Post Punk Kitchen

Cucumber Avocado Tea Sandwiches With Dill & Mint

Serves 4 to 6
Time: 30 minutes || Active time: 20 minutes

For the new season, I’ve begun a tradition called True Blood Mondays. While the point was to hang out with friends and cook food inspired by the TV show, it’s just too hot to make a vegan human heart pot pie. So tea sandwiches will have to do! And, as someone on Twitter pointed out, you could definitely see Sookie Stackhouse serving these at a party.

But whether or not you’re serving fangbangers, tea sandwiches are fun to mess around with and fill with whatever you fancy. I like to take classic sandwiches and pair them down into tea size – for instance, mini po boys, banh mis, and eggplant parm. But these are my take on tradition: cream cheese and cucumber tea sandwiches. Avocado ditches its guacamole trappings and instead, is infused with lemon, fresh dill and mint. The end result is a nod to the old foil-wrapped cream cheese brick, but a creamy, tangy, silky experience that is all its own.

For my money, white bread is a must, especially if you can get it fresh from a bakery. It provides a bright but neutral backdrop that let’s all the subtle flavors shine through. Layer the avocado spread with cucumber sliced as thin as you can get it, then remove the crusts (sneak a few into your mouth), load up your prettiest vintage plates, and you’re in tea sandwich business.

Oh, and you can’t have tea sandwiches without tea! I recommend Lady Grey. The hints of citrus are the perfect complement to fresh herbs.

Tip: 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, I don’t recommend letting it sit around for more than a few hours.

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

First prepare the spread. Remove the pit from the avocados, and scoop into a food processor along with the lemon juice and salt. Puree until completely smooth, scraping down the sides ith a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the cucumber and pulse until cucumber is finely chopped. Add the mint and dill and pulse again so combine. You just want them well incorporated into the mid, not pureed.

Let the mixture sit for 10 minutes or so to let the flavors marry, and then taste for salt and seasonings.

To assemble:
Arrange the sliced of bread on the counter. Spread the avocado mixture onto all 12 slices. Add a single layer of cucumber on 6 of the slices. Now close each sandwich. Use a steak knife to cut off the crusts. 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. Serve topped with extra herbs, or lettuce. In this pic, I topped them with pea shoots.

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Portland Porch Lettuce Wraps

Serves 4
Time: 30 minutes || Active time: 20 minutes

I could call these White Bean, Nectarine and Asparagus Lettuce Wraps With Edamame Pesto, but I’m afraid you’d fall asleep reading that!

Sometimes location just guides your hand in the kitchen. In the Northeast, I gravitate towards root vegetables, in California I sneak avocado into absolutely everything, and when I’m in the Pacific Northwest, a tiny fairy with stretched earlobes and full sleeves whispers in my ear, “Put some fruit in that.”

I’m like “Wha?! Fruit on my pizza? Fruit in my sausages? Fruit in my beans?” And the fairy is like “Yes, yes and yes!” And I’m like “What are you listening to?” (because she has an iPod shuffle on) and she’s like, “Nothing, you’ve never heard of it.” Then she brushes her black and white bangs out of her eyes.

And so, here I am, fresh from my Portland trip, back in high summer Omaha. I’ve discarded the hoodie for 100 degree weather and cars that honk at cyclists, and I’m putting fruit in everything. Even my beans!

But let me tell you, that little hipster foodie fairy knows what the hell she’s talking about. Fruit doesn’t have to be overpowering and in your face. You can coax the sweetness and flavor into your dish, so that it’s working with the savoriness, not against it. Here, nectarine adds tart, juicy bites, cooked gently enough to work its summery flavor into the sauciness of everything, but not quite so much that it loses its integrity. Instead of being a curiosity, the fruit becomes a natural component, that brings an added dimension to what otherwise would just be sauteed asparagus and white beans with some other stuff. Quite yummy in its own right maybe, but probably not something that the hipster foodie fairy would ever bother with.

Some edamame pesto is the perfect accompaniment, because it’s full of body without being too heavy and oily. You’ll have plenty left over for use on other stuff, so that’s a bonus. And lettuce wraps are a natural, again, because they are nice and light, and their fresh grassiness lets the flavors of everything else shine through. Not to mention that I don’t feel like preparing rice or pasta in this heat!

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!

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

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

Now prepare the beans:
Preheat a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium heat (cast iron is preferred.) Saute the shallots in olive oil and a pinch of salt until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds more. Season with black pepper and salt. 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.

Add beans and toss to coat. Cook until they are warmed through, about 2 more minutes. Taste for salt. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes or so, so that the flavors can meld.

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.

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Grilled Peaches With Ginger Coconut Caramel

Serves 6 to 8

Grilled peaches…everyone is doing it! And why not, who doesn’t love a summer dessert that doesn’t involve turning the oven on?

When you grill a peach, or any fruit really, you want the exact right amount of caramelization. Too much and there’s bitterness, too little and it’s just kind of like eating a warm peach. Many recipes call for rubbing the peaches with sugar before grilling, but I think that can lead to grill misfires (pun not really intended, I just got lucky.) I like the method in this recipe because the peach is simply sprinkled with a little lemon juice and oil. Not adding sugar lessens the danger of over-caramelization, an epidemic that studies show affects 4 out of 5 peaches at every barbeque. Instead I rely on the caramel for sweetness, so let’s move on to that since it’s really the reason you’re here.

Ginger coconut caramel sauce! This sweet, fragrant, smooth and syrupy sauce is what elevates these grilled peaches to unforgettable. And even if you don’t have a candy thermometer, or if you’ve never made caramel before, this recipe is pretty easy and forgiving. Try to stop yourself from licking the spoon, just try it! No but seriously, I burned my tongue because I couldn’t wait, so you remember to let it cool a bit first! An added bonus is that you’ll probably have a little extra to drizzle over ice cream throughout the week.

I’d say that vegan vanilla ice cream is a total must here. I love good old So Delicious soy-based vanilla, but I think that a coconut based one would be a great choice, too.

Also, use plain white sugar here. The health-food sugars just don’t seem to work as well in caramels, I’m not sure why. So use beet sugar if you’re concerned about non-vegan filtration processes.

For the caramel:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, grated on a microplane
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the peaches:
6 to 8 ripe peaches
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons canola oil

And vanilla ice cream to serve

First make the caramel:

In a 2-quart pot, mix together sugar, water and maple syrup. Place over medium heat, and stir with a wisk until the sugar has dissolved.

Once dissolved, you don’t have to stir as much, but definitely keep a close eye so that it doesn’t burn, but do stir occasionally. It should be bubbly at the edges and start to turn a few shades darker. If it seems to be bubbling wildly, then lower the heat a bit.

Let cook this way for 15 minutes or so. In the meantime, mix the cornstarch with the tablespoon of water and slowly add the coconut milk, mixing with a fork to thoroughly incorporate the cornstarch.

Once the caramel turns a deep honey brown, slowly stream in the coconut milk, whisking constantly, then mix in the coconut oil, ginger and salt.

Cook for another 7 minutes or so, so that the cornstarch thickens the caramel a bit. Let cool a bit, but serve warm.

Prepare the Peaches:

Preheat the grill to medium-high. Remember to lightly grease it first so that the peaches don’t stick.

It’s easiest to slice the peaches width-wise (another way to think about it, is around the waist,) not stem to bottom. The pit will come out easier. Once sliced, hold each end of the peach and twist until it releases. Remove the pit, place peaches in a big bowl, and coat in oil and lemon juice. Use your hands to gently rub them and make sure they’re coated.

Grill each peach face down for about 7 minutes. Use a thin metal spatula to lift them from the grill. They should be tender and have awesome grill marks. Flip and grill for another 2 minutes or so, just to soften a bit more.

Serve immediately, with ice cream and drizzled with caramel.

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Mushroom Barley Soup With Fresh Herbs

Serves 6 to 8
Time: 40 minutes || Active time: 15 minutes

Mushroom Barley Soup doesn’t have to be that staunch bowlful of murky stuff that your stepfather eats out of a can all winter. In fact, it can be downright right spring-like, with bright flavors from fresh herbs and springtime’s bounty of veggies.

I feel so lucky to be able to make soups like this happen with the herbs grown right in my yard. When people ask me how I could leave NYC, this is pretty much my answer (no not the hipster iPhone photos, but the subject matter!):

Sure, I could have found some way to garden in Brooklyn, but I lived there for most of my life and never managed to. I feel like if something leads me back home someday, I’ll be well equipped to put together some sort of garden, but growing up in the city it always felt like a dream that was way out of reach — something a much more put-together, much more resourceful or much richer person did.

Now that I’ve lived both in Oregon and Nebraska, I get it. The space helps for sure, but the pace helps, too. And I’ve come to find that there’s hardly anything more satisfying than grabbing a handful of thyme right off the porch, or gently pulling off a few crisp leaves of basil. The little things; tucking tomato plant branches safely into their cages, then smelling their grassy perfume all over your hands, eating a strawberry still warm from the sun, and even the failures! Watching your sunflowers go from seven to four and discovering the bunny who did it is still a pretty cool feeling.

And so this afternoon, when I got a yen for some mushroom barley soup (even though it’s June), I was able to use my garden instead of my spice rack. I am definitely a year-round soup girl, and can be found simmering some on even the hottest days of the year because sometimes gazpacho just won’t do.

If you don’t happen to have all of the herbs growing right outside, you can just use a mix of whatever you do have on hand. And if you had to choose just one herb, I’d probably make it dill. You can also bulk it up with beans – chickpeas or black-eyed peas are good contenders – or even some sauteed cubed tofu or tempeh. Tender greens, like spinach or watercress, would also make nice additions if you haven’t filled your greens quota for the day.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 vidalia onion, thinly sliced (a regular yellow onion is fine, too!)
8 oz cremini mushroom, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 average sized zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch thick half moons
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
1 average sized tomato, diced
3/4 cups uncooked pearled (quick cooking) barley
6 cups vegetable broth
Fresh black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

Herb mix:
3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoons fresh chopped thyme

Preheat a 4 quart pot over medium heat. Saute the onion in olive oil with a pinch of salt until translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add the mushrooms and zucchini, and cook until slightly softened and some of the moisture has been released, about 5 more minutes. Mix in the garlic and saute for a minute or so.

Add celery, tomato, barley, broth, pepper and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer, add herbs, cover again and cook until barley is tender, about 10 minutes. Salt and season to taste. For best results, let it sit for at least 10 minutes uncovered so that the flavors can marry. Serve garnished with extra herbs.

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Shiitake Banh Mi Salad

Serves 4
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes || Active time: 15 minutes

I came to the Banh Mi late in life (as I imagine most Brooklyn Jews did), but when I fell for it, I fell hard. The general idea, at least in the vegan versions I’ve tasted, is charred meat (seitan and tofu most often), super spicy creamy spread, pickled veggies to help cool you down, and the fresh cilantro and mint just make the whole thing. Since Banh Mi by definition calls for bread, this is a very deconstructed version, but you could easily reconstruct this baby and serve it on a good, chewy baguette, just leave out the lettuce. For me, right now it’s 100 degrees outside and I want salad!

I decided to use shiitakes as my meat, first of all because I’ve never seen anyone else do it but also because I wanted something relatively light but still entirely meaty. I love the hot/cold contrast in salads and this one doesn’t disappoint. The crisp, flavorful salad, coated in a simple spicy almond butter dressing, with the sweetness and acid from the pickled veggies, up against the charred, juicy, salty shiitakes stir up emotions in me that a salad probably shouldn’t.

If you’ve never pickled anything before, you’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment pickling your first veggies in this recipe! And don’t worry, it’s the simplest thing in the world, you just throw some vinegar and sugar in a bowl, stir, and toss in the veggies for an hour or so. Despite all of the components, the recipe is really, really easy.

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

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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Kitty Benefit Wrap-Up and Thank-Yous

I’ve always loved feeding people. Food is my conduit to pretty much everything. It’s how I relax, it’s when I do my best thinking, it’s how I tell someone I love them and it’s even how I earn my living. If I’m not wearing an oven mitt or wielding a pair of tongs, I start to get a little twitchy. I admit, I was a little nervous about how that would play out in my move to Omaha. I guess I pictured myself judiciously traveling to and from Whole Foods, working on recipes, talking to my cats, watching too much HBO On Demand, and maybe eating at the one vegetarian friendly restaurant in town (alone) every now and again. But I was only 50% right!

I’ve found so much energy here. Fun and creative people, a growing community of vegetarians and vegans, and good food (even a vegan restaurant that opened, and, uh, closed in the past year…but still.)

Doing Four Courses For Causes in Omaha took on a different meaning than meals I’ve served in New York City and Portland, where vegan pizza and local berries rained down from the skies (ouch!) When you’re serving in the shadows of feedlots and GMO corn, a plateful of local greens takes on a new significance. Knowing that this was the first seitan many people have eaten and the only vegan cream to ever pass through their lips, I knew I had to up my game.

But here’s the awesome thing: I didn’t have to do it alone! So many people came together to pull this event off. From the photography studio that generously lent us their space, to the restaurant owners who swooped in and chocolate dipped the strawberries and even cooked the risotto, it truly took a village! Or a moderately sized Midwestern city.

The organization we’re raising money for is pretty inspiring, too. Feline Friendz has a dedicated group of volunteers with a TNR (trap, neuter, release) mission, not to mention adoptions, fostering, and kitty health care. As a certified cat lady, this issue is so important to me, and with the rate that kittens are being bred, feral cat communities are ever expanding. But I do believe that with education and TNR we can bring an end to this in our lifetimes, and these volunteers are dedicating their lives to it. The absolute least I can do is put together a few strawberry shortcakes to help.

So thank you, thank you, thank you! To everyone who attended, to everyone who volunteered and to everyone reading this and making a difference where you live.

And more specifically, thank you: David Radler Studio for the space, Justin Limoges for the beautiful photos, all the volunteers: Tessa, What Cheer! (Denise, John Henry, Annora and Isaiah), Lauren and Dan, Greg, Jessica and Paul, dishwasher extraordinaire John McDevitt (Vegan Omaha) and Renate McDevitt for baking the cookies for the giftbags.

And of course, the local businesses! Blooms, for the precious flowers that graced each table. The small businesses that provided items for our giftbags, which helped to raise some extra cash: Greenstreets Cycles, Caffeine Dreams, Slowdown. Plus, the giftbag from the Omaha Chamber Of Commerce. And, finally, the groceries who provided discounts and donations: Jane’s Health Market and Hyvee.

Here are some photos from the evening (taken by Justin Limoges).

The tables are set.

Plating salads and skewers

Grilled Seitan In Raspberry Infused BBS Sauce, Caramelized Onion, Salad of Local Greens, Toasted Almonds and Raspberries

(more…)

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Sanctuary Dip

Makes 2 1/2 cups
Total time: 10 minutes || Active time: 10 minutes

A cool, creamy, tangy dip that’s calling out for a potato chip or baby carrot sacrifice. No BBQ is complete without ranch dip! But since ranches are sad places, and since I am throwing a BBQ tonight in honor of Gene Baur and Farm Sanctuary’s Just Eats tour, I’m calling it Sanctuary Dip. (Not to be confused with the Sanctuary Dressing in Appetite For Reduction.)

I typically like to use fresh ingredients, but I feel like ranch is calling out for dried herbs and pantry staples. There’s something very American about throwing everything into a blender and making dip happen. I use a one two punch of tofu and cashews for the creamy base.

1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours, and drained
1 cup water
3 to 4 ounces extra firm tofu (1/4 of a typical package)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon agave
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vegetable broth powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried dill

Place cashews, water, tofu, lemon juice and agave in the blender. Puree until very smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula often to make sure you get everything. This can take up to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.

Add the onion powder, veg broth powder, garlic powder and salt, and pulse to combine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and mix in the dried dill. Taste for salt and seasonings. Seal tightly and chill for at least an hour. The longer you let is chill, the firmer it will get.

Before serving, taste one last time and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve!

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Smoky Maple Sausages

Makes 4 big sausages
Total time: 50 minutes || Active time: 15 minutes

There are so many amazing versions of these steamed sausages floating around, but one more couldn’t hurt! These are an excellent brunch sausage, perfect for slicing up alongside French Toast. They have a slightly sweet mapley taste, and when they sop up a little extra maple syrup, well that’s quite allright. I used both chickpea flour and nutritional yeast because I love that texture best, but you can use all nutritional yeast, or all chickpea flour. This recipe is anything but fussy. Here’s a PPK thread that has about a bazillion and one ideas for variations on the steamed sausage.

1/2 cup cooked pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 cloves garlic, grated (with a microplane, or very finely minced)
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons chickpea flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Several dashes fresh black pepper

Before mixing your ingredients, get your steaming apparatus ready, and bring water to a full boil. The rest of the recipe comes together very quickly.

Have ready 4 sheets of tin foil. In a large bowl, mash the pinto beans until no whole ones are left. Throw all the other ingredients together in the order listed and mix with a fork. Divide dough into 4 even parts (an easy way to do this: split the dough in half and then into quarters). Place one part of dough into tin foil and mold into about a 5 inch log. Wrap dough in tin foil, like a tootsie roll. Don’t worry too much about shaping it, it will snap into shape while it’s steaming because this recipe is awesome.

Place wrapped sausages in steamer and steam for 40 minutes. That’s it! You can unwrap and enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to use. They’re really great sliced up and lightly sauteed, or grilled.

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Creamy Avocado Potato Salad

Serves 6 to 8
Total time: 1 hour || Active time: 15 minutes

Potato salad with a silky, creamy guac instead of mayo? Seriously. This is a favorite from Vegan Brunch, and I wanted to put it up for you just in case you’re looking for something a little different for your BBQ this Memorial Day. It’s ridiculously simple to make and beyond delicious.

The secret to the creaminess is a food processor. Prepare this as close to serving time as possible. It can sit for a couple of hours, but anything more than that and the avocado will brown.

2 lbs fingerling potatoes, cut into 3/4 inch chunks
2 avocados
2 tablespoons lime juice, from a lime or two
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 small red onion, diced small
1 smallish cucumber, diced very small

Scallions for garnish (optional)

Put potatoes in a pot and cover with water. Cover pot, bring water to a boil. Lower the heat to a rolling boil and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until potatoes are easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool.

Once potatoes have cooled, prepare the dressing. Split the avocado in half, remove the seed and scoop the yumminess into the food processor. Add the lime juice and salt and puree until smooth, scraping down the sides with a spatula as needed. Once smooth and creamy, add the tomato and onion. Pulse until they are incorporated but not completely blended. You should still be able to see the tomato and onion.

Put the potatoes and cucumbers in a large mixing bowl and mix them up. Add the dressing and mix well. Taste for salt and spice. Wrap tightly and chill until ready to use. Top with scallions, if you like.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Pie

Makes one 9 inch pie

Whoever first thought that these two complete opposites would make a great pair should be given the biggest blue ribbon there is, or maybe just a Nobel Peace Prize. Tart rhubarb and sweet strawberries, who can argue with that? A cinnamony crumb topping seals the deal (literally.)

The season is almost upon us and I’m growing my own pie patch here in the clumpy Omaha soil. Fresh is best, but truth be told, even if you have to use frozen fruit, this pie will still hit all the right notes. The key to using frozen strawberries is to slice them when they’re still frozen. You can use your favorite single pastry crust, store-bought or homemade (there’s a great one in Veganomicon and another in Vegan Brunch.) If you’d like to veganize a non-vegan favorite, just swap out the butter for half Earth Balance shortening and half Earth Balance margarine.

My pie patch. Yes, I need to weed.

Every pie is made better with vanilla ice cream, but this one is especially so. The recipe is from our upcoming book, Vegan Pie In The Sky.

Unbaked single pastry crust, fit into a 9 inch pie plate, edges crimped

Topping:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine, melted (or canola oil)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Combine all of the filling ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine all dry ingredients for the topping. Drizzle in the margarine and use your fingers to swish around the mixture until crumbs form. Some of the topping is still going to be sandy and that’s fine, just so long as you have mostly nice big crumbs.

Add filling to the prepared pie shell and top with the crumb topping. Cover loosely with tin foil and poke a few holes in the foil to let steam escape.

Bake for about 20 minutes at 425 F. Lower heat to 350 F, and remove the tin foil. Bake for an additional 30 to 35 minutes, filling should be bubbling and the crumb topping should be golden. Place on a cooling rack and let cool for about 30 minutes before serving.

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Fresh Corn Johnnycakes

Makes 15 two-inch Johnnycakes (serves 4)
Time: 30 minutes

Somewhere between cornbread and pancake lies Johnnycake! To be honest, my knowledge of Johnnycakes is limited to Little House and the Prairie and The Sopranos, but the two always made me crave these rugged crunchy corn cakes and so after years of yearning, I felt qualified to come up with a recipe.

These pancakes were supposed to have been eaten on the American frontier, when supplies were limited. But I’m not going for a perfect historical representation — I added some fresh corn and brought everything together in the blender. The resulting cakes are at once tender and crunchy and have a rich, salty corn flavor that’s so satisfying drenched in some maple syrup. Oh, and because they’re 100% cornmeal, they contain no gluten!

You absolutely need a really well seasoned cast iron pan or something non-stick because corn likes to stick! If using cast iron, also lightly spray a metal spatula for flipping.

1 cup corn, fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen)
1 cup plain almond milk
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Spray oil

In a blender, pulse the corn and almond milk around 5 times, just to get the corn a bit chopped up. Add all remaining ingredients and blend for about 5 seconds, or until combined. There should still be chunky pieces of corn left.

Let the batter rest for around 10 minutes, and in the meantime, preheat a well-seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat. If using non-stick, you only need to preheat 3 minutes or so.

Spray the pan with oil and use ¼ cup measuring cup (or ice cream scoop) to ladle out three johnnycakes. Cook for about 3 minutes, the underside should be crisp and browned, the top still wet. Flip the cakes (spraying the pan as you lift each cake) and cook until crisp and flecked with brown.

Keep finished Johnnycakes on a plate covered with tinfoil as you prepare the rest. Serve with pure maple syrup and a few blueberries if you have them.

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Four Courses For Causes Omaha: A Benefit Dinner For the Kitties, Sun. June 5th, 6PM

THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT, THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLDOUT!!!!

Join us for a four course dinner to benefit Feline Friendz, an awesome kitty cat rescue that serves the community through education, fostering, adoption, low-cost veterinary assistance and Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR.)

Our menu is focusing on all of the local, seasonal produce that Nebraska has to offer. Think lots of fresh, green flavors and creamy textures with with some crunch. And we haven’t forgotten the strawberries.

The evening takes place at David Radler Studio in Downtown Omaha. Once a glamorous ballroom turned high-end photography studio, we’ll be returning it to its glory with an intimate candlelit dinner that you’ll never forgot.

Gluten free options are available for all courses. Contact me with any questions: postpunkkitchen@gmail.com. Thank you!

M E N U

Smoked Seitan Skewers with Raspberry Barbeque Sauce
Salad of local greens in a lemon cashew dressing, caramelized cippolini onions

Curried Carrot Bisque
Coconut cream drizzle, green onion and toasted pumpkin seeds

Creamy Pesto Risotto
Grilled summer squash and asparagus, toasted hazelnuts and roasted edamame

Strawberry Shortcakes
Saucy strawberries, fresh baked biscuit, homemade vegan whipped cream, topped with a chocolate dipped strawberry

Ticket Prices
Since seating is limited, tickets will only be sold in advance. Tickets are priced from 60 to 100 dollars. Diners who pay 80 dollars receive a giftbag filled with homebaked cookies and a signed copy of Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar. Diners who pay 100 dollars or more receive all of that plus gift certificates from local businesses including Slowdown, Greenstreet Cycles, Bird, Caffeine Dreams, Lotus House of Yoga and more! (We will contact you with options for your specific giftbag.) 100% of the proceeds goes to Feline Friendz.

To Purchase Tickets
To purchase tickets, Paypal 60 to 100 dollars to postpunkkitchen@gmail.com. Print out your thank you email, this will be your ticket when you arrive at the dinner.

Seating Arrangements
If you are buying tickets for more than yourself, please put their names in the paypal comments and a table will be arranged for you. If you would like to sit with people in addition to the ones you are purchasing tickets for, please put their names in the comments as well, and let me know that you want to sit with them. If you are flying solo, you may end up sitting with strangers. But we promise that they will be fascinating strangers.

Allergies And Substitutions
If you require a gluten free dinner, your appetizer will come with tofu instead of seitan and your shortcakes will be a lemon corn cupcake. If you have any other allergies please email me at postpunkkitchen@gmail.com and we’ll see what we can do. You must put your dietary concerns in the paypal comments or email us in order to be accommodated.

Alcohol And Drinks
Natural sodas are included in the ticket price. Please bring your own beer and wine.

Time, Date, Location
Sunday, June 5th, 6pm
2553 Leavenworth Street, Omaha NE 68105 The studio is above the Ethiopian Restaurant.

Parking
You may park in the lot adjacent to David Radler Studio.

Any other questions? Just email me! postpunkkitchen@gmail.com. Thank you so much!

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Ancho Lentil Tacos

Serves 4
Active time: 20 minutes || Total time: 20 minutes

It’s no secret that I love to use lentils in place of ground meat. Sloppy Joes, shepherd’s pie, burgers…nothing is safe. Especially tacos!

But before I delve into the particulars of this recipe, lets talk a little more generally. This method for “ground meat” can be used in a variety of ways with a little spice switcheroo. Swap out the taco flavors and go Italian (thyme, basil, fresh black pepper) for a meat that would be great in a Bolognese. Add some Sauerkraut to make a great filling for pierogis or Runzas. So really, anywhere that ground meat would be appropriate, you can sneak these lentils in. Got a favorite Hamburger Helper™  type recipe? Lentils to the rescue instead!

Now on to the taco filling. Ancho chile is dried poblano, and I love to use it straight up (as opposed to a mixed chili powder) for its deep, fruity, naturally smoky flavor. You can use regular old chili powder here, but pick up ground Ancho chili sometime and see if you don’t love it.

The filling is not too spicy, but it does have a little kick from the hot sauce (Cholula is my choice for Mexican inspired foods.) A few squirts of tomato paste provides moisture and binding and really helps to lend a convincing meaty texture. The idea here is to mash the lentils until they hold together, adding splashes of water along the way to keep it juicy.

I like to serve it with cooling ingredients; cilantro for bright freshness, lime for tanginess, avocado (or guacamole) for creaminess and of course some fresh salsa. I’m not really a soy sour cream or cheese person, and here I really don’t find it necessary, but as always, I can’t stop you! For total perfection, grill the tortillas to serve.

Brown lentils have the best color in this recipe but green lentils would work just fine, too. I always whip up a batch of lentils to have on hand, and you should, too. One cup of cooked lentils make about 2 1/2 cups. Just rinse them then bring to a boil in a small covered pot with a big pinch of salt in plenty of water. Lower heat and simmer until tender, then drain. Lentils are so very easy!

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 1/2 cups cooked lentils (from about 1 cup dried)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably Cholula)

Spice mix:
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground ancho chile
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt

First combine all of the ingredients for the spice mix and set aside. Also, keep a cup of water within reach, you’ll need to add splashes as you cook.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sautee the onion and garlic in the oil with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned. Add spices and toss them for 30 seconds or so to toast.

Lower heat to medium, add lentils, a few splashes of water, tomato paste and hot sauce; use a spatula to mash them a bit as they cook, until they hold together. If your spatula isn’t strong enough to accomplish this, just use a fork. Do this for about 5 minutes, adding splashes of water as necessary if it appears dry. Taste for salt and seasoning; you may want to add more spices or hot sauce. And that’s it, time to serve!

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Pesto Soup with Gnocchi, Beans & Greens

Serves 4
Total time: 35 minutes || Active time: 20 minutes

I’m always going on and on about vegan creaminess, so here I go again. Usually creamy texture is brought to us in the form of delicious fatty vehicles like cashews, tahini and avocado. Instead, here is an almost fat-free method that might not pack the decadent punch of a cashew based cream but gets you there all the same.

Cauliflower is pureed with a few other veggies and lots of basil until silky smooth. It’s actually a wonderful soup on its own, but bulked up with a pillowy gnocchi, white beans and wilted greens it becomes a meal unto itself.

I used Rising Moon Gnocchi (it’s not on their site for some reason) but there are lots of vegan gnocchis out there and if you’ve got Vegan With A Vengeance you can even make your own. I mean, you can use whatever cookbook you’d like to make your own, I’m just saying.

And keep this a secret, but the soup base on its own makes a great pasta sauce the next day,  even without the basil. So if you don’t have all of these ingredients on hand right this second, definitely keep the cauliflower base in the back of your mind for the next time you’ve got a few florets impatiently starting back at you.

2 teaspoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small head cauliflower (about a pound), leaves removed, cut into florettes
4 cups vegetable broth, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
Big pinch dried thyme
Lots of fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
1 cup loosely packed basil leaves, plus a little extra for garnish

Optional: I didn’t add them here, but toasted pine nuts would make a great garnish.

Preheat a 4 quart stock pot over medium heat. Saute garlic in olive oil for about a minute, being careful not to let it burn. Add cauliflower, 3 cups of broth (alert! only 3 of the cups! you’ll be adding the last cup in a bit), salt, thyme and several dashes fresh black pepper. Cover pot and bring to a boil, stirring every now and again for about 10 minutes, or until cauliflower is tender.

Vigorously mix together the final cup of broth and the arrowroot until dissolved. Lower heat a bit so that the soup is at a slow boil. Mix in the broth/arrowroot and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes until slightly thickened. stirring often. Add the basil leaves, and remove from heat. Use a submersion blender to puree until smooth*. Taste for salt and seasoning.

Return to the stove over medium heat and add the gnocchi, cover and let cook for 3 minutes or so. Add the greens and beans and cook until greens are completely wilted and beans are heated through, about 5 more minutes. Be careful as you stir not to crush the gnocchi or beans. Serve garnished with extra basil and pine nuts, if you like.

*If you don’t have a submersion blender (GET ONE!) then use a blender or food processor to puree in batches, being careful to lift the lid once in awhile so that the steam doesn’t build up and explode.

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Lemon Garlic Fava Beans & Mushrooms

Serves 4
Total time: 30 minutes || Active time: 30 minutes

No matter what the stress of the day is, or what the stress of the world is, as long as I have a pot of beans simmering away on the stovetop, I have no worries.

This week I’ve got a pot of fava. The career of my beans tend to follow a similar trajectory; the first day they’re the star of the show, left whole and prominent. Tomorrow they’ll take a supporting role in maybe a hummus or a croquette. And then finally I’ll throw whatever is left over into a soup, stew or pasta as a minor player.

Fava is a bean’s bean – big, meaty, and toothsome. They’re epic, really. And so I like to use strong bold flavors when I cook with them. This dish is savory and saucy with lots of garlic, thyme and lemon. I left the mushrooms nice and big, too, so that they can go toe to toe with the fava beans. A sprinkle of breadcrumbs adds a nice toasty flavor and thickens the sauce for maximum delish-ness.

To play up the earthiness, I love to serve this with a wild rice blend (again, something I cook a big pot of and use throughout the week) and grilled tempeh. The tempeh is marinated in basically the same ingredients: lemon, olive oil, garlic and thyme (you can use this recipe as a guide if you like) and then grilled. A roasted veggie like cauliflower or broccoli is perfect here, too.

If you’re not quite a bean-soaker yet, you should know that it’s really easy! Soak overnight, rinse and add fresh new water, then simply simmer away until they are cooked through (1 to 3 hours depending on the beans.) So even though they may take some time, it takes minimal effort and you hardly have to pay them any mind. I flavor mine with a stick of kombu, but a bay leaf and a little salt works, too.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into thin half moons
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme
8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced in half
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice and zest of 1/2 a lemon
Lots of fresh black pepper
3 cups cooked fava beans (or two 15 oz cans, rinsed and drained)

Optional: Slivered green onions for garnish

Preheat a large pan over medium heat. Saute onion in oil with a pinch of salt for 5 to 7 minutes, until slightly browned. Add garlic and thyme, and saute one minute. Add mushrooms and cook to release moisture, about 5 minutes.

Add bread crumbs, toss to coat everything and toast crumbs for 3 to 5 minutes. Add veg broth, black pepper, salt, lemon zest and juice and fava beans. Bring to a boil. Let reduce and thicken, 7 minutes or so. Taste for salt and seasoning and serve, topped with green onions.

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