VEGAN CLAFOUTI

[Cherry Flan] ...Julia describes this dish as 'peasant food'...and 'about as simple a dessert to make as you can imagine'...

...it is just a pancake batter poured over fruit in a fireproof dish and baked in the oven...so...so simple...

...there are several different variations (really just changing the fruit) of this recipe...I've already done the Vegan Clafouti aux Mûres...the Blackberry Flan...

...Julia doesn't really explain why she calls this a flan...I typically think of a flan as more like a pudding than a pancake...

...you can see the Blackberry version for more detail on the pancake batter...but basically you start with some cherries...and add some sugar...

...then you put a thin layer of your batter in a pyrex dish and heat it until it sets...

...then spoon over your fruit...

...and cover with more of the pancake batter...

...Julia says the clafouti is done when it is puffed and browned...and a knife inserted comes out clean...

...it's a perfect accompaniment to our afternoon tea...

...as far as texture goes...I think it falls somewhere between cake and pudding...and you serve it by sort of scooping it out...not slicing it like you would a cake...

...a pretty jumble of tasty fruit and fluffy cake...

...delicious...not too sweet...although Julia says you can serve it with powdered sugar...we did not...

Substitutions:

Earth Balance for Butter
Soy Milk for milk
Flax Seed Goo for Eggs

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 655 - 656

VEGAN SAUCE RAGOÛT

[Flour-based Brown Sauce with Giblets]

...there are so many French sauces...that I though I'd make one to go with some simple seitan for dinner...

...some of Julia's sauces are very elaborate and difficult...but this one was not that bad...

...in her chapter on Sauces...Julia divides the sauces into sub categories of White and Brown...this, of course, is a brown sauce...

...you start with some vegetables...carrots and onions...I had some gren onions that needed to be used up ...so that's what I used...

...then for the giblets...I used some 'trimmings' from my TVP chunks from the SDA store...

...you just brown those with the veggies...in some oil and Earth Balance...

...I got too rushed and neglected a couple of photos here...but you take all that out of the oil...and then brown some flour in the oil...and then add some boiling vegan stock...I used G. Washington's Rich Brown Seasoning and Broth...so now we're caught up to the picture above...sorry...

...stir your veggies and vegan giblets back in...

...add some dry white wine....

...and a little bit of tomato paste...and an herb bouquet...since you'll be straining this in a bit...you could just throw the herbs in...but I used by trusty tea ball infuser...

...and then...you let it cook for a couple of hours...seriously...Julia says 2 to 4 hours...

...and then you strain it...

...you'll have a lot of the veggie/giblet mixture left over...

...and a perfectly smooth sauce...

...we served it over seitan...with some Grandma's Mashed...and peas...

...it was really delicious...although it was not difficult...it did have to cook a long time...so plan ahead...

Substitutions:

Earth Balance for the Butter Beef flavored TVP for the giblets...

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 69 - 70

FROZEN SPINACH

...Julia has very few convenience foods in Mastering the Art...and when she does...the titles are in English...

...she starts the description of this dish...'Although it never has quite the lovely taste of fresh spinach, frozen spinach is certainly one of the great inventions'...and I would have to agree...

...and like her other spinach recipes...the key is to have the liquid evaporate without overcooking the spinach...

...and so...she warns us that if we're going to cook more than one box...we need to use two saucepans...so that the liquid will evaporate properly...

...you start by unwrapping the block of spinach and defrosting it...just enough so that you can slice it...

...and you cut it into roughly half inch pieces...

...and then start by melting some Earth Balance...

...add the cubed spinach...

...and season with salt...

...and pepper...Julia also uses nutmeg...but none of us are fans of nutmeg...so I left it out...

...cover and cook for a minute or two...until the spinach has released its juices...

...and then uncover and raise the heat and cook until the liquid has evaporated...

Substitutions:

Earth Balance for the Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 475 - 476

Vegan Poulet Sauté

[Vegan Sautéed Chicken]

Julia says that a true sauté is cooked entirely in butter...no liquid comes in contact with it until the very end...

...I did not know that...

...I made Tracey's Compassionate Breast...just like I did for the VEGAN SUPRÊMES DE VOLAILLE À BLANC...Tracey's blog no longer exists...so just email me if you want that recipe...

...they're pretty dry already...so I didn't follow Julia's drying advice...

...melted some Earth Balance and oil in a heavy skillet...

...put the seitan chicken in the hot oil/Earth Balance...

...Julia specifies turning with tongs...so I did...nicely browned...

...remove the seitan to a hot plate...and then add some finely chopped onion...

...and some white wine...optional...

...return the seitan to the pan...season with salt and pepper...

...add some herbs...

...cover and Julia says to set the pan over hot water...but I didn't do that step...

...Julia says to finish the sauce except for the final (butter) Earth Balance enrichment...

...so right at the end...just before serving...stir in some more Earth Balance...

...and pour the sauce over the seitan chicken...

...and your ready to serve...

...we had ours with sweet potato and Julia's take on frozen spinach...so I'll have to get that post up soon too...

Substitutions:

Seitan Chicken for the chicken
Earth Balance for the Butter

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 254 - 256

VEGAN BOEUF À LA MODE

[Vegan Beef Braised in Red Wine]

...Julia describes this dish as a 'wonderful party dish'...and of course she uses one large piece of meat...and I chose to use TVP strips instead of a large seitan roast this time...

...you marinate the TVP strips with aromatic vegetables, herbs, cloves, bay leaf, halved garlic cloves...

...and red wine...of course...Julia says to make it a young one...

...then when you're ready to cook...drain the marinade...and add a few cups of stock...I used G. Washington's Rich Brown Seasoning and Broth...and I omitted the other ways Julia says to add body to the sauce...

...while the braising is in process...Julia says to cook some carrots and onions and set them aside...

...remove the bay leaf and the halved garlic cloves after the braising is complete...

...we served ours with some parslied turnips (Vegan Navets Persillés), mashed potatoes, peas and cornbread...

...garnished with the carrots and onions...the Vegan Beef Braised in Red Wine was delicious...

Substitutions:

Beef Flavored TVP Chunks for the Beef
G. Washington's Rich Brown Broth for the Broth

Recipe here: Mastering the Art of French Cooking pp. 309-312