tapenade
February 27, 2010
Did you know that most traditional tapenade has anchovies in it? I naively bought some tapenade in one of my favourite stores and promptly wolfed it down on really nice home-made crostini. I decided I really like tapenade. So the next time I had a craving I decided to make it. I had olives. I had salt. What else could you need? Well, after going through 5 or 6 recipe books I soon realized that you need anchovies! Of course, you don’t need anchovies. It’s just that, as I said, most traditional tapenade has anchovies in it. So I modified the recipe and now I love it even more!
The other thing I should say here is that 2 of the things I found particularly difficult about going vegan were breakfast and snacks. Breakfast was often milk-based, as it is for many of us with few apparent alternatives. And snacks were usually really cheesy because cheese is so good and so easy to grab on the go, or nibble on before dinner, or stick on a piece of toast (one of my childhood favourites). I’ll tell you about my breakfast routine later. As for snacks, I’ve discovered the joys of things like hummous and tapenade and other vegan delights.
Here’s the recipe which I’ve doubled for you since it’s too good and too convenient to make just one batch.
1 cup black olives (get really good quality ones like Silver Leaf Kalamata Pitted in extra virgin olive oil)
2 tbsps capers, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves (or more depending on your tolerance for garlic)
2 or 3 springs of thyme, leaves only
1 tsp brandy
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt to taste
Throw it all into a food processor and blend until you get the consistency you like. Let it sit at room temperature for awhile so the flavours meld. Spread it on really yummy homemade crostini and snack away.
picada
February 20, 2010
This recipe comes from Deborah Madison. She suggests making it in association with the Potato Chickpea Stew but it’s great on soups, other stews, or as a thickener to various dishes.
Picada
A lively seasoning of fried bread, and garlic, picada is used in Spanish dishes as a thickener and flavouring. Picada is also a good addition to pasta and plain vegetables. To make 1/2 cup picada, toast 1/4 cup peeled almonds in a 350F oven until they’re pale gold, 8 – 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Meanwhile, slowly fry one slice of white country-style bread in 2 tbsps olive oil until golden on both sides. Grind the bread, almonds, and 2 large garlic cloves and pinch of salt in a food processor to make a crumbly paste.
romesco sauce
February 20, 2010
This recipe comes from Deborah Madison. She suggests making it in association with the Potato Chickpea Stew but it’s great on sandwiches, other stews, or as a dip.
Romesco Sauce
Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
1/4 cup almonds, roasted
1/4 cup hazelnuts, roasted and peeled
1 slice country-style white bread
Olive oil for frying
3 cloves garlic
1-1/2 tsp. ground red chile or red pepper flakes
4 small plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Makes 2 cups
This Catalan sauce is utterly delicious served with chickpeas, roasted potatoes,
or grilled vegetables.
To roast the peppers, place them under a broiler or over a gas flame until the skins are charred. Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate, and set aside for 15 min. Peel and seed the peppers.
Roast the nuts in a 350°F oven for 7 to 10 min., or until they smell toasty. Let them cool slightly, and then rub the hazelnuts between the folds of a towel to remove loose skins. (The almonds don’t need peeling.)
Fry the bread in a little olive oil until golden and crisp. When the bread is cool, grind it with the nuts and garlic in a food processor or a mortar until fairly fine. Add everything else but the vinegar and oil and process or work with the pestle until smooth. With the machine running, or your arm working if you’re using a mortar and pestle, gradually pour in the vinegar, then the oil. Taste to make sure the sauce has enough salt and plenty of piquancy.
smoky spicy split peas
February 14, 2010
This is a new recipe I discovered from Tom Philpott in Grist Magazine. It is thick, and smokey, and really good when you’ve got a chill in the bone and need something that will stick to the ribs. If you eat it with rice (or another grain) you’ve got a complete protein in combination with the split peas. I never liked split peas but with this new discovery I’m quite a fan. Buy some really good smoked Spanish paprika and the recipe will hum. The first thing you need to do is get your mise en place – a french cooking term that essentially means, “get your shit together.” My friend Emily thinks it’s a great term and I now hear her regularly say “I’ve got to go and get my mise en place!”
1 1/2 cups split peas, rinsed and picked through for rocks
1 large onion
1 large carrot
1 large celery stalk, chopped
2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
4 1/2 cups water or homemade stock
some decent extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons of Spanish smoked paprika
a wedge of lemon or some wine vinegar
sea salt and pepper
flat-leaf parsley or arugula, chopped
a little crushed red chile pepper, optional but really nice
Cover bottom of a medium heavy-bottom pot with your everyday olive oil. Turn heat to a gentle medium. After a minute, add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook, stirring often, for ten or so minutes, until veggies are soft but not browned. If they threaten to turn brown, turn heat down a little.
Add the garlic and the paprika. Cook, stirring, until garlic perfumes the air, a minute or so. Add the peas, stir to mix with the veggies. Add the water or stock; bring to boil; cover; turn heat to low; let simmer.
As the peas cook, check them every few minutes. If they seem on the verge of drying out, add some hot water or stock. While they’re cooking, chop about half a bunch of parsley or several arugula leaves for garnish. The peas should be done in about an hour, maybe a little less. They are ready when they are very soft.
When they are done, add a vigorous twist or three of black pepper, and taste. Stir in a teaspoon of salt. Now add a small amount of acid—a teaspoon or so lemon juice or vinegar. You don’t want it to taste lemony or vinegary; you just want the acid to balance the flavors. Taste again and adjust for salt, pepper, and acid. More smoked paprika could be added at this stage if you want.
To serve, ladle into warm bowls over brown rice or toasted crusty bread. Drizzle with the best olive oil you have—this dish will showcase its flavor—add a dash of crushed chile flakes, and a good sprinkle of chopped greens.
coconut curried vegetables
February 2, 2010
This is a mainstay in our family. LOVE this recipe. It’s from the amazing Vij in Vancouver and goes with almost anything. Make double or triple as it keeps well (and even freezes well).
1/2 cup olive oil
25 to 30 fresh curry leaves
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onions
1 tbsp + 1 tsp chopped garlic
2 cups chopped tomatoes (2 large)
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 12 ounce can coconut milk, stirred
1 lb zucchini, chopped into 1-1/2 inch pieces
1 lb cauliflower, cut into 1-1/2 inch florets
2 red and yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3/4 cup cilantro, chopped
In a large pot, heat oil on medium heat. Keeping your head at a distance from the pot, add the curry leaves and mustard seeds and allow them to sizzle for about one minute or until a few seeds pop.
Immediately add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes
Add tomatoes and remaining spices and sauté for 8 minutes or until oil glistens on top.
Stir in coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Add zucchini. Cover and simmer to five minutes. Add cauliflower and bell peppers, cover and simmer for another five minutes. Stir in cilantro.
Serve over basmati rice.
winter portobello stew
January 31, 2010
This is incredibly delicious. It’s so hearty it’s almost like a beef stew. We love this on a cold, snowy, wintry night in January.
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
salt and pepper, to taste
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1/2 pound portobella mushrooms, sliced 3/8-inch thick
1 pound large white mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tbsps tomato paste
1 1/2 cups quick mushroom stock or water
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley or tarragon
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and rosemary and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes and remove to a bowl. Return pan to medium heat and add half remaining oil. When pan is hot, add portobella mushrooms and saute until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Add them to bowl with onions, and repeat with remaining oil and white mushrooms. Return everything to pan and add garlic, tomato paste, stock and vinegar. Simmer gently 12 to 15 minutes. Add parsley and taste for salt and pepper. Makes 4 servings.
– Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison
thick mushroom stock
January 30, 2010
This goes with the Winter Portobello Stew but could be used for other yummy mushroom-y things.
1/4 cup or more dried porcini mushrooms
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 large garlic clove, chopped
2 mushrooms, sliced, plus any trimmings
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried (or I use thyme)
1/2 cup dry white or red wine (red makes it much heartier)
1 tablespoon flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Cover dried mushrooms with 1 1/2 cups hot water and set aside. Heat oil in saucepan over high heat. Add chopped onion, carrot, garlic and mushrooms. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until well-browned, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, stir in tomato paste, marjoram and wine, and sprinkle on flour. Cover pan and cook until wine is reduced to syrupy glaze, about 3 minutes. Add porcini and their soaking water, 1/2 teaspoon salt, a little pepper and vinegar and simmer 20 minutes. Strain well (although if you are adding this stock to a stew, like the Winter Portobello Stew, leave the veggies and just add the whole shebang). Concentrate stock by simmering it, uncovered, until desired strength. Makes about 1 cup.
– Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison.
potato chickpea stew with picada and romesco sauce
January 22, 2010
This is a great recipe from Spain – Potato and Chickpea Stew with Picada and Romesco Sauce. The Picada and Romesco Sauce share many of the same ingredients but they are two distinct toppings with very different textures and tastes. It looks involved but it’s not hard. There are a number of steps but it’s all pretty easy and straightforward. Enjoy. Make double. Chin Chin. It’s from Deborah Madison‘s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. (Oh, and I keep the extra Romesco Sauce around for sandwiches and dips! It’s really good on the VLT.)
Potato and Chickpea Stew
1 lb waxy-fleshed potatoes
3 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 generous pinches saffron
2 large red bell peppers, diced
1 large yellow or red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch wide strips
1 heaping tsp sweet paprika
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup medium-dry sherry
2 cups crushed tomatoes with juice
2 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas (or two 15-oz cans, rinsed)
3 cups chickpea broth, stock, or water
1 1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
chopped parsley for garnish
If using fingerling potatoes, halve them lengthwise. Large round potatoes can be cut into thick rounds or quartered.
Warm the oil in a wide pot with the onion, garlic, saffron, peppers, and potatoes. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring gently every now and then, until the potatoes are tender-firm, about 25 min. Add the paprika, parsley, and red pepper flakes, and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sherry and cook until the juices are thick and syrupy, about 12 min.
Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and broth, stock or water to cover. Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper, then cover and cook over low heat until the potatoes are completely tender, about 20 min. If the stew is soupy and you plan to serve it right away, stir in 1/4 cup picada (or more if necessary) to thicken it. If you don’t plan to serve the stew for 1 hour or more, it may not need the bread crumbs since it will thicken as it stands. Serve in soup plates with any additional picada sprinkled over the top along with the extra parsley. Add a spoonful of the Romesco sauce to each bowl and pass the rest.
Romesco Sauce
2 red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, and seeded
1/4 cup almonds, roasted
1/4 cup hazelnuts, roasted and peeled
1 slice country-style white bread
olive oil for frying
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tsp ground red chile or red pepper flakes
4 small plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper
1 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
This Catalan sauce is utterly delicious served with chickpeas, roasted potatoes, or grilled vegetables.
To roast the peppers, place them under a broiler or over a gas flame until the skins are charred. Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate, and set aside for 15 min. Peel and seed the peppers.
Roast the nuts in a 350°F oven for 7 to 10 min., or until they smell toasty. Let them cool slightly, and then rub the hazelnuts between the folds of a towel to remove loose skins. (The almonds don’t need peeling.)
Fry the bread in a little olive oil until golden and crisp. When the bread is cool, grind it with the nuts and garlic in a food processor or a mortar until fairly fine. Add everything else but the vinegar and oil and process or work with the pestle until smooth. With the machine running, or your arm working if you’re using a mortar and pestle, gradually pour in the vinegar, then the oil. Taste to make sure the sauce has enough salt and plenty of piquancy.
Picada
A lively seasoning of fried bread and garlic, picada is used in Spanish dishes as a thickener and flavouring. Picada is also a good addition to pasta and plain vegetables. To make 1/2 cup picada, toast 1/4 cup peeled almonds in a 350°F oven until they’re pale gold, 8 – 10 minutes. Remove and set aside. Meanwhile, slowly fry one slice of white country-style bread in 2 tbsps olive oil until golden on both sides. Grind the bread, almonds, and 2 large garlic cloves and pinch of salt in a food processor to make a crumbly paste.
potato leek soup
January 16, 2010
I just made this soup on Sunday – a merger between two beautiful potato leek soup recipes. The kids love it and it’s fantastic on a cold winter’s night. Great with a little crostini floating on an ocean of flavour. And the non-vegan boys in the house love it sprinkled with a little crispy crumbled bacon. As with any good soup recipe, you might as well make a huge batch and keep some in the freezer for a rainy day.
10 medium leeks
olive oil
sea salt
8 cups veggie stock
1 stalk celery
a few sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
1 small bunch rosemary
2 cloves garlic
1 pd yellow potatoes
white wine vinegar
sea salt and pepper to taste
a few sprigs parsley
Clean leeks. Cut in half lengthwise and slice thinly. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pot. Add leeks and cook until just tender – they should still be slightly crunchy and bright green. Salt to taste. Add veggie stock along with minced garlic and a bouquet garni made of thyme, celery, bay leaf, rosemary, salt and pepper. Add potatoes, cut into small cubes.
Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cook until veggies are tender but not falling apart. Puree in a food processor or blender. Season to taste with about 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar and more salt if necessary. Serve hot garnished with a little chopped parsley and a few grinds of the peppermill, and if you wish, with grilled or toasted slices of bread.
rice barley and quinoa salad with cranberries and nuts
January 3, 2010
I made up this recipe based on a few I’ve eaten when I’m out and about. I’m really happy with it. You can add more or less dressing depending on your preference. It makes quite a heap so unless you’ve got lots of mouths to feed, are cooking for a potluck, or would like it to last you several days, half the recipe.
1 cup mixed wild rice, cooked
1 cup barley, cooked
1 cup black quinoa, cooked
2 tbsps olive oil
5 celery stalks, chopped
4 large carrots, chopped
1 bulb fennel, chopped
1 – 2 cups pumpkin seeds (roasted tamari pumpkin seeds are nice)
3/4 cup of dried cranberries
bunch of green onion, chopped
bunch of parsley, chopped
bunch of cilantro, chopped
Dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsps grainy Dijon mustard
1 tbsp grated ginger
dash maple syrup
1/2 cup olive oil
sea salt and pepper to taste
Cook the grains and then set aside to let cool. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add celery, carrot, and fennel and sauté until cooked through to desired consistency. When cooked, mix grains, vegetables, pumpkin seeds, cranberries, green onions, and herbs in a large bowl. Prepare the dressing by mixing all ingredients well. Add dressing to the salad and serve.
v:gourmet 
