June 9, 2011June 11, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Cheddar “Cheese” Spread with Savory Blackberry Chutney

Pulpy, glistening blackberries…savory bursts of clean, complex flavors…little taste explosions in every mouthful. This chutney is to die for!

In my previous post, I said that my Smoky Vegan “Ricotta” and Green Grape-Spring Onion Salsa became an instant favorite upon creation.

But wait! This one, made the same day, but not tasted on an actual crostini until last night, rivals it–I wouldn’t want to have to pick a #1!

The truth is that I wasn’t sure how I was even gong to use the chutney or, for that matter, that I was going to make a chutney. But I had come home from Stoney’s Farmer’s Market on the weekend with some fresh Pungo blackberries and, not wanting them to spoil as berries tend to do so quickly, I decided to go ahead and use them.

I wasn’t in a dessert mood, and I didn’t want to use them raw, as they were on the tart side. So, when I thought of a chutney, I was excited by the possibilities, but gave myself this kitchen challenge: to see how complex (and delicious!) I could make the flavor without muddying it or masking the taste of the blackberries.

The response to my challenge is this very special chutney. You won’t even believe how amazing it is by itself or on a crostini with my Vegan Cheddar “Cheese” Spread. In fact, dinner last night was a pairing of crostini: these and the ones mentioned above (I’d eaten lots of leafy greens for lunch, so I allowed myself). It was a light meal of beautiful contrasts in colors, flavors and textures. Perfect with a glass of 2009 Green Fin organic white table wine (a new top choice) after a very hot dog walk and a Pilates class. Cheers!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup agave nectar

1 tablespoon red wine (anything drinkable will do and will only change the flavor slightly)

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon anise seeds

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chili powder

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 pint fresh blackberries

leaves only from a 6-inch piece fresh rosemary

up to 1/3 cup natural sugar (adjust depending on tartness of berries)

sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Accompaniments: Vegan Cheddar “Cheese” Spread and crackers or toasts, including thinly sliced grilled or toasted bread rounds

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, bring olive oil to shimmering. Add onion and saute a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and continue sauteeing and stirring for another couple of minutes or until onion and garlic are soft and onion is starting to develop a slight amount of color.

Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 20 minutes or until flavors are beautifully combined and the mixture has become pulpy. It will thicken as it cools. Serve chilled or at room temperature with my Vegan Cheddar “Cheese” Spread or your favorite vegan “cheese” on crackers or toasts. It would also be delicious on something like grilled or broiled tempeh “steaks.”

June 8, 2011June 9, 2011 by betsy

Crostini with Smoky Vegan “Ricotta” Spread and Green Grape-Spring Onion Salsa

I am so excited to share this recipe, as it became one of my all-time favorite crostinis immediately upon creation.

My inspired foodie friend, Trish Pfeifer, often serves crunchy-juicy seedless green grapes and smoked almonds as an impromptu appetizer or snack. You can’t believe for how many occasions that combination is perfect, including–odd though it may sound–with coffee on a late Saturday morning.

So, last Sunday, I was craving her pairing, but I wanted to make it a little more of a “dish.” Yet I still wanted it to be ultra-easy, cooling (Sunday was hot and humid), and very pretty.

I make a vegan “cheddar”-pecan spread, so I thought that finely chopped almonds would be nice in something like a ricotta made from an extra-firm tofu base. And I thought that it would be even nicer still if I could toss all of the ingredients in the food processor, pulse a few times, and be done. And I could! Tthe consistency was exactly what I sought.

All that remained was the grape topping. I decided that spring onion would complement, but not overpower, the flavor of the grapes. Wanting the topping to be refreshing and fairly pure in taste, with just a little complexity, I decided to go with just a splash of rice wine vinegar and a bare hint of hot red pepper flakes. The result was exactly what I was after, and the shimmering green-on-green palette with tiny flecks of red looks as refreshing as it tastes.

All I had to use for a base was falafel crackers, and they were delicious, but I have since enjoyed the toppings on Melba toasts. Thinly sliced rounds of toasted or grilled bread would be perfect too.

After I spread a little of the vegan “ricotta” on the cracker and topped it with a mound of the salsa, I had one last flash of inspiration. The day before, I had been at T.J. Maxx where I was seduced by a box of exquisite irregularly-shaped chunks of pearly Pink Himalayan salt. (It is such smart merchandising to create the checkout line from display shelves lined with such goodies!) So, a hint of the salt hand-grated over the top, using my microplane grater, was the piece de resistance.

Even without the luxury of Pink Himalayan salt, you will adore this dish.

Smoky Vegan “Ricotta” Spread

8 ounces extra-firm tofu

1 large clove garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

2 teaspoons light miso

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/3 cup smoked almonds

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

optional: 1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and pulse a few times until almonds are finely chopped and all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Check for seasoning, and adjust as necessary.

Green Grape and Spring Onion Salsa

1/2 cup quartered seedless green grapes

1/4 cup thinly sliced spring onion (use about half of the white and half of the green parts)

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

pinch sea salt

2 pinches natural sugar

pinch of red pepper flakes

In a small non-reactive bowl, combine all ingredients. Check for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Accompaniments:

Crackers, Melba toasts, or small, thinly-sliced grilled or toasted bread rounds

Optional: a finishing salt like Pink Himalayan

To serve, spread each cracker or toast with some of the “ricotta,” and top it with a small mound of the salsa. If desired, grate a little Pink Himalayan or another finishing salt over the top. Serve immediately. Store any leftover “ricotta” and salsa separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.

May 10, 2011May 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Coconut Cream-Mango Sorbet

If you think the Chocolate Carrot Cupcakes below look scrumptious, you should try them with my Coconut Cream-Mango Sorbet: just a tiny scoop in a Chinese soup spoon!

The dessert display at the party mentioned in the cupcake post was beautiful, clean and modern with a sweep of white ceramic soup spoons filled with golden-orange globes of sorbet playing off the robin’s egg blue cupcake decoration–perfect complementary colors and flavors.

But with its subtle hint of fresh lime and tropical-sweet fruit flavor, this sorbet is luscious on its own or, if you don’t want to go so far as a cupcake, with just a rich chocolate ganache squiggle as in the photograph.

This recipe and over 150 more, plus color photos, fill the pages of my new Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes. Your copy awaits at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Prince Books (both online and in their Norfolk, VA, store)!

May 6, 2011May 9, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Baked Oatmeal with Berries for Mother’s Day

If my dear mama lived in Virginia, I would make this dish bloom on her platter for Mother’s Day. When I served it to a friend while creating recipes for my Blooming Platter Cookbook, she described it as having a texture similar to bread pudding. I agree!

This photo was shot last summer for the book when blueberries were in season. Since it’s early yet for blueberries, at least where we live, why not try strawberries?

The garnish is one of my favorite newly discovered herbs: lemon verbena. It flourished in our garden last year and I noticed recently that it had returned this spring. I can’t wait to infuse pancakes, cookies and much more with it’s complex citrusy flavor and aroma this summer.

Happy Mother’s Day to mothers everywhere!

Yield: 8 servings

6 ounces firm silken tofu
1 cup soy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
3/4 cup natural sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
2 tablespoons natural sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 pint of fresh berries, rinsed, drained and patted dry
1. Lightly grease a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie pan and set aside. Combine the tofu, soy milk, canola oil, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Transfer the mixture to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the oatmeal. Spoon this mixture into the prepared pan, gently smoothing the top. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining sugar and cinnamon, cover with foil, and refrigerate overnight.
2. When ready to bake, remove the dish from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Stud the top surface of the oatmeal with berries, and bake for 35 minutes or until just firm. Serve hot.
Note: The oatmeal may be reheated by covering the baking dish with foil and placing it in a cold oven. Turn the oven temperature to 300ºF. and heat for about 20 minutes, or until warm.

May 11, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Apricot-Almond Pancakes with Vegan Cream Cheese and Apricot Preserve Filling

Yield: 8 pancakes

Our weather has been absolutely schizophrenic this spring. One day, it’s chilly, damp and windy and the very next its 88 degrees with brilliantly blue skies. Consequently, my meals have been similarly varied. Sunday morning was, though sunny, quite windy and cool. Perfect for a last wintry breakfast hurrah.

If you follow this blog, you know that I make weekend pancakes a lot and that I stir into the batter all kinds of ingredients and top them with a variety of special syrups. But I never fill them. That is until I now. They seemed to cry out for a simple vegan cream cheese and apricot preserve filling. And after tasting the end result, I see why. Boy, oh boy, are you in for a treat. In this case, I recommend plain maple syrup to perfectly complement the pancakes and their filling, but not compete. I made an apricot-maple syrup that I wasn’t wild about, so save yourself the trouble and the disappointment. They are much better–delicious in fact–without it.

½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup self-rising flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla soy milk would also be good–regular or lite)
1/2 teaspoon real almond extract or to taste
1 cup finely diced plump dried apricots (they should be nice and moist even though technically “dried”)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Vegan butter and/or vegetable oil for frying
Vegan Cream Cheese
Apricot Preserves (buy the most wholesome brand you can find with as few additives as possible)
Maple Syrup
Optional Garnishes: a whole or half dried apricot and a sprinkle of sliced almonds per serving

Preheat oven to warm. In a medium mixing bowl, place first 5 dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and pour in soymilk and almond extract. Whisk together until well combined. Then stir in diced apricots and sliced almonds with a spoon or fork. 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 chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using a 1/4 cup measure, make pancakes, two 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 skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower heat to medium, especially for second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a serving platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter and pancake batter. To serve, spread 4 of the pancakes with about 1 tablespoon of vegan cream cheese. Spread another tablespoon of apricot preserves over that. Top with remaining pancakes and serve warm with maple syrup and a garnish of a whole or half of a dried apricot and a sprinkling of sliced almonds.

February 21, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Feasting on Art Recipe Contest: Vegan Strawberry Chutney

My friend, Donna Reiss, a fellow foodie, found this recipe contes t at Feasting on Art and sent me the link, feeling it was perfect for me since I am a high school art teacher who blogs about food. The clever idea is that you post a recipe using the ingredients in the painting.

I feel my ravishing Vegan Strawberry Chutney is practically made for this particular challenge. Enjoy!

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1/2 cup medium-fine diced red onion
salt to taste
1/2 cup medium-fine diced green bell pepper
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced lengthwise into quarters (if berries are really large, cut quarters crosswise in half)
1 tablespoon maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon white zinfandel (or other sweet wine)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 heaping tablespoon of minced fresh or fresh-frozen basil (any variety–I used purple)
additional salt and pepper to taste
Garnish: lemon zest

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil. When sizzling, but not smoking, add onion and a little salt and cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to turn translucent. Add bell pepper and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until all vegetables are softened. Add strawberries and syrup and cook until strawberries begin to break down and give up their juice. Keep cooking, stirring frequently until most of the moisture is evaporated and mixture is thick, but chunky, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat if necessary to prevent burning. Stir in wine, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and basil and heat through. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve on grilled baguette slices spread with plain or chive vegan cream cheese (as depicted in the photo), over cornmeal pancakes, or over cornmeal biscuits with a dab of vegan sour cream for a savory strawberry shortcake. Garnish with lemon zest. This seemingly small touch makes for a big finish.

Painting Credit (top): Pierre Auguste Renoir, Strawberries, 1905, oil on canvas, 46 x 28 cm, Musée de l’Orangerie, Paris, France

February 1, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Baked Apples Baklava

Yield: 4 servings

If you love baked apples and baklava (without the honey, of course)–heck, maybe even if you don’t–you will flip over this recipe. It is so warming on a crisp morning or evening and is as good for breakfast as it is for dessert. (It’s not heavy, but it is generously proportioned, so it best follows a meal on the lighter side.) Don’t be tempted to dispense with the sauce, as it adds just the right contrast in texture, temperature and tartness. Similarly, the combination of vegan butter and olive oil is very intentional, as the latter lends an ultra-appealing savory quality to the dish.

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

January 7, 2010February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Poached Pears with Lemon, Garlic and Cinnamon Topped with Vegan Rosemary-Scented Sauteed Onions

Yield: 6 servings

My cousin, Earl, always sends a box of those beautiful Harry & David pears to my parents and sister at Christmas. They’re as pretty as a box of chocolates–I love the one foil-wrapped pear in the set–or, truthfully, even more so.

This year, when I arrived at my family’s house for our annual holiday visit, I noticed that the pears were ripening quickly, so I decided to poach them.

I opted for a savory, rather than a sweet, dish. Poaching the pears in burgundy wine with lemon, garlic slices, cinnamon sticks and salt and pepper, and topping them with sauteed rosemary-scented onions proved to be the perfect combination: as beautiful and healthful as it is tasty and festive.

Pears poach in markedly different amounts of time depending on their size and degree of ripeness. Start with about 7 minutes on each side, but be prepared to poach them for twice that long if they are very firm.

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 17, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Streusel

Yield: one 5-8″ loaf

Bananas intended for morning smoothies ended up in one moist and delicious breakfast quick bread. A peanut butter streusel was just the little extra somethin’-somethin’ it needed to set it apart from ordinary banana bread which is admittedly hard to beat.

Batter:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
(or substitute 2 cups white whole wheat flour for both flours) ½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup oatmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or vanilla would be good too)
3 very ripe bananas, peeled and pureed or mashed well by hand
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
optional: ½ teaspoon almond extract

Streusel:
2 tablespoons crunchy “natural” peanut butter
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 5 x 8” metal loaf pan with non-stick spray.

To make batter, place all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in oil, soy milk, banana and extract(s). Stir together just until wet and dry ingredients are combined. Spoon batter into pan and gently smooth top.

In a small bowl, combine streusel ingredients with your fingers. Sprinkle streusel over the top of the banana bread and, using the palm of your hand, gently but firmly press it into the surface of the batter. Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or nearly clean. There should be no raw batter clinging to the pick. Cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Run a knife around edges, remove from pan onto a plate or your hand and then invert with streusel side up onto rack. Cool completely before slicing.