PARMESAN-CAULIFLOWER FRITTERS
This comes from the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, "Forget the spattering oil and careful flipping that fritters usually call for. These disks crisp up perfectly in the oven—no turning required. Quinoa supplies extra crunch, to play off the tenderness of the cauliflower." Serves 6 (makes 18 fritters)
To view this online, click here.
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp. salt
8 oz. cauliflower florets
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
2 Tbs. chopped Italian parsley
2 Tbs. breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
Prepared tomato-and-basil sauce, warmed
Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Heat saucepan over high heat. Add quinoa, and cook 3 minutes, or until quinoa begins to pop, stirring constantly. Add 1 cup water and salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 10 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Cool.
Meanwhile, cook cauliflower in boiling water 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and break into small pieces.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix quinoa, cauliflower, Parmesan, eggs, parsley, breadcrumbs, and pepper in large bowl (mixture will be moist and loose). Shape into 3-inch patties. Arrange patties on prepared baking sheet, and bake 20 minutes, or until fritters are golden brown. Serve with tomato-basil sauce.
nutritional information: Per SERVING: Calories: 110; Protein: 6 g; Total Fat: 4 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Carbohydrates: 13 g; Cholesterol: 73 mg; Sodium: 294 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 1 g
CRUNCH CROQUE PROVENCAL
This comes from the May 2008 issue of Vegetarian Times, and begins, "Feel free to substitute your favorite cheese or a good melting vegan cheese, such as Vegan Gourmet Cheese Alternatives (a VT fave), in place of the Gruyère." Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
2 Tbs. coarse-grain mustard
8 slices whole-wheat French bread, cut 1/2-inch thick
3 oz. reduced-fat Gruyère cheese, sliced or shredded
4 thin slices red onion, rings separated
8 fresh basil leaves
8 thin slices tomato
1/2 cup low-fat milk
2 large egg whites
Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
Spread mustard over 4 bread slices. Top each slice with cheese, 1 onion ring, 2 basil leaves, and 2 tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper. Top with remaining bread slices.
Whisk together milk and egg whites in shallow dish. Season with salt and pepper. Soak both sides of sandwiches in milk mixture until liquid is absorbed.
Transfer sandwiches to prepared baking sheet, and bake 10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
nutritional information Per SERVING: Calories: 274; Protein: 16 g; Total Fat: 8.5 g; Saturated Fat: 4.5 g; Carbohydrates: 34 g; Cholesterol: 25 mg; Sodium: 764 mg; Fiber: 2 g; Sugar: 4 g
VEGAN ROASTED BANANA ICE CREAM
This is from Melissa Clark in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Melissa wrote, “A combination of coconut milk, homemade cashew milk and cocoa butter gives this dairy-free ice cream its particularly luscious, creamy texture. Ripe bananas, roasted with brown sugar and coconut oil until caramelized and golden, add a deep butterscotch-like note. You’ll need to start this at least one day before you plan to serve it. Or make it up to a week ahead. Chopped bittersweet chocolate makes a fine substitute for the walnuts, or use 1/3 cup of each.” Time: 1 1/2 hours, plus chilling; makes about 1 1/2 quarts.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups raw, unsalted cashews
4 medium bananas, preferably somewhat speckled but not brown, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extra-virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa butter, available at baking supply stores and online
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (optional)
Preparation
To make the cashew milk, place the cashews in a large bowl and add water to cover by a couple of inches. Soak cashews overnight.
In the morning, drain the cashews and place them in a blender with about 1 3/4 cups fresh water. Blend until smooth. If you use a Vitamix, there will be no need to strain – the milk will be perfectly smooth; for other blenders, check the consistency and, if necessary, strain the cashew milk through a fine-mesh strainer. Cashew milk will keep well, covered and refrigerated, for up to 4 days.
To roast the bananas, heat the oven to 400 degrees with a rack in the middle. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, toss the bananas, 2 tablespoons coconut oil, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Spread on prepared baking sheet and bake until caramelized, about 15 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
Put 1/4 cup water into a small saucepan over medium to low heat. Add sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until sugar has dissolved. Add cocoa butter, remaining 4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons coconut oil and remaining salt. Stir until melted.
Pour the sugar mixture into in a food processor (or use a tall 2-quart container and an immersion blender), and add the coconut milk and 1 cup cashew milk. Blend until smooth. Add roasted bananas and blend again to combine until very smooth. Cover and refrigerate the ice cream base until chilled, 1 to 2 hours.
Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In the last minute of churning, add toasted walnuts, if desired, and churn until incorporated. Transfer the ice cream to a storage container and freeze up to 7 days. Alternatively, you can serve it immediately. It will be the consistency of soft-serve.
HERBED CARROT SOUP
From the December 2005 issue of Runner's World; reprinted from HerbWise: Growing, Cooking, WellBeing, by Bruce Burnett
2 pounds of carrots, chopped
1 large onion, diced
6 sprigs of fresh parsley, 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme, and 6 six black peppercorns, bundled together so that they can be easily removed after cooking
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 Tbs of butter
6 C of vegetable stock
Freshly grated mace or nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Lightly sauté the onion & garlic in the butter. Add the stock & carrots & simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the bundle of herbs & continue to simmer for another 20 minutes. Remove the herbs, allow the soup to cool, & put it through the blender in batches. Reheat the soup over low heat while adding the mace or nutmeg & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with some fresh, homemade bread & garnish with some fresh parsley & a little chopped fresh thyme.
Note: The original recipe called for vegetable or chicken stock.
VEGAN THAI CURRY VEGETABLES
This comes from Elaine Louie in The New York Times cooking e-newsletter. Elaine wrote, "Drew Spangler Faulkner, a cooking teacher at L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda, Md., makes a Thai green curry that is a kind of Asian comfort food. The sauce, made creamy with coconut milk, and gently spicy with the curry paste, is flavorful yet soothing. The vegetables, which are simply dropped into the sauce, and gently simmered for about 12 minutes, turn out tender, not soggy. It is startlingly simple. She makes her own green curry paste, but the recipe calls for any one of three store bought pastes. Although some green curry pastes contain fish or shrimp paste, she has found three brands which do not: Thai Taste, Maesri and Thai Kitchen." Time: 1 hour; makes 4 servings.
To view this online, click here.
Ingredients
One 13 1/2-ounce can coconut milk (do not shake can)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
4 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons palm sugar or brown sugar
6 tablespoons Thai green curry paste, like Thai Taste, Maesri, and Thai Kitchen, none of which have shrimp or fish paste
1/2 cup diced (1/2 inch) onion
2/3 cup diced (1/2 inch) red bell pepper
2/3 cup diced (1/2 inch) zucchini or other summer squash
2/3 cup diced (1/2 inch) peeled sweet potato
2/3 cup sliced bamboo shoots, rinsed and drained
1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch lengths
2/3 cup diced (1/2 inch) Asian eggplant
1 lime
8 large basil leaves, cut into thin chiffonade
Preparation
Open the can of coconut milk without shaking it. Spoon 6 tablespoons of the coconut cream from the top of the can into a medium saucepan. Pour remaining contents of can into a medium bowl, and mix well. In a medium bowl, combine vegetable stock, soy sauce, and palm or brown sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
Place saucepan of coconut cream over medium-high heat until it begins to bubble. Add curry paste and reduce heat to medium-low. Stir constantly until very fragrant, about 3 minutes; adjust heat as needed to prevent burning. Add onion, red pepper, zucchini, sweet potato, bamboo shoots, green beans, and eggplant. Stir until vegetables are hot, 2-3 minutes. Stir in coconut milk, bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the soy sauce mixture and a generous squeeze of fresh lime juice to taste; you may use the juice of an entire lime. Stir and mix well. Add up to 1/4 cup water if the curry seems too thick.
To serve, place the curry in a warm serving bowl and garnish with the basil chiffonade. If desired, serve over jasmine rice.
CHIPOTLE ASPARAGUS QUESADILLAS
This comes from the April/May 2014 issue of Vegetarian Times, page 34. It begins, “Canned chipotles in adobo sauce lend mellow, smoky heat to quesadillas. Leftover chipotles (there are usually four or five in a can) can be wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for future use.” Serves 4 in 30 minutes or less.
To view this online, click here.
Quesadillas
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (2 cups)
1 red bell pepper, sliced (1 cup)
1 medium onion, sliced (1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 8-inch sprouted-grain tortillas
Chipotle Spread
3 Tbs. vegan mayonnaise
2 tsp. minced, drained chipotles in adobo sauce
1 Tbs. lime or lemon juice
Preheat oven to 425°F.
To make Quesadillas: Toss together asparagus, bell pepper, onion, oil, and oregano in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Spread on large baking sheet, and roast 10 to 12 minutes, or until vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, stirring once or twice.
Meanwhile, to make Chipotle Spread: blend all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth.
Spread 1 1/2 tsp. Chipotle Spread on one side of each tortilla, spreading all the way out to edges. Top with 2/3 cup filling on one half of each tortilla, then fold over tortillas, pressing edges together to enclose filling and form half-moons.
Coat large skillet with cooking spray, and heat over medium heat. Cook each quesadilla in skillet 2 to 3 minutes, turning once.
nutritional information Per Quesadilla: Calories: 273; Protein: 8 g; Total Fat: 13 g; Saturated Fat: 2 g; Carbohydrates: 32 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 235 mg; Fiber: 8 g; Sugar: 3 g; Vegan
