Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (18 page)

Read Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Online

Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz,Terry Hope Romero

Tags: #food.cookbooks

Prepare the squash:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the butternut cubes on a baking sheet and rub them all over with the oil; drizzle on another teaspoon if you need to. Arrange the cubes in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss, and cook for 10 more minutes or until tender and slightly caramelized. Transfer the squash to a plate to cool.
While the squash is cooking, prepare the noodles. There are usually directions on the package, but just in case: Boil a large pot of water. Once it is boiling, turn off the heat, add the noodles, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain in a colander and run cold water over them to prevent further cooking. Set aside until ready to use.
 
To Assemble:
Fill a large pie plate or bowl with very warm water; tap water works just fine. Place two rice paper wrappers in the water at a time, completely submerged and let sit for about a minute, until they have softened.
Handle each wrapper gently as you place it on your work surface. Place about ¼ cup of rice noodles in the lower third of the wrapper, leaving about 1½ inches of margin from the far edges on either side (you’ll be folding those in). Place a layer of butternut squash above the noodles. Sprinkle with the cilantro and pumpkin seeds. If some of the seeds get stuck to your fingers, just dip them in the water. To roll, snugly fold the left and right sides of the wrapper over the filling. Lift the bottom of the wrapper over the filling and tuck it underneath the filling, then roll firmly but gently. Place the rolls seam side down on a plate and cut in half when ready to serve. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together and stir rigorously to dissolve the sugar. Serve with the rolls.
BROCCOLI-MILLET CROQUETTES
 
MAKES 16 CROQUETTES
TIME:
2 HOURS, LOTS OF IT INACTIVE
 
 
Somehow, forming anything into a croquette makes a meal very impressive, even though it is an easy thing to do. Millet and broccoli are cooked together with garlic, tarragon, and red pepper, formed into squat little cushions, and lightly panfried. These make a great vehicle for the White Bean Aioli (page 62) or Dill-Tahini Sauce (page 215). They are delicately flavored, so definitely include a sauce when you serve. Round out the meal with roasted asparagus and red peppers (page 26).
 
 
Make ahead:
Prepare the millet and broccoli a day in advance. Then you only need about 20 minutes to finish preparing this dish.
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for panfrying
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup millet
2½ cups vegetable broth
4 cups broccoli, tops and stalks, chopped very finely
into pea-size or smaller pieces
 
 
➣
When you chop the broccoli florets, they will probably crumble a lot. That is fine; just throw the crumbled tiny bits in with the rest of the broccoli.
PREHEAT A small pot over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in the oil for about 30 seconds. Add the tarragon, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and salt, and mix for a few seconds. Add the millet and stir constantly for about 3 minutes to toast it. It should turn a shade darker. If it doesn’t, don’t sweat it too bad, just proceed with the recipe. Better that than you burn the garlic.
Add the vegetable broth and cover; bring to a boil. Once the mixture is boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Mix in the chopped broccoli, cover, and cook for about 7 more minutes. Uncover and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Once the water is mostly absorbed, turn off the heat but leave the pot on the stove, covered, to continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes. At that point, all of the water should be absorbed and the millet should be mushy if you push down on it with a spoon. It’s very important that the millet be well cooked or the croquettes could fall apart, so if it doesn’t seem fully cooked, let it sit for an additional 5 or 10 minutes. You are looking for a polenta-like consistency.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool for about 10 minutes, then move the bowl to the fridge to cool the rest of the way, for about 45 minutes or so. Give it a stir now and again to speed up the cooling process. Don’t skip or skimp on this cooling step or your croquettes will turn to millet mush in the skillet.
Once cooled, tightly form the millet into golf ball-size balls. Press them down in your hands to flatten just a bit, then roll the sides between your hands to form tire-shaped croquettes.
Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the croquettes in batches for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. They should be golden brown with a few darker spots.
Serve immediately.
GREEK-STYLE TOMATO-ZUCCHINI FRITTERS WITH FRESH HERBS
 
SERVES 4-6
TIME:
45 MINUTES
 
 
Just as enticing but way cheaper than a vacation on Santorini Island, these dairy-free Greek-inspired fritters are bursting with chunks of fresh tomato, dill, and mint. The addition of zucchini creates a tender and light texture. These are absolutely sublime served along with Mediter ranean-Style Cashew-Cucumber Dip (page 66).You can easily make this lovely summertime appetizer into a meal by serving with salad greens dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice. For the fry-o-phobe, we give you alternative baking instructions as well.
1 (1-pound) package firm tofu, squeezed to remove
extra water, then crumbled
¼ cup ground walnuts
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
Generous pinch of ground black pepper
½ cup bread crumbs, plus an additional ⅓ cup for
coating
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
½ pound zucchini, grated and squeezed to remove
excess water (about 1 cup)
1 pound seeded, finely chopped tomatoes (about 1
heaping cup), drained to remove excess liquid
Olive oil for frying
 
HAVE READY layers of paper towels or a large, clean paper grocery bag for absorbing the oil after frying.
In a food processor, blend together the tofu, ground walnuts, garlic, lemon juice, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper until almost smooth (some small lumps are okay). Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary. Scrape the tofu mixture into a large bowl, using a spatula, and mix in the bread crumbs, dill, and mint. Your mixture should have the consistency of a thick cookie dough; if it’s too moist, add more bread crumbs (by the tablespoon). Gently fold in the grated zucchini and chopped tomatoes.
 
➣
Can’t find ground walnuts? Measure ⅓ cup of walnut halves or pieces into a food processor and pulse like hell, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.
 
➣
You can shape the uncooked fritters a day in advance, keep them covered in the refrigerator, and fry them just prior to serving. They can also be lightly sautéed in a little olive oil to reheat.
Heat a ¼-inch layer of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. To test the oil, sprinkle a pinch of bread crumbs into the pan. If bubbles form rapidly around them, then the oil is ready.
Using 2 heaping tablespoons of mixture per fritter, drop each fritter into the bread crumbs and roll gently to coat. Flatten to about 1 inch thick. Fry the tomato fritters for 4 to 6 minutes on each side until golden brown, turning very carefully (these are delicate, so a thin spatula works well for this). Drain on paper towels and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Serve sprinkled with more fresh dill or dusted with a little dried oregano.
 
 
Alternative baking option:
Instead of frying, you can also bake these fritters in a preheated 350°F oven for 35 minutes. Rub a large cookie sheet with olive oil, arrange the fritters on it so that they do not touch, and spray or brush generously with olive oil. Flip them over halfway through baking; spray or brush other side with oil.
AUTUMN LATKES
 
MAKES ABOUT 24

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