Robin Robertson

Since yesterday’s apple cake post, I’ve had apples on the brain.  It’s no wonder, since I do happen to live in apple country! I got to thinking about all the delicious ways to use apples in recipes and then I realized that some of my favorite apple creations can be found in The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes by Betsy DiJulio, published by Jon’s company, Vegan Heritage Press.

I love the creative ways Betsy takes us through the seasons using fresh produce.  Give my love of all things apple, some of my favorite recipes in the book are in the Autumn section, with recipes such as Apple Brandy Cake with Pecan-Praline Frosting; Apple Tart with Peanut Butter Streusel; Braised Cabbage, Apples, and Potatoes; Cabbage, Apple, and Caraway Salad; and, my personal favorite, Baked Apples Baklava with Cider Sauce (recipe below).

If you don’t have The Blooming Platter Cookbook, do yourself a favor and order a copy – it’s worth it for the butternut squash recipes alone!  And while you’re at it, enter this giveaway to win a copy, too. (it makes a great gift!)

Cookbook Giveaway:  To celebrate this season (and all seasons!), I’m giving away a copy of The Blooming Platter Cookbook: A Harvest of Seasonal Vegan Recipes.  For a chance to win, just leave a comment at the end of this post naming your favorite fall ingredient.  That’s it!  The contest closes on Sunday 10/7 at midnight, and a winner will be announced on this blog on Monday, October 8. For extra chances to win, do one or all of the following and leave an extra comment telling me what you did:

1)     Follow me on Twitter.

2)     Follow Vegan Heritage Press on Facebook.

3)     Share the link to this giveaway on your own Twitter, Facebook page, or blog.

Good luck!  Be sure to check back on Monday to see if you’ve won!  And now here’s that recipe….

Baked Apples Baklava with Cider Sauce

Baked apples are one of the wonders of autumn. In this dessert, tender stuffed apple halves are wrapped up like a beautiful package in buttery phyllo dough. The Cider Sauce adds just the right contrast in texture, temperature, and tartness. They are as scrumptious for breakfast or brunch as they are for dessert. This recipe is from The Blooming Platter Cookbook by Betsy DiJulio.
Apples:
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon natural sugar
1/4 teaspoon apple pie spice
2 teaspoons agave nectar or brown rice syrup
2 large McIntosh or other sweet-tart red apples
Juice of one lemon
1/ 4 cup vegan margarine
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon natural sugar
16 sheets phyllo dough, approximately 8 x 13 inches each, thawed
Cider Sauce:
3/4 cup apple cider
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cinnamon stick, halved
Optional Garnish:
Cinnamon stick halves
Chopped walnuts

Apples: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl, combine the walnuts, sugar, apple pie spice, and agave nectar and set aside. Remove the stems of apples and slice in half lengthwise. Using a melon baller, remove the core of the apples in two scoops to make a generous compartment for the filling. Rub the cut surface of the apples with lemon juice. Press one-fourth of walnut filling into each hollowed out compartment. Combine margarine and olive oil in a small bowl. Unroll the phyllo dough and cover it with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Remove one sheet of dough to a flat work surface and brush lightly with margarine-oil mixture. Repeat with three more sheets. Place the apple half, filling side up, in the center of the stacked phyllo. Bring up one corner of the dough over the filling, then the opposite corner. Repeat with the remaining corners, smoothing as you go, to make a tight package. Brush on a little more margarine-oil mixture and place the apples, flat side down, on a baking sheet or stone. Brush the top with a little more of the margarine-oil mixture, smoothing down the edges of the dough. Repeat with remaining apple halves, filling and dough. Sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. Bake for 30 minutes.

Sauce: In a 1 quart saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Cool slightly or bring to room temperature to serve. Remove the cinnamon stick halves before serving or use them as two of the garnishes.

Assembly: Arrange the baked apples on dessert plates drizzled with the Cider Sauce and garnished with cinnamon sticks and walnuts, if using.
Yield: 4 servings

 

An apple cake is just one delicious way to enjoy the many fabuous apple varieties that are plentiful this time of year. I actually include two versions of apple cake in my new cookbook, Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker.  One version is made with applesauce, nuts, and oil and the other version uses fresh apples and eliminates the oil, with the nuts optional.

As with most of the baked goods in my slow cooker book, I provide two different ways to “bake” in the slow cooker.  If you have a large oval cooker, you can place your cake pan or loaf pan directly into the cooker (as shown in the top photo – tester recipe photo by Andrea Zeichner); if you have a round 4-quart model, you can “bake” right inside the cooker insert itself (as shown in the photo below – tester recipe photo by Barbara Bryan).

Here’s the recipe for the fat-free apple crock cake from Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker.  It’s delicious any way you slice it – or “bake” it!

Fat-Free Apple Crock Cake

This cake can be made either directly in the insert of a 4-quart round cooker or in a small baking pan set inside a 6- to 7-quart oval cooker. The faster cooking time is for the 4-quart method. Many thanks to recipe tester Barbara Bryan for testing this cake several times to get the texture just right while making it deliciously fat-free. This recipe is from Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker by Robin Robertson © 2012.

Slow Cooker Size: 4-quart or 6-quart

Cook Time: 2 to 2 1/2 hours on High for 4-quart; 3 hours on High for 6-quart

{soy-free}

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup packed light brown sugar or natural sweetener

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 Granny Smith or Stayman apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (2 cups)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Confectioners’ sugar

1. If using a 4-quart slow cooker:  Place a round of parchment paper, cut to fit, in the bottom of the slow cooker. Coat the parchment and bottom and sides of the cooker insert with nonstick cooking spray.

If using a 6-quart slow cooker: Lightly oil a baking pan that will fit inside the cooker.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and applesauce. Mix well. Add the apples and walnuts, if using, stirring to coat. Stir the wet mixture into the dry mixture, mixing until smooth and well blended. (If the batter seems a little dry, you can add another tablespoon or two of applesauce).

4. If using a 4-quart slow cooker: transfer the batter directly into the slow cooker, spreading evenly. Drape a clean kitchen towel over the cooker, put on the lid, and cook on High until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and towel, turn off the cooker, and allow to cool completely. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

If using a 6-quart slow cooker: transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and set the pan inside the slow cooker. Drape a clean kitchen towel over the cooker, put on the lid, and cook on High until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 3 hours. Remove the pan from the cooker and let cool. Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

Serves 6 to 8

 

Attention Kindle Fans:   Apparently the Kindle version of Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker was uploaded to Amazon with the incorrect files and instead contains the content from my older vegetarian slow cooker book, rather than its own content. So if you’re thinking of getting the Kindle version of Fresh from the Vegan Slow Cooker, please hold off for a bit until this mistake is corrected. I’ve been assured by my publisher that they’re working to get it fixed as quickly as possible. I apologize for the inconvenience.

In the meantime, I hope that those of you who have received the paperback book version of the new book are enjoying it!  (And if you are, I’d really appreciate it if you could post a brief review on Amazon — it would be a huge help!)  Thanks!

Fall is my favorite time of year, not just for the crisp air and cooler temperatures after a sweltering summer, but for the gorgeous bounty of produce that is so plentiful.  Every farmer’s market and roadside stand proudly displays gorgeous apples, cabbage, sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and mountains of pumpkins and winter squash just waiting to be taken home and enjoyed.

The Moroccan Pumpkin Hummus from Quick-Fix Vegan is a Fall favorite.  It looks like autumn to me, and its fragrant spices and great flavors are captivating. (The photo above was taken by Andrea Weaver.)

By virtue of sticking within the “30 minutes or less” rule of Quick-Fix Vegan, the original recipe calls for canned pumpkin, which works just fine.  However, in this season of abundant squash, the recipe begs for fresh squash to be used.

If you happen to have some leftover roasted squash on hand, especially, one of the densely rich orange varieties such as kabocha (my favorite), buttercup, or even butternut, then you’re in for a special treat.  Just substitute 1 cup of fresh cooked squash or pumpkin for the canned pumpkin to make this hummus, grab some pita chips, and let the snacking begin!

Moroccan Pumpkin Hummus

This colorful and spice-happy take on hummus will turn heads and wake up taste buds at your next gathering.  If you prefer great flavor without the heat, just leave out the cayenne.  Serve with pita chips. This recipe is from Quick-Fix Vegan by Robin Robertson © 2011.

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons tahini

1 cup home-cooked or canned chickpeas

1 cup canned solid-pack pumpkin (or fresh cooked winter squash or pumpkin!)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped pistachios, for garnish

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the garlic, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, cayenne, and sugar and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  Stir in the tahini and chickpeas, then remove from the heat.  Stir in the pumpkin, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and process until smooth.

Transfer to a shallow serving bowl and sprinkle the pistachios on top.  Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed. The flavor improves if it is allowed to sit for a few hours.

 

 

No, you’re not seeing double.  The plate of roasted vegetables in the photo is topped with a sauce made of…roasted vegetables!

In honor of today being World Vegetarian Day, the first day of Vegetarian Awareness Month, Meatless Monday, AND the first day of MoFo (vegan month of food), I thought I’d celebrate with a very vegetable-centric dish.  And you can’t get much more veg-centric than this: roasted cauliflower, beets, sweet potatoes,red bell peppers, baby red-skinned potatoes, and grape tomatoes.

Roasting vegetables is my favorite way to prepare them.  The roasting method somehow heightens the flavor of the vegetables, making them taste richer, sweeter, and heartier. I often make meals like the one you see in the photo — I figure as long as I’m turning on the oven for one type of vegetable, I might as well roast five or six kinds! On this particular day, I didn’t have any “roastable” green veggies on hand, so I served this dish with a big green salad studded with chickpeas and sunflower seeds for extra protein and crunch.

Now, about that sauce… Granted, these delicious vegetables really don’t need a sauce, but I wanted to make one anyway.  Into my food processor I combined one piece of roasted potato, one piece of roasted cauliflower, some roasted some onion and garlic, a piece of roasted red bell pepper, and a few roasted grape tomatoes.  I splashed in a little lemon juice, basil, almond milk, and salt and pepper and blended until smooth and creamy.  That’s it!  The sauce tasted so good, I could have chugged it right down by itself.

Whenever I hear that people don’t like vegetables, all I can think is that they probably never had them roasted!

 

 

 

I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of the Robertson household.  His name (at the moment) is Little Eli, although we usually call him by one of several nicknames such as Peanut, Noodle, and Pumpkin.  We also call him “Right Turn” because his tail was broken at the base and his long tail is crooked – it always looks like it’s signaling a right turn.  I usually just call him Peanut, though, so that may end up being the name that sticks, even though I prefer to give him a “people” name.  We’ll see.

We had been wanting to adopt another cat for some time, but it never seemed to work out.  We finally decided that we’d know when it was the right time (and the right cat). We thought we’d adopt another black and white cat, although I admit, I’ve always had a soft spot for orange tabbies, even though I’ve never had the pleasure of sharing my home with one — until now.

We discovered Little Eli one hot Saturday morning in August.  He was in a cage at the Farmers Market — the local animal shelter was offering him for adoption.  There was live music blaring, people walking all around him, and young children poking at him.  I knew I had to rescue him.  Within minutes, the adoption was complete and we were taking our new boy home.  He adjusted to his new life immediately.  Jon says he thinks Eli knows he hit the jackpot coming to live with us.  But we know that it was us who hit the jackpot by adopting him.

He’s fun, intelligent, and lively with his non-stop kitten antics.  He’s about seven months old now.  He tries to get the other cats to play with him.  Mitski will have nothing to do with him, but Gary is beginning to get used to him.  We still hope that one day they will all be friends.