Appetizers

(Source: http://www.theppk.com/category/recipe/appetizer)

Index

1. Baked Garlic Curry Fries
2. Simple Italian Sausages
3. Cashew Queso
4. Scalloped Potatoes and Eggplant Bacon
5. Eggplant Bacon
6. Cucumber Avocado Tea Sandwiches with Dill & Mint
7. Portland Porch Lettuce Wraps
8. Shiitake Banh Mi Salad
9. Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions
10. Phyllo Tempeh Reubans
11. OMG Oven Baked Onion Rings
12. Chesapeake Tempeh Cakes
13. Sunny Corn Muffins
14. Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

Baked Garlic Curry Fries

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs russet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon Microplaned garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Organic cooking spray

Serves: 4

Time: 45 minutes

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Slice the russet potatoes about 1/4 inch thick and 3/4 inch wide.
3. Prep work station: Ready a big bowl of ice water. Lay a kitchen cloth on the counter and line it with kitchen paper towels.
4. Once the water is boiling, add the potatoes and cook for 3 minutes only.
5. Drain the potatoes and immediately plunge them into the ice water to stop them from further cooking.
6. Once completely cool, place the potatoes on a single layer of paper towels so that they will be mostly dry, but enough moist for the curry powder to coat.
7. Scoop the curry powder into the bowl and mix the salt. Grate approximately a tablespoon worth of garlic into the bowl, then drizzle in the oil and mix it with a fork.
8. Spray a large baking sheet with a non-stick cooking spray.
9. Toss a handful of potato slices into the curry mixture and remove each one, rubbing in the curry powder. Make sure it the curry mixture is evenly distributed amongst the fries.
10. Place the fries in a single layer on the tray and spray with a little extra cooking spray.
11. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes on each side until golden brown and tender inside.

Note:

If you want plain baked fries, skip the curry step. Just drizzle the olive oil and salt, then bake it.

You can also use chilli powder or Cajun spice or any other spice blend you like.

Do not use sweet potatoes or yams with this recipe because they are too soft, this method only works for russet potatoes.

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Simple Italian Sausages

 Recipe:

• 1/2 cup cooked white beans (great northern or navy), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil *or* 1 tablespoon tomato paste (tomato paste is a great fat replacement)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic *or* 2 cloves fresh garlic, finely grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed, crushed *or* 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Several dashes fresh black pepper

Makes 4 sausages

Time: 50 minutes / Active time: 10 minutes

Method:

1. Prepare the steaming apparatus, bringing the water to a full boil.
2. Ready 4 square sheets of tin foil.
3. In a large bowl, mash the beans completely; and throw all the other ingredients together in the order listed and mix with a fork.
4. Divide the dough into 4 even parts.
5. Place one part of dough into tin foil and mold into about a 5 inch log. Wrap the dough in the tin foil.
6. Place the wrapped sausages in the steamer and steam it for 40 minutes.

Note:

It can be used for grilling, sauteeing or stews.

The steamed sausage can either be consumed immediately or placed in the refrigerator until ready to use.

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Cashew Queso

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours or overnight
• 2 cups veg broth
• 2 tablespoons white miso (see recipe note)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot
• 1 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced (keeps seeds if you want more heat)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ancho pepper (or any mild ground red chili)
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Makes 2 cups

Time: 45 minutes

Method:

1. Drain the cashews.
2. In a blender or food processor, puree them with vegetable broth, miso and cornstarch until very smooth. This could take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes depending on your device. Rub between your fingers to test; slight graininess is okay, but try to get it as smooth as possible.
3. In the meantime, preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Saute onion, red pepper, and jalapeno in oil with a pinch of salt until soft, about 7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and saute about a minute more.
5. Transfer vegetables to the blender where the cashew mixture is.
6. Add cumin, ancho, nutritional yeast and salt.
7. Blend again until very smooth.
8. Transfer mixture back to the pot. Whisking often, turn heat up to medium until the queso comes to a slow rolling boil.
9. Lower heat so that it doesn’t burn and cook for about 20 minutes. Whisk often and check to see that it’s thickening, if it’s not, then turn the heat up a bit.
10. It should become nicely thickened but velvetty and pourable.
11. Stir in the lemon juice at the end. If the queso seems too thick, drizzle in a little water and whisk to desired consistency.
12. Taste for salt, spices and lemon juice and adjust as you like.
13. Serve hot!

Notes:

If you prefer a chunky queso, double the vegetable ingredients (except for the garlic) and set half aside before the pureeing step.

This reheats really well! Gently reheat in a small pot, drizzling in a little water and whisking often until it returns to its original creamy state.

The nutritional yeast is totally optional. It adds a little extra cheezy kick, but if you aren’t a fan or don’t have any on hand, the queso will not suffer for it.

Any miso will do here.

Can double as a grilled cheese filling.

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Scalloped Potatoes And Eggplant Bacon

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup whole cashews soaked in water for 2 hours or up to overnight
2. 2 cups vegetable broth
3. 2 tablespoons olive oil
4. 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
5. 3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
6. 1/4 cup store-bought breadcrumbs (if using homemade, increase to 1/3 cup)
7. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8. Fresh black pepper
9. 3/4 teaspoons salt
10. 2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced (about 3 large)
11. 1 recipe Eggplant Bacon
12. Chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish (optional)

Serves 8

Time: 1 1/2 hours/ Active time: 30 minutes

Method:

1. Place the drained cashews and vegetable broth in a food processor and blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could take 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute the onions and celery in the oil, along with a dash of salt. Cook until onions are nice and brown, about 10 minutes. Add the breadcrumbs and toss to coat onions and celery. Cook until the breadcrumbs turn a few shades darker, about 3 minutes.
3. Preheat your oven to 350 F.
4. Pour the cashew mixture into the pan and lower heat a bit. Mix well.
5. Add lemon juice, several dashes black pepper and salt. Let cook for 2 minutes, it should begin to thicken.
6. Taste for salt and adjust seasoning if needed.
7. Now put them together.
8. Lightly spray a 2 quart casserole rectangular with cooking spray (or lightly grease with olive oil). Pour half of the sauce into the casserole. Now arrange potatoes and eggplant into the casserole, dredging potatoes in sauce a bit as you layer. They should be in slightly overlapping layers, with a slice of bacon in between each potato.
9. Pour the remaining sauce over the potatoes. They should be mostly submerged. Use a rubber spatula to spread the sauce on if needed.
10. Seal tightly with tin foil and bake for about 45 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
11. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, until nice and brown.
12. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve!

Notes:

You can actually use roasted cashews here if you like.

If you’re making the eggplant bacon, this will take considerably more time, so add 30 minutes to your cooking time.

If you’re looking for a gluten-free option, make breadcrumbs out of gluten-free pretzels. You can also sub the breadcrumbs with 2 tablespoons cornstarch.

If you don’t have a rectangular 2 quart casserole, square will work, too.

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 Eggplant Bacon

Ingredients:

1. 1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/8 inch thick strips
2. 1/4 cup soy sauce (or tamari if you’re gluten free)
3. 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
4. Cooking spray

Serves 8

Time: 30 minutes

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Prep the eggplant while the oven is preheating. Eggplants vary in size, so if using baby eggplant that is 2 inches wide at its widest, just slice into 1/8 inch thick circles. If using large eggplants, first cut in half lengthwise, then slice the halves into 1/8 inch thick halfmoons.
3. Bake it at a high temperature with just a bit of cooking spray oil, then let it cool, then give it smoky salty flavor and reheat.
4. Cover baking sheets in parchment paper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Arrange eggplant pieces in a single layer and spray lightly once more. Place in oven and bake for about 8 minutes, keeping a close eye. Rotate pans about halfway through baking.
5. Remove from oven and flip slices. They should be browning already, and if any are slightly burnt, don’t worry. Just move them to a plate to cool. Return remaining strips to the oven for about 3 minutes.
6. Remove from oven. Eggplant should be dark brown to burnt in some places, and yellowish white and tender in some places. Transfer to a plate to prevent further baking.
7. Lower oven to 350 F. Mix soy sauce and liquid smoke together in a large bowl. Dip eggplant slices in mixture a few at a time and return to the baking sheet. Bake for about 3 more minutes, until heated through.
8. Serve! Keeps well for a few more hours.

Notes:

The varying degrees of thickness will work to your advantage here. Just don’t get too thick, the eggplant needs to crisp up and slices that are much thicker will just get soggy.

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Cucumber Avocado Tea Sandwiches With Dill & Mint

Ingredients:

For the spread:

• 2 ripe avocados, kept cold in the fridge
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped cucumber
• 2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint
• 2 tablespoon fresh chopped dill

To serve:

• 12 slices white bread
• 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

Serves 4 – 6

Time: 30 minutes/ Active time: 20 minutes

Method:

To prepare the spread.

1. Remove the pit from the avocados, and scoop into a food processor along with the lemon juice and salt.
2. Puree until completely smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as necessary.
3. Add the cucumber and pulse until cucumber is finely chopped.
4. Add the mint and dill and pulse again so combine. You just want them well incorporated into the mid, not pureed.
5. Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes or so to let the flavors marry, and then taste for salt and seasonings.

To assemble:

1. Arrange the sliced of bread on the counter. Spread the avocado mixture onto all 12 slices.
2. Add a single layer of cucumber on 6 of the slices. Now close each sandwich. Use a steak knife to cut off the crusts.
3. With a gentle touch (so as not to squish the filling out too much), cut each sandwich into 4 equal pieces, either squares or triangles.
4. Serve topped with extra herbs, or lettuce.

Notes:

Avocado browns very quickly, so prepare the filling as close to serving time as you can. If you do need it to sit around for awhile, place in a container along with the pits from the avocado, and squirt on a little extra lemon juice. Then place a layer of plastic wrap directly on the mixture. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. But even with this method, it is not recommend letting it sit around for more than a few hours.

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Portland Porch Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

For the edamame pesto:

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup packed basil leaves
• Handful (1/4 cup or so) fresh cilantro
• 14 oz package shelled edamame, thawed
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Optional: 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

For the beans:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Several dashes fresh black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 pound of asparagus, sliced on a bias (3/4 inch pieces or so)
• 1 large nectarine, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces (leave the skin on)
• 1 1/2 cups great northern beans, rinsed and drained (a 16 oz can)

To serve:
1 head of red bibb lettuce, or similar

Serves 4

Time: 30 minutes/ Active time: 20 minutes

Method:

Prepare the pesto:

1. Place garlic and basil in food processor and pulse a few times to get it chopped up.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until relatively smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula to make sure you get everything.
3. Add a little more vegetable broth if it seems too stiff. Set aside until ready to use.

Now prepare the beans:

1. Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat (cast iron is preferred.)
2. Saute the shallots in olive oil and a pinch of salt until translucent, about 3 minutes.
3. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds more. Season with black pepper and salt.
4. Add asparagus and toss to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes, then add nectarine, and cook for about 5 more minutes. The asparagus should be a bright Kermit green, and the nectarine should release some of it’s juices.
5. Add beans and toss to coat. Cook until they are warmed through, about 2 more minutes.
6. Taste for salt. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes or so, so that the flavors can meld.
7. In the meantime, prepare red lettuce leaves. Just peel off the good big ones, rinse and dry them.

To assemble wraps:

Place a few leaves on each plate, spoon in some beans and plop on a nice big scoop of the pesto.

Notes:

Some tips for working with stone fruit in particular: Make sure to cut them tiny enough that they cook quickly and meld into the saute without being obtrusive. Pieces should be no larger than 1/4 inch. Fruit that is ever so slightly under-ripe works best because it holds its shape and is never too sweet. Be careful not to overcook. You want them warmed through and juicy, but not mushy, so taste as you go!

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Shiitake Banh Mi Salad

Ingredients:

For the pickled veggies:

• 1/2 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar  sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 scant cup thinly sliced radishes
• 1 scant cup thinly sliced cucumbers

For the dressing:

• 4 tablesoons almond butter
• 3 tablespoons pickling liquid
• 1 tablespoon sriracha (or more to taste)
• 1 to 2 tablespoons water
• Pinch salt

For the shiitakes:

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 1/2 lb whole shiitakes, stems trimmed
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

For the salad:

• 12 oz crisp salad greens (like romaine)
• 1/2 cup mint leaves
• 1/2 cup cilantro

Method:

Prepare the veggies:
Stir together the rice vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt. Toss in the radishes and cucumbers to coat. Let them rest for about an hour, giving them a stir with your hands every so often.

When the pickled veggies are done, prepare the dressing:
Mix together almond butter, 3 tablespoons of liquid from the pickles you just made, Siracha, 1 tablespoon water and a pinch of salt. Since almond butter varies from brand to brand, you may need a little more water to thin it out enough to coat the salad. You may also want to use more Sriracha, I actually used an extra teaspoon for a bit more spiciness, but it depends on your taste.

Prepare the shiitakes:
Preheat a large cast iron pan (or any heavy bottomed pan) over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the oil, then add the shiitakes. Cover and let the shiitakes cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. They should be softening up a bit and releasing moisture. Now uncover, and cook for 3 more minutes or so, until they are slightly browned in spots. Add the garlic and saute a minute more. Lastly, add the splash of soy sauce, and stir until it’s well incorporated.

Assemble:
Toss the greens with the dressing to coat. Plate the greens and top with the pickled veggies. Throw some herbs on top, and finish with the shiitakes. Serve immediately.

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Potato Pierogi with Caramelized Onions

Ingredients:

For the Caramelized Onions:

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 2 lbs sweet onions (Vidalia or Walla Walla), diced medium

For the Dough:

• 3 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup warm water
• 3 cups all purpose flour (plus a little extra for sprinkling)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 1 1/2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoons salt

To serve:
Applesauce

Method:

To make the caramelized onions:

1. Preheat a heavy bottomed skillet, preferably cast iron, skillet over low heat. Add the oil and the onions and toss the onions to coat. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, leaving a little gap for steam to escape. Stir occasionally, every 5 minutes or so. Onions should turn a nice mellow amber, but not burn, although a couple of darker spots are fine.
2. Remove the cover and turn the heat up just a bit, to a medium setting. Stir often for 10 more minutes. Onions should become a darker amber, and some of the moisture should evaporate.

Make the filling:

1. In a medium sized pot, cover potatoes in water. Place a lid on the pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat to simmer and cook for about 15 more minutes or until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pan, sautée the onions in oil over medium heat for about 7 minutes. Turn the heat off but stir occasionally even when the heat is turned off because they could still burn from the hot pan. When the potatoes are done boiling, drain them well and add them to the pan with the onions. Just mashed them right in there with a potato masher, that way you are sure to get all the flavor. Add the salt and pepper. Make sure potatoes are mashed well and fluffy. Set aside to cool a bit.

To make the dough:

1. Pour the water and oil into a large bowl. Add 2 cups of flour and the salt, keeping one cup aside. Use a fork to stir the flour in, and as it starts to come together, use your hands to knead until a loose dough forms (about 3 minutes.)
2. Sprinkle your counter with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and knead. Add the reserved cup of flour a little bit at a time, working it into the dough, until it is very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If it’s too sticky, you can add a little bit more flour and knead it in, sometimes up to 1/4 cup extra. Conversely, if you get a good- feeling, smooth, elastic dough that isn’t tacky with less less than the extra cup of flour, then that’s okay, too.
3. Roll the dough out, and also bring a salted pot of water to boil  for boiling the pierogis.
4. Divide the dough in half and make sure your counter is clean and sprinkled with a dusting of flour to prevent sticking. Roll half the dough out to about 1/16 of an inch thick, which is to say, very thin but not see through. I rolled it into an 18- by- 10 inch rectangle, but as long as you have the thinness going, the shape doesn’t matter so much. Sprinkle the top with a light dusting of flour.
5. To make circles. I use the top of a glass that is 3 1/2 inches, but somewhere between 3 1/2 and 4 inches is perfect. Use a glass or a cookie cutter. Have ready a lightly floured plate to place the finished circles on, and go ahead and firmly press your glass or cookie cutter into the dough, as close together as you can. Pull the excess dough up and set aside. Place circles on the floured plate and transfer to the fridge while you repeat with the other half of the dough. Combine the excess doughs and see if you can get a few more wrappers out of the deal.
6. To boil some pierogi. Make sure your water is rapidly boiling. The filling should be room temp or colder. Have a small bowl of water for wetting the edges of the wrappers. Place about a tablespoon of filling into the center of a circle and dab water around the circumference of the circle. Fold the edges of the wrapper over filling and pinch in the middle to hold together. Pinch down the sides so that you have a sealed half moon.
7. If some of the filling is sneaking its way out, then use a little less filling with the next one. Once you get the amount of dough down, you can do a few at a time in assembly line style. I usually do six, lay out the circles, add the filling, pinch them closed. This works out perfectly if you time it with the boiling.
8. To boil: Gently lower pierogis in to the water with a slotted spoon. Boil about six at a time. When they float they are ready. If for some reason they aren’t floating, it takes about 4 minutes for them to cook. Use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate as you prepare the rest. Cover finished ones lightly with tin foil to keep warm. Proceed until all pierogi are boiled.
9. To fry instead: Preheat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat, add a thin layer of canola oil, and fry pierogi on each side until golden brown (probably 3 minutes on one side and a minute on the next.).
10. Serve the pierogi in an oversized bowl, sprinkle amply with salt and smother in lots and lots of caramelized onions.

Notes:

Make filling and dough a night in advance, then all you have to do in the morning is boil pierogis and make the caramelized onions.

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Phyllo Tempeh Reubens

Ingredients:

For the Sundried Tomato Cashew Spread:

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes packed in oil, drained (about 8 )
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the tempeh filling:

• 1 lb tempeh
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced medium
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• Fresh black pepper
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 a lemon)

To assemble:
1 1/2 cup Sauerkraut

1 lb 13×18 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
Olive oil for brushing

Makes 12 triangles

Method

For the Cashew Sundried Tomato Spread:

1. Soak the cashew in water to get them as creamy as possible. Just place them in a bowl and cover in water for at least an hour. Drain when ready to use. It’s a good idea to do this a day in advance so that it comes together quickly when you’re ready.
2. Add drained cashews and sundried tomatoes to a food processor and pulse to chop everything up. Drizzle in water and puree until completely smooth. Place in fridge until ready to use. This thickens a lot as it sets.

For the tempeh:

1. Crumble tempeh into bite sized pieces, place in a small saute pan and add enough water to cover, plus a splash of soy sauce (about a tablespoon). Cover and bring to a boil. Let boil for about 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In the meantime, saute the onion in the olive oil for about 7 minutes. Add the caraway, garlic and black pepper and saute for a minute more.
3. Toss in the tempeh and saute for 10 minutes or so, until nicely browned. Mash the tempeh a bit while you’re cooking it. Drizzle in the soy sauce and lemon juice, and mix well. Taste for salt.

Assemble:

1. Remove tempeh from the pan and place in a bowl. Let it cool just to the point where it has stopped steaming. Give it a toss every now and again to help speed it a long, it should be about 15 minutes.
2. Mix 1/2 a cup of the cashew spread into the tempeh mixture and mash it up. Taste for salt and pepper.
3. To form the triangles. Never use as much oil,  light brushing is sufficient to prevent sogginess or ripping the phyllo.
4. Have a clean, dry surface with plenty of elbow room at the ready. Pour some olive oil into a small bowl and have a pastry brush handy. Also needed are the tempeh mix and the sauerkraut and have a large baking sheet brushed with olive oil nearby. Unwrap phyllo dough and lay it out flat. Slice the stack in half widthwise (across the waist.) A pizza cutter works great for this!
5. Now layer 3 sheets. Carefully place one sheet in front of you lengthwise. Brush with a little oil and layer another piece of phyllo on top. Brush with oil and layer one last phyllo sheet and brush with oil.
6. Place 1/4 cup tempeh filling in the lower right side of the dough.
7. Place a dollop of the cashew spread on the tempeh (about 2 teaspoons), and a big spoonful of sauerkraut on top (about 2 tablespoons).
8. Then fold the left side over the filling so that you have a long rectangle. Brush lightly with olive oil. Now begin folding the triangles.
9. Fold the lower left corner up to form a triangle. Now fold over two more times, until you have a triangle. Tuck any extra dough under the triangle. Place on baking sheet and brush with a little more olive oil.
10. When you think you’re pretty close to finishing all of the traingles, preheat the oven to 350 F.
11. Bake triangles for 15 minutes, until lightly golden. Flip over and bake for 12 to 15 more minutes. They should be varying shades of golden brown.

Notes:

You can definitely halve this recipe. If you have too many they reheat well! Just place in tin foil and bake in the toaster oven for 5 minutes, or microwave in a paper towel for 30 seconds. These taste great at room temp, though, making them potluck perfect.

Remember to thaw the phyllo the night before

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OMG Oven Baked Onion Rings

Ingredients:

• 2 vidalia onions (about a pound), or other sweet onion like Walla Walla
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup cold almond milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• Cooking spray

Serves 4

Active cooking time: 30 minutes

Total cooking time: 50 minutes

Method:

1. Slice onions into 3/4 inch thick rings. Separate the rings and place in a bowl. Cover with a kitchen towel or something, to keep the onioniness out of your eyes.
2. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a rimmed 12×18 baking sheet with parchment paper, spray with cooking spray and set aside.
3. Now you’ll need two large bowls for batter and breading. In one bowl, dump in the flour and cornstarch. Add about half of the almond milk and stir vigorously with a fork to dissolve. Add the rest of the almond milk and the apple cider vinegar, and stir to incorporate. Set aside.
4. In the other bowl, mix together the bread crumbs and salt. Drizzle in the oil and use your fingertips to mix it up well.

Assemble the onion rings:

1. Get a conveyor belt going. From left to right, have the onions, the flour mixture, the breadcrumbs mixture and lastly the baking sheet. Dip each onion slice into the the flour, letting the excess drip off. Transfer to the breadcrumbs bowl and use the other hand to sprinkle a handful of breadcrumbs over the onion, to coat completely. This may take a bit of practice. Carefully transfer each onion to a single layer on the baking sheet. Make sure you use one hand for the wet batter and the other for the dry batter, or you’ll end up with club hand.
2. Spray rings lightly with cooking spray and bake for 8 minutes. Flip, and bake another 6 minutes. Rings should be varying shades of brown and crisp. Taste one to check if it’s done. Serve as soon as possible with ketchup

Nutrition details:

Servings per recipe-4

Total Carb 38g

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Chesapeake Tempeh Cake

Ingredients:

For the cakes:

1. 8 ounces tempeh (use the nori tempeh if you can find it, but plain soy tempeh is fine, too)
2. 1 cup water
3. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
4. 1 tablespoon olive oil
5. 1 bay leaf
6. 3 tablespoons Vegenaisse
7. 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard (stone ground Dijon works, too)
8. 1 tablespoon hot sauce
9. 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
10. 1/4 cup very finely chopped red bell pepper
11. 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
12. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
13. 1/2 teaspooon salt
14. fresh black pepper
15. 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs, plus extra for dredging
16. Optional: 1 finely chopped nori sheet or 1 tablespoon kelp granules (if you like a little fishiness)
17. Oil for pan frying

For the remoulade:

1. 2 tablespoons Vegenaise
2. 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard  (stone ground dijon works, too)
3. 1 tablespoon hot sauce
4. 2 teaspoons capers (try not to get too much brine)

Makes 10

Method:

1. First, steam the tempeh to get the bitterness out and also to infuse some flavor with the soy sauce. Crumble the tempeh into a saucier or small pan in little bits. Add the water, soy sauce, oil and bay leaf. The tempeh won’t be fully submerged, but that’s fine. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, let boil for 12 to 15 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated. Stir once during boiling.
2. Transfer contents to a mixing bowl, remove bay leaf, and mash with a fork. Let cool for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to hasten the cooling process. Make sure the tempeh is barely warm before you proceed, or the cakes may fall apart when you cook them. Add the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, vinegar, chopped bell pepper, spices salt and pepper, and mix well. Add the bread crumbs and nori and use your hands to incorporate.
3. Once you are ready to form the cakes, preheat a thin layer of oil in a heavy bottomed non-stick skillet (cast iron is great) over medium heat. Pour a few tablespoons of panko into a bowl. Scoop a little less than 1/4 cup batter into your hands and form into a ball. Flatten between your palms and then roll the sides gently with your hands cupped to smooth them. You should have ten 2 1/2 to 3- inch patties. Do them in batches of five. Press them into the panko to lightly coat. They don’t need to be thoroughly covered, just a little bit for some texture.
4. Fry a batch of five cakes for 4 minutes on one side and flip when dark golden brown. Fry for 2 minutes on the other side and transfer to a paper towel or paper bag to drain. Do your second batch and in the meantime make your remoulade by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl.
5. Serve with lemon wedges.

Notes:

Make the entire mixture and the remoulade the night before. In the morning, form into cakes and pan fry.

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Sunny Corn Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 cup corn or vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup soymilk
• 2 tablespoons soy yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Makes 12

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. In a large bowl, sift together dry ingredients (flour through sugar). In a separate bowl, wisk together wet ingredients (oil through vanilla). Fold wet into dry, halfway through mixing add lemon zest and distribute well.
3. Spray muffin tins with a non stick cooking spray. Fill each tin 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve warm.

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Latkes (Potato Pancakes)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds starchy white potatoes, peeled (russets, idaho, et al)
• 1 small yellow onion, peeled
• 1/4 cup potato or corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 cups matzoh meal
• Lots of vegetable oil

Method:

1. If using a food processor: Use the grating blade to shredd the potatoes and the onion.
2. If shredding by hand, use a grater to shred all the potatoes. Dice the onion as finely as possible.
3. Have ready brown paper shopping bags or paper towels for draining the oil from the latkes. You may also want to have the oven on at 200 F to keep the latkes warm until you’re ready to serve. If serving immediately then just have a baking pan covered with tin foil ready to keep the finished ones warm after they’ve been drained.
4. In a large mixing bowl, using a wooden spoon or your hands (I use my hands, it’s faster) mix the potatoes and onions with the potato starch until the potatoes have released some moisture and the sornstarch is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the salt and pepper to combine. Add the matzoh meal and mix well. Set aside for about 10 minutes. The mixture should get liquid-y but sticky.
6. In the meantime, preheat a large preferable cast iron but definitely non-stick skillet over medium heat, a little bit on the high side. Add about 1/4 inch layer of vegetable oil to the pan. The oil is hot enough when you throw a bit of batter in and bubbles rapidly form around it. If it immediately smokes then the heat is too high and you should lower it a bit. If the bubbles are really lazy then give it a few more minutes or turn the heat up a bit.
7. With wet hands (so that the mixture doesn’t stick) roll into small golf ball sized balls. Flatten into thin round patties 4 to six at a time. Fry on one side for about 4 minutes, until golden brown. Flip over and fry for another 3 minutes.
8. Transfer to the paper towels and proceed with the remaining latkes. Once latkes have drained on both sides, place in a baking pan to keep warm.

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