Apple crumble with whiskey and white miso

/0 Comments/in , , /by
The whiskey adds nuanced sweetness and the white miso, a little salt and extra depth of flavour to this simple, seasonal dessert.

Ingredients

For the apples
4 large apples, cored, seeded and thinly sliced
1/3 cup of hard wheat flour
1T of lemon juice
1T of white miso (use a sweet style)
1t of dried ground cinnamon
1/4t of dried ground cloves
1T of coconut oil
1/4 cup of sugar*
3T of whiskey*
A pinch of sea salt

For the streusel

1 cup of rolled oats
1/2 cup of hard wheat flour
3/4 cup of sugar*
1/3 of a cup of coconut oil
A pinch of sea salt

Directions

Preheat the over to 350F.
Blend the liquid ingredients and the spices for the apples.
Toss the sliced apples in the flour.
Add the mixture to the apples and flour.
Toss until the apple are well coated.
Blend the ingredients for the streusel until coarse.
Add the apple mixture to a 9″ pie plate.
Distribute the streusel evenly over the apples.
Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the streusul is starting to brown lightly and the apples are turning golden.
Let cool for 1 hour and serve warm or refrigerate.

*It’s rare, but some whiskeys are still made with the use of animal products. Cane sugar is also bleached in some cases with animal bone charcoal. Agave nectar makes a reasonable substitute for the whiskey (use 1T). A growing number of table sugars are not refined using animal bone charcoal; organic sugar and beet sugar typically are not.

 

 

Broccoli soup with lemon artichoke ribbon and scallions

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple soup for fall with a little extra presentation and flavour nuance.

For the soup

1T of cooking oil
1 scallion, minced (reserved 3-4″ on green for garnish)
2 cups of broccoli stalks, florets and greens
2 cups of vegetable stock
1/4t of sea salt
2t of lemon juice
2T of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the ribbon

1T of lemon juice
1T of sesame seed butter
2T of boiling water
2T of olive oil
1 artichoke heart, chopped (about 1/4 cup)

Bring the oil and sea salt to heat on medium-high.
Saute the scallions and broccoli for 3-5 minutes, until the pan browns a little
Add the lemon juice and deglaze.
Add the stock and bring the pan to a light simmer.
Cover and reduce heat to low.
Cook until the broccoli is fork tender.
As the soup finishes, start the ribbon.
Whisk the lemon juice an sesame seed butter until smooth.
Add the boiling water and whisky.
Add the artichokes and the olive oil and puree until smooth.
Remove the soup from heat, add the nutritional yeast and puree.
Season to taste and bowl.
Pour the ribbon over the soup.
Garnish with scallions

Raspberry ginger tart in a cup of bittersweet chocolate with orange sesame topping

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple, no-bake dessert that really brings out the beautiful ruby red of fresh raspberries and combines their sour flavour with ginger, chocolate, orange and other flavours.

Ingredients

For the raspberries
4 cups of raspberries (separated in half)
1/2 cup of sugar*
2T of agave nectar
2T of vegan margarine
A small pinch of sea salt
1 1/2T of agar-agar flakes
2t of arrowroot powder dissolved in 1T of water
2t of fresh ginger, grated

For the chocolate cups
50g of chocolate**

For the topping
2-3T of sesame seed butter***
1T of orange juice
2t of lemon juice
2T of sugar (or to taste)*
A small pinch of sea salt
2t of orange zest for garnish

Add 2 cups of raspberries and the other ingredients to a sauce pan on medium heat.
Stir to combine, and once the margarine has melted, reduce heat to medium low.
Cook until reduced to about 1/2 to 2/3 cups and the agar has dissolved (about 20 minutes), stirring frequently.
Add the arrowroot mixture pouring slowly stirring constantly until it thickens (should be almost instantly).
Let stand to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining berries and stir to combine.
Pour the mixture into two ramekins.
Chill for 30 minutes uncovered until the mix thickens (it will be springy to the touch).
Cover in saran wrap and chill at least another 2 hours (overnight is fine).
Freeze for at least 1-2 hours before melting the chocolate until good and solid (go by the feel rather than the time, since freezers vary).

When ready to add the chocolate, remove the raspberries from the freezer.
Carefully turn the raspberries out from from the ramekins onto a plate.
Use a microwave, a double boiler, or a make-shift double boiler (lightly simmering water in a pan with a second smaller pan poised at water level to ensure a consistent but soft heat) to melt the chocolate. If you haven’t worked with chocolate before, don’t add water, cold liquid, don’t put it directly into contact with high heat source, etc (your chocolate will likely seize and it’s very difficult to fix).
Stir continuously until the chocolate has melted, and then pour gently in spoonfuls over the raspberries and smooth with the spoon so that a bottom layer of chocolate forms, but the chocolate runs over the sides to form something that resembles a chocolate crust.
The chocolate will cool fairly quickly, but refrigerate uncovered for 10-15 minutes when done to ensure the chocolate is dry.
Wrap in saran wrap, freeze for 30 minutes or until firm but not frozen, unwrap and serve.

About 10 minutes before serving, whisk the sesame seed butter with the lemon juice, orange juice and water.
Add the remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly until combined.
Let stand about 5-8 minutes to thicken.
Add a little more sesame seed butter if you find your topping is not very thick (consistence of the butter itself can vary quite a lot).
Spoon the orange and sesame topping onto the raspberry tarts.
Garnish with the orange zest.

*Production methods are changing, but some white cane sugars are still bleached using animal bone charcoal. Beet sugar, organic sugar and other unbleached sugars are typically fine.

**There’s no penalty for using more chocolate — up to 75g for a nice, thick cup. I use a nice fairly traded bar with organic beans and organic sugar.

***Although sweetened sesame pairs very nicely with sour flavours, it can be an acquired taste. Substitute cashew butter for something more neutral.

Rye and baby kale salad with sun-dried tomatoes, clementines and kalamata olives

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple fall salad that relies on a combination of basic ingredients for its bright colours and flavours.

3 cups of vegetable stock
1/4t of sea salt
1 cup of rye berries
2T of sun-dried tomatoes minced
1t of dried thyme, rubbed
1t of tamari
2T of olive oil
2t of lemon juice
2T of nutritional yeast
1 scallion minced (reserve 2-3″ of green reserved for garnish)
3 cups of baby kale greens
1 clementine, peeled and segmented, pith removed
2T of kalamata olives, chopped
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Bring the stock to a boil in a pan with a lid and add the rye berries.
Cover and simmer for 1 hour on low until the stock is absorbed.
Remove from heat and add the sun-dried tomatoes, scallions, thyme, tamari and nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
Let stand 5 minutes to cool.
Add the baby kale greens and stir to combine.
Let stand 5 minutes to wilt.
Whisk the olive oil and lemon juice and dress the salad.
Season to taste.
Plate the rye and kale.
Add the clementine, then the olives, then the scallion for garnish.

Peanut butter panna cotta with bittersweet chocolate shell

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A very simple, flavourful combination of peanut butter and chocolate, pictured here with a little soy milk and sesame topping and salted raspberries.

1 1/2 cups of unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup of sugar*
1T heaping of agar-agar
1/2 cup of unsweetened peanut butter
A pinch of sea salt
50g bittersweet chocolate**

Puree the soy milk, sugar, agar-gar, peanut butter and sea salt until smooth.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer on medium low for 15 minutes.
Pour into two ramekins and chill uncovered for 20 minutes.
Cover with saran wrap and chill further for 2 hours.
Freeze for 1 hour before you melt the chocolate.
When you’re ready to melt the chocolate, turn the panna cotta out carefully onto a plate lined with with saran wrap.
Melt the chocolate (use a microwave, a double-boiler, or two pans in a makeshift double boiler). Don’t add water, soy milk or other things that may cause the chocolate to seize.
Carefully spoon the melted chocolate evenly over the panna cotta, letting it trickle down the sides to form the shell.
Freeze for 10-15 minutes to solidify the chocolate.
Wrap in saran wrap and chill until ready to eat.
Top with what you like or eat as-is.

*Production methods are changing, but some white cane sugars are still bleached using animal bone charcoal. Beet sugar, organic sugar and other unbleached sugars are typically fine.

**I use a nice fairly traded bar with organic beans and organic sugar. You can always use more chocolate if you like, up to 75g.

‘Pumpkin pie’ and pistachio panna cotta

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple fall dessert with rich colour and texture contrasts, pictured here with a warm blueberry compote.

Ingredients

1/2 cup of coconut milk
1/4 cup of unsweetened soy milk
2T of agave nectar
1T of agar-agar flakes
1, 15oz can of organic pumpkin pie mix*
1/4 cup of pistachios, chopped
1t of sugar divided in halves*

Instructions

Bring the coconut milk, soy milk and agave to a simmer on medium low in a sauce pan.
Add the agar-agar flakes and stir to combine.
Simmer on medium low for 15 minutes stirring frequently until the agar is dissolved and the liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup.
Add the pumpkin pie mix and stir until thoroughly combined.
Simmer another 20 minutes stirring frequently until thick and reduced.
Add half the chopped pistachios each to the bottom of 2 ramekins
Sprinkle the pistachios with 1/2t of sugar each
Pour the pumpkin mixture over the pistachios
Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes uncovered.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours to setup.
When firm and ready to serve, carefully turn out the panna cotta onto the plate.

*An organic pumpkin pie mix should have organic (unbleached) sugar. A growing number of white table sugars are produced without using animal bone charcoal. Beet sugar, organic sugar and unrefined sugars are typically fine.

Potato and kasha salad with mushrooms and kale

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple warm salad good as a side dish. For a light lunch, throw in some walnuts, pepitas or cashews, or clementines with kalamata olives. This recipe makes a fair amount.

5T of olive oil divided : 2T/1T/2T
3/4t of coarse sea salt, divided 1/4t and 1/2t
2 cups of kale, chopped
2 cups of cremini or button mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
2 cups of white or yellow potatoes in 1/2″ dice
2 cups of vegetable stock
1T of arrowroot powder whisked in 2T of water
1T of garlic, minced
1 cup of kasha
1T of lemon juice
2T of nutritional yeast
1t of dried thyme, rubbed
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

First, start the vegetables; then make the kasha.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
Whisk together 2T of olive oil and 1/2t of sea salt.
Dress the kale, mushrooms and potatoes and toss until well-combined.
Oven roast in a pan with sides until the vegetables are lightly browned (about 40 minutes), stirring occasionally. Ovens vary; use the colour as your guide.
When the vegetables are about half way through their roasting, whisk the arrowroot with the water.
Toss the kasha in the solution.
Bring 1T of cooking oil to heat on medium-high in a pan with a lid.
Add the sea salt and the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add the kasha to pan and stir fry the kasha for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned.
Add the stock.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the stock is absorbed (perhaps 10-15 minutes).
Whisk together 2T of olive oil, the nutritional yeast, lemon juice and the thyme.
When the water has been absorbed, dress the kasha, remove from heat and set aside 5 minutes to cool.
Toss with the roasted vegetables until well-combined.
Season to taste.

Rye berry and arugula salad with pepitas and pomegranates

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple warm salad with lots of great chew, focused on the flavour of the ingredients. There’s no oil in this recipe, but if you prefer to add some, use 2T.

1 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
1/2 cup of rye berries
1/2t of coarse sea salt, divided
1 pomegranate, seeded
1/4 cup of pepitas
2T of nutritional yeast
1 scallion, minced
2 cups of baby arugula greens
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Add the rye to the pan on medium high and toast lightly for 2-3 minutes.
Add the stock and 1/4t of sea salt, cover, and simmer on low for 1 hour (or longer) until the stock is absorbed).
When the rye is done, remove from heat and set aside.
Seed the pomegranate.
Toss with the sea salt, scallion and pepitas with the pomegranate seeds.
Toss the warm rye with arugula and set aside for 10 minutes covered to wilt.
Toss everything together, season to taste and serve.

Oyster mushroom sauce with fresh passion fruit

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple but elegant and satisfying sauce that combines two very complementary flavours and textures. Shown here over pan-fried seitan.

Ingredients

1T of cooking oil
1/4t of coarse sea salt
1/4 pound of oyster mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
1 passion fruit
2t of corn starch dissolved in 1T of water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste.

Instructions

Bring the oil and sea salt to heat on medium-high.
Add the oyster mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes.
Add the stock and simmer for another 3-5 minutes.
Add the corn starch, stirring continuously until the sauce thickens.
Remove from heat, add the nutritional yeast, stir to combine and set aside to cool.
Slice the passion fruit carefully and spoon out the seeds, removing any pith from the seeds as necessary.
Season the mushrooms to taste and plate.
Garnish with about a tablespoon of passion fruit.

Peanut butter panna cotta with lime, cashew topping and shaved chocolate.

/0 Comments/in , , /by

A simple, rich, no-bake dessert with a brightly flavored lime topping and a little chocolate.

Ingredients

For the panna cotta
1 1/2 cups of unsweetened soy milk
1/2 cup of sugar (1)
1T heaping of agar-agar
1/2 cup of unsweetened peanut butter
A pinch of sea salt
2T of shaved chocolate for garnish (2)

For the topping
50g of extra firm tofu
2T cup of cashew butter
2T cup of unsweetened soy milk
2% cup of sugar (1)
1T of lime juice
A pinch of sea salt

Directions

Puree the soy milk, sugar, agar-gar, peanut butter and sea salt until smooth.
Bring the mixture to a simmer and simmer on medium low for 15 minutes.
Pour into two ramekins and chill uncovered for 20 minutes.
Cover with saran wrap and chill further for 2 hours.
Puree the ingredients for the topping.
Let chill 2 to 3 hours to setup.
When you’re ready to serve, turn the panna cotta out carefully onto a plate.
Spoon the lime cashew sauce over the top.
Garnish with shaved chocolate

(1) Production methods are changing, but some white cane sugars are still bleached using animal bone charcoal. Beet sugar, organic sugar and other unbleached sugars are typically fine.

(2) I use a nice fairly traded chocolate bar with organic beans and organic sugar.