There’s just something about figs… They’re so beautiful, and they seem to effortlessly dress up any recipe.  I see them at the farmers’ market, and I have to have them.  Maybe it’s because they’re often served with things like bacon and bleu cheeze, and I’m a sucker for sweet and savory combos.

I’m also a sucker for simple recipes that taste greater than the sum of their parts, so with my latest batch of figs I wanted to make something simple and elegant using flavors that are classically paired with figs, but in a new way.

I decided to use up some of the puff pastry I had waiting in my freezer for just such an occasion.  I also had some Suzanne’s “Just like Honey” rice nectar that I was dying to try.  For the bleu cheeze I used my trusted Sunergia Soy Bleu, and even though it was really tasty on its own with dates, I wanted a creamier consistency so I blended it with some non-dairy cream cheese.

Now I realize that this recipe relies mostly on pre-made vegan products, but I wanted it to be just as simple to make for vegans as it is for non-vegans.  This is crazy delicious and crazy easy to throw together, so it’s perfect for parties or when you want to impress people with how elegant vegan food can be.  You could serve this as an appetizer or even as a dessert.

Fig Tart with Bleu Cheeze Cream and Balsamic-”Honey” Drizzle

1 sheet of vegan puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
3 ounces vegan bleu cheeze
3 ounces non-dairy cream cheese, room temperature
1 teaspoon “just like honey” or agave nectar, plus more for drizzling on tart
1/2 – 1 pint figs, depending on their size, washed and sliced
2-4 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

In a food processor, blend the bleu and cream cheeses with the honey substitute or agave nectar, until smooth and creamy.

Roll the puff pastry out just a bit to even the layers, and then evenly spread the cheese mixture on top, leaving a 1-inch border around the outside.  Arrange the figs on top of the cheese mixture – you can overlap them if you’d like.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden.

Remove from the oven and drizzle the balsamic vinegar and honey substitute or agave over the top of the tart.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you have any leftovers, you can store them in the fridge and reheat in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes or so.

Thanks to the generosity of Chicago Soy Dairy and Sweet & Sara, four lucky readers (yes, FOUR!) are going to win some tasty treats!  Here’s are the prize details — 2 winners will each win two bags of Dandies from Chicago Soydairy.  1 winner will win Sweet & Sara vanilla marshmallows and a peanut butter s’more, and another winner will get a Sweet & Sara  sampler pack and a plain s’more.  Yum!!!

Remember how I mentioned in my last post that I feel like eating healthy salads balances out the ice cream that I eat right afterwards?  Behold  some epic ice cream.

Now I do have to admit that this followed up a rather large and not-entirely-salad-filled meal.  We had friends over for dinner, and I wanted to make a few different things that were more elaborate for the meal, which meant making a dessert that would be a little bit simpler.

Enter “speed scratch” recipes – a phrase coined by chef Michael Chiarello.  (While he’s not a vegan chef, many of his recipes can be easily veganized.)  ”Speed Scratch” basically means using shortcuts with recipes, but by using high-quality ingredients you can still get a really delicious end result.  He has a “speed scratch” recipe for potato chips that involves making your own roasted garlic seasoning and sprinkling it over oven-warmed chips, for example.

This recipe is a version of Neapolitan ice cream that you can make taste more homemade by layering the ice creams yourself and sprinkling some gray salt in between the layers.  The idea behind using the salt is that it’s reminiscent of ice creams that used to be made in hand-crank ice cream freezers where a bit of the salt used would get into the ice cream mixture.  It’s also just tasty to have a touch of salt against the sweetness of the ice creams and strawberry sauce.

The recipe for the Neapolitan is available on the Food Network site, so I’ll share it here.  It doesn’t list the recipe for the fork-smashed strawberries (from the book “At Home with Michael Chiarello”), but there is a recipe for strawberry balsamic sauce which sounds equally delicious!  You could also use my recipe for balsamic strawberries, and just smash them up a bit with a fork to create more of a sauce.

“Speed Scratch” Neapolitan
Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello

1 pint strawberry ice cream (see My Notes)
1 pint chocolate ice cream (see My Notes)
1 pint vanilla ice cream (see My Notes)
1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt, preferably gray salt
Strawberries Balsamic Sauce, to serve, optional

Remove the ice cream from the freezer for 15 to 20 minutes to soften.

Line a 4 by 8-inch loaf pan with 2 pieces of plastic wrap, 1 going lengthwise and the other crosswise. Put it into the freezer while the ice cream softens.

Spoon out the chocolate ice cream into the bottom of the loaf pan and spread it evenly with the back of the spoon; sprinkle a little salt on top. Make another layer with the strawberry ice cream and another with the vanilla, sprinkling a little salt on top of each layer. Close the plastic in both directions and put the pan into the freezer for 3 hours or overnight. Put the plates in the freezer at the same time to reduce melting when served.

Remove the plates and ice cream from the freezer. Unwrap and put the ice cream on a cutting board. Run a knife under hot water for a moment and slice 3/4-inch thick slices. Place a slice on a plate, spoon 1/4-cup Strawberries Balsamic Sauce on top, if using, and serve quickly.

Chef’s Note: If ice cream does not easily come out of its mold, run mold briefly under hot water.

Entertaining Note: Vary to more exotic ice cream flavors if you like, just be sure to adjust the sauce to go with the new flavors.

My Notes: I wanted to try different brands ice creams for this, so for the chocolate layer I used It’s Soy Delicious Awesome Chocolate, for the strawberry layer I used Rice Dream Organic Strawberry and for the vanilla layer I used Tempt Vanilla Bean.  While I liked trying a variety of non-dairy ice creams, I’d recommend trying to stay with the same type since these all had slightly different textures and also melted differently. Next time I make this I’ll also switch up the layers and put the chocolate in the middle and the vanilla on the bottom so that it’s served on top to contrast more with the strawberry sauce.

Even though all the kiddies are heading back to school and we’re approaching labor day, I kind of feel like summer is just starting because it’s finally gotten really hot here.

When it’s super hot out nothing tastes better to me than a simple and refreshing salad, and this Corn-Quinoa Salad from Vegetarian Times makes good use of some of the best that summer has to offer – sweet corn, heirloom cherry tomatoes and cooling cucumber.

This salad was really easy to make, and it was filling enough to be a meal on it’s own thanks to the quinoa.  I ended up using radicchio in place of the red cabbage, only because that’s what I had on hand.

I love salads like this that are full of flavor and texture.  They make me feel like I’m eating so healthy that I don’t have to feel bad about the dish of ice “cream” I follow them up with!

What are your favorite foods to eat when the temperature rises?

Even if you’re not vegetarian, you can make this one tiny change – from meat broth to veggie broth – and make your meals so much healthier.  The best part is that you don’t have to sacrifice any flavor in the process.  Lower cholesterol and great taste?  Yep.  It’s true.

Are you a vegetarian who’s dealt with the “Oh you can eat it, I only used chicken BROTH” issue?  Or do you have a favorite brand of pre-made broth that I didn’t mention in the video?  Leave a comment and let me know!

Before going vegan I used to love buffalo chicken fingers – not the wings, but fried chicken tenders in buffalo sauce.  I never really understood the point of eating a wing (I still don’t), and bones in food always freaked me out.  Obviously, it’s been a while since I’ve eaten real buffalo chicken anything, but instead of having to give it up completely I’ve had my share of tasty tempeh wingz and gardein’s awesome classic style buffalo wings, which both quench the cravings.

I thought I had my vege buffalo “chicken” situation under control, and then my sister had a party and went and served a buffalo chicken DIP.  It sounded amazing – shredded chicken, blue cheese dressing, cream cheese and hot sauce (or something along those lines).  I’ve always wanted to veganize the recipe so that I could actually partake in that creamy buffalo deliciousness, but without the meat and dairy.

I’ve already made this twice and polished it off pretty quickly both times.  It’s not the healthiest dip, although it is much better for you than the traditional buffalo chicken dip.  I think this is pretty spicy, but it’s not going to burn your mouth off.  I’m not sure how much of a spice wimp I am though, so you can always adjust the heat to your liking.

Vegan Buffalo “Chicken” Dip

1 package gardein classic style buffalo wings (see Notes)
1/3 cup Vegenaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 ounces crumbled soy bleu cheeze
pinch sea salt
small pinch fresh cracked pepper
8 ounces non-dairy cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup Frank’s RedHot Hot Sauce

Prepare the gardein according to package directions, and set aside.  Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees.

While the “chicken” is cooling whisk together the Vegenaise, lemon juice, crumbled bleu cheese and salt and pepper in a medium sized bowl.  Stir in the cream cheese and hot sauce.

Once the “chicken” is cool enough to handle, dice it into small pieces and fold it into the Vegenaise mixture. Transfer the dip to a casserole or pie dish, and cook it for about 10 minutes or until heated through.

You can store leftovers in the fridge and reheat them before serving.

Notes: If you can’t get the gardein wings, you can use any chicken substitute, but you’ll want to up the amount of hot sauce to taste.  You can also keep this warm in a small crock-pot instead of baking it.  This probably serves about 4 people (or 2 if you’re Ryan and me), so if you’re making this for a crowd you’ll probably want to double the recipe.  You can serve this with celery or carrot sticks, but it’s also yummy with tortilla chips.

]]> http://www.cestlavegan.com/2010/08/buffalo-chicken-dip/feed/ 10 http://www.cestlavegan.com/2010/08/vegan-101-vegenaise/ http://www.cestlavegan.com/2010/08/vegan-101-vegenaise/#comments Wed, 18 Aug 2010 18:05:58 +0000 kim http://www.cestlavegan.com/?p=5072 For today’s installment of Vegan 101, I want to introduce you to one of the greatest vegan products out there: Follow Your Heart’s Vegenaise!  If you’re vegan, you probably already love this stuff, and if you’re not, you need to try it to taste for yourself how amazing it is.  I like the reduced fat version, mainly because I eat a lot of this stuff.  I think it tastes just as good as the regular versions, but there are lots of different types of Vegenaise out there for you to try if the reduced fat isn’t your thing.

Trust me when I tell you that it’ll do you right for all your mayo needs.  This stuff is amazing in dips and sandwiches, particularly this delicious vegan BLT featuring the tempeh bacon I showed you in the last video.

Guys, go get an heirloom tomato while they’re still in season and make one of these sandwiches!  It’s easy, it’s tasty, and it’s a BLT that’s actually GOOD for you and totally free of cholesterol.  Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too – what’s the point of cake if you aren’t going to eat it?!  C’mon now.

Last week I caught a nasty summer cold and totally lost my appetite.  Every now and then it would rear it’s little head, but when it did, absolutely nothing sounded good to me.  I felt like there was something that I wanted, but I just couldn’t think of what it might be.

I had a bunch of ripe bananas that I was going to cut up and freeze, and it suddenly hit me that banana bread sounded really good.  I thought I’d try a different recipe from the one I normally make, so I grabbed my copy of “The Joy of Vegan Baking” to see if there were any banana bread recipes in there.

I found the recipe for “Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins” and baked the whole thing up as a loaf because I didn’t have the energy to deal with making individual muffins.  The only other change I made was to sub coconut palm sugar for regular granulated sugar.

Man, oh man was this good!  It was still fantastic with the sugar swap, and it totally hit the spot.  I think it only got more moist and tasty as the days went by (I made this on Thursday and finished it up Sunday.)  For the past few days about all I’ve eaten is this loaf, crackers and vegetable broth, and this loaf was by far the highlight, which should really go without saying!  I think it confirms one of my scientific theories – that chocolate is good medicine.

The next installment in my Vegan 101 series is all about one of my past  loves – bacon.  I’d go as far as calling myself a former addict, but these smokey tempeh strips get me through the cravings without having to eat the Babe stuff.  There are a lot of good reasons to not eat bacon, and they all mean more to me than the bacon itself.  For all my bacon-addicted brothers and sisters out there, I want to let you know about what I eat instead, and believe me, when it comes to bacon, I know what I’m talking about here.

The Boundary Waters in Northern Minnesota, and Sawbill in particular, are very special places for Ryan and his family. Up until the past few years, Ryan had gone there every summer of his life.  I’ve had the pleasure of joining him on several trips, including one where he proposed to me.  We also spent part of our honeymoon there.

While my brownie got to go on this trip, sadly, I did not.  Ryan had a much needed getaway with his Dad, brother and a dear family friend.  Maybe I should have covered myself in chocolate and sealed myself in a bag so I could have gone along too.  On second thought…

In other news, I was recently honored by Sherry of Exploits Of A Vegan Wannabe with “The Versatile Blogger Award”!  Have you seen her ridiculously cute dog, Chloe?!  Insane.  I think she’d make a good girlfriend for Omar.

In receiving this award I’m asked to…

• Thank the person who gave you the award.
• Share seven things about yourself.
• Give this award out to other bloggers that you think are fabulous, interesting and deserving.
• Contact each of the bloggers you chose.

Here goes…

Many, many thanks to Sherry for recognizing C’est La Vegan!!!  I’m so happy to know that my blog has been inspiring enough for her that she’d think of me for this.  It really is a labor of love, and knowing that there are people out there who appreciate it means a lot.

Seven things about me, huh?  Let’s see…

1. I’m not actually Irish, despite my red hair.  (But I’m Irish at heart, and I think somewhere back in time some Celt moved to Prague and started my family line.)

2. I performed improvisational comedy for about ten years, and still occasionally do it when I’m not too busy in the kitchen.

3. Before becoming a vegan I didn’t really know how to cook.

4. I miss Chicago and London lots.  And I miss Manhattan a lot too, mainly because my dear friend Miss Valle is there.

5. I was an English major and met my husband when our class was discussing the poem “The Eve of St. Agnes”.  We were also in the same Hemingway class, then traveled to Paris together* and the rest was history.

6. My favorite band is The Misfits (with Glenn Danzig, not after please), but my first music love was The Beatles records my Dad used to play for me.  I also have a special place in my heart for Guns N’ Roses.  And Metallica.  And Megadeth.  And Anthrax.  I could go on…  Seriously.  I was a metal head.

7. I’m a mini version of my 5′10″ sister.  And she “lovingly” refers to me as her “Mini Me” and points out my small hands to anyone in the vicinity.  It’s cute.  And by cute, I mean “cute”.

*it’s a long story…

I’m so excited to be able to pass on the love to other blogs that I think rule.  Here’s my list of great blogs by some of my favorite people, in no particular order.  It’s not the (I think) required 15, and I know I’m forgetting some.  I’ll come back and add them once my brain is working again.

Veganize It, Don’t Criticize It – Amazing, amazing gourmet vegan recipes.  I want her to go on Top Chef and beat the pants off those “protein” cookers.

Your Vegan Mom – Great tips, great recipes and some honest to goodness vegan mom-ness

Swell Vegan – A total feast for the eyes – gorgeous photos of even more gorgeous food

Hugger Food – One of the sweetest bloggers on the whole internets with great info about products, restaurants and lots more

La Mom Verte – My good friend’s new blog about being a green mom.  She’s very honest about her experiences, and it’s really informative.

Have Cake, Will Travel – Great food presented by the adorable Celine.  As one of my blog’s earliest supporters, she’ll always have a special place in my heart!

Cute and Delicious – Like the lady says – super cute and super delicious looking foods and crafts.

Suckatash – Okay, he is my husband, but I stand by my love of his photography regardless.  It doesn’t hurt that there are some amazing photos of the little ones in my life on this site.

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