling:

14 ounces firm tofu, drained

16 ounces vegan cream cheese (I use Tofutti brand)

1 cup granulated organic white sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup thick coconut milk (I use So Delicious Culinary Coconut Cream purchased at Whole Foods)

Juice of 1/2 to 1 whole large lemon (taste after adding 1/2)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

Topping:

16 ounces or 2 cups vegan sour cream

1/4 cup organic white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

 

Garnish:

Fresh chopped fruit or berries, macerated in sugar and liqueur (like Bailey’s Almande) or not; the dessert sauce of your choice (e.g. chocolate, salted caramel, etc.); and fresh mint sprigs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Rinse and wipe out bowl of food processor.  Process tofu and cream cheese until smooth.  Add all remaining filling ingredients and continue processing until creamy and silky smooth.  Pour into frozen crust and gently smooth top.  Place cheesecake on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes or until set, very lightly browned around edges, and slightly jiggly only in the very center.  During last five minutes of baking, whisk together topping ingredients in a medium bowl until completely combined.  Turn off oven, slide out oven rack, gently spoon topping over cheesecake and seal to edges, and slide rack back in.  Open oven door halfway, and allow cheesecake to cool completely in the oven to avoid cracking and sinking, which will take about 3 hours.  Chill for an hour, uncovered, and then chill for at least another hour, covered.  (This will prevent condensation from dripping on surface of cheesecake.)  When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake, remove it from the pan and place it on a serving platter.  Serve in slices garnished as desired.

by betsy

Vegan Whole Wheat-Flax/Chia Seed Crackers

Yield: about 4 servings, but it depends on how large you cut the crackers and I like irregular shapes and sizes

If you are not a vegan baker, keep reading…this is the perfect “gateway” recipe to have you fall in love with pastry.  This dough handles beautifully–promise!  And the resulting crackers are worth a tiny bit of effort.

The inspiration for these crackers starts in a church and is, perhaps, a little unseemly.   No, they did not begin as the body of Christ; rather as ingredients eschewed by those who frequent the church’s food pantry.  Seems that the healthier, higher-end foods–chia seeds, organic cocoa powder, kale chips, etc.–are not what these folks in need seek.

So, my friend who attends the church that sponsors the food pantry will occasionally bring me those items that aren’t moving off the shelves.  You can’t imagine how large my canister of flax and chia seed meal has grown.  Needing a recipe to use up some of it and being the creatively resteless soul that I am, I decided to whip up some crackers.  Bread would have also worked, but I am far more likely to serve crackers than bread.  I love the crunch.

I did what I usually do: perused recipes endlessly online and then jettisoned all recipes and went for it, having learned some lessons along the way for which I am grateful.  I couldn’t be more pleased with the end results: how quickly this dough came together, how easilyit handled, and how tasty and perfectly textured the crackers are.  Speaking of texture, these are the ideal tender-crisp combination.  I tried both “docking,” or pricking. the surface and not, and found that the docked crackers were a bit more crispy, which I preferred.

Easy, quick, an inexpensive, these crackers would make a lovely gift from the kitchen.  Each Christmas, I gift all of the editors for whom I write with a little treat, and I think I know what next year’s will be.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or whole wheat, all purpose, or a combination; I had the pastry flour on hand)

3 tablespoons flax seed meal, chia seed meal, or a combination (I used a combo)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika (or the spice of your choice)

3 tablespoons coconut oil

Up to 1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place all ingredients in the bowl of food processor, including about half of the water or 1/4 cup.  Pulse until the dough comes together into a tidy ball, adding remaining half of water if necessary.  On a floured surface, like a pastry board or counter, roll dough to just slightly more than 1/8-inch thick.  Using a sharp knife, cut into small or large uniform or irregular crackers, transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat (silicone mat), and prick the tops with a fork.  Bake for about 13 minutes or until lightly browned.  Place baking sheet on a wire rack and cool crackers to room temperature.  Store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze for a later date.

by betsy

Vegan Thai Green Bean Stir Fry

Yield: 4 servings

A gift of green beans freshly picked by good friends from their organic home garden inspired this simple recipe.

I love Sichuan green beans in Chinese restauants, but I was craving peanut butter, so I nudged these in a Thai direction using ingredients I had on hand. So quick and easy. Oh, and addicting.

You will love the way the sauce bathes the beans, marrying the two textures to become one luscious concoction.  I like to eat them with chopsticks out of a simple white bowl.

4 cups raw green beans, trimmed and, if desired, halved

2 tablespoons peanut butter

Juice of 1 medium lime

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon coconut or any granulated sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon Thai Style Red Chili Powder [I love this spice, but if your grocery store doesn’t carry it, a Thai chili powder ground in a spice grinder or little more sriracha (see below) would do just fine]

2 to 3 large cloves garlic, minced

2 to 3 drops sriracha

Optional (but I like): 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

Garnish: finely chopped peanuts or cashews

Steam green beans for 8 minutes for al dente and 10 if you prefer them a little softer. Meanwhile whisk together remaining ingredients, except garnish, in a small bowl. Transfer the beans immediately into a skillet or wok set over medium to medium-high heat. As you gently stir fry them, drizzle them with the sauce. Continue cooking and stirring for about 2 minutes or until sauce is well distributed and beans are desired degree of doneness. Adjust temperature if necessary. Serve topped with finely chopped peanuts or cashews.

by betsy

Best Vegan (Practically) Raw Brownies
with Fudgy Ganache Frosting

Yield: 16 browniesBe prepared to have your world rocked.  While there’s not a thing in the world wrong with a baked brownie in my partially-raw world, I have enjoyed experimenting with raw foods this summer, and enjoy not having the oven and stove on. Plus it’s just an exciting new culinary world to explore.  I think you’ll agree.

To date, I had mastered a (practically) raw carrot and a coconut cake–yowza!–and these brownies are definitely on a par.  And they slice beautifully with little effort save some pressure on a serrated knife.  Next up are donut holes, so stay tuned.  In the meantime, I am delighted to share this recipe.  These are fantastic cold and amazing heated for about 20 seconds in the microwave and served with your favorite softened non-dairy ice cream.

Note: Since I am not a raw vegan, I am not concerned about whether all ingredients in my recipes are raw for myself, BUT I am concerned with accurate representation for those who are strict rawtarians, as I respect that choice.  So, the only non-raw ingredients in the brownies are the extracts and the Allemande. Simply substitute water for completely raw brownies.   However, the frosting is not raw, period. I am not a nut butter frosting fan, but if you want a raw frosting, that is probably your best bet.  

1 cup raw slivered almonds

1 cup raw cashew pieces

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

2 1/2 cups mixed dates, dried apricots, and dried figs, but at least 1 1/2 to 2 cups dates (use only pump and moist dried fruit)

2 tablespoons Bailey’s Allemande or water

1 teaspoon almond extract or water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or water

Vegan Fudgy Ganache Frosting (recipe follows)

Garnish: 16 walnut halves

Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick baking spray and line with parchment paper.  (So as not to have crinckled corners, I like to line the pan with two scant 8-inch wide pieces of parchment, lying them vertically and horizontally and spraying both on the bottom and in between.)

In a food processor, process together nuts, cocoa powder, and salt,  Temporarily transfer mixture to a small bowl.  In same bowl of food processor, process dried fruit, Allemande, and extracts (or water).  Temporarily transfer this mixture to a small bowl.  Return nut mixture to processor and, with motor running, drop walnut-size pinches of fruit mixture through the chute until mixture is homogenous and a dough like consistency when pinched together.  Press evenly into pan, cover, and refrigerate while you make the frosting.

Spread frosting evenly over brownies and place walnut halves in 4 even rows, 4 to a row.  Cover and refrigerate several hours.  When ready to serve, lift out of pan, and slice with a serrated knife.  Serve immediately or package for gift giving.  I like to place each square in a parchment cupcake or muffin paper and stack them 2-deep in a square covered food storage container stored in the fridge.

Vegan Fudgy Ganache Frosting

3 tablespoons unsweetened soymilk (or the nondairy milk of your choice; a little sweetener won’t hurt a thing)

2 tablespoons Allemande (or substitute the liqueur of your choice or even more soymilk)

1 cup vegan chocolate chips

2 tablespoons vegan butter (or coconut oil + 1/8 teaspoon salt)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a small bowl, heat soymilk and Allemande in microwave.  Add chocolate chips and vegan butter, and let sit for a couple of minutes. Whisk until melted and smooth.  Whisk in extracts and powdered sugar until very smooth and creamy.  If too thick, add a bit more soymilk or Allemande; if too thin, adjust with more powdered sugar.

 

 

by betsy

Betsy’s Best Bloomin’ Vegan Tuna Salad
I Reveal My Secret Ingredient

Yield: approximately 4 cups

Growing up, I ate LOTS of canned tuna salad.  After I became a vegetarian and then vegan, chickpea tuna salad seemed to be the standard substitution.  But I didn’t quite get it.  Something was missing; something from the sea.  So I started adding Nori.  (But you can add kelp, dulse, or whatever seaweed-derived product you prefer and can easily acquire.)  Still, that wasn’t quite it.  But then I tried the Hearts of Palm “crabcakes” from Vedge, the eoponymous cookbook from the storied vegan restaurant in Philly.

Brilliant.  For some reason Hearts of Palm–my father’s favorite vegetable (we would put cans of them in his stocking at Christmas)–have a taste and texture close to seafood.  (But not too close for that “ick” factor.)  This recipe is what resulted this week when I tried combining Hearts of Palm with chickpeas, Nori, and other typical tuna salad ingredients.

The walnuts are my nod to the the Omega 3s found in very few foods, including fish and, yes, walnuts.  And, oddly enough, they taste delicious and very appropriate on top.

Please enjoy this super-simple and cooling recipe, perfect for summer.

Note: if you prefer the ingredients to be more homogenized, pulse in a food processor.

1-15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1-15.5 ounce can Hearts of Palm, rinsed, drained, and finely chopped [THE SECRET INGREDIENT]

3 celery hearts, diced

3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

Juice of 1/2 medium lemon

1 tablespoon Nori powder (or 1 sheet Nori torn into pieces and ground to a powder in an electric spice or coffee grinder)

2 teaspoons pickle relish

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Garnish: walnut halves or pieces

Place chickpeas in a medium-large bowl and coarsely mash.  Add diced Hearts of Palm and celery hearts.l.  In a small-medium bowl, whisk together all remaining ingredients, except walnut halves or pieces.  Pour over chickpea mixture, and toss to coat.  Refrigerate, covered, until serving time.  Serve on toasted whole grain bread with baby greens, a little more mayo, and walnut halves or pieces; on crackers; or old school-style, stuffed in a tomato with an “X” cut into the top and gently separated into 4 sections to make an edible “bowl”.

by betsy

White Bean, Sweet Potato, and Black Olive Burgers

I confess that this post is more of a general idea and place to start than a bona fide recipe.

These White Bean, Sweet Potato, and Black Olive patties were delicious and I wish I could share the recipe.  I just don’t know what amounts of ingredients were used because of the permutations this dish went through.

Still, the combination and end result was too satisfying not to share, even without specific proportions.  And I discovered a brilliant ingredient to help veggie patties hold together without egg.  So, I encourage you to start with these ingredients, have some fun, and create your own patties.  And please write down your amounts so that YOU can share with US.

These particular patties began their lives as a scrumptious salad that a friend brought to a potluck I hosted.  She is a vegetarian foodie who specializes in flavorful vegan salads; this particular one called for:

Cannellini beans (canned), rinsed and drained

Salt-cured black olives

Olive oil

Fresh lemon juice

Fresh sage leaves

Sea salt and pepper to taste

She tossed it all together and it was lovely, but there was some left over, so she put a carton of it in my fridge.  I enjoyed a bit of it that way.  But,then, another day, wanting to use some raw spiralized sweet potato I had on hand (a sensational new ingredient in local grocery stores), I folded in a healthy amount of that.  A favorite Thanksgiving recipe from the past calls for sweet potato and cannellini beans, so I knew I liked that combination.  I then added a bit more lemon, sage, and a bare hint of maple syrup to balance the lemon.  My riff on Trish’s salad did not disappoint.

But now I had even more salad.  I love leftovers as much as the next gal but I was beginning to tire of it.  So, really tasty though it was, I decided that I wanted a new iteration to enjoy.  It occurred to me that the mixture might make delicious patties, but it would need to stick together a bit better.

Having used both old fashioned oats and nuts of various types in my Blooming Platter Burgers, I added some oats and raw cashew pieces.  And having used coconut flour in another recipe, I knew that it was especially good for absorbing moisture, so I added a bit of that.  What a great addition both for texture and taste:  the natural earthy hint of sweetness complemented all of the rest of the ingredients.

If I had to guess, I would say that I added about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of oats, cashews, and coconut flour to about 1 ½ cups of the bean-olive-sweet potato mixture, formed it into four patties, about 1-inch thick, and pan fried both sides over medium to medium-high heat for a couple of minutes in a skillet liberally coated with non-stick spray.  As you can see in the photo, I dressed it simply with baby greens, a dollop of vegan mayo, and a decorative squirt of sriracha.

So, start with these or similar ingredients, don’t forget the coconut flour, strive for a consistency similar to firm cookie dough, and make some bean burger magic of your own.

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