August 14, 2011August 14, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Peaches-and-Cream Cupcakes/Cake with Peach Butter Whip Frosting

Yield: 12 regular size cupcakes (or a single 8-inch layer; double the recipe to make an 8-inch layer cake)

This cake has quite a provenance. When I baked the vegetarian version in 1997 for my friend Yvette’s birthday, she and her husband, Randy, both sophisticated foodies, pronounced it , “the best cake we’ve ever eaten.”

The next year, another good friend, Sonya Harmon, and I made it for our director at the Contemporary Art Center of VA, Barbara Bloemink’s, wedding. It was a huge hit, as guests weren’t taking dainty slices but hefty slabs.

And, finally, Sonya’s mother, Sandy, entered it in a church baking contest and won top honors. (We suspect the contest is a thinly-veiled excuse for the men of the church to eat lots of scrumptious cakes.) The cake is definitely a winner, but I don’t even remember from whence the original recipe hailed. I want to say Southern Living Magazine.

Why I haven’t made it in over a decade, I can’t imagine. And why I picked now, I’m not sure, except that I was watching “Cupcake Wars,” got excited about slightly out of the ordinary flavors, remembered this cake, and decided it was high time I veganize it. My dairy-free version is at least as good–and I think better–than the original. And, though I made it as cupcakes, feel free to double the recipe and make it as a layer cake.

When I made the vegetarian original, I “cheated” and used a Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe “French Vanilla” cake mix. The main difference between garden-variety “vanilla” and “French vanilla,” is a rich “eggy” taste, as well as a caramel-like depth of flavor with “floral notes.” So, I caramelized the sugar and used a real vanilla bean for this vegan rendition. Wow!

I suppose that making a cake with a dried peach filling at the height of peach season is almost blasphemous, so try it with fresh if you like; you just might need to “tighten up” the filling with a little cornstarch. Regardless of how you decide to fill it, it will quickly become a favorite.

Note: Make and chill the Vegan Chantilly Whipped Cream for the Vegan Peach Butter Whip Frosting the day before you plan to use it.

Vegan French Vanilla Cupcakes/Cake:

1 cup soymilk

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons soymilk

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour (if you want them to be more delicate, use unbleached all-purpose flour)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup canola oil

1 vanilla bean, split, and seeds scraped out with the sharp tip of a knife

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Dried Peach Filling (recipe follows)

Vegan Peach Butter Whip Frosting (recipe follows)

Optional Garnishes: a tiny slice of fresh peach and a mint leaf; a dot of Vegan Chantilly Whipped Cream and a lemon verbena or mint leaf; etc.

In a small bowl, whisk 1 cup of soymilk with vinegar and set aside to curdle. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a regular-size 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake papers. In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, stir sugar for 2-3 minutes or until it begins to look moist. Add the 2 tablespoons of soymilk and cook, stirring constantly, until creamy, heated through, and slightly more golden in color, about 2 more minutes. Set aside to cool. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients and make a well in the center. Add oil, vanilla bean seeds, and both extracts to the curdled soymilk and pour into the well. Whisk wet and dry ingredients together just until well-combined and no lumps remain. Divide batter evenly among cupcake papers; they should be about 2/3 full. Bake 20-22 minutes or until a pick inserted into the center of one of the cupcakes comes out clean. Remove cupcake tin to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then remove cupcakes from the tin and allow them to cool completely on the wire rack. When cupcakes are cool, top each with about 1/12 of the filling and frost with 1/12 of the frosting. I like to pipe it on in a spiral using a large star tip. Garnish as desired. If not serving immediately, or if there are leftovers, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers? What leftovers?

Dried Peach Filling:

1 3/4 cup dried peaches or peach pieces

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup natural sugar

2 tablespoons agave nectar or light corn syrup

Combine peaches and water in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, remove from the heat, and let stand 30 minutes or until peaches are soft. Add sugar and nectar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and gently simmer for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated (not all of the liquid or it will be too stiff). Remove from the heat and process the mixture until smooth. Cool.

Vegan Peach Butter Whip Frosting:

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons vegan butter, softened

1 pound powdered sugar

1 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup cashew Chantilly Whipped “Cream” (recipe follows)

4 tablespoons peach filling

Beat together at medium speed vegan butter, 1 cup powdered sugar, and vanilla and almond extracts until fluffy. Then add remaining powdered sugar alternately with Chantilly Whipped Cream, beating after each addition to combine well. Add peach puree and beat an addition minute and a half on high speed until the frosting is smooth, very fluffy and holds peaks.

Vegan Chantilly Whipped Cream

2 cups raw cashews, divided

1 1/4-1 1/2 cups water, divided

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons natural sugar or, for a lighter color, granulated or powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup raw cashews and water. Cover, and let sit for 8 hours or over night. (I like to begin the soaking process in the morning so that I can make the Cream in the evening and let it chill overnight before using.) Rinse and drain well. In the bowl of a food processor, combine soaked cashews, cashews, 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, sugar and vanilla. Process until very smooth, thick and creamy. Chill. Reserve remaining Chantilly Whipped Cream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another purpose.

For 150+ additional seasonal recipes not on this website, I invite you to explore The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

August 13, 2011 by betsy

The Blooming Platter Cookbook: August 16 Book-Signing at Barnes & Noble, VA Beach

Amelia, pictured here, may well be the youngest “Blooming Platterist,” and certainly the cutest!

This vivacious gal lives out of state, but her aunt and uncle live in our town. Known to her family, as “Little Chef,” she is visiting here this week, but will go home before the official book-signing next week.

So, tonight my husband and I happen to be hosting the 3rd annual “Happy Birthday Julia Child” potluck dinner party to which her aunt and uncle were invited. They aren’t able to attend because they don’t have a sitter–and it’s an “adult” party or we would welcome Amelia–but “Little Chef” wanted to make an appetizer, bring it by ahead of time, and have me sign her cookbook. How adorable is that?

I can’t wait to meet her and taste her creation!

And I’d love to meet/see you at the official book-signing. Here are all the details:

The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Book-signing and Discussion

Barnes & Noble Booksellers

4485 Virginia Beach Blvd, Virginia Beach, VA 23462, 757-671-2331

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

7 -8 p.m.

When the focus is seasonal, the flavor is sensational!

Hope to see you there!

~Betsy D.

August 13, 2011August 13, 2011 by betsy

And The Blooming Platter Winner of American Vegan Kitchen Cookbook Is…

…Babs!

Using www.random.org, Babs’ number came up, literally.

I’ve mentioned this site in relation to other give-aways, but if you aren’t familiar with it, I’d love to tell you about it. You simply go to the site and on the right hand side is a “True Random Number Generator” where you enter the beginning and ending numbers, in this case 1 and 28. I simply assigned a number to each comment, beginning with the first received. Then you click “Generate,” and up pops your randomly generated number. In this case it happened to be #14, right in the middle.

Thanks to ALL of you who entered. You are certainly one healthy comfort food-eating group of folks! I didn’t reply to your comments individually, as that would have added comments and thrown off the random numbering, but I read and appreciate every one.

If you would be so kind, please share my website with all of your like-minded friends. I post new recipes weekly–sometimes daily, especially in the summer–and, of course, offer give-aways from time to time.

Oh, and please remember my cookbook, The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes, as well. Of course, I’d be thrilled for you to purchase it. But times are tough. So, I’d love for you to request it at your local library as well.

Cheers!

August 12, 2011August 21, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Lima Bean Puree with Heirloom Tomato Sauce Rustica

Yield: 4-6 servings

Like so many of my recipes, this one was inspired by a visit to Stoney’s market, my go-to farm market, as it’s the closest to our home, the staff is very friendly and the atmosphere appealing, it’s open every day, and the produce, mostly grown across the street, is beautiful and delicious.

I purchased a bag of shelled Lima beans, but I just couldn’t get excited about eating them whole. So I thought of a puree, but the mild creaminess of the beans would need something to brighten them up in terms of color and flavor. For flavor, lemon zest and a little tarragon did the trick. For color–since red and green are complementary on the artist’s color wheel–a rustic heirloom tomato sauce seemed the perfect pairing. The end result is as pretty as a picture.

Lima Bean Puree:

1 1/4 pounds of shelled fresh beans (not dried), rinsed and drained

2 generous teaspoons powdered veggie base or bouillon cubes

Pinch sea salt

1/3-1/2 cup water in which beans were cooked

1 large clove garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 tablespoon fresh minced

Zest of 1 large lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

Place beans in a 2-quart saucepan and barely cover with water. Add veggie base and salt. Loosely cover and place over medium-high heat. When simmering, reduce heat to a low simmer and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain beans reserving 1/2 cup liquid (and the remainder for another purpose). In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade process beans with 1/3-1/2 cup reserved liquid, salt, garlic, and olive oil until smooth. Add tarragon and lemon zest and pulse a few times. Check for seasoning and adjust with additional sea salt, if needed, and black pepper. Reheat in the microwave if necessary. Note: After the leftover puree sat in the refrigerator over night, it stiffened considerably. So, I incorporated some of the reserved bean liquid into the puree to restore its creaminess before reheating.

Tomato Sauce Rustica:

You can be very “approximate” with these measurements, as you can’t go wrong!

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium tomatoes (preferably heirloom), cut into 1/4-inch dice

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

Pinch sea salt

2 tablespoons white wine

2 tablespoons snipped chives

In a large skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add tomatoes, garlic and a pinch of salt and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or until tomatoes are softened and garlic begins to turn golden. Reduce heat if necessary. Add wine and simmer 2-3 more minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in chives and remove from heat. Serve warm over warm Lima bean puree.

For 150+ additional seasonal recipes not on this website, I invite you to explore The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

August 8, 2011August 8, 2011 by betsy

VegWeb Offers 2nd Blooming Platter Cookbook Give-Away

I was so flattered to learn that VegWeb Weekly is offering a second give-away of a signed copy of The Blooming Platter Cookbook!

And I was ever more flattered to read what their Web Master had to say about it:

“Sometimes a person has to look outside of VegWeb for a recipe. I know, it’s scary, but true. Luckily for us, there are about a million amazing vegan cookbooks out there! One of my latest favorites is The Blooming Platter by Betsy DiJulio. Filled with recipes like Southwestern Tempeh and Corn Pie, Blooming Vegetable Calzones, and Spicy Baja Tacos, it’ll have you full until next winter! Besides, it totally needs its own category in Cookbook Lab, and I think you’re just the person to start it!”

If you are subscriber to the food-filled VegWeb Weekly, enter to win! But hurry, the contest ends on Tuesday, August 9, 2011. As of August 3, nearly 40 people had entered!

If you’re not a subscriber, I’m sure you would enjoy it. However, there probably isn’t enough time to be “approved” and enter by the 9th. But you could try!

August 7, 2011August 7, 2011 by betsy

Niven Family Wines Should Be On Your Vegan Table Alongside Your Blooming Platter!!

A special part of the book-signing dinner for The Blooming Platter Cookbook in San Francisco last month was a really fun wine reception, as well as different wine pairings for each course of the fabulous meal at Millennium Restaurant.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — A Sea of Wine Glasses Shimmered on the Table

Made possible by John and Yvonne Niven, our co-host, Yvette Hetrick’s parents, the 5 labels that were served before and during the dinner comprise what are known as the Niven Family Wines. The business is a multi-generational boutique affair nestled into Edna Valley near San Luis Obisbo in the central coast of California. Committed to ensuring that these vineyards will remain for the enjoyment of generations to come, the Niven Family Wines proudly bear “SIP” certification (Sustainability in Practice).

There are hundreds of great wines out there. But, more and more, I’m interested in wines with a story. And the Niven story is one I embrace. Plus, what they offer truly is great wine made by great people.

All five labels hail from a single estate in what the owners describe as “an extreme range of wines…in a wide array of carefully focused styles.” Here’s a quick run-down:

Baileyana–Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Syrah from the Firepeak Vineyard

Tangent–like the name implies, alternative white varietals–“a niche and purpose driven wine with all these cool, funky alternative white wines” (sauvignon blanc, pinot gris, albariño, pinot blanc, ecclestone, viognier, riesling, and grenache blanc)

Zocker–Grüner Veltliner (at the time of this post, Riesling is coming soon)

Trenza–Spanish-inspired new world blends (Tinto, Blanco, and Roado)

Cadre–Pinot Noir (from the South Central Coast)

Overall, the wines are very affordable (well under $20), even without the club price. Baileyana runs between $23-27 and, at around $50, Cadre is the priciest.

Baileyana and Tangent are probably the best known, but that shouldn’t stop you from sampling the others. I’ve been a fan of Baileyana Chardonnay since Yvette had a case sent to my 40th birthday party at Prospect Hill B&B in Charlottesville, VA. But Zocker is only one of my many new favorites.

To learn much more as well as to order any of the wines, visit the beautiful Niven Family Wine Estates website where each label has its own distinctive home page and a simple ordering process, along with wine club offers.

And for a really informative and fun overview about these wines, check out Wine Country This Week Magazine.

Below is a photo of the Niven Family Estate Wine Tasting Room located in a 1909 schoolhouse in Edna Valley near San Luis Obisbo in the central coast region of CA. For Yvette’s 40th birthday a few years ago, which included a tour of the vineyards, we enjoyed lunch under tents set up on the front lawn.

August 6, 2011August 6, 2011 by betsy

Cookbook Give-Away: American Vegan Kitchen

In a “down” economy, what’s better than something entirely free?

Nothing! Especially if that something is of high quality and full of delicious recipes for American comfort food like Tamasin Noyes’ American Vegan Kitchen. And who couldn’t use some comfort about now?

Tamasin is a fellow Vegan Heritage Press author and it is my pleasure to offer this give-away of her cookbook. If that cheesecake photo on the cover alone doesn’t make you want to own this book, there are lots more reasons inside.

So, come along and enter to win this bit of comfort between two covers. It couldn’t be easier. All you need to do is comment to this post by Friday, August 12, 2011, at midnight with YOUR favorite summertime vegan comfort food. I thought that would be fun because it combines the seasonal emphasis of The Blooming Platter Cookbook with Tamasin’s emphasis on comfort food classics.

Share with your friends on FB and otherwise, and next Saturday I will salute the lucky winner!

August 5, 2011 by betsy

Visit to VegNews Magazine Headquarters

Today, when I received my August e-issue of VegNews Magazine’s “VegNewsletter”–both are upbeat and informative veg lifestyle publications–I was reminded that I wanted to share a little snippet of my visit to the VegNews headquarters when I was in San Francisco for The Blooming Platter Cookbook signing dinner at Millennium Restaurant.

Editor, Colleen Holland, had invited me to stop by on the afternoon of the dinner, and she and and publisher, Joe Connelly, were so hospitable when they welcomed me to the relatively new home (just 8 months old) of VegNews Magazine. It was such a treat to be able to chat with them about all of our work and take a tour of the offices just before they had to slip into a design meeting.

Located in the colorful Mission District on the second floor of a commercial building, the space is light and airy. Throughout the color scheme is black and white with energizing pops of red as you see in the photo. By no means, plush, the feel is pleasantly minimal, fresh and modern.

I was so glad to know that the good folks at VegNews have a lovely space in which to do the important work that they do. Let’s all support them as they continue to grow with their positive veg message!

The only downside to the visit was that after my good friend and host picked me up, we rounded the corner and a sweet older man decided to switch lanes, running right into us. And us with a book-signing dinner just two hours away! We were all going very slow and were all okay, so no harm, no foul. Whew!

July 31, 2011July 31, 2011 by betsy

Vegan Spicy Chickpeas Romesco a la Ubuntu Restaurant

Yield: 4 servings

The fun and delicious vegan food continued to flow in California after The Blooming Platter Cookbook book-signing dinner at Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco.

The next morning, our host Yvette Hetrick, her husband Randy, my husband Joe, and I took a TRX class at the TRX Training Center and then headed to the Napa Valley for two nights at Auberge du Soleil (think yoga each morning in The Pagode that looked out over the terraced vineyards), a belated “milestone birthday” celebration for grateful me.

For Saturday night’s dinner, Yvette had made reservations at Ubuntu, a 1 Michelin starred vegetarian restaurant in the town of Napa. So amidst a chorus of teasing from our husbands, we set off to find this mecca of plant-based cuisine. And it turns out that all of us–even the guys–were glad we did.

A warm and energetic ambiance in a converted warehouse space provided the context for our stellar meal of one tapas style dish after another, most made with produce and herbs from the restaurant’s organic garden. All of the vegetarian dishes on the menu can be prepared vegan, so I went vegan while the others opted for some cheese.

One of the vegan dishes that was a favorite of all of ours was not on the menu, but we eyed it on some other diners’ table. Happily, we were told that it was considered a bar snack but that we were welcome to order it, so order we did. These chickpeas with Romesco Sauce were so delicious–tender chickpeas in a silken, vibrant sauce perfect for “sopping” with a little bread–that we ended up ordering them again later in the meal.

Back here at home in Virginia, I was fantasizing about that Romesco Sauce, among many other dishes from our tantalizing meal at Ubuntu. So first, I created my new Golden Grape Tomato Tart with Spinach Pesto and Spicy Romesco Sauce. Afterwards, with leftover Romesco Sauce in the fridge, I decided to try the dish that inspired it all. The key to this dish, in addition to the livelyRomesco, is the drizzle of olive oil at the finish. By all means, if you’re fortunate enough to have an opportunity to dine at Ubuntu, do! But if not–or in between visits–I hope my dish will tide you over.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice

Pinch sea salt

1 medium tomato (preferably an heirloom), cut into 1/4-inch dice (a generous half-cup)

1-2 large cloves garlic, minced

1-15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup Romesco Sauce

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

Garnish: a drizzle of fruity olive oil, olives and cilantro sprigs

In a large cast iron skillet over medium-high, heat olive oil to shimmering. Add onion and saute, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until softened. Cook another minute or two if you want a little color to develop. Add tomato and garlic and cook down, stirring frequently, for another 3 minutes, or until tomato juices release and start to evaporate. Add Chick peas and heat through, followed by Romesco sauce and smoked paprika. Cook until mixture is hot through and thickened. Check for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed. Serve drizzled with olive oil–it adds just the right finish to the dish in taste, texture and appearance–and garnished with olives and cilantro.

July 29, 2011August 13, 2014 by betsy

Vegan Thai-Fusion Beet Sushi with Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo

Yield: approximately 12 pieces of sushi

With beets in the fridge and an ever-present craving for Thai food, I decided to “bring” this dish to An Unrefined Vegan’s weekly Vegan LINKY Potluck 7 today.

My husband, “a vegan and more” as he likes to call himself, is wild for sushi. Many are the times I’ve sat and sipped miso soup, sake, and hot green tea while he satiates himself on huge platters of the stuff.

I think it is absolutely beautiful. The colors and presentations are beyond reproach. It’s just the death and dying aspect I have issues with.

So, being a huge fan of beets and able to buy them fresh and local this summer, I was trimming some one day when I had an “ah-ha” moment. It suddenly occurred to me that thin translucent slices of beet were reminiscent of raw fish flesh and that, perhaps, if I simmered them in some seaweed brine, they might also have a pleasant taste of the sea. And they did!

For some reason, my taste buds were telling me to go with a Thai-fusion approach, so I created a mayo–more often served in hand rolls than on sushi per se–tingly with typical Thai tastes. As the base, I decided on a sticky coconut rice. The combination of tastes and textures is as delicious as it is beautiful. I’m so excited to share this stunning dish with you!

Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo:

Note: you may have more than you need, but save it for another purpose or for extra dipping, as working with smaller amounts is a little tedious in the measuring department. Also, I refrigerated my sushi for a few hours before serving, which is why it turned pink. It starts out more of a pale creamy color with flecks of green.

3 tablespoons vegan mayo

1 teaspoon Thai chili sauce

1 teaspoon vegan fish sauce

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 medium garlic clove, minced

1/2 teaspoon grated ginger (about a 3/4-inch piece peeled and grated)

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until needed.

Coconut Sticky Rice:

1 cup jasmine rice

1-15 ounce can thick coconut milk (not the sweet “Cream of Coconut)

Pinch of sea salt

2 tablespoons vegan fish sauce (sold as vegetarian fish sauce at Asian markets)

Combine rice, coconut milk, and sea salt in a loosely-covered 2-quart saucepan (I like a non-stick for this) and place over medium-high heat. When mixture comes to a simmer, reduce heat to medium or a bare simmer and cook, stirring frequently (or it will scorch on the bottom!), for about 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice appears moist and sticky. Removed from heat, stir in vegan fish sauce, and set aside to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile, cook beets.

Beets:

2 cups water

1/4 cup dulse flakes (red seaweed flakes)

Pinch sea salt

Approximately 3 medium beets, peeled, and thinly sliced into whatever shape/size you desire to sit nicely atop their rice bases (I halved them lengthwise, placed the flat side down, and then thinly sliced them).

In a 1-quart saucepan, stir together water, dulse flakes, and sea salt. Add beets, cover loosely, and place over medium-high heat. Simmer gently, reducing heat if necessary, just until beets are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain, but avoid rinsing. Some of the dulse may adhere to a few of the slices and, if so, just brush off with your fingers rather than rinsing. Let cool to room temperature.

Assembly:

Scoop up palm-size balls of rice (about 1/12 of the total amount) and squeeze firmly in your palm, shaping into a “log” about 2 1/2 inches long and about 3/4 to 1-inch tall. Place on a work surface, spread with about 1/2 teaspoon of the Vegan Thai Chili-Garlic-Ginger Mayo, and top with beets, however many slices cover the top nicely. I like to slightly overlap 3 small slices so that the sushi can be eaten in several bites. Transfer to a serving platter or plates. Repeat with remaining ingredients and garnish platter or plates as desired.

Optional garnishes:

Whatever you have and/or think would be pretty is what you should use! I used dabs of spinach pesto because green is so pretty with the color of the beets (but dabs of a mint or cilantro chutney or mint/cilantro oil squeezed into decorative lines would be nice too), cilantro sprigs (but Thai basil or mint would be lovely), and cashews (though chopped peanuts would be appropriate too).