Vegan MoFo 2010: Day Three

Day Three: Fine Dining - Entree

From my own experiences in "high class" dining facilities, I've safely assumed that most mainstream chefs have little to no imagination when it comes to vegan entrees. Too frequently I have been presented with a plate of overcooked penne and out-of-the-jar marinara sauce or an under-seasoned slab of tofu accompanied by rice pilaf (which is really just white rice and a couple of peas). The worst meal I've received from a restaurant (with a fixed menu) was stuffed zucchini...stuffed with itself. The insides were scraped out, shredded and stuffed back into the zucchini for a 20 minute bake. I couldn't find a single teaspoon of seasoning, let alone a grain of salt or pepper. Such a dish has scared my interpretation of "stuffed" vegetables. Out of my frustrations came an unrelenting persistence. I would reclaim and recreate the forlorn stuffed vegetables of mainstream commercial kitchens! No longer will the zucchinis and eggplants and portobellos be forced onto a plate, embarrassed by their near nakedness! I'd stuff a mushroom, and I'd stuff it good.



Stuffed Portobellos with Sun dried Tomatoes and Basil
Plated on Homemade Tomato Sauce with Toasted Walnuts

The recipe I used can be found in Donne Klein's The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen.* The filling was simple, fresh, uncomplicated and absolutely delicious. Sun dried tomatoes lend a sweet and tangy essence to the earthy basil and parsley. Homemade vegetable broth prevents the filling from drying out, and the portobellos absorb any access liquid. My addition of homemade marinara and toasted walnuts finalize this satiating meal.

*Amazingly and unlike most cookbooks geared towards veg*nism, Klein completely disregards to use of soy products and meat/dairy/etc. analogues! This a great book for someone without access to well stocked grocers or health food stores. More to come on her cookbook - a Cookbook Challenge is on the agenda!

Vegan MoFo: Day Two

Day Two: Tomato-Fennel Soup with Gremolata and Cashew Cream Drizzle

It's day two of Vegan MoFo and things are going swimmingly! According to Vegan MoFo Headquarters International, there are 556 bloggers participating, and surely more to follow. The sign-up sheet closes at the end of the day, so anyone still interested in participating in MoFo 2010 should mowsey on that a-way. I've only browsed a handful of blogs, but I'm already inspired. Numerous high-fives and pats on the back to everything that I've seen thus far. Mo Betta Vegan is planning to tackle to Video blogging, and Scratch and Sniff is covering my favorite meal of the day: Lunch! I'll also be keeping a sharp eye on Amey from Vegan Eats & Treats - who wouldn't want to travel Around the World in 30 Days with another vegan?

As for me, the task of balancing work, cooking and blogging has been surprisingly smooth, and I am excited to share the rest of my creations. During the process of establishing this week's menu, I was very apprehensive. To be honest, Matt and I are not fancy people. We enjoy simplicity without loosing sight of what is important to us. Fine Dining? Me, and in our kitchen? Needless to say, I had my reservations. The courses that I planned to make this week were dissimilar from what I make on a regular basis. The choice to blog more elegant cuisine was fostered out of my desire to cook more thoughtfully while maintaining the simplicity that drives my life and is the inspiration for most of the food that I eat. I'm trying to use this week's menu as a means to expose the "overpriced and underportioned" meals so many people are reluctant to taste or cook. When really, fine dining is about simplicity. It's about the purity of the ingredients (and often their plating!). What a spiel! Let's get to the goods already.

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Gremolata and Cashew Cream Drizzle

On a whim I purchased a medium size fennel bulb from my local produce market, intending on finding a use for it (other than tickling my nostrils with the whispy leaves!). This soup is full of such complex flavor, and it will warm you to the core on the nights approaching winter. It's topped with a rich and tangy gremolata and a trill of cashew cream.

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Gremolata and Cashew Cream Swirl

serves 4

2 T olive oil

1 medium fennel bulb, whispy ends removed, cored and finely chopped

2 large shallots, finely chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped

1 (28 oz) can whole tomatoes

1/2 vegetable broth

1/4 cup gremolata (recipe below)

1/4 cup cashew cream (recipe below)

Heat a large stockpot and add oil. Add chopped fennel, shallots and carrot and saute until softened but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juice along with vegetable broth and raise the heat to High. Bring to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered. Allow to simmer approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat and ladle soup to blender or food processor (in batches if necessary). Blend until smooth. Laddle soup into individual serving vessels and top with one tablespoon of gremolata. Using a spoon, drizzle cashew cream onto of soup.

Gremolata

1/4 cup parsley

2 garlic gloves

1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon olive oil

Using a vegetable peeler, carefully remove the skin from the lemon and chop finely. Mince the garlic and the parsley. Combine in a small bowl and add the olive oil. Stir with a fork and refrigerate until needed.

Cashew Cream

1 cup cashews

1/2 cup almond milk or water

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons salt, or to taste

1 tablespoon fresh ground black peper, or to taste

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, optional

Add cashews to food processor or high speed blender. Pulse into fine uniform crumbs. With the food processor or blender running, slowly add the almond milk or water until a thick paste begins to form. Add remaining ingredients and pulse until combined. Add more liquid to reach desired consistency. It should be thick, but viscious enough to drizzle on soup. Taste for salt and pepper. Adjust to preferences. Set aside until needed. 

Vegan MoFo: Day One

Day One: A Fine Dining Appetizer

 

Welcome to the Vegan Month of Food and welcome to the Five-Course Vegan! Over the next four weeks, I will be your host, server and chef for what I wish to be a memorable dining experience. At the beginning of each week, a meticulously planned menu will be organized and presented for your viewing (and salivating) pleasure. The aforementioned menus will, of course, contain an assemblage of harmonious courses particular to an announced theme. While differing slightly from the standard sequence of most Western-world multi course meals,  I will serve an appetizer, soup and/or salad, a main course, dessert and cocktails of the alcoholic and nonalcoholic variety. Below you will find this week's menu, an ode to Fine Dining.

The Five-Course Vegan: Fine Dining Menu

Classic Bruschetta with Roma Tomatoes and Shallots

Tomato-Fennel Soup with Gremolata and Cashew Cream Drizzle

Portobello Caps Stuffed with Sun-dried Tomatoes

Cinnamon Infused Apples Poached in White Wine

The Vegan Glass of Wine: A Minor Treatise

For your first course, may I present a Classic Bruschetta with Roma Tomatoes and Shallots. It has been prepared with the finest and ripest tomatoes available. Paired with mildly sweet shallots, this classic Italian appetizer has been bathed in extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar, and seasoned with the last of my garden's Genovese basil. It is a hearty appetizer reining from central Italy, served with home-baked artisanal baguette slices.

Classic Bruschetta with Roma Tomatoes and Shallots
Homebaked Artisanal Baguette Wedges

If you would care to return tomorrow, you are in for a treat. I'll be serving Tomato and Fennel Soup with Gremolata and a Cashew Cream Drizzle. It'll be the perfect accompaniment to more home-baked baguette slices, as well as the cooler weather many of have been experiencing. Happy MoFoing :)

The Vegan Month of Food: An Introduction

The fourth annual installment of Vegan MoFo is upon us. For the next month, bloggers from around the world will be racing between their kitchens and their computers, posting anything and everything related to food AND veganism. There aren't any strict guidelines, but the goal is to write about vegan food every weekday (20 days, total) for the whole MoFo. This year, the Vegan Month of Food (MoFo) takes place during the month of November and will feature writings from hundreds of blogs worldwide. There are going to be culinary contests, veganized family recipes, cookbook addicts, and copious amounts of food porn! You can check out Vegan MoFo Headquarters International for updates throughout the month. If you are interested in participating in MoFo, there is a sign up sheet HERE.

Blogger Amanda Chronister made this year's MoFo logos!

This will be my first year participating in Vegan MoFo and I'm truly excited to be involved with this growing movement. Vegan MoFo has gained recognition by several popular news sources - check out THIS article in VegNews Magazine - and is inspiring so many individuals to highlight the awesome that is Veganism. I'll be blogging from this here ole blog, and I've spent the eve of MoFo working on the perfect theme. The Five-Course Vegan. Each week, I'll be featuring a different meal. Each day, I'll post a different course to that meal. The menu will be created and announced on the Sunday prior to the food being served. Below I've outlined the week's days and I've paired them with an accompanying course. Saturday's will be a free-for-all, and I'll feature giveaways (homemade aprons!), restaurant and product reviews, and probably a trip or two to the Red Stick Farmer's Market.

Monday: Appetizers or an Amuse Bouche
Tuesday: Salad and/or Soup
Wednesday: The Main Course
Thursday: Desserts
Friday: Cocktails of the Alcoholic and Non-Alcoholic variety

Please check back (almost) everyday for the next MONTH, as I'll be posting original recipes, luxurious photos, and a few minor treatises on various things vegan (hint: one of them will be on vegan wine!). I'm ecstatic to be participating in the Vegan MoFo this year, and if any readers that may stumble on this blog share even an iota of my excitement, it'll be a MoFo well-done :)

With that said, today is Sunday! While MoFo hasn't officially begun yet, I see no reason to withhold all of my vegan endeavors. Don't hold your breath for all the details, but look forward to a menu laced with pristine tablecloths, your best china, and waiters in cumber buns. Yup, The Five-Course Vegan is exploiting the world of Fine Dining.

Promotional Black Bean Burger

 Overtime Black Bean Burgers

Matt made us black bean burgers on Tuesday after I told him my homecoming would be delayed. He had the day off and surprised me with this luscious spread. We ate the patties with veganaise, vegan cheddar cheese, spinach, avocado slices and sprouts. There were also tortilla chips, guacamole (that he made) and pineapple salsa. I think I'm going to start working late more often...

Now, why was I working late on a Tuesday? I'm normally home by 4:30pm. Well, I was offered a promotional position at work! About eight weeks ago, I had been placed in the accounting department to aid with administrative tasks such as filing and filling out invoices. Working in the main offices allowed me to learn more about the company's business dynamics, and get to know many of my coworkers. Until recently, I only worked upfront during the latter half of the day. Well, at the beginning of October, the company's CFO offered me the position full time! I happily accepted the extra responsibilities along with a hefty pay increase. Now I spend the entirety of my day as an accounting assistant. Before this reassignment I miserably completed a few menial administrative tasks that left huge chunks of my day unoccupied. I was largely unhappy and considered resigning on countless occasions. Now I'm productive and an integral part of this company. It feels great to know my contributions are worthwhile! This promotion has made dwelling in Baton Rouge a bit more tolerable. Especially when Matt cooks dinner after several hours of overtime!

Too much of nothing exciting, and a sandwich.

My favorite spot in Tallahassee - St. Michael's Pub on Gaines St.

A great friend from Tallahassee, FL called me last night. We spoke briefly, but I was tickled pink!  She's desperate for a change in scenery, and is contemplating moving to San Francisco, or Chicago. How hard would it be to resist the urge to join her? Spontaneity is a character trait that I admire, and her readiness is inspiring. I've felt rather unsettled in Baton Rouge of late; moreover, I greatly miss my life in Tallahassee: the lights, the sounds, the smells. The people are incomparable. I know I'm glorifying the city's mediocrity, but the lonely idealize everything and reminisce about nothing. I'm beyond ready to pay that old town a visit. The last five months have felt like years with little resolve; there is too much of nothing exciting. My return is tardy. Tallahassee, I'll see you yet.

Some, but not all, of Tallahassee's finest.

Naturally, I've attached myself to a small array of potentially time consuming activities. Foremost and without exception, I'm working close to 10 hours a day. Weeknights are primarily devoted to spending time with our dog, Merlin. He's trapped inside while Matt and I are working and is psyched upon our homecoming. My greatest consolation is spending time in the kitchen. I'll spend a fair amount of the evening hovering over the stove while Merlin anticipates my clumsiness and laps up all of what I spill. Last night was no exception. My aforementioned nostalgia bred fierce sandwich cravings (pun certainly intended), like I would have back in Tallahassee. From cheap falafel and grilled vegetable pita's to house-made veggie burgers and creamy tempeh wraps, Tallahassee understands sandwiches and helped nourish my unhealthy obsession with bread and what lays in between. I understand sandwiches, even the simple ones.

Avocado, spinach and tomato with garlicky cilantro hummus and home-baked bread

A good sandwich starts off with great bread. For anyone interested in baking their own bread, but lacks the time and patience needed for traditional leavened loaves, I recommend purchasing Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois. With their method, there is no kneading, starter or proofing involved. Just mix your ingredients, allow two or more hours for rising, and you're ready to bake!

Sourdough buns pre- and post baking

For the sandwiches, I made sourdough buns with sesame seeds and dried thyme. They puffed up nicely! I split the loaves open to spread on Garlicky Cilantro Hummus (recipe included at the bottom of the post) and topped them with my always on-hand fixin's: spinach, tomato and avocado.

Garlicky Cilantro hummus, spinach leaves, sliced tomato and avocado with a sprinkle of black pepper

If you like cilantro, you'll love it in hummus.*

Garlicky Cilantro Hummus
2 cups of cooked chickpeas, or 1 (15oz) can
3 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons olive oil
juice from half a large lemon
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
water for thinning (unless you like a chunkier hummus)
1 cup (loosely packed) fresh cilantro

Add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt to a food processor or blender. Blend until well combined. Add water by the tablespoon until desired consistency is reached. Toss in the cilantro and pulse until it's chopped and you can see little green specks throughout.

For a spicier dip, add 2 teaspoons diced jalapeno with the cilantro and pulse until evenly distributed.

*Don't like cilantro? Reduce the garlic to 1 clove, add 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh rosemary and 1/2 cup of sun dried tomatoes for a sweeter and mellow hummus.

winter's warmth.

Tomato Rosemary Scones

The harvest months are slowly rolling in and out their blankets of chilled fog, fully prolonged only by the cloudless days of a struggling summer sun. Naivete sets in as the mornings grow comfortable, dare I say cold, and I happily fool myself to believe that autumn is here. Just as my home's floors begin to demand socks and residual heat from the oven suffuses a welcomed warmth, reality rears its tepid self. Autumn is a fickle season in the southern US. The last nights of heavy thunderstorms cloak the next morning's air, nearly suffocating the earlier riser. 

Garlic-Ginger Roasted Roots and Tubers with Rosemary (Pre-baked Yukon and sweet potatoes, turnips, garlic, ginger, rosemary, sea salt)

For me, the aforementioned hiccups usually result in a preemptive giddiness. I enjoy winter. It means huddling closer to friends on dimly lit porches and spending a little extra time folding warm laundry. It means more nights indoors, alone and with others, sharing and creating memories, and getting to know yourself. Yeah, I'm looking forward to the approaching few months.

 Four Bean Chili sprinkled with Vegan Cheddar and Scallions

(artisan bread for scooping)

classic broccoli quiche.

 Classic Broccoli Quiche

I'm often presented with exploratory questions regarding the veganizability (it is a real word..) of many "traditional" dishes and desserts. One such food that often raises the eyebrows of my family, friends and coworkers is the quiche. While vegetable quiches and similarly styled dinner pies are common fare amongst meat eaters, many inquiries revolve around the the creamy custard encasing a particular filling. Traditionally prepared with a blend of eggs and milk or cream, an edible veganized version may onset suspicious stares and doubtful scoffs. Disbelievers, cast your skepticism aside, for a vegan quiche is entirely possible, and entirely delicious!

Classic Broccoli Quiche
Spinach, Cucumber and Olive Salad

The recipe I used made its debut tucked inside the publication of possibly one of the greatest vegan cookbooks to date. Vegan Brunch is a regular go-to cookbook in my kitchen, and offers an array of brunch meals with enough variety to please any palate during any meal of the day (because everyone knows that breakfast is best when eaten for dinner). This was the first time I've ever made a quiche, vegan or not, and it was pretty satisfying. The texture is what I remember of dairy-laden quiches. The flavor was good, but next time I will increase the seasonings, as the quiche itself was a little bland.

a minor observation inducing great expectations.

The harvest season is fast approaching. Produce and Farmers' Markets are growing sturdy with warty gourds and thick-skinned squash. Sleeping in is starting to seem very appealing.

All I want to do for the next five months is hang out in my backyard during the day, cooking intermittently. At night I would like to be nestled in front of the fireplace with Merlin, watching movies and cooking intermittently.

Moroccan-Spiced Eggplant and Kale

Matt and I love Mediterranean Food. This dish was inspired by the Vegetarian Moussaka at Cafe Mediterranean in Baton Rouge, LA. They serve an array of delights from crispy falafel and tangy tabbouleh to meatless moussaka and garlicky baba ganoush (VERY garlicky, actually...but that's how I prefer, well, everything!). While Cafe Med's owners originally hail from China, they certainly don't fail in capturing the flavorful essence I've come to love of Greek and Lebanese food. While some of the dishes I've come to love contain a particularly heavy amount of oil, owner Diane Zhang is actually a nutritionist boasting meals that are low in cholesterol but "still preserve flavor and taste."

There vegetarian moussaka is probably one of Matt's favorite meals and in an attempt to bring that dish I home, I created this:

Moroccan-Spiced Eggplant and Kale

1 medium onion, thickly sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, chopped
2 tablespoons Moroccan Spice Rub
1 can roasted & diced tomatoes (feel free to use any kind of canned tomatoes or tomato sauce)
2 cups kale, washed and roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil, divided

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan on medium to medium -low and heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toss in onions and peppers and saute until onions are translucent and everything is very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 2 minutes.

Add the eggplant and another tablespoon or two of olive oil. The eggplant will soak up a lot of oil, so try to resist the temptation to add more. Cook until eggplant has browned up a little. Add the spice rub, stir to coat. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining oil (optional) and cook for 7-10 minutes. Add kale and simmer until wilted.

Serve this on top of couscous, inside pita or as it is.

YUM!!