Apple Cider Brussels Sprouts

As a kid, I hated Brussels sprouts with a passion (as well as a multitude of other vegetables). I can remember gagging as I forced those wretched vegetable down my throat, because I knew I couldn't leave the dinner table until they were all gone. Fortunately, since childhood I've developed an appreciation for almost all vegetables, Brussels sprouts included. This recipe is from Vegan Yum Yum cookbook.

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup apple cider or apple juice
4 tbsp. Earth Balance margarine
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

Trim the ends off of the Brussels sprouts, remove loose and blemished leaves and then halve.

Heat the oil in a very large saute pan, allowing the pan to get really hot, but not smoking. Place the Brussels sprouts in, cut side down and let them cook for 1 to 2 minutes until seared with some color but not cooked through. Turn down the heat to medium low, add the apple cider and cover. Cook for 4 minutes, or until just tender; a knife inserted in the stem should go in with a little resistance, and the Brussels sprouts should be bright green. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and place them into a large bowl, leaving the liquid behind in the pan. If a couple of stray leaves remain that's fine.

Turn down the heat a bit more and add the margarine, mustard and salt. When the margarine is melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until smooth. If the pan is too hot when you add the flour, you'll get a lumpy sauce no matter what, because the flour cooks and forms lumps instead of disolving. Turn up the heat and keep whisking until the sauce is thickened, another couple of seconds. Pour the sauce over sprouts, toss and serve immediately.

Creamy Sweet Pea Pesto Pasta

This sauce was inspired by a Sweet Pea Pesto dish that used to be on the menu at one of my favorite Walla Walla Restaurants, the Green Spoon. It always sounded so good, but the knowledge of how all that cheese and dairy would leave my stomach feeling made me pass it up every time. I'm not sure what the original tasted like, but this plant-based alternative is pretty tasty.

1 cup cashews
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
Juice from half a lemon
1/2 tsp. smoked salt
2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/4 tsp. paprika
4-6 cloves of garlic
Pepper to taste
2 tbsp. Earth Balance margarine
1 1/2 cups fresh peas (thawed frozen peas will work too)
Big bunch of pea sprouts (cut off the green part to use as a garnish)

Place cashews in blender or food processor and cover with water. Blend until smooth, add more water as necessary to achieve a sauce-like consistency. Add the lemon juice, salt, dijon mustard, paprika, garlic cloves, butter and pepper and blend until thoroughly combined. Add the peas and pea shoots and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add a small amount of water until desired consistency is reached.

Pour the sauce into a saucepan and cook on medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes. Stir constantly to ensure that sauce doesn't burn. Serve with your favorite pasta, garnish with pea sprouts and enjoy!

Coconut Macaroons

2/3 brown rice flour
5 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2/3 cups agave syrup
1 cup cocnut milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine the rice flour, coconut, salt, agave syrup, coconut milk, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. The dough will be moist and slightly sticky.

Use an ice cream scoop to form the macaroons. Dip the scoop in a pitcher of water, then firmly pack the dough into the scoop just to the rim. (Packing the dough is critical so that the macaroons stay together when baked.) Ease the dough out of the scoop and onto a prepared greased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until just barely brown, about 12 minutes.

Creamy Corn Chowder

I love soup, especially during chilly winter nights. Growing up, my mother often made corn chowder and it was always one of my favorites. This recipe from The Conscious Cook by Tal Ronnen uses cashew cream to give this soup its wonderfully creamy base.

Sea Salt
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 cups diced Vidalia onions
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, de-ribbed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 dried chipotle pepper
5 cups vegetable broth
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kernels from 6 ears of corn, plus 2 ears roasted or grilled corn
1 1/2 cups thick Cashew Cream (click here for recipe)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. minced chives
1/2 cup diced tomatoes

Place a large pot over medium heat, sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

Add the onions, carrots, celery, bell pepper, and chipotle pepper. Saute for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the stock, potatoes, and thyme, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

With the back of a spoon, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot and stir to thicken the soup. Add the raw corn and Cashew Cream, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the chipotle pepper and thyme sprigs. Garnish with the chives, tomato, and roasted corn kernels.

Almond-Anise Biscotti

This delicious recipe from Veganomicon cookbook is one of my favorites. The combination of anise and almonds is absolutely amazing.

1/3 cup almond or soy milk
2 tbsp. ground flaxseeds
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp. arrowroot powder
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. aniseeds
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup whole, raw almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Whisk together the almond milk and flaxseeds for about 30 seconds. Add the sugar, oil, and extracts, and mix until smooth. Stir in the flour, arrowroot, baking powder, aniseeds, and salt. Add almonds last and stir until just combined.

Form the dough into a rectangle on the baking sheet about 12 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. Bake for 28 minutes until lightly puffed. Then remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes or until you can slice the biscotti without it crumbling.

Turn the oven temperature up to 375 degrees F. When biscotti is cooled, cut into 1/2 inch slices using a sharp knife. Avoid using a serrated knife because this can cause the biscotti to crumble. Set the cut slices back on the backing sheet cut sides up. Bake another 12 to 15 minutes or until the desired level of crispness is achieved.

Berry and Cream Cheese Crepes

Brunch has always been one of my favorite meals, there's just something thoroughly enjoyable about sipping a cup of coffee and slowly enjoying a good meal with the knowledge that you still have a whole day ahead of you to enjoy. This crepe recipe from one of my favorite vegan food blogs is absolutely delicious. Try replacing some or all of the white flour with spelt flour for a healthier alternative.

Basic Crepe Recipe

1/2 Cup Soymilk
2/3 Cup Water
1/4 Cup Earth Balance, melted
1 Cup Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
1 Tbs Sugar (sweet crepes only, optional)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract (sweet crepes only, optional)
2 Tbs Water, to thin if needed
 

Place all the ingredients in a blender or in a bowl. Blend or whisk until smooth. Transfer to a 2 Cup measuring cup (for pouring) and refrigerate for 30 minutes. While the batter is refrigerating, prepare your fillings.

To serve the crepes I suggest spreading on a bit of vegan cream cheese (Tofutti brand is pretty good, but make sure you get the non-hydrogenated cream cheese!) and then topping with fresh or frozen berries.

Whole Wheat Bread in 10 Minutes

Most people are intimidated by the idea of baking bread. They envision a day-long ordeal and hours of kneading, when in truth, the best bread can be made at home and requires less than 10 minutes of work. In My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method, Jim Lahey reveals the secrets to creating delicious, artisan bread in only a matter of minutes. One of the keys to his method is baking in a cast iron pot. This acts like a mini brick oven within your oven sealing in steam and embracing the loaf in intense heat.

Pane Integrale Whole Wheat Bread
4 cups whole wheat
2 cups bread flour
2 1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp instant or other active dry yeast
Cool water 2 2/3 cups
Wheat bran, cornmeal, or additional flour for dusting

Combine the flour, salt, and yeast in a bowl and mix together. Add the water and mix about 30 seconds until you have a wet, sticky dough. Cover and let rise until dough is doubled in size, about 12 to 18 hours.

After the first rise, dust a tea towel with flour and then gently lift the dough from the bowl and form into a loaf, tucking the sides underneath to make a round loaf. Fold the ends of the towel over the loaf to cover it and let it rise for another one to two hours or until almost doubled. It is ready if when you gently poke it with your finger, it holds the impression. If it springs back, let it rise for another 15 minutes.

Half an hour before the end of the second rise, preheat the oven to 475 degrees F with a 4 1/2 to 5 1/2 quart cast iron pot inside.

When the oven is preheated and the dough is done rising, carefully remove the pot from the oven with pot holders, remove the lid, and gently invert the dough into the pot. Place the lid back on the pot and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes covered and then remove the lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes more until the bread is a deep chestnut color.