Spicy black bean, apple, and watercress soup

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A very simple, traditional (and lovely) combination with a little extra body, nutrition and spice. Garnish with croutons, smoked coconut, a little cooked rice, chopped sundried tomatoes or chickpea, masa crumbles (as shown). This makes a large bowl for 2 and a small bowl for 4.

Ingredients

1/2T garam masala
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
1/4t coarse sea salt
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t dried red chilis (or to taste)
1 sweet apple, cored, cut in 1/2″ dice or so (I use gala)
1T lemon juice
4 cups vegetable stock
1T sriracha (or to taste)
1/4 cup tomato passata (or puree)
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup chopped watercress
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper or more chili to taste

Optional: Spinach, chard and kale will all work in place of the watercress, but none will complement the apple quite as well. If you use canned beans, drain and rinse thoroughly and add a little dried kombu with the stock. Remove before adding the watercress.

Method

Warm a large pan with a lid on medium heat. Toast the garam masala for about a minute or until the spices are fragrant. Add the scallions, sea salt, garlic and chili. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the apple. Stir fry for another 3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and deglaze the pan (if necessary).

Add the vegetable stock, sriracha, passata, and beans. Bring the pan to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer about 5 minutes. Uncover, add the watercress and stir to combine. Season to taste. Ladle out, garnish with nutritional yeast and serve.

 

 

Blueberry pie rice paper rolls

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A simple treat sweetened with dates, similar to hand pie or blueberry pierogi. This recipe easily doubles.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups blueberries (I use frozen)
1/2T lemon juice
1/2 cup packed soft, dried dates pitted an chopped (I use medjool)
1/2T tapioca flour dissolved in 1/2T cold water
1T milled flax seed
1 – 1 1/2T corn starch (depending on the viscosity of the chilled blueberry mixture)
8 sheets rice paper, 7″ size
4t coconut oil, soft but not melted

Optional: Add a pinch of sea salt, ginger or both to the blueberries if you like. Add a table spoon or so of chopped walnuts to the blueberries if you like. Plant-only shortening will work in place of the coconut oil. Add more dates for a sweeter tooth. For more of the standard ‘sugar’ experience with pie, add a tablespoon or so of coconut sugar or dust the final rolls with a little organic powdered sugar, etc. Eat them unbaked for a chewier but quicker treat. A little vanilla frozen dessert also goes well with these.

Method

Warm a wide-bottomed pan on medium heat. Add 1/2 cup blueberries and lemon juice. Heat about 5 minutes, or until the blueberry juice is beginning to thicken. Mash a little if necessary. Pour off the juice and about half of the blueberries into the dates. Puree as smooth as you can. Add the date mixture to the pan. Return to a light simmer.

Add the remaining blueberries. Warm until heated through (about 2 minutes). Stirring constantly, add the tapioca mixture and stir until it thickens. Remove from heat, and let stand 10 minutes to cool uncovered. Cover and chill for at least an hour.

When the blueberries have setup, add the flax, then the cornstarch and mix until even. Add warm water to a large frying pan on low heat. Add a sheet of rice paper. Remove the sheet when soft and transparent (a few seconds up to 30 seconds depending on the temperature of the water). Don’t overcook.

Working quickly, lay the sheet on a clean dry surface, and then wrap as you would a burrito. Add 1/4 blueberry mixture to the horizontal middle of the rice paper, toward the vertical bottom. Fold the bottom up over the filing, fold in the sides and roll up. Spread 1/2t coconut oil evenly over the top of the roll. Set aside.

Add a second sheet of rice paper to the water.For the second sheet, place the first roll in the middle and wrap carefully (so that the first roll is now wrapped with two sheets of rice paper). I hold the second sheet in my palm, but a board will also do. Spread 1/2t coconut oil evenly over the top of the roll when wrapped. Repeat until you’ve used up the blueberries.

While the rolls dry a little, preheat the oven to 375F. Bake on a nonstick or lightly oiled baking sheet for 10 minutes on a lower rack. Move to a higher rack and broil for 5 – 10 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and crispy. Ovens vary; use the colour as a guide. Remove from heat, let stand a few minutes to cool and then enjoy them crispy or let them cool longer to soften the texture.

Note, you can wrap two ways: with the bluer (“the top”) side face up or down. Top up will lead to a more even roll. Top down will make for a nicer presentation. Whichever you choose, it’s important to roll evenly and gently using a rice paper sheet without holes or tears to ensure your rolls don’t leak. Expect your rolls to stick a little as you handle them. Go slowly and gently!

Twice-dressed roasted vegetable, spinach salad

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Potatoes, cubanelle peppers, mushrooms, and pears roasted with scallions, chili and garlic, tossed with sundried tomatoes, nutritional yeast and flax, then tossed with baby spinach in a sesame and tamari balsamic vinaigrette.

Ingredients

For the roasted vegetables
2 cups potatoes, 1/2″ dice (I use white grelots and quarter them)
2 cubanelle peppers, cored and seed, sliced 1/4″ length-wise
1/4 cup scallions, finely chopped
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/4t dried red chilis (or to taste)
1t herbes de Provence (or similar)
2 cups cremini mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
2 bartlett pears, cored, sliced 1/4″ length-wise
1/2T lemon juice
1/4 cup sundried tomatoes rehydrated with 1/4 cup boiling water (use dehydrated, not jarred)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1T milled flax seed
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the spinach
1/2T sesame seed butter
1/2t fresh garlic, minced
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/2T balsamic vinegar
1/2T tamari
1/2t prepared brown mustard
2T water
3 cups loose baby spinach
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Method

Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the ingredients for the roasted vegetables up to and including the lemon juice. Bake on a lightly oiled or nonstick baking sheet on the middle rack for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the vegetables are lightly browned and the potatoes are fork tender. Ovens vary; use the texture and colour as a guide.

Around the 40 minute mark, rehydrate the tomatoes and set side. When the vegetables are done, remove from heat, pour the tomatoes and their soaking water over the roasted vegetables. Let stand while you prepare the spinach.

Whisk together the dressing for the spinach adding the ingredients in order. Mix until emulsified (shouldn’t take more than a minute or so). Dress the spinach. Season to taste.

Add the flax seed and nutritional yeast to the roasted vegetables and toss to combine. Season to taste. Toss the roasted vegetables with the spinach, let stand 2 – 3 minutes to wilt the spinach, and then serve.

Turmeric, miso stew with tofu, tempeh, mushrooms, and potatoes

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Sweetened with dates, thickened with flax, and finished with baby kale, this is a rich, spicy stew with lots of strong flavour and colour. If you’re not a turmeric lover, keep the amount low to start.

Ingredients

1/4 cup water
1/2t coarse sea salt
2T scallions, finely chopped (reserve a few inches of green for garnish)
1-3t dried, ground turmeric (to taste — I use 1T)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1t fresh ginger, grated and minced
1/2t dried, ground cumin
1/2t dried marjoram, rubbed
1/4t dried red chilis (or to taste — I use about 1/2t)
1 cup cremini mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced, about 1/8″
125g extra firm, high quality tofu, 1/3″ cubes
125g tempeh, 1/4″ cubes (use pasteurized)
1 1/2 cups potatoes, 1/3″ dice (I use organic russets)
1/2 cup dried, soft dates, pitted and finely chopped
1T lemon juice
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu, about 2″
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups unsweetened plant milk
3T red miso (or more, to taste)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1T sesame seed butter
2T milled flax seed
3 cups loose baby kale (leave a few leaves for garnish)
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: White, yellow, or other shades of miso will work, but they’ll change the final colour. Use freshly grated turmeric (start with 1T) if you have an easy source. Leave out the garlic if you prefer. A little shredded cabbage added with the plant milk and/or a little cilantro for garnish wouldn’t hurt. Add some fresh blueberries to brighten up the flavour.

Method

Warm a large frying pan with a lid on medium heat. Add the water, sea salt and scallion. Water saute for 2 minutes. Add the turmeric, and other herbs and spices. Saute another minute.

Add the mushrooms. Saute for another 2 – 3 minutes. Add the tofu, tempeh, potatoes and dates. Saute another 2 minutes. Add the lemon and deglaze the pan (if necessary).

Add the stock, bring the pan to a light simmer, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Uncover, add the plant milk. Increase heat to medium low.

Simmer another 30 minutes or so uncovered on low heat (as low as you can set it but still simmer) stirring periodically. Remove from heat. Remove the kombu. Add the miso, nutritional yeast, sesame seed butter, flax and kale. Stir to combine.

Let stand 2 minutes to cool. Season to taste. Ladle out into bowls. Garnish with scallion green sliced on an angle and a few scallion greens and serve.

 

 

Coconut milk, white miso panna cotta with blueberries and marmalade candied walnuts

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For the panna cotta:
1, 14 ounce can of coconut milk (unsweetened)
1T (heaping) of white miso
1/4 cup of sugar
1T of agar flakes

I added 1t of lemon juice to mine, but be careful with this. Lemon and lime are hard on the agar’s chemistry.

Bring the coconut milk to a light boil on medium heat
Add the sugar and the miso.
Stir until dissolved (I used an immersion blender).
Add the agar, whisking as you do.
Turn down the pain to medium low.
Let it simmer very lightly for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently until the agar is well dissolved.
Let stand 10 minutes to cool.
Sweeten to taste (it shouldn’t be overly sweet).
Pour into ramekins and cover.
Chill for about 2-4 hours to setup (depending on how cold you keep your refrigerator).

For a simple, non-flambe version of the blueberries:
1 cup of blueberries
1 pinch of sea salt
2-3T of agave nectar (to taste)
1T of water
2t of arrowroot powder

Heat the berries on medium with the salt and 2T of agave nectar in a pan with a lid.
Simmer for 5-10 minutes once they start to release their juices and you have about 1/4 cup of liquid.
Add 1T of water to the pan if the blueberries if you need additional moisture.
Whisk the arrowroot with the water.
Add the arrowroot to the pan to thicken, stirring constantly.
Let the mix stand for 15 to cool.
Add additional agave nectar if you don’t find it sweet enough.
You can then chill it if you prefer you berries cold.

For the walnuts
1/4 cup of walnuts (large pieces preferred)
1T of marmalade (I use seville)
1t of plant-only margarine
1 pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 375F
Mix the marmalade, margarine and sea salt.
Mix in the walnuts, coating thoroughly.
Add the walnuts evenly to a lightly greased pan.
Oven roast for about 10 minutes (give or take) until the walnuts are shiny and lightly browned.
Spoon out and let air dry for about 10 minutes.

You could also add ginger or fresh zest to this, but I didn’t have any handy.

 

 

Oyster mushroom, artichoke and yellow potato soup

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Oyster mushrooms, artichoke hearts and yellow potatoes with pear cider, sweet onion, soy milk and sesame, garnished with purple dulse and nori flakes, a ribbon of spicy and sweet red chili and baby rocket greens.

For the soup
1/2t of sea salt
1T of olive oil
1 cup of sweet (vidalia) onion, 1/4″ dice
2T of minced garlic
2 cups of yellow potatoes, 1″ dice
1 cup of oyster mushrooms, wiped, trimmed and thinly sliced
1 cup of artichoke hearts, quartered
1/4 cup of pear cider (or a mix of 1T of lemon juice, 3T of pear juice)
2 cups of light vegetable stock
1 ‘sprig’ of dried kombu
2 cups of unsweetened soy milk
2T of sesame seed butter (or thick tahini)
1T of arrowroot powder whisked with 2T of cold water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

For the ribbon
1T of red chili paste
1T of agave nectar
1t of coconut oil
1t of lemon juice
A pinch of sea salt

For the garnishes
1/4t of purple dulse flakes
1/4t of nori flakes
About 1/4 cup of very loosely packed baby rocket greens (arugula)

Prepare the ingredients.
Mix the ingredients for the ribbon in a small bowl and let stand, covered.
In a pan with a lid, saute the onions in the olive oil and sea salt on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, potatoes and artichokes and saute for another 5-10 minutes until the ingredients started to brown a little.
Add the cider and deglaze the pan.
Add the stock and kombu.
Cover, bring to a low boil and simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are not quite fork tender.
Remove the kombu.
Add the soy milk and tahini, and stir until the tahini is dissolved.
Cover and simmer on low for another 5 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.
Whisk together the arrowroot and water.
Add the dissolved arrowroot to the soup slowly and stirring continuously until it thickens.
Let stand for 10 minutes to cool.
Bowl and garnish with the chili and sea vegetables.

Cauliflower with mushroom and red wine gravy, sauteed artichokes, kale and scallions.

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For the cauliflower
1 head of cauliflower
1T of coconut oil
1/2t of coarse sea salt
1 dash of liquid smoke

Stem the cauliflower to remove the leaves and all but the base of the core.
Set the cauliflower up on its stem and cut four slices about 1″ in thickness (with a smaller head, this will likely leave you with two good cuts and a lot of bits and pieces which you can use for other thing).
Preheat your oven to 375F.
In a pan that retains heat well, bring the oil, salt and smoke to heat on high (e.g, an iron frying pan).
Add the cauliflower and reduce to medium high.
Brown on both sides (2-3 minutes each side — be careful not to scorch the cauliflower).
Remove the cauliflower and add to a lightly greased oven pan.
Bake for about 8 minutes each side turning once (it should be firm but chewy — don’t over cook).

For the artichokes
1T of coarse olive oil
1/4t of sea salt
1/2 cup of minced scallion
3/4 of artichoke hearts, quartered
1 cup of chopped kale
1T of white wine, lemon juice or other substitute to deglaze the pan
1T of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Bring the oil and salt to heat on medium-high.
Saute the scallions for 2 minutes.
Add the artichokes. Saute for 3 minutes.
Add the kale. Saute for 5 minutes.
Add the wine and deglaze.
Remove from heat.
Toss with the nutritional yeast.

For the gravy
1T of olive oil
1/4t of coarse sea salt
1/2 cup of minced scallions
1T of fresh thyme
1T of minced garlic
1T of other green herbs (or bouquet garni)
1 cup of red wine (burgundy, gamay, pinot noir or similar — it should be fruity with good body)
Optional: 2T of vodka or cognac (if you want to burn off the alcoholl — this also makes for a richer gravy)
1 cup of vegetable stock
2t of arrowroot powder dissolved in 2T of water
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Bring the olive oil and salt to heat on medium high.
Add the scallions and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the thyme, garlic and other herbs saute for 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms and saute for about 5-8 minutes until they start to weep.
When the pan has browned a bit, add the wine (and spirits if you’re using them, and then light).
Add the stock.
Reduce on medium-low by about 1/3.
Whisk the arrowroot and water, and then add slowly to the pan stirring continuously until your gravy thickens.
Remove from heat.

Plating
Reserve about 2T of scallion greens thinly sliced on the diagonal and 2-3 stems of thyme for the garnish.

 

 

Portobello mushrooms sauteed with apples, red chili and thyme over a sauce of roasted red pepper, white wine and sumac (served in the photo with roasted Brussels sprouts and white potatoes).

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For the red pepper sauce
2 red peppers
1/4t of coarse sea salt
3T of olive oil (separated)
1T of garlic, minced
1T of sumac
2T of white wine*
1t of lemon juice
1t of agave nectar
1T of nutritional yeast
Sea salt to taste

The wine should either be unfined/unfiltered or filtered without the use of animal products.

Preheat your oven to 450F.
Rub the peppers with oil, and then roast until their peel starts to char (or use the traditional method with a gas stove).
Remove the peppers, let stand to cool, and then peel, core and chop in 1/4″ dice.
Bring 1T of oil to heat on medium-high.
Add the salt and the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add the red peppers and sumac and saute until the pan starts to brown (about 5-7 minutes).
Deglaze with the wine and lemon.
Add the nutritional yeast and agave.
Puree the mixture.
Carefully emulsify the mixture with the remaining 2T of olive oil (add the oil very slowly so that the sauce becomes nice and light).

For the mushrooms and apples
4-6 portobellos, stemmed and sliced in half inch cuts (about 3 loose cups — these will reduce a lot)
1 medium-sized apple, cored and cut into sixteenths
2T of olive oil
1/2t of coarse sea salt
2 scallions, minced (reserve about 2T for garnish)
1T of fresh thyme (reserved 2-3 stalks for garnish)
1T of minced garlic
1t of red chlli paste
1t of prepared mustard
2T of nutritional yeast
1T of lemon juice
1t of tamari
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Bring the oil to heat on medium-high.
Add the salt, the scallions, the garlic and the thyme and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the chili and mustard and saute for 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms and toss to combine.
Saute the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes (until there’s about 1/4 cup of liquid in the ban).
Add the apples, stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes or so or until the pan is starting to brown.
Add the nutritional yeast.
Remove from heat and deglaze with the lemon and tamari.
Season to taste.

Plating
Plate about 2T of sauce in a shallow, 6″ circle. Add the mushrooms and apples. Garnish with fresh scallion and a sprig or two of thyme.

Potato and cabbage pancakes with lightly roasted heirloom tomatoes and lemon nori pesto.

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Colcannon (a traditional Irish dish) is normally made from mashed potatoes and cabbage or kale. This version shreds the vegetables, adds some tomatoes and scallions, as well as a little pesto for a quick brunch style dish a little more like boxty. This make four pancakes.

For the pancakes

2 cups of shredded yellow potatoes (well-scrubbed, unpeeled)
1 cup of shredded cabbage (I use coleslaw mix)
2T of olive oil
2 scallions, minced (about half a cup — reserve a little green for garnish)
1T of minced garlic
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
1/4 to 1/2T of coarse sea salt (use less if you don’t like your potatoes nicely salted — you can always add more later)
1T of egg replacer diluted in 2T of cold water
A pinch of turmeric
Black pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven to 400F.
Squeeze out all the moisture you can from the potatoes.
Combine everything but the egg replacer in a large bowl and mix until well combined.
Whisk the egg replacer, cold water and turmeric until well combined.
Add the mixture to the potatoes and cabbage and mix well until the egg replacer is thoroughly distributed.
Make balls about 3/4 to 1 cup in size from the mix, packing well.
Add the balls to a well oiled baking sheet and pack by hand again.
Bake on the middle rack until the tops are starting to brown slightly (about 25 to 35 minutes depending on your oven).
Once the balls have started to brown a little on top, flatten carefully with a wooden spoon for a pancake shape about 1″ high.
Set the oven to broil.
If you roast the tomatoes in the garnish, add them to the pan now, cut side up, sprinkle with a very tiny pinch of sea salt.
Broil for 7-10 minutes — until you have a nicely browned top.*
Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes.
Carefully remove the pancakes from the pan and plate with the tomatoes.

For the garnish

2T of scallion green sliced on the diagonal
2 basil leafs
4 small grape tomatoes, halved
A small amount of olive oil just to coat the tomatoes a little
A pinch of sea salt

For the pesto

2T of olive oil
A pinch of coarse sea salt
3T of packed fresh basil
1t of lemon juice
1/2t of nori flakes
2t of minced garlic
2t of nutritional yeast

Combine ingredients in a high speed blender and blend. You can always ad a few pine nuts to this, but given the amount, you may have difficulties getting it to blend.

*I use a convection oven. Time may vary for a gas or a standard electric. Use the browning of the potatoes to guide the amount of baking. If you use a gas oven, very carefully flip the pancakes once they start to brown (as above) with a spatula and cook for another 10-15 minutes at 400F.

Whiskey, triple sec and fleur de sel salted butterscotch

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(Plated here with a chocolate cashew and white miso frozen dessert, dark cherries in agave and a little coconut oil, and a ‘cup’ of melted bittersweet, fair trade chocolate).

1T of coconut oil
1T of agave nectar
3/4 cup of whiskey* (scotch is traditional)
1/4 cup of triple sec*
1t of black strap molasses
1t of lemon juice
1/2 cup of unsweetened soy milk
1t of corn starch dissolved with 2t of water
1 good pinch of fleur de sel

In a pot with a lid, warm the coconut oil and add the agave for 3 minutes.
Add the whiskey, triple sec and lemon juice.
Bring to a light boil and let simmer for 2 minutes.
CAREFULLY light the pan (this produces a lot of fire).
Let the alcohol burn off, and use the pot lid to put the fire out if necessary.
Simmer on low until reduced to syrup (about 1/4 cup).
Add the soy milk and molasses.
Simmer on low until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
Add the dissolved corn starch, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens.
Add fleur de sel to taste.

If your soymilk curdles or separate, reduce and then puree before thickening with corn starch.

*It’s rare, but not all whiskey or triple sec is produced without using animal products at various stages of production.