Robin Robertson

 

If you’re in the mood for something completely different after yesterday’s Thanksgiving feast, how about some To-fu Yung?  It’s delicious and easy to make.  The recipe is from the Revised Edition of Vegan Planet.  It’s also the second to the last recipe in my 30 Days of Vegan Cooking feature to celebrate World Vegan Month.

To-Fu Yung

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4 to 6

Chinese and other Asian restaurants will often substitute tofu for meat or leave the egg out of some dishes when asked. But in dishes where eggs dominate, such as egg foo yung, it may be easier to make this vegan version at home.

Ingredients:

 BROWN SAUCE

1 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari

1 tablespoon dry sherry or rice vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon natural sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

 

TO- FU YUNG

1 (12- to 16-ounce) package extra-firm tofu, drained

1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons low-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil or 2 tablespoons water

1 celery rib, chopped

8 white mushrooms or stemmed shiitake mushrooms, chopped

4 ounces finely chopped bok choy or Napa cabbage

6 scallions, chopped

 

Directions:

 1. To make the brown sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the broth, tamari, sherry, ginger, and sugar and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the cornstarch mixture, stirring until it thickens. Stir in the sesame oil. Keep warm.

 

2. To make the to-fu yung: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Generously oil two baking sheets and set aside. In a high-speed blender or food processor, combine the tofu, flour, nutritional yeast, tamari, and baking powder until well blended. Set aside.

 

3. Heat the oil or water in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the celery, mushrooms, bok choy, and 4 tablespoons of the scallions and stir-fry until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Combine the tofu mixture with the vegetable mixture and stir to mix well.

 

4. Scoop 1/4 cup of the mixture onto a prepared baking sheet to make a round pancake. Repeat with the remaining batter, arranging the pancakes on the baking sheets so they do not touch. Bake for 15 minutes, then gently flip them and bake for another 10 minutes or until browned.

 

5. Top with the sauce and garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons scallions. Serve immediately.

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Today’s recipe would make a great side dish on your Thanksgiving Table: Autumn Roasted Vegetables. Roasting vegetables deepens their flavor and brings out their natural sweetness. In this recipe, I feature red onion, carrots, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and cauliflower.  You could also add some diced winter squash or sweet potatoes.  The vegetables are roasted with a lively blend of maple syrup, tamari, mustard, a little oil and vinegar, and fragrant herbs.

Autumn Roasted Vegetables

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices

8 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1/2 small head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets

1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary

1/4 teaspoon ground dried sage

3 tablespoons water

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400?F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer in the prepared baking dish.

2. In a small bowl, combine the maple syrup, tamari, olive oil, vinegar, mustard, thyme, rosemary, and sage. Stir until well blended, then stir in the water, and pour over the vegetables. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover the baking dish tightly and bake for 30 minutes, then stir the vegetables gently, uncover, and continue baking until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes longer. Serve hot.

 

 

 

In my house, apple is the new pumpkin — at least where Thanksgiving pie is concerned.  Ever since we discovered the wonderful local Stayman apples here in the Shenandoah Valley, Jon has requested apple pie instead of pumpkin on Thanksgiving — although I usually end up making both!

Today’s recipe of 30 Days of Vegan Cooking from the Revised Edition of Vegan Planet is my recipe for Brandy Apple Pie. A touch of brandy adds a bit of sophistication to “Mom’s apple pie.” You can, of course, omit the brandy, if you prefer. Serve warm with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream for nostalgic decadence at its best. Be sure to place a baking sheet under your pie while it is baking to catch the drips.

 Brandy-Apple Pie

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 8

Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup chilled vegan butter, cut into small pieces

1/4 cup ice water, or as needed

5 large Granny Smith or other tart baking apples (I use Stayman’s)

1/2 cup natural sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons brandy

 

Directions:

1. Combine the flour and salt in a food processor. Blend in the vegan butter with short pulses until the mixture becomes crumbly. With the machine running, add just enough of the water through the feed tube until the dough just starts to hold together. Transfer to a work surface, divide in half, and flatten to form 2 disks. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 2. Preheat the oven to 425°F. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out 1 piece of dough to fit a 9-inch pie plate. Fit the dough into the pie plate and trim and flute the edges. Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust and set aside or refrigerate if you will not be using right away. Refrigerate the pie plate.

 3. Peel, core, and slice the apples and place in a large bowl. Add the sugar, cinnamon, allspice, lemon juice, cornstarch, and brandy and stir to mix well. Spoon the apple mixture into the prepared bottom crust.

 4. Place the top crust on the fruit, seal with the bottom crust, and flute the edges. Use a fork or knife to create several steam holes in the top crust. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes longer. Let cool to room temperature before slicing.

 

 

 

The actual title of today’s recipe is Saffron Couscous Cake with Spring Vegetable Saute, but this cold weather has inspired me to mention an alternative so that you don’t have to wait until Spring to try it. 

Quite simply, you can top the couscous cake with any combination of your favorite vegetables, be they roasted root vegetables, roasted red bell peppers and zucchini, or an Asian vegetable stir-fry — they’re all good candidates to top this savory couscous cake.  Here is the original recipe — you can make it as directed and “think Spring” or go with the season and roast a pan of your favorite autumn or winter vegetable combo.

Whether this dish is saffron flavored or saffron colored will depend on your budget. Made with either saffron or turmeric, it’s lovely served for a spring lunch or light supper.

To serve as a first course, you can cut the couscous cake into smaller wedges or place the couscous mixture into small ring molds or individual tart pans instead of the large springform pan.

Saffron Couscous Cake with Spring Vegetable Sauté

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing

2 large shallots, minced

2 cups instant couscous

3 cups hot vegetable broth

Pinch of ground saffron or turmeric

1?8 teaspoon cayenne

Salt

1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into matchsticks

8 ounces thin asparagus, trimmed and cut diagonally into 1-inch pieces

1 large carrot, shredded

4 scallions, minced

2?3 cup fresh or thawed frozen baby peas

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley or other herb

 Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the couscous and stir to coat with the oil. Stir in the hot broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the saffron, cayenne, and salt to taste. Cover and cook until all of the liquid is absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes.

 2. Transfer the couscous to a lightly oiled 9-inch springform pan. Lightly press the couscous into the pan and smooth the top. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.

 3. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Remove the cake from the refrigerator, release the springform pan, and cut the cake into 6 wedges. Place on the prepared baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake until just hot, 12 to 15 minutes.

 4. Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and asparagus and cook, stirring, until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the carrot, scallions, peas, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley.

5. Arrange the couscous wedges on individual plates, top with a large spoonful of the vegetables, and serve immediately.

 

 

 

We’re coming into the home stretch of the 30 Days of Vegan Cooking.  Today, the featured recipe is Spinach Frittata. It makes a great brunch or light supper.

Spinach Frittata

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small sweet yellow onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (12- to 16-ounce) package firm tofu, drained and pressed

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 to 6 cups fresh baby spinach

1 roasted red bell pepper, chopped

3 to 4 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives

1 plum tomato, sliced very thin

 Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a deep-dish pie pan or shallow baking dish and set aside.

 2. Heat the olive oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, basil, and oregano and cook until fragrant, 1 minute longer.

 3. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or high-speed blender. Add the tofu, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Process until smooth. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pie pan.

 4. In the same skillet, saute the spinach until wilted, then transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Blot the spinach dry and mix it into the tofu mixture along with the roasted bell pepper and olives. Spread the mixture evenly, smoothing the top. Bake until firm and golden brown, about 45 minutes. Arrange the tomato slices on top and bake 10 minutes longer, or run under the broiler for a minute or two. Serve hot.