Peppery Tempeh with Cauliflower and Asparagus

"I can resist everything except tempeh." ~ Oscar Wilde

Tempeh is one of the many gifts bestowed upon us by the noble and generous soybean. Like its better known relative, tofu, it is packed with protein, and the fermentation process by which it is produced makes it a good source of B12 as well; it also has a nutty flavor that lends itself well to hearty applications like Indian, Thai, and Indonesian curries, "wings," and the ever popular Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes from Vegan Brunch. As an adult I love the stuff, but I remember trying it as a newly vegetarian teenager and being...underwhelmed by its putative greatness. This probably had something to do with the fact that (being the aspiring retro-hippie I was) I sliced it and ate it raw in a sandwich with sprouts and tahini rather than marinating, steaming, and/or sautéeing it like a reasonable person. But we live and (with any luck at all) we learn, and over time tempeh has taken its place in our ever-more-exciting diet. I am particularly fortunate to have a partner who makes frequent trips to Canada and returns with delicious Henry's Gourmet Tempeh, which has ruined me for anything else until the day I decide to A. visit Indonesia,  or B. hunker down and make my own. (NB this is not the only way I'm lucky in my partner; it's just the one most relevant to this post.)

This dish came about - like so many others - because I felt like cooking something new but was fresh out of inspiration. My available main ingredients were a head of cauliflower, a bunch of asparagus, and a package of tempeh; a quick Google brought me to my beloved Guardian food page (source of many a Quixotic veganization), from which I culled and combined several ideas to produce the dish below. Hearty and full of peppery goodness, it made the perfect dinner for a gloomy, coolish spring evening; so go ahead and give in to the tempeh. You know you want to!

Peppery Tempeh with Cauliflower and Asparagus
Ingredients
~ 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
~ 1 tbsp. coconut oil
~ 1 medium onion, diced
~ 2 tbsp. each: grated ginger, minced garlic
~ 1/4 cup each: soy sauce, water
~ 1 tbsp. agave nectar (or sugar)
~ 1 tsp. Thai red curry paste
~ 1 tsp. each: red pepper flakes, chili powder
~ 1 8 oz. package tempeh, cubed (again, I do love Henry's)
~ 1 small bunch asparagus, cut into 2" pieces (about 3 cups)
~ 1 generous tsp. fresh black pepper

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange the cauliflower pieces, coat with another squirt of cooking spray, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15 minutes, or until tender and just starting to brown. Remove from oven and set aside.
~ In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, water, agave nectar, curry paste, red pepper flakes, and chili powder; set aside.
~ In a large, deep skillet or wok, melt the coconut oil and sauté the onion over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until softened and starting to color.
~ Add the garlic, ginger, and cubed tempeh; cook another minute or two, adding a splash of water as/if necessary to prevent sticking.
~ Pour in the soy sauce mixture, stirring to coat, and add the asparagus. Stir to combine, cover the pan, and cook about 5 minutes, until the asparagus is bright green.
~ Remove the lid, add the roasted cauliflower and the black pepper, and cook another few minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more water if needed. Serve hot over steamed, short grain brown rice.

Smoky White Beans and Kale with Garlicky Grits

I'm a big fan of leafy greens - spinach, chard, collards - but if I were pressed to pick a favorite, kale would probably take the prize. A cursory search of this blog will yield numerous uses for this nutritional powerhouse, but its unique charms also lend themselves to the simplest applications; as often as not we just sauté it with garlic and copious quantities of nooch. The recipe below came about when a craving for something smoky coincided with the acquisition of some beautiful dinosaur kale and the realization that there were about a million cans of white beans in the cupboard. I do love me some white beans, and while I'm sure this would also be good with kidneys or pintos, there's something particularly wonderful about the combination of greens, navy beans, garlic, and smoke. Serve hot over rice or - my strong recommendation - cornmeal grits/soft polenta for a meal that's delicious and substantial but not at all "heavy," and just gets better as leftovers.

Smoky White Beans and Kale
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. olive oil
~ 1 medium onion, chopped
~ 2 stalks celery, diced
~ 2 carrots, diced
~ 2 tbsp. minced garlic
~ 1 green bell pepper, diced
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, thyme, sage, marjoram, chili powder
~ 2 tsp. Liquid Smoke
~ 1 tbsp. each: vegan Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (I used Frank's)
~ 2 bay leaves
~ A few generous grinds of black pepper
~ 2 15 oz. cans white navy beans, including liquid
~ 1 head kale, stripped and chopped
~ 2 cups broth or water

Directions
~ In a large, deep pot, sauté the onions in the oil over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
~ Add the celery, carrots, and garlic, and cook about 5 minutes more.
~ Add the bell pepper and the seasonings and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another few minutes (you can add a little water or broth as necessary to prevent sticking).
~ Add the beans and the kale and stir to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the kale is just wilted.
~ Pour in the broth, cover the pot, and raise the heat to high. Once the mixture is boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-40 minutes, until the liquid has reduced and you have a semi-thick stew. In the last few minutes of cooking time, you can make the grits!

Garlicky Grits
Ingredients
~ 1 tbsp. coconut oil
~ 1/4 cup minced garlic (or less, but don't be a wimp!)
~ 8 cups "no chicken" broth
~ 2 cups cornmeal grits (I use Bob's Red Mill)
~ 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

Directions
~ In a biggish saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic for about 3 minutes.
~ Add the broth, raise the heat to high, and bring to a rapid boil.
~ Pour in the cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Stir in the nutritional yeast and continue cooking about 10 minutes until you have a thick, creamy texture. Mound on plates, ladle the beans and kale on top, and serve with extra hot sauce. Yum.

Potato, Spinach, and Chickpea Curry

"Let the sky rain potatoes; let it thunder to the tune of ‘Green Sleeves’; hail kissing-comfits and snow eringoes; let there come a tempest of provocation, I will shelter me here…"

Ye gods, it feels like I haven't posted since the Taft administration. With one thing and another things have been ridiculously busy around here, so there hasn't been much time or energy for cooking (or blogging). But I'm hoping to change all that now that the semester has been put to bed, and I thought we'd start with a relatively simplecurry that kicks some serious ass (you're welcome).And watch this space, because - to loosely paraphraseMartha and the Vandellas - summer's here and the time is right for cooking and for eats!

Potato, Spinach, and Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
~ 4 Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
~ 1 tsp. each: cumin seeds, black mustard seeds
~ 1 tsp. each: mustard oil, coconut oil
~ 1 large onion, diced
~ 1 tbsp. each: minced garlic, grated ginger
~ 2 tomatoes, diced
~ 2 tsp. each: fenugreek, cumin, curry powder
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, chili powder, coriander
~ 1/2 tsp. each: turmeric, asafoetida
~ 1 lb. frozen spinach
~ 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
~ 1 cup vegetable broth

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

~ Pierce the potatoes with a knife and microwave on high for about 5-7 minutes, until they are mostly cooked but not mushy.

~ Once the potatoes are cooled a bit, quarter them and cut into approximately 1" cubes.

~ Place the sliced potatoes on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle on some salt and pepper and roast at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally so they brown evenly. Remove from the oven and set aside.

~ In a large, deep pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat; add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until the seeds begin to sizzle and pop. You might want to be wearing an apron while you do this. And safety goggles. And a breastplate. (Just kidding...well, sort of.)

~ Add the onions and cook 5 minutes, until softened and starting to color, and then add the garlic and ginger. Cook a few minutes longer, adding a little water if/as necessary to prevent sticking.

~ Stir in the tomatoes and seasonings, then reduce heat to low. Partially cover and simmer about 5 minutes or until a thin film of oil starts to form on the surface.
~ Add the spinach, chickpeas, and broth; stir to combine, cover, and simmer another 10 minutes.
~ Add the roasted potatoes, stir to combine, and continue cooking until everything is just hot. Serve with basmati rice and spicy pickle.

Strawberry Banana Muffins

Yes, it's true: I make a lot of muffins. This is partly because I often buy too much fruit that needs using up it when it gets overripe, and partly because people in my house are always happy to eat a lot of muffins. But mostly it's because muffins give the most bang for your baking buck: with very little time and effort, you can produce a warm batch of fresh, fluffy goodness, and everyone thinks you're some kind of domestic deity. This last batch was particularly fine, and is destined to become a summer morning staple once the annual Inundation of Berries gets underway. Muffin?

Strawberry Banana Muffins
Ingredients
~ 2 super ripe bananas, mashed
~ 1/4 cup canola oil
~ 1/4 cup applesauce
~ 1/4 cup agave or maple syrup
~ 3/4 cup plain or flavored non-dairy yogurt (I used TJ's blueberry)
~ 3/4 cup plain, unsweetened soy milk
~ 1 tsp. vanilla extract
~ 1/2 tsp. lemon extract
~ 2.5 cups flour
~ 1 tbsp. baking powder
~ 1 tsp. each: baking soda, cinnamon
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, ground ginger
~ Dash of nutmeg
~ 1 generous cup chopped strawberries

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and coat a muffin tin with cooking spray.
~ In a large bowl or beaker, combine the bananas, oil, applesauce, agave, yogurt, milk, and the extracts and combine until smooth.
~ In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg. Add the chopped strawberries and toss them around until they are coated with the flour mixture.
~ Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and fold in the banana mixture; mix until just combined.
~ Spoon into your greased muffin tin (I got 15 fluffy muffins from this recipe, but your mileage may vary depending on the size of your tin) and bake in the center of the oven at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack; these are delicious warm or at room temperature. You can split them in half and add some PB, almond butter, jam, and/or whatever, but they're really good just as they are!

Baked Stuffed Breakfast Avocados

The beauteous and delectable avocado sometimes gets a bad rap for being high in fat, but it's important to realize it's the good kind; the sort that lowers cholesterol. They are also loaded with potassium, folic acid, and vitamins B6, C, E, and K, and are a good source of fiber - so the fact that they are nonsensically delicious is just the icing on the proverbial cupcake!

I got this idea - as I have so many others - from a recipe I saw on some random blog. The mad person in charge of this particular asylum had taken it in their head to stuff a lovely avocado with eggs and bacon and bake it in the oven, presumably in the interest of creating an edible metaphor for the battle between good and bad cholesterol e'en then being pitched in their arteries. I've had baked avocado in warm salad applications (served with wilted spinach, roasted tomato, and a drizzle of balsamic: swoon), but I'd never considered having it for breakfast. When I realized what a fool I'd been, I headed straight for the kitchen, and about a half hour later we were digging into what my partner dubbed the "best breakfast food ever." Definitely one to make again! (Be forewarned that these things are both filling and rich - I could only manage one half - so all you need alongside is some decent toast for any excess gooey avocado, and maybe a fruit salad if you want to feel full and extra virtuous.)

Baked Stuffed Breakfast Avocados
Ingredients
~ 2 perfect, ripe-yet-firm avocados
~ 1 large potato
~ 4 slices tempeh bacon, cooked according to package directions
~ 1/2 tsp. each: salt, smoked paprika
~ 1-2 tsp. hot sauce (I used Frank's original)
~ 1-2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
~ A few grinds of black pepper

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit and coat a small baking sheet with cooking spray.
~ Pierce the potato with a fork and microwave until soft (microwaves vary; this took about 7 minutes in mine). When it's cool enough to handle, remove the peel, and mash the cooked potato in a bowl.
~ Slice the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop out just enough of the flesh to make a well for the filling. Add the scooped out avocado to the mashed potato along with the salt, smoked paprika, hot sauce,  black pepper, and nooch; mash until smooth.
~ Add the crumbled, cooked bacon and combine thoroughly. Fill the avocado cavities with the potato mixture and bake, uncovered, at 425 for about 15 minutes, until the filling is browned and the exposed avocado around the edges is bright green and a bit oozy. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Saffron Cauliflower Soup

This substantial-yet-delicate soup gets its special charm from saffron, which has the magical power to elevate everything it touches to a state of exotic, sunshiny yellow yumminess. It's also a great use of the too-often-undervalued cauliflower; grated ginger adds a fresh brightness, pureed cashews lend creaminess (and protein), and the inclusion of some chopped spinach at the end satisfies my personal compulsion to have greens in absolutely everything. I should note that when I made the quantity below for a family of five, we had no leftovers (which are among the best perks of making soup), so if you're feeding more than a couple of people, you might want to double the recipe. I certainly plan to do so with subsequent batches!

Saffron Cauliflower Soup
Ingredients
~ 1 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least an hour
~ 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
~ 1 large onion, diced
~ 2 large carrots, diced
~ 1 tbsp. each: grated ginger, minced garlic
~ 1 large head cauliflower, cored and chopped
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, cumin, coriander, curry powder, chili powder
~ 1/2 tsp. turmeric
~ Pinch nutmeg
~ A few generous grinds black pepper
~ 5 cups no chicken broth
~ 1 14 oz. can "lite" coconut milk (about 2 cups)
~ 1 tsp. saffron threads
~ 1-3 tsp. hot sauce (optional; I used Sriracha)
~ 1/2 lb. chopped, frozen spinach 

Directions
~ Soak the cashews in hot water for at least an hour; drain and puree until smooth.
~ Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot, and sauté the onion and carrot over medium heat about 7-10 minutes, until just softened. 
~ Add the ginger, garlic, cauliflower, and seasonings; stir to coat and continue cooking another 5 minutes or so.
~ Add the broth, cover the pot, raise the heat to high, and bring just to a boil. Lower to a simmer.
~ In a small pan, warm the remaining oil over medium-low heat and “bloom” the saffron for about a minute, releasing its flavor and color.  Stir into the soup and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
~ Stir in the pureed cashews and coconut milk and cook another 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool slightly, and puree with an immersion blender.
~ Turn the heat to medium, add the hot sauce and the frozen spinach, and cook until the soup is just hot and the spinach is just wilted. Serve hot with crusty bread and/or oyster crackers.

Chickpea Flour Fritatta

Though all at once can't not

Eat when I cut sliver out for each,

Yet I can make my breakfast up, that all

From me do baked receive the flour of dal,

That some do call besan. What say you to't?

~ Coriolanus, 2.1.144-48 (well, sort of; if there's a more enjoyable way to adapt Shakespeare than making it fit recipe descriptions, I don't know what it is)

I've posted a few tofu-based frittata recipes in the past, but what makes this one a little different is the inclusion of chickpea flour - also known as gram or garbanzo flour, besan, or (as I like to call it) magical fairy pixie dust. Call it what you'd like, but if you haven't ever cooked with it, you're missing a treat: not only is it a great coating for fried or baked foods, it's the perfect base for savory pancake type things, makes your French toast crispy, and is a better all-purpose thickener than regular flour. It also adds body to dishes like omelets, crepes, and - yes! - frittatas ("frittati"?) than can be fiddly in terms of texture/structural integrity. The addition of chickpea flour in this recipe makes for a light, airy breakfast/brunch dish that slices beautifully and takes much less time to set up than its besan-free counterparts. I've listed the vegetables that happened to be on hand the last time I made this, but you should obviously feel free to use whatever you like, within reason (for instance, a whole artichoke might not be the best idea). Serve alongside some roasted potatoes, a little hot sauce and/or ketchup, and a mimosa or Bloody Mary, and you should be ready to face the world - or not, as you like it.

Chickpea Flour Frittata
The Batter
Ingredients
~ 1 11.5 package silken tofu (I used TJ's)
~ 1 cup chickpea flour
~ 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
~ 1 tbsp. cornstarch
~ 1 tsp. each: salt, dill, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dry mustard
~ 1/2 tsp. each: turmeric, white pepper
~ 1/2 cup water
~ 1/2 cup fresh, chopped parsley
~ 1-2 tsp. hot sauce (I'm currently obsessed with Frank's)

The Veggies
~ 1 tbsp. olive (or other) oil
~ 1 10 oz, package mushrooms, sliced
~ 1 red bell pepper, diced
~ 2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
~ 6-8 scallions, chopped

Directions
~ Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit, and coat a quiche pan or deep pie dish with cooking spray.
~ To make the batter, combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
~ Saute the mushrooms in the olive oil over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until they begin to brown. (Pro tip: don't stir them around - just let them sit there for a few minutes and then turn them once!)
~ Add the bell pepper and cook another few minutes, until it gets a teensy bit charred.
~ Stir in the spinach and scallions and cook just long enough for the spinach to wilt.
~ Remove from heat and transfer the cooked vegetables to your oiled baking dish. Pour the batter over the top and smooth with a spatula; a little sprinkle of paprika looks pretty.
~ Bake uncovered at 400 degrees for about 30-35 minutes, or until the batter is completely set and pulling away from the sides of the pan ever so slightly. (Ovens vary wildly, so you should check on it periodically!) Allow to cool for about five minutes before slicing and serving - ideally with a side of roasted potatoes, hot sauce, and a Bloody Mary.