Showing posts with label spinach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spinach. Show all posts
Monday, January 5, 2015
TWO RECIPES WITH GREENS: ITALIAN SAVORY CREPES STUFFED WITH VEGAN RICOTTA & SPINACH; & BABY BOK CHOY AND TOFU SOUP
HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!
For lunch, I made Baby Bok Choy and Tofu Soup from my book "Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen: All Vegan Recipes", and, for dinner (because I had some vegan crepes left over from Saturday breakfast, and some of DH's spaghetti sauce in the refrigerator), I made Italian Savory Crepes Stuffed with Vegan Ricotta & Spinach from my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen: Delicious Home-Style Vegan Cuisine", both with a couple of little tweaks. It's been too long since I made these recipes-- so delicious and healthful! So, I'd like to share the recipes with you. Enjoy!
Crepes have been made in
Many delicious vegetables stuffings
are popular (you can use a filling as simple as just steamed, chopped in-season
vegetables held together with thick besciamella sauce), particularly the spinach and ricotta filling
from Florence, which I have veganized and used in the following recipe.
Crespelle can be made ahead (even
frozen), and they make an elegant dinner dish for company or special occasions,
such as Easter dinner.
These vegan crespelle are nice and
tender, thin but not fragile, roll well, and have a delicate flavor. PS: The crepe recipe I used last night and publish here is actually from another on of my books, "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause".
Printable Recipe (Includes crepe recipe)
Serves 6 (Can be soy-free)
12 vegan crepes (see my recipe below-- can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen--OR you can use my recipe for Fat-Free Whole Grain Crepes)
Spinach and "Cheese" Filling:
2 onions, minced
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. fresh cleaned spinach, OR 2/ 10 oz. pckgs. chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cups Tofu or Almond Ricotta OR Okara/Cashew Ricotta
4 to 6 tablespoons vegan Parmesan substitute (we like GoVeggie! brand)
salt, freshly ground pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg
Bake crespelle with a light tomato sauce or a medium Besciamella (Bechamel) sauce, ( or you can layer Besciamella over the tomato sauce, for a really special dish), along with a vegan Parmesan substitute or alternate. There is a recipe for my low-fat Creamy White-Bean-Flour Based Bechamel here, and my basic vegan Bechamel/White sauce recipe is here.
Sauté the onions in the olive oil in a non-stick or cast iron or hard-anodized skillet until they are soft and starting to brown (adding a tiny bit of water as needed, to keep from sticking).
Meanwhile, place the fresh spinach in boiling water until it is completely wilted, then drain, squeeze dry, and chop it finely. OR, if using frozen chopped spinach, thaw it thoroughly (you can quick-thaw it by placing the whole carton in the microwave for 5 minutes) and squeeze it as dry as possible.
Mix the spinach in a bowl with the cooked onions, ricotta, Parmesan sub , and salt, pepper and to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Place a generous amount of filling down the center of each crepe and roll it up.
Place the rolls in an oiled baking dish. (You can prepare the crepes up to this point several hours ahead of time.)
Pour a little of the sauce you are using over the crepes, sprinkle with Parmesan or alternative (and some shredded vegan mozza-type cheese, too, if you like) and bake for 20 minutes.
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BRYANNA'S TOFU CREPES
Makes 12-13 crepes
From my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause".
These are really excellent--they have that flexible "eggy" texture of regular crepes. You can freeze them, too.
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1 cup unbleached white flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup medium-firm tofu or silken tofu
1/4 cup soy or chickpea flour
OPTIONAL: 1 to 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon unbleached organic sugar
1/2 tsp. EACH salt and baking powder
a pinch of nutmeg
Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until very smooth. If the batter seems too thick (and it should be like thick cream), whisk in a bit more non-dairy milk or water until it is the right consistency.
No need to "rest" this batter first. Tofu crepes are made just like ordinary crepes.
Heat a nonstick or cast-iron 8" skillet over medium-high heat and wipe it lightly with oil before making each crepe. Use 3-4 tablespoons of batter per crepe (stirring the batter before you make each crepe), rolling and tilting the pan until it evenly covers the bottom. Cook for a few seconds, or until the top looks dry.
Carefully loosen the crepe with a spatula and flip it over.
After a few seconds the other side should be dry.
Fold into quarters or roll like a jelly roll and place on a plate (or leave them flat if you are going to stack them with filling). If you are going to use the crepes shortly, cover them with a clean tea towel.
Either fill the crepes and serve according to the specific recipe directions, or let them cool and place in a plastic bag or rigid container (with pieces of waxed paper in between each crepe) and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze them for future use (thaw thoroughly before filling).
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Printable Recipe
BRYANNA’S BABY
BOK CHOY, MUSHROOM AND TOFU SOUP
Serves 4-8
This makes a wonderful light lunch. The sum is definitely greater than the simple parts of this delicious soup!
1 1/2
lb. baby bok choy, washed, dried and trimmed (separate the stems if they are on the larger side)
6-8 dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 30
minutes, and stems removed (save
soaking water)
1 cup
sliced fresh white or brown (cremini) mushrooms
1
tablespoon oil
12
cubes of commercial
fried tofu OR, for a lower-fat version, use Oven-Broiled Tofu (see below)
5 cups
light vegetarian broth (I like Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Vegan Soup Base)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons dry to medium sherry or rice wine
2 1/2 c. cooked gan mian or ji mian (plain, thin flour and water noodles), or
spaghettini (can be whole grain), or buckwheat soba
dark
sesame oil, for drizzling
If
using the commercial fried tofu cubes, pour boiling water over them, let stand
for a few minutes, then drain and squeeze out as much water and oil as you
can. Cut the cubes in half.
Heat a large wok or stir-fry pan or heavy pot over high heat. When hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the bok choy, dried
mushrooms and fresh mushrooms. Stir-fry
for 2-3 minutes. Add the remaining
ingredients, including the mushroom soaking water and the fried or oven-broiled tofu. Let it simmer for a few minutes, until
everything is hot.
Serve immediately and pass the sesame oil to sprinkle
over each serving.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 214 calories, 85
calories from fat, 9.8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 858.7mg sodium, 526mg
potassium, 24.7g carbohydrates, 4.9g fiber, 4.3g sugar, 11.3g protein.
BRYANNA'S OVEN-BROILED TOFU
This is my fat-free sub for fried tofu in certain recipes!
Cut 12-14 ounces of extra-firm tofu into cubes or triangles of your choice of size. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Place the tofu pieces, not touching, on the sheet and spray lightly with oil from a pump sprayer. Place the sheet about 6 inches under a heated oven broiler. Broil for several minutes (checking every couple of minutes), until the tofu is golden and crusty, and maybe even a little charred, on top. Turn the pieces over and repeat for the other side. The 2nd side will take less time, so watch carefully! Remove from the oven immediately. PS: You can make a large batch of this and refrigerate for other recipes.
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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.
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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!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
VEGAN SPINACH “CHICKEN” PATTIES (OPEN TO EXPERIMENTATION!)
These patties are a variation of an old recipe I hadn't made for a long time-- a vegan "chicken" spinach loaf. They are unabashedly NOT soy or gluten-free! But they have a homey feel, good flavor and texture, and they are so simple that the seasoning is open to interpretation. The loaf was made with the usual "chickeny" herbs-- sage, thyme, rosemary marjoram-- but I used a bit of a Middle Eastern theme with cumin, mint and basil the last time I made them. They could be made quite spicy, either by adding hot sauce, or using a spicy sauce on top of them. Or they could be made with Asian flavors-- lemongrass and cilantro, maybe, or 5-spice powder.
You could also, I think, use other vegetables-- kale, chard, zucchini shreds (make sure these are well-squeezed), for instance. you could use green onions instead of white onion. I think you get the idea-- this recipe is a good one to play around with, so have fun!
BRYANNA’S VEGAN SPINACH “CHICKEN” PATTIES
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach,
thawed and squeezed well (a tofu press is good for this)
(OR 1 lb. fresh baby spinach, steamed, chopped and squeezed well)
(OR 1 lb. fresh baby spinach, steamed, chopped and squeezed well)
1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 T. “chicken-style” vegetarian broth powder or
paste
1 3/4 cups boiling water
2 cups plain textured soy protein granules
(TVP) OR crumbs from Soy Curls
1 lb. medium-firm tofu, drained
1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten (gluten powder)
1 T. nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 T. salt
1 tsp. garlic granules
1/2 tsp. EACH dried sage, thyme, rosemary
and marjoram
OR use 2 tsp. EACH ground cumin, dried
mint and dried basil
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 T. soy sauce
Heat the first the oil in a nonstick, cast iron or hard-anodized skillet and sauté the onion over medium-high heat until
softened.
Mix the bouillon with the boiling
water. Add to the TVP and let sit 10
minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Mash the drained tofu and mix well with the
squeezed spinach, cooked onions, soaked TVP and remaining ingredients, except
the gluten flour. Mix thoroughly. Add
the gluten and mix well again.
Scoop up some of the “dough” and roll into
a ball, then press down into a patty on a piece of baking parchment. You can make small patties, thin patties,
thick patties— whatever you like. This
recipe makes quite a few, about 18 normal-sized patties, depending on how thick
you like them.
Place the patties on parchment-lined baking
sheets, cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Cool thoroughly in the refrigerator, then
layer in a rigid storage container with parchment in between the patties and
refrigerate, or freeze for future use.
When ready to serve, brown them on both
sides at medium heat in a lightly-oiled nonstick, cast iron or hard-anodized skillet. Serve in buns with your favorite condiments,
or by themselves with a favorite sauce or gravy.
Enjoy!
Friday, October 19, 2012
A SPAGHETTATA: MY HUSBAND'S CURRENT FAVORITE QUICK PASTA DISH
 |
| Quick and Easy Vegan Spaghettata Yesterday was one of those days when I didn't know what I was going to make until the last minute. (This seems to be happening more frequently than it used to-- I blame the computer!) In the late afternoon, after scrubbing the shower and hanging up the new shower curtain and liner, I had made the last of two versions of vegan popovers/Yorkshire Puddings (my cooking quest of the moment) I made that day (both just okay-- the quest goes on), plus some of my homemade mayonnaise. Suddenly, it was 6 PM and "what to make for dinner"! (A small digression: I'm in the cooking doldrums lately, which is partly why I haven't been blogging much. The other reason is that I've been very busy planning for a fund-raising event, which took up much of my time. The event was last Saturday and was successful, but I was exhausted, to tell you the truth. A couple of days of doing almost nothing, plus alot of catch-up to accomplish in the house and elsewhere, has not yet resulted in a burst of creativity in the kitchen-- though I seem to have revived interest in the vegan popovers again. This is probably a good sign.) In this sort of situation, I open the fridge and peer in, looking for things that need to be used. Usually, this will inspire me to come up with a fast, edible improv dish, or remind me of a recipe I've made before which is worth repeating. This time I remembered the bunch of beautifully fresh spinach we had bought the day before. You have to use that up pretty quickly. I had been thinking before that a pasta dish of some sort might fill the bill for dinner, but I hadn't settled on anything, so this led me to wonder about pasta+spinach+?? for a quick, full-meal-deal. (This type of pasta dish, BTW, is known as "spaghettata" in Italy-- a sort of Italian version of what my late husband Wayne's Irish grandmother called "bread-and-with-it".) Fresh oregano in the garden, fresh mushrooms (also purchased the day before), a little white wine needing to be used up... the result was the following dish, which my husband declared "one of the best pasta dishes I've eaten in a long time"! I opted to add strips of browned President's Choice (made by Gardein) PC Blue Menu The World's Best Meatless Seasoned Chicken Breast (a Canadian brand). My husband thought that was the least interesting part of the dish and said it could easily be left out without losing anything, so I've added that, or any favorite vegan chicken-y alternative, as an optional ingredient. My cutlets from my newest book, World Vegan Feast (or "Breast of Tofu" in my other books or at this post), or Soy Curls, or whatever is your favorite chicken sub. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as DH did!  Printable Recipe BRYANNA'S QUICK & EASY "SPAGHETTATA" WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH Serves 4 12 oz. spaghetti (made with durum semolina-- for GF, use a good one with some "bite", such as quinoa pasta) 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, or 1/2 a medium onion, thinly-sliced 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) mushrooms (any kind-- white button is fine) 2 large cloves garlic, minced (or more, according to your taste) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried) 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, spun dry and thinly-sliced (or 8 cups packed baby spinach)-- this will cook down considerably so don't worry that it's too much! 1/3 cup white wine, dry white vermouth, or dry sherry 1/2 cup good tasting vegan chicken-style broth (my favorite is Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken) 1/2 cup or so of shredded vegan mozzarella To serve: your favorite vegan parmesan (Go Veggie! or EarthIsland/Follow your Heart are good brands) salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste OPTIONAL: Sliced vegan "chikn brest" or "chickn strips" (Alternatives: my cutlets from my newest book, World Vegan Feast (or "Breast of Tofu" in my other books or at this link), or Soy Curls, or whatever is your favorite chicken sub. Put a big pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook for 9-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and set aside. NOTE: you can be preparing the rest of the dish while the water boils and the pasta cooks. If you are going to use the vegan chicken sub option, brown your choice in a little olive oil, cut into thin strips and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onions and stir-fry until they start to wilt (add a squirt of water every now and then, as needed to keep from sticking). Add the garlic, mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle with a little salt to release the juice. Stir-fry until the mushrooms begin to cook. Start adding the sliced spinach one handful at a time and stirring until it wilts before adding another. This will go pretty fast. Then, add the wine, broth, vegan mozzarella and optional vegan "chicken" strips, if using. Mix quickly, but gently. Quickly add the cooked pasta and toss the mixture with a spaghetti rake and a spoon to mix evenly and to re-heat the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately in heated pasta bowls with the vegan parmesan. Enjoy!  |
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
TWO HEARTY VEGETABLE SALADS DEBUTED AT VEGAN DINNER PARTY
Our
vegan dinner group of 5 couples convened at our house last week for another
great vegan meal. (We were also celebrating 3 Gemini birthdays-- me,
DH Brian, and Rob.) It was a bit of a squish in our little house, but nobody
minded-- it has been a while since we got together and even longer since we hosted a dinner. On the menu, we had Fireweed's yummy vegan quiche with potatoes
and veggies in it; a delicious lemony cauliflower and potato curry on yellow
rice from Gordon and Sarah; Pelka's aromatic focaccia and wonderful green salad
with Sunshine Dressing; and Ellen's beautiful wild rice salad with black beans.
( My contributions were two vegetable salads and a Chocolate/Almond
Tiramisu for dessert.
I
changed my plans for what to make for the dinner at the last minute because I
thought we weren’t going to be enough vegetables on the menu. (It turned out that we had plenty of veggies in
the end, and it was all delicious.) Because we live on an island, I had to use what was in my freezer, fridge and pantry,
and inspiration was just not coming to me (probably due to the fact that I was
trying to get the house spiffed up at the same time). I turned to a book that I’d just borrowed
from the library, “Fine
Cooking in Season” (Tauton Press, 2011).
Two salad recipes jumped out at me because, not only did they sound
delicious, but I had most of the ingredients, and with a little substituting
here and there, I judged that I could make them- and make them vegan and lower
in fat at the same time.
One
recipe was a roasted corn salad with edamame (green soybeans), fresh mint and
cherry tomatoes, in a basil/yogurt dressing with honey and lemon. I had frozen sweet corn and frozen shelled
edamame in the freezer, fresh mint in the garden, frozen basil paste from last
year’s crop, and soy yogurt and agave nectar to use in the dressing.
The
other recipe consisted of quickly-braised kale or Swiss chard, escarole or frisée,
and spinach with roasted hazelnuts, in a dressing flavored plum preserves. I
had hazelnuts, kale and spinach on hand, and figured that the rapini in the
fridge could stand in for the escarole.
I had no plum preserves, but I did have some plum butter that I’d made
last year from the plums on the wild plum tree near our back deck, and I
figured that would do in a pinch. (Polish plum butter is available in some supermarkets, gourmet stores and online-- amazon carries it, too.)
In
both recipes, I could substitute some of my lowfat oil substitute for some of
the olive oil, in order to lower the fat content. (The plum dressing called for a whole cup of
oil!)
For
the celebratory dessert I made a Chocolate/Almond Tiramisu, adapted from the
tiramisu recipe in my book "World Vegan Feast", but, instead of the vegan sponge cake, I used the cake
layers from the Mocha Cafe Latte Cake in the same book. Besides the boozy vegan
mascarpone layer called for in that recipe, I added a layer of Italian
Chocolate Mousse (from my book "Nonna's
Italian Kitchen"), laced with ground roasted almonds. The whole thing
was topped with my Almond
Whipped Cream Topping, ground dark chocolate and slivered roasted almonds. (I
used Kahlua for the liqueur.)
There wasn’t much left at the end of the night,
of either the salads or the dessert! All
in all, another enjoyable evening with great conversation and company and
excellent vegan food! Here are my versions of the salad recipes (I also streamlined the methods a bit), just in case you's like to try them.
BRYANNA’S VERSION OF WARM
SALAD OF AUTUMN GREENS WITH PLUM VINAIGRETTE
Serves
8
Adapted
from a recipe in “Fine
Cooking in Season” (Tauton Press, 2011).
For the plum
vinaigrette:
5
Tbs. plum butter
1/4
cup apple cider or red wine vinegar
1
Tbs. Dijon-style mustard
1/4
cup extra-virgin olive oil
1
tsp. chopped garlic
Kosher
salt and freshly ground pepper
For the greens:
10
oz. baby spinach
1
bunch young kale
1
bunch rapini
2
Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3/4
cup (about 3 oz.) roasted, peeled hazelnuts, roughly chopped
Whisk
together the plum butter, vinegar, and mustard until smooth. Add
the olive oil, broth and salt and pepper to taste; mix again briefly. Refrigerate in a jar or bottle. This can be made a few days ahead of time. Shake before using.
the olive oil, broth and salt and pepper to taste; mix again briefly. Refrigerate in a jar or bottle. This can be made a few days ahead of time. Shake before using.
Stem
the kale and slice it into strips about 1/4-inch wide. Cut the tough bottoms
off the rapini stems and slice as for the kale. Mix all the greens, wash
thoroughly, and spin dry. (If you prepare the greens ahead of time—1 to 4
days--wrap them loosely in paper towels and store refrigerated in sealed zipper-lock
bags.)
In
a very large sauté pan, stir-fry pan or skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add
one-third of the greens, and a bit of salt and pepper. Sauté 1 to 2 minutes,
stirring all the time, until the leaves are slightly wilted. Repeat twice with
the remaining greens in two batches. Scoop the greens into a bowl and add the
roasted hazelnuts and the dressing to taste.
Toss well and spread on a large serving platter. Serve at room temperature.
BRYANNA’S VERSION OF TOASTED
CORN, CHERRY TOMATO, AND EDAMAME SALAD
Serves
8-12
Adapted
from a recipe in “Fine
Cooking in Season”, Tauton Press, 2011.
2
cup frozen shelled edamame
1
Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
4
1/2 cups frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed, OR fresh corn kernels (from about 6
medium ears)
1/4
cup plain soy yogurt
1/4
cup fresh lemon juice
2
tsp. agave nectar
1
tsp. minced garlic
1
Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher
salt
Freshly
ground black pepper
2
heaping cups quartered cherry tomatoes
1/2
cup very thinly sliced fresh mint
1/2
cup very thinly sliced fresh basil OR a cube of frozen basil paste, thawed
Boil
the edamame in water to cover by 2 inches for 4-5 minutes. Drain and set aside
to cool completely.
Mix
the corn kernels with 1 Tbs. of the oil on a large baking sheet. Spread the
corn out on the sheet. Place about 5
inches under the broiler of your oven and broil until the tops start to brown a
little (about 4-5 minutes—watch carefully).
Remove from the oven.
To make the Dressing: whisk together the yogurt, lemon
juice, agave, garlic, and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small mixing bowl. Slowly pour in
the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil and the aquafaba or Fat-Free Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings, whisking constantly
until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
In
a medium serving bowl, combine the edamame, corn kernels, tomatoes and herbs.
Toss gently. Add the dressing and toss gently. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve at room temperature.
Enjoy!
Thursday, December 29, 2011
ANTIDOTE FOR TOO MUCH HOLIDAY FOOD? A QUICK, LIGHT SPICY THAI TOFU DISH!
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Ours was fun, hectic, and full of family! We had too much good, Christmasy food and still have lots of leftovers remaining, even though I sent some home with guests. After several days of this, I'm craving rice, pasta, soup, tomato-y dishes, spicy food! So, when it's just us after the festivities, this is the sort of thing that does the trick...a really quick, nutritious and delicious dish, a simplified, veganized version of a Thai dish called "Praram", which is often made with chicken. (A birthday and the New Year to go now!)
Printable Copy
BRYANNA'S THAI-STYLE SPINACH AND TOFU WITH PEANUT SAUCE (SIMPLIFIED VEGAN "PRARAM")
Serves 3
Quick Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup vegan broth
1/2 cup plain nondairy milk
2 tablespoons coconut flour or creamed coconut (such as Let's Do Organic)-- a block of concentrated coconut milk that you can reconstitute as thick or thin as you like
NOTE: Instead of the soymilk and coconut flour or creamed coconut, you can use a generous half cup of lite coconut milk.
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 2 tablespoons lime juice)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
The rest of the dish:
2 tablespoons mushroom-based vegetarian "oyster" sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand is called "Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce", and I have a homemade recipe here)
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
a few shakes of Thai or Vietnamese hot sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil, or other oil
12 ounces firm tofu (NOT silken), cubed
12 oz fresh, cleaned baby spinach
freshly-steamed basmati rice
Whisk together the peanut sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of this sauce with the vegetarian "oyster" sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Reserve the rest of the sauce in the pan.
Heat the peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok. Add the tofu cubes and quickly brown them.
Add the peanut sauce/"oyster" sauce mixture in the small bowl to the tofu. Stir this around until the tofu absorbs most of it.
Add the spinach to the tofu and stir over high heat JUST until the spinach wilts. Spoon the mixture immediately over steamed rice and top with the remaining peanut sauce.
Nutrition Facts (without rice)
Nutrition (per serving): 352.4 calories; 62% calories from fat; 24.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 582.7mg sodium; 1049.2mg potassium; 15.9g carbohydrates; 5.1g fiber; 7.2g sugar; 10.8g net carbs; 19.7g protein; 8.3 points.
Happy New Year!
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