Brian Boitano’s Pear and Almond Crostata

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1 (8-ounce) package Cream Cheese (softened)
2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar
1 tablespoon All-Purpose Flour (plus more for dusting)
2 Eggs (divided)1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
2 (7-ounce) packages of Almond Paste
4 Pears (peeled)
2 tablespoons Raw Sugar
1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream (optional)
1/4 cup sliced Almonds (toasted)
8 fresh Mint sprigs
Divide each package of almond paste into 4 equal portions. Dust a work surface with flour and roll each portion into a 6-inch round, about 1/8-inch thick.
ingredients

Place 2 tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each round. Spread the filling out in an even layer, stopping about 1/2 inch from the edge of the round.
ingredients

Cut each pear in half and remove the seeds and fibrous spine using a paring knife or melon baller. Cut each half into 5 slices. Fan out 5 of the pear slices on top of the filling in the center of a round. Gently fold the edges of the almond paste over the edge of the filling all the way around. Transfer to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining ingredients, filling both sheets.

Whisk together the remaining egg and 1 tablespoon of water in a small bowl until well blended. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush each crostata with the egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake the crostatas until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Serve each crostata on a plate with a small scoop of ice cream, if desired, and garnished with sliced almonds and mint.

Helpful Tip:
1. Try this recipe with different fruit or berries. When using berries, combine with cornstarch to thicken the excess liquid.

Israeli Couscous and Tuna Salad, Ina Garten

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2 cups Israeli couscous (10 to 12 ounces)
2 (7-ounce) cans or jars Italian tuna, drained and flaked
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup good olive oil
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 cup pitted, oil-cured black olives, coarsely chopped (3 ounces)
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, medium-diced (4 ounces)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2 cloves)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped scallions (6-8 scallions)
1/4 cup julienned fresh basil leaves, lightly packed
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Add the couscous and reduce the heat to very low. Cover the pot and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the couscous is just tender. (I pull the pot halfway off the heat.) Drain in a colander.

Meanwhile, combine the tuna, lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, capers, olives, red peppers, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper in a large bowl. Pour the hot couscous into the mixture and stir well. Cover and set aside for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before serving, stir in the scallions, basil, juice of the 1/2 lemon, and 1 more teaspoon of salt. Taste for seasonings and serve warm or at room temperature

Lentil Enchiladas

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2 1/4 cups lentils, cooked (I used Trader Joe’s Steamed Lentils)
1 tsp. olive oil
1/4 cup onion, diced
1/2 tbsp garlic, minced
4 oz can fire roasted green chilis
1/2 cup lite shredded Mexican cheese, divided
8 8″whole wheat flour tortilla taco shells

***Enchilada Sauce***
1 15oz can (1 3/4 cup) tomato sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 350F
To make enchilada sauce: In a medium bowl, add tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt. Mix until combined; set a side.
In a skillet add olive oil, onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add green chilis and lentils, cook until warmed. Add 1/4 cup of cheese and mix until cheese is mostly melted.
Spoon a little bit of the sauce into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Evenly distribute lentil mixture to tortilla (about 1/4 cup), place tortilla seem side down onto baking dish. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.
Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, until cheese has melted

Optional: Top with tomatoes, jalapenos and greek yogurt

from peanut butter and peppers blog

Basic Instant Gluten from http://veganguineapig.blogspot.com/

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1/2 cup instant vital wheat gluten flour
1/2 cup water

In a medium bowl, stir together the wheat gluten and water until it becomes elastic. The original directions say to knead for 5 minutes but I never knead it longer than 1 (out of pure laziness, but I like the texture better too). Cut into you desired shapes and sizes.

Faux Chicken

2 cups water
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 heaping teaspoon sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

In a medium sauce plan, bring all of the broth ingredient to a boil. Add prepared seitan into broth. Reduce heat and cover with lid. Let simmer for 50-60 minutes stirring every 10 minutes, until broth has reduced completely. (watch it closely I’ve had cooking times range from 20 minutes to 70 minutes). Use chicken immediately in your dish of choice or store in the refrigerator (for up to 6 days) or the freezer (for up to 6 months)

Seitan from Simply Heavenly

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photos of preparation

1 c. vital wheat gluten
14 tbsp water (measure 1 c of water then remove 2 tbsp.)

Mix the gluten and water by hand until it forms a spongy dough, no kneading is required. Let soak in warm water before baking, this improves the texture.  Put into an oiled loaf pan and bake at 375 for 1 hour 15 min. or until dark brown on top.  The gluten will rise just like a loaf of bread and when done will have a shiny golden brown skin.  However, after about 30 min. of baking, check the gluten and if it is starting to puff up more than 2 inches above the sides of the pan, pierce the top in 3 places with a knife. ( I had to do this several times).

When it is done, slice the gluten loaf into slices 3.8 inch to 1/2 inch thick.  If chunks are desired, cut the slice into cubes or strips.

Place the slices or cubes in boiling Gluten Broth, and boil for 30 min.  A weight maybe be required to keep it submerged.

If possible, let the cooked gluten soak overnight for best flavor, though it can be used right away if need be.

Un-chicken Gluten Broth
1/2 c. chopped onion
4.5 tsp msg–I don’t use this and substituted with 3 tsp. fish sauce and 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1/3 c. nutritional yeast
1 tsp corn oil–I used cannola
2 c. water

Combine everything and simmer for 5 minutes

Ridiculously Easy Southwestern Coleslaw

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southwestern-coleslaw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 medium cabbage
2 carrots
1-2 hot chile peppers, thinly sliced or chopped
5-6 tablespoons salsa verde
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons vegan mayo or lite silken tofu
1/2 teaspoon agave nectar (or other sweetener)
1/4 teaspoon cumin

salt to taste

  1. Remove and discard the core of the cabbage, and cut cabbage in half. Use a food processor fitted with a shredding disk to shred the cabbage and carrots. Place in a serving bowl along with the sliced chile pepper.
  2. Whisk all remaining ingredients together until smooth. (If you’re using silken tofu, you may need to blend it in a small blender or food processor.) Add the dressing to the cabbage and mix well. Add salt to taste. Cover and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour. Check seasonings before serving and add more salsa, lime juice, cumin, or salt if necessary.

Killer Key Lime Pie – Serves 8, Terry

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1 block of cream cheese 8-ounce — softened
1 can of sweetened condensed milk 14-ounce
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup of Nellie & Joe’s Famous Key West Lime Juice
1 graham cracker crust  9-inch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat softened cream cheese until creamy (by hand or mixer). Add sweetened condensed milk, and beat to mix. Add egg yolks, and beat to mix well. Add lime juice, and beat again.

Pour filling into crust and smooth over. Set filled pie on baking sheet and place in pre-heated oven.
Bake 10 minutes, until filling begins to set.

Remove pie, cool on rack briefly at room temperature, then place in  refrigerator and chill at least an hour until well set.

Note: “The key to this recipe is the juice,” Tipton says. “Do not use regular lime juice.” Tipton says he has found it in several stores in the valley, sometimes in the ‘mixers’ section’ often next to Rose’s lime juice.  Do not use Rose’s.“

Raspberry Tart – Laura Calder

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  • 1 cup milk
  • half of a vanilla bean
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 tablespoon framboise liqueur
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 pound fresh raspberries
  • 1 9-inch/23 cm cookie crust, baked
  1. Put the milk in a saucepan. Split the vanilla bean, scraping the seeds into the milk, then drop in the pot. Heat to a simmer, remove from heat, cover, and set to infuse 10 minutes.
  2. Beat the yolks with the sugar until pale. Beat in the flour. Pull the vanilla bean from the milk and whisk the milk gradually into the egg mixture. Pour back into the saucepan, bring to a boil, and cook one minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the framboise. Strain into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to cool. When chilled, whip the cream and gently fold it in.
  3. Spread the pastry cream evenly in the base of the tart. Arrange the berries neatly over top.

Lettuce-wrapped Halibut with Dill Cream – Laura Calder

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Radishes and peas

  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 bunches radishes, about 1-1/4 pounds/460 g, quartered or sliced
  • 2 cups freshly shelled peas
  • 1 pinch Salt and pepper
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • handful of chopped fresh dill

Fish and Sauce

  • 8 large Boston lettuce leaves
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 fillets halibut, about 4 ounces/110 g each
  • 3 stalks dill, chopped
  • 1 shallot
  • 1/2 clove garlic
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 1/4 cups cream
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • Lemon juice, to taste
  • pinch dill sprigs for garnish

Radishes and peas

  1. Melt the butter in a sauté pan and gently cook the radishes until half cooked. Add the peas with 1/4 cup/60 ml water. Continue cooking until the peas and radishes are tender Season, and scatter over the green onions and dill.

Fish and Sauce

  1. For the fish bundles: Lay the lettuce leaves in a sauté pan of boiling salted water for a few seconds. Remove, and immediately plunge in an ice bath. Lay flat on tea towels to drain, gently patting them dry. Remove the ribs, so you have strips of lettuce. Lay a few leaves on a board, slightly overlapping. Lay a fish fillet on top. Season, and neatly fold the lettuce leaves over to make a neat package, with the end of the fish visible out the ends. Make the other three bundles. If you’re not cooking until much later, wrap and refrigerate. Otherwise, just set them aside.
  2. For the sauce: Put the dill stalks, shallot, garlic, wine, and stock in a saucepan. Boil to reduce by three-quarters. Strain, and return to a clean saucepan. Add the cream and simmer to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the butter a piece at a time. Taste, and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, if needed.
  3. Lay the fish bundles in a bamboo steamer over a saucepan of 2-inches/5 cm boiling water. Steam until the fish is just cooked, about 10 minutes. Serve with the sauce (passed in a sauceboat). A bed of radishes and peas is the perfect accompaniment.
  4. For the plate: Enjoy a piece of fish and a tumble of radishes and peas side by side on a plate.

Asparagus with Orange Sauce – Laura Calder

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  • 2 oranges
  • 1 pink shallot
  • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 20 spears green asparagus, trimmed
  • Parmesan cheese, for shaving
  1. First, make the dressing: Zest one orange into a bowl, then juice both oranges and boil the juice down in a small saucepan to about 3 tablespoons. Meanwhile, mince the shallot and put it in a ramekin with the vinegar poured over. Set aside five minutes. Add the mustard to the zest. When the orange juice has reduced, strain it over the zest. Drain the shallot, discarding the vinegar, and add. Whisk all together, then slowly whisk in the oil. Taste, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Bring a sauté pan full of water to the boil. Salt it, then add the asparagus and cook until tender. Drain, and immediately rinse under ice-cold water to set the colour. Pat dry with paper towels and transfer to a serving platter. Spoon over the sauce. Shave over Parmesan cheese. Grind over some pepper and serve.