Thanksgiving Redux: Soysage, Cranberry and Kale Pasta

I know I make fun of Rachael Ray pretty often, but the honest truth is, I kind of admire her.  Her newer, more mature and subdued incarnation is not quite as grating as her younger, overly perky persona who was too often prone to shouting at me through the TV and telling me a gazillion times that "oregano" means "joy of the mountains" in Greek.  (I don't even know if that's true... Anyone?)  Anyone has to admit she's got a good schtick going and a lot to show for it.  And while I'm being nice, I'd go so far as to say I feel bad for the woman, since I think she's burned the f*ck out, personally. 

But enough of all that.  The point is, I've been wanting to try a vegan version of this recipe for Sausage, Kale and Cranberry Pasta for quite some time (probably since last Thanksgiving), and I'm quite glad I finally got around to it.  It was a great way to use up cranberry sauce (my mom made a homemade batch, so I had a can languishing in my pantry, begging to go to a pasta party with some greens and Gimme Lean ground "sausage"). 

Anyway, I highly recommend giving it a try.  For the record, I used a plain, yellow onion because I refuse to pay that much for an onion unless it's very necessary (I didn't feel it was in this instance), and I obviously omitted the Parmesan cheese at the end.  I also found it necessary to perk up the Gimme Lean with some fennel seed, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.  I'd never used the product before, as I try not to make a habit of using processed foods, but I figured, what the hell?  It's a holiday.  But it tasted more breakfast sausage-y than Italian sausage-y, which is why I would recommend those additions.  Also, don't skip the little shaving of fresh nutmeg at the end... It was a phenomenal touch. 

Ray-Ray apparently paired this recipe with some croquettes made of turkey and mashed potatoes (I didn't see the actual episode, though I'm sure it was played approximately 1,217 times last week on the Food Network).  Well, mashed potatoes don't stand a chance of lasting more than a few hours in my family (W, my dad and I all have Irish blood in us, after all).  And for my leftover faux turkey, I chose instead to turn to use it up in my Tetrazzini recipe.  It's a very nostaligic dish for me, but I can understand how folks might tire of it year after year – but not I!  And I realize only just now that last year's photo is less than appetizing, but it's long since been gobbled up (har har har).  So maybe I'll take another one next year?  Anyway, I'm hoping everyone had a happy and healthy Thanksgiving with loved ones.  Now let's all brace ourselves for the next round of holidays! (Also, did I use enough parentheses in this post?  Don't answer that.)

Samosa Patties with Quick Daal and Roasted Cauliflower

I know the concept of samosa patties is nothing really new, but I've never actually made them before.  Samosas are probably one of my favorite aspects of the Indian restaurant-going experience.  However, they are deep-fried, and you usually only get about 2!  There is a recipe in Vegan Brunch for something similar, but for some reason, it just wasn't speaking to me, which is odd for an Isa recipe.  So I did a spin on the filling for my regular samosas, and they make a great little quick dinner.  Sooo much easier than making the dough for the traditional version!  I'd recommend making them ahead of time, then cooking them up when you're ready to eat.  Also, I threw together a quick daal (lentils) and roasted up some cauliflower to round out the meal with some protein and veg.

Recipe to follow shortly...

Chickpea Cutlets with Apples & Onions

The illustrious Chickpea Cutlets make their appearance again on this blog (though slightly altered), this time embodying everything autumn.  The combination of apples, onions, thyme, and maple just scream of the season for me, and this dinner was a real hit.  I will have to post the recipe another time because, unlike most of my recipes, which I draft first and test later, I came up with this one off-the-cuff.  It's already past my bedtime, sooo... to be continued!

Served with roasted broccoli and brown rice (not pictured because I had a brain fart and forgot to put it on the plate first!)

Vegan Hushpuppies

I know it's been quiet on here, but there have been a lot of bad things going on lately.  Not "white girl problems," as my friend Marie lovingly calls them on her blog.  These are the woes from which I usually suffer, kvetching endlessly about my otherwise enviable life but for minor things like not adoring my job utterly or being too tired.  No, lately truly awful, heartbreaking stuff has been happening, and it's tearing me apart.  I can't really get into it publicly, but I'm trying to be there for the people I love as much as I can in any way I can, so blogging may have to take a back seat (not that I've been super dedicated lately anyway but whatever).

Some comfort food was undoubtedly in order, elevated cholesterol be damned.  Hushpuppies, by the way, are not only one of my favorite guilty pleasure foods, they were my first favorite food ever.  They may even be my first food memory.  I remember driving down South with my family when I was very young and stopping at a place called Big Daddy's or something of that stereotypical nature.  And I remember taking an order of hushpuppies back to our hotel room and absolutely scarfing them down with the deepest adoration, appreciating every greasy, tender morsel.  And I was only about three years old, so that's pretty intense.  They took a fall from grace only after I was introduced to the corn fritter (a vegan version of which I will post at a later time), but there has always been a special place in my heart for hushpuppies.  However, they are normally made with milk and eggs.  I drafted all kinds of recipes using pureed tofu, etc. but then I was just like, "You know what?  Eff it.  I'm going with the obvious: soymilk and Ener-G."  And ta-da!  They were so satisfying, and just what the fat kid in me needed.

Hushpuppies

¾ c. plain, unsweetened soymilk
1 tsp. vinegar (any kind, really)
2 prepared Ener-G egg replacers
1 c. yellow cornmeal
⅔ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
3-4 T. organic cane sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. dried onion flakes or ½ tsp. onion powder
¼ tsp. black pepper, or to taste
2 T. canola oil
Canola oil, for frying
Kosher salt, to taste

Begin heating 2-3 inches of canola oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat to 375°F.  (An old trick to know when the oil is ready for frying: Dip the end of a wooden spoon's handle into the oil.  If tiny bubbles form around the edges within 1-3 seconds, you're good to go.)

Combine the soymilk and vinegar in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk and set aside for 5 minutes, or until curdled. Prepare the Ener-G eggs and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, onion flakes/powder, and pepper.

Combine the curdled soymilk, Ener-G “eggs” and 2 T. canola oil, and whisk to blend well. Add this wet mixture to the dry ingredients, and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.

When the oil is hot enough, drop in the batter by the tablespoonful. Fry until golden brown, turning them halfway through. Be careful not to add too many hushpuppies to the oil at once, or the temperature of the oil will drop.

Remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain, and sprinkle with salt while the hushpuppies are still hot. I like mine piping hot with a drizzle of maple syrup.

Swedish "Meatballs"

As far as I can tell, Swedish meatballs are often served as appetizers in the U.S., downgraded to being mere toothpick-impaled noshes for the catering crowd.  However, I always knew the dish to be a comfortingly generous meal in and of itself, served smothered in a creamy gravy over a bed of soft noodles.  (Don't be embarrassed if you drooled a little reading that; I drooled a little typing it.)  Traditional köttbullar, as they are called in Swedish, are served with a side of lingonberry jam.  My ShopRite is not nearly exotic enough to purvey such an ingredient, so I opted for a tart red currant jelly, which I incorporated into the sauce rather than serving it separately.

You'll note that I didn't show the cornichons in the picture because I didn't want to detract from the dish itself, but I sprung for some French-imported Maille "fine gherkins," which are about twice the price of regular pickles but, to me, totally worth it.  I never ate a "pickle" as good as those I had in Paris, so I was excited to have an excuse to buy some.  Traditional Swedish meatballs are served with pickled cucumbers of some sort, but don't feel obligated to bust your budget on imported products.  Also not pictured is the roasted asparagus which I served alongside (it was nice to turn on the oven since the weather has grown a bit chilly!)  Finally, instead of egg noodles, I simply used fettuccine.  However, you might also serve these with some boiled or roasted potatoes, if you so prefer.

Swedish "Meatballs"

For the meatballs:
⅔ c. boiling hot no-beef bouillon
⅔ c. TVP granules
2 tsp. dehydrated onion flakes
2 prepared Ener-G “eggs”
1 T. vegan Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground white or black pepper
¼ tsp. ground allspice
¼ tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cardamom
½ c. dried, plain breadcrumbs
2 T. vital wheat gluten flour, or as needed
Oil, for frying

For the sauce:
2 T. vegan margarine – divided
½ lb. button mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)
1 T. unbleached all-purpose flour
¼ c. dry white wine
2 c. mushroom stock or no-beef bouillon
2 T. vegan Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp. browning sauce
¼ c. plain, unsweetened almond milk
1 T. tart preserves (cranberry, grape, red currant, cherry)
1 large, dried bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
A few cornichons/baby gherkins

For the meatballs: Rehydrate TVP and onion flakes in the hot bouillon. Once the liquid is absorbed, add to a mixing bowl with the Ener-G “eggs,” ketchup, and all the herbs and spices. Add the breadcrumbs and mix well. Knead in just enough gluten flour to form a thick mixture that holds together.

Using lightly floured hands, roll into walnut-sized (1½ – 2-inch) balls. Heat a thin layer of oil in a skillet and fry the balls until browned on all sides.  Remove to a paper towel-lined plate.

Now make the sauce: wipe out the pan and add 1 T. of the margarine. Sauté the mushrooms over medium-high heat until golden on both sides. Remove to the paper towel-lined plate with the "meatballs." Add the remaining 1 T. margarine to the pan and melt over medium heat, then stir in the flour, cooking for about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then stir in the stock, Worcestershire sauce and browning sauce.  Bring to a boil, then stir in the almond milk and preserves.  Add the bay leaf and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Add the meatballs and mushrooms and coat with the sauce. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Lay the meatballs over a bed of cooked pasta or vegan noodles.  Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve with the cornichons alongside.

Swedish Chef approved.