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!). 

Around the World in 80 Plates: France

Like the reality cooking show, I will be spending a bit more time in France than some places. It is one of those countries that is synonymous with great food. I decided to start with crêpes since I knew my little man would love them too. I had tried the Ginger Pear Crêpes from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! back during testing and fell in love so I knew just where to go when I needed a recipe for the crêpes. I decided to change up the fillings since the ones in the book are more dessert like so I filled them with a combination of homemade strawberry jam and homemade peach jam (both from Canning for a New Generation) and drizzled it with some of Miyoko's yogurt from Artisan Vegan Cheese. I slightly sweetened the yogurt with some powdered sugar since it is not sweetened at all when you make it. Mac prefered his with just jam but I really loved the extra creaminess and tang that the yogurt was bringing to the party. A little sprinkle of powdered sugar on top for that fancy touch and hey the kid (and me, alright!) likes a little sugar on top!