Robin Robertson

UPDATE:  Due to an overwhelming response (within just 2 hours of posting!) I have been flooded with emails from dozens of volunteers for recipe testing.  As I can only choose a few of you, this call for recipe testers is now CLOSED.  Many thanks to all of you for your interest. 

(P.S. If you’ve sent me an email and don’t hear back from me in the next few days, that means I already have enough testers chosen.  I apologize for not being able to respond to all of you personally.)

~Robin

Wanted: Dedicated and enthusiastic volunteers to test whole-food plant-based recipes between now and September 16th.

If you’re interested, here are some questions to help you decide if it’s right for you:

• Do you enjoy cooking and cook often?
• Are you willing test recipes that do not use any oil, salt, or sugar?
• Are you detail-oriented and good at following recipes?
• Have you had previous experience testing recipes?
• Are you willing to provide a critique and photo of each recipe tested?
• Are you able to test 10 to 15 recipes between now and September 16th?

If you’ve answered “YES” to the above questions and want to help me out with some recipe testing, let me hear from you! Send me an e-mail and tell me why you’d make a good recipe tester. Be sure mention if you’ve tested recipes before and if you can take photos of the recipes you test.

I know there are lots of great recipe testers out there, so let me hear from you no later than Friday, July 22nd. I’m sure it will be a tough decision to choose among so many wonderful cooks. If you’re chosen to be a recipe tester, I’ll e-mail you with the news on or before Monday, July 25^th.

I look forward to hearing from you! You can email via the “Contact Robin” page on this website — just click “Contact Me.”

I just realized it’s been over a month since my last post — I guess I must be really busy or having a lot of fun.  Actually, it’s been a little of both.  During these hot summer days I’ve been favoring chilled make-ahead meals that I can get ready in the morning.  It’s great to have a satisfying meal ready to eat at the end of the day.

One of my favorites is this recipe for Chilled Glass Noodles with Snow Peas and Baked Tofu.  The recipe is from my latest book, 100 Best Vegan Recipes. (Thanks to Zsu Dever for the photo.)

This light but satisfying salad should be prepared at least 30 minutes ahead of time for the best flavor. Made from mung bean flour, glass noodles are also called cellophane noodles, bean thread noodles, and harusame. You can make your own marinated baked tofu or buy it ready-made at well-stocked supermarkets and natural foods stores. Look for one marinated with Thai or Asian flavors for best results. If you’re not a fan of tofu, leave it out and add cooked shelled edamame instead. (You can also sub other veggies for the sno peas — it’s great with lightly steamed broccoli!)

Here’s the recipe.  I hope you enjoy it!

CHILLED GLASS NOODLES WITH SNOW PEAS AND BAKED TOFU

This recipe is from 100 Best Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson (c) 2016.

4 ounces glass noodles

1 (8-ounce) package marinated baked tofu, cut into 1/2-inch dice (or 1 1/2 cups cooked shelled edamame)

1 1/2 cups snow peas, trimmed and diagonally cut into 1-inch pieces (lightly blanched, if desired)

1 English cucumber, peeled, seeded, and thinly sliced

1 carrot, grated

1/4 cup minced scallions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, crushed or chopped

3 tablespoons dark (toasted) sesame oil

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Add the noodles and remove from the heat. Let the noodles soak in the hot water until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain well and rinse under cold water. Cut the noodles into thirds and place them in a large bowl. Add the tofu, snow peas, cucumber, carrot, scallions, cilantro, and peanuts. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sesame oil, lime juice, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and sugar, stirring to blend well. Add the dressing to the salad and toss gently to combine. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to chill before serving.

Today’s recipe is for my quickest and easiest mac and cheese — it’s the one I make when I don’t want to dirty the blender or turn on the oven or use a ton of ingredients.  Even though the recipe calls for two pots, I confess that I usually make it in just one pot (allowing the macaroni and broccoli to sit in the colander after draining while I make the sauce in the same pot and then add them back in).  I’ll share the recipe in a minute, but first, let’s get to the business at hand: announcing the two winners of the spectacular two-book giveaway!

One copy of Esther the Wonder Pig + one copy of Baconish with go to: Stephanie, who loves plant-based bacon on a BLT with avocado!

AND …. to double the pleasure of this great two-book giveaway, a second set of these two books will go to: Jennifer — who loves her plant-based bacon on Loaded Potato Soup!

Congrats to Stephanie and Jennifer — please contact me ASAP with your mailing addresses and I’ll see that the books get out to you both pronto. Thank you to all who entered the giveaway — I hope you get ahold of both of these books — I highly recommend them!

Now, how about some Stovetop Brocolli Mac and Cheesy???

STOVETOP BROCCOLI MAC AND CHEESY

Serves 4

This quick and easy cheesy mac is made on top of the stove, so there’s no need to heat up the oven. However, if you don’t plan to serve it right away, you can always put it in a casserole dish and keep it warm in a low oven. This recipe is from 100 Best Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson © 2016. Photo (c) Lucy Schaeffer.

12 ounces elbow macaroni or other bite-sized pasta

4 cups small broccoli florets

3/4 cup nutritional yeast

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the macaroni in a pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until it is al dente. During the last 2 or 3 minutes of the cooking time, add the broccoli to the pasta and cook until it is almost tender.
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the nutritional yeast and flour, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Slowly add the almond milk, stirring until smooth. Add the soy sauce, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue stirring until smooth and thickened.
3. When the pasta and broccoli are cooked, drain and return to the pot. Add the reserved sauce and stir until well mixed. Serve hot.

I haven’t done a giveaway in a while and this one is very special.  It’s a two book giveaway (to one lucky person) to win a copy of Esther the Wonder Pig: Changing the World One Heart at a Time, the long-awaited story of the eponymous Internet sensation and animal ambassador, as told by Esther’s dads, the men who love and care for her, Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter.

PLUS… you’ll also win a copy of Baconish: Sultry and Smoky Plant-Based Recipes from BLTs to Bacon Mac & Cheese by Leinana Two Moons, an amazing new cookbook featuring recipes for plant-based bacon made from mushrooms, carrots, eggplant, chickpeas, tofu, tempeh, seitan, and coconut, along with loads of delicious recipes that use them such as Pasta Carbonara, Cauliflower Bacon Gratin, and Maple-Bacon Doughnuts.  Best of all, Baconish is “Esther-approved!”

If, like so many of us, you’ve been captivated by Esther and her winning smile, you’ll love reading the touching, funny, and inspiring story of Esther and her dads.  I love Esther and the way she has captured the hearts of so many fans.  She does a great job in showing people how funny, smart, and deserving of respect pigs (and all animals) are.  My hope is that thanks to Esther, more people will stop eating animals as they make the connection between the wonderful sentient beings and the food on their plate.

And as many of us already know, you can enjoy the salty, smoky crispy taste of bacon without the cruelty inherent in animal products and the recipes in Baconish show how to do it deliciously.

Would you like to own a copy of Esther the Wonder Pig AND Baconish?  Just leave a comment at the end of this post telling me your favorite way to enjoy plant-based bacon (mine is in a BLT with avocado!) and you’ll be entered in the giveaway.  BOTH books go to ONE lucky winner.  The giveaway ends on Wednesday, June 8th at midnight.  The winner will be announced on Thursday, June 9th.

While you wait to see if you’ve won, why not make a batch of tasty roasted chickpea bacon from Baconish? It makes a great snack or salad topper!

Roasted Chickpea Bacon

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Move over, hummus! There’s a much more glamorous chickpea dish in town. Here, the humble chickpea shows the world how it can transform into a smoky, salty, crunchy, utterly addictive delight, with just a hint of sweetness from brown sugar. These are perfect for topping salads, soups, adding to sandwich wraps, or just munching straight from the bowl. In fact, you might find yourself making double batches just to keep plenty of these snacks on hand.

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons tamari

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon smoked salt

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Using paper towels or a clean dishcloth, pat the chickpeas as dry as possible. The drier they are, the crunchier they will get. If there are any loose skins, pick those out and discard them. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the oil, tamari, and liquid smoke. Add the chickpeas and toss until they are evenly coated.

Transfer the chickpeas to the baking sheet and arrange them in a single layer. Bake for 20 minutes, take them out to stir, and then bake another 10 minutes or until the chickpeas are dark brown and crunchy.

In another medium bowl, combine the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, brown sugar, and smoked salt. Add the warm chickpeas and toss until evenly coated. Serve warm or at room temperature. These will last a couple of days in an airtight container stored at room temperature but will lose their crunch, so it’s best to eat these immediately.

Recipe from Baconish by Leinana Two Moons © 2016 published by Vegan Heritage Press. Used with permission.

One of the best things about visiting Asheville, NC is that they speak “vegan.”  In addition to being home to a few all-vegan restaurants, there are also some vegetarian restaurants and many of the restaurants that do serve animal products, also feature clearly marked vegan options.  It is also a joy to stay at a bed and breakfast that can put out a delicious plant-based spread each morning without skipping a beat.  Such was the case at the Chestnut Street Inn (above) where four of us stayed for four nights recently.  The new owners, Emilie and Arturo, are a vibrant couple who made us feel at home in their gorgeous inn which is (strategically, in our case) located just a few blocks from Plant (see previous post), so we had an enjoyable 5 minute walk to dinner on two of the evenings.

Among the delicious meals Emilie prepared for us was a garden scramble over whole-grain toast served with vegan sausage and topped with creamy avocado:

The next morning we were treated to some of the fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever had topped with a warm apple compote:

Emilie also prepared her take on a vegan Benedict which was outstanding:

And on our final morning we had the most amazing waffles that featured berries, coconut yogurt, and a cinnamon-sugar “crunch” on the edges:

Each breakfast began with a fruit course — my favorite was this pineapple and kiwi plate:

There were also homemade vegan cookies put out for us each day!  What a treat!

Other culinary highlights of the trip (besides Plant, of course!) included lunch at Bean Vegan Cuisine where we wanted to try everything on the menu but settled on one of the burgers (not shown), the Reuben, the cheese-steak special, and a brunch bowl with carrot bacon:

Other stops included a visit to Rosetta’s Kitchen where we had dinner with friends (all six of us ordered the “family favorite” featuring Peanut butter baked tofu, sautéed kale, and smashed potatoes and gravy.

We also had a great meal at Doc Chey’s Noodle House where we feasted on some of the best noodle bowls I’ve ever had including the rice noodles with black bean sauce and vegetable lo-mein with tofu:

Quite simply, Asheville is a vegan food paradise.