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Better Than Feta

Toni Fiore — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 20:57:55 +0000

I never really ate a lot of cheese, but I did use bits of it in and on a great many of my traditional Italian or Greek recipes. Personally I found working around not adding cheese to my food to be really easy. However, that said, there are some recipes that really depended on either ricotta or feta as a main ingredient. Once I discovered how flexible and economical tofu can be as a cheese substitute I started working on a few recipes that utilize this fantastic food in a variety of delicious and creative ways. This weeks podcast of Herbed Tofu Cheese highlights just what you can do with tofu without sacrificing flavor or texture. Once you get this basic formula down ( it’s soooo easy) you’ll see all the great possibilities! I love this “cheese” instead of feta or ricotta on Flatbread Pizza or as a filling for lasagna or ravioli. Cubed and seasoned Tofu can also become tart feta and is wonderful when added to salads like Greek Garbanzo Bean Salad. And, as is the case with all my recipes, you can add your own favorite herbs and spices, as much or little as you like. Tonight I used the basic herbed version as a base replacing traditional ricotta in a Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Tart. The best part? Not one person missed the cheese.

Start of Soup Season

Toni Fiore — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 02:20:09 +0000

One of my inspirations for preparing my Parsnip Butternut Squash Bisque for this weeks podcast actually was last weeks podcast! When Elizabeth Fraser was putting together her Ginger Snap Breakfast Smoothie (if you haven’t seen the episode you should be sure to tune in) and added fresh ginger to the fruits and veggies, I was reminded of how much peppery warmth ginger adds to even the most simple recipes, and how much I like it. I’ve been making this bisque for years, sometimes swapping out the squash with carrots, pumpkin or when the Farmers market has an abundance of smallish to medium parsnips I’ll just let them fly solo. The extra large parsnips can be a bit woody, so stick with the smallish sizes! Here are a couple of things about this soup that you might want to keep in mind or try. If you follow the TV series “Totally Vegetarian” or the Vegez podcasts, you’ll know that I’m a big proponent of taking one recipe (especially one as easy and delicious as this bisque) and then modify it with a few tweaks. I’ll share some suggestions that I happen to like a lot. Adding a fresh fall apple or two along with the squash gives this parsnip bisque a really nice gentle sweetness, especially paired with the spicy ginger. Although my soups are typically low in fat (this recipe uses only two to three tablespoons of vegan margarine or olive oil) you can make it virtually fat free. Preheat your oven to 350. Take your diced veggies, toss them in about 1 tablespoon of oil and a sprinkle of salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast until tender. Meanwhile heat your stock. When the veggies can be easily pierced with a fork (about 25 minutes) add them to the blender bowl along with the stock and process until smooth. I made a big pot of this soup just prior to vacation and put a few servings in the freezer. It’s best defrosted in the fridge and reheated on the stove versus the microwave. Add a little water if the bisque seems thick. We just had this yesterday for dinner along with a crispy vegetable pizza. So warm and wonderful!

Can’t Beat Beets

Toni Fiore — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:13:39 +0000

Like Cilantro it seems that people either love beets or hate them! Tonight I made Beet Burgers (recipe courtesy of Didi Emmons and in my book “Totally Vegetarian”) for a couple of friends who swore they would never (ever) develop a liking for this sadly underused root vegetable. Even though I’m seeing beets making more frequent appearances on menus in upscale dining establishments, I find that very simple preparations not only taste better but are more economical for the everyday cook. This particular recipe is really easy to pull together, full of fiber, nutrients and makes enough for a couple of meals worth of burgers. Extra plus is that there is no added fat. I cook my burgers in a cast iron pan with barely a tablespoon of vegetable oil, however in a ceramic non stick pan they can be cooked fat free. Just watch the heat! I served these crisp on the outside warm and crumbly on the inside burgers without a bun, topped with a generous squeeze of Sriracha sauce. I complimented these flavorful and subtly “beety” burgers with a simple side of rosemary roasted potatoes and sweet organic pears. I’m happy to say, much to everyone’s surprise, that the entire dish was a hit! Be sure to buy your beets with nice fresh leafy tops. Tomorrow all of those glorious greens are going to find their way into a hearty minestrone.

Fettucini with Brussels Sprouts

Produce Department — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 12:27:49 +0000

This weeks recipe was gobbled up by the crew before it hit the plate. Check it out!



Five Star Pizza
Toni Fiore — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:19:08 +0000
We had a few friends in for dinner tonight and I made a couple of my Five Star Pizzas. They’re so easy to make that preparing them never interferes with cocktail hour! And although I don’t have my pizza stone this recipe worked out great on a regular baking sheet. I picked up some fresh yellow bell peppers, marinated artichokes and black olives at the market and used two remaining fresh beefsteak tomatoes. The only thing outside of the original recipe that I added to my pizza was some leftover Tamari Tempeh  from yesterdays lunch . Tamari Tempeh is one of those recipes I make so often it’s committed to memory. After the tempeh and a little vegetable oil, there’s really only one additional ingredient. Tamari soy sauce. How easy is that? Basically I take a few blocks of Tempeh, cut them in half, then quarters, then cut those quarters in half to create 8 thinner slices. Fry them up in just a little oil and when they’re nice and crispy take them out of the pan and brush them immediately with Tamari. Done! Not only is this great on sandwiches but excellent crumbled on pizza, especially this colorful and crispy pizza, tossed into a tofu scramble or on top of a simple salad. Especially satisfying when we’re craving just a bit of flavor rich protein with our veggies!



Polenta con Fungi Porcini
Toni Fiore — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 17:52:41 +0000

I believe mushrooms are truly a gift from nature and they are precious to the vegetarian cook, with their earthy robust flavors and meaty texture.
Fresh wild mushrooms are sometimes difficult to find and fresh porcini nearly impossible. While some of you may be wary of dried mushrooms, after trying this recipe, you’ll realize how absolutely delicious and bursting with rich flavor they can be.
Look for dried Porcini of high quality, preferably those imported from Italy or France. The sliced caps should be dark brown and at least 2 inches in length.
Ingredients

POLENTA

2-1/2 c. quick cooking Italian polenta

6 c. water

1/2-1 t. salt

4 T. butter or 1/4 c. olive oil, optional

1/2 c. Fontina cheese, optional
MUSHROOM TOPPING

3 c. Porcini mushrooms (dried & reconstituted, see below)

3 c. mixed fresh mushrooms such as button, shitake, or crimini

2 T. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large onion, sliced thinly

1 c. chopped plum tomatoes, skinned

1/4 c. dry white wine, optional

1/2 c. chopped mixed fresh herbs — parsley, basil, thyme, & tarragon

Salt and pepper to taste
To prepare Polenta:

Bring salted water to a rolling boil in a heavy saucepan. Slowly sprinkle polenta meal into water, stirring constantly. Lower heat, then continue to stir and cook until polenta thickens and pulls away from sides of pan, about 4-5 minutes. Now add butter or olive oil and cheese if you want.
Spray a 9 X 13 inch cake pan with water, then pour polenta into pan and spread to corners with the back of a wooden spoon. If mixture sticks to spoon, simply spritz polenta with a little water.
Allow polenta to set up — 45-60 minutes — before cutting and using. You can also wrap with plastic tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. Polenta will keep in the fridge for about a week and can be used for our fabulous fried polenta appetizer.
To prepare Mushroom Topping:

Rinse dried mushrooms under running water to clean, then soak in warm water to cover about 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile clean and slice fresh mushrooms and set aside. In a small saucepan, boil water. Drop tomatoes into boiling water one by one. After a few seconds skins will pucker and begin to loosen. Remove immediately from water and slide skins off. Chop peeled tomatoes roughly and set aside.
Heat oil in a wide saute pan and add garlic and onions. Saute until just beginning to soften, then add fresh mushroom and continue to saute.
With your hands, squeeze broth from reconstituted dried mushrooms and add them to saute pan. Stir, then add 1 cup of reserved broth, and simmer. Any leftover broth can be saved for stock.
When sauce thickens, add tomatoes and half the herbs. Simmer another 10-15 minutes. Sauce should be thick and rich. Add some of the reserved mushroom broth if mixture seems too dry. If desired, now add wine. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, then remaining herbs.
To assemble:

Slice polenta into 1/2″ wide slices and place in individual portions on a baking sheet greased with olive oil.
 If desired, then drizzle with additional olive oil.
Bake at 475 degrees for about 10 minutes, until brown and bubbly.
Spoon mushroom topping over individual servings, dress with additional fruity (Sicilian) olive oil, and serve hot.
Note: Only needing a rinse to clean them, soaking dried mushrooms in water for less than half an hour prepares them for cooking. Make sure to reserve the rich “broth” soaking creates, as it makes an excellent base for soups and sauces and is impossible to achieve with fresh, cultivated mushrooms.