Beyond strawberry shortcake

Vegetarian Journal, March-April, 2003 by Debra Daniels-Zeller

SAVORY ONION
SHORTCAKE BISCUITS
(Makes 9 biscuits)

Add a generous pinch of your favorite
herbs, such as sage, rosemary or basil,
to change the flavor of these biscuits.

1 Tablespooon oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
3/4 cup plain soy or rice milk
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3 Tablespoons cold nonhydrogenated
  vegan margarine
1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line
a baking sheet with parchment
paper.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium
heat. Add oil and onions, and
saute until soft. While onions
cook, combine milk with lemon
juice or vinegar and set aside. In
a medium-size mixing bowl, combine
pastry flour, cornmeal, baking
powder, and baking soda, making
sure there are no small lumps
before blending in margarine with
a fork or a pastry blender.

Combine milk mixture with
maple syrup, mixing well. Make
a well in the dry ingredients and
pour the milk into it. Mix until
a soft dough forms. Gently mix
the onions into the dough, adding
a bit more flour if necessary for a
very stiff dough. Gather the dough
into a ball and knead it about 5
times in the bowl; then, turn it
out onto a clean, floured counter.
Pat the dough into a 7" x 8" inch
rectangle. Cut into 9 squares or
use a biscuit cutter to shape the
dough into circles. Place the biscuits
on the baking sheet. Bake for
12 minutes. Transfer to a cooling
rack and cool before slicing for
shortcake toppings.

Total calories per biscuit: 156   Fat: 6 grams
Carbohydrates: 23 grams           Protein: 4 grams
Sodium: 255 milligrams            Fiber: 3 grams

ASPARAGUS-TEMPEH
SHORTCAKE TOPPING
(Serves 6)

You can also use green beans or
broccoli for this recipe. Blanch your
vegetables in the same way you
blanch the asparagus before adding
them to the sauce.

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, tough ends
  removed and cut into 2-inch lengths
1 cup plain soy or rice milk
1/2 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
4 ounces tempeh, cut into thin (1/4-inch)
  strips
Generous pinch salt and freshly ground
  pepper
2 Tablespoons flour
Handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
6 Tablespoons toasted crushed pinenuts
  for garnish (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Blanch asparagus stalks for about 3
minutes, add tips, and blanch for
another minute. Remove from
water and rinse with cold water to
stop the cooking process.

Combine milk and lemon
juice and set aside. Heat oil in a
heavy skillet over medium heat
and add the onions and garlic.
Stir and cook for a few minutes,
then move the onions and garlic
mixture to the side and add tempeh
strips. Continue to cook until
tempeh is lightly browned. Turn
and brown the other side. Remove
tempeh and drain on a clean paper
towel. Add a generous pinch of salt
and freshly ground pepper to the
onions. Mix in flour, stirring to
coat all onions, then add basil and
slowly blend in the soy or rice
milk. Stir until sauce is thick. Add
asparagus and tempeh and continue
to stir and cook until asparagus is
heated. Serve over either the Savory
Onion Shortcake Biscuits, or
Spicy Tomato Shortcake Biscuits
(page 12). Top with a sprinkling
of toasted pinenuts, if desired.

Total calories per serving: 190   Fat: 12 grams
Carbohydrates: 13 grams           Protein: 10 grams
Sodium: 8 milligrams              Fiber: 5 grams

APRICOT-CHERRY
SHORTCAKE TOPPING
(Serves 6)

Use a variety of fruit juice concentrates
to create different flavoring
bases for this shortcake. Don't overlook
juice combinations like frozen
daiquiri mix combinations. Fresh
or dried lavender can be found in
natural foods stores.

2 cups pitted sliced ripe apricots
2 cups pitted sweet cherries
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cop frozen raspberry juice concentrate
  or mixed berry fruit concentrate
1 teaspoon crushed fresh or dried
  lavender
6 ounces lemon soy yogurt

Combine apricots, cherries, and
lemon juice. Add concentrate and
lavender. Refrigerate and let fruit
marinate for at least one hour.
Serve over sliced Orange-Maple
Shortcake Biscuits (page 12) with
a dollop of lemon soy yogurt.

Total calories per serving: 140   Fat: 1 gram
Carbohydrates: 32 grams           Protein: 3 grams
Sodium: 15 milligrams             Fiber: 2 grams

ORANGE-MAPLE
SHORTCAKE BISCUITS
(Makes 12 biscuits)

* Pictured on the cover. Add a
pinch of cinnamon or cardamom
for variation here, or use lemon zest
with about 1 Tablespoon lemon
juice with 1 cup of soymilk for
lemon biscuits. A citrus zester or a
Microplane Zester is the best way
to get the outer peel from citrus
fruits to use for baking. Be sure to
zest the orange before cutting and
juicing it.

Juice and zest of 1 orange
Plain or vanilla soy or rice milk added to
  the orange juice to make 1 cup
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 3/4 cups unbleached flour (or use whole
  wheat pastry flour)
2 1/2  teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cold nonhydrogenated vegan margarine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line
a baking sheet with parchment
paper.

Combine juice, milk, and
maple syrup. Set aside. Reserve
orange zest for dry ingredients. In
a medium-size mixing bowl combine
flour, baking powder, and
baking soda, mixing well to make
sure there are no small lumps.
Cut in cold margarine with a fork
or pastry blender, mixing until it
resembles coarse crumbs. Make
a well in the center of the dry
ingredients and pour in soymilk-orange
juice mixture. Stir until a
soft dough forms. It should look
thick like cookie dough.

Drop by generous spoonfuls
onto prepared baking sheet, making
12 biscuits. Bake for 12 minutes
or until tops and bottoms are
lightly browned.

Remove from oven and transfer
to cooling rack. Cool before slicing
for sweet fillings.

Total calories per biscuit: 111   Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 17 grams           Protein: 3 grams
Sodium: 157 milligrams            Fiber: 2 grams

SPICY TOMATO
SHORTCAKE BISCUITS
(Makes 12 biscuits)

Dried sundried tomatoes can be
found in natural foods stores and
some supermarkets. The bottled
sundried tomatoes are already
rehydrated and packed in oil.
They don't work as well in this
recipe. If the dried tomatoes are in
halves, cut them with kitchen scissors
into very small pieces. Chipotle chili
powder (smoked jalapeno), which
lends a smoky flavor, can be found
in ethnic or natural foods stores.

1/2  cup boiling water
2 Tablespoons chopped dried, sundried
  tomatoes
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry or barley flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Dash of cayenne or chipode chili powder
1/4 cup light olive oil or canola oil
4 ounces (1/2 cup) firm silken tofu

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pour
boiling water over the tomatoes
and let soak for 20 minutes.

Combine dry ingredients; mix
well. Cut in oil with a fork or
pastry blender until mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. Blend
tofu with tomatoes with a blender
or hand blender until smooth and
creamy. Add tomato-tofu mixture
to the dry ingredients, and mix
until a soft dough is formed. Drop
by spoonfuls onto an ungreased
baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes or
until golden brown.

Remove to cooling rack and
cool before slicing to use.

Total calories per biscuit: 107   Fat: 5 grams
Carbohydrates: 13 grams           Protein: 3 grams
Sodium: 97 milligrams             Fiber: 2 grams

ORANGE-BERRY
SHORTCAKE TOPPING
(Serves 6)

* Pictured on the cover. Use different
berries or add stone fruits, such
as peeled peaches or nectarines, for
variation here. One of my favorite
versions is to use 2 cups pie cherries
(available at farmers' markets) and
2 cups strawberries. Pit and cook
the pie cherries with the orange
juice, and serve over the strawberries.
You could also add about a Tablespoon
of balsamic vinegar to the
orange juice for a nice variation.

4 cups strawberries, stems removed and
  sliced, divided
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon chopped orange zest
3 Tablespoons arrowroot or cornstarch
Vanilla nondairy frozen dessert (optional)

In a medium saucepan, place 2
cups of the strawberries, orange
juice, zest, and arrowroot or cornstarch.
Stir to mix, then bring to
a simmer. Simmer mixture for
about 10 minutes, or until the
color changes from pink to clear
and it begins to thicken. Remove
from heat and let cool slightly.
Serve over a sliced Orange-Maple
Shortcake Biscuit, with fresh strawberries
on the bottom half, topped
with the warm berry topping and
the remaining biscuit half. Serve
with your favorite vanilla nondairy
frozen dessert, if desired.

Total calories per serving: 59   Fat: 0 grams
Carbohydrates: 14 grams          Protein: 1 gram
Sodium: 2 milligrams             Fiber: 3 grams

TOMATO-CUCUMBER
SHORTCAKE TOPPING
(Serves 4)

This is a cool, refreshing side dish
that goes well with a casual spring
dinner with baked beans and grilled
spring vegetables. It really makes a
difference if you use a good quality,
traditionally-aged balsamic vinegar
for this recipe. You can usually find
good quality balsamic vinegar in
grocery stores near the salad dressing.

2 cups peeled, chopped cucumber
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Generous pinch salt
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon frozen juice berry concentrate
  (Use mixed berry, raspberry, or a
  strawberry blend.)
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 small avocado, peeled and thinly sliced

In a small mixing bowl combine
cucumber, tomatoes, onions, and
jalapeno. Sprinkle with a generous
pinch of salt. In another small
bowl combine balsamic vinegar,
frozen berry juice concentrate,
and garlic. Pour over cucumber
mixture and blend in. Let marinate
for at least an hour. Serve over
sliced warm savory biscuits and top
with thin avocado slices.

Total calories per serving: 118   Fat: 8 grams
Carbohydrates: 13 grams           Protein: 2 grams
Sodium: 12 milligrams             Fiber: 4 grams

BLACK BEAN SALSA
SHORTCAKE TOPPING
(Serves 4)

You can vary this recipe by making
a cold version, using thinly sliced
green onions, omitting the jalapeno,
lightly steaming the corn, and
adding peeled, chopped fresh
cucumber. Combine the bean and
corn mixture with your favorite
salsa, and top with sliced avocado
or guacamole.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained
  and rinsed
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen, thawed
1/4 cup salsa
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Sliced avocado (optional)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat a heavy skillet over medium
heat. Add oil, onions, and
jalapeno. Stir, cover, and sweat
the onions until they are very
soft. Remove cover, add beans,
corn, and salsa, and cook until
beans and corn are heated.
Remove from heat and stir in
fresh lime juice. Add salt to taste.
Top with sliced avocado, if
desired, and chopped cilantro.
Serve over any savory biscuit.

Total calories per serving: 186   Fat: 4 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams           Protein: 8 grams
Sodium: 483 milligrams            Fiber: 9 grams

CABBAGE AND CARROT
SHORTCAKE TOPPING
(serves 6)

This is one of my favorite recipes
because it combines the taste of
carrot-raisin salad and coleslaw.
For a sweet treat, try it on Orange-Maple
Shortcake Biscuits (page 12).

3 cups finely shredded and chopped green
  cabbage
1 cup grated carrots
1 medium apple, such as Granny Smith,
  cored and grated
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup raisins or currants
1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise or aioli (garlic)
  spread (found in natural foods stores)
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon ketchup
1 finely chopped bottled hot pepper, such
  as Pepperoncini

Combine cabbage, carrots, apple,
lemon juice, and raisins or currants.
Let mixture sit while you
prepare the dressing. Combine
vegan mayonnaise or spread,
vinegar, ketchup, and pepper.
Mix well, then stir into the cabbage
and carrot mixture. Let mixture
sit for 1 hour, refrigerated,
before topping your shortcakes.
Use any savory or sweet biscuit.

Total calories per serving: 146   Fat: 9 grams
Carbohydrates: 17 grams           Protein: 1 gram
Sodium: 122 milligrams            Fiber: 3 grams