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.