French Fusion Layered Salad

This salad is my version of a French Nicoise salad.  It has marinated artichoke hearts typically found in Italian antipasto salad, and the trifle bowl is usually used for English desserts.  Trifle bowls are really versatile for presenting any dish that has a lot of colorful layers.   Try layering fruits in the bowl to make a fruit salad, or layering pasta and veggies.  As you scoop it onto your plate everything gets tossed together.  It’s beautiful, fresh and delicious.

French Fusion Layered Salad

1 ½ pints cherry tomatoes

1 heart of romaine, washed and shredded

¾ cup katamala olives

¼ cup capers

¾ pound fresh green beans

5 cups red potatoes cut into 1 ½ inch cubes

6 tablespoons olive oil divided

Salt

2- 12 ounce jars of marinated artichoke hearts

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1.       Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the potatoes on a large sheet pan.  Drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until golden and crisp on the outside, turning with a spatula half way through baking.  Set aside to cool.

2.       While the potatoes bake, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Blanch the green beans by placing them in the boiling water until they turn bright green, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse in ice water to stop cooking.  Once they are cool, remove from the water and remove the excess moisture, and set aside.

3.       Prepare the dressing by whisking together the mustard, balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons olive oil and agave nectar.  Set aside.

4.       Layer half of each ingredient in order; romaine, tomatoes, artichokes, and green beans.  Drizzle 3 tablespoons of the vinaigrette on top.  Next layer half of the potatoes, olives and capers.  Repeat layering the ingredients in order.  Top with extra cherry tomatoes.  Serve with the extra vinaigrette.

Sparkling Berry Lemonade

Simple and refreshing, I always love fresh lemonade.  The fresh berries make it even more vibrant and perfect for a warm sunny day. 

Sparkling Berry Lemonade

¾ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

¾ cup cane sugar

2 Liters cold water

Club soda

2-3 cups mixed berries

1.       In a large pitcher stir together the lemon juice, sugar, and cold water until the sugar is dissolved.

2.       In a tall glass, add a handful of the mixed berries.  Muddle them together.  Fill the glass ¾ full of ice.  Pour in the lemonade leaving some space for the club soda.  Stir.

3.       Top with club soda to taste.  Give it a quick stir, and enjoy.

You Won't Believe They're Vegan - Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

My sister came to visit last week.  She has made the switch to a vegan lifestyle with me.  We were on the phone before she came, reminiscing about how my dad used to buy coconut snowballs for us to roast over the campfire on family camping trips.  When we roasted them, the cake would get warm, the coconut would get toasty, and the marshmallow would get soft and melty.  They were amazing! 

Since we were also celebrating her birthday while she was here, I whipped these treats up for her.  I modified my mom’s recipe for wacky cake to make it a little richer.  Marshmallows are absolutely my favorite indulgence, so I was happy to play with them to create a marshmallow icing.  After a few failed attempts, I discovered that using straight Ricemellow Crème worked best.  Even my non-vegan husband was impressed!

You Won’t Believe They’re Vegan- Coconut Snowball Cupcakes

Chocolate Cake

Makes 1 dozen cupcakes

1 ½ cups sifted flour

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vinegar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup almond milk.

1.       Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare baking cups by putting cupcake liners in the pan.

2.       Sift together and stir the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3.       Make three wells in the dry mixture.  Put vinegar in the first, canola oil in the second, and vanilla in the third.  Pour the almond milk over the top.

4.       Whisk together all ingredients until just combined.

5.       Immediately scoop batter into prepared baking cups.  (Do not let the batter sit for too long.  The reaction of baking soda and vinegar is what makes them rise.)

6.       Bake for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

7.       Allow the cakes to cool completely.

8.       Ice and enjoy.

Icing the cupcakes:

In a pastry bag with a medium tip, poke a hole in the top of the cupcake and squeeze in some Ricemellow Crème.  Stop if the cupcake starts to crack.  You don’t want to overfill it.  Repeat for the rest of the cupcakes.

Ice the tops of the cupcakes with the Ricemellow Crème by piping the crème in a circle at the center of the cupcake about the size of a silver dollar.  Be careful not to put too much or ice too close to the edges or the fluff will ooze off.  Roll in finely shredded unsweetened dried coconut flakes.  You can color the coconut with a few drops of food coloring if you choose.  Garnish with edible flowers.  Serve immediately.

Polish Flatbread

 

This week I have been playing with all sorts of flatbread recipes.  This is hands down my favorite, which is a big deal considering there is sauerkraut in the recipe.  I have always had an aversion to sauerkraut.  As a kid, my mom would have to rinse off the vinegar and douse it in brown sugar so I would eat it.  I discovered vegan kielbasa in the grocery store and wanted to find a creative way to use it.  Sauerkraut is such an appropriate pairing for kielbasa that I thought I’d give it another chance, so I picked Bubbies, the brand that makes my favorite pickles.  My hope was that maybe a higher quality sauerkraut would taste better, or I could get creative with a brown sugar version.  It turns out that there is a huge difference.  The fresh sauerkraut is less acidic and a lot crisper than the regular canned version. 

For my flatbread, I balanced out the acidity of the sauerkraut with a sweet mustard sauce.  The kielbasa has a nice amount of spice, and the fresh cabbage adds a crunchy texture.  It has a little bit of everything to make a perfect meal.

Ingredients:

1 package vegan Kielbasa

Bubbies Sauerkraut (or other fresh kraut from the refrigerated section)

6 tablespoons yellow mustard

¼ cup agave nectar

Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Shredded cabbage

1 lb pizza dough (fresh or frozen and brought to room temperature)

1.       Grill the kielbasa over medium high heat in a preheated grill pan.  Slice into bite size pieces, and set aside.

2.       Make the sweet mustard sauce.  In a small bowl, stir together the yellow mustard, agave, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Set it aside.

3.       Divide the pizza dough into six pieces.  Stretch dough as evenly as possible with your hands.  On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough as thin as possible. (1/16 to 1/8 inch thick)  After all of the pieces have been rolled begin grilling.  Place a piece of the rolled dough on the preheated grill pan.  Grill until the bread has nice grill marks and is cooked most of the way through.  Flip the bread.  While the second side cooks, top the flatbread with a layer of sauerkraut that has been strained and squeezed to remove some of the liquid.  Add the kielbasa and a handful of the fresh cabbage.  Once the second side is finished, carefully move the flatbread to a plate, and drizzle with the sweet mustard sauce.

Sweet & Spicy Thai Flatbread

This recipe is a vegan spin on my favorite Rachel Ray pizza recipe.  The cucumber relish and duck sauce make it sweet, while the red pepper flakes add some heat. 

1 pound Fresh or frozen pizza dough brought to room temperature

Duck sauce

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced

1 package seitan strips

2 tablespoons tamari

1 ½ tablespoons Peanut butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

½ English cucumber, julienned

2 tablespoons agave nectar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 handful cilantro, chopped

Beansprouts

1.       In a medium bowl, whisk together the tamari, vegetable oil and peanut butter.  Soften the peanut butter in the microwave if needed.  Add the seitan strips to the bowl and toss to coat.  Over medium heat, brown the seitan in a medium skillet, then remove from heat and set aside.

2.       In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, agave and cider vinegar.  Set aside to marinate.

3.       Preheat grill pan over medium high heat.  Divide the pizza dough into 6 even pieces.  Stretch into a round with your hands, and then roll each piece as thin as possible. (1/8-1/16 inch thick)Place a rolled piece of dough on hot pan and grill until cooked mostly through and grill marks appear on the bottom.  Flip the flatbread.

4.       While the second side cooks, brush the top liberally with duck sauce.  Sprinkle on a pinch of red pepper flakes.  Sprinkle on some of the roasted red peppers, seitan strips, and cucumber relish.  Carefully move the flatbread to a plate when it is cooked through.  Top with cilantro and a handful of beansprouts.  Serve hot.