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

January 7, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Vegetable-Coconut Milk Rice Pilaf with Vegan Five Spice and Lime Roasted Cashews or Peanuts

Yield: approximately 4 servings

After a beautiful family-style pan-Asian meal at China Grill–much of which I couldn’t eat– over New Year’s weekend in South Beach, I was craving foods inspired by their creations, especially something with their spiced cashews that I picked off of their version of a Caesar salad. Here’s what I came up with and I have found it so satisfying as leftovers all week. Measurements of vegetables are approximate. Use what you have and it will still be wonderful.

Vegetable-Coconut Milk Rice Pilaf:
1 generous tablespoon vegetable oil (you may mix in a little sesame oil)
1 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup baby carrots, halved lengthwise
1/2 of a yellow or red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (shitakes are especially good)
2 cups vegetable stock
1 can (about 1 1/2 cups) coconut milk (I used the “lite” variety)
1 cup Jasmine rice (I recommend not substitute because the fragrance can’t be duplicated)
1 cup of trimmed broccoli florets
optional: coarse kosher or sea salt
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro and spiced cashews or peanuts (see recipe below)

In a wok or large saute pan over medium-high, heat oil to shimmering. Add green onions and stir fry for a minute to flavor oil. Add baby carrots and stir fry for another minute, followed by bell pepper and mushrooms, stir frying for a minute after each addition. Stir in vegetable stock, coconut milk and rice. Cover (use foil if you don’t have a lid to fit your wok) and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to insure that rice isn’t sticking. Lower heat if necessary. Stir in broccoli, cover, and cook for an additional 5 minutes or until rice is tender, most of moisture is absorbed and broccoli is tender but still bright green. Check for salt and add if necessary. Garnish with cilantro and spiced nuts. Serve warm.

Vegan Five Spice and Lime Roasted Cashews or Peanuts:
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice and zest of 1/2 of a lime
1-2 tablespoons brown sugar (start with smaller amount and add more if desired)
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) five spice powder
1/8 teaspoon (or to taste) cayenne pepper
12 ounces lightly salted cashew halves and pieces or peanuts (reserve can)

Line a baking sheet with a brown paper bag, waxed paper or parchment paper. In a wok or large saucepan over medium high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Meanwhile, combine all remaining ingredients except peanuts. Stir into hot oil, being careful not to splatter, followed immediately by peanuts. Roast and stir for about 7 minutes, lowering heat if necessary, or until exterior is caramelized and peanuts taste slightly roasted. Avoid scorching or you will have to throw out the whole batch. Pour immediately onto prepared baking sheet to cool completely. Store in the reserved peanut can.

January 7, 2010February 8, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Savory Spiral Bread

Yield: appetizer servings for approximately 6-8

When our close friends Randy and Yvette Hetrick lived here, we enjoyed many fantastic meals together. My favorites were at their house after a long walk with our dogs in the state park behind their house. Sometimes Yvette did all the honors and sometimes we pooled our resources. She is in the top .5% of home cooks I know.

One of my favorite appetizers that she made in many wonderful variations was what I referred to as “Yvette’s Spiral Bread.” It’s a simple dough–I use my go-to pizza dough which is very similar to what she used–filled with whatever your heart desires, as long as it’s not so moist that it makes the dough soggy.

She and I have created so many permutations that it would be difficult to recall them all. My favorites have at least two, even three, very thin layers with the ingredients chopped small or thinly sliced. If you overstuff the bread or leave pieces of the filling ingredients too large–which is easy to want to do–the bread is difficult to slice and falls apart. So avoid the temptation.

I made the version depicted above when I was at my family’s home for the holidays (and presented it on my favorite serving platter: a gorgeous pink ceramic one that belonged to my my mother’s mother). Mama had three jars of unopened savory condiments that she’d picked up a long time ago thinking they looked too good to pass up, but not having anything specific to do with them: olive tapenade, caramelized onions and fennel, and roasted yellow and red Italian peppers. I knew exactly what to do with them! And they made a spectacular version of Spiral Bread.

For your iterations, let your imagination run wild. In addition to tapenades, caramelized onion/root veggies, and roasted peppers, consider vegan cheeses, sauteed mushrooms (with most of the moisture evaporated), olive and other pastes, finely chopped and drained artichoke hearts, vegan pestos, chutneys, sundried tomatoes, flavored hummus and more.

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, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Texas Trash–the Original Chex Mix (Veganized)

No, this isn’t a new reality T.V. show. (Ouch!)

Rather, it’s my mom’s “old school” recipe for what most folks now call “Chex Mix.” She makes it every year at Christmas and stores it in the big plastic bin that you see pictured. I have to ration myself daily or I would eat the whole thing. And I’d be in good company. I tell myself it’s healthy; after all it’s made from nuts and cereals fortified with vitamins and minerals. There is the small issue of all the (vegan) butter, but…

Nowadays, what people think is the original recipe isn’t, but it’s the only one they’ve known. If you’ve searched for Chex Mix recipes in recent years–even on the Chex website–you’ve likely turned up versions with all kinds of ingredients that weren’t in the original: cheese crackers, chocolate chips and more. I’m hardly ever dogmatic about recipes–I love iterations and permutations–but this one is an exception. I only like it the way my mama prepares it. And I hope you will too.

16 ounces Wheat Chex
12 ounces Rice Chex
10 ounces Cheerios
10 ounces pretzels (sticks are best or the small ones)
10 ounces (or a little more!) mixed nuts
10 ounces peanuts
12 ounces vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/4 cup Amino Acids or vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon celery salt

Melt vegan butter in small sauce pan; stir in Amino Acids or vegan Worchestershire sauce and seasoning salts. Let stand. Meanwhile in two roasting pans, divide the nuts, cereals and pretzels. Divide vegan butter mixture between both pans, pouring over cereal and mixing lightly. Bake uncovered at 225 degrees for 2 hours stirring gently every 20 minutes. Spread out on brown paper or paper towel-lined baking sheets to cool. Store in air tight container. Will keep for a long time.

January 5, 2010July 21, 2010 by betsy

Mom’s Vegan English Butter Toffee–A Winter Holiday Tradition

Though, regrettably, this is too late for the winter holiday season just past, I still wanted to share my mom’s annual Christmas confection. (I had to wait until after it was made to photograph it. So, be sure to bookmark it for next year…but, come to think of it, it’s good any time of year.)

For as long as I can remember, Mama has stayed up late making candy the night before I leave my family’s home to return to my own after Christmas. She always tucks a canister of it into my carry on luggage for me to eat and share on the plane–there are frequently passengers I know–or when I arrive at my destination.

In 2004, after she had been making it for many, many years, it mysteriously flopped. (In those days, I was vegetarian, but not vegan, so she was using all of the ingredients she had always used and the same recipe.) I think she made it at least twice–maybe three times–and each time the sugar crystallized. We were both baffled. She ended up scrapping it all, but several days later, I received a “kit” in the mail that included a sheet of toffee that had worked reasonably well, though it was still grainy, some chocolate to melt and some nuts for sprinkling. Not perfect, it was still fun to assemble and eat.

The next year, thinking the failed attempts were a fluke, I was writing a feature about Mama’s toffee for our newspaper’s food section and the same thing happened to me. With a pan of it in thrown into the woods beside our house and a photo shoot the next day, I turned to the most scientific foodie I know of: Alton Brown. In an online recipe, he recommended combining two types of sugar–regular granulated sugar and a little corn syrup–to prevent crystallization. It worked beautifully and that’s how we’ve been making it ever since.

Now we also substitute Earth Balance for real butter. The only difference is that, as the candy hardens, some of the oil seems to separate, so we just blot it up with a paper towel before layering on the chocolate and nuts.

I hope you enjoy this holiday tradition as much as we do. Happy New Year everyone and thanks, Mama!

1 pound vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
6 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
2 cups granulated sugar
8 ounces vegan semi-sweet or vegan bittersweet chocolate
1 cup sliced almonds (or substitute coarsely chopped slivered almonds, pecans, macadamias or hazelnuts)

Butter a baking sheet and an offset spatula. Set pans on wire racks. Clip candy thermometer to a heavy 3 quart saucepan, preventing it from touching the bottom of the pan. In saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Meanwhile, mix together warm water and corn syrup. Stir sugar into melted butter, raise heat to medium or medium-high (about a 7 or 8 on a dial) and bring to a gentle boil. Stir in water-corn syrup mixture and cook, stirring constantly until thermometer reaches 300 degrees Fahrenheit (the “hard crack” stage) or until golden brown, approximately 10-12 minutes. Note: temperature may reach as high as 350 degrees before candy reaches the desired caramel color, but it scorches easily, so be careful. Pour mixture onto baking sheet and, if necessary, use the offset spatula to coax candy to edges of the pan. Cool. Heat chocolate in microwave on 50 percent power or in the top of a double boiler until completely melted, stirring occasionally. Spread over slightly cooled toffee and sprinkle with almonds. Cool completely and refrigerate. Break into irregular pieces. Layer between waxed paper in an airtight container and store in a cool dry place.

December 27, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

New Orleans’ Camellia Grill Serves Up Unique Experience If Not Much Vegan Fare

No trip to New Orleans should be without a visit to the landmark eatery, The Camellia Grill. (Note: at the time of this post, their website included home page photos, but was still under construction). When you go, you must arrive via a streetcar ride down St. Charles Avenue. If you visit during the cold months, be sure to bundle up. Streetcars aren’t heated, at least the one my family road wasn’t.

If you follow this blog, you know that, for the last two years, my family has made a very special pre-Christmas trip to New Orleans. Last year, we rode the streetcar for old time’s sake, but didn’t get off at The Camellia Grill, to which I remembered going as a child. But, this year, though we went by car on our way out of town, we did stop for a late breakfast. While the time of day indicated “brunch,” this is no brunch-serving establishment. It’s quite a “greasy spoon” lunch counter despite its Colonial southern mansion facade with its name in pink neon printed across the entablature.

Hardly a bastion of veganism, The Camellia Grill serves up a dining experience so unique that’s it’s worth any protein sacrifice. Formerly surly waitstaff that hurled rolls at each other have been replaced by quite the opposite.

Getting a seat on a busy December morning was an adventure in itself. There’s a system. But it’s pretty loose. You have to jostle your way to the head of the line to leave the number in your party–not your name, mind you–with the hostess. Then you maneuver back outside to wait a remarkably short time considering the crowds. Just when it seems like she couldn’t possibly keep track of all of the comings and goings, you are motioned forward. But it’s not to take a seat at the continuous double-U-shaped counter with its floor-mounted stools. Rather, it’s to perch on one of the identical L-shaped couches in the corners of the rectangular space. After another short wait and, again, just when you think your party has been forgotten, the correct number of stools open up, and you are motioned to join the other diners. This sometimes requires that folks scoot down a seat or two, or that parties be split up if amenable. No one seems to mind, as it’s all part of the convivial experience.

If anonymous entrances and exits are your preference, you can check that at the door because every diner is greeted exuberantly by his or her waiter, complete with whatever that server’s particular shtick happens to be. Professionals, all, they keep up a surprisingly unobtrusive repartee, astutely reading their customers for just how far they can go, as they banter with them, the grill meisters and their fellow waiters.

I enjoyed my plate of fresh, thinly sliced tomatoes with crunchy and plentiful, albeit a little greasy, hash browned potatoes washed down with a cup of hot tea. And, okay, I couldn’t resist a few of my sister’s extra-crispy fries (served with her perfectly grilled Reuben Sandwich).

Photo Credits: (top) http://www.loveatyou.com/; (bottom) Ted Jackson, The Times Picayune Archive

December 27, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Indian/Pakistani Food in Two Shakes (French Quarter, New Orleans, LA)

Two shakes of “Salt-n-Pepper” that is.

I discovered this restaurant last year on my family’s now-annual pre-Christmas trip to New Orleans. Both years we have stayed at the Chateau LeMoyne on Dauphine Street in the heart of the French Quarter. (Don’t let the fact that this hotel is owned by Holiday Inn deter you. Built around a pair of lovely courtyards, it feels as authentically “French Quarter” as any establishment there. We love the budget price–but beware the taxes and the tres cher parking price tag–and my sister and I love the room we’ve shared both years: No. 454 with its exposed brick wall.)

An avid walker, I circumnavigate the Quarter each morning in a series of right turns by setting off east down Dauphine Street, turning right on Barracks and following it to the French Market. There I turn right again and head to Jackson Square where I access the river walk and continue along the Mighty Mississippi to the Aquarium. There, I turn right again, cross the street car lines to Canal Street, take another right, and enter Canal Place (a tres luxe shopping mall) for my daily hit of soy milk via a decaf latte at Starbucks. (Being a vegan in search of protein in New Orleans has its challenges.) From there, I head up Iberville Street to Dauphine, where I take another right back to our hotel. There is no place I would rather be than the French Quarter on a given morning.

At 400 Iberville is a tiny restaurant called Salt-n-Pepper. I’m sure there is a story behind that name, but I don’t know what it is, as this little joint is an Indian/Pakistani restaurant that also serves pizza. Last year, I only perused the menu in the window with interest. This year, in the early afternoon, after finishing some Christmas shopping for my mom at Pottery Barn in Canal Place, I was famished. So, knowing that we didn’t have dinner reservations until 8:30, I went in and ordered a pakora appetizer which I ate sitting on the steps of a building across the street.

For about $3.50, I was served easily twice as many pakoras as I could even eat. (Knowing they wouldn’t keep well in our hotel room, I left the other half sitting on the steps in hopes that a hungry foraging animal would find them. But, alas, they were still there the next day. I hope that means there aren’t hungry foraging animals in the French Quarter.) The large branching veggie fritters were served with a tiny and super-fresh side salad of lettuce, tomato, cucumber and bell pepper along with a thin yogurt sauce which I didn’t realize was included or I would have asked that it be omitted.

During the very short wait for my pakoras to be fried, I engaged the friendly proprietor about the difference between Indian and Pakistani food. He explained that, essentially, Northern India and Pakistan are very similar in culture, cuisine and language, while Southern India differs dramatically.

Though the pakoras weren’t the freshest and lightest I’ve ever had–they had been pre-cooked and were refried to order–they were still satisfying with a subtle and appealing spicy heat that was cooled down perfectly by the crisp and cool side salad. Goat notwithstanding, I look forward to sampling more vegan items from the Salt-n-Pepper menu.

Photo Credit: Humid Beings

December 27, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Coffee Lovers Take Note

On Christmas Day, the Slades, family friends since childhood, invited my family to stop over for our annual holiday visit.

Gary Slade, who was a few years ahead of my sister and me in school, now lives with his lovely family in Madison, MS (near Jackson). Quite the entrepreneur, Gary, in 2001, launched Seattle Drip, a coffee drive-through business, which has grown from a single java joint to 13 in the Southeastern United States.

Recently, he schooled himself under a master roaster enabling him to add a micro-roasting operation. He now imports beans from more than a dozen countries from which he creates special blends and single origin coffees.

As a gift, Gary generously gave us a couple of bags of coffee and was especially interested to hear what I thought about the Ethiopian. Even before I visited their website and read their “The Smoothest Coffee on the Road” tag line, the overwhelming characteristic of this tasty coffee was its velvety smoothness about which I remarked to my parents. (Typically, I drink Starbucks decaf which I enjoy, but extraordinary smoothness is not necessarily one of its hallmarks. I think I’m just a sucker for the SB aesthetic, corporate culture, and overseas social consciousness.)

Stay linked to the Seattle Drip website for upcoming online purchasing opportunities, including a coffee club. In the meantime, if you or anyone you know is interested in a franchise or in fundraising opportunities, that information is currently available. And, certainly, if you live in or visit the Southeast, be sure to drive on through for a “drip” of some of the, well, smoothest coffee on the road.

December 27, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Hazelnut: A Gift Shop (for Vegans and Non-Vegans Alike)

On the last day of my family’s pre-Christmas trip to New Orleans (see earlier post), we left our hotel in the French Quarter on Christmas Eve morning by way of Magazine Street in search of Hazelnut Fine Gifts and Home Furnishings. My mom has a way of scouting out special places and this was one she had read about in the newspaper.

For block after intriguing block we drove down Magazine Street to reach our destination. Utterly seduced by this stylish and eclectic “uptown” area, I wished we had another entire day to spend perusing the boutiques, gift shops, coffee shops and neighboring residential areas.

But, though we only made one stop, Hazelnut did not disappoint. While there is nothing particularly vegan about this intimate up-market gift shop, I still wanted to share it as a potential destination if your travel plans take you to NOLA. Its beautiful blend of carefully chosen and displayed items makes for an enjoyable browse from which you are sure not to emerge empty-handed.

Hazelnut’s exclusive New Orleans-themed toile is reason alone to visit. But I couldn’t resist a set of Moroccan-mod coasters for my dear friend and entertainer extraordinaire, Yvette, and a sparkly alligator ornament for Pat and Lavon Myrick and family, friends we were stopping to see in Mandeville, LA, as we headed east to MS. (The complimentary gift wrap was almost as eye-catching as the gifts themselves.)

Though the ornament was a little silly I guess, I thought of it like the dill pickle ornament tradition, as it looked–from a distance–remarkably dill pickle-like. Legend has it that German parents hid a glass dill pickle ornament to reward the most observant child, for whoever first spotted the ornament received an extra gift from St. Nicholas on Christmas morning. However that legend is in dispute. Read about it here.

Regardless, be sure to visit Hazelnut, where four-legged visitors seem every bit as welcome as their two-legged companions.

Photo Credit: Hazelnut website (press photos)

December 27, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Boots from Aerosoles are Stylish and Comfy "to Boot"

When our beloved “Veggie Dog,” Webster, passed away recently at the age of 16, I indulged in a little retail therapy. The only thing it really improved, though, was my wardrobe.

Still, I was delighted to find that Aerosoles makes stylish–even sexy (especially the “Risky Pizness” pair pictured at top)–and ultra comfortable vegan boots.

If, like me, you’ve found that Internet searches for “vegan/vegetarian shoes/boots” or even “faux leather shoes/boots” turn up limited options, then you may be as delighted as I was to learn of these selections from Aerosoles. Fortunately, a mail order catalogue came to my house and I was able to peruse it. You have to look carefully, though, as many of the boots are real leather and some of the styles come in both leather and faux leather.

In addition to the Risky Pizness pair which I have in faux brown croco (top), I have the “Wonderlust” wedge pair in faux tan leather as shown (center), and I have the “Risotto” pair in “Blue Emb,” a dark denim blue (bottom). When they arrived, I loved the looks of all of them, but feared I wouldn’t be able to wear the two higher pairs. A lot of aerobics in the ’80s (on a padded floor without shoes as insisted upon by the studio owner) has left me with sometimes sensitive joints in my big toes. But I can teach/walk all day in cozy comfort with all of these boots and can’t recommend them enthusiastically enough.

When I purchased my three pairs, they were all on sale and I was able to buy them, including shipping, for $250 total. I thought that was a bargain for shoes that I alternate virtually every day. As of this post, they are still on sale–I believe the discount is even steeper than when I purchased–so if you need a little post-holiday lift, go here and browse under the “boots” tab.

Photo Credit: Aerosoles website