Tempeh Piccata

Recipe by Chloe Coscarelli from Chloe’s Kitchen

Ingredients

·               8 ounces (1 package) tempeh

·               4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

·               1 small onion, chopped

·               2 cloves garlic, minced

·               1 cup vegetable broth

·               1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot (for thickening)

·               3 tablespoons lemon juice

·               2 tablespoons nondairy butter

·               2 tablespoons capers, drained

·               2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

·               Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1.      Use a steamer basket placed over a large pot of water or any other steamer you have on hand to steam the tempeh for approximately 20 minutes. (Steaming will remove the bitter taste from the tempeh).

2.      In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium high heat.

3.      Slice the tempeh horizontally into fingers, then place the tempeh in the skillet and cook until browned, about two to five minutes per side.

4.      Transfer the tempeh to a plate and set aside.

5.      In the same skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onions until soft, about five to seven minutes.

6.      Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about two more minutes.

7.      Season with salt and pepper to taste, then slowly add the broth to the skillet. (Be careful when adding the broth to avoid spattering the oil).

8.      Reduce heat to medium to cook down the broth for about two minutes.

9.      While the broth cooks down, whisk together the cornstarch or arrowroot with 2 tablespoons of water. The thickener may seize up but will loosen as you whisk.

10.    Whisk the thickening mixture into the broth mixture in the skillet. Continue to whisk until the sauce thickens, then add the tempeh back to the skillet.

11.     Reduce heat to low, add the lemon juice, and allow to simmer for about three minutes.

12.    Remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted and fully incorporated.

13.    Stir in the capers and parsley.

14.    Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

This is unbelievably tasty. You can even perk it up by using white wine with the vegetable broth (adjust the total liquid amount if you’re going to do that). I used 3 cloves of garlic because I love garlic and Huck doesn’t mind stinky breath. Cutting the tempeh into triangles can be tricky, but don't worry if the pieces don't stay together. You can have some as "crumbles" and it won't affect the dish.

I served this alongside a mixed green salad made with Chloe’s recipe for Caesar dressing:

Caesar Dressing

(Makes about 3/4 cup dressing)

• 1/4 cup soft tofu
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp white or apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tbsp Capers, drained (optional) (I added this for the briney-ness of the capers since non-vegan Caesar dressing has anchovies in it. You could also use black sea salt for an "eggy" taste or kelp powder for the "fishy" taste.)

Place all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Taste for seasoning. 

Cinnamon Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies

The cookie dough can be made in advance and kept refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month.

Recipe by Chloe Coscarelli from Chloe’s Kitchen

Yield: Makes 26 (3-inch) cookies                  

Ingredients

·         2 c. all-purpose unbleached flour

·         ½ tsp. baking powder

·         ¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

·         ¼ tsp. sea salt

·         1 c. vegan margarine (I used 2 sticks of Earth Balance)

·         3 Tbs. instant espresso powder 

·         1 c. powdered sugar

·         ½ c. packed brown sugar

·         1½ c. semisweet chocolate chips

·         About ¼ c. granulated sugar for sprinkling

Directions

1.   Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.   Line 2 or 3 large baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.

3.   In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

4.   Using a mixer, beat margarine and espresso powder until well combined. Add powdered sugar and brown sugar, and beat until combined.

5.   Mix in the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time. If dough seems too dry to scoop, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water. Stir in chocolate chips.

6.   Scoop about 2 tablespoons dough at a time. Roll each scoop in a small plate of sugar. Place, dome side up, on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. For crisper cookies, gently flatten the dough with the palm of your hand. For softer cookies, leave as is.

7.   Bake about 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are browned. Let cool on a wire rack and serve.

Oven temperatures vary, so you may end up baking these longer than 14 minutes. I went 17 minutes before mine started to brown around the edges and "firmed" up in the middle. I made both soft and crisp versions to see which one I preferred. It's really a personal preference. I happen to like both crispy and soft cookies, so I ate both versions!

This is a very delicious and simple recipe that you can use and change up pretty easy. I'm going to experiment with Chai tea flavorings and vanilla and maybe add some nuts (walnuts or pecans). Because of the espresso powder, don't eat these right before bed or you'll be staring at the ceiling until 3 am!

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash w/ Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Chick Peas and Cornbread

Tried two new recipes Tuesday night: Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Chick Peas and Cornbread (both from the Happy Herbivore cookbook).

Let’s start with the cornbread. It’s nearly fat-free. It’s also vegan, so no eggs or cow’s milk. It turned out pretty moist (I may have over baked it by a minute or two), but doesn’t have a really strong corn flavor. I love cornbread with a strong taste. This one, while good, could be improved upon. Maybe some corn kernels or pureed corn (added moisture). I’m hesitant to add more cornmeal as it might make it too gritty. I used soy milk. Coconut milk might be good, but does have more fat, defeating the purpose. Rice milk might be a better option or maybe a combo of the two. There is also corn flour, but am not sure if it even tastes like corn. Maybe I can roast some corn, puree it, and use that as most of the liquid with some soy milk thrown in.

The second recipe was interesting. I like the idea of Brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash, and chick peas (I added mushrooms because I love them and they were starting to look sad in my fridge), but the seasonings weren’t right for me. Dried basil, almonds, and red pepper flakes – weird! I made it according to the recipe, but for next time I’m thinking of using fresh basil, garlic, and grape tomatoes. And maybe some scallions instead of white onion.

I didn’t have an hour to roast the squash, so I microwaved it. Came out fine. Not sure if roasting would make a difference to taste or texture. Maybe I’ll try that next time, too. This recipe is also low-fat. The squash is kind of sweet and buttery-tasting, so I don’t want to cancel that out with something strong like cumin or smoked paprika. Spinach might be interesting in place of, or in addition to, basil.

I ate it as is but it could definitely go over some rice or quinoa. It’s close to a stew, so you could do a side salad and some hearty bread with Earth Balance (instead of icky cow’s milk butter).

I always like to prepare a recipe as is the first time I make it and then add my spin to it. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures. Sorry!! But, I have pics of upcoming recipes and will post those soon - Tacos with an amazing "sour cream" dressing, Caesar Salad dressing, and Tempeh Piccata (piccata means meat coated and sauteed in a sauce). Tempeh is fermeneted soy beans and it is super yummy.

Here are the recipes:

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Chick Peas 

Ingredients

·         1 spaghetti squash (if you can't find spaghetti squash because it's out of season, just substitute your favorite pasta)

·         1 pound Brussels sprouts

·         1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced

·         3 cloves garlic, pressed

·         1/2 cup vegetable broth

·         15 ounces chickpeas, rinsed and drained

·         2 teaspoons dried basil

·         1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or to taste)

·         salt and black pepper, to taste

·         1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

·         sliced almonds, optional 

Instructions

1.       Preheat oven to 400. Pierce a spaghetti squash 8-10 times with a skewer or thin knife (pierce deeply through flesh into center). Place on a baking sheet on center rack of oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn 1/4 turn. Bake another 30 minutes or until outside has browned in places and shell feels soft. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Once it’s cool, cut it in half and remove and discard the seeds and scrape the strands of squash out with a fork. Put the squash into a bowl and set aside.  (I omitted this step and cooked my squash in the microwave. Make sure you poke holes in it!)

2.      While the squash is cooking, prepare the Brussels sprouts. Trim and discard the ends and cut the sprouts in half (quarter larger sprouts). Place on a baking sheet and spray quickly (2 seconds) with olive oil*. (This prevents burning; if you don’t want to use the oil, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.) When the squash has almost finished cooking, put the sprouts into the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. Remove them when they are just beginning to be touched by brown but are not burning (they will finish cooking in the skillet in the next step). *If you're not worried about added fat, put the Brussels Sprouts in a bowl and coat with EVOO, then transfer to the baking sheet.

3.      In a large, deep, non-stick skillet, cook the onions in a little water on medium-high heat until they become golden, about 5-6 minutes. Add the Brussels sprouts, garlic, and vegetable broth and cover tightly. Cook for 3-5 minutes, adding more broth or water if skillet becomes dry. Add the chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Stir in the spaghetti squash, and toss gently to mix. Cook until heated through. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with lemon juice. Serve topped with crushed or sliced almonds, if desired.  

Fat-Free Cornbread 

Ingredients

·         1 cup cornmeal

·         1 cup unbleached flour

·         2 tablespoons sugar

·         1 tablespoon baking powder (I use aluminum-free)

·         1 cup vanilla soy milk (if you have plain soy milk, just add in a teaspoon of vanilla)

·         1/4 c. applesauce

·         1/4 c. pure maple syrup

Instructions

1.       Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch square baking pan and set aside.

2.      In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar and baking powder. Add the soy milk, applesauce and maple syrup and whisk to combine. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

3.      Place pan on middle rack in oven and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Cool briefly before cutting into squares and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.