Small Bites: Big Flavor

Since finishing my internship at Pure Food and Wine, I have been experimenting with recipes, dabbling into their cookbooks and making new creations of my own. I wanted to bring my favorite dishes from the restaurant into my kitchen, taking some of their flavor inspirations and techniques and layering them into my daily meals. One of my favorite things to plate (and snack on) on the line was their tarts, served as an hors d'ouvre. This is something that seems to change quite often in the restaurant, but I loved the bold flavors that came out of these small bites. This recipe is as close as I can remember, though I believe we used an apple cider reduction as the sauce. There are so many different ways to play around with this. I made my base more of a cracker, instead of a tart, as I did not have tart molds on hand to create the shape. This worked out just fine, and I actually prefer having the leftovers around to snack on. Here is my latest version and what I learned from Pure Food and Wine.

   

Pinot Noir Crisps with Herbed Cashew Cream

Trumpet Mushrooms + Caramelized Shallots

Apricot-Riesling Sauce

The Apricot Riesling sauce, along with the freshness from the herbs brightens up the heavy Pinot Noir, shallot and trumpet mushroom flavor. With the sweetness from the maple shallots and truffle oil notes, this makes for one awesome bite. I used Dr. Cow's Cashew Cream Cheese as a base and added my own herbs, but you can certainly make your own cashew cheese. I added fresh chives and parsley. Serves about 4. 

Black Pepper-Pinot Noir Crisps

1 cup pecans, soaked for 1 hour

3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

3 1/2 Tbsp Pinot Noir

3 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

freshly ground black pepper

pinch of sea salt

In a food processor, blend all the ingredients until smooth. Add more wine as necessary until you get a smooth consistency, like peanut butter. Spread the mixture evenly on a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray, using an offset spatula to spread evenly. 

Dehydrate for about 2 hours, until the surface is completely dry. Use a cutter of your choice (depending on what size/shape cracker you want) to score shapes into the mixture. Dehydrate for another 2 to 3 hours until the tops feel dry. Flip onto the mesh screen, peeling off the Teflex sheet and dehydrate until crisp. 

 Marinated Trumpet Mushrooms

1 cup black trumpet mushrooms (I used dried)

1/4 cup Pinot Noir

1/4 medium shallot, peeled and finely minced

1/4 cup nama shoyu

1/2 tsp white truffle oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Rinse the mushrooms and pat dry. Mix the ingredients in a bowl and toss. Place mushrooms in the dehydrator until ready to serve.

Caramelized Shallots

2 medium shallots, peeled, cut in half, and sliced very thin

Splash of maple syrup

Splash of extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of sea salt

Toss ingredients in a shallow small hotel pan, or mini loaf pan until evenly coated. Dehydrate until shallots are broken down and the liquid is mostly evaporated, about 2 to 4 hours.

Apricot-Riesling Sauce

1/2 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup dry Riesling

Punch of sea salt

Puree ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth.

To assemble, drizzle the plate with the Apricot-Riesling Sauce. Place a Pinot Noir Crisp on the plate, stack with a spoonful of the herbed cashew cream, a pinch-ful of shallots and trumpet mushrooms. Top off with more fresh herbs and a few drops of truffle oil.

Holiday Recipes!

It's that time of year again! I know I'm a bit behind on posting this, but here are a few of the dishes that made the table at this year's Thanksgiving. There were a lot of repeats from last year, like the Brussels Sprouts and Apples and the Warm Butternut Squash and Arugula, my mother-in-law's Wild Rice Salad, Oatmeal Crunch Apple Crisp...they've definitely become staples.  I did decide to give Pure Food and Wine's raw, vegan Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart a shot and we changed up my mother's traditional "candied yams" (or sweet potatoes with marshmallows and corn flakes, of course) to a slightly healthier version. These are all great ideas for your Christmas dinner in a few weeks!

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Serves 6

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
1/3 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (or less if you're not a big ginger fan)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil  

1/2 cup marshmallows

1/2 cup corn flakes

Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Oil a medium-sized casserole dish. Wrap each sweet potato in foil, pierce numerous times with a fork and place in the oven for about an hour, until each is baked through (you should be able to slide a knife through the center flesh easily). Remove the potatoes from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, then cut each sweet potato in half. Scrape the flesh into a large mixing bowl and mash the sweet potatoes with the coconut milk. Stir in the ginger, maple syrup and salt. Let sit for a few minutes, stir again and taste - adjust the seasoning if you need to. 

Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the baking dish, drizzle with olive oil and bake uncovered until warm, roughly 30 minutes. Remove and sprinkle with the marshmallows and corn flakes, alternating each in diagonal rows. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or so until the marshmallows toast and brown slightly.

Pure Food and Wine's Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart

Serves 6

For the tart crust:

3/4 cup cocoa powder

3/4 cup fine almond flour

1/2 cup maple syrup crystals

1/4 cup coconut butter

pinch of sea salt

In a standard mixer with a paddle attachment, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined into a dough. You can do this by hand as well, with a wooden spoon in a large bowl. Press the dough evenly into a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill 1 hour or more.

For the ganache filling:

2 1/4 cup cocoa powder

2 1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup coconut butter

Blend all of the filling ingredients in a blender until smooth. Taste the ganache to make sure it's not grainy. If needed, blend further until completely smooth. Pour into the chilled tart crust. Place in the refrigerator to chill and set at least 3 hours.

For the vanilla cream:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked 4 hours or more

1 cup coconut meat

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup agave nectar

1/2 cup coconut butter

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean

1/4 tsp salt

Blend all the ingredients until completely smooth. Transfer to a separate container and refrigerate to chill and set, 2 hours or more.

Cut the tart into 12 slices (running the knife under hot water between each slice) and top each slice with a spoonful of the vanilla cream. I could not get enough of this!! Unbelievably decadent.

Ani's Sesame Noodles

I had the opportunity to meet Ani Phyo when she was in town on her book tour. She came out with her latest cookbook Ani's Raw Food Essentials and gave a demo at Organic Avenue a couple of weeks ago. She completely inspired me so I decided to try another one of her recipes last week. These noodles were so good that I had it for dinner three nights in a row! I had to share these images with you all...

Kelp noodles are the greatest thing that I have learned about. I am always craving pasta, though without the bloating feeling that comes along with them. These are the perfect solution! Kelp noodles are a sea vegetable in the form of an easy-to-eat raw noodle. They are fat-free, gluten-free and very low in carbohydrates and calories. They are a healthy alternative to pasta and rice noodles and no cooking is required! Just rinse and add noodles to any dish.

This recipe uses walnut and cashew butter to create an incredibly smooth texture for the sauce. It is flavored with toasted sesame oil, Braggs Liquid Aminos, vinegar, garlic and ginger and topped with crunchy veggies and Tamari almonds. You can buy her book here to get this recipe and more raw delights!

Let me know if you have any questions or if you give this recipe a try! Leave your comments.

I [heart] Coconut Macarons

Stay tuned...coming soon to the O'Cookies family...

Raw. Vegan. Gluten-free. Sugar-free. You will never believe it....

Raw. Real. Radiant.

Fresh and vibrant, stacked high with seasonal elements, this is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Call it a vegetable napoleon or vegan lasagna, I have tried several versions from restaurants and delivery services around the city. I decided to attempt Pure Food and Wine's version from their "Raw Food, Real World" cookbook. Layered with basil-pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato sauce and pignoli ricotta, their "Zucchini and Green Zebra Tomato Lasagna" is one of their best-selling entrees, not to mention, my very first raw dish ever tried and thoroughly tasted!

Vegetable Lasagna
with basil-pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato sauce and pignoli ricotta

pignoli ricotta:
1 cups raw pignoli (pine) nuts, soaked for 1 hour or more
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt
6 Tbsp filtered water

Place the pignoli nuts, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times, until thoroughly combined. Gradually add the water and process until the texture becomes fluffy, like ricotta.

tomato sauce
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 2 hours or more
1 small to medium tomato, diced
1/4 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp agave nectar
2 tsp sea salt
Pinch red pepper flakes

Squeeze and drain as much of the water out of the soaked sun-dried tomatoes as you can. Add the drained tomatoes to a high-speed blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

basil-pistachio pesto
2 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 cup pistachios
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined but still chunky.

assembly
3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper
3 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut in half and then sliced
basil leaves for garnish, sliced

Cut the zucchini crosswise in half. Using a mandoline, cut the zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini slices with the olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.

For individual servings, place about 3 zucchini slices, slightly overlapping on each serving plate, creating a square shape. Spread tomato sauce over the zucchini, top with small dollops of "ricotta" and pesto and a few small tomato slices. Repeat twice more. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature for a few hours. Garnish with basil leaves.

Leftover lasagna should last in the refrigerator for at least a day or two, though it wont look as brightly colored.

Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

I guess you can say that I've been on a stir-fry kick but I can't help but share this with you- definitely a dinner worth trying for yourselves. I caught a glimpse of Mario Batali this morning on the Today Show making a raw asparagus salad that looked fresh and appropriate for the season. I thought I'd try something similar instead of the usual green salad to start. The Parmesan really adds an bold taste to the dish but it is also wonderful without it if you're doing the vegan thing.

This Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry recipe is taken from the The Candle Cafe Cookbook, one of New York's renowned and one of my favorite vegan restaurants in the city. I actually introduced my husband to tempeh tonight and, let's just say, this is the perfect dish for a meat-eating Texan, "no tofu please" guy to try it. Not only did he enjoy it, he officially approved the dish and has added Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry to our ultimate "dinner rotation". I did some of the prep work ahead of time (the peanut sauce can be made well in advance and Whole Foods does a great job of having prepped vegetables in their refrigerator section!). Don't be intimidated by the amount of ingredients. It really is an easy recipe to follow.

Shaved Asparagus with Parmesan

Asparagus bunch, ends snapped off
Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved
Juice of a lemon
splash of olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into thin long strips. Put the Parmigiano in a large bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, slowly drizzling in the oil. Add the asparagus and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

Peanut Sauce
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbsp crushed red chili flakes
1 Tbsp ketchup (I know, I thought this was weird too but trust me)
1/4 cup Tamari soy sauce
1 Tbsp Tabasco
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Soba Noodles and Tempeh
1 8-ounce package Tempeh, cubed
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb soba noodles

Stir-Fry
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
3/4 chopped onion
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup trimmed and blanched string beans
1 1/2 cups cut and blanched broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil

To prepare the peanut sauce, place all of the ingredients with 2 cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Place the tempeh cubes in a bowl and cover with the peanut sauce. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the soba noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt and olive oil. Add the soba noodles and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the stir-fry, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add tempeh and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, cabbage, string beans, and broccoli and stir-fry for 5 minutes, then add the peppers and mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Add some peanut sauce and continue to saute, tossing the vegetables, tempeh and sauce together until the desired doneness, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the tamari soy sauce and sesame oil and stir-fry for an additional 3 minutes. Serve over the soba noodles with additional peanut sauce. Serves about 6.