Rosemary Focaccia with Roasted Garlic Broccoli

Rosemary Focaccia, based on the Horizons: New Vegan Cuisine Rosemary Focaccia Recipe, and Roasted Garlic Broccoli, with Marinara and Herbed Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Rosemary Focaccia and Roasted Garlic Broccoli

Rosemary, Green Onion, and Garlic Focaccia Topping

Roasted Garlic Broccoli

Notes

Recipe and Substitutions:

Rosemary Foccacia

The recipe's intended topping sounded rustic but a bit boring. Instead, I sauteed 2 cloves of garlic (chopped), 6 green onions (white bulbs only, chopped), and 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary in a Tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat for about 8 minutes. I then lightly coated the bread with about a teaspoon olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper and sprinkled the rosemary mixture over it.

Roasted Garlic Broccoli:

Preheat the oven to 450. In a small bowl, Mix 1 1/2 Tb. EVOO, 1 TBSP Sea Salt, 1 TBSP Ground Black pepper, and 1 TBSP crushed red pepper flakes. Coat 1 lb. of broccoli with seasoning mixture and place on baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes, until browned and crispy.

Tasting:

The bread was excellent. I think the heartiness of the whole wheat pastry flour made it substantive enough for a full meal. The topping was excellent: the salt made a crunchy crust and the bitterness of the alluvial vegetables entirely cooked out. Perhaps more olive oil across the top would have given it the more traditional texture, but I liked that it was a bit lighter and less greasy. The broccoli is a basic staple, but punched up a bit with flavor, and excellent as a side with basically any italian dish. A squeeze of fresh lemon brightens the spicy notes and cuts through any residual bitterness.

Blueberry Crumb Cake Muffins

Blueberry Crumb Cake Muffins.

About to take flight on the world's largest muffin-top wings.

Oh, just kidding, collapsing under the muffin top's weight.

Regardless, a really pretty confection; just store it like this to prevent structural implosion.

Recipe

Adapted from the Almost Vegan Blueberry Coffee Cake Recipe.

After freezing, simply reheat for 45 seconds in the microwave.

Tortillas, Guacamole, and Black Bean-Butternut Squash Four Ways: Chips & Dip, Nachos, Tacos, and Tostadas

The Bean and Squash Mixture, which plays an integral role in all of the subsequent iterations.

Chips, flavored with Sea Salt (L) and cumin (R), & Dips.

Dips: Black Bean Squash and Guacamole.

Nachos with Guacamole.

A nacho, close up.

Pre-baking and pre-soy-cheese.

Hard-shell Taco

Tostadas, garnished.

Tostadas, naked

My $0.03 Serrano Pepper. The cashier at the grocery story was really amused by this.

Notes

Recipe and Substitutions

I followed the Viva la Vegan! Black-Eyed-Butternut Tostadas Recipe, substituting Black Beans for the black Eyed Peas. I also followed the Viva la Vegan! The Only Guacamole Recipe I Ever Make Recipe, but was consternated by its lack of tomatoes(!) and didn't have any cilantro.

Chocolate Chip and Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Notes

Recipes

I followed The Joy of Vegan Baking Chocolate Cookie Recipe, simply adding a quarter cup of cocoa powder to the second batch of cookies to get a chocolate dough.

Roasted Vegetable Ravioli with Artichoke-Golden Tomato Ragout and Basil-Mustard Aioli

Roasted Vegetable Ravioli with Artichoke-Golden Tomato Ragout and Basil-Mustard Aioli (and another hyphen, - , just in case).

Second View, with a spring of fresh Rosemary.

Artichoke-Golden Tomato Ragout, with Caramelized Garlic Cloves and Porcini Mushrooms.

Golden Tomato, the Sharpei of tomatoes.

Recipes and Substitutions

The sauces were based on the The Artful Vegan: Fresh Flavors from Millenium Restaurant Baby Artichoke-Golden Tomato Ragout and Basil Aioli Recipes; however, I used store-bought Roasted Vegetable ravioli from Fairway Market. The porcini water from reconstituting dried mushrooms was substituted in lieu of white wine, which made it quite earthy and rich. For want of baby artichokes, I substituted a regular sized artichoke and included the delicate inner leaves as well as chopped heart; this method was great, just make sure to cut off all firm or hard leaves, as the cooked artichoke will toughen as it cools. I reduced the olive oil by half in the aioli; it may have been slightly runnier but it was worth it to cut the calories and fat.

Tasting

Delicious. This was wonderful on a rainy summer night. The aioli was bright, with the lemon and basil marrying nicely. The ragout was beautifully seasoned: earthy from the mushrooms, spicy from the crushed red pepper, nice caramelization on the leeks and garlic cloves. the firmness and starchiness of the hearts added excellent texture. Rosemary and golden tomatoes added balance and brightness.

Smoky Black Eyed Peas with Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

Smoky Black Eyed Peas with Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins.

Smoky Black Eyed Peas.

Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins, adapted from The Joy of Vegan Baking Cornbread Recipe.

Notes

1. Smoky Black Eyed Peas

Recipe:

1 large clove garlic

1/2 serrano pepper

1/2 large yellow onion

1 Tb EVOO

2/3 Cup Tempeh (4 slices)

2/3 Cup or 5 ounces Vegetable Broth (I used Imagine Brands)

1 15-ounce can Black Eyed Peas (I used Whole Foods 365 Brand)

Sauté for 8 minutes over medium

20 minutes simmer

4 Servings, Each with 188 calories

2. Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins

I followed the Joy of Vegan Baking Cornbread Recipe. Regarding changes, I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour and granulated light brown sugar instead of white sugar. In terms of additions, I included one diced Jalapeño. The recipe provides that adding corn kernels is optional, but I also included 1/2 cup, after lightly roasting frozen kernels for about 10 minutes over medium heat in a dry skillet. Since I made muffins instead of a loaf, I reduced the cooking time to 15 minutes and they turned out perfectly. They had the characteristic crumbliness of corn bread without being hard or over-dry.

Tasting

The beans were smoky, flavorful, slightly spicy. I was craving this traditional southern dish, which is usually prepared with a ham hock to celebrate new years. It is best served with the cornbread crumbled over the top of beans so you get a hearty mouthful of both sets of flavors with each bite. To round out the meal, a side of sauteed collard beans or okra would be really nice.

Drunken Beans with Seitan Chorizo, Jalapeño-Onion Cornbread Muffins, and Grilled Vegetables

Drunken Beans with Seitan Chorizo, Jalapeño-Onion Cornbread Muffins, Grilled Vegetables, and Pacifico Cerveza

Grilled Vegetables on Le Creuset Grill Pan

Chorizo and Vegetable Mixture

Beans, simmering away

Notes

Recipes, Tips, and Substitutions

1. Drunken Beans with Seitan Chorizo

a. I followed the Viva Vegan! Drunken Beans with Seitan Chorizo Recipe, replacing the eponymous chorizo with Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausages.

b. To save time, I used canned Pinto Beans. I recommend Eden Foods Brand, which does not use BPA in its cans.

2. Jalapeño-Onion Corn Muffins.
a. I followed the Veganomicon Skillet Corn Bread Recipe, which gave the options of incorporating corn into the batter or adding a jalapeno-onion topping; I chose both, and thought the flavor was excellent. I might have sauteed the onions a bit longer to get a touch more caramelization, but that is entirely a matter of personal preference

b. I baked these for 23 minutes and they came out just about perfectly. Keep in mind that cornbread can become very dry very quickly; this is especially important in warm, dry climates. I would err on the side of under-baking, as you need to let them sit in the pan for at least five minutes anyway before attempting to remove them and they will continue to cook during that time.
c. I used light brown sugar in lieu of white, not only because I didn't have any white sugar but also because I really like the complexity of the taste.
d. In the event it isn't obvious from the picture, I used white corn meal instead of yellow; if you desire a deeper color intensity, use yellow.

e. I baked the cornbread muffins nearly a week before I made this meal. To prevent the cooked muffins drying out, I stored them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

3. Grilled Vegetables

I got a lovely new Le Creuset Grilling Pan and this was her maiden voyage. Tip: if you're using it inside an apartment, you should turn your exhaust fan on high and open all the windows; I narrowly avoided setting the smoke alarm off, as the vegetables and oil give off a fair amount of emissions as they're grilling. In terms of recipe, just pick up whichever vegetables look freshest at the market (I used green bell peppers, yellow onions, and zucchini), slice to about a quarter inch thick, lightly coat with vegetable oil, and a salt of salt and pepper to taste, then cook for about 10 minutes, ensuring that the grill marks come out but that the delicate vegetables do not over cook.

Tasting

If it's possible, even better than it looks! This was truly divine: the smoky, spicy beans excellently complimented the flavorful cornbread, and the crunch of the lightly grilled vegetables was a welcome contrast to the soft bread and bean mixture. I definitely recommend grabbing a second bottle or saving a bit of the beer (I used Pacifico) and a hearty lime wedge for pairing, which echoes and enhances the lime juice in the bean topping. Add warm weather and just try not to smile.