Robin Robertson

Bonus post today! 

So many people have asked me for the recipe for the Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios and Capers that I made last Thanksgiving.  Well, it took me nearly a year, but I finally wrote it down.

I’ve also made this with walnuts instead of pistachios and dried cranberries instead of capers.  I love it either way!

 

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios and Capers

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved or quartered (depending on the size)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

 1/3 cup pistachios

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon agave nectar

2 tablespoons capers

 

Preheat the oven to 425° F.  In a bowl, combine the Brussels sprouts with 3 tablespoons of the oil and season with salt and pepper to taste . Spread the Brussels sprouts in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet  (lined with parchment paper, if desired). Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice, or until tender and slightly caramelized.

About 4 minutes before the Brussels sprouts are done roasting, sprinkle them with the pistachios.

 In a small bowl,  blend the lemon juice and agave with the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the capers.

Transfer the hot Brussels sprouts and pistachios to a serving bowl, pour on the caper mixture and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Peach Crisp with Almond Butter Cream is today’s recipe in the 30 Days of Vegan Cooking feature to celebrate World Vegan Month.

Peach season may have come and gone, but this recipe can be enjoyed year ’round using frozen peach slices or by substituting fresh seasonal fruit such as apples or pears.  If you use apples, be sure to slice them super-thin so that they cook faster.  Even so, you’ll probably need to bake the crisp for about 20 minutes longer if using a “hard” fruit like apple.  I’ve also tried this crisp with berries and mango — the crunchy topping and creamy sauce are great on all of them!  This dessert is best served warm out of the oven.

 

 

Peach Crisp with Almond Butter Cream

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 8

 Ingredients

6 large ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced, or 4 cups frozen sliced peaches(or your choice of other sliced fruit)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup natural sugar ( or more, if needed)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon or allspice

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

3 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil

1 recipe Almond Butter Cream (recipe follows)

 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish and set aside.

 2. In a large bowl, combine the peaches, almonds, 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon. (Add more sugar to taste if your fruit isn’t especially sweet.) Mix gently and transfer to the prepared dish.

 3. In small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour and 1/4 cup sugar, the oats, oil, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Use your hands or a pastry blender to mix well until crumbly. Sprinkle evenly over the peach mixture and bake on the center oven rack until the fruit bubbles in the middle and the topping is browned, about 30 minutes.

 4. To serve, spoon into 8 individual dishes while still warm and top with a dollop of the almond cream.

  

Almond Butter Cream

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

 Seductively rich and deceptively healthful, this versatile topping can be served on pies, bread pudding, fruit, and even pancakes—just use your imagination.

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup almond butter

1/4 cup vegan butter

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla or almond extract

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

Almond milk, as needed

 

Directions

Combine the almond butter, vegan butter, and vanilla in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add the confectioners’ sugar and process until smooth and creamy. If a thinner consistency is desired, add a little almond milk (up to 1/3 cup) and process until it is incorporated. Use right away or store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 1 week.

 

BLOG TOUR REMINDER:  Keep checking back to the One-Dish Vegan Blog Tour post for updated links to the various blogs that are participating.  You will be rewarded with great recipes, photos, and many chances to win a copy of One-Dish Vegan — lots of giveaways going on right now!

Polenta-Stuffed Red Bell Peppers is today’s recipe in 30 Days of Vegan Cooking to celebrate World Vegan Month. 

These bright red peppers stuffed with yellow polenta studded with sun-dried tomatoes are as pretty as a picture—and they taste great, too. For easy cleanup, prepare them ahead of time so you can wash up all the pots and pans. Then, just pop in the oven at dinnertime and bake and serve in the same pan. 

As with all the recipes in this feature, this one is from the Revised Edition of Vegan Planet, to be published in January, but available for pre-order now on Amazon.

 

Polenta-Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 cups medium-ground yellow cornmeal

4 large red bell peppers

1 small onion, minced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup chopped oil-packed or rehydrated sun-dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon minced fresh basil

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the water, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the oil and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and gradually whisk in the polenta, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Cook, stirring, until the polenta begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Slice off the tops of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs. Plunge the peppers into the boiling water and cook until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the water with tongs and set aside, cut sides down, to drain.

3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

4. In a large bowl, combine the polenta, onion mixture, tomatoes, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Fill the peppers with the polenta mixture and place upright in a baking dish. Add a few tablespoons of water to the baking dish, cover, and bake until the peppers are tender and the stuffing is hot, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

 

 

 

If you’re looking for something different and delicious to make for dinner, try these Za’tar-Spiced Bean Patties with a creamy curry sauce.  If you’re not familiar with za’tar, it’s an herb blend usually made up of sumac, thyme, oregano, and hyssop.  Look for it online or in gourmet shops or specialty markets. The name also can refer to a wild oregano grown in the Middle East. If you cannot find za’tar, substitute a blend of dried thyme, mint, and oregano and you’re good to go.

The creamy richness of the sauce is an ideal complement to the spicy bean patties. You can vary the size of the patties according to your preference, from bite-size on up. You also can shape them into balls or logs, if you prefer, and serve them over basmati rice.

This is Recipe #11 in my 30 Days of Vegan Cooking featuring recipes from the soon-to-be-published Revised Edition of Vegan Planet.

Let me know if you’re enjoying this feature — I’d love to hear from you.  By the way, if you tried to contact me via my website in the last couple months, I may not have received it due to a technical glitch, so please try again!

Za’tar-Spiced Bean Patties with Curry Sauce

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4

 Ingredients

 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced

 1 medium-size carrot, chopped

 1 cup cooked or canned brown lentils, well drained

 1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

 1 garlic clove, crushed

 2 tablespoons dried za’tar (see headnote)

 Salt

 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

 1 small onion, chopped

 1 tablespoon curry powder

 1/2 teaspoon natural sugar

 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

 1/2 cup diced fresh or canned tomatoes, well drained

 3/4 cup plain unsweetened nondairy milk

 

Directions

1. Steam the potato and carrot over boiling water until tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Blot dry.

2. Blot the lentils and chickpeas dry and place in a food processor. Add the potato and carrot, garlic, za’tar, and salt to taste. Pulse to combine, being careful not to overprocess, so that some of the texture remains. Shape into 4 large or 8 small patties. If the mixture is too soft, add a small amount of oats, bread crumbs, or ground nuts.

3. Preheat the oven to 275°F. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add the patties and cook, turning once, until they are browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Place the browned patties on a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.

4. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in a medium size saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the curry powder, sugar, and cayenne, then add the tomatoes. Simmer until the tomatoes break up and become saucy, about 5 minutes.

5. Place the sauce mixture in a blender and process until smooth. Add as much of the nondairy milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency. Return the sauce to the saucepan and heat over low heat, then taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve the patties topped with the sauce.

Puttanesca sauce is hands-down my favorite way to sauce pasta, so I’m especially happy to present today’s edition of 30 Days of Vegan Cooking: Penne Puttanesca from the Revised Edition of Vegan Planet — recipe #10.

If you can find flavorful gaeta olives (available in Italian markets and well-stocked supermarkets), they are especially good in this sauce. If unavailable, substitute another high-quality black olive such as kalamata. The recipe calls for three to five minced garlic cloves, but if you’re a garlic lover like I am, you can always add an extra one or two. Also, feel free to substitute your favorite pasta for the penne — virtually any pasta shape is great when sauces with this delicious sauce that takes just minutes to make.

 

Penne Puttanesca

from Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 to 5 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

½ cup pitted and sliced black gaeta olives

¼ cup pitted and sliced green olives

2 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 ounces to 1 pound penne or your favorite pasta

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

 

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes, black and green olives, capers, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes to blend the flavors.

2. While the sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the penne, stirring occasionally, until al dente.

3. Drain the pasta and place in a large, shallow serving bowl. Add the sauce and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve hot.