Monthly Archives: November 2013

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

Main Courses, Vegan, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I love wintery comfort foods when the weather starts to turn cold.  This shepard’s pie is so meaty, you may be surprised that it is completely vegan.  (And you don’t have to tell people that it is if they are adverse to the v-word.  They’ll never know . . .).  

The meatiness of the dish comes from a combination of lentils and fresh and dried mushrooms, as well as a good “beefy” vegetable broth.  I highly recommend the vegetarian broth bases made by Superior Touch.  They make both a “Not Beef” and a “Not Chicken” that are excellent.  I used the “beef” in the lentil and mushroom mixture and the “chicken” in the potato and parsnip mixture.  

Although the dish does take some time to prepare, it’s fairly flexible and forgiving.  You could make it with different varieties of mushrooms and different herbs and spices to suit your taste.  You can also add more parsnips to the topping or remove them altogether.  I love the addition of the parsnips to the mashed potatoes, they add both a richness and flavor.

 I made this on a Saturday night, and just as it was almost done baking, the power went out.  We ate this by candlelight, which suited the dish perfectly.   I wasn’t able to get a decent picture of it given my lighting constraints,  so I took a picture of the leftovers the next morning.  

 shepherds pie

Here is a picture of the dish prior to serving from another time I made it:

shepards pie uncut

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Vegan Shepherd's Pie

Rich and meaty, you would never guess this is vegan. A significantly healthier and more humane alternative to the original dish that is just as tasty.
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For the Lentil Mushroom Stew

  • 8 oz crimini or brown mushrooms sliced
  • 4 TBSP margarine I like Earth Balance
  • 1 large carrot finely diced
  • 1 medium onion finely diced
  • 2 ribs celery finely diced
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 1/2 TBSP herbs de provance or a combination of thyme rosemary, oregano and fennel
  • 1 1/2 TBSP tomato paste
  • ~4-5 cups of vegetable broth I used Better Than Bullion No Beef Broth
  • 1 cup dried green or brown lentils
  • 2/3 cup dried wild mushrooms I used porcini
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 cup drinking-quality red wine a cabernet works well here
  • 1 tsp worcestershire sauce or soy sauce or tamari
  • 1 TBSP sherry vinegar
  • 1 1/2 TBSP chopped italian parsley

For the Potato and Parsnip Topping

  • 3 to 4 medium to large sized potatoes partially peeled (to retain some of the skin and its vitamins) and roughly chopped. (Yukon gold, red potatoes, or russets all work great. I used a combination of all three types.)
  • 1 large parsnip roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth or non-dairy milk. I used Better Than Bullion No Chicken Broth
  • 3-4 TBSP margarine I like Earth Balance
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic skins in tact, wrapped in foil and roasted in the over for 30 minutes at 400 degrees
  • 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Heat 2 TBSP of margarine in a large skillet or cast iron pan* on medium heat
  • Add 1/4 of mushrooms and cook until browned on both sides, turning once during the process. Repeat with remaining mushrooms, continuing to work in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. (Mushrooms that are crowded and touching each other in the pan will steam as opposed to brown.)
  • When all mushrooms are browned, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  • Heat 2 TBSP of margarine in a deep dutch oven, or soup pot.
  • Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute until moisture is released and vegetables are just beginning to brown.
  • Add salt, pepper, and herbs de provance and cook for another minute.
  • Clear an area in the pot and add tomato paste and cook for ~2 more minutes until tomato paste is beginning to brown.
  • Add lentils, dried mushrooms, bay leaf and ~3 cups of broth to pot and bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer, covered for ~1 hour, stirring frequently and adding more broth as needed.
  • While lentils are cooking, make potato and parsnip topping and preheat oven to 400 degrees to prepare for baking the dish.
  • Add potato pieces to a pot of salted, room temperature water and bring to a boil.
  • In a separate pot of salted water, add the parsnip pieces and bring to a boil.
  • When potatos and parsnips are softened and can easily be pierced with a knife, drain them and combine them in a single pot.
  • Add butter, roasted garlic (peel it from the skin), rosemary and thyme and mash to combine.
  • Add broth or non-dairy milk a little at a time until the desired consistency for mashed potatoes is reached.
  • Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
  • When lentils are cooked, add 1/2 cup of red wine to pot and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
  • Check the consistency of the lentil and mushroom mixture. It should be a very thick stew. If it is too thin, you can cook longer, uncovered to thicken it, or mix 1 TBSP of cornstarch with 1 TBSP water and add to the mixture to thicken.
  • Remove lentil mushroom mixture from heat and stir in parsley and sherry vinegar.
  • Transfer lentil and mushroom mixture to a lightly greased casserole dish and gently spoon potato parsnip mixture over the lentil mixture.
  • Gently smooth out potato mixture so that the entire casserole is covered with the potato mixture.
  • Cook dish at 450 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until potato topping is beginning to brown.
  • Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

*Cast iron is great to use when you are trying to brown something. It aids in browning and also has the additional nutritional benefit of adding iron to your diet. I'm not kidding.
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Easy Ricotta Gnocchi

Easy Weeknight Meals, Main Courses, , , , , , , ,

The first time I tried to make gnocchi was in 2001.  Things I remember about the experience: it was a sweet potato gnocchi, it was gooey as hell, there was a TON of it (most of which was thrown away) and the process of making it nearly resulted in a divorce.

Until now, I have avoided making my own gnocchi since the “gnocchi incident”, though I have remained gnocchi-curious.  Twelve years later, and with a new husband (who doesn’t cook and in no way participated in the process), I decided to give gnocchi another try.  This time I would start simple.  Instead of traditional potato gnocchi, I would make a ricotta gnocchi.  No ricing potatos, and less chance of a gooey mess.  This recipe was inspired by a post in the aptly-named Inspired Taste blog.   Ladies and gentlemen, I give you weeknight gnocchi.  I AM NOT KIDDING!!!

gnocchi

gnocchi with pesto

rolling gnocchi

cutting gnocchi

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Easy Ricotta Gnocchi

Super easy gnocchi. Seriously. Pair with pesto, a simple homemade tomato sauce, or brown in butter seasoned with fresh sage.
Servings: 6

Ingredients

For Gnocchi

  • 1 lb. ricotta I used an artisnal product: Coach Farms goat milk ricotta, which is lighter and less fatty than traditional ricotta.
  • 2 eggs
  • pinch salt
  • 1/3 cup freshly grated parmaggiano reggiano
  • 1 1/2 cups flour I used "00" flour.

Instructions

  • Mix eggs, ricotta, salt, and cheese together in a bowl. Slowly add flour until a shaggy dough comes together.
  • Remove dough from bowl and shape into a log.
  • Cut log in half and cut each half into four equal pieces.
  • Roll each piece of dough into a rope that is ~1 inch thick and cut gnocchi into ~1 inch pieces.
  • Place cut gnocchi on a parchment-lined baking sheet and set aside.
  • Continue rolling and cutting remaining dough.
  • When all gnocchi is cut, you can cook immediately or freeze for later use.*

To Cook

  • Heat large pot of salted water to boiling.
  • Gently add gnocchi to pot. Be careful not to overcrowd the pot, as this could cause the gnocchi to stick together. When cooking for more than two people, I cook gnocchi in batches.
  • When gnocchi begin to float to the top of the pot, they are done.
  • Remove from pot, drain well, and toss with your favorite sauce.

Notes

* To freeze gnocchi, place parchment lined baking sheet with gnocchi in the freezer until the gnocchi are frozen (about 45 minutes). When gnocchi are frozen, remove from baking sheet and place in zip top plastic bags for easy storage.
Adapted from Inspired Taste

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Main Courses, Vegan, , , , , ,

Is there anything more delicious and decadent than deep dish pizza?  This pizza is a bit of work, but definitely worth it.  This pizza is an adaptation of the America’s Test Kitchen recipe.  You make the dough, the sauce, and add plenty of delicious fresh veggies.  I sometimes also add veggie pepperoni slices.  It’s a great Saturday or Sunday night dinner and leftovers make a great Monday lunch.

 deep dish pizza

cut deep dish pizza

pizza in progress
 

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Vegetarian Deep Dish Pizza

The ultimate deep dish pizza: a buttery crust loaded with veggies and tomato sauce. This can be made vegan by omitting the cheese or substituting a vegan cheese.
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/4 cup fine cornmeal like masa harina
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 TBSP melted margarine or butter
  • 2 TBSP softened margarine or butter
  • 2/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1 3/4 cups homemade tomato sauce or jarred pasta sauce.
  • 2 cups assorted vegetable toppings such as: thinly sliced zucchini thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced bell pepper, fresh spinach, sauteed mushrooms, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives, roasted peppers, pickled hot peppers, fresh basil, etc.
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  • Combine flour, cornmeal, yeast and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor fitted with dough attachment. Pulse to combine ingredients.
  • Add water and melted margarine and process until a ball of dough is formed, scraping down the sides of the bowl when necessary.
  • Remove ball of dough from mixer or processor and knead for 1 minute by hand, then place dough in an oiled bowl, cover and set in a warm place to rise for 40 minutes to 1 hour.
  • If making your own tomato sauce, prepare that while the dough is rising.
  • For any raw vegetables that you are using in the pizza (for example, zucchinni, fresh tomato, onions), place them in a large strainer and sprinkle generously with with salt. Place the strainer over a bowl and set aside so that vegetables can release some of their liquid.*
  • When dough has risen, roll it out into a rectangle and spread with softened butter.
  • Fold rectangle of dough into thirds like a business letter, and fold in thirds again. Shape dough into a ball and return to oiled bowl to let rise again for 40 minutes to an hour.
  • While dough is rising for the second time, preheat oven to 425.
  • When dough has risen, roll out into circle large enough to line a cast iron skillet or 9 inch round cake pan.
  • Press dough into bottom of pan and up the sides of the pan to form a deep crust.
  • Sprinkle dough with shredded cheese (if using) and top with 3/4 cup of tomato sauce.
  • Arrange vegetables on top of sauce in layers, sprinkling with pepper and salt (omitting salt on the layers of raw vegetables that have already been salted).
  • Top pizza with remaining tomato sauce.
  • Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes until crust is firm and sauce is bubbling.
  • Let sit for 10-15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Notes

*This step will go a long way toward keeping your pizza from being too watery.
Adapted from America's Test Kitchen