Around the World in 80 Plates: Greece

This next post features all kinds of yummy Greek food from Vegan Eats World and The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe but I'll let you in on a little secret...it was enjoyed all the way back at the beginning of the month for our Thanksgiving feast (better late than never right). Around this house there is always the usual discussion of what to make for big meals, you know, your Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter kind of meals. These meals always feature certain things in most families and these things get repeated every year in the name of tradition. This tradition I have thrown out the window, not because I can't recreate these things (because I can!) but just because I don't want to make the same thing year after year. I've decided to honor tradition in a different way, every year for these meals, I will make something awesome that takes a bit more time and effort than I am willing to put in on any other day and most importantly, I will share it with my family. When you really get down to it, that is the part you love about those big holidays. Sitting around the table and sharing time with your family and friends and enjoying each other's company. There, I got that out of the way...on to the food!

This year, I went with a Greek themed meal using recipes I knew I loved from testing for Vegan Eats World. It had been awhile since I made any of them so I was really looking forward to it too. I decided the centrepiece of this meal would be the Tomatoes and Peppers (though I left it at just tomatoes) Stuffed with Dill Rice or Yemista. Like I mentioned, I skipped the peppers this time but only because I bought a big flat of Ontario tomatoes at Costco, both are equally delicious! The filling is super flavourful in these, full of walnuts, fresh herbs and onions/garlic. They are impressive to serve but really are easy to make but shhh...let them be wowed!

Stuffed Tomatoes with Dill Rice
(from Vegan Eats World)

I also made the Lemon Garlic Roasted Potatoes which are also quick and easy but super yummy! Kiddo loves these big time too. Another hit at the table this Thanksgiving was the Greek Creamy Lemon Rice Soup. Everyone loved this as a starter with the veggies, beans and rice seasoned with dill and oregano. Also on the table for our feast were some souvlaki soy curls. I have yet to really write down and perfect this recipe but basically I soak and drain/squeeze the soy curls then marinate them in lemon juice (fresh squeezed really works best here), lots of garlic that I finely grate (like a whole head), a big pinch of dried oregano and some salt and pepper. Then all you have to do is pan fry them until they are golden and a bit crispy on the outside. I always taste a few as I cook and adjust the seasoning as I go. I served these up and made sure to have lots of thick Greek style pitas, sliced tomatoes and red onions and some homemade tzatziki too. To make the tzatziki, I pressed out some of the homemade yogurt from Artisan Vegan Cheese until it was thick and creamy in my Tofu Xpress. Then I added one small Lebanese style cucumber that I grated finely and the juice that came out while grating, a splash of lemon juice, about a tablespoon of fresh minced dill, one glove of garlic grated finely as well with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. It was perfect too, kinda of dry like goat's milk tzatziki would be but still creamy and it was excellent with the soy curls and potatoes too.

Greek Creamy Lemon Rice Soup
(from Vegan Eats World)

Souvlaki Soy Curls (my little improv recipe) and
 Lemon Garlic Roasted Potatoes (from Vegan Eats World)

Homemade Tzatziki

I also added in something new that I have never tried, Dolmas, from The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe. I had picked up some vine leaves in a Middle Eastern market recently and the only thing that came to mind was dolmas. They were similar in filling to the tomatoes in that it was rice based but they were different. I was a little hesitant at first about eating a leaf but I decided to say what the heck and go for it and they were so worth the chance. They were especially good dipped in the tzatziki too.

Dolmas (from The 30 Minute Vegan's Taste of Europe)

Put it all together!

And of course there was dessert and what better dessert to have with our Greek feast than Hazelnut Orange Blossom Baklava from Vegan Eats World?? This is some seriously delicious baklava made with a mix of butter and olive oil and I swear I will never go back to any other way of making it. The nuts and the syrup mix together to make a sticky sweet nutty flavour party. Plus it looks pretty too, right?!

Hazelnut Orange Blossom Baklava (from Vegan Eats World)

Around the World in 80 Plates: Poland

Again I hit up my copy of The 30 Minute Vegan Taste of Europe for inspiration and found Stuffed Cabbage in the European Fusion section of the book. While different versions of these stuffed cabbage rolls are served all over the world, they are considered serious comfort food in Poland. From my internet searching I found out in Poland they would be called Gołąbki which means little pigeons referring to their size. I seriously loved cabbage rolls but I haven't made them much since being vegan so I was super excited to try these out. I enlisted my mom to help me with them to speed up the process and was happy I did when we decided our cabbage needed a little help letting go of its leaves. They were not coming off without cracking so we boiled a big pot of water and put the giant head of cabbage in there. That was the easy part...the harder part was how to get the giant, now boiling hot, head of cabbage out of the pot! It was tricky and involved us both, some kitchen utensils and two oven mitts but we got it out of there. The filling was quick and easy to make but we did make a quick substitution for the tempeh it called for on account that my mom won't touch the stuff. We decided to add in chopped walnuts in their place and it worked perfectly. They added a nice textural contrast and flavour.  The sauce was tasty but there really wasn't enough of it so we had to add more, about another two times the recipe. I served them up with some homemade sour cream and steamed veggies to the whole family, in-laws included and everyone loved them. I even convinced Mac to give them a try figuring he would quickly change his mind but he ate up almost a whole one. They really tasted just like what I loved before, hearty, filling, savoury with a bit of sweetness from the tomato sauce. I loved the dill in them and did served them with a bit of homemade sour cream as well that added a nice richness to them. They probably could have been baked a bit longer than the recipe stated but that might differ based on your cabbage. It's definitely a recipe I will be revisiting sometime soon!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Ukraine

You know those things that you've always heard about but never tasted and you think you aren't going to like them so you never try them? One of those for me was always Borscht. I was always curious about it but since my experience with beets had always been pickled when I was younger I thought "how could that make a yummy soup?" but again...I was wrong! This has been my experience since becoming vegan for so many things. The borscht I made is less traditional since it is usually made with beef or pork broth but it still features beetroot and other veggies that are found in recipes. The recipe I used is actually from The 30 Minute Vegan Taste of Europe and it did come together quite quickly. I started supper late and was worried about it taking a long time but it really was around 30 minutes once I did the 15 minutes or so of prepping. It is flavourful and warming like a good soup should be. My mom commented that it doesn't taste like beets but I got the earthiness of them in there. Like I said, we were both raised where pickled beets are on every supper table and I had never had them any other way until very recently. I made a homemade sour cream to served with it that was sort of an amalgam of different recipes I have tried. I quickly mixed homemade yogurt with Vegenaise, a splash of lemon juice and some fresh dill and put a small dollop in the borscht. It really added something too so I recommend it if you are trying this out.

I had thought ahead about supper a bit though since I also wanted to make Pampushki to serve alongside it. I knew right away that I was going to use Megan's Homemade Newfoundland White Bread recipe for the buns. I had been eyeing it since she posted it and now was the perfect time to try it. I followed all the directions in Megan's recipe up until the shaping where I just shaped it into small buns and placed them into a well greased 9" cake pan then I followed again to rise a second time just to the top of the pan and baked in a 400F oven for about 30 minutes. While they were baking I mixed up some olive oil, about six big cloves of minced garlic, a generous tablespoon of fresh dill and a touch of salt and pepper in a small bowl. When the buns came out of the oven I immediately brushed them with the garlic/dill oil and served them warm along with the borscht. They were so good! The bread was soft and moreish and the garlic and dill on top was perfect. Even my five year old loved it and was eating up that raw garlic like there was no tomorrow. My mom on the other hand scraped it off but loved the buns. And I literally had to tear Ryan away from the pan. This bread recipe is perfection Megan!! Thank you for sharing it!

Don't forget, there is still time to enter to win one of nine different cookbooks, including The 30 Minute Vegan Taste of Europe. Just head over to this post (http://threeandahalfvegans.blogspot.ca/2012/10/around-world-in-80-plates-finland.html) and leave a comment to enter before November 1st at 10am EST. It is open to anyone in the world!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Norway

For Norway, I decided to try out kjøttkaker or Norweigan meatballs. I had always heard about Swedish meatballs and honestly didn't know that other Scandinavian countries had their own version (or that a lot of countries around the world do). From what I could gather from reading through different translated recipes, Norweigan meatballs were spiced with ginger, allspice, nutmeg and are served with a beef gravy, boiled potatoes and lingonberry compote. I decided to try some frozen veg meatballs from the freezer section for the first time but I needed to figure out a way to impart the flavors usually found in the meatballs. I figured the best way was to spice up the gravy instead. I made a simple "beefy" gravy using onions and making a roux with flour and olive oil making sure to let it get some colour before I added veg beef style bouillon cubes. I added in a pinch each of ginger, allspice and nutmeg and then added my meatballs that I had heated in the oven. I served them in these adorable little dishes I bought recently at the supermarket with a little dollop of lingonberry sauce from IKEA. At first I thought I wouldn't like the lingonberry sauce with it but it really did add something. It perked up the flavors so I ended up adding a bit more to my plate. The gravy with the meatballs was tasty and a bit addictive especially mixed with simple boiled potatoes. The next day I had leftover gravy but we had eaten up all the meatballs. I was really happy I bought that second bag though! I quickly heated up a few meatballs and gravy and they were even better the next day. Isn't that always the way with gravy?

Around the World in 80 Plates: Belgium

I was looking through books and on the internet for Belgium and everything was pointing to Carbonade Flamande and Frites. Lucky for me, back when I was testing for Terry Hope Romero's newest book, Vegan Eats World (which comes out October 30th by the way!) there was a recipe I had filed away but never got to make which fit the bill perfectly! Hers is a play on the two served together somewhat untraditionally but also perfectly, called Beer Bathed Seitan Stew with Frites (hopefully it made the cut, there were so many amazing recipes). She recommended using an authentic Belgian dark beer like Chimay so I asked Ryan to stop on his way home and grab some. I'm not usually one for alcohol but once again decided to go for it. This stew is perfectly balanced though and it just added a nice background flavour without it screaming "THERE'S BEER IN HERE!". I found it to be a nice mix of french onion soup and a beef stew and the frites that went along with them are now in my top five best fries (and yes I have a mental list). They are baked on parchment with oil, vinegar and thyme and it adds just a little something but again just the right amount and taste amazing dipped in the stew. Kiddo isn't usually one for vinegar but he loved these fries too, though his were next to Gardein sliders and peas not the stew. I will admit I skipped the seitan in this stew and just upped the mushrooms. I think it was great this way too but I'm sure it would be closer to authentic with it. I was making it quickly on a weeknight and didn't think to make the seitan ahead of time. Next time I'll give it a try and there will definitely be a next time since we all enjoyed it so much!

 

Around the World in 80 Plates: Germany

I'm doubling up again today since I am starting to see that I will never leave Europe during Mofo but that's okay. I have a plan. I am loving trying out new things from other cuisines and really getting some good use out of my often ignored cookbooks that I've decided to keep it up past the end of Mofo. I won't be keeping the post a day pace but I am planning on a few a month til I really do make it around the world.

I googled German cuisine and found something that sounded interesting to me...Currywurst. I have been on a canning bender and have taken to making homemade ketchup since Mac seems to think it's its own food group. Part of the process is straining out all the pulp from the ketchup to get it closer to what we are used to from the supermarket. I was straining away and looking at all the perfectly tasty tomato I was going to have to throw out and I felt super wasteful. I decided to hang onto it and make some tomato sauce or something later in the week with it. Then I found Currywurst with it's curry laced ketchup sauce and realized it would be the perfect place to use up some of that pulp. I used this recipe that I found online and just substituted my leftover ketchup pulp for the canned tomatoes. It is definitely my new favourite ketchup! I already love curry powder and ketchup, I just never thought to put them together. Move over curry mayo, there's a new favourite condiment in this house! I used some Tofurky Beer Brats as my wurst and they were a hit!

Another German treat that I was looking forward to trying was Lebkucken. I found it while Googling and thought that everyone in my house would love them. Kiddo loves spice cookies and this cookie even had icing. Double win in his books! I read through what seemed like 100 recipes for it and they all differed in one way or another, whether it be method or ingredients but settled on one that was recommended from an old high school friend's mother who is German after some frantic "help me!" Facebook requests. I spent a day searching Ottawa for the elusive oblaten (small wafers you bake the cookies on) and finally found them at Swiss Pastries at Carlingwood. They are described online as similar to communion wafers which I have never tried but my mom agreed. You actually spread the cookie batter on them and bake them right on and it keeps them from sticking to the pan and also adds a different texture and taste to the cookie. I can't really put my finger on it but we all like it. The cookies are spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and all those other tasty gingerbread like spices and has ground almonds and candied lemon peel in there too. Once they are baked you glaze them with a cooked sugar icing that when dry adds a nice crunch to the outside of the cookie while the inside is soft and cakey (or kucken-y). They are really quite yummy and I can see why they have survived the test of time (they have been made since the 14th century!!!). It says on the recipe that they keep for several weeks but no way they last that long around here...heck we just ate one for breakfast!

To veganize the recipe, I simply used EB sticks for the butter, Ener-G egg replacer for the 4 eggs (2 tbsp mixed with 1/2 cup warm water) and soy milk for the milk, otherwise I followed it to the tee. So simple!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Austria

Back in 2001, I decided to quit my job and go backpack through parts of Europe for about a month, how original I know. I started in Paris, stopped in Geneva, Salzburg and then went to my favourite place in my month of travelling Vienna, Austria. I loved it there, in fact I think I called my mom about 10 times telling her I was never coming home. I had planned on spending two days there when I was planning it all and ended up spending 5 and the only reason I left when I did is because the hostel I was staying at was fully booked past then. If they hadn't been, I may still be there now! Ha! I loved the art and museums (there's like 100!), the music and history. It just felt right to be there. I wish now I had been more adventurous when it came to dining because I really don't remember much of what I did eat and I doubt if much of it was traditional. I do remember trying some sort of goulash at the hostel but not knowing exactly what was in it and being a little leery of what was hiding in the yummy broth.


I looked through a few books and Googled Austrian cuisine and decided there were two dishes I would make, Wiener Schnitzel and Spaetzle. They don't traditionally go together but I found the combination of their names entertaining (maybe there's a Monty Python skit in there) and they did taste great together so maybe bucking tradition is in order here.

For the Wiener Schnitzel, I made a fresh batch of No Cluck Cutlets from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! but instead of shaping into 10 smaller cutlets, I formed them into 6, as flat as I could manage, cutlets. I found that I could smoosh them flattest using my hands and used the cold broth (used to cook them) to set the shape. As soon as they hit that cold broth they seem to lock so if you can stretch them on the way there as much as you can that broth is going to help keep your shape. I baked them the same in the oven for the same amount of time but used two separate baking dishes (both with full recipes of the cooking broth) so there was room for three big cutlets in each. When they came out I let them cool then stuck them in the freezer to make them more manageable to dredge and bread crumb.  I set up a breading station with three pie plates, one with about a cup of all purpose flour and a bit of salt and pepper, one with prepared Vegg (2 tsp + 2/3 cup soy milk blended in a blender) and the last with 2 cups of panko bread crumbs (that I ground up a bit to make them less coarse). I put the cutlets through the breading station in that order and fried them in a cast iron pan with a mix of olive oil and butter (EB sticks). I managed to bread all six but had to add more panko to the last dish since you need a fair amount in the dish to really cover the cutlets. They fried up golden brown and crispy and tasted amazing. I don't know how traditional they tasted since they usually use veal (boo!) but I would happily eat this version any day! I read that they are served with lemon wedges which I thought I had but apparently didn't so I used what I did have on hand and sprinkled a little bottled lemon juice on top and it really did add a little something to it.

I read a few web articles on spaetzle and decided I had to try them. Reading Wolfgang Puck wax poetic about them can have that effect. I grabbed my copy of World Vegan Feast by Bryanna Clark Grogan and started mixing. The batter/dough (?) goes together quickly but does need a half an hour to sit. I read through her suggestions of what to use if you don't have your own spaetzle maker and decided I would try my potato ricer. It worked well but the pieces/strands of spaetzle wanted to stick together as they came out. I found the best thing was to hold it up high over the pot of boiling water and that way they stretched before hitting the water and most came apart with a quick stir of the water. I scooped them out into a cold water bath to stop the cooking then held them in a separate bowl with a tiny bit of oil to keep them from sticking to one another. I chopped up two small white onions and sautéed them with about 1/4 cup of EB buttery stick. Once they started to caramelize and brown a bit, I added in the spaetzle. I let them cook in the butter and onions until they started to brown just the slightest bit. I decided that I would season them differently so I divided them in half. To one half, I added dried parsley and thyme and some salt and pepper. To the other, I left them in the hot pan and added about 1/4 cup of meltable cheddar from Artisan Vegan Cheese (if I had Emmentaler on hand I would have preferred that but hey, I had the cheddar and it worked out nicely too) that I just broke up into pieces with my hands and scattered in and some dried dill, parsley and salt and pepper. They were both delicious but the one with the cheddar and dill was really special. It reminded me of macaroni and cheese almost and went perfectly with a bite of Wiener Schnitzel.

It was another one of those meals that I was mmming and ahhing through the whole thing. I can get quite vocal at the table when supper is really good! It had me googling spaetzle maker after supper since I know I will definitely make it enough now to invest in one!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Hungary

I picked up a package of Tufurky Kielbasa one day at Rainbow Foods here in Ottawa with the intent of making something but not really knowing what. I ended up finding Paprikás krumpli sort of backwards, instead of buying ingredients to make a specific dish, I bought the sausage and googled Hungarian cuisine and found a dish with potatoes and sausage that I thought they would work in (albeit not kielbasa but hey I'm working with a limited assortment here). The dish was spiced with paprika and cumin which sounded pretty good to me so I decided to give it a try. I am so happy I did because pretty good is way undershooting this dish. It was warm and hearty and so flavourful. I couldn't shut up while I was eating, I just kept exclaiming how delicious it was after every bite. I even called dibs on the leftovers for lunch the next day before finishing what was in my bowl.

I used this recipe only changing the farmer's sausage for 2 sliced Tofurky kielbasa and less oil. I made sure to brown the kielbasa a bit in the pot before adding the tomato and water (3 cups in total which I added a bit of veg broth powder to before adding it to the pot to add a bit more flavour). For the sour cream on top, again I used the cashew yogurt from Artisan Vegan Cheese. I added a bit of bottled lemon juice and a pinch of salt to make it just a bit tangier but it was still quite liquid. It melts in with the stew when you drizzle it on top and makes it even more flavourful and rich. The potatoes soak up all kinds of flavour and spice while they cook in the stew which makes them the best bites. I ended up using Yukon Gold potatoes since it was the only kind I could find organic at the store and they worked just fine. Plus I love Yukon Gold potatoes because they have such a great flavour all on their own. The kielbasa I was a bit worried about, thinking it might get soft or fall apart being cooked for so long in the pot but it held it's own. I think the initial browning helped out for sure but you could even cook it separately and add it in during the last 10 minutes of cooking if you wanted. I seriously recommend making this dish, it has instantly become one of my favourites. Even just typing this is making me crave it again!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Italy (cont)

I will honest, these next ones I made back in September for Food Network Cookalong but never got around to posting it. First up is Giada de Laurentiis' take on Fritto Misto and I really wanted to share it with everyone  because it was so very delicious and is the recipe that showed me how amazing fennel bulbs could taste.

The recipe is basically vegan just having to replace the mayo with Vegenaise for the dipping sauce. She suggests a few veggies to try but I couldn't get my hands on good fresh green beans so I substituted mushrooms. The fennel was super scrumptious especially the browned caramelized bits. You have to make sure you slice them thinly so they get that way though. My only issue was keeping it all warm and crisp as I was frying it in my small pan on the stove top. This probably would have been a good one to break out the deep fryer. Everyone in the house tried this one out and found something they liked...Mac went for the cauliflower and my mom liked the chickpeas, Ryan and I loved it all!

To balance out the fried goodness I served the Fritto Misto with another Giada recipe, Caramelized Pancetta and Fennel Salad. Again, not terribly hard to veganize...it was just that pancetta that needed to move on out. I decided to make some Smoky Curls from Vegan Diner and tossed them in at the end in their place and as always, they were perfection! The caramelized fennel was sweet and garlicky, a very interesting combination that worked perfectly with the red wine vinaigrette. This one only the grown ups tried but there was a symphony of mmms around the table as we (gracefully) scarfed it down!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Italy (cont)

Next up for Italy is another recipe from Artisan Vegan Cheese...Pizza Margherita! This pizza may look simple and it is simple to make but it tastes so delicious thanks to Miyoko's Meltable Mozzarella. It is one of the easiest cheeses to make in the book since it only requires yogurt as it's base. I have made it a few times now and love it when you let it culture for the full 24 hours. It gives it the flavour I remember mozzarella having but not the true buffalo mozzarella (which I always found a bit bland), the kind you get in the giant blocks for much less. I was raised on the latter so my taste goes more for a sharper flavour that you can recreate with a 24 hour culture.

The dough is definitely different than the pizza dough I usually make since it has cold water not warm and you don't actually let it rise. It says in the recipe you want it to get it's rise in the hot oven. Fair enough. It was very tasty and had the perfect ratio of crunch to chew to it. I used a bottled store bought simple passata sauce with just San Marzano tomatoes, basil and salt and sprinkled it with bit of freshly chiffonaded (fancy word for sliced thinly into strips) basil. Ryan and I both really enjoyed this pizza, maybe there was even a little fight over who got the last slice. I would definitely make it again and encourage you to try it too!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Switzerland (cont)

As I said yesterday, Celine suggested not one but two yummy sounding Swiss specialities from The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions for me to try so here is the second! It is called Papet Vaudois and she told me it is the speciality of the canton she is from in Switzerland. I am so happy Celine introduced me to this dish since it is now one of my favourite things in the world. It makes me want to sing that song from The Sound of Music but I digress but know that I will be singing it the rest of the day at least. Needless to say, this is absolutely being added to my regular recipe rotation and it is quick and easy enough to make on a busy weeknight which is always a bonus.

The dish consists of potatoes and leeks that are cooked in broth and white wine (though this one I think you could sub it out with more broth) until the leeks are deliciously creamy and there is just a hint of liquid smoke in there that adds a certain yumminess that you will keep you coming back for more! I served it up with Tofurky Beer Brats that I grilled on a cast iron grill pan which hadn't tried before and they worked perfectly together.

P.S. If you are reading this post and live somewhere in Europe that I haven't posted about yet and have recipes to share, please email me or contact me through Twitter (@kellycvegan)!! I am eagerly seeking new recipes to try!

Around the World in 80 Plates: Switzerland

For Switzerland, I decided I needed to consult an expert. I immediately emailed the talented (and Swiss) Celine Steen and asked for her advice on what I should make. She kindly pointed me in the direction of two recipes in The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions. Both required white wine so I quickly checked with Barnivore for a few white wine suggestions and made a trip to the liquor store. I really don't drink any more, not for any particular reason, just don't love the taste of it so I was a little worried that the flavour of it in the food would turn me off but spoiler alert...totally didn't! I loved both that I tried!

I tried the Fondue first which required two cups of wine so I knew there was no subbing it out. I have always wanted to try fondue but just never did so I was really excited to see what it would taste like. I did make one little mistake while making it...I'm even embarrassed to admit it but when I was making it, in place of the potato starch I accidentally added 1/4 cup of powdered sugar! I was whisking away trying to thicken it up and no matter how much I cooked it, nothing was happening. It dawned on me that maybe I did something wrong and quickly went to check out the potato starch I used. Turns out I had both potato starch and powdered sugar in the same type of unlabeled container...lesson learned! I quickly added the potato starch to get it to thicken and tasted it to see if the sugar had totally ruined it. It was a bit sweet but nothing terrible to my surprise, just showing how great this recipe is. I added a bit more nutritional yeast and miso to try to amp up the savoury cheesy flavours and decided to go ahead and serve it any way. Truth is, I didn't have enough of everything needed to remake it or the time and it really didn't taste like I had added all that sugar. Now I'm not recommending that you add it or anything just thought I would share the funny story, I know Celine and I had a good laugh about it when I told her! As for what to dip, I had no idea. The recipe says to dip cubed bread and veggies so I tore up a few slices of crusty bread and quickly blanched some broccoli and cauliflower florets. I also roasted a package of white button mushrooms in the oven while I was making the fondue. Everything was tasty in it but the mushrooms were definitely my favourite to dip in the fondue. I also wondered how to serve it since I don't have a fondue set. I decided the next best thing was the tiny slow cooker that came with the big one we own that's for keeping soup warm at your desk and what not. It worked perfect since it was able to keep it warm and let us all dip around the dinner table. I will definitely try this one again since we really enjoyed it even though I messed it up a bit!

Around the World in 80 Plates: France (cont)

One more dish for France...a beautiful Potato Leek Galette. This one I basically just threw together one night and served it with some Baked Pressed Tofu (recipe in Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romero) and steamed broccoli.

Not a real recipe here just a quick run down of what I did. I scrubbed but didn't peel six Yukon gold potatoes then sliced them thin on my mandoline. I tossed them in a bowl with a few tablespoons of olive oil and salt & pepper then layered them in a 9 inch cake pan that I generously greased. As I was layering I sprinkled in some thinly sliced leeks and topped it with some as well. I baked it at 375F covered for the first 30 minutes to get the potatoes to steam a bit then removed the foil in order to let it brown (probably another 30 minutes). To serve, I inverted it and cut into eighths which I think everyone at the table decided was too small of a portion! Ha! I wish I had had a little more time to let it bake to get it even more browned and crispy on the bottom so I would definitely recommend another 10 minutes after removing the foil and will do that the next time I make it. Mac really loved this one despite his supposed dislike of all things onion-y. The leeks were mild enough I guess for him not to notice. He quickly requested that I keep a piece for him for lunch the next day and he didn't forget either. At lunch time the next day he was sitting at the table early looking for "that yummy potato cake" and more baked tofu!

Around the World in 80 Plates: France (cont)

For the next recipe in France I grabbed my copy of The 30 Minute Vegan Taste of Europe by Mark Reinfeld and started flipping through. I quickly stopped for Braised Tempeh with Herbes de Provence (he includes a recipe for the herb mix as well) which I thought would perfectly pair with another of his recipes, Rice Pilaf with Fennel and Saffron, for a supper that would be reminiscent of Provencal cuisine. The tempeh is marinated first then slowly cooked in a rich tomato flavoured veggie broth. The pilaf went together super quick and had a beautiful bright vibrant yellow hue thanks to the saffron and had great flavour from the shallots and fennel. I've recently learned I love fennel so I have been picking it up more often and finding new recipes to try it in. 

Then for the perfect ending to our French meal, how about some Creme Fraiche Truffles? These are a test recipe for Fran Costigan's newest chocolate book project (so I can't share the recipe) and they are out of this world! I am not really a huge chocolate person but I couldn't stop eating these! I very quickly devoured four in a row much to Ryan's surprise (he is the chocoholic around here and isn't used to competition for chocolate goodies!). 

Late Night Post after a Long Day!

I'll be brief since it's been a very long day!!! I took the time this afternoon to finally help my mom declutter her storage space. What I thought might take weeks ended up only taking three solid hours which was a bonus. I'm glad to be done for sure!

For supper tonight we had Curry Seitan Jamaican Patties which is another test recipe for Terry Hope Romero. They were soooo tasty! I have been strangely craving tourtiere and these, although differently spiced, hit the spot. The pastry is flaky, tender and flavourful. The filling was a bit hot but in the tasty way and it was perfectly spiced with the home made Jamaican Curry Powder (another test recipe). The recipe is great because you can do parts of it ahead of time and then assemble them when you are ready to eat. My pictures are less than stellar but I'm still sharing them anyways. I have yet to manage to capture the filling of a patty like this in a picture, they always seem to come out blurry! Ah well, they tasted fantastic and are definitely something I will make again!

BBQ Tempeh

Here's my yummy supper from last night. It was so fricken good! I am so glad that through my testing experiences I have fallen in love with tempeh because I never would have made this otherwise. I just made a quick BBQ sauce from pretty much any condiment from my fridge door that sounded like it would work (apple butter, vegan Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, tamari, apple cider vinegar, cumin, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder) and marinated it for about an hour. I pan fried it until it was all yummy and caramelized on the outside, reapplying some sauce as I cooked. Served it up with some local corn and peas. Such a quick and delicious supper that will definitely get made again and again!