All recipes are reprinted with permission from Great Chefs Cook Vegan by Linda Long (Gibbs-Smith, 2009)
Butternut Squash Soup
(Chef: Jason Cunningham; Page 133)
Serves 4
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 ¼ cups diced sweet onion
½ cup diced carrot
¼ cup diced celery
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
3 cups Vegetable Stock (recipe below)
1 bouquet garni (2 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon black peppercorns, 2 springs thyme) bundled and tied in cheesecloth
Kosher salt to taste
Vegetable Stock
6 cups large-dice yellow onion
2 cups large-dice celery
1 ½ cups diced leeks (white parts only)
1 cup large-dice carrot
1 medium fennel bulb, diced
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 bunch Italian parsley, stems only
6 sprigs thyme
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 gallons water
Granny Smith Apple and Radish Slaw
1 Granny Smith apple
4 red radishes
½ lime, juiced
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt to taste
Fragrant Green Herb Oil
½ cup fresh Italian parsley, leaves only
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, tightly packed
¼ cup whole fresh chives
¼ cup fresh spinach leaves
3 cups canola oil
In a 2-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and sweat the onion, carrot, and celery about 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add the squash and ginger, and cook 5 minutes more. Add the Vegetable Stock, bouquet garni, and salt, and bring to a slow simmer. Cook until squash is tender.
Working in small batches, transfer the soup to a blender and puree until silky smooth. Place soup into another saucepan as each batch is pureed. Keep a small amount of additional Vegetable Stock warm on the side and use it to thin the soup, if necessary, as the soup can thicken as it cools slightly.
Return the soup to the stove over low heat to reheat and adjust seasoning. Can be refrigerated up to 5 days.
To make the Vegetable Stock: Combine the onions, celery, leeks, carrots, and fennel in a large saucepan and place over medium heat. Add the wine and salt. Cover the saucepan to sweat the vegetables until tender, about 10 minutes.
Add the parsley, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, garlic, and water, and bring to a simmer, uncovered. Reduce heat to slow simmer and cook for about 1 hour, or until flavorful. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve and chill immediately.
Reserve 3 to 4 cups for immediate use in the Butternut Squash Soup recipe as instructed. Fill pint-sized freezer containers with the remaining stock and freeze up to 3 months.
NOTE: This recipe makes about 1 ¾ gallons. Only 1 quart is needed for the Butternut Squash Soup. The recipe can be easily adjusted if you do not wish to have extra stock on hand.
To make the Granny Smith Apple and Radish Slaw: Finely slice the apple and radishes using a Japanese mandolin. In lieu of a mandolin, use a very sharp check’s knife and thinly slice, then julienne. Combine the apple and radishes in a small mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, oil, and slat, and mix thoroughly.
NOTE: This will not keep well, so it must be prepared fresh or about 1 hour before serving for best results.
To make the Fragrant Green Herb Oil: Bring 1 1/2-quart saucepan of water to a boil; prepare a small bow of ice water and place on the side. Using a strainer, blanch the herbs and spinach, and then shock in an ice water bath. Remove the herbs from the ice water as soon as they are chilled and pat dry with paper towels.
Transfer the herbs and spinach to a blender with 1 cup canola oil and puree. With the blender running, slowly add the remaining canola oil and allow this mixture to blend for about 1 minute.
Transfer the oil to a container and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours to allow the solids to settle from the oil. Line a strainer with two layers of cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Pour the herb oil through the strainer, being careful not to pour the solids, and allow it to drain through the bowl; discard the solids.
How to plate: Pour Butternut Squash Soup into shallow soup bowls. Garnish each with a mound of the Granny Smith Apple and Radish Slaw piled in the center. Finish the soup by dotting the Fragrant Green Herb Oil in a circle around the slaw.
NOTE: The leftover oil is delicious to use for salad dressings, pasta, and vegetables.
Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms and Avocado Carpaccio with Charred Jalapeno Oil
(Chef: Jean-Georges Vongerichten; Page 148)
Serves 4 to 6
Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms
1 ½ pound King Oyster mushrooms or Portobello mushrooms
Fresh thyme springs
½ teaspoon minced Thai chile pepper
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup olive oil
Charred Jalapeno Oil
1 tablespoon grilled jalapenos, seeded and stems removed
½ cup olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
Avocado
Juice of 3 limes
4 firm, ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
Garnish
Salt to taste
Lime juice
8 to 10 fresh springs of thyme, stripped of leaves
To make the Grilled King Oysters: Place whole mushrooms in a glass casserole dish and top with a few thyme springs, chile, and salt. Drizzle oil over top and cover with plastic wrap. Place dish in a warm place for 30 minutes. Heat a grill plan and grill mushrooms, each side, until tender. Remove from grill and cool for 15 minutes. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips.
To make the Charred Jalapeno Oil: Put jalapenos, oil, and salt in a blender. Puree until smooth and strain through a sieve to remove pulp; set aside.
To make the Avocado: Lightly sprinkle lime juice over the avocadoes to keep from oxidizing while preparing the plating.
How to plate: Warm oval or oblong serving plates. Thinly slice the Avocados. On a piece of parchment paper that is slightly larger than the serving plate, alternate 8 mushroom slices and 7 avocado slices, beginning and ending with a mushroom slice. Note that other amounts can be used if desired. Invert onto the serving plate that has been warmed and further warm briefly in a 250-degree F oven for 2 minutes. Remove and brush liberally with the Charred Jalapeno Oil, sprinkle delicately with salt, drizzle with lime juice, and sprinkle thyme evenly over dish.
Risotto with Cauliflower and Black Truffle Gremoulata
(Chef: Terrance Brennan; Page 240)
Serves 6
Truffle Gremoulata
½ cup ground white bread (dried and ground in a food processor)
¼ cup chopped black truffles (if unavailable, use Portobello mushrooms)
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon chopped garlic
¼ teaspoon salt
Roasted Cauliflower
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
½ pound cauliflower florets, sliced ¼ in thick
Salt to taste
Cauliflower Puree
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
½ pound cauliflower florets cut into small pieces
Risotto
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup diced white onion
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups carnaroli or other risotto rice such as Arborio or vialone nano
4 cups hot vegetable stock
To make the Truffle Gremoulata: In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients; set aside.
To make the Roasted Cauliflower: Preheat the broiler. In a large bowl, toss the oil with the cauliflower and season well with salt. Place the cauliflower in a single layer on a baking sheet. Cook under the broiler until golden brown and tender, about 3 minutes; set aside.
To make the Cauliflower Puree: Bring the water to a boil over medium heat in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the salt and cauliflower, and simmer until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the cauliflower in a colander and puree in a blender until smooth; set aside.
To make the Risotto: Heat the oil in a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and salt, and cook until softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add carnaroli and stir to coat, about 1 minute. Add the white win and continue to stir. Once the wine has been absorbed by the rice, add 1 cup of the vegetable stock, stirring constantly. Once the stock has been absorbed by the rice, add another cup. Repeat the process with the remaining stock, stirring constantly. After adding about half the stock, vigorously stir and agitate the rice for 30 seconds to release its starch content. When finished, the rice should be very thick and creamy, and should hold its shape for a moment when stirred before falling slightly.
How to plate: Fold the Cauliflower Puree into the Risotto. Divide evenly among six plates or shallow bowls. Arrange the Roasted Cauliflower evenly on top and then top with the Truffle Gremoulata. Garnish with more truffle slices and parsley leaves. Serve immediately.
Soy Milk Panna Cotta with Crushed Blackberries and Vanilla Muscat Sauce
(Chef: Todd English; Page 262)
Serves 8
Panna Cotta
4 cups soy milk
1/3 cup white beet sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped for seeds
3 ½ teaspoons agar-agar powder
Blackberry Sauce
1 pint fresh blackberries
2 tablespoons white beet sugar
Pinch of salt
Vanilla Muscat Sauce
2 cups Muscat de Beaumes sweet wine
¼ cup apricot jam
½ vanilla bean, scraped
Garnish
Finely ground pepper
Fresh red raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, red seedless grapes
Micro greens
To make the Panna Cotta: Combine soy milk, sugar, and vanilla bean and seeds. Bring to a simmer, add the agar-agar powder and stir well. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean, and then pour the milk into 2-ounce ramekins; chill for 1 hour.
To make the Blackberry Sauce: Place the blackberries, sugar, and alt in a bowl. Gently crush the blackberries with a fork until they start releasing their juices. Marinate for 10 minutes. In a small sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook berries for 5 minutes, or until juices start to thicken; cool.
To make the Vanilla Muscat Sauce: Place all the ingredients into a small saucepan, including the vanilla bean, and bring to a boil. Remove the vanilla bean and allow sauce to cool to room temperature.
How to plate: Dip one of the Panna Cotta ramekins in warm water for 5 seconds and then invert into a small bowl. Spoon Vanilla Muscat Sauce around the Panna cotta. Sprinkle lightly with ground pepper, and then top with Blackberry Sauce along one side. Garnish with fresh berries, grapes, and micro greens.
Warm Venezuelan Chocolate Cake with Merlot-Infused Cherries, Lemon Bergamot, and Chocolate Gelato
(Chef: Charlie Trotter; Page 61)
Serves 8-10
Chocolate Gelato
1 ½ cups almond milk*
¾ cup chopped young Thai coconut meat (see note)
1 cup coconut water (from the Thai coconut)
¼ cup sucanat (natural granulated sugar cane)
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons coconut oil
¼ vanilla bean, split and scraped
*If almond milk is unavailable, make it by blending 1 cup filtered water with ¾ cups sliced raw almonds until silky smooth.
Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
1 ½ cups cake flour
1 cup sucanat, finely ground in blender
¼ cup natural cocoa powder
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 cup brewed coffee
1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce
3 ½ ounces 70% dark chocolate
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons water
Merlot-Infused Sour Cherries
1 cup dried sour, or sweet dried cherries (like Bing)
3 cups Merlot or other red wine
2 tablespoons sugar
Garnish
Cacao nibs
Micro lemon bergamot
To make the Chocolate Gelato: In a high-speed blender, combine almond milk, coconut meat, coconut water, sugar, maple syrup, cocoa powder, oil, and vanilla bean seeds; process until smooth. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.
NOTE: To open a Thai coconut and retrieve the meat. Lay it on its side, securing it so it won’t roll. Hold a cleaver high over the coconut and bring it down sharply near the top (pointed side) of the coconut, cutting through the shell. Drain the coconut water and reserve for later use. Finish cutting off the top to get to the meat. Use the back of a spoon to pry the meat from the sides of the coconut and trim any shell residue with a paring knife.
To make the Chocolate Olive Oil Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together vinegar, coffee, vanilla bean, and oil. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk together until smooth. Pour into an oiled cake pan, Madeleine pan, mini cupcake pan, or readily available mini cupcake liners (using 2 teaspoons of batter each), and bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched, about 10 to 12 minutes. Set on cooling rack to cool.
NOTE: Makes about 2 ½ cups batter. If using mini cupcakes, the yield of 60 will be more than what is needed for the recipe. Extra can be frozen for future use.
To make the Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce: Coarsely chop chocolate and place in a bowl. Add syrup and sugar to chocolate. Bring water to a boil. Pour about half over chocolate, whisking constantly, adding remainder of water as needed until the sauce is thick and smooth. Set aside.
To make the Merlot-Infused Sour Cherries: Place all ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for 5 minutes; strain and set aside. Continue to reduce the Merlot until it has a syrup-like consistency, about 20 to 30 minutes. Pour the syrup back onto the cherries and mix well.
How to plate: Place 3 pieces or muffins of Chocolate Olive Oil Cake on a plate or shallow bowl. Spoon Merlot-Infused Sour Cherries around the cakes. Spoon Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce over the cakes and drizzle around the plate. Sprinkle plate with cacao nibs and spoon Chocolate Gelato in a small mound on the nibs. Garnish with micro lemon bergamot.
