Tofu Crab Cakes/Sauce/Slaw

Manicotti

Spinach Ravioli

Sauteed Zucc/Veggie

Jasmine Brown Rice

Alsatian Onion Tart

During this week we had a chance to make delicious vegetarian desserts!!

During this Art of Vegetarian Cuisine course Week 9, we learned to work with Tempeh and produced some delicious dishes. Tempeh is a traditional soy product originating from Indonesia,  probably on the island of Java. The earliest known reference appeared in 1815. Different from tofu that is made by coagulation of soy milk, It is made by Tempeh is made from the whole bean so you get more protein and fiber. Plus, tempeh is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation which gives you the benefit of stimulating probiotics (the good bacteria in our guts) and binds soybeans into a cake form.

We used Barry’s Tempeh, a brand of tempeh made right here in Brooklyn. We used a variety of tempeh. Some were plain and others had an addition of different grains and beans to create a complete protein. A complete protein contains an adequate portion of all nine essential amino acids our diet needs.Tempeh has the same amount of protein as dark meat on chicken or tofu and is an excellent meat-like substitute.

These are the dishes each team produced:

Glazed Maple-Mustard Tempeh Strips w/ Lacinato Kale & Sweet Potato Mash

Team A: Glazed Maple-Mustard Tempeh Strips w/Lacinato Kale & Sweet Potato Mash. The strips, in my opinion, really gave the impression of a barbecued “boneless wing”. 

Team B: Tempeh with Mole Sauce, Savory Winter Squash and Apple Mousse & Braised Green Beans. The mousse was a very well-balanced between the sweetness, from the Granny-Smiths and savoriness.  

Tempeh with Mole Sauce, Savory Winter Squash and Apple Mousse & Braised Green Beans

Tempeh- Mole Sauce Soaking Prep

Mole sauce in the making…

Team C: Tempeh in Coconut Curry Sauce w/ Brown Basmati Rice n’ Peas & a Crispy Raw Slaw

Tempeh in Coconut Curry Sauce w/ Brown Basmati Rice n’ Peas & a Crispy Raw Slaw

Team D: Stuffed Poblano Pepper w/ Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Tomato sauce & sautéed Swiss Chard

Stuffing: Wild Rice + Cremini Mushrooms + Scallions + Corn Kernels + Red Peppers + Red Onion

Swiss Chard Prep

Stuffed Poblano Pepper w/ Roasted Red Bell Pepper & Tomato sauce & sautéed Swiss Chard

Team E: Tempeh Scallopini with Shallots and Mushrooms, Risotto & Asparagus. This was the crowd favorite. The tamari, garlic, mushroom and shallot sauce was delicious and  leaving the saffron in the risotto cooking process longer than instructed was a lovely mistake that gifted great color.

Scallopini Preparation

Scallopini Preparation

Tempeh Scallopini with Shallots and Mushrooms, Risotto & Asparagus

We learned some amazing ways to use Tofu. Tofu is made like cheese, by coagulating soy milk into curds, which are pressed to remove moisture. We used Extra Firm Tofu, Marinated Tofu, Silken Tofu, and Firm Tofu. Each type of tofu was a different texture which complemented our dishes.

Spinach Ravioli with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Tofu Satay with Coconut Peanut Sauce, Brown Rice, & Moroccan Carrot Salad

Manicotti with Fresh Green Salad

Whole Wheat Pie Shell with an Alsatian Onion Filling & a Leafy Green Salad Topped with Mustard Vinaigrette

Tofu Crab Cake with Remoulard Sauce

Last week we made Seitan Entrees, Stews and Casseroles. Seitan has been a staple food among vegetarian monks of China, Russian wheat farmers, peasants of Southeast Asia, and Mormons. It is also well known as “Wheat Meat”. Seitan is derived from the protein portion of wheat. It is used as a substitute for meat in vegetarian dishes and the texture is known for being ” too meaty”, vegetarians usually opt from using it. Overall all these dishes are cheaper to make than buying chicken or Ground Turkey/Veal/Beef. The prices are affordable and you can find all of these ingredients in your local supermarket. This was a very interesting experience overall.

Seitan Scallopini with Capers and Lemons with a side of Celeriac and Potato Puree served with Southern Style Kale and Balsamic Glazed Pearl Onions

Seitan Bourguignon served with Quinoa Pilaf with Roasted Peppers

Spinach Egg Noodles served with Swedish Seitan Meatballs and Carrots Marinated in Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

Seitan Roast Stuffed with Shiitakes and Leeks served with a Mushroom Sauce with a side of Peas, Asparagus, Radicchio, and Duchesse Parsnips

Last but not least, the appetizers

Seitan Skewers with Chimicurri Citrus-Herb Sauce served with Curried Coconut Beggar’s Purses

This week was a learning experience that was a pleasure to be a part of when creating the plant-based soups. Although, I had been a vegetarian for over a decade, I was intrigued by the process of making vegan soups. I was greatly impressed, not only by the powerful flavor concepts, but by how inexpensive each soup was, after it had been costed, which allowed the soups to be more achievable to make outside of the class without having to purchase exuberantly priced ingredients.

One of the most surprising items that we made in class was the eggless mayonnaise which tasted very similar to the original version. This goes to show that while many of us find a vegan lifestyle expensive and consists of flavorless food based on how this cuisine is labeled publicly. Now, this has been challenged especially with innovative recipes that allow this cuisine to be cost efficient enough to not exceed anyone’s budget while not lacking in any flavor components.

This week, our class had the pleasure of making international soups that used a limited amount of animal products. Below are the soups that we created.

Vegetable Matzo Ball Soup

Black Bean Soup with Tofu Sour Cream

Butternut Squash Soup with Green Herb Oil

Thai Red Lentil Soup with Chili Oil

Spicy Chickpea and Bulgur Soup with Creamed Feta Paste and Tofu-Cilantro Sour Cream