Tom's Holiday Cashew Bake
 From Vegetarian Times

                                                                                                                  Yum Veggie Burger

Ingredients 

• 2 medium-sized eggplants, sliced
• 6 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 2 cups raw cashew pieces, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium-sized onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tsp.)
• 3 large tomatoes
• 6 slices rye bread, toasted and crushed into crumbs
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tsp. brewer’s yeast
• 1/2 tsp. dried basil
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to broil. Brush eggplant slices with 2 Tbs. oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place on baking sheet coated with cooking spray, and broil 5 to 7 minutes. Turn eggplant slices, and broil 5 minutes more, or until slices are tender and light brown. Set aside, and reduce oven to 350F. 
2. Cook rice according to package directions, and set aside. Meanwhile, heat remaining 4 Tbs. oil in large skillet over medium heat. Sauté cashews, onion and garlic in oil 5 to 7 minutes, or until onion is softened and browned. Chop one tomato, and add to skillet; cook 3 minutes more.
3. Transfer cashew mixture to large bowl. Stir in cooked rice, breadcrumbs, broth, brewer’s yeast, basil, thyme and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Coat 9x13-inch oval baking dish with cooking spray. Line bottom of dish with half of broiled eggplant slices. Spoon in cashew mixture. Top with remaining eggplant slices. Slice remaining 2 tomatoes, and layer down center of casserole to form a broad, bright red stripe.
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until top is browned and filling is hot. Serve immediately. 

Tom Paquin is a sailing captain and hiking enthusiast who works at a law firm in Washington, DC. He's conquered the Appalachian trail, traveled through South America, and is the proud father of the DC Vegetarian Cooking Group's newest little member.

Heather's Roasted Vegetable Couscous
with Chickpeas and Onion-Pine Nut Topping
Adapted from Cooking Light

                                                                                                   Randy Mayor

Ingredients

• Couscous:
• 5  cups  diced peeled sweet potato or yams (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 2  cups  (1/2-inch) diced peeled parsnips (about 10 ounces)
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil
• 2  teaspoon Ras el Hanout* (see below) 
• 3  carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces (about 9 ounces)
• 1  teaspoon  kosher salt, divided
• 1 1/4  cups  organic vegetable broth (can cut with water)
• 1  cup  uncooked couscous
• 1  (15-ounce) can no-salt-added chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• Topping:
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, separated into rings
• 1/3  cup  walnuts or pine nuts
• 1/3  cup  raisins (regular or golden)
• 1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• 1  tablespoon  honey

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. To prepare couscous, combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place potato mixture on a baking sheet. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

3. Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan. Stir in couscous and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork; gently stir in chickpeas. Keep warm.

4. To prepare topping, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 12 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Add pine nuts and raisins; cook 2 minutes. Stir in cinnamon; cook 30 seconds. Stir in honey, and remove from heat.

5. Mound couscous in the middle of a serving platter. Place the roasted vegetables around base of couscous. Arrange 5 carrots vertically around couscous; spoon topping over top of couscous.

*Ras el Hanout (Note: this makes a much larger batch than the recipe calls for, so you'll have leftovers)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2  teaspoons  kosher salt
• 2  teaspoons  ground cumin
• 2  teaspoons  ground ginger
• 2  teaspoons  freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2  teaspoons  ground cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon  ground coriander
• 1  teaspoon  ground red pepper
• 1  teaspoon  ground allspice
• 1  teaspoon  saffron threads, crushed
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cloves
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground nutmeg 

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

Heather Somerville is a freelance journalist in Washington, DC.  Her culinary side includes specialties in Mediterranean cuisine and homemade eggnog. 

Katrien's Vegetable Quiche
 Original Recipe

                                                                                                     Jack Zahora

Ingredients
1/2 package puff pastry sheets
1 bunch fresh spinach leaves
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 to 3 eggs (more can be used if you have a deep pie pan)
8 oz heavy whipping cream
3 to 4 ounces of feta cheese crumbles
3 oz grated Parmesan (asiago or fontina work just as well)
Couple tablespoons of olive oil for sautee
salt, pepper, and paprika powder to taste

Directions
    1) About 40 minutes before pie conception, lay out your puff pastry sheet to thaw.

    2) Preheat your oven to 400 F.

    3) Shape the thawed puff pastry into a slightly greased, 9 inch cake pan. If any cracks would appear in the pastry, dab some water onto them to close them.

    4) Thoroughly rinse the spinach; chop onion and garlic.

    5) Heat olive oil with pepper and paprika powder in a large wok pan. Fry the onion and pressed garlic until golden brown. Then add the spinach and cook for a few minutes until wilted.

    6) Mix eggs with the whipping cream, salt and more pepper, and the grated parmesan or cheese of your choice.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Using two eggs for a nine-inch pie pan will give the pie a cheesier consistency. It will also need a little more time to bake for the egg mixture to thicken in the oven. Three eggs will give the pie a more souffle-like texture. The more eggs you use, the easier it will be for the egg mixture to firm up. Also, while your pie will appear more fluffy, more eggs will make for a heavier dish.

    7) Drain any excess water from the wilted spinach-and-onion mixture and spread it out in the cake pan.

    8) Pour the egg mixture over the spinach.

    9) Sprinkle feta cheese crumbles on top.

    10) Bake for 20 minutes. Test mixture with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the pie is done. However this will change depending on how many eggs you've put in. It may take up to 45 minutes total baking time.


EDITOR'S NOTE: Consider protecting the crust with aluminum foil during the last 10 minutes of baking, to avoid burning of the crust while the egg mixture firms.


 

Katrien is an Arabic teacher and studies pre-Islamic brigand poetry. She's also an expert of the DC happy hour.

Rhea's Hot Buttered Rum
Adapted from Food Network
 

                                                                                                  Jason McCool

  

Ingredients
1 stick salted butter, softened
1- 1 1/2 cups honey or maple syrup, or combination of the two
1 1/2 tsp. Chinese five-spice seasoning
or 1 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground cloves, 1/4 tsp. ground ginger, and a pinch of nutmeg
1 bottle dark rum
Hot water

Directions
    1) Cream together butter, honey and/or maple syrup, and spices. Refrigerate until firm.

    2) To serve, add 2 Tbs. of the butter mixture to 12 small mugs or heat-resistant glasses

    3) Add 1-2 shots rum

    4) Add 3/4 cup hot water, or enough to fill the mug or glass

    5) Stir until butter and sweetener dissolve.

Rhea Kennedy is the chef behind You are Delicious: Musings, tips and recipes for sustainable eating and a tastier you. You can find more tricks and recipes on her blog.

Jessie's Clementine and Chocolate Tart 

with a Macadamia Nut Crust 
From 'In the Sweet Kitchen' by Regan Daley

                                                                                     Jason McCool

Ingredients

Rich Nut Tart Pastry:

3/4 cup nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, macadamias all work well - if you use macadamias or almonds, use raw ones and then toast them)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces

1 large egg yolk, cold

Roasted Clementines:

10 medium-sized clementine oranges, washed and dried but not peeled

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

1-2 tablespoons grand marnier (or other orange liquor) - optional but very recommended!

3 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, tightly packed

Chocolate Ganache:

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Make the Crust:

    1) combine the nuts and the sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Use quick pulses to whir the mixture until the nuts are finely ground. Don't overprocess, or the nuts will release their oils and you will end up with a lovely but un-usable nut butter! Add the flour and pulse once or twice just to blend. Add the cold butter pieces and pulse for 10-20 seconds or until the largest pieces of butter are about the size of fat peas. Add the egg yolk and pulse for 5-7 seconds until the mixture just begins to come together. Turn the crumbly dough out into a clean bowl and use your fingertips to knead it lightly, rubbing the ingredients together until the dough is uniformly moist. It should be moist, sticky and crumbly, with no dry floury patches or streaks of egg yolk. But don't overwork the dough, and be sure to use just your fingertips - there is enough heat in your hands to melt the butter, preventing it from remaining in little pockets and adding tenderness and flakiness to the baked crust.

    2) Press the crumble into a 10- to -11 inch tart tin with a removable bottom. Make sure the dough is evenly pressed and that there are no bare patches. Cover the shell with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours or overnight (The shell can be frozen at this point, well-wrapped, for up to one month).

    3) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Prick the bottom of the shell all over with a fork and line the bottom with a piece of aluminum foil or parchment paper slightly bigger than the shell itself. Fill the liner with pie weights or dried beans reserved for this purpose and place the shell on a baking sheet. Set the sheet in the center of the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are dry and just beginning to color. Remove the liner and weights and return the shell to the oven for another 7-13 minutes or until the floor of the pastry is dry and tinged with gold. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.

Make the Tart:

(EDITORS NOTE: Make After finishing the crust!)

    1) preheat the oven to 325 degrees. With a sharp knife, slice the clementines crosswise into very thin rounds, discarding the stem and flower ends. Lay the slices overlapping in the bottom of a 9x13-inch glass baking dish. Pour the orange juice and grand marnier, if using, over the clementines, and sprinkle them with 3 tablespoons brown sugar. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast in the oven for 60-70 minutes or until the peels are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife.

    2) Increase the temperature to 375 degrees. Uncover the dish and sprinkle the clementines with the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes or until the liquid has become syrupy and the oranges have begun to caramelize. Lightly cover the baking dish and allow the clementines to cool to room temperature. (They may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored, well-covered, at room temperature until needed).

    3) To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Bring the cream just to the simmer over medium-high heat, watching closely to see that it does not boil. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until thoroughly combined. Allow the ganache to cool until it has the consistency of a soft icing, then spread it evenly over the bottom of the tart shell. (The ganache may be prepared up to 3 days in advance and stored covered in the refrigerator. When ready to use, allow it to come to room temperature, then warm it very gently in a bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water until it reaches a soft consistency.)

    4) Once the tart shell has been lined with the ganache, lay the clementine slices over the chocolate in an overlapping circular pattern. I find a pair of kitchen tongs extremely useful for this, but if you have none, your fingers or a fork will work fine. Scrape the syrup from the bottom of the baking dish with a rubber spatula and spoon this liquid over the clementines. The finished tart may be assembled up to 1 day before serving and stored, lightly covered, at room temperature.

                                       Jason McCool

Jessie Rothwell is a composer, musician, writer and massage therapist from Washington, DC. She's also the DVCG's resident wine enthusiast, and "loves gin the way a Zamboni love ice shavings."

Holiday Dinner Party

Click on any of the photos above to get a full sized still image. And thanks to Jason McCool for snapping the majority of the shots.

As you can see the 2010 DVCG Holiday was a blast! Special thanks to Chris Strohm & Erin Malloy for hosting.

The highlights of the evening were definitely the buttered rum, cashew bake, cheese souffle, and the mushroom tartlets. 

You'll see some of these recipes and more in the coming days!

Chris' "Crab" Cakes
From allrecipes.com

                                                                    Hezzy Tant Cook

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups grated zucchini
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, egg, and butter or margarine. Stir in seasoned crumbs, minced onion, and seasoning. Mix well.
2. Shape mixture into patties. Dredge in flour.
3. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium high heat until hot. Fry patties in oil until golden brown on both sides.

Chris Cole is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and a consultant in Washington, DC.

Dennis' Sczechuan Green Beans

Original Recipe

Ingredients

250 g Green Beans, rinsed and trimmed
6 g Sesame Oil (the roasted, strong, Asian kind)
16 g Unseasoned Rice Vinegar
24 g Yeo's Sweet Chili Sauce (or ketchup, maybe with a little sambal oelek or cayenne mixed in)
48 g Soy Sauce
25 g Chee Hou Sauce or Hoisin Sauce
5 g Ginger, grated
11 g Honey or Agave Nectar (if you're a vegan) or Corn Syrup (if you're a soulless corporation)
2 g Szechuan Peppercorn Oil; I got mine at a store, but you could make your own.
One or two drops Vanilla Extract
.13 g Xanthan Gum (optional in the extreme)

Directions

Bring a large pot full of well-salted water (the water should be salty like the sea) to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water or an extraordinarily large bowl or pot of very cold water nearby. Also have a spider or strainer handy. Boil the beans in the salty water for a minute or two or three until they taste how you want them to, texture-wise. Plunge them into the ice/cold water to stop them from cooking further. Let them chill out there for a while.

Combine all the other ingredients. You can do this with a fork or whisk, in a bowl. If you care about the oil and the water not separating, you can slowly emulsify the oils into everything else. If you're a real stickler for emulsion stability, you can put everything in a blender, put the blender on high, and shear in the xanthan gum until fully dispersed.

If the beans are completely cooled by now, drain them and toss them with the sauce. Refrigerate and serve cold or at room temperature.

Dennis Lim is a professional chef in Washington, D.C.  More original recipes can be found on his blog Hell of Tasty: The Afterlife of Flavor 

Jenni and Ben's Spanish Pizzettas

Original Recipe

                                                                                                             Patricia Heal

Ingredients
 
About 13 oz. pizza dough (recipe below)
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp. sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 lb. large yellow onions, thinly sliced
12 cured black Spanish olives, pitted and cut into slivers
1/3 c Spanish pine nuts
Fresh thyme leaves
Semolina flour or cornmeal, if desired for the bottoms of the pizzetas
1 medium eggplant, cut into thin strips
OR
16 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, rinsed well and cut into thin strips

Directions

Preheat oven to 500°F.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the pizza dough to 3/8 inch thickness. With a round pastry cutter about 2 inches in diameter, cut out as many rounds as you can (about 25). Using your fingers and pressing into semolina flour or cornmeal if desired, stretch each round out so it’s a little bigger, thinner, and has some meal on the bottom. Lay the rounds on a nonstick baking sheet and prick each one multiple times with a fork.

Pour the olive oil to a nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, then add the onions and sauté until they start to take on a little color.  Add the vegetable of choice (eggplant or red peppers, or really whatever you feel like using) and sauté for a few minutes until the vegetables start to soften.  Combine the water and sugar and pour over the onion mixture, adding sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.  Cook, stirring every few minutes, until the water has evaporated and everything is soft and caramelized, about 20 minutes.  Remove from the heat. Add the thyme, olives, and pine nuts and mix well.

Divide the filling evenly among the dough rounds. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the filling and the edges of the dough are golden, about 15 minutes. Serve warm.  Can be reheated before serving at 425°F for 6-8 minutes.


Basic Pizza Dough

Ingredients

1 Tbs. active dry yeast
1 Tsp. sugar or honey
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. lukewarm water
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup for working
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar/honey in the lukewarm water, then stir in the yeast and let stand until slightly foamy, about 10 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the 2 3/4 cups flour and the salt and form into a mound. Make a well in the center and add the yeast mixture to the well. Using a fork and stirring in a circular motion, gradually pull the flour into the yeast mixture. Continue stirring until it forms into dough.

Lightly flour a work surface with some of the 1/2 cup flour and transfer the dough to it. Using the heel of your hand, knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Form the dough into a ball.

Alternatively, use a stand mixer with dough hook to mix flour and salt.  Add yeast mixture and let run at low speed until dough is formed and kneaded, about 10 minutes.

Brush a large bowl with the olive oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 1 to 2 hours.

Roll out with flour and cook as directed in your pizza recipe.


Jenni and Ben Zakiland are natives of Salt Lake City, Utah. 






 

The Rock n' Roll Hotel Veggie Dance Party

The Presidential Suite

A fabulous night of food and dancing at the Rock N Roll Hotel!

No cover. More than 100 veg cooks in attendance.

And what did we eat?

First date fries: Shoestring style, tossed in truffle oil served w/garlic mayo.

Grilled Veggie and Pasta Salad: Marinated and grilled veggies served over a pasta salad.

Mean Green Mo-Fo: Mesclun greens salad topped w/roasted red peppers, feta and olives.

Stupid Hippy Burger: Homemade black bean burger topped w/roasted red pepper, pepper jack cheese, mescalun greens and garlic mayo.

Plus a ton of good ol' fashion alcohol.

Oh, and there was cake!

Farmers' Market Brunch
The farmers' market brunch saw us Veg Cooks sprawl out across a number of stands across DC, Virginia and Maryland.

If you couldn't come, you might be wondering, "Which market should I try out?"

Well, Rhea Kennedy of You Are Delicious has the answer: 

Hey Veg Cooks,
Just wanted to let you know about a few markets. Some link to profiles of the markets, others link to the markets sites. I tried to include producer-only markets, meaning that their all local. It also means that the folks who grow or prepare the food sell it.
Rhea

Area Producer-Only Farmers Markets

DC:
Saturday
14th & U Farmers Market
H Street NE FRESHFARM Market
Mt. Pleasant Farmers Market
Glover Park and Burleith Farmers Market
Columbia Heights Community Marketplace
Ward 8 Farmers Market

Sunday
Dupont Circle FRESHFARM Market
Bloomingdale Farmers Market

Maryland:
Saturday
Silver Spring FRESHFARM Market
Cheverly Community Market
Mt. Rainier Farmers Market

Sunday
Bethesda Central Farm Market

Virginia
You can find a listing here. I don't know that much about these markets. There is a good weekday market in Alexandria, though.

Il Canale Restaurant Outing

                                                                                                  Jack Zahora

More than 50 veg heads and Il Canale equal amore.

Traditional cuisine from Southern Italy features several courses including antipasto, primo piatto, secondo piatto, contorno, dolce, and caffè.

But the diners are members of a vegetarian cooking group, not on Forbes list of richest men and women in the world. So tonight, the group feasted on several kinds of antipasti, a primo, and dolce.

The servers brought out grilled eggplant, portobello mushrooms, red, yellow and green peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and marinaded artichokes. 

Jack Zahora

Bottles of  the Sangiovese, Toscana (San Polo 'Rubio' 2007) were ordered at one table. While another rowdy group, which at one point broke a wine glass to the screams of opa (wrong country guys), sipped a smoky blend of Montepulciano and Cabernet from Abruzzi (Farnese 'Casale Vecchio' 2007). 

How do you like your pizza? With spinach, bufala di mozzarella Campana, and  cherry tomatoes? Perhaps a Margherita? Or for the vegans in the group, a marinara? 

If pizza wasn't your thing, then maybe you need a bowl of pasta? The manager of Il Canale, Vittorio, called the group late the night before. "I've godda great idea fur a pasda dish you gunna luv," Vittorio said in his heavily accented English that's a mixture of old world Italy and the Miami he's been living in for the past couple of decades. 

The pasta turned out to be a gorgeous cavatelli with basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and a touch of cream. 

Jason McCool

As we munched the night away,  Il Canale's owner, Guiseppe Farruggio, made an appearance and regaled the crowd with the history of classic Italian pizza--200 years in the making.

And as thanks were thrown around the room to all those who made the evening a success, a server yelled out, "don't forget the man of the hour." Executive chef Antonio Biglietto just then appeared at the stairwell. The Pizzaiolo, drenched in sweat from roasting over the helm of a 1,200 degree brick oven, smiled broadly as the DC Vegetarian Cooking Group cheered.

When 10:00 p.m. rolled around, the last few stragglers left the party, a dozen veg heads hopped next door to Paper Moon for a couple drinks at the bar. No Italians here. No authentic menu. The Serbian bartender struggled to answer where the restaurant got its name. 

A couple veg heads rammed shots of vodka and talked about who they were going to bring to Il Canale in the next few weeks. 

Rebekah and Greg's Veggie Gyoza

Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

Skin

Wonton skins store bought

Filling

3 cups finely chopped shitake mushroom caps
3 cups finely chopped green cabbage
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 Red onion finely chopped
1/2 cup green onion
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons grated ginger
4 glove garlic
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoon sweet rice wine
2 tablespoon starch

EDITOR's NOTE: You can replace the sweet rice wine with red wine.

Dipping Sauce

1/4 soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sriracha sauce
2 tablespoon green onion
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Directions

1) Hydrate mushrooms, remove from water and squeeze water out.

2) Finely chop and cook over medium heat on greased pan. Cook for4-5 minutes.

3) Add cabbage, onion, and sesame oil. Cook for another 4-5 mins. Filling should be dehydrated but not dry.

4) Mix wine and starch in bowl add 1 tablespoon mixture to filling. Reduce heat to low.

5) Combine ginger, garlic, soy, and vinegar in food processor/blender and puree.

6) Combine seasoning mixture to filling mixture. Salt to taste.

7) Hand form filling to desired size, about 1 tablespoon per gyoza. Firmly form.

8) Wrap with skin and seal edges with egg whites.

9) Steam first until skins shrink tight, pan sear golden brown!

EDITOR'S NOTE: Optional seasoning: cumin seed, chili powder, cayenne peppers (for a flavor explosion use in addition to ginger, garlic, and soy.)

Rebekah Danielle Shriver is a prominent DC socialite. Greg Stillman, of course, is delicious arm candy.

Gabby's Caramel Cheesecake
Adapted from a recipe hosted on Cooks.com

















Ingredients
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 box graham crackers
3 pkg. cream cheese (I used 1 or 2 of the 1/3 less fat variety)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 eggs
3 pkg. Werther's soft caramels
1/2 c. half and half plus 3 tablesoons
1 c. chopped pecans
Pecan halves

Directions
Crust:

1. Combine butter, sugar and graham crackers and press into 2 pie pans.

2. Melt 2 1/2 pkg caramels with 1/2 cup half and half.

3. When melted, mix in pecans and spread into 2 crusts.

4. Bake for 10 minutes at approx. 350.

Filing:

5. Beat cream cheese, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk. Pour into crusts and bake until set (approx. 45 min).

6. Top with caramel (made with left over caramels and half and half) and pecan halves.

7. Cool in freezer for a couple hours before serving.

Gabrielle Hirz practices law in Washington, DC.

Jason's Sweet Potato Vichyssoise
From Didi Emmon's Vegetarian Planet 

                                                                                                           Ben Droz

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 shallots, chopped
2 inner celery stalks, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large sweet potato (3/4 lb.), peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
2 small white potatoes (3/4 lb. total), peeled and chopped into 1-inch chunks
1 quart water
1/2 cup white wine
5 tablespoons whole, low-fat, or nonfat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon salt, or more, to taste
fresh-ground black pepper to taste
chopped chives

Directions
    1. In a heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.

    2. Add the shallots and celery, and saute them, stirring often, for about 5 minutes or until the shallots soften.

    3. Add the garlic, sweet potato, and white potatoes, and stir.

    4. Add the water and wine, and simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.

    5. With a blender or food processor, blend the soup (in 2 batches if necessary) until it is almost but not quite smooth.

    6. Transfer the soup to a container with a tight-fitting lid.

    7. Whisk in the sour cream, salt, and pepper (over season the soup a bit because the flavors will dull when the soup is chilled).

    8. Chill the soup for at least 2 hours.

    9. Before serving it, check the seasonings; add more salt and pepper, if you like.

    10. Serve the soup chilled, sprinkled with chopped chives.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Serves 4


Jason McCool is an award winning actor and musician. He's currently performing in 'Ramayana' at the Constellation Theater Company. There's more about Jason on his Web site.

Rupen's Matar Paneer 

Original Recipe

Ingredients
1 cup green peas
1 lb Indian paneer cheese, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 T oil
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp garam masala powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 T ginger garlic paste
2 T scraped coconut
½ tsp cayenne powder
Salt to taste

Directions
    1) Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan.

    2) Fry the onion until light pink in color.

    3) Add ginger-garlic paste, sauté for 4-5 minutes.

    4) Add the rest of the spices and sauté for 1-2 minutes.

    5) Add tomato paste and mix.

    6) Add 1 cup water and paneer cheese, boil and cook for 10 minutes.

    7) If needed, add more water.

Rupen Rao is one of the DC Vegetarian Cooking Group's resident chefs. If you like Rupen's original recipe, you can find many more on his Web site!

Ilya's Herb-crusted Tofu
From Deborah Madison's 'Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone'

Ingredients

1 1 lb package silken tofu

1 cup fine bread crumbs

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, Asiago, or other hard cheese

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tsp dried basil or marjoram

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried savory

1 egg, beaten with 2 tbsp milk

olive oil for frying

Directions

    1) Slice the tofu into slabs about 1/3 inch thick and set on paper towels to drain.

    2) Meanwhile, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, and herbs in a flat dish.

    3) Dip each piece of tofu into the egg mixture, then the bread crumbs.

    4) Heat oil in the skillet.

    5) When the oil is hot, add the tofu and fry over medium heat on both sides until golden.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Serve over jasmine rice with dill.

Ilya Khazanov is the DC Vegetarian Cooking Group's resident beer sommeleir. He's also a jazz musician; playing the organ, piano, guitar and drums. He lives in Maryland.

Kim's Grains and Goat Cheese Salad
Adapted from Epicurious

 















Ingredients
1/2 cup semi-pearled farro or spelt berries or barley

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

12 ounces green beans, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (cut from 2 to 3 ears of corn)
3 green onions, thinly sliced (about 3/4 cup)
1 tablespoon minced fresh marjoram
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
4 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled (about 1 1/4 cups)

Directions
    1) Cook farro, until tender, in a medium saucepan of boiling salted water. About 20 to 25 minutes.

    2) Drain; cool.

    3) Cook green beans, until crisp-tender, in a large saucepan of boiling salted water. About 4 minutes.

    4) Rinse under cold water to cool; drain.

    5) Transfer beans to kitchen towel; pat dry.

    6) Mix farro and green beans in large bowl; add corn and green onions.

    7) Combine remaining 2 tablespoons oil, marjoram, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt in a small bowl.

    8) Press with back of spoon to release flavor.

    9) Whisk in vinegar, shallots, and mustard.

    10) Pour over salad in bowl; toss to coat.

    11) Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    12) Chill.

    13) Divide chilled or room-temperature salad among plates. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Salad can be made 1 day ahead.

Kim Kahnhauser is the Women’s Foreign Policy Group's director of operations. She oversees programs, membership, mentoring activities, board relations, and overall office operations. There's more about Kim at the WFPG Web site.

Kim's Lentil Salad with Tomato and Dill
Adapted from Epicurious

















Ingredients
1 cup dried lentils (preferably small French lentils)
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
3/4 lb tomatoes, diced (2 cups)
4 large scallions, thinly sliced (3/4 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
9 tablespoons red-wine vinegar, or to taste
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Directions
   1) Add lentils, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to 4 cups of water in a heavy saucepan.

   2) Bring water to a boil.

   3) Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are just tender. About 15 to 25 minutes.

   4) Drain in a large sieve, then transfer to a large bowl.

   5) Toss hot lentils with tomatoes, scallions, dill, basil, vinegar, oil, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste.

Kim Kahnhauser is the Women’s Foreign Policy Group's director of operations. She oversees programs, membership, mentoring activities, board relations, and overall office operations. There's more about Kim at the WFPG Web site. 

Megan's Raw Vegan Truffles
Original Recipe

Jack Zahora

Ingredients

¾ cup raw cacao powder (available at health stores)

2 cups ground raw almonds

¾ cup raw agave nectar

1 Tbs. organic coconut butter (sometimes called oil)

Pinch of Celtic sea salt

1 cup shredded, dried unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions

    1) Combine all the ingredients except for the coconut flakes in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.

    2) Roll up your sleeves, take a small amount of the mixture, and roll small balls between your palms.

    3) Dip each ball in a separate smaller bowl containing the coconut flakes.

    4) Freeze overnight to harden the truffles.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Keep truffles frozen until they are ready to serve.


Megan McCloud is a graphic designer based in Washington, DC. She's also the DC Vegetarian Cooking Group's resident pâtissier. 

Ilya's Marinated Grilled Tofu

With Hoisin Sauce
From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Jack Zahora

  






 

Ingredients

1 1-lb package firm tofu    
1/3 cup hoisin sauce

2 tsp lemon thyme, chopped, or regular thyme

1 tsp marjoram, chopped, or 2 pinches dried

1/4 cup dry sherry

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp freshly milled pepper
1 tbsp toasted black or white sesame seeds
2 scallions, including the greens, sliced into rounds

Directions

To marinate
  
1) Cut the tofu into rectangles or triangles 1/2 inch thick.

2) Set on paper towels to drain.

3) Combine the hoisin sauce with the herbs, sherry, olive oil, garlic, and pepper.

4) Place the drained tofu in a baking dish and score the tops, making diagonal cuts about halfway through each piece.

5) Brush the marinade generously over the tofu, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook.

To broil

1) Place the tofu 4 or 5 inches under the heat and broil until the top is bubbling and the tofu is heated through. About 7-10 minutes.

2) Serve with the sesame seeds and scallions over the top.

Or to grill

1) brush both sides with the marinate and grill on both sides, about 15 minutes in all.

2) Serve with the sesame seeds and scallions over the top.

Ilya Kazanov is the DC Vegetarian Cooking Group's resident beer sommelier. He's also a jazz musician, playing the piano, organ, guitar and drums. He lives in Maryland. 

Tom n' Heather's Veggie Party 

Big thanks to Tom n Heather for hosting on Capitol Hill. There was close to 70 guests and at least 40 dishes. 

Jack Zahora

Just when you couldn't eat another morsel, someone new to the party would show up carrying a big plate of  "Oh my God I have to try some of that."

By the way, let us know if you have a house, apartment, or a party room in your condo that hosts 50 people.

Believe us, you would be surprised how many people can comfortably fit in a living room.

And we need spots for upcoming dinner parties!