New Hampshire Veg Fest

This past weekend I had the honor of presenting a workshop called "Dress for Success:  How to Create Tantalizing Vegan Food to Win Over the Masses" for the New Hampshire Veg Fest.  I enjoyed meeting some very excited new vegans and people curious about eating healthier.

The consistent message among all those I spoke with was that they were thrilled to attend a conference like this not just for the educational experience, but to know that there is a growing community of likeminded individuals who they can connect with.  I feel this is absolutely critical when making the vegan transition.  It always helps to have a vegan buddy for support!  (Feel free to friend me on Facebook if your vegan support system needs a little boost!)

My presentation focused on tricks and techniques for making food look appealing on the plate.  Since we "eat with our eyes," I feel that plating food is probably the most important skill to learn in order to convince a skeptical nonvegan to give something new a try.  If it looks beautiful, most people don't even ask what it is - they just want to dig in!

This was the case with the food I presented.  The menu featured Cornmeal Crusted Tofu with Spring Cleanse Quinoa Salad, Spicy Horseradish Cashew Creme Sauce and Parsley Pistou.  I demonstrated how to present the food four ways, from casual to ultra gourmet all dressed up with pretty edible flours and curly scallion ribbons.

It only takes a few extra minutes to make food look fabulous, so why not have some fun with it?  All it takes is a squeeze bottle and a little bit of playful inspiration.  If we can play with our food, that makes it all the more enjoyable!

All of these recipes are featured in my new cookbook, Easy Peasy Vegan Eats, which is now available through Amazon.com.  There are over 100 gluten-free recipes just like these as well as more insider tips about creating culinary balance through color, taste and texture, which is essential to a satisfying meal.

Plating #1

Plating #2

Plating #3

Plating #4

Restaurant Review: G-Zen

It's been awhile since I've visited G-Zen, an organic vegan bistro in the shoreline town of Branford, CT.  The last time I was there was to attend the launch of their Saturday "Buddha Brunch" and sample some breakfasty foods, so I was looking forward to returning for dinner with friends.

The occasion was the 40th birthday party of a friend and animal activist who arranged for 20% of the night's proceeds to benefit the Greater New Haven Cat Project where she volunteers.  I was happy to support this fantastic organization and celebrate the birthday of a very hard-working woman.

I started with the Fire Island Sake-tini, made with pineapple juice, coconut water, banana, and sake.  It was refreshingly tropical for a sultry summer evening.  The price ($12.50) was a little steep, but since the juice was fresh and organic, it was understandable.

For our appetizer, the four of us shared the Vegan Artisinal Nut Cheese Platter special which was served with baguette, champagne grapes, and dates on a bed of mesclun.  The three cheeses were made from pureed raw cashews in varieties of goat cheese, herbed cheese, and peppercorn brie.  All of these were tasty, but the portion would have been more appropriate for two instead of four people to share.  At $20, this also was a pricey menu item which would have been even more of a splurge had we ordered two.

One positive note is that I requested gluten-free bread which at first my server had said couldn't be substituted, but then she came to the table with a plate of puffy little flat rolls.  I neglected to take a photo, but these were the highlight of my evening:  it's rare to get soft, pillowy bread that is not only gluten-free, but also vegan.  I asked our server if these were made in house but was informed they came from Dee's One Smart Cookie, a gluten-free bakery in Glastonbury.  I highly recommend this bread if you can't eat gluten and are tired of those frozen bricks that taste like cardboard when you toast them.  The gluten-free pizza crust at G-Zen also comes from Dee's.

It was tough to decide on an entree since I've eaten nearly everything on the menu on prior visits to G-Zen as well as when they were served at Chef Mark Shadle's previous incarnation, It's Only Natural restaurant in Middletown, CT.  One item I hadn't ever tried was the Black Bean Burger, but since I didn't want it on a bun (although, in retrospect, more of that Dee's bread would've been pretty awesome!), I decided to order the Garden Guru, which is any 4 sides for $20.  I chose the burger, mashed potatoes and gravy, sauteed greens and grilled asparagus.

When the food arrived at the table, my server notified me that they were out of grilled asparagus and had substituted more greens.  Now, I'm a huge fan of greens, but when I order something that's kinda what I expect to get, so I was a little disappointed I hadn't been informed of this asparagus outage in order to pre-empt the substitution.  I think she kinda sensed my surprise and offered to bring me a different sub, so I asked for the mixed veggies... which ended up being more greens, plus carrots, broccoli, zucchini and turnips. Everything else on the plate was ok, though I kinda like my mashed potatoes drowning in gravy, which also would have been nice to slather on the somewhat dry burger.

I did not order dessert, but my dining companions enjoyed some Nice Cream and Carrot Cake.  Ultimately, the best part of the evening was the good company and conversation which lingered well past closing time.  It was a pleasure to be able to enjoy a leisurely meal with friends and not feel pressured out the door.

Cooking Class: Healthy Cooking in a Hurry

Last night I held the summer edition of my "Healthy Cooking in a Hurry" class for West Hartford Adult Education.  Because it was a sweltering evening after a long, hot and sticky day, the menu featured recipes that minimized the use of the oven.  The result was a delicious array of crisp, fresh veggies in savory sauces, along with a seasonally inspired dessert that was sweetly satisfying.

To start, we indulged in a Gazpacho soup made with cooling vegetables like cucumber and celery.  It was topped with a garnish of parsley oil and a fan of avocado, then served at room temperature.

Everyone was pleasantly surprised at how flavorful and substantial this uncooked starter was.  If I was making this for a summer party, I think it would look elegant served in tall shot glasses!

The entree was a combo of two uncooked salads that would work well at a picnic.  The Mock Chicken Salad is made with tempeh combined with chopped carrot, celery, red onion, and dill pickle.  I used Earth Balance Mindful Mayo, but Nayonaise and Vegenaise are also really good mayonaise substitutes.  This was served with a colorful Cruciferous Vegetable Slaw made with broccoli, cauliflower, and purple cabbage as well as pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries.  Not only was this melange of anti-cancer superfoods tasty, it was crunchy, too... but in a good way.

For dessert we indulged in Gluten-free Blueberry Buckwheat Hemp Crisp.  This is the same recipe as my Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp, but with the substitution of seasonal blueberries.  Almost any fruit can work here, though some are more watery than others.

I think the filling would have benefited from one more teaspoon of cornstarch, but the blueberry syrup at the bottom of the bowl was kind of a nice ending, nonetheless.  It was a light, sweet dessert to a meal that was filling but not stuffing.

What did you think of the meal?  Was it satisfying?  Were you surprised at how delicious these foods could be?

Recipe: Gluten-free Strawberry Rhubarb Buckwheat Hemp Crisp

I recently held a Vegan Potluck Picnic at the Well on Wheels world headquarters to celebrate the Summer Solstice.  Not only was it awesome to get together with some fabulous vegan friends I hadn't seen in awhile -- years even! -- but of course, there was the delicious food... glorious, glorious food... that we feasted on all afternoon.

A favorite was the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp that I made.  I had picked about 7 pounds of strawberries earlier that week and was excited to use them in a recipe.  Well... actually, I realized I wasn't going to eat 7 pounds of strawberries on my own, so I NEEDED to find a recipe for them.  I also had some rhubarb in my freezer from earlier in the season, and since the two balance each other perfectly in that sweet and sour way, I was thinking I'd make a pie.  But the pressure of coming up with a reliable gluten-free pie crust while prepping food and getting my place all neat and tidy for 20 guests made me opt for something simpler:  a crisp.

I've made an apple crisp with this recipe that came out really good, so I figured I'd give it a shot with the strawberries and rhubarb.  I think it was successful.  The fruit became a little bit saucy after cooking, so I think I'd add a bit more cornstarch to the filling next time.  The topping gets its crispiness from a combination of Erewhon Buckwheat Hemp Flakes that have been lightly pulsed in the food processor, then mixed with hemp seeds. It's a streusel-like texture that's not too crunchy, and it pairs well with the creamy fruit.

I served mine with a couple scoops of So Delicious sugar free butter pecan coconut milk ice cream.  It was heavenly and had me dreaming of long summer vacations swinging on porch swings, relaxing by the pool, and falling asleep listening to ocean waves.

Gluten-free Strawberry Rhubarb Buckwheat Hemp Crisp

Filling:
3 cups strawberries, sliced, reserving about 1/2 cup for garnish
1 cup rhubarb, diced into 1-inch pieces (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup organic coconut sugar or Sucanat
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp corn starch
pinch of sea salt

Topping:

1/2 cup Erewhon Buckwheat Hemp Flakes

1/2 cup almond flour (Bobs Red Mill Almond Meal)
1/2 cup all purpose gluten-free flour (I use Bobs Red Mill)
1 Tbl hemp seeds (Bobs Red Mill Hemp Seed)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup organic coconut sugar or Wholesome Sweetners Sucanat
1/3 cup coconut oil (Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil)
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 Tbl sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In an 8"x8" pan, toss together filling ingredients, then set aside.  In a food processor, pulse buckwheat hemp flakes, almond flour, gluten-free flour, and hemp seeds several times until flakes are slightly crushed.  Add cinnamon, sugar, coconut oil, and sea salt and pulse until they begin to clump together.  Sprinkle topping loosely over the filling mixture, leaving spaces around the edges of the pan, then sprinkle with sliced almonds. Cover with foil and place on cookie sheet to catch any drips.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until fruit filling is bubbly, then remove cover and bake an additional 10-15 minutes to crisp the top.  Remove and let cool before serving. Garnish with fresh strawberries and edible flowers.

Back to Eden Bakery

I'm in Portland this week for the Vida Vegan Con, but I had two days before the festivities begin to explore the city solo.  The first morning was spent wandering around the Rose Test Garden, Japanese Garden, and Arboretum at Washington Park.  Even in the incessant cold rain, it was sublime.

Afternoon hunger pangs lead me to consult my list of vegan restaurants I had compiled prior to leaving for my trip.  The one that drew me in was buckwheat crepes... with vegan nutella.  It seemed like it would be the perfect light lunch that was almost breakfast since I hadn't had my morning sweet fix, aside from an apple.

So I headed to NE Alberta for Suzette Creperie, one of many French themed restaurants in the city, but this one had a vegan section on their menu and came highly recommended on Happy Cow.  I drove through pouring rain and bumper to bumper traffic, then pulled up in front with a sense of victory, only to find that the spot was no longer a creperie, but instead a Middle Eastern cafe.  UG!!  (Note to Happy Cow: please update your site!  Note to self:  Always call ahead!).

Fortunately for me, this section of the city had 2 other vegan options:  a food cart and a gluten-free vegan bakery.  I chose the latter because I needed to sit inside somewhere warm.

And I was glad for the rain.  And the mixup in plans.  Because Back to Eden Bakery was an oasis of sweet and savory treats that were welcome to this weary traveler.

It was difficult to decide what to start with when I searched the array of wraps, tarts, salads, and mini quiches in the display, and there was also soup and biscuits & gravy (yikes!!).  I chose the mini cashew asparagus tart, which was perfectly satisfying.  The filling of creamy cashew had a cheesy, bacony undertone and it sat nicely in a light and flaky crust.  This was a lovely lunch.

Then came the desserts.... I wanted to take the whole case to go, but I restrained myself to just the Rocky Road Mini Cake and the Almond Strawberry Whoopie Pie.  Both were outstanding.

The cake had a moist, dense, yet tender crumb.  It was enrobed in a bittersweet chocolate ganache that was the ideal accompaniment to the super sweet cake. Inside there was a filling of creamy marshmallowy goodness.

For breakfast the next morning, I enjoyed the Whoopie Pie.  This was like two soft almond macaroons filled with a sweet and fruity frosting.  It was quite a sugar shock to the tastebuds first thing in the morning... but I'm not complaining.  It was fabulous.

Back to Eden was a happy accident that I stumbled upon.  And I'm definitely going to plan a return visit for some goodies to take back on the plane home.

Truly OMG Crispy Chewy Gluten-free Vegan Pizza

I never believed it was possible until today.  No more biscuit dough.  No more crisp cracker.  No more crust held together with egg whites (not vegan!).  Nope.  This is something reminiscent of a crunchy, chewy baguette, which requires a good, hearty bite and lots of work from strong jaws to break down.  And that's exactly what I like in a pizza crust.

Something about the work involved makes this extra satisfying to me.  A crust that disintegrates in your mouth just doesn't feel substantial, and one that's as crisp as a cracker only feels like a snack.  This was a meal.  Two pieces and I was done (and that was pushing it.... but it was soooo good).

The secret was in the combination of ingredients and technique.  I didn't have a recipe, so I scanned the web for others' experiences making gluten-free dough, and I settled in on one with the fewest and most common ingredients, found on Yummly.com.  No requirement to grind your own flour, no teff, quinoa, or sorghum flour which are expensive and sometimes hard to find.

Start by proofing your package of yeast in a bowl of 1 1/2 cups of warm water.  Add 2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil and 1 tsp sugar and wait till it bubbles.

Then stir in your dry ingredients:  2 cups gluten-free flour (I used Bobs Red Mill 19549 Baking Flour Gluten Free)), 2 tsp xanthan gum, and 1/4 tsp sea salt.  The mixture was a little wet, so I let it sit for about 5 minutes since xanthan gum absorbs liquid as it sits.  But this didn't, so I added about another 1/2 cup of flour till it pulled away from the sides of the bowl and came together in a loose ball.  I still needed to generously dust my hands with flour when I pressed the dough out into the pan, and it still kinda stuck to my fingers like glue (sorry, no photos of that).

As for technique, there was no need to knead, let rise, punch down, or rise a second time (although I do kinda miss that part, but being that I'm impatient, I didn't mind not having to wait).  This was ready right away.

The most important trick I learned was from cleangreensimple.com which had the best recommendation ever:  cook it on a cast iron skillet.  Blogger Jessica Verma recommends placing the skillet in your oven while it preheats for 10-15 minutes while you're making the dough.  Then, when your dough is ready, pull the hot skillet out of the oven, flip it over, and stretch your dough out on top.

I didn't trust my flipping skills with a hot pan (those things are SO darn heavy!), so I just pressed my dough out in the pan deep-dish style.  The dough recipe I used was enough for 2 pies, so half of the ball fit perfectly in the skillet.

Then I baked it at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes, until it got slightly browned.  (My kitchen kinda smelled all yeasty like fresh-baked bread at this point.)

While it was in the oven, I sauteed some zucchini and red onion in a pan, and made a simple sauce with a can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, garlic, fresh basil, and sea salt.

I poured the tomato sauce on top of the crust, added the sauteed veggies, topped it all off with a couple handfuls of Daiya shredded mozzarella, then popped it in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, just to compare, I pressed the other half of the dough out onto an oiled cookie sheet.  I topped this with the remaining sauce and veggies.  I placed this in the oven for about 15-20 minutes.

The result?  Well, as I mentioned, the iron skillet was phenomenal!  Crispy, chewy, golden brown, and the flavors came together perfectly.  And just look at that crust!!

Had I only used the cookie sheet, I would've been underwhelmed. It was good, but nothing compared to the iron skillet version.  Look at that.  Not even close.

So, for future reference, when making pizza at home, if you don't have a baking stone, pull out your heavy skillet.  It will be worth the effort, and you'll get a little workout in the process.

This pulled away perfectly from the skillet, and crunched when I sliced it.

Another angle of supreme deliciousness.

A dinner of pure love.  Leftovers to dream about.

What's cooking this week

We're in the midst of a semi-heat wave here at Well on Wheels headquarters.  Even though temperatures haven't crossed the 90 degree threshold to make it official, now that Memorial Day is history, it really feels like summer already.   So this week I've been trying to keep cool in the kitchen with a less heat intensive menu.

The first entree was inspired by the seasonal theme of outdoor cooking:  Barbecue Tofu with Mashed Potatoes and Dijon Green Beans.  Even though I baked the tofu, it got nicely charred in the oven and the sauce slathered all over it reminded me of the best barbecue restaurants in Oakland, CA, minus the  animal bones.  

The second entree was a light meal of Black Bean and Quinoa Stuffed Zucchini Boats with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce.  There are some deep flavors in this dish with cumin and chili powder in the pilaf and paprika in the sauce.

The final entree was an Asparagus and Leek Risotto with Sauteed Escarole, Tomatoes and White Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts.  Even though it feels like summer, since it's technically still spring, these veggies are perfect for the transition.  It's amazing how rich and creamy the risotto gets just with rice milk and nutritional yeast and a drizzle of olive oil at the end.  Pure comfort food.

Gluten-free Vegan Toffee Apple Crisp

Today was a drizzly, cold Sunday, which felt much like the spring I remember and not the balmy spring we've been having.  So it's no surprise that on this lazy afternoon I was craving a warm and comforting fresh-baked treat.  I poked around my kitchen for something that would work in a dessert and found four apples -- two Granny Smith and two Gala -- so I decided to turn them into an apple crisp.

I recently went to a new restaurant in Watertown, CT where my dining companion raved about the apple crisp.  It was topped by a melty scoop of ice cream, but I navigated around it to taste a spoonful tip of the apple part so I could get an idea of what he was so ecstatic about.  Aside from the butter, the flavor that came forward was luscious caramel toffee.  With that in mind, I set about recreating a gluten-free vegan version which I could eat and serve with confidence to non-vegans.  I think I hit it on my first try.

The recipe is modified from Tasty Yummy's version of apple crisp, but substitutes traditional oats with buckwheat flakes since I'm also sensitive to oats.  I used ground almonds to provide a crunch and some richness to the crisp.  For sweetness I used a combination of organic sugar and maple syrup.  But the real decadence comes from the coconut oil.  When these ingredients combine, a heavenly melty toffee results.  Top it with a generous dollop of NadaMoo! Maple Pecan ice cream.... ahhh... perfection.

Gluten-free Vegan Toffee Apple Crisp
In a large bowl, combine filling:
4 apples, sliced into 2-inch chunks
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbl maple syrup
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp sea salt

Topping:
1/2 cup almonds, finely ground
1/2 cup cream of buckwheat (uncooked)
1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup organic sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/8 tsp sea salt
1 Tbl maple syrup

In a food processor, grind slivered almonds until finely chopped.  Add buckwheat, rice flour, cinnamon, sugar, oil, and sea salt and process until clumps form.  Pour apple mixture into 8"x8" pan and spread topping over the top.  Drizzle with maple syrup.  Place in preheated 375 degree oven and bake 30-40 minutes, or until bubbly and browned.