Chickpea fries with creamy artichoke, kale dip

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A great dish for spring, this pairs crispy chickpea fries with a sour, oniony dip with a lot of additional flavour from the artichokes, kale, and sriracha.

Ingredients

1/2 cup chickpea flour
1/2t coarse sea salt (divided)
2T millet flour
1/2T coconut sugar
1/2t black pepper, freshly cracked (divided)
3T nutritional yeast (divided)
1T fresh garlic, minced (divided)
2/3 cup hot water
3/4 cup artichoke hearts (not jarred)
1 cup green curly kale
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
4 scallions, minced, 3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish
1 1/2T white pickling vinegar
1T sesame seed butter
1T white miso
Sriracha or similar to taste for garnish
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Some pickled capers, black olives, or a dash smoked paprika for garnish will add flavour and colour to the dish.

Method

Mix the chickpea flour, millet flour, 1T nutritional yeast, and coconut sugar in a small bowl. Mix the water, 1/4t sea salt, and 1/2T minced garlic. Add the dry to the wet and whisk until smooth. Let stand about 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 450F. Pour the batter into a 3″ x 9″ loaf pan (silicone is preferred, but use a lightly oiled metallic one if necessary). Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let stand for 15 minutes to cool. Turn out carefully and slice width-wise into 1/2″ fries.

Return the oven to 450F (or the highest temperature to which your baking paper is rated). Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. Add the fries evenly spaced. Add the artichoke hearts and the kale. Roast for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until the fries are lightly browned and quite crispy. Turn the fries a few times. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the fries as a guide.

You’ll likely have to remove individual constituents from the oven separately and set aside as necessary. The kale should be reduced and a vibrant green, but not browning. The artichoke hearts should be lightly browned. When the artichoke hearts are done, separate them, either by tearing or mincing. Tearing is preferred. When the fries are done, remove from heat and set aside to finish the dip.

With the fries in the oven, start the rest of the dish. In a small sauce pan, bring 1 cup soy milk to a light boil. Add the scallions, 1/4t sea salt, remaining garlic, and vinegar. Simmer uncovered for 12 – 15 minutes on medium low, until reduced by 1/4 cup. Adjust the reduction process as necessary to match the cooking of the fries.

When reduced, add the sesame seed butter. Puree smooth with an immersion blender (see the notes below). Add the finished kale and the artichokes. Stir to combine. Return to heat and simmer another 2 – 3 minutes on medium while the the dip thickens and the fries finish.

When everything is ready, remove from heat. Add the white miso and remaining nutritional yeast to the dip. Stir to combine. Season the dip to taste, plate the fries and spoon the dip over top. Garnish with sriracha and scallions sliced on an angle, and serve.

Note: This isn’t a good recipe to try to separate components. The fries are prepared without oil to keep the amount of fat in the overall dish low and specifically to remain crispy in the dip. They’ll be chalky by themselves, and the coconut sugar will make them unnecessarily sweet. The acidity and moisture of the dip is also measured to complement the fries specifically.

For fries that you could eat with catsup and whatnot, leave out the millet and coconut sugar, reduce the water to 1/2 cup, and add 1/2 – 1T cooking oil (a little in the batter, a little brushed on to the cut fries). Follow the directions for the fries, but expect to adjust the baking time for the cut fries accordingly.

Also, while it’s possible that other plant milks may work with the dip, soy milk has a particular chemistry. The vinegar curdles the soy milk, which separates the water from other elements. The puree emulsifies and thickens the reduced, separated soy milk with the sesame seed butter, the garlic and other ingredients to give the dip its creamy texture and cling. Without this step, the dip will be quite watery.

Other plant milks without soy milk’s protein and stabilizers may not work as expected. If you decide to try another plant milk, you’ll likely have to thicken the dip by other means (e.g., arrowroot powder, corn starch, or tapioca flour).

Slow-cooked mushroom stew with cabbage, potatoes, and carrots

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A simple, warming stew that can go straight into a slow-cooker, shown here with a gluten free soda bread bun. This recipe easily doubles (if you have a slow-cooker to suit).

Ingredients

3 large portobello mushrooms (about 3 cups), stemmed,
1 1/2″ dice
2 cups packed shredded green cabbage (I use coleslaw mix)
2 cups potatoes, 3/4″ dice (I use quartered grelots)
1 cup carrots, 1″ segments (I use purple)
1 cup scallions, minced, 3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2t coarse sea salt
2T cooking oil (I use olive oil for this)
1 ‘sprig’ dried kombu (about 1″)
2T tomato passata (or puree)
1T tamari
2T fresh garlic, minced
2T tapioca flour dissolved in 2T water
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: A tablespoon smoked paprika, some chopped green kale toward the end, black olives, red chili flakes, curry powder and other ingredients will give the stew some additional colour, flavour, and nutrition. You can substitute arrowroot for the tapioca, or even cornstarch if
your slow-cooker provides enough heat. Or you can add 2T wheat flour dissolved in the stock at the beginning for something more traditional. Soda bread, buns, pita, and other breads make a nice accompaniment.

Method

Add all of the ingredients up to but not including the tapioca flour to a slow-cooker. Cook until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender. Expect 4-6 hours on high or longer on low. Note, the size and power of the slow-cooker will produce variation in the time to cook the dish. Adjust the temperature and time expectations based on yours.

When the potatoes and carrots are ready, remove the kombu. Add the tapioca flour mixture and stir to distribute. Return to heat for another 10 – 20 minutes or so, stirring periodically until the tapioca has thickened. Once the tapioca has thickened, season to taste, ladle out, garnish with scallions and serve.

Fresh pappardelle with chickpeas, maitake mushroom, sun-dried tomatoes and kale

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A simple pasta with a light, but satisfying and flavourful sauce.

Ingredients

For the pasta
1 cup semolina flour
1t tapioca flour
2t cornstarch
1/3 cup + 1T water
2 liters water with 2t coarse sea salt for boiling.

For the sauce
1 cup cooked chickpeas
2T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/4 cup scallion, minced (2-3 scallions)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/2T dried green herbs (I use herbes de Provence)
1 cup maitake mushrooms, trimmed and broken into 1″ strips
2T sun-dried tomatoes (dehydrated, not jarred) rehydrated in 1/4 cup water
2 cups green curly kale, chopped coarsely
2T nutritional yeast
2T pasta water
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Other mushrooms will work here, but maitake (also known as hen of the woods or signorina mushrooms) have a lovely mild flavour and a soft texture, as well as a good nutritional profile. A little kalamata olive in this dish would also be nice. If you make the chickpeas from dried, about 1/3 cup dried will yield 1 cup cooked. Replace the pappardelle with fettuccine, linguini or spaghetti if you prefer. Replace the kale with small broccoli florets, flat leaf parsley, spinach, or other greens — just be sure to adjust the cooking time and the amount to your taste.

Method

Start the tomatoes, then the pasta, and then the sauce.

Bring 1/4 cup water to a boil and reconstitute the sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl. Mix the semolina flour, the tapioca flour and the cornstarch. Add the water and mix until a smooth elastic dough forms. Knead for another 2 minutes. Let the dough rest, covered with a warm moist tea towel in the mixing bowl for about 15 minutes.

When the dough is ready, roll out on a lightly floured board to a large rectangle about 1/8″ thick. Cut the pappardelle in long strips (10″ – 12″ by 1/2″), preferably with a pastry cutter. Let the strips dry on the cutting board while you make the sauce.

Bring a large frying pan with a lid to heat on medium high. Add the oil and sea salt. Add the scallions and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and green herbs. Saute for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and saute for 3-5 minutes. Add the chickpeas, the sun-dried tomatoes and their water. Deglaze the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the pasta is ready.

Bring the 2 liters water to a boil. Add the salt. Add the pasta. Swirl the pan to separate the pasta. Boil lightly until for 2- 3 or until the pasta is done (it will float). Drain gently, reserving about 2 tablespoons of water for the sauce. Add the water the sauce and stir to combine. Rinse the pappardelle with cold water and set aside to finish the sauce.

Add the kale and stir to combine for about a minute or two until the kale is nicely wilted but still a vibrant green. Remove from heat. Add the nutritional yeast and stir to combine. Season the sauce to taste. Plate the pasta, add the sauce and serve. Garnish with additional nutritional yeast if you like.

Tempeh, coconut milk stroganoff with red sweet potatoes

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A simple, lovely dish with mushrooms, cabbage, and kale.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1/4t coarse sea salt
1/4t black pepper
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 ‘spring’ dried kombu (about 1″)
2T tomato passata (or puree)
2T white pickling vinegar
1T prepared brown mustard
2T coconut sugar
2T smoked paprika
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4 cup scallions, minced (3″ – 4″ green reserved for garnish)
125g tempeh, cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 cups cremini mushrooms, stemmed, 1/4″ slices
2 cups red sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into about 1″ cubes
2 cups shredded green cabbage (I use coleslaw mix)
1T arrowroot powder dissolved in 1T water
1 cup green curly kale
2T nutritional yeast
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Optional: Replace the 125g tempeh with 250g tofu if you prefer, but in that case, reduce the coconut sugar to 1T (or leave it out entirely if you prefer). Flour and brown the tempeh cubes separately and then add them to the overall mix for something more traditional.

Method

Preheat the oven to 450F. Mix everything up to and including the scallions in a medium bowl. Let stand about 5 minutes. In a roasting pan or a baking sheet with sides, add the tempeh and potatoes, then the mushrooms, then the cabbage on top in even layers.

Pour the sauce mixture over the vegetables. Roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour, 15 minutes. Stir periodically to ensure even cooking. Ovens vary; use the colour and texture as a guide. The pan should be a rich, reddish brown, and the sweet potatoes should be tender. If the pan dries before the potatoes are tender, add a little water or stock as necessary.

When the potatoes are tender, remove the kombu. Drizzle the arrowroot mixture over the vegetables and stir to distribute. Roast for another 5 minutes or so until the arrowroot has thickened.

Remove from the oven. Stir in the kale and nutritional yeast. Let stand 5 minutes. Season to taste. Spoon out, garnish with scallion green sliced on an angle, and serve.