I “salute” Vivian Grant for choosing a vegan pound cake from The Blooming Platter to incorporate into her veganized Red, White, and Blue Trifle made with fresh berries.
Happy Independence Day to all, regardless of whether you are in America soon to be celebrating our July 4!
Yield: 8 small pancakes
Inspired by my Vegan Silver Dollar Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Jelly Pancakes made earlier in the week, I decided to try a different grain and I’m glad I did!
This time I used everyone’s favorite (cooked) grain: Quinoa!
I cooked the quinoa in the microwave, according to the directions on the box, because I was starving and didn’t want to wait longer than I had to. As Goldilocks would say, the results were “just right.”
The topping you see in the photograph I made from fresh plums and, while it was good, it wasn’t perfect enough for Blooming Platterists. So, I’m going to work on it a bit more before I post that recipe. I also dabbed on a little vegan sour cream and garnished the cakes with pineapple sage from my garden. If your garden center carries this herb, I highly recommend it. It makes a large shrub with beautiful red blooms and, where we live, it is a perennial, or at least it was from last summer to this.
Enjoy these quinoa-cakes with whatever your favorite topping happens to be, even savory.
For this recipe, as with the peanut butter-oatmeal cakes, I used a bit more baking powder and baking soda than I usually do for extra lift to counteract what could have been a little heaviness from the grains. The result is light, but still toothsome.
1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour (I am a devout fan of spelt flour)
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
3 tablespoons natural sugar (use just a pinch if making savory cakes)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Optional if making savory cakes: a generous pinch of garlic powder or more to taste
1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be good–regular or lite)
Vegan butter and canola oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)
Accompaniments: Jelly, jam, or a savory chutney, and optional vegan sour cream
Garnishes: sprigs of herbs (I like pineapple sage)
Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes: in a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, sugar if using, baking powder, and baking soda. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the soymilk mixture. Whisk together until well combined. Whisk in the cooked quinoa. 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 the chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using about 3 tablespoons of batter, make pancakes, about 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 pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter. Serve each pancake topped with jelly, jam or chutney, optional vegan sour cream (I highly recommend), and a sprig of fresh herbs.
You’ll find other delicious summer pancakes in The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.
I felt like a had a real grown-up vegan meal this week in an Italian restaurant, which is fairly rare in our area!
Other ethnic restaurants like Chinese, Indian, Mediterranean, Thai, etc., seem to have many more protein-rich options. But, Italian restaurants can’t seem to do much better than pasta with veggies, which, however tasty, is fairly high in calories and low in protein.
But that was before La Bella Italia in Virgina Beach recently introduced a whole vegan menu (on the back of their specials menu). Kudos to them!
If you live locally, or happen to visit the Hampton Roads area of Virginia in the eastern part of the sate, I highly recommend the dishes created around Gardein brand faux “chicken,” as the rest of the vegan menu is made up of items from their main menu that are naturally meat- and dairy-free.
I ordered the mushroomy Marsala, as you see here. But this is only half of the order! It was so large (at $18.95) that I brought half home and enjoyed it for lunch the next day. I spruced it up a bit for its photo op, arranging the “side” of vegetables (sauteed zucchini–of which there was none leftover for my lunch–red bell pepper, and onion) over the top and adding a sprinkle of pistachios and a couple of basil sprigs (which I highly recommend!).
With several other Gardein dishes on the menu, one even with vegan cheese (!), I can’t wait to go back. At long last, there is an Italian/continental restaurant in our repertoire that my husband and I enjoy equally.
Bon Appetito!
With summer in full swing, and Independence Day in the USA just days away, the time seemed right to post a tasty teaser from The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.
Driving past a farm market yesterday, I noticed that our long-awaited local peaches are in! Hopefully, the same is true where your live because this cooling treat might come in handy for your July 4 celebration. Or, if you don’t observe this holiday, this dessert is sure to provide a welcome respite on any meltingly hot day.
Where we live in coastal Virginia, peaches are one of the glories of summer. It is hard to beat fresh peaches when eaten at the height of summer, fuzz and all, juice dripping down one’s chin. This preparation pays homage to the essence of the peach with the distinctive flavor of bourbon. It’s irresistible with the Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream, or to save time, a store-bought vegan vanilla ice cream may be substituted.
If this recipe makes your mouth water, I hope you’ll consider purchasing a book so more than 150 others will be right at your finger tips!
Bourbon-Broiled Peaches
Yield: 4 servings
2 peaches, rinsed, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons bourbon
4 teaspoons natural sugar
Pinch sea salt
4 scoops Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream (recipe follows), or your favorite vegan vanilla (optional but encouraged)
1. Position the oven rack on the top shelf of your oven and preheat the broiler. Place the peach halves, cut side up, in a small, shallow heat-proof dish. Brush them with the bourbon. Sprinkle each half with a teaspoon of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt. Broil for about 5 minutes to heat them through and melt the sugar. Watch them carefully to prevent scorching.
2. To serve, arrange broiled peach halves in shallow dessert bowls and top each with one scoop of the ice cream, if using.
Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream
Yield: 1 quart
Make this delicious ice cream the day before you plan to serve it.
1 very large ripe peach, halved, pitted, skin left on
Juice of one small lemon
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk, divided
1 cup plain soy creamer
3/4 cup natural sugar
1 large vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise, and seeds scraped out with the tip of a paring knife
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
3 tablespoons pure peach preserves, optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more to taste)
1 1/2 cups vegan sour cream
1. Cut the peach into chunks and add to a food processor with the lemon juice. Process until it is a smooth puree. Set aside.
2. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine 1/4 cup soy milk, soy creamer, sugar, and vanilla seeds over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup soy milk with the arrowroot powder until smooth. When the soy creamer mixture just reaches a boil, remove the pan quickly from the heat and whisk in the soy milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth and thickened. Stir in the vanilla extract followed by the reserved peach mixture, peach preserves, if using, and vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Whisk if lumps remain and/or press the mixture through a sieve. Cover the mixture and refrigerate it at least three hours or overnight; then whisk in the sour cream.
4. Freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s directions. Scrape the finished ice cream into an airtight container and store in the freezer. Allow the ice cream to “ripen” and further set up before serving, if desired.
A huge shout-out and thank you to Rekaya Gibson is in order for her review of The Blooming Platter (Vegan) Cookbook for “The Culinary Scoop,” a feature of Cuisine Noir Magazine.
When you check out the magazine, notable for its beautiful photography, I think you’ll be gratified by how many vegan articles you’ll find.
Yield: 16 silver dollar-sized pancakes
As much as I love teaching, I also love having the time on weekday mornings in the summer to make pancakes for breakfast, as I did this morning. (I made a half batch which I shared with Minnie, the miniature Great Dane, so that I wouldn’t stuff myself! I know, that’s terrible; but our gal has one heck of a metabolism, and peanut butter is fine for dogs.)
I made these beauties silver dollar-sized and garnished the sparkling plate with a sprig of pineapple sage from my garden. (I love that herb; if anyone has a recipe that calls for it, please share! In the meantime, I’m going to be thinking of a dish to create that will feature it’s slightly tropical-sweet, but distinctly sage-y, earthiness.)
For this recipe, I used a bit more baking powder and baking soda than I usually do for extra lift to counteract what could have been a little heaviness from the oats. The result is light, but still toothsome.
1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour (I am a devout fan of spelt flour)
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup raw old fashioned oats
3 tablespoons natural sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be good–regular or lite)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter, warmed slightly in microwave
Vegan butter and canola oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)
Accompaniments: Jelly or jam (I like apricot “pure fruit”) and optional vegan sour cream
Garnishes: roasted and lightly salted peanuts and sprigs of herbs (I like pineapple sage)
Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes: in a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. In a small bowl, whisk together soymilk and warmed peanut butter. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the soymilk mixture. Whisk together until well combined. 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 the chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using 2 tablespoons of batter, make pancakes, about five to six 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 pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter. Serve each pancake topped with jelly or jam, optional vegan sour cream (I highly recommend), and a peanut if desired. (Note: if you think the nut in the photo looks like a pistachio, you’re right! We were out of peanuts.)
The kind and generous Nava Atlas just notified me that I am now an “official contributor” to her VegKitchen. What an honor to be included and, especially, in such good company. Check it out here.
I seem to be saying “thank you” a lot to Nava, so thanks–again–Nava!
My talented designer friend, Cae Hyrskanich, designed these custom Blooming Platter Cookbook bookplates at my request.
Especially for folks who have purchased a book but live outside the local area, these allow me to still be able to sign and personalize the ir book s by mailing them a self-adhesive plate to adhere in the front cover or title page of their book.
Cae designed them so that I can easily print them from my inkjet printer using acid- and lignen-free adhesive-backed paper that I special ordered.
I love that each one features large flowers reminiscent of “blooming platters” along with small versions of all four of the seasonal icons used throughout the book.
Thanks, Cae, for allowing me to offer this custom feature!
Yield: 4 servings
That title is a mouthful, but since you can’t inhale the intoxicating aroma in our kitchen, I wanted you to be able to imagine what this luscious and colorful amalgamation would smell and taste like just from the title.
The “southern” part has little to do with Southern Indian cuisine, but with my south’ren roots revealed in the inclusion of blackeyed peas instead of a more traditional Indian legume.
In the photo, I served the dish as a starter, ready to spoon into miniature puri (fried bread puffs) at right, and spooned into a puri and garnished–just break through the crisp top crust with your finger or a spoon–at bottom. But I created it to also be served over basmati rice as a main course or a welcome addition to an Indian-inspired buffet.
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 cup of yellow onion, cut into 1/4 x 1-inch pieces (about 1 medium)
sea salt to taste
1 large red bell pepper, coarsely diced
2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1-15.5 ounce can blackeyed peas, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
1-15 ounce can coconut milk (I don’t use the lite, but rather cut calories elsewhere!)
2 cups, semi-firmly packed fresh baby spinach, finely chopped (I use a food processor)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 Roma tomato, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
optional: 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
Accompaniments: miniature puri for appetizers (little spheres of puffed bread dough available in Indian markets) or over cooked basmati rice (I like to throw in a cinnamon stick and a few cardamom pods–avoid biting into either)
Optional garnishes: fresh cilantro, in sprigs or finely chopped, an/or a few roasted and lightly salted cashews
In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat the tablespoon of olive oil to shimmering. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, and saute for abut 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly, until the onion develops a light brown caramelization. Adjust heat if necessary to prevent scorching. Add the bell pepper and saute for 3 minutes or until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until garlic and peppers are soft. Stir in the peas followed by the cardamom, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and black pepper. Add the coconut milk, stir well to combine all ingredients, and heat through. Add the spinach and cook, stirring, just until heated through. Add the cilantro and optional asafoetida, stir to combine, and cook just another minute to allow flavors to combine. Check for seasoning and add additional salt and black pepper if desired. Serve in miniature puri as an appetizer or over basmati rice for a main course. Garnish with fresh cilantro if desired.
