Cutting-edge cuisine: a medley of delicious meals from the future chefs of America

Vegetarian Times, June, 2002

Tea-crusted Tofu Over Greens

By W. Taylor Park and Gina Mortillaro

Serves 8

Vinaigrette

1 tsp. mirin, Japanese rice wine
1/2 oz. galanga root, peeled and grated
4 bags green tea with 1 cup boiling water,
  reduced by half
1 tsp. brown rice syrup
1 tsp. organic Sucanat
2 cloves garlic, roasted
1 shallot, roasted
3 Tbs. honey
3 drops Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids
4 Tbs. mango puree
3 drops Ume Plum Vinegar

Salad

1 lb. block Nasoya Tofu, extra firm;
  bake tofu for 20 minutes if too moist.
1 each Bosc or Asian pear, sliced but
  not peeled
1 beet, boiled with skin on, cooled
  and diced
1 Tbs. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. green tea, loose, or 2 green
  tea bags opened
1 cup water, boiled
1 1/2 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
1/8 tsp. Herbamare Seasoning
8 cups Earthbound Farm Organic
  Salad Greens
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved, or pear
  tomatoes, quartered
8 each parsley sprigs

Vinaigrette

1. Pour boiling water over tea in medium bowl.
Steep for 3 minutes, strain and reserve tea. Discard
tea leaves.

2. Combine tea, onions and remainder of ingredients;
set aside.

Salad

1. Cut tofu into 8 slices. Dry on paper towels
to remove moisture.

2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium to
high heat.

3. Add 2 teaspoons of green tea, sesame seeds
and salt. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant.

4. Arrange tofu on tea mixture and saute 6
minutes, or until golden brown, turning after 3
minutes. Place tofu on paper towel.

5. Combine greens, pears and tomatoes in
large bowl.

6. Drizzle with vinaigrette and toss well.
Arrange 1 cup salad greens on each plate. Top
each serving with two tofu slices.

7. Garnish with parsley sprigs.

Wine Recommendation:
Frey Organic Pinot Noir

Mango Salad

By Abby Gramling and Gina Mortillaro

Serves 4

Dressing

2 cups mango, ripe, cubed, peeled
  and divided into two 1-cup portions
2 Tbs. lime juice, fresh
1 tsp. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp. coriander, ground
1/4 tsp. Herbamare Seasoning

6 cups Earthbound Farm Organic
  Salad Greens
1 cup apricots, dried
2 Tbs. almonds, slivered, toasted

Dressing

1. Place 1 cup mango in food processor; process
until finely chopped. Add lime juice, olive oil
and coriander. Add Herbamare. Process until
smooth, scraping sides of bowl once.

Salad

2. Combine one cup mango, greens and apricots
in large bowl. Divide salad into four serving
dishes and sprinkle with nuts.

3. Serve chilled with lace of dressing on top.

Wine Recommendation:
Frey Organic Blush N.V.

Flaky Scallion Pancakes

By Abby Gramling and Gina Mortillaro
Adapted from: Nina Simonds'
"A Spoonful of Ginger"

Serves 8

1 cup cake flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. Herbamare Seasoning
2 tsp. Rapunzel Organic
  Sesame Oil
5 oz. water, boiled
1/2 cup quinoa flour
3 oz. Rapunzel Organic Toasted
  Sesame Oil
1/4 cup scallion tips, sliced
1/4 cup Spectrum Organic Shortening
1/2 cup sour cream for garnish

1. Stir flours and Herbamare in mixing bowl
with wooden spoon.

2. Add sesame oil and boiling water, and stir
until rough dough forms.

3. If dough is too soft, knead in 1/2 cup additional
flour.

4. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface
and knead for 5 minutes, or until smooth,
kneading in more quinoa flour as necessary.
Cover with cloth or wrap in plastic wrap and let
rest for 30 minutes, or longer if possible.

5. On lightly floured work surface,
roll dough into two long snakelike
rolls, about 1 inch in diameter.

6. Cut each roll into 8 pieces.
Keep unused dough covered with
damp towel as you work.

7. With rolling pin, roll out one
piece dough, cut side down on
work surface, into a 5-inch circle.

8. Brush top with sesame oil and
sprinkle with sliced scallion greens.

9. Roll up circle like a jellyroll and
pinch ends to seal. Flatten roll
slightly with rolling pin and coil
into snail shape, with seam on inside.
Pinch end to secure it and set
aside on lightly floured surface.

10. Re-flour work surface and roll
each coiled pancake out to a 4-inch
circle. Place them on lightly
floured tray.

11. Let rest for 30 minutes
uncovered, or longer if possible.
Preheat oven to 200 [degrees] F.

12. Heat large heavy skillet, add
organic shortening, and heat to
350 [degrees] F. Place several pancakes in
pan, not touching, and fry over
medium heat, turning once, until
golden brown and crisp.

13. Serve warm, garnished with
chopped scallions. Sprinkle lightly
with toasted sesame oil and serve
with sour cream if&sired.

* Chef's Notes.

It is important to rest dough when started so
its gluten strands do not shrink and dough is
easier to roll out.

Wine Recommendation:
Frey Biodynamic Merlot

Spring Pasta Salad with
Cilantro Lime Chutney

By Anthony Pacchioni

Serves 8

Pasta

2 8-oz. packages Eden Organic Pasta
  French Herbed or Garlic Parsley
5 qts. water, boiling
3 Tbs. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Chutney

1 head garlic, roasted and smashed
1/2 cup Seapoint Farms Edamame,
  blanched
12 oz. tomatoes, chopped
5 oz. onions, chopped
2 oz. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juice only
1 Tbs. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, stemmed
  and chopped
5 oz. whole kernel corn

2 tsp. Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tsp. white wine vinegar, distilled
Pinch Herbamare Seasoning

Service

8 cups Earthbound Farm Organic Greens
8 sprigs fresh basil, washed

Pasta

1. Drop pasta into boiling water and stir until it
boils again. Boil 8 minutes or until al dente.

2. Drain, rinse with cold water and toss with 3
Tbs. olive oil. Cool and set aside.

Chutney

1. Cut top of garlic bulb to expose garlic and
drizzle with 1 Tbs. olive oil. Bake at 350 [degrees] F. for
20 minutes. Remove from skills and mash.

2. Combine ingredients, mix well and toss
with cooled pasta.

3. Chill for 30 minutes.

4. For each serving, use 1 cup greens as base.

5. Spoon pasta salad on top and garnish with
basil leaves.

Wine Recommendation:
Frey Organic Sauvignon Blanc

Sweet Potato Rolls

By Jonathan Dille

Serves 12

1 cup sweet potatoes, mashed
3 Tbs. Spectrum Organic
  Shortening
1 tsp. flax, ground
1 packet rapid-rise yeast
1 1/4 cup water, warm 110-115 [degrees] F
1 tsp. Herbamare Seasoning
3 Tbs. Sucanat
4-5 cups all-purpose flour

1. Blend potatoes with melted
shortening. Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup
warm water.

2. Combine potatoes with flax,
salt, Sucanat and yeast mixture.
Add 4 cups flour alternately with
remaining 3/4 cup water, mixing
until well combined and smooth
dough forms.

3. Turn on to well-floured board
and knead. Place in bowl coated
with spray oil. Cover and let rise
for 1 hour in warm place.

4. Divide dough into 12 pieces and
form into rolls. Place rolls on baking
sheet coated with shortening and let
rise in warm place for 30 minutes,
until double in size.

5. Bake at 425 [degrees] F. for 15-20 minutes.

Wine Recommendation:
Frey Organic Petite Sirah

Orange Chocolate Mousse

By W. Taylor Park, David Horrocks

Serves 8

1 1/2 cups brown rice syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
16 oz. Nasoya Tofu, extra-firm, drained
4 oz. cocoa powder, unsweetened
2 oranges, zest only, blanched, finely chopped
1/2 cup Sucanat
1/4 cup Vitasoy Soymilk
Water, as needed
1 cup fresh fruit of your choice

1. Place rice syrup and vanilla in food processor.
Process, adding tofu a few chunks at a time.
Add cocoa and orange zest.

2. Add Sucanat and soymilk.

3. Add water to thin as needed.

4. Chill for one hour, serve with fresh fruit.

Wine Recommendation:
Frey Organic Cabernet Sauvignon

Recipe Correction from March 2002

Rich Chocolate Cake

By Elizabeth Sentianin
The Natural Gourmet Cooking School

Cake

Dry

3 cups unbleached, white all-purpose flour
3/4 cup   2 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
Pinch sea salt

Wet

3 1/2 tsp. egg replacer
1/2 cup   2 Tbs. apple juice
1/4 cup applesauce
1 cup   2 Tbs. Vitasoy Creamy Original
  Soymilk
2 cups maple syrup
1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups melted Spectrum Organic
  Shortening **
1 bar (3 oz.) Rapunzel Bittersweet
  Chocolate, melted **

** Melt in double boiler to prevent burning. Melt
the shortening, then measure 1 1/4 cups.

Ganache

1/3 cup Vitasoy Creamy Original Soymilk
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 bars (3 oz. each) Rapunzel Bittersweet
  Chocolate

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350 [degrees] F. Grease two 8-inch
baking pans. Line with parchment paper.

2. In large bowl, sift dry ingredients together.
Set aside.

3. In small bowl, whisk egg replacer with 1/4
cup apple juice. Set aside.

4. In medium bowl, mix together remaining
wet ingredients.

5. Using spatula, mix wet ingredients into the
dry ingredients until fully incorporated.

6. Pour batter into baking pans. Bake 45-55
minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool before removing from pans.

Ganache

1. In small saucepan, heat soymilk and syrup.

2. Break up chocolate bars and add to pan,
stirring constantly.

3. When chocolate is melted, remove from the
heat and allow to cool slightly, so mixture is
still pourable.

4. When cakes have cooled, after removing
from pans, pick one to be the bottom layer. Pour
small amount of ganache on top and spread to
act as a glue. Place second cake on first. Pour
ganache over cakes and spread evenly. Allow to
cool and serve.