James Beard Foundation- Vegan Summer Dinner!

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a summer vegan event at the James Beard Foundation – a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve America’s diverse culinary heritage and future. They invited Philadelphia-based vegan restaurant Horizons for the second time to host a dinner at the legendary Beard House in New York City. This was the first time in 23 years that the James Beard Foundation was recognizing vegan cuisine as just that, a cuisine. Definitely something to celebrate!

Hors d’oeuvres were being prepped as I walked in the kitchen and I couldn't help but take my camera out. They were almost too beautiful to eat! My favorites included fritters of hearts of palm with pickled asparagus rémoulade and a bruschetta with tofu, pickled daikon and charred shishito peppers. Incredible! My non-vegan friend who came with me was in awe that no dairy was used in any of these recipes.



Grilled seitan and horseradish crèpes with braised butter lettuce also set the tone for the evening...


We were escorted to the dining room to be seated for what was to be the most incredible 5-course meal. An amuse of an silky asparagus soup came first. Salt-Roasted Golden Beet Carpaccio and Tartare then kicked off the meal with applewood-smoked tofu, avocado capers, pumpernickel and cucumber-dill cream that delightfully surprised my non-veg friend, once again, for a dairy cream! Paired with a Handley Gewurztraminer, the presentation was exquisite. The flavors, perfection.


Next, a shallow bowl of mustard croutons bursting with flavor and upland cress was filled with warm, savory Sunchoke and Horseradish Bisque. Paired nicely with a 2008 Pfaffenheim Pinot Blanc. Mouth-watering just thinking about it...

A third course of Glazed Nebrodini Mushroom with Seaweed Caramel, Chinese Broccoli Puree, Smoked Miso and Cucumber Sashimi. The Tozai Snow Maiden Junmai Nigori Sake boasted a light and airy composition and harmonized quite well with the earthy flavors of the mushrooms and miso. At this point I was trying not to finish each plate, as I knew there was more to come, but it was seeming to be impossible.
The fourth course, an entrée of Catalan Grilled Tofu, sent us into a tangy world of garlic salsa verde, dried olives and raw ratatouille. The gigantic bean puree and pioppini mushrooms that accompanied the protein had an exceptional taste and texture. I am not usually a fan of grilled tofu as a main component but this dish was hearty, flavorful and I could not get enough of the bean puree.


Save room for dessert? Not at all, but a vegan dessert is not something I ever pass up. The final course of Strawberry-Sorrel Bread Pudding with Saffron Ice Cream and Rhubarb Nectar might have stolen the show for me. It would have been easy, I imagine, for the complex flavors of the bread pudding to upstage the strawberries or overpower the bashful hints of saffron in terrible and unjust ways, and yet it did not. Instead, the delicate pudding served as a sponge of taste, soaking in each ingredient and delivering bite after bite of perfect synchronicity. I almost ate the leftovers at the table...along with the last drops of 2008 Rivetto Moscato d’Asti that was served as an accompaniment.

A memorable night at the Beard House and such an honor to be a part of something so relevant. James Beard himself would have been surprised and yet impressed to see an incredible vegan event hosted in his home.

Vegan Baked

Just completed Fran Costigan's 5-day intensive Vegan Baking Boot Camp at the Natural Gourmet Institute and man did I learned a lot! I was completely inspired that I had to share this with you all. Here are just a few of the many fabulously delicious dairy-free, egg-free desserts that we created. All to die for!

(Chocolate Cake to Live For with Chocolate Frosting)

(Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Frosting and Luster Dust)

(Fran discussing Cake Day)

(Vanilla Cake with Pecan Coconut Filling and Chocolate Ganache)

(Carrot Cake)

(Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie)

Vegan Baking Boot Camp Grads 2010

VOTE FOR O'COOKIES!

O'Cookies Wholesome Bites nominated: Best Baked Sweets, Vegetarian Times' 2010 Foodie Awards!!! Please vote!

This is a very exciting endorsement from the premier vegetarian publication in the country! And we need your help to win! Please help by voting today:http://staging.vegetariantimes.com/community/sweepstakes/55

Thank you so much,Vegetarian Times , for recognizing O'Cookies Wholesome Bites and thank you to all of our clients, family, friends and followers. I have truly appreciated all of your support over the past couple of years and could not have made it this far without you all.

So if you have a minute, you can take a look at all of the Vegetarian Times 2010 Foodie Award Nominees HERE, and vote for O'Cookies Wholesome Bites Vegan Dark Chocolate Raisin Oat! We are in category #13, “Baked Sweets”. 



Even if you haven't had a chance to try Vegan Dark Chocolate Raisin Oat, take it from VT and our happy customers - they rock! A seemingly sinful treat free of animal products - all natural, organic and healthy! All O'Cookies are available online for purchase at www.o-cookies.com or at Cafe Angelique in Manhattan, NY; La Casita Yarn Shop Cafe in Brooklyn, NY; and Smoothie King in Richardson, TX (Dallas area).

With thanks to Vegetarian Times and to you all for your continued support,

Erin O'Leary Stewart
Founder, President

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.

(Clean out the fridge) Stir-Fry.

It's a Sunday night and after staying in (with a cold) and cooking for the past few nights, our fridge was full of all sorts of veggies....half of a green pepper, a few stalks of green onion, bunch of broccolini, a handful of sugar snap peas, leftover brown rice... One simple dinner solution came to mind. Stir-fry. Versatile and fun to make, you can use any vegetables that you like or have on hand. Feel free to play around with different varieties and proportions to create your own. Serve over brown rice or soba noodles.

Simple Stir-Fry

For the sauce:
3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 Tbsp corn starch
2 Tbsp rice wine
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
drizzle of agave

For the stir-fry:
splash of sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
handful of sliced green onion
1 cup sliced red or green bell pepper,
1/2 cup blanched sugar snap peas (or string beans), chopped
1 1/2 cup of blanched broccolini (or broccoli), chopped
1/2 cup sliced shitake or oyster mushrooms
1/4 cup thinly sliced water chestnuts
1/4 cup sesame seeds (I had black sesame seeds on hand)
salt, to taste

To make the sauce, whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

In a large pan or wok, heat the oil over high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, green onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 2 minutes. Add the vegetables and toss to combine. Continue to saute and toss until you reach the desired crispness, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the sauce and water chestnuts and stir-fry for an additional 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens a bit and the vegetables are cooked through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve at once.

Spring Fling

My husband and I both woke up (sick) on the wrong side of the bed yesterday. There was something in the air and it was only making my throat itch. We sadly canceled fun dinner plans with friends for a movie-night in on the couch. To make some sort of fun out of being sick, I decided to make a cozy dish of homemade springtime soup. I came across another fab recipe from Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks and decided to take a go at it. I added chickpeas to my version and shredded some left-over roasted chicken on top of his serving. Served with a butter lettuce and watercress salad with creamy avocado chunks and toasted pine nuts and a few slices of toasted bread, mmmm good soup for the soul.

Spring Fling (Feel Good) Soup

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup brown basmati rice, rinsed
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed and cut in half diagonally
8 spears of asparagus, trimmed and diagonally sliced into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup green peas, fresh or frozen
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, then add the shallots and garlic and saute for a few minutes until soft. Add the rice and stir for about a minute, then add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer until the rice is just tender, about 35 minutes.

In the meantime, saute the chickpeas in a separate pan with a pinch of salt and a dash of olive oil until slightly browned.

Add the sugar snap peas, asparagus, green peas and chickpeas and season with a few healthy pinches of salt and fresh ground pepper. Simmer for another 2 or 3 minutes and serve immediately so the vegetables remain crisp and bright. If desired, top with shredded chicken and thinly sliced parmessan.

Serves 4.

(James' version with shredded chicken)

Baked, Not Fried.

Crispy shrimp with cannellini beans.

Ingredients
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
5 Tbsp olive oil
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 19-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed
2 bunches arugula, thick stems removed

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix the bread crumbs, rosemary, 3 Tbsp of the oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat.

Transfer the shrimp and excess crumbs to a baking sheet. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and the crumbs are crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for a few seconds. Add the beans, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 each of salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with the arugula.

Serve the bean mixture with the shrimp and sprinkle any remaining bread crumbs over the top.

Serves 4.

Healthy Take on Thai

I came across this recipe in Food and Wine magazine and I have been craving the flavors ever since. Soba noodles are made of buckwheat flour which provides vitamins B1 and B2, several minerals and nearly twice the amount of proteins found in rice. Garlicky, spicy and bright with lime, this is a dish that is full of flavor and warms the body on cold winter days.

Soba Noodles with Sauteed Shrimp

6 ounces soba noodles

1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
3 Tbsp tamari
1 tsp agave syrup
2 large shallots, thinly sliced and separated into rings
6 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tsp lime zest
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
salt
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro (optional)
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
lime wedges, for serving
black sesame seeds, for garnish

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add soba noodles and cook according to directions. Drain and rinse under cold water. Place in a bowl and toss together with 2 tsp of the oil with the soy sauce, tamari and agave syrup. Set aside.

In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel. Do the same with the garlic and transfer to the paper towel.

In a bowl, combine the lime zest and juice with the remaining 1 Tbsp of oil. Toss in the shrimp and season with salt. Saute the shrimp in the pan over medium to high heat, turning once, until glazed and cooked through.

Arrange the noodles in a bowl. Top with the shrimp and sprinkle with the scallions, cilantro, crushed red pepper and the fried shallots, garlic and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges alongside.

Serves 6

Enjoy!

Super Bowl Sundayyyyy

This year I wanted to tackle (no pun intended) Super Bowl by keeping it simple, hearty and wake up with no regrets. We had a few friends over. I put on a pot veggie chili and I asked that everyone bring something to nibble on. Hummus and crudites, chips and salsa, wings and wine. It was the prefect table of food to get comfortable and enjoy the game (er, the company, commercials and wine)...

Veggie Chili

I found a chili recipe on VegNews.com. I was excited to read that the Austin Fire Department's Engine 2 is vegetarian and they shared their award-winning recipe for all to try. This recipe is adapted from theirs.

1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 packages vegetarian "beef" crumbles
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
4 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
2 tablespoons flour
Water

Sautée onions and garlic in a heavy pot. Add vegetarian crumbles and cook a few more minutes. Add the rest of ingredients, except flour, and add enough water to cover ingredients plus 1/2 inch. Simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.Add enough water to the flour to make a thin paste, and add to pot. Stir until chili thickens. Serve with sliced avocado on the side. Serves 6

I have to say, it was a hit and the guys didn't care that it was meatless!

Of course I had to have something sweet to end the night with...

Vegan Chocolate Rice Treats

1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
3 cups brown rice cereal
1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the brown rice syrup, almond butter and chocolate chips together until smooth. Stir in the brown rice cereal until thoroughly coated. Press into a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan and allow to cool completely. Place in the refrigerator and let set before cutting. Serve at room temperature.