November 18, 2009 by betsy

Vegan Thanksgiving Menu 2009

You won’t miss the turkey—nor the butter, milk, eggs, or marshmallows—in this Thanksgiving meal.

For my November vegan cooking colum, “The Veggie Table,” published in today’s edition of the Virginian-Pilot, I created an entire vegan feast—including a main dish with plenty of protein—that could, quite possibly, satiate even the non-vegans at your table.

The pretty and tasty star of this meal is a creamy puree of baked sweet potatoes and cannellini beans encased inside flakey and buttery Phyllo dough. On the side is my from-scratch version of that old family favorite: green bean casserole with crispy onion topping along with pureed parsnips like you’ve never tried. Simmering them in soy milk for extra creaminess is only one of my secrets. Dessert is a silky pumpkin flan with a salted pecan and faux-caramelized sugar topping. Deceptively decadent, it is even packed with protein and vitamins.

Celebratory and extra-special—yet simple to boot—this menu won’t leave anyone feeling excluded, except maybe the turkey, and he’ll thank you for it.

Note: Each of these recipes is also posted separately with individual photos. For another vegan vegetable side dish to accompany this meal, try my Vegan Maple Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts on this site.

Vegan Sweet Potatoes and Cannelini Beans in Phyllo Dough
Yield: 4 servings (easily doubles)

Filling:
3 medium sweet potatoes, baked or microwaved until tender
I-14 ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons orange or apricot marmalade
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (available at health food stores and some grocery stores near the flour)
1 tablespoon dry or 3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
Garlic salt or powder to taste
Onion powder to taste
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Crust:
8 sheets Phyllo Dough, thawed and covered with a towel
Generous ¼ cup vegan butter, melted
2 tablespoons dried rubbed sage

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Scoop flesh from sweet potatoes into a medium sized bowl and mash well. Stir in beans and mash just to gently break them up. Stir in remaining filling ingredients until well combined. Stir together butter and sage and, with a pastry brush, oil bottom and sides of an 8-inch square metal baking pan. Working with one sheet of Phyllo at a time, fold one side down to make about a 9-inch square. Fit into bottom of pan and tuck edges in so that dough fits flat, brushing with sage butter as you go. Repeat 3 more times. Spoon filling onto bottom crust and smooth top. Repeat crust procedure with remaining four sheets, this time laying them on top of the filling to make a top crust. Place pan in center of oven and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool approximately 10 minutes, and cut into four squares. Serve warm.

Vegan Green Bean Casserole
Yield: 6 servings

9 ounces frozen green beans, thawed in colander, drained and patted dry
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 green onions, thinly sliced
3-4 stalks celery, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
2-3 medium-large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 ounces sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (available at health food stores and some grocery stores near the flour)
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 ½ cups unsweetened soy milk
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Optional garlic salt or powder to taste
Optional onion powder to taste
1 2/3 cups French’s Fried Onion Rings in a can, divided into 2/3 cup and 1 cup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 1 ½ quart casserole dish. In a large cast iron skillet or heavy saucepan over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add onion, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt, and sauté, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until softened. Meanwhile dissolve flour in a few tablespoons of the milk. When vegetables are soft, sprinkle with nutritional yeast and stir well to coat. Add flour and milk mixture plus remaining milk, stir well, and cook for about 3 minutes or until mixture thickens and flour loses its raw taste. Season to taste with next four ingredients. Remove from heat and stir in green beans and 2/3 cup onion rings. Spoon into oiled baking dish and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, gently stir, sprinkle top with remaining onion rings and return to oven for 5 minutes. Serve immediately, if possible, so that onion rings are crispy. To do ahead: bake casserole for first 30 minutes, cool to room temperature, and store, covered with foil, in the refrigerator. Reheat in a 350 degree oven, covered, and, when hot, uncover, top with onion rings and bake an additional 5 minutes.

Vegan Lemony Parsnip Puree
Yield: 4 servings (easily doubles)

4 parsnips, peeled, ends trimmed, and cut into ½” thick slices
Unsweetened soy milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled, and diced
2 medium-large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 tablespoon vegan sour cream
Zest of one lemon
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
White pepper to taste
Optional garlic salt or powder to taste
Optional onion powder to taste
Optional Garnish: parsley and additional lemon zest

Lay parsnip slices into large cast iron skillet and pour in enough soy milk to just barely cover the slices. Heat over medium-high to simmering and continue simmering until parsnips are tender and milk has cooked down and thickly coated the parsnips; this may take about 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, in a medium cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add onion, garlic and a pinch of salt, and sauté until vegetables are softened and golden. Place parsnips, any remaining milk, onion and garlic into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add remaining three ingredients and process until smooth, scraping down bowl with a spatula as necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and optional garlic salt and onion powder. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley sprigs and additional lemon zest. If you are not serving the dish immediately, cool puree to room temperature, cover and chill without garnishes. When ready to serve, reheat in microwave, garnish and serve.

Vegan Pumpkin Flan
Yield: 8 Servings

1-12 ounce block of firm Silken Tofu (drained)
½ of a 13 ounce can pureed pumpkin or about ¾ cup
1 cup unsweetened, plain, vanilla or lite vanilla soy milk
2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch (you may alternatively use 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, but the result may be slightly more cakey than custardy)
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup brown sugar (this is not a really sweet custard, so add another ¼ cup brown sugar if you prefer)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1 teaspoon vegan butter
½ cup pecan pieces
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons water
½ cup brown sugar

Optional Garnish: 1 box Soy Whip

Custard: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil an 8-9 inch round glass or ceramic pie dish. Place all filling ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth and completely combined. Scrape into the pie dish, gently smooth top, and bake 45 minutes (but check every 5 minutes beginning at 30.) Let cool to room temperature and, if not serving right away, chill, covered. Serve chilled or at room temperature with warm topping.

Topping: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter, add pecans and salt, and toast, stirring frequently, until light golden brown which should take a very few minutes. Remove from heat and scatter nuts over the top of custard. In a small microwave-safe cup or bowl, mix together water and brown sugar. Heat in microwave for 30 seconds, stir, and pour evenly over the top of custard. Serve immediately with or without dollops of Soy Whip.

Optional Garnish: Pour Soy Whip into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and beat until soft peaks form.

November 18, 2009February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Sweet Potatoes and Cannelini Beans in Phyllo Dough

Yield: 4 servings (easily doubles)

This vegan main dish is special enough for a holiday feast, but simple enough for weeknight meals. Plus, it’s too good to only savor once a year!

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

October 10, 2009January 30, 2012 by betsy

Vegan White Bean, Caramelized Onion and Pesto Tart

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

September 20, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan White Bean Quesadillas Alfredo

Yield: 2 servings

Here, I use the topping for my Vegan White Bean Nachos Alfredo as a filling for Italian quesadillas–delish!

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small-medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic
1-15 ounce can white beans, drained
4-6 sundried tomatoes in oil, diced
approximately 1/2 cup pitted and quartered Greek olives (the flavor of these is very pronounced, so you may prefer fewer or to use them as a garnish)
1/4-1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
optional: a few basil leaves, chopped (I didn’t have any, so I didn’t add, but it would be good)
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
approximately 3/4 cup Vegan Alfredo Sauce (see recipe below)
2 whole wheat tortillas
1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)

Optional Garnish: Vegan Spinach Pesto (see recipe below) or Veggie Marinara Sauce, parsley sprigs or basil leaves, and/or a tiny slice of Roma tomato or olive halves

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until they just start to turn golden. Add beans and heat through, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients and stir just to combine. Remove from heat. Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out skillet, return to burner, and heat the tablespoon of vegan butter to shimmering. Meanwhile, on a flat surface, spread each tortilla with a couple of tablespoons of Vegan Alfredo Sauce. Stir remaining Alfredo Sauce into bean mixture and spoon onto half of one tortilla. Fold other half up and over the filling, pressing gently to distribute filling nearly to the edges. Repeat with second tortilla. Carefully transfer both to the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on the first side. Carefully flip, and cook 2-3 minutes on second side until it is golden brown as well. Transfer to plates and serve immediately or keep warm if making additional quesadillas. If desired, garnish each with Vegan Spinach Pesto or Veggie Marinara Sauce, parsley sprigs or basil leaves, and/or a tiny slice of Roma tomato.

Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Yield: approximately 2 ½ cups

1-12.3 ounce box Silken firm tofu (make sure it is the Silken variety)
1 cup unsweetened soy milk (not plain, as it is too sweet)
Juice of one lemon
3 cloves garlic
½ cup lightly salted cashew halves and pieces (don’t omit—they impart a rich buttery taste)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
Generous pinch ground coriander
Generous pinch nutmeg
Generous pinch white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t mind specks)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt to taste

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Heat and use immediately, or store for a few days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This sauce may, of course, also be used as you would any Alfredo sauce.

Vegan Spinach Pesto
Yield: approximately 1 ½ cups

10 ounces fresh baby spinach, rinsed and dried
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves, rinsed and dried
3-4 garlic cloves
1 cup lightly toasted walnuts halve or pieces (toast in a dry skillet over medium to medium-high heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently)
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional, but I highly recommend—available at health food stores and some supermarkets)
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup olive oil
Generous amount of salt to taste (necessary to bring out flavors)

Place about ¼-1/3 of the bag of spinach in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until finely chopped. Continue adding spinach through the shoot, quickly, with motor running until all has been incorporated, scraping down sides as necessary. Stop processor and add remaining ingredients, except oil. Then turn motor on and stream in oil through the shoot until a thick bright green paste forms. Avoid over-processing at each stage. Check for salt and adjust if necessary. Heat or otherwise use immediately, or store for a few days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This sauce may also be used as you would any pesto.

Veggie Marinara Sauce
Yield: approximately 4 cups

1 small-medium onion, peeled and cut into chunks
3-4 cloves garlic
1 cup raw baby carrots or peeled carrot pieces
½ large red bell pepper, stem, seeds and membrane removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-14.5 ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
½ can water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Pinch garlic salt
Pinch onion powder

Place first four ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until a smooth pulpy paste forms, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion mixture and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are no longer raw, and some of the moisture has evaporated. Lower heat if necessary to prevent sticking. Add remaining ingredients and continue to simmer for another 10-15 minutes or until flavors have melded and sauce is heated through. Use immediately, or store for a few days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This sauce, too, may also be used as you would any marinara sauce.

September 20, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan White Bean Nachos Alfedo

Yield: 4 servings

Try this Italian riff on a Tex-Mex classic. It’s not authentic, but you won’t mind a bit.

approximately 56-60 tortilla chips (I like the blue corn variety), divided onto 4 oven proof plates or one large platter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small-medium yellow onion, diced
1/2 orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic
1-15 ounce can white beans, drained
4-6 sundried tomatoes in oil, diced
approximately 1/2 cup pitted and quartered Greek olives (the flavor of these is very pronounced, so you may prefer just to garnish with a few of them)
1/4-1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
optional: a few basil leaves, chopped (I didn’t have any, so I didn’t add, but it would be good)
Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
approximately 1/2 cup Vegan Alfredo Sauce (see recipe below)

Optional Garnish: Vegan Spinach Pesto (see recipe below) or Veggie Marinara Sauce and parsley sprigs or basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees if baking. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until they just start to turn golden. Add beans and heat through, stirring frequently. Add remaining ingredients and stir just to combine. Remove from heat. Spoon over tortilla chips, dividing equally. Top with a drizzle of Vegan Alfredo Sauce and bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately. Or broil a few inches from heat just until bubbly. Garnish, if desired, with Vegan Spinach Pesto and parsley sprigs or basil leaves.

Vegan Alfredo Sauce
Yield: approximately 2 ½ cups

Vegan Spinach Pesto
Yield: approximately 1 ½ cups

Veggie Marinara Sauce
Yield: approximately 4 cups

July 1, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Coconut Curried Mustard Greens with Apples and Chick Peas over Cinnamon-Cardamom Rice

Yield: approximately 4 servings

They don’t call them “bitter greens” for nothing! I love mustard greens, but only with the bitterness dialed back. Coconut milk, apples and chick peas do the trick in this recipe, especially when served with Cinnamon-Cardamom rice.

Coconut Curried Mustard Greens with Apples and Chick Peas:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, slivered
2 Fugi apples, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4″ wedges (use whatever kind of apple you like, but Fugis are particularly good with savory dishes)
8 ounces mustard greens, coarsely chopped (I purchase them already chopped and ready-to-eat)
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 of a 14.5 ounce can of coconut milk
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 of a 14.5 ounce can chick peas, drained (add them all if you prefer)
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Garnish: approximately 4 tablespoons lightly salted cashew halves and 4 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro or 4 cilantro sprigs

In a large wok or Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until it starts to soften. Add apples, and continue sauteing just until they start to soften. Add the greens and cook for a few minutes or until they wilt and begin to tenderize. Add remaining ingredients, except chick peas and lemon juice, and cook for at least 10 minutes and probably more until greens are tender and have lost most of their bitter bite. (Unfortunately, this means they will lose their brilliant green color.) Stir in chick peas, heat through, and then stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with cashews and cilantro over or alongside Cinnamon-Cardamom Rice.

Cinnamon-Cardamom Rice:

3 cups water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick cinnamon, broken in half
a few cardamom pods (about 1 tablespoon)
1 cup basmati rice

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring all ingredients except rice to a gentle boil. Add rice, stir once, cover loosely with a lid, reduce heat if necessary and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until water is absorbed and rice is tender. Watch closely so that rice doesn’t scorch or stick to the bottom of the pan.

May 19, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Deconstructed Chili Salad

Yield: 8 servings (easily halved)

With summer almost here, my thoughts have turned to refreshing, but hearty salads (though I’m also pretty likely to crave cold weather foods in July). It occurred to me that all of the ingredients for a vegan chili would make a delicious salad: hence the reference to “deconstruction.”

The salad’s key ingredients are red kidney beans, tomatoes, bell pepper and red onion. The dressing includes a spice mixture similar to what I use in chili. If you use yellow bell pepper and dried instead of fresh oregano, you may want to add a tablespoon of minced fresh parsley or cilantro for some flecks of green throughout the salad. For the acid in the dressing, I chose red wine and lime juice, as I like a little red wine in my chili and I like to serve bowls of chili with wedges of lime. Because I chose to omit faux ground beef, which is ever-so-slightly sweet, I decided to add just a hint of sweetness to the dressing in the form of maple or brown rice syrup. Finally, one of my favorite vegan chili recipes calls for sunflower seeds so, here, I include them as a garnish.

Salad:
2-15 ounce cans Bush’s red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup finely diced green or yellow bell pepper
1 ½ cups finely diced red onion
pinch of salt
pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Dressing:
1 teaspoon chili powder (I like Ancho chili powder)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
scant 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
scant 1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon fresh minced oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 teaspoons red wine
1 teaspoon maple or brown rice syrup
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, if needed

Optional garnish: a couple of tablespoons of roasted, salted sunflower seeds

Gently toss together salad ingredients in a medium non-reactive bowl and set aside. Combine all dry dressing ingredients in a small non-reactive cup or bowl. Whisk in wet ingredients. Drizzle over salad and gently toss one more time, adjusting seasoning with salt and pepper as needed. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds if desired just before serving.

May 19, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan White Bean and Sage Salad

Yield: 4 servings

This recipe was inspired by my dear friend Trish’s signature salad. Her food is always beautiful, fresh and healthful, like her. And it is often based on flavors of the Mediterranean. Though I have made a few changes to what I remember her describing when I asked for the recipe after tasting the dish at a party, the essence is very similar.

Dressing:
1-2 tablespoons olive oil (start with one, add other ingredients, taste, and add another if desired)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon maple syrup

Salad:
2-14.5 ounce cans cannelini or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1.3 ounces (2-.66 ounce packages) fresh sage, stems removed and very coarsely chopped; reserve 1 sprig for garnish
2 large garlic cloves, sliced and then finely chopped
pinch of salt
1/3 cup pitted black olives (I like the shriveled, oil-cured variety)
3 ounces pine nuts toasted in a dry skillet on top of the stove for a few minutes, stirring frequently; reserve approximately 2 tablespoons for garnish
optional: 2 tablespoons fresh or fresh frozen minced parsley
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnish: zest of half a lemon plus reserved 2 tablespoons of toasted pine nuts and sprig of fresh sage

In a small non-reactive bowl or cup, whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside. Place beans in a medium non-reactive bowl and set aside. In a large skillet, over medium-high, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add sage leaves, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and sauté, stirring continually, for a couple of minutes or until leaves darken slightly and become firmer and garlic softens. Do not let garlic brown. Spoon over beans and add black olives, all but reserved 2 tablespoons of pine nuts and minced parsley. Drizzle dressing over the salad and gently toss to coat. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and freshly ground black pepper if needed. Toss again gently to distribute. Spoon into a shallow serving bowl, sprinkle with lemon zest and reserved pine nuts and tuck in a sprig of fresh sage. Serve at room temperature or ever so slightly warmed, rather than cold which robs the dish of its flavor.

Note: If not serving the salad immediately, toss the pine nuts in, adjust seasoning, and garnish just before serving to help the nuts maintain their crunch.

May 7, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Chana Dal

Yield: 4 servings

I love the mellow undertones of this tangy dish. Plus, it’s pretty as a picture and ultra-healthy to boot.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion slivers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-14.5 ounce can garbanzo beans
1-14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes in juice
juice of ½ lemon
salt to taste
½ cup water
1-2 teaspoons garam marsala (a spice blend available in Indian markets and some supermarkets or you can make your own; recipes abound)
1 small cinnamon stick

Garnish:
Cinnamon stick
Sprig of fresh cilantro

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat oil to sizzling. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until onion begins to turn golden. Add butter and continue sautéing and stirring frequently until onion turns a rich golden brown. Add garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes. Stir in garbanzo beans, tomatoes and lemon juice. Season with salt. Simmer, stirring frequently, until tomatoes cook down a little and most of moisture is absorbed. Add water, garam marsala and cinnamon stick and cook, loosely covered, until mixture cooks down and most of additional moisture is absorbed. “Fish” out the cinnamon stick and serve hot or warm garnished with it and a spring of fresh cilantro.