Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (48 page)

Read Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Online

Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz,Terry Hope Romero

Tags: #food.cookbooks

TIME:
30 MINUTES
 
 
We try not play favorites, but this is one of our babies and a recipe that we are sure will take over food blogs worldwide. A combination of chickpeas and vital wheat gluten formed into savory cutlets, it’s perfect for when you want something “meaty” but don’t want to go through the trouble of making seitan. We serve these cutlets in myriad ways, packed into sandwiches or smothered in mustard sauce, with a side of mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. It’s vegan food that you can eat with a steak knife and, best of all, it is fast and easy. You’ll probably want to double the recipe if you’re serving it to guests.
1 cup cooked chickpeas
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup vital wheat gluten
½ cup plain bread crumbs
¼ cup vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane
grater
½ teaspoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon Hungarian paprika
¼ teaspoon dried rubbed sage
Olive oil for panfrying
 
IN A mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes, until strings of gluten have formed.
Preheat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four equal pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 × 4-inch rectangular cutlet shape. The easiest way to do this is to first form a rectangular shape in your hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them.
Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They’re ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.
Just in case you were wondering, you can also bake these too! Baking these patties gives them a toothsome chewy texture and firm bite. Preheat oven to 375ºF, lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8-10 minutes till firm and golden-brown.
SOUPS
 
S
OUP IS SO basic that all too often it’s totally ignored in cookbooks. Everyone’s always rushing willy-nilly to check out the chocolate cake situation or the latest developments in lasagne. Don’t be a follower like them; stop for a moment and really think about the abundance that soup is and how it can change your life.
Soup can be smooth or chunky, creamy or clear, hearty or refreshing. The variations are really endless! Looking to drop a few pounds while eating fabulously? Make soup. Almost all of these recipes are low fat (and can be made even lower fat or fat free; see page 21) and absolutely loaded with tummy-filling fiber and nutrient-loaded veggies. Bean-based soups have the added benefit of plenty of protein. Eating a large bowl of soup for dinner is an easy way to avoid eating too many calories in the evening, when they’re more likely to be stored as fat (as opposed to being burned off though activity).
More important, soup can be serious food, not just the stuff you sip before an entrée. Take a wander in midtown New York on any weekday around lunchtime—what you’ll most likely see are people standing in line for soup. And we’re talking about the suit-and-tie, pumps-and-purses, no-nonsense, office-working crowd. They don’t mess around when it comes to that precious lunch hour, and neither should you. Be a smart New Yorker (or Green Bayer, San Diegan, Portlander . . .) and write “making (really awesome) soup” into your weekly planner.
BLACK BEAN-VEGETABLE SOUP
 
SERVES 6 TO 8
TIME:
1 HOUR 45 MINUTES (NOT INCLUDING SOAKING BEANS)
 
 
Like that little black dress, a good black bean soup can really take you places and fit any occasion. To make sure that the beans’ deep, purple-black color stays true, we first completely cook the beans solo and then add the accompanying sautéed veggies afterward for a long, final simmer. Serve as is or topped with a swirl of Lime Crema (from the Baja Tacos recipe, page 96) or Sour Cilantro Cream (page 209), a twist of lime juice, or some diced avocado.
 
 
Beans:
1 pound dried black beans, rinsed, soaked for 6 to 8
hours or overnight
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
Pinch of baking soda
 
 
➣
We’ve added enough total liquid to create plenty of broth in this recipe; if you like your black bean soup more stewlike, add only two or three cups of veggie broth toward the end.
 
➣
For a creamy-textured black bean soup, remove a one or two cups of cooled soup and puree in a blender. Stir back into the soup and simmer for another 15 minutes. If you have leftover soup a few days down the road, try pureeing the whole thing and simmering until very hot. Season with a little more vinegar.
Soup:
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-size onions, diced finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced finely
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
1 stalk celery, diced finely
1 carrot, peeled and diced finely
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3-4 cups vegetable stock
 
For garnishing each serving of soup:
lime wedges, chopped avocado, minced fresh cilantro
 
PREPARE THE beans: Drain the soaked beans, rinse again, and place the beans in a very large stockpot. Pour in the 6 cups of water and add the bay leaves and baking soda. Cover and bring to a boil, boil for about 3 minutes, and then lower the heat to medium-low. Allow to simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, until the beans are very tender and their skins are soft. Remove the bay leaves.
During the last 30 minutes of the beans’ cooking, prepare the vegetables: Preheat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Sauté the garlic in the oil until the garlic begins to sizzle, stir for 30 seconds, and add the onions and bell pepper. Stir and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the onions and peppers are very soft, then add the jalapeño, celery, and carrot. Cook for another 10 minutes, until the carrot has begun to soften, then remove from the heat.
When the beans are completely tender, stir in the sautéed vegetables and any remaining oil, plus the cumin, oregano, thyme, and vegetable stock. Cover the pot, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, until the carrot and celery are tender.
Remove from the heat, allow to cool 10 minutes, add the vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Like most soups, this soup will be richer and more flavorful the next day.
Garnish each serving of soup with chopped cilantro and chopped avocado. Serve with lime wedges.
ACORN SQUASH, PEAR, AND ADZUKI SOUP WITH SAUTÉED SHIITAKES
 
SERVES 6
TIME:
1 HOUR
 
 
This is a precious jewel of a soup studded with pretty, red adzuki beans along with just a hint of fragrant five-spice. We love the salty sesame shiitake mushrooms that adorn the soup and draw all the flavors together.
 
➣
Acorn squash is a pain in the tuchus to peel. The best way we’ve found is to cut the squash in half and seed it, then cut into chunks (¼ inch, in this case). Use a paring knife to slice off the skin.
 
➣
To remove the seeds from pears, peel and slice in half, then use a measuring teaspoon to scoop the seeds right out.

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