This week's menu

I was so inspired by Chef Tal Ronnen's presentation at the Boston Vegetarian Society Food Festival this weekend that I bought his cookbook, The Conscious Cook.  Filled with "meatless recipes that will change your life," it too was inspiring.  And you can't beat the beautiful color photos, layout, and overall design, which will immediately send you to your kitchen eager to attempt recreating the recipes at home.  At least that's what it did to me. 

This week my clients were treated to two recipes featured in Chef Tal's cookbook.  I made some slight modifications based on my own personal tastes, and of course, my photos don't come near the artful presentations you'll see on those glossy pages.  Nonetheless, I think they were still pretty delicious.

The first entree was Roasted Eggplant on Baked Polenta with Smoked Paprika Cashew Cream, Sauteed Greens, Shallots and Shiitake Mushroom.  The cashew cream sauce recipe alone is worth buying the cookbook for, as it is the perfect balance of spicy sweet with a rich, velvety texture.  This whole recipe was pretty smooth and creamy, which makes me think I should've caramelized the shallots to get a crunchy contrast on top.  Still good, though.

The other Chef Tal inspired recipe was Agave Lime Tofu with Asian Slaw and Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  I love the citrus in this dish, and the crunch of the slaw is the perfect contrast to the creamy sweet potatoes, which I kicked up a notch by mashing together with apple sauce and a little coconut oil.  There were some great flavor combinations going on here as well.

For the last entree this week, I stuck with the Asian theme and made Indonesian Gado-Gado with Tempeh, Cauliflower, Stringbeans, Carrots and Brown Basmati Rice.  Gado-Gado is a peanut based sauce spiced with chili powder and fresh ginger.  I could eat this on just about anything, and if I died tomorrow, I'd have lived a full and satisfying life. 

This Week's Menu

So I was having a discussion the other day with a vegan friend about what to do with tempeh, and both of us agreed that we like tempeh when other people make it, but not when we cook it ourselves.  Why is that?  Do the fermented soy properties somehow magically transform in the hands of another?  Alas, while I cannot solve that mystery, I did come up with a recipe idea for this week's meals:  Deconstructed Tempeh Reuben with Oven Roasted Potatoes and Stringbeans.

This delectible dish is made the same way you'd make a reuben, only without the toasty bread.  First, I panfried some thinly sliced tempeh in a hot pan with a little olive oil, sea salt and fresh black pepper.  After a few minutes when the tempeh gets golden on one side, flip each slice over, and add enough oil to coat the pan again with a little more salt and pepper.  When this side crisps up nice and brown, transfer the tempeh to a dish and spread each slice with about a teaspoon of either Dijon or stoneground mustard.  Then you'll start assembling stacks.  Take one slice of tempeh, top with about a tablespoon of Eden Organic sauerkraut, add another slice of tempeh, then top with more sauerkraut.  If you like things spicy, you can throw down a little horseradish in each layer for good measure.  These stacks go nicely with some thinly sliced oven-roasted potatoes and green beans fresh from the garden.

I was on a green bean kick this week since they're abundant this time of year.  One of the other meals was a luscious Gado Gado, which is an Indonesian peanut sauce made with coconut milk, spiced with chili powder, and stirred together with cauliflower, potatoes and grean beans.  It's topped by fresh carrot, cucumber, red onion, and mung bean sprouts.  A little squeeze of lemon juice brightens the flavors and brings it all together.

The third meal this week was Three Sisters Salad with Baby Spinach and Cherry Tomato Gremolata.  The three sisters are beans, squash, and corn, and they make a perfect little family since they're all in season right now and look so pretty.

No ordinary sorbet

This Sunday we celebrated my parents' 45th wedding anniversary at Cafe Allegre in Madison.  It's a lively, medium-sized restaurant just an exit away from Hamonassett State Park.  Good times were had by all, and I was pleased with their ability to accommodate my vegan needs, particularly for dessert.  My entree was a tasty concoction of portobello mushroom, white beans, olive oil, garlic and broccoli with a side of their delicious house marinara, but alas, it wasn't photo worthy. 

The dessert was another story:  a big heaping pile of lemon sorbet stuffed into a whole lemon, then frozen, and plated in this pretty presentation.  It was a refreshing end to a lovely meal.

Quick and Easy Vegan Dinner

When I prepared the Menu for last night's "Healthy Cooking in a Hurry" cooking class many weeks ago, we were in the midst of a warm spell.  And I had thought by the middle of May things would be warmed up for the remainder of the season.  Alas, the fickle New England weather foiled my plans for warm weather picnic food this evening.  Despite the rain and chill in the air, everyone agreed this was their favorite meal nonetheless. 

We started with a French Lentil and Brown Basmati Rice Pilaf seasoned with fresh oregano, thyme and parsley.  To add a little contrast to the savory flavor, I added chopped kalamata olives, lemon zest and fresh squeezed lemon juice.  This brought all of the flavors together.  On the side was a sautee of Snap Peas with Pistachios and Mint tossed with a simple dressing of Dijon mustard, lemon juice and agave syrup. 

For dessert I did a gluten-free twist on traditional Strawberry Shortcake, and also added some tangy Rhubarb in the mix.  I think I got the last stalk of the season!  This was topped with non-dairy  Soyaytoo Soy Whip and some powdered sugar.  Ahhh... I'm ready for June. 

This week's menu

I've been doing a little experimenting this week with baked stuffed zucchini. One day I tried filling it with a chick pea mash similar to hummus, then sauteed some red pepper, carrots and mushrooms as a garnish.

Last night I made some polenta with sundried tomatoes, put that inside the little zucchini boats, then swam it atop a pool of thick eggplant and red pepper marinara, and topped it with sauteed baby spinach and cannelini beans.

Today, I tried a tofu florentine stuffing similar to what I would use as a "ricotta cheese" for manicotti, then I accompanied it with penne and marinara sauce. It's hard to choose a favorite, but I'm leaning toward the tofu with marinara. Topped with some sauteed baby spinach, it was hard to beat.

I liked the tofu "cheese" filling so much I used it for an eggplant rollatini dish this week.

Rounding out this week's menu was a simple tempeh stirfry with three greens: broccoli, zucchini and snap peas. Bon appetit!

Vegan Dinner Party

It's always nice to share vegan food with nonvegans who are willing to experiment. Most find that the flavors make them forget to think that anything is missing, and instead they enjoy the adventure. Such was the case with the dinner party I catered for one of my clients this week.

Guests were traveling from out of town for the week, and rather than dining in another restaurant (though, to be sure, New Haven certainly has plenty that are remarkable), they decided to dine in and have me cook. I was happy to oblige!

We chose an Italian theme for the menu, figuring it would be the most familiar for guests.

Baby Field Green Salad with Candied Pecans, Dried Cranberries, and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Creamy Butternut Squash, Leek, and Shiitake Mushroom Risotto
Ratatouille
Escarole and Cannelini Beans
Chocolate Ambrosia Tart with Macadamia Coconut Crust and Fresh Raspberries

It was the perfect comfort food for a frigid night. And I think the dessert was particularly a hit. Yummmm....

Happy holidays!!

This week's menu

My garden is overflowing with yellow squash, and I keep trying to come up with new ways to serve it. Last night I made ratatouille for a class I'm teaching in West Hartford. It was delicious (as were the leftovers which I inhaled for lunch today).

For this week's menu, I sauteed the yellow squash with red onion, then tossed it with a lovely tapenade made with black & green olives, walnuts, garlic, capers, fresh basil, olive oil and sundried tomatoes. I think this will become a regular dinner item for me this summer.

I served it alongside red and white quinoa and baked tofu that had been marinated in tamari, tahini and toasted sesame oil, which gave it the perfect lightly crisp coating. The shades of tan were very soothing, and the flavors and textures complemented each other well.

This Week's Meals:

#1 Baked Tofu with Sauteed Yellow Squash and Olive Tapenade on Red and White Quinoa
#2 Chana Masala with Green Beans and Quinoa
#3 Shiitake and Portobello Stroghanoff with Zucchini and Fusilli Pasta

Shoreline Diner - July Menu

It's always fun cooking at the Shoreline Diner. The staff is friendly, the kitchen crew is talented (and also very friendly), and the owners are some of the nicest people in the restaurant business. Oh, yeah, and the food is pretty awesome, too.

This month there are three new items added to the Specials Menu - 2 vegan and one gluten-free (and vegan). Plus, three of my favorite recipes (the chickpea croquettes, tempeh "mock chicken" salad and Mediterannean Pasta) have been added to the regular menu. Yay! It's so exciting to see. And if you haven't stopped by to enjoy a meal on their new patio, you really must make the drive. It's so pretty. And after a day at the beach, you will find it a refreshing oasis. Come and enjoy!

This month's Specials are:

Jerk Tempeh with Red and Green Peppers and Caribbean Rice

BBQ Tofu with Herbed Vegan Cole Slaw and Chili Lime Corn on the Cob

Gluten-free Penne with Roasted Summer Squash,
Sundried Tomato and Basil Pistou

It's Only Natural

It's been awhile since I've been to It's Only Natural, a vegetarian restaurant in Middletown, CT. I used to work there with Chef and owner, Mark Shadle, in the tiniest restaurant kitchen. It's amazing how they can pump out so many lush and gorgeous entrees in that cramped space, and they do it well.

I was pleasantly surprised to find two major changes to their menu. The first is that ION is now almost entirely vegan. For the longest time, they were still serving seafood on their Specials Menu even though they billed themselves as a vegetarian restaurant. This can be confusing for the uninitiated who seem to think fish and chicken are vegetarian (they're not).

[Occasionally, I had the unpleasant job of skinning the salmon fillets. I'd have to clip the fins with scissors and peel off that stubborn layer of skin with pliers. It was not fun. On the plus side, I'd usually bring home the skin for my dog to eat as a treat. She'd chew on it as if it was dental floss.]

The second change is that there was a raw vegan selection for soup, appetizer, entree and dessert. I'm always looking for ideas, and after all the cake I've been eating lately, I felt the need to go all health.

I tried the Collard Rolls Stuffed with Sage Pesto and Veggies, Corn Polenta and Sage Blossom Flax Seed Crackers. Overall, it was a delicious and satisfying plate, and fairly priced at $13. While the Collard Rolls could've used a little more flavorful pesto filling, the polenta and crackers were a nice balance of crisp/creamy, sweet/savory.

For dessert we shared a plate of very rich Cacao Truffles with Berry Coulis and Pickled Cherry. At $7, this was a little pricey, but one truffle was just the right amount of decadence to end the meal. I felt like we were dining in Santa Monica, on one of the rare sunny days we've seen this June.

This week's meals

I woke up this morning to a tremendous thunderstorm that rattled the windows and made the lights flicker. With the rain, the cold, and my dog shivering in fear under the kitchen table, I decided this week's theme would be comfort food. Again. Thankfully, it's something I never get tired of. (But haven't we had enough rain this season??)

Meal #1: French Lentil Stew with Green Beans Amandine and Quinoa

Meal #2: Roasted Portobello Mushroom with Mustard Glaze on Baby Greens and Chickpea Quinoa Pilaf

Meal #3: Creamy Asparagus and Leek Risotto with Eggplant, Tomato and Butter Bean Tagine

My favorite was the creamy risotto which I could eat all day. So rich and creamy, and not an ounce of dairy. Arborio rice soaks up the rice milk like a little sponge, making each grain plump and silky. Drizzle the top with some extra virgin olive oil and garnish with fresh basil. Delish!

Shoreline Diner - June Menu

If the sun is out and you're planning a trip to the beach, you simply MUST make a stop at Guilford's Shoreline Diner and Vegetarian Enclave this month. The new Specials Menu will make you very, very happy. Plus, they have a brand new (and gorgeous!) outdoor patio to enjoy those lazy, hazy days of summer.

I just spent the afternoon with Luis and the kitchen crew working on three new items - all of which were hits, and the biggest surprise was the creamy hollandaise sauce made with tofu. Even die-hard omnivores and tofu skeptics found the taste and texture of the Tofu Benedict Florentine delectable. And it's so easy to make, too.

We got fancy with the second entree, a Moroccan themed Baked Tofu made with a Spicy Harissa Sauce. This was served with Baby Red Bliss Potatoes roasted to perfection and Sauteed Spinach. Delish.

But by far, the winning item was the Gluten-free special, Pan-fried Chick Pea Croquettes with Tahini Sauce, Minted Snap Peas and Quinoa Tabouleh. The croquettes are kinda like falafel, only they're made without wheat flour or breadcrumbs. And there's an added kick of coriander and cumin. Oh, such flavors.

I do hope you can come to the Diner to try them in person!

Mezcal

If you have a craving for authentic Mexican food, you must head to Mezcal, a gem of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant off State St. in New Haven. The flavors are pure and fresh, and even a vegan can navigate a decent meal off their extensive menu.

Yes, there are a lot of meat dishes. And I witnessed plenty of the meals arriving at tables swimming in cheese. But eliminating these two ingredients did not make the end result any less spectacular.

Because I can't eat gluten, I have to avoid the complimentary bowl of crispy wheat tortillas served with a delicious avocado, cilantro and jalepeno dip (although I do generously spoon out some of that dip onto my plate). I also must forgo the burritos, which look hefty and satisfying.

My standby meal is the Vegetarian Fajitas, served with beans and rice, soft corn tortillas and I always get a side of guacamole and pico de gallo. Normally I'm not a huge fan of onions and peppers, but fortunately, their sizzling platter of veggies also includes thick slices of zucchini and yellow squash as well as fresh avocado, and everything is caremelized to perfection. Their mole sauce is also outstanding, with a depth of flavor and richness that feels like a Mexican sunset.

I also must highly recommend enjoying a Pina Colada with your meal. While I'm not much of a drinker, I decided to give theirs a try because it's made with real coconut milk and fresh pineapple juice, rather than those syrupy sweet artifically flavored mixes. The difference is immediately apparent, and oh so satisfying.

Passover Seder Dinner

Last night Passover began at sundown, and it was my first experience preparing a vegan Passover Seder dinner. I found inspiration for my menu in an excellent book (thanks, Sandy!) by Debra Wasserman called The Lowfat Jewish Vegetarian Cookbook.

I stuck with tradition, following Sephardic rules and staying away from chametz grains like wheat, barley and rye, which I do anyway since they all contain gluten (which I can't eat). It was exciting to prepare a meal with spices common to Moroccan Jews like cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, paprika and sesame seeds (in my case: a mushroom gravy made with tahini). Anything in the Nightshade family (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant) are also popular for this occasion. I'm very pleased with the menu I developed and with the way everything turned out.

MENU

Cornmeal Crusted Tofu Cutlets with Mushroom Gravy
Curried Chickpea and Quinoa Pilaf
Zaalouk (Moroccan Eggplant and Red Pepper Caviar)
Asparagus with Lemon Vinaigrette and Caramelized Shallots
Warm Russian Dried Fruit Compote

Equinox Dinner part 2

Vegan Vernal Equinox Dinner Menu

(photos courtesy of Camden)

Equinox Elixir (banana, pineapple, pear, kale, parsley, coconut juice)

Green Olive Tapenade

Cornmeal Crusted Tofu with Colcannon (mashed potatoes, parsnip and kale), Crimini Mushroom Gravy and Caraway Cabbage

Grandma's Lithuanian Apple Cake