Rebecita - the recipe edition

Sweet Potato Coconut Flan

2009-05-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

Adapted from a more traditional dairy recipe in Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. If you're feeling more ambitious, check out her recipe which is accompanied by sesame tuiles.

Sweet Potato Coconut Flan

Unsalted butter for the ramekins
1 can coconut milk (16 oz)
1/2 cup honey
1/2 vanilla bean
3/4 pound white-fleshed Japanese sweet potatoes
2 eggs
warm molasses to garnish, optional
toasted coconut flakes to garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly butter 6 ramekins. Bring the coconut milk, honey, and vanilla bean to a boil in a saucepan, then turn off the heat. Stir to make sure the honey is dissolved. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk and return the pod to the pan. Let stand for 15 minutes to let the flavor infuse.

Bake or steam the sweet potatoes. Scoop the flesh from the sweet potatoes and measure 3/4 cup. Puree with the eggs. It will have a somewhat sticky texture. Add the milk and process until well blended. You want a minimal amount of bubbles for a smooth custard.

Pour the liquid into the ramekins and set them in a large pan. Add boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until set but just a bit wobbly at the center, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven but leave the custards in the water bath until ready to serve.

Run a knife along the edge of the cups, then turn them out onto serving plates. Drizzle with warm molasses and toasted coconut flakes.

Celery Root Chowder

2009-05-23T21:59:00.000-07:00

Another from Deborah Madison's Local Flavors. This has been a winter favorite.

Celery Root Chowder

1-2 celery roots, about 1 pound
2 large leeks, white parts only
2 tablespoons butter
1 celery rib
1 cup thinly sliced russet potato
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs of thyme
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups vegetable stock or water
creme fraiche, optional
truffle oil, optional

Thickly cut away the celery root skins, then quarter and chop the root into bite-sized pieces. You should have about 3 cups. Chop and wash the leeks.

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the vegetables, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, and one teaspoon salt. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with pepper, adjust salt. Puree several cups and return to soup or blend lightly with immersion blender.

Divide the soup into bowls. Finish with a dollop of creme fraiche and a drizzle of truffle oil.

I'm sure it's fantastic with a mound of wild rice, as Madison serves it. I sometimes use a wild rice pilaf we have around the house, as pictured above.

Beets and Their Greens With Marjoram Pesto

2009-05-23T20:41:00.000-07:00

Deborah Madison's Local Flavors turns out to be a seasonal market cookbook that's actually functional! I wandered into my kitchen one day in March with the vague idea of cooking that last bunch of beets and ended up whipping up a 3 course meal that perfectly used my farmers market odds and ends. Everything was simple and fantastic. The recipes here are so in tune with my lazy/pared-down/homestyle/clean-out-the-fridge style of cooking, but always with a fresh spin that sets it apart from anything I would cook on my own.

Beets and Their Greens With Marjoram Pesto

1 small red onion, thinly sliced into rounds
white wine vinegar
8 to 12 small beets, golden and/or chiogga, including the greens
olive oil
sea salt

Toss the onions with vinegar nearly to cover and refrigerate until needed. They will turn bright pink.

Wash and trim the beet roots and greens, discard stems. Steam greens until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and then chop coarsely. Toss with a little olive oil and salt.

Steam the beet roots until tender, about 25 minutes. Slip off the skins. Trim the tops and tails, quarter them, sprinkle with a little vinegar.

Marjoram Pesto
1 small slice country bread
2 tablespoons aged red wine vinegar
1 garlic glove, coarsely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup marjoram leaves
3 tablespoons drained capers
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 cup coarsely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons pitted olives
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Remove crust from the bread, soak in vingear.

Add garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a few grinds of pepper, marjoram capers, pine nuts, parsley, and olives to a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the bread and olive oil and pulse until the pesto is well mixed - it will be very thick. Adjust salt/pepper/vinegar. Refrigerate until needed.

(For the record, I made this batch with all olives instead of capers, and walnuts instead of pine nuts.)

Toss the beets with the pesto, serve on greens. Remove onions and scatter on top of beets.

Bright Green Spinach and Pea Soup

2009-05-20T22:01:00.000-07:00

Yikes, it's about time for a spring recipe. Here's a fresh soup adapted from Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.

Bright Green Spinach and Pea Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil, butter, or a mixture
2 green onions, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 carrots, thinly sliced
1 celery rib, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chopped marjoram or basil or 1 teaspoon dried
handful parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly milled pepper
1 large bunch spinach, roughly choped
1 cup shelled peas
lemon juice to taste

Warm the oil in a soup pot and add green onion, onion, carrots, celery, 1/2 of the herbs, 1 teaspoon salt. Keep the heat low, stir and sweat for 5 minutes. Add 6 cups water (or broth and water), bring to boil, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add the spinach and peas and cook 2-3 minutes. Add the rest of the herbs and the parsley. Remove from heat and blend in two batches or use immersion blender. Taste for salt and season with pepper. Stir in enough lemon juice, starting with 1/2 teaspoon, to bring up flavors. Serve immediately as the vivid color will fade.

Madison recommends garnishing with a swirl of creme fraiche, croutons, and edible flowers like yellow calendula.

The bowl pictured above is served with a scoop of cheesy polenta (from the same book), an extra squeeze of backyard lemon, and a backyard nasturtium.

I have to say I've made a few pea soups lately and I'm sick of everyone telling me to blend up those beautiful shelling peas! I can see how if your garden were overflowing you might want to hide the peas sometimes, but I'm all for keeping them front and center when I'm lucky enough to get some. Next time I'm leaving most of them whole to get that fresh pop of flavor.

Essential roasted veggies

2009-01-26T03:25:00.000-08:00

If I could only take one recipe to a desert island, it would be this one. When winter rolls around with its endless parade of delectable root vegetables, I barely cook anything else.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Slice your vegetables into even bite size pieces.
3. Drizzle them with oil (high heat oil like safflower/sunflower/grapeseed), sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
4. Lay them evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Put them in the oven.
6. Catch up on an episode of the Daily Show at hulu. If you're feeling ambitious, pause it halfway through and flip your veggies. A nice pair of tongs are your friend in this endeavor.
7. Pull perfectly browned specimens out of the oven and feast.
8. If you have any left, toss them with some pasta, maybe a handful of fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkle of cheese. Or top your salad with them. You will not go wrong. Supersweet white fleshed japanese sweet potatoes are all the dessert you need.

By the way, roasted beet stems? (As pictured above.) Surprisingly tender, even reminiscent of asparagus! Who knew?

Christmas Limas with Brussels Sprouts

2008-12-28T23:34:00.000-08:00

So festive!

I've been dying to make the Vegan Lunchbox recipe for Christmas Lima Beans with Chestnuts and Brussel Sprouts since it was first posted two years ago. I even remembered to pick up the heirloom beans at a local farm when I went olallieberry picking in June. Haven't picked up any chestnuts this year though, so I used the last of my Texas pecans. Also, I have no interest in my brussels sprouts "blending into the dish" so I upped the quantity and quartered them instead of shredding, and added a dash of applesauce. Here's the recipe post-tinkering:

Christmas Limas with Brussels Sprouts

1 cup dried Christmas Lima Beans
2 tablespoons olive oil
25 baby Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered
2 tablespoons applesauce
3 tablespoons sucanat (unrefined sugar)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Handful pecans

Soak the lima beans overnight in water to cover. Drain, rinse, and place in a medium saucepan with fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; simmer until the beans are tender, about 40 minutes to 1 hour. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup bean broth.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sprouts and saute until they are tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Add the beans, applesauce ,sucanat, apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 cup bean broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir together and simmer until the liquid has cooked away and everything is heated through.

Toast nuts for a few minutes in separate pan or oven and add to dish. Adjust seasoning and serve. Extra good with a sprinkle of nice blue cheese.

Classic Apple Pie

2008-10-26T15:01:00.000-07:00

Last month I decided to dust off my pie making skills, just in time to feed hungry singers and wedding guests. As I type I am making Thanksgiving pies.

Even though I used mostly whole wheat flour this crust was so well behaved! It rolled out perfectly the first time and came out delicate and flaky. I also used the best Strauss butter and made sure to chill all the crust ingredients including the bowl. While not difficult, it's super time consuming to cut in the butter, next time I'm going to try the food processor.

The filling was great, classic and simple. Baked down to the perfect consistency. The first time I used apples from a friend's tree, the second time was even better with real crisp, tart baking apples instead of these mild, sweet apples. Right now I'm trying a hand picked pie blend from my friendly farmer's market apple purveyor.

Pictured here is a lattice crust, and maybe you can see the cute little stars on the one in the background... check out allrecipes.com or foodnetwork.com for advice on how to decorate your pie and all the other subtleties of pie-making.

I stole some classic recipes off allrecipes and made just a few healthier substitutions. I've linked to give credit where credit is due.

Whole Wheat Crust
original recipe

Makes 1 9-inch crust
Double the recipe for double crust pie.
I found a tripled recipe was plenty for two bottom crusts and two lattice tops.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, chilled and diced
1/4 cup ice water

1. In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in water, a tablespoon at a time, until mixture forms a ball. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
2. Roll dough out to fit a 9 inch pie plate. Place crust in pie plate. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the pie plate.

Perfect Apple Pie Filling
original recipe

7 cups thinly sliced peeled baking apples
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/4 cup sucanat (unrefined sugar)
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoons butter, diced
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon water

As you slice apples, toss them in a bowl with the lemon juice. Combine sucanat, lemon zest, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and ginger. Add to apples and toss. Pour into crust; dot with butter. Top with another crust (making sure to cut slits or cut out shapes) or create a lattice pattern. Trim, seal and flute edges. Beat egg yolk and water; brush over pastry. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F; bake 40-45 minutes more or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly. (You may want to use a crust saver... use pieces of aluminum foil or a specially designed piece to cover the edges towards the end of the baking time.)

Let it cool, serve warm with freshly whipped cream!

Lemon Zucchini Bread

2008-09-05T23:03:00.000-07:00

I don't have a lot of family recipes handed down from my mom, but this is one of them. I recently stumbled across it at allrecipes! Turns out I uploaded it years ago and forgot... lo and behold it's been very popular over there! Best of all, lots of reviewers have tested it with all kinds of wholesome substitutions that I would also prefer now! Thanks guys! In any incarnation it's a delicate zucchini bread, not too sweet. It makes me want to serve tea.

I like to make this in a bundt pan, it's so pretty and gets the texture very even.

I wish I'd thought to make this all summer long... I got to use our backyard zucchini and backyard meyer lemons, and the pearsauce I'd just made from a friend's lovely tree of Bartletts. Here's my latest revision:

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups finely shredded and drained zucchini
1/4 cup honey
1/4 sucanat (unrefined sugar)
1 egg
1/2 cup cup applesauce
1 tablespoon safflower or other high heat vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease a 10" bundt pan.
2. In one bowl mix the zucchini, honey, sucanat, egg, applesauce, oil, and lemon juice.
3. In another bowl sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon. Stir in the lemon zest.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture until just blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
5. Bake about 45 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool about 10 minutes before carefully turning out of pan.

Natalia's Chocolate Cupcakes (Vegan)

2008-08-13T14:34:00.000-07:00

I know you're thinking... isn't it a bit early for halloween? My friend recently had an orange themed birthday party (don't ask) and I knew she would kill for some chocolate cupcakes with real buttercream frosting. She's far from vegan, but who better to trust your cupcakes to than Isa and Terry? I followed their Basic Chocolate Cupcake recipe almost to the letter. I wanted to keep these pretty sinful, but I did sub whole wheat pastry flour (all I have on hand, and you'd never notice in a chocolate cake) and applesauce for half the oil (I had just made gallons of it, and it always makes for a nice moist cake) and a tad less sugar so that it wouldn't be sickeningly sweet complete with frosting. I doubled the recipe and came out with exactly 25 cupcakes, half plain and half with the crumbled cookies as suggested. YUM! Perfectly moist, perfectly chocolatey. Topped with orange buttercream and crumbled cookies, it was just the thing. They were devoured.

I had never made a buttercream before, as I'm not a big fan of frosting. But it was quite easy and delicious in moderation. This is, err, more loosely adapted from Isa and Terry's vegan recipe. We have loads of Strauss unsalted organic butter, so I subbed that for the margarine and shortening, added some salt to compensate, and threw in almost a whole bottle of natural anatto coloring. I'm halving the recipe here because as written it was waaay more than what I needed even for a double batch of cupcakes.

Perfect Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes

1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2-3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup sunflower or other high heat oil (or substitute applesauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon hazelnut extract (or any other extract)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Whisk together the soy milk and vinegar in a large bowl, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add the sugar, oil, vanilla extract, and other extract, if using, to the soy milk mixture and beat until foamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are OK).
2. Preheat oven to 350°F and line a muffin pan with paper liners.
3. Pour into liners, filling 3/4 of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely. (Preferably far away from your dogs.)

Variation: Cookies n Cream Cupcakes: Mix into cupcake batter 1 cup (about 10 cookies) of coarsely chopped vegan chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies, like Newman-O’s. Bake as directed.

Real Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temp
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted if clumpy
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup milk or cream as needed
food coloring (optional)

1. Beat the shortening and margarine together until well combined and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat for about 3 more minutes.
2. Add the vanilla and beat for another 5 to 7 minutes until fluffy, adding milk as needed to gain desired consistancy.
3. Pipe or spread on cupcakes. Will harden when refrigerated

Variation: Cookies n Cream Frosting: Stir into frosting 1/2 cup (about 5 cookies) of finely mashed vegan chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies, like Newman-O’s.

Midsummer Corn Chowder (Vegan)

2008-08-13T13:43:00.000-07:00

I was looking for a light supper to precede Natalia's Chocolate Cupcakes. (Or, as the case may be, to detox after eating too many cupcakes while baking.) I love corn chowder, it's that time of year, and the unusual ingredients were intriguing. Absolutely everything went straight from the farmer's market into the soup. Yummmm. Sweet, sweet summer in a bowl. I thought it might taste a bit too Italian but the tomato and basil were a subtle layer of flavor. Next time I'll increase the fennel, I couldn't taste it here. It easily served 5 with a couple quarts left over. Pictured topped with cheddar, more basil and a slice of whole wheat sourdough (also from the market). Accompanied by a green salad with melt-in-your-mouth pears picked from my friend's yard, walnuts, and blue cheese. Beer and centerpiece optional but recommended.

Midsummer Corn Chowder With Basil, Tomato, and Fennel
from Veganomicon

6 ears fresh corn
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, diced
1 bulb fennel, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 pound waxy potatos (about 2 medium), diced (I usually use red potatoes and leave the skins on for color variety)
2 teaspoons dried thyme
bay leaf (optional)
2 quarts fresh corn stock, vegetable broth or water
1 pound tomatoes, chopped (the corn turned out to be white, so I was glad that I had picked up yellow heirlooms as well as red!)
1/2 cup basil leaves, chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1. Remove husks and silk from corn. Carefully slice off the kernals into a large bowl. Break cobs in half and keep to make corn stock or simply add them to the soup while simmering.
2. Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cover, sweating them for about 5 minutes.
3. Add carrot and celery, stir, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add the fennel, stir, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add the potato, stir, cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
6. Finally, add the corn, stir, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add the water or stock (and optionally the corn cobs and bay leaf, making sure to remove before adding the tomatoes and basil), stir, cover, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and allow the soup to simmer, covered, for 45 minutes. Stir occasionally.
8. Let the soup cool a bit in the pot and use an immersion blender to blend to desired consistency. Or if you're in more of a hurry, remove 2-3 cups, cool in a bowl, and blend with immersion blender, food processor, or blender, then add it back to the soup. Just avoid blending anything hot, it will splatter.
9. Add the chopped tomatoes and basil and return just to a simmer. (You may wish to cook the tomatoes and basil a bit longer as called for in the original recipe, but it always feels a sin to me to eat them in anything but their full glory. And I'm hardly a raw foodie, but I try to add some ingredients, especially herbs, at the end of cooking whenever possible. It preserves not only the flavor but also the enzymes and assorted nutritional benefits.)
10. Adjust salt and pepper, serve. (I used homemade veggie stock so I had to add a lot of salt. If you use commercial stock you may not need to add any.)

Anytime Matzo Ball Soup

2008-06-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

This is the second time I've held a Passover Seder in June. I'm clearly not the world's most observant Jew, or I might clear my schedule at the appropriate time in March or April. But I'm juuust Jewish enough not to be able to go for a year without a bowl of Matzo Ball Soup. My new resolution is to make it a lot more often than that because it's an incredibly easy way to jazz up vegetable broth. Which we always have too much of on hand, because we always have plenty of aging veggies on hand, because our eyes are always bigger than our stomachs at the farmers' markets.

This year I tried out Molly Katzen's recipe from her Still Life with Menu cookbook. (I figured who better to trust Jewish veggie food to?) She swears her broth is the closest thing to chicken soup you'll get, the secret being tons of garlic. The broth was easy and tasty, but honestly a little plain for me. (No herbs?) The matzo balls were good but too dense. (Too many eggs?) And she doesn't specify adding any vegetables to the soup, which I took to be an oversight... plain broth and matzo balls? That seems just a tad TOO cucina povera.

I made another batch today with my own leftover broth (heavy on the leeks, broccoli, and marjaram) and a variation on my old matzo ball recipe. YUM!!! The balls were light and fluffy, the broth hearty, the vegetables cooked to perfection. Here's the recipe:

2 quarts homemade vegetable broth.
Molly's recipe is a good one to start with, throw in any old veggies in your fridge. Whatever you do, don't skimp on the onions, garlic, and herbs.

8 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 8-inch parsnip, cut into chunks
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
2 medium onions, quartered
8-10 garlic cloves, crushed
2 stalks celery, cut into chunks
a handful of mushrooms
1/2 teaspoon turmeric (this gives it a more chickeny color... but watch out, it will stain your plastic.)
generous amount of freshly ground pepper

Cover veggies with cold water in large pot. Bring to boil, lower to simmer, partially cover. Cook until veggies are mushy, about 1.5 hours. Turn off heat and cool to room temp. Strain out and discard veggies. You can do this up to a week in advance. Store in glass jars or other tightly sealed container in fridge.

Matzo Balls
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon salt
handful chopped parsley
1/4 cup plain or sparkling water or as needed

Break eggs into bowl, beat gently with oil. Stir in matzo meal, salt, and parsley. Add water slowly until mixure is just wet but not runny. The sparkling water is a trick to make the balls lighter... everyone seems to have their own secret... I've seen recipes that use Sprite or baking soda. Store covered in refrigerator for at least half an hour, up to a couple of days.

Soup
Soup veggies of your choice, for example:
2 carrots
1 parsnip
3 stalks celery
handful mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped scallions

Bring broth to boil. While it heats, chop carrots, celery, mushrooms into bite size pieces. Chop scallions, set aside. When soup is boiling, add vegetables. Bring back to boil. Form matzo batter into balls by rolling a spoonful loosely between your hands. Don't squish them. The size should be somewhere between marble and golf ball. Drop them one at a time into the boiling soup. They should rise to the top as they cook. Once all the balls are in, continue to boil for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Taste, add salt if necessary. Ladle a few matzo balls into each bowl, top with soup and a sprinkle of scallions. Serves about 6.

It's so pretty, let's go in for a close up.

Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake

2008-05-05T01:00:00.002-07:00

What a weighty title for what is simply a lovely classic chocolate cake. Veganomicon strikes again. I splurged on a pretty bundt pan last week but suffered an oven mishap in its inital outing, so I tried again with this recipe. Success - look how pretty! I even followed the recipe (I'm worried... this is becoming a habit with this cookbook!) except that I couldn't resist buying hazelnut extract instead of almond. And I don't own any plain sugar, so I used sucanat and maple syrup. I topped it with a strawberry coulis and slices of monstrous farmers market strawberries. And some very non-vegan cream whipped with maple syrup and more of that hazelnut extract. Guests devoured it, and we all agreed we never would have guessed that it was vegan, low-fat, or had that much coffee in it. I have some carob to use up, and other bloggers have said it's quite nice with that instead of cocoa, so that's up next time. The coconut lemon bundt cake adjoining this recipe in the book also sounds heavenly. Anyone have a favorite bundt recipe?

Lower-Fat Deep Chocolate Bundt Cake

1 3/4 cups fresh brewed coffee
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar (or 1 cup sucanat and 1/2 cup maple syrup)
1/3 cup safflower oil
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (or hazelnut)
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease bundt pan. Bring coffee to simmer over medium heat. Turn down heat and whisk in cocoa until it has dissolved. Remove from heat, set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, applesauce, and cornstarch until sugar and cornstarch is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Mix in the extracts and the cooled coffee/chocolate.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and add to liquid. Beat until smooth. Pour batter into pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Let cool about 20 minutes and invert onto serving plate to cool completely.

Serve plain, sift confectioners' sugar over the top, top with fresh fruit, fruit coulis, chocolate ganache, etc. Google for all kinds of bloggers take on this recipe. (Personally I could go for all of the above...)

Southwest Corn Pudding

2008-04-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

I whipped up 3 casseroles for the potluck on Saturday. I made the kinds of food I get cranky about if there isn't enough at a singing - corn pudding and mac&cheese. The cheesy dishes were good enough for carb loading and featured green veggies from the farmer's market, but were ultimately forgettable. This one was delicious and highly complimented. Just as easy and tasty as a traditional corn pudding. (And the corn and coconut milk were both on sale!) Here's the recipe, with my twists as usual.

Southwest Corn Pudding a la Veganomicon

2 tablespoons safflower oil
4 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 red bell pepper, chopped
3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or, as originally called for, 2 jalapeños, finely diced)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
1 cup scallions or chives, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Grease an 8x8 square or other small casserole dish (I think the one pictured is 2 quart). You could use a cast iron pan, and saute the vegetables in it before baking. Preheat oven to 350.

Saute the corn, bell peppers, scallions (but not chives) and jalapeños (or pepper flakes) in a large skillet for 10-12 minutes or until the corn is lightly browned. Meanwhile, stir the cornstarch into the coconut milk until it is mostly dissolved. When the vegetables are ready, transfer half into a blender or food processor. Add the coconut milk and cornstarch mixture and pulse until mostly pureed but not completely smooth.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl and combine with the remaining cooked vegetables, cornmeal, maple syrup, chives (if using), cilantro, salt, and cayenne. Pour the batter into your baking dish or cast iron pan and bake for about 40 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

2008-04-19T00:11:00.000-07:00

After a hot spell last week there was a chill in the air this evening, which was the perfect excuse to make some wintry muffins. They came out beautifully... I doubled the recipe to use up the whole can of pumpkin and came out with 27 regular size muffins and 1 round sheet cake. The original recipe is over here at the Post Punk Kitchen (in honor of my Veganomicon testing) and my slightly edited version is below. I always have some homemade applesauce on hand to substitute for oil, but with these spicy muffins I thought I could get away with digging into my bottomless supply of orange marmalade, and I did like the subtle citrus fragrance it added.

Vegan Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients
1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup sucanat (unrefined sugar)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup pureed pumpkin (fresh or from a can)
1 tablespoon soy yogurt
1/2 cup soymilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce or marmalade
2 tablespoons molasses
Optional: 1/2 cup walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 F. Add liners to muffin tins.

Sift together dry ingredients (flour through cloves). In a seperate bowl, wisk together wet ingredients (pumpkin through molasses). Pour wet into dry and combine. Fill muffin tins 2/3 of the way. Bake for 15-20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Those famous chickpea cutlets and some choice toppings

2008-04-09T23:24:00.000-07:00

Another from Veganomicon. Apparently I'm not the only one excited by the prospect of cheap, easy, homemade faux meat. This recipe is the darling of Ye Olde Vegan Blogosphere these days. (Just google for extensive commentary and much prettier pictures.) Here's my two cents.

I baked the cutlets in our cast iron skillet and served them with eggplant roasted in spicy tomato sauce and basil. I grabbed the leftovers the next day and ate them plain, a perfectly satisfying snack.
My diagnosis: Quite tasty but awfully, well, glutinous! I'll have to experiment with reducing the gluten.
My housemate's diagnos: Yeah, those cutlets were alright, but I'd eat anything smothered in that eggplant! OK, ok, I'll include that recipe just for her.

And back on Easter I tried the Veganomicon recipe for Mushroom Gravy. By which I mean I suckered my mom into making it. She's a far better recipe tester than I because she... follows recipes. I mention the gravy now since it's clearly begging to smother the cutlets. (Don't they make a lovely couple?)

Chickpea Cutlets
1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce (or Braggs)
2 gloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried sage

Mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed. Divide dough into 4 cutlets - roughly 6x4 inch rectangles. Panfry for 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Or brush with olive oil and bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, flip and bake 10 more minutes.

Easy Eggplant
1 Chinese eggplant, sliced into 1 inch rounds
a few cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste
generous sprinkling of olive oil
1 15 oz can diced or crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
handful of fresh basil

Heat the oven to 375 (you can bake your cutlets at the same time.) Add the eggplant, olive oil, salt, and pepper to a shallow casserole dish and bake for 20 minutes. I like to add the whole garlic cloves at the beginning and let them roast along with the eggplant. Once your eggplant is brown and tender mix in the tomatoes, wine, red pepper flakes, and basil. Bake for another 20 min, adjust seasoning, and serve.

Mushroom Gravy
2 cups vegetable broth
1/4-1/3 cup whole wheat flour (depending on desired thickness)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
10 oz crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon salt
Several dashes black pepper
1/4 cup white wine

Mix the flour into the broth until dissolved and set aside. Preheat a large non stick pan over medium heat. Saute the onion in the oil for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add the mushrooms and saute for 5 more minutes, until mushrooms are tender. Add the seasonings. Saute for another minute. Add the wine and turn the heat up to simmer for about a minute, then lower the heat and add the flour mixture. Stir constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Vegan Skillet Cornbread

2008-03-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Well I've been drooling over all the recipes in Veganomicon since I picked it up months ago, and I finally put something to the test. Not the flashiest of their recipes, but we have a new cast iron skillet, and despite the best of intentions I haven't been making real bread, so skillet cornbread sounded just right. Unlike other vegan cornbreads I've tried, this was super easy, didn't need special ingredients, and came out perfectly! And gained rave reviews from all kinds of eaters. I actually made it three times this last week - pictured are the original recipe, a spicy version, and a batch with molasses mixed in.

I'm apparently incapable of actually following a recipe as written, so here it is with a couple of my standard substitutions.

Vegan Skillet Cornbread a la Vegonomicon

2 cups soy milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sucanat (unrefined sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil (or substitute 1/4 cup applesauce plus 2 tablespoons oil)

Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly grease cast iron skillet and place in oven to warm. (Or saute extra ingredients in skillet and don't wash before adding the batter.) Combine the soy milk and lemon juice or vinegar and set aside to curdle for 10 minutes. Sift together dry ingredients. Create a well in the center and add the wet ingredients. Mix together until just combined, fold in any additional ingredients. Pour the batter into the prepared skillet. Bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool a bit before serving. In my house we tend to serve it slathered with very non-vegan butter or cheese.

Regarding JAM

2007-12-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

Why is your jam so good?
• No real secret! I use great fruit and don’t do a whole lot to it. Nothing but freshly picked organic fruit from local farms, straight into the jar.
• I never saw the point of jam that’s mostly sweetener. So I use a natural pectin that doesn’t require sugar to set. I add just a touch of local honey.
• The only other thing that goes into the jam is freshly squeezed lemon juice and sometimes a few spices. That’s it.

Can I buy more of that really good jam?
• This season was my first try at preserving fruit. I was pleasantly surprised by both my own ambition for making jam and the public demand, so in 2008 I plan to up the production and make some available for sale! Stay tuned here at Rebecita Recipes.
• In the meantime, check out the amazing jam at CMB Sweets.
• Or make your own! No, really!

OK, how can I make my own really good jam?
• Jam making is really quite simple, if you have the time. Most people prefer to do it in large batches with family or friends.
• Track down some “Pomona’s Universal Pectin” at your local natural foods store, or order it online. In the box and on their site you'll find a table of basic recipes using their pectin. You can adapt any normal jam recipe to work with their pectin, and if you get confused they even have a jamline you can call!
• It's easy to familiarize yourself with time-honored canning techniques... just look for instruction booklets in boxes of pectin, buy a classic book like Bell’s Blue Book, or pick from the slew of websites.

Favorite Jam Resources
The National Society for Home Preservation
A quick introduction from a home cook and blogger, step-by-step with photos.
Pick Your Own is a fabulously extensive but down-to-earth website with advice on every aspect of canning. Best of all, each recipe is presented as a photo tutorial.
Rodale’s “Stocking Up” is older but still THE comprehensive guide to preserving naturally.

A Muffin to be Thankful For

2007-11-18T23:51:00.000-08:00

All my favorite holiday flavors in one package: a cornbread muffin flavored with molasses and sage, and best of all - a surprise cranberry filling.

Muffin batter
1 cup spelt flour (or substitute whole wheat pastry, or all purpose in a pinch)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 - 1 cup buttermilk (to substitute with regular dairy/soy/nut milk - add 1 TBL lemon juice and let curdle for 10 minutes)
1 egg
1 TBL safflower oil
1/3 cup applesauce
2 TBL blackstrap molasses
4 TBL honey
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TBL fresh chopped sage

Homemade Cranberry Sauce
use your favorite recipe, or try this simple one I mostly swiped from the bag:
(makes enough for one batch plus leftovers)
8 oz fresh cranberries
zest and juice of half a large orange
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup maple syrup

Put everything in a pot and boil the crap out of it for 40 minutes or so, until thick and saucy, adding water and squishing as needed. Let cool.

Assembling muffins
Sift dry ingredients in one bowl. Combine wet ingredients in another bowl, reserving some milk. Stir wet into dry and mix in the sage. If the batter is still too thick, add the rest of the milk. Place muffin liners in muffin tin. Spoon a small amount of the batter into each liner, just enough to cover the bottom. Place a generous spoonful of cranberry sauce in the center and top with more batter. Be careful not to overfill the liners. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes, rotating halfway through. You may want to give them a minute or two more than you think they need... it's hard to test for doneness without just cutting them open, and they won't dry out thanks to the cranberry sauce! This method was surprisingly successful, I didn't have a single leaker out of a triple batch. One batch makes about 15 muffins.

I declare this experiment a rousing success! I think the sweetness, herb, and tang balanced perfectly. As I hoped, consumers exclaimed over the packaging and then the taste.

Let this be merely the first in a long line of too-many-things-in-one-muffin recipes.

Macrobiotic summer menu

2007-07-30T03:06:00.000-07:00

Grain: Polenta with fresh corn
Protein: Red Lentil Sauce with Dandelion Leaf Condiment
Seaweed: Arame with Sunflower Seeds, Chives & Mustard
Vege: Carrots and Broccoli with Ume Dill Dressing
Pickle: Cucumber Pickle
Dessert: Poached Peaches in Lemon Sauce

Until a couple months ago "macrobiotic diet" conjured up vague images of 70s hippies subsisting on brown rice and steamed veggies. Turns out, while there is plenty of that going on, macrobiotic cooking has its basis in Japanese traditional foods and Chinese medicine. Like other cuisines we've studied, it calls for a plant heavy diet of whole foods, emphasizing seasonal, local and organic. From a culinary perspective, a macrobiotic meal has an elegant balance of flavors and textures.

This meal is mixed and matched from summer menus at this fabulous website. If you're at all interested, it offers a short, non-dogmatic introduction to macrobiotic cooking and seasonally inspired menus.

I'll excerpt the explanation of Menu Planning:

The components of a complete menu include:

* Grain
* Protein
* Sea Vegetable
* Vegetables:
long cooked
short cooked/raw
* Pickles
* Dessert (optional)

To get an idea of this structure that incorporates the Seven Components, the Food Categories, the Expansive and Contractive Forces, the Five Element Theory, and Acid and Alkaline, here are four menu suggestions for the different seasons. Can you feel how each menu feels appropriate for the season? (Note the 5 tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty and sharp and the three textures: creamy, crunchy and chewy.)

I can't tell you how impressed I was with these recipes. Few ingredients with clear instructions, that came together exactly as promised! I even entertained guests to rave reviews with the leftovers days later! (With all of about 5 minutes prep - browning the polenta, plopping everything onto the plate.) Go ahead, I dare you to make this food and not feel ridiculously nourished and pleased with yourself.

Macrobiotic pantry ingredients I had to buy:
Arame and Kombu - mmm seaweed! A good excuse for me to branch out beyond sushi nori. Whole Foods has a good pictoral guide to "sea vegetables."
Kuzu - Known as a weed in the south, it's a thickener like arrowroot or corn starch.
Ume plum vinegar - fermented from umeboshi plums, a traditional japanese food. I found it next to the rice wine vinegar, for the same price.
Shoyu - Unpasteurized soy sauce.

Poached Pears in Lemon Sauce with Raspberries

2007-07-30T00:19:00.000-07:00

2 cups apple juice
2 TB rice syrup
pinch of sea salt
2 peaches cut in half and seeds removed
2 TB kuzu diluted in 1/8 cup cold water
juice and zest from 1 lemon
fresh raspberries and mint leaf to garnish

1. Bring apple juice, rice syrup and salt to a boil. Add the pear halves and simmer about 5 minutes. Remove when soft and place in serving bowls.
2. Bring apple juice back to a boil and stir in diluted kuzu. Simmer for 1/2 minute.
3. Turn off the heat and add lemon juice and zest.
4. Pour sauce over pear halves & garnish with raspberries and mint.

Note: In the Autumn and Winter...replace lemon with 2 TB almond butter & 1/2 tsp. vanilla for a more warming dessert.

Dessert is ideally eaten after the kitchen is cleaned....maybe a walk has been taken so the fruit dessert doesn't upset the grain/protein digestion.

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Again, I substituted pear juice. And local peaches, rather than pears.
I accidentally used double the kuzu so the sauce was too thick, but otherwise this was a super quick, tasty, impressive summertime dessert.

Quick Umeboshi Pickles

2007-07-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

from http://www.naturalepicurean.com/recipes.html#quick
(R and KT - That's a macrobiotic cooking school in Austin!)

1 1/2 cups (packed) one type of organic vegetable, finely cut
1 cup organic umeboshi vinegar
1 cup spring or filtered water

Directions
Wash and scrub vegetables with a natural bristle brush. If onions are used, remove outer peeling, but skip the washing. Finely cut vegetables into rounds, half-moons, quarter-moons or other slices.

Place vegetables in a glass jar. Mix umeboshi vinegar with water and pour over the vegetables. Add more water if needed to cover the vegetables. Place a bamboo mat or cheesecloth on top of jar. Leave on counter for 24 hours or up to 3 days to pickle. (Most vegetables will only need 24 hours. Onions usually take a couple of days.)

Place lid on jar and refrigerate. Rinse off 1 teaspoon of pickles and eat with each meal to aid digestion. Use pickles within 1–2 months. Discard pickling water when all pickles have been used.

If pickles are too strong for your taste or condition, reduce the amount of umeboshi vinegar relative to the water.

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Um, this was the easiest thing I've ever made. All you really do is mix the vinegar and water to your taste, and pour it on your sliced veggies. voila... impressive homemade pickles. They were really tasty too... especially for a sweet pickle fan like myself.

Carrots and Broccoli with Ume Dill Dressing

2007-07-30T00:07:00.000-07:00

2 cups water
1 pinch sea salt
2 cups carrot chunks
2 cups broccoli stems and flowerettes
sea salt

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TB umeboshi vinegar
pinch sea salt
fresh dill

1. Bring water and salt to a boil. Quickly blanch carrots and remove from the water. Re-boil the water and quickly blanch the broccoli stems, remove. Repeat with flowerettes. Each should be bright and crunchy. Let cool separately.
2. When cool, arrange carrots and broccoli in a beautiful clear bowl.
3. Mix the dressing ingredients and toss with veggies. Let set 5-10 minutes so the dressing can marinade the vegetables.

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This recipe is very emblematic of the whole macrobiotic meal concept - beautiful colors, simple ingredients and preparation, clear and full flavor. I love the dill!

Arame with Sunflower Seeds, Chives and Mustard

2007-07-30T00:00:00.000-07:00

2 handfuls of arame, rinsed, drained and soaked in water just to cover
3/4 cup apple juice and 3/4 cup water
1 cup sunflower seeds
1-2 tsp. shoyu
1 tsp wasabi mustard
1/2 cup finely chopped chives

1. Drain the arame and put in pan. Add apple juice/water mix...just to cover. Simmer with the lid off for 15 minutes.
2. While the arame is cooking, warm up a cast iron skillet. Quickly rinse the sunflower seeds in cold water, strain and toast on the warm skillet until golden. Stirring constantly.
3. When golden, remove seeds from the skillet and crush 1/2 of them in a suribachi or coffee grinder. Garnish with the other 1/2.
4. When the liquid is almost gone from the arame, season with the shoyu and cook 1 minute more. Add the crushed sunflower seeds, chives and 1 tsp. Wasabi Mustard and serve.

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Wow. This was delicious. One of my favorite all time recipes. Cooking the arame in fruit juice removes the fishy flavor, so the result is sweet and nutty and with a more complex flavor from the mustard and chives. I spread the leftovers on rice cakes for a snack, or on toast for a breakfast to go.
(I substituted pear juice because I still feel the same way I did when I was 5 - apple juice is icky!)

Dandelion Leaf Condiment

2007-07-29T23:47:00.000-07:00

3 cups minced dandelion leaves
1/2 cup minced onions
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tsp. almond butter
dash of shoyu

1. Saute vegetables in the sesame oil.
2. Season with the shoyu and almond butter.

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I didn't expect this to really be a "condiment", but boy are those dandelion leaves potent cooked this way! A perfect bitter contrast with the sweetness of the polenta and lentils.

Fresh Corn Polenta and Red Lentil Sauce

2007-07-27T08:31:00.000-07:00

Polenta
3 cups of water
2 pinches sea salt
3 ears of organic fresh corn or one pkg. frozen organic corn
1 cup yellow corn grits
olive oil, shoyu (optional)

1. Bring water to a boil with sea salt.
2. Remove the kernels from the corn and set aside. Add the cobs to the water and simmer 10 minutes. If using frozen corn, wait to add with grits.
3. Remove cobs. Add fresh corn and yellow corn grits. Simmer, stirring occasionally for 5-10 minutes. When stiff, pour into a baking dish and let set.
4. (optional) Once set, slice and lightly pan fry in the olive oil. When one side is golden, flip and sprinkle with shoyu.

Red Lentil Sauce
1 tsp. olive oil
1 clove of garlic -minced
1-2 onions - minced
pinch sea salt
1 cup dry red lentils - sorted to remove possible stones, rinsed and strained
5 cups of water
4 bay leaves
1 4" piece of kombu
1-2 tomatos - minced (optional)
1 TB shoyu
pinch of coriander and cumin (optional)
parsley for garnish

1. Saute garlic and onions and pinch of salt in oil until onions are clear.
2. Add the lentils, water, bay leaves, kombu and tomatos. Bring to a boil and simmer 20 minutes.
3. Remove bay leaves and kombu. Season with shoyu and cook 5 more minutes. Add coriander and cumin and garnish with parsley.

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YUM. Creamy and sweet and so good with the fresh corn.
The polenta really benefited from the quick browning in the pan.
I was warned by a classmate to start the lentils with less water, or you may end up with a soup rather than a sauce.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms

2007-07-12T01:22:00.000-07:00

This is basically the traditional Italian recipe I learned in Florence, where the blossoms are piled high in every market. It's fancy sounding but super quick and easy. Pictured are the fresh blossoms, and the fried version served on a simple salad of baby arugula/chard, heirloom tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. Probably the most heavenly thing I've cooked/eaten all summer.

6 squash blossoms
1/3 cup chevre
1 tablespoon minced onion or shallot.
2 fresh figs, pureed
2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
pinch salt
(There are a million variations on this. You can use any mild cheese like ricotta or queso fresco, and whatever seasonings you prefer/have on hand. In my case this included fresh figs and basil from the HGP.)

In one bowl: 1 egg beaten with a little milk
In another bowl: a little flour (I used whole wheat. any kind is fine. or cornmeal, or bread crumbs.) with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Remove stem and prickly things, leaving flower intact. Rinse and dry. Mix together cheese and seasoning. Carefully spoon a small amount of filling into each blossom and twist the petals closed. Dip each blossom into egg and then flour, pan fry lightly in oil. They should brown nicely on each side in a few minutes. Eat them while they're hot! (Don't worry, I was definitely eating another one out of hand while taking the above picture.)

More squash blossoms (soup? risotto? fritatta? which to try next?)
Ideas from Chez Panisse, Rick Bayless, Diana Kennedy
5 recipes from seasonalchef.com

White Bean and Yellow Pea Soup

2007-06-20T00:38:00.000-07:00

from All-American Vegetarian by Barbara Grunes and Virgina Van Vynckt

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients
2 Tbl olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 cup sliced celery
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 can (14.5 oz) chopped tomatoes
2 cups dry navy beans, soaked
2 cups dry yellow split peas
1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 cup minced fresh parsley - (divided)
1 Tbl minced fresh sage
1 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large pot. Add onions and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally and covering pot if necessary, until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, cook 1 minute. Add stock, tomatoes and their liquid, beans, split peas, bell pepper, 1/2 cup parsley, sage, tarragon, coriander. Bring soup to a boil and boil for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally and adding water is soup becomes too thick. Cook for about 2 hours, until the split peas melt into the soup and the beans are tender. Add salt. Taste and adjust seasonings. Stir in 1/2 cup parsley or use to garnish individual bowls.

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This bean soup was simple and tasty. The rest of this soup is in my freezer, and is slowly getting eaten up on foggy days.

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value): Calories 214kcal; Protein 12g (24%); Total Fat 4g (6%)(Sat. 0g (2%)); Chol. 0mg (0%); Carb. 35g (12%); Fiber 13g (53%); Sugars 6g; Calcium 97mg (10%); Iron 3mg (19%)

Cost Analysis
2 tbl olive oil - $0.44
1.5 cups onion - $1.42
4 cloves garlic - $0.19
1 cup celery - $0.47
1 cube bouillon - $0.67
1 can tomatoes - $1.59
2 cups flageolet beans* - $3.56
2 cups split peas $0.84 - $0.84
1 red bell pepper - $1.62
1 cup parsley - $0.33
1 tbl fresh sage - $0.09
1/2 tsp tarragon - $0.02 (est)
1/2 tsp corriander - $0.02 (est)
Total recipe cost: $11.25
Price per serving: $1.13

* I substituted flageolet beans for navy beans just for fun – and because they are quicker cooking. But in large quantities the navy beans are the way to go - the cost per bowl is well under $1! Who said organic cooking has to be expensive?

Tofu Mayonnaise

2007-06-20T00:23:00.000-07:00

(Sorry for the less than stellar photo... I figure you can imagine what mayo looks like without much effort on my part.)

Yield: 20 TBL

1 cup tofu
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
3 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Add tofu, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and salt to blender. Slowly blend in oil.

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We made this recipe in class, and I was skeptical. I mean, we didn't even use any special silken tofu. Just the regular firm stuff. But we were all extremely impressed - if you have a decent blender (or if you have a verry crappy blender and are verry patient, as in my case at home) this will turn out perfectly creamy and fool any mayo lover. Best of all tofu mayo will last forever and you don't have to worry about it going bad in your fridge or on the sandwich you take on a hike. And it's vegan. The original recipe called for lecithin, which is an emulsifier, but I didn't feel like buying any, and my mayo hasn't separated after a month.

Green Egg Salad

2007-06-20T00:05:00.000-07:00

by Rebecca Edwards

Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients
Dozen eggs - hardboiled (reserving 4 yolks if you wish)
1/2 bulb fennel, grated
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 Tbl green onion, chopped
2 Tbl fresh dill, minced
2 Tbl fresh parsley, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tbl dijon mustard
3 Tbl algae marmalade*
3 Tbl apple cider vinegar*
1/3 cup tofu mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Mash the eggs with a sturdy fork, until the yolks are crumbled and the whites are in small pieces. Mix in the fennel, celery, dill, and parsley. In a small bowl, stir together the mustard, algae marmalade, and cider vinegar. Add mixture to the eggs. Gently stir in tofu mayonaise. Salt and pepper to taste. Adjust seasonings according to your preference. You could use any fresh herbs or vegetables that you like. (If you're feeling particularly Seussian and you really want "green eggs", mix in some spirulina.)

* So because I'm me, I happened to have algae marmalade on hand that I had picked up at the supermarket in Peru. I figured this was as good an occasion as any to break it open. I mixed it with vinegar to substitute for the sweet relish I didn't have. It's a puree of algae and honey. Suprisingly tasty. If you wanted you could make this from scratch, or simulate a sweet pickle relish by mixing chopped sea vegetables, honey, and the vinegar. Or, just use a traditional sweet relish like a normal person.

I served this as an open-faced sandwich: Top a piece of whole grain toast with the egg salad mixture, a slice of fresh heirloom tomato, and crumble goat cheese on top. Broil until the cheese is melted and serve warm.

Eggs – Excellent source of vitamin K, B vitamins, selenium, vitamin D, and protein. Recent studies show that eggs actually REDUCE the risk of heart disease – dietary cholesterol is not as important as saturated fat intake. Betaine also promotes heart health. Choline (found only in the yolk) supports brain health – especially important for pregnant/breast-feeding women. Choose organic – conventional eggs are high in saturated fat and pesticides. Safety issues – salmonella. Limit consumption for people with kidney problems or herpes. (Murray 612)

Dill – Aids in digestion, lowers blood pressure, improves poor appetite. Has anti-bacterial properties. (Balch 150) Helps eliminate flatulence and indigestion. Detoxifies the liver, in fact it’s known as a “chemoprotective” which neutralizes some carcinogens. (Murray 483)

Parsley – Powerful diuretic. Prepare raw to preserve nutrients. (Balch 152) High chlorophyll content, vitamin C, flavenoids, carotenes, volatile oils all contribute to anti-cancer properties. Shown to limit carcinogenic properties of fried foods. (Murray 220)

Vegan Pumpkin Waffles

2007-05-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

From Isa at the Post Punk Kitchen
(slightly modified by me)

Yield: 16 waffles

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
2 Tb soy yogurt
2 cups soymilk
15 oz pureed pumpkin - fresh or canned
1/3 cup safflower oil
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions
Sift together dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, vigorously whisk together wet ingredients until well emulsified. Pour wet into dry and combine. Prepare waffles according to manufacturers instructions.

Serve with maple syrup and Earth Balance spread.
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Mmm... pumpkin. Yes, I'm a little obsessed with all things pumpkin. The waffles were tasty, and not too sweet. (Which is good since you know I'm going to be dousing them in syrup either way.) I wasn’t crazy about the texture, but it may have been my lack of skill with the waffle iron (as evidenced in the above picture!) And I actually preferred the pancakes I made with the leftover batter anyway. I’d like to experiment with making them multigrain, or possibly wheat free. Also, next time, unless I’m cooking for vegans I won’t bother to buy soy yogurt, just for 2 Tb, when I already have regular yogurt on hand.

Braised Lima Beans

2007-05-15T19:40:00.000-07:00

by Rebecca Edwards
(from basic directions at http://wholehealthmd.com)

Yield: 8 servings

Preparation time: about 5 minutes
Cooking time: about 15 minutes

1 small onion
2 Tb olive oil
10 oz lima beans - (fresh, cooked or frozen, thawed)
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste
water or vegetable broth

Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Gently sweat onion with a dash of salt and pepper in 1 Tb oil over low heat, until soft. Add the garlic, lima beans, thyme, sage, and additional oil. Stir to coat beans, cook 1-2 minutes. Add water or broth just to cover, simmer about 10 minutes or until tender. Adjust seasoning to taste.

For a creamier sauce without adding butter, puree a small amount of the beans and stir them back in, or use an immersion blender to pulse for just a few seconds.

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This recipe was inspired by my breakfast at Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville! My version isn't quite as tasty, but is probably also about 50000% lower in butter.

Vegan Breakfast Sausage

2007-05-15T18:27:00.000-07:00

From "Tofu and Soyfoods Cookery"
via this blog

Yield: 6 patties

8 oz tempeh - fresh or thawed, frozen
1/3 cup water
2 Tb whole wheat flour
1 Tb olive oil
1 Tb dark miso
1/2 teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of salt

1. Steam the tempeh for 10 minutes; then cool and grate on the course side of a grater.
2. Combine the tempeh with the rest of the ingredients, mix well, and shape into 6 flat cakes, pressing together firmly. (Add a little flour if the mixture is too moist.)
3. Fry in a hot skillet until browned in just enough oil to keep the patties from sticking to the pan.
4. Drain on a paper towel. The patties can be made ahead and frozen. Separate each patty with waxed paper before placing in the freezer.

Nutritional facts per serving (daily value): Calories 106kcal; Protein 8g (15%); Total Fat 7g (10%)(Sat. 1g (6%)); Chol. 0mg (0%); Carb. 6g (2%); Fiber 0g (2%); Sugars 0g; Calcium 44mg (4%); Iron 1mg (7%)

Miso – All the health benefits of soy. Rich source of nutrients for a flavoring agent. (whfoods.org) High in B vitamins and protein. The live cultures aid in digestion. Antioxidants are more easily absorbed from fermented soy. (Balch 86) Has been shown to protect against breast cancer. (Murray 376)

Tempeh – All the health benefits of soy. Higher in fiber than other soy products, as it is made from the whole soybean. (Balch 187) Source of manganese and phosphorus. (Murray 378) Like miso, provides the benefits of fermented soy.

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This homework assignment was supposed to feature fermented foods and alternate ingredients - so tempeh and miso were obvious choices. This is just a recipe I stole from someone's blog, but we ended up making a similar recipe in class later on. The class recipe was actually more complicated with more elaborate seasoning, and it pretty much tasted exactly the same! I thought it came out well - it really looks just like breakfast sausages! It didn't taste like sausage, or even like "fake" packaged sausage, but I really liked it - and I'm NOT a fan of tempeh usually. I was wary of burning the patties, but actually the more I browned them the more sausagey flavor they got. Froze and reheated in the toaster really well. My only complaint was that the flavor was not very strong. Seeing as how the class recipe had more spices with little effect, the next time I make this I will throw in tons of fresh sage and garlic and see if that kicks it up a notch.

Easy to make and a little cheaper than storebought.

I actually did a cost analysis on this recipe:
8 oz Tempeh - $2.59
2 Tb whole wheat flour - $0.02
1 Tb olive oil - $0.35
1 Tb dark miso - $0.24
1/2 tsp sage - $0.02
Other spices – estimated - $0.05
TOTAL RECIPE COST: $3.27
Price per serving: $0.55

Spicy Herb and Tomato Cheez Spread

2007-05-15T17:56:00.000-07:00

From The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook by Jo Stepaniak

Makes 1 cup

1/2 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup oat flour
1 cup water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of cayenne

Place the nutritional yeast flakes and flour in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the water, taking care to avoid lumps. Whisk in remaining ingredients until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly until very thick and smooth. Serve hot, warm, or thoroughly chilled. Keeps about 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition information per 1/4 cup: 110 calories – 10 g protein, 5 g fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 15 mg calcium, 227 mg sodium.

Nutritional Yeast Flakes
A very concentrated source of complete protein. It is also a rich source of vitamin B12 – a tablespoon provides more than 100% of the RDA of B12 and of pantothenic acid. Also rich in thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and folate. It is one of the few non-animal sources of complete protein or B12, so it's a great supplement for vegetarians. Helps to lower cholesterol and its high chromium content has health benefits for diabetics. In clinical trials, was effective in reducing acne.
** Not recommended in doses above 3 tablespoons daily, or for people with gout, kidney disease, or arthritis, due to the high purine content. May contribute to migraines for some people.
(Murray 631-633, Vegetarian Resource Group - vrg.org)

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The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook was the only thing my vegan boss asked me to bring back to Ecuador, and I've seen Jen at veganlunchbox use recipes from it too. And then we were given a copy as one of our class textbooks. So even though I'm a real-cheese kind of gal, I thought I'd try a recipe for my class demo. I got 9 thumbs up, even though most of my classmates are far from vegetarian.

It was really cheap, easy to make, and came out a great gooey consistency. It didn't taste like cheese, but it also didn't taste like plastic (or soy, or chickpeas...) It was herby, but not very tomatoey, so I might try adding tomato paste the next time, or even subbing that for the ketchup. You could play around a little with the spices, but the author warns that since there are so few ingredients, a little change makes a huge difference in flavor. I made the second batch with a smaller pinch of cayenne and used smoked paprika, and you could definitely tell the difference - a mellower and smoky flavor. You can put this on anything. Hot it would be great on broccoli, and cold it's a perfect dip.

Vegan Carrot Cake

2007-04-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

From Uprisings: The Whole Grain Bakers' Book
(with slight adjustments by me)

Makes one 10 inch pan

Combine in one bowl:
1/2 cup vegetable oil (Safflower is good for high heat / baking)
1/2 cup applesauce
3 cups grated carrots
1 tbl vanilla
3/4 cup honey
3/4 cup flax seed mixture
(1 part freshly ground flax seeds:3 parts water. 1/4 cup of this mixture generally replaces one egg.)

Combine in another bowl:
4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbl cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder

Stir both mixtures together. Pour into an oiled pan (i usually rub on oil, then shake flour to coat all the sides... it's reliably nonstick.) Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until center is firm.

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I really wanted to try this recipe from the class baking book. It's a cute book, put out by a whole grain bakers' collective, with contributions from lots of member bakeries. All the recipes are written out by hand. I liked the sound of how simple this was (it was even simpler before I tinkered a bit!) and thought carrots, honey, and flax would ensure a moist vegan cake.

Verdict: The taste was spot on. (The only thing I would add is lemon zest, but i wanted to try without.) April and I have been happily eating it up. It's certainly been the most satisfying breakfast I've had in a while. However, I'm not totally happy with flax as an egg substitute. It's a great binder, but won't help it rise. So the texture of this cake was a bit too thick and gluey. (It probably didn't help that I didn't have a good cake pan, and used a loaf pan instead.) All the reviews of vegan baking I've read say commercial egg substitutes make for a lighter cake than flax. But that's not the point! I don't really need a vegan cake, and if I have to use a weird processed food to make it right, I'd rather just use the nice local, free range eggs I have. BUT, I will try again, maybe in muffin tins, with less flax, and more baking powder.

Lemon cream cheese: Like I said, I was missing the lemon zest. So I made a really quick lemon topping. I squeezed and zested a lemon and heated that with a little agave nectar. Then I mixed it with organic cream cheese (again with the not vegan... I'm trying to cut back a bit on dairy, but fermented dairy like yogurt and cream cheese are really good for you). And there you have it! None of this cream cheese frosting with added butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar. It won't set up like a real frosting would, but it's perfect to spread on a slice at a time.

Keftes de Espinaca (Sephardic Spinach Patties)

2007-04-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

From epicurious. Originally published in:
Olive Trees and Honey, 2005
By Gil Marks

"Among my favorite spinach dishes are these simple but delicious patties. Even spinach haters can't resist them, especially when they're splashed with a little fresh lemon juice; fresh juice does make a major difference in taste. Onions add a sweet flavor and textural complexity. These patties are traditional on Passover and Rosh Hashanah, corresponding to the emergence of the early and late spinach crops."

Makes about 16 patties.

Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
2 pounds fresh spinach, stemmed, cooked, chopped, and squeezed dry, or 20 ounces thawed frozen chopped spinach, squeezed dry
About 1 cup matza meal or fine dried bread crumbs
About 3/4 teaspoon table salt or 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (optional)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedges for serving

preparation
1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and, if using, the garlic and sauté until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the spinach, matza meal, salt, pepper, and, if using, the nutmeg. Stir in the eggs. If the mixture is too loose, add a little more matza meal. The mixture can be stored in the refrigerator for a day.

2. Shape the spinach mixture into patties 3 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide, with tapered ends. In a large skillet, heat a thin layer of oil over medium heat. In batches, fry the patties, turning, until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm, accompanied with lemon wedges.

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Verdict: Wow, these came out exactly as promised!! Delicious! It's quite unlike me, but I actually followed the recipe as written and I was richly rewarded. Easy, simple, and other than the spinach I had all the ingredients on hand. It browned nicely in very little oil, and the flavors just caramelize together. And the lemon squeezed on was, in fact, the perfect touch. You could add cheese or any kind of sauce on top, but these were great as they were. They reheated wonderfully in the toaster oven, and probably freeze well too.

notes - I used a pound of organic baby spinach from the farmer's market. yum. I used my old matzo - whizzed it in the food processor until it was in little chunks. (you could easily crush it up by hand too.) I would definitely recommend that instead of fine bread crumbs, the texture was lovely. oh - the one change i made was to half the recipe, and so used only 1 egg. The mixture still held together nicely.

Sweet Potato and Carrot Tzimmes

2007-04-10T21:41:00.000-07:00

2 pounds carrots - (about one large bunch)
3 pounds sweet potatoes - (about 4-5)
1 cup orange juice - freshly squeezed (about 4 oranges)
1 tbl orange zest
3/4 cup pitted prunes
3 tbl olive oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Peel and chop the carrots and sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces and boil them until tender. While they are cooking, zest and juice the oranges. Roughly chop the prunes into halves or quarters. Drain the vegetables and add them to a shallow 3 qt casserole dish. Drizzle the olive oil onto the vegetables. Add the prunes, honey, salt, cinnamon and orange zest. Mix well. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover, stir gently, and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The tzimmes should be moist and saucy. Add additional liquid as needed. (Particularly if leave it to warm in the oven or reheat it later.)

Variation - Tzimmes is easy to adapt. Use any root veggies you prefer. The liquid can be whatever fruit juice you have on hand, or sweet kosher wine, or veggie stock, or a combination. If you like it cooked to pieces, like I do, increase cooking time (and liquid).

Traditionally served on Passover.

Charoset (Ashkenazi style)

2007-04-10T20:10:00.000-07:00

2 medium apples (Choose firm apples. Sweet or tart is your call. Mix varieties for the best flavor. I used a combo of Pink Lady and Gala.)
1 cup walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup sweet kosher wine (like Manischewitz)
dash of salt
1 tablespoon honey (optional)

Finely chop the walnuts. Peel and finely chop the apples (avoid using a food processor.) Mix all ingredients together and adjust to taste. Add the honey if you prefer a sweeter flavor, or if your apples are tart. The consistency should be chunky, a bit sticky, and not runny.
Cover and refrigerate for an hour. Serve at room temperature. Leftovers keep reasonably well for a day or two, but no longer.

Serving Suggestions: Charoset is one of the 6 symbolic foods on the seder plate at Passover, representing mortar. Eat it plain or pair it with matzah and horseradish.

I'm fond of organic, whole wheat matzah. (Hey, do you think those ancient Jews were adding pesticides and bleaching THEIR flour?) My local natural foods store carried a version by Yeruda. Also check out this Chicago-based bakery... they seem pretty awesome and I'll be sure to get my hands on their stuff next year. They also have a cool page showing the whole process of making their matzah, complete with photos of rabbis harvesting wheat.

Next year in...
I wanted to make the familiar version this time, but I'm excited to try traditional charoset recipes from around the world. Thanks to the Jewish diaspora, there's versions with apricots, dates, coconut, cranberries, pistachios, chestnuts, pine nuts, pecans, and blended and cooked kinds too. Mmm... mortar never tasted so good...
From The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden
From Cooking Light
From The Jewish Holiday Kitchen by Joan Nathan
From epicurious.com

Update 4/18/08: Boo, the chicago organic matzah website seems to have disappeared. I hope they haven't stopped making them.