Yield: 16 shells or 6-8 servings
(Note: I only made a half recipe for the photo)
I always find pumpkin ravioli with sage butter and similar dishes on restaurant menus utterly seductive but, alas, they are never vegan. Wanting to make a streamlined version at home for weeknight meals, I decided on stuffed shells.
The filling of Silken tofu and pumpkin puree with sauteed onion and garlic bakes into a luscious custard in pasta shell “cups.” A few additional ingredients give the savory-sweet custard a flavor reminiscent of a pumpkin-ricotta mixture. Nestling the shells into my Veggie Marinara Sauce, tangy but tempered by a hint of maple syrup, creates the perfect balance of flavors. Optional sauteed mushrooms deepen the earthy flavor. And a luxurious drizzle of sage butter over the top–with all its salty, nutty, herb-y goodness–is exactly the right counterpoint to the other flavors.
After a half hour, this dish emerges beautiful, fragrant and hearty from the oven, its flavors and textures melded into a nutritional and satisfying main course in need only of a green vegetable to complete the meal.
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
Vegan Thai Coconut Milk Risotto
Yield: 4-6 servings
Last weekend, we flew to North Carolina. Air travel means lots of time to catch up on the latest and greatest in the culinary magazines, and the Thanksgiving issues are some of my favorites. This fall, it seems that risottos are very popular, especially those made with butternut squash. While that sounds really good to me, somewhere along the line, I got the idea to cook the rice in coconut milk for an ultra-creamy Thai-style rice and I couldn’t get it out of my mind.
My instincts were spot-on, if I do say so myself. This recipe is sure to become a favorite if you like Thai food and maybe even if you don’t! I start with a saute of onion, garlic and red bell pepper, but you could add any Thai-compatible vegetables of your choice, like baby broccoli florets, mushrooms, and the like. Pineapple bits would be tasty too, but wouldn’t require much cooking time–just heated through. Honestly, I don’t think it would be possible to go wrong.
In the past, I shied away from risotto because of the protracted hands-on cooking time. But I found that, as long as I had other things I was doing in the kitchen, stopping to give the risotto an occasional stir was no big deal and the time went by quickly.
For a complete meal, try spooning the risotto onto a serving platter, making a slight depression in the top, filling it with crisp tofu cubes, and garnishing with chives/scallions and cashews.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, peeled and diced
coarse sea or kosher salt to taste
3-4 medium garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 of a red bell pepper, diced
1 cup rice (jasmine is nice for an authentic Thai flavor)
1/2 cup intensely-flavored vegetable stock or 2 vegetable bouillon cubes dissolved in 1/2 cup water, warmed on stove or in microwave
1/2 cup white wine (I like something slightly sweet)
1-15 ounce can coconut milk, warmed on stove or in microwave (substitute “lite” if you must)
1-2 tablespoons minced Thai or Italian basil (I used some that was fresh-frozen in my freezer)
1/2-1 teaspoon dried mint (it’s not fresh mint season here right now)
3 tablespoons vegan fish sauce
Garnish:
chives or scallions
chopped or halved cashew nuts
In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, until translucent. Add garlic and red bell pepper and saute until softened. Add rice and saute, stirring frequently, for about 4 minutes or until it starts to toast. Add vegetable stock and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium if necessary. Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. If you haven’t already, reduce heat to medium and add 1/3 of coconut milk. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Repeat two more times until all of the coconut milk is added. Just before the last 10 minutes of cooking, add basil and mint. After the risotto is fully cooked, stir in vegan fish sauce. Garnish with chives or scallions and halved or chopped cashews.
Vegan Maple Mustard Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Yield: 4-6 servings
So you say you’re not a fan of Brussels sprouts, eh? Well, that’s because you haven’t tried them like this. They are every bit as addicting as French fries or popcorn.
A member of the cabbage family, Brussels sprouts have a “whang” that some people find unappealing. However, if you roast them, they become sweet and caramelized. I like mine really crispy on the outside, but you can shorten the roasting time by about 5 minutes for less color and crunch.
They are delicious plain. But they are extra-special tossed in my light tangy-sweet vinaigrette before the final five minutes of roasting.
Be prepared for these not to make it to the table if you let yourself pop the first one in your mouth over the stove.
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
Vegan Sweet Rolls with Vegan Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Filling and Vegan Maple Almond Cream-Cheese Glaze
Yield: 12 small-medium sweet rolls
If you didn’t already know, now that fall is here, you will soon discover that I am absolutely addicted to pumpkin. Savory or sweet, it doesn’t matter. I “think in pumpkin” from at least September to January.
For these breakfast treats, I use the yeast-free quick dough my mom used to make for cinnamon-sugar sweet rolls on the weekends. She used Bisquick and so do I–it’s vegan! But then I fill mine with a vegan pumpkin and cream cheese filling that is simply whisked together. I add almonds to the mixutre, but you could use a different nut or omit the nuts all together.
After the short baking time, I top them with a vegan cream cheese glaze sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with a hint of almond extract. The garnish is just some finger-crushed sliced almonds.
These are great for Thanksgiving morning or anytime, really, because they seem special, but are so quick and easy. It’s almost like cheating. I love them served on a platter of rinsed and dried fall leaves with hot tea or decaf coffee.
Note: I baked mine in silicone muffin tins, so they didn’t turn as golden brown as they would in metal tins.
Rolls:
2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix
2/3 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain, vanilla or vanilla lite would be good too)
1 tablespoon vegan butter, very soft or melted
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. With a fork, stir together Bisquick and soy milk. Add more of either ingredient as needed to create a moist, but not sticky, dough. Sprinkle counter or pastry board with a little Bisquick and pat dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Sprinkle rolling pin with more Bisquick and roll dough into a larger rectangle about 12 1/2-inches long in one direction and about 1/4 inch thick. Spread with the vegan butter. Then spread with the filling (recipe follows), leaving about a half-inch margin all the way around Roll up jellyroll style and then, using a serrated knife with a gentle back-and-forth motion, slice rill into 12 one-inch spiral disks. Place each, cut side down, into muffin tins. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until just starting to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool 5-8 minutes in the pan. Top with a teaspoon of glaze (recipe follows), spreading it as much as you like, and garnish with a almonds (see below).
Filling:
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) vegan cream cheese, slightly warmed in microwave (about 10 seconds)
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) pumpkin puree (I use canned)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Bisquick (this will help the filling set)
optional: 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) finger-crushed sliced almonds (or the nut of your choice, e.g. pecans or walnuts)
Whisk together all ingredients except nuts until smooth and then stir in nuts.
Glaze:
2 tablespoons vegan cream cheese, slightly warmed in microwave (about 10 seconds)
2 tablespoons maple syrup
a drop of almond extract
Whisk together in a small cup or bowl.
Garnish:
a few sliced almonds, crushed between your fingers
Note: you may substitute the nut of your choice, like pecans or walnuts, especially if you used those nuts in the filling
Vegan Savory Sundaes (Made with Vegan Tater-Tot Potato Salad)
Yield: 6-8 servings
I recently created this recipe in response to a contest. Regardless of whether I win, I have a super-cute new savory side dish served up like a sundae or banana split. (Don’t worry…it’s not too cute.) The contest sponsors were looking for a side dish to serve with barbecue. When I started thinking about my favorites, I couldn’t choose just one, so I combined all the “barbecue side” flavors and textures that I love into an ultra-easy multi-component dish: potato salad, barbecue sauce, dill pickles, a smoky taste, and, I admit it, I like fried food in moderation, so something fried.
In these vegan sundaes, dill pickle spears replace the banana, a Vegan Tater-Tot Potato Salad the ice cream, barbecue sauce the ice cream topping, vegan sour cream the whipped cream, a cherry tomato the cherry, and chopped smoked almonds the chopped pecans. The Tater-Tots yield that crispy texture of fried foods that I love. Of course, you can substitute your favorite potato salad and barbecue sauce recipe or even purchased varieties.
However, I hope you will try my Vegan Tater-Tot Potato Salad at some point, as I think you’ll love the taste and texture. Though the outer crust of the potatoes isn’t as crispy after the potato salad has sat overnight, it is still appealing and enough different that it doesn’t seem like “the same ‘ole.” (Although, “the same ‘ole” is pretty darn good.)
To serve, I used sundae glasses instead of banana boats, as I discovered I don’t have any of the latter. (If anyone needs any holiday gift giving ideas for me…) Either way, the presentation is as fun as the dish is tasty.
12-16 dill pickle spears (or 6-8 spears, cut in half)
1 recipe Vegan Tater-Tot Salad, warm (see recipe below or use your favorite potato salad)
1/2-3/4 cup Bloomin‘ Barbecue Sauce, warm (search my index for this recipe or use your favorite, including a purchased variety)
8-12 teaspoons vegan sour cream
4-6 cherry tomatoes (or 2-3 cherry tomatoes halved, if large)
2-3 tablespoons smoked almonds, chopped
In 4-6 banana split boats or sundae glasses, place two pickle spears (or two halves). For each split or sundae, nestle on top 1-2 scoops Vegan Tater-Tot Salad. Top with 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce, 2 teaspoons vegan sour cream, a cherry tomato (whole or half) and 1/2 tablespoon chopped smoked almonds. Serve immediately.
Vegan Tater-Tot Salad:
6 servings Tater-Tots (approximately 54 “tots”)
5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
5 tablespoons vegan sour cream
1 tablespoon sweet salad cubes or pickle relish
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt or powder
1/4 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse sea or kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 stalks celery, finely diced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon minced parsley
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place “tots” on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven and transfer to another sheet to cool slightly. (They don’t need the full recommended cooking time.) Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together next 10 ingredients. Stir in celery, green onions and parsley. When “tots” are just cool enough to handle, break in half into bowl with dressing. Stir together well. Serve warm. Reheat in microwave if necessary.
Vegan Pumpkin Bread "Pumpkins" with Vegan Cream Cheese-Pumpkin Frosting (or Vegan Pumpkin Loaf)
Yield: 6 mini-pumpkins or one 5-8″ loaf
Homecoming week at our school happens to fall on Halloween weekend this year. So I wanted to bake up a little treat for our administrative team. A nip in the air and a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry made the flavor an obvious choice. I started to just bake the batter in a loaf pan when I remembered my mini-bundt cake pan. (Mine has an indention or depression rather than a hole all the way through, and produces miniature cakes that resemble pumpkins.) Though it only makes 6 little cakes, it seems our six administrators and their assistants are always watching what they eat, so I figured a half-pumpkin each would be perfect.
This recipe is the same as my Vegan Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Streusel only with pumpkin substituted for banana and no streusel. To make the little pumpkin cakes look more festive, I frosted them and topped each with a candied walnut half. This is my idea of a perfect pumpkin patch.
Happy Hallow’s Eve!
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 cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
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, vanilla or vanilla lite would be good too)
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (about half of a 15 ounce can)
2-3 teaspoons vanilla extract
optional: ½ teaspoon almond extract
Frosting:
(measurements are approximate)
3 tablespoons vegan cream cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance), at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
powdered sugar (start with 1 cup and add more until desired consistency is reached)
unsweetened, plain, vanilla or vanilla lite soy milk (start with 1 tablespoon and add more until desired creaminess is achieved)
Garnish: 6 plain or candied walnut halves (chop them for the loaf)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 6-mold mini-bundt pan or 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, pumpkin and extract(s). Stir together just until wet and dry ingredients are combined. Spoon batter into molds or pan and gently smooth top.
Bake the mini-cakes for 30 minutes (but check at 20 and 25) and the loaf for 1 hour (but check at 50 and 55 minutes) 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 the pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around edges if necessary and remove from pan onto rack. For loaf, turn into your hand and then invert onto rack so that the rounded side is up. Cool completely before slicing and frosting.
Make frosting by creaming together all ingredients with an electric mixer until desired consistency is reached. Cover until ready to use.
For mini-pumpkins, use a serrated knife to trim off a very thin slice of the “crown” so that they will sit flat with their decorative side up. Place a generous spoonful of frosting in the indention or depression of each and top with a walnut half. For loaf, spread frosting over top and sprinkle with walnuts. Store either covered or in an airtight container.
Vegan Blogger Betsy DiJulio of The Blooming Platter Profiled at IResolveTo.com
Recently, I was contacted by Kim Simpson of I Resolve To… (pictured at right).
Her blog celebrates making and keeping resolutions “and enjoying the journey.” As she traveled around the net, she discovered The Blooming Platter and read about its origins as one of my New Year’s Resolutions. She emailed me to ask if she could profile me as a Resolutionista. I was, of course, flattered, and happily agreed to an e-interview which you can read by following this link: http://www.iresolveto.com/ (post date: October 26, 2009).
Once there, I think you’ll love Kim’s compelling blog. It is generous of spirit and simultaneously practical and inspirational. I am honored that she allowed me to share my thoughts on motivation, goal-setting, moving past obstacles, accountability and more in relation to making and keeping resolutions that involve personal passions.
To Kim and all you other Resolutionistas out there, keep doing your inspired and inspiring work and many thanks for sharing the ride with me.
Vegan Halloween Cake or Cupcakes (Vegan Chocolate Cake with Vegan Orange Buttercream Frosting)
Yield: 1-9×13″ cake or 24 cupcakes
This was a quickie I whipped up for the October pumpkin-painting meeting of the National Art Honor Society, fondly known as “Nozze,” which I sponsor at my school.
Though you wouldn’t necessarily know it from this photo, I actually have cake decorating experience. 🙂 But last Sunday night, before the meeting on Monday afternoon, I needed something sweet, vegan, black and orange, and ultra quick.
I simply adapted and doubled Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s and Terry Hope Romero’s recipe for Your Basic Chocolate Cupcakes, baked the batter in a sheet pan–even quicker than cupcakes, though cupcakes would be fine–and topped the cake with my go-to creamy vegan frosting dyed orange. A few brown-black sprinkles made for a festive presentation without a bit of fuss.
It must have been a hit, as there was scarcely a crumb left.
Happy Hallows Eve!
Batter:
2 cups chocolate or chocolate lite soy milk
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 cups self-rising flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 13″ cake pan. In a small, non-reactive bowl, whisk together chocolate soy milk and vinegar and set aside to curdle. In a large bowl, combine next four ingredients. Whisk or stir in oil, vanilla and almond extract until completely incorporated. Then stir or whisk in chocolate soy milk mixture just until it is also completely incorporated. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, but check at 25. When a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, the cake is done. Cool completely on a wire rack. Frost as desired. For a vegan Halloween cake, frost the cake as described below.
Frosting:
3 tablespoons vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
3 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Powdered sugar (start with approximately 3 cups)
Unsweetened soy milk (plain, vanilla or vanilla lite would be fine too) or soy creamer (start with approximately 2-3 tablespoons)
1/2-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 drops red food coloring
several drops yellow food coloring
Garnish: brown-black colored sprinkles
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together vegan butter and shortening. Add powdered sugar until a creamy-stiff mixture forms. Add soy milk a tablespoon at a time until a creamy consistency that holds soft peaks is reached (or until you achieve whatever consistency you prefer). Beat in food coloring until completely incorporated. Frost cake and garnish with a dusting of sprinkles.
Source: Slightly adapted from Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero
Vegan Sausages with Braised Onions, Cabbage, Apples and Potatoes Topped with Vegan Sour Cream-Horseradish Sauce and Red Apple Sauerkraut
Yield 6-8 servings
A vegan Oktoberfest may sound like an oxymoron. And it’s true, wienerschintzel and bratwurst aren’t typically meat-free fare. But this autumn, thanks to a simple vegan sausage recipe (for those who love to cook)—or prepared vegan brats (for those who don’t)—everyone, regardless of their dietary preferences, can take part in the merrymaking.
If an Oktoberfest celebration is not your style, this meal nonetheless makes a tasty, healthy and hearty—but not heavy—cool weather supper. Spicy white bean-based sausages are nestled into a braise of onions, cabbage, potatoes and apples before being topped with a dollop of sour “cream”-horseradish sauce and a tangle of red apple sauerkraut, my twist on the traditional red cabbage variety.
There is nothing purist about my take on traditional German fare, yet I pay homage to the cuisine through my combinations of ingredients. Take the sausages for instance. They are vegan cookbook author Isa Chandra Moskowitz’s recipe made with my own spice mixture inspired by bratwurst and thüringer rostbratwurst.
By repeating some of the customary spices and ingredients, like coriander seeds and apples, from one component of the dish to another, I tie the flavors together while still offering plenty of harmonious contrast between tastes and textures.
Follow each recipe as-is for a satisfying four-part, one-dish Deutsch-inspired meal, or take some creative liberties of your own.
Prost!
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
