by betsy

Blooming Platter “Q & A Tuesday” with Robin Robertson + Robin’s Linguine Thai Pesto

Robin Robertson--portrait

Based on Actor’s Studio host’s James Lipton’s famous “Q & A”–after the Proust Questionnaire–“Vegan Q & A Tuesday” is The Blooming Platter’s  first Tuesday feature on a creative force in the vegan culinary world.  Read more about “Q & A Tuesday” HERE.

 

Featured Force: 

Robin Robertson

(See below for Robins’s Linguine with Thai Pesto recipe.)

Robin Robertson has written more than twenty cookbooks, including the bestsellers Quick-Fix Vegan, Vegan Planet, Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker, Vegan Fire & Spice, Nut Butter Universe, and One-Dish Vegan. A longtime vegan and former restaurant chef, she writes the Global Vegan column for VegNews Magazine and has written for Vegetarian Times, Cooking Light, Natural Health, and other magazines. Robin lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Her website is www.robinrobertson.com.

1. What is your favorite word?

Amuse Bouche.

2. What is your least favorite word?

Gastropub.

3. What turns you on?

Preparing a special meal for friends.

4. What turns you off?

Being out of a needed ingredient I can’t find locally — especially when craving a certain recipe.

5. What sound or noise do you love?

“Mmmmmm…..” (when someone eats my food)

6. What sound or noise do you hate?

The crash of a glass or plate falling – especially when full of drink or food.

7. *What makes you curse in the kitchen?

Burning my arm on a hot pan usually does the trick.

8. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

I’d like to own a B &B (but only if I didn’t have to do all the work myself!)

9. What profession would you not like to do?

Anything that involves numbers.

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

*Lipton’s question #7 is always “What is your favorite curse word?”–and the answers are always colorful– but I reworded it since this is a “family show.”

Good job!

Robin Robertson--Linguine with Thai pesto

Robin’s Linguine with Thai Pesto

Redolent of garlic, lemongrass, and pungent herbs, this Asian-style pesto makes a fabulous fusion dish when combined with linguine. Most of these ingredients, including the slender, hot Thai chile, are available in supermarkets. Thai basil can be found in Asian markets, as can any of the other ingredients that your regular market may not stock. To make this gluten-free, use gluten-free pasta or rice noodles. This recipe is from Nut Butter Universe by Robin Robertson © 2013.  Used with permission.

 

Gluten-Free Option

Soy Free

Serves 4

 

2 large cloves garlic

1 Thai bird chile, halved lengthwise and seeded

1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, chopped

1 teaspoon natural sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup Thai basil leaves

1/2 cup cilantro leaves

1/2 cup parsley leaves

1/3 cup peanut butter

3 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

12 ounces linguine

1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Combine the garlic, chile, lemongrass, sugar, and salt in a food processor and process to a paste. Add the basil, cilantro, and parsley and process until finely ground. Add the peanut butter, water, and lime juice and blend thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.

Cook the linguine in a large pot of salted water just until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the water.

Toss the pasta with the sauce, adding a little of the hot pasta water, if necessary, to thin the sauce. Garnish with peanuts and serve immediately.

 

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by betsy

Vegan Baked Swiss Chard (or Kale) and Sweet Potato Spring Rolls with Anise-Scented Sage-Butter Sauce

DSCN1667Baked, rather than steamed OR fried–and seasoned with sage and anise–who knew what a lovely marriage that is?–these simple and sensational spring rolls are like little gifts to your palate!

Find my recipe at One Green Planet.

BTW, they are quick too, as they bake a mere 4 minutes for a texture transformation!

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by betsy

“Righteous” Vegan Peanut Butter and Fresh Apple Pancakes with Peanut Butter Maple Syrup

“Your peanut butter-apple pancakes were righteous!”

So proclaimed Gary Loewenthal of Compassion for Animals and Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale in an email last week.

He then explained that he had been invited to give a vegan cooking demo and talk at a health food store near him and asked if he could prepare my recipe and print it for the attendees, with a credit and link to The Blooming Platter.

That required no thought at all, only a resounding “Of course!” especially when he said, “One thing I loved about the pancakes is that the PB was not overpowering. I love PB but it blended beautifully.”

I haven’t made my Vegan Peanut Butter and Fresh Apple Pancakes with Peanut Butter Maple Syrup in a while, but he reminded me how good they are; and, with local apples cropping up this autumn in farmers markets everywhere, I thought I should post a link.

What a great way to celebrate the first weekend of fall.  Thanks, Gary!

 

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by betsy

Vegan Smashed ‘Buttah Bean and Homemade Goat “Cheese” Quesadillas with Smoky Nooch-Roasted Pepita Garnish

DSCN2000With fresh Smashed ‘Buttah Beans in the fridge following a trip to the farmer’s market, some of my new homemade goat cheese on hand for another purpose, some freshly made Smoky Nooch-Roasted Pepitas, AND some south’ren salsa that came as a gift, the creation of this super easy quesadilla was all but inevitable.

 

Yield: 1 serving (easily multiplies)

1/2 teaspoon vegan butter  (I use Earth Balance)

1-6 to 8-inch whole wheat or flour tortilla

1/4 cup smashed butter beans (I whip cooked butter beans with vegan butter, fresh minced sage, and sea salt and pepper to taste)

1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons Vegan Goat “Cheese” (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon salsa, prepared or homemade  (for this recipe I like a southern-inspired variety like Georgia Peach and Vidalia Onion)

2 teaspoons Smoky Nooch-Roasted Pepitas

Garnish: fresh sage sprig

To make each quesadilla, melt 1/2 tablespoon vegan butter in a cast iron skillet over medium high.  Spread half of  tortilla first with 1/4 cup goat cheese then with butter beans.  Fold in half and saute 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown.  Top with remaining 2 teaspoons of goat cheese, salsa, and pepitas.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh sage and serve immediately.  (Note: you may top with 2 teaspoons of vegan sour cream if you prefer.)

Vegan Goat Cheese

14 ounces extra firm tofu

2 tablespoons light miso

2 tablespoons beer

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Optional: 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Sea salt to taste

Process all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor until completely combined and creamy-stiff.  Chill, covered, in refrigerator until read to use/serve.  (When serving as an appetizer, may be formed into balls or logs and rolled in finely chopped cashews or parsley.)

 

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by betsy

Make Mine Consigned: Missoni Sport, BCBG, and Nine West…Oh, My!

Consignment Outfit--Missoni Sport Skirt, BCBG Sweater, Nine West ShoesOkay, so this may not be a vegan “dish,” exactly but…

I am a supporter of eco-friendliness and believe that consignment shopping is one of the most fun, creative, and fashionable–not to mention affordable–ways to “recycle.”

Yesterday, I put together this outfit at one of my three favorite consignment boutiques in our area, Double Take in VA Beach (with the other being its sister store in Norfolk and Worth the Wait, also in VA Beach).  I was thrilled with it because none of it “came together,” so I wanted to share and put in a plug for consignment shopping.

I paid a bit more than I typically do (though it was still a steal), as this was a special outfit for a special occasion:  today is our 23rd wedding anniversary(!) and last night our anniversary dinner, of sorts, with Joe’s visiting aunt and uncle who I adore: Tony and Luella Ricci.

I am a huge Missoni fan, and the skirt is Missoni Sport ($63.99) [not the Missoni line that Target sold in 2011 and that still pops up on the secondary market!] Granted, that is more than I usually pay but, hey, it’s Missoni!  I was attracted to the skirt fabric, but also to what appears to be its mismatched neutral “camo” looking waistband which gave me the opportunity to “sport” neutral shoes–ultra-comfy high platforms from Nine West ($38)–and a twist-front top from Mod-O-Doe ($16).

The cardigan with its beautiful embroidery is my beloved BCBG ($32).  I love how the colors are perfect for the skirt, but the zig-zag pattern contrasts with the flowers for a look that isn’t too “matchy.”

Finally, the jewelry: the bracelet is Lucky Brand ($18) and appears made for the outfit, as it combines neutral stones with the colorful center one.  It could almost be reversible, as the back side of each stone’s metal bezel is embossed with a fabulous floral design.  The earrings are my trusty recycled aluminum wire flowers which, again, appear made for this skirt, but they work with so many items in my wardrobe.  (They came from Worth the Wait, new, from an artisan in North Carolina, but I can’t remember what I paid for them.)

I’m sure I’ll always make mine consigned!

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by betsy

Vegan Thai Sloppy Joes on Toasted Rice Cakes

Thai Sloppy Joes 1Yield: 4 servings

Like our dreams, sometimes the origins of cravings can be traced right to their source, and other times, they seem to have emerged out of nowhere.  The latter is the case with these Vegan Thai Sloppy Joes.

I know not from whence the idea came, but I had to struggle during my Saturday morning yoga class to suppress visions of pungent red curry paste, creamy coconut milk, and crumbly-chewy tempeh so that I could follow my teacher’s directive to “focus on your breath.”

I whipped into the grocery store on the way home for lite coconut milk and nuts, but everything else was at the ready in our pantry and fridge, following last week’s trip to the farm stand and Trader Joe’s, speaking of Joes.

Sloppy Joes would not be considered a balanced meal by anyone’s standards, even when built around tempeh. And I wanted this to be a one dish wonder.  So a quick mental review of veggies found in Thai dishes resulted in the addition of finely chopped carrot and farm stand-fresh kale (in place of the more typical spinach).  The color, taste and texture that these ingredients added, not to mention the moisture, was exactly right.

You can certainly serve this addicting mixture on toasted buns, but trying to keep the finished dish more true to it’s Asian inspiration, I like it best served over lightly toasted rice cakes.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped carrot (I use a food processor for this task)

Sea salt

1/2 cup diced yellow onion

2 cups, stemmed, and finely chopped kale, Swiss chard or spinach (I use a food processor for this too)

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup water

8 ounces tempeh (any variety, unseasoned)

1 tablespoon red curry paste, or more to taste (available on the international foods aisle of most grocery stores and at Asian markets)

1 tablespoon tomato paste (you can substitute catchup in a pinch)

1 teaspoon soy sauce (I use lite or low sodium)

1/2 teaspoon natural sugar

1 can light coconut milk (you can use regular if you don’t mind the calories, as it does have more intense flavor)

1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce (sold as Vegetarian Fish Sauce in Asian markets; you can omit, but it adds a distinctive Thai flavor)

Zest of 1/2 lime

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Accompaniment: plain unsalted or lightly salted rice cakes (use small rice cakes if serving this dish as an appetizer), toasted quickly on each side in a skillet lightly coated with nonstick spray

Garnishes: lime wedges, lightly salted peanuts or cashews, fresh cilantro sprigs

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high.  Add carrot and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes.  Add the onion, another pinch of salt, and saute another 2 minutes.  Then add the kale and the garlic, another pinch of salt and the water, and saute for an additional 2 minutes.  Add the tempeh and saute 2 minutes more.  Add curry paste, tomato paste, soy sauce, sugar, coconut milk and fish sauce, and saute, still stirring frequently, for a final 10 minutes or until mixture thickens, slightly reduces, and all flavors combine.  Stir in lime zest and chopped cilantro, and serve immediately over toasted rice cakes garnished as desired.

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by betsy

All “Dressered Up”–DIY Mid-Century Dresser Redux

Dresser Update--September DIY DécorAs some of you know, I write a “DIY Decor” column for the “Home” section of the Virginian-Pilot newspaper.  Not all of my pieces are picked up by pilotonline.com, so they are difficult to share.   But this fun redux of my childhood mid-century dresser that was published on Saturday appeared online today, and I am delighted to share the end result with you.   Find the article HERE.

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by betsy

Vegan Pimento Cheese Spread–From School Lunch to Weekend Brunch

DSCN1953The theme of school lunches continues with my nifty Vegan Pimento Cheese Spread that packs up beautifully as a sandwich or celery stick filling.  I love it on a toasted everything bagel, including for a weekend brunch–half is plenty!–but it is so tasty, that I’ve been known to enjoy it right off the spoon!

1 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 cup raw cashews

3 to 4 ounces extra firm tofu (I used 1/4 of a 14 ounce box)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon light miso

1 tablespoon beer

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

optional: 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 to 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (I like a neutral tasting one like Vegenaise)

4 ounce jar diced pimentos, well-drained

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse chickpeas and cashews until coarsely chopped.  Add tofu, nutritional yeast, miso, beer, soy sauce, smoked paprika, onion powder, and optional garlic powder, and continue pulsing until a coarse-creamy mixture results.  Transfer to a medium bowl, and fold in mayonnaise and pimentos until evenly distributed.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  I like to chill it before serving, while also allowing flavors to marry.  Serve in a sandwich or spread on a bagel, crackers, or celery sticks.

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by betsy

Five-Ingredient Vegan Chicken Salad (a la Yorgo’s Bageldashery in Norfolk, VA)

Yorgo's Chicken SaladOur schools just started last week and it’s going to be a super year!

As a teacher, my culinary mind has turned to healthy, tasty, quick treats I can pack for satisfying mini-meals throughout the day.

I live in VA Beach, next door to Norfolk, VA, where you can regularly find me “Jonesin” for Yorgo’s Bageldashery’s vegan chicken salad (Yorgo’s has a VERY vegan friendly menu).  I try to pick up a carton when I “cross the border” for some other reason, but the deli closes at 2 p.m., so I can only make it on the weekends during the school year.  And I have been known to drive to Norfok just for the chicken salad.  I know, it’s a shameless waste of gas.  But I drive a Prius…does that make it almost okay?

At any rate, I have tried–unsuccessfully–in the past to duplicate their vegan chicken salad.  But, I tried again and I do believe I got it!

In addition to the taste, the texture is divine.  It’s almost a spread, but not quite.  It’s more like a very fine mince bound together with a creamy vegan mayo.  Pulsing the ingredients in the food processor a few times after each addition did the trick.   But, from past experiments, I knew that using all mayo overpowered the other flavors, so keep reading to learn my secret.  And, finally, I also realized that I was trying to add too many additional flavors.  Keeping it VERY simple was the key.

3 celery hearts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

3 green onions, white and green part, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1-8 ounce package Morningstar Farms Meal Starters Chick’n Strips (or 1/2 pound purchased or homemade chicken-flavored seitan, cut into thin strips or chunks)

3 tablespoons vegan sour cream

1 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise, purchased or homemade (I like a neutral tasting mayo like Vegenaise for this)

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: for a Vegan Dill Chicken Salad, add 1/2 teaspoon of dried dill weed or, in the summer, 1 tablespoon of fresh minced dill and stir to evenly distribute.

Place celery in food processor and pulse a few times until finely chopped.  Add green onions, and process until very finely chopped.  Add vegan Chick’n Strips or seitan, and process until chicken is finely chopped.  (Other ingredients will be minced at this point.)  Add mayo and  pulse a very few times, just until combined.  Throughout the process, scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary for uniform chopping.  Transfer to a serving bowl or storage carton and stir in salt and pepper to taste.  Stir in dill weed or fresh dill if desired. Serve as you would any other chicken salad or cover and refrigerate until serving time.  Because of both its taste and texture, this chicken salad is especially well-suited to spreading on a cracker, a toasted “everything” bagel or rolled in fresh spinach leaves to create healthy little wraps.

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by betsy

Vegan Brazilian “Chicken,” Cauliflower, Peanut, Cashew & Coconut Milk Stew (Xim Xim de Galinha)

DSCN1204Yield: 6-8 servings

Shame on me…to my knowledge, I have never eaten, much less cooked authentic Brazilian cuisine.  I don’t even know why, as I am naturally curious about all cuisines.
However, recently, my beloved cousin and hiking buddy has had to spend a lot of time in Brazil for work.  So, on a recent Sunday morning, when I was flipping the TV channels around and trying to wake up, an episode of Sara Moulton’s “Weeknight Meals” caught my attention, as her featured guest was Leticia Moreinos Schwartz, a Brazlian chef and cookbook author.  Their theme was “A Trip to Brazil.”
The food they prepared was hardly vegan, but a chicken and shrimp stew called, Xim Xim de Galinha caught my eye;  it  looked mouthwatering and seemed easy to veganize.  It was!  I think it was the ground cashews and peanuts plus the coconut milk that captured my fancy, as I am a sucker for any recipe featuring nuts and coconut milk.  This one held particular appeal because it was different than the Thai and Indian dishes I love to prepare.
If recipe derivation interests you, here are the main alterations that I made to Moreinos Schwartz’s recipe (if you could care less, just click HERE now!):
  1.  Substituted cauliflower florets for shrimp and thawed Morningstar Farms “Meal Starters” Chick’n Strips for Chicken (seasoned seitan would be a fine substitute).  HOWEVER, so that I didn’t have part of a head of cauliflower around, I basically reversed the amount of shrimp and chicken, using only 1/2 pound of faux chicken (that is how it is packaged) and a 3 to 4 pound head of cauliflower (which is an average size head).
  2. I didn’t pat the cauliflower dry as the recipe says to do with the chicken, so I ended up needing to cook it 8 minutes (instead of 6) in order for it to brown nicely.
  3. I used lightly salted instead of unsalted nuts (and still added salt).
  4. I don’t cook with tomato paste much, so instead of using fresh tomatoes, which aren’t in season, and the paste, I just used a can of organic fire roasted diced tomatoes in place of both, which was exactly the 1 1/2 cups called for.
  5. I substituted faux chicken stock for chicken stock.
  6. Because I couldn’t find dende oil here (and the shipping cost to mail order a bottle was exorbitant), which supposedly has a fabulously indescribable taste and orange color, I quadrupled the amount of turmeric and paprika (I used smoked paprika) specified in the recipe for a total of 1 teaspoon turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika.

Thanks to Alisa Fleming and Go Dairy Free for publishing my “Vegan Brazilian ‘Chicken,’ Cauliflower, Peanut, Cashew & Coconut Milk Stew” on her popular website!

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