May 10, 2014May 17, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Ricotta Lemon Pancakes with Lemony Maple-Ricotta Cream and Fresh Berries–Happy Mother’s Day!

Yield: 12 pancakes (4 servings)

This is the perfect light and lovely breakfast or brunch treat for Mom on her special day. Tofutti Better than Ricotta Cheese is not available everywhere, but hopefully you can find it or another vegan brand where you live, as there really is not an equivalent product to substitute.

Happy Mother’s Day to all…regardless of who your children are! (Mine happen to be 140 teenage art students that I am privileged to teach and “the twinz”: a pair of beloved lookalike canines.)

Tofutti loved my recipe and posted it HERE.

Vegan Ricotta Lemon Pancakes:

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour (I use white whole wheat)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cup soymilk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

3/4 cup Tofutti Better than Ricotta Cheese

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Zest of 1/2 large lemon

Lemony Maple-Ricotta Cream (recipe follows)

Garnish: fresh strawberries or blueberries plus additional lemon zest and/or confectioner’s sugar for dusting

In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Make a well in the center, pour in soymilk, and whisk just until combined. Add ricotta in several spoonfuls, and whisk into batter, along with almond extract and lemons zest. Avoid over-mixing. Spray cast iron skillet with non-stick spray. (For more flavor, but also more fat and calories, you may use a little oil and or vegan butter, melted.) Heat skillet over medium-high. Make pancakes using a 1/4 cup measure, 3 at a time. Cook for a couple of minutes on first side, or until small bubbles just begin to appear, pancakes puff slightly, and are golden brown on underside. Flip and cook on remaining side for a couple more minutes or until pancakes appear set and are golden brown on underside. Drizzle a tablespoon of Lemony Maple-Ricotta Cream over each pancake as you make the stacks. Garnish top of stack as desired with fresh berries, lemon zest, and or a sprinkle of confectioner’s sugar.

Lemony Maple-Ricotta Cream:

1/2 cup Tofutti Better than Ricotta

1 tablespoon soymilk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

1 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Process in food processor until smooth. The mixture will be creamy for drizzling; not fluffy.

May 10, 2014May 10, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Sunny Souk Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad

Yield: 4 servings

“Sunny” because of this salad’s golden color and bright pop of citrus, and “souk” because it is redolent of an Arab marketplace, you will love Sunny Souk Sweet Potato and Chickpea Salad however you choose to enjoy it: over greens, stuffed in a wrap or pita pocket, scooped with veggie chips and more! It is even veg(etarian) teenager approved!

*2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1-15 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 pound cooked sweet potato, peeled and diced (I microwave the potato, allow it to cool a few minutes, remove skin–feed to dogs!–and dice)

1/2 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced

Zest of 1/2 large lemon (don’t omit this little bit ‘o brightness!)

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, cumin, paprika, turmeric, and garlic powder. Add chickpeas, sweet potato, and red bell pepper. Toss lightly to distribute dressing. Add lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and toss one final time. Serve immediately or chill, covered, until serving time.

*I have just discovered a delicious brand of vegan mayo not advertised as vegan but as “egg free” at Whole Foods called “Just Mayo” that I highly recommend. I also love Veganaise and my own Blooming Platter Mayo (in my cookbook).

April 27, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Potato Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Chili Mayo and Carrot-Cashew Topping

This recipe is a two-fer: my delicious Cilantro-Mint-Chili Pesto is tasty enough to eat with a spoon, never mind the potato salad! Use this versatile pesto, which can be nudged in a more Indian or Thai direction, in noodle dishes, rice dishes, soups, sandwiches, appetizers like crostini, and more.

Make it first so that you have it on hand to quickly stir into my potato salad whose topping puts it right over the top! I pulse together carrots and cashews in a food processor, seasoning them only with a pinch of black salt for that inimitable, slightly sulfur-y “boiled egg” flavor, so perfect for potato salad.

Cilantro-Mint-Chili Pesto

Yield: approximately 3/4 to 1 cup

4 ounces cilantro leaves and tender stems, rinsed and dried

1 ounce mint leaves and tender stems, rinsed and dried

1 serrano chili, seeded

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

Juice of 1/2 of a large lime

2-3 tablespoons natural sugar or agave nectar

1/4 cup olive oil

Pinch sea salt to taste

Place cilantro, mint, chile, and coconut in a food process and pulse to finely chop (this took about 30-35 pulses in my processor). Add lime juice and 2 tablespoons of sugar or agave nectar, and pulse to fully incorporate. Taste and add another tablespoon of sugar or agave nectar, if desired. With motor running, stream in olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt. Adjust seasoning if desired and store in refrigerator in an airtight container.

Potato Salad with Cilantro-Mint-Chili Mayo with Carrot-Cashew Topping

Yield: 4 servings

1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes (or whatever kind you have on hand, even sweet potatoes), cubed (I leave the skin on for nutrition and color contrast)

5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

2 to 3 tablespoons Cilantro-Mint-Chili Pesto

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup raw, peeled carrot, cut into 1 inch chunks

1/4 cup lightly salted and roasted cashews (halves and pieces are fine)

Pinch black salt or to taste

Garnish: Additional pesto and cashews

Simmer potatoes in salted boiling water over medium-high heat, loosely covered, until tender, approximately 10 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain. In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, pesto, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add potatoes and fold together with mayo-pesto mixture until well-combined. Taste and correct seasoning as desired. In a food processor, pulse together carrots, cashews, and black salt until finely chopped (not mashed). Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve potato salad topped with Carrot-Curry mixture and garnish each serving with a dollop of the pesto and a cashew.

April 25, 2014April 25, 2014 by betsy

Blooming Platter Cookbook Author is “Author of the Day” on Cookstr!

It is my distinct pleasure to be the “Author of the Day” for the 3rd time on Cookstr, “The World’s #1 Collection of Cookbook Recipes Online.” Once again, I am so grateful and humbled!

Please visit their home page where, as they told me, “…your name and photo will be the first thing our visitors see when they click onto the site.” On a continual loop inside the box are features like “Top Picks,” “Recipe of the Day,” and “Author of the Day.” If you don’t see it right away and have time to wait just a minute, me and my recipe for Sassy Springtime Rolls will come back around!

Cookstr was founded in New York City in 2008 by Will Schwalbe, together with Katie Workman, Art Chang and the Tipping Point Partners team. The Author of Send,Will left his job as SVP and Editor in Chief of Hyperion Books to found Cookstr.

The organization’s stated mission is to:

“…organize the world‘s best cookbooks and recipes and make them universally accessible.

We are setting the standard for innovation in the delivery of 100% trusted, tested, recipes to home cooks around the world. Our online recipe library offers thousands of recipes by hundreds of the top chefs and cookbook authors, that are free for everyone on Cookstr.com. This year alone, Cookstr.com powered recipe searches in over 20,000 cities and 200 countries!”

Here are a few additional reasons to visit Cookstr besides sharing in my 15 minutes, or rather 24 hours, of fame:

Search and browse THOUSANDS of recipes from cookbooks, all with photos.
Visit the iBooks library.
Access the profiles, with photos, of hundreds of top authors, including celebrity chefs.
And, my favorite feature: access nutritional information for EVERY recipe and search recipes by dietary considerations

By signing up with Cookstr, for free of course, you will receive a free, handpicked selection of recipes in your inbox weekly; be able to save, share and comment on your favorite recipes in My Cookstr; and get updates on new Cookstr features and tools.

Cookstr really is creating “meaningful experiences around food, and support(ing) healthy lifestyles.” Let’s all be a part!

The warmest of thanks to Cookstr and to all of you for your support!

April 22, 2014April 22, 2014 by betsy

Vegan “Peeps” (Chocolate-Dipped Almond Paste-Stuffed Date “Birds” Complete with a Cashew Beak)–Perfect for Spring!

Yield: 8 Peeps

These “Peeps” that I created–which I think look more like Toucans!–were inspired by “Ugly Ducklings” sold at a local Mediterranean restaurant called Azar’s.

I wanted to take the store-bought ones to an Easter dinner on Sunday, but the restaurant was closed and I could find no recipe, so I decided to “wing it,” so to speak. Fortunately, the ingredients are few.

I’m so glad I did, as they are super simple and so unique! I apologize for not having them ready to share with you in advance of Easter, but they are nice for spring in general, and certainly next year!

Resting in decorative cupcake liners and tucked, along with softly colored wooden eggs, into their straw nest, they looked peepin’ adorable and were also a rave in the taste department!

They seem especially appropriate for spring, but the ingredients are pretty season-less, so enjoy all year when a festive presentation and a little decadent bite is in order.

Approximately 1/2 cup (or slightly less) almond paste (I purchase it in a can on the baking aisle of the grocery store)

16 pitted dates, opened out (be sure to use fairly moist ones)

1-9 or 10 ounce package vegan chocolate chips

8 whole roasted and lightly salted cashews

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Using your fingers, mold a scant tablespoon of almond paste into an egg shape. Moisten your fingers if your paste seems dry. Then press into one of the dates, pressing another date over the top to encase the almond paste inside, forming an egg or bird body shape. Continue with all remaining dates and almond paste. Cover and refrigerate them for about a half hour. Melt chocolate in microwave in a narrow deep bowl for ease of dipping. (For 9 to 10 ounces, I have found that 1 minute on full power, a slight stir, and then 20 to 30 seconds at full power, followed by a good whisking works in my microwave.) Pierce each date-almond paste ball with a toothpick. One at a time, dip them into the chocolate, covering completely, and place on prepared baking sheet. Remove toothpicks and “patch” hole with a dab of melted chocolate if need be. Then, one at a time, dip half of each cashew into the chocolate and attach it to the top of each “body,” slightly toward one end, with the cashew “beak” curving into the body and touching at each tip–chocolate toward the center–so that it is secure. Refrigerate for a half hour or until chocolate is hardened. Arrange as desired and serve.

Note: you will have some chocolate left over, but when it gets low, it is difficult to coat the date-almond paste balls.

April 20, 2014April 20, 2014 by betsy

Simple Vegan Smoked “Ham” Salad (a childhood favorite veganized for Easter)

Yield: approximately 3 to 4 cups

This super-easy salad was a pre-vegan childhood favorite. I remember consuming way too much of it when I was home sick from school one day. The mere thought of it brings back feelings of nurturing and nostalgia…even more so now that I’ve replaced the ham with extra-firm tofu and finely chopped smoked almonds. To recreate the total flavor profile that I longed for, I added a few additional spices like fennel, sage, thyme, etc., and then stirred in the requisite vegan mayo, pickle relish and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

This recipe goes together in a flash, so when the craving strikes, satisfaction is only minutes away! Enjoy for breakfast on a toasted bagel half, in a sandwich or wrap for a brown bag or even company-ready lunch, or spread on crackers or raw veggie slices as an accompaniment to a bowl of soup for a light–and lightening fast–supper.

14 ounces extra-firm tofu (not Silken), lightly pressed and blotted with paper towels

1 cup smoked almonds, finely chopped (I use a food processor)

1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds (lightly crush with a mortar and pestle if desired, but not necessary)

1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage

1/4 teaspoon nutritional yeast (optional, but I think it is nice)

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

5 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

1/2 of a large vegetable bouillon cube

2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish

2 teaspoons Braggs Liquid Aminos

Freshly ground black pepper to taste (I am quite generous with it in this recipe)

Crumble tofu into a medium bowl. Add almonds, fennel, sage, nutritional yeast, thyme, garlic powder, and onion powder, and toss with fingers to combine well. Mash bouillon cube with fingers and whisk into mayo. Add mayo to tofu-almond mixture along with remaining ingredients. Stir together gently until completely combined. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time. Delicious stuffed in celery sticks, mounded onto cucumber slices, or crackers, piled onto a sandwich, rolled in wrap, or heaped on a toasted bagel.

April 13, 2014April 13, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Tempeh Salad with Grapes and Smoked Almonds

This salad from The Blooming Platter Cookbook is a personal favorite and drew raves at a recent cooking demonstration I was invited to give for a group of women fairly new to veganism who wanted to know more about cooking with some of the vegan proteins, like tempeh and seitan. I knew you will love it too!

Grapes add color, moisture, and natural sweetness to this hearty salad, while nuts add depth of flavor, crunch, and nutrition. In addition to being terrific in a whole grain sandwich, the filling is also great with crackers, celery sticks, or in a lettuce wrap. Some people prefer to steam their tempeh before using in recipes to mellow the flavor – this recipe allows for that option.

And as you can see in the top photo, this salad also makes a delectable soft taco or, at bottom, a scoop of deliciousness on a bed of super-greens.
Yield: 4 servings
16 ounces tempeh
Sea salt
1 cup green seedless grapes, quartered
1/2 cup smoked almonds, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced dill
6 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper
8 slices whole grain bread

1. Preheat the broiler. Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes, if desired. Season both sides of the tempeh with salt and broil 2 to 3 minutes per side. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the grapes, almonds, celery, dill, mayo, maple syrup, garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Crumble the tempeh and add it to the bowl and combine gently with a fork to mix well. Taste and adjust the seasonings,
if needed.
3. To serve, divide the mixture onto four slices of the bread, top each with another slice of bread, cut each sandwich in half and serve.

Variation: Make the recipe above with these substitutions: red grapes for green grapes; toasted walnuts for smoked almonds; orange bell pepper for celery; tarragon for dill.

April 12, 2014April 12, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Cilantro-Coriander Beet Spread (or Pesto)–Super Simple and Gluten-Free!

Beet Spread--Bird's Eye View Yield: approximately 2 cups

The Beet Muhummara spread in my Blooming Platter Cookbook is a rave with beet lovers and haters. I know this both from experience and from others’ enthusiastic reports.

However, it contains bread crumbs, which is not a problem for most people, but I teach with someone who has Celiac Disease and it is a BIG problem for her. With a birthday next week while we’re away on Spring Break, I wanted to send her home with a treat she could eat, so I created this version that is not simply Beet Muhummara sans bread crumbs, but it’s own delicious spread.

It was inspired by a really zippy dipping sauce my husband and I were served with some kicked-up tempura (baby beets, baby bok choy, Brussels sprouts, wax beans ,etc.) at a recent cooking demonstration. The vegan batter contained just a few chili flakes and the beautiful green sauce was made with lots of cilantro, lime juice, cardamom pods, etc.

I started with beets, adding what I had on hand: cilantro from a cooking class I had taught (but not too much, as people either love it or hate it), smoked almonds because I always keep them at the ready to snack on, lemon juice, and some spices. After tasting the spread, I decided that I really liked the flavor of the lemon, but that it also needed some lime, so I purchased one and added it. The result was tamer in the citrus department than my inspiration because, if there is anything I would have changed about the latter, it would have been to make it slightly less tangy. The resulting balance of flavors in my Cilantro-Coriander Beet Spread is perfect for my palate, but always feel free to adjust for yours!

4-2 to 3 ounce fresh beets (trimmed weight), peeled and quartered

1 cup, firmly packed, fresh cilantro (leaves and stems)

1/3 cup smoked almonds 2 large garlic cloves, halved

1 tablespoon coriander seeds (whole) 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (whole)

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (ground)

1/3 cup olive oil

Juice of 1 large lemon

Juice of 1 medium-large lime

1 tablespoon maple syrup

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes or to taste

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and process until almost smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary.

April 6, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Prosecco Vinaigrette

Champagne Vinaigrette Yield: almost 2 cups

You know, I haven’t created a lot of new recipes lately, as I have felt sort of caught between seasons: a winter that seemed bent on never ending and a spring that had several false starts. I have certainly been eating good food, but my favorite farm market hasn’t yet opened, so I haven’t had local produce to inspire me.

But now, I do believe that spring has sprung and new ideas are emerging along with tender shoots of dormant plants and blossoms on the earliest spring-blooming trees like Bradford Pears and pink Magnolias.

Like everyone else I’m sure, I’m finding that I am craving lightened and brightened dishes, so I created this champagne vinaigrette using my beloved Italian variety known as Prosecco. It is inexpensive and compatible with virtually everything. Even my husband, a devoted Cab drinker, loves it.

Remember that, especially in recipes with just a few ingredients like a vinaigrette, balance is everything, so feel free to tweak the proportions until they suit your palate.

3 generous tablespoons grainy mustard

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/2 cup dry/extra dry Prosecco or your favorite dry/extra dry champagne

1 cup olive oil

Sea salt to taste (avoid skimping; it needs a salt to bring out subtle layers of flavors)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a jar or carton with a tight-fitting lid, whisk garlic and onion powders, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, and Prosecco into mustard. Drizzle in olive oil, whisking continually, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Tweak any of the flavors for balance and store, covered, in refrigerator. I like to transfer vinaigrette to a squeeze bottle with a cap. Before serving, hold container under warm water for a few minutes to soften partially-solidified oil, and then whisk or shake vigorously. For guests, I like to serve the dressing in a clear glass container with a spout or a spoon like the miniature sundae glass in the photo.

April 5, 2014April 5, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Maple-Molasses Roll-and-Cut Sugar-free Sugar Cookies with Sugar-free “Frosting”

Sugar-Free Maple Molassess Roll and Cut Cookies One of my favorite yoga instructors, Angela Phillips, avoids sugar. Feeling spring in the air and having recently purchased cute little flower-shaped cookie cutters, I wanted to take her a “happy” to class this morning. So, I searched online for some sugar-free roll-and-cut cookies made with maple-syrup and/or molasses, but didn’t find what I was looking for, so I had to wing it which, honestly, is more fun anyway.

Knowing that granulated sugar aerates (vegan) butter as you beat it together, I figured that the absence of sugar might make for a heavier cookie. So, I incorporated a couple of tablespoons of cornstarch to lighten the dough–lovely! A bit of baking soda provided extra insurance that the texture would be perfect. Other than that, I found that 2 tablespoons of molasses to 6 tablespoons of maple syrup was an ideal proportion to prevent the molasses from hogging the limelight. And that a little vanilla and almond extracts rounded out the flavor. In winter months, you can spice these cookies up with cinnamon, cloves, ground ginger, and so forth. But, for April, I didn’t really want those warm spices and the cookies are delicious without.

Feeling very proud of myself, as I got ready to decorate them, I suddenly realized that the only frostings I know how to make are made with sugar, most frequently, confectioner’s sugar. Wracking my brain, I ultimately decided on whipped (vegan) cream cheese sweetened with a little maple syrup and flavored with a little vanilla and almond extracts plus lemon zest was perfect. Sort of like cream cheese on a bagel. And the consistency still allowed me to use my piping bag for an extra-pretty touch.

Enjoy these sugar-free beauties all year…starting now!

Cookies:

1 cup vegan butter

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons unsulphered molasses

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons baking soda

Pinch salt

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (I actually prefer white whole wheat)

Optional: ground spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla and almond extracts, and continue creaming until thoroughly incorporated. Add cornstarch, baking soda, a pinch of salt and 1 cup of flour and incorporate on lowest speed of mixer or by hand. Add remaining flour (and spices if using any), 1 cup at a time. Flour work surface and, using about one-quarter of dough at a time, roll to a 1/4 to 1/3-inch thickness. Cut out with cookie cutters, arrange on prepared cookie sheets, and bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks and frost as desired. If using the cream cheese “frosting” below, store frosting cookies covered in refrigerator. I like to store them in a shallow container so that the plastic wrap doesn’t smear the frosting.

Sugar-Free “Frosting”

8 ounces vegan cream cheese

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

Zest of 1 lemon

Optional: Food coloring/dye if desired, natural preferred and dragees

Using an electric mixer, cream all ingredients together until fluffy and pipe onto cookies as desired. Cover and refrigerate any leftover frosting.