Pommes de terre brûlées
A simple mash can be turned into a classy side dish. Simply pipe seasoned mashed potatoes into a shallow dish - the shallower the dish, but more surface area can get toasted.
Be adventurous with this dish. Season with salt and enhance the flavour with one, or a mix of the following: turmeric, smoky paprika, chives, onion powder, roasted garlic, etc.
This dish can be prepared completely vegan, or fortified with the addition of fat free Greek youghurt and/or grated gruyère.
Gluten Free, Vegan Mac & Cheese (that actually tastes good)
I thought it couldn't be done - vegan cheese that isn't massively fake and processed or gluten free pasta that's not chewy or slimy. Cashews and brown rice pasta make this an incredible dish.
Like usual, I didn't measure anything - pure chaos cooking. All the same, here's the process:
- Cashew butter (blended cashews) seasoned with nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, turmeric and lemon juice.
- Puree it in a high-speed blender with twice as much water.
- Bring to a boil on the stove - it will turn lumpy as it cooks.
- Return to the blender to liquify - sweet merciful creamy goodness.
Mix it up by adding tomatoes:
Génoise Framboise
Light layers of wholewheat lemon génoise cake, raspberry jam and vanilla whipped cream! Génoise is made without any baking powder or soda - it's leavened entirely by whipped eggs.
Here's how it's made:
Edamame and Chick Pea Hummus
A delicious vegan and gluten-free side dish packed with protein and fibre, this hummus is made from a purée of garbanzos and green soybeans.
First, take equal portions of cooked and cooled chick peas and edamame. Caned or frozen are the easiest to make use of.
Add to a powerful blender and grind on low with water, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and seasonings (garlic, onion powder, etc) until well mixed. Then, ultra puree the mix until smooth. A similar result can be achieved with a food processor, but lower powered blenders (less than 1kw) will probably require adding more water to the mix.
Garnish with olive oil, a few whole beans and paprika. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables.
Matcha Cake
Matcha is a special green tea powder. It adds a unique flavour when added to other foods.
Using the regular cake recipe 1:1:1:1 (eggs, butter, flour sugar), add a few tablespoons of matcha powder.
Bake and cool as normal.
The bright and earthy flavours of matcha paired well with the floral tastes of rosewater and whipped cream.
International Coffee Day 2013!
Happy Coffee Day! I've found a new love: Chemex!
Find yours here: Chemex 6-Cup Glass Handle Series Coffeemaker
Sheperdless Pie
Sheperdless pie is the vegetarian version of the classic lamb dish. It takes a while to make from scratch, but it's worth is.
Start with a mix of veg: sauteed peppers, mushrooms and onions; green beans, peas and carrots; tofu or soy crumbles.
Mix in a gravy. If you're in a hurry, you can use premix.
Make a smooth mash. Again, if you're in a hurry, you can use instant mash.
Fill the baking dish, leaving space for adding the mash. If you're going for a rich dish, top it with gruyère. Since everything's already cooked, simply place the pies in a cold oven and preheat to 350F. If the top isn't brown, simply broil until the top is golden brown.
It works alright to spread the mash atop the dish, but I like to pipe the mash - it since it allows steam to escape without boiling the contents over the edge of the baking dish. It's also perfectly delicious vegan!
Thai Lettuce Wraps
So many of my favourite textures and flavours in one dish.
Start with base flavours: onions, sweet peppers, carrots and celery. Saute until lightly caramelized. Allow to cool.
Prepare the lettuce. Romaine works well: it's crunchy and its shape holds the filling well.
Fill the lettuce leaves with the sauteed vegetables, tofu and fresh veg. Julienned fresh carrots, tomatoes, bean sprouts and Thai basil complete the flavour and texture palette. Served with a peanut dipping sauce:
Chopping the lettuce and mixing all the ingredients makes for a perfect spicy salad. Add cashews for extra protein.
Baklava
Baklava! Sweet, savoury, crisp tops and chewy filling.
First, I like to make sure the nuts are dehydrated, so I warm raw almonds, pecans, walnuts and pistachios at 200F for 20 minutes.
While they're warming, alternately layer butter and sheets of phyllo dough - 10 layers of dough in total.
Coarsely grind the nuts and add them on top of the phyllo dough. Although it's common to add another layer of dough and nuts, I prefer just the single layer. An additional layer can get extra soggy.
Top with a dozen layers of buttered dough. Cut in squares *before* baking - and be sure to trim up the sides (don't leave the sloppy edges like I did). Bake at 350F for ~30 minutes.
While it's in the oven, prepare the syrup. There are two options. Both are tasty, but distinct: rose water, very floral and strong; orange blossom water, much lighter but still floral.
Star Kay White Orange Blossom Water, 2.0 Ounce
Boil sugar, water, cinnamon, cloves and a flavouring.
When the baklava is done baking, allow it to cool for a minute or so. Pour over the syrup until it's saturated - but not sloppy.
Let sit for at least an hour. I let it sit overnight. Not much better than fresh baklava with the morning coffee.
Sugar overload! ... but nuts are healthy, right?
Yellow Salsa (Grilled Peach)
This summer I was inspired by friends to make salsa. As the summer winds down, here's a perfect dish to enjoy with the lasts of the summer produce.
Select yellow salsa ingredients, yellow tomatoes, peaches, corn, yellow onions and peppers.
Coat the peaches and corn in olive oil and add some colour and char on the grill.
You don't want to cook the peaches to a mush, just sear them well.
Mince the ingredients and stir together with a bit of salt, cumin and chipotle (for that nice kick and extra smokyness). Garnish with parsley or cilantro and serve with your favourite tortilla chips.
Grilled Courgette with Spaghetti and Vegan Cream Sauce
Fresh from the garden grilled zucchini snuggling a nest of spaghetti.
First, cut strips of, and grill, the zucchini. Not too long on the grill - just hot and fast. Be sure to take the nice even strips from the middle of the zucchini.
Hack up the remainder of the zucchini and add whatever else you've got: a few green beans, tomatoes, onions, peppers. Caramelize over medium-high heat with a bit of olive oil and salt.
Deglaze the pan with water and allow the mixture to cool slightly. Then add soaked walnuts and the veg mixture to the blender and puree until creamy. Season to taste.
Arrange the plate with the cream sauce as a base, followed by spaghetti (seasoned with salt and olive oil) and wrap with the grilled courgettes.
Grilled Aubergine with Rice and Tomatoes
Fresh from the garden and grilled until tender. Served with seasoned rice, diced tomatoes and a balsamic reduction.
First, slice and soak the eggplant in heavily salted water while the grill preheats.
Drain and rinse the eggplant. Coat with olive oil and grill until tender.
Make sure to get some good grill lines.
Season jasmine rice with salt, smoked paprika and olive oil.
Plate by layering rice and eggplant. Garnish with diced tomatoes and a balsamic reduction with shallots. And basil, always gotta have basil.
Chocolate Brownie Avalanche
Cut into the brownie and watch the hot ganache overwhelm the plate!
It's easiest to make this with a special tarte cake pan: Norpro Nonstick 8.5 Inch Fluted Round Tart Cake Pan
Simply prepare a pack-mix brownie recipe as directed.
Bake as directed, but keep an eye on the progress. With the unique pan shape, it may get done sooner or later than the box indicates.
While it's in the oven, prepare the ganache. Ganache is basically a chocolate sauce that has a paste-like consistency when cooled. It's made by heating chocolate, a splash of cream and a dollop of glucose. I used semisweet chips, almond milk and corn syrup.
When the brownie cools slightly, fill the indentation with the scalding chocolate mix.
I garnished it with a bit of melted white baking chocolate. Drag a knife or toothpick through the top to create the swirly design.
CHOCOLANCHE!!!
Pecan Cinnamon Rolls
Warm and pecan cinnamon rolls. They're the perfect weekend food and they keep for a few days. Monday morning isn't so bad with these as leftovers.
Start with a basic bread dough, adding a bit more sugar and a whisper of cinnamon. Once the dough is ready, prepare the pan first by giving it a spray of olive oil (or other non-stick cooking spray), then arrange pecan halves on the bottom.
Prepare the filling: a mixture of butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and a dash of salt. I also like to use coconut oil to reduce the amount of cholesterol. The mix should be slightly pasty, but spreadable.
Roll out the dough, spread the filling and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
Roll, score evenly and cut with unflavoured dental floss.
Arrange in the pan and allow to raise. Bake at 175C or 350F until the tops are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and immediately invert on a hear safe surface.
The perfect weekend food to serve with hot coffee.
Tarte aux Fraises with Greek Youghurt
This one's not quite the classic strawberry tarte. It has a graham cracker crust, but the filling is made of Greek youghurt, coconut oil, sugar and vanilla. It's egg free, much lighter and more tangy than the traditional crème pâtissière - a nice alternative for those with egg intolerances.
Making the design isn't complicated at all. Escargot it! - just make a slight overlapping cicrular pattern.
C'est délicieux!
Baked Summer Squash
A delicious, fresh from the garden and vegan dish; baked and stuffed summer squash. Many squashes, scallop, patty pan, rond-de-nice, don't slice well. Rather than chunking them in a stew, this preparation provides an elegant presentation.
Select the chunky and round squash.
Slice the bottom to flatten it, scoop out the insides with a melon-baller and save them for the filling. Then coat each of them with olive oil and bake at 35oF. To keep them from moving, ramekins or muffin tins can be used. Thirty minutes is usually long enough - just make sure they're tender.
While they're baking, saute a mirepoix (carrots, celery, onions), adding tomatoes, peppers and the scooped out parts of the squash.
When it's reduced, it should nice and thick.
Spoon the filling into the squash and garnish with fresh herbs.
Classic Tiramisu
The sequence of preparation is like the Nectarine Tiramisu. However, instead of pouring the flavouring over the ladyfingers, simply dip them in cooled and sweetened espresso.
I use these pastry bags with great success:
Regular size:
DayMark 115435 12" Hand-E-Grip Pastry Bag with Dispenser (Roll of 100)
Large:
DayMark 115436 18" Hand-E-Grip Pastry Bag with Dispenser (Roll of 100)
Pasta and Vegan Cream Sauce
Made from scratch pasta and a vegan cream sauce that doesn't taste like puke!
Start making the pasta with equal parts of semolina and spelt flour. Add in water, olive oil and a bit of salt and knead until it forms a ball.
Let is rest for a while; wrapped in cling film or under an inverted bowl.
Puree soaked walnuts, sauteed onions, peppers and celery along with stewed tomatoes. I used cashews in this recipe and was slightly disappointed. It just made the sauce too sweet. Since the vegetables have already been cooked (sauteed and stewed) the sauce is ready at this point. Simply warm it if needed.
Shape the dough into the desired shapes. I'm a fan of fettuccine.
Serve with the sauce - a tasty and authentic vegan dish. It's simple and, although it's a "cream sauce," it stands on it's own rather than merely imitating a dairy version.
