I'm always veganizing recipes that I love...so...I'm working my way
through all of the amazing recipes in Julia Child's
Mastering the Art of French Cooking...
...making a Vegan Version of each one...... sometimes successfully - sometimes not...Recipe Count 518/524 (from Julie's count)...but really 629

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Vegan Gratin de Volatile, Vegan Gratin de Cervelles, Vegan Gratin de Ris de Veau

[Vegan Gratin of Chicken, Turkey, Brains, or Sweetbreads with Mushroom]

...all of these are grouped together in a sort of generic gratin recipe...this one is supposed to be a good use for diced up leftovers...
...so I got out some leftover baked tofu...
...and diced that up...
...sautéed some mushrooms...
...and some onions...
...buttered my au gratin dishes...
...and made a quick pastry shell...
...and also a nice creamy bechamel...
...then started combining things...I added the diced tofu to the mushrooms...
...as well as the onions...
...and then the bechamel...
...filled the little pastry shells...
...topped with vegan cheese (Chao this time)...and baked...
...and served with salad and broccoli...
...these little gratins were so delicious...perfect comfort food...almost like a pot pie...

Substitutions

subs for the VEGAN SAUCE BÉCHAMEL/SAUCE VELOUTÉ
Vegan Margarine for Butter - I used Earth Balance...
baked tofu for the chicken/turkey...

Mastering the Art of French Cooking (p. 157)

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

VEGAN TIMBALES DE FOIES DE VOLAILLE

[Vegan Unmolded Chicken Liver Custards]

...Julia says "These delicate little entrees are usually baked in individual ramekins and served hot with a bearnaise sauce"...

...I'm pretty sure I've never eaten actual chicken livers...
...so for that part of the recipe...
...I'll be combining walnuts and lentils...and soft tofu for the eggs...
...but Julia has you start the recipe by making a thick bechamel...
...and then you put everything into the 'blender'...I used a food processor...but remember that the blender was a new-fangled kitchen gadget when Julia wrote this book...so she give alternate instructions...

"It can be prepared very quickly in an electric blender, but if you do not have one, put the livers through a meat grinder, push them through a sieve, then beat in the rest of the ingredients."
...add some cognac...
...vegan cream...
...and your thick bechamel...
...give it a whirl...
...butter your molds...I used Earth Balance for that...
...gave it a quick taste...and it's pretty yummy...of course you'd never do that with the other version...
...fill your molds and set them in a pan of water...
...and bake for 30-40 minutes..
...mine looked like they were going to come out of the molds cleanly...
...but then they really did not...
...top them with a Bearnaise sauce...
..and serve warm...

...well...they were good...we just had them with a salad...but I think they'd be really good almost as a spread on a crusty bread or cracker...almost like a paté...

Substitutions

lentils and walnuts for the chicken livers
Cashew Cream for the Cream...
soft tofu for the eggs...
Vegan Margarine for Butter - I used Earth Balance...

Mastering the Art of French Cooking (pp. 174-175)