Vegan Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

My friend, Katie Case, visited us last week and said that she had gone vegan.  I find the concept of a true vegan diet very difficult for me to follow, as I am a dairy lover.  But there is inspiration in everything.

So last night, when trying to decide what to have for dinner, corn chowder came to the top of the list.  While I am trying to limit my white potato intake, I decided to make the chowder with sweet potatoes instead of the standard white potato that is the mainstay in chowder recipes.  And while configuring this dinner into my pseudo-Paleo diet, I thought I'd make it more interesting by making the chowder vegan.  Why not.

After some thought, I decided to try making the chowder with a broth base (I usually make my chowders with more milk and less broth) and stir in dairy free Tofutti sour cream.  And it worked perfectly!  So Katie, here's a recipe that that will give you creamy flavor in a vegan platform.  Enjoy.

Vegan Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

Cook time: 1 hour  Serves 6

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 dice
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 5 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 5 cups vegetable stock
• 12 oz package of frozen corn
• 12 oz container of Tofutti non-dairy sour cream
• Chopped parsley as a garnish (optional)

Start by heating a dutch oven or large soup pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil and then the onions.  Cook for a couple of minutes and add the carrots.  Cook for a couple of minutes and add the red and yellow peppers and the salt and pepper.

Cook the vegetables for a total of 15 minutes from the time you added the onions or until softened. Then add the thyme and bay leaves. I like to tie them together into a bouquet garni using kitchen twine as it is easier to fish them out at the end, but feel free to just toss them into the pot.

Now add the sweet potatoes and the broth. The broth should just cover the vegetables, so use less or more depending on your pot dimensions.  Stir to combine everything.  Now bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium low.  Cook for 20 minutes.

Next add the corn and return to a boil over medium high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat (very important) and stir in the non-dairy sour cream and whisk it into the soup.  It will turn into a gorgeous creamy color in a minute. Check for final seasoning of salt and pepper as all vegetable stocks vary in this regard.

Ladle into bowls and garish with chopped fresh parsley and serve.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Risotto with Sage Butter

     Two things that are prevalent at the farmer's market right now are butternut squash and apples.  Last evening, one of the first cooler nights here in Bloomington, I was in real need of some hearty comfort food.  Looking at my produce bowl in my kitchen, I knew exactly what I wanted to make.

     The idea of roasting the squash with maple syrup comes right from my mother who used maple syrup in everything from baked beans to salad dressing to roasting any assortment of root vegetables and squash.

    This is the perfect meal to make for a casual dinner party where everyone is lingering in the kitchen. Risotto is so easy to make (despite what so many people say), the only trick is to attend to it every two or three minutes.  Plenty of time for a sip of wine and to join in on the conversation.

Maple Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Risotto with Sage Butter
serves: 4  total time: 40 minutes

• 1 1lb. butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 apples, cored and cubed
• Olive oil
• 2 tbs. maple syrup (even though I live in Indiana now, I'm still a huge fan of Vermont maple syrup)
• salt and pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed but still intact
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 hot red chili pepper (or to taste), finely diced
• 2 cups arborio rice
• 2 quarts vegetable stock 
• 1 cup dry white wine (whatever you are serving your guests or yourself)
• 5 sage leaves
• 2 tbs. butter
• 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 425

Place the butternut squash and apples on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and maple syrup.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss well to coat all evenly.  Roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce through the squash.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts (8 cups) vegetable stock in a pot until just simmering. Cover and continue to let it simmer.

Heat a dutch oven or large pot over medium high heat. Add enough olive oil to fully coat the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and let it cook for two or three minutes until the garlic is turning brown.  Now remove the garlic and discard. This will give you lovely garlic infused olive oil for cooking the risotto.

Add the onions and peppers to the dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium.  Season with salt and pepper and saute until the vegetables are translucent and softened.  Now add the rice and continue to cook for three or four minutes until the rice is fully coated with the oil and has just started to brown ever so slightly.

Now pour in the white wine and stir constantly for a minute or two, until the wine is almost fully evaporated.  Now is when the real cooking begins!

Pour a ladle of the stock over the rice.  Stir well to make sure that all the rice has lifted off the bottom of the pan.  Now sip a little wine for minute or two. Once the liquid has almost fully evaporated in pan, add another ladle full and repeat. Continue this process (the sipping of wine is fully optional but highly recommended) until you have incorporated all the stock into the risotto.

Taste a bit of the risotto and be sure that the rice is tender but still a little firm in the middle. Turn off the heat and stir in the cheese.  Now check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. At this point, put the lid on your dutch oven and let the risotto rest for a few minutes for up to 15 minutes  (it will absorb some of the liquid in the pot and firm up just slightly).

Now heat up the butter in a saute pan over medium heat.Chop the sage leaves and add to the butter.  Let this cook for a minute or two but don't let the butter brown too much.

Call the guests to the table.  Ladle out risotto into 4 bowls. Drizzle a teaspoon of the sage butter over the top of each bowl and sprinkle with additional cheese if you like. I also like to drizzle just bit of olive oil over the top to create a truly luscious texture. Serve immediately.

You can serve this with a fresh green salad, but the risotto is a wonderful meal all by itself.

French Style Onion and Oven Roasted Tomato Soup

It is amazing that the farmer's market still has such gorgeous tomatoes.  All of the organic tomatoes today were small and beautiful in color.

With my goal of trying to make food using only produce from the farmer's market, I decided that today's bounty would make a wonderfully sweet and luscious soup.

Roasting the tomatoes and caramelizing the onions brings out the most intense flavors.  Adding some herbs and garlic just enhances the natural flavors of the produce.

Because it takes a little time to make, it is the perfect soup to make on a day where you are at home with a list of chores as it takes very little man power, just random checking in.

French Style Onion and Roasted Tomato Soup
serves 4

• 3 lbs tomatoes
• 3 medium onions (or 6 small onions as that's what was available at the farmer's market)
• 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
• Thyme sprigs
• Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes
• Olive oil
•  4 c. vegetable broth (I prefer 2 tsp. of Better Than Bouillon and 4 cups water)
• 1 tbs. dry basil
• 1 tbs. balsamic vinegar 
• 12 slices mozzarella cheese
• 4 tbs parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
(cook time is 2 1/2 hours, but active time is only about 30 minutes)

Cover the bottom of a large baking sheet with olive oil.  Cut the larger tomatoes in half and core. Place all tomatoes on the baking sheet in a single layer.  Peel and slice the garlic and scatter over the tomatoes (note: don't crush the garlic here like everyone does on TV to peel it, simply roll the clove around on your cutting board a few times and the skin will come right off.  This allows you to slice the garlic cloves more easily).  Then lay a few branches of thyme over the tomatoes. Drizzle with more olive oil and season liberally with salt and black pepper. Place in the oven to roast for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, peel and slice the onions. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil to the pan and add the onions. Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. The red pepper flakes infuse into the sweetness of the onions and it is wonderful.  Saute for a minute or two until the onions are coated in oil and the pan is sizzling. Then reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes, until the tomatoes are done. Cooking on such a low temperature takes much longer, but it also takes much less maintenance.  Stir the onions every 15 minutes or so.

Put the tomatoes and all their lovely juices into a soup pot along with the garlic, removing the thyme stems. Add 4 cups of stock.  Puree the soup with an immersion blender, blender or food processor. Be sure to keep the tomato skins that will get stuck in the immersion blends as they will add great texture to the soup.

Now add the onions, basil and balsamic vinegar.  Bring to a simmer and cook on low heat to meld all the flavors. This soup can sit on the stove on low for quite a while.

Preheat the broiler in your oven.

When you are ready to serve, ladle soup into ramekins. Cover with the slices of mozzarella cheese and then sprinkle 1 tbs of Parmesan on top of the mozzarella. Put on a sheet pan and place in the oven until the cheese is browned.  Serve with a green salad and/or bread.

Scrambled Eggs with Apples, Onions and Oregano

Fall is the time when you start looking for dishes that are a little heartier. And to live deeper into the local food movement, every ingredient in this super flavorful dish is at the farmers market right now!

I had this dish for the first time years ago when I lived in Charlottesville Virginia.  The combination seemed so odd but tasted so wonderful. I've since bumped up the heat and made the cheese optional.

This is very high in protein for vegetarians and so full flavored that everyone will enjoy this for brunch, lunch or a light supper with a green salad.  The combination of apples, onions and oregano is fabulous.  If you want, add a small handful of cheddar cheese to add to the richness of the dish.

SCRAMBLES EGGS WITH APPLES, ONIONS AND OREGANO (plus cheddar cheese if you like)

serves one and super easy to double or quadruple

•   3 eggs beaten
• 1 small apple, cored and cubes
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 tsp dry or fresh oregano or to taste
• olive oil
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or 1/4 hot pepper, seeded and minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Start by heating up a non-stick skillet to medium to medium high.  Add a little olive oil to the pan and then add the onions, apples, oregano, red pepper and a sprinkle of salt.  Saute for about 5 minutes until the vegetables are just starting to soften.

Add the eggs and sprinkle with a bit of black pepper and cook for one minute.Turn off the heat and continue to cook, using the residual heat of the pan, until the eggs are done to your liking. This will take two to four minutes depending on how dry you like your eggs. (if adding cheddar cheese, do so as you turn the heat off so it has ample time to melt without cooking.)

This is excellent with a tossed salad and a glass of red wine!