Cauliflower "Shrimp" Cocktail

In my pre-vegan days I absolutely loved shrimp cocktail, so when I came across this recipe in the February 2012 issue of Bon Appetit, I knew that I needed to give it a try.

The results? It was okay. On its own, the cauliflower doesn't taste all that much like shrimp but when dipped in the cocktail sauce, it definitely helps add to the flavor. It may not be an exact replica, but at least it's a new spin on cauliflower! I'm excited to give other seasonings a try now.

Cauliflower "Shrimp" Cocktail
(4 servings)

1/2 cup dry crab boil seasoning (Old Bay)
1/8 cup sea salt
1 onion, quartered
3 garlic cloves
1.5 lemons, halved crosswise
1 head of cauliflower, cored, trimmed into 2" florets
Cocktail sauce

Combine crab boil, salt, onions, garlic, and 3 quarts water in a large pot. Squeeze juice from lemons into pot and add lemon halves. Set pot over high heat and bring liquid to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes to let flavors meld. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions, garlic, and lemons from broth; discard. Return liquid to a rolling boil.
   
Add cauliflower; turn off heat, cover pot tightly, and let stand until cauliflower is crisp-tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain; spread out cauliflower on a rimmed baking sheet and let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Cauliflower can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Arrange room-temperature or chilled cauliflower on a platter with cocktail sauce for dipping.

The original recipe can be found here at Bon Appetit.com.

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Once you realize how easy it is to make tortillas at home, you'll never buy those packaged ones again!

There have been many times that I bought an entire package of tortillas, only used 1 or 2 and had the rest of the package go to waste. With this recipe, you can adjust it to make more or less and it uses ingredients that most people already have handy around the house.

And just think of all the different variations you can make - garlic & herb, oregano & basil, cinnamon & sugar, etc. Let your imagination go wild!

Homemade Flour Tortillas
(Servings: About 2 Tortillas)

1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
3/4 tsp Vegan Butter or Vegetable Shortening
1/4 tsp Salt* (optional)
2 tbsp of Water

In a bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add butter (shortening) and cut it in with a fork. Add water and mix. If you need more water, add only a little at a time. Add enough water so that the dough sticks together but isn't sticky to the touch.

Form into 2 balls and - one at a time, on a lightly floured surface - flatten with the palm of your hand. Using a rolling pin, roll out into a circle until very thin.

Pre-heat a dry skillet for about a minute over medium heat and then place tortilla on the skillet. Heat for 30-45 seconds or until bubbles start to form and the edges start to pull up a bit. Flip tortilla over and cook for another 20-30 seconds.

*For a less salty tortilla, salt can be left out of the recipe.

Modified from the recipe found on Sprinkled with Flour.

Vegetable Bean Soup

I wanted to make vegetable soup, but was feeling lazy and didn't want to drive all the way to the farmers market to get fresh veggies, so I went to the supermarket and decided to try using frozen. They worked great; I couldn't even tell the difference and it was absolutely delicious.

What makes this soup even better is that it was so inexpensive and easy to make! I got the bags of vegetables on sale, so the entire pot of soup only cost me about $5 and will easily feed me for days. I know that I've spent that much on a 1 cup of "homemade" soup from a store or 2 cans of soup, so it's definitely worth it to make your own sometimes.


Vegetable Bean Soup

3 Bags of Frozen Vegetables (12-16oz) [I used Shoprite's Steam in Bag Asian Stirfry, California Blend (Broccoli, Cauliflower & Carrots) and Peas]
1 bag (16 oz) Goya 16 Bean Soup Mix
1 Red Onion
2 Stalks of Celery
1 tbsp minced garlic
Olive Oil (for sautéing)
4 Quarts (16 cups) of water mixed with Osem Chicken Style Consomme [or 4 Quarts of any other type of broth]
Spices*

• Bay leaf
• Old Bay
• Oregano
• Basil
• Cinnamon
• Allspice
• Salt & Pepper (to taste)

*Note: At one point, I just started adding different spices and seasonings without writing any of them down. I don't know the exact measurements - and I may have forgotten a spice or two - so just use this list as a guideline. Experiment and decide what tastes good to you!

Before you begin, make sure you rinse the beans.

Saute the onions in a stock pot until they start to turn clear, then add the celery and saute a few minutes longer. Add garlic, stir a few times.

Add the 3 bags of frozen vegetables and the bag of beans.

Add the vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil.
[Note: If you are using the consomme, add the powder after you bring the water to a boil.]

Add the spices and then stir a few times to mix everything together.

Reduce the heat to simmer [low/medium heat] and cover.

Let the soup simmer for an hour to an hour and a half. When the beans are cooked, the soup is done.
[Note: I let the soup sit on the stove for a few hours after it was done to let the flavors blend together a bit longer.]

Don't forget to remove the bay leaf before serving.

Servings: You'll probably be eating it for the next couple of weeks.

Caponata

I watch way too much of the Food Network.

On Saturday, I was watching "Secrets of a Restaurant Chef" and Anne Burrell made Caponata. I had just bought an eggplant the day before and was wondering what to do with it, so this recipe couldn't have come at a better time. It's basically an eggplant stew in tomato sauce. It looked fairly easy to make and I only had to pick up a few things, so I decided to make it on Sunday. In true Tracie fashion, I modified the recipe a bit but I don't think it changed the flavor all that much. I'd definitely make this again; it would be great to bring for a pot luck!

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, peeled, alternating with 1-inch strips of skin left on, cut into 1-inch dice
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
Palm full of chili powder
3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 tbsp chopped garlic
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2 cup water
6oz tomato paste (small can)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup black olives
Palm full of dried mint leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the eggplant generously with olive oil and salt, to taste. Spread out on a baking sheet and roast until the eggplant is soft and mushy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve.

Coat a wide deep pot with olive oil. Toss in the onion and chili powder and season with salt, to taste. Cook over medium-high heat until the onions are soft and aromatic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add the celery and garlic and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the peppers and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. Add the zucchini, season with salt, to taste, and cook until the zucchini and all the veggies are soft and aromatic and starting to come together as a stew, about 5 to 6 minutes. Toss in the eggplant, 1/2 cup of water and the tomato paste. Cook until the water has evaporated. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a small bowl and add it to the mixture. Stir in the olives and mint. Cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.

Let cool and transfer the Caponata to a serving bowl. Serve by itself or over pasta, brown rice, quinoa, a bed of lettuce or bread (as an appetizer).

Serve immediately or even better tomorrow or the next day.

Serves: 6 - 8 People

Original Recipe found here at FoodNewtork.com

Chesapeake Tempeh "Crab" Cakes

I saw this recipe posted on Olivia Wilde's blog back a few weeks ago and have been dying to try them ever since. They do take a little time to prep, but they're really easy to make.

Chesapeake Tempeh "Crab" Cakes

INGREDIENTS

For the Cakes:

8 ounces tempeh
1 cup water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf

3 tbsp Vegenaise
1 tbsp stone-ground Dijon
1 tbsp hot sauce (Frank's)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup very finely chopped red bell pepper (orange bell pepper)
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
Fresh black pepper
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs, plus extra for dredging
1 sheet nori paper (turn into a powder by putting in the magic bullet w/ the flat blade)
Oil for pan-frying

For the Remoulade:

2 tbsp Vegenaise
1 tbsp stone-ground dijon
1 tbsp hot sauce

DIRECTIONS

First we’re going to steam the tempeh to get the bitterness out and also to give it some flavor with the soy sauce. Crumble the tempeh into a saucepan in little bits. Add the water, soy sauce, oil, and bay leaf. The tempeh won’t be fully submerged, but that’s fine. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let boil for 12 to 15 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated. Stir once during boiling.

Transfer contents to a mixing bowl, remove the bay leaf, and mash with a fork. Let cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to hasten the cooling process. Make sure the tempeh is barely warm before you proceed, or the cakes may fall apart when you cook them.

Add the Vegenaise, mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, bell pepper, ginger, oregano, salt, and pepper and mix well. Add the breadcrumbs and nori and use your hands to incorporate.

Once you are ready to form the cakes, preheat a thin layer of oil in a heavy-bottomed, nonstick skillet (cast iron is great) over medium heat. Pour a few tablespoons of panko into a bowl. Scoop a little less than 1/4 cup batter (use an ice cream scoop) into your hands and form into a ball. Flatten between your palms and then roll the sides gently to smooth them. You should have ten 2 1/2- to 3-inch patties. Press them into the panko to lightly coat. They don’t need to be thoroughly covered, just a little bit for some texture.

Fry a batch of five cakes for 4 minutes on one side and flip when dark golden brown. Fry for 2 minutes on the other side and transfer to a paper towel or paper bag to drain. Do your second batch and in the meantime make your remoulade by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.

Optional: Make ahead. Make the entire mixture and the remoulade the night before. In the morning, form into cakes and pan-fry. (I waited about 6 hours)

Prepping the Mixture: 45 Minutes
Forming Cakes & Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Servings: Makes 10-12 Cakes

(Other Use: Instead of making crab cakes, you can also just use the "crab" mixture for sandwiches or over a bed of lettuce, etc. It's delicious on its own as well.) 

Adapted from the recipe in Vegan Brunch by Isa Chandra Moskowitz.

Chick Pea and Tomato Pâté

Chick Pea* and Tomato Pâté

2 Cans Chick Peas*
1 Can of Hunt's Seasoned Diced Tomatoes for Chili
1 Tbsp of Chopped Garlic
Basil
Oregano
Dill
Salt & Pepper
(add spices to taste)
Vegan Grated Topping (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. In an oven safe dish, mash chick peas
3. Add tomatoes, basil, oregano, dill, garlic, salt and pepper.
4. Cover and bake for 15-20 minutes
5. Sprinkle grated topping on top (Optional)

Serve over toast, rice, pasta or you can also put it on crackers and make it an appetizer.

Servings - 4
Calories per serving - 219 (pâté only w/o grated topping)

*Any type of beans can be substituted. Using Butter Beans gives this dish more of a pizza type taste.