The Chubby Vegetarian

Smoked Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese + Pecans

2012-02-10T17:25:00.000-06:00

I recently spent a paltry thirty dollars on an obsession, and it changed the way I cook. I bought a stainless steel hotel pan, a perforated pan, and a lid from Lit kitchen supply on Union Avenue in order to make my own homemade, makeshift vegetable smoking device. I figured, why let the omnivores have all the fun with their smoky bacon and BBQ contests? I wanted to start smoking, too.

Dates are one of my favorite things to smoke. The sweetness of the date and the savoriness of the smoke play off of one another beautifully. Add in a little soft goat cheese and chopped pecans to make one perfect little bite. Think of this as the veg version of bacon-wrapped dates. Put a tray of these babies out at your next party, and your guests won't believe their tastebuds. This is one hot date!

Smoked Dates Stuffed with Goat Cheese + Pecans

(serves 4-6 as an appetizer)

12 whole Medjool dates (smoked, method follows)

2 ounces soft goat cheese

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

Maldon sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped chives (to garnish)

Using a sharp pairing knife, split each date lengthwise much the same as you would an avocado. Remove the pit and discard it. Next, roll about 1/4 teaspoon of the goat cheese between your fingers to form a tiny ball and insert one goat cheese ball into the cavity of each date half. Add about 1/4 teaspoon of the chopped pecans to each half, garnish with salt, pepper, and chopped chives. Enjoy!

You will need some special equipment for this. Many grill-top or stove-top smokers are available nowadays. You can find them online or at almost any specialty kitchen store like Viking and Willams-Sonoma. I made my own using a 9x12 stainless steel pan with a shallow, perforated basket and a tight-fitting lid. You could also use an old stock pot with a lid and an old footed colander that will fit down inside the pot. Just remember, the lid has to fit tightly to keep the smoke in, and anything you use has to be dedicated to smoking -- it will be completely ruined for any other purpose. The main thing is that the large pan has to be at least one inch deeper than the perforated pan so there's room for the wood chips. You'll also need an outdoor gas grill and some wood chips, which are available in most grocery stores -- especially during the summer months.

The following instructions work for smoking any non-meltable foods like mushrooms, dates, grapes, sun-dried tomatoes, potatoes, sea salt, or tofu. Do not try this method with a cheese that will melt, because, well, it will melt. That said, this is a wonderful and simple way to impart a ton of flavor into some very unexpected things.

How to start smoking:

1. Soak a handful of hickory wood chips and two handfuls of applewood chips in water for about 20 minutes. (I think this is the best mix of pungent hickory and fruity applewood smoke. If you like less intense smoke flavor, go with all-fruit wood like apple or cherry.)

2. Drain chips and set them in the bottom of your smoker pan. Turn your grill on high. Caveat: I do not recommend doing this inside as it produces a ton of smoke. Place the smoker pan directly over the flame of your outdoor gas grill (the side burner works best for this) and leave it alone. After 8 minutes, you will notice a lot of smoke coming from the chips; this is a good thing!

3. Lay mushrooms, dates, tomatoes, garlic or anything else you want to taste smoky in a single layer in the smoker basket and place over the smoking wood chips.

4. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Wait five minutes. It doesn't take long for vegetables and grit to soak up that smoke flavor. Remove whatever you just smoked from the basket and allow it all to cool. Keep items in an airtight container for up to a week.

Beer Bread Baguette

2012-02-09T06:40:00.000-06:00

This is a little trick I developed for getting deep flavor from bread that's only risen for an hour or so. The yeastiness of the beer and the depth of the malt imparts a wonderful flavor that doesn't take overnight to achieve. I use this technique a lot when I make pizza dough, so I thought I'd give this a shot. It's super-easy -- you don't even have to knead it!

Use this Beer Bread Baguette to slice and serve with a cheese plate or grill it to make smoky grilled pimento cheese sandwiches. We even cubed some up after a couple of days, tossed it with a little olive oil, and served it atop broccoli-cheddar soup. The possibilities are endless, and it's so nice to have fresh-baked bread around the house.

Beer Bread Baguette

1 cup beer*
1 cup all-purpose flour (more for dusting)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 envelope rapid rise (1 teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon salt

(*The best beer for this is one that is quite robust like a winter ale or an IPA. You want something with some character.)

Pour a cup of beer into a microwave-safe cup and microwave for one minute. Place the two flours, yeast, and salt into the work bowl of your food processor, turn it on, and drizzle in the warm beer until the mixture turns into a ball and rolls around the outside of the bowl. (You will likely need just shy of a full cup of beer for this to happen.) The resulting dough ball should not be too dry and just slightly tacky. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Dust your work surface with a tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Turn the rested dough onto the surface. Press the dough into a 9x6 inch rectangle -- it needn't be perfect, though. Gently roll the long side up onto itself to form a tube. Place dough onto a piece of parchment paper. Tuck the very ends of the dough under if you want the ends to be smooth. Using a pair of kitchen shears, cut a 2-inch slit in the top of the dough and repeat the same slit every inch. This allows the dough to expand and become soft.

Place a large mixing bowl upside down over the dough and allow it to rise for an hour or until it has nearly doubled in size. With your pizza stone in place, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Slide the risen dough and the parchment onto the hot stone. Cook seven minutes, open the oven door, and toss 1/4 cup of water into the oven, but try not to hit the bread directly. Doing this will crisp the outside of your bread. Cook another 7 minutes for a total of 14 minutes or until nicely browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Mascarpone Banana Pudding (In a Jar)

2012-02-06T17:08:00.000-06:00

My wife and I have a friendly little competition going on here at the blog. We both want to have the most popular post. I have to tell you that she is kicking my butt -- and not just a little bit. One day she had the idea to make a salad in a jar with tiny, baby ingredients. (I'm not even going to link to it because some of you would undoubtably click on it.) (Here it is! -Amy) I thought it was pretty silly, but nonetheless, I photographed it and posted it. It was an instant sensation thanks to it being picked up by several Pinterest people and a blog called Under the Table and Dreaming, thereby knocking my vegetarian pot pie waaaaay out of the lead. So, not only did she beat me, but she had beat me at my own game: she's supposed to be making the sweets, and I'm the savory guy.

This is my diabolical plan to regain the top spot: mix the richness of mascarpone into a dessert we Southerners already treasure...and put it in a silly little jar to boot.

Don't let the kitschiness fool you; this dessert is serious. The blended bananas and the creamy mascarpone take on the texture of pudding, but the mixture has a richness you don't get from a box. It's only lightly sweet and the puffy meringue makes you feel like you are eating a cloud.

Mascarpone Banana Pudding
(serves 4)

special equipment: 4 small (about 1 cup) mason jars.

1 cup mascarpone cheese (8.8 ounces)
2 medium banana (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt (Believe me, it's a must.)
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
12 vanilla wafers (crumbled, about a cup)
1 banana (1/4-inch sliced)
meringue (recipe follows)

Place mascarpone cheese, the flesh of 2 bananas, vanilla, salt, and powdered sugar into the work bowl of your food processor. Blend until completely smooth. Divide the crushed wafers among the jars making sure they are speed evenly to cover the bottom on the jar. Divide the sliced banana among the jars adding 4-5 slices per jar. Now divide the mascarpone and banana mixture among the four jars. Leave about a 1/2 inch of space at the top of the jar for the meringue.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add the meringue to the top of each jar with a spoon. Pile it on 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Place jars in the oven for five to seven minutes or until meringue is lightly browned. Place the warm jars in the fridge to cool for 15 minutes -- if you can wait that long.

For the meringue:
2 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Using your stand mixer or a medium metal bowl and a whisk, beat the cold egg whites and cream of tartar until the whites form soft peaks. (This means that when you pull the whisk away from the beaten whites, the point slowly flops over.) Add the sugar and vanilla. Whisk to incorporate.

Southern-Style Cheese Dip

2012-02-05T11:23:00.002-06:00

Edible Memphis is an amazing publication available at The Booksellers at Laurelwood and other excellent stores and restaurants around town. I urge you to seek it out this week. This James Beard award-winning magazine is dedicated to telling the stories behind our food in an always-interesting way. It's truly unlike any other magazine out there.

The following is an excerpt from my article "Cheese Dip Road Trip," which can be found in full in the winter edition of the magazine:

According to In Queso Fever: A Movie About Cheese Dip, cheese dip as we know it was invented in central, Arkansas in the 1930’s by an Irishman known as “Blackie” Donnelly, a guy who owned a restaurant called Mexico Chiquito. Wait...cheese dip was invented in Arkansas! So that makes cheese dip a Southern classic suitable to be served alongside my grandaddy’s cornbread and my grandma’s greens. That blew my mind when I first heard it...

Pick up a copy of Edible Memphis to see the rest of the story and to read an in-depth interview with Nick Rogers, the director of In Queso Fever: A Movie About Cheese Dip.

Southern-Style Cheese Dip

Makes about a 1 1/2 pints

3 small poblano peppers (or one large)

1 medium jalapeño pepper

3 small-to-medium tomatoes

3/4 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 teaspoon salt

Scant 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 pounds Oaxaca cheese (substitute mozzarella if needed; shredded)

1/2 pound sharp cheddar (shredded)

1 bag of corn chips

Roast peppers and tomatoes until blackened over a high flame on your outdoor grill; this should take 5-8 minutes. Place peppers and tomatoes in a covered container and allow to cool completely. Remove stems and seeds from the peppers. Remove the core from the tomato using a pairing knife. Slip the vegetables out of their charred skins. Place roasted vegetables, cumin, and garlic powder into the work bowl of your food processor. Pulse until mixture is well incorporated. This process should yield about a cup of homemade Ro*Tel.

In a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and then whisk in the flour. Allow the flour and butter mixture to cook for about two minutes until nutty and fragrant before whisking in the buttermilk. After about 2 minutes the mixture will thicken. Add the salt and cayenne. Add the cheese in batches while stirring the mixture so that the cheese melts. Once all the cheese is incorporated, add a cup of the homemade Ro*Tel mixture and heat the mixture through.

Place everything back into the food processor and process for 3-4 minutes or until smooth. Pour warm cheese dip into a serving bowl and garnish with chopped cilantro and diced roasted jalapeño. Serve warm alongside crunchy corn tortilla chips.

Refrigerate unused portion (as if there will be any left over!). Reheat in the microwave for a minute and a half or in a saucepan over a low flame.

Grilled Radicchio Salad + Oranges + Golden Raisins

2012-02-02T18:33:00.002-06:00

Radicchio is bitter. There is no way around it; it just is. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I love me some radicchio especially if I can get it grown locally like this beautiful radicchio grown by Bennett-Burks Farm. The guys even handed me an old family recipe that gave me the idea for this salad. The thing with bitter greens -- hey, if they're purple, are they still greens? -- is that you have to do something to them to bring in some balance.

In this dish, I used sweet golden raisins and tangy orange segments to bring a sweet balance and some acidity to the dish. Lightly grilling the radicchio lends a subtle smoky flavor that works well here.

If you've never tried radicchio, this is the time and this is the dish. It's good stuff! Plus, it's super-fast to throw together, which is good when company comes around.

Grilled Radicchio Salad + Oranges + Raisins
(serves 4)

1 large head of radicchio (about the size of a grapefruit, or two smaller ones)
1/4 cup olive oil (divided)
1 tablespoon local honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice (from one lemon)
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
sea salt (to taste)
1/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans
1 medium orange (supremed)

Preheat your outdoor grill to high. You may also use a cast-iron grill pan for this if the weather is nasty or you don't have a grill. Just preheat the grill pan over high heat. (Be warned! Cast-iron can get pretty smoky, so turn on the vent-a-hood.) Next, slice the large radicchio into quarters leaving the root-end intact so that the leaves do not separate. Drizzle cut radicchio with 1/8 cup of the olive oil. Grill the radicchio for about 20-30 seconds per side. You want grill marks and a smoky flavor, but you don't want to burn it all up. Remove radicchio from the grill to a plate in order for it to rest while you make the dressing.

Place the honey and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk as you add the remaining 1/8 cup of olive oil. Add the raisins, pepper, and salt to taste.

To assemble the salad, place once quarter of the grilled radicchio on each plate and press it with the palm of your hand. This will spread the leaves out just a bit to make a nicer presentation. Divide the dressing, walnuts, and supremed orange slices among the salads. Add sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

Roast Beet Salad + Sea Salt Granola + Honey Tarragon Dressing

2012-02-01T18:16:00.001-06:00

This is one of our favorite salads here in the Chubby Vegetarian home kitchen. The addition of granola to a salad seems unusual, but to me, its nutty flavor and crunchy texture are right at home atop sliced beets and goat cheese. What more can I say? I love it.

Don't be deterred by the amount of steps as it's really quite simple to put together. Also, there is little hands-on time. Just make sure to make the beets ahead of time since they cook for an hour and a half.

Roast Beet Salad + Sea Salt Granola & Honey Tarragon Dressing

(serves 4)

Roast Beets (recipe follows)

1/2 cup Sea Salt Granola (recipe follows)

Honey Tarragon Dressing (recipe follows)

4 cups lettuce (Boston or baby romaine)

4 ounces soft goat cheese (crumbled)

Follow the directions below to make the beets, granola, and dressing. The beets and the dressing are proportioned correctly for this recipe, but the granola will make way more than you need for this dish. I guarantee it will be eaten. That stuff is addictive. Once your components are made, all that's left to do is assemble the salad. Start by layering beets and lettuce together like you would a caprese salad. I think each serving should get about 5-6 slices of beet. Next, drizzle the assemblage with about a tablespoon of the Honey Tarragon Dressing. Finish with an ounce of crumbled goat cheese and 1/8 cup Sea Salt Granola.

Roast Beets:

5 medium red beets

1/2 cup white wine

4 cloves garlic (smashed)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

8 sprigs thyme

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Trim 1/8 inch from both the stem end and the root end of the beet. Place beets in a small casserole dish along with the wine, garlic cloves, soy sauce, thyme, pepper, salt, and olive oil. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Allow beets to cool completely. Peel skin from the beet by rubbing it with a damp paper towel just as though you're polishing it -- the outer skin will rub right off. Slice beets in 1/4-inch slices. Discard cooking liquid or use it to make a colorful salad dressing.

Sea Salt Granola

(makes about 5 cups)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup brown rice syrup*

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups oats

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup pecans

1/3 cup pepitas/pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk the sugar, syrup, oil, vanilla, and salt. Add dry ingredients and combine. Spread it all out on a baking sheet. Bake it for 10 minutes, stir it up, and then bake it for 10 more minutes. It should be toasted and ready by then. It'll last about a week.

*Brown rice syrup is a key ingredient here, so make the effort to find it. It's not too difficult to locate. It is always in stock at Whole Foods and other natural foods stores.

Honey Tarragon Dressing

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon minced tarragon
1.2 teaspoon minced chives
1/4 teaspoon Maldon salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

In a small bowl, add the lemon juice, honey, tarragon, chives, salt, and pepper together. Drizzle the olive oil into the mixture as you whisk to emulsify the dressing. Set mixture aside.

Miracle Mushroom Gravy over 3-2-1 Drop Biscuits

2012-01-29T22:05:00.002-06:00

I worked at Mickey D's for a while when I was a teenager. It was my first job apart from working for my dad at the paint store. I was vegetarian as I am now, and I was a manager -- that's right, a teenage manager -- at the world's largest fast-food corporation. I still have the spatula I received upon my graduation from their esteemed and highly-competitive Hamburger University.

Anyway, any vegetarians or vegans that came through on my shift got the royal treatment for sure: a veggie big mac with tons of toppings and cheese and a bag of fries; at breakfast, I'd make our biscuit and sausage gravy special for them without the sausage added into it. I just wanted them to know that someone out there had their back.

In honor of my time in the service, I made this wonderful gravy that has all the flavor of a sausage gravy with none of the sausage. I use meaty crimini mushrooms and the seasoning you'd normally find in a flavorful breakfast sausage to make this Southern breakfast staple. It's so good you'll be looking for other things to gravy.

(Okay, y'all, all of this has me thinking, and I have to know: What was your first job?)

Miracle Mushroom Gravy

10 oz crimini (a.k.a. baby bella) mushrooms
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup shallot
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon clove
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole milk

Slice mushrooms about 1/4-inch thick.; you will blend them later so no need to be overly precise. In a medium frying pan over hight heat, sauté the mushrooms until browned. Add the shallot to the pan and continue to cook for another minute until the rawness has cooked out of the shallot and it's translucent.

Add the mushrooms and shallot to the work bowl of your food processor along with the sage, red pepper flakes, clove, soy sauce, and maple syrup. In the same pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk mixture until fragrant (about five minutes.) Whisk in the whole milk and heat mixture until slightly thick. Add milk mixture to the food processor that contains the mushroom mixture. Pulse until mushrooms are finely chopped and well incorporated into the milk, but leave some chunkiness for a nice texture. Return the whole thing to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve. If gets too thick, add some milk or stock to thin it out.

3-2-1 Drop Biscuits

3 tablespoons baking powder

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup organic shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup 2% milk (more if mixture looks dry)

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening using your fingers until pieces are no larger than a pea. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the milk. Using a rubber spatula, fold the milk into the dry ingredients -- but use as few strokes as possible. The less you stir the dough, the more tender your biscuits will be.

Using a medium ice cream scoop, scoop up a 1/4-cup portion of dough and drop it onto a parchment or silpat-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all dough has been used. (You should get about a dozen biscuits from this recipe.) Be sure to leave an inch or so between each biscuit, but don't be too particular about their shape -- drop biscuits are supposed to be rustic. Bake for 15 minutes or until the craggy edges are brown and crispy.

To serve, just split a biscuit and douse it with gravy. Garnish with a pinch of smoked paprika. It's perfect along with soft scrambled eggs.

The Chubby Vegetarian Gumbo

2012-01-27T06:41:00.000-06:00

Many times, vegetarian gumbo is just the same old meaty gumbo with the meat left out of the mix. The problem with that approach is that much of the flavor -- like the smoke, salt, and savoriness -- is derived from those meat sources. Here I've used a method traditionally used in Indian cookery to make rich curries and also infused some of those flavors back in using things like soy sauce and liquid smoke. The general idea is to make a paste from garlic, onions, vegetables and spices that will flavor the whole dish so that everything else that goes into the pot will be, you know, delicious.

Though you'd normally serve gumbo in a bowl, I photographed The Chubby Vegetarian Gumbo on a plate to show off the beautiful broth that is created by the mixture of the roux and the Indian-style vegetable and spice paste. I'm quite taken by it.

My dad swung by last night to give this one a taste. You see, he's kind of a gumbo fanatic, and he makes a pretty mean vegetarian gumbo himself, so his opinion about this dish is important to me. "I think you have a winner here, son!" That's all I needed to hear.

The Chubby Vegetarian Gumbo
(serves 6-8)

2 tablespoons canola
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped tomato (1 medium)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (1 medium)
8 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoon creole mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 tablespoon vinegar
10 dashes Tabasco
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 quart vegetable stock
4 cups sliced okra (1/4 inch slices, stem-end discarded)
1 1/2 cups red beans (1 16 ounce can, drained and rinsed or makes your own)
10 ounces crimini mushrooms (quartered)
1 1/2 cups diced zucchini (1 medium)
1 1/2 cups diced green pepper (1 large)
1 1/2 cups diced red pepper (1 large)
1 cup thinly sliced celery (2 ribs)
4-5 cups cooked jasmine rice
1/2 cup sliced green onion (for garnish)
5-6 sprigs baby dill (for garnish)

To make the roux, place the canola oil and the flour into a medium-sized dutch oven. (This is the pot in which you will eventually make the gumbo, so using it now saves on dishes later. A heavy pot like this is essential when making a roux because of its ability to distribute heat evenly.) With the oil and flour in the cold dutch oven, turn the heat on medium. Whisk the mixture constantly until you notice that it has become nutty (it'll kind of smell like -- gasp! -- fried chicken) and fragrant (both of which happen about five minutes into the process). At this point, turn the heat to low. Keep a close eye on your roux, and whisk the mixture about every minute so no part of the roux burns. Continue in this fashion for about another twenty minutes or until the roux has taken on the color of an old penny. Remove the pot from the heat. Congratulations -- you just made your first roux!

Place the tomato, onion, garlic, worcestershire sauce, mustard, liquid smoke, vinegar, Tabasco, soy sauce, thyme, red pepper flakes, paprika, nutmeg and oregano into the work bowl of your food processor. This is quite an unconventional method for making gumbo, but it works beautifully. Blend mixture until smooth. This is your flavoring agent for the whole dish. Now return the dutch oven with the roux still in it to a burner set to medium-high heat, and immediately add the mixture you just made in the food processor. Stir to incorporate. Continue cooking and stirring the resulting mixture until most of the liquid has evaporated, and it resembles a paste. Add the vegetable stock and stir. Once the mixture is heated through, turn the burner to medium-low. Add the okra, red beans, mushrooms, zucchini, green and red peppers, and celery to the pot. Cook uncovered for about 20 minutes until everything is heated through, but not mush.

To serve, ladle out some gumbo into a bowl and top with about 1/2 cup of rice, a few green onions, and a sprig of fresh dill. Have plenty of crusty french bread and butter on hand for sopping up the amazing broth.

Tip: If you like okra but are not a fan of the sliminess that sometimes can occur with it, sauté the sliced okra in batches in one tablespoon of canola oil until lightly browned. Add the cooked okra to the gumbo. Problem solved.

Apple + Cheddar + Thyme Galette

2012-01-25T21:21:00.001-06:00

In high school, my buddy Andy and I would go before school to CK's Coffee Shop in Germantown. He'd pick me up in his beat-up, brown Buick at, like, 5:30 in the morning. Depending on our mood, the tape deck would be blaring Toad the Wet Sprocket or Fugazi. We'd sneak cigarettes, drink an entire pot of coffee each, and eat apple pie with cheese on it for breakfast. OMG, how did I ever survive that? I don't even know.

This is a more grown-up, but still sneaky little way to have apple pie for breakfast. It's lightly sweet with only two tablespoons of brown sugar in the whole dish, and the cheese is baked right into the filling. The onion and thyme add to the savory qualities and make it a suitable breakfast companion. This could easily serve four, but the two of us nearly polished off the whole thing while standing at the kitchen
counter -- no joke!

Apple + Cheddar + Thyme Galette
(serves 4)

For the crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup organic shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
about 1/2 cup cold water

Place the all-purpose flour, the whole wheat flout, shortening, and salt into the food processor. Turn it on and allow it to run for a few seconds so the shortening becomes incorporated into the flour. Add the cold water one teaspoon at a time until the dough comes together by forming itself into a ball and rolling around the inside of the work bowl. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.

For the filling:

juice of 1 lemon
4 cups sliced apples (about 4 medium, peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch slices)
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups sliced onion (about 1 medium)

1/4 cup white wine
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
4 sprigs of thyme (stems removed)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place lemon juice and apples in a large mixing bowl. In a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter and sauté onion until translucent and beginning to brown; this should take about 8 minutes. Add the wine and turn up the heat to medium-high in order to reduce the wine. Once most of the liquid has evaporated, add the onion mixture to the mixing bowl with the apples. Toss in the cheddar, thyme, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.

To assemble the galette, roll the chilled dough out on a lightly floured board to approximately a 12x17 oval. This is rustic so no need to be too precise here. Place dough on a 12x17 rimmed baking sheet that is lined with parchment paper. Pour the apple cheddar mixture into the center of the dough and press it with your palms until it's evenly distributed; make sure to leave a 1 1/2-inch margin. Fold the margin of the dough over in 2-inch sections overlapping the end of each section. This will hold in any juices. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the crust is nice and brown and the apples on the top are caramelized. (For a deeper color of crust, brush with an egg wash halfway through the baking process.)

Vegetarian Frogmore Stew

2012-01-24T17:35:00.003-06:00

I'm from Mississippi. I was raised in Memphis. I feel like understand a good deal about our Southern foodways. I really do have some blind spots, though! The Carolinas in particular remain a culinary enigma to me. I get grits, and fried green tomatoes, and greens, and pimento cheese. I didn't, however, understand how it differed until I sat down with my buddy Ryan Trimm, a terrific chef and owner of Sweetgrass, a Carolina Low Country restaurant here in Memphis.

He explained Frogmore Stew to me, which incidentally doesn't have frogs in it, nor is it really a stew. The version he serves at Sweetgrass is a stew, but it's not typically a stew. Can you see why I would be confused about such cuisine? So, if those are the things that it's not, then what is it? Well, it's basically a shrimp boil with sausage, and the broth is loaded up with Old Bay seasoning. Think of it as a soup that you can eat with your hands. Sounds fun, right?

Traditionally, it's served with cocktail sauce, garlic butter, and rolls. This really is a dish meant to feed a crowd. When it's ready, all of the goodies are picked up out of the flavorful broth and dumped onto a table that has been lined with newspaper. Once it's cool enough to touch, just grab what you like and start dipping the corn into the butter or potatoes into the cocktail sauce. It's all very lively and festive.

So, what's in a vegetarian version of this mythical dish? I chose to throw in some fresh artichoke hearts and stems, which are fun to eat and work well here. I also threw in some vegetarian sausage, which you don't see me use much, but it works great for this application.

Vegetarian Frogmore Stew
(serves 4)

1 quart vegetable stock
1 quart water
12 ounces beer (such as Sierra Nevada Pale Ale)
1 lemon
1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay (more for garnish)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
10 cloves garlic (smashed, divided)
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
salt (to taste)
4 cups red-skin new potatoes (cut in half)
4 ears yellow corn (shucked, cut into quarters)
1 pound vegetarian sausage (such as Field Roast Smoked Apple Sage, cut into quarters)
4 artichokes (trimmed*)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup organic cocktail sauce
1/4 cup chopped parsley

In a large stock pot over high heat, pour in the stock, water, and beer. Next, cut the lemon in half, squeeze the juice into the pot, then drop the squeezed lemon into the pot as well. This is a rustic dish. Add the Old Bay seasoning, crushed red pepper, 8 cloves of garlic, liquid smoke, black pepper, and sugar. Check for seasoning and adjust the salt to your taste. It may not need any depending on how salty the vegetable stock was to start. Bring that whole mixture up to a boil. Carefully add the potatoes and cook for about 8 minutes. Add the corn, sausage, and artichokes to the mixture. Cook uncovered for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Fish a variety of the components out of the broth and into a bowl. Add just a 1/2 cup of the broth for the steam and aroma.

While the stew cools enough to eat, place butter in a microwave-safe dish along with the two reserved garlic cloves. Microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the butter is just melted. Serve your Vegetarian Fromgmore Stew garnished with a light sprinkling of Old Bay and a pinch of fresh parsley with garlic butter and cocktail sauce on the side. No need for a fork -- just use your hands.

*For the artichokes: Cut off and discard the top 2/3 of the bulb leaving the whole stem and the bottom 1/3 of the bulb intact. (There is very little meat in the top portion of the vegetable.) Using a spoon, scoop out the choke, the fibrous center part of the vegetable. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the stem to reveal the tender and edible inside part of the stem. Finally, cut a 1/2 inch off the tip of the stem, stand the artichoke up on the bulb-side, and cut into quarters by running your knife through the stem, heart, and remaining leaves. This leaves you with a few leaves to pull off and scrape out when you are eating the stew, but most importantly, it leaves the heart and stem, the most delicious parts.

Sweet Potato Grits + Maple Mushrooms and Fried Egg

2012-01-20T18:10:00.003-06:00

I served a version of this tremendous grits dish at Restaurant Iris during our brunch last June. This dish walks a fine line between sweet and savory and can be served for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It was definitely one of the crowd favorites at brunch, along with the sweet potato pancakes and pimento cheese stuffed peppers.

All of this is to say that we are really looking forward to our next culinary event, which will be at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art on March 1st from 6-8 p.m. It's a benefit called the Farmer Mixer for the Cooper-Young Community Farmer's Market. (Details and ticket info. to come in a couple of weeks. We hope to see y'all there come March!)

Andrew Adams from the Brushmark and Acre and The Chubby Vegetarian team will be putting together a menu of hors d' oeuvres based on farmers' in-season ingredients. We are so excited to cook with such a talented chef. Rest assured -- there will be plenty of vegetarian options.

Sweet Potato Grits + Maple Mushrooms and Fried Egg
(serves 4)

4 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
Sweet Potato Grits (recipe follows)
Maple Mushrooms (recipe follows)
Parsley + Tomato Topping (recipe follows)
sea salt & cracked black pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a 12-inch frying pan over medium heat. Crack eggs into the pan one at at time. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes or until the white has set and the yolk is still runny. Divide the grits between 4 bowls. Top each with a fried egg, a sprinkling of the Parsley + Tomato Topping, and finally the bacon-y Maple Mushrooms. Add a touch of cracked black pepper and Maldon sea salt to finish.

Sweet Potato Grits

1 cup baked sweet potato (about 1 medium)
2 cups 2% milk
1/2 cup yellow corn grits
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tablespoon butter
1/4-1/2 cups vegetable stock or water

Bake sweet potato in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Remove and allow to cool. Once cool, the skin should peel right off. Next, slowly bring milk up to a boil in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the grits a little at a time to avoid clumps. Add in the sweet potato and break it up with your whisk. Add the salt, pepper, and butter then lower the heat to medium low. Sir occasionally. Use stock to achieve desired consistency.

Maple Mushrooms

1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon grainy mustard
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
10 ounces crimini mushrooms (sliced)

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, canola oil, black pepper, mustard, soy sauce, and liquid smoke. Toss in the sliced mushrooms and allow to marinate for 20 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Drain the marinade off off the mushrooms and arrange in a single layer on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cook for 20-25 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown and appear dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Parsley + Tomato Topping
1 cup diced tomato (1 medium)
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
cracked black pepper to taste
1/4 cup parsley (chopped)
1/4 minced shallot

Mix tomato, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley, and shallot together in a bowl. Set aside until ready to use.

Vegan Bran Muffins

2012-01-17T14:20:00.001-06:00

Oh, the lowly bran muffin: it can be like eating a scrap of kraft paper, or it can make being semi-virtuous really easy and palatable. Adding more bran and using whole wheat pastry flour gave these a deeper, darker depth of flavor than the basic recipes I'm used to following. Put the batter together and store it covered in the fridge overnight; set out your muffin tin, liners, and ice cream scoop before you go to bed, and you can have these warm from the oven on a weekday with very little morningtime effort at all.

Vegan Bran Muffins

1 1/2 cups bran
1 1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour (sifted)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (sifted)

1/2 cup light brown sugar

2/3 cup vegan cane sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

2/3 cup golden raisins

Topping (optional):

1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon soy margarine

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine soy milk and bran and let mixture sit for at least 10 minutes. Add vanilla, canola oil, and molasses and stir. In a separate bowl, sift flours, salt, sugars, and baking soda. Combine wet and dry mixtures; add raisins. Stir until just mixed. Use an ice-cream scoop to portion out batter into muffin cups; they can be filled almost to level because they won't rise much. If you want a crunchier top, sprinkle with brown sugar and salt and add a thin slice of margarine to the middle of each muffin before baking. Bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into a tester muffin comes out clean with few crumbs.

BBQ Tofu Pizza

2012-01-15T10:57:00.002-06:00

This is one of our favorite dishes here at The Chubby Vegetarian. This pie gets a double hit of smoke from the mozzarella plus the BBQ sauce, both of which make it super-savory and awesome. As a bonus, there's beer in the crust to add even more flavor.

We make pizza for guests all of the time, mainly because I can't think of anyone on this planet who doesn't like pizza. I do get some funny looks when I tell folks that one of the pizzas on the table is BBQ tofu with cabbage. They are quite doubtful. Once they taste this deliciously weird mash-up of Italian and Southern American cuisine, they can understand why it's one of our favorites.

There are two shortcuts you could take here if you don't want to make all of this from scratch. Use two store-bought pizza crusts, or better yet, some pre-made pizza dough and a bottle of your favorite smoky BBQ sauce in order to cut down on the time you spend in the kitchen on this one.

BBQ Tofu Pizza
(Makes two 12-inch pizzas)

Beer Pizza Crust (divided in half, not thirds)
1 cup tomato sauce (divided)
3 cups shredded smoked mozzarella (about 6 ounces, divided)
Chipotle BBQ Tofu (divided, recipe follows)
2 cups shredded purple cabbage (divided)

With a pizza stone in place, preheat your oven to 550 degrees for at least 40 minutes. This will allow the pizza stone to heat up and really crisp the bottom of your pizza. Roll or toss your crust into a 12-inch round. Line your pizza peel with a piece of parchment paper and place the crust onto the peel. Smear 1/2 cup of tomato sauce over the crust. Top that with 1 1/2 cups smoked mozzarella. Place about a cup of the Chipotle BBQ Tofu over that and finish with a cup of shredded purple cabbage. Slide pizza with the parchment paper onto the stone. Cook for only 5-7 minutes or until the outer crust is brown and the cheese is bubbly. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.

Simple Chipotle BBQ tofu

1 block extra firm tofu
3 tablespoons canola
1 cup BBQ sauce (recipe follows)

Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes. Arrange the cubes on a clean dish towel to allow the excess moisture to drain off the surface of the tofu. This will prevent it from sticking to the pan. Heat a 12-inch frying pan over high heat. Once the pan is nice and hot, add the canola oil. When the oil begins to shimmer, carefully add the dried cubes of tofu to the pan. (If you follow this set of instructions, you shouldn't have a problem with the tofu sticking to the pan. It's all about dry tofu and a hot, hot pan.) Cook tofu for three minutes on one side and turn using a spatula. Cook for three minutes on the other side. Turn the heat off and add the BBQ sauce. Move the mixture constantly around the pan so that the sugar in the sauce doesn't scorch. Once the sauce is thick and has adhered to the tofu, set BBQ tofu aside in a medium bowl. Try to save some for the pizza.

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

(This is a bold, spicy, smoky BBQ sauce when you taste it on it's own, but it evens out and is perfect when applied to tofu or mushrooms.)

1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped onion ( about 1 medium one)
1/4 cup chopped garlic (about 6 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Jack Daniel's whiskey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3-4 ounces chipotle peppers from a can (about 1/2 can)
1/2 cup water
1 24-ounce bottle of organic ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire
1 tablespoon mustard
6-8 dashes liquid smoke

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and start to sweat the onion and garlic. Using a wooden spoon, keep the mixture moving so as to not burn the garlic. Once the onion is translucent, add the garlic powder, thyme, and black pepper. Deglaze the pan with the Jack Daniel's, and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the brown sugar, vinegar, chipotle peppers, water, ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, and liquid smoke. Simmer uncovered for an hour; stir occasionally to keep from scorching. (This will make about six cups of BBQ sauce. You will only need one cup for this recipes, but this recipe freezes well.)

Toasted Hazelnut + Black Pepper Cocktail Cookies

2012-01-10T20:55:00.001-06:00

I overdo it, I know. There are SO MANY recipes for cookies on the blog. But I love them! Just humor me and go ahead and put these in a new category: they're cocktail cookies, not too sweet, and they're meant to accompany a drink or maybe a nice glass of Cotes du Rhone.

So, why not treat these like crackers and eat them with cheese? An aged manchego or an aged brie will do the trick. I added some hazelnut oil we had on hand and am liking that kind of savoriness for an extra layer of flavor in baking. (Almond oil has that effect, too.) These are a good mix of salty and sweet. Note that I leave the skins of the hazelnuts on -- they add to the savory effect.

The idea for cocktail cookies, such as my favorite apricot-tarragon ones, seems to have been dreamt up by the lovely Dorie Greenspan. I highly recommend her recipe, which I linked to above. The combination tastes like nothing I've had before, and everyone who's tried them is at first wary but then completely surprised to fall in love with them.

Toasted Hazelnut + Black Pepper Cocktail Cookies
(Makes 2 dozen)

3/4 cup hazelnuts (chopped)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons hazelnut oil
4 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup cane sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder

cracked black pepper (about 7 turns of the mill)

+ more Maldon salt for topping

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toast the hazelnuts for thirty seconds in the microwave. Jiggle them and toast them again for 30 seconds. Repeat more time, and set aside. At this point, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Next, whisk the flour, salt, and baking powder together and set aside. Cream the oil, butter, cream, and sugars. Add egg and vanillas and combine. Combine the dry and wet ingredients and mix. Add hazelnuts and stir them into the batter.

Portion cookie dough out into one-inch mounds with a small ice cream scoop or spoon. Place these onto a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Before baking, sprinkle cookies with a pinch of Maldon salt and smash them slightly with the palm of your hand to flatten. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees until they are golden brown.

Black Truffle Oil + White Cheddar Mac

2012-01-06T07:29:00.000-06:00

Yes, this is rich, but who wants to eat low fat mac n' cheese? Not me! I'd rather just have a reasonable portion of the good stuff, and this is the good stuff. The brie is creamy while the cheddar adds a bit of texture. The black truffle oil, available at most specialty grocery stores, is the thing that sends this dish into the atmosphere. Plus, if you serve it with steamed broccoli, you can feel good that you ate your veggies. Right?

Black Truffle Oil + White Cheddar Mac
(serves 4-6)

4 quarts water
1/8 cup salt
1/2 pound rigatoni
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups whole milk
6 ounces white cheddar (shredded, divided)
4 ounces brie (rind removed, cubed)
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons course bread crumbs (I used cornbread)
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (about 4 sprigs)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bring 4 quarts of water and 1/8 cup salt up to a boil in a large soup pot. Add the rigatoni and cook according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a 12-inch pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, flour, nutmeg, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and black pepper, and then whisk it constantly, cooking until nutty and fragrant (about 3 minutes). Slowly add the milk as you whisk to work out any lumps. Turn up the heat to medium-high while continuing to whisk until milk comes to a low boil and begins to thicken slightly (this could take about eight minutes). Reduce heat and slowly add 4 ounces of the cheddar and the brie to the milk mixture. Whisk until all of the cheese has melted into the sauce. Add the lemon zest. Temper the egg yolks by whisking two tablespoons of the cheese sauce into them then add the egg yolks to the mixture.

Using a slotted spoon or spider, remove pasta from the water directly into the pan with the cheese sauce. Gently fold the noodles into the sauce as not to break them. Pour pasta mixture into a seven-inch soufflé dish, top with the remaining cheddar, and bake for 10 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and drizzle the truffle oil over the top of the whole thing. Bake another ten to fifteen minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden. Garnish with thyme leaves. Serve with steamed broccoli to make it a meal.

Collard Greens (Or Any Greens!) + Honey, Shallots, & Mushrooms

2012-01-04T22:05:00.001-06:00

I love it when people share cooking tips that they use every day in their own kitchens. I find myself compelled to try it myself every time.

When we lived in the crazy apartment building in Midtown, Vicky, the usual checker at the grocery store next door, shared this tip with us: whenever you are making greens, drizzle a little local honey in the pot. It'll take away any lingering bitterness. It worked perfectly the very first time. Now we've been making greens with a little drizzle of honey for more than 10 years.

This recipe calls for collard greens, but you could use any hearty greens you want. In fact, I think I like using a mix of kale, mustard, and collards best. Unlike many Southerners, we don't cook our greens until they are mush. This way they are vibrant, tasty, and healthy for you.

4 quarts water
1/4 cup salt
2 bunches collards (cleaned)
1 1/2 tablespoons canola
1 1/2 cups sliced button mushrooms
1 cup sliced shallot
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon honey

In a large soup pot, bring the water and salt up to a boil. Using a paring knife, trim the leaves of the greens away from the tough stems. Simply run your knife along the stem. Roll leaves and trim into half-inch ribbons. It should yield 6-8 cups of leaves once the greens are trimmed and sliced. Blanch leaves in salt water for one to two minutes or until the leaves turn bright green. Remove leaves from water and place into a colander to drain. Carefully discard water down the drain; run a little cold water while you pour the hot water out so you don't tax or even damage your plumbing.

Return the pot to the burner. Over high heat, add the canola oil and then the mushrooms in a single layer in the bottom of the pan. Allow the mushrooms to cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes or until they get some color on them. Turn the heat to low. Add the shallot, pepper, smoked salt, and garlic powder. Sauté until fragrant (about a minute). Add the collard greens and a drizzle of honey. Toss greens with tongs to incorporate all ingredients. Cover and keep warm over very low heat until they're ready to serve.

Super-Moist Banana Muffins

2012-01-01T10:34:00.001-06:00

I wanted a banana muffin recipe that was really far away from dry and fairly basic to put together. The center of these muffins resembles bread pudding partly because of the higher ratio of banana used. I kept the recipe pretty plain and simple, but of course, then had to think of some ways to complicate the issue (see below for tips) next time.

Happy 2012, y'all! We hope you have time for a leisurely breakfast today as well as some rose-float-watching tomorrow.

Super-Moist Banana Muffins
(Makes 6 large muffins)

3 ripe bananas (mashed well)
3 tablespoons sour cream
1 egg
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup cane sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons vanilla

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the wet ingredients well. Separately, whisk the dry ingredients. Fold wet into dry carefully so the batter is just mixed. Pour batter into a muffin tin lined with something like these
If You Care unbleached baking cups. Bake muffins for 30-40 minutes until tops are crisp and lightly browned. Be sure to let them cool for at least 15 minutes before you eat them because they are actually better that way.

To make things a little more complicated:
- Add espresso powder.
- Add chopped chocolate-covered pecans.
- Mix finely chopped walnuts, brown sugar, and a little sea salt for a crunchy topping.
- Before baking, top with a little butter for a crispy top.
- Reserve 1/3 of the batter, add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to it, and marbleize by adding it on top of the regular batter and running a knife around it to swirl.
- Top with shaved coconut and add a teaspoon of coconut extract to the batter.
- Add 1/3 cup peanut butter to the batter and whisk a little warm peanut butter, powdered sugar, and cream for a glaze for finished bread or muffins.

Our Favorite Recipes of 2011

2011-12-30T17:25:00.003-06:00

2011 was a really fun year here at The Chubby Vegetarian blog. We created some great recipes, got to appear on the Food Network, and (with a lot of help from Kelly and his staff) pulled off an all-vegetarian brunch for 100 people at Restaurant Iris. All of this and we also signed a contract with Thomas Nelson to publish our first cookbook, which will hit the shelves in March of 2013.

We feel very fortunate for all of this, and it's all because of the support of friends like you. So, we'd just like to end this year by saying thank you to everyone who reads the blog, supports what we do, and especially to those of you who inspire us to be creative. We love y'all, and we look forward to a great new year.

Below is a list of some of our favorite recipes from 2011. Enjoy! Here's to a happy, healthy 2012 as well.

Lime Zest Cookies with White Chocolate + Cashews

2011-12-22T16:00:00.000-06:00

Sometimes a cookie idea hits me, and I'll act on it even if I'm not really in the mood for cookies at the moment. Even when I am, I usually bake 10 or so cookies on one sheet and wrap up the rest in waxed paper and string, label the roll with the basics, and stick it in the freezer for another time. It's good to have a few different options around whenever a craving hits.

Recently, a family member was telling me about a big bucket of cookie dough that she bought from some sort of door-to-door saleskid this season. It's been a handy resource for her when she wants to make a few cookies at a time; of course, now I'm thinking she just might need a few mini rolls of our cookies this Christmas.

This particular lime zest cookie recipe was one that I had been thinking about for a while as a way to make a margarita-inspired sweet. Adding either cardamom or coriander was considered for these, but neither seemed quite right for what I had in mind; I just threw in the white chocolate chunks I had on hand and also some cashews because they needed some frills.

Lime Zest Cookies with White Chocolate + Cashews

2/3 cup olive oil margarine
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup cane sugar
zest of 4 limes
juice of one lime
1 egg (beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground vanilla bean powder
1/4 cup cream
1/2 cup white chocolate chunks
1/2 cup cashews (chopped)

Cream the margarine and sugars. Add lime zest, juice, egg, and vanilla. Whisk the next 5 dry ingredients from flour to vanilla powder. Combine. Add cream by the tablespoon and stir until dough comes together. Add white chocolate and cashews and mix. Chill in fridge for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scoop out cookies dough with a spoon or a small ice cream scooper and place one-inch-sized scoops on a Silpat-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes (a little longer for a crunchier cookie).

Vegetarian Meatloaf + Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2011-12-21T13:53:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite restaurants in Memphis, Fuel Café, serves a vegetarian meatloaf that is so good that I have to get it every time I go. I just love a fresh update to old-fashioned comfort food like that. So, I decided to take a stab at making my own version of this 1980's-time-capsule treat.

As some of you could've guessed, my meatloaf features mushrooms. I just can't get enough of their meaty texture and savory flavor. But I didn't stop there -- I also added tempeh and walnuts for their flavor and hearty texture. This loaf is tender and delicious, especially served over my garlic mashed potatoes and topped with a parsley and tomato salad.

This can easily feed a crowd, so it might be something good to make for Christmas dinner. In the unlikely event of leftovers, there's nothing better than a few slices of vegetarian meatloaf dressed with mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese between two slices of sourdough bread.

(Okay, I know the following looks like a long list of ingredients, but it actually comes together very quickly if you use a food processor to do all the chopping.)

Vegetarian Meatloaf
(serves 6)

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups finely chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)
1/2 cup finely chopped celery (about 2 ribs)
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot (about 2 medium carrots)
2 vegetarian bouillon cubes
8 ounces mushroom (finely chopped)
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 block tempeh (crumbled)
1 cup smoked sun-dried tomatoes (finely chopped)
1 cup walnuts (finely chopped)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon mustard (English, like Colman's)
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs (beaten)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup half and half
Ketchup Glaze*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pan and stir. Cook until onion is translucent and beginning to brown (about 10 minutes). Add the bouillon cubes and stir into the vegetable mixture until incorporated.

Place mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add the mushroom, bell pepper, tempeh, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, ketchup, mustard, bread crumbs, eggs, garlic powder, red pepper, thyme, paprika, and half and half. Work the mixture together with your hands until everything is well incorporated. Allow mixture to rest in the fridge for 10 minutes.

On a silpat-lined, rimmed baking sheet, place the mixture in the center. Using your hands, form a loaf that is about 12 inches long, 6 inches wide, and about 2 1/2 inches tall. The loaf should be smooth and have rounded edges. This will help the loaf stay together when serving. Place loaf in the oven for 25 minutes. Brush with the ketchup glaze and return loaf to the oven for another 10 minutes, brush another coat of glaze on top, and bake for a final 10 minutes.

Ketchup Glaze*

1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 dashes Tabasco
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon sorghum

Mix ketchup, soy, tabasco, black pepper, and sorghum until well incorporated.

Parsley and Tomato Salad

1 1/2 cups diced tomato
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup diced shallot
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar

Toss tomato, parsley, shallot, salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar together in a small bowl.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

5 cups peeled, diced potatoes
2 cups diced cauliflower
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 cup half & half
8 cloves garlic (chopped)

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream

Place potatoes, cauliflower, butter, half and half, garlic, salt, and pepper in a covered, microwave-safe dish. Microwave on high for 12 minutes. Mash with a potato masher and then add the sour cream.

Triple Tomato Soup + Toasted White Cheddar Crouton

2011-12-19T10:12:00.000-06:00

Why let French onion soup have all the fun? So many soups are good served with that same crunchy, gooey crouton up on top. Here, boring old tomato soup gets a serious upgrade. The deep flavor of this soup comes from three tomato sources: the smokiness of roasted Roma tomatoes, the complexity of sun-dried tomatoes, and the sweetness of tomato paste.

One of my favorite meals as a kid was grilled cheese and tomato soup. I'd dunk the grilled cheese into the soup, but I'd save the last bit of the sandwich to mop up the bowl. This is like a grown-up grilled cheese and tomato soup with the 'dunk' built right in. This is one dish we'll be making again soon. It was that surprising and good!

Triple Tomato Soup + Toasted White Cheddar Crouton
(Serves two as a meal or four as a starter)

5 large Roma tomatoes (peeled)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter (divided)
1 sweet onion (thinly sliced, about 2 cups)
2 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (sliced into 1/4-inch strips)
2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup water
3 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (4 sprigs)
4 slices whole-grain bread
1 cup shredded white cheddar

Turn broiler on high. Slice peeled tomatoes lengthwise and place face-down on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush each tomato with the olive oil and place under the broiler until the tomatoes start to blacken. (This should take eight to ten minutes; keep your eye on them.) Once they are done, set the baking sheet aside and allow the tomatoes to cool.

In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat one tablespoon of butter over medium-low heat. Once butter has melted, add the sliced onion. Allow the onion to sweat down and start to brown. This should take about 15 minutes. Add the brandy and the Worcestershire sauce to the pot and raise the heat to medium. Allow most of the liquid to evaporate, and then add the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, water, broth, and the roasted Roma tomatoes. Bring soup to a boil, then reduce to low. Allow soup to simmer for at least twenty minutes. Add fresh thyme just before serving.

To serve, slather toasted bread with melted butter. Turn your oven broiler on medium. Divide soup between two bowls, float slices of bread on top of the soup, and cover toast with the white cheddar. Place bowls under the broiler for two to three minutes or until cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately.

Classic Christmas Cookies

2011-12-17T23:48:00.003-06:00

In our family, it just isn't Christmastime until we make and decorate cookies. The recipe we've used for years from this 1960's cookbook is called Many Way Butter Cookies. Follow the recipe above and sub in soy margarine if you wish. Next, you just chill the dough in the fridge for an hour. Roll it out onto a floured surface to about 1/4-inch thicknes, and then deploy your cookie cutters. We liked bells, birds, and trees this time around.

The (memorized) glossy icing recipe is 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar (sifted), 1/2 cup organic shortening, a splash of vanilla, and a few teaspoons or so of half-and-half to get it to come together. We divide that into 5 bowls and add a scant drop of coloring to 4 of them and leave one white. Anyone who has tried one of these cookies calls the next day for the recipe, so we wanted to share it with you.

We try to use really good ingredients so that brick-stomach, I-shouldn't-have-eaten-that feeling one gets after consuming some familiar holiday treats doesn't happen; this year, we went a step further and attempted to use healthy sprinkles, which looked like a pack of sad, colorless seeds once we removed them from the package. Sometimes, there's no replacing the classics.

This cookie-making-and-decorating tradition has been going on so long now, and I love it. It made for a great afternoon today, actually. Time spent cooking, joking, bickering, eating, and just plain hanging out with the family during the holidays is always the best. We hope you get to enjoy a bunch of it, too, this week as we head toward the big day.

Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper + Olive Muffuletta

2011-12-14T07:22:00.002-06:00

I've visited New Orleans more than any other city. I really love that place! Every time I go, I have to grab a muffuletta (or three). Many people argue over who makes the best one --Central Grocery? Frank's? -- but really, they are all delicious. What's not to love: light bread, meaty olive dressing, spicy creole mustard, and melty cheese...

You can find spicy olives on the olive bar at almost any specialty store. It's best to get a mix of olives, which will add to the complexity of the dish. Be sure to grab plenty from the spicy bin to give your olive dressing some kick. The bread may be tough to find outside of the South. If muffuletta bread is not available from your local deli, use a light focaccia bread instead. The effect will be somewhat the same.

I like to use fresh cauliflower and carrots in place of pickled ones. This cuts down on the salt in the dish and makes it more enjoyable, in my opinion. This is a great dish to make for a party.

Vegetarian Roasted Red Pepper + Olive Muffuletta
(serves 8)

3 cups spicy, pitted olives (green, black, kalamta)
2 stalks celery (about 1 cup, sliced)
2 cups cauliflower
1 large carrot (about 1 cup, sliced)
2 teaspoons good Italian seasoning mix
4 cloves garlic (crushed)
1 cup olive oil
1 cup white vinegar
2 10-inch muffeletta breads
2 tablespoon mayo
4 tablespoons creole mustard
4 roasted red peppers
14 ounces sliced cheese (provolone, Swiss)
Sliced tomatoes and chopped romaine lettuce (optional)
12 peperoncini peppers

Using the slicer blade on your food processor, slice the olives, celery, cauliflower, and carrots. Place sliced vegetables into a 2-quart container; add the Italian seasoning mix, crushed garlic, olive oil, and vinegar. Allow mixture to marinate and the flavors to meld for a day or so. Seriously, the longer you leave it, the better it will be.

Next, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Slice muffuletta breads in half. On the bottom half of each, spread half of the olive dressing. On the top slices, spread one tablespoon of mayo and two tablespoons of creole mustard and then add half the cheese on each in an even layer.

Place dressed bread open faced on a baking sheet in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Remove and add roasted red peppers, lettuce, and tomatoes to each sandwich. Place the top on each sandwich. Slice into quarters. Serve immediately.

Tofu Almondine in a White Wine-Butter Sauce

2011-12-07T16:20:00.000-06:00

I recently spearheaded a very informal survey in which I asked my readers if they liked tofu or not. Overwhelmingly, the answer was that it really depended on how it is prepared. I can assure you that this recipe would pass the test. I mean, the tofu is accompanied by sweet, toasted almonds and a buttery white wine sauce. What could be better than this vegetarian take on a New Orleans classic?

The sauce is the key to the deliciousness of this dish. I try to be calorically frugal, so I used it sparingly. However, the pan with the sauce in it found its way to the dinner table where it was further drizzled with abandon.

Vegans, try this recipe with Earth Balance and coconut milk. I'd love to hear how it turns out.

Tofu Almondine
(serves two)

1/2 cup almonds (toasted in a dry pan until lightly browned)

1 block extra firm tofu
1/4 teaspoon each: sea salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika
1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon butter

White Wine-Butter Sauce (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley (to garnish)

Cut the tofu into six 'filets' that are thicker on one side than the other, i.e., they come to a point in a way. Season both sides of the tofu with sea salt, black paper, red pepper flakes, and paprika.

Place 1/4 cup of flour on a large dinner plate. Dredge each filet on both sides and shake off any excess flour. Heat a 12-inch skillet to medium heat and add the canola and butter. Once the butter has melted, gently lay seasoned, dreaded tofu filet into the pan; this is best done in batches of three. Cook tofu for 4-5 minutes on the first side of until golden brown. Flip each piece and repeat the same cooking process for the other side. Removed cooked tofu filet to a cookie sheet and keep warm in a 300 degree oven until ready to serve.

To serve, place one tofu filet on a bed of wilted greens or potato hash, drizzle a teaspoon of sauce over it, and then add a few toasted almonds. Repeat by stacking the filets three high. To finish, drizzle the sauce around the plate and garnish with a little chopped parsley.

White Wine-Butter Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter (divided)
1/2 cup shallot (diced)
1 lemon
2 tablespoons Worcestershire (vegetarian)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 dried bay leaves
1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup of half and half

In a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, melt one tablespoon of butter and sauté the shallot in butter until shallot appears translucent -- this should take about two minutes. Cut lemon in half and add the juice from the lemon and also the rind to the pan. (Don't worry about seeds; you will strain this sauce later.) Add the worcestershire sauce, sugar, bay leaves, pepper and wine to the pan. Allow mixture to reduce by half or until it begins to look syrupy.

Add the half and half to the mixture, and then strain the whole thing through a fine-mesh strainer. Rinse the pan of any debris and then return the strained sauce to the pan. Keep warm until ready to serve. Just before serving, whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter. This process is known as mounting a sauce with butter, and it results in a very rich and flavorful sauce.

White Gold

2011-12-05T08:11:00.000-06:00

Using the best ingredients in what I've decided to call White Gold this holiday season is ridiculously and senselessly fancy, and that's what makes this holiday snack mix taste better than any other version I've sampled before now. I figure the classics are classics for a reason, but elevate them, and they're even more impressive. This isn't something to make in big batches and give away with abandon, so make a small batch and share it with a few deserving people who will understand the wink to tradition.

White Gold

3 cups organic multigrain square cereal

2/3 cup organic pretzels (broken)

1/2 cup roasted and salted peanuts

2/3 cup Justin's honey peanut butter

1/3 cup olive oil soy margarine

1/3 cup Valrhona dark chocolate block

3/4 cup organic powdered sugar

Mix cereal, pretzels, and peanuts into a big bowl. Melt peanut butter, soy margarine, and chocolate in the microwave at 30 seconds at a time stirring in-between so that the chocolate doesn't scorch. Pour it over the dry mix and stir until it's all coated completely. Sift powdered sugar into a large container and then pour in the chocolate-peanut butter mix. Shake until it's all coated white. Lay out your precious White Gold in a thin layer on two plates to cool and set. Serve it in small cups at a party or hide it away in a jar.

Potato Blinis + Beluga Lentils & Créme Fraiche

2011-12-01T09:53:00.000-06:00

Like the Oyster Mushroom Rockefeller, I thought it would be fun to continue the play on words. Here beluga lentils stand in for beluga caviar in this classic Russian dish. My blini are tender and light, so they make a great canvas for the other flavors.

The beluga lentils are flavored with kombu, which is dried seaweed. It seems like a strange ingredient, but it's available at Whole Foods. It tastes like the sea. That along with the sea salt is fairly convincing.

This is a great dish for your holiday party -- or just serve it along with a salad for a light meal.

Potato Blinis + Beluga Lentils & Créme Fraiche:

2 dozen Potato Blini (recipe follows)
1/2 cup créme fraiche
Beluga lentils (recipe follows)
fresh dill for garnish
black pepper

To assemble the dish, top each blini with about a teaspoon of créme fraiche followed by the same amount of beluga lentils. Garnish each with fresh dill and black pepper.

Potato Blini:
(makes two dozen blini)

1 1/2 cups roughly chopped potato (about 1 medium one)
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pkg rapid-rise yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk

canola oil

Cover the mixture and set aside for thirty minutes to allow it to rise. Adjust the thickness as needed using up to 1/4 cup of water. You want it to be as thick as, well, pancake batter.

Place potato, water, and butter in a covered, microwave-safe dish and microwave on high for six minutes. In the meantime, mix flour, yeast, salt, and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Also in a small mixing bowl, mix the egg and buttermilk. Run the potato through a ricer and into the large mixing bowl with the flour. Now, using a whisk, mix the wet ingredients with the dry.

In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, heat one tablespoon of oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add batter a tablespoon at a time to form small pancakes. (You will fit about five pancakes in the pan at a time.) Allow blini to cook for 2 minutes per side. Cook in batches, adding a tablespoon of oil to the pan if it looks dry.

Beluga lentils:

2 cups water
2 pieces kombu (dried seaweed)
1/2 cup black beluga lentils
tablespoon of sea salt
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Add water, kombu, lentils, and salt to a saucepan. Bring it up to a boil, and then allow it to simmer, covered, for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Allow the lentils to cool in the liquid. Remove kombu and discard. Drain lentils and then add the olive oil. Serve at room temperature.

Oyster Mushroom Rockefeller

2011-11-29T07:41:00.000-06:00

This genius little dish was dreamed up by my good friend Michael Hughes. He did a version of it when he was the chef of a supper club dinner that I was lucky enough to attend.

I love the play on words: oyster mushrooms stand in for oysters in this Rockefeller. Come on, it's awesome! Besides that, it tastes really great, and they are fun to eat. This dish would make the perfect appetizer for your holiday party. The rich spinach bumps up against the meaty mushroom. The whole thing is topped with crunchy parmesan and breadcrumb topping.

Oyster mushrooms can be found at Whole Foods and Fresh Market. However, to get the biggest and best (not to mention least expensive) mushrooms, it's best to seek out your local Asian foods market.

Oyster Mushroom Rockefeller
(makes a dozen)

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil (more for drizzling)
12 large oyster mushroom caps (woody stems trimmed off)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup shallot
1 tablespoon garlic
splash of Pernod
1 tablespoon vermouth
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup whole milk (or cream)
5 ounces fresh spinach (blanched, squeezed dry, chopped)
1/2 cup parmesan
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
lemon slices
chopped parsley

In a 12-inch frying pan over medium heat, melt a tablespoon of the butter and add the olive oil. Once the oil has come up to temperature, sear the mushroom caps until lightly browned on both sides. This should take about 2 minutes per side. Remove mushrooms from the pan and set aside on a separate plate. Season them with salt and pepper to taste.

Into the same pan with the remaining oil and butter, add the shallot and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until the shallot has softened. Be sure to keep the mixture moving so the garlic does not burn. Add the Pernod and vermouth to the pan. Once the alcohol has evaporated, remove the shallot and garlic mixture, and set aside in a separate bowl.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan. Add the flour and whisk until fragrant. This should take about two minutes. Whisk in the milk making sure there are no lumps. Once the mixture starts to thicken, add the spinach and the garlic and shallot mixture. Check for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Now mix the parmesan and breadcrumbs together in a separate bowl. Turn your oven on medium broil. You are now ready to assemble the dish. Gather 12 ceramic soup spoons. Into each place 1 tablespoon of the spinach mixture, one large oyster mushroom cap, a tablespoon of the parmesan mixture, and a drizzle of olive oil. Broil for four minutes or until browned. Keep warm in a low oven until ready to serve. Serve with lemon slices and chopped parsley.

Vegetarian Syrian Pizza

2011-11-26T15:13:00.000-06:00

My buddy Aaron's family has some really great and surprising recipes. Given that their roots chiefly are Italian, it's interesting to see dishes like quasi-Eastern European cabbage and dumplings and Syrian pizza recipes being handed down through the generations.

I've been lucky enough to be in the kitchen with Aaron's mom on several occasions, and she has taught me how to make a few Brame family favorites. Syrian pizza is not one of the dishes that she showed me how to make, but Aaron talks about it often enough that I thought I had a pretty good sense of how it's put together. I took several liberties with my version, but I really think it turned out great. I even got a thumbs-up from Aaron, who stopped by to try it.

Vegetarian Syrian Pizza
(makes 4 small pizzas)

1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shallot (diced)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
zest from one lemon (about a teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups mushroom meat (or your favorite crumbled meat substitute)
olive oil
4 pitas
1 small container 2% Greek yogurt

Place chopped tomatoes in a colander and toss in the salt to coat them. Allow the salt to draw moisture out of the tomatoes; this should take about 10 minutes. Toss in the shallot, parsley, and lemon zest. Gently squeeze the vegetable mixture to release any lingering moisture. In a large bowl, mix vegetables with the prepared mushroom meat to make the topping.

Now preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Brush both sides of pitas with olive oil and place them on a baking sheet. Smear each pita with about a tablespoon of Greek yogurt and top with about a 1/2 cup of the topping. Drizzle each with a teaspoon more olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes or until pita is crispy.

Mushroom Meat

2011-11-25T23:42:00.001-06:00

I used to rely on heavy-handed meat substitutes to give my meals that old, familiar texture and flavor that we all grew up on as the center of our 1980's meat-and-three dinners. As I shy away from more and more processed foods, I began looking for a way to get that same familiar result from my own kitchen. The solution for me was to take two things I already love, mushrooms and eggplant, and turn them into a multi-purpose "meat." It's so simple and requires little hands-on time. Make this in large batches, freeze what you don't use, and defrost it to add to tacos or burritos, fill ravioli, or cobble together a homemade veggie burger.

Mushroom Meat

Yields about 4 cups

1/4 cup black olives

5 cloves garlic

6 drops liquid smoke

1/4 cup olive oil

16 oz mushrooms (any kind)

4 cups eggplant (peeled, diced)

1 cup onion (diced)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In your food processor, make a paste out of the olives, garlic, liquid smoke, and olive oil. Set mixture aside in a bowl.

Add mushrooms, stems and all, to your food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Dump processed mushrooms onto a large, rimmed sheet pan. Pulse the eggplant in the food processor in the same manner and dump it onto the sheet pan with the mushrooms. Repeat this process with the onion.

Drizzle the mound of mushrooms, eggplant and onion with the olive and garlic paste, and using your hands, toss it all together. Spread the mixture evenly over the sheet pan. Sprinkle the mixture with salt and pepper. Pop it into the oven for a total of 30 minutes; turn the mixture over a few times with a spatula. The mixture will release a lot of juice, and then it will start to dry out. Once most of the liquid had evaporated or been absorbed, the mixture is ready. Allow it to cool in the pan.

For an Italian variation, add fresh herbs from the garden. To make a Mexican version, I add a few poblano peppers to the mix along with a palmful of ancho chili powder. The possibilities are endless. Sub this for any recipe that calls for ground beef.

A Vegetarian Thanksgiving

2011-11-22T00:14:00.000-06:00

We have a few ideas for what to have at your vegetarian Thanksgiving meal! Here are some of our favorite dishes from the past few years:

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Vegetarian Dumplings

Mock Duck Cassoulet

Grilled Vegetable Terrine

Stuffed Acorn Squash

Portobello Mushroom Wellington

Brussels Sprout Salad + Cornbread Croutons

Sweet Potato Pie with Rosemary Cookie Crust

Cranberry-Apple and Curried Ginger Cranberry Sauce

*Also, we're wondering...what are you making today or tomorrow for the Thanksgiving holiday?

Vegetarian "Chicken" Pot Pie

2011-11-21T07:54:00.001-06:00

The old version of this, Unreal Chicken Pot Pie, is one of the most popular posts here at the TCV blog. This new, even more tasty version is what we'll be making for the vegetarian main dish this year at Thanksgiving. Feel free to substitute diced-up Tofurkey if you please! Either way, it will be a hit.

Vegetarian "Chicken" Pot Pie
Serves 4

For the crust:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup organic non-hydrogenated shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
cold water

Add the flour, shortening, and salt to the bowl of a food processor and turn it on. Slowly add the cold water a teaspoon at at time until a ball forms. Stop the motor and pull the dough ball out. Place it in a covered bowl in the fridge for at least 20 minutes to rest.

For the filling:

1 pound seitan (diced)
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons canola
---------------------
1 cup carrots (about three, diced)
1 cup green pepper (diced)
1 1/2 cup potato (peeled, diced)
1 1/2 cups green peas
1/2 cup parsley (minced)
1/2 cup shallot (diced)
1/2 cup celery (two ribs, diced)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons champagne vinegar
----------------------
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup stock
sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Toss diced seitan and flour together in a bowl. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the canola oil. Once the oil starts to shimmer, add the seitan that has been coated in the flour mixture. Allow it to cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Stir the pot and allow mixture to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the crispy seitan from the pot and set it aside on a paper towel to drain. Immediately add the carrots, pepper, potato, peas, parsley, shallot, celery, salt, thyme, garlic powder, and vinegar to the pot and stir.

After the vegetables have been cooking for 3-4 minutes, push the vegetables up against the wall of the pot in order to form a well in the center. Add the flour and butter to the well and whisk until they form a paste. Cook the paste, also known as a roux, another two minutes until fragrant and lightly browned. Add the milk, stock, and the reserved seitan to the pot. Stir, bring to a quick boil by raising the temperature, then remove from heat.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the rested dough ball in half. Roll one half out to about

11 1/2 inches or enough to cover the bottom of a 10-inch pie pan. Place the crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Pour in the prepared filling. Roll the second half of the dough out to 11 inches for the lid. Place the lid on the pie. Cut off the excess and crimp the edges with your finger to seal them to the lower crust. Using kitchen shears, cut eight vents in the top of the pie. Place pie on a baking sheet in case it over flows in the oven. Cook pie 20 minutes. Brush the top with an egg wash, a sprinkle of sea salt, and bake another 10 minutes until the top crust is golden brown.

*Stay tuned for more vegetarian Thanksgiving ideas here tomorrow as we begin the countdown to the big day. We've been nominated to host the in-town family, and it is sure to be a great day. Looking forward to some fun cooking time ahead of us; we'll be sure to share the details of it with you as we go.

So give us some ideas -- what do you cook for the holiday?

Simple and Easy Porcini Mushroom Veggie Burgers

2011-11-15T06:47:00.000-06:00

I've experimented with lots of recipes for homemade veggie burgers, and I must say that this is one great veggie burger. It may even be 'the one'! The tempeh and portobellos add just the right amount of texture while the mustard and worcestershire sauce bring depth. It is rich and meaty thanks to the addition of a mere tablespoon of dried porcini mushrooms. If you've never tasted porcini, you are sadly missing out. There is really nothing else like it in the plant world. Chefs will often use dried porcini to give already meaty stews and sauces a meatier flavor if that tells you anything about this powerful, pungent mycelia.

You can find dried porcini mushrooms at Whole Foods. They are about nine dollars for a one-ounce bag, which sounds really expensive, but it's not. That bag will last you quite a while. I use them all the time, and that tiny bag lasts about five months. They are great in stocks, soups, stews, and veggie burgers.

Porcini Mushroom Veggie Burger

(Makes 4 veggie burger patties)

1 8-oz. package of tempeh (crumbled)
1 1/2 cups portobello mushrooms (diced)
1 tablespoon dried porcini (minced)
1 cup smoked provolone cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup shallot (minced)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon vegetarian worcestershire sauce
cracked black pepper (to taste)
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 eggs
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup of oil for frying

Mix all ingredients, save for the oil, in a large bowl and work it all through with your hands until all ingredients are throughly mixed. In a 10-inch frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Portion patties using a 1/2 cup measuring cup. Pan-fry in the oil for about 2-3 minutes per side or until lightly browned and the egg has set. Remove patties from the pan and set aside until you are ready to serve them.

Once you have all of your toppings ready, preheat your outdoor grill to 500 degrees. Cook burger patties for about 3-4 minutes per side or until well-marked by the grill grates and heated through. Serve on a soft sesame bun with romaine lettuce, sliced tomato, pickles, thinly sliced shallot, mustard, and mayonnaise.

Vegetarian Red Beans & Rice + Andouille Eggplant

2011-11-08T07:26:00.001-06:00

We've been making vegetarian red beans and rice for a long, long time, but this is the best version yet. The addition of the andouille-spiced eggplant (an idea that came to me while I was out on a run) and also the smoky sun-dried tomatoes...all I can say is I wish I would have thought of this long ago!

If you're looking for a crowd pleaser, this is it. This is a great recipe for entertaining because everything can be done well ahead of time. In fact, this is one of those dishes that is even better the next day. It's best served with some crunchy, buttered french bread, a healthy dash of Tabasco sauce, and a cold Abita Turbodog.

Vegetarian Red Beans and Rice

(Serves 4-6)

1 1/2 cups dried red beans (soaked overnight in 3 cups of water)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 cups onion (diced)
1 cup celery (diced)
1 cup green pepper (diced)
1 cup smoked sun-dried tomatoes* (small dice)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tablespoon Creole mustard
1 teaspoon red miso paste (optional)
4 cups vegetable stock
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups water
sea salt and cracked blackpepper to taste
6 cups cooked brown rice
Andouille Eggplant (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups sliced green onion for garnish

Heat the butter and oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sweat it all down until they are translucent and beginning to brown. Add the celery, green pepper, smoked sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh garlic; cook until all the vegetables have begun to soften. Stir in the dry spices, mustard, and miso. Add the soaked and drained beans, stock, vinegar, and bay leaves. Allow mixture to simmer over low heat for two hours or until beans are tender. Add water if the mixture is looking dry.

To serve, spoon about a cup of rice onto the center of a dinner plate and add an equal about of the red bean mixture on top. Top that with 5-6 eggplant slices. Garnish with sliced green onion and plenty of Tabasco sauce.

*Smoked sun-dried tomatoes can be found at specialty food stores such as Fresh Market. If they are unavailable in your area, simply use sun-dried tomatoes and 10 drops of liquid smoke.

Andouille Eggplant

4 cups Japanese eggplant (1-inch slices cut on the bias)
1/2 teaspoon each: salt, thyme, garlic, crushed red pepper, black pepper
3 tablespoons canola

Toss eggplant slices with the spices and 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil. Heat a large frying pan over high heat. Add the remaining canola. Once the oil begins to smoke, add the eggplant so that the cut side of each eggplant slice makes contact with the pan. Working quickly, you then turn each slice over once it is deeply browned, about 45 seconds, and cook the other side in the same way. This may be done in batches -- just add a little canola if the pan looks dry. Set cooked eggplant aside on a paper towel to drain.

Grilled Beer Bread Pimento Cheese Sandwiches + Arugula & Tomato

2011-11-04T05:58:00.000-05:00

In the South, you never hear anyone say, "That pimento cheese was just okay." The truth is, any combination of cheese and mayo is going to be at least pretty good. Like any proper Memphian, I think my version of this omnipresent cheese spread is the best. It is bright and herby due to the addition of lemon zest, thyme, and soft goat cheese. There are a million ways to eat it, but the following recipe just may be the best.

The grilled pimento cheese sandwich has become a modern Southern classic. You will find it on almost every lunch menu in Memphis. Many times you will see this sandwich served like a grilled cheese, but in my humble opinion, the warm pimento cheese has a tendency to get too soft and squishy. In this version, I grill the buttered bread on a cast-iron grill pan before I spread on the pimento cheese to preserve the consistency of the cheese. I've also omitted the bacon you usually find on this sandwich; however the rich, smoky beer bread more than makes up for it. This dish has it all; smoky grilled bread, creamy pimento cheese, and crisp toppings.

Grilled Beer Bread Pimento Cheese Sandwiches + Arugula & Tomato

Special equipment: cast-iron grill pan
Serves four

Whole Wheat Beer Bread (made with Tumbler Ale)
2 tablespoons melted butter
Lemon Zest + Thyme Pimento Cheese (can sub in white cheddar!)
2 medium tomatoes (sliced)
2 cups fresh arugula
salt and pepper to taste

Slice beer bread into 1/2-inch slices and brush one side of each slice with melted butter. Heat the cast-iron grill pan over medium high heat until it begins to smoke. Grill each slice for about a minute and a half or until well-marked by the grill pan, then give each slice 1/4 turn and grill another minute if you want those cross-hatched grill marks. Repeat until all slices are grilled.

Spread two spoonfuls of pimento cheese on a slice of the grilled bread, top with tomato, salt and pepper to taste, a little arugula, and then crown it with another slice of grilled beer bread.

Artichoke Hearts + Succotash over Smoked Cheddar Grits

2011-11-02T07:43:00.000-05:00

I set out to make a vegetarian version of creole shrimp and grits that's just as good or better than the original. The artichoke hearts are a perfect stand-in for the shrimp as they are
region-appropriate. The truth is that I could talk about this dish all day long, and I still couldn't convey to you how delicious it is. Each component is wonderful on its own: the smokiness of the cheddar grits, the spicy heat of the vegetables, the crunch of the artichoke. It all comes together when all these flavors are woven together with a simple mustard sauce. This is perfect dish to make for company...but you may want to keep it all to yourself.

Smoked Cheddar Grits

2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups milk
1 cup yellow corn grits
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups smoked cheddar (I used white goat cheddar, but any smoked cheddar will do)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Bring the stock and milk to a boil together in a saucepan. Add the grits slowly as you stir so there are no lumps. Add the garlic, cover, and allow the mixture to cook on low for twenty minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Stir in the cheddar, salt, and pepper.

Succotash

1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ear of corn (kernels cut away)
1 green pepper (diced)
1/2 cup okra (1/4-inch sliced)
1/2 cup peas (field peas or lady peas)
1 cup shallot (small dice)
scant dash of cayenne
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, nutmeg, salt, pepper

Heat butter and oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Toss remaining ingredients together. Once the butter and oil begin to smoke, add the vegetable mixture. Allow it to cook for a minute, then toss. Allow it to cook for an other minute then toss it again. Remove vegetables from the pan but leave any charred bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. You will use this in the following pan sauce recipe.

Spicy Mustard Pan Sauce

3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon creole mustard

Add stock and mustard to the pan used to cook the succotash. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any bits that stuck to the bottom of the pan. Over medium heat, reduce sauce by half. Set aside.

Pan-Fried Artichoke Hearts

1/3 cup canola oil
3 quartered artichoke hearts (make your own or use the large ones from the olive bar)
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste

If making your own artichoke hearts, blanch in acidulated, salted water for 10 minutes or until just tender. In a medium frying pan over medium-high heat, heat oil until it shimmers. Toss artichoke hearts in the egg and then in the flour. Shake off any excess flour. Pan fry the artichoke hearts for two to three minutes per side or until golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, spoon a cup of grits onto a warmed plate. Top with a half-cup of succotash and 3 pieces of pan-fried artichoke. Drizzle a spoonful of Spicy Mustard Pan Sauce around the plate. Garnish with chopped parsley and fresh dill. (This recipe makes four servings.)

Fried Chickpea Sandwich + Blue Cheese & Tomato

2011-10-31T08:12:00.001-05:00

In Sicily, they call these simple little chickpea fritters panelle, and they're typically served as street food on a bun with a scoop of ricotta. I thought it might be fun to take the idea out of Italy and bring it down South.

In this version, chickpeas stand in for fried chicken. The sandwich is dressed with spinach, tomato slices, blue cheese, and sliced shallot. This recipe below makes quite a few fritters, enough for about 6 sandwiches or more, which is a good thing considering they are quite addictive.

A little magic happens when these things begin to cook. The outside layer becomes craggy and crispy, the next layer is slightly chewy, and the center is creamy. They are so good that they're worth a few extra a calories.

Fried Chickpea Sandwich

2 cups broth
2 cups chickpea flour
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups canola oil (for frying)
olive oil mayonnaise
6 sesame buns
fresh spinach
6 tomato slices
1/4 cup sliced shallot
4 ounces blue cheese (crumbled)

In a medium saucepan, add chickpea flour to cold broth and whisk. Gradually bring the mixture up to a boil as you whisk. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the water and whisk some more. Allow mixture to cook on low for 15 minutes. In an olive-oil-coated 9x12 casserole pan, quickly spread the mixture evenly to the edges. Use a sheet of waxed paper to press the mixture into place.

Once the mixture has cooled completely, turn it out onto a cutting board. Cut into two-inch squares and then cut each square in half to form triangles. Bring canola oil up to medium-high heat in a sauce pan. Fry chickpea patties in batches if five for about five minutes a piece or until they pass golden brown and are more toasted brown in color. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper.

To serve (immediately!): toast buns, spread with a bit of olive oil, pile on 3-4 fritters, a handful of spinach, a slice of tomato, a few sliced shallots, and a little blue cheese.

La Montagne-style Tofu Fajitas

2011-10-28T07:25:00.001-05:00

Way back in August of 2009, I promised that I would publish chef John Bragg's La Montagne tofu fajitas recipe after The Memphis Flyer published our story. Well, I just plain forgot! A recent email or two jogged my faulty memory. So here it is -- the long-awaited, much-anticipated recipe for La Montagne's tofu fajitas:

olive oil for pan

one red onion

one chopped red pepper

1 cup chopped button mushrooms

1 cup chopped red tomato

1 teaspoon ground cumin

chili powder to taste

fried tofu (in strips)

pico de gallo (chopped tomatoes, lime juice, onion, and cilantro)

warmed tortillas

chopped lettuce

Coat a frying pan with olive oil and add onion, red pepper, mushrooms, and tomato. Toss at medium heat. Add cumin, chili powder, and then the fried tofu strips. Serve on top of lettuce with tortillas and pico de gallo on the side.

Okra Fritters with Creole Mustard Sauce

2011-10-26T08:16:00.002-05:00

This dish is requested over and over again by my father-in-law. He is the farmer who grows a lot of the wonderful produce we feature here at The Chubby Vegetarian; anytime he makes a menu request, we do our best to fill it.

I can almost assure you that these will be a hit even among okra skeptics. They don't have any of the sliminess that normally turns people away from okra in the first place. How do I know this? After she proclaimed "I don't eat green things," I watched my five-year-old niece eat these okra fritters and exclaim, "I love okra!" Now that's a victory.

You can serve these any number of ways. They're great as a salad on a bed of arugula that's been dressed with my Creole Mustard Sauce, and topped with fresh dill, parsley, and chopped tomatoes. It's also great as a sort of okra Po' Boy slider on a french roll with lettuce, tomato, and dill. You can also just dip the fritters right into the Creole Mustard Sauce as a simple appetizer.

Okra Fritters (makes 8-10 fritters)

2 cups okra (sliced into 1/4 inch pieces)
1/2 cup onion (sautéed in 1 tablespoon butter until translucent)1/8 teaspoon each: garlic powder, nutmeg, paprika, sea salt, cracked black pepper
2-3 dashes hot sauce
1/8 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup flour
1/8 cup cornmeal
1 egg
canola oil for frying

Mix everything (save for the oil) together in a large bowl. Heat 1/2-inch of canola oil in a
10-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, you are ready to add the okra mixture. Using an ice cream scoop, place a portion of the okra mixture into the oil. Cook 3-4 at a time for about 2 minutes per side until all of the mixture has been used. Makes one dozen.

Creole Mustard Sauce

2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon ketchup
Squeeze of lemon (about a teaspoon)
pinch of sea salt
cracked black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Done!

Cheddar 3-2-1 Drop Biscuits + Thyme Scrambled Eggs & Smoky Tomatoes

2011-10-22T22:42:00.000-05:00

A big breakfast is something everyone needs every now and again. Sure, this biscuit sandwich is portable, but it's so much better to actually sit down, have coffee, eat without rushing, and enjoy the time to relax. All three components, the cheddar biscuit, the eggs with thyme, and the smoky tomatoes, provide big flavors for your next big breakfast.

Cheddar 3-2-1 Drop Biscuits

3 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup organic shortening
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
1 cup milk

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening using your fingers until there are pieces no larger than a pea. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the cheese and milk. Using a rubber spatula, fold the milk and cheese into the dry ingredients; use as few strokes as possible. The less you stir the dough, the more tender your biscuits will be.

Using an ice cream scoop, scoop up a portion of dough and drop it onto a silpat-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all dough has been used. (You should get about a dozen biscuits from this recipe.) Be sure to leave an inch or so between each biscuit, but don't be too particular about their shape -- drop biscuits are supposed to be rustic. Bake for 15 minutes or until the craggy edges are brown and crispy.

Thyme Scrambled Eggs

1 tablespoon butter
5 eggs
1 tablespoon cream
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (3-4 sprigs)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon of Maldon salt

Place butter in a cold, non-stick frying pan and then place it over medium heat. Whip the eggs, cream, thyme, and pepper together in a bowl. Once the butter is just melted, add the egg mixture. Stir constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula. It will take about 4-5 minutes for the eggs to be done; it's a relatively slow process, but it yields very creamy eggs. Once the eggs start to come together, add the salt and stir. Serve immediately.

Smoky Tomatoes

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon applewood-smoked salt
1/4 teaspoon Maldon salt
2 roma tomatoes (sliced)

Mix spices together in a small bowl. Sprinkle sliced tomatoes with spice mixture. You won't need all of it, but keep it on hand because it's great on everything.

A Big Pot of Black Beans

2011-10-19T08:20:00.001-05:00

One of the most common questions I'm asked when it comes to preparing good vegetarian food is how to makes beans tasty and flavorful without the addition of pork. My answer is that I throw in a little of this, and a lot of that, followed by a pinch of something-or-another. The truth is that no one wants to hear that. They want a recipe. So, this time I measured it all out and wrote it down just for you. This pot of beans has everything: smoky, spicy, deep, bright, and rich.

It looks like a lot of ingredients, but really, it's a very simple recipe. Over the next week or so, I'll show you a few different ways to use these magic beans in ways you may not have thought of.

First up is black bean soup. Simply take the prepared beans and blend them about 2:1 with water or broth to thin it to the proper consistency. Heat and serve topped with guacamole and hot sauce. We love this dish served along side a simple quesadilla made from smoked provolone and goat cheese.

A Big Pot of Black Beans

1 1/2 cups dry beans
3 cups water
2 tablespoons canola
2 cups onion
1/2 teaspoon chipotle
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ancho chili
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 1/2 tablespoons miso
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Soak the dry beans in 3 cups of water for at least 6 hours -- this is best to do overnight. Drain off the soaking water. In a large dutch oven over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in the canola oil until the onion is translucent. Add the chipotle, cumin, ancho, and garlic powders. Stir and allow spices to cook for two minutes. Add the soaked beans and the remaining ingredients except the salt. Simmer for one hour. Add the salt, stir, and simmer another hour.

Chicken-Fried Portobello + Mushroom & Shallot Gravy

2011-10-18T07:46:00.000-05:00

"Everything's better chicken fried," my buddy Aaron exclaimed when I told him what I had made for dinner last night. I had to agree. In this recipe, a meaty portobello mushroom graciously stands in for steak in this vegetarian take on a Southern classic, chicken-fried steak.

I used to eat chicken-fried steak all the time when I was a kid. My grandmother would make it, and we'd have the same conversation every time. "What is it, Mamaw?" I'd ask, "chicken or steak?" She joke around and tell me it's both. Now the answer is neither. Though her food was always delicious, I like this meatless version best.

Chicken-Fried Portobello Mushroom

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon each: salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and sweet paprika
2 eggs (whisked)
1/8 cup cream
3 portobello mushroom (stemmed, trimmed)
1 cup canola oil
Shallot and Mushroom Gravy*
chopped parsley

Combine the flour with the spices in a mixing bowl large enough to accommodate one mushroom at a time. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the eggs and cream.

Now trim the mushrooms by removing the stems and the part of the cap that hangs over the gill side; doing this will create a flat surface, which will make it much easier to pan-fry your mushrooms. Reserve the trimmings because you will use them in the gravy.

Heat the oil to medium high in a 12-inch frying pan. Depending on the size of the mushrooms, this pan should accommodate all three at once. Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. Now, batter the mushrooms using a three-step process: toss them in the flour mixture, coat them with the egg mixture, then dredge them in the flour mixture. This should help plenty of spiced flour to adhere to the mushroom. Fry mushrooms for about two minutes per side.

Place mushrooms on a baking sheet and finish cooking them through in the oven. This should take about 15 minutes, which is the perfect amount of time to make your gravy.

To serve, smother mushroom with gravy and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with your favorite side vegetable. We had garden-grown green beans with garlic and tomatoes.

*Shallot and Mushroom Gravy:

1 tablespoon of butter
trimmings from the mushrooms
1/2 cup shallot (minced)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup strong broth (preferably mushroom)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
sea salt

Melt butter in a 10-inch frying pan over medium heat. Add the trimmings and shallots. Once the shallot is translucent, add the flour and cook until nutty and fragrant. Add the broth and milk as you whisk. Slowly bring mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Mixture should be thick like pancake batter after a few minutes. Season with black pepper and sea salt.

The Lime Truck's Corn Cake with BBQ Slaw

2011-10-12T08:38:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited to present to you a recipe from Jason Quinn of the Lime Truck. As you may know, The Lime Truck won the second season of The Great Food Truck Race. This dish was one they served as a part of a vegetarian challenge in Memphis, and this week, Jason was kind enough to share the recipe with me.

The concept is simple but creative, and their execution is always spot-on. I could totally see making miniature versions of this dish for a party and serving them like little Southern blinis.

Corn Cake

Creamed corn*
1.5 cups pancake mix (I used multigrain.)
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup milk

2 tablespoons butter

Mix the creamed corn, pancake mix, eggs, and milk until just combined. Do not overmix. On a non-stick griddle over medium-low heat, melt a pat of the butter. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the batter onto the griddle. Allow it to cook for about four minutes or until the top looks like it has set. Flip and cook another two minutes. Makes one dozen corn cakes.

BBQ Slaw

5 cups cabbage (shredded)
1 tablespoon mustard
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 cup mayo
1 cup BBQ sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients until well incorporated.

To serve, heap a corn cake with about 1/2 cup of BBQ slaw; garnish with chives and a touch more BBQ sauce. Eat it with a fork like a civilized person -- or pick it up like a taco as Jason instructed.

Creamed Corn*

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup onion (diced)
2 cups corn (cut away from the cobb)

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cream

Sauté onion in butter over medium high heat until onion is translucent. Add the corn and cook until the sugar in the corn begins to caramelize and some of the kernels begin to brown. Add the nutmeg, salt, pepper and cream. Set aside.

eaTABLE Supper Club All-Vegan Dinner at The Live From Memphis Loft

2011-10-09T14:18:00.002-05:00

I was asked by the eaTABLE Supper Club to create a menu for their October dinner. Immediately, I said yes! You see, we had done a dinner for them before and know what a grateful group they are. There's nothing better than making food for those who are open-minded and ready for the experience.

The host of the dinner, Chris Reyes, is a longtime vegan. I decided, out of respect for him and his home, that I would develop a menu that was in line with his morals; I really liked the challenge: make an appealing and creative vegan meal that would please 16 mostly non-vegans.

In the past, we've done a costal Mexican vegetarian feast, an all-tomato dinner, and an all-vegetarian brunch at Restaurant Iris. For this new dinner, I decided on the theme of comfort food, hence comforTABLE. I went back and pulled some of my vegan favorites: brussels sprout salad, mushroom tamales, and Thai fried rice. I still wanted to push myself further by developing new recipes specifically for this event, like Indian nachos and panelle and caponata sliders.

The unexpected hit of the night was the pickles served alongside the sliders. Much to my surprise, members of the group requested more beet, cucumber, and okra pickles. Between 16 of them, they ate three quarts of pickles! It was a victory for me since I'm always trying to get people to eat okra, one of my favorites.

Dessert was total comfort food, too: brown 'butter' and vegan marshmallow crispy treats two ways, ancho chili and cayenne with toasted pumpkin seeds + Maldon salt and Olive and Sinclair 75% dark chocolate. They were a total hit. Our test for a good dessert is that it is just plain gone way before anyone expects it to be, and this happened quite quickly here.

We could not have pulled off this amazing feat without the help and planning of a few key folks. First off, Stacey Greenberg is one of the hardest-working people in Memphis. She writes for every major publication in town, writes a blog called Dining with Monkeys, is involved in Rock n' Romp, Roller Derby, and runs the eaTABLE supper club. I'm convinced there are no less than three of her. Margot McNeeley, who runs a wonderful organization called Project Green Fork, not only set the tables but also helped me carry them up two flights of stairs. Last but not by any means least, Chris Hawkins pretty much cooked everything that we prepped, and in doing so, freed us up to make sure everything else went smoothly. Thanks, y'all!

The reviews are in, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves. Check out these reviews from Live From Memphis's Chris Reyes, and another guest at the dinner, Bianca Phillips of the blog Vegan Crunk.
Thanks for the kind words, you two.

We are looking forward to our next event -- whatever it may be.

Triple-Ginger Apple Crisp

2011-10-06T12:09:00.000-05:00

I still cannot believe how early I used to wake up in order to go to Houston High School. It was dark, and it usually remained dark as I waited outside for the school bus, which was a more entertaining choice than driving to school alone.

In my adult life, I feel like I never have enough time, and breakfast usually consists of scarfing part of a banana in the car, making a green smoothie, or totally forgetting to eat and then rooting around for the lone, slightly crushed granola bar I just know I must've stashed somewhere in my desk.

But back then as a ravenous teenager, I always had some sort of nice, sit-down breakfast. My mom catered to us in the morning and let Lindsey demand orange juice delivery and multiple wake-up calls before she stumbled downstairs with her blankets in tow in order to sleep further on the kitchen floor. My own indulgence was always breakfast with just me at the kitchen counter with some eggs and grits, French toast, or a bowl of apple crisp, one of the mainstays.

I love making it now and then these days, even though I'll always think my mom's version is better. It's so easy to put together on a slow morning or to set up the night before and refrigerate overnight before baking. This time around, I made it vegan and also added ginger x 3 for an extra kick.

Triple-Ginger Apple Crisp

Filling:

10 Granny Smith apples (peeled and sliced into inch-long chunks)
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup vegan cane sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/2 tablespoon Earth Balance with olive oil (for pan)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all filling ingredients well. Butter a shallow baking dish and then pour filling into it. Set aside.

Crumble Topping:

1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup Earth Balance olive oil margarine
2 small pieces of crystallized ginger (minced)
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger

1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon clove
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt
1/3 cup olive oil margarine
1 tablespoon olive oil (for drizzling)

Combine all dry ingredients from oats to salt and stir. Break up margarine into small pieces and incorporate this into the dry mix. Spread topping across the pan of apple filling and then drizzle it with olive oil; it's also good to sprinkle it with a little more salt to counter the sweetness. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-45 minutes to an hour; the topping will brown and the apples will bubble when it's ready.

*You also can top it with honeyed yogurt: 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons honey, and 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest.

Honeycrisp Apple + Parsnip Soup

2011-10-04T13:38:00.000-05:00

Parsnips look like pale carrots, something Bunnicula got ahold of and completely drained of color. They have a spicy bite of flavor and taste earthy and bright, a little bit like mild horseradish. Parsnips have started showing up more and more this fall, and I had heard they're great with apples. (In the recipe, I found a use for the Honeycrisp apples that are out now. I figured there must be something great about an apple harvest that calls for a giant banner and so much in-store signage excitement.)

Apple-Parsnip Soup

1 white onion (diced)

a knob of butter

1 cup sparkling wine

2 large parsnips (peeled & roughly chopped)

2 large Honeycrisp apples (peeled & roughly chopped)

1 white sweet potato (peeled & roughly chopped)

1 tsp. rubbed sage

1 cup half-and-half

water

sea salt

green onions and white cheddar

Sauté onions in butter until translucent, and then add wine. Allow the mixture to reduce, and then add parsnip, potato, apple, and sage to the mixture. Add a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes or until vegetables have softened and have taken on a slight color. Reduce heat and add half-and-half. Do not allow soup to boil after adding the cream as it could curdle. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture smooth. Add enough water to achieve the consistency you desire. Garnish with sliced green onion and shredded white cheddar.

How to Throw a Pizza Crust

2011-09-27T22:31:00.001-05:00

Pizza may be my favorite food in the whole wide world. It's also the great equalizer when one's considering what to feed a mixed crowd of vegetarians and non-vegetarians. It's rare that anyone is ever disappointed in a pizza no matter what's on top, so serving it to a crowd is usually a no-brainer.

I like to par-cook my homemade pizza crust. It allows me less time in the kitchen when friends and family are over, and it assures a good product. All you do is throw the dough, slide it undressed onto the stone, and cook it for just a few minutes. When it's time to eat, top your par-cooked crusts with sauce and cheese and slide 'em into the oven to crisp up.

Beer Pizza Crust:

(Special equipment: stand mixer, 3 rubber bands, and 3 seven-inch round plastic containers.)

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon honey

½ teaspoon Fleishmann’s active dry yeast*

9–12 ounces of your favorite beer

olive oil

1. Pour beer into a microwave-safe glass and heat for 1 minute.

2. Bloom the yeast in a few tablespoons of the warm beer.

3. Place flour, salt, and honey into a stand mixer, turn it on low, and add the bloomed yeast.

4. Slowly add the beer until all the dry flour has been incorporated. (You will have beer left over.)

5. Mix for 5 minutes 'til dough looks smooth.

6. Roll dough into a nine-inch log; cut the log into three equal three-inch pieces.

7. Roll each piece into a ball; place each in its own round airtight container

8. Set containers out on the countertop. Leave the dough alone for 8 hours.

9. Place a pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 500°

10. Turn the dough ball out on to a lightly floured pizza peel. Begin to dimple the dough using three

fingers. Leave a half-inch on the outside undisturbed—this will become the crust. Turn dough over

and repeat the process.

11. Pick up the dough and let it stretch over your fists until it is about 12 inches in diameter, or toss it in

the air like a pro—your call.

12. Make sure your have enough flour on the peel so that the pizza can slide around and into the oven.

13. Spread about 1⁄3 cup of tomato sauce over the crust, and then top with ½ – 1½ cups of cheese. Add

any other topping that you like at this point.

14. Using the pizza peel, slide the raw pizza onto the hot stone and let it cook for about 7 minutes.

15. Remove the pizza once the top starts bubbling and it begins to brown around the edges.

16. The best part: cut and serve.

* For a faster crust, use "rapid rise" yeast and cut the proofing time down to one hour.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-09-26T07:37:00.001-05:00

We're trying to get back to making more salads with dinner around here, and it's got to be easy to do if I'm going to make one at the last minute in addition to the main dish. This past weekend, I put together a simple salad of arugula, strawberries, and toasted almonds and shook up this basic vinaigrette in a jar to go with it. It was the perfect salad to complement grilled pizza with lots of smoked provolone, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, and the like.

I think it's definitely is worth taking an extra couple of minutes to make your own dressing; here's what's in our go-to balsamic vinaigrette.

Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
juice from half a lemon
2 teaspoons minced shallot
1/2 tablespoon honey
sea salt
cracked black pepper

Pour all ingredients into a jar and shake or whisk them together in a small bowl. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad right before serving.

P.S. You can learn more than you ever wanted to know about me at the I Love Memphis blog if you are so inclined.

A French Toast Pancake

2011-09-24T17:18:00.000-05:00

One of us looks forward to a savory weekend breakfast, and the other clamors for either pancakes or French toast. So an agreement has been reached via the invention of the French toast pancake, which is super-fast to make. There's no agonizing wait for the egg-and-milk mixture to soak into the bread, it's very hands-off since it cooks in the oven, and the whole thing is done in two quick steps. (I love the addition of orange zest and vanilla, which somehow makes it taste fancier than it really is.)

French Toast Pancake

2 cups torn bread
6 eggs
zest of one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup whole milk
a pinch of sea salt
1 tablespoon cane sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put everything except the butter in the food processor and pulse until there are no big chunks of bread left.

Heat a 10-12 inch frying pan over medium-high heat. Place butter into the hot pan; allow it to melt completely and coat the pan. Pour egg and bread mixture into the pan. The hot pan will help the pancake to start cooking and should prevent it from sticking.

Place the pan into the oven for 10 minutes or until the center is set. To serve, cut pancake into wedges and top with macerated fruit, butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup.

*For the kids, make a bunch of silver dollar French toast pancakes by pouring the batter into silicone muffin tins instead.

Indian Nachos with Mint Raita and Black Mustard Seed

2011-09-23T10:08:00.000-05:00

Our raised bed garden's still going strong, so we made some nachos from the tomatoes, mint, okra, and peppers that we grew. I thought, why not try this barroom classic with a little twist...Indian flavors! Crazy, sure, but good. Think of it like this: a simple veg curry on a tiny papadum with a fragrant, creamy sauce. You just load up papadum chips in a single layer onto a plate and microwave for one minute to get these going.

This would make a great unexpected appetizer or a casual main course. Try subbing the vegetables you have available from your farmer's market or garden for a unique take on this unusual dish.

Indian Nachos with Mint Raita and Black Mustard Seed

1 shallot
2 garlic cloves
1 small jalapeño
1 small piece of ginger (peeled)
1 tablespoon of butter
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon curry
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup potatoes (small dice)
1/8 cup okra (thinly sliced)
1/8 cup tomatoes (small dice)
1/8 cup English peas
2 dozen papadums (approx.)
Mint Raita*
black mustard seed

Finely chop the first four ingredients in a food processor. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat and add the coriander, cumin, and curry. Once the spices become fragrant, add the chopped shallot, garlic, jalapeño, and ginger mixture. cook for two minutes. Add the coconut milk and stir. Set sauce aside. In the same pan over medium high heat sauté the potatoes in the canola oil until golden and tender. This should take about 4 minutes. Add the okra, tomatoes, and peas and heat through. Add the sauce and remove from heat. Arrange papadums on a platter and top each with about a teaspoon of the vegetable curry. Garnish with mint raita and a pinch of black mustard seed.

*Mint Raita

1/4 cup mint
1/4 cup yogurt
Lime zest
1/2 tsp sugar

1 tablespoon water

Blend all ingredients in a food processor until mint is finely chopped.

5 Quick Questions for Sandra A. Gutierrez

2011-09-22T08:12:00.005-05:00

Recently, I got ahold of Sandra Gutierrez's The New Southern-Latino Table, just out this month; immediately after paging through it, I knew I would have to start working on making her amazing desserts and then work my way through the rest of the sections, too. When I make a dish from a new cookbook and it turns out well, I know the book's a keeper. After making the Chile-Chocolate Brownies one Friday night and then the Squash and Chile Cake with Cayenne and Ancho Chile Icing and New World Chocolate Cake for a family's get-together last Sunday night, I decided I needed to connect with Sandra in order to ask a few burning questions. She was so kind to allow me to share a couple of her great recipes with you.

1. We grew up in Mississippi and Tennessee, and we love Southern food. We wondered what your favorite dish from the South might be these days and/or the one you first really liked early on?

Early on I quickly fell in love with pimiento cheese. I mean, what's not to like? The mixture of creamy mayonnaise with sharp cheddar cheese, speckled with blushing pimientos...it was love at first bite! It's hard to pick a favorite Southern dish--there are so many favorites, including fried chicken, deviled eggs and biscuits--but if I had to pick just one, I'd probably pick grits. Although I had never heard of grits before I arrived in the South as a young bride, I quickly became enamored of its nutty flavor, which immediately reminded me of masa for tamales (after all, both are made of nixtamalized corn). Give them to me mixed with chiles or served simply with a pat of butter; make me a cheesy-grits casserole or give them to me shaped into cakes! I'm there! I'm happy!

2. What are some of your go-to ingredients or spices, the kinds of things you think others should be sure to try out in their cooking?

In order to cook the New Southern-Latino way, I suggest you revamp your pantry a little bit and incorporate all sorts of dried chile powders, which I use in everything from sauces to desserts, such as my Chile-Chocolate Brownies. Try these powders the next time you make a pot of vegetarian chili and you'll understand why I love them so much; a little ancho chile powder will add hints of chocolate, chipotle chile powder will add both smokiness and a spicy kick, and a sprinkle of aji amarillo powder will take it to new levels. Mexican cinnamon is another one of my favorite spicest. Called "canela" this is cinnamon from Ceylon (not the Cassia variety mostly used here in the U.S.) and it's very brittle, which makes it ideal to grind for use in cakes and other dishes. I even add canela to my stews and gravies. Annatto or "achiote" is also great to have around. You can find this spice and natural food coloring in many stores in the South. You've probably had it all your life and didn't even know it because it's what gives its orange hue to cheddar cheese. In Latin America, annatto is used to add color and flavor to lots of dishes from rice to pastries. Tamarind extract is sour; it's also the perfect addition to barbecue sauces and salad dressings.These are all easy ingredients to find in the South nowadays and some that are well worth experimenting with in your own kitchen.

3. Do you have a favorite Southern-Latino dish that just happens to also be vegetarian?

Actually, I have many vegetarian dishes in my book. That is due to the fact that at home we eat at least two vegetarian meals every week. Also, Latin Americans have a tremendous array of vegetarian dishes. I have delicious salads in this book, as well as soups and amazing side dishes such as my Swiss Chard Frittata. One of my favorites is my Pimiento and Cheese Chilaquiles, which taste like an elegant lasagna. In this recipe I bathe fried tortillas with a coral-hued sauce and layer them with cheese; it's baked until bubbly, and warm, and utterly delicious! This is also one of my twists on pimiento cheese. I love to serve those with my Collard Greens, Oranges, and Pepita Salad with Buttermilk Dressing, which features raw collard greens. If you haven't tried raw collards before, you're in for a nice surprise. I also offer delicious vegetarian salsas and the best plantains north of the border! My Braised Lentils are scrumptious. I love to serve them over a bed of brown rice and then top them with my Chiltepin Gremolata (a citrusy, chile salsa that adds zing and contrasting textures). Of course, I also feature many delicious vegetarian desserts including a sweet soup made with corn and served with cinnamon-sugar coated hushpuppies, that's to die for!

4. I like that the dessert recipes you present are so creative and sometimes even a little spicy. Do you have a theory about making desserts stand out or a reason why yours are a little different?

I like to say that you're only as good as your last dish. That's where dessert comes in because that's what our guests will remember most after they leave. Therefore, I like to give my desserts subtle but definite twists. I had lots of fun creating new versions that both please and surprise the palate. The additon of chile and spices in some desserts is one twist; it's not as far-fetched as you may think because that is done throughout Latin America. I also try to incorporate a balance of textures and temperatures. For example, I serve crispy hot Sweet Potato Churros with a creamy, decadent chocolate sauce. I add a bit of crunch to the New World Chocolate Cake with the addition of ground almonds. And I offer an easy Buttermilk Ice Cream that is perfect to serve with a warm slice of pie or with my Mango, Peach, and Tequila Cobbler. Finally, I use ingredients that you wouldn't normally think to incorporate in desserts, such as the vidalia onions I use to make Empanadas de Viento, which are sugary fried pies. Another example would be my Sweet Tomato Cobbler, where tomatoes are treated in the same manner as cherries: first preserved with sugar and then draped with flaky pastry. I think that's a must-try dessert in this book. I guess my desserts are different because I dare to push the envelope just a little bit. But I wouldn't call them "extreme" desserts. They simply tease the palate, subtly. I love to surprise my friends and family with dishes like these, and I know I've succeeded when they ask for the recipe!

5. We especially love your Squash and Chile Cake with Cayenne and Ancho Chile Icing! How were you inspired to make this particular dessert?

Squash is another one of those ingredients that Latinos use in both savory and sweet dishes. I created this recipe years ago, for a cooking class in which I taught new ways to use dried chiles. Back then, I wanted a cake that yielded deep, comforting flavors but that wouldn't intimidate beginner bakers or take a very long time to prepare. And I wanted to create a dessert that would be ideal to serve during the cooler months of the year. Since I love making soups with butternut squash and chiles, I decided to translate this combination into a cake. It was a complete experiment and I was so excited to see that it worked so well. I was also pleasantly surprised that it became one of the most requested recipes by my students. I decided to include it in this book because it's one of my favorite cakes and also because it partners very well with hot drinks, such as spiced-teas, coffee, or hot cocoa. In fact, it's so easy to make, that I may very well go bake one right now. All this talk about food has made me very, very hungry!

*Thanks so much, Sandra! Now, we can all enjoy two of her great recipes: see how to make her spiced-up brownies and pumpkin seeds below. -TCV

Chile-Chocolate Brownies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons ancho chile powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped and toasted pecans (optional)

For the glaze:

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

2 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon coffee-flavored liqueur

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter a 9x9x2-inch baking pan. Place the butter and chocolate in the top of a double boiler and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until they have melted and are well combined. Lift the bowl carefully from the pan so no water droplets come into contact with the chocolate mixture; let cool for 5 minutes and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in the sugar; add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; stir in the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, ancho chile powder, and salt; gradually add the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, beating well until fully combined. Add the pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the center is set and the brownies begin to pull back from the sides of the pan. Cool brownies for 1 hour in the pan.

To make the glaze: in a medium bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, butter, liqueur, vanilla, and chile powder; blend until smooth. Place the glaze in a pastry bag (or zip-top bag with a snipped corner), and drizzle back and forth over the brownies. Cut them into 20 bars.

Spiced Pepitas
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon ground coriander

½ teaspoon ancho chile powder

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, toss together the pumpkin seeds, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, cumin, pepper, coriander, chile powder, cayenne, garlic powder, and sugar. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes; remove the baking sheet and shake to redistribute the seeds.

Return to the oven and bake for another 3 minutes; stop to shake the pan again. Finish baking for 1–2 minutes, or until the pumpkin seeds are crispy and golden, being careful not to burn them. Transfer to a cool baking sheet and cool completely before storing. (Makes 2 cups.)

From The New Southern-Latino Table: Recipes that Bring Together the Bold and Beloved Flavors of Latin America and the American South. Copyright © 2011 by Sandra A. Gutierrez. Used by permission of the University of North Carolina Press. www.uncpress.unc.edu

Spicy Pickled Okra

2011-09-19T07:59:00.000-05:00

Summer is slipping away. I sure can feel it this week, but thankfully, the veggies from my father-in-law's garden still continue to roll in by the bucketful. There's no room left in the freezer because it's jam-packed with shelled peas, roasted tomatoes, and sliced okra. I'm doing all I can to preserve the season. So, I decided to pickle a mess of okra that had just arrived.

The process of pickling is simple, and even if you don't properly can it, which is a huge production, pickled vegetables will still last up to 2-3 weeks in the fridge. Use this pickling liquid and spice mixture on anything from cucumbers to green tomatoes.
The best part of pickling okra in particular is that is reduces its inherent sliminess. I brought these little beauties to Rocco's birthday party this weekend and they were a hit...even with the okra skeptics.

(My friend Kelly stuffs pickled okra with pimento cheese, batters them, and deep fries them. I'll see if I can't talk him out of the recipe for y'all soon!)

Spicy Pickled Okra

1 quart white vinegar
6 tablespoons salt
6 cloves garlic (smashed)
2 tablespoons chili pepper relish (or sambal)
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 tablespoon dried dill
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon sugar
3 quarts small okra (stem intact, washed and dried)

Bring the first eight ingredients to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for five minutes. Pour hot pickling liquid over the okra and allow everything to cool. Place picked okra in the fridge for two days to allow the flavors to meld. Use okra within 2-3 weeks.

To serve, rinse okra in a colander. Place two pickles on a bamboo pick. Stand picks up in a wide-mouth mason jar. In my mind, it's just the thing to bring to a three-year-old's birthday party.

Green Smoothies

2011-09-16T09:00:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to give mythical green smoothies a shot for a while now. The question is, could they possibly be any good? I wondered if I would really taste the spinach or the kale in these, but they're barely detectable since only a natural sweetness comes through. It didn't even beg for a shot of honey or agave.

Green smoothies, it turns out, aren't all that attractive-looking compared to the pleasing colors of typical fruit smoothies, but check out some of the simple ingredients pictured here. Fitting in an extra vegetable in the morning and getting an energy boost after drinking one of these couldn't be a bad thing, right? We might even commit to having one day for a while...

Spinach + Strawberry Green Smoothie

2 handfuls of spinach (about 2/3 cup)
1-2 frozen bananas (cut into a few pieces)
4 strawberries
juice from 3 oranges
ice (optional)

Blend until all ingredients are fully combined.

Kale + Berry Green Smoothie

1 1/2 cups curly kale
a handful of raspberries
a handful of blueberries
juice from 3 oranges
1-2 frozen bananas (cut into a few pieces)
ice (optional)

Blend until all ingredients are fully combined.

Spicy Mixed Chili Pepper Relish

2011-09-15T08:09:00.000-05:00

I love spicy food, but there comes a point where there are just too many chili peppers to use up before they shrivel. At several points over the summer, we found ourselves with handfuls of red, green, hot, mild, cherry, thai, jalapeño, habanero, and, well, unidentified peppers floating around the kitchen. I finally figured out something to do with them to make them last a few weeks rather than a few days.

All I do is pulse them in a food processor with a bit of salt, sugar, garlic, and vinegar to make a sauce that's very similar to Sambal. It can be used in place of sambal or sriracha in any recipe. Be warned! Depending on the type of peppers you choose to use, your sauce could be mild as a mouse or hell-fire hot. Please test it before you dump a whole bunch into your grits.

Here are a few great recipes to try out your chili pepper relish:

Roasted Red Pepper Soup + Sambal & Cinnamon
Baked Lemongrass Tofu
Cashew Noodle Salad

Spicy Mixed Pepper Relish

1 1/2 cup mixed peppers (destemmed)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vinegar

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until they're very finely chopped. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Brussels Sprout Salad + Cornbread Croutons (& Big News)

2011-09-14T07:42:00.003-05:00

It's starting to feel a little like fall around here. The nights are cooler. The okra is starting to slow down, the tomatoes are dwindling, and I have visions of brussels sprouts dancing in my head.

This is my favorite way to prepare those tiny, cabbage-y-looking things hands-down. It does take a little time to pull the leaves apart, but it's worth it. The smoky dressing and the croutons make this dish a true Southern treat. We like it just how it is for a first course, or we just add a soft-boiled egg to make it a meal.

This one is definitely going in the cookbook. Y'all, no kidding, we can finally announce that we are working on a Chubby Vegetarian cookbook for publisher Thomas-Nelson. It's set to be completed in 2012. So excited to be able to share this with all of you today!

Brussels Sprout Salad + Cornbread Croutons

1 pound brussels sprouts
Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Salad Dressing*
2 cups Cornbread Croutons**

Start by tearing apart the Brussels sprouts. Cut off the stem-end and pull the leaves apart. This takes some time, but it's worth it. When you get to the core, just split it in half and throw it in with the leaves. Blanch the leaves in boiling water until they turn bright green. This will take about 10-15 seconds. Run the leaves under cold water to stop the cooking. Dry leaves in a salad spinner or using a clean dish towel. Toss leaves with the dressing and transfer to a plate. Top the salad with warm cornbread croutons.

Smoked Sun-Dried Tomato Salad Dressing

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (finely minced)
8 drops liquid smoke
1 shallot (minced)
1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
sea salt
cracked black pepper
1/8 cup olive oil

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside.

Cornbread Croutons**

2 cups cubes cornbread (leftover works great here)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan over medium heat, heat oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the cubed corn bread and cook for 3-4 minutes. Carefully turn the croutons; know that they tend to be a bit tender at this stage. Place the pan into the preheated oven for 15 minutes to get the croutons crunchy.

The Great Food Truck Race Goes Vegetarian in Memphis

2011-09-11T21:00:00.024-05:00

I trained hard to compete in the Memphis in May Triathlon this year, my third Olympic-length tri in three years. In fact, I ran over 360 miles since January to prepare for this particular race. So what did I do when the big day arrived? I happily decided to ditch the race and spend my whole day eating.

It sounds crazy, but four food trucks rolled into Memphis this week, and on Sunday, they featured all-vegetarian menus. Swimming, biking, and running paled in comparison to this! I just had to go and check out what was going on with The Great Food Truck Race. Luckily for me, Chef Tyler Florence, host of TGFTR, asked me to try them all and award immunity to the team that I felt provided the best overall experience.

At the Korilla truck, I was excited to try the food because if there's one thing I love, it's kimchi. (I once embarrassed myself at dinner by espousing my deep love of all things cabbage to the blank stares of my dinning companions. Suffice it to say, its spicy, fermented charm is way, way up my alley.) I had some idea of what to expect, and here, they delivered on the promise of some mighty fine kimchi. I was told by one of the Korilla truck guys that the kimchi they make is from his grandmother's recipe. I love that: taking a sacred family recipe and using it in the modern context of a restaurant on wheels.

I had one fleeting concern when he, knowing that I consider myself a vegetarian, asked if I eat fish; sometimes bonito flakes, shrimp, or fish sauce are used in the making of kimchi. It's a legitimate question, I decided, and it turns out that their version was completely vegetarian that day.

I ordered the Korilla Tacos and the Kimchi Quesadillas. I also ordered the K-Pop, a mixture of ginger and soda. That was everything on the menu. I was told my total was 21 bucks, and that I was getting a free Korilla T-shirt. I sat down with my food and did some quick math, my "free" T-shirt cost me 2 bucks. No big deal.

I had skipped the triathlon but had still managed to get 6.5 miles in that morning, and without a proper breakfast, I was super-hungry. The Korilla tacos were good. They contained Korilla's excellent kimchi, cheese, and crumbled tofu on warm corn tortillas. The kimchi quesadillas had the same ingredients, minus the tofu, on a grilled flour tortilla. I really would have liked to see more creativity. I wanted a brighter stage for the kimchi, but that wasn't happening. I think that Korilla's vegetarian menu would make a great snack, but I'm not sure it was enough to make a meal.

The name The Lime Truck doesn't really give anything away, and the only thing we knew about them was that they do California fusion cuisine. We approached the truck, and besides a few people milling about in front, it almost looked closed. Strong wind had forced them to shut the sides of the truck and pull the menu board inside. I finally got a look at the menu, and I was ecstatic. These guys were offering 8 items plus strawberry limeade. I needed a little help deciding what to eat -- or I was misguidedly going to order it all.

Once I introduced myself, the trio appeared one by one to shake my hand and talk about what they do. The personable and chatty bunch told me that they change the menu every day depending on what's fresh and available, and that the Red Curry Fajita Quesadilla contained local shiitake mushrooms. I love mushrooms, so I put a magic check by that one. These guys were psyched about the food they were serving, and that made me interested to try it. I was told not to walk away without ordering the Yellow Vegetable Curry Over Rice, so I ordered that, too. I also added the Savory Corn Cake with BBQ Slaw and the Balsamic Macerated Strawberries to my order. We talked about Memphis and Southern food. They told me that cooking vegetarian was no big deal for them since they always offer a few veggie options on their menu. I realized that I was holding up the line and that I'd best wrap things up. It was time for the food to do the talking for them.

At the table, I have to admit that I was surprised by nearly every bite I put in my mouth. The charred flour quesadilla housed meaty mushrooms, rich melted cheese, and an even richer coconut curry. The combo of the cheese and the curry was tremendously flavorful, but almost too rich for my blood. I moved on and was blasted by roasted garlic as soon as I lifted the yellow vegetable curry to my lips. 'Too much garlic' is not a phrase that you often hear me mutter, but this walked a fine line. The corn cake, or grits cake as we call it down South, was a nice little surprise. I'd have to give it the designation of the most unique vegetarian BBQ I've ever tried. I ate it as instructed: "Pick up the corn cake like a taco." The soft cake contrasted nicely with the crunchy cabbage slaw. Honestly, my brain didn't know where to file this one away. The roller coaster ended with a simple, almost savory dessert of strawberries, vanilla cream, and balsamic vinegar, a smart choice since strawberries are very much in season right now.

Overall, I'd say this trio has a lot to offer in the way of culinary creativity and execution. They didn't seem thrown off by the fact that they had to serve an all-vegetarian menu. Maybe I just hit 'em on a good day.

At the Hodge Podge truck, I asked Chris, the chef, "What's your specialty?" "We take a Polish sausage and top it with pork and kimchi," he said. "That's how we do it in Cleveland!" I knew that's not what I was getting from them on this day, but my interest was piqued. Sounds like this guy has a 'more is more' type of philosophy that works to much acclaim in a lot of restaurant situations. Turns out this was right.

I was not allowed to order, which is a truly a great thing in my eyes. It makes me feel like I'm being treated well. The truth is, I really want to eat the food that a chef is passionate about cooking. Within certain parameters, I'll try anything. I'm very adventurous when it come to food and I'm not super particular. Jaqueline, the nice girl in the cowboy hat taking orders out front, told me in her best put-on Southern accent that I was getting the Hodge Podge Special, which I soon learned meant that they were making me a little of everything on the menu.

After about 15 minutes, the longest wait time of any truck, I hear Chris joke as he barrels toward me, "I take full credit for the overweight problem in Cleveland!" He personally delivers my first course, a Fried Avocado Taco covered in jicama and celery root slaw then drizzled with Carolina BBQ sauce. A mustard-based sauce like that could get him run out of Memphis, but I let it slide this time. Each component of the taco was right on, but I'm not sure if it all came together in the end.

I also had the grilled cheese, which I think would be more accurately described as an egg sandwich. This is the type of comfort food that once got me in trouble, I thought. Back when I weighed 265 pounds, I'd wake up and make a sandwich very much like this one first thing in the morning! The egg was perfectly drippy, and the cheddar played the important role of holding everything together. Ah, memories...this one really took me back. I only wished that they had opted for a more interesting bread. The white bread they choose was, well, a bit boring. I wanted a hearty, crusty French loaf or even the brioche they used for my next item, the French Toast PB&J.

Chis explained that this dish was strongly connected with memories of his own childhood. I appreciate the fact that he took this idea and elevated it, but didn't take it too high. I thought I was through when I found a little treasure hiding under the other half of my egg sandwich: a truffled hush puppy. I believe he used a mixture of fresh corn and cornmeal to produce this moist, craggy, fried treat. The onion almost overpowered the subtlety of the truffles, but I really liked the idea. It's one I may try in my own kitchen one day.

So, my experience at the Hodge Podge truck was a good one. They were the friendliest staff in town, which seems to go a long way in the food truck business, and there was plenty of food to go around. There was a lot of fried and lot of butter on my plate. I couldn't eat like that every day, but every once and a while, it might be a nice treat.

I arrived at the Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese truck late enough in the day to call it dinner. As I stood in line, I was eyeballing their simple but well-thought-out menu of two grilled cheeses, one sweet and one savory. They had been expecting me all day, so I introduced myself as The Chubby Vegetarian straight away. I was introduced to the other guys and then told that they were just changing up the menu as they had run out of a few things. I hope it's not the sweet candied apple and cheddar grilled cheese, I thought to myself. They were actually out of both sandwiches listed on the menu. They were so low-key about the whole thing that I didn't find myself upset or overly disappointed.

After a little back and forth, I decided to turn the reins over to them, and I asked for "something good." I mean how, can you go wrong -- it's a grilled cheese, for crying out loud. Even the worst one is pretty good!

I was presented with a Leek and Spinach Grilled Cheese and a Caramelized Onion and Truffle Grilled Cheese along with an order of truffle fries served with spicy ketchup. The fries were good, crispy, and spicy, but I was a little burnt out on fried foods by this point. I was really looking forward to the cheese, though. The combination of leek and spinach still had a great 'green' flavor that was only complemented by the richness of the cheese, but the real winner was the caramelized onion and truffle combination. I'd say it was the best sandwich I had all day. There was something magical happening between those two pieces of bread; the sweetness of the onions and the savory truffle balanced each other nicely. I found it interesting that one of the best dishes of the day was thought up on the fly. My only complaint about that particular sandwich was there there was enough cheese on it for two -- possibly three -- sandwiches. So next time, I may need a few more slices of bread and some more people.

Overall, I'd say their laid-back approach to customer service was a plus, and it helped when I couldn't order off the original menu board. These guys have a solid concept, and they add just enough sparkle to take their sandwiches from grilled cheese to gourmet grilled cheese.

I have to say that it's not lost on me how much hard work and dedication it takes to run a food truck business. Each team has trained hard for this and is ready to win. I appreciate every ounce of creativity that all of the teams clearly have poured into this challenge and the entire competition. Every component of the experience is important: the concept, the customer service, the value inherent in the meal and in the time spent enjoying it. However, what's paramount is the food. Korilla had fantastic kimchee but a lack of exciting vegetarian options to showcase that product. It wasn't the thrilla' from Korilla that I was hoping for. The Lime Truck had creative food that somehow managed to still seem healthy, yet some of their flavors really challenged me. Hodge Podge had personality and passion to spare, but most of what I was served was a little heavy for my taste. Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese, with the best sandwich of the day, didn't have enough ingredients to provide the sweet sandwich that I really wanted to try. In the end, there was one truck run by three folks who hail from the coast miles from Memphis, and they're the ones whose tires I considered slashing just so they'd have to stay in Memphis. Their passion for food, their excitement about what they're serving, and their talent is just that outstanding. Even under the pressures of this challenge, this team cooked not only one of the best meals I've ever had off of a truck, but one of the best meals I've ever had -- period. That team is...The Lime Truck. Congratulations! You've earned immunity for the next challenge. And I also hope you double back and make a point to come through Tennessee again.

Welcome, New Visitors!

2011-09-11T20:59:00.000-05:00

Thanks for watching us on The Great Food Truck Race on Sunday night. Please have a look around at our 600+ recipes, and join our 1,700+ followers, so that we can start cooking together.

Photo by Margot McNeely

Stuffed Morels over Angel Hair Pasta + Cream & Peas

2011-09-10T18:41:00.000-05:00

When I see morels making their first fall appearance at the grocery store, I get butterflies. Seriously! They're my favorite mushroom. Prized for their mild, earthy flavor and surprisingly meaty texture, morels also look ridiculously cool on the plate. Just a few of these stuffed mushrooms make a huge impact here -- this is a good thing since they tend to go for about $30 a pound -- and transform a regular old pasta dish into something pretty special.

(*Check out my article in Edible Memphis about foraging for wild mushrooms.)

Stuffed Morels

1 egg + 1 yolk
1 clove garlic
2.5 ounces goat cheese
zest from half a lemon
1/2 cup parsley1/4 cup bread crumbs4 large morels (2.5-3.5 inches in length)
olive oil
Maldon salt
cracked black pepper

For the stuffing, put first six ingredients go into a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Stir in the bread crumbs. Set stuffing mixture aside for ten minutes.

Clean morels using the hand sprayer on your kitchen sink; the spray will dislodge any dirt stuck in the mushrooms' crevices. Dry morels using a clean kitchen towel.

Next, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Stuff the morels using a pastry bag or by slicing them down one side with a paring knife and spooning filling into the cavity. Place stuffed morels in an oven-proof dish and drizzle each with a teaspoon of olive oil. Roast morels uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle each with salt and pepper and serve over Angel Hair Pasta + Cream & Peas.

Angel Hair Pasta + Cream & Peas

2 servings of angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup shallot (minced)
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon champagne vinegar
A pinch each of cane sugar, Maldon salt, and cracked black pepper
1/4 cup cream3/4 cup English peas
1/4 cup pasta water
parmesan cheese and chopped parsley for garnish

Place a large pot of salted water on to boil. In a large pan over medium heat, melt butter and sauté shallots until they turn translucent and begin to brown. Add the wine, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pan; reduce by half. Add the cream and turn off the heat.

Place unrinsed, cooked pasta directly into the pan with the sauce and add the peas. Toss together to incorporate all the ingredients. Add a bit of pasta water to thin the sauce. Top with stuffed morels and garnish with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Faux Gras + Blue Cheese & Chives (a.k.a. Savory Seared Pears)

2011-09-09T09:24:00.001-05:00

In order to keep the French food theme going, here is another one of my go-to French dishes. One of my favorite chefs, Charlie Trotter, came up with the concept of "faux gras" using ripe pears in place of goose liver for the desired effect. He uses seared pears in a dish along with corn cakes and a tropical fruit reduction in his book Vegetables. It's so smart.

And okay, I admit it -- I've actually never tasted foie gras, so I'm not sure how close this is to the taste and texture of the real thing, but I will tell you that it really is delicious. It's a perfect appetizer served with crostini; it's also great on top of some lightly dressed arugula.

Faux Gras + Blue Cheese & Chives

2 ripe pears
champagne vinegar
applewood smoked salt
black pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
Humboldt Fog cheese (or any other light-tasting bleu cheese)
chives

Slice pears into thirds from top to bottom leaving two good slices with the skin on and a core slice for each pear. Using a sharp knife, score the pear in a diamond shape. (You want you knife to pierce the flesh, but not to pierce the pear skin.)

Lightly sprinkle each scored pear half with champagne vinegar -- just a few drops will do. Next, add a pinch of smoked salt and a turn of black pepper to the cut-side of each pear. Heat a medium-sized pan over medium-high heat. Once the pan is heated through, add the butter. Once the butter has melted, place pears in the pan cut-side-down, and allow them to cook for three to four minutes. (You want the pears to caramelize nicely.) Once you have achieved some good color on the cut-side, flip pears over and heat them through on the other side. Remove pears from pan.

To serve, place pears on a plate and garnish each pear half with about 1/4 ounce of crumbled bleu cheese and chopped chives. Serve with crostini or soft french bread.

Macarons (+ a contest)

2011-09-05T13:00:00.014-05:00

UPDATE: Winner of this contest (chosen by a random number generator) is...KiaraLin.
Congratulations -- and please contact us via the email info. on our Blogger profile within the next 3 days in order to send your address and claim your prize. Thanks to all who participated!

In honor of the two exhibits making up A Very Impressionistic Summer at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the Dixon Gallery & Gardens here in Memphis, we attempted the impossible: macarons. It is clear why well-made ones are so prized because this was not a simple task, and next time, our macarons will just have to (magically?) rise higher. Not bad for our first try, I suppose. However, this recipe gave us a good start, and we kept the macarons simply flavored with vanilla and filled with strawberries or pistachios.

CONTEST THIS WEEK: Memphians and those living close by, here's your chance to win museum tickets -- and a meal, too. Leave a comment on this post in response to the following question:

What's your favorite meat-free French dish or recipe?

There are prizes for one commenter: a pair of tickets to each exhibition and now also a $50 gift certificate to The Brushmark Restaurant, located inside the Brooks Museum. The winner's name will be drawn randomly by Thursday night, and at that point, we will announce the winner and arrange to mail the prizes. Both shows run through October 9, and if you haven't stopped by to see them, they are absolutely stunning. Go!

Macaron Fillings:

Strawberry-Balsamic Jam

1 1/2 cups strawberries (diced)
1/4 cup cane sugar
juice from half a lemon
1/4 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and heat stovetop to medium. Stir often and cook for 20-30 minutes until cooked down to the consistently of jam. Set aside to cool. Add vinegar and stir.

Pistachio Buttercream

1/4 cup pistachios
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup confectioner's sugar
pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in the food processor and chill for at least an hour before using.

(Pistache Pastry's macarons were our first introduction to the pastry, and they are well worth trying. Check out all the wonderful flavors...)