Tag Archives: bechamel sauce

Vegan Mofo Theme Week!

Posted on November 14, 2010 | Leave a comment

i have decided that this weeks theme will be sourcing recipes, vegan or not, from epicurious.com.

although i have a pretty big cookbook selection, i make dinners out of them so frequently (enough so that some are barely holding together) that a cookbook challenge type week wouldnt have been, well, challenging. most recipes, like tonights, will be slightly ad-libbed depending on what we could find at the coop, or seasonal cooking methods. tonight, we will have butternut squash pizza, with pumpkin substituted for the butternut, and with tofu ricotta and cashew bechamel subbing in for the cheeses. i decided to go with pumpkin at the last minute because i’ve never baked one before, and honestly, butternut squash is kinda played out. dont you think? use the crust recipe found here, or any other 14-16 inch crust that you’d like.

sweet pumpkin pizza

prepared pizza dough-unbaked

1 1-lb sweet/small pumpkin, or winter squash

1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 tbs olive oil

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 c raw cashew pieces, ground

1 lb tofu

1 tbs lemon juice

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1/2 c almond milk

1 tsp cashew butter

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp each onion and garlic powder

1 tbs flour

preheat oven to 425. halve your pumpkin/squash and scoop out the seeds. wrap each half in aluminum foil, and place cut side down on a baking tray. bake for about one hour, or until soft and caramelized around the edges. unwrap and mash with the nutmeg, and a pinch of salt when cool.

meanwhile,  saute the onions in the olive oil over low heat until caramelized. about 30 minutes.

grind the raw cashew pieces in a food processor until powdery. add the lemon juice, tofu, and a pinch of salt and process until smooth. portion into 2 containers (save half for another use), and pop into the fridge.

in a saucepan, combine the flour with enough oil to make a roux, and cook until bubbling for about a minute. whisk in the cashew butter, followed slowly by the almond milk, and whisk until thick and smooth. add the garlic and onion powder and a pinch of salt.

by now, the pumpkin should be done, and your oven will already be preheated! roll out the crust to 16 inches or so, maybe around 1/4 inch thick? slide onto your pizza stone if you are as so fortunate to own one, and pre-bake your crust for 3 minutes. if not, pop the pizza on a baking tray, and pre bake for 4 minutes. pull it back out, and spread with the pumpkin. sprinkle on the onions, and dot with blobs of ricotta. re-warm the bechamel if needed, and drizzle over the top of the pizza, bake for 10-13 minutes, or until the cheezes are browned, and the crust is golden.

pumpkin pizza

pumpkin pizza

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Almost Polenta Lasagna, or “when dinner takes a digger on the counter”

Posted on October 12, 2010 | 2 Comments

it all started innocently enough. some days i dig epicurious endlessly for a recipe that i feel would be killer when veganized;and then i found it: cheesy polenta lasagna with mushrooms and seitan. DING DING DING! but, i’m the kinda girl who scoffs at ingredients such as a $3.50 tube of polenta, and a $4.99 pack of seitan that i know damn well i can make cheaper, and a hell of a lot tastier. so, i hi-tailed it down to the co-op and stocked my pantry. it was soooo worth it! dinner was crispy, creamy, salty-umami happiness but there was a hiccup; it wasn’t the lasagna i’d set out to make. i’d learned long ago from alton brown (love you!) that to make a tube of polenta, you just pour the polenta into a cylinder of sorts, chill it, and pow! polenta. but i guess an hour and a half in the fridge just wasn’t long enough, because when i slid the parchment-coated glory out of its mold, the center was still molten grits, and they overflowed across my counter-top. oops. but, never fear! the counter was clean, and without missing a beat, i scraped every bit of gritty goodness off of the counter and into a lightly oiled pie pan. dinner was saved, and i’m not sure i ever want to eat polenta any other way again! if you dare, make your polenta the morning of, or night before to ensure your results, and use the recipe here as a guide to slicing and filling. oh-and you’ll need to double everything i’ve listed :)

Shallot Polenta with Seitan and Creminis.

serves 6

shallot polenta

1 cup polenta, aka grits

3 cups vegetable stock

2 large shallots, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, saute the shallots in olive oil until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. add in the garlic and cook for another minute. now add the stock and raise the heat to a boil. when the stock boils, whisk in the polenta and turn the heat to low. cook, stirring occasionally until extremely thick-like oatmeal. i let mine go for about 45 minutes while i prepped everything else. once ready, pour into a lightly oiled pie plate and pop into the freezer to chill down until firm-but not frozen! if you want to get crazy, line the inside of a bar shaker, bean can, or another tall, evenly shaped cylinder with parchment paper, and pour your polenta in.

savory seitan

1 cup vital wheat gluten

3 tbs nutritional yeast

1/2 cup vegetable stock

2 tbs mushroom sauce/stock

2 tbs annies vegan worcestershire, or soy sauce

2 cups stock + 1/4 c soy sauce

bring the 2 cups stock plus the 1/4 cup soy sauce to a low boil in a wide, heavy bottomed skillet. mix the vital wheat gluten with the yeast, and in a separate bowl whisk together the liquids. using a spatula, combine the wet with the dry until a lumpy dough forms. knead briefly to activate the strings of gluten. flatten the dough to a disk the size of a salad plate, maybe 7 inches  in diameter, and slide gently into the simmering stock. turn the heat to low, and cook for 10-15 minutes on each side. remove to a plate to cool.

bechamel sauce

1 1/2 cups almond milk

3 tbs olive oil

3 tbs flour

2 tbs cashew butter

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tsp each garlic and onion powder

pinch of fresh nutmeg

combine the flour and oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat, whisking until bubbling and slightly whitened. whisk in the cashew butter, and slowly follow with the milk. keep whisking until thick and bubbling. add in the yeast, and the spices and use salt if desired.

to assemble:

10 oz cremini mushrooms

1 tbs fresh thyme

2 cloves garlic

olive oil

preheat the oven to 375

clean and slice the mushrooms and saute in olive oil until they have released moisture and have browned. chop the seitan into 1/2 x 1 inch long pieces and add to the pan. continue to cook until the seitan has browned,and then toss in the garlic and thyme, and  remove from the heat. remove the pan of polenta from the fridge/freezer, and spread about 1/2 c of the bechamel sauce over the top. sprinkle evenly with the mushroom/seitan mix, and drizzle the top with as much of the remaining sauce as you’d like. pop into the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the edges have browned and begun to bubble.

i know this looks like a LOT of work, but trust me, you can get it done fast while the polenta chills and the seitan simmers! to make this dish gluten-free, swap chickpea flour for the regular flour, and try marinating tempeh or tofu in the seitan liquid! i served this with some green beans sautéed with cherry tomatoes, garlic, and dijon mustard thinned with some water.

 

Shallot Polenta with Creminis and Seitan

Shallot Polenta with Creminis and Seitan

 

 

Shallot Polenta with Creminis and Seitan

Shallot Polenta with Creminis and Seitan

 

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Happy Birthday! Tag Team Pizzas!

Posted on October 2, 2010 | Leave a comment

you know how when you’re stumped to choose between say, cheeze pizza, or veggie pizza, you just get half and half, or one or the other? well, todays birthday boy got the ultimate birthday dinner: 2 different pizzas! instead of trying to keep toppings from touching, or having to choose between the two, he got one of each! lucky! the first, and a dear favorite of mine, was a truffled mushroom pizza on a deep dish crust, and the second, a snappy thai pizza on a thin crispy crust. let the drooling begin! use this dough recipe for whichever pizza you choose, just omit the pepper blend.

Truffled Mushroom Pizza

makes one 12-14 inch deep dish pizza

cast iron skillet

1 large red onion

salt, pepper, sugar

1 1/2 lbs mixed mushrooms. try shitakes, creminis, morels, portobellos ect cut into quarters, or 1/2 inch pieces

1 tbs fresh thyme

1 tbs chickpea flour

3/4 c almond milk

1 tbs cashew butter

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp each onion and garlic powder

1 tbs truffle oil

first things first: make your pizza dough and let it rise for one hour; while rising, start caramelizing your onions. to do this, start by halving and slicing your onion into half moons, and tossing them into your cast iron skillet. saute on medium heat with 3 tbs olive oil, and one pinch each of salt and pepper, and two pinches sugar. cook, stirring frequently, until soft and deeply golden brown- this should take about thirty minutes. set onions aside, and add the mushrooms to the pan. raise the heat and add a few pinches of salt. cook until browned and reduced by half, and all of the liquid has evaporated. add these plus the thyme to the onions and set aside. once the hour has elapsed, punch down the dough, and press into your cast iron pan (make sure its cool). cover with some saran wrap, and let rise for a half an hour. while its rising, preheat your oven to 450 and make your cashew “bechamel”. to make the sauce, start by combining the chickpea flour with 2 tbs olive oil in a sauce pan, heat until bubbling, and slowly whisk in the cashew butter, and then the almond milk. add the onion and garlic powder, the nutritional yeast,  and whisk until thick and smooth. unwrap your dough, gently pat down any large lumps, and prick the crust lightly all-over with a toothpick. now spread half of the sauce over the bottom, and sprinkle on the mushroom-onion-thyme mixture; drizzle with another tablespoon or two of the sauce and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  remove from the oven and drizzle with the truffle oil before cutting and serving.

caramelized onions

mushrooms

post-baking! omg

deep-dish truffled mushroom pizza

Thai Style Tofu Pizza

makes one 12-14 inch pizza

1/2 pound tofu, cubed

1 red jalapeno, halved and sliced

1 small bell pepper, quartered and sliced

1 small carrot, shredded

1 tsp minced ginger

1 clove minced garlic

1 bunch scallions, sliced

1/4 c fresh cillantro

1 5 oz can coconut milk

2 tbs peanut butter

2 tsp red curry paste

2 tsp sriracha sauce

peanut oil

limes

crushed peanuts

preheat oven to 450. start by sauteing the tofu in 1 tbs peanut oil until browned. set aside on paper towels to drain. to the same pan add the ginger, garlic, peanut butter, sriracha, curry, and coconut milk. heat until combined and smooth. punch down your dough and roll out to 14 inches. par bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. spread half of the sauce to within 1/2″ of the edge, and sprinkle with the tofu, carrot, and peppers. drizzle with a few more tablespoons of the sauce and bake until browned, about 12-18 minutes. to serve, top hot pizza with minced cilantro, peanuts, and scallions and garnish with a lime wedge.

thai pizza post-baking

crispy thai tofu pizza, all done up



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Ziti Primavera

Posted on January 4, 2010 | Leave a comment

i haven’t been able to stop thinking about the ravioli i made for christmas. i had been thinking about it so much that i wanted to give it another go this week, but, i cannot find those damn potsticker wrappers! *note to self: go to hugo, stop at festival and buy a pile of them to freeze. mwah ha ha ha ha!

ok. so i couldn’t make more ravioli but i still was craving pasta. and green beans. and bechamel. and i didnt want the trouble of lasagna noodles, so i decided to give ziti a go-round. the results were so good! chewy whole wheat noodles were tossed with crunchy green beans, bell peppers, mushrooms, tofu ricotta, and smothered in cashew bechamel and baked until bubbly and browned. this recipe makes a ton of food, making it a good dish for pot-lucks or feeding your friends.

Ziti Primavera

serves 8

1 lb whole wheat Rigatoni, or Penne (try tinkyada rice pasta for GF)

1 pound extra firm tofu

1 tbs nutritional yeast

1 tsp cashew butter

1- 28oz can of chunky tomato sauce plus 1 150z can diced tomatoes (drained)

1 tsp each, oregano, basil, rosemary

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs ground cashews, or cashew butter

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1/2 lb green beans, ends trimmed and cut into thirds

1 small red onion, diced

1 small bell pepper, diced

1/2 lb mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 1/2 c almond, or another milk alternative

1 tsp lemon juice, or white wine vinegar

3 tbs flour (use chickpea four for GF)

2 tbs earth balance, or oil

2 tbs cashew butter

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp each onion and garlic powder

salt and pepper

preheat your oven to 375. bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook your pasta for about 8-10 minutes, or until 3/4 of the way done. put 2 tbs oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat. saute the onions and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes. add the green beans, mushrooms and bell pepper and cook until the mushrooms have released their liquid . add the oregano, basil, rosemary, crushed red pepper, and both the sauce and drained tomatoes. mix well, and stir in the pasta.

in a food processor combine the tofu, 1 tbs nutritional yeast , 1 tsp cashew butter, salt and pepper to taste, and blend until smooth. set aside.

in a medium saucepan, combine earth balance and flour over medium heat to form a roux. heat for a few minutes or until bubbly, and whisk in the remaining cashew butter. slowly whisk in the almond milk. add the nutritional yeast, onion and garlic powder, and bring to a low boil. simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened. add the lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

spoon one half of the pasta mixture into the bottom of a large casserole, or lasagna pan. smooth the tofu over the pasta, and pour the rest of the pasta over the tofu. spoon the bechamel over the pasta, and smooth . cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes, or until bubbling. remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until the sauce is browned around the edges. let stand for ten minutes before serving.

sexay layered pasta close-up shot

creamy vegan ziti!

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Pasta Primavera w/Sun-dried Tomato Basil Cream Sauce.

Posted on October 21, 2009 | Leave a comment

ta-da! the cleanse is over! p.s. the last day was saturday and i had the potato kale soup from the veganomicon, in case you were wondering. i’m also quite positive 5 lbs or more, of oatmeal was consumed! not to undermine the wonderful things i think a good internal sweeping can do, but god damn did i miss pasta! i eat whole wheat pasta at least once a week and love finding new ways to coat each and every luscious, chewy bite. i was surfing epicurious.com trying to find inspiration, and this jumped right out at me. red bell peppers, zucchini, and mushrooms pair with noodles and a light savory basil cream sauce that’s easy to make vegan. yum! if the sauce ingredients seem familiar, its because they are! my bechamel, nacho cheese dip, and cheeze sauce all start with the same components: almond milk, cashew butter and nutritional yeast, i just vary the amounts and add different flavors to accent them:) if you’re gluten free, try serving this over rice, or experiment with brown rice pasta-i like tinkyada!

Pasta Primavera with a Sun-dried Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

serves 4-6

1 pound dry pasta, choose a shape that can hold sauce such as rotini or shell

3 c almond, soy or nut milk

1 1/2 tbs cashew butter

1/4 c nutritional yeast

1/4 tsp salt

3 tbs all purpose flour (use chickpea or oat flour for GF)

4 tbs olive oil, divided

8 sun dried tomatoes, steeped in boiling water for 15 minutes

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp onion powder

1/4 c fresh basil, cut into thin strips

1 red bell pepper, 1 inch strips

1 zucchini, halved and sliced

8 large crimini mushrooms, halved and sliced

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. this recipe comes together pretty fast so i would suggest starting with all ingredients prepped and at the ready. while you wait for the water to boil you can prep the sauce. in a food processor, combine the re-hydrated tomatoes, salt, nutritional yeast and onion powder. pulse to chop. with the machine running, slowly stream in the almond milk and blend until only small chunks of tomato are left. set this aside. when the water starts to boil, pop in the noodles and cook according to directions, about 8-10 minutes. while the noodles are cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. saute mushrooms until browned and the liquid has released. add the garlic, zucchini and peppers and cook until softened, but still crisp, about 5 minutes. while that’s going, in a large sauce pan combine the rest of the oil and flour, heating over medium to form a roux. let this bubble for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. whisk in the cashew butter until smooth and creamy. sloooooooooowly whisk in the almond milk mixture to avoid lumps. bring this up to a boil and stir constantly until thickened. remove from the heat and whisk in the vinegar. in a large serving bowl, combine the noodles, (don’t forget about them!) veggies, sauce and the basil. toss until everything is combined and saucy. sprinkle with a little extra basil and serve immediately.

big freaking bowl of pasta!

big freaking bowl of pasta!

pasta primavera with a sundried tomato basil cream sauce!

pasta primavera with a sundried tomato basil cream sauce!

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Roasted Acorn Squash and Mushroom Lasagna Spirals with Bechamel Sauce

Posted on September 22, 2009 | 2 Comments

i love fall.

i love sweaters, sneakers, mustard yellow clothing, changing leaves, the whole enchilada including it’s ushering in of winter. another perk with the coming of fall is the vast variety and abundance of tasty winter squash and gourds ranging from the size of an apple to small child (srsly, check out the butternut squash at the wedge, it rivals a 3 year old!). squash, like sweet potatoes lend themselves well to dishes savory, sweet, or a combination of both. tonight’s dinner was inspired by a butternut squash ravioli dish i had had once. the resulting lasagna is creamy and chewy with a hint of sweetness brought out by roasting an acorn squash until caramelized. mmmmmm

Roasted Acorn Squash and Mushroom Lasagna Spirals with Bechamel Sauce

i also use this velvety white sauce to top pizzas, veggies, and as an alfredo sauce over linguine.

serves 4-6

1 small Acorn Squash

12 lasagna noodles plus one or two extra

1 1/2 c mixed mushrooms, i used crimini and shitake, sliced

1 small yellow onion, diced

1 lb extra firm tofu, drained

1 c pecan halves, toasted

2 cloves garlic

2 tbs nutritional yeast, divided

4 tbs cashew butter, divided

2 c unsweetened almond milk (or other substitute)

3 tbs earth balance, or oil

3 tbs all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp fresh thyme

2 tbs minced fresh parsley-optional

preheat oven to 425

place the squash in the microwave and cook on high for 1 minute to soften the shell. cut in half lengthwise and wrap each piece in tin foil. place on a baking sheet and pop into the oven for about an hour. prep everything else while its baking.

bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

place pecans in a large food processor and pulse until coarsely ground and set aside. to the same bowl, add the tofu, 1 tbs cashew butter and one tbs nutritional yeast. add salt and pepper to taste and puree until a smooth yet grainy texture is achieved, set aside.

tofu "ricotta"

tofu "ricotta"

in a large skillet, heat 2 tbs oil and cook the onion until softened. add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. add the mushrooms and season with a little salt and pepper. cook until mushrooms have released all their liquid and have started to brown. stir in the pecans and thyme and set aside until squash is ready.

in a medium sauce pan, melt the earth balance and whisk in the flour to form a roux and cook until bubbling to get the raw taste out. whisk in the remaining cashew butter until smooth and then slowly add in the almond milk until thoroughly mixed. add the remaining nutritional yeast and the garlic and onion powder and cook on low for another five minutes to blend the flavors.

by now the squash should be ready, it should be soft and possibly have syrupy liquid oozing out of the foil. remove  from the oven and set aside to cool for a few minutes before scooping out the flesh and mixing it with your pecan mushroom mixture. lower the oven heat to 350 degrees.

acorn squash stuffing

acorn squash stuffing

when the water boils, cook the noodles 6 at time for 8 minutes or your preferred firmness. while the noodles cook, cover a large counter with plastic wrap and place your finished fillings nearby. when the noodles are done, carefully remove them from the water with tongs and arrange side by side on the counter. bring the water back to a boil and simmer the second half of the noodle while you fill the first half.

noodle

noodle3

to fill, place 2 tbs of the tofu ricotta on a noodle and spread across with a spatula. add about 1/4 cup of the squash mixture on top of the ricotta and spread across as well. roll the noodle up tightly, but not so tight that the filling escapes and place seam side down in a lightly oiled casserole dish. repeat with the rest of your noodles and filing and “nap” the rolls with 3/4 of your bechamel sauce.

rollup

almost there!

almost there!

*i used 2 small ceramic casseroles, hence 6 “missing” rolls.

cover the pan with foil and bake until hot and bubbly, about 20 minutes. remove the foil and bake for 10 minutes more or until the edges have lightly browned.

to serve, pool some of the remaining sauce in the middle of a plate and place 2-3 rolls on top. sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

ta-da!

ta-da!

finished2


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