Creamy Vodka Sauce

Robert first served this at a dinner he prepared for his friends at our home in Rocklin. Quick and easy to prepare, we like this sauce over penne pasta but it is equally good with Linguini, gnocchi or another pasta of your choosing.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion (chopped)

1 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes (drained, seeded and chopped)

1 ½ cup heavy cream

1/3 cup vodka

½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Melt butter and olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onions and sauté about 6 minutes or until translucent. Add tomatoes and reduce until almost no liquid remains in pan - 20 to 25 minutes. Be sure to stir frequently.

Add cream, vodka, and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roasted Potatoes & Carrots with Sesame Seeds

After a long afternoon walking the Temple Bar neighborhood of Dublin looking for vegetarian fare, Robert and I gave up and walked back toward our hostel across the river. Just as we had resigned ourselves to some take away food, the vegan gods smiled down on us.

At 83 Middle Abbey Street, not far from our hostel, we saw a sign for Govindas Restaurant. Hard to tell where they got the name for their restaurant but I was guessing that it was a Krishna reference. I told Robert, “Now that has to be a vegetarian restaurant”. 

We crossed over the river and walked into the restaurant. We immediately saw a sign that said “No meat, no fish, no eggs…EVER”. Then we saw the buffet. Good, fresh food. We smiled at each other and put our camera and daypack on a table.

After relaxing for a while and enjoying a refreshing cold glass of tea, we were served a plate that had five different foods; all excellent. Here’s the recipe for their roasted carrots, potatoes and sesame seed side dish.

Ingredients:

2  pounds  baby Yukon Gold potatoes (scrubbed and halved lengthwise)

2  pounds  carrots (scrubbed, halved lengthwise, then halved crosswise)

2  tablespoons  extra virgin olive oil

1/2  teaspoon  coarse salt

1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

2  tablespoons  minced fresh thyme

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and add potatoes. Boil potatoes until barely tender when pricked with a fork, about 5 minutes, then drain them completely and spread in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Add carrots, drizzle vegetables with olive oil, season generously with salt and pepper, and gently toss to coat evenly. Bake, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Transfer vegetables to a large bowl and add thyme and sesame seeds; gently toss to coat evenly. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Asparagus Pastry Rolls

Tired of spring rolls? Try these asparagus rolls baked in puff pastry with tasty Pecorino cheese and truffle oil. Great as an appetizer. 

Ingredients: 

1 (17 ¼ -ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets (thawed) 

2 large egg yolks 

5 ounces finely grated Pecorino cheese (about 1 3/4 packed cups) 

28 asparagus stalks (trimmed to 6-inch lengths including tips) 

3 tablespoons white truffle oil (optional) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Unfold pastry sheets and halve each parallel to the tri-fold lines. Roll out 1 half (keep remaining 3 halves chilled, covered with plastic wrap) into a 20- by 7-inch rectangle with a floured rolling pin on a well-floured surface. (Pastry will shrink slightly after rolling.) Brush off excess flour from work surface and both sides of pastry, and then trim all edges with a sharp knife to make even. Cut crosswise into 6 (6 1/2- by 3-inch) rectangles. 

Brush rectangles with egg wash (beat egg yolks with 2 teaspoons water) and sprinkle each rectangle evenly with 1 tablespoon Pecorino, leaving a 1/2-inch border on long sides. Lay asparagus stalk along 1 long side, then roll up asparagus in pastry, pressing seam to seal. Make more rolls with remaining pastry, cheese, and asparagus. 

Arrange rolls, seam sides down, about 1 inch apart on lightly oiled baking sheets and brush top and sides lightly with egg wash. Chill rolls for at least 15 minutes in the refrigerator. 

Bake rolls in batches in middle of oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until puffed and golden. 

Transfer with a metal spatula to a cutting board and trim about 1/2 inch from ends. Halve each roll crosswise, then, starting about 1/2 inch from either end, cut each section diagonally in half. 

To serve, stand asparagus rolls on end, 2 by 2 on platters, and drizzle each top with 1 drop of truffle oil (if using). 

Summer Spring Rolls

Is summer “spring" rolls an oxymoron? Once you taste these fresh rolls you won’t care if this vegan recipe is an oxymoron, a contradiction or pointedly foolish. Just go for it and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 package (4 ounces) vermicelli rice noodles

8-inch spring roll wrappers

Fresh chives (optional)

1 avocado (thinly sliced)

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (stems trimmed)   

1 medium carrot (cut into matchsticks)

1 small cucumber (cut into matchsticks)

Directions:

Pour boiling water over vermicelli rice noodles and soak 15 minutes. Drain and rinse. Divide into 8 equal portions. Fill a wide, shallow bowl with warm water. Working with one spring-roll wrapper at a time, soak until pliable, 10-15 seconds. Transfer to a flat surface and smooth out.

Robin does the wrap!

Place a layer of fillings (chives, etc.) on bottom third of wrapper, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Top with a portion of noodles and another layer of fillings. Fold bottom of wrapper tightly over fillings.

Roll over once, tuck in sides, and finish rolling. Transfer roll to a plate and cover with a slightly damp paper towel. Repeat to make 8 summer rolls.

Serve immediately with dipping sauces (a vegan Thai peanut sauce and/or a Hoisin sauce are fun).

Natch Croquettes

My friend, Lol, and I were discussing children and food the other day before dinner. He asked if I had ever heard of the croquettes prepared to lure “the Natch”. I must have looked clueless for he walked over to my iMac and searched for “the Natch”. Here’s a quote he found in the Green Eggs and Ham Cookbook, by Georgeanne Brennan:

"A beast called the Natch, who lives in Kartoom, has always stayed in his cave, refusing to come out. But Gerald McGrew, who plans to catch unusual creatures for his zoo, decides to lure him out with pickled, peanut-sprinkled chicken croquettes."

I’m not Gerald McGrew so my croquettes are not pickled and do not feature chicken. I’m betting, however, that if the Natch were vegetarian, he’d be lured out to sample these simple yet tasty croquettes. As you fry them, be sure to leave a couple of inches of space around each one. This will help prevent them from falling apart as they cook.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons milk

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon green onion (chopped)

2 egg yolks (beaten)

3 tablespoons whole wheat flour

4 cups mashed potatoes

1 egg (beaten)

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Extra virgin olive oil (enough to fill fry pan to 1/2-inch)

Directions:

Add milk, salt, pepper, green onion, egg yolks and flour to mashed potatoes. Chill and then shape using an ice cream scoop. Dip in the beaten egg, then roll through bread crumbs making sure they are totally covered.

Fry in small batches until brown on all sides. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve warm as a side dish or as an appetizer with my Ojai Green Sauce.

Ojai Pepper Jelly Appetizers for St. Patrick's Day

This easy-to-make recipe is elegant and tasty. It takes advantage of the spiciness of Suze McClellan’s fresh pepper jelly and the creaminess of Brie cheese. These spicy, buttery delights are an excellent appetizer for your next St. Patrick’s Day celebration or dinner party.

Ingredients:

2 sheets puff pastry

8 ounces Brie cheese

½ cup Ojai Pepper Jelly (your choice of flavors)

1 egg (beaten)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Thaw pastry. Cut the puff pastry into thirds along the creases.  Cut each panel into four pieces.  One sheet of puff pastry will yield 12 rectangles.  Cut each rectangle in half.  You’ll have 24 little rectangles that will create 12 little rectangle pockets.

Combine beaten egg with a splash of milk or tepid water.  Brush 12 of the small rectangles with egg wash. Place a small slice of brie (rind and all) on top of the egg wash. Top with about 1/2 teaspoon of Suze’s pepper jelly. Take another square of puff pastry and press between your fingers to make the rectangle slightly bigger. Place puff pastry on top of the cheese and jelly. Use a fork to press the edges together. The egg wash will act as a glue.  Make sure to seal the edges well by crimping with the fork.

Place prepared brie bites on baking sheet.  Brush lightly with egg wash. Bake for 14 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before serving. Then call Suze and thank her for making this incredible culinary delight.

Fresh Pico de Gallo

Pico de Gallo [PEE-koh day GI-yoh] means “roosters beak” in Spanish. Tradition says that this dish was so named because it was once eaten with the thumb and finger, an action that resembles a rooster's pecking beak. I like to eat it with tortilla chips. You might use it as a fresh salsa with breakfast burritos, tacos, omelets potato or tofu frittatas.

Ingredients:

5 - 6 medium tomatoes (diced)

1 medium white onion (diced)

¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped fine)

2 jalapeno chiles (seeded and chopped fine)

1 garlic clove (minced)

Juice of 1 lime

Salt to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, stir and enjoy. Use finger and thumb if necessary although tortilla chips are better!

Mushroom-Brie Appetizer

According to the website kitchenproject.com, “Puff pastry is a light, flaky pastry made by repeatedly layering pastry dough and butter or another solid fat, called laminating, to form a thin dough that puffs in the oven.”

Puff pastry was invented about 1645 by a French pastry cook's apprentice named Claudius Gele. At the end of his apprenticeship, Claudius wanted to bake a delicious loaf of bread for his sick father, who was prescribed a diet consisting only of water, flour and butter. Claudius prepared a dough, packing the butter into it, kneading the dough out on the table, folding it, and repeating the procedure ten times, after which he molded the dough into a loaf. Before you can say voilà, puff pastry was born!

I like to wrap a round of double or triple cream Brie cheese in puff pastry and serve it as an appetizer for friends and family. My savory appetizer recipe, below, pairs well with red or white wine. I’m guessing that Claudius would have served it with a French Beaujolais. 

Ingredients: 

1 small Walla Walla sweet onion (minced) 

½ pound mushrooms (chopped fine) 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 

1 tablespoon dry Sherry 

½ teaspoon nutmeg 

¼ teaspoon salt 

1 sheet defrosted puff pastry rolled out to12-inches square 

1 round of Brie cheese (about 5 inches in diameter) 

1 large egg (mixed with ½ teaspoon of water for wash) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Mince enough onion to measure 1/2 cup and finely chop the mushrooms. Cook onion in butter over medium heat until softened. Add mushrooms, Sherry, nutmeg and salt to taste and sauté over medium-high heat until most of the liquid evaporates. Set aside to cool. 

Cut Brie round in half (horizontally) so you have a bottom half and a top half. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the sheet of pastry to approximately 12-inches square. Center bottom half of Brie, cut side up, in the middle of defrosted pastry and spread mushroom mixture on top of Brie. Cover mushroom mixture with remaining half of Brie, cut side down. 

Without stretching pastry, wrap it snugly up over the round of Brie. Turn over so that the sealed side is on the bottom and place on baking sheet. Brush top of pastry with egg wash. With back of a sharp small knife gently score side of pastry with vertical marks, being careful not to cut through dough. Chill Brie, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Brie may be loosely covered and chilled for up to one day ahead of time. 

Bake Brie in middle of oven until pastry is puffed and golden, about 20 - 25 minutes. Let stand in pan or transfer to a rack to cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with crackers, crostini or fresh ¼-inch slices of your favorite sour dough French bread. 

Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

Classic hollandaise sauce is made with ½ pound butter, 3 egg yolks, lemon juice, water, cayenne pepper and salt. My vegan version skips the fat and cholesterol while offering the same creamy consistency and taste.  Make this ahead of time, store in the refer and then reheat just before using by stirring over low heat just until warm.

Ingredients:

1 cup silken tofu

4 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt

¼  teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon turmeric

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions:

Heat tofu in microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds, or until warmed through. Transfer to food processor and purée until smooth. Add lemon juice, nutritional yeast, salt, cayenne, and turmeric; pulse until well combined. With food processor running, add oil in steady stream to finish sauce.

The best use of Hollandaise sauce is, perhaps, on veggie Eggs Benedict. I also use this sauce on steamed Brussels sprouts and fresh steamed or blanched asparagus.

Thai Peanut Sauce

I don’t usually quote Wikipedia but I found this sentence informative (and hopefully accurate): “Peanut sauce, satay sauce, bumbu kacang, sambal kacang, or pecel is a sauce widely used in the cuisines of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, China and Africa.” 

I use Trader Joe’s Thai Peanut Sauce in my vegetarian recipes. It is wonderful. Wondering if I could duplicate it, I went to Rainbow Bridge to buy my ingredients and then experimented with different combinations of vegan curry pastes and coconut milk. I think I got close. In fact, I think my vegan, gluten-free version is even tastier than what I have been buying. Give it a try and let me know what you think. 

Ingredients: 

1 13.5-ounce can Native Forest unsweetened coconut milk 

3 tablespoons Thai Kitchen red curry paste (more if you like it spicy) 

¾ cup creamy Earth Balance natural peanut butter 

1 teaspoon salt 

2/3 cup raw sugar 

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped) 

½ cup water 

Directions: 

Combine all ingredients in a 3-4 quart pan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Whisk constantly. Reduce heat to simmer and cook, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove pan from stove and allow to cool. 

Pour sauce into a quart glass jar and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. If sauce is too thick when you bring it out of the refer, stir in a little water to bring it to the right consistency. 

Tomato Soup with Fennel

This is a wonderfully hearty vegetarian soup for the remaining wintery days of March. Quick and easy to prepare, tomatoes and fennel pair nicely making a tasty soup. Even better, this soup freezes well. Make a double batch and save some for the next rainy day.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large fennel bulb (diced)

3 Lightlife Italian Style Sausages (sliced into 1/2-inch-thick rounds)

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons dry white wine

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Vegetable Base

3 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley (chopped)

Directions:

Heat oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add fennel, and sauté 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in sausages and fennel seeds, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until fennel seeds are slightly softened and bits of sausage are stuck to bottom of pan. Add wine and cook 5 to10 seconds, stirring to deglaze pan. Add broth, tomatoes, vegetable base and parsley. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and serve with a slice of fresh Ciabatta bread.

Lemon Zest

Zest is a food ingredient that is prepared by cutting or scrapping the outer skin of citrus fruits, including lemons. Lemon zest may be used fresh, dried, candied, or pickled. It is a flavorful addition to many culinary delights including pastries, jams and even liquors.

Here’s a unique pesto-pasta recipe that benefits from fresh lemon zest.

Ingredients:

12 ounces farfalle (bowtie) pasta

2 cups baby arugula

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 cup toasted walnut pieces (divided ¼ and ¾)

3 tablespoons organic olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup golden raisins (regular are OK but golden are better)

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Using a “zester”, grater or paring knife, scrape or cut the zest from the outside of a washed and dried lemon.

Pulse the arugula, zest, garlic, ¼ cup walnuts, the oil, salt, and pepper in a food processor until blended, scraping inside of bowl as needed.

Drain pasta, reserving a scant ¼ cup of the water. Return pasta to pot and add pesto, stirring to coat. Stir in remaining walnuts, the raisins and reserved pasta water. Serve while still warm. This fruity pasta pairs well with Michael Meagher’s Vino V Wines 2009 Chardonnay or John Whitman’s Old Creek Ranch Winery 2009 Sangiovese.