My First Big Gig as a Chef

Weeks of preparation, menu planning, shopping, and recipe testing finally brought us up to the big event on Saturday night. The benefit dinner I cooked for my friends at Reason2Hope was a terrific success! If you're with me on Facebook, you might have seen the pics already. If not, here you go...

The day before the party I made one last trip to the market for produce.

The dinner was held in Mary Van Kampen's studio in Taos.

I love this painting.

One of the appetizers - mini spanakopita.

Taos Caesar Salad with Creamy Chipotle Dressing

Roasted Red Pepper Bisque with basil cream, toasted pine nuts, and edible borage blossoms

And for dessert, Chocolate Mole Spoon Brownies, Lemon Blossom Cakes,
and Fresh Fruit with Strawberry-Balsamic Reduction

Everyone left full and happy and inspired to donate to the school in Gambia, which was the whole idea.  They also asked a lot of questions about veganism, which was an added bonus for me. I'm pleased and exhausted, and have no idea where to go from here. Maybe Secret Vegan Suppers this winter? Would you come? Or maybe even host a dinner at your house? I think we might work something out. Think about it. I'd love to put this cute chef's coat to more use!

Cookies on PVTV

Who knew Taos would ever be one of the rainy parts of the country? It sure has been a wet summer here, and the last couple of days have felt more like the northwest than the southwest. It's great cookie baking weather though, so come on over to PVTV and make some tasty Banana Raisin Cookies with me. They're completely guilt free, and amazingly tasty. Go figure!

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Please take a moment to subscribe, and leave a comment and a thumbs-up on the video. It really helps me get found in the world! Gracias! (Now where are my rain boots...)

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Gambia on My Mind

I'm up to my nose this week in preparations for my first real gig as a chef. Our friends Mary and Dan made connections in Gambia some years ago, fell in love with the place and the people, and started a non-profit foundation called Reason 2 Hope. I know exactly how they feel, and so admire the education-focused work they're doing there. I haven't been to Gambia, but I have been to Ethiopia, and I know what a huge difference a few dollars and an open heart can do in places like these. So when Mary asked if I would be willing to volunteer my services in the kitchen for an evening, to raise funds to rebuild a school that has fallen to ruins, I jumped up and got to work almost a month before the big event.

The festive evening, titled "Good For You, Good For Gambia" is this Saturday. It will be a 5 course vegan dinner for 12 adventurous non-vegans, served in an exotic tent in the Taos landscape, all draped in textiles, rugs, and cushions in a sort of "Out of Africa" theme. At a mere $50 a plate, with wine included, these folks are in for a rare and wonderful experience, and all proceeds will go straight to Reason 2 Hope.

The menu is not African. We decided to come up with a meal that would be somewhat familiar to non-vegans, but with lots of fancy twists. We'll start with layered black rice and polenta bites, topped with herbed cashew cheese, kalamata olives, and tiny vine ripened tomatoes from my own yard, along with mini spanakopita triangles and cucumber dipping sauce. Next comes Roasted Red Pepper Bisque with Basil Cream and toasted pine nuts, followed by a Taos Caesar Salad with creamy Chipotle Dressing and spiced, toasted pumpkin seeds. The main course is mini glazed Tempeh Loaves with mashed garlic cauliflower-potatoes, mushroom gravy, greens & beans, and a bit of cranberry sauce. Then, hopefully everyone will have room for dessert, because the last flavors to linger in their mouths that evening just might be the best of all. I'm making tiny, dense, moist Lemon Blossom Cupcakes with blueberries and lemon buttercream frosting, plus warm Chocolate Mole Spoon Brownies with fresh raspberries, and finally, fresh kiwi slices with a drizzle of strawberry-balsamic reduction sauce. Can I have an amen to that brothers and sisters...

Of course the hope is that once we have them in a food coma, our guests will dig deep into their hearts and wallets, and come up with some generous donations. My first goal in creating this dinner is to raise money for Reason 2 Hope, and those gorgeous children who want nothing more than a school to attend, a uniform to wear, and a simple meal. Surely we can make that happen.

My secondary goal is to open minds, mouths, and hearts to the idea of taking a more compassionate approach to their own lives, starting with the food they choose to eat. From my own perspective as a mild mannered Kitchen Activist, not only will 12 people not be eating animal products that night, they'll also be getting an enlightening taste of how wonderful vegan food can be. It's all connected, and yes, there is enough to go around in this world if we who have the most begin to make some different choices for ourselves.

I'll have more on this big event, and lots of pictures next week. For now, if you'd like to help, please consider making a donation to Reason 2 Hope. It's tax deductible, and since I'm volunteering my time (weeks of it!), the more money we raise, the higher "paid" I will feel.

Now back to the kitchen with me! I have lots to do in the next few days, and I can so do it!

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Black and White Bean Hummus

As you know, hummus is traditionally made with garbanzo beans (also known as chickpeas). I absolutely love the stuff, and it's a staple in most vegan diets, so imagine my surprise when I started to run across people who do not care for garbanzos. Maybe it's a texture thing for them. Granted, garbanzo beans can be sort of mealy, so hopefully this version will solve the problem and get the anti-chickpea set back in the hummus saddle. It's delicious, packet with protein from the beans, and also with calcium from the sesame seeds, which also eliminate the need to buy expensive jars of tahini. Try it eve if you like garbanzo beans! It's a nice change of pace.

Black and White Bean Hummus
makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup raw unhulled sesame seeds
2-3 cloves fresh garlic
1 can white beans (cannellini or great northern)
1 can black beans
juice of 1 lemon
2 T nutritional yeast
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 T fresh oregano (or 1 tsp dry)
2 T tamari
1 T olive oil - optional
up to 1/2 cup water

Rinse the sesame seeds, and toast them in a dry pan over medium heat until they start to pop. Set aside.
Place the garlic in a food processor, and chop it first, all by itself.
Drain and rinse the white beans and add them to the food processor.
Drain and rinse the black beans and set them aside.
Add the sesame seeds and all other ingredients, except water, to the food processor, and blend well. Add a little water at a time to get a smooth texture.
Adjust seasonings to your liking.
Add the black beans last, and pulse them just a few times, so they remain coarsely chopped.
Stir the black beans in with a spoon if necessary, but do not over blend in the food processor.
Serve on bread, crackers, pita, sandwiches and wraps, etc.

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PVTV Time - Sampling the VEGG!

I'm a day early with my Friday post this week, but I'm so excited to share this with you, I just can't wait till tomorrow. I finally got a chance to try out the new vegan egg yolk product called "the Vegg," and it looks like a winner so far! Check out my most recent video on PVTV, where I sample the recipe for Gluten Free Lemon Bars by Lindsay Ray, from the Vegg Cookbook. They're fabulous! And the Vegg is a big part of their fabulousness.

I did some more experimenting after making the video, and tried subbing flax eggs (ground flax seed and water) for the Vegg. The results were pretty good, but not quite the same. The texture is better with the Vegg, and the color is much prettier. Lemon bars should be lemony-looking, which they are with the Vegg. When I used the flax seed, they were a bit on the brown side.

I also tried making the Scrambled Tofu from the book, and I have to say I was not impressed. The Vegg did not behave like an actual egg in this case. All it did was add a lot of moisture to the tofu that had to be cooked off. It took a really long time, and wasn't any more special than my usual tofu-scram.

(Here's a tip: if you want to add that eggy-sulphury flavor to things like scrambles and mock egg salads, get some Black Salt "Kala Namak," which is actually pink in color, but has a strong sulfurous smell and flavor. It's available on Amazon: The Spice Lab's Himalayan BLACK Crystal Salt Kala Namak Salt 16 Oz (fine ground))

My take on the Vegg so far is I love it for baking, and will keep exploring the "egg" dishes. Maybe I did something wrong with the tofu. There's an omelet and a quiche in the book that really look like they're worth trying. I'll let you know if I have success with them. Meanwhile, check out my new video. I had fun with this! And while you're over at PVTV, please leave a comment and a "Like," and be sure to subscribe to my channel! Thanks!

Try the Vegg for yourself. You'll definitely want to make the Lemon Bars! Order your combo Vegg/Cookbook combo pack at Vegan Cuts. It's a great deal!

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What's for dinner? Look in the Recipe Box!
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Magic Sprinkles

If you're new to vegan cooking and eating, you might not have noticed yet what a big role nutritional yeast plays in rounding out dishes with that cheesy richness so many of us crave. "Nooch," as it's commonly referred to in our little world, is sprinkled on everything from popcorn to steamed veggies to pizza and soup and salad - similar to the way you might use grated parmesan.

There are several brands of vegan "parm" on the market too, and while some of them are quite good, I don't like paying $5 and up for a little jar of something I'm likely to use up in a week. So... I made my own. Of course I did!

Playing around with ingredients, I eventually came up with something so good I just like to eat little piles of it straight from my hand. I call it Magic Sprinkles, which I know is kind of dumb, but that's what it is to me. Magic. This stuff is like glitter for food - only not sparkly, better tasting, and much easier to digest. Yes, it has nooch in it, but it's so much better than plain nooch I actually considered manufacturing it and selling it. But no... I've done the make-it-sell-it thing, and I don't want to do it again. I'd rather you make it yourself!

The recipe for Magic Sprinkles is available only in the Recipe Box, along with over 100 other recipes, plus more and more Exclusives and Sneak Previews as we go. I really think this one little recipe is worth the price of admission, especially when you consider what you'll save on store-bought veggie-parm, and how much better this is than any of them. I really think so!

Click on over to the Recipe Box and get yours now. You'll use your Magic Sprinkles every day at home, and I'll bet you even start carrying around a little zipper baggie of the stuff to have with you out in the world. I know I do! If you see me in a restaurant, ask me for a taste. I'll share!

Flourless Whole Grain Banana Raisin Cookies

I'm writing this recipe on the August Full Moon, which just happens to be the Grain Moon. I didn't plan it, but sometimes perfection just happens. These cookies are flour free, sugar free, oil free, and gluten free if you so choose. We love them, and I love making them for my 2-year-old grandson, so he can have a treat without getting all sugar-crazy. I'm that kind of grandmother.

Whole Grain Banana Raisin Cookies
makes 12-15

1 very ripe banana, mashed
2 cups cooked grain, such as quinoa, brown rice, or any combination you like
2 flax eggs (2 T flax meal + 6 T water, chilled for 15 minutes)
1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350º.
Line a baking sheet with parchment.
Mix all ingredients together, and place in large spoonfuls on the baking sheet.
Flatten the cookies slightly and shape the edges. They won't change much as they bake.
Bake for 45-50 minutes at 350º, until the bottoms are golden brown.

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What's for dinner? Look in the Recipe Box!
Get 100+ recipes, sneak previews, exclusives, and dandy little printable recipe cards. Make something Positively Vegan tonight!