Showing posts with label smoked almonds. Show all posts
Showing posts with label smoked almonds. Show all posts
Monday, June 30, 2014
ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH SMOKED ALMONDS & VEGAN SOUR CREAM DRESSING
This is going to be short and sweet! Last night I was making a last minute quick meal and looked to see what needed using. I found a cauliflower and 1/2 cup each of my homemade mayo and some Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream that I had bought for another recipe, as well as some green onions and parsley. Loving roasted cauliflower as I do, here is what I did with it (and it was delicious!):
Printab2le Recipe
BRYANNA'S ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SALAD WITH SMOKED ALMONDS & VEGAN SOUR CREAM DRESSING
Serves 4
1 large head cauliflower
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped green onions (white and green)
1/2 cup hickory-smoked almonds, roughly-chopped
1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly-chopped
VEGAN SOUR CREAM DRESSING:
1/2 cup vegan sour cream (such as Tofutti Better Than Sour Cream, or you could try a homemade version, such as this cashew version, or this tofu version.)
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (preferably a low-fat version, such as my Tofu Mayo or my Eggless Low-Fat Mayo, or Reduced-Fat Vegenaise or Spectrum Naturals Eggless, Vegan Light Canola Mayonnaise )
1 1/2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Heat the oven to 400°F. Clean and trim the cauliflower and cut or slice into small (2-ite) piece. Distribute evenly in one layer in a large shallow roasting pan and toss with the olive oil and a bit of salt. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the pieces are a bit browned and tender, but not falling apart.
While the cauliflower roasts, chop the parsley, almonds and green onions and set aside, and make the dressing.
To make the dressing, simply whisk together the ingredients until smooth.
When the cauliflower is done, let it cool slightly, then mix gently with the dressing and other ingredients. Serve at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 386.6 calories; 64% calories from fat; 28.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 650.5mg sodium; 1122.2mg potassium; 26.1g carbohydrates; 10.4g fiber; 8.4g sugar; 15.7g net carbs; 12.4g protein.
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
BIRTHDAY DINNER FOR BRENDA
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| Potato & Kale Cakes with Smoked Almond Breast of Tofu (Crispy Marinated Tofu Slices or "B of T") and Garlicky Vegan Hollandaise Sauce. |
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| Fettuccine and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Lemon Gremolata |
Last night we invited our friend Brenda over for a little birthday dinner. I had a couple of ideas (see photos above) for some new dishes that I wanted to try out and I thought they would be sufficiently interesting for this occasion. They turned out very well and Brenda enjoyed them (recipes below)-- I hope you'll let me know what you think of them.
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The cake:
For dessert, since it was just the three of us, I wanted to make a small, simple cake. I chose a moist chocolate "buttermilk" cake (also low in fat and made with whole wheat pastry flour) recipe that I had veganized from a recipe by Camilla Saulsbury in her delightful book "Enlightened Chocolate" (see this post). My vegan version of the recipe is here. I know that Brenda likes icing, but I was almost out of powdered sugar, so I decided to veganize another recipe from Camilla's book-- a chocolate sauce with marmalade in it. My version went like this: Mix 1 cup soy or nut milk with 6 tablespoons orange marmalade in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer, whisking the whole time. Remove from heat. Add 3 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped, and 2 T. unsweetened cocoa. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in 1 T. orange liqueur (I didn't have any, so I used some dark rum). Refrigerate until ready to use.
I drizzled this over the cake (over which I had sifted what was left of my powdered sugar) and added a sprinkle of grated orange zest. It was delightful- tasting much richer than it actually was.
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Printable Copy
BRYANNA’S POTATO & KALE CAKES WITH SMOKED
ALMOND “BREAST OF TOFU” AND GARLICKY VEGAN “HOLLANDAISE” SAUCE
Serves 6
Make-Ahead Notes: All of the components can be made ahead of
time, but the potato cakes should only be formed and refrigerated—brown them at
the last minute. The “B of T” and the
Sauce can be made earlier and gently reheated. The cooled mixture may be reheated gently, as
well. (You may have to add a bit more
nondairy milk and whisk briefly.)
PS:
Leftover Potato & Kale Cakes are great for breakfast!
RECIPE COMPONENTS:
SMOKED ALMOND “BREAST OF TOFU” (B
of T):
The recipe for “Breast of Tofu”/Crispy
Marinated tofu is at this link. For this recipe you will need 18
to 24 slices of the marinated tofu from that recipe (depending on the appetites
of your guests).
For the tofu coating, mix 1/2 cup of the Seasoned Flour (included in Breast of Tofu recipe) with 1/2 cup hickory-smoked almonds, ground fairly fine in a dry blender.
For the tofu coating, mix 1/2 cup of the Seasoned Flour (included in Breast of Tofu recipe) with 1/2 cup hickory-smoked almonds, ground fairly fine in a dry blender.
Cook the coated tofu slices as directed in
the B of T recipe either for the Crispy Oven-Fry method
or the Crispy Slices method. They
can be made ahead and reheated in the oven just before serving, if you like.
GARLICKY VEGAN HOLLANDAISE SAUCE:
My recipe
for Vegan
Hollandaise Sauce is here. Add 1 to 4 garlic cloves, pressed
to the basic mixture. For a spicier variation,
add some minced chile chipotle in adobo sauce (to taste—err on the side of
caution to begin with) to the Hollandaise.
POTATO & KALE CAKES:
1 1/2 lbs. Yellow-fleshed potatoes, such as Yukon
Gold, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
4 cups (packed) tender
kale leaves (stripped off stems)
4 cloves garlic,
pressed
1/2 cup panko or dry
breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Daiya vegan cheese shreds (your choice)
1 tablespoon whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
plenty of
freshly-ground black pepper
Optional: panko breadcrumbs for coating
GARNISH: Fresh herb leaves, such as marjoram, savory,
tarragon, or snipped chives or parsley.
To make the Potato & Kale
Cakes, boil, steam or
microwave the potato cubes until tender, but not mushy. NOTE: This amount of potatoes microwaves nicely in
a 2 qt. covered casserole with no water. 10-12 minutes on high
should do it. This method saves a lot of
energy compared to stove-top cooking, and also saves nutrients, since none are
lost in the boiling water.
While the potatoes
cook, bring 1 qt. water to a boil (you can use your electric kettle to save
energy and then dump it into a cooking pot). Add your kale leaves, stir around, cover and
let sit for about 5-10 minutes. (This is called “passive boiling”.) When they are sufficiently soft, drain in a
colander and rinse with cold water until you can handle them. Squeeze the kale
until you get as much water out as possible.
Chop the cooked kale quite small with a sharp knife. (Pat the squeezed kale down on your cutting
board and slice the mass into about 1/4-inch (or less) slices going in one
direction, then do the same in the other direction. Use your fingers to loosen up the mass.
When they are done, drain
the potatoes, if necessary, and place back in the cooking pot or
casserole. Mash with a potato masher (a
few lumps are okay). Add the chopped
kale, pressed garlic, panko or other breadcrumbs, Daiya shreds, mustard, salt
and pepper. Mix well.
Form the mixture into
12 equal balls. To form the cakes, press
the balls into about 2 1/2-3-inch patties, smoothing the edges. If you like, coat them lightly with panko crumbs.
These can be
refrigerated for several hours before cooking, if you like.
When ready to serve, spray
a large non-stick or cast iron skillet with oil from a pump-sprayer and heat
over medium-high heat. Add the cakes
(you’ll probably have to cook about 6 at a time, unless you have 2 skillets)
and fry until the bottoms are golden to brown.
Spray the tops with a bit more oil and carefully turn them over. Cover and cook until the other side is
golden-brown. If you are cooking them in
batches, keep the cooked cakes hot on a cookie sheet in a pre-warmed oven.
To serve the Potato & Kale
Cakes with Smoked Almond “Breast Of Tofu” and Garlicky Vegan “Hollandaise”
Sauce: Have all three components (B of T, Potato
& Kale Cakes, and Hollandaise) ready and kept warm. For each serving, place 2 Potato & Kale
Cakes on a warm plate, slightly over-lapping.
Cut the B of T slices into wedges (see photos) and arrange artistically
over or around the cakes. Drizzle with
some of the Hollandaise Sauce (save some to serve on the side), and add your
garnish. Serve immediately.
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| Fettuccine and Roasted Vegetable Salad with Lemon Gremolata (this a serving of the salad the day after, with chickpeas added) |
BRYANNA’S FETTUCCINE & ROASTED VEGETABLE
SALAD WITH LEMON GREMOLATA
Serves 6
The Lemon Gremolata
makes a savory, crunchy topping that is a good contrast to the silky pasta and
roasted vegetables. The salad can be made ahead but is best at room
temperature.
PS: The day after I
made this, I added some cooked chickpeas to the leftovers for a full-meal
salad.
8 oz. dry fettuccine
pasta
8 oz. broccolette (or
broccolini)
1 medium onion, thinly-sliced
2 medium red bell
peppers, seeded and thinly-sliced
6 oz. cremini
mushrooms (the brown ones), sliced
Olive oil
Salt
Vinaigrette:
(Makes about 1 cup + 6
tablespoons—save any leftover for other salads)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine
vinegar
1 tablespoon balsamic
vinegar
3/4 tablespoon Dijon
mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
1-3 cloves garlic,
pressed
Freshly-ground black pepper
to taste
Lemon Gremolata:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tablespoon olive
oil
The zest of 1 organic
lemon
1 tablespoon vegan
parmesan sub (I like Go Veggie! Soy Parmesan)
A few sprinkle of salt
and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Optional: chopped chives or parsley
To prepare the fettuccine, break the strands in half and boil in hot
salted water for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside. (Energy-Saving Note: Boil
water in an electric kettle and pour into the pot. Add salt.
Add the broken fettuccine. Bring to
a boil—this will take only seconds. Immediately
turn off the heat, cover and set the timer for 10 minutes. Drain and proceed as directed above.
To roast the vegetables, heat the oven to about 450°F. You can do this
while the fettuccine is cooking and you are preparing the vegetables. If you use broccolette, you will have to cut
the fatter stalks lengthwise so that all of the pieces are of similar
thickness. Mix together the broccolette or broccolini and the onion on one
baking sheet, and the mushrooms and peppers on another. Sprinkle or spray the vegetables (both pans)
with olive oil—just enough to coat them lightly; they shouldn’t be drenched in
oil—and salt lightly. Roast for about
10-15 minutes, or until softened and getting a little charred. Remove from the oven.
In a serving bowl, mix
the cooked, drained fettuccine and both pans of roasted vegetables.
For the vinaigrette, whisk
or shake together all of the ingredients.
Measure out 3/4 cup of the vinaigrette and toss with the salad
ingredients.
To make the Lemon Gremolata topping, heat the 1/2 tablespoon oil in a small non-stick
or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the panko and stir for a couple of minutes, or just until they start
to brown. Remove from the pan to a small
bowl immediately. Mix in the remaining
ingredients.
To serve the salad, divide between 6 shallow bowls and top with
some of the crunchy Lemon Gremolata.
Enjoy!
Sunday, December 4, 2011
A GOOD HOLIDAY APPETIZER: SMOKED ALMOND MUSHROOM PÂTÉ
I made this the other day for my husband's photography students (they were having a little party at the end of the course), and I'd like to share it with you for holiday entertaining. It's adapted from my book, The Fiber for Life Cookbook. This type of vegetarian pâté appeared in mainstream magazines in the early 80's and became deservedly popular party fare. I think it must have originated with this Blue Diamond® Almonds recipe, which is listed on their website as one of their "classic" recipes.
For the book, I modernized (and veganized, and lowered the fat) it by omitting the butter, using fewer almonds and more mushrooms, and using slightly more authoritative seasoning. This time I decided to use smoked-hickory almonds for even more flavor, and it worked beautifully-- it's even more delicious, I think.
Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S SMOKED ALMOND MUSHROOM PÂTÉ
Servings: 6
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Very easy to make!
Very easy to make!
1/2 medium onion
1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed
3/4 lb fresh white or cremini (brown) mushrooms, cleaned and thickly-sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/8 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup hickory-smoked almonds or any smoked almonds (sift off any excess powdery coating)
1 Tbs dry sherry
Garnish
Fresh parsley or rosemary or thyme leaves
chopped hickory-smoked almonds
Process the onion and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the mushrooms through the top with the motor running, until they are all chopped. Spray a large nonstick, hard-anodized or cast iron skillet with a little oil from a pump sprayer and heat it over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the chopped vegetables, salt, thyme and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid exudes from the mushrooms, and then has pretty much evaporated again. Remove from heat.
While the mushrooms cook, clean and dry the food processor bowl and blade.
Place the smoked almonds into the cleaned and dried food processor and process them until they almost become a paste. With the machine turned off, scrape them from the sides toward the inside and then add the cooked mushroom mixture and the wine. Process the mixture until quite smooth, stopping the machine to push the mixture towards the blade if necessary.
Pack the mixture into an oiled shallow bowl, cover and chill. When cool, serve in the bowl, or invert the mound onto a serving plate. Garnish as desired and serve with crusty artisinal bread, crackers, rye crisp, and/ or raw vegetables. (If you make this ahead of time, or have leftovers, keep it covered and refrigerated.)
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 158.5 calories; 64% calories from fat; 12.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 237.5mg sodium; 369.5mg potassium; 7.7g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 2.6g sugar; 4.2g net carbs; 7.0g protein; 3.5 points.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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