July 27, 2013July 18, 2015 by betsy

Vegan Peachy Pink Lemonade Ice Cream

Yield: 1 1/2 quarts

Down here visiting my family in muggy Mississippi, all thoughts turn to ice cream. So I remembered that this was another new recipe that I hadn’t posted before I left home. If you come home from your farm market trip with fresh peaches, you are just two ingredients away from having all you need to make this beautiful treat!

This tart, refreshing ice cream is bridal peachy-pink and just as fresh and appealing. Made with just three simple ingredients, it is most delicious when peaches are at their peak of juicy and flavorful freshness.

2 large peaches, pitted, quartered, and cut into chunks (I leave the skin on for gorgeous color and nutrition)

1-12 ounce can frozen pink lemonade (I am not averse to the occasional ingestion of high fructose corn syrup but, if you are, look for an organic brand which will be HFC-free.)

2 cups vegan soy creamer (I used French vanilla, but if you use plain, add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)

In the bowl of a food processor, process peaches and frozen lemonade until smooth with no chunks of peach remaining. Transfer to a medium bowl and whisk in soy creamer. (If you try to blend all three ingredients together in most food processors, your cup will runneth over!) Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or until very cold. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. Because this custard isn’t terribly thick, I freeze it about 15 minutes longer than recommended, or about 45 minutes, and it is still the consistency of a thick milk shake. Though I could easily down the whole recipe like that, I resist and freeze it, covered, for several hours or overnight to stiffen-up to a scoopable consistency. Even frozen, it remains on the softer side, which I love. And, as you can tell from the photo, it still scoops beautifully.

July 26, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Basil-Blueberry and Lemon Curd Ice Cream (with Lemonade Cooler Option)

Yield: approximately 5 cups of ice cream

I have SO many recipes to post, but we had a dog drama with Huff the Dorito Dog on Wedensday (he is going to be fine), and yesterday, I was travelling to visit my family in MS. When I opened the fridge today, I saw TONS of fresh blueberries that my (85 year old) father and sister had picked at a good friend’s house, so I thought I would start with this refreshing treat!

This deliciously different ice cream was born of fresh blueberries from the farmer’s market, a healthy crop of basil growing in a pot just outside our door, and some of Bryanna Clark Grogan’s ingenious Vegan Lemon Curd leftover from a cookie baking session.

Complex, but not muddy in flavor, this ice cream epitomizes summer with the floral notes of the basil, the earthy sweetness of the blueberries and the subtle citrus undertones of the lemon curd. Not as tangy as a pure lemon ice cream, if it’s that tartness you seek, I highly recommend that you top the ice cream with a splash of lemonade for a refreshing and zippy cooler.

And, if you think the basil seems odd, feel free to leave it out, but I think it adds a very special quality. With or without the basil, please enjoy!

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder (thickens witout crystallization)

1 cup unsweeteened soymilk

2 cups soy creamer

1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup Bryanna’s Lemon Curd

1/3 cup natural sugar

Pinch sea salt

2-6 to 8 inch stems basil leaves, rinsed and patted dry

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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 and soycreamer, and cook over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Remove it from the heat and immediately whisk in arrowroot cream causing the mixture to thicken considerably. Pour into a medium bowl, add stems of basil, cool the custard to room temperature and then remove basil, using your fingers to scrape off the custard clinging to the basil. Process blueberries, lemon curd, sugar, and sea salt in the bowl of a food processor until smooth; flecks of blueberry skin will remain. Whisk into custard, along with vanilla, cover, and chill for at least 3 hours. Freeze in an electric ice cream maker (mine is a Cuisinart) according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve immediately or freeze, covered, to allow ice cream to stiffen.

Lemonade Cooler

For each serving, place 2 scoops of ice cream in a stemmed glass, pour about 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemonade over the top(I use a reduced calorie variety), garnish the side of the glass with a lemon slice, and serve with a straw and long-handled spoon.

July 22, 2013July 22, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Eggplant Stack with White Beans in Beet Greens Pesto and Grilled Zucchini-Rosemary Salsa

I love teaching, but I also love summer when I can treat myself (and sometimes other teacher friends also on summer break) to lunches like this!

Don’t get me wrong: our cafeteria manager goes out of her way to make sure I have nutritious, fresh food to enjoy every day (usually, hummus with lots of raw veggies, or creamy baked sweet potatoes and cooked greens). But I’ve never seen anything like my Eggplant Stack in the lunchroom!

Born of ingredients from the farmer’s market, along with some white beans, this recipe is one that is scrumptious as is, but can be adapted a million different ways. My baked breaded eggplant is the base for your own imagination to take flight.

The trick to uniformly golden brown breaded eggplant slices that require no egg wash and no frying is a light coat of vegan mayo in place of the wash (which also adds great flavor!), and breadcrumbs that are toasted stovetop before being adhered to the eggplant. This America’s Test Kitchen trick prevents the eggplant from getting done before the coating gets brown enough.

If you prepare it as pictured, the key to this dish is to have my Beet Green and Roasted Almond Pesto and my Zucchini-Rosemary Salsa (recipe follows) made athead so the dish goes together quickly. Although, you have a half hour while the eggplant bakes to make the pesto and salsa if need be.

*2-8 inch eggplants, ends trimmed, sliced into 1/3-inch slices (approximately 8 slices total, 2 to 3 per person)

3 to 4 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise (about 2 teaspoons per slice )

Approximately 2 cups Panko bread crumbs, toasted in a dry skillet for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, or until golden brown, and transferred to a shallow bowl or cake pan

1/2 cup diced yellow or red onion

2-15.5 ounce cans white beans, rinsed and drained

Sea salt

1/4 cup Beet Green Pesto

Approximately 1 cup Zucchni-Rosemary Salsa (recipe follows)

Garnish: basil or rosemary sprigs

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. *Taste a little of the raw eggplant and, if bitter, lightly salt the both sides of the slices and arrange them on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and pat the eggplant dry. Also rinse and dry the baking sheet, and either line it with Silpat or coat it well with non-stick cookng spray. Arrange the eggplant slices on the sheet, an inch or so apart. Spread about 1 teaspoon of vegan mayo on tops of all eggplant slices, and then place each, mayo-side down, in bowl of crumbs, pressing crumbs gently to adhere, and patting on more crumbs if desired. Place crumb-side down on baking sheet. Repeat with more mayo and crumb son opposite sides. Spray tops of eggplant lightly with non-stick spray and bake approximately 30 minutes. Cover loosely with foil if they start to get too brown.

While eggplant cooks, heat olive oil in large cast iron skillet over medium-high. Add onion and a pinch of salt, and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until softened. Add beans, stir to combine well, and heat through. Add Beet Green Pesto, and do the same. To serve, place two to three eggplant slices on each serving plate, top with 1/4th of the beans, dividing between slices, and then with 1/4th of the Zucchini-Rosemary Salsa. Delicious served warm or at room temperature. Garnish with a sprig of basil or, to stay truest to the dish, rosemary.

Grilled Zucchini-Rosemary Salsa

This quick and breezy Mediterranean-flavored salsa is the embodiment of summer and made entirely from a very few ingredients almost entirely gathered up at my go-to farm stand.

Besides topping the Eggplant Stack, I recommend it over pasta or simply served on crostini as a kind of bruschetta or with pita chips.

2-6 inch zucchini sliced lengthwise into quarters

Sea salt

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary

16 cherry tomatoes, quartered (cut smaller if your tomatoes are larger than cherries)

1/3 cup finely diced yellow or red onion

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Plenty of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Optional: pinch red pepper flakes

Oil a grill pan and heat over medium-high. Lightly salt zucchini and lay in pan, grilling two to three minutes on each side or until nice grill marks develop and zucchini is crisp-tender. Cool just until it is easily handled, and then dice. Combine zucchini and all remaining ingredients in a non-reactive bowl, being sure to add garlic and fresh rosemary to the grilled zucchini while it is still warm, and toss gently to completely combine. Serve immediately or chill, covered until serving time.

July 21, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Lemon Verbena Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Vegan Lemon Curd Filling

These Lemon Verbena Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Vegan Lemon Curd Filling were quite a hit, with men and women alike, at a recent potluck garden party. A buzz spread through the party as one guest tried them and passed the word. I happily took home an empty platter!

The cookies are simple, but very special in appearance and flavor. The shortbread recipe is from my Blooming Platter Cookbook (copyright© 2011, Vegan Heritage Press; used by permission). And the ingenious Vegan Lemon Curd is from my friend and fellow vegan cookbook author/blogger, Bryanna Clark Grogan. The secret ingredient that replaces the eggs in the curd is, believe it or not, the lowly parsnip! You won’t believe how perfectly parsnips make this curd mimic its dairy cousin. (The lemon verbena leaves fleck the cookies with green, so if you prefer a matching green filling, Bryanna’s recipe easily adapts to lime curd for a lemon-lime version of this sandwich cookie.)

If you don’t have lemon verbena growing in our garden, you should! But if it isn’t available, you can substitute lemon zest, I’m just not sure how much, but I would start with the zest of one large lemon and taste. Remember, vegan cookies contain no eggs, so taste away. You can also substitute fresh lemon juice for the water for a zippier cookie. However, nothing quite duplicates the earthy, herby, citrusy goodness of lemon verbena.

Thanks to One Green Planet for publishing my Lemon Verbena Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Vegan Lemon Curd Filling!

July 20, 2013July 20, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Beet Green and Roasted Almond Pesto–A Tantalizing Twist on a Summer Standby

If Basil Pesto is a favorite summer standby, you will love this refreshing twist made with beet greens!

But don’t let the word “greens” fool you. The color ends up quite appealingly dark with reddish undertones very much like an olive paste. Why? Here’s your art lesson for the day: a color (like green from the leaves) when combined with its complement directly opposite on the color wheel (in this case, red from the stems), will produce a neutral.

colour-wheel-complementary-colours

You can, of course, use this zippy pesto tossed with pasta or spooned over polenta. But it has an assertive pungent, and utterly delicious flavor that lends itself to small bites like bruschetta. A little stirred into or spooned on top of mashed white beans or chick peas on grilled or toasted ciabatta bread would be divine. It is also the perfect nosh spooned over hummus, prepared or homemade, and served with pita triangles or chips.

It is also a key ingredient in my Eggplant Stack with White Beans in Beet Green Pesto and Zucchini-Rosemary Salsa.

But that’s just for starters. I would love to know how YOU enjoy it!

1 bunch beet greens (greens plus about 3 inches of the stems), rinsed and patted dry (I use the greens from a bunch of 7 to 8 beets about 2 to 3 inches in diameter

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

1/2 cup roasted almonds

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of 1/2 large lemon

1 tablespoon tamarind syrup (sold in Middle Eastern Markets, but if you can’t find it, substitute pomegranate syrup or even maple syrup)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Cut greens roughly into thirds (I use kitchen shears) and place in food processor with garlic. Pulse until finely chopped. Add almonds and continue pulsing until very finely chopped. Then, with motor running, stream in olive oil, lemon juice and tamarind syrup. Turn motor off, check for seasoning, and add salt and pepper to taste, pulsing a few more times just to combine. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

July 19, 2013July 19, 2013 by betsy

Vegan Beet Bolognese–Mama-Mia!

Yield: 8 servings

I love beets! Roasted, in salads, in my “famous” Beet Muhummara…you name it, I love me some beets!

And they have been beet-iful at the farmer’s market lately. I bought a bunch recently–again–but wanted to do something new with them. I’m not sure why it occurred to me, but I wondered about a pasta sauce, like a Bolognese. So I searched online, and found a vegan version, but mine is substantially different and, after a little more research, seems more true to the original…without the meat, of course.

A little chopping is involved, but the recipe goes together quickly and easily and it is well worth it. Most of the time is hands-free while the sauce simmers.

The optional miso, nutritional yeast, and Liquid Aminos, granted, are hardly traditional, but they add a depth of flavor. Though they aren’t entirely necessary for a satisfying dish, if you have them on hand, I would definitely use them.

Two other tips: be sure to cook the sauce the full 4o minutes, and avoid omitting the non-dairy milk at the end, as it lightens and mellows the sauce just perfectly.

Otherwise, enjoy over your favorite pasta, including the new Shiratake noodles–very low cal–or cooked zucchini ribbons! The color is stunning, not to mention the flavor!

A foodie friend claimed that her husband “who never swoons over food” did…all while tasting it cold out of the carton standing over the sink! But they really loved it heated over pasta as did my Italian friend–another foodie in her own right–who spooned hers over Orecchiette. None of these folks, by the way, are vegan (though two are vegetarian)!

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

Sea salt

1 small carrot, peeled and diced

1 rib of celery, quartered lengthwise and diced

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf, halved

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 sprig fresh thyme, rinsed (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)

8 ounces vegan ground beef substitute, thawed if frozen (I used Boca Veggie Crumbles; note: if your product is not already browned, brown in a little oil and remove from skillet before beginning recipe. If you aren’t a fan of vegan meat substitutes, consider 8 ounces of cooked lentils, maybe some nice red ones.)

1/2 pound beets, peeled and processed in a food processor until almost a paste

14 ounce can fire roasted diced tomatoes, including juice

1 cup red wine (I used a Bordeaux)

1 teaspoon natural sugar

Optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Optional: 1 teaspoon Liquid Aminos

Optional: 1 tablespoon light miso

1/4 cup tightly-packed fresh basil leaves, washed

Optional garnishes: a sprinkling of nutritional yeast and a pinch of red pepper flakes

1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk (or other unsweetened non-dairy milk)
In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat the olive oil, add the onion, and a pinch of sea salt. Saute, stirring frequently for 2 minutes. Repeat this procedure with the carrot followed by the celery. Add the garlic and saute, stirring, 1 minute. Season to taste with more salt and with some pepper. Stir in remaining ingredients except soymilk. Simmer, lowering heat if necessary, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove and discard the thyme sprig and bay leaves, stir in the soymilk, heat through, and turn off heat to allow sauce to rest for a few minutes before serving over cooked pasta garnished as desired.

July 19, 2013 by betsy

MealsApp is “Good Nutrition in Your Pocket” Created by a Vegetarian!

Recently I had the opportunity to conduct an e-interview with Bellatrix Martinez, co-creator of MealsApp. And I wanted to share this new nutrition tool with all of you:

TBP: Will you share a little something about your background?

BM: My background is in design and my co-founder’s background is in software development and mathematics. We have always been highly intrigued by nutrition. We follow the quantify self movement and we enjoy measuring what we put into our bodies. This year we embraced the challenge of creating MealsApp.

TBP: What exactly is MealsApp and why do Blooming Platter readers need to know about it?

BM: MealsApp is good nutrition in your pocket. We help people improve their nutrition habits. Blooming Platter readers will love MealsApp because it is all about nutrition. We guide, educate and give advice to those who are interested in improving their diet.

TBP: What prompted you to take off on this adventure?

BM: I have personally always been linked to nutrition or nutrition problems. My father suffered from a stroke a couple of years ago due to following a diet that was not right for his condition. Being a vegetarian I have always been intrigued by the kinds of food I select to be part of my menu. “Am I eating what I need since I am a Vegetarian?” was something I asked myself constantly. “Will I run into some nutrition problems because of being a vegetarian?” These were some of the questions I always had. When traveling it was very hard for me to keep track of the food choices I was making, and I ended up always feeling very weak and sick. I knew technology could help me and other people that might be having the same problems.

TBP: What is your ultimate goal or “dream vision” for this project?BM: Help people. We want users to learn and follow a balanced and healthy menu. We want people to benefit from their nutrition, not get sick because of it. We have had users who suffer from a dietary disease find benefit in MealsApp; I have to say there is nothing more rewarding than that.

TBP: What else do Blooming Platter readers need to know about MealsApp that I haven’t asked?

MealsApp is available in the AppStore and it is free to download. We now have more than 15,000 users that have trusted us tracking more than 43,000 meals in our system. Since we started building MealsApp we have been working with a team of Registered Dietitians who have taken us deep in their process, sharing their knowledge with the purpose of reaching thousands of people who might need their help. We would love to include a couple of links to our site and to the app download page: Website and Download

TBP: Thanks, Bellatrix and best wishes!

July 14, 2013July 14, 2013 by betsy

Vegansprout.com Takes Root

Thanks to Allison Nordahl and her software developer husband, creators of Vegansprout.com, it is now easier than ever to “root out” the 411 on vegan cookbooks, recipes and products (including, uh-hum, The Blooming Platter Cookbook)!

Read and write reviews to make informed purchasing decisions and help others do the same.

I would have loved to interview Allison, but I didn’t want to ask her to answer the same questions that she answered so completely HERE on Tastespace, so just click the link and read all the skinny.

Congrats, Allison, on your “growing” endeavor and thanks for including The Blooming Platter on Sprout!

July 14, 2013 by betsy

Delicious TV’s “Vegan Mash-Up”

Typically on Sundays from noon to 1 p.m. on our public radio station, WHRV-FM, I listen to “America’s Test Kitchen Radio” from the good folks at Cook’s Illustrated…you know, Christopher Kimball, Bridgett, et al. The shows (radio/TV) and magazine are hardly vegan, but I have learned so much about the science of cooking from them, as they are completely maniacal recipe testers. I consider them the authorities on most things culinary.

However, today when I flipped on the radio, I was met with a rebroadcast of “Prairie Home Companion. I love Garrison Keilor, but that was not what I was looking for and I’m not sure why the program was dropped. Forlorn, I turned on the TV to rest for the hour before our 1 p.m. dance class. I dialed through a few channels, ultimately landing on Create TV. When a door closes a window is thrown open…I was rewarded with a program I previously knew nothing about: the first season of Delicious TV’s “Vegan Mash-Up”!

I encourage you to consult your local station guide to see if you can access Create TV. And, if so, click HERE to find out when “Vegan Mash-Up” airs. You won’t be disappointed! And in the meantime, you can read about DTVs work (TV/DVDs/Cookbooks/Recipes and more) HERE.

You can also support their efforts by donating through their website or via their Kickstarter campaign.

How utterly delicious is that?

July 14, 2013July 14, 2013 by betsy

Vegan J-41 “Seabreeze” Sport Sandals–Jeeps are For Girls (on the Go)!

If you are a frequent reader, you know three things about me: I’m vegan, I love fashion, and I love to walk/hike! If you share these passions, read on!

You may recall that last July, I literally stumbled upon J-41 vegan sandals at our local Off Broadway Shoe Store just in time for my annual hiking jaunt in August with Cousin Earl.

You may also recall that I lost both toenails (ouch!) prior to that on a 9 mile hike with my pal, Katherine Jackson, in the Dismal Swamp. I was wearing my nice lace-up athletic shoes, but I was wearing them with my husband’s cotton socks to keep ticks and such off my ankles. Bad move! The socks absorbed moisture from the wet grass through the mesh of my shoes, not to mention the sweat (sorry!) from my feet. The cotton expanded and made my shoes fit too tight, rubbing for hours on my toes, which actually didn’t hurt until afterwards.

So, last year, I was looking for open-toed sport sandals–I wanted nothing touching my toenails!–and the ones in the link above fit the bill perfectly. Plus, I loved the girlie flowers on them which, as it happens, matches this year’s Tiffany blue toenail polish. However, I have flat worn those sandals out! I am still wearing them, but am in desperate need of a new pair.

In the market for a replacement today with this lots more walking and hiking on tap for this summer (including a trip with Earl again this August), I decided I wanted another sport sandal, but something with a closed toe to protect my newly grown back toenails (it took a full year as I was warned it would!).

The shoes had to be vegan, close-toed but open on the sides, breathable, stylish, and, hopefully, orange, this year’s fashion color. So back to J-41 I went and was rewarded with this pair of “Seabreeze” sport sandals in coral and cream on sale for $39.99 at Boscov’s online, a $50 discount! The shipping was hefty at almost $10, but the price was still far better than most of these non-vegan sandals (like Keen, Merrel, and Teva) which run in the $70-90+ range before any shipping is added.

I can hardly wait to kick-it in my new J-41s!