Showing posts with label kale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kale. Show all posts
Thursday, March 31, 2016
NEW YUMMY SOUP FOR A COLD SUFFERER (or any old time)
I am suffering from a bad cold today. This my third day, but the worst one. I'm hoping that it will improve rapidly from here.
I wasn't very hungry at all and skipped breakfast today, but I thought that I should make some sort of light, but nourishing soup for lunch-- full of garlic and ginger in a tasty broth. I used what I had in the house, and this is what I came up with-- very delicious, and, importantly, very fast and easy to make, even when not at your best.
I hope you enjoy it-- even if you don't have a cold.
Printable copy
BRYANNA'S NEW YUMMY SOUP FOR A COLD (or any old time)
Servings: 6
9 cups very tasty vegan "chicken-y" broth (I use "Better Than Bouillion No-Chicken Vegan Soup Base")
1 cup water
1 cup broken up dry Soy Curls
(OR use 1 1/2-2 cups thin commercial vegan "chicken-y" strips, or strips of "Chicken-y" seitan, or thin strips of extra-firm tofu)
4 oz. buckwheat soba noodles, broken in half (or other thin noodles of choice)
6 oz. kale leaves (stripped off stems), thinly sliced (other greens could be used instead)
4 Tbs grated fresh ginger
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce
Optional: up to 1 Tbs soy sauce/tamari
Garnishes:
dark sesame oil
Sriracha
chopped green onions
In a large pot, bring the broth and water to a boil. Add the remaining ingredients (except for the Garnishes). Bring to a boil and then turn down and simmer for 5 minutes.
Taste the soup-- if it's not too salty, add up to 1 Tbs tamari/soy sauce, if desired.
Serve each bowl with a drizzle of dark sesame oil, a sprinkle of green onions and more Sriracha on the side.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 124 calories, 16 calories from fat, 1.9g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 831.6mg sodium, 198.4mg potassium, 21.4g carbohydrates, 1.7g fiber, less than 1g sugar, 8.7g protein, 3.6 points.
Enjoy (and, if you're under-the weather like I am, get well soon)!
Sunday, August 16, 2015
CHEESEY VEGAN KALE & SUMMER SQUASH TORTA (ITALIAN-STYLE SAVORY TART) WITH CRISPY LOW-FAT OLIVE OIL PASTRY
A few days ago I was craving "Torta"-- an Italian savory vegetable tart. or pie made with olive oil pastry and common all over Italy. This type of pie is especially common in the Italian province of Liguria, on the Italian Riviera, where my paternal grandmother’s family originated. It’s a large, thin double-crusted tart baked on a pizza pan. The thin olive oil dough (a little different from the olive oil pastry I used for a fruit pie here) is surprisingly pliable and easy to work with.
Though now considered a gourmet treat, torte were born of necessity—in earlier times wheat was expensive in that region and the thin dough used a small amount of flour and oil to feed quite a few. The filling could contain anything that was plentiful in the garden or on the farm, plus wild greens, mushrooms and herbs gleaned from nearby meadows, hillsides and forests.
For this torta, I wanted to use up both kale and summer squash from our garden, but I wanted the filling to be a simple one because I didn't have alot of time to spend in the kitchen.
The result was delicious! It's good hot or cold or room temperature and we enjoyed it the leftovers for lunch the next day (great picnic fare!). I will use this simple mixture again with other veggies. You could substitute any other type of greens for the kale, and you could use cooked potato, winter squash or eggplant instead of the summer squash.
BRYANNA'S CHEESE-Y VEGAN KALE & SUMMER SQUASH TORTA (ITALIAN-STYLE SAVORY TART) WITH CRISPY LOW-FAT OLIVE OIL PASTRY
Serves 4-6 (depending on appetites!)
Low-Fat Olive Oil Pastry Dough (make this first!):
2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup olive oil
2/3 cup ice-cold water
Filling:
12 ounces kale leaves (weigh after taking stems off), thinly sliced
12 ounces summer squash (I used a combination of zucchini and pattypan squash), sliced about 3/8" thick (cut pattypan squash into thin wedges)
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. dried mint, or 1 1/2 tsp. minced fresh mint
Cheese-y Mixture:
12.3 ounce box extra-firm silken tofu
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons cornstarch, wheat starch or oat flour, OR egg replacer powder
1 tablespoon light miso
OPTIONAL TOPPING:
a handful of shredded vegan melting cheese
a generous sprinkling of vegan Parmesan (We like GoVeggie! brand.)
To make the Dough:
Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil and mix with a fork or your fingers -- there will be some small lumps, and that's fine. Drizzle in the cold water slowly, mixing with a fork. When it comes together, knead it gently into a ball and cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth.
Refrigerate while you make the filling.
To make the Filling:
Heat a large pot of water over high heat until it boils.
Add the sliced kale and boil for about 30 seconds, turn off the heat and place the lid on the pot. Let stand while you place the zucchini rounds and/or pattypan squash wedges and sliced onion on a baking sheet, and sprinkle them with the 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and mint. Mix gently with your fingers and spread the mixture out again. Place the the baking sheet under your oven's broiler on High, about 4 inches below the heat source. Broil, watching carefully, until the vegetables begin to brown and are softened.
Immediately remove them from the oven and turn off the broiler. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
Now drain the kale from the pot in a colander and run cold water over it. Squeeze as much water out of the kale as possible. Combine the kale and zucchini/onion mixture in a mixing bowl.
In a blender or food processor, mix together the silken tofu, nondairy milk, nutritional yeast, starch or alternate, and miso until smooth. Pour this into the bowl with the vegetables and mix gently. If you like, add some vegan Parmesan to taste-- a couple of tablespoons, if you like.
Spray or lightly brush a 14” pizza pan with oil and sprinkle lightly with flour.
On a floured surface (I use a large sheet of baking parchment sprinkled with flour) flatten the ball of Dough a bit and, using the “roll from the center forward, quarter turn, repeat” method, and flouring lightly as necessary, roll the dough out into a 18”-in-diameter round (doesn't have to be perfect!). This dough will roll out thinly quite nicely, but watch for tearing.
To transfer to the pan, sprinkle the round lightly with flour, fold loosely in half and then in half again. Transfer the dough carefully to the prepared pizza pan and carefully unfold the dough, which will overlap the edge of the pan by a few inches. (OR roll it up around the rolling pin, loosely, and transfer it to the pan by starting at the top of the pan and unrolling the pastry over the pan.) Evenly spread the Filling into a 12-inch circle in the center of the dough.
If you like, sprinkle the Filling with a handful of shredded vegan melting cheese.
Carefully bring the overlapping dough up around the filling, to make a freeform pie. Pleat the edges of the dough over the filling, leaving an open circle in the center. Brush or spray the dough lightly with oil.
Bake about 35 minutes, or until the torta is golden and starting to brown. Place the pan on a cooling rack. Cut the torta into 6 or 8 wedges and serve hot or at room temperature.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 377 calories, 136 calories from fat, 15.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 521.5mg sodium, 649.5mg potassium, 47.6g carbohydrates, 4.8g fiber, 2.9g sugar, 14.6g protein.
Enjoy!
Monday, July 13, 2015
GARDEN GREENS; VEGAN PECAN PESTO FROM HOMEGROWN BASIL
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| Freshly-picked chard and Kale from our garden |
We are NOT great gardeners, by any stretch of the imagination. We live on an island of fabulous gardeners, so we don't even try to compete. But we manage to grow kale and chard, summer squash, herbs, lettuce and tomatoes. No tomatoes yet, of course, but it's so nice to be able to run out and pick enough veggies for a salad or a vegetable dish.  Lettuce growing in a long planter on the deck (the lighting looks odd because I took the pics late in the evening)    Today I made my second batch of vegan pesto this summer, but I changed my recipe a little. I decided to use pecans for the nuts because they have such rich flavor. I used a combination of miso and nutritional yeast instead of vegan Parmesan, and a bit of lemon juice to preserve the lovely color. Printable Recipe BRYANNA'S VEGAN PECAN PESTO Makes 3 cups 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings 1 cup pecans 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes 2 Tbs. light miso 8 large cloves garlic, peeled 1 Tbs. lemon juice (this helps keep the color green) 1 tsp. salt 8 oz. fresh basil leaves (about 8 cups, packed down) Place the ingredients, except the basil, in a large food processor (or a VitaMix) in the order given. Add about 1/4 of the basil and pulse until it starts making a paste. Continue adding basil, 1/4 at a time, until it is all mixed in. Then turn the machine full on and let it run until the pesto is relatively smooth.   Pack the pesto into containers-- preferably several small ones. Place a piece of plastic wrap or parchment directly onto the pesto and fasten the lids over that. Refrigerate for a few days-- after that freeze them, but use it up within a month or so, or the pesto will lose flavor. Pesto can be stirred into minestrone (soup), and used on pasta (wide flat pasta or gnocchi are preferred in the Italian province of Liguria, where pesto originated). I use it in summer vegetable salads and on grilled mushrooms, too. To use it on pasta, be sure to save the pasta cooking water. Add a bit of this cooking water to a glob of pesto and stir it into the hot pasta (and cooked veggies, if you're adding them). Keep tasting and adding until it tastes right to you-- serve immediately  Dinner last night-- pasta and kale from the garden, with pesto Other ideas for using pesto: Here's a recipe for a hummus-based pesto sauce for pasta.  And try this recipe for a Vegan Creme of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup with Pesto 
Pesto makes this lowfat vegan creamy Artichoke and Spinach Dish special.
  Enjoy!  |
Monday, September 8, 2014
LOWER-FAT KALE SLAW WITH PEANUT DRESSING
More kale! These days I'm constantly looking for great ways to use the ever-abundant kale supply coming out of our garden. Today I give you my version of an old Martha Stewart recipe (from 2009), to which I made a few changes. 1.) I lowered the oil content from 1/2 cup to 2 tablespoons (and I used olive oil); 2.) I used julienned carrots instead of "coins"; and 3.) I "massaged" the kale-- which is just rubbing the sliced raw kale for a very few minutes to break down some of the connective tissue of the kale leaves so that it is softer.
I really liked the idea of the peanut dressing, and it is a delicious, but not heavy, dressing for this salad. I thought of a few changes I could make next time I prepare this: add some grated ginger to the dressing; add some Sriracha sauce; use small cubes of cooked sweet potato instead of the carrots; use rice vinegar instead of cider...
Printable Copy
BRYANNA’S
LOWER-FAT KALE SLAW WITH PEANUT DRESSING
Serves
6
10 cups of thinly sliced kale (wash, drain and strip from stalks before
slicing crosswise)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly-sliced
2 medium carrots, julienned (I used a julienne vegetable cutter/peeler-- see this post about the one I prefer)
Dressing:
6 tablespoons aquafaba or Oil Substitute for Salad Dressing
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup salted peanuts
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
Topping:
1/4 cup salted peanuts
Toss together the sliced kale and the first
1 tablespoon of oil in a large bowl. Mix and lightly squeeze or rub the kale
for a couple of minutes, just to soften the kale a bit.
To make the Dressing, add the Oil Sub,
vinegar, 1/4 cup peanuts brown sugar, 1 tablespoon olive oil and
salt to your blender and mix at high speed until smooth.
Enjoy!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
KALE AND VEGAN SAUSAGE LASAGNA
We have such beautiful kale this year and such alot of it! I'm trying to incorporate it into as many dishes as possible. (Fortunately, we both love it!).
Last night we had our friend Brenda over for dinner and I made a kale lasagne, using up 1 1/2 lbs of fresh kale, and some tofu ricotta and homemade spaghetti sauce that I had in the refrigerator. It was delicious and definitely a keeper! I served it with some lovely roasted beets from my friend Holly, just sprinkled with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and fresh parsley.
We ended the meal with some tea and organic green grapes-- very satisfying!
BRYANNA’S KALE AND VEGAN SAUSAGE
Serves 6-8
12 whole wheat lasagne noodles OR GF lasagne noodles (not the
“no-cook” type)
About 1 1/2 lbs. fresh
kale (weighed before stripping the leaves
from the stalks), washed and cut into thin strips
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon dark
sesame oil
2 large onions, thinly
sliced
About 12 oz. slightly
spicy vegan sausages, crumbled (I used
Tofurky Italian, but you could use Field Roast Italian or your own homemade)
OR, for a GF or homemade alternative ,
use 2x this
recipe for TVP pepperoni crumbles
4 cloves garlic,
minced
1/2 tsp. red chile flakes
(omit if you sausage is very spicy)
Salt and
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
About 3 cups homemade vegan
plain tomato-y spaghetti sauce or your favourite storebought variety
1 recipe Ricotta
di Soya (Tofu Ricotta) (There’s also
an Almond Ricotta recipe at that link, too, but you’ll need to make about 1 1/2
times that recipe.)
UPDATE: Here's a nut-free vegan ricotta recipe.)
UPDATE: Here's a nut-free vegan ricotta recipe.)
About 1/2 cup vegan parmesan (we like Earth Island or Follow Your Heart vegan parm) or your
favourite parmesan sub
Cook the lasagne noodles
according to the package directions—don’t overcook! Rinse and drain them and lay them out flat on
a baking sheet.
Place the sliced kale
in a large pot. Boil about 1 quart of
water (in an electric kettle, if you have one—it saves energy) and pour it
slowly over the kale, mixing with a long spoon until it is all submerged. Cover and let it sit for about 10 minutes
while you slice the onions, etc. After
10 minutes, drain the kale in a colander, rinse briefly with cold water (until
cool enough to handle), and then squeeze as much water as possible out of the
kale. Fluff it out a bit with your
fingers after squeezing it.
Heat the oils in a
large heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the sliced onions and sausage
crumbles. Sauté them, stirring frequently, until the onion has softened and the
sausage browned a bit. Add the garlic
and red chile flakes (if using) and sauté briefly. Add the kale to the pan and sauté
again briefly. Season the mixture to
taste with salt and freshly-ground pepper.
Preheat the oven to
400°F, if you are going to bake immediately after assembling the lasagne.
Oil a 9 x 13” baking pan or dish. Lay 4 of the lasagne
noodles to cover the bottom of the pan. Spread the noodles evenly with 1 cup of
the spaghetti sauce. Add half of the
sausage/kale mixture and spread evenly.
Cover that with half of the ricotta, spreading evenly. Sprinkle evenly with 1/3 of the soy parmesan. Lay 4 more of the lasagne noodles over the
casserole.
Repeat the layering as
before. Cover with the remaining 4
lasagna noodles. Spread evenly with the
remaining 1 cup of spaghetti sauce and sprinkle with the last of the soy parmesan. Cover the pan loosely with foil or baking
parchment.
Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes. Remove the foil or baking parchment and let sit for
about 10 minutes before cutting.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
VEGAN RICOTTA & GREENS-STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM CAPS AND CREAMY ORZO SALAD (OR PILAF) WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
This is a meal that I made pretty-much on the spur of the moment last week, utilizing some ingredients that I need to use up. It turned out to be one of our favorites so far! Lots of veggies and flavors and creamy goodness, and a minimum of effort.
I originally set out to make an orzo salad (my husband loves orzo, the pasta that looks like rice), but I ended up serving it hot because we didn't want to wait! It was super-delicious that way, as a sort of pilaf. The next day, we enjoyed it cold, for lunch, as a salad. I love making versatile recipes!
CONFESSION: There is a bit of a sameness about these recipes and I probably would not serve them together again. However, for that particular meal, as I said, I was using up certain ingredients and the idea for the orzo dish came to me partially because I wanted to use up as much of the vegan ricotta as I could!
Printable Copy
BRYANNA’S SPINACH AND (VEGAN) RICOTTA-STUFFED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM CAPS
Serves 2 to 4
Serves 2 to 4
4 large Portobello mushroom caps, stems removed
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup vegan ricotta (my vegan ricotta recipes, one tofu, one almond)
1 cup (packed down) finely-chopped fresh spinach (OR use chard or tender kale leaves instead), which has been washed and spin-dried
1/4 cup vegan parmesan (your choice—I like Go Veggie by Galaxy)
1/4 tsp. EACH dried basil, thyme leaves and oregano
3/4 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (fresh tomato sauce with garlic and basil)
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup vegan ricotta (my vegan ricotta recipes, one tofu, one almond)
1 cup (packed down) finely-chopped fresh spinach (OR use chard or tender kale leaves instead), which has been washed and spin-dried
1/4 cup vegan parmesan (your choice—I like Go Veggie by Galaxy)
1/4 tsp. EACH dried basil, thyme leaves and oregano
3/4 cup of your favorite marinara sauce (fresh tomato sauce with garlic and basil)
extra vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top
Sprinkle the inside of the mushroom caps with a little
salt and pepper. Place them on a baking
sheet and spray with a little oil from a pump-sprayer. Place the pan about 6 inches under your oven’s
broiler. Broil (checking often), until
the gills look juicy and the mushroom is softer and semi-cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside. Turn the
oven to 450 degrees F on Bake mode.
In a medium bowl, mash together the ricotta, spinach,
vegan parmesan, and herbs. Combine
well. Divide the mixture evenly between
the 4 mushroom caps, mounding firmly. Sprinkle with some of the vegan parmesan. Bake for about 10 minutes. While
they bake, gently heat the marinara sauce, either on the stovetop or in the
microwave. Serve the mushrooms hot with
some of the sauce spooned over them.
*****************************************************************
BRYANNA’S
CREAMY ORZO SALAD (OR PILAF) WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES
Serves 4
Serves 4
You can substitute any vegetables you like for the
ones I used.
1 cup orzo pasta
2 cups vegan broth
Roasted Vegetables:
2 medium zucchini, cut across in half and then length-wise into 3/8-inch slices
1/2 large onion (any color), thinly sliced
3 bell peppers, seeded and diced (preferably of different colors, but it doesn’t matter if they are all the same)
Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon vegan broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegan ricotta (my vegan ricotta recipes, one tofu, one almond)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Additional:
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup vegan parmesan (your choice—I like Go Veggie! by Galaxy Foods, but I hear that Follow Your Heart [Earth Island in Canada]is very good)
1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
2 cups vegan broth
Roasted Vegetables:
2 medium zucchini, cut across in half and then length-wise into 3/8-inch slices
1/2 large onion (any color), thinly sliced
3 bell peppers, seeded and diced (preferably of different colors, but it doesn’t matter if they are all the same)
Dressing:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon vegan broth
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup vegan ricotta (my vegan ricotta recipes, one tofu, one almond)
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp. dried oregano
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Additional:
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup vegan parmesan (your choice—I like Go Veggie! by Galaxy Foods, but I hear that Follow Your Heart [Earth Island in Canada]is very good)
1/4 cup chopped pitted Kalamata olives
Bring the broth to a boil in a small pot and add the
orzo. Bring back to a boil, the turn to
Low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
While the orzo cooks, place the prepared vegetables on an oiled baking sheet and spray with oil from a pump-sprayer. Broil under your oven’s broiler, about 4-5 inches from the heat, until they are starting to brown. Turn them over to the other side and broil again until they are softened and starting to brown. Watch carefully so that they do not char. Remove from the oven.
When it's done, immediately stir the cooked orzo with a spoon and pour into a bowl.
While the orzo cooks, place the prepared vegetables on an oiled baking sheet and spray with oil from a pump-sprayer. Broil under your oven’s broiler, about 4-5 inches from the heat, until they are starting to brown. Turn them over to the other side and broil again until they are softened and starting to brown. Watch carefully so that they do not char. Remove from the oven.
When it's done, immediately stir the cooked orzo with a spoon and pour into a bowl.
Blend the Dressing ingredients together until smooth,
using a blender or immersion/stick blender.
Add to the bowl with the orzo, along with the roasted vegetables,
parsley, basil, vegan parmesan and chopped olives. Combine gently.
Now, you can serve this still hot, at room temperature,
or chilled as a salad, depending on your circumstances or preference.
Enjoy!
Thursday, July 10, 2014
DELICIOUS MASSAGED KALE SALAD WITH RED CABBAGE, APPLES, PECANS & POMEGRANATE MOLASSES DRESSING, À LA NAVA ATLAS
On Monday some old friends from Portland, OR came over to Denman Island for a quick visit and a picnic. We took a driving tour around the island, stopped at one of the more interesting beaches, and then landed at Fillongley Park, with it's lovely long beach and view of the snow-capped coastal mountains on the mainland, and walk through the old-growth forest to the lovely meadow that was once a homestead.
I brought a picnic lunch to share (our guests brought a watermelon for dessert-- perfect!) and we set everything out on one of the picnic tables near the beach. I made a vegan traditional-style potato salad (recipe from my first book "The Almost No-Fat Cookbook" and made with my Tofu Mayonnaise):
and my Multi-Grain Inari Sushi (UPDATE: recipe here!)
For the veggie dish, since we have an abundance of kale in the garden, I made this lovely salad, which everyone really enjoyed (recipe below):
MASSAGED KALE SALAD WITH RED CABBAGE, APPLES, PECANS AND POMEGRANATE MOLASSES DRESSING, À LA NAVA ATLAS
Serves 6
This is a riff on a recipe in Nava Atlas' wonderful book "Wild About Greens", BTW. I can't claim it as my recipe-- I just substituted apples for the pears and used my own homemade salad dressing!
10 ounces of kale (weigh after stripping from the stems), washed and spun dry
1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tablespoon olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice
1 1/2 cups thinly-sliced red cabbage
2 medium apples (tart-sweet), washed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
about 1/2 cup of Pomegranate Molasses Salad dressing (recipe below), or more to taste
Slice the kale into thin ribbons and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle with the salt, olive oil and lemon juice. Rub the mixture through the kale with your fingers. Keep rubbing the kale until it softens and darkens. Add the other ingredients, including the salad dressing and toss well. Serve immediately or refrigerate until serving time.
BRYANNA'S
POMEGRANATE MOLASSES SALAD DRESSING #2
Yield: about 3/4
cup
Mix together all of
the following ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetarian broth
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1/2 cup vegetarian broth
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
Enjoy!
Sunday, May 25, 2014
BIRTHDAY DINNER FOR BRENDA
 |
| Potato & Kale Cakes with Smoked Almond Breast of Tofu (Crispy Marinated Tofu Slices or "B of T") and Garlicky Vegan Hollandaise Sauce. |
 |
| 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.
***************************************
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.
************************************************
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.
*****************************************************************
 |
| 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!
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