The Vegan Version

VEGAN CANETON RÔTI

2011-11-25T23:38:00.001-06:00

[Roast Duckling]

...we had our little Thanksgiving celebration a little bit later because we celebrated the actual day with friends...

...I had the day off on Friday so after we got our tree up I decided we should celebrate with another Yuba duck recipe...

...I used the same procedure as before to make the yuba...and really once you have that done...it comes together pretty quickly...

...some of the instructions about the handling of the dead body are quite gruesome...

...first you place your vegan duck in a roasting pan...and sprinkle on the herbs and some salt and pepper...

...then you strew some vegetables around it...carrots and onions...donchajusluv the word 'strew'...how often do you get to use that word...

...pour on some brown stock...

...I used Washington's Rich Brown Seasoning and Broth...

...of course you don't have to worry about medium rare or any such thing...just roast until everything is heated through and the vegetables are done...

...then add the 'optional' port...I definitely recommend adding this...you cook off the alcohol and it just adds another layer of flavor...

...mash up the vegetables...

...and stir in some Earth Balance right before serving...

...taste and correct seasoning...

...pour into a gravy boat...

...and pour some over the roast...

...slice and serve...

...we had ours simply with some plain steamed rice...

...and fresh peas...

...this was so (SO VERY) good...tender and a little bit chewy...the sauce was delicious...as all of Julia's sauces are...we really enjoyed it...and if I could get ready made yuba...I might make it a little more often...

Substitutions:
Vegan Yuba Duck for the duckling
Vegan Brown Broth for the Stock
Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 274-275

Vegan Carottes aux Fines Herbes

2011-11-22T10:32:00.002-06:00

[Braised Carrots with Herbs]

...Wow...sorry to be away so long...just busy...

...but I pulled these carrots from my little garden back in September...

...brought them home and washed them up...

...and stored them in my fridge...

...I'm amazed at how long carrots keep...and they're just as fresh and sweet and crisp as when they were picked...

...still I'm going to be making some carrot dishes and use them all up soon...

...peel the carrots...of course...

...I turn the carrot about 1/4 turn after each cut to get pretty assymetrical shapes...but I'm sure they're just as pretty sliced...

...put them in a pot...with a little bit of sugar...

...some Earth Balance...

...here they are after they've cooked for about 30 minutes...I know that seems like a long time...they're certainly tender at this point...

...then boil off the remaining liquid...

...toss with the fresh parsley...and some more Earth Balance...

...pour into a hot vegetable dish...

...and serve...

...this is really just the VEGAN CAROTTES ÉTUVÉES AU BEURRE with the addition of some parsley...Julia says you can also add chives or chevril...but I don't like onion-y things with my carrots...so I only added parsley...

...the dish is quite nice and pretty and colourful...but I preferred the plain braised carrots...that may be because I only had Italian Parsley and it seemed a bit strong with the sweet and delicate carrots...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 477

...Vegan MOFO Wrap-Up...

2011-11-01T10:26:00.002-05:00

...well...I can't believe that Vegan MOFO is over...and I did it...I managed to post every weekday all month long...it's such a great motivator...and it's been a lot of fun...figuring out what we're going to make each day...but the very best part of Vegan MOFO has been reading all of the other vegan blogs out there...

10/31 - Vegan Deglazing Sauce with Truffles
10/28 - VEGAN PETITS CHAUSSONS AU ROQUEFORT
10/27 - Vegan Canapés aux Épinards
10/26 - VEGAN CHOU-FLEUR À LA MORNAY, GRATINÉ
10/25 - Vegan Brown Deglazing Sauce with Wine
10/24 - Vegan Fonds d"Artichauts Mornay (p. 433)
10/21 - Vegan Galettes au Roquefort (pp. 196-197)
10/20 - VEGAN SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BRUN (p. 270)
10/19 - VEGAN BEURRE NOIR - BEURRE NOISETTE (pp.98-99)
10/18 - VEGAN NAVETS À L'ÉTUVÉE (pp. 486-487)
10/17 - Sole à la Normande (p. 215)
10/14 - SOLE À LA DIEPOISE (pp. 214-215)
10/13 - Vegan Poireaux Gratinés au Fromage (p. 496)
10/12 - VEGAN AMUSE-GUEULE AU ROQUEFORT (p. 196)
10/11 - Épinards à la Mornay, Gratinés (pp. 472-473)
10/10 - CHOU-FLEUR EN VERDURE (pp. 460-461)
10 / 7 - VEGAN CHARLOTTE AUX POMMES (pp. 623-624)
10 / 6 - Petits Pois a la Francaise (pp. 465-466)
10 / 5 - Pois Frais en Braisage (pp. 464-465)
10 / 4 - Petits Pois aux Oignons (p. 464)
10 / 3 - HARICOTS VERTS GRATINÉS, À LA MORNAY (p. 446)

...Hurray for another year of Vegan MOFO...

Deglazing Sauce with Truffles

2011-10-31T11:21:00.001-05:00

...another recipe without a French Title...these are just variations of VEGAN SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BRUN...so start by browning some tofu in some Earth Balance and oil...

...then when that's done...chop up some truffles...

...Julia says to use canned truffles with their juices...

...add those to your wine and shallots from the Vegan Brown Deglazing Sauce with Wine recipe...

...I added the juice from the jar as well...then boil down until liquid is syrupy...

...and pour over your sautéed tofu suprêmes...

...the wine colours the shallots purple...so this is quite a colourful dish...

...I'm loving these easy variations on the basic sautéed suprêmes...so quick and tasty...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 271

PETITS CHAUSSONS AU ROQUEFORT

2011-10-28T19:45:00.001-05:00

[Pastry Turnovers with Roquefort Cheese]

...I certainly seem to be on a finger food kick here lately...Scout has a dance tonight and I made these little lovelies for the Man and I to snack on as we watched the movie 'Fargo'...funny we've lived in North Dakota for 6 1/2 years and we've never seen it...

...you'll need to make some tofu roquefort like the VEGAN AMUSE-GUEULE AU ROQUEFORT...or use another bleu cheese substitute...the other recipes for Roquefort snacks were so good that I want to try them again with some Sheese Blue Cheese...

...mash the 'cheese' with some Earth Balance...and add some flax seed goo for the egg...

...and some kirsch...

...beat in some vegan cream...but don't thin too much...

...it should remain a fairly thick paste...

...then make a VEGAN PÂTE BRISÉE...

...roll it out pretty thin...about 1/8 of an inch thick...cut it into 2 1/2 inch squares...

...put a teaspoon of Vegan Roquefort filling in the center of each square...

...seal the edges with a little bit of flax seed goo...

...then press the edges together...

...to form a little triangle...

...then press them again...making a design with the tines of a fork...

...place them on a baking sheet and brush tops with some more flax seed goo...then poke a small hole in the center of each triangle to vent...

...bake in the upper third of the oven for about 15 minutes until puffed and lightly browned...you can see that mine really puffed up and not all of my seams held...

...Julia says you can bake these and then reheat them right before serving...

...we ate several still warm...

...they were so good and crisp and crunchy with that cheesy soft filling in the middle...delicious...another perfect little pickup finger food...

Substitutions:
Substitutions from the VEGAN AMUSE-GUEULE AU ROQUEFORT,
and also from the VEGAN PÂTE BRISÉE...

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 204-206

Canapés aux Épinards

2011-10-27T14:17:00.001-05:00

[Spinach and Cheese Canapés]

...Julia suggests serving these hot as a first course...not that we really have 'courses' around here...but we did munch on these little treats before supper...Julia also says you can cut the triangles in half again and make little cocktail appetizers...I think that would be great...I'm planning on making them again to take to a little Halloween gathering...and I think I'll make the smaller version...

...Melt some Earth Balance...

...and cut the crusts off some white bread...and sauté in some Earth Balance...until lightly browned...

...top the triangles with some braised spinach, bread crumbs and vegan cheese...

...sprinkle tops with melted Earth Balance and run under a moderately hot broiler until browned and heated through...

...these were so very good...I bet even people who say they don't like spinach would like them...because they're so cheesy and crsip...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Daiya Mozzarella for the Swiss Cheese

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 472

VEGAN CHOU-FLEUR À LA MORNAY, GRATINÉ

2011-10-26T14:12:00.001-05:00

[Cauliflower au gratin with Cheese]

...I seem to be on a creamy/cheesy vegetable kick lately...that's because of the chilly fall weather...and because a lot of Julia's recipes are creamy and cheesy...

...first you'll need to make some VEGAN CHOU-FLEUR BLANCHI...and some Vegan Sauce Mornay...so many of Julia's recipes build on previous ones...you might look at a short 2 paragraph recipe only to find that there are three other 2 page recipes involved as well...

...mix some vegan cheese with some fine dry breadcrumbs...

...pour the sauce mornay over the cauliflower and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and cheese...

...dribble on some melted Earth Balance...

...place in the upper third of the oven and heat through and brown the top lightly...

...serve as soon as possible...

...I love just about anything covered in a sauce mornay...so creamy and good...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
the substitutions for the Vegan Sauce Mornay
Daiya Mozzarella shreds for the cheese

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 459

Brown Deglazing Sauce with Wine

2011-10-25T11:20:00.001-05:00

...for some reason this recipe doesn't have a French title...it's just a variation on the VEGAN SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BRUN...

...so after removing the sautéed suprêmes from the pan...you stir in some minced onions...

...then some stock...I used Washington's Rich Brown Seasoning and Broth...

...and some wine...

...boil down rapidly over high heat...until liquid is reduced and kind of syrupy...

...pour it over the suprêmes...

...and serve...

...this variation was very good...I think I prefered the buttery SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BRUN...but a reduced wine sauce is very nice and rich...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Vegan broth for the stock
and the other substitutions from the VEGAN SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BRUN

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 271

Fonds d'Artichauts Mornay

2011-10-24T12:58:00.002-05:00

[Artichoke Bottoms Gratineed with Cheese Sauce]

...everything's just always better smothered in a creamy buttery cheesy sauce...and that even holds true for artichokes...

...this is really a lot like the Vegan Fonds d'Artichauts à la Crème...just with the addition of some cheese...

...first you make the Vegan Sauce Mornay and pour that over the artichokes...in a buttered baking dish...sprinkle with cheese - I used Daiya Mozzarella Shreds...and dot with butter...

...about 30 minutes before serving place in the upper third of the oven and heat through...

...we had to turn on the broiler for a minute to brown the cheese...

...it's a pretty dish...it would be perfect for company too...

...hearty and cheesy - perfect for these chilly fall days...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Daiya Shreds for the cheese
substitutions for the Vegan Sauce Mornay

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 433

Galettes au Roquefort

2011-10-21T13:06:00.002-05:00

[Roquefort Cheese Biscuits]

...we were tying quilts at Church and so we needed a little 'lunch'...as they call it up here...and I wanted to make these crispy little biscuits for a snack...

...I made the same tofu roquefort that I made for the VEGAN AMUSE-GUEULE AU ROQUEFORT...

...you mash the 'cheese' with some Earth Balance...and egg - I used flax seed goo for the egg...

...and some cream...I used soymilk mixed with soymilk powder...

...then you knead in the flour...

...it looks pretty much like biscuit dough at this point...

...form it into a ball...

...wrap in waxed paper and chill until firm...

...roll it out 1/4 inch thick and cut into rounds...

...Julia doesn't specify about greasing the baking sheet...I did not...as I don't usually do that with biscuits...

...brush with tops flax seed goo...

...Julia says this dough may also be used as a pastry dough for tarts and turnovers...I bet that'd be good...

...bake until lightly puffed and browned...

...cool on a rack and then put them in a pretty dish...

...these were so crisp and flaky...they reminded me of cheese straws...but also sort of like a cookie...I'm also thinking these would be perfect for holiday gatherings a little bit later in the year...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter.
Soymilk mixed with soymilk powder for the cream.
Flax seed goo for the egg.

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 197-198

SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BRUN

2011-10-20T12:14:00.002-05:00

[Chicken Breasts Sautéed in Butter]

...this is a recipe with three variations...that just involve deglazing the pan with a slightly different sauce...

...Julia suggests using clarified butter...so I mixed Earth Balance with some canola oil for the frying...

...sprinkle your tofu with salt and pepper and roll it in some flour...shake off the excess...

...when the Earth Balance/oil starts to darken...put in your tofu Suprêmes...

...and regulate the heat so that the EB doesn't darken any more...

...Julia gives precise cooking times but they won't be necessary for Tofu Suprêmes...so...just cook until a nice golden brown...

...then follow the recipe for the VEGAN BEURRE NOIR - BEURRE NOISETTE...

...pour the sauce over the Tofu Suprêmes...

...and serve...

...These were delicious...and well...buttery...super simple and quick to prepare...we had ours with some Jasmine rice and sweet peas...a perfect supper for a busy evening...

...when I did the VEGAN SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BLANC before I used seitan chick'n and you could certainly do that for this recipe as well...but tofu was much quicker...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance and oil for the clarified butter
Extra Firm Tofu for the chicken

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 270

BEURRE NOIR - BEURRE NOISETTE

2011-10-19T09:24:00.003-05:00

[Brown Butter Sauce]

...this recipe is the sauce for the VEGAN SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BRUN...

...Julia gives two options for the sauce...one is to make the sauce in the pan immediately after sautéing the tofu...this is what we did...but she says you can also make the sauce in advance...either way...you add a lot of Earth Balance to the pan...this way there was already some butter and oil left over from sautéing the tofu...

...you let that get a nutty brown colour...then add some parsley...

...and then add some acid...lemon juice (which is what we used) or vinegar or capers...

...rapidly boil that down to reduce the acidity...

...then serve at once...

...needless to say this was a good and very buttery sauce...I'll post the recipe for the SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BRUN tomorrow...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 98-99

NAVETS À L'ÉTUVÉE

2011-10-18T09:18:00.003-05:00

[Turnips Braised in Butter]

...We've pulled up everything out of the garden...and there were a LOT of turnips...so I'll probably be breezing through all of Julia's turnip recipes soon...turnips keep well...so I may save some for holiday dinners too...

...turnips fresh from the garden...washed...

...peeled and quartered...cute pinkie shot...funny...

...turnips with homemade vegetable stock...Julia says you can use broth or water...

...blanch the turnips in water...

...then drain and place in a pot with Earth Balance and enough liquid barely to cover...season lightly...

...cover and boil for 20-30 minutes until they are tender but retain their shape...

...If all of the liquid has not evaporated...uncover and boil it off...

...correct seasoning and serve...

...what can I say about this...I love turnips...and these were simply delicious...the boiled off cooking liquid forms a sweet buttery coating for the turnips and they were delicious...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 486-487

...Liebster Blog...

2011-10-17T09:19:00.004-05:00

Thanks so much to OMGosh I'M VEGAN for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award...

The word “Liebster” is German for ‘dearest’ or ‘beloved’ but it can also mean ‘favorite’.

The idea behind this award is to bring attention to bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

The rules of winning this award are as follows:

1. Show your thanks to those who gave you the award by linking back to them.
2. Link to 5 of your top picks and let them know they’ve been nominated by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog.
4. Enjoy the love and support of some wonderful people on the interweb!

I have 'met' so many lovely new Vegan bloggers during this VeganMoFo...

...here are my Liebster Award nominations!

Monique (a.k.a. Mo) at Mo Betta Vegan:
Amanda at Newman Improved
Sarah at Vegetalion
Lauren at Peanutbutter and Ginger
and Becky at Tasty Planet

Vegan Sole à la Normande

2011-10-17T08:45:00.004-05:00

[Tofu Fish Filets with Shellfish and Mushrooms]

...this is the first variation on the SOLE À LA DIEPOISE...

...this is exactly the same recipe with the addition of mushrooms...sauté like the Vegan Champignons Sautés à la Bordelaise...

...and add them to the garniture with the vegan shrimp...and then add some little triangles of Vegan Croutons...Julia also adds oysters...but I've already got the vegi scallops standing in for the shellfish...I guess I could just add more of them...

...this recipe was better than the SOLE À LA DIEPOISE...the addition of the mushrooms and the crunchy croutons was just better...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Soymilk for the milk
Cedar Lake Vegi-Scallops for the shellfish
Vegan shrimp for the shrimp

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 215

VEGAN SOLE À LA DIEPOISE

2011-10-14T16:45:00.002-05:00

[Tofu Fish Filets with Mussels and Shrimp]

...it's been quite a while since I've done anything from the Fish chapter...so I'm going to do two back to back...

...first you poach the tofu filets in white wine like we did for the VEGAN FILETS DE (Tofu) POISSON POCHÉS AU VIN BLANC...and as I learned from that recipe that the nori can be quite a strong flavor...

...this time I cooked the nori a little bit first in the white wine and then strained it before adding it to the tofu filets...

...I arranged the poached filets in a lightly buttered (with Earth Balance) dish...six of them...three for this recipe and three for the variation with mushrooms...I figured we'd each eat 2 filets and it'd be nice to try a little bit different variation while we were at it...(recipe for that one to come)...

...then make the sauce...add some flour to melted Earth Balance...

....cook slowly for a couple of minutes...

...off heat...add the cooking liquid from the filets...

...then add some soymilk...

...and flax seed goo egg yolks...in the recipe Julia has you add some of the hot liquid to the yolks...but that won't be necessary with flax seed goo...so I just dumped it right in...

...return to the boil and cook for 1 minute...add some salt pepper and lemon juice...

...arrange the filets and the shellfish (I used the vegi scallops) on a platter...

...cook your vegan shrimp in some Earth Balance for a few minutes...

...then spoon the sauce over the fish and shellfish...

...decorate with sliced truffles...

...and the vegan shrimp...

...and serve immediately...

...this was good and creamy...I didn't care too much for the vegan shrimp...but that's just me...I'm not too much of one for the meat analogs anyway...

...and this would be a pretty and fancy sort of company dish...and this was the first time in my life that I've ever eaten truffles...they're very good...and definitely rich and earthy tasting...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter
Soymilk for the milk
Cedar Lake Vegi-Scallops for the shellfish
Vegan shrimp for the shrimp which I got online at VegeCyber

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 214-215

Vegan Poireaux Gratinés au Fromage

2011-10-13T21:08:00.002-05:00

[Leeks Browned with Cheese]

...first you'll need to braise some leeks POIREAUX BRAISÉS AU BEURRE...

...mix some breadcrumb with some vegan cheese...I used Daiya Mozzarella...

...and Vegan parmasan...

...after the leeks have browned slightly...sprinkle them with the breadcrumb and cheese mixture...

...pour over the melted Earth Balance...

...run under the broiler for a few minutes...

...these were delicious...just a perfect autumn side dish...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter
Vegan Cheese for the cheese

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 496

VEGAN AMUSE-GUEULE AU ROQUEFORT

2011-10-12T20:29:00.003-05:00

[Roquefort Cheese Balls - Cold]

I needed a little appetizer thing-y to take to a gathering at Church...and I just love the word amuse-gueule but I prefer the word amuse-bouche and thought that it was really interesting that the dictionary says that gueule is the more vulgar word...imagine Julia using a more vulgar word...

...anywhoo...I wanted to make a cheese ball sort of appetizer...but not a big cheese ball like the one for Christmas...but I wanted to make little bite sized pick ups that could be popped in the mouth...

...so I needed some Roquefort cheese...I have tried Sheese's Blue Cheese and it's very good and if I had any access to it I would probably have used it...just because it would be easier...

...but I decided to make a variation of the Roquefort Dressing and Dip recipe from the Uncheese Cookbook by Joanne Stepaniak...so first I mixed up some All Season Blend...and I actually found the recipe here for you...

...I crumbled up some regular firm tofu...

...and put it into a pot with the All Season Blend and some water...

...and cooked it for about 20 minutes - this will be the base of the Roquefort Cheese...

...then looking at the other ingredients for the dressing/dip - the one that probably imparts the most Roquefort-y flavor is the Umeboshi Plum paste...I couldn't get that but I did find pickled Umeboshi plums...

...so I took out the pit and mashed them up in my mortar and pestle...so now they're Umeboshi Plum paste...

...drain your 'Roquefort'...really well...

...Julia's recipe is actually quite simple...just mash up the Roquefort-tofu with some softened Earth Balance...

...Add some chives and minced celery...a pinch of cayenne...

...and a few drops of Vegan Worschestershire sauce...I make my own from a recipe very similar to this one...

...mix it together really well...

...grind up some stale white bread and add some parsley to it...

...form the Roquefort mixture into little balls...

... and roll around in the bread crumbs...

...these were really good and everyone loved them...

...perfect little bite sized orbs...

...they were awesome to just pop in your mouth...but I bet they'd be good with crackers too...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter
Tofu boiled with All Season Blend-Umeboshi Plum Paste-Earth Balance for the Roquefort

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 196

Vegan Épinards à la Mornay, Gratinés

2011-10-11T10:18:00.002-05:00

[Spinach Gratinéed with Cheese Sauce]

...if you love a nice creamy Sheese-y dish...

...then this one's for you...so good...

...first make a Vegan Sauce Mornay...

...and butter a gratin dish with some Earth Balance...

...spread about 1/3 of the sauce on the bottom of the dish...

...make Vegan Épinards à la Crème...and spread them over the mornay sauce...top with the rest of the Mornay sauce...

... sprinkle with more Sheese...

...drizzle on some Earth Balance...

...bake until heated through and brown on top...

...This was really good and creamy...Julia also suggests the addition of optional mushrooms...I bet that would be good too...but we didn't add them this time...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter
Sheese for the cheese
and the Substitutions for the Vegan Sauce Mornay

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 472-473

VEGAN CHOU-FLEUR EN VERDURE

2011-10-10T09:34:00.003-05:00

[Purée of Cauliflower and Water Cress with Cream]

...a pretty and colourful Cauliflower Casserole...

...perfect for a chilly fall supper...

...the Man went grocery shopping with Scout...and they came home with a nice organic cauliflower...this is just slightly unusual here...I've seen organic cauliflower in the grocery before...but it's really not that often...and as I wouldn't dream of using the frozen stuff for one of Julia's recipes...(unless it's called for - and she does condescend to give us some tips on using frozen or canned food occasionally)...it was a nice thing to have...

...separate the florets...

...then chop up the stalk...

...cook the cauliflower for a few minutes in boiling salted water...

...then add your watercress and cook a few minutes more...

...meanwhile...make a thick VEGAN SAUCE BÉCHAMEL...

...purée the cauliflower and watercress through a food mill...

...this is quite a bit of work...but Julia says on more than one occasion how much better the texture of food-milled versus food-processed or blended...

...make some fresh bread crumbs...I do use the food processor for that...

...fold in the Béchamel Sauce...

...then add some cream...being careful not to thin the purée too much...

...Julia says it should hold it's shape when a bit is lifted on a spoon...

...y'all know what a difficult time I have getting vegan food here...and the only cheese I had on hand was some tofutti slices...so I put those in the freezer for a few minutes...and then chopped them up...(the recipe calls for swiss cheese - so this will be milder)...

...fold in the grated cheese...

...fold the purée into a buttered (with Earth Balance) baking dish...

...top with bread crumbs...

...more cheese...

...and melted butter...

...bake to heat through and brown the cheese and breadcrumbs...about 30 minutes...

...serve as soon as possible...

...this was a nice mild yummy cauliflower casserole...

Substitutions:
Soymilk mixed with powdered soymilk to make a thick 'cream'
VEGAN SAUCE BÉCHAMEL...and it's substitutions
Vegan cheese for the swiss cheese - I used slightly frozen Tofutti slices chopped
Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 460-461

VEGAN CHARLOTTE AUX POMMES

2011-10-07T22:14:00.002-05:00

[Apple Charlotte, Unmolded - a hot or cold dessert]

...this was a pretty, easy, and delicious fall dessert...

...and a good way to use up some of those fall apples too...

...Julia recommends Golden Delicious apples for this recipe...I had one and then some other apples that were given to us...

...Peel...Quarter...Core...and Slice...

...put them in a pan with no water over very low heat and cook for about 20-30 minutes...

...meanwhile make your crust...cut some homemade bread to fit your mold...

...I don't have a Charlotte mold so I used a pyrex dish...

...cut a circle for the bottom and some strips for the sides...

...I did a test fit...sort of like the VEGAN CHARLOTTE MALAKOFF AUX FRAMBOISES...only with bread instead of Lady Fingers...

...dip the strips in melted Earth Balance...

...and sauté the round for the bottom...you may need more than one piece to cover the bottom of your mold...if so sauté them all...

...by now, your apples should be just about tender...

...so add some apricot jam - Julia says forced through a sieve...but mine didn't have any bits of apricot in it anyway...add some sugar and rum too...

...line your mold with the bread...

...and trim the tops of your sides...

...your filling should be thick and have all the moisture evaporated....

...fill your mold leaving it slightly domed in the center...

...top with more bread...I used the trimmed of tops of the side pieces...

...bake until golden brown...

...make a sauce with the apricot jam...sugar...and more rum...

...stir until smooth...

...invert the Charlotte onto a serving dish...

...top with the glaze...

...spread the glaze over the top and let the extra drip down the sides...

...Julia seems really worried that the filling won't hold it's shape...

...but ours held up just fine...

...and was easily slice-able...

...If you like buttery toast and applesauce...this is definitely the dessert for you...the Man thought it would be good for breakfast as that's when we usually have toast and applesauce...

...Julia says to serve this warm or cold...and I think warm is definitely best...and there's an optional creme sauce...like the one on the ASPIC DE POMMES where it was really needed...this dish is fine without it...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 623-624

PETITS POIS FRAIS À LA FRANÇAISE

2011-10-06T11:21:00.002-05:00

[Peas Braised with Lettuce and Onions - for medium sized, tender, fresh peas]

...This is the very last of the fresh pea recipes...and the very last of my fresh peas...so that worked out well...the only other two pea recipes are for frozen peas and canned peas...and they'll be fine for trying in the winter...

...You're supposed to use Boston Lettuces which you cut in quarters...but I can't get those up here...so I used the Heirloom Lettuce...and stacked several leaves for each bundle...

...and tied those up with string...

...ooops...I was supposed to tie the ends of the parsley together...not chop it...must read instructions more carefully....that's OK though...I'll just put them in my trusty tea ball...

...then put on my water, salt, pepper, sugar, and my tea ball with my chopped parsley in it...

...brought that to a boil...and you can see that I had to buy frozen pearl onions as the fresh variety are not available here either...

...I blanched those and put them and the peas into the boiling water...

...layer the lettuce bundles on top...

...instead of putting on a lid - Julia says to put a soup plate over the boiling pot and fill it with ice so that the water will condense and fall back down onto the cooking vegetables...

...again the cooking time is 20-30 minutes - and you toss the peas and vegetables several times during that period...

...discard the parsley (bundle or tea ball)...and untie the lettuce...

...arrange the lettuce on the side and toss the peas with some more Earth Balance and serve at once...

...my boys thought this dish was very good...but they also thought that it was odd that it should be served as a separate course and eaten with a spoon...we're so uncouth as to eat our peas as a side dish you know...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 465-466

Pois Frais en Braisage

2011-10-05T09:00:00.002-05:00

[Buttered Peas III - for large, rather tough, fresh green peas]

...Julia says that this recipe is for large, mature, end-of-season peas...exactly what we have here...

...Julia says to squeeze the peas with your hands rather roughly to bruise them slightly...that seems really odd to me...but of course I did what she said...

...you're supposed to have Boston Lettuce...but they never have that at the grocery store here...and I was very lucky to find this heirloom variety...so I picked out the Boston lettuce bits...

...and shredded those...

...added them to the pot with the onions...a little sugar...salt and Earth Balance...

...bring to a boil - cover and cook for an astonishing 20-30 minutes...

...checking after the first 20 minutes for tender peas...mine of course were tender by then...probably before then...

...then over moderately high heat boil off all the liquid...

...Julia often has you do this to vegetables...they are rarely cooked and drained and I must say that the concentrated flavors of the boiled away cooking water add a lot of depth to the dish...

...place in a heated vegetable dish and serve at once...

...another delicious pea dish...I'm also getting used to cooked lettuce...which I had never had before starting this project...

...one more pea recipe tomorrow...and then I'm all out of fresh peas for this year...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 464-465

Petits Pois aux Oignons

2011-10-04T09:00:00.007-05:00

[Buttered Peas with Onions]

This is really just the Petits Pois Étuvés au Beurre with the addition of some onions...I'm surprised that it has its own recipe...

...little white pearl onions would probably have been prettier but I didn't have any...Julia says you can use shallots or some minced green onions...

...this was pretty, easy and very tasty...

...Julia says that end of season peas (and these definitely are end of season)...'remain green...though they will look a bit wrinkled...'

...I'll be posting some more interesting things soon...I just need to use up all my fresh garden produce first...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 464

VEGAN HARICOTS VERTS GRATINÉS, À LA MORNAY

2011-10-03T09:36:00.006-05:00

[Green Beans Gratinéed with Cheese Sauce]

...well...it's time once again for...

...my first few posts will be me trying to use up the rest of our garden produce...we've had a lovely mild fall so far...no snow yet anyway...I think this will be the last of the green beans from this year's garden though...I've got a few more peas to use up too before I move on to more interesting things...not that these green beans weren't interesting and delicious...because they definitely were...they were easy to make and drew heavily on other recipes already accomplished...

...First you do HARICOTS VERTS BLANCHIS...
...then you make a Vegan Sauce Mornay...

...next...you spread a layer of Sauce Mornay in dish...arrange your blanched green beans over that...and pour the rest of the Sauce Mornay on top...sprinkle with cheese and dot with Earth Balance...

...a half hour before serving...bake until green beans are well heated and the sauce is lightly browned...

...Julia says that this is a good make ahead recipe...

...as with the other creamed green bean recipes this one is very good...perhaps a smidgen better because of the addition of the cheese...or Sheese...as the case may be...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter
Soymilk for the milk
Sheese for the cheese

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 446

Vegan Haricots Verts, Sauce Crème

2011-09-19T10:35:00.003-05:00

[Creamed Green Beans II]

...I'm still trying to use up all the garden produce that we harvested just before the frost...so another green bean recipe was needed...

...Julia says that this is less rich than the pure cream treatment in Haricots Verts à la Crème...

...first you make a VEGAN SAUCE BÉCHAMEL...

...and you delicately fold that into your blanched green beans...I did not include the shallots in this recipe...Scout prefers his green beans without onion-y flavor...but that would be nice I'm sure...

...cover and simmer until beans are tender...

...correct seasonings...turn onto a hot vegetable dish and serve at once...

...these were delicious...this sauce was a little bit thicker and clung to the green beans better than the plain cream sauce...we liked it better this way...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter
and the substitutions from the VEGAN SAUCE BÉCHAMEL recipe

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 445-446

Vegan Petits Pois Étuvés au Beurre

2011-09-12T09:32:00.004-05:00

[Buttered Peas II - for large but tender fresh green peas]

I've been picking fresh peas from the garden again...

...and hoping that they meet Julia's criteria for this recipe...large and tender...

...I love her somewhat condescending comment that they are 'the kind you usually find at your market'...

...they don't appear to be too large...

...sort of medium sized really...

...but we dropped them into boiling salted water...

...and boiled uncovered for about 5 minutes...

...then we drained them and put them back into the pan with some salt...

...pepper...

...and a little bit of sugar again...about 1/2 Tbs this time...

...add a bunch of Earth Balance - Julia says 6 Tbs...

...cover and cook about 10 minutes (seems too long to me)...tossing occasionally...

...Julia suggests adding mint as an 'optional English touch', but I did not...

...they were very good...as fresh peas always are...especially coated with Earth Balance...a little over done for my taste...but still very good and we ate them all up...

...a really simple recipe...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 463-464

Vegan Haricots Verts à la Crème

2011-09-05T08:59:00.004-05:00

[Creamed Green Beans]

...I've been back to the garden and picked some lovely fresh green beans...now they're all washed and stemmed and ready to go...

...blanch them first...

...in some salted water for 3-4 minutes...

...then drain them and put them back into the pan to evaporate their moisture...

...toss with salt and pepper...

...and some Earth Balance...

...and pour in the cream...I used homemade soymilk thickened with some powdered soymilk...but you can certainly use a vegan cream if it's available and not too sweet...

...Julia says to cover and boil for 5 minutes or so...until the beans are tender and the cream is reduced by half...but after 5 minutes my beans were probably tender...but I couldn't tell that the cream had reduced at all...so I boiled mine about 5 more minutes with the lid off...

...turn into a hot vegetable dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve...

...still not sure my 'cream' reduced enough...but these were very good...as most things covered in cream are...and it was a very simple recipe...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Soymilk mixed with soymilk powder for the cream

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 445

VEGAN POMMES DE TERRE SAUTÉES

2011-08-31T10:37:00.011-05:00

POMMES DE TERRE POUR GARNITURE
POMMES DE TERRE CHÀTEAU

[Potatoes Sautéed in Butter]

...for some reason this recipe has three titles - maybe because Julia says that she strictly rationed herself on potato recipes...

...Julia describes French potatoes as smooth oval potatoes 2 to 2 1/2 inches long with yellowish flesh...but you can't find anything of the sort here in North Dakota...so I got the smallest red potatoes I could find...

...peeled them...

...and shaped them into fiddly little 2 inch ovals...

...cute aren't they?...look at that pile of left over bits...Oh...and I should mention that the potatoes need to be dried on a towel and not rinsed at all...

...I did as Julia suggested and used the leftover bits for potato and leek soup...

...that was delicious too...

...you'll need a bunch of Earth Balance...about 4 Tablespoons...you need to coat the bottom of a heavy skillet with 1/16th inch of melted butter (Earth Balance)...you can add some oil if you prefer...

...put the dry potatoes in the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes...

...shake the skillet to coat the potatoes with the melted Earth Balance...

...continue cooking for 4-5 minutes...they should now have a protective film that will prevent them from sticking to the pan...

...sprinkle with salt and pepper...

...cover and cook for about 15 minutes...shaking the pan every 3-4 minutes...

...continue cooking until nice and golden brown and the potatoes yield to gentle pressure...

...at this point you're supposed to add more butter...but really...they were just cooked in butter (and by butter I mean Earth Balance)...so I didn't...but do if you want to...and sprinkle with parsley...which I forgot - at this point I think I was sort of rushed to get them outside to the table...

...turn onto a hot vegetable dish...

...I do so love potatoes...just about any way you can fix them...I love them...and this buttery dish of potatoes was so very good...they weren't crunchy at all...but there was that brown and buttery outer layer that gave way to the creamy white starchy potato-y inside...absolutely delicious...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 526-528

Vegan Petits Pois Frais à l'Anglaise

2011-08-22T10:18:00.010-05:00

[Buttered Peas I - for very tender, sweet, fresh, green peas]

...I've been to the garden here in mid-August...

...and picked my first spring peas...so funny...fresh peas are not generally available at our grocery store...so I've had to wait until we had some in the garden to try this recipe...

...but it is such a pleasure to sit outside in the earliest of the cool fall evenings...and shell peas...

...we grew two varieties and you can definitely tell the difference...some are tiny greyish-green and the others are regular...

...just some salted water...

...dump the peas into the boiling water...

...boil slowly, uncovered for 4-8 minutes...

...drain immediately...see the different sized/coloured peas...

...put the little peas back in the saucepan with some salt and pepper...and I've never put sugar in sweet peas before...but it's only 1/2 teaspoon...but Julia says you can add up to 1 Tablespoon depending on the sweetness of the peas...

...place the peas in a hot vegetable dish...and top with butter formed into little shells...which I couldn't quite manage...

...so I topped the peas with little crinkled curls of Earth Balance...

...these were delicious and fresh...and all of the glorious things you say about the first tender sweet peas of spring...even if it is August when you finally get them...there are a couple more pea recipes...so a few more harvests are forecast...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 462-463

VEGAN CAROTTES GLACÉES

2011-07-07T09:24:00.010-05:00

[Vegan Glazed Carrots]

...this is one of the easiest of Julia's recipes that I've tried so far...and just one pot...really...

...you're supposed to peel and cut carrots in 2 inch pieces...but I just used baby carrots instead...

...the recipe calls for brown stock...so I mixed up a packet of the brown stock my Mom sent a while back...Thanks Mom!...

...add a couple of tablespoons of turbinado sugar...and some pepper...

...a few tablespoons of Earth Balance...and you're done...

...and cook for a long time...30-40 minutes...until the carrots are tender and the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze...add a little bit of salt and pepper...

...roll the carrots gently in the syrup and turn onto a hot vegetable dish...

...these were really lovely...tender and sweet...delicious...and easy...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Vegan brown stock for stock

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 479

Vegan Fricassée de Poulet à l'Indienne

2011-07-01T09:46:00.008-05:00

[Vegan 'Chicken' in Curry Sauce]

Maria at Little Things are Big posted about a tofu curry meal that she pulled together out of the cupboard...and she inspired me to do the same...sort of ...of course I picked up MtAoFC...and found this recipe...

...basically you just follow the instructions for the VEGAN FRICASSÉE DE POULET À L'ANCIENNE...and while the tofu is cooking in the butter (read Earth Balance) - you add some curry powder...

...then you continue with the FRICASSÉE recipe adding the vegetables and vegan cream and egg substitutions...

...I arranged my pearl onions and mushrooms in an alternating pattern around the edge of the dish...

...and served it over jasmine rice...it was so perfect...a nice mild curry dish...exactly what I was craving...

Substitutions:

Earth Balance for Butter
Vegan Cream for the Cream
Extra Firm Tofu for the Chicken
Vegan Chicken Bouillon for the Chicken Stock
Flax seed goo for the eggs

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 261

Vegan Épinards Gratinées au Fromage

2011-06-22T13:16:00.007-05:00

[Vegan Spinach Gratinéed with Cheese]

The grocery store had the Earthbound Organic Spinach on sale again...not for 99¢ but for 79¢...(which is amazing as it's usually $3.79)...so we're having spinach again...and we're likely to have it again and again as I bought three of the big plastic boxes...(I know there's a lot of waste involved there...it is recyclable though)...

...this recipe was really easy...and I'm quite the pro now with the PURÉE D'ÉPINARDS SIMPLE...which you'll need to make first...

...mix some of the cheese in with the spinach...

...mix the rest of the cheese with some breadcrumbs and sprinkle on top...you're supposed to heap up the spinach for some reason...

...then bake for about 30 minutes in the upper portion of the oven and brown the breadcrumbs lightly...

...that's it...and even Scout likes spinach with cheese and breadcrumbs topping it...

...using one entire plastic box of spinach only makes this small amount...just enough for 3 people...of course at that price you could use more than one bin...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter from the Epinards Simple and also to butter the dish for baking here
Vegan Parmesan for the Swiss

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 471-472

ASPIC DE POMMES

2011-06-09T12:12:00.002-05:00

[Rum-Flavored Apple Aspic, Unmolded - a cold dessert]

...with all the deck building and just adjusting to the new summer schedule - I've been away from the Vegan Version...but I have been cooking, of course...

...this dessert looked interesting and very 60s-ish to me...

...you peel, quarter and core some apples...

...add some lemon juice...water...and sugar...

...oil your mold with a tasteless oil...I used Canola...

...boil your apples for about 20 minutes...they should become sort of translucent...

...make a decorative pattern with some glacéed fruits in the bottom of your mold...I also added a couple of parsley leaves...

...add the rest of your glacéed fruit to the apple mixture...then add some rum (off heat)...I only had this cherry flavored rum - so that's what I used...

...I spooned a little bit of the liquid over the glacéed fruits and leaves and set that in the fridge to set...after testing it when it was cool...I have little hope that the aspic will gel enough to be servable...it seems like a sticky jelly to me now...

...but I poured the rest of the syrup into the mold and set it in the fridge...

...now on to the CRÈME ANGLAISE...

...now for the moment of truth...the unmolding...

...well...as I thought - it's a bit too sticky...and not nearly as pretty as the mold it was molded in...

...but at least it held it's shape...

...and was servable...

...we just poured over some of the CRÈME ANGLAISE...

...and it was surprisingly good...I really thought that it was going to be like eating a big spoonful of apple jelly...but it wasn't sickeningly sweet...and it's the cream sauce really makes this dish...

...again...I don't know exactly what occasion I would ever serve this recipe for...but I'd probably just mold it in a nice round bottomed mold so that the presentation would be a little more smooth...

Substitutions: None - HA - another vegan recipe...but I should mention that there are subs in the cream sauce...and I wouldn't serve this dish without that...

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 627-628

VEGAN CRÈME ANGLAISE

2011-06-09T12:11:00.010-05:00

[Vegan Light Custard Sauce]

...this is the accompaniment for the ASPIC DE POMMES...but it's used in other recipes as well...

..I started with some clear flax seed goo - for the egg yolks...

...and added some sugar...

...then whisked in some corn starch...

...and some boiled almond milk...this step is done in the original recipe to keep from scrambling your eggs...but as I'm not using eggs - it's probably unnecessary...

...then poured that mixture back in the pot...

...and cooked it - stirring with a wooden spoon - until lightly thickened...

...added some vanilla...off heat...

...and stirred that in...

...it's not super thick - like a pudding - it should just coat a spoon...

...poured it into a little cream pitcher...and served it with the ASPIC DE POMMES...

...it was delicious...and totally made that dish...this is also one of those master recipes that is used with a lot of other recipes...and it's very very good...

Substitutions: flax seed goo for the eggs
almond milk for the milk

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 588

VEGAN CHOU-FLEUR AUX TOMATES FRAÎCHES

2011-05-28T12:05:00.001-05:00

[Vegan Cauliflower Gratinéed with Cheese and Tomatoes]

I've already told you about my local grocery store's insane sales on spinach - they recently also had these cute little Cauliettes on sale for 99¢...and I had these little tomatoes that were about to go bad...so this was the perfect recipe to use them up...

...first you make the CHOU-FLEUR BLANCHI...

...the recipe calls for seeded peeled tomatoes - but I wanted to use my little grape tomatoes...so you arrange the cauliflower in the center of a buttered baking dish and place the tomatoes around the edge...

...season with salt and pepper...

...and some melted Earth Balance...

...it's very pretty like it is...

...spinkle bread crumbs on top...

...and cheese...I used Daiya Mozzarella...

...bake until warmed through and nicely browned...

...it was really good and pretty...and it tasted sort of like pizza with a cauliflower crust...

Substitutions: only Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 459-460

VEGAN (TOFU) THON À LA PROVENÇALE

2011-05-16T12:54:00.013-05:00

[Vegan Tofu Tuna or Swordfish Steaks with Wine, Tomatoes, and Herbs]

...Julia says this can be served either hot or cold...we had ours hot...but I tried some leftovers today for lunch cold and she's right - it's very good cold too...

...start with a marinade...salt, lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper...I also added some kelp granules for a sort of marine flavor...marinate a couple of hours...

...sauté the tofu-tuna in olive oil until lightly brown...

...arrange tofu filets in a dish...

...chop some onions and tomatoes...

...you'll need some garlic too - just mashed...

...cook some onions slowly without browning...add your garlic...

...and tomatoes...

...some thyme...

...and oregano...a little salt and pepper too...

...pour your sauce over your filets...

...pour in some wine and bake until the filets are simmering...

...remove the filets to a serving platter...

...and put the sauce in a pan...boil it down (remember Juila cares not at all how many pots and pans you use) and she says to add some tomato paste or meat glaze for added depth of flavor...I added some vegan bouillon...

...this next part was kinda weird...as it's a sort of uncooked roux - I've never done that before - just make a paste of flour and Earth Balance...

...then stir it into the sauce - off heat...

...it thickened up the sauce right away - and I guess there was enough heat to sort of cook the paste...

...pour the thickened sauce over the filets stir in some fresh parsley and serve...

...we had a nice big chopped lettuce and arugula salad...

...and per Julia's suggestion - some green beans and potatoes...

...it was lovely...

Substitutions:
Tofu for Tuna
Earth Balance for Butter
Vegan Bouillon for meat glaze

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 219-220

Vegan Épinards en Surprise

2011-05-09T09:20:00.003-05:00

[Vegan Spinach Hidden under a Giant Crêpe]

...our grocery store has been having an insane sale on Wild Harvest Organic Spinach (99¢)...so we've been eating lots of spinach...YUM!

...First you'll need some Épinards à la Crème...and some swiss cheese (we used Daiya Mozzarella style...

...and then you'll need to make a big CRÊPE...

...and that's pretty much it...

...you just hide the Spinach under the big ole crepe...

...slice it like a cake...

...and SURPRISE!...

...there's spinach inside...

This was a lot like the Gâteau de Crêpes à la Florentine...only a lot simpler...and without the mushrooms...but still really creamy and good...

Substitutions:
Daiya for the cheese
see the supporting recipes for their substitutions:
Épinards à la Crème
CRÊPES

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 473

Vegan Sauce Moutarde à la Normande

2011-04-26T10:54:00.002-05:00

[Vegan Mustard Sauce with Cream]

I made another VEGAN RÔTI DE PORC POÊLÉ for Easter lunch...everyone loves it...and I made a nice Sauce Moutarde to go with it...so delicious...

...first crush some peppercorns...I used Tellicherry...

...add those to some vinegar...

...mix some dry mustard with water...

...and add that to the pot...

...I used my trusty combo of soymilk (homemade) mixed with powdered soymilk for the creamer...

...add that to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes...until lightly thickened...

...it should coat a spoon - but it won't be thick like a gravy...

...off heat - swirl in some Earth Balance by bits...

...pour into a warmed gravy boat...

...and serve...

...this was so good...creamy and tangy...perfect with the roast...

Substitutions:
Soymilk mixed with powdered soymilk for the cream
Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 382

VEGAN POULETS GRILLÉS À LA DIABLE

2011-04-17T19:11:00.004-05:00

[Vegan Chicken Broiled with Mustard, Berbs, and Bread Crumbs]

...We had the Men's French Toast Breakfast after church today...so we didn't need to have brunch for lunch...I just have plain toast with syrup...still yummy...

...so we made a super easy and delicious vegan chicken dinner instead...

...Start by broiling your filets - I decided to use firm tofu (my grocery store is now carrying tofu - so YAY!) instead of seitan this time...

...broil until very lightly browned...

...salt lightly...

...make some bread crumbs...fresh is always better...

...chop some shallots - we used green onions...

...mix with a little cayenne, thyme, and mustard (you could also use basil or tarragon, Julia says)...

...Julia says to 'paint' the 'chicken' with the mixture...but we just dipped ours in it...

...then put your bread crumbs on a plate and dredge your painted 'chicken' in the crumbs...

...pressing to apply on all sides...

...then return to the broiler and brown slowly for 10 minutes or so...ours took a bit longer...

...we served them with mashed potatoes (Scout's favorite), some peas, biscuits, and applesauce...and also a side of Leeks in Cheese Sauce (Poireaux à la Mornay, Gratinés) (not pictured here)...

...this was another delightful dish...

...crispy on the outside and tender and moist on the inside...

...and the crunchy-spicy-mustardy coating was perfect...

Substitutions:
Tofu for the chicken

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

(pp. 265-267)

Vegan Poireaux à la Mornay, Gratinés

2011-04-17T19:10:00.003-05:00

[Vegan Leeks browned with Cheese Sauce]

...a delicious side dish...

...first you'll need to braise some leeks POIREAUX BRAISÉS AU BEURRE...

...and make a Sauce Mornay...

...sprinkle with 'cheese' we used Daiya...

...and run under a hot broiler for a few minutes...

...delicious...we served these with our POULETS GRILLÉS À LA DIABLE
...

Substitutions:
See POIREAUX BRAISÉS AU BEURRE
and Sauce Mornay
for their substitutions...

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

(p. 496)

Vegan Omelette Pipérade

2011-04-11T08:28:00.003-05:00

[Vegan Open-faced Omelette Garnished with Onions, Peppers, Tomatoes, and Ham]

I know I said a couple of Sundays ago when we made the Crêpes that we were out of Omelette recipes...but I was wrong...there was one more...and it is a fancy-schmancy-fill-you-up-hearty omelette for sure...

Julia says this is a Basque specialty and you'll need some Ham Seitan for it - I had some already sliced in the freezer...so that shortened our prep time considerably...

...First...you brown the 'ham' lightly in butter...

...and set aside...

...then in the same butter you browned the 'ham' in...cook some onions and peppers slowly without browning...

...season with salt and pepper...

...stir in some garlic and tomatoes...

...make your omelette... - remove it from the heat and spread your pipérade mixture over it...

...sprinkle the 'ham' over the top...and serve...

...I know that looks like wine in the glass but it's really cranberry juice...HA!

...so very hearty and good...

...we loved this omelette and will definitely be making it again...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Ham Seitan for the ham
Vegan Omelette for the omelette portion

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 137-138

Other Omelette Recipes

L'OMELETTE BROUILLÉE (pp. 129 - 132)
L'OMELETTE ROULÉE (pp. 132 - 135)
L'Omelette Aux Fines Herbes (p. 135)
L'Omelette Au Fromage (pp. 135-136)
Omelette Aux Épinards (p. 136)
Omelettes Gratinées à la Tomate (pp. 136-137 )

VEGAN OEUFS EN GELEE

2011-04-06T10:51:00.001-05:00

[Vegan Poached Eggs in Aspic]

I was a little bit afraid of all the aspic recipes in MtAoFC...but really a little bouillon and some agar powder and there's nothing to fear...'what could happen?'...

...First you'll need to make some Vegan Poached Eggs

...then, mix some agar powder with some vegan beef flavored bouillon...

...pour a little bit in the bottom of each mold...

...then add your tarragon leaves that have been dropped into boiling water and refreshed in some cool water...in a little cross shape at the bottom of the mold...

...pop in your little vegan poached eggs and cover with some more of the bouillon/agar mixture...

...allow it to set up...

...and unmold by running a knife around the edge - Julia suggests dipping in some warm water - but this wasn't necessary for my molds...

...place on a bed of lettuce leaves on a chilled plate...

...it was quite a pretty little thing...

...I think the agar was a little bit too firm...maybe I'll remedy that with some cornstarch or kudzu powder...

...they tasted just fine...like the beef bouillon with a little egg in the middle...not sure exactly when I would ever serve these...they seem like company food...but just a little out of date...either at a 60s theme dinner...or maybe at a wedding or baby shower brunch as a first course...

Substitutions:
Vegan Beef Flavored Bouillon with agar for the jellied stock
Vegan Poached Eggs for the eggs

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 547

Vegan Gâteau de Crêpes à la Florentine

2011-03-29T11:27:00.003-05:00

[Mound of Vegan French Pancakes Filled with Cream Cheese, Spinach and Mushrooms]

...Since we were all out of omelette recipes for our Sunday Brunch for Lunch - we found another yummy recipe to take their place...and since our grocery store had the bags of organic spinach for 99¢ again - we'll have another meal featuring spinach...

...Julia describes this one as 'an amusing entrée' which I thought was amusing...

...First you'll need to make some CRÊPES...

....and some Sauce Mornay...

...and some ÉPINARDS BLANCHIS...

...then make the cream cheese and mushroom filling...

...sauté some mushrooms and shallots for about 5-6 minutes...

...mash some Tofutti cream cheese in a bowl with some
Flax Seed Goo for the eggs...

...add some salt and pepper...

...and your mushrooms and shallots...and mix well...

...now the fun part...start layering your Crêpes in a buttered round baking dish...

...top with mushroom filling...

...then another Crêpe your spinach and creme sauce...

...then another Crêpe...

...and some more mushroom and cheese...

...finish off with your prettiest Crêpe for the top...

...sprinkle on some vegan cheese - we used Daiya mozzarella style...

...dot with Earth Balance...

...pop it in the oven for about 1/2 hour...

...and serve...we had ours with some lovely braised leeks...

...a very pretty presentation...

...cut into wedges...

...so pretty and Spring-y this meal was...

...the Crêpes were tender and perfect and the spinach and cream cheese filling was very creamy and rich...

...it was delicious...Julia suggests 24 Crêpes for this stack...we thought that was quite a bit too much for three people of normal appetite so we cut back considerably...but if I were to make this for company - I'd go all out and have a huge stack - although I don't think I'd get more than 10 or 12 in my round baking dish...

Substitutions:
Flax Seed Goo for the eggs
Earth Balance for Butter
Tofutti Cream Cheese for the cream cheese
Daiya Mozarella for the grated cheese

See the supporting recipes for their substitutions.

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 193-194

VEGAN PÂTE À CRÊPES

2011-03-29T11:19:00.003-05:00

[Vegan Crêpe Batter]

This was a lot easier than I thought it would be...

...just put all of the ingredients into the blender...I used flax seed goo for the eggs - almond milk for the milk and Earth Balance for the butter...

...blend that up - scraping down the sides to make sure all the flour is incorporated...

...it should just coat a spoon...refrigerate it for a couple of hours - so make it before Church if you're using it for brunch...or make it the night before...

...Julia says that the first crepe is always a trial one to test the consistency of the batter and the heat of your pan...so I wasn't too upset when I tore the first one...

...but I was more careful and the rest were perfect...

...I remember fondly the upside down crepe pan that my brother gave my Mom for Christmas one year - and the crepes we made on the stove with it sure were fun...

Substitutions:
Flax Seed Goo for the eggs
Earth Balance for Butter
Almond Milk for the milk

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 191-193

VEGAN POIREAUX BRAISÉS AU BEURRE

2011-03-29T11:15:00.003-05:00

[Vegan Braised Leeks]

...Don't leeks just remind you so much of Springtime...even if the ground is still covered with snow...

...trim the roots...

...slice lengthwise...

...and rinse well under running water...

...place in an oven proof dish...

...cover with water...

...add some Earth Balance...

...and some salt...

...bring to a boil and cook until leeks soften...about 30-40 minutes...I can tell this is going to be one of Julia's long (really long) vegetable cooking times...

...cover loosely with foil...and bake 20 to 30 more minutes until leeks have taken on a slightly golden colour...

...perfect!...

...Julia says these accompany roast beef, steaks, or turkey...but we had ours with our Gâteau de Crêpes à la Florentine and it was perfect for that too...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking p. 495

Vegan Épinards à la Crème

2011-03-22T12:27:00.008-05:00

[Vegan Spinach braised in Cream - Creamed Spinach]

...this was a lovely and very green spring sidedish...

....first - just follow the recipe for ÉPINARDS BLANCHIS

...then put a little bit of Earth Balance in a pan...

...stir over medium high heat to evaporate the humidity from the blanched spinach...

...then sift on a little bit of flour and cook for a couple of minutes...

...then add lots of cream - I used Wildwood plain creamer...

...and cook for an astounding 15 minutes longer...

...then off heat - add some more Earth Balance...

...then as you're supposed to garnish this dish with boiled egg - I made the same 'eggs' that I had made for the Vegan OEUFS POCHÉS...

...I just added a little bit more agar agar to make the 'egg' firmer...

...it worked perfectly - and I was able to slice them easily...

...so - sliced and garnished...

..it was a really good, rich and creamy sidedish...

...I'm getting quite used to Julia's version of spinach...this was really good - I'm thinking it would go well with Ham Seitan for an Easter dinner too...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Wildwood Creamer for Cream
Vegan Boiled Eggs for Egg garnish

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 471

VEGAN TARTE AU CITRON

2011-03-15T10:33:00.008-05:00

Vegan Lemon Soufflé Tart

...I made this tart for Pi(e) Day 3.14...it was a lovely fresh lemon pie...

...make a sugar crust shell...

...and bake it...

...then start the filling with some flax seed goo and sugar - don't worry about it not forming a ribbon - I just beat it until all the sugar is dissolved...

...grate some lemon...

... and add that to the 'egg' and sugar mixture...

...squeeze your lemon...

...and add some fresh lemon juice...

...Next I added about 3 teaspoons of soy protein powder - still experimenting with egg replacers...you're supposed to cook this over simmering water to avoid cooking the egg yolks - but as that was not a worry for me - I just microwaved it for a minute and it made a lovely thickish pudding - it's supposed to coat a spoon...

...next still experimenting with my fluffy egg white mixture I mixed some agar agar with water and microwaved that for a minute until thick - mixed some clear gel and Versawhip (if you've not tried this stuff you must - it's amazing) - added the agar and started whipping - it starts out like pudding as you can see here...

...then as you continue to whip it gets more voluminous and fluffy - like egg whites...lovely...

...then you just fold that into the lemony pudding...

...fold delicately so you don't lose the volume of the fluffy stuff...

...pour it into your prebaked shell...Julia says she thinks this pie is best eaten hot - so we ran ours under the broiler for a few minutes - the top will brown a little bit like a meringue - but don't leave it too long or the agar based fluff will melt...so we had ours warm with tea...but I had some cold and I think I like it better cold...so it's just up to you...I'll probably make this again and I don't think I'll cook it at all - just let the fluff set up a little bit and it'll slice just fine...You can also use lime instead of lemon - then it's Tarte Aux Limettes...

Substitutions:
Same substitutions as before on the crust
Flax seed goo and soy protein for the egg yolks
Versawhip 600K and clear gel and agar for the egg whites

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 643-644

VEGAN CHOUX ROUGE À LA LIMOUSINE

2011-03-09T10:04:00.002-06:00

[Vegan Braised Red Cabbage with Red Wine and Chestnuts]

I have been trying to cook a couple of recipes a week but I've not really been succeeding have I?...

I did find a nice red organic cabbage at the Co-op in Grand Forks and thought I'd better hurry up and use it...

...so...begin by slicing up some carrots and onions...

...Julia says to slice the cabbage in 1/2 inch slices...

Julia doesn't specifically say what to do about the core...

...but I cut mine out...

...cook the carrots and onions in butter (Earth Balance) slowly without browning with the 'lardons' - I used the tofu bacon recipe here for the lardons...

...then you add the red cabbage...

...and stir to coat with the fat and vegetables...

...then you cover and cook slowly for 10 minutes...

...then you add some tart apples - Julia says that for the cabbage to retain its colour it must be cooked with something acidic...

...some mashed garlic, bay leaf and cloves (I put those in my trusty tea-ball)...

...some red wine...

...some beef stock - I used the brown stock that my Mom sent me...

...I put it all in my casserole...

...and baked it for (Oh my goodness) 3 1/2 hours...which seemed like an egregious amount of time...

...then you're supposed to add chestnuts, but I didn't have any nor any way of acquiring any (next time I'm in GF I'll get some as Julia seems to like them)...my first thought was to substitute cashews as they seem creamy and soft...but I searched the internet and found that most people substitute pecans when they don't have chestnuts...and I suppose they must be right for the taste would be a little bit more similar...so I subbed pecans for the chestnuts...

...and believe it or not - it then cooks for another 1 1/2 hours - amazing...

...in the end - what we got was an amazingly complex sweet/savory and surprisingly not mushy side dish...

...we served it with some simple baked tofu and it was delicious...you could also really taste the cloves very sweet...

...I'll try and make this again around Christmastime when chestnuts are available...then I probably won't be able to find the red cabbage...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Tofu Bacon for the lardons

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp.496-498

Vegan Fricassée de Poulet au Paprika

2011-02-25T14:45:00.001-06:00

[Paprika Sauce]

...This is going to be a really quick post - I know - totally out of character for me...

...I did take all of the step by step pictures as usual...but there's really no reason to publish them all again...as they look just like the ones for the VEGAN FRICASSÉE DE POULET À L'ANCIENNE...

...I used tofu for the chicken again...just cut into cubes this time...

...So after the preliminary cooking - you just stir in a bunch of fresh smelling paprika...

...and then proceed with the sauce...Julia says that you can add more paprika after completing the sauce if it lacks colour...

...I didn't add any more paprika...I guess I thought mine was colourful enough...

...We just had this over rice - it was very good - sweet and creamy and very paprika-y - really...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter
Vegan Cream for the Cream
Extra Firm Tofu for the Chicken
Vegan Chicken Bouillon for the Chicken Stock
Flax seed goo for the eggs

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 262

Vegan Fonds d'Artichauts à la Crème

2011-02-18T12:55:00.010-06:00

[Vegan Creamed Artichoke Bottoms]

It's just the time of year when fresh artichokes start appearing in the grocery stores around here...I've documented the preliminary cooking of ARTICHAUTS AU NATUREL already...so we'll just begin after the quartering by making the cream sauce...

....I'm just using homemade soymilk mixed with a couple of tablespoons of powdered soymilk...this is just about my favorite cream substitution as most of the vegan creamers (even if they say unsweetened or plain) wind up being too sweet...

...add a little bit of white pepper...

...and a little bit of salt...

...some lemon juice...cook until reduced by half...

...Julia says to fold the artichoke hearts into the cream...but I just poured the cream over as my hearts were a little bit too tender and I didn't want them to get mushed up...

...that's it...a nice refreshing side dish...

...these were really tasty - they almost reminded me of an artichoke dip...very good stuff...

Substitutions:
Soymilk mixed with powdered soymilk for the cream

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 432

Vegan Sauce à la Crème

2011-02-11T10:10:00.005-06:00

[Vegan Fresh Cream Sauce]

...we made a lovely cream sauce to accompany our Cauliflower...

...we used a pint of Wildwood Creamer...added some salt and white pepper...you just simmer to reduce by half...

...add some lemon juice...and whisk that in...

...then finally off heat stir in some Earth Balance...

...pour it into a gravy boat...

...and pour it over the hot cauliflower...

...it was definitely creamy...just a little bit too sweet for my taste - but that's probably the fault of the creamer I used - next time I'll use my homemade soy milk that doesn't have any sugar in it...

Substitutions:
Vegan Creamer for the cream - but next time I'll use soymilk...
Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 458-459

VEGAN CHOU-FLEUR BLANCHI

2011-02-11T10:04:00.004-06:00

[Vegan Blanched Cauliflower - Preliminary Cooking]

...I love cauliflower...I really do...so I'm amazed that we don't have it all that often...but through the majority of the year fresh cauliflower is not available in the grocery store here...so when I found this in the organic section I snatched it up...

...cut off the green leaves at the bottom...but save those as you'll be reassembling the cauliflower later...

...cut into florets...

...drop into boiling water and bring back to the boil...

...Julia has you add a cup of milk to keep the cauliflower nice and white - I added almond milk...

...it's done when a knife pierces the stem easily but "with the merest suggestion of crunchiness at the core"...

...drain in a colander...

...Julia says that this step is 'not necessary, of course,'...'but it makes an attractive presentation'... - rearrange the florets in the shape of the cauliflower...

...put the cooked stems on top and invert it on a warm round bowl...

...pretty...n'est ce pas?...

...we served it with Sauce à la Crème...very good...

Substitutions: only almond milk for the milk

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 457-458

Vegan Soupe Gratinée des Trois Gourmandes

2011-02-07T09:35:00.005-06:00

Vegan Onion Soupe Gratinéed de Luxe]

The weather has turned back very cold after our little reprieve over the weekend...and Scout asked for his favorite soup...French Onion Soup...

...this recipe - as Julia puts it is - 'a final fillip to the preceding onion soup'...

...mix some cornstarch with some clear flax seed goo...and add a little bit of vegan Worcestershire sauce...

...mix well...

...add some cognac...

...at this point you're supposed to ladle some hot soup into the egg mixture...but I didn't as there was no need to 'cook' the egg mixture...

...then you lift the crust and pour the mixture back into the soup...reach under the crust and stir gently to bland the mixture into the rest of the soup...

...None of us liked the soup this way as well as the regular Onion Soup Gratinéed with cheese...the cognac is a bit overpowering...and I prefer the Onion Soup without Worchestershire sauce as well...

Substitutions:
Clear flax seed goo for the egg
Earth Balance for Butter
Vegan Broth for broth
Daiya cheese for the Swiss Cheese
Vegan French bread
Vegan Worcestershire Sauce

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

p. 45

VEGAN CHARLOTTE MALAKOFF AUX FRAMBOISES

2011-01-31T14:42:00.001-06:00

[Almond Cream with Raspberries]

...The Master recipe actually calls for Strawberries...but I didn't have any and I do have plenty of Raspberries...so Raspberries it is...

...and first you'll need to make some Ladyfingers...

...Use 1/2 pound of softened vegan margarine...A LOT!

...add some sugar...and cream together...

...add some orange liqueur - you're supposed to add 1/2 cup (A Lot!) - but I only had this little mini-bottle - so that's how much I added...

...add some almond extract...

...now for the expensive part...the vegan whipped cream...

...I used 6 cans of coconut milk to get enough whipped cream...I'm sure a can of SoyaToo would have been cheaper - but I didn't have any (and the health food store is 90 miles away)...but this stuff is so good - I could have licked the whole bowl clean...

...add some pulverized almonds - I used whole organic almonds that I ground up in the coffee grinder - so my cream may be a little darker than if you used blanched almonds...

...fold in your whipped cream...

...and you're done...I was kind of surprised that there was no cooking involved...

...assemble your ingredients...if you're using frozen fruit like I am...Julia says to make sure it's well drained...

...put a layer of fluffy cream on top of the Ladyfingers...

...top that with a layer of fruit...

...and a layer of Ladyfingers - I used my trimmings and leftovers...

...then cream...fruit...and Ladyfingers again...

...top with the final third of the cream...

...cover with a sheet of waxed paper...

...set a plate on top...

...and refrigerate overnight...the next morning...it should have firmed up considerably...

...peel off the waxed paper...

...run a knife around the edge...

...invert your serving platter and unmold...

...peel the waxed paper off the bottom...now top...

...and you're done...

...isn't it pretty...

...I was amazed that it held it's shape...

...and it was truy delicious...and definitely NOT diet food...

Substitutions:
Vegan Margarine for Butter - I used Willow Run
Vegan Whipped Cream from coconut milk - or SoyaToo

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 605-607

VEGAN BISCUITS À LA CUILLER

2011-01-31T14:13:00.005-06:00

[Ladyfingers]

In order to make the VEGAN CHARLOTTE MALAKOFF - you first have to make some Ladyfingers - as Julia says that the storebought ones are awful...not her exact words...and I couldn't find any ladyfingers even if I wanted to...and if I did find them I'm pretty sure they wouldn't be vegan...

...I made my 'egg yolks' the regular way with flax seed goo...

...added my sugar and vanilla...

...and beat until a ribbon formed...whatever...beat until the sugar dissolved...

...buttered some pans with Earth Balance and lightly dusted with flour...

...Now here's where the really experimental part begins...I mixed some water and agar powder...

...I've been reading a couple of blogs that have been experimenting with a new vegan product called Versawhip 600 that is whip-able - I've used it successfully a couple of times to replace egg whites...

...here I mixed about 2 Tablespoons of Versa-whip with 2 teaspoons of Clear Gel...

...then I added the agar mixture and a little bit of water - about 1/4 cup...and using Julia's instructions - added a pinch of salt and a Tablespoon of sugar...and whipped it all up...hoping it would make about 3 egg whites worth of fluff...perfect...

...folded that into the 'egg yolk' mixture...

...then I folded in some flour - but apparently I didn't take a picture of it...then put the batter into a pastry bag - but I used my little icing squirter thingy...you just want to be able to pipe lines of Ladyfingers onto the prepared pans...

...so then you just pipe your lines of batter about 4 inches long...

...the recipe says that it makes 24 to 30 Ladyfingers and I got exactly 24 from my mixture...

...sprinkle with powdered sugar...Julia says to turn the pans upside down and dust off the extra sugar - but that seemed pretty risky and I didn't do that...

...then you pop them in the oven...

...and you get crispy spongy cookies...Ladyfingers...

...I let them cool a bit and then dipped them in some orange liqueur - which I also neglected to take a picture of...here they are ready to be assembled in the Charlotte pan...which I don't have...

...so I lined my smallest spring form pan with wax paper and then arranged the Ladyfingers in the bottom - you have to trim the ends first to make a pretty flower on the bottom and then you just stand them up soldier style around the outer edge...

...it's late now and I'm going to bed...I'll finish the filling tomorrow...

...I should probably mention that I've never had Ladyfingers of any sort - so I don't have anything to compare these to - but I tried them and they were very pleasant - soft and spongy - a little bit chewy - sort of like Angel Food Cake - but also crispy on the outside...they would probably be good plain served with a nice tea...(isn't everything good served with a nice cup of tea)...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for Butter just on the pans
flax seed goo for the egg yolks
Versawhip 600/agar/Clear Gel for the egg whites

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 666-667

VEGAN TARTE AUX POIRES À LA BOURDALOUE

2011-01-24T11:10:00.003-06:00

[Pear and Almond Tart - tepid or cold]

This is another example of how you really need to read the entire recipe before you begin...as this one recipe actually included two other complete recipes...

...you start with some acidulated water - just lemon juice and water...

...then you get some wine boiling...

...with some sugar, lemon juice, and cinnamon...

...peel some pears...

...halve and core them...

...pop them in your acidulated water...

...then cook them in the wine syrup 8-10 minutes - Julia says - don't overcook they must hold their shape...

...when the pears are done - remove them to a wire rack to cool...

...and rapidly boil the syrup down to the thread stage - 230 degrees...

...slice the pears crosswise...

...add some red currant jelly to the wine syrup...

...then paint the syrup on the prepared sugar crust shell...

...spread on a layer of frangipane and arrange the pears...sprinkle with almonds...

...glaze the top with more of the syrup...

...and serve...we served ours tepid after dinner...

...this is definitely 'company' dessert...

...it was lovely...creamy/sweet/tart all at once...

Substitutions: None in this part of the recipe - see the substitutions in the sugar crust and the frangipane...

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 642-643

VEGAN FRANGIPANE

2011-01-24T11:08:00.008-06:00

[Almond Custard Filling]

I used this filling for the TARTE AUX POIRES À LA BOURDALOUE...

...start by grinding some almonds - I did this in a coffee grinder...

...put some flax seed goo into a pot...about 1/2 cup - equivalent to 1 egg + one yolk...

...add some sugar...and stir...

...add some flour...

...and a cup of boiling almond milk...

...place over medium heat and beat vigorously with a wire whip until mixture begins to coagulate...

...then stirring with a wooden spoon over moderately low heat - beat and cook for 2-3 more minutes to thoroughly cook the flour...

...off heat...beat in flavorings...vanilla...and almond extract...

...Kirsch...

...and some Earth Balance...

...then add the pulverized almonds...

...stir well for a smooth thick custard...

Substitutions:
Flax Seed Goo for the eggs and egg yolk
Almond Milk for the milk
Earth Balance for the butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 591-592

Vegan Pâte Sablée

2011-01-24T11:03:00.007-06:00

[Sugar Crust]

This is another supporting recipe for the TARTE AUX POIRES À LA BOURDALOUE...

...start by adding 7 tablespoons of chilled fat to the flour and sugar - Julia says to use 5 Tablespoons of butter and 2 of shortening - but I used all Earth Balance...

...Julia says to rub the fat and dry ingredients together quickly with your fingers...not sure why we can't use a pastry fork...but oh well...

...add your egg replacer...I used EnerG this time...

...add some vanilla and mix well...it makes a sticky dough...

...so Julia suggests that you press the chilled dough into a flan ring - but I don't have one so I rolled mine out between two sheets of waxed paper...

...peeled back the top layer...

...pressed the dough into my pretty quiche dish...

...and peeled back the bottom layer of waxed paper...

...baked until golden brown...

...this is really like a great big sugar cookie...

Substitutions:
Earth Balance for the Butter
EnerG Egg Replacer for the egg

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 633-634