Food, Feminism, & life

Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

Adapted from Ina Garten

I adore cauliflower, and anything that’s baked until cheesy & bubbly, so it made perfect sense that I would make this. It was so comforting & loaded with crunchy bits of cauliflower. This would be a perfect side dish to any meal. It’s rich, but not too rich, and I’ve lightened it up from the original recipe. Ina used gruyere cheese, but I opted for fontina & also roasted the cauliflower first. You can skip roasting the cauliflower, but I find that it gives it a much deeper taste when you roast it. Try it both ways!

Roasted Cauliflower Gratin

Servings: 6 ● Points Plus: 6

Ingredients:

• 3 lb head of cauliflower
• 2 TB Smart Balance or butter substitute
• 3 TB all purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% milk, warmed
• 1 cup grated fontina cheese
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 TB fresh thyme
• 1 TB paprika

Directions:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Spread out on a baking sheet & spray with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and paprika. Roast 30 minutes, or until it begins to brown, tossing halfway through.

2) Once the cauliflower is roasted, melt the Smart Balance. Add the flour and whisk together until a blonde paste forms. Slowly add the warm milk & whisk like crazy. Keep whisking until it begins to boil. Let it boil until it begins to thicken. Turn off heat, add 3/4 cup of the fontina, the parmesan, and a dash more salt & pepper.

3) Layer the cauliflower in a casserole dish & pour the cheese mixture over the top. Toss together. Add the breadcrumbs & remaining fontina on top. Bake 25-30 minutes until bubbling & the breadcrumbs are brown. If you want, you can broil for 5 minutes to make the breadcrumbs extra crispy.

VeganMoFo: Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Mmmmm chili. Nothing is better on a cold night than a bowl of thick & hearty chili, especially when it’s meatless & loaded with good-for-you ingredients. I serve mine with some jalapeno corn bread, or with plenty of tortilla chips to use as forks. It’s comfort food at it’s max. If you load up your slow cooker on a Sunday morning your house will smell amazing all day while you relax & do whatever it is you do on Sundays (nap, watch football, read, clean).

If possible, don’t skip the chipotle pepper in this! It gives the chili a smoky background & a bit of added heat. This chili is slightly sweet at first taste, but the heat hits later. Don’t touch the pepper with your hands & you’ll be okay.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Chili

Servings: 6 ● Points Plus: 6 (chili only - about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 1” cubes
• 15 oz black beans
• 15 oz dark kidney beans
• 15 oz chickpeas
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 28 oz crushed tomatoes
• 15 oz diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 TB cumin
• 2 TB Mexican chili powder
• 3 tsp paprika
• 1 TB brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, pepper chopped + 1 TB sauce

Directions:

1) Place all ingredients into your slow cooker, toss together.

2) Cook on low 7-8 hours. Give it a stir every now & then for a quick second. You can skip the stirring if you’re making this while you’re at work.

*If you have a large slow cooker you can toss some corn bread batter right on top of the chili & let it cook all day at the same time. You’ll have moist corn bread & hearty chili ready at the end of the day.

VeganMofo 5: Cheezy Autumn Empanadas

This was my first shot at using Daiya. My mind was blown. It was so good that I don’t even know if I’ll miss real cheese, and I’m obsessed with cheese.

I’ve had these in my head for a while. Nothing screams fall to me more than a pan of roasted butternut squash & a jar of mango chutney. I’m not really sure why I associate chutney with fall, but I do. The roasted squash is combined with onions, mushrooms, & pepper jack daiya for a crunchy, sweet, spicy, & cheezy empanada. These were so awesome that I almost went back for thirds. 

These were a bit time consuming but so worth it. If you roast the veggies ahead of time then you’ll save about 45 minutes. Store the leftovers in your fridge to eat all week!

Cheezy Autumn Empanadas

Servings: 8 Points ● Plus: 6 each

Ingredients for the dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp Mexican chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 TB kosher salt
• 1/2 cup butter substitute
• 3/4 cup ice cold water (has to be very cold!)

Ingredients for filling:

• Butternut squash, cut into small pieces (about 1”)
• About 2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1 small yellow onion, thin sliced
• Daiya - Pepper Jack (1 TB per empanada)
• Mango chutney (about 1 TB per empanada)
• 2 TB olive oil
• 2 TB agave nectar

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees & chop up all your veggies. Toss the butternut squash & onions with the olive oil & agave nectar and a little salt & pepper. Spread on baking sheets to roast.

2) Using the baking blade in your food processor combine the flour, salt, and spices. Once combined pulse & add the butter in small pieces at a time. Pulse until it resembles a course cornmeal. Add the cold water a little bit at a time until the dough begins to form a ball. Once in a ball remove from food processor & knead about ten times. Refrigerate for at least a half hour.

3) While the dough is chilling, roast the butternut squash & onions at 400 degrees for about 30-40 minutes. The onions should be removed after about 20 minutes. Toss the squash halfway through. Saute the mushrooms in a pan.

4) Once the vegetables are roasted roll out the dough into a thin sheet (you might have to roll out a few thin sheets like I did). Use either a small bowl or large cup to cut out circles. Roll each circle out a little thinner.  

5) To assemble, spread a little chutney on each circle & top with some roasted vegetables and 1 TB of Daiya. Fold the circle over into a half moon & seal with a fork. Line them on a baking sheet, spray with non-stick spray, & sprinkle with some paprika. Bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, checking after 15 minutes.

Remove, let cool a bit, & eat while they’re still cheezy!

My Favorite Vegan Mushroom Gravy

If I had to live on one vegetable for the rest of my life it would definitely be mushrooms. There is not a single mushroom I do not swoon over & I’ve actually caught myself standing in awe of the huge section of mushrooms in Whole Foods. This happened yesterday & the next thing I knew I was filling bags with creminis and rushing home to make chickpea cutlets & gravy. More on the chickpea cutlets later. This recipe is for the mushroom gravy only.

The recipe makes four half cup servings.

Vegan Mushroom Gravy

Servings: 4 ● Points Plus:1

Ingredients:

• 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth + half cup set aside
• 2 TB vegan low fat butter substitute
• 1 small vidalia onion, diced
• 2-3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (I like a ton, use what you like)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
• 2 tsp ground sage
• Splash of white wine (1/4 cup?)
• 1 TB cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a large sauce pan, then add the onions. Saute about 3 minutes then add the garlic & mushrooms.

2) Once the mushrooms are cooked, add the thyme, pepper, & sage. Saute until fragrant then deglaze with the wine. Cook down 2 minutes. Add the vegetable broth & bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer.

3) In a cup, whisk the cornstarch into the 1/2 cup of vegetable broth that you had set aside. This makes a slurry. Slowly pour the slurry into the gravy a little at a time until it thickens. I had a little bit left in the cup (I used about a 1/4 cup). You can add the entire slurry if you like very thick gravy, or you can add more vegetable broth if you think the gravy is getting too thick.

4) Let the gravy simmer for a minute or two then taste for seasoning & add salt.

Delicious Roasted Golden Beets

I finally got to the farmer’s market yesterday & I was happy to see some golden beets there. I’ve never cooked with them before but I had a feeling I would love them, & I do! If you’ve never had them you should try them. They taste sweet & like the earth at the same time. I made a big batch of roasted beets last night & I’m keeping them in the fridge this week for different recipes. I also got some basil, blueberries, peaches, and corn at the farmer’s market so look for recipes with those ingredients in the next few days.

Roasted Golden Beets

Points Plus: About 1 PP per cup because of the olive oil

Ingredients:

• 4-6 golden beets
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 TB agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• kosher salt to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 TB sliced basil (you can skip this if you want)

Directions:

1) Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil & spray with non-stick spray.

2) Peel the beets & cut into 1” cubes. They’ll peel easily with a vegetable peeler. In a bowl toss the beets with the remaining ingredients, except the basil.

3) Spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet & roast for 20-25 minutes, tossing halfway through.

4) Sprinkle with the basil & serve.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Agave & Chili Powder

Brussels sprouts are one vegetable that I had never tried, & I love vegetables. I finally gave them a go & they’re now one of my favorite roasted veggies. Using some agave nectar gave them an amazing crunch & sweetness, & the chili powder gives them a slight heat.

Servings: 4 ● Points Plus: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Brussels sprouts
• 3 TB agave nectar
• 1 TB olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder 
• Pot of boiling water
• Bowl of ice water

Directions:

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Fill a pot of water & bring to a boil.

2) Remove the outer layer of leaves from the Brussels sprouts & slice each one in half. When water is boiling, add them & blanch for 3 minutes. Remove from water & place in the bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking any further.

3) Place the Brussels sprouts in another bowl & toss with the olive oil, agave nectar, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, & chili powder.

4) Line a baking sheet with foil & spray with non-stick spray. Pour the Brussels sprouts onto tray & arrange in one layer (use any leaves that have fallen off also. These will get very crunchy in the oven).

5) Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes, making sure to keep an eye on them so they do not burn. Toss halfway through.

6) Put oven up to 450 degrees & bake another 5-10 minutes. This will make them crunchy on the edges. Remove from oven & serve.

Spaghetti with Roasted Cauliflower & Toasted Bread Crumbs

Roasting cauliflower turns it into an amazingly crunchy & sweet vegetable. I could eat it right off of the pan. This is a simple dish & it’s loaded with different flavors. Don’t let the anchovies scare you. They dissolve into the sauce & give it a salty & smoky flavor that you can’t duplicate without them. I semi ran out of my kitchen at the sight of them, but once they dissolved I was okay. The toasted bread crumbs are my favorite part.

I don’t know why, but tins of anchovies are always hidden amongst the tins of sardines in the grocery store. You cannot use sardines in place of anchovies in this dish. I promise that the anchovie tins are there. You just have to look really hard sometimes!

Spaghetti with Roasted Cauliflower & Toasted Bread Crumbs

Servings: 4 ● Points Plus: 9

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head of cauliflower, trimmed & cut into small florets
• 8 oz uncooked wheat spaghetti
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 anchovy filets in oil
• 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 4 TB grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
• 3 tsp olive oil
• 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Drizzle the cauliflower florets with 2 tsp olive oil & roast for 15 minutes. The florets should begin to brown before you remove them from the oven.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve one cup of the cooking water before draining.

3. Add 1/2 tsp olive oil to a small frying pan. Toast the breadcrumbs in the oil & set aside. Make sure you keep an eye on them so that they don’t burn.

4. In a large frying pan, saute the anchovies in their own oil until the begin to break down. Add the onion & garlic and cook about 4 minutes. The anchovies should dissolve into the onion. Once roasted, add the cauliflower to the frying pan & toss to coat with the onion.

5. Drain the pasta when cooked, and add to the frying pan. Toss with the parsley, parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water to make a very light sauce. Let thicken a bit & add water if you need more.

6. Divide into four portions & top each with some of the toasted breadcrumbs.