But this dish will make you AND the cow happy the rest of the week too.
Get the skinny…and the recipe for my Indian Black Soy Beans in Coconut-Cardamom-Cashew Sauce at The Happy Cow!
But this dish will make you AND the cow happy the rest of the week too.
Get the skinny…and the recipe for my Indian Black Soy Beans in Coconut-Cardamom-Cashew Sauce at The Happy Cow!
Don’t panic…there is no rabbit in this recipe!
And that’s probably why One Green Planet dropped the reference to Benjamin Rabbit in my title when they graciously published this recipe for spring.
I was merely thinking of Benjamin and the carrots in Mr. McGregor’s garden from the beloved Peter Rabbit stories because, while this Pimento Cheese Spread is guaranteed rabbit-free, it is chock full of shredded carrots. And they are the perfect lighter, healthier, and vegan alternative to orange shreds of cheddar.
So, while shredded carrots aren’t a cheese clone, the end result is nonetheless packed with cheesy flavor reminiscent of one of my favorite pre-vegan spreads. Click here for the recipe of “secret” ingredients just in time for a spring picnic.
Thanks for sharing with your readers, Team OGP!
Recently I was thrilled to learn that The Blooming Platter Cookbook was glowingly reviewed by Wendy Petty “a card-carrying carnivore” on Zester Daily: The Culture of Food and Drink. What an honor!
Be sure to follow the link above to read the entire review in which she writes: “Seasonal and accessible The Blooming Platter Cookbook by Betsy DiJulio artfully takes advantage of the seasonal cuisine trend.” Thank you, Wendy!
Petty is a forager, photographer, and wild foods consultant, and you won’t want to miss her blog Hunger and Thirst, even though she openly professes not to be a vegan. If this that she wrote in a piece about Violet Cardamom Water doesn’t make you want to seek her out, nothing will: “If you think that foragers are just a bunch of hippies tripping through the forest, let me set you straight. A forager’s world is full of mysteries, classified information, and confidences…” It’s a fascinating world and I’m happy to let Petty by my virtual guide.
As a foodie, you’ll want to also check out Zester Daily who describes their online publication thusly: “Founded in 2009 by veteran journalist Corie Brown, Zester Daily is an award-winning online publication produced by an international collection of experienced journalists, food writers and wine experts.
Committed to excellent reporting and writing, Zester contributors follow their instincts and interests as they travel the globe in search of stories that matter to our food-obsessed culture. Whether it is wild mushroom foraging, profiles of innovative young chefs, shopping Chiang Mai’s food markets, or tasting the current vintage of California olive oil, Zester’s stories are always entertaining, informed and accessible.
Zester seeks to engage food and drink enthusiasts in the kind of spirited, intelligent dialogue critical to establishing a more delicious, sustainable and just food culture. A team of seven editors supports more than 50 contributors producing breaking news, feature articles, editorials, cartoons and videos. The weekly Zester Daily Soapbox is a provocative, and often controversial, opinion piece written by an outside author or industry leader.”
When I got home from school today, I was delighted to find a message from JL letting me know that her review of The Blooming Platter Cookbook (TBPC)was live.
So, it’s my pleasure to direct you to her review at “JL Goes Vegan: Food and Fitness with a side of Kale.”
It sounds like she thinks that TBPC ranks right up there with her beloved kale…well, almost.
Enjoy her review as well as her back story–it appears that she successfully changed just about everything in her life “post-40”–along with her entire blog. Plus, right now you can get in on her OXO Dressing Shaker Giveaway!
Thank you, JL!
These beauties were baked from a recipe in Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero’s Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. And they are out-of-this-world, or so my AP Studio students, the lucky recipients, thought!
I simply baked the batter from their Banana Split Cupcakes recipe (p. 81) in decorative paper-lined mini-muffin tins without the addition of the pineapple preserves or chopped dark chocolate. Then I frosted them with their recipe for Chocolate Banana Mousse (p. 157) and topped them with a half macadamia nut–they’re too expensive to use whole!
I omitted the soymilk from the frosting recipe, as I wanted it quite thick, and only used 10, instead of 12, ounces of chocolate (10 ounces is what came in my bag), and it was perfect. The recipe is almost identical to my go-to mousse from another source that uses a liqueur in place of the soymilk, so either way would work great. And both are equally as delicious whether enjoyed as frosting, a mousse, or a pie filling!
The frosting recipe is essentially a package of extra-firm silken tofu processed until smooth with melted chocolate, a couple of more tablespoons of the sweetener of your choice, a little bit of vanilla, and a banana, chilled for about an hour before piping.
I recommend buying this cookbook–a staple in my kitchen (right along with The Blooming Platter that is!)–so that you can enjoy this and lots of other recipes for both traditional and contemporary cupcakes. Think “Cupcake Wars,” vegan style.
Spring Break came last week and not a moment to soon. As my husband said in his typically understated manner, “It was a well-timed vacation.” It began at the end of Week 5 of our 14 year old Auzzie Shepherd’s recuperation from a broken toe (thanks to a bite from our over-zealous miniature Great Dane) during which time I have been sleeping on an inflatable bed in our family room (!) and carrying her out to go potty and back in, not to mention worrying about her increasingly weak hips and legs, the result of age and neurological decline. However, a total hip replacement on one side and a hip reconstruction on the other at age 2 have served her well until now!
But that ‘s a story for a different day. My vacation week began with a solo trip to visit my family in MS. The weather was beautiful, so we spent a lot of time outside. I especially enjoyed planting a variety of annuals with my parents. My last night there, Tuesday, we drove 90 minutes to an airport hotel in Jackson since my plane left so early the next morning,. There we enjoyed an indoor picnic supper–vegan, of course (my omnivorous family is so solicitous)–in the hotel’s lobby area. Since my sister’s birthday is in March and my parents’ and mine are in May, we decided to celebrate while I was home. So, our picnic concluded with my Chocolate Carrot Cake, found in The Blooming Platter Cookbook, baked as cupcakes. I frosted them with a dense, delicious, and dark mousse “frosting” made from tofu and melted dark chocolate, topping them with candles. They traveled well in our cooler and were a huge hit.
On Wednesday morning, I flew to Dallas to meet my husband, Joe, from where we flew to San Miguel Allende, Mexico, to attend the formal opening of our friends Don Bell and Federico Correa’s brand new gallery “Arte Correa.” What a joyful occasion and an honor to be included in the festivities. Don, the gallery manager, and his partner, Federico, a humble but gifted and powerful painter, were the consummate hosts, doing way too much for everyone else–beginning with a huge flower arrangement delivered to our hotel room–despite the fact that we were there to celebrate their achievement.
And Carmen, of Casa Luna, a villa which we were fortunate to call home for three nights, was the consummate hostess, tending to our every need. For the record, San Miguel Allende–a UNESCO World Heritage Site–is a VERY safe place to travel. It is a lovely and entirely cobblestoned town high in the hills of central Mexico, dating from the 16th century, Mexico’s Colonial era. (Don calls San Miguel “the Williamsburg of Mexico”–ha!)
But, as Carmen says, “Don’t check your brain at the border,” by which she means people should not do foolish things including those that they wouldn’t even do in their own towns, say, a couple of women visiting a city park on their own at night. American tourism is down by 80% and San Miguel’s economy is suffering. It’s not inexpensive to get there, but you will be handsomely rewarded by the charms of one of the most beautiful towns in North America. And we were doubly rewarded: American Airlines inexplicably upgraded us to First Class for our 3 hour flight home from Dallas to Norfolk! What a perfect ending to a charmed vacation.
I’m fairly sure it would be impossible to find a bad meal in San Miguel, and that includes from the street vendors. (I wish the corn ice cream sold from a truck at the “Jardin” was vegan!) In particular, be sure to visit Cafe Rama, the subject of an upcoming post. However, it was the green chile sauce at El Pegaso, one of Don and Federico’s favorite restaurants, on my “custom” refried bean enchiladas that reminded me of the tofu Migas with Green Tomato-Chile Sauce in my cookbook.
I hope you’ll enjoy…and book the next flight to San Miguel!
Yield: 4 servings
Migas is traditionally a Tex-Mex scramble of eggs, tortillas, cheese, spices, and fresh vegetables topped with a zesty sauce. My version is an addicting combination of tofu, sautéed tortillas, and a host of bright flavors. I love this dish so much, I could eat it morning, noon, or night! Topped with my Tomato-Chili Sauce, this recipe is a great way to use fresh green tomatoes, although you can top the migas with your favorite salsa if you don’t have time to make the green tomato-chile sauce.
2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic minced
4 corn tortillas, torn into bite size pieces
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, divided
14 ounces extra-firm tofu, pressed and drained
4 tablespoons minced cilantro
4 tablespoons vegan sour cream
2 Roma tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Green tomato-chili sauce (recipe follows)
4 lime wedges and 4 cilantro sprigs for garnish
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and a pinch of salt, and sauté until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until it turns golden and the onion becomes translucent. Move the vegetables over to the side of the skillet with your spoon and add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add the tortillas to the oil and stir to coat, then stir to combine with the vegetables and sauté 1 to 2 minutes or until the tortillas soften and turn golden.
2. In a medium bowl, break up the tofu into irregular bite-size pieces. Add the cumin, coriander, chipotle powder, and 1 tablespoon of the nutritional yeast, and mix well to combine. Add the tofu mixture to the skillet and gently scramble for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Reduce the heat and add a small amount of water if the migas begin to stick. Add the remaining tablespoon of nutritional yeast and continue cooking for 5 more minutes. Check the seasoning. Remove the skillet from the heat.
3. To serve: Transfer to a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the green tomato chili sauce over the migas and pass any extra. Sprinkle the minced cilantro over the sauce, add dollops of sour cream, and sprinkle with diced tomatoes and pumpkin seeds. Garnish with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs.
Green Tomato-Chile Sauce
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder
Pinch natural sugar
Sea salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons water
2 large green tomatoes, quartered
2 (2-inch) jalapeños, seeds removed
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/3 cup chopped yellow or orange bell pepper
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 large gloves garlic, minced
1. In a food processor, combine the tomatoes, jalapeños, and vegetable stock. Process until smooth and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper, and cook for 2 minutes to soften. Add the garlic and continue to cook, stirring, until the garlic softens and the onion becomes translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, chipotle powder, sugar and salt to taste. Stir well.
3. Sprinkle with flour, followed by 3 tablespoons of water. Stir well again. Add the tomato-chili puree, stir again, and simmer for about 20 minutes to allow all flavors to marry. Stir frequently and reduce heat if necessary to prevent sauce from sticking. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside until ready to serve.
What’s a gal to do when she needs to use her last little bit of Kale Pesto but is craving Southwestern food? Make White Bean and Kale Pesto Quesadillas, of course!
With its hazelnuts and orange zest, this one of my kale pestos seems a little Italian. So, I mixed it with cannellini beans and lightly caramelized onions (I’m usually too impatient to make true caramelized onions), and seasoned the mixture with a hint of dried oregano and smoked paprika. This creamy and tasty filling is the perfect consistency for a quesadilla filling.
For the salsa, I combined sliced black olives and vine-ripened tomatoes, a combo that could lean towards either Italy or the Southwest. So to nudge it toward The Boot, I sprinkled it with just a bit of balsamic vinegar.
Since kale is more of a cool weather veggie, and tomatoes like it warm, if tomatoes aren’t yet available in your farmers market, I would suggest substituting sundried tomatoes chopped a little more finely than the diced ones called for in the recipe. And, whatever you do, avoid the temptation to purchase sliced black olives in a can. They taste like what salt water would taste like if it was chewable. Instead, purchase olives whole from your grocery deli and slice them yourself.
Hurry and make this dish before this winter’s kale is all gone! You’ll have a new favorite in your repertoire.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, halved and then sliced
1 to 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1-15.5 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Vegan Kale, Toasted Hazelnut, and Orange Zest Pesto
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons vegan butter
4- 8 inch whole wheat tortillas (I buy a spelt four variety at Organic Depot that I love)
1/4 cup vegan sour cream
Tomato-Black Olive Salsa (recipe follows)
Approximately 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil or cilantro leaves
Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until it starts to turn golden brown. Lower heat to prevent burning if necessary. Add garlic and saute, stirring, for about 30 seconds. Stir in beans, pesto, oregano, and smoked paprika, and heat through. Scrape into a bowl and set aside. Wipe out skillet and heat/melt 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and vegan butter over medim-high. Meanwhile spread half of each of the 4 tortillas with 1/4 of bean mixture. Fold remaining half over and press gently to seal. Cook two at a time for 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown and toasty. Keep warm while your repeat with the remaining quesadilla ingredients. To serve, cut each one in half, overlap one half on the other, top with 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1/4 cup of the salsa, and 1 tablespoon of the fresh basil or cilantro. Serve immediately.
Tomato-Black Olive Salsa
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (if tomatoes aren’t in season when kale is in your neck of the woods, substitute sundried ones)
1/2 cup sliced black olives (avoid using canned!)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a small non-reactive bowl, and toss gently to combine. Set aside or refrigerate, covered, until serving time.
For 150+ more seasonal recipes, many with a flare for fusion, dip into The Blooming Platter Cookbook!
This recipe seemed like the perfect “fooled you” dish. And One Green Planet must have thought so too, as they published it today as one of their April Fool’s Day features!
My “Knock-off-amole” is so named because it is a delicious and nutritious guacamole “knock off” made with fresh green peas instead of avocado. And like every good art teacher knows, green and red are complementary colors, making each other “pop,” so the chopped tomato and diced red onion look glisteningly gorgeous in this Mexican-Southwestern dip.
There is nothing non-vegan or unhealthy about traditional guacamole; to the contrary avocado is high in “good” fat. So it wasn’t for those reasons that I sought a convincing substitute.
No, sadly, it was because I developed a food sensitivity or allergy to avocados in my twenties. It was a tragic day, as I was born in Texas, and loved my mother’s guac. However, even the tiniest bit left inside a veggie sushi slice even afer the avocado has been picked out does a number on me.
So, craving my Mama’s guacamole and perusing the farmer’s market last spring, it suddently occured to me that their beautiful fresh green peas might make a fine substitute. Indeed! Though no one will necessarily think they are eating avocado, they won’t care because it tastes so good and is deliciously respectful of its namesake.
Therefore, whether you are an avocado lover or not, I know you’ll enjoy this fresh take on an old favorite. Click HERE for the luscious recipe at One Green Planet.
On February 20, my White Bean and Pesto Tart from The Blooming Platter Cookbook was a “Meatless Monday” feature on The Happy Cow, but I somehow neglected to share it with you. My apologies!
This lovely and healthy tart is super-simple, yet special enough for company. It’s perfect for a spring brunch or luncheon. But you won’t want to wait for company to come!