Skinny Bitch in the Kitch (4 page)

 

Crabby Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

 

Garlicky White Bean Spread on Crostini

 

Herbed “Egg” Salad Scoops

 

Mock Chopped Liver

 

Spicy Mixed Nuts

 

Stuffed Mushrooms

 

Spicy Sushi Rolls with Avocado and Cucumber

About 2 tablespoons refined
coconut oil
1 cup diced carrots
½ cup diced celery
4 shallots, minced
2 cups finely shredded parsnip
1 cup whole wheat panko
(Japanese-style bread crumbs)
or whole wheat bread crumbs
¼ cup chickpea flour
or brown rice flour
2 tablespoons Ener-G egg replacer
4 teaspoons kelp powder
1½ teaspoons fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ cup vegan mayonnaise
About 1 cup Remoulade Sauce
(recipe follows)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil. Add the carrots and celery and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute, or until all the vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine the parsnip, panko, flour, egg replacer, kelp powder, salt, and pepper. Stir in the carrot and celery mixture and mayonnaise. Shape the mixture into 8 cakes, about 3 inches across and ¾ inch thick.

Wipe out the skillet and return it to medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add the cakes and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. (Don’t crowd the skillet; you might have to do more than one batch.) Serve immediately drizzled with Remoulade Sauce.

1 cup vegan mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, chives, mustard, horseradish, tomato paste, paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans,
drained
2 to 4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt,
or more to taste
⅛ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian
parsley, basil, or a combination
Additional chopped fresh Italian
parsley or basil, or diced roasted
red peppers, for garnish (optional)
About 40 crostini, homemade
(recipe follows) or store bought

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the beans, 2 cloves of garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Puree, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. Taste and add more garlic or salt as desired. Stir in the 2 teaspoons of chopped parsley and/or basil.

Top each crostini with about 2 teaspoons of the bean spread. Top the spread with a sprinkle of chopped herbs or a couple of pieces of diced peppers, if desired. Arrange crostini on a platter and serve.

10 slices whole wheat bread
or 1 baguette
Refined coconut oil,
melted (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

If using bread, trim off the crusts and cut each slice into quarters. If using a baguette, cut it diagonally into about 20 slices, then cut each slice in half. Brush the bread with the coconut oil, if desired.

Arrange the bread in a single layer on 1 or 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 15 minutes, depending on the bread, until dry and slightly browned. Cool before using.

5 large heads endive
14 to 16 ounces extra firm tofu,
drained and pressed (to squeeze
out excess water)
¼ small diced white onion
(about ¼ cup)
¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1½ tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
¼ teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

Separate the endive leaves, setting aside about 40 (reserve the rest for another use).

In a large bowl, crumble the tofu. Stir in the onion, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and curry powder. Add about 2 teaspoons of the chives, about 2 teaspoons of the parsley, and about 1 teaspoon of the tarragon.

About 1 tablespoon at a time, place a scoop of salad onto the tip of each endive leaf. Arrange the leaves on a platter, sprinkle with the remaining herbs, and serve.

2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
1 onion, cut into rough ½-inch dice
1 pound cremini (brown)
mushrooms, thickly sliced
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup raw cashews, toasted
2 tablespoons nut oil, such as
walnut or hazelnut, or extra
virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid
Aminos, or more to taste (or two
teaspoons tamari or soy sauce)
1 teaspoon fine sea salt,
or more to taste
¼ teaspoon pepper, or more to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they just begin to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are limp and the released liquid has almost entirely evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Set aside to cool.

In a food processor, pulse the cashews until finely chopped. Add the mushroom mixture, nut oil, Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. Add more Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, salt, and/or pepper to taste.

1½ teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
2 tablespoons warm water
1 pound roasted, salted mixed nuts
⅓ cup evaporated cane sugar
2 teaspoons kosher
or other coarse salt
1½ teaspoons cayenne powder

Preheat oven to 250°F.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg replacer and water until foamy. Add the nuts and toss to coat. Transfer the nuts to a strainer and let drain for at least 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, wipe out the bowl and combine the sugar, salt, and cayenne. Add the nuts, tossing to coat. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Stir with a spatula and spread the nuts out again. Reduce the oven to 200°F and bake another 30 minutes, or until dry. The nuts will crisp as they cool to room temperature. Thoroughly cooled, they can be stored for up to one week in an airtight container.

2 tablespoons refined coconut oil,
plus more for greasing baking sheet
20 large (2 to 2 ½ inches across)
white mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 shallot, finely diced
½ teaspoon dried oregano
6 tablespoons whole wheat
seasoned or Italian bread crumbs
6 tablespoons vegan
Parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a large, rimmed baking sheet.

Carefully pull the stems from the mushroom caps; set stems aside. Arrange the caps, stem sides down, on the prepared baking sheet and bake until they leak liquid, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

While the caps are baking, finely chop the stems. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the bell pepper, shallot, and oregano and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bell pepper is tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl to cool slightly, then stir in the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Turn the mushroom caps over and spoon in the filling, pressing gently and slightly mounding it. Bake until the mushrooms are tender and the stuffing is browned, about 20 minutes. Then eat every last one before anyone else can try them.

¼ cup vegan mayonnaise
½ to 1 tablespoon sriracha
(or other chili sauce; see note),
or more to taste
4 sheets nori (see note)
About 3 cups prepared Brown
Sushi Rice (recipe follows)
1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced
½ small cucumber, peeled, halved
lengthwise, seeded, and sliced
lengthwise
½ small carrot, julienned
Soy sauce for serving
Wasabi paste for serving (see note)
Pickled ginger for serving (see note)
Special equipment:
bamboo sushi mat (see note)

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with ½ tablespoon of sriracha. Taste and add more sriracha if you like.

Place a bamboo sushi mat on a clean work surface, with the sticks in the mat parallel to you. Place a sheet of nori on the mat, shiny side down, shorter edge toward you. Have a shallow bowl of water nearby. Dampen your hands in the water, shaking off the excess moisture. Use your fingers to press about ⅔ cup of Sushi Rice onto the nori, covering ⅔ of the sheet closest to you (if the rice sticks to your hands as you work, redampen them in the water). Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the mayonnaise mixture on top of the rice in a line parallel to you, about
1 inch in from closest edge. Top the mayonnaise with ¼ of the avocado, ¼ of the cucumber, and ¼ of the carrots.

Take a deep breath and smile. Holding the fillings firmly in place with the fingertips of both hands, use both thumbs to lift the edge of the mat closest to you up and over, enclosing the fillings. Squeeze gently to make a compact roll. Raise the end of the mat slightly to avoid rolling it in with the nori, and continue rolling, squeezing occasionally, until the sushi is completely rolled in to a tight cylinder. If necessary, dampen the end of the nori to help it seal, then allow the roll to sit for a minute or two. Slice the roll into 8 pieces with a sharp, lightly moistened knife. Repeat with the remaining ingredients, making 4 rolls total. Serve the sushi on a platter with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

1 cup short-grain brown rice
(see note)
2 cups water
3 tablespoons seasoned
rice vinegar (see note)

In a 2-quart saucepan over high heat, combine the rice and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the rice stand, covered, at least 10 minutes.

Turn the cooked rice out into a large shallow bowl or dish. Use a rice paddle or spatula and a slashing motion to spread the rice evenly in the bowl (don’t toss; the rice can get gummy). Drizzle the rice vinegar over the rice. With the same slashing motion, mix until the grains are coated and glossy. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and cool at room temperature until cool enough to handle (do not refrigerate). Once cool, the rice will remain the right texture for making sushi for several hours.