Mashed Potatoes with Blue Cheese and Parsley

Have I mentioned that I love Veg Cuisine's soy bleu cheese? That anything even remotely involving this vegan cheese is instantly made better? That I can eat it by the forkful? Oh, whoops, yes. I have no doubt mentioned this many times. So I present to you a case in point: blue cheese mashed potatoes. Adding the soy bleu transforms this most essential of all comfort foods into something worthy of a special occasion.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds red potatoes
• 2 peeled garlic cloves
• 1 cup crumbled vegan blue cheese (such as Veg Cuisine)
• 1/2 cup plain non-dairy milk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Cut the potatoes into 2-inch chunks (but do not peel) and place in a large saucepan, along with the garlic cloves.  Cover with water and bring to a boil; continue to cook for 15 minutes, until tender.

2. Drain and transfer the potato mixture to a large bowl.  Add the blue cheese, milk, parsley, and black pepper.  Mash with a potato masher to desired consistency.

Note: Because of the rustic feel of the potato peels, this is the kind of mashed potato dish that's fine with a few lumps.

These potatoes would be perfect served with Match pork and a tossed salad in balsamic vinaigrette for an elegant but simple little dinner.

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (1 cup), Calories 284

Tasting Notes:
The blue cheese flavor was exactly what I hoped - noticeable and delicious, without being overpowering. I would have preferred creamier mashed potatoes (these were a touch dry) so recommend a bit more milk (I used soy) and perhaps a tablespoon of Earth Balance butter. The garlic flavor was unexpectedly strong but also delicious. 

Rating:
3.5

Vegan extra:
Thinking about mashed potatoes as pretty much the essential comfort food got me thinking about other "essentials" in my vegan kitchen. Here are just a few:

Essential spice: I was asked recently which spice I use most often, and realized the answer is probably cumin. It goes in everything from American dishes to Indian-spiced ones, and everything in between.

If you want to try the quintessential cumin dish, try in a Moroccan carrot salad.

Essential snack: You just can't go wrong with pretzels. They are usually vegan by default, available everywhere and have saved my life (well, my hunger anyway) at many an airport or roadside convenience store. For that reason I don't always keep pretzels around the house, but when I do, you can bet I'll pull them out for a quick snack.

Essential cooking staple: There might be a few recipes on my blog without garlic (such as, well, desserts) but not many. Garlic makes pretty much any and every recipe better. If you want to give it a chance to shine on its own for once, roast a whole head in the oven and spread liberally over a baguette.

Essential convenience: For me this is a jar of bottled roasted bell peppers. I almost always have them on hand. Despite how easy it is to roast your own at home, its even easier just to twist off a lid. Even better, they make an instant side dish if you drizzle with high quality balsamic vinegar.

Essential superfood: If you want a super dose of beta carotene and vitamin C, reach for dried mango. Unlike other dried fruit, it's relatively low in calories (about 110 calories per serving), but packs a great nutrition punch.

Essential tool: My chef's knife of course! A gift from my husband, my Japanese hammered knife makes cooking every day feel like a special occasion. A vegan won't need to sharpen knives as often as someone cutting through flesh and bone, but do keep it sharp so you can tackle your squashes and potatoes and onions with ease.

Not essential, but always in my cabinet none-the-less: vegan caramel sundae syrup.

I can't get enough of this stuff, now that I've discovered it. Obviously amazing on any non-dairy ice cream.

Not so obviously, it's also sooo yummy whisked into a sauce and drizzled over tofu steaks.

Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes

I discovered vegan buttermilk as the secret to super-fluffy pancakes about 2 years ago. The blueberries in this version give you a nice dose of fresh fruit and antioxidants.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon vegan sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 cups vegan buttermilk*
• 1/2 cup plain non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 Ener-G egg
• Cooking spray
• 2 cups blueberries

1. Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife.  Combine the flour in a bowl with the sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

2. In a second bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, milk, canola oil, and Ener-G egg.  Add to the flour mixture and stir until smooth.

3. Heat a griddle coated with cooking spray, and add 1/4 cup pancake batter per pancake.  Top each pancake with 2 heaping tablespoons blueberries.

4. Cook until the tops are covered in bubbles and the edges look done (about 4 minutes), then flip over and cook for about 2 minutes on the other side.  Repeat with the remaining batter and blueberries to make 12 (5-inch) pancakes total, working in batches to avoid overcrowding the griddle.

Here's a nice view of the underside, once you've finished cooking:

 And here's a blueberry-filled bite: 

*To prepare the buttermilk, place 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup, and fill with non-dairy milk to equal 1 and 1/2 cups.  Let stand for about 5 minutes to clabber (sour) the mixture before proceeding with the recipe.  Don't skip this step; the acidity from the lemon juice reacts with the baking soda to make the pancakes as light and fluffy as they are. 

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (2 pancakes), Calories 261

Tasting Notes: 
This was a nice, standard blueberry pancake recipe, producing fluffy pancakes, although the taste of the flour was a bit noticeable. Not, ultimately, as good as my Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes, but I enjoyed that the blueberries provided natural sweetness. For that reason, I served them plain, but would probably rate this recipe even higher if I had used maple syrup or powdered sugar on top.

Rating:
3

Update:
A couple recommendations for this recipe based on trial and error. I tried making the pancakes in a skillet, but it a) took way longer than the griddle since I could only work in batches of 2 at a time and b) seemed to result in pancakes that were less fluffy and rather sad looking:

So stick with a griddle.

I also tried a batch with frozen blueberries, since it's the middle of winter after all, and fresh blueberries are decidedly out of season.

Unfortunately I don't recommend it. If you cook the pancakes while the blueberries are still frozen, you'll have to cook considerably longer on each side, but if you try to thaw them first, you'll wind up with blue-stained pancakes. So stick with fresh no matter the time of year.

Still, you can't go wrong with pancakes once you've got maple syrup drizzled over them:

Fennel-Crusted Pork

You can make quick dinners using the vegan pork from Match meats. Make sure to transfer the pork from your freezer to fridge the night before, so it has time to thaw.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 6 tablespoons vegan chicken broth, divided (such as Imagine)
• 1 tablespoon Annie's Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces Match pork, thawed
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

1. Place the fennel and coriander seeds in a spice grinder and process until coarsely ground.  Transfer the spice mixture to a food processor or blender and add 2 tablespoons broth, the Worcestershire sauce, garlic, salt, and black pepper; process until blended.

2. Cut the pork in half horizontally, and then slice each piece lengthwise, opening flat (otherwise known as "butterflying").  Rub the spice mixture evenly over the pork.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the pork and cook for 5 minutes on each side.  Remove from the pan.

4. Add the remaining 1/4 cup broth, and cook until the liquid is nearly all evaporated (about 5 to 6 minutes), scraping the pan to remove any browned bits.  Drizzle the pan juices evenly over the pork.

For a nice side dish loaded with fresh veggies, try this simple black-eyed pea salad: in a bowl, combine 2 cups chopped and seeded tomato, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, 1 tablespoon chopped and seeded jalapeno pepper, and 1 (15-ounce) drained can black-eyed peas.  Cover and chill until ready to serve.

The pork also pairs well with a glass of your favorite (vegan) red wine:

Nutrition Info:
4 servings (3 ounces pork with pan juices), Calories 168

Tasting Notes:
The dominant flavors were the fennel and the Worcestershire sauce, an intriguing combination I can only best describe as licorice-flavored soy sauce. The sauce is quite nice over the Match pork, and I have a feeling would be great over tempeh if you're not a Match fan. The black-eyed pea salad was a little bland, but the cilantro in the salad and the coriander seeds in the pork rub played well off each other (which makes sense, of course, seeing as how they're from the same plant).

Rating:
3

Juicy Apple Crisp

If I had to pick the essential dessert, apple crisp would be it. You can get apples year-round (even if they're best in the fall), and the ingredients and preparation for a crisp are neither time consuming nor fussy. This dessert is pretty much guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup regular oats
• 1/3 cup packed vegan brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons melted vegan butter
• 1 tablespoon frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
• 2 tablespoons vegan sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith apple
• 1/4 cup frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup low-fat vanilla non-dairy ice cream (such as Soy Delicious)

1. In a bowl, combine the oats, brown sugar, flour, butter, 1 tablespoon apple juice, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.

2. In a second bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and salt.

3. Place the apple slices in an 11x7-inch baking dish, and sprinkle with the cornstarch mixture.  Pour the remaining 1/4 cup apple juice and the water over the apples.

4. Top with the oat mixture, and bake at 425 degrees for 25 minutes - the filling should be bubbly and the topping golden brown.

5. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Don't forget to top each portion with the ice cream!

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (1 cup crisp, 2 tablespoons ice cream), Calories 258 

Tasting Notes:
This is apple crisp at its most classic and simple; nothing fancy, but tender, warm apples and subtle sweetness from the apple juice and sugars.  This recipe uses a light hand on the topping, which had the flavor of a toasted oatmeal cookie.  I'd say double the amount of topping if you'd like a more decadent dessert. There's a reason they call desserts with ice cream a la mode - that combination of warm apple and ice cold vanilla will never go out of fashion. For a less-standard apple crisp recipe, check out my version with cranberries.

Rating:
3

Vegan extra:
This crisp was perfect with a hot cup of tea, especially since I prepared it in mid-February.  One of my favorite brands is Yogi tea, particularly their chai black.

My favorite of their herbal teas is "Throat Comfort," a blend of licorice, fennel, wild cherry, cinnamon, and more.  Perfect for a scratchy winter throat.

Even better, every tea bag gives you just a little bit of wisdom:

Of course another option is to visit a tea salon. Two of my favorites in NYC are the all vegan Teany in the Lower East Side and Spice & Tease on the Upper West Side.

Brown-and-Wild Rice Pilaf with Date Chutney

Tonight I'm making a two-part recipe: first chutney, and then a pilaf to go along with it.  Chutney is often served as a condiment to pilafs or dals in Indian cuisine, and this one features a combination of sweet dates and spicy jalapeno.

Ingredients:
For the Date Chutney:

• 1 cup chopped pitted dates
• 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until thick and smooth.  The chutney will keep well in the fridge up to 2 days.

If you don't feel like preparing the pilaf recipe that follows, the chutney is delicious on sandwiches with vegan cream cheese, for a spin on cream cheese-and-jelly filling:

The chutney will also liven up any number of grain dishes, from simple couscous:

to a store-bought raisin and lentil pilaf:

The sweet dates were also an excellent foil to the saltiness of tabbouleh:

Nutrition Info:
16 servings (1 tablespoon), Calories 33

If you're interested in the pilaf, read on.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups water
• 3/4 cup uncooked wild rice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 and 1/4 cups uncooked brown basmati rice
• 3/4 cup frozen green peas, thawed
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 and 1/2 cups vertically sliced onion
• 1 recipe Date Chutney
• 6 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds*

1. Combine the water, wild rice, salt, and turmeric in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the basmati rice and return the mixture to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 25 minutes.

2. Stir in the green peas and cook for a final 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and saute for 20 minutes, until golden brown.

3. Spoon about 3/4 cup rice mixture onto each of 6 plates.  Top each serving with about 1 and 1/2 tablespoons onion, about 2 and 1/2 tablespoons chutney, and 1 tablespoon almonds.

*Toast the almonds in a skillet over medium heat for about 5 to 6 minutes, while stirring or shaking frequently to prevent the nuts from burning.

Nutrition Info:
6 servings (3/4 cup rice, 1 and 1/2 tablespoons onion, 2 and 1/2 tablespoons chutney, 1 tablespoon almonds), Calories 383

Tasting Notes:
The pilaf on its own is rather bland, but it is the toppings that make this dish quite good and very different. The onions are sweet and oily (in a good way), and the crunch of the toasted almonds is a great foil to the tender rice. I would roast the almonds in the oven next time, for even more pronounced flavor. But the best part by far is the chutney. It thickens as it sits, so by the time you spoon it onto each plate, it is a rich combination of sweet dates and tart lemon.  A "4" for the chutney alone, a slightly lower rating overall since, for this recipe to be exceptional, the pilaf itself would need more flavor.

Update: As I discovered with leftovers, the best way to eat this, for maximum flavor and effect, is just to stir it all together into one big delicious mess.

Rating:
3.5