Root Vegetable Torte

If you've been following along for the past couple weeks, you've heard me complain about how the veggies in my CSA box don't seem to have gotten the memo that it's practically summer here in Durham. Just like I did months ago, I seem to be getting tons of greens and root veggies. I realize that having access to local produce is a luxury but that doesn't keep me from whining about it. I don't discriminate against winter produce though; towards the end of the summer I also complain about overdosing on tomatoes, zucchini, and squash. You've been warned.

Last summer I came across this wonderful Smitten Kitchen herbed summer squash and potato torte recipe while trying to make a serious dent in our massive squash stash. It wasn't squash I was trying to get rid of this time though, it was turnips. Honestly, I'm not a huge fan. Most people I know eat them smothered in cream, which isn't really my cup of tea, or in a soup. Since I didn't feel like making a hot blended soup (Austin opposes them on principle; he says they look like baby food) I was at a loss. I decided the best thing to do would be to hide them between layers of root veggies I do enjoy -- Yukon Gold and sweet potatoes -- and sprinkle them with almesan, which makes everything better. To my surprise, the turnips taste does come through and that's actually a good thing. Roasting them slowly brings out their subtle sweetness which complements the sweet potatoes and provides some contrast to the savoriness of the Yukon Golds and the almesan.

This recipe requires slicing all the root vegetables uniformly so that they cook evenly. Doing so is orders of magnitude easier if you use a mandoline slicer. If you don't have one, consider this a knife skills refresher. Either way, give this torte a try. We usually eat it for dinner, but I think it would make a fantastic brunch dish.

Root Vegetable Torte
Makes 2 9-inch tortes, or about 8 servings
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Herbed Summer Squash and Potato Torte

• 1 cup almesan
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions or scallions
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 lb yukon gold potatoes, peeled cut into 1/8 inch / 3 mm slices
• 1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled cut into 1/8 inch / 3 mm slices
• 14 oz / 400 g turnips, peeled cut into 1/8 inch / 3 mm slices
• About 1/3 to 1/2 cup olive oil 

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, mix together the almesan, green onions, all purpose flour, salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg.  Then, grease 2 9-inch pie dishes with some olive oil. Arrange 1/4 of the sweet potato slices in concentric circles with a little overlap in the bottom one dish. Drizzle the sweet potatoes with 1-1 1/2 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/8 of the almesan mixture. Repeat the process with 1/2 of the turnips, 1/2 of the potato slices, and 1/4 of the sweet potato slices, making sure to drizzle some olive oil and sprinkle some almesan in between each layer and on the top of the torte. Use the same method to put together the second torte.

2.  Cover the tortes with aluminum foil and cook for about 40 minutes. Uncover them and cook for another 20 minutes or until the top layer starts to brown.

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers

A couple weeks ago my friend Ken sent me this New York Times article about veggie burgers with the following message: "Apparently veggie burgers are tasty now. I'm skeptical". It discusses how nasty commercial veggie burgers can be and how they're usually eaten because they are the only meat alternative available at say a barbecue, not because anyone really likes them (my friend Jill, a meat eater with a love for Boca burgers, may be the exception). The article brings up a point I've been trying to make for years: if a veggie burger is made right, bearing no resemblance to those hard, previously frozen disks that look and kind of taste like a hockey puck, it becomes something both vegetarians and omnivores actually want to eat. The take home message is think of a veggie burger not as a substitute for its meaty counterpart but as a potentially delicious food in its own right.

The first veggie burgers I ever made were the Black Bean Burgers from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terri Hope Romero's Veganomicon. They have a Mexican flare to them, which I usually heighten by adding chipotles in adobo. Perhaps their flavor profile is why I associate all homemade veggie burgers with Southwestern flavors. Inspired by the article, I set off to create a new veggie burger recipe that strayed from my usual. I incorporated Mediterranean flavors such as olives, sun dried tomatoes, and parsley. I know sweet potatoes aren't exactly the first ingredient that comes to mind when you think of the Mediterranean, but I had a surplus so I threw some in too. Also, I honestly can't stop myself from putting avocado on my burgers, unless I'm out of them. After all, they are nature's butter.

You might be asking yourself how these veggie burgers hold together. Well, the magic is in the chia or flax seeds. When combined with moisture they form a gelatinous paste that can be used as a binder in baking or, in this case, in a veggie burger. The burgers in Veganomicon are held together by vital wheat gluten, which you can find in most supermarkets these days, hanging out by the flour. If you'd like to use that instead, add 1/3 to 1/2 cup of it instead of the chia or flax seeds. 

Now get cooking and embrace veggie burgers!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burgers
Makes 6 burgers

• 1/2 medium sweet potato, baked or steamed, and mashed
• 1 15 oz / 435 g can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced 
• 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes (I used the kind packed in oil)
• 1/4 cup olives (I used kalamata)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons of chia seeds or ground flax seeds
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt (err on the side of caution since the olives will add some extra salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil (I used the oil my tomatoes came packed in) or olive oil cooking spray

1.  Preheat the oven to 350 F / 175 C. Pour the salt over the garlic and drag the garlic across the cutting board using your knife until the garlic has formed a paste. This will release the garlic oils and prevent anyone from biting into a big ol' chunk of it. Toss the garlic and the onion into a medium mixing bowl. Add the beans, olives and sun dried tomatoes. Using a potato masher, one with small holes will work best, or a fork, mash mixture until no whole beans remain; having some half beans is fine. Add the rest of the ingredients, except for the oil, and mix --I find that using my hands works best -- until all the ingredients are uniformly distributed. Taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes to let the flax or chia do their binding thing.
2.  Divide the burger dough into six equal parts, roll each into a ball and flatten into a patty. Place the patties on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of each burger with olive oil or spray them with cooking spray. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, flipping half way, or until the burgers have browned on both sides. For a quicker cooking method, heat the oil in a skillet over medium to medium high heat and cook each burger for about 4 minutes on each side or until browned.

Baked Sweet Potato and Green Pea Samosas with Mango Chutney

Who doesn't love doughy pockets of goodness? You can choose from empanadas, turnovers, spanakopita, pierogi, gyozas, and, my favorites, samosas. Samosas are normally deep fried but that's not how I cook them since I don't deep fry anything. Don't get me wrong, I love deep fried goodies but they're not exactly healthy and they make a mess out of my kitchen. So it's really laziness that keeps me from making samosas the traditional way. The filling in these is not exactly traditional either, but I throw authenticity out the window any day if I can sneak sweet potatoes in a dish. That's why when I saw Robin Robertson's recipe for baked samosas, with sweet potatoes no less!, in Vegan Planet a few years ago I knew they'd become regulars at my dinner table.

Per the recipe's directions, I started off making my samosas really small which meant I had to spend a long time stuffing them. I used to ask Austin for help but it always took a little coaxing.

Me: Do you think you could help me fill the samosas?
Austin: Meh, I don't really feel like it.
Me: Pleeeeeease. You know mine come out kind of sloppy; I'm not very dexterous.
Austin: Fine. Let me show you how it's done.

Tired of having to enlist help, I decided to make my samosas much larger (it only took me making them oh, ten times, to realize this), which had the added benefit of giving me a higher filling to dough ratio. I am now a much happier samosa maker.

I like these best with mango chutney. We usually buy the Trader Joe's kind but I saw a couple bags of frozen mangoes in the freezer and decided to make my own. It does take some time but the process is pretty darn simple. This homemade chutney is just as good as the store bought stuff and it is definitely cheaper. You can also make a big batch and freeze whatever is left over in anticipation of future samosa nights.

One last thing. I tagged these as an appetizer but I must confess that we make a meal out of them, partly because making them is a bit of a process and partly because they're so delicious. Hey, we all have the right to indulge a bit every now and then.

Baked Sweet Potato and Green Pea Samosas
Adapted from Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet
Makes 18 samosas

For the dough

• 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the filling

• 1 1/2 medium sweet potatoes, baked or steamed and cubed
• 3/4 cup green peas, fresh or frozen 
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon red curry powder (you could use yellow curry powder for a more mild taste)
• 1/8-1/2 teaspoon cayenne, depending on your desired spice level
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
• 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil
• Olive oil cooking spray or an extra couple tablespoons of oil for brushing

1.  In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flours and the salt. Form a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the water and the oil. Mix with a spatula until combined and then knead with your hands until the dough is smooth.  Drizzle the dough with a bit of oil and set it aside to rest while you prepare the rest of the ingredients, for about 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190 C. In a large saute pan, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Toss in the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, for about another 3 minutes. Season with the spices and the salt, cooking while stirring for another minute. Add the peas (if they're frozen they'll thaw, don't worry) and the sweet potato, stirring to coat in the rest of the ingredients, and saute for about 5-7 minutes or until heated through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cilantro.
3.  Divide the dough into two pieces. On a floured surface, roll the dough into a 1/8 inch / 1/3 cm thick square. Cut into thirds in each direction, which should leave you with 9 samosa wrappers. Put a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of a wrapper. Fold over one corner to meet the opposite one. Before you close the the samosa, dampen the inside rim with some water to seal it shut. If you'd like, you can crimp the edges with a fork, but that's more for flare than functionality. Repeat the process with the rest of the wrappers and the other half of the dough.
4.  Place the samosas on an oiled or parchment lined baking sheet. Spray them with some cooking spray, or brush them with oil, on both sides. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy them warm with some mango chutney.

Mango Chutney
Inspired by Alton Brown's recipe

• 2 lbs / 900 grams fresh or frozen peeled and seeded mangoes, cubed (I used Trader Joe's frozen mangoes)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium red onion
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons dried ginger or 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon red curry powder (or yellow curry powder if you'd like a more mild chutney)
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• Salt to taste

1.  In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, which should take about 5 minutes. Season with the red pepper flakes, curry powder, and ground ginger, if using, and toast for about a minute. If using fresh ginger, add it and cook for about 3-5 minutes. Add the mango, stir to coat it in the other ingredients and cook for a couple minutes. Pour in the juice, vinegar and sugar, whisking to dissolve the sugar.
2.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until the mixture has the consistency of preserves. If you'd like to cool it down fast, put the pot over and ice bath and stir the chutney frequently until it's about room temperature. Serve with samosas, over rice, baked tofu or whatever else you'd like.

Around the World in Four Courses

Last night Austin and I had our downstairs neighbors, Sidarth and Vatsala, over for dinner. Instead of creating a cohesive menu around one type of cuisine, I decided to draw each course from a different culture keeping veggies (or fruit) as the star. First we started with some French inspired toasts. Austin is obsessed with leeks and I really love mushrooms so I decided to marry both ingredients, doused in wine, to make a savory, saucy and delicious topping to some hearty toasts. Next, we tasted the Mexican flavors of a sweet potato salad that has become a staple in our house and will blow the socks off that mayo-covered white stuff people serve at picnics. Try it if you don't believe me.  We then briefly visited Italy thanks to Sidarth and Vatsala's amazing veggie lasagna, which I've been meaning to make a version of. Lastly, we had an American dessert with a Caribbean twist. Who new coconut and rum could give another life to a simple crisp? All this good, honest food and even better company made for a wonderful evening.

Mushroom and Leek Toast
Makes about 6 large toasts

• 6 thick slices of hearty bread, rubbed with garlic, toasted and drizzled with olive oil (I made this with some sun dried tomato and olive bread. I'll share the recipe soon)
• 4 oz / 115 g each of fresh shiitake and cremini mushrooms (or you can substitute other varieties), wiped with a damp cloth, stemmed and sliced
• 3 leeks, white and light green parts, cut into quarters lengthwise and thinly sliced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup chopped parsley
• 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.   Heat the butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until they start to soften, about 2 minutes.
2.  Toss in the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown or about 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, leeks, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until the leeks have softened and the garlic is fragrant, about another 5 minutes.
4. Pour the wine in and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook until the liquid has reduced by about half, which should take 5-7 minutes. Mix in the parsley. Taste, adjust the seasonings and serve warm on top of toasted bread.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Black Beans and Chili Dressing
Adapted from a recipe Mark Bittman wrote for the New York Times
Serves 6 as a side, 3 as main course

• 1 lb / 455 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into about 3/4 inch dice
• 1 large red onion, chopped into pieces a bit smaller than the potatoes
• 1 yellow or red bell pepper, chopped into about 1/2 inch squares
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeño, roughly chopped and seeded if you don't like heat
• 1/8 cup lime juice, approximately the juice of 3 limes
• 3/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 F. Arrange the sweet potatoes and onions on a sheet pan, drizzle them with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon  ground black pepper. Roast 30-40 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and the onions are brown in some spots.
2.  While the vegetables are cooking, process or blend the oil, lime juice, jalapeño, garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper until the dressing is smooth.
4. Once the vegetables are roasted, put them in large bowl, pour the dressing over them, add the beans, pepper and cilantro and mix until all the ingredients are coated in the dressing. Taste and adjust the oil, lime juice and seasonings to taste. Chill for a couple hours (although I have eaten this salad warm and it's just as delicious) and serve.

Banana-Berry Caribbean Crisp
Inspired by Banana Crumble in Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's "The Joy of Vegan Baking"
Makes 4-5 servings

• 2 bananas, cut into about 1/4 inch slices
• 2 1/2 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen (I used a frozen mix of blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and strawberries from Trader Joe's)
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• 3 tablespoons dark rum
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup quick oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup dry unsweetened coconut
• 1/3 cup non-dairy butter (I used Earth Balance)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 F / 175 C Grease a 9-inch pie dish and add the fruit (if using frozen, there's no need to thaw it), lime juice, rum and maple syrup, stirring to evenly mix.
2.  Mix the oats, flour, sugar, coconut, non-dairy butter and spices using your hands until the the butter is evenly distributed and all the ingredients are evenly combined.
3.  Cover the fruit with the topping. Press down on the topping with your hands to compact it and even it out. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve warm with some creamy tofu topping. 

Creamy Tofu Topping
Adapted from Whipped Tofu Topping in Colleen Patrick-Goudreau's "The Joy of Vegan Baking"
Makes about 3 cups

• 1 1 lb / 455 g package of lite silken tofu
• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond or other non-dairy milk
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• A pinch of salt

Combine all ingredients in the food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate for at least a couple hours. Enjoy on top of your favorite pie, cobbler, crisp, cake or granola. This would also make a delicious dip for almost any fruit.

Artichoke and Chickpea Soup

This is kind of embarrassing to admit: the only soup I ate willingly before college was my mother's vegetable soup.  It's possible this was because the only other soups I was exposed to were the tasteless, greasy and nasty ones I had as a kid at school (which, in retrospect, were orders of magnitude better than most US school lunches but that's a topic for another post). When I got to college I was faced with limited vegetarian options and forced to expand my horizons. That's when I discovered the existence of all different kinds of soups that were -- gasp! -- as good as my mother's.

Years after this revelation, I've become a soup fiend. While I'm an unconditional fan of all types of soups --(non-dairy) creamy, earthy, brothy, hearty-- I especially adore those that are a meal unto themselves. The soup I made tonight, a version of the Marjoram-Scented Artichoke and Chickpea Stew in Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet", definitely fits that bill. The potatoes and chickpeas give it some heft, the wine and marjoram make its broth incredibly flavorful and the tender artichokes give it some tang. I decided to add a lonely sweet potato I had in my cupboard and its sweetness gave the soup another layer of flavor. I present to you a delicious meal that sticks to your ribs, warms you up from the inside and can be made in a single pot. 

Artichoke and Chickpea Soup
Adapted from Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet"
Makes about 4-5 whole meal servings

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large orange or red bell pepper (although the world will not end if you use a green one), chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 celery rib, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or oregano
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 3 cups vegetable stock
• 3/4 lb / 340 g / 2 medium red or white potatoes, diced into bite size pieces
• 1/4 lb / 110 g / 1 medium sweet potato
• 1 14 oz / 400 g can of artichokes, drained (which should yield about 8.5 oz / 240 g) and quartered
• 1 15 oz / 425 g can chickpeas
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Optional: 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 

1.  In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Toss in the onion and saute for 3 minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the garlic, celery and bell pepper and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about another 5-7 minutes.
2. Stir in the marjoram or oregano, bay leaf, wine and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and add the red or white potatoes. After 5 minutes, add the sweet potatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.
3. Mix in the artichokes and the chickpeas and cook for 5 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve hot, maybe with a nice glass of white wine and a hearty piece of toasted bread.

Nutty Sweet Potato and Kale Stew

Picture this. It's 1 am and you've been at the bar for several hours. In walks a beautiful woman carrying a tray of vegan rosewater pistachio, chocolate mouse, or cappuccino cupcakes. She proceeds to distribute them amongst those present and you all devour them like only people who have the buzzed munchies can. No, this isn't fiction. This scene actually repeated itself pretty frequently at the Sahara, a bar in Worcester, MA where you were pretty certain to find me a few years ago. And who was the cupcake goddess?, you ask. My friend Jenna.

With such a vegan maven in the mix, the food talk was common. I remember one particular night when Jenna kept smiling, looking out into space starry eyed. Was she in love? Yes, yes she was ... with a stew. She just couldn't stop thinking about the wonderful African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew she'd made and had for dinner. When I finally left Worcester, she let me in on the secret: she gave me the book she'd gotten the recipe from -- "Vegan Planet" by Robin Robertson.

The book has since become a favorite of mine. I love the stew of Jenna's dreams. It's got a little sweetness from the potatoes, heat from the pepper, a bit of acidity from the tomatoes and some creaminess from the nut butter.  I've changed a few things from the original recipe: I used more tomatoes, a bit more broth and garlic, changed the spice quantities and substituted almond butter for the peanut butter. Inspired by a similar recipe in "The Happy Herbivore Cookbook", I also decided to add a bunch of kale, since you can never really eat too many greens. The result is just perfect for a night like this one, when I need something comforting after getting my ass kicked in Muscle Pump.

Nutty Sweet Potato and Kale Stew
Adapted from African Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew in Robin Robertson's "Vegan Planet"
Makes about 6 servings 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 medium bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle or cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs or 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into about 1-inch cubes
• 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed 
• 2 tablespoons almond or other nut butter
• 1 bunch of kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped 
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds or other nut

1. Add the oil to a pot over medium heat. When the oil is ready, add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
2. Throw in the garlic and bell pepper, cooking until the pepper softens, about another 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the ginger, salt and spices, cooking until fragrant or about 1 minute. Toss in the potatoes and stir them to coat. Deglaze the pan with the tomatoes, their juice, and the broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are about 10 minutes from being done.
4. Mix in the beans and the kale. Cook for about 5-10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
5. Remove about 1/2 cup of the broth from the pot and mix it with the peanut butter. Stir the mixture back into the pot.
6. Serve garnished with the chopped nuts.