Menu for the plant-based palate - vegan gourmet

Vegetarian Times, Nov, 2003 by Marie Oser

Minted Couscous with Toasted Pine Nuts | Confetti "Chicken" with Roasted Sweet Corn Spinach Strudel with Dilled Balsamic Syrup | Cranberry Rice Pudding

Because holiday fare is often higher in fat, calories and cholesterol than the traditional Western diet, planning a healthful party menu is a challenge, right? Not for the Vegan Gourmet! Preparing party food that tastes as good as it is good for you has never been easier. The key is knowing how to replace animal products with wholesome alternatives.

Spinach Strudel with Dilled Balsamic Syrup is an elegant starter that features a flavorful spinach-and-mushroom filling baked in delicate phyllo pastry. The word "phyllo," which derives from the Greek word for leaf, refers to pastry comprised of tissue-thin sheets of dough that look like translucent paper. If the phyllo is frozen, thaw it in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight, and place it, unopened, on a kitchen counter for 2 to 4 hours.

When making the spinach strudel, use nonstick cooking spray between the leaves of phyllo pastry instead of slathering them with butter. The Dilled Balsamic Syrup is a unique aromatic syrup that adds key flavor notes to an impressive dish that contains just 172 calories and 2 grams of fat per generous serving.

Confetti "Chicken" with Roasted Sweet Corn is a savory dish that is sure to tempt even the committed carnivore. This hearty entree calls for soy "chicken" burgers cut into bite-sized pieces, but you may substitute soy "chicken" strips or seitan. Red, green and yellow bell pepper strips are combined with shredded carrots, artichokes, corn, flesh rosemary and a Dijon-spiked sauce to make this colorful recipe. As a side dish, try Minted Couscous with Toasted Pine Nuts--a light combination of peas, chives, mint, currants and pine nuts with couscous, creating an interesting balance of flavors and textures.

Rice pudding has been called one of the ultimate comfort foods--it's sweet, satisfying and homey. Cranberry Rice Pudding is an easy make-ahead dessert that is rich-tasting and satisfying while weighing in with just 2 grams of fat per serving. Make this pudding in advance, and leave it in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to fully develop. Your guests will find it hard to believe this luscious pudding is dairy-free!

Minted Couscous with
Toasted Pine Nuts

SERVES 8

A delicious mix of color, flavor and texture.

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 cups water
3 Tbs. onion soup mix
1 Tbs. olive oil
3 cups whole wheat couscous
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup dried currants
3 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint leaves

1. Toast pine nuts in dry saucepan or skillet
over medium heat, shaking often to prevent
burning, and cook until fragrant and brown.
Remove from heat, and set aside.

2. Combine water, soup mix and olive oil
in saucepan, and bring to a boil over
medium heat. Stir in couscous, peas, currants,
chives and mint. Remove from heat,
cover and let stand 5 minutes. Transfer to
serving bowl, fluff mixture with fork, sprinkle
with pine nuts and serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 347 CAL; 12G PROT; 5G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 73G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
122MG SOD; 11G FIBER; 13G SUGAR

Confetti "Chicken" with
Roasted Sweet Corn

SERVES 8

Hearty, colorful and delicious, this dish is
low in fat and calories. Roasted sweet
corn, dried from fresh corn kernels, is
sweet, light, crunchy and fat-free.

1 Tbs. olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-sized red onion, chopped
1 medium-sized red bell pepper,
  sliced into strips
1 medium-sized yellow bell pepper,
  sliced into strips
1 medium-sized green bell pepper,
  sliced into strips
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded carrots
2 5.5-oz. pkg. soy "chicken" burgers,
  cut into bite-sized pieces
1 13.5-oz. can quartered artichoke
  hearts, drained
1 3-oz. pkg. roasted sweet corn
1 cup fruity white wine such as
  Chenin Blanc
3 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
1 2/3 cups boiling chicken- or vegetable-flavored
  vegetarian stock
2 Tbs. cornstarch
2 Tbs. cold water
1 1/2 Tbs. country-style Dijon mustard

1. Heat oil in an electric skillet or Dutch
oven over medium high heat, 1 minute.
Add garlic, onions, peppers and carrots, and
saute 4 minutes. Add "chicken," artichokes
and sweet corn. Cook 5 minutes, or until
"chicken" browns, stirring often. Add wine
and rosemary, stir to mix thoroughly,
reduce heat to medium-low and cook
3 minutes. Add stock, cover and simmer.

2. Combine cornstarch and water in small
bowl, and add to pan with Dijon mustard.
Cover, and simmer about 5 minutes, or
until thickened and heated through.

PER SERVING: 228 CAL; 8G PROT; 5G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 25G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
604MG SOD; 5G FIBER; 6G SUGARS

Spinach Strudel with Dilled
Balsamic Syrup

SERVES B

This dish features a richly flavorful filling
encased in flaky phyllo pastry and drizzled
with a tangy-sweet dilled syrup. When
working with phyllo, keep the delicate
sheets covered to prevent them from drying.
Place a sheet of wax paper on the
counter, unroll the dough and cover it
with a second sheet of wax paper. Work
quickly with one leaf at a time, while keeping
remaining dough covered with a damp
cloth. Using water spritzer, spray cloth
lightly--do not drench cloth or dough will
become gummy, especially around edges.
Always make phyllo filling before removing
phyllo dough from package. If filling has
been cooked, it should be cooled before
mounding onto prepared layers to prevent
sogginess.

2 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped
  spinach, thawed
1 1/2-oz. pkg. dried portobello
  mushrooms
2 cups boiling water
2 tsp. olive oil
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 large shallots, about 1/2 cup minced
2 Tbs. chopped fresh sage
6 oz. white mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. tamari soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
12 sheets phyllo dough, thawed
1 Tbs. dried dillweed for garnish

1. Thaw spinach, drain in wire mesh colander
and press out excess moisture. Set aside.

2. Combine dried mushrooms and boiling
water in small saucepan, and cook over
medium-low heat about 5 minutes. Set
aside 10 minutes.

3. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high
heat. Add crushed red pepper, garlic,
shallots and chopped sage, and saute 3
minutes. Drain and chop reconstituted
mushrooms, and add to skillet. Add fresh
mushrooms. Cook 5 minutes, reduce heat
to low, and add spinach, dill, sherry, yeast,
tamari and lime juice. Cook mixture 5
minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove
from heat, and set aside to cool.

4. Preheat oven to 375F.

5. Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface,
spray with oil, cover with second sheet,
and repeat until 6 sheets have been
stacked and oiled. Set aside remaining
phyllo, covered with damp towel. Spoon
half filling on long side of phyllo, 1 inch
from edge. Fold in short ends, and, starting
at long filled side, roll phyllo tightly. Place
seam side down on baking sheet. Make
second strudel by repeating procedure
with remaining sheets of phyllo, and place
on pan with several inches separating
strudels. Using sharp knife, score tops just
through phyllo, making evenly spaced cuts.
Spray lightly with oil, and sprinkle with
dried dillweed.

6. Bake strudel until golden brown, about
50 minutes. Use serrated knife to cut each
strudel into 8 equal slices.

Dilled Balsamic Syrup

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbs. dark brown molasses sugar
1 tsp. dillweed
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast

1. Combine vinegar, sugar and dillweed in
saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium
heat. Reduce heat to low, and continue to
cook, stirring frequently, 3 minutes.

2. Stir in nutritional yeast, and continue to
cook and stir 5 minutes, or until mixture
has a syruplike consistency. Remove from
heat, and set aside to cool. Serve at room
temperature.

PER SERVING: 172 CAL; 8G PROT; 2G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 33G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
162MG SOD; 3G FIBER; 9G SUGAR

Cranberry Rice Pudding

12 SERVINGS

Dried cranberries and a hint of maple
syrup add festive flair to this hearty and
warming holiday favorite.

2 cups water
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup raw long-grain white rice
3 cups enriched vanilla soymilk
1 12.3-oz. pkg. lite silken tofu
2 cups evaporated cane juice
2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
1 cup dried cranberries
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Bring water and salt to a boil in
saucepan. Add rice, stir and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover pan and cook
20 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
Add soymilk, and cook mixture over low
heat 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Place tofu in food processor, and blend
until smooth. Add cane juice, maple syrup,
cornstarch and vanilla, and process until
smooth. Fold tofu mixture into rice, add
cranberries and mix thoroughly. Pour into
3-quart baking dish, and sprinkle generously
with cinnamon.

4. Bake uncovered 30 minutes. Remove
from heat, and serve warm, or cover,
refrigerate and serve chilled.

PER SERVING: 266 CAL; 5G PROT; 2G TOTAL
FAT (0G SAT. FAT); 58G CARB; 0MG CHOL;
138MG SOD; 1 G FIBER; 42G SUGAR