Rosemary Garlic Hasselback Potatoes

After Hannukah, I had extra potatoes. With a newborn keeping me busy (and starving!), I was searching for a simple and delicious recipe that would use up my potatoes. Hasselback potatoes look fancy but are surprisingly easy to make. These crispy potatoes are tasty and their appearance will impress your guests.

http://www.feastingathome.com/2014/10/rosemary-garlic-hasselback-potatoes.html

Favourite Spice Mix

I discovered this recipe years ago as I was searching for something to hide the taste of fish. It does the trick. Now, I keep this spice mix on hand and use it to perk up potatoes, tofu and vegetables. I prefer to leave out the white pepper and use extra black pepper instead. 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/blackened-tilapia-with-secret-hobo-spices/

Horseradish

Making and eating homemade horseradish is an experience. If you like the kind you buy in a jar, you will LOVE the real thing.  It will burn the nose hairs you didn't even know you had! Open a window and wear goggles. This stuff is strong.

This isn't an exact recipe but it's hard to mess it up:

1. Peel horseradish with a sharp knife. Most vegetable peelers don't work that well. 
2. Dice into small cubes and place into a food processor.
3. Add cold water, just enough to cover to cover the blades. Add a few ice cubes. 
4. Blend until you've reached desired consistency. 
5. For each cup of grated horseradish, you will want to add 2-3 TB of white vinegar and 1/2 ts of salt. If you don't like it too hot, add the vinegar right away. Wait 3 minutes or so to add the vinegar if you want it stronger. Depending on the desired consistency, you might want to strain it.

Gluten-free breadcrumbs

I keep ruining perfectly good recipes with bad, store-bought gluten-free breadcrumbs. It's worth the effort to make your own. Use your favourite gluten-free bread and follow these guidelines.  I like to season them with extra garlic and onion powder and salt.

Gluten-Free Potato Latkes (pancakes)

Potato latkes are part of the Hanukkah tradition but can be enjoyed all year round. This recipe is considered a "rich man's latke" since there is no flour to stretch the batter. The taste and texture of these latkes are much better if you grate the potatoes by hand rather than in a food processor. The disadvantage is that they fall apart more easily. Either way, I much prefer this recipe to the classic flour-based latkes. 

Pumpkin Spice Bread

This post has been sitting in "drafts" since last fall.  Oops.

Who has an overwhelming amount of puréed pumpkin sitting in their freezer? We do!! I didn't have the heart to discard our uncarved pumpkins this year so we roasted, pureed and froze them in one-cup portions*.

Aware of my post-Halloween situation, my aunt kindly sent me this recipe from Jody at Urban Frum Eats. As the author puts it, "It is not super-exciting but subtly sweet, paired with a morning mug of coffee or an after dinner tea, this pumpkin loaf is truly a slice of fall".  It won't win any baking awards, but it is worth sharing because it is delightful, moist, easy to make and my toddler gave it the thumbs up. Oh, and it is helping to make more room in my freezer for foods other than pumpkin...

Ingredients

• 1½ c all-purpose gluten-free flour
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ c maple syrup
• ¼ c maple flakes or organic cane sugar
• 1 c pumpkin purée (canned or made fresh* and stored)
• ½ c olive oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¼ c water
• ½ tsp nutmeg
• ½ tsp cinnamon
• Optional: 1/2 ts cloves, chopped walnuts or chocolate/carob chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan. I prefer a mini loaf pan. 
2. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda.
3. In a separate bowl, mix the pumpkin, syrup, sugar, oil, eggs, water and spices together.
4. Quickly combine wet and dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts, chocolate chips if using.
5. Pour mixture into the loaf pan. Bake about 60 minutes or until knife / toothpick comes out clean.

*Pumpkin purée: cut pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds in the middle and lie face down on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake at 350°F until soft (about an hour.) When it has cooled, scoop out the flesh and gently puree in a blender or food processor. Freeze whatever you don't use for future use. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place 1-cup portions on the tray. Place in the freezer until it is frozen then place pumpkins in a freezer bag.

Green Bean Casserole with Crispy French Onions (vegan and gluten free)

In a previous life, I made green bean casseroles with store-bought cream of mushroom soup, canned fried onions and other delicious yet not-so-healthy ingredients. This recipe is a superb alternative, especially for those who don't love eating green vegetables :)

Ingredients 

CASSEROLE

• 1 1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk, warmed
• 1-2 T. vegan butter or coconut oil (olive oil works too)
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped (we added few extra green onions too)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 8 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped
• 3/4 t. dried thyme
• 1/2 t. dried oregano
• 1/2 t. salt
• black pepper to taste 
• 2 TB nutritional yeast 
• 1 T. arrowroot or tapioca starch
• 1/4 c. cold water
• 16 oz. fresh green beans

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Steam the green beans for about 3-4 minutes, just until bright green and slightly tender. Warm your milk.
3. Heat the oil or butter in a skillet. Saute the onions for a few minutes until soft. Add the mushrooms, thyme, oregano, salt, and pepper, and cook until most of the water has evaporated (about 5-7 minutes). Add in the garlic and cook for another minute. 
4. In a separate bowl, mix the cold water with the arrowroot/tapioca. Pour this mix into the warm milk and whisk until thickened. Pour the milk mix into the mushroom mix and heat everything for about 1 minute. Add nutritional yeast. Season to taste. 
5. Pour everything into an oiled 8 x 8 baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove, and top with the french fried onions (recipe below).

FRENCH FRIED ONIONS

 I suggest you double this recipe. These onions are delicious! 

• 2 large shallots or onions of choice, sliced into rings
• 2 t. olive oil
• salt

optional, highly recommended: several TB of sorghum flour seasoned with onion powder, garlic powder and salt.

1. Preheat the oven to 380 degrees. 
2. With oil, saute the rings for about 5 minutes.
3. If coating with flour (yum!), place onions in a bowl and lightly coat onions with seasoned sorghum flour (garlic and onion powder, salt). 
4. Place onions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle them with salt, and bake the rings for about 15-20 minutes, but watch them closely or they will burn! They will crisp more as they cool too.

THE Creamiest Vegan Ice Cream! (Cashews)

I'm still obsessed with making dairy-free ice cream. The good news is that it's finally ice cream weather (When I started this adventure in January, it was -25 Celsius).

My favourite Salted Caramel recipe uses a custard base. I've been experimenting with egg-free versions and haven't been satisfied with the taste and texture of coconut milk recipes. While I like the taste, I find it's overwhelming unless you are going for a coconut-flavoured treat. Even when using xanthan gum, the texture isn't smooth enough, especially the next day. Almond milk doesn't have enough fat so you end up with more ice than cream.  I recently discovered that CASHEWS are the way to go.

This cashew-based recipe, inspired by veganbaking.net, is the creamiest dairy-free and egg-free recipe out there. It's not too nutty which gives you the flexibility to flavour your ice cream any way you like. Use this recipe on its own or as a base for other flavours like espresso (see below), chocolate maple-pecan or my favourite salted caramel.  

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted, raw cashews 
• 2 ½ cups water (plus water for soaking cashews)
• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
• ½ cup coconut sugar (or sweeten to taste but remember that the frozen ice cream will be less sweet than the mixture at room temperature)
• ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons melted cocoa butter (if you don't have access to cocoa butter, substitute it with 1 additional teaspoon coconut oil)
• ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract (you can use 2 vanilla beans but I wouldn't waste fresh beans on this recipe. You can't really taste it unless you use white sugar and corn syrup like the original  recipe).
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum

Optional: You can add chopped nuts, chocolate/carob chips, cookies or other add-ins if you like. Make sure they are cold when you add to the ice cream.

 

Instructions

1. In a covered container, soak your cashews in water overnight (or for at least 4 hours). I like to keep them in the fridge.
2. Rinse the cashews and discard water. 
3. Place soaked nuts in a high speed blender with 2.5 cups of filtered water.
4. Add melted coconut oil and coconut butter, sugar, syrup, apple cider vinegar, vanilla and salt into the blender. Place the lid on the blender and blend on low-medium for 1 minute. It should be a smooth mixture with no pieces of cashews. 
5. While the blender is running on LOW, carefully remove the top cap of the blender and pour in the xanthan gum and blend for 1 minute. 
6. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and place it in the refrigerator (covered) until completely cold, about 4 hours. 
7. Process the ice cream in an ice cream maker by following the manufacturer's instructions (mine takes about 20 minutes).  
8. Transfer the ice cream to a container, packing it down to make sure there are as few air pockets as possible. Chill for several hours or until it reaches your desired consistency. 

Makes about 1 quart of ice cream.


COFFEE/MOCHA FLAVOUR 

Make 1 cup of very strong espresso and dissolve 1 TB of cocoa powder into the espresso. Instead of adding 2.5 cups of filtered water (Step #3), use 1.5 cups and add the 1 cup espresso (with cocoa) to the blender. Add more sugar/espresso to taste.

Roasted Garlic Mashed "Potatoes" (Cauliflower)

These mashed "potatoes" are ridiculously good.  For those of you who aren't big fans of cauliflower,  you won't even taste it.  I've experimented with other versions of cauliflower mash and tried hiding it in other foods like "pizza crust" --- I wasn't fooled.

This recipe by Rebecca Bohl at paleogrubs.com is a keeper. The roasted garlic flavour is superb and the smooth texture is perfect.

Ingredients

1. 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2. 1/4 cup almond milk
3. 1 tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
4. Head of garlic
5. Fresh chives, chopped
6. Salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 
2. To roast the garlic head, peel away outer layers of the garlic bulb, then cut off the top of the garlic head to expose the individual garlic cloves. Place in aluminum foil and drizzle with olive oil. Seal the foil around the garlic. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cloves are soft. Allow garlic to cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the skin.
3. Steam the cauliflower for 12-14 minutes, until completely tender. Drain and return cauliflower to pot.
4. Add roasted garlic, milk, butter, and salt to the cauliflower. Using an immersion blender or food processor, combine ingredients until smooth. Top with chives and freshly ground pepper.

Maple Miso Tofu

Maple miso sauce is often paired with black cod. It works just as well with tofu, if not better. This quick dish requires little preparation and is very toddler friendly.

Thanks to Amanda Garbutt for this recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 block firm tofu, sliced into ½ - inch thick slabs
• ¼ cup white miso (I used brown)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ¼ cup gluten-free tamari
• 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon chili sauce
• 1 tablespoons sesame oil
• Sesame seeds
• Olive oil

Instructions

1. Preheat the broiler to high. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. Lightly oil the sheet so the tofu does not stick to it.  
2. In a bowl, whisk together the miso, maple syrup, tamari, rice wine vinegar and chili sauce (I skipped the chili sauce so my toddler could eat the dish. I drizzled the chili sauce onto my plate of tofu instead).
3. Arrange the tofu in a single layer and brush with half the marinade. Place under the broiler for 5-8 minutes until browned. Flip the tofu, brush with remaining marinade and broil for another 5-8 minutes until crisp.
4. Remove from the oven and drizzle with sesame oil. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve warm.

Classic Rice Crispy Treats

I haven't eaten a "real" marshmallow since I was a kid. This classic recipe from Fettlevegan.com uses vegan marshmallows (Dandies) that are just like the real thing!

I've already posted a vegan rice crispy treat that uses flax and nut butter.  This classic recipe isn't as healthy but it's definitely a fun treat.
  
Ingredients:

• 6 cups crisped rice cereal
• 1-10 oz. bag Dandies marshmallows (vanilla)
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance butter (or other vegan butter)

 

Instructions:

1. Lightly grease a 13x9 in. (or slightly smaller) glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. In a large saucepan on low to medium heat, melt your butter. Add the entire bag of marshmallows to the melted butter and stir.
3. Once the marshmallows have completely softened and combined with the butter, add in the crisped rice cereal. Add a cup or so at a time with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute. Be sure to stir quickly so you don't end up with a giant clump. 
4. Once the cereal is evenly covered in the marshmallow mixture, press into the prepared baking dish using the back of a wooden spoon.
5. Let cool, then cut into squares.

Vegan Scallops

I don't think I have ever eaten real scallops but my husband was highly impressed with the texture of this vegan side dish served at V-note in NYC. We both agreed they were delicious and loved the creative use of King Oyster mushrooms.

I tried this recipe from lunchboxbunch.com. The cooking instructions were simple and the texture was similar to V-note. Next time, I would leave out the sweetener to make it a savoury dish instead of a sweet one. Serve it to guests, they will be impressed! 
 
Serves 2

Ingredients

• 4 wide-stemmed king oyster mushrooms, sliced into 3/4" thick circles
• 2-3 tsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp gluten-free tamari
• 2 tsp liquid sweetener like maple syrup (or leave it out if you don't want it sweet)
• black pepper to taste
• optional: 1 Tbsp diced shallot, a few drops of liquid smoke, splash of white wine or Vermouth

 

Instructions

1. Slice your mushrooms. If you choose to rinse them, dry them well.  
2. Add your mushroom rounds to a bowl and add the tamari, sweetener and pepper. Add optional diced shallots and toss well. 
3. Add oil to a cast iron skillet - heat over med-high heat. Wait until oil is hot.
4. Place the mushrooms flat side down in the pan. They should sizzle. Allow to cook for about a minute - do not move them around too much as this will interrupt the sear. Add black pepper onto the mushrooms while they cook.
5. Flip the mushrooms. You can now pour any leftover liquid from the bowl into the pan. Add the optional liquid smoke and white wine now.
6. Tilt the pan so that all the liquid dips to one side in a pool. Then using a large tablespoon, gather the liquid and quickly pour it over top the scallops. Do this over and over again and watch as the mushrooms absorb and caramelize with the liquid. This technique helps to cook the mushrooms while also keeping them from drying out in the pan.
7. Flip your mushrooms again and add more black pepper to taste. Turn off heat. Allow them to sit in the pan for a minute or two.
8. Serve hot mushrooms on a plate garnished with parsley and drizzled with spicy Harissa sauce.

Toddler's Breakfast Ice Cream (Vegan)

It's hard to get a toddler out of the house in the morning. Like most little ones, my daughter has to do everything "by myself" even if it takes all day.  Every meal is a leisurely mix of play, singalong, storytelling and a little nibbling. But things move along at a much faster pace when the meal is motivating. That is how I came up with this soft-style, breakfast ice cream idea.

My daughter clearly knows the difference between this one and a dessert ice cream but it's good enough to get us through breakfast quickly. Goal accomplished.

Thanks to Denise Santoro Lincoln at Bay Area Bites for the inspiration.

Ingredients

• 1 cup almond milk
• 1 frozen banana
• 3-4 TB almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
•  2 TB finely ground seeds like flax, chia, hemp.

 Serves 4 adults

 

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients in blender and puree mixture until it looks like a smoothie.
2. Place mixture in ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions (My Cuisinart takes about 15-20 minutes). 
3. Store ice cream in a container and freeze for another 20 minutes or so to firm up a bit before serving. Best if eaten immediately.

Horseradish Vinaigrette

I was recently inspired by a horseradish-based vinaigrette at a restaurant. This dressing from saveur.com is refreshing with a kick. If you are looking for something a little different and like horseradish, this vinaigrette is for you.

SERVES 4–6

Ingredients

• ½ cup grated horseradish
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 2 ½ tbsp. fresh lemon juice (in a pinch, lemon in a jar will work too)
• 1 green onion, minced
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Whisk all ingredients together. Set aside to allow flavors to meld.

Salted Caramel Ice Cream (Coconut and almond milk, custard base)

Every couple of months, I obsess over a new type of food. I read everything there is to know about it, watch videos and try several recipes until I finally find something that works. Then I move on. Last year, it was dumplings, yogourt and pasta. Obsession for 2014?

Dairy-free ice cream.

Over the years, I’ve tried several “no machine” recipes. Quite frankly, they sucked. I have long wrestled with the idea of buying yet ANOTHER kitchen appliance. I finally broke down and bought this very basic Cuisinart ice cream maker. It is well worth it.

The coconut flavour is completely hidden and you can't tell that this ice cream is dairy-free. It has an amazingly smooth and creamy texture (sorry vegans, it has eggs) and will satisfy your salty-sweet cravings. You may even be motivated to eat this ice cream when it is -25 degrees (we were!).

I am not suggesting this recipe is particularly healthy, but it IS dairy and refined sugar-free. I am hoping to find an egg-free recipe that is just as creamy, but so far, nothing comes close to this one.

Thanks to Cuisinart and Chef Chloe for the inspiration.

For more info on ice cream basics, check out:

• http://icecreamclub.tumblr.com/making-awesome-ice-cream
• http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/07/making-ice-crea-1/ (no machine)
• http://vegnews.com/articles/page.do?pageId=4773&catId=2

 

Ingredients 

Ice cream

• 1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
• 1 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 - 2 ts vanilla
• 3/4 - 1 cup coconut sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
• 5-6 organic egg yolks (mine are quite small- I use 6)
• Pinch of sea salt
• Few drops of almond extract (optional)

 
Salted Caramel Sauce 

• 3 TB Earth Balance butter
• 2 TB maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar 
• 2 TB almond milk

Instructions 

1.   In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the milk and HALF of the coconut sugar (1/2 cup or less) for a few minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring. Add the vanilla and salt. Once it begins to boil, remove from heat.

2.   With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and half the sugar (1/2 cup or less) on low speed until it becomes nice and thick. Make sure to use a bowl big enough to hold the milk mixture too.

3.  Slowly begin adding the milk a little at a time to the egg mixture. Keep stirring with a whisk. You do not want to boil the eggs!

4.   Return the whole mixture to the saucepan on low heat until it coats the back of a wooden spoon. Again, make sure you do not boil the mixture.

5.   Strain the mixture with a fine mesh strainer into a bowl.

6.   Let the mixture cool down a bit on the counter, cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. Many recipes tell you to cool the ice cream mixture in an ice bath but I haven't done it. What IS critical however, is letting the mixture cool overnight. Don’t be overzealous (like me). It won’t come out nearly as well. 

7.   The ice cream base is tasty on its own. If you want to skip the extra salt and sugar, skip the sauce. If not...

8.   In a saucepan, melt the butter on low-medium heat.

9.   Add the milk, sugar and maple syrup. Stir constantly for a few minutes, until it begins to bubble. Add salt, to taste. My "butter" is salted already.

10. Remove from heat and place in a glass container. Cover and refrigerate overnight. It will thicken. 

11. Remove ice cream mixture from the refrigerator and follow your ice cream  maker’s instructions (15-20 minutes for mine).    

12. At this point, the texture is like soft ice cream. You can add your "mix-ins" to the machine at the end of the cycle but your caramel (or chocolate, cookie dough etc) will either melt in or settle at the bottom. Instead, you want to layer the ice cream as you put it into your glass bowl - add a few scoops of ice cream then drizzle some caramel, add more ice cream and repeat. For even better results, let the ice cream freeze for 2 hours before mixing in your caramel.

13. Freeze ice cream for 6-8 hours, depending on your preferred texture. Take it out of the freezer about 15 minutes before serving. 

It keeps for about a week in the freezer, but it's not likely to last that long.


NOTE ABOUT USING RAW EGGS:
If you are worried about the possibility of salmonella bacteria in the raw eggs, here are some things to consider:

• Free-range, organic eggs will reduce your risk of salmonella contamination, but there is no guarantee your eggs will be free from bacteria.


• You can kill salmonella by heating the egg mixture to 160 F (use a thermometer). It's not clear to me how long it needs to remain at that temperature but one source says the bacteria will be killed instantly. 


• Try to find pasteurized eggs. Apparently, you can find these at some grocery stores. 


• Salmonella bacteria will not be killed in the freezer.


• If you are very concerned, find an eggless alternative.

ICE CREAM CAKE OPTION

If you want to make an ice cream cake, remove ice cream from the machine and place it in a Springform pan (instead of glass bowl). Let it harden in the freezer for about an hour. With a rubber spatula, spread the salted caramel sauce all over the top. Freeze overnight. Crush some gluten-free graham crackers and mix them up with melted Earth Balance butter and sweetener of choice. Spread the crunchy topping onto the ice cream cake and freeze until ready to serve. We made this for my daughter’s third birthday party as a special treat and it was one of the best ice cream cakes I have ever eaten!

Sweet Potato Gnocchi (Vegan and Gluten-free)

Have you ever eaten gnocchi so gummy that your jaw hurt from chewing so much? I hadn't until I made my very first batch...

Since then, I have learned a few things about making gnocchi:

1. Use as little flour as possible.
2. You want to incorporate the flour well, without working the dough too much - lots of kneading leads to denser, gummier gnocchi.
3. Moisture in the potatoes is BAD because you have to add more flour. Older potatoes work better. 
4. Lightly pan-frying the gnocchi tastes even better! 

Making homemade gnocchi is not as intimidating or as time-consuming as it may seem.  Once you get the hang of it, it's actually quite easy. This recipe from Vegan Soul Power works well.

 

Ingredients 

• 1 large sweet potato
• 3/4 (or less) cup all purpose gluten-free flour, extra for dusting your work space
• pinch of salt 
• water for roasting and boiling 

Instructions 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. 
2. Slice your potato in half and roast in the oven for about 45 minutes or until soft. Let it cool to room temperature. Use as little water as possible for roasting.
3. Mash the potato in a bowl. 
4. Slowly add the flour and a pinch of salt. The goal is to use as little flour as possible.
5. On a lightly floured surface, quickly knead the flour into the potato. The less kneading, the less dense and gummy your gnocchi will be. You want it to be dry enough that it does not stick to your hands.
6. With your fingers, roll a palm-full of dough into a log as fat as your thumb. Repeat for the rest of the dough until you have several little logs.
7. Using a sharp knife, slice each log into small rectangles.
8. Using the tip of your fork, create a small indentation in each piece. This isn't necessary, it just looks better. 
9. To cook, add gnocchi to boiling salted water and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until they begin to float.
10. They taste even better if you lightly pan-fry them in olive oil or vegan butter until they are slightly crispy. Yum.
11. If you are freezing, line them up on a parchment-paper lined cookie sheet. After an hour or so, place them in a freezer bag. You do this so they don't stick together.

5-Minute Heaping Tablespoon Sauce (Dijon-Peppercorn)

One day I was craving a creamy dijon-peppercorn sauce (weird, I know) but I didn't have time to make anything fancy. In a few minutes, I threw together some basic kitchen ingredients and it is now one of my favourite go-to sauces. It will perk up your tofu and veggies in a pinch. If you eat chicken or prepare it for guests, this quick and delicious sauce will work well too.

In a small saucepan, add 1 heaping TABLESPOON of all these ingredients, and adjust to taste:

• Dijon mustard (I tend to go heavy on the dijon)
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Powdered coconut sugar (or sweetener to taste)
• Earth Balance vegan butter
• Gluten-free tamari 
• Olive oil
• Gluten-free vegan Worcestershire sauce
• Sriracha (if you don't like spicy,  go easy on this one)
• Water 

+ 1 teaspoon of whole black peppercorns. I generally soak these for 20-30 minutes in hot water to soften (if I get my act together in time, which doesn't always happen).

In a saucepan on medium-low heat, add all ingredients and stir for a few minutes until it bubbles. Remove from heat.

For the tofu option, lightly pan-fry tofu triangles until they are golden brown. In an oven-proof dish, place the sauce over the tofu and bake for 10 minutes on 350. For 1 block of organic tofu you will have plenty of sauce leftover to eat with your side of veggies.

Vegan Cape Cod Cakes

We ate at V-note in NYC this weekend which provided inspiration for a few new treats. It's the sister restaurant to Blossom - my all-time favourite vegan place. Both restaurants serve faux seafood cakes. They are impressive. It's unfortunate we don't have more high-end, vegan restaurants like this in Montreal.

Before we returned home, I had already found Blossom's cape cod cake recipe and bought the essential groceries. The next day, we made them! They were well worth the effort and as good as the restaurant version.

 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup arame or hijiki seaweed (I bought arame at Wholefoods NYC)
• 1 cup apple juice (I had apple-grape on hand. It worked just fine)
• 1/4 cup ginger, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 pound extra firm organic tofu, hand crushed

• 1/2 cup onion, diced

• 1/2 cup red pepper, diced

• 1/4 cup celery, diced

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 2 teaspoon paprika

• 2 teaspoon salt

• Black pepper, pinch

• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise (vegan chipotle aioli gives it a nice kick. Plain mayo doesn't work as well)
• 2 TB yellow mustard

• 1 cup gluten-free breadcrumbs, plus extra for coating patties

 (original called for panko. I've tried it with panko and a GF version. Panko is better).

 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Soak arame for 5 minutes (or hijiki for 10 minutes) in apple juice, ginger, garlic.
3. Combine all ingredients together and mix well.
4. Form into small patties or bite-sized balls and coat with additional breadcrumbs. Patties fall apart a bit so the "minis" are a great alternative.
5. 
Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning once to lightly brown both sides.
 As always, my oven took longer.
6. You can also pan-fry them in a tiny bit of olive oil to give them an extra crispy coating. Highly recommended if you can handle a little extra oil.

Makes 10-15 small patties


I didn't make the Vegan Tartar Sauce but here is the recipe:

• 
1 cup vegan mayonnaise

• 1/4 cup capers
2 small dill pickles, finely chopped 

• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• Black pepper, pinch

Blend all ingredients together and serve.