Fresh Strawberry Sauce

My summer ice cream sundae fun continues with this easy strawberry topping.  Super fresh, it's delicious over fruit sorbets or vegan ice cream. If strawberries aren't your preference, check out my posts for Warm Chocolate Sauce or Easy Fruit Compote for more sundae topping ideas.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ripe strawberries
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup vegan sugar
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 2 cups finely chopped strawberries

1. Mash 1 cup ripe strawberries with a potato masher. Make sure they are ripe (i.e. bright red). Yellow or green spots indicate under-ripe strawberries, and they won't mash as well with the potato masher.

2. Combine the mashed strawberries in a small saucepan with the water; bring to a boil. Continue to cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Press the mixture through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/2 cup of the liquid (if you can't quite obtain a full 1/2 cup, add enough water to equal that amount as needed - I used an additional 2 tablespoons or so).  Discard the pulp.

4. Combine the sugar and cornstarch in the saucepan, and add the strawberry liquid, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil, and continue to cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat and cook for a final 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Note: lemon juice adds a beautiful, bright flavor to this sauce. If you want a mellow, earthier choice, try the same amount of balsamic vinegar.

5. Let cool slightly before stirring in the chopped strawberries.

Here are just two delicious ideas for this sauce.  Make an "Extreme Strawberry" sundae, by serving over strawberry sorbet:

Or, spoon over raspberry sorbet with additional fresh raspberries sprinkled on top, for a "Berry Good" sundae:

Nutrition Info:
16 servings (2 tablespoons), Calories 25 

Tasting Notes:
Only lightly sweet, with bright, fresh flavor. I loved the double-dose of strawberries, between the fresh chunks and the strained strawberry in the syrup. Next time, though, I would reverse the ratios, as this was mainly chunks of strawberry in a light coating of sauce, but I would have preferred a thick syrup with occasional fresh pieces of strawberry. I recommend decreasing the chopped strawberries by half, therefore, or doubling the syrup - whichever you prefer.

Rating:
3

Chicken-Penne Salad with Green Beans

This pasta salad is a perfect one-dish meal for no-fuss summer eating. 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
• 2 cups (1-inch) cut green beans*
• 2 cups cooked and shredded Gardein Tuscan chicken breast (without sauce)**
• 1/2 cup vertically sliced red onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cook the pasta in boiling water for 7 minutes.  Add the green beans and cook for an additional 4 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water; drain again.

2. Drain the bell peppers, and cut into thin strips.  Combine the bell peppers in a bowl with the pasta, green beans, chicken, red onion, basil, and parsley. The colors are just beautiful, as soon as you stir this together.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, cold water, salt, garlic, and black pepper.  Drizzle over the pasta mixture and toss gently. 

Round out the meal with simple cheesy mozzarella toasts: place 4 (1/2-inch thick) diagonally cut slices French bread baguette on a baking sheet, and sprinkle each slice with 1 tablespoon shredded Daiya mozzarella.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes, until golden.  

For a perfect summer dessert, round out the meal with your favorite mixed berries dolloped with a little vanilla non-dairy yogurt. 

*To make quick work of your green beans, line up on a cutting board, trimming off the tough ends. Leave the pretty taper at the other end intact, as you cut into pieces about equal in length to the penne pasta.

**You can prepare the chicken ahead of time: cook according to package directions, then shred with a fork or by hand. Start with 3 of Gardein's chicken breasts to yield 2 cups shredded.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (2 cups), Calories 384 

Tasting Notes:
The instant I took I bite of this, I knew it was intended for a picnic supper somewhere - listening to the Philharmonic in Central Park perhaps, or whisked away to Tanglewood in the Berkshires. In other words, an ideal summer salad. There were great "antipasto" flavors from the roasted bell pepper, onion, and pasta; I would add quartered artichoke hearts or capers next time to play up the feeling, and also for a little added brininess. The vinegar dressing was nice and light; consider using balsamic vinegar for a variation.

Rating: 
4

S'More Ice Cream

My husband loves to tell the story of the day I ran home from the grocery store several years ago and raved, "Officially everything is vegan now." Okay, well maybe not quite everything, but I had just discovered vegan marshmallows, and ate one for the first time since I was in grade school. I used Dandies marshmallows to create this sweet summer treat today, but Sweet & Sara is another option; both are available at Whole Foods or online at veganessentials.com.

This recipe is a deconstructed take on the flavors in gooey s'mores. Regular graham crackers won't hold up well in non-dairy ice cream, but there's a perfect alternative - Annie's bunny grahams. Although the honey flavor is obviously not vegan, either the chocolate or chococlate chip varieties are, so take your pick (I used chocolate).

I decided to play with coconut milk chocolate ice cream this afternoon (from So Delicious), but any vegan chocolate will do.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups low-fat chocolate non-dairy ice cream
• 1 cup vegan marshmallows
• 1 cup Annie's bunny grahams (about 56 cookies)

1. Place a large bowl in the freezer to chill. Meanwhile, let the ice cream stand at room temperature until softened - it takes about 40 minutes for coconut milk ice cream.

2. Combine the softened ice cream in the chilled bowl with the marshmallows and bunny grahams, stirring with a rubber spatula to combine. (A stand mixer would also work, at low speed).

Note: since Dandies are slightly big, cut into quarters with a sharp knife to the size of mini marshmallows, and you'll be able to incorporate them into the ice cream more easily.

3. Cover, return to the freezer, and refreeze to desired consistency.

Serve plain, or, make a "How 'Bout S'more" sundae by topping with Warm Chocolate Sauce:

Nutrition Info:
9 servings (1/2 cup), Calories 170 

Tasting Notes:
This really did capture all the flavors of s'mores. I've never had a frozen marshmallow before - who knew they could be firm on the outside but still chewy inside? The bunny grahams will break naturally into smaller pieces as you stir, making for the perfect ratio of graham cracker crumb, marshmallow, and chocolate on each spoonful. I would increase the amount of bunny grahams though, and wonder if this might be even better with something like ricemellow creme... A fun option to keep in mind for next time. 

Rating:
4

Thai Steak Salad

This salad - redolent with ginger, lime, chile paste, peanuts, and other Thai flavors - is centered on herbs rather than lettuce, making it a great summer choice. I cooked and sliced Match beef to turn the salad into hearty entree portions, but baked tofu or marinated tempeh strips would probably also be delicious here.

Ingredients:
For the dressing:

• 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegan brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon vegan fish sauce*
• 1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic

For the steak:

• Cooking spray
• 18 ounces Match beef, thawed
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper

For the salad:

• 3 cups trimmed watercress
• 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
• 1 cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup julienne-cut carrot
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped unsalted, dry-roasted peanuts**

1. To prepare the dressing, whisk together the lime juice, brown sugar, ginger, fish sauce, and chile paste.  Set aside.

Note: if you prefer your dressing spicier, use up to 2 teaspoons chile paste with garlic.

2. To prepare the beef, heat a large skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.  Rub the black pepper evenly over the beef, and add to the pan.  Cook for 6 minutes on each side until nicely browned on the outside.  Transfer to a cutting board and let stand for about 5 minutes; cut into thin slices.  Place in a bowl and drizzle with half of the dressing mixture.

Note: use a grill pan instead if you want grill marks on your beef.

3. Meanwhile, combine the watercress, cabbage, basil, mint, cilantro, and carrot in a large bowl, and drizzle with the remaining dressing.  Toss well, and divide the salad evenly among 6 plates (about 1 cup per serving).  

4. Top each serving with 3 ounces of the beef, and sprinkle each serving with 1 teaspoon peanuts. 

*For more info on vegan fish sauce, plus my favorite method to prepare it, see my post for Lion's Head Meatballs with Spicy Coconut Sauce.

**If you can't find unsalted dry-roasted peanuts at the store, order online at nutsonline.com
 

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1 cup salad, 3 ounces beef, 1 teaspoon peanuts), Calories 230 

Tasting Notes:
Wow, just wow. This dish has it all: tongue-tingly spice from the chile paste, funkiness from the vegan fish sauce, freshness from the herbs, crispness from the carrots, and savory from the beef.  This is an exciting dish, that's really the best way I know how to put it. So different from the flavors with which I usually cook, but an absolutely awesome combination. Great fresh lime, spectacular basil and mint, and a nice crunch from the peanuts to top it all off.  Do note that leftovers will not hold up well - but chances are you won't have leftovers.

Rating:
5

Mocha Ice Cream

If you give a girl some chocolate sauce, you're going to have to give her vegan ice cream to go along with it... Or however that children's book goes. There's no need to pull out the ice cream machine for this easy version of mocha ice cream.  The Awesome Chocolate from Soy Delicious makes a great base, and the other ingredients are simply stirred in. Use any kind of vegan chocolate ice cream, including coconut, almond, or rice-milk based, if you prefer

Ingredients:

• 4 cups low-fat chocolate non-dairy ice cream
• 1/4 cup Kahlua
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 2 ounces finely chopped dark chocolate*

1. Place a large bowl in the freezer to chill. Meanwhile, let the ice cream stand at room temperature until softened - it takes only about 15 minutes for the soy ice cream, but may take longer for other versions.

2. Meanwhile, combine the Kahlua and coffee granules in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir until the coffee dissolves and let cool.

3. Combine the softened ice cream, Kahlua mixture, and chopped chocolate in the chilled bowl, stirring with a rubber spatula to combine. (The attachment of a stand mixer would also work well to mix everything together).  

4. Cover and return to the freezer to re-freeze to desired consistency; I recommend 4 hours if you want ice cream close to the texture of soft serve, and at east 8 hours if you want it firm.

This ice cream is delicious scooped into a bowl and served plain...

...but here are a few fun ideas to make it even better.  Make a "Crunchy Mocha" sundae by sprinkling with your favorite granola. As you can see, I made this sundae after only about 4 hours, when the ice cream was still closer to soft serve.

Make a "Chocolate Rapture" sundae by topping with Warm Chocolate Sauce.

Or, make a "Tiramisu" flavored sundae by topping with Warm Chocolate Sauce and a vegan mascarpone cheese.

Note: for an eerily accurate mascarpone, bring 1/4 cup plain non-dairy creamer to a boil in a small saucepan and stir in 1 tablespoon agar; let cool. In a bowl, combine 8 ounces Tofutti cream cheese, 1/4 cup vegan sour cream, the agar mixture, 1/3 cup vegan powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat with a hand mixer until creamy. Cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours so the mixture can set, then dollop over the ice cream and drizzle with the chocolate sauce. Voila - this sundae tastes like tiramisu without the ladyfingers 

*My note on the chocolate is exactly the opposite from that for my Warm Chocolate Sauce - choose a bittersweet dark chocolate here, one labeled 85% cacao, to achieve the right bittersweet mocha result.

Nutrition Info:
8 servings (1/2 cup), Calories 206 

Tasting Notes:
Just awesome. I'm a sucker for anything coffee flavored. Make that mocha flavored and I'm in love, and this was awesomeness on a spoon. A perfect balance of coffee and chocolate, not too sweet, and a nice kick from the Kahlua. I loved the little bits of chopped chocolate waiting in each spoonful.  Like a frozen Starbucks mochaccino, only better.

Rating:
5

Warm Chocolate Sauce

It's August and it's hot... which means it's the time of year to turn my kitchen into a vegan ice cream parlor.  Last summer, I had fun making "homemade" maple-bourbon ice cream and peanut butter-banana ice cream, among others. If you're building your own sundae bar, nothing beats sauces and toppings from scratch.  This warm chocolate sauce is a fresh-tasting alternative to the store-bought kind.

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup plain non-dairy milk
• 1/2 cup corn syrup (such as Wholesome Sweeteners)
• 1/4 cup vegan sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
• Dash of salt
• 2.5 ounces chopped semisweet dark chocolate*
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Whisk together the milk, corn syrup, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Remove from heat and add the chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla, stirring until the chocolate melts.  Per the title of the recipe, spoon over your favorite vegan ice cream while the sauce is still warm!

Here's one sundae idea to get you started: A "Bar None" sundae, with the vegan vanilla from Soy Delicious, this chocolate sauce, and crumbled vegan brownies on top, whether homemade or store-bought from a company like Boston Cookies. 

*Note: Be sure to use a semisweet dark chocolate, not one that's bittersweet. Companies will often label by percentage of cacao, so aim for a bar that's about 70%, rather than 85%.  A couple good chocolate brands with certified vegan dark chocolate include Sweet Riot and the Endangered Species chocolate company.

Nutrition Info:
14 servings (2 tablespoons), Calories 99

Tasting Notes:
Although the corn syrup was a touch stronger than I expected, that didn't stop this sauce from being delicious. Silky smooth and wonderfully chocolatey. It's on the thin side, so if you want a more "hot fudge" version, see my post for Rich Chocolate Sauce.  But this had a classic, Hershey's syrup taste that was fun to recreate at home - and was perfect over vanilla soy ice cream.

Rating:
4

Traditional Yankee Pot Roast

If one thing's for sure, it's that food is intricately linked to culture. Perhaps this is why becoming vegan can seem daunting, with the assumption that treasured family recipes or traditions will be lost. And perhaps in turn that's why I am so often drawn towards "veganizing" old classics, recreating the scents, flavors, textures, and traditions, without harming animals in the process.

As a born-and-bred New England girl, the word "Yankee" jumped out at me in the title of this recipe.  A "Yankee" pot roast harks back to the New England boiled dinner - meat with vegetables added in about halfway through cooking, making for a hearty, one-pot meal.  With a little help from Match beef, you can easily make this classic vegan. Prefer your tradition with southern roots? Try my take on Real Texas Chili.

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 30 ounces Match beef, thawed
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
• 2 cups vegan beef broth (prepared from Not Beef bouillon)
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons Annie's Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup chopped plum tomato
• 1 and 1/4 pounds small red potatoes
• 1 pound carrots
• 2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional for garnish)

1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the Match beef, and add to the pan.  Cook for 8 minutes, turning over about halfway through.  Remove the beef from the pan.

2. Add the onions to the pan and saute for 8 minutes, until browned.  The onions will work up a nice sweat during this time, and help dislodge any browned bits of beef that stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven.  Return the beef to the pan.

3. In a bowl, combine the broth, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce; pour over the beef.  Add the tomatoes, and bring to a simmer.

4. Peel the carrots and cut into 1-inch pieces.  Add the carrots and potatoes to the pan.  Cover and transfer to the oven, and bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.  Stir in the lemon juice.

Note: if your veggies are still a little tough out of the oven, remove the beef from the pan and simmer the remaining mixture over the stove-top for an additional 10 minutes or so.

Slice the beef into 3 ounce portions and ladle the vegetables over each portion to serve. A dusting of fresh parsley makes a lovely garnish in terms of both taste and color.

Nutrition Info:
10 servings (3 ounces beef, 1/2 cup vegetables), Calories 290 

Tasting Notes:
This was so wonderful; the savory broth had a nice kick from the Worcestershire sauce, and the Match beef was cooked perfectly.  As I mentioned, I gave the vegetables an extra 10 minute simmer over the stove-top, at which point they, too, were perfect - tender but with a nice crispness. There was a touch too much black pepper.  Use 2 teaspoons instead and this should be perfect.

Rating:
4