Savory Asparagus Galette with Vegan Ricotta

Makes 4 generous servings or 6 small servings
Recipe from Nisha Vora of Rainbow Plantlife 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

This looks involved, but the dough and tofu ricotta can be made in advance.  I tested this a couple of times, once using a fork to work in the butter and the second time, I used my food processor.  Both work equally well.  The crust is crispy-crumbly and browns beautifully.  The tofu ricotta recipe takes no time to prepare and makes enough for three galettes. You can also use the ricotta in any pasta recipe, to spread on a sandwich or to dollop on a pizza.  This is good enough for company. 

 
Pastry Ingredients (Keep everything icy cold.)
1¼ cups (150g) all-purpose flour + more for rolling
½ cup (75-85g) medium-grind cornmeal 
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
10 Tablespoons (140g) vegan butter, cubed 
2-4 Tablespoons ice cold water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Flaky sea salt and black pepper to taste
1-2 Tablespoons plant-based milk

Slice the vegan butter into cubes. Then place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up. Mix the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, and salt in a large bowl. Add the chilled vegan butter and using a pastry cutter (a fork) cut the butter into the flour mixture, until butter is about the size of peas. (You can also pulse it in a food processor.) Mix 2 Tablespoons of the ice water with the apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle it over the dough mixture, gently kneading the dough with your hands. Add more of the ice water as needed, just a teaspoon at a time until the dough easily comes together when you squeeze it and you can form a ball that doesn’t crumble when you pull it apart. Wrap the disc in plastic or place in a bowl and cover it. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or up to 48 hours.

Tofu Ricotta You won’t need to use all of this tofu ricotta. Use the rest for adding to pasta, a sandwich spread, or to top a pizza.

1 (14-ounce / 400g) block extra-firm tofu
4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 Tablespoons white or yellow miso paste
¾ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
15 fresh basil leaves
A small handful of fresh dill
1 medium lemon, zested and juiced (about 3 Tablespoons juice)

To make the tofu ricotta, drain and pat dry the tofu with paper towels (no need to press it). Add the tofu in chunks to a food processor or a blender, along with the remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth, thick, and creamy. 

Asparagus Filling
1 small or medium bunch of asparagus (try to choose spears that aren’t too thick or fat)
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

To prepare the asparagus, snap off the tough woody ends off the asparagus at their natural breaking point. Slice the asparagus into bite-sized pieces and toss 1 tablespoon oil and season with kosher salt and pepper.

Assemble and Bake: Preheat the oven to 400F. Once the dough has chilled, arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. You’ll need to bring the dough to room temperature for 10-15 minutes to make it pliable enough to roll. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12” to14” round that’s between ¼ and 1/8” thick dust the rolling pin with flour as needed. Place the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet.  Add the toppings. Dollop about 1/3 of the tofu ricotta on top of the dough, leaving a 1½” border around the edge. Arrange the prepared asparagus over the ricotta. Fold the edges of the dough up over the filling to form a crust. Brush the tops and edges of the dough with the plant-based milk. Sprinkle the filling and the crust with flaky salt and pepper. Bake the galette for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is nicely golden brown and the crust is sturdy when you tap it, and the asparagus is tender.

Final Toppings (Optional, but quite nice.  You can use one or all of the herbs.  You can substitute cherry tomatoes, halved, for the sugar snap peas.)
1 large handful of blanched sugar snap peas, sliced in half lengthwise OR sliced cherry tomatoes 
1-2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, thinly sliced, 1 small handful of basil leaves, thinly sliced, and/or a few sprigs of fresh dill
Lemon zest from ½ to 1 lemon

Once the galette has baked, top with the sugar snap peas or halved cherry tomatoes, fresh herbs, and lemon zest. It's also quite nice with little dollops of pesto.

Nutrition (1 of 6 servings) Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 673mg | Potassium: 422mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1659IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 5mg

Lemon Banana Bread (vegan)

Recipe from https://www.theconsciousplantkitchen.com/ 
Husband-Tested in Susan U.’s Kitchen and Alice’s Kitchen
Makes one 9” x 5” loaf (12 slices)

We went on a double date with our friends, Susan and Bill.  Susan helps me when I teach my Plant Powered Plates class at Gilda’s Club of Louisville.  I call her my "Sue Chef."  After enjoying a pizza and a mocktail at a local restaurant, they invited us to see their beautiful home and have dessert.  This is what she made, along with a tasty berry compote. She packed up a generous slice for me to enjoy at breakfast the next day, which I did with Homemade Instant Pot Cashew Yogurt. Here is a link to a tasty compote I've made many times. 

1½ cups mashed bananas, equivalent to 3 large bananas
1½ cups all-purpose flour 
½ cup almond flour 
¼ cup lemon juice, about 2 medium lemons
2 teaspoons lemon zest
⅓ cup soft brown sugar 
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup mild-flavor olive oil 
1 teaspoon almond extract 
½ teaspoon salt
(Optional, but lovely)
Pinch of cinnamon
Pinch of ground cardamom
Pinch of nutmeg
Topping
⅓ cup sliced almonds (I used pecans because that’s what I had.)

Instructions
Preheat the oven** to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 9-inch x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Slightly oil the paper with cooking spray.
Mash the bananas, pack them in a measuring cup to measure exactly 1 cup + 1/2 cup, and place them in a mixing bowl.
Stir in the light olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, soft brown sugar, and almond extract, until well combined.
Fold in the flour, almond flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and use a rubber spatula to combine. It should form a thick, smooth batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the bread.

Bake the bread on the center rack for 45-55 minutes at 350 °F (180 °C). If the top of the bread darkens too fast, foil the pan after 30 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the bread cool down in the pan for 10 minutes, then release and cool completely on a wire rack for about 2 hours before serving.


Notes: Swap the brown sugar for a refined sugar-free option like coconut sugar or unrefined cane sugar if desired. Do not swap for a liquid sweetener like maple syrup, the bread will turn gummy. Any low-flavor oil works or, you can use melted plant-based butter if preferred. 

Storage: Store the bread in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

*Oven Mode: This recipe calls for using the fan-forced (convection) mode. If you use conventional mode, increase the temperature by 25°F (15°C). The baking time should be the same, but it might take a few more minutes.

Nutrition Information: (1 of 12 slices) 253 calories; 32 g carbohydrates; 4.6 g protein; 12.9 g fat (5.6 g saturated fat; 0.7 g polyunsaturated fat; 1.6 g monounsaturated fat; 0.01 g trans-fat); 250.4 mg sodium; 163.3 mg potassium; 2.7 g fiber; 14.4 g sugars; vitamin A 18.5 IU; vitamin C 2.5 mg; 92.1 mg calcium; 1.4 mg iron; 23.1 mg magnesium; 68.7 mg phosphorus; 0.3 mg zinc

Savory, Southern-Style Vegan Cornbread

Recipe from My Quiet Kitchen  
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen
Makes 10 servings

This southern-style vegan cornbread is buttery and salty and celebrates the texture and flavor of stone ground cornmeal. Delicious served with beans and greens, soup, chili, or simply with a pat of vegan butter. 

Ingredients 
2½ cups stone-ground yellow cornmeal (medium grind)
1 cup gluten-free or regular all-purpose flour 
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1¾-2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 cups unsweetened, unflavored soy milk
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5 Tablespoons vegan butter, divided
3 Tablespoons maple syrup or agave
3 Tablespoons grapeseed oil or other neutral oil (I used canola.)
1 cup thawed frozen corn (roasted is especially nice) or fresh corn kernels (optional)

Instructions
Place a 12-inch cast iron pan in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
In a large bowl whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
Make "vegan buttermilk" by combining the milk and vinegar in a medium-size bowl. Set aside. Place 4 tablespoons of the butter in a mug or small bowl. Microwave for about 15 seconds or until just melted.
Add the melted butter, maple syrup, and oil to the buttermilk, and whisk to combine. Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and whisk or stir just until there is no visible dry flour. The batter will look a bit lumpy. 
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add the extra tablespoon of butter. Again, carefully (remember to put on your oven mitt before grabbing the handle) tilt the pan to swirl the butter around so it coats the bottom. Immediately pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes. Use a toothpick or knife inserted in the center to test for crumbs/doneness.
Let the cornbread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before slicing.
Store cornbread in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Nutrition (1 of 10 servings) Calories: 250kcal; Carbohydrates: 33g; Protein: 4.5g; Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 2.5g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 555mg; Fiber: 7g; Sugar: 3g

Best Peanut Butter Cookies Ever

Recipe from Fifteen Spatulas
Husband-Tested in Alice's Kitchen
Makes about 24 cookies

These fabulous peanut butter cookies are dangerous.  You will need major will power to keep from eating them all at once.  Absolutely scrumptious!!!

7.5 ounces by weight all-purpose flour (1.5 cups measured) 
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar* (I used dark brown sugar, but light will work too.)
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter**
Flaky sea salt, optional for sprinkling over the top

Preheat the oven to 350F.
(I highly recommend weighing out the flour before using.) 
In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 
In another medium bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar, for about 60 seconds, until fluffy and light.
Mix in the egg and vanilla extract for about 30 seconds, until combined.
Mix in the peanut butter for an additional 30 seconds, until combined.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet, then mix just until the flour is incorporated. Take care not to over mix.
Using a medium cookie scoop, portion out scoops of dough directly onto a baking sheet. (Try not to smooth out the cookies.  What makes these especially nice, is the texture of the "rough ridges" you get when scooping out the dough.) You should get about 24 scoops of dough total (split them between two baking sheets).  If desired, sprinkle each cookie with flakey sea salt.
Bake*** for 13 minutes, until the edges are golden, but the middle is still soft. Let them cool for a couple minutes before eating. They are especially fantastic enjoyed warm out of the oven. 

Notes
*I've used both light and dark brown sugar and each works well. Use whichever you have.
**While you may have happy results using a natural peanut butter, using the creamy variety will make for a better texture. When using natural peanut butter, the cookies may be more crumbly and dry, with an inferior texture. Brands like Skippy, Jif, organic Whole Foods Brand etc. make peanut butters that are very creamy and spreadable. 
***Do not over bake these. Keep in mind that when you take the cookies out of the oven, they should seem excessively soft. There will be a little bit of carryover cooking, and the cookies will firm up as they cool, so you want to err on the side of underbaking. If the cookies turn out dry, simply put, they were over baked. They should be moist and gooey on the inside.

Freezing:
Completely Baked Cookies: Complete the recipe start to finish, then let the cookies cool completely. Place the cookies in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. To enjoy, let them thaw at room temperature, for about 30 minutes.
Unbaked Dough: You can also freeze these unbaked. Scoop the dough onto a baking sheet, then freezing completely. Then remove the frozen dough balls from the tray and place in a bag to save space. For this recipe, thaw the dough back to room temperature before baking, which should take about an hour. If bake these straight from frozen, they won't bake quite as evenly.

Storage: Make sure to store these in an airtight container, or they will dry out. These cookies will last about two days at room temperature before losing too much flavor and freshness. Technically they will keep longer than this, but I think the taste is too inferior, and at that point you’d be better off freezing them. See the freezing instructions above.

Make-ahead instructions: After making the dough, scoop it while it's still at room temperature, then keep those dough scoops in the fridge on a sheet pan. Otherwise, you'll need to bring the dough to room temperature in order to scoop again. Make ahead up to 2 days in advance. 

Double-batch: You can absolutely double or triple this recipe with no problem.

Nutritional Info: Calories: 166.09kcal, Carbohydrates: 17.6g, Protein: 3.89g, Fat: 9.51g, Saturated Fat: 3.63g, Cholesterol: 16.99mg, Sodium: 172.33mg, Potassium: 96.29mg, Fiber: 0.88g, Sugar: 9.65g, Vitamin A: 128.08IU, Calcium: 15.53mg, Iron: 0.68mg

Soy Curls Picatta Over Buttered Noodles (Vegan)

 

Recipe from Simply Veganized

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Serves 4

This was comfort food for certain.  I’ve cooked with soy curls just a few times.  We are amazed at how “meaty” it is.  The lemony sauce with the capers ticks all the boxes for me.  Serve this delicious dish with a crisp salad or roasted or air fried green beans for a perfect meal good enough for company.  You can purchase Butler Soy Curls through the Butler company or from Amazon.  The package of soy curls should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and not the pantry. 

Eggless ribbon noodles (or other vegan pasta)

1-2 Tablespoons vegan butter for noodles

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

8 ounces Butler Soy Curls

3.5 cups No Chick’n Vegetable Broth

4 Tablespoons flour, divided (I used whole-wheat flour.)

1 lemon

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 Tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup vegan butter

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup capers, drained

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Toss with 2 Tablespoons vegan butter and parsley and set aside.

Bring 2 cups of the broth to a boil. Set aside and place the soy curls in the broth.  Soak the curls for 10 minutes.  Drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  

Zest the lemon and add the zest to 3 Tablespoons of flour.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix well and then toss the soy curls in the flour mixture.

In a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil.  Place the soy curls in the skillet and sauté until well browned, approximately 8 minutes.  Place the soy curls on a plate and set aside.

Return the skillet to medium heat.  Melt the vegan butter and then whisk in the remaining 1 Tablespoon flour to create a roux.  Whisk until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.  Gradually stir in the remaining broth whisking continuously until it comes to a boil.  Add the juice of 1/2 the lemon, white wine and the capers.  Simmer 3 minutes, whisking occasionally.  Return the soy curls to the skillet and simmer 2-3 minutes.  

Serve the soy curls with the sauce over the noodles.

Maple Glazed Spice Cake with Cinnamon Drizzle (Vegan)

Recipe from Vegan Richa

Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Makes 9 servings

This is a super moist, perfectly spiced cake to serve when autumn is in the air.  The original recipe called for a dairy-free cream cheese frosting, but I wanted to try the drizzle that I found on Vegan Richa website that was meant for another cake. This cake is delicious enough to serve with coffee at a party. Or you can also leave it plain and pop it in your lunchbox.  (There were gluten-free, oil-free, sweetening, dried fruit, and flour options for this recipe on the Vegan Richa website., but I’ve not tested those.)

Cake

1 Tablespoon flax seed meal

¼ cup water

¾ cup spelt flour

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons coconut sugar

½ teaspoon sea salt

1½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1/3 cup chopped pitted dates (Soak in warm water for about 15 minutes.)

¾ cup applesauce (I used unsweetened.)

¼ cup oil (I used grapeseed oil.)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup grated apple, carrot or zucchini (I used apple.) Lightly squeeze with a clean towel to remove excess moisture

Glaze

1 Tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon water

Cinnamon Drizzle

1¼ cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk.)

2-4 Tablespoons coconut sugar or other sweetener (to taste)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

2 drops almond extract

A pinch of sea salt

1 Tablespoon cornstarch

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon turmeric, for color (optional)

Line an 8” x 8” square pan with parchment paper.  (I lightly sprayed the pan and the paper with oil first, but that’s optional.) Preheat the oven to 350F.  Mix the flax seed meal with the ¼ cup water and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, cloves and nutmeg.  Whisk well.  Fold in the dates. (I used my fingers to “rub” the dates into the mixture so that the date pieces would be well coated with the dry mixture which would allow them to be distributed evenly.) Add the applesauce, flax seed mix, oil, vanilla and apple.  Mix to combine into a slightly stiff batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread the batter to completely cover the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick from the center comes out clean.  Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.  Carefully remove the cake using the parchment paper as “handles.” Mix the maple syrup and water together and brush over the entire cake.  While the cake is cooling, make the Cinnamon Drizzle. Mix 1 cup almond milk with the sugar, vanilla and almond extracts in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.  Add the cinnamon and turmeric, if using.  Mix the cornstarch and ¼ cup almond butter in a small bowl.  Add to the boiling milk.  Bring it back up to a rolling boil.  Take the pan off the heat.  The drizzle will thicken a bit as it cools. When the cake is completely cool, drizzle with the Cinnamon Drizzle.

Nutritional Information (1 of 9 portions of cake w/no glaze or drizzle): 195 calories; 6.7 g fat (0.9 g sat. fat); 0 g cholesterol; 146 mg sodium; 33.2 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 14.7 g sugars; 2.8 g protein; 145 mg calcium; 2 mg iron; 440 mg potassium Nutritional Information (1 of 9 portions of glaze and drizzle) 42 calories; 1.1 g fat (0.1 sat. fat); 0 mg cholesterol; 83 mg sodium; 8.3 g carbohydrates; 0.4 g fiber; 6.7 g sugars; 0.3 protein; 93 mg calcium; 64 mg potassium

Whole-Wheat Raspberry Ricotta Scones

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 9 Square Scones

Husband-Tested in Marimar’s Kitchen (Alice’s Daughter-in-Law)

Our daughter-in-law made these beautiful scones during our family vacation this spring.  They were so yummy with our morning coffee.

1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour

1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

¼ cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

6 Tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter

1 cup (136 grams or 4¾ oz.) fresh raspberries

¾ cup (189 grams) whole milk ricotta

1/3 cup (79 ml) heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  In the bottom of a large, wide bowl, whisk the flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together.  With a pastry blender, add the butter (no need to chop it first) and use the blender to both cut the butter into the flour mixture until the bigger pieces are the size of small peas.  Toss in the raspberries and use the pastry blender again to break them into halves and quarter berry sized chunks.  Add the ricotta and the heavy cream together and stir them in to form a dough with a flexible spatula.  Using floured hands, gently knead the dough into an even mass, right in the bottom of the bowl.  Don’t fret if the raspberries get muddled and smudge up the dough. This is a pretty thing.  With as few movements as possible, transfer the dough to a well-floured counter, flour the top of the dough and pat it into a 7-inch square about 1-inch tall.  With a large knife, divide the dough into 9 even squares.  Transfer the scones to the prepared baking sheet with a spatula.  Bake the scones for about 15 minutes, until light golden at the edges.  Cool in pan for a minute and then transfer to a cooling rack.

To do ahead:  Scones are always best the day they are baked.  However, if you wish to get a lead on them, you can make them, arrange them on the parchment paper and freeze them.  When frozen, transfer them to a freezer bag or container.  No need to defrost them.  Bake them 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Nutrition Info: (Per 1 of 9 servings) 215 calories; 13.8 g fat (8.6 g sat. fat); 43 mg cholesterol; 205 mg sodium; 19.4 g carbohydrates; 1.5 g fiber; 6.8 g sugars; 4.2 g protein; 128 mg calcium; 1 mg iron; 223 mg potassium