LE MARQUIS [VEGAN]

[Vegan Chocolate Spongecake]

...we had company for dinner on Sunday...so I made Julia's chocolate spongecake...called Le Marquis...I don't know why...I did try to find out though...maybe from Le Marquis Eiffel...a hotel in Paris...

...anywhoo...on to another fun Julia recipe...and if you learn nothing else from Julia Child...never forget...cooking is supposed to be fun... ...butter a pan with Earth Balance and then dust with flour and set aside... ...melt some chocolate with some coffee...Julia used a double boiler... ...but I used the micro... ...sitr in a generous amount of Earth Balance... ...I subbed flax seed goo for the egg yolks...I had some in the freezer so I melted a couple of cubes... ...cream the flax seed goo with the sugar...until a ribbon forms...I didn't see a ribbon...but I made sure the sugar was dissolved and everything was nice and creamy.... ...then whip up some vegan egg whites...this is a mixture of EnerG egg replacer (3 tsp) and VersaWhip (1/2 tsp)... ...whip until soft peaks form...it doesn't take long... ...next...mix the chocolate with the flax seed and sugar... ...add your flour - I increased the flour to 1 cup...there was only 2/3 cup in the recipe which I didn't think was enough... ...then it's just a process of folding flour and vegan 'egg whites' into the chocolate mixture... ...it takes a while to get everything incorporated... ...and still have the desired fluffiness... ...then pour it into your prepared pan... ...and bake...not sure why the top cracked like that...most certainly the additional flour that I added... ...and it definitely changed my plan of sprinkling the cake with powdered sugar...one of Julia's serving suggestions...instead I frosted with buttercream to be able to hide the cracks a little bit better... ...this cake was so moist and good...very very chocolate-y too... ...absolutely delicious...

Substitutions:

Earth Balance for Butter
Flax Seed Goo for the egg yolks
3 tsp EnerG egg replacer and 1/2 tsp VersaWhip for the egg whites
additional flour - 1/3 cup

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 679-680

Vegan Riz Duxelles

Buttered Rice with Mushrooms ...just about the perfect side dish...we served this with some marinated baked tofu for our Vegan Easter Feast... ...first of all you'll need to make a pot of RIZ À L'INDIENNE - RIZ À LA VAPEUR ...then sauté some mushrooms and onions in some butter and oil until lightly browned... ...fluff with a fork to mix the hot rice into the mushrooms and onions... ...Julia says to add more butter (of course) and parsley... ...this is such a delicious side dish... ...I can't really think of any meal this wouldn't go with...it was delicious...I could have eaten the entire bowl full myself...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking
p. 531

VEGAN TIMBALE D'ASPERGES

[Asparagus Mold]
...these adorable Timbales d'asperges were part of our Vegan Easter Feast...
...I had just gotten a set of these cute little molds...
...from a local church's second hand shop...25¢...well spent...n'est-ce pas?...
...I crumbled some stale bread into the food processor...
...and pulsed a few times to make some fresh bread crumbs...not quite sure how you make fresh bread crumbs with stale bread...
...got an absolutely gorgeous bunch of asparagus out of the fridge...
...cut them into little bits...
...oiled the little molds and dusted them with bread crumbs...
...made the custard...using bread crumbs as a thickener...and flax seed goo instead of eggs...Earth Balance for the butter...and almond milk for the milk...

...add the asparagus...
...'turned' the custard into the prepared molds...and set them in a pan filled with boiling water in the oven...

...Julia gives instructions for testing the custards for doneness...but ours were pretty much 'done' already...
...aren't they pretty?...
...we plated them with the Sauce Chivry...(which none of us particularly cared for)...and a little spear of roasted asparagus...
...they popped right out of the little molds...I was a little bit worried that they wouldn't...
...I love the little details...
...they tasted like a rich and creamy asparagus soup that you could eat with a fork...

...these were a delicious, fun, and pretty first course...

Substitutions: Earth Balance for Butter
Almond milk for milk
Flax seed goo for eggs

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking
pp. 440 - 441

Vegan Sauce Chivry...Vegan Sauce à L'Estragon

[Herbal White Wine Sauce and Tarragon Sauce

...at Julia's suggestion...we made this to go with the TIMBALES D'ASPERGES for our Vegan Easter Feast... ...you start with some white wine... ...add your herbs...we used tarragon and parsley... ...and then some ...VEGAN SAUCE BÉCHAMEL... ...cook a few minutes until thickened...

...it makes a pretty sauce...but it was oddly bitter...not quite sure why...

Substitutions:
see the VEGAN SAUCE BÉCHAMEL subs...

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking

pp. 62-63