by betsy

Vegan "BLT" (Vegan Bacon, Linguine and Grape Tomatoes)

Yield: (2 servings; but I didn’t have lunch, so I ate the whole recipe!)

You may have noticed that I’ve been posting a fair number of recipes calling for grape tomatoes lately. The reasons are simple: they, along with Romas, look better in the winter; my grocery store sells them in large containers; and my husband doesn’t care for them. So, in order to use these beauties before they spoil, I’ve concocted several new ways to enjoy them. Here’s the latest:

Coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
4 ounces whole wheat linguine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1-4 ounce package tempeh bacon, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons plain soy creamer
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1 tablespoon dried or 3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

In a medium put, bring a generous quantity of salted water to a boil. Add linguine, reduce heat to a simmer, stir, cover and cook for a few minutes or until al dente. Meanwhile in a cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add bacon and saute on both sides for a minute or two or until a light brown crust develops. Add two scant ladles of pasta water to the skillet, followed by soy creamer, maple syrup, nutritional yeast, and pepper. Stir gently to combine well. Stir in tomatoes and heat through, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta. Gently toss with sauce in skillet. Stir in parsley and serve in bowls with a fork and spoon.

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by betsy

Vegan Tempeh with Red Grapes, Grape Tomatoes and Nuts in White Wine Sauce

Yield: 2 servings

Here’s another of those high protein, not-too-terribly-caloric dinners that are part of my new nutritional plan. I almost have something to wear for this big (at least, to me) event that is responsible for the dietary modification, so more on it soon.

1-8 ounce package of tempeh
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
a sprinkling of nutritional yeast + 1 teaspoon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup white wine (I used Reisling)
1 tablespoon vegan pesto
1/4 cup plain soy creamer
pinch garlic salt
freshly ground black pepper
16 grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
12 red seedless grapes (if large, use six and halve them–mine were very small; green would also be good)
1/4-1/3 cup nuts (I used cashews because my pesto was made from basil, mint, cilantro and cashews)
1 tablespoon dried or 3 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Preheat broiler. Liberally salt and sprinkle both sides of tempeh slab with nutritional yeast. Broil 3 minutes on each side. When tempeh has cooked, remove from oven and cut into 4 equal pieces. Meanwhile, in a large cast iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil to shimmering. Add the teaspoon of nutritional yeast and toast lightly. Add broth and wine and simmer until it reduces just a little and thickens slightly. Stir in vegan pesto and soy creamer and simmer until, again, sauce thickens slightly. Season with garlic powder and pepper. Add tomatoes and grapes and just heat through. Stir in nuts and parsley. To serve, spoon sauce over tempeh.

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by betsy

Vegan Tempeh Salad with Green Grapes, Smoked Almonds and Grape Tomatoes

Yield: 2 servings (true confession: I ate the whole recipe for a late lunch, but I didn’t eat dinner)

As part of my higher protein, lower calorie diet, I stirred together this quick salad for a late Sunday lunch, serving it in a martini glass to make it feel even more special. I loved it and wished I’d made twice as much so I could have brought some to school for lunch.

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

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by betsy

Feasting on Art Recipe Contest: Vegan Strawberry Chutney



My friend, Donna Reiss, a fellow foodie, found this recipe contest 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

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by betsy

Vegan Tempeh with Pecans and Grape Tomatoes in a Sherry Wine Sauce

Yield: 2 lunch/brunch servings or 2 dinner servings with a side dish or salad

I am working with a personal trainer on Saturdays to achieve some specific results in about 5 weeks in preparation for an upcoming event. (More on this later!) In addition to cutting some calories to lose about 4 lbs., he wants me to consume more protein. So, after we worked out and stretched today, I came home and whipped together this very fast–and very tasty–lunch. It is absolutely packed with protein and quite gentle on the calorie count (truth to tell, I ate the entire recipe). Plus it is pretty to look at and, because of the sauce, feels special enough to serve to guests.






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

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by betsy

Perfect Vegan Hot Chocolate or Vegan Peppermint Hot Chocolate

Yield: one decadent tasting, but light, serving

We’ve had an exceptionally cold, wet and snowy winter this year and my antidote has been vegan hot chocolate. I make mine with cocoa powder to keep the fat content almost non-existent, but I am always left with a slurry–and sometimes lumps of undissolved cocoa–in the bottom of the mug. That is, until today. I woke up needing a fix and determined to “fix” my slurry problem now that winter is almost over. It occurred to me that I could probably dissolve the cocoa powder by heating it in a little water first. It worked! Here’s all you need do for a deluxe mug of steaming vegan hot cocoa with or without peppermint, but I’ll have mine with, thank you very much:

2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoon sugar (when the amount is this small, I prefer it to an artificial sweetener)
tiny pinch salt ( just a few grains)
2 tablespoons water
1 1/2 cups plain soy milk (you may use unsweetened, but you might want to add more sugar)
optional: 1 peppermint stick (I use the soft “chalky” kind–a childhood favorite)
optional garnish: 1 additional peppermint stick

Place first four ingredients in a microwave safe cup, whisk very well and heat for 30 seconds in mic. (It will look like it’s not going to come together, but the combination of heat and whisking does the trick.) Add soy milk and optional peppermint stick, whisk again, and heat for an additional 2 minutes. Whisk one more time and pour into a mug. Serve steaming with an additional peppermint stick if desired.

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by betsy

Vegan Baked Brie and Chutney en Croute (in Phyllo Dough) with Vegan Sweet and Spicy Curried Pecans

Yield: 1 wheel of vegan “brie”

Since my recipe for vegan “brie” makes two wheels, I had one left over to experiment with. This time, I decided to use phyllo dough for the “croute”–though you could use puff pastry instead–and enclose a hint of fruity and spicy chutney inside. For contrast, I topped it with sweet and spicy toasted pecans. Yum! The perfect winter appetizer.

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

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by betsy

Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Vegan Cranberry-Walnut Streusel

Yield: one 9 x 13″ cake

This is the moistest cake you may ever eat. And it becomes even more so as it sits (well covered of course).

The cake was inspired by a recipe I saw for a dried cranberry-nut pumpkin cake. I didn’t think the dried cranberry and nuts sounded very good in the batter. So, thinking that I wanted to make something that didn’t require frosting, but that was more than just a “naked” cake, I thought of a streusel topping. Then it occurred to me that I could add the dried fruit and nuts to the streusel. Eureka! Goldilocks would agree that the combination is just right.

I crave this cake perhaps most especially at breakfast because it functions well as a coffeecake. But I hope you will enjoy it anytime you please!






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

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