August 21, 2013August 22, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Fresh Fig Upside Down Pancakes

Fig Upside Down Pancakes Yield: 8 servings (16 small pancakes)

The other morning, for some reason, I was thinking about pineapple upside down cake and how nicely that translates into pancakes. Suddenly, I had to have pancakes, though I am not much of a breakfast eater, unless I have breakfast for lunch. I didn’t have pineapple, but I did have fresh figs and Vegan Fresh Fig Upside Down Pancakes were born!

The ground sumac– a beautiful earthy red powder derived from a berry of the sumac bush–is used in Middle Eastern and Greek cooking. Since I think of figs in relation to Middle Eastern cuisine, and since I thought that the earthy lemony flavor of the sumac would complement the sweetness of the figs, I chose to add a little to the batter. It‘s not absolutely essential, but it is delicate, delicious, and adds such a special quality. Find sumac in Middle Eastern grocery stores and online.

Sage, too, is used widely in Middle Eastern and Greek cooking and I happen to have quite an abundant crop of it this year. So I decided to garnish the pancakes with some of their most small and tender leaves to add a subtle sage-y flavor. Eaten together, the trio is transcendent!

2 cups white whole wheat flour (this is what I keep on hand, but unbleached all purpose is fine, as is a mixture of all purpose and whole wheat)

1/4 cup natural sugar

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Optional, but delicious: 1/2 teaspoon sumac

2 cups plain soymilk (I used lite, as that’s what I had)

Nonstick spray or canola oil

8 fresh figs, stemmed, halved and sprayed with nonstick spray or brushed with oil

Accompaniments: agave nectar and a sprig of small tender fresh sage leaves (yes, sage!–sounds a little odd, but is delicious with the figs!)

In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients, make a well in the center, add soymilk, and whisk ingredients together until smooth. Heat a large well-oiled skillet over medium high and make pancakes, 3 or 4 at a time, using 2 to 3 tablespoons of batter (they should be about 3 inches in diameter). Cook for about a minute, lay a fig half, flesh side up, in the center of each pancake, pressing very gently. You don’t want to submerge or for the batter to hide the fig when you flip it. Cook for another minute or two or until golden brown on the other side, carefully flip, and cook until set, another couple of minutes or so. Repeat with remaining batter, keeping pancakes warm while you cook the entire batch. Serve pancakes, fig side up, with a drizzle of agave nectar and a sprig of fresh sage. Note: if a very thin layer of the batter has eased over the edge of the fig, just pinch it off to reveal the perfect shape of the fig.

August 20, 2013August 20, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Mashed Eggplant (Think Jacques Pepin’s Creamy Mashed Potatoes with a Blooming Platter Twist!)

Have you ever made mashed eggplant, like mashed potatoes?

Oh, my! I hadn’t–I don’t know if anyone has–but I was watching “Essential Pepin” on the Create channel recently, and his show was devoted to the humble potato.

First up: mashed potatoes. I thought, “Really? Who doesn’t know how to make mashed potatoes?” But there was something about his French accent, his arthritic hands, and his assured grace and facility in the kitchen that made me think his looked like the best mashed potatoes I’d ever seen.

I had no potatoes, but I had some small white and striated globe eggplants from a local farm that needed used, and I thought,”What if?” What if, indeed! You will love this simple take on a favorite family staple.

And, folks, this is NO time to skimp. This is a decadent dish, so don’t hold back on (vegan) butter and sour cream. Indulge, would you?

2 pounds eggplant, skin on, cut into pool ball size chunks, placed in a large cast iron skillet, drizzled with oil, and sprinkled with a pinch of salt (it is fine for eggplant to be in about 1 1/2 layers)

3 garlic cloves, drizzled with oil, and wrapped in a small piece of foil

2 tablespoons vegan butter

2 to 4 tablespoons vegan sour cream to taste

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon natural sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano)

A healthy amount of sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place skillet with eggplant along with wrapped garlic in oven and roast for 25 minute or until tender, but eggplant holds its shape. Remove both from oven and let cool until eggplant is easily handled. Slip off the skin (compost or discard), and place flesh in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mash with a hand-held potato masher. Reheat for a minute in microwave, if necessary, as you want butter to melt slowly as you mash. Serve immediately or cool, cover, and store in refrigerator until just before serving time. Reheat, check for seasoning, and serve.

August 19, 2013August 20, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Lentil Salad with Grilled Zucchini, Roma Tomatoes, and Pepper Jelly-Sage Vinaigrette

DSCN1851 Yield: 6 servings

I discovered a brand new and brilliant way to cook lentils, courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen: brine them to soften the skin and then bake them in a dutch oven so they don’t crash together and break apart while they simmer. You can find their method HERE, along with some tasty salad ideas. (Note: I obviously didn’t use chicken broth. I could have used vegetable broth, but water worked yielded lentils full of flavor.)

After trying that method, I had a beautiful bunch of them with which to do something. I also had local red onion, zucchini and orange Roma tomatoes from my trip to the farm market. There was nothing left to do but combine everything into a salad!

I wanted a special, but simple, dressing–some kind of vinaigrette–but I wasn’t sure what. Scanning the door of the fridge, my eyes alighted on an unopened jar–a gift–of pepper jelly made here in Virginia. Voila! Then, mentally reviewing the herbs in the garden, sage somehow sounded perfectly earthy and just the right note to counter the heat of the jelly. Voila again! But it seemed like it needed one more “warm” spice. The barest hint of clove or mace was just exactly right.

This combination of ingredients makes this recipe the perfect celebration of late summer (salad) while looking forward to the cool months ahead (dressing) because I always think of pepper jelly and sage in conjunction with the festive flavors of the winter holidays.

3 cups cooked French lentils

1/4 cup diced red onion (if desired, cover with soymilk and drain before using to remove a little of the bite)

2 orange Roma tomatoes, diced (red is fine; the orange ones were just so beautiful at the farm market)

1 6-inch zucchini, sliced in thirds lengthwise, lightly salted, grilled 2 to 3 minutes on each side, cooled, and diced (I used my Lodge indoor grill pan over medium-high)

Sea Salt to taste (don’t be stingy!)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Pepper Jelly-Sage Dressing (recipe follows)

In a large bowl, toss together all ingredients except dressing. Check for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Drizzle with dressing and gently toss to evenly distribute. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate to allow flavors to marry before serving.

Pepper Jelly-Sage Dressing:

1/4 cup pepper jelly (I use a locally made brand)

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon mustard

6 tablespoons olive oil

Pinch sea salt

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Pinch garlic powder

Tiny pinch of ground clove or mace (a bare hint is all you want but it adds a little somethin’-somethin’!)

3 tablespoons fresh sage, minced or chiffonade (I like the latter, simply stack and roll 3 to 4 leaves and thinly slice into tiny ribbons)

In a small bowl, whisk together pepper jelly, vinegar, and mustard. Whisk in olive oil in a slow stream and keep whisking until it emulsifies (thickens and comes together). Add salt, pepper, garlic powder and clove or mace to taste and then whisk in sage.

August 17, 2013 by betsy

Happy Birthday, Joooolia! Vegan Potato and Beet Salad a la Julia Child

DSCN1837 This jewel-toned salad is a real gem!

I admit that the color is a bit shocking, courtesy of some beautiful fresh beets, but it looked right at home on the bountiful buffet at this year’s birthday bash for Julia Child.

For the last 4 years, 10 or so of our foodie friends gather to fete the ‘ole gal on the Saturday evening closest to her birthday, making the 2013 iteration of this favorite pot-luck party on August 10.

My contributions were this salad and my new Vegan Luscious Lavender and Creme de Cacao Ice Cream. Ooh-la-la!

Guests are asked to bring a French dish (and something tasty to eat too–hahaha), one inspired by Julia Child, or one made according to her actual recipes. We scarcely do any advance coordination, but the meal is somehow always perfect and so beautifully presented. The group is made up of one vegan (moi), some vegetarians, and some out-and-out carnivores. But the food is almost entirely vegetarian/vegan.

Lovely dishes brought by our guests included:

Fresh juicy cantaloup slices (with or without prosciutto–sorry!)
Broccoli aspic (a recipe from Julia Child)
La Salad Hericot Vert (with candied walnuts, arugula and radicchio)
Ratatouille
Beet (not “beef”!) Bourguignon over Lentils
Salmon (sorry again!), courtesy of my husband with my homemade basil Pistou (French pesto)

My Vegan Potato-beet salad, a riff on one of Julia Child’s, was a top favorite among at least two of the guests, though everyone seemed to enjoy it. Be sure to use a neutral tasting mayonnaise, or it will overpower the other flavors. I am a fan of Nayonaise for some dishes, but feel it is too strongly vinegary and spiced for this dish. Vegenaise is a better choice in this case.

4 cups quartered new potatoes (at our local farm market, they are called “creamers”), boiled in salted water, partially covered, until tender, about 20 minutes, and drained

7 beets, peeled and diced (about 2 1/2 cups), cooked until tender, and drained (save juice for another purpose) [I place them in a bowl, cover them with water, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and microwave for 15 minutes, but avoid a steam burn when removing the wrap!)

1 cup haricot vert (green beans), trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces, and simmered just until tender, about 7 minutes, then shocked in cold/iced water, and drained

Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

1/4 cup green herbs, finely chopped (I highly recommend a blend of 2 or more, e.g. basil, chives, tarragon, parsley)

2 cups neutral tasting mayo, prepared or homemade (not too tangy, sweet, etc., I like Vegenaise for this recipe)

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a large non-reactive (glass or ceramic) bowl, combine all vegetables, drizzle with vinaigrette, toss well, cover, and chill for several hours. Sprinkle with herbs, fold in mayo, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill until serving time and garnish with sprigs of fresh herbs.

Vinaigrette:

1/4 cup sherry vinegar (in truth, whatever vinegar you have will be great)

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup olive oil

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garlic powder to taste

In a measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together vinegar and mustard. Then whisk in olive oil in a slow stream until emulsified. Season to taste and whisk again. (Or just combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well.)

August 16, 2013 by betsy

Luscious Vegan Lavender and Creme de Cacao Ice Cream (with optional Fresh Figs)

DSCN1830

Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

A perfect ending to a perfect party!

Every year for the last four, my husband and I have hosted our annual Julia Child Birthday Bash on the Saturday night nearest to her birthday. This year, the party was on August 10.

At around 7:30 each year, 10 or so of our foodie friends gather for a potluck celebration like no other!

This year, while I toyed with a birthday cake in honor of the ‘ole gal, I opted for this Provençal-inspired ice cream instead. And I think everyone was glad I did!

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (thickens without crystallization)

1 cup unsweeteened soymilk

2 cups soy creamer

1/2 cup natural sugar

Pinch sea salt

1 tablespoon dried organic lavender buds

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Creme de Cacao

Garnish: fresh fig halves

In a small cup or bowl, whisk together arrowroot powder and 1/4 cup soymilk. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine remaining 3/4 cup soymilk, soy creamer, sugar, salt, and lavender, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove it from the heat and immediately whisk in arrowroot mixture causing the mixture to thicken considerably. Stir in vanilla and Creme de Cacao. Pour into a medium bowl, straining if desired (I don’t). Cool the custard to room temperature, cover, and chill for at least 3 hours. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker (mine is a Cuisinart) according to manufacturer’s directions. Transfer to a covered freezer-safe carton, and freeze until stiffened. Serve garnished, if desired, with fresh fig halves.

August 15, 2013August 15, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Fresh Fig Cupcakes with Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting

DSCN1847

Yield: 1 dozen cupcakes

These may possibly be the moistest cupcakes you will ever put in your mouth!

A pint of fresh figs from a local farm market that needed used fairly quickly resulted in these beautiful confections. The lemon in the buttercream frosting provides a subtle but bright contrast to the cinnamon-scented fig cupcakes, while the brandy flavoring (use real brandy if you have it–my husband forbids me, jokingly–sort of–to use his) accents their ripe, earthy fruitiness for the perfect summer wedding of flavors.

Vegan Fresh Fig Cupcakes

1 cup soymilk (unsweetened or plain)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (I have used rice wine vinegar in a pinch and it works just fine)

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (this is what I keep on-hand, but unbleached all purpose is fine)

3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/3 cup walnut oil or canola oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

18 to 20 small-medium fresh figs, stemmed, and pureed in a food processor

Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting (recipe follows)

Garnish: 12 fresh fig halves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a small cup or bowl, whisk together soymilk and vinegar to make a vegan “buttermilk.” When it curdles, whisk again and set the mixture aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the soymilk mixture, oil, and vanilla extract. Stir just until all ingredients are well combined and no lumps remain. Stir in the fig puree until completely combined. Fill muffin cups no more than 3/4 full and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, and then remove cupcakes from tin. Place frosting in a pastry bag (mine came from the Dollar Tree!) fitted with a star-type tip, and pipe on top of cooled cupcakes in concentric circles, spiraling high. Top with a fresh fig half just before serving.

Vegan Lemon-Brandy Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup vegetable shortening

1/2 cup vegan butter

4 cups powdered sugar, divided

2 tablespoons soymilk (unsweetened or plain)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon brandy flavoring

Zest of 1/2 large lemon

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together shortening and vegan butter. With mixer on low, beat in half of powdered sugar and half of soymilk. Repeat. Beat in vanilla, brandy flavoring, and lemon zest, and then turn mixer to high and whip until creamy-fluffy.

August 14, 2013 by betsy

Guilty Pleasure: Earth Balance Vegan “Aged White Cheddar Flavored Puffs”

Earth Balance Aged White Cheddar Puffs Come on, admit it: every so often you find yourself fantasizing about cheese puffs. You do. I know you do!

A year or so ago, I heard a tantalizing rumor: that Earth Balance made a vegan cheese puff product. However, we are not always on the cutting edge of vegan culinary developments here in my beloved state and it wasn’t until this summer that I actually saw them in a display at The Heritage, our main health food store in Virginia Beach. (They are available at Whole Foods, and Organic Depot, as well as some health food markets.)

I had to exercise serious control to only purchase one bag. One bag (4 servings) that I devoured on the way home!

Is vegan junk food an oxymoron? In truth, these tasty puffs–admittedly a little homely looking–aren’t total junk. They don’t have tons of nutritional value, but they are vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, low-fat, absent of any trans-fat, and contain a little fiber and protein.

Do I eat them on a weekly basis? No! But will I occasionally indulge? You betcha!

August 13, 2013August 14, 2013 by betsy

Vegan 5-Ingredient Quesadillas with Garlic Hummus and Cucumber-Blueberry Salsa

DSCN1822

To call this quick-fix meal a recipe is a bit, of an overstatement. It is, perhaps better described as a “formula,” though that doesn’t sound awfully appetizing.

So, let’s just call it a terribly tasty “idea” that can be adapted in a multitude of ways in your kitchen.

I simply spread half of a sprouted grain tortilla with some homemade in-your-face garlic hummus that a friend of Joe’s sent home with him. Rich is an unlikely cook by some estimations, but a gifted one just the same; and he shares my appreciation for bold flavors, though he is scarcely vegan!

Next, I folded the tortilla over the filling, grilled it in a non-stick pan, and then folded it over again, topping it with the world’s easiest salsa, a dab of vegan sour cream, and a sprinkling of smoked paprika.

Here’s all you need for 1 fantastic Quesadilla (easily multiplies):

1-8 inch tortilla (I like Ezekial sprouted grain tortillas, available at health food stores and some grocery stores)

1/3 cup garlic hummus, homemade or prepared (or your favorite kind)

1/4 cup Cucumber-Blueberry Salsa (“recipe” follows)

Garnish: 1 tablespoon vegan sour cream and a sprinkle of smoked paprika

Spread half of tortilla with about 1/3 cup hummus. Fold tortilla over hummus and grill in a cast iron skillet sprayed with non-stick spray for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Fold over again, place on serving plate, top with Vegan Cucumber-Blueberry Salsa, a dollop of sour cream, and a spoonful of Cucumber-Blueberry Salsa. Serve immediately.

Vegan Cucumber-Blueberry Salsa

Combine equal parts diced cucumber (I use the pickling variety, but use what you like) and fresh rinsed and dried blueberries. Toss with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and garlic powder to taste. For best flavor, chill several hours or overnight before serving.

August 13, 2013August 13, 2013 by betsy

Vegan DIY Decor: Fashion Accessory Repurposed as Wall Art

As some of you may know, I am privileged to write a monthly column for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper called “DIY Decor.”

Always vegan, of course, these projects often involve repurposing items we all have in our homes. I don’t always post them here, as they aren’t always published by Pilotonline and, hence, there is nowhere to link to, but they did pick up THIS ONE and I think you might love it! (Click on the link or the image to go to the story for all the details and the how-to.)

It started with a necklace that a student gave me as a “thank you” at the end of the year. I love it, but it is bold and I will probably wear it infrequently, so it ended up as a piece of wall art that I also love for my “girl cave” (upstairs den). And, I can still access the necklace when I have just the right place to wear it.

Enjoy!

August 10, 2013August 15, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Sour Cream-Raspberry Ice Cream with White Chocolate Chips

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA At your farm market this morning, be sure to pick up a pint of raspberries for this luscious treat that is super simple to prepare.

Made with Tofutti Better than Sour Cream, it boasts the perfect sweet-tart balance with a consistency I describe as (vegan) butter, wrapped in (vegan) cream, wrapped in silk!

Team Tofutti loved it so much, they posted the recipe on their site, and you can quickly access it by clicking HERE.

Happy Summer Saturday!