VeggieTalk

Today was the first day I felt up to having any company other than my family after this yucky oral surgery. So two of my closest friends came to see me, bearing soup and bread, along with their wonderful personalities. Wendy, of traveling-to-Europe-with-Wendy fame, brought a potato and leek soup that she concocted simply from some intensely flavorful yellow potatoes and three large leeks from their CSA farm. It was perfect for me, as I have been only able to eat pureed foods for the last week, and those, with a highly diminished appetite. Oh, this was good—living proof of why I often like really simple foods that just taste so much of themselves. Stacie brought my favorite bread in the universe, olive focaccia. I didn’t think I’d be able to chew it, but I broke off little bits and dunked them into the soup. So much the better! I felt so revived by the food and the visit.

I started reading Julie and Julia last night (ironically, while I haven’t been able to eat, I’ve been wanting to read food books and watch food movies). If you are not familiar with it, it’s the story, originated from a blog (!), of a young woman who goes through and makes every recipe in Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child in her tiny New York kitchen. The first recipe she makes, coincidentally, is Potage Parmentier, which is none other than potato leek soup. The ingredients: Potatoes, leeks, butter, salt, pepper, and water. Of course, part of the magic is in how it is made.

I don’t have Julia Child’s original recipe, nor Wendy’s, so I’ll offer my own, adapted from Vegetarian Celebrations. It’s a bit less traditional, using watercress, and with a chunkier texture (watercress used to be a purely spring vegetable, but now it’s available all the time—it’s a great source of vitamin C!).

Potato, Leek, and Watercress Soup

6 servings

Leek and potato soup is often thought of as a comforting winter classic, but here, the peppery, bright green watercress adds a touch of spring. Though this lunch is designed for four, this soup will actually yield 6 servings or so; but you won’t mind having leftovers. If you can make this soup the night before it’s needed, so much the better, as the flavors improve from standing overnight.

• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 large leeks, white and palest green parts only, chopped and rinsed well
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 pounds flavorful potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 bay leaf
• Vegetable stock or water, as needed
• 1 cup packed chopped watercress
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups rice milk
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add the leeks and onions and sauté over moderate heat, covered, until the onion begins to turn golden. Lift the lid occasionally to stir.

Add the potatoes, bay leaf, and just enough stock or water to cover. Bring to a rapid simmer, then cover and simmer gently until the potatoes are quite tender, about 20 minutes.

Mash enough of the potatoes in the pot with a potato masher to thicken the base. Add the watercress and rice milk and simmer over very low heat for 5 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Allow to stand off the heat for an hour or two before serving, or let cool and refrigerate overnight. Heat through before serving. Stir in the parsley. Adjust the consistency with more rice milk, then adjust the seasonings.

A few nights ago, just before the Dental Ordeal from Hell, I made little pizzas on sturdy pita breads, composed of leftover ingredients from another go at Big Quesadillas. One of the commentors, Monica, described a quesadilla she had made with sweet potato, yellow squash, corn, and soy cheese. The idea sounded so appealing to me that I tried it myself, using prepared salsa verde as a topping. Wonderful! Hooray, Monica!

With some of the ingredients on hand, the following night I made these little yet really filling pita pizzas, layered with spicy refried beans, cooked sweet potato and yellow squash, corn, chilies, salsa verde, and Vegan Gourmet cheese.

When it comes to pizzas and wraps, I don’t like to use recipes. That’s the beauty of this kind of dish—use what’s on hand and pile it on (or in, as is the case with wraps). I’m thinking of a pizza with lots of carmelized onion, sauerkraut, and Tofurkey soy sausage.

I love it when readers share their creative ideas—the hummus discussion was pure heaven. How about pizza? What are your favorite offbeat toppings?

Yesterday I underwent some very intense oral surgery. You really don’t want to know the details, but it was no ordinary wisdom tooth extraction. I was warned of a slight chance of jaw fracture and nerve damage, but fortunately those things did not happen. Still, I was told to prepare for 5 to 7 days of feeling yucky, so here I am on the couch, doing just that.

I’m one of these people who is always doing 1,001 things at once, so in a way, there is a blessing to slowing down (though it would be better, of course, if this slowdown did not involve so much gauze!). I can’t really do much today, so I watched one of my fave food movies, Mostly Martha. It’s a German film (that came out a few years ago) about a chef in an an upscale restaurant, her little niece, and an a charmingly eccentric Italian chef who comes into her life. As for the food, there’s not much to appeals to the likes of us veg and vegan eaters until Mario comes into the picture; still, I love Martha’s almost neurotic devotion to detail and perfection in the kitchen (so unlike me, who likes to just throw everything together in the simplest possible way!). It’s a great little film, gentle and genuine.

Another food film I love is Tortilla Soup, which is quite similar in structure to its Asian predecessor, Eat Drink Man Woman, but set in Los Angeles. In this movie the chef is a widower devoted to his three (or is it four?) grown daughters. It’s colorful, lively, and a lot of fun.

There’s also Babette’s Feast, kind of your benchmark food film, and I’m not even sure I’ve seen it. We rented Big Night some weeks ago but I wasn’t too crazy about it.

I read some time ago that Mostly Martha is being remade in an American version. Somehow I have a feeling it won’t be an improvement, so see the original first if you can. Can any of you recommend any other food films you’ve seen and enjoyed?

Even something as ordinary as dried fruit looks so enticing when it’s displayed in Paris. No, I did not slip off to Paris for the weekend. I took this photo at Le Grand Epicerie, a food paradise in the Montparnasse district of Paris on one of my last trips (these photos bring back such pleasant memories … ).

I just made one of my sons’ favorite dried fruit concoctions, and as fresh seasonal fruit dwindles down to apples, pears, Asian pears, and bananas for the winter, and this got me thinking about upping our intake of dried fruits.

Can anyone explain to me why dried fruits so high in iron? Why do nutrients become so concentrated once fruits are dessicated? If Meanwhile, I do know that dried fruits are an excellent source of the aforementioned iron, as well as calcium and potassium. Generally, they are high in vitamins A and C, too. And finally, they add a lovely twist to baked goods, pilafs, and even salads. Before any kind of road trip, long or short, I always make a quick mix of nuts and dried fruits.

The following recipe for faux “truffles” has long been a much-loved snack around here, mainly for the boys, but my husband and I like them too, in smaller measure. They’re almost like raw candies, made with dried fruit, chocolate chips, nut butter, and ground flaxseeds and/or wheat germ. They taste wonderful, but are not as photogenic as the above display of dried fruit!

This recipe is adapted from The Vegetarian Family Cookbook. Like all simple recipes, it is open to interpretation and adaptation. I just LOVED all of the wonderful ideas for varying hummus in the previous posts, so if you have any great ways to use dried fruits, please share!

Chocolate-Nut Butter “Truffles”

Makes about 16

• 1/3 cup natural peanut butter, cashew butter, or almond butter
• 1/3 cup dried fruit (raisins, apricots, or dates)
• 2 tablespoons wheat germ or ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup grain-sweetened nondairy chocolate chips
• Pinch of cinnamon, optional

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. If desired, add 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds. Process until completely combined (some chocolate chips are stubborn about breaking up completely; it’s OK for these to be chunky).

Shape into small balls, not more than one inch in diameter, and refrigerate for 30 minutes or so, until firmed up, then serve.

Hummus has always been a standby in my house, and even more so since we were in Israel this summer. I don’t know what their secret is there, but the hummus is so good, it’s nearly addictive. I’ve almost always followed a pretty straight recipe, like the one in my Vegetarian 5-Ingredient Gourmet, but the other day for fun I threw in about 1/4 cup of oil-cured sun-dried tomatoes. After all, you can buy all kinds of ready-made flavored varieties, so why not do this at home? Here are a few things I thought of that could embellish hummus, aside from dried tomatoes:

• Pine nuts
• Nutritional yeast
• Roasted red peppers
• Scallions
• Fresh dill
• Fresh parsley
• Hot chili peppers

What else can you think of? Do you have any other interesting variations on hummus that you can share with me? I can’t seem to get enough of it!

Hummus

Makes about 2 cups (6 to 8 servings)

This classic Middle Eastern dip for scooping onto wedges of pita bread is also wonderful in wraps with avocado, tomato, and sprouts.

• One 16-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup tahini (sesame paste)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 clove garlic, crushed, optional (I loathe raw garlic!)
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup water, or as needed to create a smooth, thick consistency
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• One or two embellishments, as suggested above

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor. Process until smoothly pureed. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature.

… But still very easy. I was a bit reluctant to do two tofu posts in a row, but I really felt like making this tonight, and sharing it. I tried this idea a couple of weeks ago and was eager to make it again. I call it “Spicy Tofu Triangles on a Cool Bed of Lettuce.” The contrast of the hot and spicy tofu and the cold, crisp lettuce is quite nice! When I made it the first time, it was a hit, but my husband suggested that some sort of creamy dressing would be good on the lettuce, and he was right. I used Nasoya’s Creamy Dill, but any vegan ranch-style dressing, home made or store bought would work.

By the way, I use two pounds of tofu as I’ve mentioned before, because of my ravenous teens, but if you are serving 3 or 4 “normal” eaters, one pound could be enough, and cut the rest of the ingredients in half.

Spicy Tofu Triangles on a Cool Bed of Lettuce

4 to 6 servings

• Two 16-ounce tubs firm or extra-firm tofu
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup natural ketchup
• 1 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Thai red chili paste, to taste, dissolved in a small amount of warm water
• 2 to 3 cups shredded crisp lettuce (such as romaine), thinly shredded
• 2 to 3 tablespoons vegan creamy dill or ranch dressing, as needed
• Thinly sliced scallions, basil leaves, and/or sesame seeds for garnish, optional

1. Cut each block of tofu into six slabs crosswise. Blot well, then cut each slab in half to make two squares. Finally, Cut each square on the diagonal to make trianges.

2. Combine the hoisin sauce, ketchup, soy sauce, agave nectar, oil and dissolved chili paste in a small mixing bowl and whisk together.

3. Pour half of the sauce into an extra-wide skillet and heat gently. Add the tofu, and pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Turn the heat up to medium high .Cook, stirring frequently, for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the sauce is completely reduced and the tofu begins to brown.

4. Toss the lettuce with the dressing. Allowing about 1/2 cup of lettuce per serving, place a bed of lettuce on each plate and top with several tofu triangles. Garnish with some thinly sliced scallion or basil if desired.

By non-recipe, I mean a dish that you rely on when you are too tired to cook, not in the mood to go out to eat or even get take-out, and which everyone raves about anyway. Mine is barbecue tofu that’s not even barbecued.

The “recipe” consists of two 16-ounce tubs of extra firm tofu, sliced, blotted, and diced (one tub would disappear in about two seconds in my house). The tofu goes into a lightly oiled, wide skillet or stir-fry pan with a little more Amy’s original flavor BBQ sauce than seems neccessary; then it’s cooked over medium-high heat until some of the tofu starts to brown here and there, with a bit of stirring now and then. This takes about 20 minutes, during which time the exhausted cook can prepare some quinoa or pasta and make a simple salad.

My sons go crazy over this, and I often make it when there are going to be several teens around. And the scallions? I used them for the sake of the photo—I usually don’t bother! I’ve been asked for the “recipe” for this BBQ tofu so many times—it’s highly embarrassing for a cookbook author to admit that there isn’t one. So I’m really curious—is there any two- or three- or four-ingredient recipe you make on a regular basis that’s a guaranteed hit?

Sorry I have not been able to write much new this week, it has been one of those that zooms by with no time to catch a breath. I did want to let blog readers know about this month’s book sale, which I also announced in my newsletter.

I just changed distributors, and got back a bit of this and that leftover from the warehouse of my previous distributor. Some are leftover quantities of out of print books, others, quantities of newer books. Either way, these books are better in your hands than in my house! Last month’s combo of the new, revised edition of Vegetarian Soups for All Seasons plus gratis copy of slightly hurt Vegetariana was a great success! Thanks to everyone who ordered, and for your patience with the slow US postal service.

Since Media Mail starts to take more time in November, I want to make sure books get to readers in a timely way if you are ordering for the holidays. So this sale will be over on Monday, October 16, or shortly thereafter.

Every order will come with one copy of gently hurt Vegetariana at no extra cost (that is, one Vegetariana with every order, not one for every book ordered, just to be clear!). All books will be signed. You’ll find these bargains at the October Book Sale.

I’ve covered this in my monthly newsletter, but I wanted my blog readers to know about this, too. Evan (my younger son, who is nearly 15) has for the last two years he has been creating beautiful photographic cards and small prints specifically to raise money for his favorite charities, which include the Jane Goodall Foundation, Clearwater Foundation, and Farm Sanctuary (you can find out more about these great organizations on his links page).

Evan donates 100% of proceeds to these organizations. There are a handful of gorgeous new photos this month. In October, he plans to donate funds to the Goodall Foundation. View his work at Evan Atlas Photo Gallery.

It’s been a pretty gloomy weekend here in the Hudson Valley, proving the old adage, “What follows two rainy days? Monday …” My antidote to gloominess is baking something warm and sweet for my family. Yesterday we had a lunch of soup and sandwiches way too late in the day. I couldn’t imagine thinking about dinner, so I decided to make a “dessert dinner.”

If this were a standard American dinner (the likes of which I never serve!), this dessert dinner would be represented as follows: The protein dish is the cookies, Peanut Butter and Cranberry Dainties from The Nut Gourmet by Zel Allen; the “veggies” are provided by the very fruity apple and blueberry crumble, whose recipe I’ve already posted in this blog (this time I used pears as well, a great combo); and the “starch” is represented by Fauxtess Cupcakes from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz. I didn’t bother with the white filling and piping that make them look like the junk storebought cupcakes.

It was the first time I made both the cookies and the cupcakes and both were hugely successful. The cookies are delicious, soft and chewy and spiked with sweet-tart cranberries; and the cupcakes are a real throwback to birthday party cupcakes of childhood. At first I worried that the batter was too liquidy, but they came out perfectly. And fruit crumbles are always a welcome treat.

I wouldn’t make this kind of “dinner” every day (once a year, though, it could be a fun ritual), but as a cheering, offbeat “meal,” it was not unhealthy—in it were whole grains, nuts and nut butter, lots of fruit, flaxseed, etc. What do you think?