Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (40 page)

Read Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Online

Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz,Terry Hope Romero

Tags: #food.cookbooks

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH WITH CORIANDER SEEDS
 
SERVES 6 TO 8 AS A SIDE DISH
TIME:
50 MINUTES
 
 
Here’s a very simple way to serve butternut squash. Feel free to try it with different spices or even without any spices at all; the butternut will be able to stand on its own. To smash the coriander seeds easily, place them in a small plastic sandwich bag. Place a few layers of newspaper on top of the seeds and then have at it with a hammer or a mallet. You can also place them in a coffee grinder and pulse a few times (use caution, you don’t want to reduce them to a powder).
2 medium-size butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and
cut into ¾-inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, smashed
¼ teaspoon salt
 
PREHEAT the oven to 375°F.
Combine all ingredients on a rimmed baking sheet (the “rimmed” part is essential, since you don’t want the oil dripping off into the oven and causing a fire. Or
do
you?). Make sure that all the squash pieces are coated in oil and seeds, and spread into a single layer. Cook for about 35 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the squash is tender and slightly caramelized.
ROASTED PORTOBELLOS
 
SERVES 2 AS A MAIN, 4 AS A SIDE
 
 
These multipurpose succulent mushrooms are perfect for salads, in sammiches, or just as a veggie side for pretty much any type of savory meal, even brunch. You get enough marinade for four small caps or two huge ones, but your mileage may vary depending on the size of your caps. You can marinate and roast these in a glass pie plate or use a small casserole dish. Any pan greater than eight inches across would spread the marinade too thinly. The ingredients are really simple, but you can add dried herbs, such as oregano, thyme, and basil, if you think it will go with whatever else you are eating. Using herbs is an especially good idea if you are going to make this into a portobello sammich.
 
 
Marinade:
½ cup cooking wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 large or up to 4 small portobello caps
 
COMBINE all ingredients for the marinade in a glass pie plate or small casserole. Place the mushrooms upside down in the marinade and spoon a lot of the marinade into each cap to form a small pool. Preheat the oven to 400°F and marinate for about 20 minutes.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, use tongs to flip the caps over, and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes. If you’re using your portobello as a burger, just put that puppy between a bun with some lettuce, tomato, Vegenaise, and avocado, and call it a day. If using for a salad, let it cool a bit and then slice the mushrooms very thinly on the diagonal to make nice meaty slices.
EASY STIR-FRIED LEAFY GREENS
 
SERVES 4 6
TIME:
20 minutes
 
 
Eating enough green, leafy vegetables through the week can be a challenge for even the most dedicated vegan or vegetarian. While we’re repeat customers when it comes to spinach, collards, and kale, there’s a whole world of Asian and other greens that pack nutrition and flavor yet all too often don’t get enough face-time on our dinner plates.
Spicy mustard greens, crisp Chinese broccoli, sweet chard, and others really cook up quickly and easily when stir-fried with a touch of ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. There’s no sticky, overly sweet sauce in this recipe, just clean flavors and bright, crunchy greens that cook in less time than it takes to steam rice or fry a main-dish protein.
1 pound dark, leafy greens, such as: mustard greens,
Chinese broccoli, large bok choy, chard, water
spinach, dandelion greens (use 2 pounds), water-cress
(use 2 pounds), green choy sum, etc.
2 tablespoons peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced finely
½-inch cube ginger, grated
1 tablespoon rice cooking wine, cooking sherry, or
mirin
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil or chile-sesame oil
(optional)
 
HOLDING THE greens together in bunches, slice into 1- or 2-inch-wide sections. If the greens have any thick stems or bottoms, remove and place the stems in a bowl separate from the leafy green tops. Wash and dry both bowls of greens, and shake off any excess water.
In a large, nonstick skillet or wok, heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds. Add the thick stems and stir-fry for about 1 to 2 minutes until stems begin to soften.
 
➣
Any leafy green can be prepared this way, so if you see something new and interesting at the farmers’ market, don’t hesitate to experiment with this recipe. Also, asparagus and green beans can be prepared in this manner. Just trim any overly tough stems and allow a slightly longer cooking time, depending on your desired degree of crispness.
 
➣
We’ve included instructions on preparing greens with thick, juicy stems. This is not necessary when cooking thin-stemmed vegetables such as water spinach, watercress, or dandelion, so skip the step of separating stems from leaves.
 
➣
Tongs are the ideal tool to use when sautéing leafy greens.
Add the leafy tops, stirring constantly for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the tops begin to wilt and soften. Sprinkle with cooking wine, soy sauce, sugar, and chile-sesame oil. If the leaves are very large and piled high in the pan, cover the pan for 1 to 2 minutes to sweat and wilt them so that they can be easily stir-fried. Stir to combine all the ingredients. Stir-fry until the vegetables are bright green and the stems are tender but still slightly crisp. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
GRAINS
 
BROCCOLI POLENTA
 
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME:
70 MINUTES
 
 
Broccoli gives polenta a great texture. It just makes it, like, “RAR!” That’s the only way we can describe it. We’re giving you several options for molding and serving the polenta once it is prepped; try them all and see what you like best. You can serve this as a main dish with any of the marinara sauces or pesto, or serve it as a base for either the Braised Seitan with Brussels (page 182) or the Sautéed Seitan with Mushrooms and Spinach (page 187). If you don’t want to think about the various molding and cooking methods, then just do the muffin tin and broiling method, because it’s cute. If you’re short on time, you can even skip the molding step and just serve this as is after boiling.
3½ cups vegetable broth or water
½ teaspoon salt (you may need more depending on
how salty your veggie broth is)
1 cup polenta corn grits (polenta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups very well-chopped broccoli, stalks and tops
(pieces should be no larger than ¼ inch)
 
BRING THE water and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the polenta in a slow, steady stream, mixing with a whisk as you pour it. Add the broccoli and olive oil, and lower the heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often. Turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
 
 
Molding Methods:
Tin Can:
Grease two empty 20-ounce cans (tomato cans, for example) with olive oil. Spoon the polenta into the cans and place in the fridge for about 2 hours. Use a butter knife to help coax them out of the mold, slice into inch-wide pieces and proceed to Cooking Methods. This method of molding takes longer to chill because of the volume in each mold.
 
 
 
Muffin Tin:
Grease a muffin tin with olive oil. Spoon the polenta into the tin, almost all the way to the top of the compartments. Smooth the tops with the back of the spoon. Refrigerate for about an hour. Use a fork to pry the polenta out of the tins and proceed to Cooking Methods. This method works best when you broil the polenta.
 
 
Square Pan:
Grease an 8-inch square (slightly bigger or smaller is okay) food storage container, casserole, or brownie pan. Spoon in the polenta and spread it out evenly. Refrigerate for about an hour. Cut into squares and proceed to Cooking Methods.

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