Vegan Yum Yum (25 page)

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons soy milk

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

¼ teaspoon powdered ginger
(or 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, or to taste)

1 small dash cayenne pepper

Black pepper, to taste

6 tablespoons canola or peanut oil

2 daikon radishes, about 6 to 7 inches long and 2 inches in diameter, peeled

4½ cups of pea tendrils
(or substitute baby spinach, watercress, mâche, or arugula)

Black sesame seeds, for garnish

chapter
five
Side Dishes and
Light Meals

Apple Cider Brussels Sprouts

I
didn't know I liked Brussels sprouts until I was an adult. I think they get a bad rap, so if you haven't tried them for a while, give this recipe a go. If you overcook sprouts, you bring out their unpleasant tasting and smelling sulfur compounds. This method leaves the sprouts crisp and sweet, with a slightly nutty aftertaste. This is my absolute favorite way to eat sprouts!

Apple Cider Brussels Sprouts

Makes 2 to 4 side servings

step 1
Trim the ends off of the Brussels sprouts, remove loose and blemished leaves, and then halve.

step 2
Heat the oil in a very large sauté pan, allowing the pan to get really hot, but not smoking. Place the Brussels sprouts in, cut side down, and let them cook for 1 to 2 minutes until seared with some color but not cooked through. Turn down the heat to medium low, add the apple cider, and cover. Cook for 4 minutes, or until just tender; a knife inserted into the stem should go in with a little resistance, and the Brussels sprouts should be bright green. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and place them into a large bowl, leaving the liquid behind in the pan. If a couple of stray leaves remain, that's fine.

step 3
Turn down the heat a bit more and add the margarine, mustard, and salt. When the margarine is melted, sprinkle in the flour and whisk until smooth.
*
Turn up the heat and keep whisking until the sauce is thickened, another couple of seconds. Pour the sauce over sprouts, toss, and serve immediately.

*
Note: If the pan is too hot when you add the flour, you'll get a lumpy sauce no matter what, because the flour will cook and form lumps as soon as it hits the pan instead of dissolving evenly and then thickening to form a smooth, silky sauce. I recommend waiting for the pan to cool a bit, or you can whisk the flour into a small amount of water or apple juice, so that the flour is moist before you add it to the pan. The most important step is to keep whisking until the sauce is smooth and thick.

Ingredients

1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup apple cider or apple juice

4 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ to ½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Candied Lime Sweet Potatoes

T
his is just a simple candied sweet potato dish, but the addition of lime really makes it special. You can throw fresh parsley on the top, or if you're feeling a bit less traditional, fresh cilantro. I think people forget sometimes that the cut of the vegetable you choose is really important for the overall texture and flavor of a dish. This dish will almost definitely work without slicing the sweet potatoes so thin, but the delicate candied rounds give it an elegant appearance and uniform texture. Every bite becomes infused with the sweet lime syrup. I used a Japanese mandoline that allowed me to quickly slice the sweet potatoes evenly and efficiently. If I was working with only a knife, I wouldn't attempt to get slices this thin and accurate. Thicker coins or chunks will work just as well, but if you have a mandoline, this is the perfect dish to use it for. The slicing disc of your food processor will also work.

Candied Lime Sweet Potatoes

Makes 4 servings

step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF. Slice the sweet potatoes thin, about
inch, with a mandoline or a food processor.

step 2
In a bowl, mix together the sugar, molasses, salt, lime juice, lime zest, and ginger to form a paste.

step 3
Coat the sliced sweet potatoes well with the lime sugar mixture.

step 4
In an oiled casserole dish, arrange the coated slices in overlapping rows in one layer. Dot with margarine, sprinkle with pepper, and cover the dish tightly with two layers of aluminum foil.

step 5
Bake for 30 minutes, then remove foil and bake uncovered for an additional 10 minutes. It's okay if it looks a little watery when you remove the foil; it'll reduce and form a nice glaze during the rest of the baking.

step 6
To finish, turn on the broiler and broil until the tops of the sweet potatoes are brown. Remove, sprinkle with black pepper and parsley or cilantro, and serve immediately.

Ingredients

2 sweet potatoes, peeled

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon molasses

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
(no bottled stuff!)

Zest from 1 small lime

½ teaspoon minced ginger or ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
(optional)

Earth Balance margarine, for dotting

Black pepper, to taste

Parsley or cilantro, for garnish

Coconut Lime Tofu

T
his simple baked tofu is easy to prepare with ingredients you probably have on hand. It's a great addition to salads, sandwiches, noodle dishes, or anything else you can dream up.

Coconut Lime Tofu

Makes 1 block

step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF. Oil an 8-x-8-inch baking dish.

step 2
Cut tofu into 8 equal pieces as follows: Lay the block in front of you, widthwise. Cut into 4 equal slabs. Lay each slab on its side and cut in half, lengthwise, forming a skinny rectangle (see photo).

step 3
Add the coconut milk, soy sauce, lime, sugar, and lime zest to a blender or food processor and blend well.

step 4
Add the tofu to a casserole dish and pour the marinade over it. Bake for 25 minutes, flip, and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the vast majority of the marinade has been absorbed and evaporated. Remove from the oven and let it rest until it has cooled a bit before serving.

Ingredients

1 14-ounce package tofu, drained and well pressed

cup coconut milk

¼ cup soy sauce

1 half lime, peeled

2 teaspoons sugar

Zest of 1 lime

Creamy Tomato Barley Risotto

T
his is a comforting side dish that will go perfectly with any Italian-themed meal. The toothy barley is just as satisfying as real risotto without all the bothersome stirring. It takes about 40 minutes to make, but most of that is downtime, so it's a great dish to have cooking away on the back burner while you prepare the rest of your meal.