Very Vegan New Year Cooking Class

I had a great time cooking up a three-course gourmet vegan dinner at The Weekend Kitchen in Essex, CT this weekend. We wined and dined in a gorgeous 18th century inspired farmhouse kitchen and prepared a delicious menu of fresh, seasonal ingredients.

This class provided hands-on instruction on  how to create whole food plant-based recipes perfect for entertaining guests or eating on a daily basis. 

Students learned techniques for balancing color, taste, and texture, maximizing nutrition by using fresh, seasonal ingredients, and incorporating foods high in antioxidants and phytonutrients into their cooking repertoire. 

We created eight recipes from my new cookbook, Eat Vegan with Me. These quick and easy recipes taste as good as they make you feel! 

We started with an appetizer of Endive Leaves with Vegan Caviar and Cashew Crema. This savory start whetted appetites for the meal to follow.

The entree included a Pecan Crusted Tempeh that was marinated in a seasoned tamari and tomato paste sauce, then dipped in a gluten free breading of crushed pecans, nutritional yeast, corn starch, and other ingredients. 

 

This was served on a bed of mashed root vegetables, coconut roasted asparagus, and a savory crimini mushroom gravy. 

We finished our meal with gluten free Dirty Blondies made with coconut, chopped pecans, and chocolate chips. The secret ingredients were Great Northern Beans and oatmeal pureed into the batter to create a rich, dense texture.  The dessert was not only delicious, but heart healthy as well. 

The Dirty Blondies were plated with a cinnamon spiced Maple Pumpkin Butter Sauce that added a bright contrast to the dessert. 

Afterward, we sat down at the long farmhouse table to enjoy the meal we had prepared together. Thank you to Nancy, owner of The Weekend Kitchen, and to everyone for attending this fun class! Happy Vegan New Year! 

Healing Outside the Box

I was happy to return to the set of "Healing Outside the Box," on North Haven public access TV, to speak about creating a vegan kitchen.  Host Rosemary LaChance spoke with me about the obstacles people often face when making the vegan transition, including the inconvenience of eating with family and friends, time constraints, lack of motivation and support, confusion about where to begin and what foods to eat for maximum nutrition.  I shared tips and strategies for how to eat a healthy, whole foods vegan diet and gave some background on my own experience.  Plus I got to talk about animals, which I always like the best.

If you missed the live broadcast, it will be aired on Frontier cable in various locations throughout southern Connecticut over the next few months. Visit Rosemary's page for more information and to see the schedule.

Recipe: Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Greens Soup

I recently appeared on the cooking segment of WWLP-TV's "Mass Appeal" entertainment program and talked about making a Vegan Resolution for the New Year.  I also demonstrated how to make one of my favorite cold weather recipes, Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Greens Soup.  This is the perfect soup for a dreary winter day when you just want something that will warm you up quickly.  It has a light, yet savory broth made with fire-roasted tomatoes and seasoned with dried basil and oregano.  And it's satisfying, too, since it's loaded with fiber and protein from cannelini beans and red potatoes, plus calcium and iron from the huge bunch of kale.

I like to serve the soup garnished with a drizzle of parsley oil, my "go to" flavor enhancer.  Just drizzle a little bit on top for an extra kick of fresh garlic and parsley that will get the taste buds going.  You can also top the soup with a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts for a little bit of crunch.

This recipe and others like it can be found in my new cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats.

Tuscan White Bean and Garlic Greens Soup (serves 4-6)

1 Tbl olive oil 

1 medium onion, diced

2-3 cloves garlic, minced 

6 cups water 

2 carrots, peeled and cut into half moons 

2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/2 in. cubes 

15 oz. can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes

1 tsp dried basil 

1 Tbl dried oregano 

1 tsp sea salt 

15 oz. can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbl toasted pine nuts

1-2 Tbl olive oil

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

large bunch shredded kale, collard, Swiss chard or spinach 

sea salt, fresh crushed black pepper to taste

In a large soup pot, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent.  Add water, carrots and potatoes and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer covered for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.  Add beans, tomatoes, herbs and salt.  In a separate pan, heat pine nuts until fragrant and lightly browned, then set aside.  Heat olive oil in pan, and cook garlic until fragrant.  Stir in greens, sprinkle with salt, and cook several minutes or until wilted.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with sauteed greens and toasted pine nuts.  

A Month of Menus

As we wind down the year, we wind up the action at Well on Wheels headquarters. Life has been busy with planning events, cooking demonstrations, holiday dinners, and... buying a house (details to follow)!  Amidst all of the flurry of activities, I've also been cooking weekly meals for my lovely and loyal clients.  Here's a peek at the past month of menus.

 Week One

 Black Bean with Fire-roasted Tomatoes in Adobo, Chili Spiced Zucchini, and Brown Rice

Soy Sesame Baked Tofu with Cabbage and Carrot Sautee on Brown Rice

 Chickpea "Tuno" and Cruciferous Vegetable Slaw

 Week Two

 Tofu with Peanut Sesame Cabbage on Brown Rice

Summer Vegetable and Cannelini Bean Sautee with Dijon Cream Sauce on Baked Polenta

Temeph and Kale Sautee with Curried Butternut Squash Risotto

Week Three

Buffalo Tofu and Cauliflower with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Tofu, Broccoli and Carrot Stirfry with Brown Rice

Pan-fried Tempeh with Wild Rice Pilaf and Roasted Balsamic Brussels Sprouts

Week Four

Baked Tofu with Cranberry Compote, Cider Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Sesame Green Beans

Penne with Pumpkin Cream Sauce, Snow Peas, Shiitake and Toasted Pistachios

Cajun Tempeh and Collards on Brown Rice

Week Five

Malaysian Coconut Tofu Curry with Brown Rice 

Pan-fried Tempeh with Porcini Mushroom Gravy, Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

Kale, Kabocha Squash and Aduki Bean Sautee with Brown Rice

Week Six

Triple Green Tofu Stir-fry with Brown Rice

Tofu and Summer Squash Scramble with Home Fries 

Tempeh with Dijon Agave Glaze, Quinoa and Green Beans Amandine

CT Style: Edamame Succotash

"Sufferin' succotash!!"  How can you not think of Sylvester the Cat saying that whenever you hear the word succotash? That's what we kept saying off camera while on the set of WTNH TV's "CT Style."  I was back again to tape the cooking segment and featured this quick and easy "work night meal" recipe.

This traditional Native American recipe is made with corn and beans, which together form a complete protein.  I chose to do a contemporary twist on this dish by substitution edamame (soy beans) for the standard lima beans, plus I added some cherry tomatoes for an extra pop of seasonal color.

You can see the full segment and get the recipe here:

http://wtnh.com/2014/09/29/in-the-kitchen-edamame-succotash/

Easy Peasy Vegan Eats Cookbook Now Available!!

I'm thrilled to announce the release of my new cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats:  Healthy Cooking for Busy Peeps. For a limited time, you can order a copy directly from the publisher at the discounted price of $15 per book (reg. $16.95).  Get your copy here.

Featured in this book are quick and easy recipes and meal-planning ideas for people who want to eat healthy but just don’t have the time.  North American Vegetarian Society Board Director, Maribeth Abrams, says, 

“Chef Mary Lawrence caters to seasoned vegans and beginners alike, with an artful array of masterfully flavorful yet easy recipes sure to knock your socks off.”

With over 125 gluten-free, vegan recipes, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats contains a symphony of flavors to tantalize the tastebuds. Could Walnut Neatballs with Fire-Roasted Tomato Marinara possibly receive approval from an Italian mom?  Of course!  And how about the Chocolate Ambrosia Tart with Toasted Coconut Almond Crust?  Yes, please!  Who says vegan food is boring?  Not this chef!  Chapter 5 “Color Me Impressed” dispels that myth by highlighting recipe versatility and focusing on how to create culinary balance through color, taste, and texture.  Her tips for getting the party started in your kitchen and choreographing a multi-course menu will have you jumping at the chance to host your first vegan soiree. 

Easy Peasy Vegan Eats:  Healthy Cooking for Busy Peeps is listed at $16.95 (ISBN 9781 495332975) and is available at Amazon.com .

Autumn Equinox Vegan Potluck

Welcome Fall!  This weekend I hosted an Autumn Equinox Vegan Potluck at Well on Wheels World Headquarters to say goodbye to Summer and hello to a new season.  A dozen or so close friends gathered together to celebrate this auspicious occasion and share some fabulous vegan food!

The menu I prepared included Heirloom Tomatoes with Parsley Pistou and Basil Chiffonade, Herbed Cashew Cheese with Raw Flax Crackers, Crispy Sesame Tofu with Smoked Paprika Cashew SOur Creme and Sriracha, Chickpea Tuno Salad, and Grandma's Lithuanian Cake, veganized and gluten-free.  Everybody raved as we gorged on this delicious harvest feast!

Thank you to all who attended!  Let's hope this is the start of a joyous fall season!