Pan-fried chick pea and sun-dried tomato medallion; raspberry and red Thai chili sauce; roasted potatoes and cabbage; green beans and heirloom carrots

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This set of recipes focuses on simple preparation techniques and modest seasoning to build a colorful plate in which the taste of the ingredients are at the fore.

For the chick pea medallion

1 1/2 cups of cooked chick peas*
1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (the fully dehydrated kind)
4T of olive oil (2T separated)
1/2t of coarse sea salt
2t of tamari
2T of nutritional yeast
1T of garlic, minced
2t of ginger, minced
2t of dried ground cumin
1t of dried ground coriander
1t of dried rubbed thyme
2T of hard wheat flour
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the sauce

1/2 cup of fresh raspberries
1/2t (or to taste) of red Thai chili paste
1T of sugar**
1t of tamari
A pinch of coarse sea salt
1T of coconut oil

For the potatoes and cabbage

2 potatoes in 1/2″ dice (about 1/4 pound)
2 cup of shredded cabbage
3T of cooking oil
2 scallions minced (leave about 3″ of scallion for garnish
1/4t of coarse sea salt
Seal salt and black pepper to taste

For the carrots and green beans

6 small heirloom carrots
2 cups of green beans
2T of cooking oil
1/4t of coarse sea salt
Sea salt, black pepper and nutritional yeast to taste

Directions

For the chick peas, puree all the items except the flour and 2T of oil.
Let stand 10 minutes.
Add additional seasoning to taste.
Form the chick pea mixture into medallions (two for this amount) about half an inch thick.
Lightly dust the medallions with the flour.
Bring the remaining 2T of oil to heat on medium high in a frying pan.
Add the medallions and pan fry on both sides until lightly brown (2-3 minutes each side)
Remove from heat and serve.

For the sauce, puree the raspberries, chili, salt, and sugar.
Cover and let stand 30 minutes.
Slowly add the coconut oil in a dribble while blending to emulsify the oil.
Add additional sea salt to taste (but it should be sweet and sour).

For the cabbage, preheat the oven to 400F.
Toss the potatoes, cabbage and scallions in 2T of oil and sea salt.
Oil a baking sheet with the remaining 1T.
Spread evenly on the baking sheet and roast until the cabbage is lightly browned and the potatoes are fork tender stirring occasionally (about 30 minutes, but ovens vary — use the colour as your guide).

For the carrots and green beans, clean and trim the ends of the beans and carrots
Bring the oil and the sea salt to heat on medium high
Pan fry the vegetables until lightly seared, flipping here and there (usually about 6-8 minutes).

To plate
Because of the amount of vegetable in this dish, plating each part separately can be a challenge. If you have a large enough plate, plate in a row with the sauce under the chick peas. Otherwise, the cabbage and potatoes make a good base on which to plate the chick peas. Garnish with thinly sliced scallion greens.

Other sauces that either contrast or complement the chick peas will work well with this dish. A little lemon and caper, artichokes, a mushroom reduction, a peanut sauce.

*I slow cook the chick peas in batches to have them on-hand (2 cups of chick peas with 6 cups of water with a ‘sprig’ of dried kombu).

**Some table sugars still use animal bone charcoal to bleach the sugar. Organic sugar, beet sugar, agave nectar and others typically do not.

Sun-dried tomato, caper hummus with teff fries

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A traditional favorite with some additional flavors. Teff has a food chemistry similar to corn meal, but is more nutrient dense; cut into fries, it make a nice snack or side dish.

Ingredients

For the hummus
1/2 cup of boiling water
1/4 cup of sun-dried tomatoes
2 1/2 cups of cooked chick peas
1/4 cup of sesame seed butter
1/4t of coarse sea salt
3T of lemon juice
2T of garlic, minced
1t of dried, ground cumin
1T of capers
2T of olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the teff

1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of whole grain teff
1/4t of coarse sea salt
2T of nutritional yeast
2T of olive oil
2t of tamari
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Make the hummus and then the teff

For the hummus, add the boiling water to the sun-dried tomatoes and let stand 10 minutes.
Add the sesame seed butter, the olive oil and lemon to a blender and puree.
Add the tomatoes and the remaining ingredients to a blender and puree till smooth.
The consistency should be smooth and creamy. Add a 1-2T of additional water if necessary.
Season to taste.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

For the teff, bring the water to a boil in a pot with a lid.
Add the teff and sea salt sea salt
Reduce to low, cover and simmer 15-20 minutes until the water has been absorbed and the teff is thick (it should be pulling away from the sides).
Add the tamari and nutritional yeast.
Stir to combine, pour into a 3″x9″ baking dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour to setup (it should be firm).
Preheat the oven to 450F
Oil and warm a baking sheet.
Slice the cooled teff into 10 – 12 pieces width-wise.
Bake for 20-30 minutes until lightly crisp, turning every several minutes. They should be lightly crispy.
Remove from oven, cool or 5 minutes and serve.

Raspberry and apple crisp with walnut streusel

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A nice blend of seasons fruits and walnuts for a slightly crispier, richer streusel.

For the fruit

6 cups of fresh raspberries
1 apple, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1/3 cup of hard wheat flour
2T of table sugar
2T of brown sugar*
A pinch of sea salt

For the streusel

3/4 cup of rolled oats
3/4 cup of hard wheat flour
1/2 cup of sugar*
2T of agave nectar
1/2 cup of vegan margarine
2T of unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
A pinch of sea salt

Directions

Preheat the over to 350F.
Toss the raspberries in the flour and sugar until well-coated
Blend the ingredients for the streusel except for the walnuts until coarse.
Mix the walnuts with the streusel topping.
Add the raspberry mixture to a 9″ pie plate.
Top the raspberries with the a layer of sliced apples.
Distribute the streusel evenly over the fruit.
Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the streusel is starting to brown lightly and the fruit is cooked.
Let cool for 1 hour and serve warm or refrigerate.

*Cane sugar, including brown sugars, are still sometimes produced with animal bone charcoal. A growing number of table sugars are not refined using animal bone charcoal; organic sugar and beet sugar typically are not.

Cauliflower soup with roasted potatoes, mushrooms, cabbage, and red pepper

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This is a thick, luxurious soup with some additional texture, flavour and colour added by a layer of roasted vegetables. The cauliflower gives the soup good density, and its surface tension is increased by the arrowroot. The thinly sliced potatoes work like a raft distributing the weight of the roasted vegetables, themselves lightened by loosing their water weight through roasting.

For the roasted vegetables

4 small yellow potatoes, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 small red pepper, cored, seed and thinly sliced (about 1/2 cups)
1 scallion, minced (reserve about 3″ of green for garnish)
2 cups of shredded cabbage
4 small cremini mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced (about 50g)
1T of cooking oil
2t of lemon juice
1/2t of coarse sea salt
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the soup

1T of cooking oil
1/4t of coarse sea salt
1T of garlic, minced
3 cups of cauliflower florets
2 cups of vegetable stock
2 cups of unsweetened soy milk
2T of nutritional yeast
1T of arrowroot powder whisked with 2T of water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Start with the roasted vegetables, then make the soup

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Slice the potatoes in about 1/8″ slices, lengthwise. Reserve the ends; throw them in with the soup.
Slice the red pepper in about 1/4″ slices, and the mushrooms in about 1/8″ slices.
Mince the scallions and shred the cabbage (I use coleslaw mix).
Whisk the oil, lemon juice and sea salt.
Toss the sliced vegetables in their lemon and oil dressing.
Spread the vegetables evening on an oven pan with sides.
Roast for about 30 – 40 minutes or until everything is lightly browning.
Season the vegetables to taste.
While the vegetables cooking, make the soup.
Bring the oil to heat with 1/4t of coarse sea salt.
Add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and potato ends and saute for about 5 minutes until the pan is lightly browning.
Add the stock and the soy milk.
Return the pan to a low boil and simmer for about 25 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.
Add the nutritional yeast.
Puree the soup.
Season to taste.
Whisk the arrowroot with the water.
Return the soup to low heat.
Add the arrowroot mixture slowly stirring continuously until it thickens.
Let the soup stand about 5 minutes and let the vegetables rest at least five minutes before serving.
To serve, arrange the potatoes in a thin layer on the surface of the soup (like a raft).
Carefully spoon the other roasted vegetables onto the potatoes, trying not to sink them, although if they sink a little, it’s not a crisis. You should still have enough vegetable to make a nice, nuanced presentation.
Garnish with the sliced scallions greens.

Makes two large bowls or four smaller ones.

Black lentil and teff cutlets with red wine tomato sauce

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A nice, nutrient dense alternative to chick peas, seitan, tofu, tempeh, etc., paired up with a simple red sauce. Add a couple tablespoons of minced sun-dried tomatoes for a little extra chew and flavour. Pictured with roasted potatoes, kale and artichokes.

Ingredients

For the cutlets
1 1/2 cups of water (divided 1/2 cup, 1 cup)
1/4 cup of black beluga lentils
1/4 cup of teff
1 piece of kombu
A pinch of sea salt
2T of olive oil
2t of tamari
2T of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the sauce
1T of cooking oil
1T of dried basil
1T of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of red wine*
1/2 cup of passata (tomato puree)
2T of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
Make the cutlets first, then the sauce.

Bring 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a pot with a lid.
Add the kombu and the lentils.
Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
Return to medium-high.
Add the teff and the remaining cup of water.
Bring the pan to a gentle simmer.
Reduce to low, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the water has been absorbed.
Stir frequently to keep the teff from sticking.
Remove from heat, remove the kombu, add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Pour/spoon into a 3″x9″ baking dish and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.
Refrigerate for 15 minutes uncovered to let the cutlets setup.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Gently turn out from the baking dish, slice into two cutlets width-wise.
On a lightly oiled cookie sheet or similar, bake the cutlets on the middle rack for about 25-30 minutes until they are very lightly browned.
When done, remove the oven, and let rest 10 minutes before plating.
While the cutlets bake, make the sauce.
Bring the oil to heat on medium high.
Saute the garlic and basil in the oil on medium high for 1 minute.
Add the wine and reduce for 2-3 minutes.
Add the passata and the sugar.
Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until reduce to about 1/2 all total.
Remove from heat, add the nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
Spoon over the cutlets when ready.

*More and more wines are produced without the use of animal ingredients to fine and filter the wine (e.g., egg albumen, isinglass). The quality of the red wine makes a big difference to the sauce. Pick one you like to drink

Carrot ginger soup with Thai chili oil, lentils, kale and potatoes

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A lovely fall soup soup with some additional texture, flavour and colour added by a layer of roasted kale and potatoes and sweetened Thai chili oil. This is a great use for left over lentils, and brown will look just as good.

For the soup
1T of cooking oil
1/4 of sea salt
1T of ginger, grated
2 heaping cups of carrots, chopped
2 cups of vegetable stock
1T of arrowroot powder whisked with 2T of water
Sea salt to taste

For the garnishes
1/4 cup of cooked beluga lentils*
1T of minced chives

1 cup of kale, chopped
2t of cooking oil
1/4t of sea salt
2T of nutritional yeast
Sea salt to taste

2 small white or yellow potatoes in 1/3″ dice (about 3/4 cup)
2t of cooking oil
1/4 of sea salt
1T of minced chives

1T of agave nectar
1t of red Thai chili paste
2t of olive oil

Start the garnishes, and then make the soup.
Preheat the over to 400F
Whisk the agave nectar, chili paste and olive oil, and then set aside.
Toss the potatoes in the oil, sea salt and chives.
Add to a well-oiled baking sheet and roast for about 10-15 minutes, turning frequently.
Toss the kale in the oil and sea salt.
Add to the pan with the potatoes and roast another 10-15 minutes (or until the kale and potatoes are lightly browning and the potatoes are fork tender).
Ovens vary and the size of the dice and the freshness of the potatoes will influence the cooking time; use the colour and consistency as your guide and if you have to remove the potatoes and kale separately, do so..
When done, remove from the pan, toss the kale in the nutritional yeast a and set the kale and potatoes aside.
Season to taste.
While the kale and the potatoes roast, make the soup.
Bring the oil to heat on medium high in a pan with a lid.
Add the ginger and the sea salt and saute for 1 minute.
Add the carrots and saute for 3-5 minutes.
Add the stock, cover and simmer on low until the carrots are fork tender (about 10-15 minutes).
Remove from heat and puree the soup until smooth.
Whisk the arrowroot with the water.
Return to heat and bring to a light simmer.
Whisk in the arrowroot mixture, stirring continuously until thickened.
Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Season to taste.
To serve, ladle the soup.
Carefully drip the chili oil over the soup.
Sprinkle the kale on top in a thin layer, then the lentils, followed by the potatoes and finally, sprinkle with the chives.

*If you make the lentils from scratch, simmer them in 2 parts water to 1 part lentils covered on low until the water absorbs. I simmer my with kombu.

 

 

Grilled tofu braised in red pepper, cauliflower rosé with red sweet potato and kale colcannon

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A luxurious sauce for tofu that will also work with seitan, mushrooms, as a pasta sauce and other dishes with a reimagination of traditional Irish side dish.

For the tofu
1 block of extra-firm, high quality tofu (approximately 1/2 lb)*
1/4 cup of olive oil
2T of tamari
2T of agave nectar
1T of lemon juice
1T of garlic, minced
1/4t of coarse sea salt

For the sauce
2T of cooking oil
1T of garlic, minced
2 cups of cauliflower florets
1 red pepper, roasted and chopped (about 1 cup)
1 cup of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of passata (tomato puree)
2T of nutritional yeast
2T of arrowroot powder whisked with 1/4 cup of water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the colcannon
1 large red sweet potato (about 2 cups)
2T of cooking oil
1/4t – 1/2t coarse sea salt (to your taste)
2 cups of chopped kale
1t of white vinegar
1 scallions minced, leave about 2″ – 3″ of green for garnish

Instructions

Make the tofu and roast the vegetables first. Make the sauce, and then the colcannon.
Slice the tofu length-wise into four pieces.
Press the tofu if you have a press or wrap in a clean kitchen towel and lay something heavy on your tofu (e.g., a cookie sheet and then something heavy to distribute the weight effectively for about 15 – 30 minutes or as directed by your press).
Whisk the marinade ingredients until well-combined.
Then with marinade and marinate covered for at least 30 minutes, turning at least once.**
When ready, remove the tofu from the marinade and preheat the oven to 450F.
Grill the tofu on a clean oven rack for 10 minutes or so each side (if you prefer not to grill directly on a rack, use an oiled cookie sheet).
Look for light grill marks and the tofu will lightly brown). Ovens vary; use the colour as a guide.
Spoon 2t of marinade onto each slice and cover consistently.
Repeat for the other side when you turn them.
Perforate the red sweet potato in a few place with a fork.
Lightly oil the potato and roast until fork tender (about 40 minutes).
Lightly oil the red pepper and roast until lightly charred (or use the standard stove top method if using a gas stove).
When done, remove the pepper from the oven.
Reduce the oven heat to 350F and turn the potato over.
Let the pepper stand 15 minutes to cool, and then peel, core, seed and chop.
Bring the cooking oil to heat on medium high.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add the cauliflower and red pepper and saute for 7-8 minutes.
Add the stock and deglaze the pan.
Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft but not mushy.
Add the passata and puree the cauliflower and red pepper until smooth.
Return to a low simmer.
Add the nutritional yeast.
When the tofu is ready, remove from the oven and add it to the sauce.
Cover and simmer/poach the tofu in the sauce for until ready to serve (about 45 minutes to an hour).
Once the sweet potato is fork tender, remove it from the oven and let stand to cool 15-20 minutes.
When cool, preheat the oven to 400F.
Peel and mash the potato.
Mixed with the kale, sea salt, scallions, vinegar and olive oil to thoroughly combine.
Add to two ramekins and bake for about 20 – 30 minutes until the potatoes are lightly browning.
Remove the ramekins from the oven and let cool about 5-10 minutes.
Remove the sauce and the tofu from head at the same time and let stand.
Remove the tofu.
Return the sauce to a light simmer.
Whisk the arrowroot and water.
Add the mixture to the sauce, continuously stirring until thickened.
Add the tofu to the plate.
Spoon sauce over thoroughly.
Garnish with scallions.
Carefully turn out the colcannon from the ramekins.
Season to taste and serve.

(1) You can marinate the tofu before grilling, but it simmers for a long time in a thick sauce. The quality of the tofu makes a big difference to how it tastes in a dish.
(2) The longer the tofu marinates, the more it will absorb the flavours of the marinade. 30 minutes is enough, but 1-2 hours is better.

Agave and red Thai chili accented seitan crusted with lemon, thyme and pepitas

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A sweet and spicy seitan with a flavourful and textured breading (pictured here with potato and kasha salad with kale and mushrooms, a red pepper, cauliflower rose sauce and chives).

Ingredients

For the seitan
3 cups of stock
1/2t of coarse sea salt
1/2 cup of water
2t of agave nectar
1T of tamari
2/3 cup of vital wheat gluten
1/2t of red Thai chili paste (or to taste)
1/4t of ground black pepper
2T of olive oil
Sea salt to taste
For the breading
1 cup of bread crumbs
3T of whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of pepitas, finely chopped
1T of lemon juice
1t of dried thyme, rubbed
2t of tamari
1/2t of onion powder
1/2t of garlic powder
1/4t of turmeric
3-4T of unsweetened soy milk
1T of minced chives
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Make the seitan first, then the breading when ready.
For the seitan, bring the stock and sea salt to a light simmer.
Mix the dry ingredients, the remaining wet ingredients, and then the dry with the wet to form a ball of dough.
Knead for 2-3 minutes.
Break the ball in half and form two pieces, and flatten the two out.
Reduce the heat to low and add the seitan to the broth.
Simmer/poach on low for about 30-40 minutes.
Remove from the stock and set both aside to cool.
Once the seitan has cooled a bit, preheat the oven to 400F
Mix the the breading ingredients together until well combined and soft (add additional soy milk as required).
Gently pack the top of the seitan with half of the breading, and repeat for the second piece.
On a well-oiled baking sheet, bake on the middle rack for for 15-20 or until the breading is lightly crispy. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the breading as your guide.
When done, remove from the oven, let stand 5 minutes to cool and garnish with chives.

Golden and red beet soup with lemon sesame ribbon and fresh dill

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A soup with a lot of fall colours and flavours. The golden beets are accented with cinnamon, cloves and ginger’ the red beets. with a little white vinegar and mushroom stock. The lemon sesame ribbon adds some richesse, but also cuts the sweetness of the soup. The lovely dill finishes the presentation.

Ingredients

For the golden beets
1T of cooking oil
1/4t of coarse sea salt
1t of ginger, minced
1t of dried ground cinnamon
1/4t of dried ground cloves
1/4t of dried ground turmeric
2 cups of chopped golden beets
1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
2T of unsweetened soy milk
Sea salt to taste

For the red beets
1T of cooking oil
1/4t of coarse sea salt
1t of tamari
1t of white vinegar
3 cups of chopped red beets
2 cups of mushroom stock
1T of arrowroot powder dissolve in 2T of water
Black pepper and sea salt to taste

For the garnish
2T of sesame seed butter
1T of lemon juice
3-4T of cold water
Sea salt to taste
1 sprig of fresh dill per bowl

Directions

Use two pans with lids.
Bring the oil to heat on medium-high with the sea salt in each.
For the red beets, add the beets and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the tamari, vinegar and stock, cover and simmer on low until fork tender.
For the golden beets, add the spices and saute for 1 minute.
Add the beets and saute for another 3 minutes.
Add the stock, cover and simmer on low until fork tender.
Puree each soup separately.
Add the soy milk to the golden beet soup.
Stir until well-combined, remove from heat and set aside.
Return the red beet soup to a simmer.
Whisk the arrowroot with the water until dissolved.
Add the arrowroot mixture and add slowly to the soup, stirring continuously until thickened.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Whisk the sesame seed butter with the lemon juice, sea salt and 2T of water until well combined (the sesame seed butter will become white and almost fluffy).
Add water 1T at a time until you have a creamy consistency.
Season both soups to taste.
Ladle the red beet soup into a bowl, and then slowly add the the golden beet soup into the middle.
Garnish with the sesame cream and the dill and serve.

Roasted potato and kale salad with apples, artichokes and pistachios

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A warm salad that makes a good fall side dish or a light lunch.

Ingredients

2T of cooking oil, divided
1/2t coarse sea salt, divided
4 small white potatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 cup)
1T of garlic, minced
2 cups of kale, chopped
1 small red pepper, diced
1 small apple, sliced (about 1/8″)
1 cup of artichoke hearts, quartered
1/4 cup of pistachios
1/4 cup of unsweetened soy milk
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450F.
Toss the potatoes in 1T of oil until well coated.
On a lightly oiled pan, bake for 15 minutes.
While the potatoes bake, prepare the kale and other ingredients.
Bring 1T of oil to heat in a frying pan.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 minutes.
Add the red pepper and apples and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the kale, pistachios and artichoke hearts and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the soy milk and stir until combined.
Add the nutritional yeast.
Remove from the frying pan and add to the baking sheet.
Reduce the oven to 375F.
Roast with the potatoes until the latter are fork tender (about another 20 – 30 minutes). Ovens vary; used the texture of the potatoes as a guide.
Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes.
Toss the potatoes and everything else until well combined, and serve.