Category: Vegan Main Dishes

by betsy

VegNews Magazine Publishes Blooming Platter Vegan Steamed Tamale Pie in Their Online “Recipe Club” e-Newsletter (Tastes Like Tamales, Not Like Cornbread-Topped Chili)!

Tamale Pie--VegNews--Recipe Club--May 2013Yield: 8 servings

This month, the award-winning VegNews magazine published my Vegan Steamed Tamale Pie in their online “Recipe Club” e-newsletter.  (To receive your own issue, just go to the VegNews home page to sign-up for this free e-publication so you don’t miss anything!)

[Note: Skip to the bottom of this post for my recipe if you aren’t interested in the back story!]

I adore vegan tamales, but they are a bit time-consuming, so I remembered that I had heard of “tamale pie.”  However, all of the recipes I found  online consisted of a filling topped with what amounts to a layer of baked cornbread. That sounded fine, but not what I was after.

Wanting a consistency more like true steamed tamales, I wondered if the “pie” couldn’t be baked in a bain marie (water bath), tightly covered with foil so that it would steam.  I did a little more research and found a non-vegan (pork) recipe made in this way.

My filling went together in a snap as I ad-libbed with onions, bell peppers, garlic, spices, black beans, fire-roasted tomatoes, diced green chilies, fresh spinach, faux “chicken” (the first time) and spaghetti squash (the second time), cilantro, and lime zest.

However, it took me three tries to get the masa dough the correct consistency.  The first two times, I tried it with cornmeal and ended up with 1) a-way-too-sturdy-and-dense top layer, and 2) something that had the unappealing texture of wet sand.  For the third, final, and successful attempt, I stopped by a local tienda and purchased masa harina for tamales.  The flavor, not to mention the texture, was VASTLY superior.  Delicious and quite revolutionary in the tamale pie world!

I think the finished dish was well worth the effort of experimentation and trust you will agree!

But first: No sooner had the recipe been published in “Recipe Club,” than Brandy, one of the readers, made it and posted a photo of it here on the VegNews Facebook page.  What a lovely job she did!

Vegan Steamed Tamale Pie

For the masa layer:

2 cups masa harina (Do NOT substitute cornmeal!  Masa harina is widely available at Latin markets or tiendas and some grocery stores.)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup canola oil

2 cups warm “no-chicken” or “veggie” broth

In a medium bowl, whisk together all ingredients until well-combined.  The mixture should be the consistency of a soft cookie dough.  Cover, and set the masa aside while you prepare the filling.  Whisk the masa well just before using if necessary.

 

For the filling:DSCN0812

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

Pinch sea salt

1/2 large orange bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced (red or yellow bell pepper would be nice too)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon Ancho chili powder (substitute chipotle if you prefer some heat)

1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican, if available)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1-15.5 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

1-14.5 ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, including juice

1-4 ounce can diced green chilies, including juice

1/2 pound “chicken”-flavored seitan (I used an 8 ounce package Morning Star Farms Meal Starters Chick-n Strips, cut into bite-size pieces) OR 2 cups cooked spaghetti squash (halve lengthwise, scrape out seeds and pulp, microwave for 8 minutes, flesh side down, and scrape out spaghetti-like “threads” with a fork)

4 cups lightly packed fresh raw baby spinach

1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Zest of one-half of a medium lime

For the Garnish: vegan sour cream and fresh cilantro sprigs, toasted pumpkin seeds, and/or a lime wedge.

Place a large pan like a turkey roaster or baking dish larger than 9 x 13″ on the middle rack of oven.  Fill with two inches of water and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease an 8- or 9-inch square baking dish (or two 5 x 8″ loaf pans) and set aside.  Meanwhile make filling.

In a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven, heat the tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high.  Add the onion, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt, and saute about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, or until vegetables are softened and beginning to develop some color.  Add the garlic and saute about 30 seconds to one minute.  Add all of the spices and stir well to incorporate, lowering the heat if necessary.  Then add the beans, tomatoes, green chilies, and seitan or spaghetti squash, stirring to incorporate.   Add the spinach in two parts, allowing each to wilt slightly before continuing.  Then stir in the cilantro and lime zest, and remove from heat.

Softly crumble half of the masa into the bottom of the prepared baking dish, gently pressing with your fingers to cover.  Spoon the filling evenly over the masa and then softly crumble the remaining masa over the top, again gently pressing to cover the filling and seal to the edges.  Cover tightly with foil.  Slide oven rack out, place covered baking dish into the water bath, and then cover the water bath with more foil, sealing tightly, but being careful not to burn yourself.  Slide the rack back in and bake/steam for 45 minutes.  (Note: if using loaf pans, follow these instructions, but use one-fourth of the masa mixture for the tops and bottoms of each pan.)

Slide the rack back out, uncover the water bath and carefully remove the tamale pie.  Uncover the pie and allow it to cool for 10 to 15 minutes so that it is easy to cut into squares.  Be sure to do this immediately upon removing the pies from the oven or they will continue to cook.

Serve dolloped with vegan sour cream and the garnish(es) of  your choice.

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by betsy

Vegan Cinco de Mayo: More Blooming Platter Recipes on VegNews.com

Cocina Mexicana--Page 1If you are gearing up for a Cinco de Mayo feast tonight or tomorrow, May 5, the actual day of the celebration–or if you are just Jonesin’ for some delicious vegan Mexican food–I invite you to visit VegNews online where you will find three more of my recipes to complement those featured in the May print edition of VegNews Magazine.

There wasn’t room for all of my creations, so just click on the link above, here or on the individual links below to go straight to Mexican food Nirvana with:

Bean and Corn-Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Here, baked chile rellenos meet chiles en almendra (almond sauce). The delectably creamy white sauce is the perfect complement for spicy salsa cruda.

Eggplant and Portabello Enchiladas with Paprika-Lime Cashew Cream

Fresh summer and sundried tomatoes transform into a tasty sauce for these addicting enchiladas.  And everything is better with cashew cream, no?

Summer Sunset Sangria

This sexy and refreshing sunset-colored sangria is almost too pretty to drink. Almost.

Ole, ya’ll!

 

[Photo Credit: Vanessa K. Rees]

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by betsy

Vegan Frito-Chili-Spinach Pie

DSCN0860

Yield: 8 servings

As I’ve mentioned a few times lately, I am on a major “comfort food” kick, veganizing old recipes like Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole and much more.

With daylight savings time here and the promise of spring, I thought I was coming out of it.  But when a recent day dawned gray and cold, I absolutely had to have a Frito Chili Pie.

The first one I ever remember tasting was on a 7th grade hay ride.  Parent volunteers tore open individual size bags of Fritos and ladled in chili that we ‘tweens ate right out of the bag with plastic spoons.  It was something fun and a little different in my 12 years of culinary experience.

When I created this recipe, I wasn’t serving a crowd, so I knew I would bake mine in layers.  The question, though, was what kind of chili to make.  I started poking around online, but all the recipes I found were for pretty straight-ahead chili, vegan or not.  Though, I love so-called comfort food, it isn’t very comforting if it is a nutritional disaster, so my crusade to veganize old favorites has involved cleaning these recipe up a bit.  And, for this, I decided to create my own spinach variety with smoky notes from a chipotle pepper in adobo.

The supremely satisfying result is hearty, healthy, spicy and colorful with wonderful textural variety.  I feel almost virtuous digging into it.  But Fritos are pretty high in calories and fat, so the trick here is portion control.  Though this rendition is definitely a one dish meal, you may want to serve a side salad just to prevent yourself from overdoing it.  That is, if you share my propensity for wanting to dive headlong into comforting casseroles.

I love the fact that a homey casserole can be served up in a “stack” to rival the appearance of restaurant fare and belie its homespun roots.  Just click right HERE to go straight to the recipe at One Green Planet.  Enjoy!

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by betsy

Vegan Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

DSCN0801Yield: 6 to 8 servings

This is one of those recipes that any old-fashioned, self-respecting small town church cookbook would not be without!

I discovered the dish on a recent trip to visit my family in Mississippi following my mother’s serious surgery and long hospital stay.  Their refrigerator was stuffed full of soups and casseroles from friends and neighbors, prepared with love and delivered with best wishes for a speedy recovery.

One of those casseroles, Poppy Seed Chicken, smelled delicious, though it wasn’t vegan, so I couldn’t partake.  But, once home, I set about to recreate it.

And recreate it, I did!  Go Dairy Free generously published my brand new recipe for Vegan Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole and you can access it with a simple click right HERE.

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by betsy

Vegan Chickpea, Sweet Potato, Kale, Green Olive, Dried Fruit and Cashew Tagine

DSCN0776 Quick!  Before winter is a faint and distant memory, you will want to tuck into this amazing melange featuring kale and oh-so-much-more!

The balance of flavors and textures is exquisite…if I do say so myself.

When I created this recipe, it was without the spicy green olives.  And it was so delicious.  But the next time I prepared it, I decided to add them for a little zip, and it was beyond!

Serve up a healthy and heaping portion of this tasty tagine and feel good for all the right reasons!

Click HERE to go straight to my recipe as published by my pals at One Green Planet.

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by betsy

Vegan Gratin of Carmelized Onion and Fresh Fennel, White Beans, and Kale (Non-vegan Husband-Approved!

Yield: 4 main dish servings or 6-8 side dish servings.

This is rustic, yet healthy, comfort food–just the kind of food I crave in winter.

You can call this delectable melange a side dish or a  main dish but, regardless, just call me when it’s ready!

 

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium-large onion, halved and cut into 1/2-inch silvers

1 medium-large fennel bulb, halved, cored, and cut into 1/3-inch slivers

Sea salt to taste

1 tablespoon vegan butter (I use Earth Balance, but you could substitute olive oil)

1/2 to 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs

1-15.5 ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups finely chopped fresh kale (I use the food processor for this task)

1/4 cup minced fresh fennel fronds (I use the food processor for this task too)

Freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray an 9-inch ceramic baking dish with non-stick cooking spray; set aside. Pour one generous tablespoon of olive oil into a large roasting pan.  Add onion, fennel, and a generous pinch of salt, toss well to coat, and roast for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10, until onion and fennel have developed some nice golden color.  (Note: if you don’t want to wait this long, boost the oven temperature to 450 degrees and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring every 10 and watching closely).  While vegetables roast, make breadcrumbs: in a one-quart saucepan or small skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add crumbs, toss to coat, and continue cooking and stirring until lightly golden brown.  Remove the pan from the heat.  When the onion and fennel have caramelized, remove the pan from the oven and stir in the white beans followed by the kale and fennel fronds.  Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and season to taste with additional sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Spoon into the prepared baking dish, sprinkle evenly with crumbs, and bake just until heated through and crumbs are rich golden-brown, about 15 minutes.

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by betsy

Vegan Smokey Pumpkin Grits with Shitake Mushrooms in Kale Pesto and White Wine Cream Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

Simple as it is, my Smokey Pumpkin Grits with Shitake Mushrooms in a Kale Pesto Cream Sauce is one of the tastiest and most satisfying dishes you will ever eat.  Perfect for a fall or winter dinner or brunch, it is both rustic and refined.  The smoked paprika in the grits and the smoked almonds in the pesto are a perfect pairing.  Add to that the smokey notes of Chardonnay, and you have a tasty trinity indeed.  Visually, it is also appealing with the warm, golden-toned grits setting off the creamy green-flecked mushrooms to delicious advantage.  I hope you’ll enjoy this dish many times this fall.  Note:  the pesto recipe makes far more than you will need for one recipe of the mushrooms.

Vegan Smokey Pumpkin Grits (click on the title to go to my recipe on One Green Planet)

While grits cook, prepare mushrooms:

Shitake Mushrooms in Kale Pesto and White Wine Cream Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil

10 ounces Shitake mushrooms, stems removed, and caps cut into 1/3 inch slices (just somewhere between a 1/4 and 1/2-inch; feel free to substitute other mushrooms if desired, but Shitakes are particularly tasty and toothsome in this dish)

Pinch sea salt

1/4 cup coconut milk or soymilk creamer

1/4 cup Smokey Kale Pesto (recipe follows)

1/2 cup dry white wine (a Chardonnay is nice for its smokey notes, but use what you have)

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering.  Add mushrooms and a pinch of sea salt and saute, stirring frequently and lowering the heat if necessary, for about 3 minutes or until mushrooms are softened.  Add cream and saute, stirring, for 3o seconds.  Then add the pesto and do the same.  Add white wine and cook, stirring, for a final minute or until sauce comes together and reduces down to the desired consistency.  Serve mushrooms immediately over hot grits (perhaps with a kale salad).  Garnish as desired.  (In the photo, I used fresh springs of rosemary, sage, and pineapple sage for its beautiful red colored blooms.)

Smokey Kale Pesto:

8 ounces trimmed kale (that’s one bunch with stems removed from our market)

1 cup smoked almonds

4 large garlic cloves

1 teaspoon powdered thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt or to taste

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/4 cups olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

In the bowl of a food processor, process kale in two batches until very finely chopped, returning all kale to the food processor before continuing.  Add remaining ingredients except olive oil and lemon juice and pulse until nuts are very finely chopped and ingredients are well combined.  Then, turn processor on, and slowly drizzle in olive oil and lemon juice until the mixture comes together.  Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary.  Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.  Or, freeze in ice cube trays and then remove and store in zip-lock bags.

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by betsy

Vegan Butternut Squash Lasagna with Smokey Marinara Sauce and “Ricotta” with Kale Pesto

Yield: 4 servings

Just in time for Thanksgiving, I finally got serious about a challenge long before me: a perfect butternut squash lasagna!

Every time I think about making a butternut squash lasagna–and there have been many times over the years!–I never end up doing it because I can’t make up my mind about whether or not to include mushrooms and/or spinach, whether to go with a bechamel or a tofu “ricotta” layer, whether or not to give in and incorporate some purchased vegan cheese (of which I’m not a big fan), in what order the layers should go, and on and on.  All of the possibilities just short-out my circuits.

But, recently, I had an already peeled and ready-to-cook butternut squash in the fridge from our farmer’s market, some lasagna noodles, and a fresh batch of my Smokey Kale Pesto.  The kale pesto made it easy to decide how to incorporate the greens–into a tofu “ricotta” layer–which also answered the bechamel vs. “ricotta” question.  And since I didn’t have any mushrooms on hand, the rest just sort of fell into place.

This beautiful golden lasagna stacks up high but holds together beautifully to cut.  Acidic fire-roasted tomatoes prevent it from being overly sweet.  And the creamy ricotta layer receives a major flavor boost and a hint of color from the pesto.  Since I make this bright green pesto with smoked almonds, I added a little smoked paprika to the marinara to marry the flavors.  Because of these smokey notes, fire-roasted tomatoes are perfect.

Ultimately, I opted for no purchased vegan cheese, so I just sprinkled my beloved nutritional yeast over the marinara as the last layers.  But then, not wanting the top to seem dry and wanting one final burst of fall flavors, I sauteed some fresh sage leaves and roasted pepitas in olive oil, drizzling the leaves, nuts, and sage-infused olive oil over the top of the lasagna before serving.

Wow!  The results were worth all the years of waiting!

Though it’s a little different, this dish would be a beautiful and welcome addition to even the most traditional of holiday feasts.  Happy Thanksgiving, all!

Note: To make this lasagna ultra-easy to put together, I like to prepare the various parts a day in advance.  The pesto can even be made a couple of days in advance, as the lemon juice will keep it bright green.

For my recipe, head over to One Green Planet with one easy click HERE!  It seems to be very popular among OGP readers and I hope all of you, as well!

 

 

 

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by betsy

Vegan Acorn Squash Stuffed with Creamy Brown Rice and Greens Stovetop Casserole

Yield: 4 servings

[Funny note about this photo:  this post published before I was ready–not sure what key I inadvertently hit–so, since I couldn’t figure out how to revert it to a “draft,” I had to photograph the dish in the midst of Hurricane Sandy as I never post without a photo!  It’s pretty overcast outside, rainy, and chilly–too dark to photograph inside where I normally do–so still in my PJs, I dashed outside into the drizzle and wind to snag a pretty fall leaf for color, and then stood in the blustery doorway for some daylight, holding the squash aloft, and hoping the photography gods were on my side.   I guess it turned out respectably, no?]

Note: though filling acorn squash with this casserole makes for a beautiful presentation and a fun dining experience, the casserole is plenty tasty enough to simply serve in a gratin dish or bowl. 

I seem to be on a roll with humble beginnings lately.  This tasty and comforting dish–simple but pretty enough for company–was inspired by acorn squash that I had cooked a few days ago, but never eaten.  I had been planning to stuff them, but couldn’t decide with what.  But then, my husband and I went to dinner at Yard House in VA Beach for date night last Wednesday.  Neither of us are big starch eaters, so when he left his rice virtually uneaten on his plate, I asked the server to wrap it up along with all of the left-over greens from my very dull salad.  (I had eaten the cucumber and shredded carrots off of it, but that was about all–thank goodness for the very tasty hummus appetizer!)

So, absolutely starving yesterday after my morning yoga class, I remembered all of these ingredients, along with the coconut milk in the fridge leftover from my Spicy Vegan “Beef,” Zucchini, and Pumpkin Chili).  And, in just a few minutes, this mouth-watering dish was born.  It doesn’t have a lot of protein, yet it is filling.  So, I would probably enjoy it with a glass of soymilk and call it a meal.

2 acorn squash (about 1 pound each), cut in half horizontally, seeds and membrane removed with a spoon

1 tablespoon olive oil + additional for oiling baking dish and basting squash

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

Sea salt

4 large cloves of garlic, minced

4 cups mixed greens, large leaves torn if necessary (e.g. baby spinach, arugula, etc.)

Approximately 1/2 cup coconut milk (or other vegan creamer with a low sugar content)

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups cooked brown rice

Garnish: approximately 12 smoked almonds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly oil a baking sheet.  Place squash halves, cut side up, in a roasting pan.  Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle very lightly with sea salt.  Roast in the center of the oven for 45 to 60 minutes or until tender, yet still firm enough to hold its shape.

After about 30 minutes of roasting, begin casserole.  In a large skillet (cast iron is always be preference), heat tablespoon of olive oil until shimmering.  Add onion and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes or until onion is softened.  Add garlic and saute, stirring, another 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Add greens and saute, stirring, until wilted, but still bright green, about 2  minutes or so.  Stir  in coconut milk, black pepper, and cooked rice.  Check for salt and stir in more if necessary.  Continue cooking, lowering heat if necessary, until flavors marry and mixture is heated through.  Add additional coconut milk if necessary to reach desired consistency, which should be quite thick, like an oven-baked casserole.  When squash has finished cooking, fill each half with one-fourth of the casserole.  Garnish each with 3 smoked almonds and serve immediately.

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