Robin Robertson

I’m also thinking about making a variation of the Collard and Red Bean Fritters from Party Vegan, using the Hoppin’ John instead of the red beans. Or maybe I’ll just reheat the leftovers — it’s even better the next day.

If you’ve never made Hoppin’ John, here’s a recipe.  If you can’t find fresh or frozen collard greens where you live, you can substitute any kind of cooked leafy greens, such as chard, spinach, or kale. 

Hoppin’ John is a Southern dish that is said to bring good luck in the New Year. Collards or other dark greens (said to bring prosperity) are traditionally served on the side, but I add them right in. Liquid Smoke adds a salty/smoky flavor, but start out with just 1/2 teaspoon (you can add more just before serving) since it’s highly concentrated and a little goes a long way. As a variation, add some minced vegan bacon or sausage when cooking the onion to amplify the smoky flavor.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large sweet yellow onion, chopped
3 cups cooked or canned black-eyed peas
9 to 10 ounces collard greens, cooked and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
3 cups cooked brown rice
Salt and black pepper
Tabasco, to serve
Vegan sour cream, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion, cover, and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the black-eyed peas, collards, thyme, paprika, if using, 1/2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke, and stir to combine. Add the rice and season with salt and pepper to taste, stirring gently to mix well and heat through. Taste and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt, pepper, or Liquid Smoke, if needed. Serve hot with Tabasco and sour cream at the table to add at will.

Chickpea-Artichoke Bites with Rosemary Aioli
These sophisticated nibbles are easy to make and can be prepared ahead of time. The accompanying aioli adds luscious layers of extra flavor. This is adapted from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson © 2010, John Wiley and Sons. The original version makes fewer and slightly larger “bites” requiring a longer baking time. This version uses marinated artichokes (instead of canned or frozen) for a more tangy flavor and uses a bit more parsley to make them festive looking.

1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, well drained
1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, mashed
1/2 cup diced cooked potato (see note)
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons chickpea flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Rosemary Aioli (recipe follows)

Lightly oil a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Finely chop the artichokes or pulse them in a food processor until finely chopped. If using a food processor, add the chickpeas and pulse to break up.  Otherwise, mash the chickpeas in a bowl and add the artichokes and mash together. Add the potato, parsley, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, salt, pepper, chickpea flour, and baking powder. Mix well to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add 1/2 teaspoon (or more) olive oil or lemon juice.
Pinch off a small amount of the mixture and use your hands to roll it into a 1/2- to 3/4-inch ball. Place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
Bake for about 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Arrange on a platter with a small bowl of aioli and serve warm.
Makes 24 puffs

Note: If you don’t have cooked potato on hand you can quickly “bake” one in the microwave (then peel and dice) or steam the diced potato pieces over boiling water until tender.

Rosemary Aioli
1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, run through a garlic press
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 to 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
Salt, to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth and well blended. Taste and adjust seasonings. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate until needed.

Makes about 1/3 cup

In the photo above are Zucchini Cups with Tomato Concasse and Mini Focaccia with Tapenade. I thought you’d like to see photos of some of the appetizers from Party Vegan to help you decide which recipe you want posted on Tuesday. So far it looks like the Chickpea Artichoke Bites are winning, but things could change between now and Monday at midnight when the polls close! 

For this contest, I let Random.org choose the prize! I made a list of cookbooks, vegan product coupons, and product samples — in various combinations and assigned them all a number. Here’s what Random.org chose for this giveaway: a copy of Vegan Unplugged PLUS… 3 Tofutti coupons (for any Tofutti product) PLUS… 2 Naysoya tofu coupons. Wow, what a deal!

Just leave a comment on the previous post listing your favorite Party Vegan appetizer for a chance to win. Winner and winning recipe to be posted on Tuesday!

Now for some more appetizer photos from Party Vegan (these are all tester photos taken by Tami of Vegan Appetite). Here’s the Antipasto Skewers surrounded by Arugula and White Bean Crostini:

 These are Mini Falafel with Spiced Pita Dippers:

 Below are Sundried Tomato and Green Olive Biscotti with Artichoke Tapenade:

These are Pakora Puffs:

This photo shows the Spinach Phyllo Cigars with Walnuts and Figs along with the Polenta Crostini with Eggplant Tapenade:

Baked Potato Skins, anyone?

Last, but certainly not least, Teriyaki Shiitake Sticks:

Cast your vote now!

I’ve received some e-mails asking me to suggest the most “omni-friendly” appetizers in Party Vegan. The fact is, it was my goal to make all the recipes in the book omni-friendly since many of us have occasion to feed vegan-resistant omnivores. Most of the omnis I cook for maintain a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. They love to eat my food, but would rather not discuss the fact that it’s vegan.

With the holidays upon us, I thought it would be appropriate to give a quick rundown of the appetizers in Party Vegan. Of the 39 hors doeuvres and appetizers in the book, I’d rate 36 of them “extremely omni-friendly” (nothing that would visibly scare off an omnivore); with only 3 suggested “for adventuresome omnis” (read: those who don’t scream and run away at the mention of tofu, tempeh or seitan).

Here’s the list — Let me know which of these recipes you’d like to try out on your favorite omnis. The recipe getting the most votes by Monday will get posted on Tuesday — just in time for the holidays.

Omni-Friendly Appetizers and Hors d’oeuvres:
Artichoke Tapenade
Sun-Dried Tomato and Green Olive Biscotti
Olive-cado Dip
Chickpea Artichoke Bites
Collard and Red Bean Fritters
Spinach Potato Quesadillas
Vegetable Dippers with Ranch Dressing
It’s My Party Mix
Mutant Ants on a Log
Mini Blue Corn Pancakes with Chipotle-Streaked Sour Cream
Curried Pakora Puffs
Black Olive Tapenade
Baked Potato Skins
Five-Story Bean Dip
Sherried Mushrooms
Olive and Caper-Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes
Pearl Balls
Spinach Phyllo Cigars with Walnuts and Figs
Artichoke-Stuffed Mushrooms
Polenta Crostini with Eggplant Tapenade
Truffled White Bean Hummus
Pastry-Wrapped Stuffed Cherry Peppers
Fava Bean Hummus
Smoky Baba Ganoush
Spiced Pita Dippers
Mini Falafel
Stuffed Dates
Edamame
Japanese Pancakes
Teriyaki Shiitake Sticks
Sushi Rice Balls
Antipasto Skewers
Mini-Focaccia with Tapenade
Zucchini Cups with Tomato Concasse
Pesto-Stuffed Baby Potatoes
Arugula and White Bean Crostini

Adventurous Omni Appetizers:
Finger Lickin’ Tempeh Fingers
Chorizo en Croute
Gingered “Crab” Cups with Wasabi Cream Cheeze

So, what do you think? Omni-friendly? Leave a comment for a random chance to win a random prize!

If you need a last minute gift idea: Party Vegan makes a great holiday gift for any cooks on your list: especially those omnivores who never know what to make for you when you visit! (And it’s not just “party” food — the book also has loads of recipes for main dishes, salads, soups, sides, and desserts that can be enjoyed anytime.)

Once again, leftovers scored big with a fantastic Chili Shepherd’s Pie with Chipotle Mashers, made with leftover chili. As I mentioned last week, I’ve been making loads of soup and chili lately in response to this unbelievably cold weather we’ve been having.

Instead of simply reheating the leftover chili like I usually do, I was in the mood for some kind of baked casserole when I got the idea to top the chili with mashed potatoes for a new twist on Shepherd’s Pie. And what a great idea it was!

The chili already had some veggies in it, but I added some extra corn kernels and spread it in a baking dish. I swirled about 2 tablespoons of chipotle chiles in adobo (a mix of the sauce with some minced chipotle) into the mashed potatoes, making it a gorgeous reddish-orange color. After spreading the mashers on the chili, I sprinkled some panko crumbs on top for a little crunch.

I had a feeling this was going to taste good, but it was even better than I expected. Seriously. If you have some chili on hand, it’s worth whipping up some mashed potatoes just to make this.