Vegan Week: Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip

As mentioned in the first post of the current vegan week, I'm having to rely a lot on the recipes of others to make it a success. This is a recipe I tried from Rachel who writes the awesome blog My Naturally Frugal Family. Be sure to check it out. It's a treasure of lots of vegan recipes. She posted this recipe for vegan Spinach-Artichoke Dip, I had to try it to see if it could be done! But first, let's report in on the vegan diet for Thursday, Friday and Saturday (last day):

Thursday:

• English muffin with spinach-artichoke dip
• dark chocolate
• baby carrots
• barbecued tofu
• Tortilla soup
• ginger cookie**
• coconut cookie**
• chow mein noodles
• Drinks: coffee, tea, water, coke, soy nog, red wine 

Friday:

• Oatmeal, with dried fruit and almonds
• Tortilla soup 
• Dark Chocolate
• Barbecue tofu
• Gardein strips with mustard & hot sauce 
• To drink: coffee, tea, water, diet coke 

Saturday:

• hash browns
• winter minestrone over pasta
• barbecue tofu
• olives
• Tofu steak entree at local Japanese Restaurant. Included tofu, sauteed veggies, rice, and vegetable maki
• To drink: Coffee, water, tea, Plum wine

Because of this vegan week, we were able to be more mindful of not overindulging before Christmas. We also felt less guilty of any indulgences we partook in on Christmas Day, though truthfully, we ate fairly light for a holiday.

Well, now on to the fun part. Rachel's kickin' vegan spinach-artichoke dip. This recipe is totally hers, with the smallest of modifications based on what was available to me. Recipe is posted in my own words.

Vegan Spinach Artichoke Dip (makes about 2 C)

• 1/2 C vegan mayo (I used nayonaise) 
• 1/2 C silken tofu
• 1 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed, drained, and moisture pressed out
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove garlic
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1/4 C soy Parmesan (I used "shaker" style)
• 1/2 C artichoke hearts (I used canned, not marinated)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Place all above ingredients in a food processor. Pulse about 15 times, or until fairly smooth. 
2. Pour the contents in a small casserole dish. Place in oven and bake 15 mins, or until the edges begin to brown slightly. Serve immediately, or for a thicker dip, make ahead and reheat in oven or microwave. 


Kitchen Notes: Rachel's original recipe called for 5 oz kale and 5 oz spinach; I think this would be super tasty, but I didn't have any on hand. It also calls for a slice of lemon (I like a strong lemon flavor) and 1/4 more Parmesan. I limited the amount of soy Parmesan for my attempt at it because the soy Parm I have is very granular and I didn't want the dip to have a gritty texture.

Verdict? I was seriously impressed with how similar to the real thing this tasted! You could easily fool someone into thinking this was dairy, it has all the richness, texture, and creamy zing of the full-fat version. A total keeper. Fresh out of the oven, it's a bit runny, but reheated it's the exact texture of the traditional version. The spinach flavor is quite assertive--it would be milder with fresh spinach. I might bump up the artichoke ratio a bit. I've been serving it as a sandwich spread, as a topping for breakfast English muffins and with pita. I'm super excited about this recipe!

Ingredient Elimination: Veggie Cream Cheese

Note: I've cooked a lot of recipes in the past few weeks, and due to a family emergency, I've been unable to post. I'm going to try to catch up over the next week.

This could also be called "Crisper Drawer Cream Cheese" since I basically assessed the contents of my crisper and added the stray bits to this cream cheese. The ingredient to be eliminated in this edition of Ingredient Elimination is soy cream cheese. I'd used 4 oz of soy cream cheese to make creamy tomatillo sauce for vegan fried green tomatoes. I prefer soy cream cheese in dips--its flavor is neutral and it creates a better consistency than conventional cream cheese--but used for its intended purpose, it has a strong soy flavor, a strong tofu flavor, which doesn't work so well with a bagel. Not wanting it to go to waste, and not wanting the stray veggies in the drawer to go to waste, I whipped this up. If I had intended to make this, selecting the ingredients from the market, the veggies would be a lot different. There'd probably be a bit of roasted pepper, perhaps a touch of tomato, and maybe some capers or chives.

Crisper Drawer Veggie Cream Cheese (makes ~6 oz)

• 4 oz soy cream cheese
• 1/2 carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 green onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 large zucchini, coarsely chopped
• freshly ground pepper

1. Pulse all above ingredients in a food processor. Don't puree, but mix until the veggies are in fine bits. Allow cream cheese to sit in fridge before serving. Add additional black pepper when serving.

Kitchen Note: Don't omit the pepper. It really enhances the flavor of the veggies.

Verdict? As mentioned above, these aren't my #1 choices for a veggie combo for making cream cheese (it's a bit muted), but it definitely succeeded with regard to: 1) taking the "soy" edge from the soy cream cheese; 2) using up some of the veggies in the fridge. I found this much fresher tasting than conventional veggie cream cheeses, and it's a quick-and-dirty way to increase veggie intake and decreasing the fat content without resorting to (gasp!) low fat cream cheese.

Caramelized Onion-Spinach Hummus

This recipe is dedicated to my friend Carrie, who has eagerly been requesting it.
My co-op recently started churning out caramelized onion & spinach hummus. Some friends recently brought it to a picnic. It was good stuff, it sort of tasted like a less decadent version of spinach artichoke dip (even though it has no artichoke), so I thought I'd try to make it myself.

Caramelized Onion-Spinach Hummus (makes about 2 C)

• 1 can chick peas, drained
• 1 heaping Tbsp tahini
• 1 clove garlic
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/3 C onion, chopped
• 2 C raw spinach, loosely packed 
• vegetable oil
• olive oil

1. In a food processor, puree the chick peas, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and a bit of salt and pepper until smooth. It will be a bit dry--that's OK at this point.
2. Heat about 2 Tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan at medium high heat. Begin sauteeing the onions, stirring frequently. When the onions begin to brown, turn the heat down, continue to caramelize for another 5-10 mins. Turn off the heat and set aside.
3. Start some water boiling for the spinach, cook the spinach for about 2 mins or until the leaves are wilted. Drain the spinach.
4. Add the caramelized onion, including the oil drippings from the pan, and spinach to the chickpea mixture. Process until smooth. If too dry, add a drizzle of olive oil.
5. Add additional salt & pepper if desired. If underseasoned, add paprika or cumin. 


Kitchen Notes: This hummus is a beautiful bright green shade the day it's made. It dulls to a more muted green as it sits.

Verdict? This didn't taste a thing like the co-op's hummus, but it was pretty delicious. The caramelized onion flavor is a welcomed hummus variation, and this is a quick, easy way to get a bit more spinach in your diet.

Tamale Casserole

Wow! I am way behind on my results from vegan week! Yesterday marked the end of vegan week. What was the first thing I ate? An apple cider donut from Curtis Orchard. A very good choice, no?

Since I am so behind I'm reporting on Thursday's menu, which was the following:

• shredded wheat with soy milk
• barbecued tofu
• chili-lime cashews**
• stuffed poblanos*
• quinoa salad**
• pickle
• broccoli-garlic pasta**
• potato chips
• popcorn
• drinks: coffee, water, seltzer 

Today's recipe is one of my favorites: Tamale Casserole. The recipe comes from my standby, Moosewood Restaurant New Classics. I've made some minor modifications. I love this recipe, because it's quick, healthy, and very satisfying. This recipe makes a double batch of the bean topping. Just a warning: this meal is not pretty to look at, but it sure tastes great.

Tamale Casserole (serves 6-8)

• 2 15-oz cans pinto beans, with juice
• 1 C corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
• 1 C prepared salsa
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 jalapeno, chopped (optional)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 C cilantro, chopped
• 1 roll prepared polenta (about 16 oz)

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil a baking dish (at least 11 inch). Slice polenta into 1/2 inch rounds, and layer the bottom with a single layer of the polenta.
2. In a medium bowl, pour in the beans. Lightly mash with a potato masher. Add the corn, green onion, salsa, jalapeno, cumin, chili, oregano, salt, and cilantro. Mix til well combined.
3. Pour the bean mixture over the polenta. Place, covered in the oven for 15 mins. Remove cover, and bake for 15 additional mins. Allow to sit 10 mins before serving. Serve with guacamole, fresh salsa, or chunky tomatillo sauce (see below)

                                                       Polenta, ready for the oven

Chunky Tomatillo Sauce (makes 1 1/2 C)

• 1 C salsa verde
• 4-5 cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 1/2 avocado, diced

1. Combine above ingredients. Allow to sit a few minutes before serving. 

 Kitchen Notes: I used fresh salsa from my coop for this recipe.

Verdict: Yummy. I make this a lot. Great quick dinner. I intend to invert this next time I make it and place the polenta on top. Great comfort food!

Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes with Creamy Tomatillo Salsa

...with bonus fried pickles! Monday marked day 2 of vegan week. Here's a reminder. Monday, I ate the following:

• almond milk yogurt
• to drink: coffee, seltzer, coke, & water
• vegan chocolate cake**
• vegetable pizza*
• pepita-cranberry snack mix
• campanelle with garlicky broccoli**

*exempt leftover item that would spoil during vegan week if not eaten
**recipe to follow

This recipe was especially challenging for me. My husband and I had purchased some green tomatoes at the coop before vegan week with the intention of frying them. This was challenging because I had never made fried green tomatoes, and I wasn't sure how to compensate for the egg bath or buttermilk bath I had seen in most fried green tomato recipes.

I used the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que An American Roadhouse for guidance on prepping the tomatoes, but the recipe is my own. I searched online for a vegan buttermilk substitute, and the general consensus is 1 C soy milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar, allowed to sit for 10 mins. The tomatillo recipe comes from Kevin at Closet Cooking, however the adaption into a creamy version is my own. Here we go!

Creamy Tomatillo Sauce (makes about 1 1/2 C--try to make in advance)

• 3/4 lb tomatillos, husked
• 2 jalapenos, stemmed and sliced in half longways
• 1/2 med-large onion, cut into 8 wedges
• 2 cloves garlic
• juice & zest of 1 lime
•  1/2 C cilantro
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 4 oz soy cream cheese

1. Put the broiler on high. Arrange the tomatillos, jalapenos (skin side up), and onion in a single layer on a baking sheet. 
2. Broil until the jalapenos are darkened, and the tomatillos blackened all over. The tomatillos release a lot of juices, be careful when removing from oven. 
3. In a food processor, place the tomatillos, jalapenos, onions, garlic, lime juice and zest, and cilantro and mix until it's reached the desired consistency. Add a bit of salt and pepper and adjust as needed.
4. Remove half of the tomatillo sauce and save for another recipe. Add the soy cream cheese and pulse til smooth. Refrigerate the sauce until ready to use.

Kitchen Notes: Kevin's original recipe called for 1lb tomatillos. I only had 3/4lb, so I reflected that here. I was concerned that the flavor of the sauce would be very charred tasting, but it isn't. I needed to remove the jalapenos before the tomatillos. I use Tofutti brand Better Than Cream Cheese.

                                                                  Waiting for the oven

                                                             Before Cream Cheese...

                                                             And After!

Vegan Fried Green Tomatoes (serves 3)

•  3 green tomatoes
• 3/4 C soy buttermilk (see instructions above)
• 1/2 C cornmeal
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning (or more, or less to taste), plus extra
• 1 tsp chili powder (or more, or less to taste)
• pepper to taste
• peanut oil 

1. Slice the tomatoes into 1/2 in slices. Blot on paper towels to drain and dry out the tomatoes a bit.
2. Begin heating the peanut oil to 350 degrees. You'll need at least 1/2 inch of oil for a 9 inch heavy skillet. Sprinkle a bit of Old Bay seasoning on each slice of tomato, each side. 
3. Mix together the corn meal, Old Bay, chili, and pepper in a large bowl. 
4.. Set up a work station: buttermilk, bread, fry, drain, warm. Dip a slice of tomato in buttermilk, shaking off excess. Next, heavily coat the tomato slice in the corn meal mixture. 
5. Fry the tomato 2-3 mins on each side. Several tomatoes can be cooked at once, but don't crowd the pan. 
6. Drain the tomatoes on a paper towel, and keep warm in low oven. 
7. Continue frying tomatoes, but ensure that oil returns to 350 before adding more. Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy! 

Kitchen Notes: The Dinosaur Bar B Que cookbook recommends breading the tomatoes then allowing them to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Verdict? Kevin's tomatillo sauce recipe was spot-on, I'll try to never buy commercial salsa verde again. The addition of the soy cream cheese made for an outstanding dip, but without the heaviness of cream based dips. The breading was delightful, but the tomatoes were not very crispy, but they were not soggy either. I'm exciting to make these again.

Harissa Hummus

The weather cooperated long enough today that I was able to go on a picnic with a couple of friends. Yesterday, the temperature reached 100 degrees. While picnicking it was 72. I'm embarrassed to say I was cold.

I had to work a bit today, so I didn't have times to make anything elaborate for the picnic (nor should picnic food BE elaborate, but I digress). I pulled together some hummus featuring the harissa I made yesterday.

                                                Packed up and ready to go on a picnic

Harissa Hummus (makes about 2 cups)

• 1 can chick peas, drained (~15 oz )
• 1 heaping Tbsp tahini
• juice of 1 lemon
• zest of 1/2 lemon
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp toasted cumin seeds, ground
• 1/4 tsp paprika
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp harissa (or more, or less)

1. Combine all ingredients except for the harissa in a food processor, pulse til smooth.
2. Taste, add additional seasonings if needed, add harissa. Blend again. Taste, adjust again as needed.


Kitchen Notes: Don't try making this hummus without the harissa. It's too bland by itself, but well seasoned with it. For me, this hummus was initially very hot. When I served it later, it had mellowed significantly. If not serving immediately, taste again to ensure additional harissa is not needed.


Verdict? A yummy, spicy hummus. For this however, I wish I had a milder version of the harissa. This hummus is very good, but it more or less tastes like spicy hummus, it doesn't have a lot of the harissa flavor. A milder harissa would really transform the hummus into something a bit more unique.

Ingredient Elimination: Curried Buttermilk Dressing for Tomatoes

Our current contender for Ingredient Elimination is buttermilk. I had plenty of buttermilk from the quart I purchased to make corn bread, but little inspiration with what to do with it. The label admonishes, "tastes best if used in 3 days".  With the clock ticking, I again consulted Moosewood New Classics for a solution to the abundance of buttermilk (it really wasn't as dramatic as I write it to be).

                                  The contender, weighing in at 32 liquid oz

Since I had a container of fresh cherry tomatoes in the fridge, this dressing, intended for tomatoes, seemed like a good fit.

Curried Buttermilk Dressing (makes 1 C)

• 1/2 C buttermilk
• 1/4 C plain yogurt (I used Greek)
• 1 Tbs vegetable oil
• 1 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• salt
• pepper

1. Combine all ingredients except salt and pepper in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
2. Drizzle over tomato wedges or as a dip for cherry tomatoes.  

 The camera doesn't capture it, but the turmeric gives the dressing a lovely color


Kitchen Notes: The original recipe calls for yogurt or mayo. Since I had yogurt, and I am not partial to mayo, the yogurt won. I'd imagine that mayo may make the flavor a bit milder. If you're using as a dip, some of the buttermilk may need to be replaced with sour cream to make it heavier.

Verdict? With perfectly ripe tomatoes, the flavor contrast with this dressing is pure summer. I'd be less enthusiastic with non-seasonal tomatoes. This isn't to say the dressing is not good, but the tomatoes elevate it. I'm going to season the leftovers with a bit of celery salt. This would be scrumptious with fried green tomatoes. I have a feeling it'll make a good base for a remoulade, so I'll try that and let you know of the results.

Tomato-Pesto Broiled Goat Cheese Dip

I became introduced to broiled goat cheese dips at one of my favorite local places, Radio Maria. There's is a pureed pepita version, which I've replicated before and will probably pop up on this blog when I tried it again.

I quickly learned that broiled goat cheese dips are mega-tasty, impress easily, and are a great way to use up leftovers. Here we go:

Tomato-Pesto Broiled Goat Cheese Dip (serves 2-4 as an appetizer)

• 5 oz tomato almond pesto 
• 2 oz goat cheese, sliced into medallions (I used sundried tomato-basil goat cheese)
• baguette
• 1 garlic clove, cut in half

1. Slice the baguette into thin slices. Rub the cut side of the garlic on each slice of the bread. Toast the bread slices.
2. Turn the broiler on high. In a 6 oz oven proof ramekin (ideally one that is long and shallow), add the pesto. Place the goat cheese slices on top of the pesto.
3. Heat in the oven under the broiler, watch closely, and carefully remove when the goat cheese is toasted brown. Serve with the toasted bread.  

                                 

Verdict? My strong conviction is that goat cheese dips are a nice crowd pleaser. This combination worked well. The warm tomato and creamy goat cheese are very satisfying. Enjoy!

Tzatziki for Katie

My friend Katie has a rather awesome garden where cucumbers proliferate and grow to mutant proportions. Being the generous soul she is, my fridge is well-stocked with free cukes. However, since Katie is a shrewd business woman, the cucumber transaction required that I reveal my secrets to consistently good tasting tzatziki. So, Katie, this recipe is for you! It was challenging for me to put this recipe into standard measurements, but here I go:
                                          
                                          Katie's Cukes are covered with little spines. Ouch!

Tzatziki (Cucumber Dip) (makes ~3 1/2 Cups)

• 2 large cukes
• 2 1/2 C Greek yogurt (Don't use fat free. Seriously.)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• juice of 1/2-1 lemon
• small handful of dill, chopped (I have the hands of a 10 year old, so keep this in mind)
• Salt
• Freshly ground pepper (some prefer white pepper, for aesthetics. I simply prefer the flavor of black pepper)

1. Peel the cukes and remove seeds. I find that a grapefruit spoon works well to scoop out the seeds. 
2. Grate the cukes. I find once they're seeded, they're flimsy, and it's difficult to grate the entire thing without putting your knuckles in "grate" danger. Nobody wants blood in their tzatziki, so before grating becomes hazardous, keep the odd bits of cukes and set aside. Once done grating, cut into small, small pieces and just say that your tzatziki is "rustic style".
3. Set the cucumbers in a colander in the sink. Generously sprinkle with salt. Let the cukes drain for 30 mins or so. Go do something else.
4. Rinse the cucumbers. Grab several clean, lint free tea towels, cheesecloths, or cloth napkins. Place a handful of the cukes in the cloth, wring out the cloth to remove as much of the liquid as possible from the cukes. The grated cukes will feel vaguely sticky, without much moisture. Put the wrung out cukes in a bowl. 
5. Mix together the cukes and yogurt with a fork. Stir in the dill, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning as needed. Tzatziki develops its best flavor over the next couple hours and stays fresh for a week. 

        Cukes, seeds removed 

Not much cuke remains, but the flavor will be very concentrated

Packed in a deli container, en route to Katie's 

Footnotes: 1) If you don't want to waste all of the pulp & seeds from the cukes, toss them into a pitcher of water. They make the water very refreshing in this hot weather, just strain before you use it. 2) The amount of lemon, dill, salt, and pepper are a matter of personal preference, but what's going to make or break this dip is the quality of the yogurt--fat free will be too runny, the texture will be far off, and whether or not the cukes are adequately drained of their liquid and shredded/chopped into fine enough pieces. 

Verdict? This is GOOD tzatziki, if I do say so myself. It's great on gyros, falafel, and on pita chips. It makes an interesting substitute for mayo on a BLT. However, my favorite thing to do with tzatziki is to make this recipe for Greek 7 layer dip.

Now, Katie, which recipe will you make me disclose next?