Moussaka (almost) like Mama used to make!

I grew up thinking of moussaka as the sort of meal you make when you have lots of ambition and unlimited time to spend in the kitchen. My mother (by way of her Greek mother-in-law's recipe) made it once or twice a year, and it was always kind of a big deal. Not only was it time-consuming, it was nonsensically rich, and had that "special occasion" feeling associated with a holiday or birthday meal. 

Back when I ate animals, I used to love the stuff, but it didn't love me: eating the big plateful my mouth wanted meant making a deal with my stomach viz. the heartburn that inevitably followed. In later years, my mother made a vegetarian version using ground walnuts and chopped mushrooms for the meat, which helped some, but it could still be a bit of a gut-bomb. For ages after making the switch to vegan it was classed in the "too much trouble" category, until the Muse of Adventure paid me a visit and I decided to give it a try.

For me, the point of such an apparently quixotic enterprise is that aha! moment of emotional, sensory recognition. In fact, one of my primary reasons for starting this blog was to have a place to record these experiments so that, having successfully conjured a fond memory or association by replicating some long-beloved recipe, I'd be able to A. do it again, and B. share the results with anyone who might be interested. 

So let's just say that I was dead chuffed at how well this turned out, and very happy to serve it to my family on Greek Easter (see above for pic. Nice looking group, eh?), which just happened to coincide with my birthday this year. The bonus? It's not nearly as much work as I imagined, and certainly nothing that a Bloody Mary or two couldn't ameliorate!

Moussaka
The Filling
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 large onion, chopped
~ 2 tbsp. chopped, fresh parsley
~ 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
~ 2 packages TJ's veggie meatballs, mashed (or Nate’s, Gimme Lean, or other ground meat substitute) or 2 cups brown lentils, cooked until soft and mashed thoroughly
~ 1 bay leaf
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, basil, cinnamon, chili powder
~ ½ tsp. each: nutmeg, oregano
~ 1/2 cup dry red wine
~ 1 28 oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, including liquid
~ 3 tbsp. tomato paste
~ Fresh black pepper to taste

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 400.
~ In a large, deep skillet or wok, heat oil, and sauté the onion over medium-high heat until golden, about 5 minutes.
~ Add the parsley and garlic, and cook for a few seconds before adding the mashed “meatballs" or lentils and the seasonings.
~ Continue cooking about 5 minutes, then add the wine and cook till it evaporates.
~ Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and continue cooking for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick (you can add a splash of water if necessary).

The Sauce
Ingredients
~ 1 cup raw cashews
~ 3.5 cups warm, unsweetened nondairy milk
~ 2 bay leaves
~ 1 tbsp. vegan margarine (e.g., Earth Balance)
~ 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
~ ½ tsp. salt
~ Black pepper to taste
~ Dash of nutmeg

~ 1/4 cup vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast
~ 1/2 cup cold soy milk, mixed with 2 tsps. cornstarch

Directions
~ In a beaker, microwave the milk, the cashews, and the bay leaves until nearly boiling. Allow to soak for at least an hour (the longer the better).
~ Remove the bay leaves, and puree the milk/cashew mixture until completely smooth.
~ In a saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat and whisk in the flour to make a roux.
~ Continue cooking for a few minutes, then gradually add the milk/cashew puree, whisking constantly.
~ Add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, and parm or nooch; stir thoroughly to combine.
~ Add the cold soy milk/corn starch mixture and whisk thoroughly.
~ Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 5-7 minutes).

Also
~ Enough potato slices (about 1/8” thick) to cover the bottom of a deep casserole; I used 3 medium sized Yukon Golds.
~ Enough eggplant slices to form a similar layer. You can bread and fry these, bake them in the oven, or be totally lazy and cook up some of those frozen Dominex eggplant cutlets (which I have done with unqualified success).
~ About a cup of tomato sauce (jarred is fine).

The Assembly
~ Grease your casserole generously, and spread about a cup of tomato sauce on the bottom. Arrange the potato slices in an overlapping layer.
~ Cover with the filling, and arrange the prepared eggplant slices on top.
~ Pour the sauce over the whole business, smoothing with a spatula.
~ Sprinkle the top with a little extra paprika and parsley.
~ Cover loosely with foil and bake at 400 for 40-45 minutes.
~ Remove foil and continue baking another 20-25 minutes, or until golden and bubbly. If you like, you can raise the heat to 450 for the last few minutes to brown it a bit more, but keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn.
~ Allow the casserole to rest for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Simple Sesame Asparagus

This is one of those things that hardly deserves the designation of a "recipe," but is just too good not to share. The key thing is getting that oh-so-fleeting, super-thin baby asparagus; the thicker stalks can still be good, but you'll have to steam them longer, and I really recommend this preparation for the fresh, local stuff that needs very little interference. It's delicious hot, cold, or at room temperature, and with asparagus season upon us (can fiddleheads be far behind?), who can have too many quick, easy uses for everyone's favorite - albeit all too ephemeral - green vegetable?

Simple Sesame Asparagus

Ingredients

~ 1 lb. very thin young asparagus spears, snapped in half

~ 1/4 cup soy sauce

~ 1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

~ 2 tbsp. sesame seeds

Directions

~ In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce and sesame oil; set aside.

~ Saute the sesame seeds over medium heat in a dry skillet, until golden brown and giving off a toasty aroma. Remove from skillet and set aside to cool.

~ In the same skillet, bring about an inch of water to a rolling boil. Place the asparagus in the water, cover, and cook for about 90 seconds (the spears should be bright green). Transfer immediately to a colander, and rinse with cold water to stop the asparagus cooking.

~ Blot the asparagus on a lint-free tea towel, transfer to a large bowl, and pour on the sesame/soy mixture. Sprinkle on the toasted sesame seeds, and mix thoroughly to coat.

~ Serve immediately, or if you'd like to have this cold, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Easy Caramelized Onion Tarts

Let me start by making one thing perfectly clear: the fact that an onion likes to get dolled up every now and again does not mean s/he's a tart (or "easy," for that matter). But this post is actually about the kind of tarts that you bake in the oven, and it is totally easy, so there's no harm done. I hereby present one of those recipes that gives the impression of being kind of fancy, yet is perfect for a fundamentally lazy person like yours truly because it uses frozen puff pastry instead of a homemade crust. I literally had the idea to make this at 6pm one evening, and by 7:30 we were happily eating it in front of the TV. You could add other vegetables on top of the onions, but be careful not to overload: sliced mushrooms, baby spinach, olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or pretty much anything you'd put on a pizza would be fine in moderation. I used two packages of Pepperidge Farm puff pastry to make four tarts, and cut them into big squares to eat as a main dish, but smaller slices would make a nice appetizer or party snack, especially if you want your guests to think you worked really, really hard. (And if, like the onions pictured above, you're wearing a little lipstick when they arrive, they'll think you're organized and glamorous!)

Easy Caramelized Onion Tarts

The Topping

Ingredients

~ 2 tbsp. olive oil

~ 2-3 large yellow onions, sliced into thin crescents
~ 1 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 15 oz. can diced fire roasted tomatoes, drained
~ 1 tsp. each salt, oregano, basil, parsley
~ Fresh black pepper

~ Red pepper flakes to taste (optional)

Directions:
~ In a large, deep skillet, heat the oil on medium and add the onions.
~ Cook the onions for 2-3 minutes, then add the garlic, drained tomatoes and seasonings. Stir well to combine and cook another 5 minutes.
~ Cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and allow to cook for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
~ Remove the lid, raise the heat to high, and cook 10-15 minutes more, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is gone and the onions are sweet, caramelized, and beauteous. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool.

The Ricotta

Ingredients

~ 1 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water at least 30 minutes
~ 1 lb. extra firm tofu, drained
~ 1/4 cup lemon juice
~ 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
~ 2 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 tsp. each salt, basil
~ Fresh black pepper
~ 1/4 - 1/3 cup nutritional yeast

Directions
~ Drain the cashews, then pulse a few times in a food processor to break them up.

~ Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth; use more or less nooch to reach a "ricotta" texture (you don't want it too wet, or it will make the pastry soggy).

And now...

~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.

~ Lay out 4 sheets of thawed, frozen puff pastry on 2 large baking sheets. Gently fold in the sides of the pastry and crimp to make a rim.

~ Divide the ricotta evenly between the 4 pastry sheets, smooth with a spatula, and top with the caramelized onion mixture. Sprinkle with a little extra basil if you like.

~ Bake for 25-30 minutes until puff pastry is golden brown.

~ Remove from oven and allow to cool briefly before slicing.

Savory Chickpea Pancakes

The pancake-bell rings, the pancake-bell! Trilill, my hearts!

Oh brave! Oh sweet bell! O delicate pancakes!

Open the doors, my hearts, and shut up the windows!

Keep in the house, let out the pancakes!   

As you may know - and if you don't, you soon will - Shrove Tuesday has long been referred to as "Pancake Day" in the UK. This is because, once upon a time, pancakes were an indulgent way of using up foodstuffs like sugar, butter, flour, and eggs that were often restricted during the fasting associated with Lent. The above quote, from Thomas Dekker's The Shoemaker's Holiday, or The Gentle Craft, illustrates the degree of excitement pancakes were once capable of eliciting. In fact, when the hero of the piece, Simon Eyre, an eccentric shoemaker known as "one of the merriest madcaps" in the land, becomes Lord Mayor of London (!), he uses his newfound influence to create a holiday for apprentices. And what day does he choose? That's right: Pancake Day! 

What's more, when Simon invites all the London apprentices to breakfast, even the King shows up to have a look at this "brave lord of incomprehensible good-fellowship," declaring himself "with child, till I behold this huff-cap." The sovereign is apparently content with the issue of this (presumably metaphorical) pregnancy, since he not only agrees to allow the holiday but joins the feast, telling his host, "Eyre, I will taste of thy banquet, and will say/ I have not met more pleasure on a day." So by this we see that pancakes are not merely delicious, but have important political and social applications as well. 

We enjoyed this savory version for brunch the Sunday after Shrove Tuesday, since it was the first chance I had to cook pancakes or anything else that week. Unlike more "traditional" breakfast pancakes (whether the thin UK variety, sprinkled with lemon and sugar, or their fluffy US counterparts, slathered with butter and maple syrup), these are made with chickpea flour, and have a distinctly Indian influence. In fact, they could serve just as easily for lunch or dinner with some dal and/or extra vegetables alongside.

I sautéed a few vegetables from what was a relatively empty larder, but you could obviously throw in whatever's on hand. Diced carrots, peas, mushrooms, cubed, cooked potato; any or indeed all of these would work, as long as you take care not to overwhelm any individual pancake's dainty sensibilities. My one caveat is that these are best eaten pretty immediately: the texture is a bit delicate, so they don't reheat as well as pancakes made from wheat flour. But they make for a nice change, and let's face it: who doesn't want to drop everything and eat pancakes once in awhile?

Nay, more, my hearts! Every Shrove-Tuesday is our year of jubilee; and when the pancake-bell rings, we are as free as my lord mayor; we may shut up our shops, and make holiday...Oh brave!

Savory Chickpea Pancakes

Ingredients

~ 1.5 cup chickpea flour

~ 1 tsp. each: baking powder, curry powder

~ 1/2 tsp each: turmeric, salt, chili powder, garlic powder, parsley, cilantro

~ 1/4 tsp. asafoetida (optional, but don't be a wimp)

~ A few grinds of black pepper

~ 2 teaspoons oil (I used mustard oil, but any oil would do)

~ 1.5 cup water

~ 1 tbsp. canola oil (for sautéeing)

~ 1 onion, diced fine

~ 1 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

~ 1 large tomato, diced

~ 1.5 cups baby spinach, chopped

Directions

~ Place a nonstick baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 200 degrees fahrenheit.

~ In a large bowl, sift together the chickpea flour, baking soda, and dry seasonings. Add the mustard oil and water, mix thoroughly to make a smooth batter, and set aside.

~ In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the canola oil and sauté the onion, ginger, and tomato over medium high-heat about 5 minutes, then stir in the chopped spinach and cook one minute more. Transfer to a plate or bowl and set aside.

~ Wipe out the skillet, return to medium-high heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour a ladleful of batter into the pan, then spoon some of the vegetable mixture on top. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, then carefully flip and cook about 2 minutes more. As each pancake is cooked, transfer to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm.

~ When all the batter has been used, serve the pancakes hot with chutney, pickle, hot sauce, or whatever you like.

Tofu with Sesame-Wasabi Glaze

Oh, yeah, it's another glazed tofu recipe. (So sue me, we like our bean curd chez nous.) This one is the conflation of a couple of long-bookmarked recipes for which I always seemed to be missing one essential ingredient. Then lo - finally a day arrived when all the stars and planets were in alignment and my cupboards gave forth the appropriate bounty (or something) to make this yummy, just-spicy-enough dish. We had it on rice with stir-fried broccoli and snow peas, but the sticky glaze would also be nice in combination with pan-fried udon noodles. Maybe next time.

And while we're on the subject of tofu, I'd like to insert a plug for the most useful kitchen gadget since the immersion blender: the Tofu X-Press. Sure, you can do it old-school by wrapping your tofu in some paper towels and piling a skillet and a crapton of canned beans on top, but it won't be pressed as well or as evenly as it will in this baby. Trust me. My only regret is that I didn't get two of them, because around here one pound of tofu is never enough.

Tofu with Sesame-Wasabi Glaze

Ingredients

~ 2 lbs. extra firm tofu, drained and pressed (pro-tip: freeze & thaw before pressing for tofu that sucks up marinade like no one's business)

~ 1/4 cup soy sauce

~ 1/4 cup rice vinegar

~ 1/4 cup agave syrup

~ 3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

~ 2-3 tbsp. wasabi paste (more or less; suit yourself)

~ 1 tbsp. each: minced garlic, grated ginger

~ 1 tbsp. each: mustard, hot sauce

~ Oil for frying

~ 6 large scallions, sliced

~ 1 cup cold water

~ 2 tsp. corn starch

Directions

~ Slice the tofu in half horizontally, then slice into approximately 1/2-inch strips.

~ In a large, shallow dish, combine all ingredients from the soy sauce through the hot sauce.

~ Place the sliced tofu in the mixture and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer is better), turning occasionally.

~ Reserving the marinade, fry the tofu slices in a little oil until brown and crisp, then set aside in a warm oven (250 degrees) until all the slices have been cooked.

~ In the same pan, sauté the scallions for about a minute over medium-high heat, then pour in the reserved marinade. In a separate container, combine the cold water and corn starch, mix thoroughly, and add to the skillet.

~ Stir to combine, then lower the heat and let the sauce cook another ten minutes or so, until slightly thickened and reduced.

~ Add the reserved, fried tofu to the sauce, flip a few times to coat, and continue cooking another 5 minutes.

~ Serve over rice.

Veggie Sausage and Kale Gratin

I made this on one of those "what is there in this house that could conceivably be made into dinner?" kind of nights. On this occasion the answer was: a bunch of kale, a package of Trader Joe's veggie sausages, and the usual bits, pieces, and cupboard staples. A desultory search came up with a Food Network recipe that sounded pretty gross (calling for a pound of pork sausage, nearly two sticks of butter, heavy cream, and half a pound of cheese, in addition to the olive oil to sauté the onions, etc.), but had potential. I cut the fat way down, upped the seasonings and vegetables, and generally reduced the likelihood of a major cardiac event. Eked out with some leftover risotto, it made a very good dinner, but it would also be a great brunch dish served alongside hot biscuits or savory waffles. (NB I happened to have Italian flavor sausages in the refrigerator, and proceeded accordingly as to spices; you could obviously use whatever flavor you like and adjust appropriately.)

Veggie Sausage and Kale Gratin
The Filling

Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
~ 2 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 12 oz. package vegan Italian sausages, diced (I used Trader Joe's)
~ 1 tsp. each: basil, oregano
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, chili powder, red pepper flakes
~ A few grinds black pepper
~ 1/2 cup dry white wine
~ 1 big bunch of kale, washed, trimmed, and chopped

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit, and coat a small casserole or deep dish pie plate with cooking spray.
~ In a large skillet, sauté the onion in the olive oil over medium heat about 3 minutes, then add the garlic, diced sausage, and dried seasonings.
~ Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sausage begins to brown a bit.
~ Add the wine to deglaze the pan, making sure to scrape up any bits that have stuck to the bottom.
~ Add the kale, stirring constantly, and continue cooking until bright green and just wilted. Remove from heat and set aside while you make...

The Gratin
~ 1 tbsp. vegan margarine
~ 1/4 cup flour
~ 2 cups plain, unsweetened soy milk, warmed
~ 1 cup grated vegan cheese (I used Cheezly cheddar)
~ 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
~ Dash nutmeg
~ 3/4 cup panko crumbs
~ 1/2 tsp. each: paprika, dried parsley
~ Cooking spray

Directions
~ In a saucepan, melt the margarine over low heat, and add the flour to make a roux (you may need to add some of the warmed soy milk to keep things from getting too gloppy).
~ Gradually stir in the soy milk, mixing constantly, then add the grated cheese, nutritional yeast, and nutmeg.
~ Continue cooking another few minutes, until slightly thickened, and then add to the sausage and kale mixture. Combine thoroughly, then transfer to your prepared baking dish.
~ Combine the panko, the paprika, and the parsley. Sprinkle the mixture over the whole business, spray briefly with cooking spray, and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
~ Allow to cool briefly before serving.

Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup

In the dark and dreary doldrums of February, there are few things more satisfying than a simmering cauldron of soup, and this is a really good one. Perfect for those nights when your tummy wants the culinary equivalent of a hug, it's like a happy marriage between an Indian dal and an old-fashioned split pea soup. The combination of legumes, greens, and sweet potatoes make it balanced meal all on its own, but that's really just a fortunate footnote to its deliciousness. So what are you waiting for? Drag out the soup pot and start soaking some peas!

Split Pea and Sweet Potato Soup
Ingredients
~ 1.5 cups yellow split peas (chana dal)
~ 2 tbsp. canola oil
~ 1 tsp. each: mustard seeds, cumin seeds
~ 1 tbsp. grated ginger
~ 1 large onion, diced
~ 1 large stalk celery, diced
~ 1 tbsp. good curry powder
~ 1 tsp. each: chili powder, fenugreek powder
~ 1 tsp. salt (optional, depending on how salty your stock is)
~ A few grinds of black pepper
~ 2 bay leaves
~ 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
~ 6-7 cups vegetable broth (another plug for Better Than Bouillon's "no chicken" flavor)
~ 1 15 oz. can light coconut milk
~ 1 lb. spinach, roughly chopped
~ A generous shot of hot sauce (optional; I use Sriracha)

Directions
~ In a colander, rinse and pick over the split peas, then place them in a bowl of cold water to soak for at least an hour (the longer you soak them, the faster they'll cook).
~ In a large pot, heat the canola oil over medium heat and add the cumin and mustard seeds. Stir briefly and cook until they just begin to pop.
~ Add the ginger, the onion, and the celery, and continue cooking about 5 minutes.
~ Drain and rinse the split peas and add them to the pot along with the sweet potatoes, the dry spices, and the bay leaves.
~ Stir to coat, raise the heat to high, and add the vegetable broth. Cover and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally.
~ When the split peas are tender, add the coconut milk, the baby spinach, and the hot sauce; cook about 5 minutes more, until the spinach is just wilted.
~ Fish out the bay leaves, taste for seasoning, and serve hot. NB that this makes great leftovers, but like all legume-based soups, it may thicken a bit as it stands; just thin it with a little extra broth or water when reheating.