Robin Robertson’s Global Kitchen

Pan-Seared Picatta Portobellos with Brown Rice Potato Cake + Cookbook Contest Winner!

by Robin Robertson on November 23, 2010

I said it before and I’ll say it again — I love leftovers. Some of my favorite meals came into existence by using up a bit of this and that. Take this dinner of pan-seared portobello mushrooms, spinach, and brown rice potato cake. It was the result of needing to use up a few stray items in the fridge before going shopping. The spinach and mushrooms were delicious, but the real star of the meal turned out to be the happy marriage of leftover mashed potatoes and cooked brown rice.

When mixed with some seasonings and sauteed, the brown rice and potatoes transformed into a third entity with a wonderful texture and flavor that provided an ideal companion for the mushrooms and spinach all complemented by a tangy lemon-caper sauce.

Now, for this week’s Special Vegan Mofo Cookbook Giveaway: The winner of a copy of Vegan Fire and Spice (chosen randomly by the random number generator on Random.org is: Candy Beans! Congratulations! (E-mail me with your address and I’ll get the book in the mail to you.)

Everyone else: Check back tomorrow for the 4^th and final cookbook giveaway during Vegan Mofo.

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Creamy Kabocha Pasta with Chestnuts and Cranberries

by Robin Robertson on November 22, 2010

Every now and then I come up with a meal on the fly that exceeds my own expectations. This voluptuous pasta dish did that for me this weekend — and then some. I can’t even begin to describe the creamy smooth richness of the vibrant sauce, most of the credit for which goes to the inherently delicious flavor of the kabocha squash itself.

As you probably know, I’m like the number one fan of kabocha squash (also known as Hokaido pumpkin). Its natural sweetness and rich depth of flavor far outshine any other variety of squash anywhere. If you have a chance to buy one, do yourself a favor and try it. Once you do, you may have trouble going back to any other kind — I know I do.

Okay, so if this wonderful sauce weren’t enough to make this pasta dish fantastic, the roasted chestnuts and dried cranberries really put it over the top. In addition to adding texture and flavor, the combination of squash, chestnuts, and cranberries made it a perfect autumn meal. The pasta just made it even better!

Weekly Mofo Cookbook Giveaway:

There’s still time to enter! The contest to win a copy of Vegan Fire and Spice ends tonight at midnight. If you haven’t entered yet, enter now. Then check back tomorrow to find out who won.

Coming Wednesday: a new (and final) Weekly MoFo Cookbook Giveaway!

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Pumpkin Cheezecake with Cranberry Drizzle

by Robin Robertson on November 19, 2010

With Thanksgiving less than a week away (yes, really!) it seemed appropriate that today’s Flashback Friday post be about my favorite Thanksgiving dessert: pumpkin cheesecake. The cheesecake in the photo is from last year because I won’t be making it this year until next Wednesday, and by then it may be too late for you to decide that you want to make it too!

I’ve been making pumpkin cheesecakes every Thankgsiving for decades and each year I like to change it up a little. Sometimes I add a splash of rum, other times I dust it with crystallized ginger or top it with glazed pecans. This particular version is from 1,000 Vegan Recipes in which I top it with a cranberry drizzle. The photo also shows the added garnish of glazed pecans (I can’t leave well enough alone!). This was so good last Thanksgiving, I think I’ll make it this way again next week.

What do you plan to make for dessert this Thanksgiving?

(Here’s my recipe in case you want to try it:)
Pumpkin Cheezecake with Cranberry Drizzle
Dense and rich with spiced pumpkin flavor, this dessert is a natural for your Thanksgiving table. The gorgeous orange color offset by the vivid drizzle of cranberry makes a beautiful presentation. From 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson © 2009, John Wiley and Sons.
Crust:
1 1/2 cups vegan ginger snap or graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup vegan margarine, melted
Filling:
2 (8-ounce) containers tofu cream cheese
1 (15-ounce) can solid pack pumpkin
1 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cranberry Drizzle:
1/3 cup cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 teaspoon melted vegan margarine
1. Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Place the crumbs in the bottom of the pan, add the melted margarine, and mix with a fork to blend. Press the crumb mixture into bottom and sides of pan and set aside.
2. Make the filling: In a food processor, combine the cream cheese and pumpkin and process until blended. Add the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg and process until well blended.
3. Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake in the oven for another 15 minutes. When done, edges should be golden and starting to pull away from sides of pan, and center should be soft set. Remove the cake from the oven and cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
4. Make the drizzle: In a blender or food processor, combine the cranberry sauce, maple syrup, and margarine and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a squeeze bottle or small pitcher and drizzle the over the top of the cheesecake. Keep refrigerated.

NOTE: When made in a 9-inch springform pan, this cheesecake isn’t very “tall” — if you prefer more height, make it in an 8-inch springform pan or add an extra 8 ounce container of vegan cream cheese to the batter, along with a little more sugar and spices, to taste.

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Szechwan Green Beans and Shallots

by Robin Robertson on November 18, 2010

Let’s talk green beans. There are so many great ways to enjoy them, from a Nicoise salad to an updated vegan green bean casserole. But I think my favorite has to be Szechwan green beans. Trouble is, when you get them from a Chinese restaurant, they can be too oily. That’s why I make my own version that uses a fraction of the oil.

The recipe is from Party Vegan and is part of the Chinese New Year menu that also includes the Pan-fried Sesame Noodles and Broccoli and Caramelized Tofu that are shown in the photo. (BTW, the photo was taken by Tami at Vegan Appetite when she tested these recipes for the book.)

Also featured in that menu are recipes for a yummy appetizer called Pearl Balls, a spicy Hot and Sour Soup, and Pineapple and Scallion Brown Rice. When prepared together, you have a veritable Chinese banquet. When prepared individually, you have several great reasons to eat in instead of ordering take-out.

Szechwan Green Beans and Shallots
Spicy and crisp-tender, these green beans are as flavorful as any you’d find in a Chinese restaurant. From Party Vegan by Robin Robertson © 2010, published by John Wiley and Sons.

1 pound green beans, trimmed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 teaspoons Asian chili paste
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
3 medium shallots, minced
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1 or 2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Steam the green beans until just tender, about 6 minutes. Rinse under cold water and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, ginger, sherry, chili paste, cornstarch, and sesame oil. Set aside.

3. In a large skillet or wok, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and bell pepper and stir-fry until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and stir-fry 30 seconds longer. Add the green beans, then add the sauce to the skillet. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Cook, stirring, until the sauce comes to a boil. Continue cooking and stirring until the beans are coated, about 3 minutes longer. Serve hot.

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Spicy Corn Fritters with Corncob Jelly + A New Cookbook Contest!

by Robin Robertson on November 17, 2010

If you follow me on Facebook, you may recall that a couple weeks ago I saw corn cob jelly for sale and had to buy a jar — I mean, who wouldn’t, right? Of course, once I got the jar home I had to figure out what to do with it. Enter: Spicy Corn Fritters!

I sometimes serve corn fritters with a little maple syrup, so I knew that corncob jelly would probably taste good, and I was right. What really put these babies over the top, though, was adding a bit of heat to the fritter mixture. I added some chipotle chili powder and a little cayenne, but you could also add minced chipotles in adobe or some other kind of chile. As for the corncob jelly itself, well, the taste of corn is barely perceptible. It’s a lot more fun just looking at the jar!

Now for the moment all y’all have been waiting for: my special weekly Vegan Mofo cookbook giveaway! This week the prize is a copy of my cookbook Vegan Fire and Spice.

To enter the contest: leave a comment at the end of this post telling me your favorite spicy food — it could be a single ingredient or condiment or an entire dish.

The contest closes midnight EST on 11/22. Winner will be chosen randomly and announced on Tuesday, 11/23.

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Roasted Vegetables in a Kabocha Bowl + Contest Winner!

by Robin Robertson on November 16, 2010

In my house, a delicious kabocha squash usually gets stuffed and served as a main dish, but this time it got sidetracked as a receptable for roasted vegetables. Here’s how it happened:

When I make a stuffed kabocha, I partially roast it before stuffing it with a grain or bread-based stuffing and then finish it in the oven. So the other day when I was roasting a pan of vegetables to accompany my Almost One-Dish Thanksgiving Dinner, I put a kabocha in the oven, too. I guess I don’t need to tell you what happened next — I was compelled to pile the vegetables into the squash “bowl.”

The combination of vibrant vegetables and squash together looks so gorgeous on the table, it’s guaranteed to steal the show on Thanksgiving (or anytime). It’s kind of like a vegetable cornucopia, but with a kabocha squash standing in for the cornucopia.

In case you’re wondering what some of those roasted veggies are, here’s the run-down: purple yam, Brussels sprouts, chestnuts, baby white potatoes, carrots, scallions, and pitted Chinese dates. (Note to self: Next time, skip the Chinese dates — they don’t have much flavor and they’re kinda hard.)

Looking for more great ideas for Thanksgiving? Tips and recipes from Party Vegan are popping up all over! Check out my Thanksgiving tips in this VegNews article. And visit the Daily Meal for some of my Thanksgiving recipes including Chestnut Bisque, Porcini Stuffed Seitan with Wild Mushroom Sauce and Pecan Pumpkin Pie.

Now it’s time to announce the winner of my special Weekly Vegan Mofo Cookbook Giveaway. This week, Random.org smiled upon: Monique aka Mo! Congratulations! You’re the winner of a copy of Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Emergency Preparedness Guide. Mo: send me an e-mail with your address and I’ll get it right out to you! (Everyone else: A new giveaway starts tomorrow!)

Unscientific Poll Results: A quick glance through all 115 comments from this last contest reveals that chickpeas win by a landslide as the favorite pantry ingredient!

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