Late Summer Love

Vegan MoFo 2015 Day 15: What's your favorite late summer food?

This is boring, but I don't want to miss another prompt, and I'll make this short and sweet, very sweet actually.

I love all the produce summer brings, but melon and blackberries hold a special place. In the Pacific Northwest, local offerings usually arrive in the market and on the vines in late summer, although they were early this year as we've had an uncharacteristically long, hot summer.

I try to freeze as many berries as I can to eat once the season passes, but the melon I just enjoy while its around, which makes it precious. I wish I had a bunch of interesting recipe ideas with melon and blackberries, but I really just eat them as they are and don't do too much else with them, other than freeze some of the berries for later.

Rise and Shine: Homemade Cashew Yogurt

Rise and Shine! It’s MoFo time! Tell us about your breakfast. - See more at: http://www.veganmofo.com/#sthash.SPmzp9G8.dpuf

 Vegan MoFo 2015 Day 1: Rise and Shine! It's MoFo time, tell us about your breakfast.

Rise and Shine! It’s MoFo time! Tell us about your breakfast. - See more at: http://www.veganmofo.com/#sthash.SPmzp9G8.dpuf

Rise and Shine! It’s MoFo time! Tell us about your breakfast. - See more at: http://www.veganmofo.com/#sthash.SPmzp9G8.dpuf

Although I'm just as inclined to have leftovers or a kale salad for breakfast, I often opt for a bowl of yogurt and fruit. As such, I was bummed out when the Whole Soy company went out of business because it was the only brand that I liked, and I really like to have unsweetened, plain soy yogurt on hand. Aside from breaking my fast, I like to add it to vegan cheese fillings, and tweak it into a mayo or sour cream or tartar sauce.

So, when it became clear that Whole Soy was no longer, I shook off my yogurt-making lethargy and tried out Miyoko Schinner's recipe for cashew yogurt from her Artisan Vegan Cheese cookbook. This book has been keeping me busy since I got it last autumn, and I've had both hits and misses with it. But, I can say the cashew yogurt is definitely a hit!  I wish I would have tried  it sooner. It's really easy to make and  it's everything I look for in a plain yogurt: tart, rich, and creamy.

It all starts with soaking raw cashews and blending them with soy milk.

Once the nuts and milk are blended, you add additional soy milk and heat it gently to 110°F. When it gets up to temperature, you add in some already cultured soy yogurt. When I made this the first time, I used Nancy's Unsweetened Plain Soy.

At this point, you transfer the mixture to clean glass jars, cover, and let it culture in a warm spot for 6 - 8 hours. You basically want to keep the mixture as close to 110° as possible for the full time.

To this end, I use jars that I've warmed by filling them with boiling water, and then wrap the jars with a tea towel and place them in a slightly warmed oven. I don't leave the oven on, but just warm it up before I put the yogurt in.

After the full 8 hours, the yogurt is cultured and if you've used unsweetened soy milk, it's got a great tartness to it.

If you don't have the book, you can find Miyoko's recipe published on this site: http://savvyvegetarian.com/vegetarian-recipes/cashew-yogurt.php

Cashew yogurt has become a staple in my kitchen; I usually go through about a batch a week. Many thanks to Miyoko for the recipe!

Homemade cashew yogurt

Everything's Coming up Green Mangoes

Aamer Ombol and Aam Porar Sharbat: green mango refreshers

**Post Factum:** 

This is one of a series of posts for Vegan MoFo 2010; my theme was a 'Virtual Random Road Trip', where I used random.org's random geographic location generator to select locations around the globe, I then attempted to cook a few dishes from the traditional cuisine of that place. I didn't have a lot of time between generating the locations and coming up with recipes (~ 1 day). So, lacking time to do proper research, I can't vouch for the authenticity of anything I came up with. However, they are what they are, and it was a fun theme. 

This post couldn't be less appropriate to the local weather here at the moment. Both of the recipes are cooling summer treats, while here in the Pacific Northwest, we're having our first snow of the season.

Yet, the roadtrip happened upon Bangladesh and while searching for recipe ideas, these two caught my eye. I'm not trying to imply that the weather in Bangladesh is terribly warm at the moment. From what I can gather, April tends to be the hottest month there, while January is the coolest month with temperatures averaging in the mid-70's F. According to an online weather site, it's 84F and clear in Dhaka today. But, I digress.

I was a bit befuddled over the weekend, trying to figure out what to make for this destination...I quickly came to find that there are many regions, so many dishes: some sort of familiar, others completely new to me...Where to begin? What to do? How to begin on the path of the unititiated?

After all that, I decided to try a beverage and a cold soup, both made with green (unripe) mango. I have a confession about these recipes: I believe they are common in West Bengal, but I do not know for sure whether they are also common in Bangladesh. I'm hoping that they are...as I say, befuddled.

I'll begin with the chilled soup: Aamer Ombol – Chilled Green Mango Soup

This was my favorite of the two items. A thin, cooling soup, usually eaten as part of a meal during hot summer months, it consists of green mango, dusted with turmeric and then simmered with chili, mustard seeds, and some sugar.  If you're interested, I highly recommend reading the engaging post (with full recipe).

Note: In the recipe link above, I think she leaves out the turmeric on the ingredient list, but mentions it in the directions. I just sprinkled the fruit with a light dusting of  turmeric before adding it to the pot to simmer.

Not surprisingly, it tastes like stewed fruit, pleasantly settling on the tastebuds somewhere between sweet and slightly savory. The chili in my batch (I used 1 small chili)  was not too strong; I think I would have preferred it a little hotter. The turmeric and the mustard seeds add a mellow dimension and it turns into a mild soup with sort of a deep undertone (if that makes sense). It's easy to imagine this being very suitable and welcome in hot weather. As it was, I was happy to eat it for breakfast, amidst the snow.

The next item is called Aam Panna, or Aam Porar Sharbat (in West Bengal)

I forgot to save some mint for a garnish, (darn it), but this is a beverage made with roasted unripe mangoes, mint, cumin, black salt, and green chilis. (In case you haven't guessed, aam = mango.) It's a cool beverage, meant to be the consistentcy of orange juice rather than a thicker shake-like drink. Again, I encourage you to read through the delightful post where I found the full recipe.

After you roast the mangoes, you remove the skins, collect the pulp and blend it with the mint and other spices, along with enough water to acheive the correct consistency. It was a fun process, and the drink is wonderfully minty. I have to say, the cumin was a bit strong for my tastes, and making this again, would reduce the amount by half. According to the recipe, using the kala namak, or black salt, is essential to the flavor.

Post scriptum: I used the wrong kind of salt! The salt I used is indeed black, but it was black lava salt, the Hawaiian kind. Oh well, next time I'll try it with real kala namak! Thanks to Laurie for pointing me in the right direction.

...Looking in on the colorful world of aam from the snow:

Raw Key Lime Pie

**Post Factum:** 

This is one of a series of posts for Vegan MoFo 2010; my theme was a 'Virtual Random Road Trip', where I used random.org's random geographic location generator to select locations around the globe, I then attempted to cook a few dishes from the traditional cuisine of that place. I didn't have a lot of time between generating the locations and coming up with recipes (~ 1 day). So, lacking time to do proper research, I can't vouch for the authenticity of anything I came up with. However, they are what they are, and it was a fun theme. 

No visit to Florida would be complete without a visit to the Keys, and I've been wanting to try a raw dessert for a while now, so this presented a good opportunity. This is the second dessert dish I've made in the period of a week. I can't even remember the last time I ate two desserts in the same week...I always say that I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but now I'm thinking that I've had one all along and just didn't know it...this is super yummy.

The crust is made with dates, cashews, shredded coconut and a little salt. I thought it would be too sweet, but it's so good, I could eat it on its own. Dried fruit and nuts just go together. The filling is avocado, lime juice, and agave nectar. It is smooth and cool with a nice lime flavor, but again not too sweet. It's really delicious with banana slices too. I used my 7-inch springform pan, and only made half a recipe.The full recipe is here.

Raw desserts are fun, (and clever) and so much quicker than the baked/cooked versions.

Anyway, time to move on...the next destination is:

 Algeria. YUM!

Back in a day or two with an appropriate comestible.

Roseann LaPonte

Rosanne Tobin

Coconut-Cinnamon Pudding and The Next Destination

**Post Factum:** 

This is one of a series of posts for Vegan MoFo 2010; my theme was a 'Virtual Random Road Trip', where I used random.org's random geographic location generator to select locations around the globe, I then attempted to cook a few dishes from the traditional cuisine of that place. I didn't have a lot of time between generating the locations and coming up with recipes (~ 1 day). So, lacking time to do proper research, I can't vouch for the authenticity of anything I came up with. However, they are what they are, and it was a fun theme. 

For my last post on Bolivia, I thought a dessert might be appropriate. In choosing a recipe, I was going back and forth between a couple of options billed as traditional Bolivian desserts. One of them was cocadas, which are coconut candies made with condensed milk and eggs. Not versed in vegan candy making, I balked at trying to veganize that...it might be easy, but I wasn't sure. I was also extremely tempted by a cinnamon sorbet ( helado de canela), which was vegan from the get-go.

In the end, I decided on a coconut pudding, lightly flavored with cinnamon. I'm not sure whether this is considered specifically a traditional dessert, but I found it on a Bolivian recipes site, so I assume it's a fairly popular dessert at any rate.

I made the pudding this morning before work, and let me tell you, I'm not particularly fond of sweet things in the morning, nor do I have a big sweet tooth in general, but this is sooo good. I ate some for breakfast!

You can find the full recipe at the bottom of the post.

The next item on the agenda is the next road trip destination. So, courtesy of Random.org:

Florida!

...well, off the coast of Florida. I think I mentioned before that 60-70% of the randomly generated locations end up being in the ocean...this was one of them, but it was pretty close to land, so why not choose the closest shore? I've decided to abandon the road for this stop and travel aboard a MoFo yacht for a while. We'll be sailing in a southerly direction, me thinks. This should be a nice way to spend the weekend.

Coconut-Cinnamon Pudding (4 Small or 2 Generous Servings)

I halved the original recipe (which you can find here) and veganized it by using coconut milk beverage instead of dairy milk. The original recipe calls for cloves in addition to the cinnamon, but I was out, so omitted them. I also reduced the amount of sugar by half.

I recommend using unsweetened coconut milk beverage...the drinkable kind,  not the heavy tinned kind.

2 and 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk beverage, like the So Delicious variety or similar

1.5 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup sugar or 1/3 agave syrup

4-inch piece of cinnamon bark

1/4 cup corn starch, mixed until smooth with 2 to 2.5 tablespoons water

Combine 2 cups of the coconut milk with the shredded coconut and the cinnamon in a pot and bring slowly to a boil, stirring frequently. When the mixture comes to a boil, add the sugar (or agave), reduce heat to low/med-low and allow to cook gently for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

After the sweetened mixture has cooked for 10 minutes, remove from heat and strain to remove the shredded coconut and the cinnamon. (Alternately, you could puree the coconut shreds into the milk with a blender.)

Return the strained milk to the pot, add in the remaining 1/4 cup coconut milk and the cornstarch/water mixture. Cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, until the mixture is quite thick and viscous. Remove from heat, and allow to cool completely. 

Once cooled, you can chill it in the fridge until serving, or serve at room temperature. Garnish with toasted coconut and powdered cinnamon. 

Post scriptum:  Depending on how much you allow it to thicken, it will get pretty solid as it cools and sets up. Mine became like a molded piece of pudding or similar, so to "break" the mold and get a creamy texture, I put it in a bowl and whisked it for a good minute or two...the mold-like mass then becomes more soft and creamy.

Back tomorrow with an appropriate comestible.

Roseann LaPonte
Rosanne Tobin

Braised Fennel with Grapes and Oranges

From what I gather, fennel is not necessarily everyone's favorite veggie. I think it's one of those things like cilantro; you either love it or hate it. I love all things fennel (and anise)-related from black licorice to sambuca and everywhere in between.

Botanically, fennel and anise are two different plants in the same family that have similar flavor characteristics. From what I understand, anise is used mostly for its seed, while fennel is used bulb, stalk and all as a vegetable.

This was part of the meal I posted previously, so I thought I might as well put up the recipe.

Also, can anyone tell me what this means?    <3

I keep seeing it, and I can't tell whether it's a face or a booty or what.

Serves 4 as a side dish:
2 fennel bulbs
2 tablespoons olive oil (or whatever you like to saute with)
1 cup veggie broth
1 cup grapes
1 organic orange, sliced thin with skin on (save the ends for juicing over the top at the end)
salt and pepper to taste (if your veggie broth is salted, you probably won't need to add much salt)

Cut the fennel stalks from the bulbs; save the frondy parts for garnish and save the stalks to use later for soup stock or whatever. Slice the bulbs into 1/2-inch slices lengthwise.

In a large fry pan, saute the fennel slices in a single layer over med-high heat for 1-2 minutes, when the fennel starts to brown a little, turn the fennel over and saute the other side for another 1 - 2 minutes, tossing in the grapes and orange slices at the same time you turn the fennel.

Reduce heat to medium - low, add salt and pepper to taste and pour in the veggie broth. Cover pan and allow it to cook gently until fennel is tender ~ 6-8 minutes. Garnish with fennel fronds and a squeeze of fresh orange.

The cooked fennel has a mild, sweet flavor and a creamy texture.

Balsamic-Maple Glazed Vegan Sausage w/ Figs and Red Onion

At the risk of posting a dish that has the gnarly aspect of meat, I had to post about these seitan skewers we had over the weekend. They made a wonderul fall meal along with some braised fennel, fresh kale salad, and crusty bread.

I used Field Roast Italian Style sausages, which are my favorite store-bought sausages, and come in handy for quick fix meals. Any Italian-style vegan sausage that you prefer, homemade or otherwise, would be good this way, I think.

Just in case anyone is interested:

In general, I recommend browning these sausages off before you use them in whatever recipe. I definitely did that in this case, because I knew they wouldn't have enough time to get brown and nicely cooked before the onions and figs were done.

Maple/Balsamic Glazed Seitan Skewers:

(Makes 8, so serves two to four people depending on how many skewers each)

1 punnet fresh figs ( ~ 8 figs) I used  fresh Turkish figs, cut in half lengthwise

1 large red onion, cut into 1/2 inch wedges

4 Italian-style vegan saugages, cut into 2-inch peices

2 Tbsp maple syrup

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Black pepper to taste

Fresh rosemary for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 F (~ 200 C). Brown off the sausage peices in the oven or a fry pan...not too dark, because they will cook a little more on the skewers. Slide the figs, onions, and sausages onto the skewers and brush with the glaze on all sides. Let the skewers cook in the oven for ~ 10-12 minutes, turning halfway though. Serve sprinkled with fresh rosemary and black pepper to taste.

Note: if you use wooden skewers, it's probably a good idea to soak them in a little water for about an hour or so before going into the oven. (To speed up the process, soak them in hot water.)  I usually do this if I'm going to use them on the BBQ, but not sure that it's strictly necessary here, as they are in the oven for a relatively short period of time...I soaked them anyway to be on the safe side.

The kale salad was fantastic...so much flavor out of a few simple ingredients. I highly recommend it. I followed this recipe from 101 Cookbooks. Of course, I omitted the pecorino cheese, and replaced it with some raddichio and sliced almonds.

Also wanted to thank Jessica, for the info on making photo collages in Picasa. I haven't entirely got the hang of it yet, but it is fun.

Roseann LaPonte

Rosanne Tobin

Apple Sorbet with Sauvignon Blanc

This is a simple recipe I tried over the weekend. It's from the October issue of Sunset magazine, a copy of which is usually hanging out on my mom's coffee table. The October issue is kind of a nice one; among other things, there is a full page layout of all the different 5-spice mixtures from different cuisines. 

But I digress...

This sorbet is basically a fancy version of applesauce (wine = fancy) frozen to make a refreshing sorbet. A scoop of it is also a nice addition to a glass of a light-flavored white wine and results in an apple-y, granita-like drink.  The recipe is available online here.

I didn't follow the recipe exactly:

I used 1 cup of  Italian apple soda instead of the water the recipe calls for. This made the flavor extra apple-y. Because the Italian soda was sweet, I used 1/2 cup (vegan) sugar instead of the 3/4 cup the recipe calls for. And finally, I didn't use an ice cream maker; I just stirred it every half hour until it was frozen through.  The recipe makes enough for about 6 servings.

Ad Hoc Note: For a non-alcoholic version, I think a sparkling apple cider would sub perfectly for the wine and the water as well.

If this sort of thing sounds good to you...I think you'll like the recipe. And it is a nice twist on autumnal fare.

The leaves haven't really started to turn yet around our yard, but isn't this a pretty orangey color?

Roseann LaPonte

Rosanne Tobin

Chilled Raspberry Soup w/ Thai Flavors (& Ravioli Follow up)

These past few weeks, we've literally been buying pounds of fresh berries at the farmers' market and munching on them as snacks, dessert, and everything in between. That's just thing with berries; you can toss those little jewels in anywhere (especially your mouth!).

This soup may not suit everyone's tastes...it's a bit on the tart side and you have to like the flavors of cilantro, lemon grass, and kaffir lime. (Of course, cilantro-averse people could sub basil or mint, or any herb that suits their fancy.)

Although I give approximate measurements of what I used below, I intend this as more of a recipe idea rather than an actual recipe.  I encourage anyone who tries this to add the ingredients in little by little adjusting to suit your own tastes and/or subbing with other flavors that sound good. The end result in this case came out in a strong raspberry flavor with subtle hints of lime and lemongrass.

And one last thing: I didn't sieve the raspberries...we don't mind the errant seed and a slightly thicker texture, but it's up to you...*if I were serving this to company, I would definitely sieve them first.* :)

Recipe Idea   (Makes 4 small appetizer servings or 2 average servings):

1 pound fresh raspberries, rinsed ( ~ 2 cups)
12 inches worth (~ 1/3 cup finely chopped) lemon grass,  tough outer leaves removed and cut into fine rounds
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped (or more/less to taste)  ( I use dried ones)
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (or more/less to taste)
1 cup coconut milk (or more for a creamier, more coconut-y flavor)

Mix everything in a blender until smooth and allow to chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve chilled and garnish with cilantro and raspberries. As an afterthought, a bit of shredded coconut would be nice too.

PS: If you don't have a super blender...make sure you really trim off all the tough leaves from the lemon grass...get down to the really tender stuff... in order to avoid any stringiness.

And now for something completely different....

Here's a follow-up shot of the ravioli from this post...(in case anyone was wondering):

I served them with sauteed crook-neck squash and a fresh tomato sauce seasoned with garlic, red pepper flakes, and fresh oregano; garnished with basil and black olive.

Verdict: Thumbs Up.  The filling imparted a light lemony richness, while the summery flavors of fresh tomato and oregano gave a sweet-savory zing. The yellow squash was a nice textural component and added color.

Summer is fleeting by isn't it? I hope everyone is enjoying it.

Ciao for now.

Roseann LaPonte

Rosanne Tobin

Walnut Tacos!

raw walnut tacos

I put an exclamation mark in the title of this post because these tacos were absolutely delicious...and I'm not exaggerating either. In the photo, they don't look especially extraordinary, but these tacos had a major yum factor going on, which was largely due to the raw walnut filling. (I took the photos about 20 minutes before dinner; so rest assured that we loaded on plenty more salsa and hot sauce right before eating them.)

I used this recipe as the basis for the filling with a few additions and substitutions. Instead of the plain olive oil, I used some vegan basil pesto. I also added some nacho jalapeno slices, some cumin, a splash of soy sauce, and some nutritional yeast for good measure. If you make the recipe, I suggest using it as a base and customizing it to your tastes by adding in your own little tweaks and perks. But whatever you do, don't exclude the sun dried tomatoes...they give this filling a lot of flavor.

raw walnut taco filling

There was tomato rice too--it's not in the photo because it was still cooking when I shot the tacos. If you've never had it, tomato rice is delicious: you basically saute onions with herbs/spices of your choice (I added chili powder, cumin, oregano) until the onion becomes translucent, then add the rice stir it through, then pour in an herby tomato broth, bring to simmer, cover and cook the rice through.

Now, on to the beer. Barnivore says this beer is vegan-friendly, so we couldn't resist trying some:

vegan-friendly watermelon-infused beer

It's fermented with watermelon juice; and it does have a subtle watermelon overtone...perfect with tacos on a summer evening, in my humble opinion.

Here's dessert:

local organic fruit, YUM!

Oh, and before I forget, has anybody tried these?

radish seed pods

They're some radish pods. I had never seen them before picking them up at the farmers' market last week. They're sweet and crunchy. The farmer said they're good in stir frys...I've been using them in salads.  Of course in order to get these, you can't eat the radishes--can't have your radishes and your pods too ya know :) 

Ciao for now.

Roseann LaPonte

Rosanne Tobin

Strawberry, Rhubarb & Frozen Banana Dessert + Dinners in Review

I've been waiting patiently for local organic rhubarb to come onto the scene here, and this past week, I finally got my wish. (The strawberries are still from California, but it shouldn't be too much longer!) I tossed ideas around for a couple days about what to do with the rhubarb...I was tempted to do something savory, but ended up with the simple combo of  rhubarb compote, frozen bananas, and fresh strawberries.

Photo-wise, I was disappointed in that the rhubarb did not appear prominent, but there are much bigger problems in the world than that! Originally, I meant to fold the rhubarb into the frozen banana, but I forgot, so I placed it underneath instead.

I stewed the rhubarb with a small amount of water and agave to taste...roughly 2 tablespoons agave to 6 stalks of rhubarb...it came out fairly tart. Separately,  I blended 4 large frozen bananas, 3 pitted dates, and  ~ 1/2 cup oat milk in my food processor until it was smooth ( I think you can see where I dipped my finger in for a taste :) :

  

Then spooned the frozen mixture into open-ended molds and popped them  into the freezer to set up:

I let it set for only 20 minutes or so; I didn't want it to freeze through and start to turn icy. Incidentally, this probably wasn't the best way to mold up frozen things because de-molding is a little tricky...I think there exist plastic molds designed for frozen desserts that you simply pull away from the frozen stuff once it's set. In this case, I  got the molds off by wrapping a hot cloth around each mold for about 30 - 40 seconds and they slid right off without hassle.

I sat the frozen banana on a bed of rhubarb compote and then came the fun part of decorating it.  The result was fresh-tasting, not too sweet, and full of fruity and rhubarby flavor and textures.

 

 
I'm not exactly prolific when it comes to blogging--I'm a sporadic blogger at best,  but this week I did manage to snap some pics of our dinners, and here's a little review.

Monday: BBQ tofu with baked yam, baked potato, and red chard. It was a feast!

Tuesday: Vegetable soup... I used veggies that I have around most of the time: green cabbage, potato, carrot, celery, parsley, leek, garlic, and some garbanzo and kidney beans.

Wednesday: Pasta! This is one of my favorite quick meals: Saute cherry tomatoes with  slivered garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes until the tomatoes start to "pop" from the heat, then deglaze the pan with plenty of white wine, add some reserved pasta water and salt and pepper to taste, toss with spinach pasta and top with fresh parsley. Simple and flavorful.

Pho Thursday: Vegan Phở. I've never had the traditional kind, but when I saw  Naomi Rose of  The Gluttonous Vegan Loves You post this recipe, I was literally salivating, so I had to try it. I followed the recipe to the 't', except that I added the miso at the end of cooking, and I didn't have any cinnamon stick on hand so subbed some red chilis and ginger instead for the spice sachet:

And GV is right, the house does smell heavenly while this is simmering. My pic doesn't do it justice...definitely check out the original...this was aromatic, noodley, very satisfying to taste and fun to make....easily this week's favorite meal in our house. Thanks Naomi Rose!

I'll sign off with some of my happy little viola and pansy friends...they always make me feel brighter when I look at them: