Dark chocolate shake with cashew butter and baby kale

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

The baby kale makes for a sweeter, softer texture that matches the smoothness of the shake overall.

Ingredients

3 small frozen bananas (about 2 cups)
1 cup unsweetened plant milk
1 cup cold water
3T cocoa powder (I use a fairly traded, Dutch -processed brand)
1T cashew butter
1 cup loose baby kale
1/2t vanilla extract
Sweeten to taste with dates, agave nectar, maple syrup, or stevia.

Optional: 1t powdered maca. Trade the kale for a little arugula and some chili for a spicy chocolate version.

Directions

Blend everything together until smooth and creamy. Sweeten to taste and enjoy!

Handrolled fazzoletti layered with creamy tofu, sauteed kale, sun-dried tomatoes and kalamata olives

/0 Comments/in , , /by
Soft and thin, fazzoletti (handkerchiefs) are a delicate pasta, but one that doesn’t require a lot of fine cutting.

This makes a larger portion for 2, a smaller appetizer for 4.

Ingredients

For the pasta
1 cup semolina flour
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/3 cup water
1T olive oil
2 liters water and 2t coarse sea salt for boiling
1T nutritional yeast (or so — for garnish)
A pinch coarse sea salt per fazzoletti

For the kale
3T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
2 scallions, minced (reserve 3″-4″ for garnish)
1T garlic
1/4t red chili flakes
1T dried green herbs, rubbed (1)
3 cups kale
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (the
dehydrated kind, not jarred)
2T kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Replace 2T olives with 1T olives, 1T pickled capers for a little less fat and a richer flavor.

For the tofu filling
125g extra firm, high quality tofu
1 cup unsweetened plant milk
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2T sauerkraut vinegar (I use unpasteurized)
2T sesame seed butter
1T tapioca flour dissolved in 1T cold water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Double the tofu filling for a richer, but heavier dish.

Directions

Start the pasta, then make the kale and then the tofu.
Mix the flour and salt for the pasta. Press your tofu ahead of time if required. Whisk the oil with the 1/3 cup water.
Mix the wet and the dry. Knead until a smooth elastic dough forms, and then another 2 minutes. Cover with a wet, warm tea towel and let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes.

When ready, roll the pasta out in a large rectangle, quite thin — thinner than 1/8″ you might normally roll for pasta.
Fazzoletti are meant to be quite delicate. So, get your squares as thin as you can get them without tearing. Cut at least 12, 4″x4″ squares, keeping in mind that you may lose a couple during the boiling. Use any extra pasta to roll thin and cut additional squares.

Let the pasta dry while you bring the 2 liters water to a boil go forward with the rest of the dish.

In a large frying pan, bring the oil and sea salt to heat on medium. Add the scallion and green herbs. Saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and chili flakes and saute for another minute. Add kale and the sun-dried tomatoes.
Saute for 5-7 minutes or until the kale is a nice dark green and both the kale and tomatoes are soft. Set aside.

While the kale sautes, puree the ingredients for the tofu up to but not including the tapioca mixture. In a small sauce pan, heat the mixture on medium until it comes to a light simmer. Add the tapioca mixture slowly, stirring continuously, until it thickens. Set aside.

Once water is boiling, add the fazzoletti to the water, Boil, swirling the pan occasionally, for 3-5 minutes or until the pasta are floating. Simmer another minute if you didn’t roll them extra thin. Drain carefully and add 2T of the pasta water to the kale.

Rinse the fazzoletti thoroughly with warm water. Set the fazzoletti out in an even layer on a clean cutting board to dry for a moment. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and a pinch sea salt each.

To assemble, season the kale and the tofu to taste. Then layer the fazzoletti one sheet at a time with 3T heaping or so kale mixture to 2T scant or so tofu, then another layer of fazzoletti, press down lightly to consolidate the previous layer, fill, press, and so on.

You can mix the kale and the tofu for a tidier fill if you prefer, but the flavors will be less discrete. Use your best judgement to match the amount of filling you have to the amount of fazzoletti. Repeat until your filling and pasta are used up.

To finish, garnish with a little tofu and kale on top and some scallion green sliced on an angle and serve.

If you prefer a more rustic version, toss the fazzoletti with the kale and tofu carefully, and serve jumbled up (this emphasizes the softness of the pasta with its folding on the plate). You can also fold and seam the fazzoletti before boiling for a stuffed version.

1. I use herbes de Provence, but a simple mix of basil and oregano, what’s often sold in North America as “Italian seasoning” or your own blend will be fine.

Red pepper and pineapple salsa

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

A simple, mild but full-flavored salsa. Shown here with slow-cooked tofu, fresh baby greens and brown rice.

Ingredients

1 cup red pepper
1 1/4 cup fresh pineapple
1/2 cup tomato
1/4 cup onion (I use finely chopped scallion)
1t minced garlic
1t lime juice
Sea salt to taste

Optional: Grill the red pepper and pineapple, add fresh cilantro, mint, minced green or poblano pepper, add more tomato or tomatillo, cayenne, habanero or jalapeño pepper — whatever you like to round out the flavours.

Directions

Seed, core, and mince the red pepper. Mince the pineapple. Seed, cored and finely chop the tomato. Finely chop the onion. Add the options you like. Add the sea salt and let sit a few minutes for the flavours to mingle. I like mine a little chunky, but you can either dice for something chunkier or pulse blend for something smoother.

Flourfree chocolate torte with lemon vanilla chai icing, swirled with dark chai ginger caramel

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

No flour, no baking, no gluten, simple, but rich and flavourful, the cake part of this torte is lovely all by itself. This makes 4 larger portions or up to 8 small slices.

Ingredients

For the cake
1/2 cup whole grain, brown teff
2 cups water
50g bittersweet chocolate (I use an organic, fairly traded bar)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
A pinch coarse sea salt

For the icing
1T plant-only shortening
1T plant-only margarine
6T powdered sugar (I use an organic brand) (1) (2)
1t lemon juice
1 chai tea bag and 1T reduced tea (explained in the directions)
1/4 cup boiling water

For the caramel
1T reduced chai tea (as noted)
1T coconut sugar (2)
1/2t plant only margarine
1T unsweetened soy milk
1/4t fresh ginger, minced

Directions

First make the cake part of the torte, then the icing and caramel.

In a small sauce pan with a lid, toast the teff for 2 – 3 minutes. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 20 – 25 minutes or until the teff is thick, the water has been absorbed and the teff pulls away from the sides when stirred. Stir periodically until the last 5 minutes or so, and then stir frequently to avoid sticking.

When the teff is ready, add the coconut sugar and sea salt and stir to combine. Simmer on the lowest possible heat for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the chocolate and stir continuously until melted.

If you haven’t worked with chocolate much, this is the most delicate step in the recipe. Don’t add water, don’t change the temperature or do anything that may cause the chocolate to seize. Just keep stirring. When the chocolate has melted, pour the resulting batter into a 3″x9″ loaf pan. Refrigerate 20 minutes uncovered. Cover loosely and let cool 1 hour to setup.

When the cake has setup, make the icing and the caramel. Bring 1/4 cup water to boil, and steep the tea for 5 minutes. The tea makes a big difference to the taste. Use a tea with good, strong flavours that you like. Start the icing while the tea steeps. Add the margarine and shortening to a bowl to warm up a a little.

When the tea has steeped,remove the bag and give it a good squeeze. in a small sauce pan, reduce the tea by about half. Pour 1T or so of the tea into a small cup to cool. Add the coconut sugar, margarine, ginger and soy milk to the tea left in the pan. On medium heat, bring to a simmer and reduce to about 1 1/2 – 2T caramelized syrup over medium low heat.

The mixture will bubble and take on a noticeable shine as it caramelizes. Reduce heat to low once the process starts and stir constantly to avoid scorching the caramel. Once you have a dark,melted caramel texture, remove from heat let cool while you make the icing.

Whip the margarine and shortening until smooth (I use a fork). Add the icing sugar, and whip. Add the 1T cold tea you set aside from the caramel and lemon juice, and whip. Keep whipping until smooth peaks form in the icing (this should only take a couple of minutes). Add more powdered sugar 1t at a time if it’s too thin.

Turn out the cake carefully, ice the top, and drizzle with the caramel in a lattice if you like, or drip caramel onto the icing and swirl. Let stand for a few minutes to settle. Eat immediately for the richest flavour or refrigerate, very loosely covered.

  1. Some white sugars are still bleached with animal bone charcoal. Organic sugars typically are not.

  2. I find this type of icing very sweet. If you want to reduce cane sugar, you can replace the icing here with my walnut date fudge frosting or something similar. Since it’s a single layer torte, the frosting should be fine, but it won’t have the magical staying power that saturated fat, sugar and corn starch do. You can also replace the caramel with my chai date caramel recipe (although you’ll have leftovers).

For the fudge
3T warm water
1/4 cup dried,soft dates, pitted and chopped
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1t lemon juice
1/2t vanilla extract
1/4t coarse sea salt

Soak the dates and walnuts in the warm water for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients except for the seal salt. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add 1T warm water if too thick, or an extra date and some walnuts if too thin. Add the sea salt and let stand 10 minutes to setup.

For the data caramel
1/4 cup boiling water
1 chai tea bag
1/4 cup dried, soft dates, pitted and chopped
1/4t fresh ginger

Steep the tea as above and the dates and ginger in the warm water. Remove the bag. Blend the chai with the dates until smooth. Add 1t frosting. Stir to combine and refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to thicken.

Tofu sofrito

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Sofrito is a complex but varied intersection between cooking method, ingredients, and finished dishes with many regional variations uses. My book, for example, has a version with green pepper, green apple and portobello mushrooms. Shown here with a smoky cashew spread
and fresh mixed baby greens wrapped in warm, fresh, hand rolled, whole wheat tortilla. It also goes well with brown rice, salsa and greens. Once you make it, you’ll find plenty of uses for it.

Ingredients

1 pound extra firm, high quality tofu, shredded (I use a box grater, larger holes)
1/2t coarse sea salt
1/4 cup cooking oil
2T garlic
1 medium red onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
1T heaping smoked paprika
2t dried, ground cumin
2t dried oregano, rubbed
1T lemon juice
2 cups vegetable stock
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu (about 1″)
2T sun-dried tomatoes, minced (the dehydrated kind, not jarred)
1T white vinegar
2t black strap molasses
1-2T minced chipotle (the dehydrated kind, not in adobo)
1 large red pepper (about 1 cup)
1 large poblano pepper (about 1 cup)
1 cup passata (or tomato puree)
Red or black pepper and coarse sea salt to taste

Optional: You can replace chipotle with habanero (I often do). I also often replace the passata with salsa, the cumin with garam masala and/or the oregano with herbes de Provence. Spanish onions are more traditional than red. Cilantro, white wine and green peppers are also common variations.

Directions

Start with the peppers, then the tofu. Press your tofu ahead of time if it needs it. Preheat the oven to 450F. Lightly oil the peppers and roast until their skin is lightly charred (or use the gas stove method if you have a gas stove). Expect about 20 minutes, give or take.

It’s likely the poblano will finish more quickly than the red pepper. Remove them from heat separately if necessary. When done, let the peppers stand 10 minutes to cool. Skin, core, seed and dice. Puree the peppers (including the chipotle) until smooth.

When the peppers are ready, bring the oil to heat in a large frying pan with the sea salt. Add the onion and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the dry spices and the garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes. The spices should be quite fragrant.

Add the tofu and saute until lightly browned (expect another 7 – 10 minutes). Stir carefully so as to not break up the tofu too much. Add the lemon juice and deglaze the pan. Remove from heat and add to a slow cooker. Add the remaining ingredients and slow cook for about 5 hours on high or 8 hours on low (although adjust for your
slow cooker — you know it better than I do).

Once the liquid has reduced to about 2 cups, preheat the oven to 200F. Remove the kombu and transfer the tofu to a roasting pan or baking sheet with sides and roast for about 2 hours, stirring periodically to ensure even browning and drying.

Once most of the liquid has been reduced and the pan is beginning to dry, increase the heat to 450F and roast for about 10 – 20 minutes to finish. The tofu should be chewy, but juicy, and an even reddish brown. Season to taste with additional pepper and salt.

Note: You can reduce cooking time by skipping the slow cook and slow roast in favor of just a slow roast. In that case, roast for about 4 hours at 200F and then increase heat, but expect to stir periodically the whole time. Your texture may not be quite as even and the flavour will not be quite as balanced. You may also want to wear gloves
when working with the chipotle or other hot peppers.

Peanut butter and chocolate cookie dough frozen dessert

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Ingredients

For the nice cream
3 small frozen bananas (about 2 cups)
1/2t vanilla extract

For the cookie dough
1T whole wheat flour
1T unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter (I use crunchy)
1T coconut sugar (or to taste)
1-2t unsweetened plant milk
10g bittersweet chocolate chopped (I use an organic, fairly traded bar)
A pinch coarse sea salt

Optional 1t maca powder. Replace the wheat flour with a suitable gluten free flour (e.g., sorghum). Replace the chocolate with chocolate chips if you prefer. The coconut sugar will give the dough that bit of crystalline texture, but you can substitute other sweeteners.

Directions

Mix the ingredients for the cookie dough until a dough forms. Add an extra teaspoon of plant milk if dry. Let the dough rest a few minutes. Blend the bananas with the vanilla until smooth. Add and blend 1T cookie dough for a more homogeneous flavour, or keep them separate for more contrast. Break the dough into small pieces (about 1/2 -1t). Stir once or twice into the bananas. Spoon out and serve.

Tempeh, pumpkin chili wrap with roasted kale and artichoke, sesame spread

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Sweet, spicy and smokey chili wrapped in a warm, fresh whole wheat tortilla. The pumpkin makes a nice, filling alternative to tomato-centered chili.

Ingredients

For the chili
1T smoked paprika
1/2T cumin
1t coriander
1T cooking oil
2 scallions, minced
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t crushed chili flakes (or similar and/or to taste — I use 1/2t)
125g tempeh, finely chopped (use pasteurized)
1T lemon juice
2T sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (dehydrated, not jarred)
1 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup dried, soft dates, pitted and finely chopped
2 cups pumpkin puree
1T cashew butter
1T nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: replace the tempeh with about 3/4 cups cooked black lentils

For the artichoke, sesame spread
1/2 cup artichoke hearts
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/2T sweet white miso (use a low sodium version)
1/2T unpasteurized sauerkraut vinegar
1T sesame seed butter (as opposed to tahini — I used a fairly traded brand)
1/2T dried green herbs, rubbed (I use herbes de Provence)
1/4t freshly ground black pepper
1T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: for a more fermented flavor without the nutritional yeast, make the spread. Let it stand a few hours loosely covered, add the nutritional yeast, and then use as directed.

For the kale
1/2T cooking oil
1/4 coarse sea salt
1 cup kale, chopped
Sea salt to taste

For the wrap
2/3 cup heaping whole wheat flour
A pinch coarse sea salt
1/3 cup warm water

Directions

Start the chili, then the tortilla, then the rest. In a medium pan with a lid, roast the paprika, cumin, coriander and chili flakes on medium heat for 1-2 minutes (until they are nice and fragrant).

Add the cooking oil and stir to combine. Add the scallion and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic. Stir to combine and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the tempeh and saute another 3-5 minutes until the pan is browning. Add the vinegar and deglaze the pan.

Add the stock and the sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for about 1 hour. The stock should reduce quite a lot during this time. If the pan dries, add water. At the one hour mark, add the pumpkin, dates, and cashew butter. Stir to combine.

Return the pan to a light simmer, reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover loosely and simmer for another hour or so, stirring periodically. Reduce the chili to about 1 1/2 cups. The chili should be quite thick. If it’s too thin, when you go to wrap, you may end up with a hot mess on your hands (literally). When reduced, remove from heat, add the nutritional yeast. Let stand 15 minutes to cool.

While the chili reduces, start the wrap. Add the salt to the water. Add the water to the flour. Mix the wet and the dry, then knead until a smooth, pliable dough forms and then for another two minutes. Cover with a warm, wet tea towel and let rest for at least 15 minutes.

While the dough rests, make the kale and artichokes. Preheat the oven to 450F. Toss the kale in the cooking oil and sea salt. Roast on a baking sheet or roasting pan on the middle rack for about 8-10 minutes, or until the kale is wilted and a rich green, but not browning. Stir periodically.

When the kale is done, remove from heat and set aside. Ovens vary; use the texture and colour of the kale as a guide. Dry roast the artichoke hearts with the kale for about 5 minutes. Remove, and blend the artichokes with their remaining ingredients until smooth. Set aside.

While the chili cools, roll the tortilla. On a floured board, roll the tortilla out to a 13″ – 14″ circle about 1/8″ thick. Be careful not to roll too thinly (the dough will have transparencies, start to split, etc.). If you don’t have a large enough frying pan, you can try a pizza stone. Otherwise, you can break the dough up and roll out to two tortillas about 6 1/2″ – 7″.

Let the dough rest while you bring a large frying pan (or griddle if you have one) to heat on medium high. Fry lightly on both sides until the tortilla is lightly browned (it will also bubble a little), turning once.This shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes, both sides. Be careful not to overcook. This will make the tortilla more difficult to roll and it will be more likely to split. Remove from heat and let the tortilla rest a couple of minutes under a clean tea towel to soften.

To assemble, add the chili in an oblong, but spread out layer in the middle of the tortilla, just off-center toward you. Add the kale in a thin layer over the chili. Add the artichokes last.

Wrap like a burrito. Carefully fold in the sides. Using both thumbs, carefully roll up the tortilla away from you over the top of the filling, tuck the filling gently, and then roll over.

Be careful as you wrap. If you overfill, wrap too quickly, don’t keep the sides tucked, the tortilla may split, your corners may come undone, etc. Let the wrap rest and setup for a few seconds, and then either wrap in foil for a couple of minutes, or I return mine to the frying pan, seam down, to seal.

Sesame seed aoili

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Shown here with a pinch of smoked paprika and herbes de Provence, this is a simple, flavourful alternative for those moments when you just want a little spread for your sandwich or to add a little extra flavour and body to salad dressings. No need to blend up a block of tofu or try to get soy mik and a cup of oil to emulsify.

Ingredients
2T sesame seed butter (as opposed to tahini — I use a fairly traded brand)
2T unsweetened soy milk
1T white pickling vinegar (or to taste)
1t lemon juice
1/2t fresh garlic, minced
1/4t coarse sea salt
1-3t cold water
Coarse sea salt to taste

Optional: Add red Thai chili, more garlic, black pepper, fresh tarragon, basil, dill, dried herbs,ginger, black salt, turmeric, nutritional yeast, curry powder, toasted sesame oil, za’atar spice mix, or any number of other flavours. Replace the sesame butter with cashew butter for something a little sweeter.

Note: Pickling vinegar is normally double strength white vinegar. You can use regular white vinegar, but you may need additional seed butter (and skip the water) to balance it out in terms of flavour and consistency. Other plant milks — even water should work, but depending on what you use, colour, consistency, keep time may all vary.

Directions
Mix the sesame seed butter with the lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, and soy milk until the sesame thickens and becomes fluffy. This will take a minute or so of mixing. The sesame will change colour and become smooth and creamy. You can also blend the mixture with the garlic as well (garlic is an emulsifying agent). I usually don’t bother with a quantity this small. Add the coarse sea salt and 1t cold water, and mix.

At this point, the flavor will be quite sharp. Add any additional flavours you like, stir to combine, and then let stand at least 5 minutes. Add cold water 1 teaspoon at a time till you get the consistency and flavour that suits your. If you make it too thin or you find the taste too sharp, add additional sesame seed butter and continue to adjust — although the flavour will mellow with more stand time and it will further thicken if refrigerated.

Sweet potatoes with green beans and red pepper

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple, but filling side dish that relies on the flavour and texture contrasts of its primary ingredients to produce a rich and visually vibrant dish. Shown here with balsamic battered tofu breaded, oven roasted and served with a light sesame and turmeric sauce.

Ingredients

3 cups sweet potatoes, 3/4″ dice
2 1/2 cups green beans
1 large red pepper (about 1 1/2 cups), 1/4″ slices
2T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
2T nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Garlic, ginger, scallion, jalapeno pepper, chili powder, or curry spices will all add flavor to this dish. Add walnuts, sauteed mushrooms, black eyed peas, or lentils for a filing lunch. Toss with spinach or other baby greens for a richly flavoured salad.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450F. Peel and dice the sweet potato. Trim the ends of the green beans. Core, seed and slice the red pepper length-wise.

Toss the vegetables in the oil and sea salt, then roast in a shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with sides until the sweet potatoes are fork tender and very lightly browned. Expect 30-45 minutes. Oven vary; use the texture and colour of the sweet potato as a guide.

When done, remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes to cool. Toss with the nutritional yeast, season to taste, and serve

Sweet, spicy potatoes, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts roasted with mango, sesame, and curry spices

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Seasoned with fresh, ripe mango, curry spices and
crushed chili, roasted and then tossed with baby greens, this is a simple but flavourful small plate for four or a meal for two.

Ingredients

3 cups cauliflower florets
2 cups white potato, skin on and cut in 1/2″ dice
1 cup Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise
1 cup vidalia onion, peeled and cut in 1/4″ dice
1 1/2 cups fresh mango, pitted, peeled and chopped.
1/2t coarse sea salt
3T sesame seed butter
3T curry powder (medium hot)
1/4t dried crushed red chili (or to taste, I use 1/2t)
1T fresh garlic, crushed and minced
1t fresh ginger, grated and minced
1 cup vegetable stock
2 cups mixed baby greens
Sea salt and black (or red) pepper to taste

Optional: Replace the stock and sesame seed butter with a can of full fat coconut milk or the potatoes with sweet potatoes. Replace the sprouts with shredded green cabbage if you prefer.

Directions

Preheat the oven for 400F. Prepare the cauliflower,
potato, sprouts, and onion and add to a roasting pan or baking sheet with side, potatoes on the bottom, then onions, then sprouts, with the cauliflower last.

Puree the mango, sea salt, sesame seed butter and spices until smooth. Add the stock. Puree smooth again. Pour the mango, sesame and spice mixture evenly over the vegetables to coat.

Roast on the middle rack, stirring periodically until
everything is very lightly browned and the potatoes are fork tender. Expect about 1 hour, but ovens vary. Use the texture and colour of the ingredients as a guide. Stir more frequently toward the end to avoid sticking.

When done, remove from the oven and toss with baby greens. Let stand 2-3 minutes to wilt the greens lightly. Season to taste and serve.