Christmas Cookies

This year's Christmas cookies were made in a hurried late night episode in my Brooklyn kitchen. The clock roared past the midnight hour and I flung flour around, a rolling pin in one hand, a sticky iphone in the other. Not exactly your charmed cookie baking event, but this is how we do. The frantic effort produced a few of these little boxes stuffed with Mexican Chocolate Cookies (spicy!), Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons, and Gingerbread People. All recipes are courtesy of the good people at Post Punk Kitchen- a website that is always there for me when I'm scrambling for an idea or a recipe. Thanks Isa!

All recipes are linked below for your use! My favorite were the Mexican Hot Chocolate cookies- I will be making them again soon!

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies
Gingerbread People
Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

Wising you very happy holidays, however and wherever you spend them. I'm off to Ohio this afternoon to celebrate with family and friends and also to walk in the woods. May your days be relaxing and filled with much joy.

Very truly yours,
NRG

The Veganette for Chickpea Magazine

Three recipes/ photographs of mine are featured in the winter edition of Chickpea Magazine! I am honored to be included in what is surely one of the best new vegan magazines in circulation. Pre-order now and prepare yourself to enjoy Cara's hand lettering and a pile of new recipes and photographs by some of the nation's finest pan-friers, muddlers, and whiskers. 

You can find the veganette submissions on pages 70-75 featured as a "Cold Dark Day Menu". These are some of my favorite new recipes for winter- Roasted Romanesco with Toasted Pecans, Gluten Free Apple Blackberry Pie, and Cashew Ricotta Pizza. You can preview the magazine online here and pre-order a print copy here. While you're at it, consider purchasing a year subscription! This independent magazine is a beautiful trailblazer that will out-swagger your bon appetit any day of the week. 

To cold (bright) days!

NRG

Scalloped Potatoes In A Garlic-Herb Béchamel Sauce

If you're a vegan like me and thought you would never again enjoy the homey taste of scalloped potatoes, think again! Here, thinly sliced onions and Yukon Gold potatoes settle in a savory herbed béchamel sauce garnished with a a healthy load of ground pepper and fresh rosemary. Delicious! I've adapted the gratin recipe from Mollie Katzen's The Vegetable Dishes I Couldn't Live Without, a brilliant (though not particularly vegan) cookbook filled with interesting and new ideas on how to prepare veggies. Katzen's vegetarian cookbooks are bestselling and rightfully so! The lady can tell you how to whip up some amazing home-style soups with ease and class, all while preaching on about her unending love for vegetables.

4 Tbs. margarine
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
2 Tbs. flour
1 1/2 cups warmed unsweetened almond or soy milk
1 bay leaf
salt to taste
2 lbs. Yukon Gold Potatoes (sliced thinly)
1 large onion (sliced thinly)
freshly ground black pepper
fresh rosemary

Melt the margarine in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the garlic, rosemary, and thyme, stirring often to prevent burning. Add the flour and whisk constantly until a thick paste forms. Keep whisking as you add in the warmed milk. Add the bay leaf and turn the heat down even lower. Let the gratin thicken, stirring often, for about 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and preheat oven to 375.

Cut the potatoes and onions very thinly and arrange in a greased pan. Pour the béchamel sauce over the vegetables (make sure to discard the bay leaf) and top with cracked pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the center of the oven for an hour. Test to make sure the potatoes are tender, and increase time if necessary. Remove from oven and garnish with fresh rosemary and more pepper.

Enjoy!
NRG

Cyber Monday: Really Good Wooden Spoons

Calling all online shoppers! I just placed my order for a personalized hand carved wooden spoon from the WRONG store in Marfa. These are amazing! I've been an admirer of Camp Bosworth's hilarious, brilliant, accessible work since my sunny days in Marfa and am looking forward to having a piece of my very own! A portion of the proceeds go to Buck and Camp's wood-carving friend, Carlos, to support his craft and work in Mexico. All spoons are hand carved in walnut and come donned with any wild inscription or figure your recipe-filled brain can think up. Price starts at $40. 

To order, email Buck at buck@bbgun.com. The deadline for orders is next Monday, December 3.

YES,
NRG

The Veganette's Guide to Preparing a Thanksgiving Menu

Thanksgiving can be a difficult time for vegans. The brimmed table is not always the most welcoming place for those with dietary restrictions and sometimes you even end up sitting next to a ham all night. Quelle horreur! Before you launch into a lengthy defense of veganism with all your aunts and uncles, consider showing up with a few of these dishes to share. In your effort to fill your plate with more than buns, you may even convince a naysayer that vegetables can be interesting and that pie crust can be flaky and delicious without using a pound of butter. From the archives of the veganette!

_________________________________

Soup and Salad

If you are doing a really fancy thanksgiving with courses, soup and salad are in order. This butternut squash soup is festive and delicious (add a cup of coconut milk to make it creamier)- butternut squash recipe. I love serving up this light fennel salad. It's the perfect compliment to a heavy gravy and mashed potato plate and the bright pomegranate seeds are so special. fennel salad recipe.

Main Stage

I like to include the classics like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, and stuffing- many of which have been converted into vegan-friendly recipes by our friends at PPK. Some links are attached here; "sausage" stuffing, green bean casserole, mushroom gravy, and chickpea cutlets. 

Roasted veggies are always a big hit. Consider roasting root vegetables like rutabaga, beets, carrots, and turnips. This is a favorite recipe of mine that pops out of the oven all year round- roasted brussels sprouts with apples.

Get creative with family favorites. We whipped up this sweet potato casserole with toasted coconut and vegan marshmallows- a converted recipe from GK's family. There might be a whole tub of earth balance in there but everyone loved it!

Desserts- Finishing Well

Take a moment to really shine. Omnivores will be floored by the deliciousness of vegan treats like PPK's pumpkin pie brownie or a warm dutch apple pie. 

Here's a link to a pie post from 2010- pie time. I use this oil pie crust recipe for everything from quiches to pies to tarts and it is always a big hit. It's no-roll, no-chill magic that will make your baking easy as pie. 

____________________________

If you are working on veganizing a family favorite and are having some difficulty, feel free to send me an email at nrgtheveganette(at)gmail.com. I may be able to point you in the right direction or help as you finagle your way through your grandmother's cryptic handwriting. 

Yours till the last slice of pie is gone!

NRG

The Veganette for Earth Eats: Lentil Tarragon Soup

You'll have to forgive me for posting two soups in a row, but I've been obsessed with the ease (and low cost) of filling my big silver pot with all things imaginable. Soups are the perfect platform for culinary experiments. Try something new with your old soup recipes and if it doesn't work out you can always reverse it by adding more water, acid (lemon juice, vinegar, wine), sugar, or spices. I worked at a very delicious and well loved restaurant where we intentionally burned the onions in the lentil soup ever so slightly because one accidental burn yielded surprising results! So roll up your sleeves, raid the pantry, and join me in welcoming the most forgiving culinary season of the year, soup season! 

Find the recipe on the Earth Eats site- http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/lentil-tarragon-soup/

Enjoy!

NRG  

Three Bean Chili with Gluten Free Cornbread

This is no award-winning chili but it is my go-to base that usually becomes a wild kitchen-sink concoction perfect for freezing or packing into tote bags (adult lunchboxes).  I am working on perfecting my gluten-free cornbread, and what a hard task it is! The first was too gummy, another to dry. This is the best so far, but the recipe isn't quite good enough to be shared with you all yet. I stick to my motto of making all experiments look pretty even if they dissapoint- and this cornbread was lovely to look at if nothing else, speckled with juicy corn chunks and garnished with thin strips of poblano pepper.

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
2 jalapeno or 1 habanero pepper, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups frozen or fresh corn
2 large cans crushed or stewed tomatoes with juice
1 cup vegetable broth
3 Tbs. chili powder
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. cumin
1/2- 1 tsp. cocoa powder
fresh ground pepper

In a large soup pot, saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and peppers and saute for five minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, covered, for 30 minutes. Add water as necessary and add salt and pepper to taste.

To leftovers!
NRG

Tea Time

During the days that followed the hurricane, we stayed in. I made a few bike ventures out into the wind and rain to check in with friends, survey flood lines, and to run errands. This was an unusually bright and quiet morning in Bed Stuy spent drinking tea. GK and TB are the purveyors of good tea for the masses- carefully unwrapping flat cakes, steeping rolled leaves, dumping through bamboo slots, and pouring. In this hot water anointing we sit around the table sensing subtle fragrances and changes in the floppy, well-traveled leaves. Can you think of a better way to spend your morning?

I don't know much about tea, but I know that after an hour of this sitting, sipping, chatting I always feel much more optimistic about the state of things, even in times such as these. A million homes in New York and New Jersey are still without power and heat and 40,000 people have been made homeless by the hurricane's ravage. Please consider donating or volunteering to relief efforts. My heart is very heavy thinking of those who are without shelter- especially today as the first blanket of snow creeps steadily over the city.

Stay warm,
NRG

Hurricane Sandy pics up on the tumblr- http://natalieraegood.tumblr.com/

Swiss Chard Trenette in Brown Butter Sauce with Roasted Winter Squash

Last Sunday was spent preparing for Hurricane Sandy's big blows. We filled jars with water, bought candles, stood on line, and stocked our pantry. In the hours of hunkering down I set about in the kitchen- marinating, stewing, roasting, and baking. This is one of the recipes that came about that day. Extra-long trenette tossed in a brown "butter" (earth balance) garlic sauce with swiss chard and roasted winter squash. Thankfully, our apartment was spared of the hurricane's rage. Please keep NY in your thoughts as the storm took a serious toll on the city and many friends are out of power or dealing with flooding and damage. I love this city and the very human generosity that I have seen happen between strangers in the last few days is inspiring.

1 bunch swiss chard (washed, stemmed and chopped)
4 cloves garlic (pressed and minced)
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/3 cup earth balance
2 Tbs. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1 winter squash (halved)
olive oil

Preheat oven to 400. Prepare the squash for roasting. Scoop out seeds, rub with olive oil, and place squash halves face down on a baking sheet. Cook until tender when poked with a fork.

Prepare noodles in salted water till al dente. In a large saucepan heat the earth balance and olive oil. Reduce heat to low and stir constantly, being careful not to burn. Let the butter simmer for a few minutes and add the crushed red pepper and garlic. Saute for five minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the chard and salt and stir until limp. Add salt and pepper to taste.  When the squash is finished roasting, scoop out the inside and slice into long strips. Toss with chard and noodles and serve immediately!

Enjoy,
NRG

Cheesy Tofu Scramble with Hot Peppers and Purple Rosemary Potatoes

It has been a very difficult week and I am so looking forward to the weekend. We rarely make tofu these days but I still love a good, cheesy tofu scramble on a lazy Saturday morning. This scramble was spicy! Served up with freshly pressed apple, orange, beet, celery, carrot, ginger juice!

1 lb. firm tofu, pressed
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 bunch greens, washed and chopped
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
1/2 tsp. tumeric
1 tsp. cumin
salt and pepper
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup nutritional yeast

In a large frying pan heat a few tablespoons olive oil. Saute the onion and jalapeno, stirring often. Fry the tofu with the onions and pepper for a few minutes. Add the spices and stir to coat. Add the greens, mushrooms, tomatoes and half of the nutritional yeast and saute till greens are wilted. Add the rest of the nutritional yeast, the vinegar, and add spices to taste.

Serve with a pile of halved, roasted potatoes that have been generously sprinkled with fresh crushed rosemary. Search out purple spuds! They are so lovely and special.

To rest!
NRG

A New Blog

It's been a very busy October and I am just now getting around to posting on my new tumblr blog- http://natalieraegood.tumblr.com/. I make a lot of photographs and am glad to now have this means to show them to you all. Have no fear, the veganette will live on, but this is a place for the foodless photographs that do come about every now and again. There have been many dishes washed and oils heated in the past few weeks. Good thing cooking gas is included in our rent! Looking forward to getting this last roll developed and sharing a few new ideas.

Yours,
NRG

Cinnamon Pancakes with Apple Butter

Celebrate the first frost with a tall stack of Saturday morning pancakes. Start with this tried-and-true flapjack recipe;  http://theveganette.blogspot.com/2010/11/friday-flapjacks.html, substitute 1/2 of the soy milk for applesauce and add 2 tsp. cinnamon. Pile high and serve with nut butters, apple butter, crisp apple slices, and a sprinkling of cinnamon.

To the weekenders!
NRG

The Veganette Turns Two: Everybody Eats When They Come To My House

Happy second birthday, Veganette. A toast to another year of dairy-free knish, meat-free sliders, spicy pumpkin pies, towering birthday cakes, roasted veggies, steamed dumplings, and dark truffles! Thanks to the many friends who have contributed to the blog, the eaters, the cooks, the food coop and the great vegetarian/vegan chefs who have paved the way for us through their recipes. May this song ring true this year!

Three cheers,
NRG

Bagel Story: Steamed Vinegar Kale with Sesame Tempeh and Avocado Schmear

I have spoken many times about my deep, unending love for big bagel sandwiches. Here's one that will certainly stretch your jaws and satisfy your heartiest morning cravings.

The long weekend was spent camping and climbing in red river gorge, Kentucky where between hefty arm pulls and knotted ropes a steady rain of yellow leaves fell on our heads. We made sundried tomato and cucumber sandwiches on the trail and wore layers upon layers. On the ends of the trip I had a few chances to cook and buy records with my midwestern friends. This sandwich was brunch our first day- imported Brooklyn bagels photographed through a broken light meter.

1 whole wheat everything bagel, toasted
1 bunch kale (steamed)
1 ripe avocado (mashed)
1 package 5-grain tempeh (cut into thin strips and marinated)
sesame oil
apple cider vinegar
Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
lemon juice
fresh ground pepper

Marinate tempeh in 1 Tbs. maple syrup, a few tablespoons Braggs, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar, the juice of 1/2 lemon, and black pepper. Steam kale in 1/2 inch water. Strain and drizzle with 1 tsp. Braggs or soy sauce and 1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar. In a large frying pan, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil. Saute the marinated tempeh, flipping one time once lightly browned. Assemble and serve warm!

Enjoy,
NRG

The Veganette for Earth Eats: Pumpkin Flaxseed Donuts

When good friends move away from the city the only thing that can cushion your emotional crash is a stack of vegan pumpkin donuts. These golden rings did their best to comfort a circle of blanket-sitters in the park a week or so ago as we bade farewell to dear KyS.

If you have never made donuts before, these are a great introduction. A few things to keep in mind; the dough requires 1 hour of rest in the refrigerator so be sure to allow a good amount of time. When rolling out the dough, add as much flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the countertop. When frying, be sure to keep a thermometer in the oil- the oil should stay around 370 degrees. Form into rings or holes!

Follow this link for ingredients and recipe- http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/vegan-pumpkin-flaxseed-donuts/.

Enjoy,
NRG

Guest Blogger: Kristen Ann McHugh's Seeded Granola

It was lovely to share the busiest weekend of the year with KAM. Together we hurdled through a few late nights, a huge letterpress job, a music show, and packed a U-Haul with extra strong cups of coffee in our hands and soggy bike seats under our bums. When Kristen visits we just do regular life/ art/ work/ fun. It's the best! We don't go to Times Square and we don't go to any fancy bars. She brought me this really delicious granola (what a nice gift!) and it was so fabulous, I asked that she share the recipe with all of you. Hands down the best I've had in years.

Thanks KAM!
Enjoy,
NRG

BKJLG & Deconstructed Sushi

At a bright, fall wedding I recently attended in St. Cloud, Minnesota, a number of  new friends asked me how I managed to survive living in New York. I didn't really know how to respond and found myself shrugging over my handfuls of popcorn and peanuts, trying to mention a few convincing arguments on how any big place can feel small and any small place can feel big. It is easy to feel disconnected and lost in big cities. I feel very fortunate to be a part of a small huddled community here in Brooklyn. Among these very good people are BKLG and JLG. These dudes are true creative forces in their hood, stitching up anything the mind can imagine, twiddling with synthesizer levels, sprouting all things sproutable, saving stuff, being nice,  teasing big time, and rolling with some serious steez. Oh and did I mention that they are some of the best vegan chefs around?

Every week I play music with JLG and we all three share delicious magic from this green pot in their hot and steamy CH apartment. Pictured above- deconstructed sushi. To make deconstructed sushi, make sushi rice in a big pot. Season with rice vinegar mixture (dissolve 3 Tbs. sugar and 1 tsp. salt in 1/2 cup rice vinegar and pour over cooked sushi rice). Serve with nori, avocado, cucumber, kimchi, and whatever else your heart craves.

Oh- and if you happen to be in New York, you can meet these folks tomorrow night at our first music show in the East Village (well, first as just JLG and NRG). BKLG will be the best dressed and will tell jokes, JLG will strum and yodel, and I will shake shakers nervously while looking at the ceiling. Sidewalk Cafe, 10PM sharp.

NRG

Summer's end: MoMA BLTs

TB

As summer is coming to a close I am reminded of some of the super sweaty(!) meals shared. This was one of my favorites. We spent a bleary-eyed, late Sunday morning preparing a few fixn's for BLTs- Isa's Tempeh Bacon, salted tomatoes, sliced avocado, greens, and cucumber- wrapped them in tin foil and tossed them in our proverbial "bike baskets". SM shared some of his amazing homemade bread and we piled these sandwiches high with extra veganaise. The result? A BLT better than Boetti! Museum guards scolded us for the above setup in the MoMA's outdoor courtyard, but we eventually found a corner of the marble-and-wire square to enjoy our BL(a)Ts in peace.

TB

To packing your lunch!
NRG

The Veganette for Earth Eats: Rösti

Rösti is a traditional Swiss dish featuring one glorious favorite, the potato. What's not to love about a thick, golden potato pancake served up with a dozen condiments and garnishes? If you are feeling adventurous you can add in sauteed veggies or pair it with a slice of tofu quiche, but I suggest tipping your hat to the simple goodness of the pomme de terre. Here's to uncomplicated deliciousness! Served up with garden finds; wild arugula, grape tomatoes, basil, blackberries, and raspberries (pictured below). 

When I was visiting Switzerland I fell in love with this delicious fig mustard (pictured above) that is both spicy and sweet- perfect for slathering on sandwiches, crackers or rösti. Friends reprimanded me for being too liberal with the golden spread but what's to hate about a girl who can't get enough of a good thing? Hop over to the Earth Eats site to see the recipe and try your hand at the biggest pancake flip of your life!       http://indianapublicmedia.org/eartheats/rsti/

En guete!

NRG

A Sandwich that Travels Well

The best sandwich to take hiking on long treks is a sundried tomato and cucumber sandwich. If you wedge the veggies between two hearty slices of good bread and wrap in tin foil you can be guaranteed a delicious non-soggy and satisfying sandwich hours after preparation. Step back, pb&j! This was my standard on mountain-days and MA and I enjoyed them recently, stateside, on a climbing day in the Gunks.

NRG

Spicy Green Coconut Curry

After almost two weeks of  tomato sandwiches and black espresso, I was having a serious hankering for something hot and spicy! Fortunately, the Migros in the mountains carried coconut milk and jars of green curry paste. Sweet glory be! I'll admit that I am a bit lazy about my Thai curries and almost never take the time to crush lemongrass stems or saute lime leaves like my friend SMO (curry expert!). Regardless, this simple curry of carrots, cauliflower, hot chilies, and red pepper was just the ticket after a long day of hiking in the Alps.

1 yellow onion (chopped)
1 inch ginger (minced finely or grated)
1 clove garlic (minced finely)
3 Tbs. green curry paste
2 cans coconut milk
3 carrots (chopped into matchsticks)
1 head cauliflower (broken into florets)
2 hot chiles (chopped finely)
1 red pepper (chopped into long thin strips)
1 lime
thai basil (optional)

In a large saucepan, heat a few tablespoons of oil. Saute the onion over medium heat for a few minutes. Add the ginger and garlic. Add the curry paste and fry for a few seconds, stirring constantly. Add the coconut milk, carrots, cauliflower, chilies, and red pepper and cover. Lower the heat and let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add sugar or soy sauce to taste and finish with the juice of one lime. Garnish with Thai basil or cilantro and serve atop a pile of Jasmine rice!

Headed to SriPraPhai in Woodside, Queens for some New-York-style Thai tonight!
NRG

Bread in the shape of a circle

In Vienna you can get bread in the shape of a circle that is covered in sesame seeds. This is not a pretzel. It is bread and sesame magic, and it is pretty dry, so it's best to get a nice herb and fruit soda to wash it down with. This is a photograph of my hand in the sun on vacation.

From NYC,
NRG

Vienna Vegetable Soup

During my stay in Vienna, AS and I did a lot of cooking together in her white, book filled apartment. AS and I met in Marfa, where we were neighbors and co-workers at the Chinati Foundation. She taught me how to make some seriously good espresso during our shared mornings when we perched on our concrete stoop, watching the dry grass catch the light. We have stayed in touch through letters and postcards since those desert days and it was so special to spend a week with her on borrowed bikes, near water, in galleries. AS' work involves conserving contemporary art and she is my number one most favorite person to look at art with because she knows about materiality and immateriality. She asks lots of questions and pays attention to history and space in the best way.

AS' neighborhood is the coolest and comes complete with a 24 hour Turkish bakery, many bars, a restaurant that offers tofu scramble (!) for brunch, and a huge farmers market. We picked up some funny Austrian records on the cheap to keep us company as we caramelized onions and chopped herbs. In the summer if it's hot and you still want to make hot soup, the best thing to do is add lots of tomatoes and herbs. Dill is my favorite.

Happy weekending,
NRG

Transatlantic

I have just returned from a few dreamy weeks across the ocean. First off was a visit to Scotland to celebrate  the nuptials of KM and FG in a countryside castle filled with kilted men and proper tea. It was lovely to be back visiting old friends and childhood memories among the soggy hills.

Next up was Kassel, Germany to view the good and bad art at documenta (13) which completely blew my mind. I spent a lot of time in gardens and galleries. Germany was a really hard place to find vegan food, so I was surviving off fruits from a farm stand like the above currants. Fortunately, I made friends with some Canadians who lead me to a wonderful Ethiopian restaurant. Hooray!

AS met me in Kassel and drove me to her gorgeous, bright, old apartment in Vienna. It was so nice to spend a week with her roaring down hills on rented bikes and drinking numerous coffees at outdoor cafes like the one pictured above (Aida).

 Lastly was a stay in Switzerland, wandering between mountains and cities and perching in this full garden with foamy soy lattes (finally!). It is hard to travel as a vegan and my omnivorous friends were so sweet and hospitable to help me find options and to share their kitchens with me. Expect recipes and pictures to come. I shot 6 rolls of film on the trip and am so happy with the way they turned out, all so dreamy and familiar.

More to come,
NRG

Lentil Olive Burgers with Dilly Sauce and Roasted Fingerling Wedges

I have some big decisions to make in the next few days and between the giant pros and cons lists and the general business of the summer, I haven't had much time to think about cooking actual meals for myself. I made a huge batch of these Lentil Olive Burgers that have been my sustenance. Onions, garlic, mushrooms, kalamata olives, and herbs contribute to this tasty and salty burger that holds up to any meaty patty. I made a few sauces and poured them over the burgers, like the dilly sauce above made with veganaise, dill, and apple cider vinegar. Serve with roasted fingerling potatoes or a fresh salad.


All hail PPK!
NRG

Guest Blogger: Denise Cheng: "Chinese" Potato Salad

This week I had the pleasure of meeting DC and EO who invited me over to their lovely English Kills apartment for a beautiful vegan meal. I've been surprised at how few vegans I have met in the city and it was such a treat to meet these two! We enjoyed a spread of marvelously cold food: a Mango and Black Bean Quinoa Salad, Vietnamese Spring Rolls, and this Potato Salad. I stuffed a few Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies with  Steve's Cinnamon Coffee Ice Cream for some messy ice cream sandwiches. When DC pulled out this salad I thought the potatoes were noodles! This recipe was so interesting and delicious I asked if she would be willing to post it here on the veganette, and she said yes! Now all I have to do is find a julienner and I'll be making variations of this recipe all summer long. Enjoy!

Photo by DC

"Chinese" Potato Salad (or my version of a common cold appetizer in Chinese cuisine)

Using a julienner, julienne two peeled potatoes and rinse the ribbons under cold water several times to remove as much starch as possible. You want your water to be as clear as possible.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. In the meantime, prepare an ice bath. When the water boils, add your potatoes and make sure all the ribbons are submerged. Cook for about one minute.

Pour out the hot water and quickly transfer the potatoes into the ice bath. Once everything is cool, drain.

Now you can get creative! Add julienned cucumbers or zucchini, carrots. For herbs, I usually use either fresh chopped chives or scallions. Sometimes I'll add fresh jalapeno, too. Pour in equal parts sesame oil and sichuan peppercorn oil (or just more sesame oil). Squeeze in lemon juice and salt to taste.

Serve chilled.

Pancakes with Cinnamon Syrup, Fresh Figs, and Toasted Almonds

We are in the midst of the first of two short fig seasons. This is my second year receiving giant figs from my coworker, JG's, South Brooklyn tree. On Monday my desk was donned with these lovely gems, wrapped in curled, mammoth leaves. Can you think of a better way to arrive to your cubicle? Fresh figs are so delightful and fancy, the perfect addition to this deluxe stack of flapjacks drizzled with a homemade cinnamon syrup and toasted almonds.

Feeling good,
NRG

Green Chili Pizza

I got hooked on green chili a few years ago when visiting the desert during the season when all streets and sidewalks are lined with huge rotating drum roasters and towering stacks of 30lb bags and red and white signs saying only one word, HATCH. On the off-season you can buy the prized chili in little yellow cans, which is what we used here. AP mixed up an herb filled dough and we loaded it with mushrooms, field roast sausages, olives, artichokes, and green chili. Here's my dough recipe for your weekend pizza party. It takes forever (2 hours rising time) but is totally worth the wait.

2 tsp active dry yeast 
1 tsp agave nectar or sugar
2 cups warm water
5 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp salt

In a large bowl, mix together the yeast, warm water, and agave nectar. Once yeast is frothy, add the salt and flour one cup at a time. Let the dough rise for two hours.  Divide the dough into 3 balls. Let rest, covered, for another 20 minutes. Prepare your toppings and sauces. Press the dough out from the center of the circle and pick up the dough, stretching it with your fists and pointer fingers. It doesn't have to look perfect, just focus on a thin crust with a thicker exterior ring. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 

Place on a heated pizza stone (if you have one) or bake on pans as we did. Bake till crust is crispy and toppings are browned.

Enjoy,
NRG