French Apple-Custard Tart

Today is my last post for my Thanksgiving Series.  When I mentioned my series back in late September I posted a photo for an Apple-Riesling Tart.  I did not post the recipe because I felt that it was too complicated.  And so I simplified the recipe by using a store-bought apricot jam and left out the Riesling reduction altogether.  The added cost for the Riesling really didn't provide much to the recipe--even though it sounded good.   I also experimented with a gluten-free version of the crust, but it was just too crumbly to hold up against the weight of the apples.  But I will continue experiment with a gluten-free crust for future posts, so stay tuned.

I still haven't decided what I'm going to serve on Thanksgiving, but I'll post my final menu next week.  Until then, thanks for following along with me and I wish you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Flaky Pastry Crust Ingredients:
(Makes enough for 2 9" Tart Pans)

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp unfiltered sugar
12 tbsp or 1-1/2 sticks Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, cut into small cubes, frozen
4 tbsp or 1/2 stick Earth Balance Natural Shortening, cut into small cubes, frozen
1/4-1/2 cup cold filtered water

Method:

• Add flour, salt, sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Using the pulse mode add butter and shortening and pulse until the texture is crumbly and the fat resembles small peas.
• While still in pulse mode, drizzle in water slowly until dough sticks together when pressed in your hand.
• Remove dough from bowl and place on a cutting board.  Divide dough into two 1" high flat disk/circles.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour before rolling out.  If only making one tart, wrap the second disk in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to three months.

Cashew Cream:

 

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in filtered water

2 cups filtered water

 

Method:

• Drain cashews and place in a blender and cover with 2 cups filtered water.
• Blend on high for about 4 minutes until creamy.  You'll need to strain the cream if you don't have a high speed blender.
• Measure out 1 cup for the custard and reserve the other cream for other uses.

Tart Filling:

3-4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, sliced in half and then thinly sliced

1 cup cashew cream

1/3 maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup apricot glaze (I used 100% pure fruit apricot jam, heated it and then strained it removing any solids) 

 

Method: 

• Peel, core and slice apples and decorate top of tart shell.
• In a blender mix together 1 cup cashew cream, maple syrup, vanilla extract and cornstarch.
• Pour over top of tart/apples (see assembly instructions below).

Assembly:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees and position oven rack in the middle of the oven.
• On a lightly floured cutting board, roll out the dough to 3/8" thick and line a 9" tart pan, pressing along the sides and removing excess from the edges.
• With the prongs of a fork, prick the bottom of the dough several times and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to chill.
• Remove tart from the freezer and place on a sheet tray.
• Brush the bottom of the tart pan with a little apricot jam and then start overlapping apple slices starting at the top edge and working around to complete the circle.  You want the apple slices to cover the edge of the tart.  Follow the same pattern for the second and third layers, using any small apple slices to fill in the holes.  
• You want the entire surface of the tart covered with apples.
• Move the tart/sheet pan to the oven rack and then slowly pour in custard in a circular motion.
• Carefully slide in oven rack and bake tart for about 1 hour and 15 minutes until golden brown and custard is set.  If apples start to brown too much you can drape tart with foil or turn oven down to 350 degrees, but you may need to adjust your cooking time with a lower temperature.
• Remove tart from oven and let cool on rack for about 15 minutes before removing tart ring.
• While tart is cooling, brush with warm apricot glaze.
• Let tart cool for about 30 minutes before cutting and serve with your favorite vegan ice cream or sweetened cashew cream (see below).

Sweetened Cashew Cream:

 

1/2 cup cashew cream

1/4 cup apricot glaze

 

Method:

• Mix ingredients together in a bowl and chill until ready to use.

 

 
 

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.

Pumpkin Walnut Cake with Candied Orange Syrup

I was flipping through my cookbooks trying to find a dessert recipe that would go well with a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, or potentially My Moroccan Thanksgiving and I came across a recipe for a Pumpkin Walnut Cake with Candied Orange Syrup.  This happens to be a perfect recipe for both because it uses pumpkin, but also uses spoon sweets (fruits cooked in syrup), which is a typical for dessert served in Middle Eastern countries.  So after veganizing the recipe, and also by adding cardamon spice to the syrup, I think that it turned out great and it is definitely a contender for this Thanksgiving!

Candied Orange Syrup:

2 cups unfiltered sugar

2 cups filtered water

1 large seedless orange, thinly sliced

1 tsp ground cardamon

5 black peppercorns

Note:  Kumquats would also work really well with this recipe; however they are very labor intensive because you need to remove all the seeds after slicing.

Method:

• Add water, sugar, cardamon and peppercorns to a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
• Add orange slices and stir to coat each slice.
• Reduce heat to medium low, and cut out a piece of foil and place directly on top of oranges to slow the evaporation.  Cover pan with another piece of foil and slowly simmer for about 1 1/2 hours until syrup is the consistency of honey.
• Remove from heat and let oranges cool in syrup before removing.
• Once orange slices are cool enough to touch, strain syrup into another bowl, pressing the orange slices lightly to remove excess syrup and chop orange slices and set aside.  You'll need a 1/2 cup for the cake and 1/4 cup for garnish. 

Ingredients:

2 sticks softened Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, plus 1 tbsp for pan
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, plus a little more for dusting pan
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1 cup pure maple syrup
4 1/2 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer, plus 3 tbsp filtered water
1 cup organic pumpkin puree
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup coarsely chopped candied orange slices

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 and position oven rack in the middle of oven.
• Butter an angle food cake pan and dust lightly with flour and set aside.
• In a medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices and whisk until combined, set aside.
• In a small bowl, whisk together egg replacer and water until frothy and set aside.
• In a large bowl, using a mixer whip butter until fluffy.  Add maple syrup and mix again.  Next add egg replacer and pumpkin puree and mix until combined.
• Slowly add flour to pumpkin mixture, and mix just until smooth.
• Fold in chopped candied orange and walnuts.
• Using a spatula, spoon cake batter into pan and smooth surface.
• Bake for about 1 hour, turning half way through the cooking process.  Cake will be finished when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove cake from oven and let cool on a baking rack for about 20 minutes.  Remove from cake pan and let cool further on rack, positioned over a sheet tray to catch syrup.
• Spoon syrup over cake and then carefully lift cake to a serving platter or cake stand.
• Garnish with candied walnuts, candied orange and additional syrup. 

Candied Walnuts:

10-12 whole raw walnut halves
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Method:

• Bring a small pot of water to a boil and add walnuts.  Blanch for about 1 minute and then drain and toss in powdered sugar to coat evenly.
• Place walnuts on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes until sugar has caramelized, turning nuts over half way through the cooking process.
  

Acorn Squash with Cinnamon, Maple & Fried Sage

This side dish for Thanksgiving couldn't be easier.  It's also delicious and makes for a beautiful rustic presentation for your dinner table.  The hardest part about making this dish is cutting the squash and Mother Nature makes that simple for you too by providing you with predefined ridges on the surface.  Acorn squash is my favorite winter squash because of its sweet yellow-orange flesh.  And by roasting it and tossing it with maple syrup it makes it absolutely irresistible.    

Ingredients:

2 acorn squash, blemish free, washed, cut, seeds removed and sliced into wedges
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, divided
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
Fried sage leaves (see below)

Method:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• In a large bowl toss squash with cinnamon, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tbsp maple syrup and salt and pepper.
• Divide squash between two sheet trays and bake in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, rotating trays and turning over squash half way through the cooking process until soft, caramelized and golden brown.
• Remove from oven and place on serving platter and drizzle with sage oil, 2 tbsp maple syrup and crumbled fried sage leaves.

Fried Sage Leaves:

6 sage leaves
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Method:

• In a small sauce pan, heat oil on medium, add sage leaves and cook for about 1 minute until crispy, turning over once.
• Remove from pan and drain on a paper towel and sprinkle with a little salt.
• Pour sage oil over roasted squash and garnish with minced fried sage leaves.

My Moroccan Thanksgiving

I'm really struggling about what I'm going to serve for Thanksgiving this year.  Do I go with a traditional menu, or something a bit more interesting like Moroccan.  I have about five more posts to do using traditional recipes and then I'm going to make my decision.  But both my husband and I are leaning towards Moroccan and we think our dinner guests will like it too!

There are a lot of different components to this dish.  It's basically your entire meal served on one plate--very much like a traditional Thanksgiving.  If I do serve this dish as our main course, I will start the meal with a salad of roasted chioggia beets, shaved fennel, baby greens, marcona almonds, candied orange peel and a toasted fennel-blood orange vinaigrette.  And for dessert I'll serve a spiced pumpkin cake with a cardamon-orange syrup and candied oranges (which I'll post this week)...Yes, the more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards Moroccan!
 

Saffron-Tomato Broth:

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 stalk celery, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 14oz can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp saffron threads

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Crumble saffron threads in cold vegetable stock and let sit for about 10 minutes to bloom.
• In a large dutch oven or stock pot, cook onion and celery in olive oil on medium heat until soft.
• Add garlic, red pepper, thyme, bay leaf, tomatoes, and saffron vegetable stock and salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil.  
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about one hour until broth has reduced by half and is flavorful.
• Strain broth, keep warm and set aside.

Tomato-Pistachio Chutney:

1 lb pearl or cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup raw pistachios, toasted
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tbsp minced mint
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Toss tomatoes with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for about 20 minutes until charred, tossing half way through the cooking process.
• Remove from oven and let cool.
• Once tomatoes are cool, remove skins and roughly chop.
• Place tomatoes in a bowl and add the remaining ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
• Chill in the refrigerator until ready to use, return to room temperature before using.

Lemon Scented Lentils:

1 1/2 cups French green lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp ground sumac
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Add lentils, bay leaf and vegetable stock to a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 17-20 minutes until lentils are soft but still retain their shape.
• Drain lentils well and then return to sauce pan.  Add olive oil, lemon juice, ground sumac and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well, cover lentils and set aside.  

Couscous:

2 cups whole wheat couscous
2 1/2 cups filtered water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive
1 tsp kosher salt
1 cup golden raisins
1 tbsp minced preserved lemon (optional)

Method:

• Place couscous in a medium sized bowl.
• Add olive oil and salt and using your fingers, rub the olive oil through the couscous grains.
• Bring water to a boil and pour over couscous--just enough water so that it covers the couscous by about a 1/4".
• Cover bowl with a plate and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Remove plate and fluff couscous with a fork and fold in raisins and preserved lemon peel. 

Roasted Acorn Squash:

1 acorn squash, cut into about 8-10 wedges depending on size
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp extra virgin olive
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Toss squash with cinnamon, maple syrup, olive oil and salt and pepper and roast for about 10 minutes until soft and caramelized, turning half way through the cooking process.
• Remove from oven and keep warm until ready to use.

Sauteed Spinach:

1-2 lbs organic baby spinach, washed, dried
1 tbsp minced garlic
1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan on medium-low, add olive oil, garlic and saute until just starting to bubble.
• Immediately add spinach and salt and pepper and saute until just wilted.
• Keep warm and set aside.

Mint Yogurt Sauce:

1/2 cup vegan sour cream or cashew cream
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp ground sumac
2 tbsp minced fresh mint
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• I made a cashew cream from scratch (1/2 cup cashews, 3/4 cup filtered water, blended until smooth).  But you can purchase your favorite vegan sour cream (I like Follow Your Heart).
• Mix all ingredients in a bowl and chill until ready to use.

Assembly:
(Serves 4)

• Place couscous on the plate, followed by lentils, spinach, chutney, squash yogurt sauce and then ladle over saffron broth.
• Garnish with additional mint and preserved lemons.

Cauliflower-Leek Tart with Port Glazed Figs

When I graduated from Culinary School I wanted to open a tart shop and serve savory and sweet tarts as well as soups, salads and baked goods.  Unfortunately, I never opened my tart shop, but instead went to work for a restaurant and worked my way up the ranks.  Several months after I was hired and during the busiest month of the year (December), the pastry chef quit and I took over her position until they could find a replacement.  By the way, they didn't find a replacement until the following April--but that was fine by me because it was a great learning experience.  My favorite part about the pastry position was making tarts, both sweet and savory...and I made a lot of them during that time!

One of the tarts we served that was a favorite by customers was a herbed-goat cheese and leek tart.  It was on the menu for the entire five years I was there.  We tried taking it off but customers always requested it and so it stayed.  Since switching to a vegan diet, I've always wanted to recreate this tart, without the goat cheese of course, and so I substituted a creamy cauliflower puree and it's just as delicious or even better than I remember.  It's also a beautiful tart and will make a great presentation at your Thanksgiving dinner or anytime you entertain.   

Cashew Cream:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked overnight in filtered water, drained

2 cups filtered water

Method:

• Drain cashews and place in a blender, add water and blend until smooth for about 4 minutes.  If you don't have a high-speed blender, like a Vita-Mix, strain the cream and set aside.  You'll need 1 1/2 cups cashew cream for the recipe.

Flaky Pastry Crust:

1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
12 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, diced, frozen
4 tbsp Earth Balance Natural Shortening, diced, frozen
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp unbleached sugar
1/4-1/2 cup cold filtered water

Method:

• Add flour, salt, sugar to a food processor and pulse to combine.
• Using the pulse mode add butter and shortening and pulse until the texture is crumbly and the fat resembles small peas.
• While still in pulse mode, drizzle in water slowly until dough sticks together when pressed in your hand.
• Remove dough from bowl and place on a cutting board and form into a 1" high flat disk/circle or rectangle, depending on the shape of your tart pan.
• Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about an hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Remove dough and place on a lightly floured cutting board and roll out to about 3/8" thick in either a rectangle or circle depending on your tart pan.
• Place dough in tart pan pressing along the bottom and edges and remove excess dough from the edge.  Prick dough about six times with a fork and place tart in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
• Remove tart from freezer and line with foil or parchment paper and fill with baking beans.
• Place tart pan on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, rotating half way through the cooking process.  Remove foil/parchment and baking beans and bake 5-7 minutes longer.
• Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Sauteed Leeks: 

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, diced and washed
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Saute leeks in olive oil for about 5-7 minutes until tender.  Cook on a low enough temperature to keep the leeks light in color--you don't want to brown.
• Place in a medium sized bowl and set aside to cool.

Cauliflower Puree:

2 cups roughly chopped cauliflower florets
1/2 yellow onion roughly chopped, about 1 cup
2 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced thyme
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups cashew cream
1 tbsp cornstarch
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a saute pan on medium-low, add olive oil and onion and cook for a couple of minutes for onion to soften.
• Add cauliflower, vegetable stock, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper.  Increase heat to medium and cook for about 20 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. 
• Using a spatula, scrape cauliflower mixture into a blender and add cashew cream and cornstarch.
• Blend on high until smooth and creamy and season with salt and pepper if needed.
• Add 2 cups of blended cauliflower puree to the sauteed leeks and stir to combine.

Assembly:

• Turn down oven temperature to 350 degrees.
• Spoon cauliflower-leek mixture into prepared tart shell and place on a baking sheet.
• Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, rotating half way through the cooking process, until firm to touch and tart shell is lightly golden brown.  If tart shell starts to get too brown, cover edges lightly with foil.
• Remove tart from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes on a rack before removing tart ring.
• Just before serving, drizzle with port glaze and garnish with sliced figs and micro arugula or micro greens.

Ruby Port Glaze:

2 cups ruby port
2 tbsp agave syrup
1/4 cup ripe figs, quartered

Method:

• Add ingredients to a small sauce pan and reduce on medium heat until it turns into a syrup and coats the back of a spoon, about 20 minutes.  Mixture will thicken as it cools.  You want it to be thicker than maple syrup, but not as thick as molasses.
• Slice figs and toss lightly in syrup and then garnish tart.  Drizzle with extra syrup.

 

Mushroom Duxelles & Spinach Phyllo Strudel

This is a nice appetizer to serve your guests for Thanksgiving or anytime you entertain.  During the summer I make this with a Spanakopita filling and serve it with Tzazaki, but decided that a mushroom duxelles would be more appropriate for fall.  I served these with a cabernet sauvignon mushroom sauce, but a simple lemon aioli or porcini aioli would work just as well.   Also, you can shape the phyllo pastry into mini triangles or cigar shapes for a different presentation.
 

Mushroom Duxelles Ingredients:

1 lb cremini mushrooms, washed and roughly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 tbsp finely minced garlic
1 tbsp finely mined fresh thyme
1/2 cup Maderia wine
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Place sliced mushrooms in a food processor and pulse until finely minced, be careful not to puree them.
• Heat a large saute pan on medium heat, add olive oil and diced onions and cook for about 10 minutes until onions are soft.
• Add minced mushrooms, garlic, thyme and salt and pepper to taste and cook mushrooms until all the liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently.  This takes about 30 minutes.
• Deglaze the pan with Maderia wine and cook for about another 30 minutes, stirring frequently until all liquid is absorbed and the mushroom mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan.
• Check for seasonings, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Sauteed Spinach:

2 large bunches of organic spinach, roughly chopped and washed
1 tbsp finely minced garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan to medium-low, add olive oil and garlic and cook garlic for a couple of minutes until it starts to sizzle, stirring and making sure that it doesn't burn.
• Immediately add chopped spinach (you may not be able to add all of it at once until it cooks down), and salt and pepper and cook for about 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently.
• Remove from pan and strain away liquid, pressing with the back of a spoon or spatula to remove excess liquid.
• Wrap spinach in a dish towel and squeeze to remove any remaining liquid.
• Place spinach on a cutting board and chop finely.
• Cool to room temperature and set aside.

 

 

 

Other Ingredients/Assembly:

Makes 2 logs

 

1 pkg frozen phyllo dough, thawed overnight in the refrigerator

3 tbsp Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, melted
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Whisk butter and oil together in a small bowl.
• Remove phyllo from package and unroll.
• While working with phyllo, keep it covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel so that it doesn't dry out.
• Working with one sheet at a time with the longest edge facing you, brush the entire surface lightly with the butter/oil mixture.
• Repeat this process for a total of 4 sheets.
• Divide the duxelles mixture in half and place mixture evenly along the bottom edge leaving about 1/2" boarder along the bottom and a 1" along the sides.
• Divide spinach mixture in half and place on top of the duxelles mixture.
• Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• Carefully lift the bottom edge and roll the phyllo into a smooth log, brushing lightly with more butter mixture, until all the phyllo is wrapped.
• Score the phyllo lightly on a bias at 1-1/2 - 2" intervals.  You should have about 9 pieces per log.
• Place strudel logs on two separate sheet trays covered with parchment or silpats.  Bake in the oven for 16-20 minutes (depending on oven), turning/rotating trays half way through the cooking process until puffy and lightly golden brown.
  
  

 

Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins & Pine Nuts

While in Portland last week we went to a restaurant called Lovely's Fifty Fifty.  It's not a vegan restaurant, but the chef prepared for us a vegan pizza that was out of this world.  The pizza was wood fired and was covered with chanterelle mushrooms, grilled winter squash, radicchio/escarole and a red sauce that brought it all together.  The flavors were amazing and I was so glad that they didn't use any fake cheese products on the pizza.  The food was fresh, seasonal, organic and even though they are not a vegan restaurant, they had no problem creating a special dish for us--that's what I love so much at Portland.  You can basically eat anywhere and find vegan options on the menu, or the chef/cooks will create something delicious for you.
 

 
In addition to the pizza, we ordered a wonderful appetizer made with roasted cauliflower, currants, golden raisins and pine nuts.  Cauliflower, raisins, pine nuts/almonds are a match made in heaven and I thought that it would be a great side dish (not to mention super easy to make) to serve at Thanksgiving. 

Ingredients:
(Serves 6)

2 heads of cauliflower, broken or cut into florets
1 tbsp fresh minced thyme
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/3 cup golden raisins
1/3 cup currants or regular raisins
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
2 tbsp minced fresh parsley

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Toss cauliflower florets with olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown, tossing half-way through the cooking time.
• Remove from oven and place in a large bowl, along with currants, golden raisins and pine nuts.
• Add warmed sauce, parsley and toss to coat.
• Serve immediately.

Sauce:

2/3 cup good quality, low-sodium vegetable stock, reduced to 1/4 cup
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp fresh minced thyme
Juice of 1/2-1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Method:

• While cauliflower is roasting, add vegetable stock, garlic and thyme to a small sauce pan and reduce to a 1/4 cup.
• Add lemon juice to taste and whisk in olive oil.
• Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until ready to use.