May 3, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Strawberry Chutney

Yield: approximately 2 cups

The ravishing strawberries at the Farmer’s Market inspired this recipe. And, okay, Better Homes & Gardens magazine’s monthly recipe contest may have had something to do with it. Regardless of that outcome, this recipe is a winner.

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.

May 2, 2009February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Zucchini-Hominy Soup

Yield: 4 servings

I wasn’t sure why I was craving this combination of ingredients until after I created this soup. Then I knew. Not only do the flavors blend perfectly, but it is so simple, so nutritious, and so beautiful with it’s chunks of yellows, reds and greens.

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

May 2, 2009February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Indian Cauliflower with Black Mustard Seeds

Yield: 4 servings

Simple and delicious, this fragrant side dish, though Indian-inspired, plays well with others from all countries, as its flavor isn’t too assertive. For the photo, I used orange cauliflower. It tastes the same as white, but looks even more beautiful in contrast to the black mustard seeds. I prefer this dish with a sprinkling of fresh chopped cilantro, but I didn’t have any for the photo op.

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

May 2, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Pea-sto

Yield: 1 generous cup

This is a pesto made from green peas; hence “pea-sto.” To me, it personifies spring, but I crave it year-round because it’s beautiful, tasty and filling. Use it as you would any pesto: tossed with warm pasta, dolloped into soups or spread on grilled sliced bread rubbed with a roasted or raw garlic clove as in the photo.

1 generous cup fresh or frozen peas
1/3 cup walnuts
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (available at health food and organic markets)
1/2 teaspoon salt
a few grinds of fresh pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh or fresh-frozen mint
zest of 1/2 lemon

If using fresh peas, blanch in boiling water for just a minute or two and drain well. If using frozen peas, place in a colander and run under water to thaw; drain well. Toast walnuts in a small skillet over medium-high heat for just a few minutes or until lightly toasted. Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture reaches desired consistency. Serve or refrigerate, covered, until serving time.

Note: the mixture can be thinned out with olive oil if you prefer it to be more sauce-like.

May 2, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Bacon, Lentil and Tomato Salad ("BLT")

Yield: 8 servings

This “BLT” is one of my favorite salads, as I love its sweet, smoky pungency and all of the contrasting textures and colors. Plus, it’s a meal in and of itself.

1 cup lentils, rinsed (black belugas are beautiful, but use what you have)
4 cups hot water
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces smokey tempeh strips (known as “Fakin‘ Bacon”)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon brown sugar or maple syrup
1 teaspoon mustard
2 cups halved grape tomatoes (cut lengthwise)
1/2 cup minced fresh or fresh-frozen parsley
zest of 1/2 lemon

Place lentils and water into a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce to a simmer. Cook just until tender, about 15 minutes, and drain well. (Avoid ove- cooking or they will turn to “mush.” If that happens, make soup!)

Meanwhile, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place tempeh strips in a single layer in skillet and cook for a couple of minutes, gently flip and cook a couple minutes longer, just until golden. Remove strips to a cutting board and slice into 1 1/2″ pieces.

While lentils and tempeh cook, make dressing. In a small cup or bowl, whisk together olive oil and next five ingredients.

Place drained lentils, tempeh and tomatoes into a large non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic). Season wish salt and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and lemon zest and gently toss all together. Serve at room temperature.

May 2, 2009February 10, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Roasted Lemon-Coriander Sweet Potato Slices

Yield: 4 Servings

I created this dish since an old favorite, Terra Chips, are not vegan (they contain whey). I love the lemony note in coriander, so I played it up with fresh lemon zest. My husband said these potatoes would be delicious fried as chips–so I must have come close to my inspiration–but I prefer them roasted.

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

May 2, 2009 by betsy

Vegan Cucumber-Red Onion Salad

Yield: 4 servings

It seems like cheating to call this a recipe. But, since simple combinations of ingredients like this are all about proportion, I thought I would share my ratio for a nice balance of sweetness and pungency. However, this is just a place to start. If, for example, you like onion, but it doesn’t like you, substitute some diced red bell pepper for about half the onion. Pineapple tidbits are also good in this salad. And herbs would be lovely too. It is delicious as is or as the basis for endless adaptations.

2 cups cubed cucumbers, skin on (I like the English variety)
1/2 cup finely diced red onion
1 tablespoon sugar or raw sugar
1/2 cup rice vinegar
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in a small non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic), cover and refrigerate, stirring from the bottom up when you happen to think of it. Chill several hours or overnight.

April 30, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Yield: enough “cheese” for approximately 8 sandwiches

Merci33, this one’s for you, you grilled cheese virgin…
Have no fears, this recipe does not recommend slicing vegan block cheese (you call that cheese?).
Nope, it gets its yummy creaminess from the same “sauce” I created for my mac-n-cheese, as it’s very thick. I’m reprinting it here as a filling so it’s at your fingertips. I love these sandwiches with any kind of pickles, natch, but also sliced tomatoes, grapes and a glass of unsweetened soy milk.

Cheese Filling:
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 of a large red bell pepper, cut into large cubes
6 ounces firm Silken tofu, drained
1 cup cooked carrots
2 generous tablespoons cashews
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon miso (dark or light)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sweet or smoky Paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
salt and pepper to taste

To make 2 sandwiches:
1 tablespoon vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
4 slices of your favorite bread (I like pre-sliced country whole wheat)
approximately 4 tablespoons of cheese or enough to make a nice layer of filling in each sandwich (refrigerate remainder in an airtight container)

To make filling, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add pepper hunks and saute until slightly browned in some places. Combine peppers with remaining ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth and creamy.

To make sandwiches, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Spread a nice layer of cheese filling almost to edges of two slices of bread. Top with remaining slices. Melt half the tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Place sandwiches into the sizzling butter and cook approximately 2 minutes. Add remaining half tablespoon of butter (it will melt quickly), flip sandwiches and cook approximately 2 minutes on the second side. Serve hot.

April 27, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Macaroni-and-Cheese

Yield: 4 Servings

The key to delicious macaroni and cheese is in the sauce. Vegan cheese sauces come in many permutations. Jo Stepaniak’s The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook contains many scrumptious varieties, each with a slightly different flavor and texture profile. Some are essentially white sauces (made with soy milk and water plus flour or kuzu) to which the likes of nutritional yeast, miso, nuts and more are added to yield a rich cheesy flavor. Others get their body from pureed veggies or white beans. And I suppose, you could also melt grated vegan block cheese in a white sauce (that is, if you could get it to melt!). The one I’ve created, inspired by Stepaniak, combines veggies with firm silken tofu and other goodies for a luscious and robust sauce that is thick, creamy and golden. Plus it is packed with both protein and vitamins.

Pasta:
water
salt (enough to make the cooking water taste like the ocean)
8 ounces pasta (I used whole wheat rotini in the photograph)

Sauce:
1-2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 of a large red bell pepper, cut into large cubes
6 ounces firm Silken tofu, drained
1 cup cooked carrots
2 generous tablespoons cashews
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon miso (dark or light)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sweet or smoky Paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk or pasta water
salt and pepper to taste

Optional Topping:
1 tablespoon vegan butter or olive oil
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (or whatever crumbs you prefer)

Inclusions:
Whatever strikes your fancy, from sauteed mushrooms to cooked green peas to diced sun-dried tomatoes. (In the photo, I served the peas on the side and as a garnish.)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, bring water and salt to a boil. Stir in pasta, reduce heat if necessary to simmer the pasta, and cover with a lid slightly ajar. Cook until al dente. Drain and combine with sauce (plus any optional inclusions) and top with crumbs if desired.

To make sauce, heat olive oil in a skillet. Add pepper hunks and saute until slightly browned in some places. While the peppers cook, make optional topping. I prefer to toast the crumbs on top of the stove and sprinkle over the dish so as not to dry out the macaroni and cheese. Simply heat the oil over medium-high in a skillet, stir in the bread crumbs, and continue stirring frequently until crumbs are golden brown.

Meanwhile, finish the sauce by combining peppers with remaining sauce ingredients in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade and process until smooth and creamy.

April 25, 2009July 21, 2010 by betsy

Vegan Oatmeal Dried Cranberry Cookies

Yield: 9+ mega cookies or 24+ normal sized

Before summer is here for good–the mercury hit nearly 90 degrees today!–I wanted to post this recipe. Though oatmeal is heart-healthy and nuttily delicious year-round, I associate these cookies with cool weather. I was reminded of them recently by my good friend Sharon, aka “Ms. C.” An inspired cook in her own right, she pronounced these cookies the best.

3/4 cup vegan butter (I like Earth Balance)
1/2 cup sugar or raw sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar (you can use sugar/raw sugar, but the flavor will be a little different, and you might need a tiny bit more soy milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (plain or even vanilla would work fine)
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (omit salt if using Earth Balance, as it’s already salted)
1 teaspoon cinnamon*
1/2 teaspoon cloves*
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg*
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)—toasting them first makes them especially good
1 cup dried cranberries (or golden raisins)
3 cups rolled or quick cooking oatmeal
*or substitute 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie or apple pie spice for all spices

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat together the margarine, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Add the soy milk and mix until combined (it may look a little curdled). Add the flour, baking soda, salt and spices, and stir until well mixed. Add the remaining ingredients. Batter will be very thick. Drop by 3 inch balls (I use an ice cream scoop) onto cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until done. (If you make smaller cookies just cook them a slightly shorter amount of time.) Let cool until firm enough to handle and then use a spatula to transfer to a rack to cool completely. Cookies will still be slightly soft and chewy. Store in an airtight container.

Source: Adapted by Betsy DiJulio from Your Guide to Vegetarian Cuisine by Jolinda Hackett

Photo Credit: Chris Tyree