by betsy

Vegan Thai Rice Noodle, Plum and Shitake Salad

Yield: 6-8 servings

Inspired by the gift of tiny sweet plums from Mike, a friend of our dance teacher Diane’s, this cool, light and refreshing Thai-inspired salad is a feast for the senses. (If you don’t have access to plums, you can substitute grape tomatoes for a similar color and texture and slightly different–but still delicious–flavor.)

For this recipe and some 170+ more,
I invite you to purchase my first cookbook:

The Blooming Platter:
A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes

Vegan Heritage Press
Spring 2011

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by betsy

Vegan TFLC Cookies (Tea-Infused Five-Spice Lime-Scented Chocolate Cookies)

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

This is the second iteration of what has become an incredibly adaptable “chewy chocolate cookie.”  Actually, it’s the third version because the first was a “veganization” of a recipe from Cook’s Illustrated.

This one was inspired by a group I chaired during the 2010-2011 school year: The Teacher Forum Leadership Council (TFLC).  I had wanted to create “TFLC Cookies” as favors for our end-of-year dinner, but simply didn’t have time.  So this recipe is a posthumous tribute to a group of teachers–and even a few administrators–who selflessly volunteer their time to further the mission of the Virginia Beach City Public Schools, especially through the presentation of a National Speakers Series and follow-up workshops.  I was so impressed all year by how these men and women never expected someone else to do the work; they always stepped up to shoulder their share of the responsibility with good humor and good will.

It was a little tricky coming up with ingredients whose names began with each letter in the organization’s name and tasted good together.  But my friend Sheila Giolitti, quite a foodie herself, tasted one recently and proclaimed that TFLC Cookies should definitely be in Volume II of The Blooming Platter Cookbook.  I hope you agree.

2 limes, zested (set zest aside)
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (warm limes for about 10 seconds in the microwave and then gently roll on the counter in order to extract the most juice)
4 tea bags (I like an Earl Gray or an English Breakfast, but experiment!)
1 cup vegan butter, room temperature (I like Earth Balance)
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups natural sugar plus 1 cup for coating
1 cup pure cane syrup or, if you dare, dark corn syrup
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour (or white whole wheat; my favorite white flour substitution)
1 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter)
1-2 teaspoons Five Spice Powder (or more to taste; I like a pronounced flavor that still makes people wonder exactly what it is)
8-9 ounces vegan semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

Line two cookie sheets with Silpats or parchment paper and set aside. In a small bowl or cup, place the lime juice and tea bags.  Heat them for about 1-2 minutes in the microwave and then set aside to steep for 2 minutes.  Squeeze bags firmly without breaking them to extract all of the tea flavor.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, place butter, oil, and 1 1/3 cup sugar.  Reserve remaining 1 cup sugar. At medium to medium-high speed, cream mixture until well-combined and fluffy. Add cane syrup, molasses and vanilla and beat just a few more seconds to combine, scraping bowl, as needed. Mixture may look slightly curdled, but don’t worry. Add remaining ingredients, except chocolate chips, but including lime zest, and beat on low speed, scraping bowl as needed, just until combined. Taste and mix in more five spice powder, if desired.  Add chips and beat on low just a few seconds to distribute.

Cover dough well and chill for half an hour, but no longer. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a small scoop with a release lever, scoop out balls of dough about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Roll in reserved 1 cup of sugar and place a generous 2” apart on baking sheets. Bake one sheet at a time for 4 minutes, open oven door and, using a spatula, quickly flatten each cookie slightly to 1/2-inch thick. Close the oven door and continue baking for 6 more minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Cookies should be ever-so-slightly cracked, look a little moist and soft in the center, and be more set around the edges. Leave cookies on baking sheet and set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Then, using a spatula, transfer cookies to the racks and cool to room temperature. Repeat with remaining baking sheet.  Store in an airtight container.

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by betsy

Vegan Quinoa Pancakes

Yield: 8 small pancakes

Inspired by my Vegan Silver Dollar Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Jelly Pancakes made earlier in the week, I decided to try a different grain and I’m glad I did!

This time I used everyone’s favorite (cooked) grain: Quinoa!

I cooked the quinoa in the microwave, according to the directions on the box, because I was starving and didn’t want to wait longer than I had to.  As Goldilocks would say, the results were “just right.”

The topping you see in the photograph I made from fresh plums and, while it was good, it wasn’t perfect enough for Blooming Platterists.  So, I’m going to work on it a bit more before I post that recipe.  I also dabbed on a little vegan sour cream and garnished the cakes with pineapple sage from my garden.  If your garden center carries this herb, I highly recommend it.  It makes a large shrub with beautiful red blooms and, where we live, it is a perennial, or at least it was from last summer to this.

Enjoy these quinoa-cakes with whatever your favorite topping happens to be, even savory.

For this recipe, as with the peanut butter-oatmeal cakes, I used a bit more baking powder and baking soda than I usually do for extra lift to counteract what could have been a little heaviness from the grains.  The result is light, but still toothsome.

1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour (I am a devout fan of spelt flour)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup cooked quinoa

3 tablespoons natural sugar (use just a pinch if making savory cakes)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Optional if making savory cakes: a generous pinch of garlic powder or more to taste

1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be good–regular or lite)

Vegan butter and canola oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)

Accompaniments:  Jelly, jam, or a savory chutney, and optional vegan sour cream

Garnishes: sprigs of herbs (I like pineapple sage)

Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, sugar if using, baking powder, and baking soda.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the soymilk mixture. Whisk together until well combined.  Whisk in the cooked quinoa.  In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces the chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using about 3 tablespoons of batter, make pancakes, about four at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep the skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter.  Serve each pancake topped with jelly, jam or chutney, optional vegan sour cream (I highly recommend), and a sprig of fresh herbs.

You’ll find other delicious summer pancakes in The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

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by betsy

Vegan Gardein Marsala on New Vegan Menu at La Bella Italia, VA Beach, VA

I felt like a had a real grown-up vegan meal this week in an Italian restaurant, which is fairly rare in our area!

Other ethnic restaurants like Chinese, Indian, Mediterranean, Thai, etc., seem to have many more protein-rich options.  But, Italian restaurants can’t seem to do much better than pasta with veggies, which, however tasty, is fairly high in calories and low in protein.

But that was before La Bella Italia in Virgina Beach recently introduced a whole vegan menu (on the back of their specials menu). Kudos to them!

If you live locally, or happen to visit the Hampton Roads area of Virginia in the eastern part of the sate, I highly recommend the dishes created around Gardein brand faux “chicken,” as the rest of the vegan menu is made up of items from their main menu that are naturally meat- and dairy-free.

I ordered the mushroomy Marsala, as you see here.  But this is only half of the order!  It was so large (at $18.95) that I brought half home and enjoyed it for lunch the next day.  I spruced it up a bit for its photo op, arranging the “side” of vegetables (sauteed zucchini–of which there was none leftover for my lunch–red bell pepper, and onion) over the top and adding a sprinkle of pistachios and a couple of basil sprigs (which I highly recommend!).

With several other Gardein dishes on the menu, one even with vegan cheese (!), I can’t wait to go back.  At long last, there is an Italian/continental restaurant in our repertoire that my husband and I enjoy equally.

Bon Appetito!

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by betsy

Vegan Bourbon-Broiled Peaches with Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream

With summer in full swing, and Independence Day in the USA  just days away, the time seemed right to post a tasty teaser from The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.

Driving past a farm market yesterday, I noticed that our long-awaited local peaches are in!  Hopefully, the same is true where your live because this cooling treat  might come in handy for your July 4 celebration.  Or, if you don’t observe this holiday, this dessert is sure to provide a welcome respite on any meltingly hot day.

Where we live in coastal Virginia, peaches are one of the glories of summer. It is hard to beat fresh peaches when eaten at the height of summer, fuzz and all, juice dripping down one’s chin. This preparation pays homage to the essence of the peach with the distinctive flavor of bourbon. It’s irresistible with the Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream, or to save time, a store-bought vegan vanilla ice cream may be substituted.

If this recipe makes your mouth water, I hope you’ll consider purchasing a book so more than 150 others will be right at your finger tips!

Bourbon-Broiled Peaches
Yield: 4 servings

2 peaches, rinsed, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons bourbon
4 teaspoons natural sugar
Pinch sea salt
4 scoops Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream (recipe follows), or your favorite vegan vanilla (optional but encouraged)

1. Position the oven rack on the top shelf of your oven and preheat the broiler. Place the peach halves, cut side up, in a small, shallow heat-proof dish. Brush them with the bourbon. Sprinkle each half with a teaspoon of sugar and a tiny pinch of salt. Broil for about 5 minutes to heat them through and melt the sugar. Watch them carefully to prevent scorching.
2. To serve, arrange broiled peach halves in shallow dessert bowls and top each with one scoop of the ice cream, if using.

Peaches-n-Cream Ice Cream
Yield: 1 quart

Make this delicious ice cream the day before you plan to serve it.

1 very large ripe peach, halved, pitted, skin left on
Juice of one small lemon
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk, divided
1 cup plain soy creamer
3/4 cup natural sugar
1 large vanilla bean pod, split lengthwise, and seeds scraped out with the tip of a paring knife
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
3 tablespoons pure peach preserves, optional
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (or more to taste)
1 1/2 cups vegan sour cream

1. Cut the peach into chunks and add to a food processor with the lemon juice. Process until it is a smooth puree. Set aside.
2. In a 1-quart saucepan, combine 1/4 cup soy milk, soy creamer, sugar, and vanilla seeds over medium heat and bring just to a boil.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup soy milk with the arrowroot powder until smooth. When the soy creamer mixture just reaches a boil, remove the pan quickly from the heat and whisk in the soy milk-arrowroot mixture until very smooth and thickened. Stir in the vanilla extract followed by the reserved peach mixture, peach preserves, if using, and vanilla extract. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Whisk if lumps remain and/or press the mixture through a sieve. Cover the mixture and refrigerate it at least three hours or overnight; then whisk in the sour cream.
4. Freeze the ice cream according to your ice cream maker’s manufacturer’s directions. Scrape the finished ice cream into an airtight container and store in the freezer. Allow the ice cream to “ripen” and further set up before serving, if desired.

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by betsy

Vegan Silver Dollar Peanut Butter, Oatmeal, and Jelly Pancakes

Yield: 16 silver dollar-sized pancakes

As much as I love teaching, I also love having the time on weekday mornings in the summer to make pancakes for breakfast, as I did this morning.  (I made a half batch which I shared with Minnie, the miniature Great Dane, so that I wouldn’t stuff myself!  I know, that’s terrible; but our gal has one heck of a metabolism, and peanut butter is fine for dogs.)

I made these beauties silver dollar-sized and garnished the sparkling plate with a sprig of pineapple sage from my garden.  (I love that herb; if anyone has a recipe that calls for it, please share!  In the meantime, I’m going to be thinking of a dish to create that will feature it’s slightly tropical-sweet, but distinctly sage-y, earthiness.)

For this recipe, I used a bit more baking powder and baking soda than I usually do for extra lift to counteract what could have been a little heaviness from the oats.  The result is light, but still toothsome.

1/2 cup spelt or whole wheat flour (I am a devout fan of spelt flour)

1/2 cup self-rising flour

1/2 cup raw old fashioned oats

3 tablespoons natural sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsweetened soymilk (plain or vanilla would also be good–regular or lite)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter, warmed slightly in microwave

Vegan butter and canola oil for frying (I like Earth Balance butter)

Accompaniments:  Jelly or jam (I like apricot “pure fruit”) and optional vegan sour cream

Garnishes: roasted and lightly salted peanuts and sprigs of herbs (I like pineapple sage)

Preheat the oven to warm. Make pancakes:  in a medium mixing bowl, place both flours, oats, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.  In a small bowl, whisk together soymilk and warmed peanut butter.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the soymilk mixture. Whisk together until well combined. In a large cast iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, oil or a combination. (I like a combination: the oil reduces the chances of burning while the butter contributes flavor.) Using 2 tablespoons of batter, make pancakes, about five to six at a time. Cook two-three minutes on the first side until you get a nice rise, a few bubbles appear, and the edges appear set. Gently flip and cook another couple of minutes on the reverse. Add butter and/or oil to keep the skillet greased as needed. If pancakes are cooking too quickly, lower the heat to medium, especially for the second side. When cooked through, remove pancakes to plates or a platter, keep warm, and repeat with remaining butter or oil and pancake batter.  Serve each pancake topped with jelly or jam, optional vegan sour cream (I highly recommend), and a peanut if desired.  (Note: if you think the nut in the photo looks like a pistachio, you’re right!  We were out of peanuts.)

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by betsy

Brand New Blooming Platter Bookplates

My talented designer friend, Cae Hyrskanich, designed these custom Blooming Platter Cookbook bookplates at my request. 

Especially for folks who have purchased a book but live outside the local area, these allow me to still be able to sign and personalize the ir book s by mailing them a self-adhesive plate to adhere in the front cover or title page of their book.

Cae designed them so that I can easily print them from my inkjet printer using acid- and lignen-free adhesive-backed paper that I special ordered.

I love that each one features large flowers reminiscent of “blooming platters” along with small versions of all four of the seasonal icons used throughout the book.

Thanks, Cae, for allowing me to offer this custom feature!

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