BitterSweet

Pining for Parm

Having the rare privilege of dining with the one and only VeggieGirl at One Lucky Duck a few weeks ago, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Yes, I knew for sure that I would have excellent company and engaging conversation, but the food? Still a newbie to the whole concept of the raw food movement, it’s more of an intriguing curiosity than realistic eating style for me. Nonetheless, there’s something so familiar and comforting about such an approach, a real devotion to using quality ingredients and treating them with respect, that keeps me coming back to learn more.

Needless to say, the meal was an incomparable success, each morsel prepared with care and conscious thought. It was one component that I didn’t order, however, that really caught my eye. The way that one particular salad was delivered to an adjacent table dripping with what seemed to be real parmesan flakes, the presentation alone gave me pause. Of course, their “cheese” is very similar to the standard vegan Parma, but in large flakes, providing much more crunchy goodness along with that indescribable cheesy flavor. Resolving then and there in that tiny restuarant to make my own version, I was dreaming up recipes the entire train ride home.

And just like that, easy as can be, I had my own highly passable facsimile. No, not just passable, but exceptional! Slightly tangy and more complex than the typical crumbly sprinkle of plain walnuts, nooch, and salt, this all-purpose topping will undoubtedly see a lot of use in this kitchen. Just imagine a cheesy topping on that otherwise drab pasta dish, or a nice crunchy accent to that fairly plain bowl of soup. Anywhere one might use parmesan, flakes or otherwise, it’s a job perfectly filled by this vegan alternative.

Of course, my version isn’t raw, lacking the patience necessary to run it through a dehydrator, but should such things be of import to you, it could very easily be made that way as well. Just expect drying time to range from 6 – 10 hours.

Parm Flakes (Parmesan Substitute)

1/2 Cup Sunflower Seeds, Soaked for at least 6 Hours
1/2 Cup Blanched Almonds, Soaked for at least 6 Hours
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 Teaspoon Tamari or Soy Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Once your seeds and nuts are soaked, thoroughly rinse and drain them in a fine wire mess sieve or colander. After removing as much excess water as possible, toss them into your food processor. Add in the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, tamari, and salt as well. Pulse until the mixture is fairly smooth, but still relatively chunky, sort of the consistency of a rough pate. Spread the mixture as thinly as possible on a silpat-lined baking sheet, taking care to ensure the paste is evenly distributed on top.

Bake in a 250 degree oven for 35 – 45 minutes, until dry and firm but not browned. Let cool completely on the sheet before breaking up in large flakes. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to a month. If your flakes become soft, just toss them in the oven again for a few minutes and they’ll crisp right back up.

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“Canada’s Favorite Confection”

Little known to most of the world, the Nanaimo bar has been gaining in popularity by leaps and bounds.  Once nothing more than the humble regional specialty of Nanaimo, British Columbia, recipes for this no-bake cookie bar have spread through the pages of the internet like wildfire, so that they’ve become a staple in countless bakers’ repertoires.  Easy enough for the most inexperienced cook or busy housewife to pull off, in addition to the opportunity they offer for flavor customization in the custard layer, it’s easy to see their appeal. For the senior baker looking for an exciting and perhaps a bit demanding new project to tackle, however, they could fall rather short.

The January 2010 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Lauren of Celiac Teen. Lauren chose Gluten-Free Graham Wafers and Nanaimo Bars as the challenge for the month. The sources she based her recipe on are 101 Cookbooks and www.nanaimo.ca.

Starting with homemade gluten-free graham crackers upped the ante slightly, but I’m sorry to say that I just didn’t find the challenge itself too stimulating, to say the least. Chocolate, vanilla; Cookie, creme; Been there, done that. Adjusting the flavors to include strawberry and thus create a Neapolitan Nanaimo helped to shake things up a bit, if only a very little bit.

Opting to forgo the frosting-like filling originally recommended in favor of a a sliceable strawberry pudding layer, my bars were quickly shaping up into more of a dessert than cookie. Going along with that train of though, I sliced the pieces a bit larger than advised, and set each slice atop a thin smear of chocolate sauce, to be accompanied by a scoop of strawberry sorbet.

Don’t let my lack of enthusiasm fool you into thinking this was a lack-luster dish- The rate at which it disappeared definitely proves otherwise!  The simple construction and fairly unimaginative interpretation on my part just failed to spark my enthusiasm.  A perfectly delicious dessert in its own right, the Nanaimo just isn’t really my baking style, but I can’t say I protested too much when it came time to serve.

Gone, but Not Forgotten

At last, the storm has passed, and the dust has begun to settle once again. Having been on a practical lock-down at Christmas, hoping to weather the storm with as little damage as possible, there’s a disgraceful number of treats and crafts that weren’t shared in time. And really, who gives a flying fork about holiday goodies after the fact? Done and over with, be it a time to remember or desperately try to forget, I think it’s safe to say that we’ve all washed our hands clean of jolliness and moved on.

So do me a favor, would you? Disregard the fact that I made these in a frenzy of holiday spirit, whipping up a quadruple (unless it was quintuple- I don’t quite recall) batch, bathing in the powerful aroma of chocolate and peppermint for hours. Squeezing that cookie gun for what felt like hours at a time, crossing the line from average holiday baker to crazed foodie once the blisters surfaced on my palms, it was an experience of both joy and extreme frustration. Thrilled to be sharing something sweet with so many friends and family members, wincing in pain at my hands, both looking redder and angrier by the moment, all of my energy went into just getting them done. Cool the cookies, fill them, wrap ‘em up, out the door, done, done, done.

Seeing them begin to arrive at their destinations, the misery was more than worth it, and all the complimentary comments were little nudges saying “Hey, you should share this on the blog!” I had the pictures, the recipe, everything ready to go, but I was sick of those adorable and delicious little morsels. Overdosing on the leftovers to cap off the whole experience, I had literally and figuratively taken one bite too many.

Slowly digesting that episode throughout the ensuing weeks, it may have taken over a month now, but I’m finally ready to think about those deceptively simple sandwich cookies again. Honestly, you won’t incur the same distress if you stick to one batch at a time, and there’s hardly any reason for the mentally sound person to go above that limit- It’s a big batch by any standards, even when you figure that every two cookies only makes one sandwich. The classic combo of chocolate and peppermint is an easy crowd pleaser, the crisp but still soft cocoa cookies yielding to a creamy, lightly minted filling, riddled with crunchy pieces of smashed candy canes.

It’s the sort of staple that you just can’t go wrong with, whether you give them as holiday presents, or whip up a batch later in the year to serve in the middle of summer. They do, by the way, taste fantastic straight out of the freezer, cold and refreshing, so don’t think you can safely “hide” them in there for too long.

Chocolate Spritz Cookies

2 Cups Vegetable Shortening
1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar
1 6-Ounce Container Vanilla Soy or Coconut Yogurt
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Candy Cane Filling:

1/2 Cup Margarine, Softened
1/2 Cup Vegetable Shortening
4 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
4 Ounces Smashed Candy Canes or Starlight Mints

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheet with silpats or parchment paper. Set aside.

In your stand mixer, thoroughly cream together the shortening and sugar, so that the mixture is homogeneous. Add in the soy or coconut yogurt and vanilla, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and cream that in as well.

In a different large bowl, whisk together all of the remaining dry goods for the cookies so that all of the ingredients are well-distributed throughout the mixture, and slowly add them to the stand mixer, incorporating them in 2 or 3 separate additions. The resulting batter with be very thick, and it may seem like it’s not going to come together, but just be patient; Do not, under and circumstances, add any extra liquid!

Once you achieve a cohesive dough, place a few mounds of it into your spritz cookie gun, which should already have the design you desired installed. Squeeze out cookies as directed by the manufacturer of the gun, reload when you run out of dough, and repeat. Once you use all of the batter and have your cookie sheets filled, place them in the oven and bake for 8 – 10 minutes, until no long “wet” looking on top and the cookies look solid. It’s hard to tell when they’re done since the cookies are so dark to begin with, but make sure you never bake them longer than 10 minutes or else they’ll taste burnt.

Let the cookies cool on the sheets for at least 10 minutes, and then completely on a wire rack before filling.

To make the filling, simply whip together the margarine and shortening in your stand mixer until smooth. Add in the confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and crushed mints, start the machine on a slow speed so as not to send sugar flying out, and gradually mix to incorporate. Once there’s no longer a risk of sending ingredients out onto the walls, turn up the speed to high and beat for about 5 minutes, until smooth, creamy, and fluffy. Apply to cookies as desired, sandwiching two together to finish.

Makes about 80 Chocolate Cookies; 40 Sandwich Cookies

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By Special Request

It was an innocent enough question- A simple query, with no ulterior motives. Muffins, pistachio muffins, to be precise, were the object of one good friend’s desires, and no recipe could be found. Might I possibly have one, hidden away some place by chance? Despite the volumes of unshared recipes and ideas stashed away in various notebooks and files buried deep within my hard drive, I hadn’t yet thought to make such a breakfast cake… And yet all of a sudden, it felt imperative that I did.

After all, pistachios are one of my all-time favorite nuts, and they get so little attention, it’s just pitiful. So much praise and love is lavished on almonds, cashews, and the like, but this darling green gem is all but forgotten in the corner of the bulk bin. Though it would be impossible to accommodate all baking requests, this one quickly became much less of a favor for a friend, but a treat for myself!

Adopting the project in a blink of the eye, I set about plotting how I could make mine better than the average, neon-green and highly artificial bakery-style pistachio muffins. Instead of abandoning the traditional albeit exaggerated coloring altogether, it seemed a fun challenge to preserve it in a more natural fashion.

Matcha, my beloved green tea powder, fit the bill perfectly. Contributing both a vibrant hue and delicate flavor, this is a mix far more complex than the typical plain old nut muffin. Richly flavored with both ground and whole pistachios, those green kernels definitely steal the show, but leave enough room for a delicious cameo by the subtle sweetness of maple syrup, the bitterness of the green tea, and the gentle acidity of the lemon, creating one well-balanced baked good.

Pistachio Matcha Muffins

1 Cup Shelled, Toasted Pistachios, Divided
1 1/2 Cups White Whole Wheat Flour, Divided
2 Teaspoons Matcha Powder*
1 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest (Optional)
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

*To make a purely pistachio muffin that’s still green, substitute 1 tablespoon of spinach powder for the matcha. Otherwise, you can omit it entirely.

Preheat your the oven to 400 degrees, and either lightly grease or line 6 standard muffin tins with paper wrappers. Set aside.

Pull out your food processor or blender, and place half of the pistachios, along with 1/2 cup of the flour and all of the matcha in the bowl. Pulse the mixture until you achieve a coarse but even meal. Transfer the dry goods into a large mixing bowl.

To that, add the remaining flour and whole pistachios, plus the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Stir to evenly distribute all of the ingredients.

Separately, whisk together the oil, maple syrup, apple sauce, and vanilla before pouring these wet ingredients into the bowl of dry. Use a wide spatula to bring the batter together, stirring as little as possible to make sure you don’t overwork it and end up with tough muffins; A few errant lumps are just fine.

Mound the batter up nice and high into your prepared muffin tins (I used a large cookie scoop – About 3 – 4 tablespoons – and placed two full scoops inside each indentation.) Slide your muffins into the oven, and immediately reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Bake for 18 – 22 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Let cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan before transferring to a wire rack.

Makes 6 Large Muffins

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Scrambling for a Quick Meal

When time is of the essence and the lunch or dinner hour rolls around, quick, tasty, and relatively health sustenance is a necessity, for which everyone has their go-to recipes. For me, and many vegans, that recipe is for the classic tofu scramble. While I hardly feel like the world really needs yet another recipe for this tried and true staple, since I’ve had the opportunity (and lack of time to cook much else) to hone and perfect my own method lately, I figured it couldn’t hurt to share.

I tend to favor scrambles heavy on the veggies, and fairly light on extra spices- Especially tumeric. While you’re welcome to add a pinch for color if you’d like, I find that it can overpower and ruin the best scrambles, so I omit it entirely. Never let a scramble recipe hold you back, as they’re infinitely adaptable in terms of veggie swap-outs and additions. Think of it more as a guideline than a rule!

Veggie Tofu Scramble

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 Small White Onion, Diced
1 Clove Garlic, Minced
1 Carrot, Peeled and Finely Diced
1 Small Zucchini, Diced
3 Button Mushrooms, Finely Diced
1 8-Ounce Container Nasoya Super-Firm Cubed Tofu (or 1/2 of a 1-lb container of extra-firm)
3 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 Tablespoon Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Dried Parsley
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Cups Fresh Baby Spinach, Packed

In a medium sautee pan set over moderate heat, pour in the oil and tilt the pan around so that the bottom is evenly coated. Add in the onions and garlic, and cook for 4 or 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are somewhat translucent. Next, add the carrot, zucchini, and mushrooms, and sautee for another 5 minutes, allowing the veggies to soften and the flavors mingle.

Meanwhile, open and drain the excess liquid from the tofu. Toss the cubes into the pan, and use your spatula to press it against the sides of the pan and break it up into rough, small pieces, approximating the texture of scrambled eggs. Sprinkle the nutritional yeast on top, followed by the braggs, soy sauce, parsley, and salt, and mix well to combine.

Allow the tofu to cook for another 8 or so to remove more of the water and heat the tofu through. Finally, add in the spinach, and cook for just one more minute to let to wilt down a bit. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Serves 2

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Warming from the Inside Out

Everything that possibly could go wrong, did; In the space of about five minutes, the light bulb right above my head blew out in spectacular fashion, the garage door failed to open and was consequently holding the car hostage, and worst of all, the boiler in the basement decided to take a little siesta. Shivering through three layers of clothing, it suddenly hit me that it really shouldn’t be this cold inside… But if the heat isn’t working, it turns out that this temperature is perfectly appropriate. With a fresh layer of snow on the ground and a full day at home planned, it just figures, doesn’t it?

Bumbling about the kitchen in my full winter coat, there was one thing and one thing only on my mind: To keep warm! Mechanically going through the motions of starting up a pot of onions and other aromatics, I had no clue what I really wanted for lunch on such a spirit-dampening day, but it was bound to be warm, and that was good enough for me. Spices followed veggies, adding some heat to the flavor as well, and when the lentils finally joined the mix, I knew that this haphazard meal would really be just the thing I needed.

Somewhere between a soup and a stew, this hearty mix really helped put some color back into my frozen checks. A fairly simple, no-fuss affair, it’s nothing to call the papers about and write a rave review, but it simply hit the spot on that day when little else good was happening. Happily, it makes enough for a small army, so you can plan to save a good amount and reheat it for days to come, should time or energy be of the essence.

I did discover one good thing about having no heat, however- It makes it much easier to photograph the steam from hot foods!

Golden Lentil Stew

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Small/Medium Yellow Onions, Roughly Chopped (2 Cups)
2 Leeks, Roughly Chopped (2 Cups)
8 Stalks Celery, Diced (1 Cup)
4 – 6 Carrots, Diced (1 Cup)
2 Cloves Garlic, Finely Minced
2 Tablespoons Yellow Curry Powder
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Sweet Paprika
1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme
2 Cups Split Yellow Daal (Lentils)
1/2 Cup Uncooked White Rice
1 8-Ounce Can Tomato Sauce
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
6 – 8 Cups Vegetable Stock, or More if Desired
1 1/2 Teaspoons Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

4 Cups Broccoli Florets, Par Cooked from Fresh or Frozen
1 Cup Frozen Peas

In a large stockpot over medium heat, get the oil nice and hot, and saute the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, and garlic, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, until the onions are translucent and all the veggies are tender. Add in the herbs and spices, and cook for another 10 minutes to let the flavors begin to mingle.

At this stage, you can go ahead and introduce your dry lentils and rice, as well as the tomato sauce, vinegar, and 6 cups of the vegetable stock. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the stew to simmer, adding in more stock if it threatens to dry out and burn, for about 1 hour, until the lentils are cooked through. Give it a taste, add in the salt and pepper, taste again, and adjust the seasonings if desired.

Toss in the frozen veggies, kill the heat, and just stir them through the mixture to thaw. Allow 5 minutes for this last round of veg to come up to temperature. Add in the remaining amount of stock if it’s too thick for your tastes, and even more if you’d prefer something soupier. Serve piping hot!

Makes 8 – 10+ Servings

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Breaking the Rules

Though I wouldn’t necessarily call myself out-and-out rebellious, I just hate rules. Especially when those rules are so pointless that following them only leads to close-mindedness. Sound a bit out there? Bear with me.

Every case of food snobbery I’ve witnessed thus far has revolved around certain unwritten commandments against preparing food differently than it is traditionally, or “properly” done. Just think about that for a minute… Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Where would we be if no one deviated from the recipe, whether it be with an additional pinch of nutmeg or by switching out the flours for something different entirely? What about modern fine dining? Do you think these chefs learned how to use methylcellulose from their grandmothers, that knowledge passed down through the generations? I could be wrong, but I think not.

Of course, when confronted with such revolutionary concepts and approaches, it may still take some time for me to warm to the idea. Gazing into the refrigerated cases recently at a vegan cafe, something on the top shelf caught my eye: Raw falafel. Defined as “a fried ball or patty made from spiced chickpeas and/or fava beans“, it was hard to grasp how this creation before me was related, as it was neither fried nor made of chickpeas. In fact, it wasn’t even cooked at it; It was raw.

However, at the end of the day, the question was not, “Is this a falafel, or isn’t it?” but “How on earth did they make this thing?!” It was simply delicious, no matter what you called it. And that is the reward of successfully breaking the foods rules.

Rushing home to recreate this new found delight, I was already breaking the rules again in no time.

Drawing inspiration from those revolutionary bean-less falafel, but tweaking the execution to my liking, my spiced spheres are actually baked, but could just as easily be made raw if desired. Just slightly crispy on the outside, but lusciously tender and moist on the inside, they’re a welcome change of pace from the typically heavy, often grease, fried variety.

I served mine up in a quick little salad with a drizzle of tahini dressing, but they’re perfectly at home in a traditional pita bread as well, if you must.

Sunflower Seed Falafel

1 1/2 Cups Raw Sunflower Seeds, Soaked Overnight (or at least 8 hours)
2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley
2 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Chives, or 1 Scallion
2 Tablespoons Tahini
1/4 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice
1 – 2 Cloves Garlic
1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
1 Teaspoon Salt
Pinch Black Pepper

Paprika

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with either parchment paper or a silpat.

Pull out your food processor or blender, and toss in everything but the paprika. Pulse, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get everything incorporated, until the mixture is the consistency of a rough pate, or chunky peanut butter.

Using a small cookie scoop, or two spoons, portion out 1 rounded tablespoon of the sunflower paste per falafel onto your prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle just a tiny pinch of paprika on top of each raw falafel, and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes, until lightly browned.*

*To make these raw, simply pop them into a dehydrator instead. I’m no expert on these things, but it could take between 6 – 10 hours. Just keep checking on them (and let me know about your results!)

Serve warm, or let cool and store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Makes About 30 Falafel

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