Mexican Yuba Omelet

I love using yuba (tofu skins) because it is so versatile.  It's great for wrapping/stuffing, stir-fry's and soups.  You can purchase yuba at an Asian market, but I get mine freshly made at my local Sogo Tofu shop.  This yuba omelet tasted like the real deal because I also added shredded firm tofu, mixed with turmeric and black salt found at my local Indian market.  Black salt is an Indian spice that tastes like sulfur and imparts an "egg-like" flavor.  It is "rose" in color instead of black and a little goes a long way because it is very salty!   

For the enchilada sauce, you can purchase store bought or make your own using my recipe.  I cut the recipe in half for this dish, but if you want to make the full batch, you can store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks and use it for another meal.  For my avocado emulsion I used:  1/2 large avocado, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp vegan sour cream, a handful of cilantro leaves, the juice from a 1/2 lemon or lime, and salt and pepper to taste--then blended until creamy.

 

And now for the filling...the best part!  I used everything that I love in an omelet or burrito.  I pan roasted baby fingerling potatoes, and sauteed red bell pepper, onion and garlic.  I also sauteed one link of Artisan Tofurky Andouille Sausages (had this in my fridge and wanted to use it up), but sauteed cremini mushrooms would of been my first choice.  I then added fresh spinach, salt and pepper to the mix and cooked until just wilted.

To assemble, I unwrapped the tofu skin.  Depending on the size you may need to cut the tofu skin, but since they are rather thin I like to leave them big so that when I stuff, roll and wrap, I get double the coverage.  I placed a layer of shredded Daiya Havarti Style Wedge on the bottom, followed by shredded tofu mixed with turmeric and black salt, followed by the potato/veggie mixture, topped with more cheese and wrapped it up like a burrito.  I then added a little olive oil to a saute pan and browned on both sides before placing in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes just to make sure that it heated all the way through and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and top with enchilada sauce, avocado emulsion, cilantro and finely sliced green onion.  Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner...I could eat these every day stuffed with a different combination of ingredients and sauces!  For my next one I'm going to stuff with a stir-fry mixture of fresh veggies, grilled teriyaki tofu and serve with Asian dipping sauces!  YUM!      

Roasted Wild Mushroom Pizza Blanco

I never got my oven fixed last week but when I turned it on the other night it worked perfectly.  I'm sure eventually I'll need to call in the repair guy, or get a new one, but until then it's nice not having to spend the $100 plus!  I'd rather spend the money on quality ingredients to make delicious food!

For this pizza I used a gluten free cornmeal crust.  I really didn't like the crust that much...it was chewy and didn't brown properly and I much prefer an extra-thin crispy crust for my pizza.  I do like using gluten free pizza crusts, but this was not one of them.  However, the toppings were amazing! Here's what I did:

  
I pan roasted both cremini and oyster mushrooms in olive oil, fresh thyme and salt and pepper until lightly golden brown.  While the mushrooms were roasting, I caramelized sliced red onions in olive oil and set aside.  I then sliced baby creamer potatoes about 1/8" thick and sauteed them in olive oil until golden brown.  

To assemble the pizza, I brushed the dough with extra virgin olive oil and then spooned about 1/3 cup of my homemade creamy pasta alfredo sauce on the bottom.  I topped the sauce with one cup of shredded Daiya Harvarti Style Cheese Wedge, followed by the roasted mushrooms and then the onions.  After baking the pizza I topped it with fresh arugula tossed in a little evoo, s&p, and finished with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.

If you make the alfredo sauce the day before and purchase a pre-made pizza crust, then this is an easy Friday night dinner after a long week at work!  And it was delicious!  Now I've got to figure out what I'm making for tonight...stay tuned...will post this weekend! 

Happy Friday! 

Lentil Shepherd's Pie for Two

On Sunday afternoons my husband and I used to head over to our local British Pub to watch the game, drink a couple of Harps and indulge in pub fare.  He always ordered bangers and mash, or fish and chips and my favorite was shepherds pie!  I cringe now thinking about how unhealthy we were eating. So now we still enjoy going to the pub, but we come home and I make our own favorites. 

You can make shepherds pie with tempeh, seitan, TVP or just veggies, but I like using lentils.  Lentils are full of fiber, iron and protein and are good for the heart!  My favorite lentils to purchase are black beluga or French green lentils because they hold their shape during cooking.  But my local market didn't have any and so I purchased the brown lentils instead.  When cooking brown lentils don't follow the directions on the package and cook for 25-30 minutes because you will end up with mush.  I bring four cups of water to a boil, stir in 1/2 cup lentils, bring to boil again, remove from heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes--they are perfect every time!

Look past my dirty oven (it gets used quite a bit) and see the ramekins bubbling in the oven, almost ready to come out.  I add peas to the mixture, but I also like adding more when I pull them out of the oven for color and freshness.  For the mashed potatoes, you want them to be stiff especially if you are going to pipe them into a design.  If they are too loose they will spread out and deflate while baking.  I used 3 medium sized organic russet potatoes, mashed with Earth Balance butter and cashew cream (see below) and nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor.  Finally, garnish with fresh parsley or chopped chives.

Brown Stock/Sauce:

4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1/2 cup red wine

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 bay leaf

4 whole peppercorns

4 cups vegetable stock

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• Brown mushrooms and onions in a sauce pan with 2 tbsp olive oil, add garlic and red wine and reduce until wine is almost gone
• Stir in tomato paste and all all other ingredients and cook on medium for about 30 minutes until reduced by half and dark brown and rich in flavor
• While sauce is cooking start lentils (see above), drain and set aside

Ingredients:

4 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/3 cup of small diced carrots
1/3 cup of small diced celery
1/2 cup of small diced onion
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 tbsp fresh thyme minced
2-3 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Earth Balance Butter melted with 1 tbsp flour to create thickening paste
2 tbsp cashew cream (1/2 cup soaked cashews, drained with 1 cup water, blended in a high speed blender until smooth)
1 cup cooked lentils (see above)
1/2 cup frozen peas (plus more for garnish)
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Chopped fresh parsley or fresh chives for garnish

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Add olive oil and mushrooms to a medium sized sauce pan and cook until brown
• Add carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until soft
• Strain brown stock/sauce into pan pressing on solids to release all the juice and add cooked lentils and stir to combine
• Depending on how thick the sauce is you may need to add the beurre manie (butter and flour mixture to thicken--I whisked in about 1 tbsp)
• Add cashew cream and salt and pepper to taste
• Just before filling ramekins stir peas into mixture
• Make mashed potatoes (see above) and pipe on top of mixture
• Bake until bubbling about 20-25 minutes
• Garnish with peas and chopped herbs and enjoy along with a cold Harp beer or a glass of red wine!  And don't forget to turn on the game! 

Healthy Fast Food

Every once in awhile I get a craving for fast food.  We live near a Veggie Grill and we'll stop in several times a year, but it is nice to make it at home knowing that it's really not that bad for you.  We don't eat this type of food every month but as the year-end draws near, I feel that I have to get in my fix for all that is bad and start the new year fresh and healthy.  Seriously though--there's not a lot to give up January 1.  Sure maybe I indulge in sweets sometimes, or don't exercise enough, but in terms of our diet we eat a really healthy and balanced diet. 

I made peppered seitan from scratch the other night and it is perfect shaved and served with BBQ sauce on a sandwich.  Really tender and full of protein.  Most people think that seitan is just like eating bread (full of carbs) because it is made with gluten, but all the starch has been removed during the rinsing and kneading process and you are left with pure protein. 

For the BBQ sauce, I whipped up a quick batch using six ingredients.  BBQ sauce is a condiment that you never should buy.  If you have organic ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, molasses and brown sugar in your pantry then you can make BBQ sauce from scratch.  I added a little soy sauce and sriracha for heat.  And what is a BBQ sandwich without coleslaw.  I made mine with shaved green cabbage, shaved Brussels sprouts, green onion, apple cider vinegar, and a little Earth Balance Organic Mindful Mayo.  Super healthy and adds a nice crunch!

Finally, for the fries I love Cascadian Farms Shoe String French Fries made with organic potatoes, canola oil, apple juice concentrate and citric acid.  No artificial flavors or partially-hydrogenated oils.  Just pop them in the oven for 15 minutes and sprinkle with a little sea salt.  

Tonight's dinner was quick, delicious and healthy in terms of fast food and perfect for a once in awhile treat!

Simple...Elegant Christmas Dinner

I have never made homemade seitan before--well not the kneading, resting, rinsing, kneading, rinsing...rinsing, rinsing, etc., type of seitan.  It is very laborious and I'm not certain if it is worth it or not.  The seitan was very flavorful and would be great sliced for sandwiches or served with a fruit and cheese platter, but sliced into medallions the texture was somewhat chewy.  So the "Simple" in my title references all of the other components of the dish, but not the seitan.  It took about 3.5 hours to make the seitan from start to finish!

 
Demi Glace:  Is a classic French brown sauce--one of the mother sauces that I learned to make in Culinary School years ago.  Obviously the French make the sauce with meat bones, but my recipe uses only homemade vegetable stock and it is rich, glossy and delicious.  To make the sauce I added a couple tbsp of olive oil to a sauce pan, along with one cup sliced white button mushrooms and one cup sliced onion.  I cooked these until brown and caramelized and then added several cloves of crushed whole garlic.  I deglazed the pan with about a cup of red wine and added one tbsp tomato paste.  I reduced this down until almost all the wine was evaporated and then added four cups of homemade vegetable stock, along with a sprig of fresh time, a tsp of fresh rosemary leaves, one bay leaf, and a 1/4 tsp of black peppercorns.  I brought the sauce to a boil and reduced the heat to low and simmered until reduced by half.  I then strained the sauce through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids, returned the sauce to a smaller pan and then whisked in a beurre manie (equal parts butter and flour) to thicken the sauce.  Finally, I seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.   

Sherry Glazed Button Mushrooms:  I used one pound of white button mushrooms, cleaned them with a damp cloth and trimmed the stems. I heated a cast iron skillet and added a couple tbsp of olive oil and sauteed with the tops face down without stirring until golden brown.  I then turned them over and browned the other side.  Once brown I added chopped fresh thyme, rosemary and minced garlic, along with salt and pepper.  I then deglazed the pan with one cup of pale dry sherry and reduced until the mushrooms were coated and all the liquid was evaporated.  If you don't have sherry, any fortified wine will taste great:  Madeira, Marsala or Ruby Port.  

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:  I used Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into two inch chunks.  I made a cashew cream with one cup raw cashews and two cups of water blended in a VitaMix until smooth and creamy.  I roasted two whole garlic heads in the oven for about an hour until soft and caramelized.  I squeezed out the flesh of the garlic and added it to the cashew cream and blended again.  I drained the potatoes, mashed, added earth balance butter and added enough garlic cashew cream to create a smooth consistency, along with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Homemade Peppered Seitan:  Back to the kitchen to tweak this recipe further.  Again, sliced thinly and tossed with a BBQ sauce and piled high on a sandwich would be great, but still needs some refinement.

 
I hope that you and yours had a wonderful Holiday!  Until my next post...enjoy!
 

 

Easy Thanksgiving Dinner

Yesterday was probably my easiest and best Thanksgiving ever.  I swore after last year that I would never spend all day (12 hours) in the kitchen...cooking and cleaning.  And as much as I love cooking--it's just not worth it.  My menu yesterday took 4 1/2 hours from start to finish (prep, cooking, eating and cleanup)!  So instead of starting to cook at 8:00am, I slept in, had a relaxing breakfast with my husband reading the paper, surfed the web, played games, went for a walk and then at 1:00pm I started my first prep!  So here's what I served:

• Autumn Wild Rice Salad:  This salad is gluten free.  I used a combination of wild rice, brown basmati rice, red quinoa, diced butternut squash, carrots, celery, sage, thyme, pomegranate seeds and a pomegranate vinaigrette.  I made a similar salad last year using whole grain couscous.  This salad can be served at room temperature or chilled.
• Blue Lake Green Beans with Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette:  I blanched the green beans in salted boiling water for 1-1/2 minutes and then shocked in ice water, drained and set aside.  I then made a quick vinaigrette with minced garlic, shallots, thyme, whole grain mustard, freshly squeezed lemon juice, white balsamic, grapeseed oil and olive oil.  Just before serving I sauteed the beans with some of the vinaigrette to heat through.
• Smashed Baby Fingerling Potatoes with Garlic & Chive Cream:  This couldn't be simpler--no potatoes to peel...I made a quick roasted garlic-cashew cream sauce (soaked cashews, water, 1 roasted garlic bulb, salt and pepper and blended it together).  I cooked the potatoes in salted boiling water, drained, smashed, added vegan butter, roasted garlic cream sauce and salt and pepper to taste. 
• Roasted Shallot Gravy:  This is a delicious gravy made in 30 minutes using no cornstarch or butter.  I thinly sliced 5 large shallots (about 3 cups), along with 6 oz of sliced cremini mushrooms.  I sauteed them in olive oil for about 10 minutes until caramelized and then added minced garlic, fresh thyme and deglazed with ruby port wine.  I cooked the wine off and added 4 cups of vegetable stock and reduced for 20 minutes.  I blended everything together along with 3 tbsp nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste.  
• Field Roast (Celebration): I braised the roast for about 35-40 minutes in a small casserole dish with vegetable stock, fresh sage, fresh thyme sprigs and olive oil.  I browned the top the last few minutes of cooking, sliced to desired thickness and poured remaining broth over top upon serving.

That's pretty much it except that I purchased freshly made cranberry-orange chutney and a vegan pumpkin pie from my work.  As much as I like baking and making pies--it takes too long.  Yes, it is a little bit more expensive, but the time savings is well worth it!  Oh and I can't forget the wine to round out the meal...I served Talbott Kali Hart 2010 Pinot Noir from Monterey.  It complimented the meal beautifully!  

And tonight is another easy cooking night...can't wait to eat the leftovers! Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving--I really did! 

Spicy Chickpea & Sweet Potato (Aloo)

You can tell that it's the end of the month and the end of my grocery budget.  Not that this dish couldn't be served and enjoyed anytime during the month, but it's a great dish to serve when you're cooking from your pantry.  I had all the ingredients (dried chickpeas, tomato puree, Indian spices, quinoa) in my pantry and so I only needed to purchase one large sweet potato, which cost me a whopping $1.70.  Normally I wouldn't be close to overspending for the month, but I traveled back east to visit my family and I always end up spending more trying to stock their pantry with healthy ingredients.  But just because this is a budget meal doesn't mean that it lacks flavor and certainly not nutrition.  One serving of this dish is packed with Vitamin C, Beta-Carotene, Lycopene, Potassium, Fiber and Protein!  I should be eating this more often--everyone should!  Good for the budget and good for your health!

I served the aloo over yellow quinoa, but brown basmati rice, or whole wheat couscous would also be good to soak up the flavorful sauce.  For the tomatoes, I used Pomi crushed tomatoes, but they are really expensive, but since they were already in my pantry I didn't need to spend the money.  If it were summer and the tomatoes were bright red and juicy I would just blanch them to remove the skins and grate them for the sauce.   Also, this is another oil-free dish--there's so much flavor that you don't any processed oils.

Ingredients:

1 tsp grated ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less depending on taste)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves
1-2 small whole green Thai chilies, halved or quartered
2 cups tomato puree
2 1/2 cups filtered water, (more or less depending on consistency)
1 large sweet potato or yam, diced into 1/2-1" pieces (about 3 cups)
2 cups cooked and drained chickpeas or garbanzo beans
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1/4 cup minced cilantro leaves

Method:

• Soak 3/4 cup of chickpeas overnight and then cook until tender.  Drain and set aside. 
• In a large sauce pan, over medium-low heat, add whole cumin seeds and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.  Add 1/4 cup water, grated ginger and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until soft.
• Stir in other spices and chilies and then add tomato puree and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
• Next add the diced sweet potatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook on medium-low heat until sweet potatoes are just tender, adding more water if necessary.
• Finally add cooked chickpeas and heat through and season with salt and pepper if necessary. 
• Garnish with minced cilantro and serve over grain of choice.

Roasted Potato, Mushroom & Kale Torte

This torte is very similar to the Potato and Spinach Gratin that I made about a month ago but it is more substantial.  I know that on Thanksgiving some people like to serve a dish that is the center piece of their meal and this dish could fill in for that purpose.  For me however, it has always been about the variety of the side dishes.  Nothing makes a Thanksgiving plate more beautiful than an array of fall colors, and different flavors and textures. 

For the torte I made the same cashew cream sauce that I used for the gratin, but changed up the other ingredients and served it with a Mushroom-Marsala Jus.  Whether you serve this as a side dish for Thanksgiving, or for a simple dinner when you have a craving for warm comfort food, I know that you and your family will really like it!

Cashew Cheddar Sauce:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in filtered water, drained
1 1/4 cup filtered water
1 bulb of garlic, roasted until soft
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, depending on taste
1 cup Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Note:  You may have cashew cheddar sauce left over depending on the size of the casserole dish you use.  Place it in a container and freeze for up to three months.  To use, thaw in the fridge and blend before using.

Method:

• Cover cashews with filtered water and soak for up to 8 hours or overnight.  Drain cashews and place in a blender, along with 1 1/4 cups filtered water.  Blend on high until creamy, about 4 minutes.  Strain mixture if you are not using a high-speed blender like a Vita-Mix and then place back in the blender.
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the top off the garlic bulb, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, wrap in foil and bake until soft about 45-60 minutes.  Let garlic cool and squeeze out soft garlic cloves and set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat.  Add olive oil, onions, minced garlic, and fresh thyme and cook until onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes.  
• Add to the blender and cashew cream, the roasted garlic, onion mixture, cayenne pepper, Daiya Cheese and salt and pepper to taste and blend until smooth and creamy.  It should be thicker than heavy cream, more like the consistency of a loose custard.  However, if too thick add a little more water.
• Set sauce aside until ready to use.

Torte Ingredients:

3 lbs organic Yukon Gold Potatoes, washed and sliced into 1/4" slices, roasted

1 1/2 lbs assorted mushrooms (I used 8oz each, cremini, oyster and chanterelle), roasted

1 bunch organic green kale, stems removed, cut into bite sized pieces and washed

3 tbsp minced fresh thyme

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 bunch minced fresh chives

3/4 Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds

1 to 1 1/2 cups Cashew Cheddar Sauce

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Note:  I used a 9x9" casserole dish which makes about 6 servings.

Method: 

• Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
• Toss mushrooms together with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp thyme and salt and pepper.  Spread out mushrooms on two baking sheets and roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes.  Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
• Toss potatoes together with 1-2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp thyme and salt and pepper.  Spread out on two sheet trays (trying not to over-lap) and roast for 25-30 minutes, flipping potatoes half way through the cooking process and rotating trays.  If the potatoes stick to the sheet plan when trying to flip, place back in the oven for a couple more minutes.  Once the starches become caramelized the potatoes will easily lift from the sheet pan.  Remove from oven and set aside.
• In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on medium-low and add garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes until the garlic starts to sizzle.  Add chopped kale, and salt and pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes until kale is wilted, but still bright green.
• Remove from heat and set aside.

Assembly:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Lightly butter casserole dish and spread with 1/3 cup of cheese sauce on the bottom.  I made 4 layers so divide your ingredients to make sure you have enough for each layer.
• Layer the casserole with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, kale, a 1/4 cup Daiya cheese, 1/3 cup cheese sauce, chopped chives, salt and pepper.  Repeat this process three more times, except for the top layer do not use the Daiya cheese, only the cheese sauce.
• Cover with foil and bake in the oven for about 45-60 minutes until bubbly, turning once half way through the cooking process.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting.
• Just before serving, garnish with herb panko topping and additional chopped chives.

Herb Panko:

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tbsp minced chives
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

• In a small saute pan, heat olive oil, add bread crumbs, herbs, salt and pepper and cook on low until panko is lightly golden brown.  Stir frequently and be careful not to burn.  When finished do not leave in hot pan, transfer to a bowl and then sprinkle on gratin.

Mushroom-Marsala Jus:

8 oz cremini mushrooms sliced
1 small yellow onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 cup Marsala fortified wine
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 tsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks
1 tsp a/p flour
1 tbsp extra virgin olive
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• In a small sauce pan, add olive oil, and mushrooms and cook on medium heat until browned, about 10 minutes.
• Add onions and garlic and cook about five minutes longer.
• Deglaze with Marsala and cook until liquid has been absorbed.
• Add vegetable stock, thyme, and bay leaf, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 30 minutes.
• Strain broth into a bowl, pressing solids with the back of a spoon.
• In the sauce pan add butter and flour and cook for about 1-2 minutes until bubbly.
• Whisk in mushroom broth and simmer for a couple of minutes until thickened.
• Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Potato-Leek Soup with Chives

This is a quick and easy recipe to use up any leftover Roasted Garlic & Chive Mashed Potatoes.  If you don't have prepared mashed potatoes on hand then purchase two pounds of russet potatoes and cook and puree them before adding to the soup base.  Or you can cook the potatoes in the soup and puree all the ingredients together into a smooth puree.  I like cooking the potatoes separately because I like the texture of the sauteed leeks.  I served this soup with my homemade Whole Wheat Herb-Focaccia.

Ingredients:

2 lbs left over garlic and chive mashed potatoes
1 leek, sliced into half moons, rinsed (white and light green parts only)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced thyme
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups vegetable stock
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

• In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil on medium-low heat and add sliced leeks.  Cook until leeks are soft, about 5-7 minutes.
• Add garlic, thyme and white wine and reduce until wine has evaporated.
• Add mashed potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes until thickened and for flavors to combine.
• Season with salt and pepper if needed and garnish with chopped chives.

Roasted Garlic & Chive Mashed Potatoes

I can't tell you the last time that I made mashed potatoes.  For the past two or three years I've served potato gratins for Thanksgiving and so it has been awhile.  Growing up my mom was the expert on mashed potato making and my sister and I lived in fear of making lumpy mashed potatoes, seriously...:-)  According to my mom, there is a process for making creamy mashers and if you don't get the first several steps right you are doomed for failure.

Well, mom would be quite disappointed if she knew that my mashed potatoes were a little lumpy because I do not own a food mill, potato ricer, or even a potato masher, and I had to use a small pastry cutter to mash five pounds of potatoes!  Quite the chore...Of course, the flavor of the potatoes made up for the texture and I actually prefer a little texture anyways.  If mashed potatoes are too smooth it kind of reminds me of a school cafeteria and the scoops of potatoes they used to dish out...not a good memory!  
 

 

Ingredients:

5 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced into 3" large chunks

1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks

2 large heads of garlic, roasted, pureed

2 cups cashew cream (more or less depending on desired consistency), heated

1 bunch fresh chives, minced

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Mashed Potatoes 101:

• Always use russet potatoes, never boiling potatoes, unless of course you are making "smashed potatoes".
• Cut potatoes in even chunks so that they cook evenly.
• Always start the potatoes in plenty of cold, salted water.
• Never overcook the potatoes or they will become waterlogged.  You want them to be cooked through, but still be firm.  I cooked my potatoes about 25 minutes.  Test after 15-20 minutes of cooking time.
• Drain potatoes really well and run through a food mill or potato ricer while still hot.
• Once potatoes are completely smooth, stir in room temperature butter.
• Next, add heated garlic cream mixture and then add the remaining cream a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
• Stir in herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve immediately, or keep potatoes warm until ready to use by tenting with aluminum foil and placing over a pot of barely simmering water.

Cashew Cream:

• Soak 1 cup of cashews for a minimum of four hours or overnight in filtered water.
• Drain water and place cashews in a blender, along with 3 cups filtered water and blend until smooth, about four minutes on high.
• If you have a high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix then you don't need to strain; otherwise, strain and set aside.  You will need about 2 and 1/4 cups for the recipe.
• Note:  Cashew cream/milk works the best for mashed potatoes because of the high-fat content.  You can also use a full-fat plain soy, but I find that it gives a strange taste and color to the potatoes.  I do not recommend using almond or rice milk as a substitute.

Roasted Garlic:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cut the tops off of two large heads of garlic and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Wrap in aluminum foil and bake for one hour until soft.
• Remove from oven and let cool before squeezing out tender cloves.
• Place cloves in a blender with 1 cup of cashew cream/milk and blend until smooth.
• Remove from blender and set aside.

Roasted Mushroom Ragu with Garlic Mash

This is a super simple mushroom ragu that can be served with polenta, gnocchi, or tossed with your favorite pasta.  I served mine with Roasted Garlic and Chive Mashed Potatoes.  I made the potatoes for my Thanksgiving Series and I will post the recipe tomorrow.  Tonight though, I'm being super lazy with my post and so I'm just going to give you the recipe for the ragu.  For this dish, I did not make a protein (again--super lazy) but a herb-crusted sauteed tempeh, tofu or seitan would work really well. 

Just a quick note on ingredients.  Mushrooms pair really well with fortified wines such as Madeira or Marsala.  Madeira is from Portugal and Marsala is from Sicily, Italy.  Every kitchen pantry should be stocked with these fortified wines, as well as Ruby Port.  They are relatively inexpensive and add a lot of flavor to sauces, especially to earthy ingredients, such as mushrooms.

Ragu Ingredients:
(Serves 2)

8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced 
1 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 tbsp finely minced thyme
1/3 cup Marsala or Madeira wine
2 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp unbleached flour or cornstarch
1-2 tbsp non-dairy milk (I used cashew), veg stock or water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil and mushrooms and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add onion, salt and pepper and cook until onion is soft and caramelized about 10 minutes more, stirring frequently.  Add garlic, thyme and cook for a couple more minutes.
• Deglaze with Madeira and reduce until almost all liquid is absorbed.
• Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 50-60 minutes until liquid has reduced by half and is dark and rich in color and somewhat thickened.
• In a small bowl whisk together flour or cornstarch and liquid until smooth and add to sauce.
• Cook for about 5 minutes longer until thickened, stirring constantly and then re-season with salt and pepper to taste.  
• If too thin, reduce longer, or if too thick then add additional vegetable stock.

   

 

Potato, Spinach & Cheddar Cheese Gratin

I mentioned in a previous post that for the entire month of October I will be posting my Vegan Thanksgiving Series which will include:  appetizers, soups, salads, main entrees, side dishes and desserts.  Actually, my posts will probably extend into November as well because I will be out of town the week of October 10th and the week of October 24th.  Anyway, my goal is to post about 25-30 recipes during this time.  

One of the recipes that I'm planning to share with you during my Thanksgiving Series is a Sweet Potato Gratin with Candied Maple Pecans.  So the other night I decided to make a Potato, Spinach & Cheddar Cheese Gratin because I wanted to experiment with the recipe for the sauce.  Actually, this sauce is really versatile and can be used for a number of different applications by just changing up a couple of the ingredients.  I have used a version of this sauce for making lasagna, manicotti, moussaka, mac and cheese, quiche, tarts and for basic cream sauces. 

The gratin came out really wonderful.  The flavors and textures were really great.  You can also add roasted wild mushrooms to this recipe for a more complete entree, or serve this as a side dish with your favorite protein or roasted vegetables for a complete meal.  This would also be a great dish to serve with your Thanksgiving dinner.

It helps if you have a high-speed blender so you don't have to strain the cashew cream and the texture of the sauce holds up better under high heat.  If not, no worries, just leave your blender running on high for about four minutes and then strain it before adding the other ingredients.

Cashew Cheddar Sauce:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in filtered water, drained
1 head of garlic, roasted until soft
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp minced fresh thyme
1/8-1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, depending on taste
1 cup Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
1 1/4 cup filtered water
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Note:  You may have cashew cream left over depending on the size of the casserole dish you use.  Place it in a container and freeze for up to three months.  To use, thaw in the fridge and blend before using.

Method:

• Cover cashews with filtered water and soak for up to 8 hours or overnight.  Drain cashews and place in a blender with 1 1/4 cups filtered water.  Blend on high until creamy for about 4 minutes.  Strain mixture if you do not have a high speed blender like a Vita-Mix.
• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.  Slice the top off the garlic head, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper, wrap in foil and bake until soft about 45-60 minutes.  Let garlic cool and squeeze out soft garlic cloves and set aside.
• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat.  Add olive oil, onions, minced garlic, and fresh thyme and cook until onions are soft, about 5-7 minutes.  
• Add cashew cream, roasted garlic, onion mixture, cayenne pepper, Daiya Cheese, filtered water and salt and pepper to taste and blend until smooth and creamy.  It should be thicker than heavy cream, more like the consistency of a loose custard.  And if too thick add a little more water.

Gratin Ingredients:

2 1/2-3 lbs medium sized Yukon Gold potatoes, washed, peeled, sliced
1 lb baby spinach, sauteed, drained
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Daiya Cheddar Style Shreds
1-1 1/2 cups Cashew cheddar cream sauce
1 bunch chopped chives
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Herb-panko crust (see recipe below)
Note:  I used a 9x9" casserole dish for the gratin which made 6 servings.  You may want to use a larger casserole dish.  If so, increase the amount of potatoes and spinach that you purchase.  You will have plenty of the cashew cheddar cream and Daiya cheese for the gratin.

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan on medium-low, add olive oil, minced garlic and baby spinach, salt and pepper.  Saute for about 2-3 minutes until spinach is wilted.  Place in a strainer over a bowl and set aside.  Before using, press out any remaining liquid with the back of a spoon.
• Wash, peel and slice potatoes thinly (1/16-1/32") on a mandolin, set aside.
• Place about 1/3 cup cashew cheese sauce on the bottom of the casserole dish or enough to cover the entire surface with a nice coating.
• Layer potatoes overlapping slightly to cover the entire surface.  Repeat layering the potatoes two more times.  
• Add another 1/3 cup of cashew cheese sauce over potatoes, making sure to cover the potatoes.  Top with half of the drained, sauteed spinach and sprinkle with Daiya cheese and chives.  Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
• For the second layer, repeat the same as the first with layering the potatoes (3 layers), then adding cheese sauce, spinach, Daiya cheese, chives, salt and pepper.
• For the final and top layer, just add potatoes (3 layers), cheese sauce and salt and pepper.  
• Cover casserole dish with foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour to 30-45  minutes.  Turn gratin after 30 minutes and check after 1 hour by inserting a toothpick in the center of the gratin.  If there is any resistance, then cook longer, checking every 15 minutes until done.
• Remove gratin from oven, remove foil and top with another 1/3 cup of cheese cause and sprinkle liberally with herb-panko crust.
• Cover with foil and let gratin rest for about 10 minutes before cutting.
• Serve with additional warmed cashew cheese sauce.

Herb Panko:

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tbsp minced chives
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

• In a small saute pan, heat olive oil, add bread crumbs, herbs, salt and pepper and cook on low until panko is lightly golden brown.  Stir frequently and be careful not to burn.  When finished do not leave in hot pan, transfer to a bowl and then sprinkle on gratin.

 

Oktoberfest: Wurst, Kartoffelsalat und Kraut

Tomorrow is the start of Oktoberfest in München Deutschland and it runs until the 3rd of Oktober.  I've never been to München during the actual Oktoberfest, but I can only imagine how fun it would be having experienced the atmosphere of a Hofbräuhaus while vacationing in Germany.

I grew up eating German food, well actually it was referred to as "Pennsylvania Dutch".  My great grandparents, on my mother's side, immigrated to America from the Rheinland in the 1800's and settled in Pennsylvania.  Funny...but as a young girl I always thought that my family was from The Netherlands "Dutch" instead of Germany "Deutsh".  Anyway, growing up I remember my mom preparing potpie, spaetzle, sauerkraut, sauerbraten, funnel cakes and anything and everything pickled, and I've tried to carry on the tradition of serving a German meal on the first day of Oktoberfest throughout the years.           

I've never made seitan sausages before, but they turned out really delicious.  I'm not a big fan of faux meat, but my husband is and so I made these for him.  If you don't want to go through the trouble of making your own sausage, you can always purchase a brand or leave it out all together.  German food is very rich from all the proteins and starches they use in their cuisine.  They balance this by adding acid from vinegar and a sweetness from the sugar.  I prefer my food on the acidic side, but my husband prefers his on the milder side--so you may need to adjust the flavors based on your preference.

Bratwurst Ingredients:

1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup textured soy protein
2 tsp dried rosemary leaves, ground in a spice grinder
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp dried sage
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp unbleached sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground yellow mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil
Larger Beer/Water for steaming

Method:

• Set up a steamer pot for the sausages. Add equal parts water/beer in the bottom of the steamer.  Do not fill the liquid above the steamer tray.  
• Tear six pieces of aluminum foil to wrap the sausages.  You want them to be about 8"x8" or 10"x8" in size.
• Heat a saute pan on medium, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook mushrooms until golden brown and all moisture is evaporated.  Add diced onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft.  Transfer mixture to a food processor and let cool.
• Heat vegetable stock to a simmer, remove from heat and pour a 1/2 cup of vegetable stock over textured soy protein to rehydrate.  Let sit covered for 15 minutes.  Drain remaining liquid and press TSP with the back of a spoon to remove any remaining moisture.  Add TSP to the mushroom-onion mixture in the food processor and pulse 10 or 15 times until you have a fine grain.  Do not over mix--you want it to have some texture.
• Whisk spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
• Transfer mushroom-onion-tsp mixture to a large bowl and stir in spice mixture until well combined.
• Next stir in vital wheat gluten until combined and then add 1 cup cooled vegetable stock and stir to combine.
• Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and working with one portion at a time, place the mixture onto the bottom edge of the foil and form into a 4-5" log.  Roll up the foil like a tootsie roll and twist the edges tightly to close.
• Bring the steamer to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high and place sausages on steamer tray.  Cover and steam for 35 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes and then remove.  Let cool for about 10-15 minutes before unwrapping.
• To serve, heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan and cook sausages, turning frequently until golden brown.  Remove and slice on a bias or serve in a bun.

Potato Salad:

2 lbs red potatoes, washed and quartered
1 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp unbleached sugar or agave syrup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.  Be careful not to over cook--you don't want mashed potatoes.
• While potatoes are cooking heat a saute pan on medium and add 3 tbsp olive oil, mustard seeds and red onion. 
• Cook until onion is soft, about 3-4 minutes and then add Dijon mustard, sugar and apple cider vinegar.  Stir to combine and heat through.  Turn heat to low to keep warm.
• Drain potatoes really well and place in a large bowl.  Immediately pour over warm onion-vinegar mixture and stir to combine.
• Add celery, parsley, green onion and salt and pepper to taste.  
• You may need to add more vinegar or olive oil depending on taste.
• Keep warm or serve at room temperature.

Red Cabbage/Sauerkraut:

1 small head of red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup red wine
1/4-1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
Note:  I'm not a big fan of caraway seeds and so I do not add them to my cabbage.  If you like them then I'd start with adding a 1/2 tsp.  Also, this cabbage is great with diced apples as well.

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan on medium, add olive oil, cabbage and cook for a couple of minutes until cabbage softens slightly.
• Add red wine and cook until wine is evaporated.
• Next add red wine vinegar, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste and cook until cabbage is cooked and liquid is absorbed.