Never been big on religion or but this UK Bishop makes a compassionate case for going
Category: Vegan Recipes

Thyme Roasted Carrot Soup with Avocado Creme

If I were Catholic, I’d be sitting in a confessional asking for fatherly forgiveness – it’s been seven months since my last post. How on earth did this happen? Seriously, seven months ?!? Where did the time go? I honestly have no idea how so much time has past since I last posted but I do know this – I fell off the culinary cart – hard. I hope you can forgive me.

I’ve been letting this new grind of single mommyhood and consultancy get the best of me. I’ve been too tapped to create anything new, until now. The crazy thing about American Thanksgiving is foodbloggers go hogwild for this holiday. Food52 has been a fav of mine for a long time and the featured side of the day, thyme roasted carrots with goat cheese. The simplicity of the side struck me as something that would make for a sexy little soup. A quick peak at the ingredient list left me wanting to build on this a little more – if this was going to be a soup – it should have a little more complexity and certainly a lot of creaminess.

As I’m working this out in my head, two things come to mind. Bringing more flavour to this soup might like in a common base, mirepoix! The base of all french cooking would bring this soup up to snuff. The leeks and celery would balance the sweetness of the carrots and smooth the whole thing out. Now….what could I do to give the upgraded flavour profile a little va-va-voom? Avocado. Yup you heard me right, avocado.

In the back of my mind I remembered making a wingnut of a salad I found on Smitten Kitten with roasted carrots and avocado. What I thought would be a trainwreck was actually a wonder in texture. The avocado was a smooth, brilliant foil to the earthly goodness of the carrots and could help my soup go from good to oh-my-creamy-goodness.

So I set out to set my Sunday afternoon to simmer with these two kinda crazy but complimentary ideas in mind and a sincere intent to create a soup so smooth and velvety you’d swear up and down it was packing 35% cream. A fabulous 45 minutes later this ladle of love was born. The only concern I had was how I was going to be able to wait until I got back from yoga. Patience is a virtue and this soup was SO worth the wait!

Hope you enjoy my odd little combo as much as I do. See you soon, XOS

Thyme Roasted Carrot Soup with Avocado Creme

Would Rather Gather Original, with inspiration from Smitten Kitchen and Food52
Prep time: 20 minutes / Active time: 45 minutes / Makes 4 cups

For the soup:

12 medium-sized carrots, peeled & cut length-wise into halves or quarter of even size
1/2 stalk celery, finely diced
1 small leek, quartered, finely sliced and rinsed well
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 avocado, pitted and
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 tbsp fresh Italian parsley
splash of white wine
3 cups vegetable stock
3 tbsp olive oil (split)
1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch red chili flakes
pinch fennel seeds
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 375°, line a baking sheet with tin foil and spray with canola oil.
2. Toss carrots in 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, sea salt, freshly creaked black pepper and a pinch of cayenne.
3. Arrange evenly and roast in oven until tender and slightly browned, approximately 20 minutes.
4. While carrots are roasting, prep the rest of the vegetables. When you’re ready to start the soup base, bring remaining tbsp of olive oil and tbsp of Earth Balance up to med-high temperature in a large soup pot.

NOTE: I love my Le Creuset for most things because the enamel makes it essentially a non-stick surface and the cast iron keeps the heat nice and even for a super subtle simmer. If you haven’t had a chance to try one out – they really do make a difference and are totally worth the investment. I’ve used mine at least twice a week for the 5 years I’ve owned it and have been thankful each time I bring it out. Any way you work it – it’s good culinary math!

5. Add garlic, red chili flakes and fennel seeds and saute until garlic is golden. Add leeks and celery and saute until soft then deglaze with white wine and saute until the wine evaporates.
6. Once the carrots are roasted, give them a rough chop, add them to the celery leek mixture with the tbsp of parsley and saute for a few more minutes to combine all of the flavours then add the vegetable stock and simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Once the soup has simmered, add the avocado and puree the soup using a food processor or hand immersion blender until smooth and velvety.
8. Using a fine mesh, strain the soup back into the soup pot using a ladle to help push the soup through. Heat the soup through until warm, season with salt and pepper to taste and soup is officially on.

If you wanted to add another layer of flavour and don’t mind a little dairy, goat cheese would add a hint of sour acidity and even more creamy goodness. Add some toasted 12 grain bread and Sunday Night Soup is in session!

No Comments Posted by Shawna on November 28, 2011
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Roasted Winter Squash, Pear and Leek Soup

Sometimes I feel like devoting my whole heart and soul to dinner and sometimes I just want to phone it in. Today was one of those days so made the laziest soup in the history of all time. This week was a killer across the board and at the tail end of the action, I’m coasting on fumes. Honestly, I’m not even sure I have enough left in me to write this post but I’m gonna give a solid go. Yup, this is how I’m starting my first new post of the year, in a complete state of meh.

In addition to my genuine lack of energy, cooking on the nights I have Bella is always challenging as I have to balance Mummy time with tummy time. With this soup, I might have just found the balance. I baked the spiced pecans while she ate her dinner. I roasted the squash, garlic and pears while we chased her Zu Zu Pet and watched the Gruffalo then sauteed the leeks while we brushed her teeth and got into jammies. All I needed to do once she was in bed was combine and puree the ingredients together then find something to watch while I enjoyed the fruits of my nearly negative labour. The Master Class interview with Sean Carter a.k.a Jay-Z  was my viewing pleasure and as I’m sitting here writing this post, it’s lifted me from meh to hell yea. Once again I’m So Ambitious its On to the Next One before this is even done.

Now don’t get it twisted, just because I didn’t apply a lot of effort doesn’t mean this soup is half-assed, just the opposite. It’s flavours are developed in the oven over time. The heat caramelizes the sugar in the garlic, pear and squash then binds them to heat of the cayenne, all while the salt and pepper spin their savoury magic. Flavour plays large here, just not while your slaving over the stove. You can sit it out with the one you love and just let it ride.

Roasted Winter Squash, Pear and Leek Soup

Would Rather Gather original
Active time: 15 minutes / Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 mins / Makes: 6-8 cups

For the soup:

1 tbsp + 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 small butternut squash
1 small pepper or buttercup squash
2 cloves garlic, smashed
2 bosc pears, peeled, trimmed and quartered
1 tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved and cut into 1/4″ crescents
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup belsoy cream
sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and cayenne to taste.
chopped spiced pecans

Method :
1. Pre-heat the oven to 325° and make spiced pecans according to linked recipe above.
2. While pecans are roasting, halve and scoop out the seeds of the squash then rub them with olive oil and season liberally with sea salt, cayenne and freshly cracked black pepper. Once squash are seasoned, fill their hollows with smashed garlic cloves and pear quarters.
3. Once pecans are finished, remove from oven to cool and increase oven temperature to 425°. Place squash halves on foil-lined baking tray and roast for about an hour or until they’re tender all the way though.
Note: This is when you get to do just about anything you’d like for an hour.
4. Once squash is finished roasting, remove from oven and set aside to cool. In a dutch oven over medium heat bring remaining olive oil and Earth Balance up to temperature, add leeks and saute for 15 minutes until completely softened.
5. Once leeks are soft, add vegetable stock and bring temperature up to high. Scoop out garlic, pear and all squash flesh into the pot, add nutritional yeast and purée until smooth using a hand blender. Stir in belsoy cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
6. Ladle out into bowls and garnish with roughly chopped spiced pecans, settle in and savour.

No Comments Posted by Shawna on January 15, 2011
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Creamy Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna with Walnut Crumb Crust

UPDATE: Fine Cooking I’m Flattered! First mention in an international online magazine goes to my lasagna – Check it Out!!!!

When I decided to begin writing this blog, my aim was to make great food that fit vegan requirements, not “vegan” food. Each time I sit down to create a new recipe, I start with what I’d like to eat and work backwards from there. Some recipes are really hard to convert, some are dead simple, this one is the latter. For the entire recipe there are only 3 substitutions and none of them difficult to find or implement. So much for vegan food being complicated. This might be the best example of how easy it is to adapt “regular” food if you’re willing to be flexible in your thinking.

I looove a creamy lasagna and while this dish is not complicated, it does take some time to make. A solid two hours if you plan well and work quickly. Lasagna has a lot of layers and like all complicated things, if you invest the time and apply patience, you’ll get what you want in the end. And believe me, you’ll want this. You’ll be happy there’s a whole pan so you can have it again tomorrow and the next day assuming you don’t finish off the entire pan in one sitting. I’m just saying. Best allocation of free time during a nap on a Sunday afternoon ever.

The only tricky bit to creating a vegan lasagna is replacing the cheese. Vegan cheese really doesn’t do it for me, it just doesn’t melt or brown like it should and more often that not it ends up oily and pale. Ew. Since the cheese was a non-starter, what would be the crowning glory of my dish? I took a cue from another great comfort food, the mighty mac and cheese and topped my lasagna with a walnut and breadcrumb crust. Awesome. The crunch of the crust is the perfect foil for the creaminess of the squash, you get your whole grains plus a hit of protein in the walnuts. What’s with the healthy stuff all of a sudden? I didn’t say it wasn’t good for you, I said it wasn’t low fat. I’m not completely without restraint.

Trust me, you won’t miss a thing with my version of lasagna. In fact my brave boyfriend, who is obligated to taste most of my culinary creation, said my dish wouldn’t be made better by cheese or anything else for that matter. Flattery gets you everywhere and in this case it sends you home with the leftovers.

Also, you may have noticed I’ve been on a bit of an Italian tear as of late. What can I say? I’m a sucker for carbs when the weather turns cold. I’ll try to venture out into another genre of food next time round but I can’t promise anything.

Creamy Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna with Walnut Crumb Crust

Would Rather Gather Original, makes 6-8 servings / fills a 9″x12″ baking dish
Prep time: 30 minutes / Active time: 1 1/2 hrs / Baking Time: 30-45 mins + 10 to cool

For the Butternut Squash Filling:

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp of fennel seeds
1 tbsp fresh sage, finely minced
3 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
pinch of red chili flakes
2 tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vegetable stock

For the mushroom filling:

2 tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups of sliced mushrooms (I’ve used cremini, shitake and king eryngii)
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved and finely sliced
1 small clove of garlic, finely minced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme

For the béchamel:

1/2 cup of Earth Balance buttery stick
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
1 small clove of garlic, minced
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

For the walnut crumb:

1/2 cup roasted walnut halves
4 slices of whole grain bread, dry toasted, cut into small cubes
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground pepper

9 sheets of lasagna (boxed is best for this recipe)

Method butternut squash filling:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400°, line a baking tray with foil and spray lightly with canola oil.
2. In a medium size bowl, toss the butternut cubes with the olive oil. Spread cubes evenly over the baking sheet and sprinkle evenly with fresh herb and spice mixture.
3. Bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until squash is tender. Let cool for 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the squash to the same medium sized bowl, add Earth Balance, nutritional yeast, stock and mash until you arrive at your preferred texture. I like mine mostly smooth with a few chunks here and there. I think it makes for a nicer bite.
5. Cover bowl and set aside until you’re ready to assemble you lasagna

Method mushroom filling: (make while squash is roasting)
1. In a large saute pan over med-high heat, bring Earth Balance and olive oil up to temperature and saute garlic until golden, approx. 2-3 minutes
2. Add leeks to pan and saute until soft and translucent, approximately 6-7 minutes.
3. Add thyme sprigs, mushrooms and turn gently until just softened and done.
4. Set aside until you’re ready to assemble the lasagna.

Method lasagna sheets: (make while squash is roasting)
1. Fill a large, deep fry pan (wider than length of pasta sheets) with water, season with a tbsp of sea salt and a splash of olive oil and bring to a boil.
2. Cook sheets of pasta in small batches to avoid sticking and tearing.
3. Once sheets are el dente (cooking time should be on package – 10 mins is standard) lay the on parchment paper to keep them from sticking, layering where necessary.

Method béchamel (make once both fillings and pasta sheets are done)
1. Pre-pour soy milk into a 2 cup measure and set aside until ready for use.
2. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt Earth Balance.
3. Once melted, add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute.
4. Add flour and whisk to combine quickly. As the flour heats it will thicken considerably. Keep whisking to keep the mixture smooth.
NOTE: It’s important to have the soy milk ready ahead of time as in the time it will take you to pour the milk, the butter/flour mixture could cook completely making it impossible to
5. Once you get to a paste consistency, pour 1/4 of the soy milk into the paste to loosen the mixture then add the remainder of the milk and whisk until completely combined and smooth.
6. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste and set aside until ready for use.

Method walnut crumb: (make once both fillings and pasta sheets are done)
1. Place all ingredients and pulse until a medium coarse crumb develops.

Method lasagna:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350°, line a 9×12 baking dish with parchment paper and spray with canola oil.
2. Follow this sequence to layer the lasagna: generous layer of béchamel > layer of pasta sheets > generous layer of béchamel > layer of squash filling (use all) > layer of pasta sheets generous layer of béchamel > layer of mushroom filling > generous layer of béchamel > layer of pasta sheets > generous layer of béchamel > top with walnut crumb.
NOTE: At this point you can cover the lasagna with saran warp and refrigerate for up to 2 days.
3. Place lasagna in oven and cook for 30 mins (right away) or for 45 mins if from the refrigerator.
NOTE: If the crumb topping is browning too quickly, cover with foil until the cooking period has passed.
4. Once lasagna is cook, removed from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. This allows the layers to set and firm up enabling easier slicing and serving. Enjoy!

Lasagna can be kept in the fridge for up to 2 day when covered with saran or kept in an airtight container. Individual squares can be wrapped in saran, stored in freezer bags and frozen for up to 3 months, not that this lasted long enough to be an option.

No Comments Posted by Shawna on November 25, 2010
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Weekend Worthy Waffles

Saturdays are beautiful. So much unstructured time to putter around in. You can clean out that drawer you’ve been meaning to get to, tackle the mountain of laundry threatening to take over your closet or finally get around to putting your summer shoes is storage. The possibilities are endless. The day is yours.

So what did I do with mine? I broke out my weekend breakfast bible, the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook and made waffles. As you might have gleaned from another post, my daughter B loves pancakes. She also loves waffles. In fact, to her, it’s not Saturday if we don’t make one or the other together. Donning the matching Mommy and Me aprons is a non-negotiable.

Aprons on, our mission is to waffle-fy her apple cinnamon pancakes and boy were we successful. The final product was fresh out of the iron fantastic. The best part is we have enough left over to toast for breakfast throughout the week. Leggo of eggos altogether.

I’ve also made a pumpkin spice version of these waffles and they were pretty darned delicious too. See the edits below if you’d rather get your gourd on.

Now if you excuse me, I’m going to completely ignore the to-do list above and go take a nap. We’ve had a big morning and B and I need our beauty sleep.

Cinnamon Apple Waffles

Adapted from the Better Homes and Garden Cookbook
Prep Time: 10 minutes  / Active time: 30 Minutes / Makes 8-10 waffles

For Apple Cinnamon waffles:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp demerera sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon**
pinch freshly grated nutmeg
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp silken tofu pureed with 1 tsp olive oil until light and fluffy
1 cup soy / coconut milk
1/2 cup belsoy cream
2 tsp vanilla**
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/2 cup melted Earth Balance butter or margarine
1 1/2 apples shredded** (we ate the other half while making these…)

For Pumpkin Spice waffles, replace the ** items with the following

1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger and cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree

Method Cinnamon Apple:
1. Pre-heat oven to 250° or warm setting.
2. In a 2 cup measure add the soy/coconut cream, belsoy cream, vanilla and cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
4. Once wet ingredients have separated (should look like spoiled milk) add the melted butter and vanilla.
5. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Working from the inside of the well out, gently work the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.
6. Peel apple and grate into waffle batter and fold in to combine.
7. Plug in waffle iron and once up to temperature, scoop a 2 tbsp serving of batter onto each side and cook according to the iron’s instructions. Approx 7-8 mins.
NOTE: Waffles are close to being done after the steam releases from the batter. Once this stage has passed, you’re about a minute out from showtime.
8. Store finished waffles in the oven until you’ve made your way though all of the batter and bring them to the table. If you house is anything like mine, every one will already be waiting there.

Method Pumpkin Spice:
1. Pre-heat oven to 250° or warm setting.
2. In a 2 cup measure add the soy/coconut cream, belsoy cream, vanilla and cider vinegar. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until well combined.
4. Once wet ingredients have separated (should look like spoiled milk) add the melted butter and vanilla.
5. In another medium mixing bowl, add pumpkin puree then the wet mixture and whisk until smooth
6. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in thirds, combining each third until just combined then giving it one final stir for good measure.
From here it’s the same cooking process as above. I found the pumpkin waffles took a minute longer to cook due to the wetness of the batter. Be sure to check them for golden goodness before taking them out!

No Comments Posted by Shawna on November 20, 2010
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Pumpkin Gnocchi with Cranberry Walnut Pesto

I have a confession: I’m obsessed with pumpkin. I stuffed myself with pumpkin pie after both Thanksgiving dinners last weekend and yet, I want more. Instead of satisfying my craving, the pies seems to have created an insatiable need to consume more pumpkin. Honestly, I can’t get enough of the orange stuff.

And why not? Pumpkin is a bonafide super food. High in fibre, vitamins C and E, Magnesium, Potassium, Zinc and carotenoids, pumpkin flesh helps fight heart disease, boost the body’s immune system, helps produce collagen, is rich in antioxidants, helps lower the risk of  a variety of cancers, cataracts, and blindness, has anti-inflammatory properties and is a boon for reproductive health. It’s so amazing it probably would have been shorter to say what it doesn’t do. When a food is this good for you it normally tastes horrible and yet this gourd is de-lic-ious. It’s almost tragic most people think of them as outdoor lighting for fall.

On the off-chance the laundry list of benefits above isn’t enough to convince you, pumpkin isn’t the only superstar in this post. Tofu, walnuts, nutritional yeast and dried cranberries round out the all-star cast of ingredients. Each are nutritional heavyweights in their own right, making this dish obscenely healthy. In fact, I might have just talked you out of making it. Should you feel the urge to rebel and make something else, scroll down and take a look at the finished product – you’ll be back on board in a jiff.

When I cracked the Pumpkin Scone recipe last winter, it got me thinking, what else could I put pumpkin in? Pancakes? Yup. Waffles? Check. Cookies, muffins and even creme brulée made it into my kitchen and therefore my belly, but up until now I’d only applied this spectacular squash to sweets. The possibilities of pumpkin applications in the savoury universe were unexplored. This culinary chasm was crossed when I combined my love of pumpkin with a killer dish I had at town while celebrating my friend Marlene’s birthday.

Marc and Steve’s gnocchi are always amazing but that day they were paired with an insanely yummy walnut and cranberry pesto. As I inhaled the dish in record time, I had time for only one thought; the only way this could be better is if pasta were made with pumpkin. Like a lot of my ideas, this creation sat in queue because the timing wasn’t quite right. It was a brilliant, sunny day in the middle of an unbelievably warm September and I’d forgone my no-open-toe-shoes-after-Labour-day rule, it was no time for pumpkin! Fast forward a month and fall has finally settled in and I’m ready to see if I can make a go of the gourd gnocchi.

I could have made this much harder by roasting my own pumpkin puree but it was already 8:30 pm on a Friday after a week I’d rather forget and I was in no mood. Canned organic would have to do. Skipping roasting simplified things exponentially and shortened the prep-to-plate time from 2.5 hours to 40 minutes flat. Seriously, you could be eating something this amazingly good and good for you in a under and hour – including a quick trip to the store. To be honest, I have no idea why you’re still reading instead of checking your pantry; time is wasting and dinner like this won’t make itself so get going.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Cranberry Walnut Pesto

Would Rather Gather Original inspired by Marc Dioron and Steve Wall of town
Prep time: 20 minutes / Active time: 20 minutes / Serves: 2 as a main or 4 as an appetizer

For the gnocchi:

1 cup canned pumpkin puree (be careful not to buy the season pie filling – pumpkin only)
1/2 cup of nutritional yeast
3/4 cup of all-purpose organic flour + more for dusting
2 tbsp silken tofu whipped
2 tbsp of olive oil + 1 tbsp of olive oil, divided
2 tbsp Earth Balance Buttery Stick
sea salt, freshly cracked pepper and grated nutmeg to taste

For the pesto:

1 cup, freshly toasted walnuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 small clove of garlic, minced
3 small sprigs of thyme, leaves only
2 tbsp of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
small splash of sherry vinegar
1/3 cup of good quality olive oil
2 tsp of minced, dried cranberries
1 tsp of lemon zest
sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Heat oven to 275° and roast walnuts for 15-20 minutes until golden and fragrant.
2. In a small bowl, combine 2 tbsp of silken tofu and 1 tbsp of olive oil and whisk until emulsified or light and fluffy.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, add pumpkin puree and season to taste with sea salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in tofu emulsion until well combined. Fold in nutritional yeast until just combined and add the flour 1/4 cup at a time until a ball of dough comes together.
4. On a clean, lightly floured surface, turn out the dough and knead until smooth, about 8-10 turns. Flouring as you go to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and rolling surface. Be careful not to overwork the dough or your dumplings will become tiny doorstops. Once finished, cover the dough with the bowl you mixed it in and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
5. While the dough is resting bring a large, salted pot of water on to boil and make the pesto by pulsing the first five ingredients in a food processor until a coarse meal forms. Transfer the walnut mixture to a small mixing bowl, stir in the remainder of the ingredients, season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside in a warm place. The oven you just roasted the walnuts works perfectly for this.
6. When your dough is finished resting, transfer the ball to a plastic bag and create a makeshift pastry bag by cutting a 1/2″ whole in a corner. Pipe pumpkin dough into long strings over a floured surface until all the dough is done.
7. Working with a sharp knife, dip your blade into you bag of flour and cut the dough strings into 1 – 1.5″ sections, flouring the blade after each cut to prevent sticking.
8. Once all gnocchi have been cut, drop them into the boiling water in small batches and cook them until they float to the top. Repeat until all gnocchi are cooked.
NOTE: At this point the gnocchi can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or frozen for up to 3 months. To bring them back from their frozen state, simply boil them again until they float to the top.
9. Once the gnocchi have all been boiled, bring the Earth Balance and remaining olive oil up to med-high temperature in a non-stick fry pan. Working in batches, again add the gnocchi to the pan and brown on each side, approx. 2-3 minutes per side. Store the browned gnocchi in the oven with the pesto until all have been seared.
10. Distribute the gnocchi, top with a generous helping of pesto and presto, dinner is done.

Posted by Shawna on October 17, 2010
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Wild Mushroom and Scape Risotto

Don’t get it twisted, I love summer and all of the deliciously light dishes the season dictates but once September rolls arounds, I’m all about the savoury. Changing of the seasons equals a changing of the culinary guard for my palette. On a crisp, sunlit, post-work Monday shopping trip to the Market I can think on only one thing….mushrooms. Wonderous, wild mushroom risotto to be specific. It’a all I can taste and I must have it. Now.

When foraging for the best the fall harvest has to offer, you can’t go wrong in The Byward Fruit Market. So many mushrooms it’s honestly hard not to leave with all of them. I manage to exercise some degree of self control and leave with just a few of my absolute favourites: king eryngii, chanterelle, lobster and the delicate and cost-effective cremini. The first three varieties are only produced my a few growers and not sold in most stores so can be pricey. When it comes to these fancy fungi, supply and demand applies, exclusive equals expensive. If you strike a 50% fancy (king eryngii, chanterelle and lobster) / 50% base (cremini) you’ll have a really flavourful risotto without going broke in the process. Yippee. Add some leeks, scape and big splash of white wine and you have yourself the perfect setup for a righteous risotto.

I won’t go on again about how easy it is to make risotto, nor will I reiterate how unnecessary the cheese and cream are. I’ve already covered this ground. What I will say is once you nail your first batch, you will never make rice any other way. So decadent, yet so simple, there’s no excuse to relegate this dish to special occasions or weekends. This is a bonafide weeknight wonder. Now go gather your goods and get going, you have dinner to devour.

Wild Mushroom and ScapeRisotto

Would Rather Gather Original
Prep time: 20 minutes / Active time: 25 minutes / Serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side

For the risotto:

2 tbsp Earth Balance butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup leeks, half and sliced into 1/4″ crescents
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 cups fresh mushrooms
3 garlic scape. cut into 1″ sections
2 cups or arborio rice, rinsed through a strainer until water runs clear
4 cups vegetable or mushroom stock (mushroom is much richer, vegetable lighter)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp handful of thyme, leaves only
1 tbsp fresh flat leaf (Italian) parsley, roughly chopped
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Method risotto:
1. In a saute pan over medium heat, bring the Earth Balance and olive oil up to temperature, add the garlic and saute until golden.
2. Add the shallots, leeks, scape and saute until leeks and shallots are soft and translucent. Should the edges begin to brown, turn down the temp, the heat is too high.
3. Add arborio and saute until rice becomes warm and glossy, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add white wine and stir constantly until liquid is almost entirely absorbed and the rice mixture is nearly dry.
5. Once wine is absorbed, begin to add the mushroom/vegetable stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is nearly dry. Repeat, adding the stock in a 1/2 cup at a time, tasting as you go until rice is el dente.
6. Add mushrooms, thyme and lemon juice, stirring constantly until mushrooms loose their moisture and its absorbed. Tasting as you go, continue adding more stock if needed until the rice is firm but not mushy.
7. Add nutritional yeast, parsley, season with salt and pepper to taste and savour accordingly.

2 Comments Posted by Shawna on September 26, 2010
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Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Most of my weekend mornings begin exactly the same way. This is my version of pillow talk.

Bella: “Mummy? Muuuummmmmy? Are you awake yet? Pancakes”.
Me: “What’s missing from your question?”
Bella: “Mummy. May I have pancakes PLEASE?”
Me: “Yes you may baby let’s go.”

What an adorable way to wake up. Who doesn’t love making pancakes for the person they love most in the world, especially when they enjoy them so much they wake up craving them and forget their carefully constructed manners when asking for them? Grumps. Since I’m no grump so I make them often.

The only variable in this little weekend exchange is a swap in breakfast items. Saturday is pancakes. Sunday is waffles, which I’ll also post my recipe for very soon, promise.

Even if you don’t have the cutest kid on the planet (no bias here) waking you up with the request, there’s something about the fall air that makes you want to stay inside a little longer. With the warmest mornings behind us, there’s no longer a rush to get out and enjoy the day. The first crisp mornings of fall are perfect for pancakes. So stay in, enjoy the Suburbs and make the most of the day but doing as little as possible.

Now I know that making pancakes sounds like a lot of work and I’ve just suggest you do nothing but, I assure you, it is not. Once you’ve done this once, it’s a 20 minute project tops, including frying time. If you apply a “this is going to be SO worth it” attitude, put on a pot of coffee and some solid tunes, you might even enjoy the process. When you’re looking at a delicious stack of pancake goodness topped with streaks of maple syrup, you’ll be happy you decided to commit to this bit. Who knows? Maybe you’ll end up with a weekend ritual of your own.

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Would Rather Gather Original
Prep Time: 10 minutes / Active time: 10 minutes / Serves 4 conservatively or 2 enthusiastically

For the pancakes:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp demerrera sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 large apple, peeled and coarsely grated
1 serving tofu dessert
1/4 Earth Balance buttery stick, melted + more for the pan
1/2 cup Soy or Almond milk
1 tsp cider vinegar

Method pancakes:
 1. Place tofu dessert in a tall container. Melt butter and pour over tofu dessert and puree until light and fluffy with immersion blender.
2. Combine soy milk and cider vinegar in a small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to remove all clumps and evenly combine.
4. Add soy milk mixture to tofu mixture with the vanilla and whisk until just combined.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture. Using your whisk gently fold in the wet ingredients with the dry until just combined. Add the gated apple and stir again until just combined.
6. Over medium heat in a non-stick pan, melt enough Earth Balance to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add spoonfuls of batter until you’ve reached the desired size and shape.
7. When the bubbles begin to appear around the edges and through the centre of the pancake, they’re ready to flip over. The second side always cooks a lot faster than the first so watch them carefully!
8. Repeat until you’ve run out of batter, slather with Earth Balance, maple syrup and enjoy!

Pancakes can be wrapped in saran and kept in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for a few months and popped in the toaster for midweek morning enjoyment. Eggo might have pioneered this process but they don’t have exclusivity so double up this recipe for a yummier start to your weekday mornings.

1 Comment Posted by Shawna on September 26, 2010
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Market Challenge #1: Grilled Vegetable Torte

So one of the very best things about summer is the sheer abundance of produce. Our Sunday trip to the farmers market at Lansdowne Park was an embarrassment of riches. It has been said that you can have too much of a good thing and this plethora posed a problem: too much possibility. I needed a focus for my work and thus the market challenge was born.

The rules of the market challenge are simple. The majority of the ingredients for the dish must come from the market. I’ve made some concessions for proteins like soy, items unavailable locally like citrus or nutritional yeast and pantry items like vinegars or spices because they’re crucial to the balance of a dish. Otherwise, if it’s not found in the stalls of Lansdowne, it won’t be part of this showcase showdown.

My beau and I collected a classic combination of vegetables perfect for grilling and enough basil and fresh “Art-is-in” bread to create something truly great but what would that be? A salad? Snoresville. A sandwich? Nope, not special enough for Sunday night dinner pour deux. Then it came to me: a torte. Why just grill vegetables when you could layer them in a dish with tons of basil, beautiful balsamic then top it all off with tofu ricotta and a breadcrumb gremolata just to put things over the top?

So how did it turn out? Brilliantly. The veggies were grilled to greatness and then made better by the basil and balsamic. Both added a bold layer of flavour to the dish upping the complexity considerably. Add to the mix some super creamy tofu ricotta to round things out with richness and a crisp, crunchy gremolata to provide some texture and a balance-achieving zing and we had a real winner on our hands. The only thing we felt was missing from the dish was missing from the Market: mushrooms. When I created this dish, it was still too early for Le Coprin to grace us and our torte with their stunning wares. Their mushrooms are in such high demand by local restaurants and organic groceries that they didn’t have enough product to bring to market until the first week of August. The good news is they’re currently stallside enabling you to take advantage of their marvelous mushrooms should you choose to accept this challenge and make the dish for yourself.

This challenge was a ton of fun and the perfect way to make the most of the local growing season. In fact, we liked it so much we’re going to do it again. Stay tuned to see what comes of the next trip. Sundays have now become fundays.


Newbie Note: Balsamic glaze is simple to make but it does require some patience and consistent supervision. You don’t need to hover but frequent check-ins will be necessary unless you want to make it twice. Like all reductions, for a long time it seems like nothing is happening until the heat hits critical mass, then reduction happens quite rapidly and sometimes too rapidly. It’s tempting to up the heat to reduce the time but if you do, you’ll run the risk of burning the glaze as the sugar count in balsamic is quite high. Once you’ve burned it you can’t save it and you’ll need to start over again. Instead, try to remember slow and steady will win this race. Swirling the balsamic around the pan will help diffuse the heat if the simmer turns to a boil. Just be sure to keep your eyes and nose out of the way as the fumes produced by a vinegar reducing are acrid. If you forget this bit and lean into the stove for a sniff as you swirl, don’t worry, the smell will offend you so much you’ll never do it again. Finally, it’s best to remove the glaze from the heat once it’s thick enough to coat a spoon with a second or two of hang time. The residual heat will be enough to take the balsamic down to half and significantly reduce your chances of burning or overcooking it. Now enough with the mother-henning, you’ve got a torte to turn out!

Market Challenge #1: Grilled Vegetable Torte

Loosely adapted from Mark Bittman’s column in the New York Times, July, 21, 2010
Prep time: 30 minutes / Active time: 30 minutes / Bake time: 30 minutes / Serves 6 generously
Special equipment: Microplane or box grater with razor sharp fine setting

For the balsamic glaze:
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

For the tofu ricotta:
1/2 brick of firm tofu
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 lemon, juice only
1/4 cup cashew cream or belsoy
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the gremolata:
2 tbsp Earth Balance buttery stick
6-8 inches of baguette, toasted and cut into 1/2′ cubes
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
1/2 lemon, zest only
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the torte:
4 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 lemon, juice and zest
1 tbsp dried thyme
pinch of red chili flakes
2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
3-6 tomatoes, depending on the size, sliced into 1/4″ slices, seasoned with salt and pepper
2 zucchini, sliced into 1/4″ discs or strips
2 summer squash, sliced into 1/4″ discs or strip
2 eggplants, sliced into 1/4″ discs or strip (I’ve used Japanese)
2 red onions, 1/2″ wedges, reserving the core to help keep the wedges intact
1 large bunch of basil, leaves only, in chiffonade

Method balsamic glaze:
1. In a sauce pan over medium-low heat simmer balsamic until reduced by half, stirring occasionally to ensure the bottom doesn’t get too sticky. Set aside until ready to use.
NOTE: If you’ve just skipped down to this nitty gritty, you may want to scroll up for some helpful tips on how to get this glaze right the first time around.

Method tofu ricotta:
1. Over a medium-sized bowl, grate all of the tofu. Once done, run the grated tofu through your fingers until the texture resembles the course ground of ricotta.
2. Add the cashew cream/belsoy, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and stir to combine well.
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper and chill in refrigerator until ready to use,

Method gremolata:
1. Combine all ingredients, save the Earth Balance in a food processor and pulse until a course meal forms and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Add earth balance to mixture. Using your fingers run the Earth Balance through the breadcrumb mixture until evenly distributed and set aside until ready to use.

Method torte:
1. Pre-heat oven to 400° and spray a medium-sized oven proof dish with a neutral oil.
1. In a large bowl combine olive oil, garlic, thyme, lemon rind, peel, sea salt and pepper and whisk until well combined.
2. Add all vegetables, except the tomatoes to the olive oil mixture and toss until all are evenly coated.
3. Lay tomato slices on a flat surface and season lightly with salt and pepper.
4. Over high heat, grill all the vegetables and set aside.
5. Begin layering the torte beginning with an even mixture of the grilled vegetables, drizzle with balsamic glaze, followed by a layer of basil chiffonade and tomatoes. Repeat this sequence until you only have a 1/2″ distance from the top of the pan remaining. Spread tofu ricotta over the torte in an even layer, top with gremolata and bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbling and top is golden brown and crispy.
6. Remove from oven, let stand on a cooling rack for 20 minutes, serve and enjoy!

You could probably serve this over pasta or with a nice green salad but we were happy to eat it all alone. A lot of it.

2 Comments Posted by Shawna on August 27, 2010
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Insalata Caprese

This salad is as straight forward and sexy as the Isle of Capri from whence it hails. When the weather is hot and the humidity high this is the only thing I crave. Few things are as fresh on the palette as this.

This salad is a scant seven ingredients to heaven and beyond simple to prepare. I’ve elected to make my version a summer savory mille feuille. To preserve the shape of the tomato, I’ve used a cookie cutter to create tofu rounds. This step and approach is by no means necessary. This salad is just as tasty if you cube the tofu and tomatoes for a “hacked” version of the salad, it just won’t have the same aesthetic quality. Since I, like most people, eat with my eyes first, this is the perfect method to satisfy my desire for both form and function.

Traditionally, this salad is made with fresh buffalo mozzarella. This delicate cheese  is usually found in whey or water and is made from whole milk. It has a much softer texture and a sweeter, milder flavor than nearly any other cheese. While Mozzarella di bufala is the most prized of the fresh mozzarellas, my body’s inability to process dairy couldn’t care less about its credentials. In my honest and most humble opinion, this form of mozzarella really doesn’t taste like anything, which makes it easier to replace. All I needed to make a vegan version of this classic first course was a creamy, mildly-flavoured, medium-textured white substitute to insert in its place. Hello medium-firm tofu. Problem solved!

With the tofu in play, I’ll move on to the balsamic reduction. All you need to make an amazing balsamic glaze is a saucepan, balsamic vinegar, a small spatula and some patience. Ah patience. The fourth item in the list seems the most difficult to come by and it’s really needed here.

The balsamic needs to simmer over medium low heat for about 12 -15 minutes. If you raise the temperature to shorten the time, the sugars will caramelize too quickly and burn. For the first 10 minutes it appears to be doing nothing but you cannot leave it unattended because the sweet spot for this glaze has a one minute half life. Leave it too long and you’ll end up with a too-thick, syrupy mess you can’t even scrape off the bottom of the pan. The trick is to take the glaze off the heat when it can coat the back of a spoon with a few seconds of hang time. The residual heat will reduce the vinegar the rest of the way without taking it too far into taffytown.

I know I said this was an easy salad and this seems complicated but trust me, once you nail the glaze the first time you’ll never think twice about it again. Since you’ll be craving this salad on a near daily basis, actual ease of assembly is supremely important.

Oh, and one more thing. I fed this to self-described carnivores who loved this salad and had to concede they could not tell the difference between the this and the bufala original. If you’ve read my About page, you know this is my ultimate goal. Score!

Insalata Caprese

Knowledge so timeless it’s unattributable.
Prep time: 15 minutes / Active time: 2 minutes, 5 if you get artsy / Serves: 4

For the salad:

4 of the freshest, firmest tomatoes you can find, cut into four 1/2″ thick slices
1 package of medium firm tofu, cut into 1/4″ slices, then 12 rounds same size as tomatoes
32 large basil leaves, whole
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to season and taste.

Method:
1. Add balsamic vinegar to a small sauce pan and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until reduced by half. Once reduced remove from heat and set aside until ready for use.
NOTE: See paragraph five for some super helpful hints if you just skipped down to business.
2. Lay slices of tomatoes and rounds of tofu on a cutting board or plate and season liberally with salt and pepper. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the seasoning to be fully absorbed.
3. Once glaze has cooled slightly, you can begin to layer the insalata in the following order: slice of tomato, drizzle of olive oil, enough basil leaves to cover tomato slice, round of tofu, drizzle of balsamic glaze and repeat sequence until you hit the final slice of tomato to top.
4. Repeat with remaining tomatoes, top with additional leaf of basil and you’re done.

No Comments Posted by Shawna on August 16, 2010
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Fresh Tomato, Zucchini and Lemon Risotto

Risotto. How do you make risotto without cream? Parmesan? Butter? Easy. Trust the tomatoes. Trust the rice. Trust that the creamy starch they release will bring the mmmmmm factor home.

I had the unbelievable pleasure of eating at a sexy little spot in Montreal called DNA last summer. Not only was the interior design out-of-this-world but the food was to die for. Beyond the raw materials, they produce 90% of what they serve in house. They link their own sausage, cure their meat and even make some of their own cheese. They focus on the freshest, local ingredients and then employ them the best way they know how. The evening I dined with them, I had the most amazing fresh tomato risotto. The tomato plants were used in their entirety. Even the bitter leaves from the vine were sautéed, softened and added to give this airy dish some depth. The result? An incredibly well-balanced, light dish that is the epitome of late summer produce.

As most risottos are on the heavier side, the lightness of this dish surprised me. The secret? Tomato water instead of stock and no cream. Sacrilegious. No stock? No cream? No way! The absence of these traditional ingredients produces a lighter, fresher but still creamy risotto. The addition of nutritional yeast not only adds the nutty, cheesy flavour the parmesan would ordinarily deliver but it’s a perfect protein and killer source of vitamin B12, which as a vegan, I need quite a bit of to ensure my vitamin intake is well-rounded. Finally, unless you grow your own, tomatoes with the leaves still intact are difficult to come by so I’ve replaced the bitter greens with the peppery arugula. Not quite the same but just as good until September rolls around. So. Good.

Let’s get this show on the road shall we?

Fresh Tomato, Zucchini and Lemon Risotto

Would Rather Gather original inspired by an incredible meal at DNA, Montreal
Prep time: 20 minutes / Active time: 25 minutes / Serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side

For the risotto:

2 tbsp Earth Balance butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup small white, Spanish onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups fresh tomatoes of your choice, diced roughly into 1-2 inch cubes
1 zucchini sliced into discs as finely as possible
2 cups or arborio rice
4 cups tomato water (2 cups tomato juice combined with 2 cups water)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
small handful of basil, en chiffonade
1 tbsp fresh flat leaf (Italian) parsley, roughly chopped

Method:
1. In a saute pan over medium heat, bring the Earth Balance and olive oil up to temperature, add the garlic and saute until golden.
2. Add the onions and saute until soft and translucent. Should the edges begin to brown, turn down the temp, you’re heat is too high.
3. Add arborio and saute until rice becomes warm and glossy, about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add white wine and stir constantly until liquid is almost entirely absorbed and the rice mixture is nearly dry.
5. Once wine is absorbed, begin to add the tomato stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed and the mixture is nearly dry. Repeat, adding the stock in a 1/2 cup at a time, tasting as you go until rice is el dente.
6. Add tomatoes, zucchini and lemon juice, stirring constantly until water from tomatoes and zucchini is absorbed. Tasting as you go, continue adding more stock if needed until the rice is firm but not mushy.
7. Stir in basil, parsley and enjoy! This is as good as summer gets in bowl format.

1 Comment Posted by Shawna on July 25, 2010
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