Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (94 page)

Read Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Online

Authors: Isa Chandra Moskowitz,Terry Hope Romero

Tags: #food.cookbooks

This is best used as a spread (as it doesn’t really melt), such as on crepes, scones, toast, or sandwiched between oatmeal cookies or gingersnaps. It would be wonderful gently dabbed onto sliced bananas or fresh, ripe strawberries, or stuffed into dates. And of course, the simplest and best vehicle of all is a thick slice of crusty French bread. The flavor develops even more when it’s allowed to sit overnight.
1 generous cup (about 5 ounces) toasted, skinned
hazelnuts (see tip)
2 tablespoons hazelnut liquor (such as Frangelico), or
1½ teaspoons hazelnut extract
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup confectioners’ sugar
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, regular or Dutch-
processed
2 tablespoons plain soy milk powder
8-10 tablespoons peanut or hazelnut oil, or a combi-
nation of both
 
EMPTY THE hazelnuts into your food processor bowl. Set the food processor to “pulse” and process the hazelnuts into crumbs. Continue to pulse the hazelnuts until an oily paste forms, stopping often to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
When the hazelnuts form a thick, glossy, and oily mass (similar to a moist marzipan), add the hazelnut liquor, vanilla extract, confectioners’ sugar, and cocoa. Blend until a crumbly mixture forms, again scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add the powdered soy milk and 4 to 5 tablespoons of oil. Continue to pulse and scrape as before. The mixture will resemble very thick fudge. Now, drizzle in a tablespoon of oil at a time and pulse/scrape. Add oil until a thick, spread able mixture is achieved, or a desired consistency is reached. If not sweet enough, sprinkle in 1 to 2 additional tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container. The mixture will firm up as it chills; let it sit on the counter for about 20 minutes to warm up a little before spreading. Stir if the oils have separated.
 

This recipe makes a “milk” chocolate-style hazelnut spread. For a dark chocolate spread, leave out the soy milk powder. Increase the confectioners’ sugar by a tablespoon or two, if desired.
 

The easiest way to toast hazelnuts: Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Place the raw hazelnuts on a baking sheet and roast for 8 to 10 minutes, until the skins are peeling and the nuts start to smell and appear toasted; be careful not to burn. Remove from the oven. Immediately pour the hot hazelnuts into the center of a large, rough kitchen towel. Twist the ends of the towel tightly around the nuts to form a sack. Agitate the sack vigorously for a few minutes to remove the skins. Some skin might still stick to hazelnuts, but this is okay. Pick the hazelnuts out of the crumbled skins and set aside in a bowl to cool. The quickest way to clean the towel of hazelnut skins is to shake it outside.
 

If you’re using hazelnut oil, try using a little bit of peanut oil in addition to the hazelnut oil. It lends an authentic, full flavor.
 

This recipe will really give your food processor a workout. Be kind to your machine and use the “pulse” setting, stopping to rest the motor (and scraping the sides of the bowl) frequently.
THE
MENUS
 
MENUS FOR THE MASSES
 
G
ENERALLY, WE DON’T like to fuss over planning a big menu. Menu planning should really be cooking what makes sense to you, with foods that are in season and foods that you know your guests enjoy. (Obviously, if your Great-Aunt Frimmie hates broccoli rabe, Thanksgiving may not be the time to try to make her like it!)
But sometimes it’s useful to have a menu on hand, so in this section we suggest plenty of dishes that go well together. Hosting a dinner party can be stressful for anyone (even certain cookbook authors) and the host is usually worrying the whole time. It can be even more daunting for the vegan host, because we folks have the additional task of representing veganism. It’s useful to keep in mind that we are often our own worst critics. But on a more practical level, if you’re cooking for a crowd, you should give the dishes that you plan to serve a test run a week or two beforehand; that always helps make the big event go a bit more smoothly.
The following are dishes from this cookbook that make great plates to serve as “whenever meals.” Or you can use our additional suggestions to create a multicourse menu for a special occasion.
MY OWN PRIVATE INDIA MENU
 
Tamarind Lentils • Basmati Rice • Curried Tofu • Cornmeal Masala Brussels Sprouts
SUGGESTED SOUP:
Roasted Yellow Pepper and Corn Bisque
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Mango-Peach Pandowdy
 
SOUTH BY SOUTHEATS MENU
 
Southwestern Corn Pudding • Chile Cornmeal-Crusted Tofu • Green Pumpkin-Seed Mole • Steamed Broccoli
SUGGESTED SOUP:
Smoky Red Pepper n’ Beans Gumbo
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Smlove Pie
 
CHINESE
EAT-IN MENU
 
Baby Bok Choy with Crispy Shallots • Marinated Asian Tofu (baked) • Brown Rice
SUGGESTED SOUP:
Hot and Sour Soup (leave out the tofu)
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Green Tea Ice Cream Sammiches
 
MARDI GRAS-ANYTIME MENU
 
Creole Stuffed Peppers • Messy Rice • Hot Sauce-Glazed Tempeh
SUGGESTED SOUP:
Baked Potato and Greens Soup with Potato Wedge Croutons
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Strawberry-Rose Water Cobbler with Lemon-Poppy Seed Pastry
 
MEDITERRANEAN COMFORT MENU
 
Tomato and Roasted Eggplant Stew with Chickpeas • Soft Poppy-Seed Polenta • Roasted Cauliflower
SUGGESTED SALAD:
Portobello Salad in Spicy Mustard Dressing
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Tea-Poached Pears in Chocolate Sauce
 
DOWN-HOME GOURMET MENU
 
Cheater Baked Beans • Smoky Grilled Tempeh • Sautéed Collards
SUGGESTED SOUP:
Creamy Tomato Soup
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Fudgy Wudgy Blueberry Brownies with Vanilla Ice Cream
 
FANCY-SHMANCY MENU
 
Chickpea Cutlets • Mustard Sauce • Roasted Asparagus
SUGGESTED SALAD:
Roasted Fennel and Hazelnut Salad with Shallot Dressing
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Sweet Crepes with Not-Tella
 
GREEK TO ME AND YOU MENU
 
Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans • Lemony Roasted Potatoes • Easy Stir-Fried Leafy Greens (made with a blend of dandelion and kale)
SUGGESTED SOUP:
French Lentil Soup with Tarragon and Thyme
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Lemon Bars
 
LAZY INDIAN GOURMET
 
Samosa Stuffed Potatoes • Sautéed Spinach and Tomatoes • Five-Minute Mango Chutney • Jasmine Rice
SUGGESTED SALAD :
Garden Salad with Curried Vinaigrette
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Vanilla Yogurt Pound Cake with Fresh Fruit
 
THE VEGAN GHOST OF JULIA CHILD MENU
 
Sautéed Seitan with Mushrooms and Spinach • Herb-Scalloped Potatoes
SUGGESTED SALAD:
Bulgur, Arugula, and Cannellini Salad
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Heart-Shaped Apple Galettes
 
PICNIC MENU
 
Apricot Baked BBQ Tofu • Prospect Park Potato Salad • Grilled Corn
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Lower-Fat Banana Bread
 
SMASH YOUR TV DINNER MENU
 
Mac Daddy • Roasted Zucchini • Roasted Butternut Squash with Coriander Seeds
SUGGESTED SOUP:
Tomato-Rice Soup
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Pumpkin Crumb Cake with Pecan Streusel
 
MEXICAN, NOT MEXICAN’T MENU
 
Black Beans with Chipotle Adobo Sauce • Guacamole • Mexican Millet
SUGGESTED SALAD:
Jicama-Watercress-Avocado Salad with Spicy Citrus Vinaigrette
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding
 
ROMAN GODDESS MENU
 
Chickpeas Romesco • Saffron-Garlic Rice • Roasted Green Beans
SUGGESTED SALAD:
Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Croutons
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Biscotti and Espresso
 
RUSTIC GODDESS MENU
 
Tomato Couscous with Capers • Rustic White Beans with Mushrooms
SUGGESTED SOUP:
Broccoli-Potato Soup with Fresh Herbs
SUGGESTED DESSERT:
Berry-Coconut Cris
 
 
Timing Is Everything!
 
SMARTY-PANTS cooks prepare as much as possible a day or two in advance and store it in airtight containers. Use the following guide to plan out your next major event and you’ll have plenty of procrastination time on your hands as a present to yourself.
 
 
UP TO TWO DAYS IN ADVANCE:
Any soup, dip, most sauces, and baked goods such as cookies and pie crusts can be made up to two days in advance.
 
THE DAY OR NIGHT BEFORE:
Homemade seitan, stuffings, or other grain dishes; marinated overnight tofu/tempeh; sandwich fillings; and any casserole can be assembled a day before and cooked the day of. Prepare and shape bean balls, burgers, and patties, and keep tightly covered in the refrigerator. Bake and wrap any cakes, cupcakes, or muffins.
 
TWO HOURS (AND COUNTING) BEFORE:
A few hours before serving the big meal is the ideal time to wash and dry salad greens, and prepare the dressing and store it in the fridge. Cut any fresh fruit, and assemble the appetizers. Also, bake or reheat the preassembled casseroles, wrap them tightly in foil, and keep them warm in the oven at 200ºF (or the “warm” setting) until mealtime. Pasta, however, should be boiled and served as close to serving time as possible. For things that need to be served right away, give yourself an extra half hour to relax before cooking them. It also allows you some additional time to get everything together and check that there’s no spinach between your teeth before your guests start rolling in.
 
 
Because your mother isn’t here, we might as well remind you that this is the time to set the table, arrange glassware and stuff for drinks, fold some napkins, set the stereo on some soft rock/black metal or whatever floats your boat, and maybe light a candle for ambiance. Take a shower if time permits. We spare nothing when it comes to being classy.
 

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