Category: Polenta

Fathers Day Brunch: Vegan Hollandaise & Sunflower Pâté

6/13/2014

It is completely meaningless to put effort into activities that have no essence - Atisha

Sunday breakfast meals bring out the "made-from-scratch" in me and I think with Mother's Day just around the corner we should all make an effort to cook a nice meal for our mums, good friends or just for ourselves! Vegans and Non Vegans alike will enjoy these great recipes I always use! Below I share two recipes: My vegan Hollandaise and a super tasty Polenta-like pâté made from ground sunflower seeds, cornmeal & potatoes. And, of course, how can you make Eggs Benedict for your friends without HOMEMADE English Muffins. I made these foods from scratch from tried and true recipes that I love! BUT, of course, I alway give any recipe a bit of my own twist. You should, too! Have fun! and celebrate mothers past, present and future on May 11th - they make our wold a better place!

Vegan and Non-Vegan: On the left my Vegan Sunflower pâté topped with vegan Hollandaise along side Eggs Benedict.

Mmmmmmmm - Nooks and Crannies! Home made English Muffins. I use Mark Bittman's recipe for sandwich bread in his book How to Cook Everything. This is a wonderful recipe. It is not vegan as it contains milk- but vegans can substitute with almond milk or other milk alternative. The recipe is so easy and the ingredients so basic but the end result is so impressive So, have at it and make these!

Another terrific appetizer, snack or protein main dish on Brunch Day is this wonderfully delicious Sunflower pâté. So flavorful and satisfying! You will not believe it's vegan. Nutritional Yeast is what gives this pâté a rich, cheesy, nutty flavor. I LOVE this dish for picnics, lunches or parties. See this and my Mock Arugula Hollandaise recipe below.

Sunflower pâté

This recipe is from one of my favorite vegan cookbooks that I picked up at the bottom of a pile in a thrift sale. It's called Vegan Delights by Jeanne Marie Martin and was published in 1993. Wonderful recipes in this book.

Serves 6-8 people

INGREDIENTS

1 Cup Sunflowers seeds, finely ground
1/2 cup corn meal
1//2 cup yellow nutritional yeast - click here for more information on nutritional yeast
3 tsp. dried parsley flakes (I didn't have any but if you do, great!)
1.5 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
3/4-1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp dried sage leaves (I didn't have sage on hand and it still tasted great!)
1/4 tsp sea kelp powder

1 Cup finely grated potato (I just used grater on food processor)
1 and 1/3 cup water
1/4 cup sunflower oil or other natural oil (you can reduce this amount if you wish)
2 TBS soy sauce or Tamari

Optional: 3-4 tsp prepared horseradish. I didn't have this on hand either so did not include this. Other things you could add include some finely chopped onions or minced garlic. Keep the wet veggies to a minimum.

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Grate the potato and rinse it thoroughly to remove excess starch. Squeeze and drain it after rinsing. Add the remaining ingredients in the order given above, stirring in the potato last. Mix well.

Preheat over to 375 degrees. Generously oil a 9" glass pie plate and scoop in the pâté mixture. Put it in the oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees. Bake 35-45 minutes until well browned.

Let the pâté cool 1-2 hours and then chill it thoroughly before serving to set it completely. It may be reheated later if desired. It is tastiest when served at room temperature. Keeps up to 7 days refrigerated or may be frozen in pie wedges (with reduced oil and no onions or garlic)

Vegan Arugula Hollandaise Sauce

Makes about 1 cup

INGREDIENTS

3 TBS Earth Balance or Butter Alternative. Or - use Ghee or Butter - whatever suits you!
2 TBS Flour (I use gluten free flour)
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Turmeric (this creates the hollandaise color)
1 Cup Milk Alternative (Soy, Almond, etc) - I use homemade almond (none of the flavored stuff from the store:(
2 TBS Nutritional Yeast
Pinch cayenne
1/2 or 1 TBS Veganaise (Vegan Mayo - I use Wildwood Vegan Aioli)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Small handful of baby arugula.

DIRECTIONS

Sizzle "butter" in heavy skillet on stove over med high heat
Add flour & turmeric to butter and mix thoroughly to create a paste - (do not burn paste)
Whisk in almond milk and keep whisking until smooth
Remove from heat and add the nutritional yeast and pinch of cayenne
At this point your "hollandaise" should be smooth, colorful and flavorful. Next step is to the food processor
In a small bowl of your food processor add your hollandaise, handful of arugula and 1/2 TBS or 1 TBS of Veganaise. Blend thoroughly and add water by the TableSpoons to reach the correct consistency you desire. I thinned mine a bit with water. It will thicken each time your reheat it - you can add water likewise each time you reheat.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Reheat when ready to serve. Taste to your liking and add things you prefer!

2 Comments

What's on the Menu Tonight? Indian Broccoli Polenta!

4/10/2013

2 Comments

Tonight's feature is my take on Polenta. I pan roast the corn with Indian spices before adding my pre-heated water and broccoli parts. This makes for a wonderful, hearty, bountiful flavor that blends perfectly with sauteed Balti spiced onions, mushrooms and spinach. Now that's YUMMY in my TUMMY! See recipe below picture for my Indian style polenta!

1 Cup Polenta Corn Grits
3.5 cups vegetable broth or water (go low sodium if using broth)
2 TBSP Sunflower oil (or Olive or Grapeseed)
4 Cups very well-chopped broccoli, stalks & tops (I pulse them in processor - no large than 1/4" pieces

SPICES:
1/8 tsp Hing
1/2 tsp Whole Cumin Seeds
1/4 freshly ground Black Pepper
1/4 tsp dry Ginger Powder
1 tsp Tumeric
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Coriander

To prepare the corn grits:

Preheat on the stove top a large dutch skillet or cast iron skillet on low setting (about 1-2 minutes)
Put in cornmeal and dry roast for 5 Minutes and add all the spices except the coriander.
Add oil and then the coriander and mix with dry corn grits thoroughly.
Slowly add your hot water (be careful of rising steam!!!) and stir as you add to avoid lumps (I add water in portions and stir after each portion)

Add the broccoli and stir thoroughly (veg does not have to be pre-cooked)
Simmer on low heat covered for 15 minutes (stirring every so ofter)
After 15 minutes remove from heat, keep covered and let sit for 10 minutes.

To prepare molds:

Grease a 12 muffin tin (lightly).
Scoop polenta into muffin tin almost to top and then flatten with a spoon.
Refrigerate for no less than 1 hours
Use dull bladed knife to lift out
to reheat: place under broiler and watch closely (approx 3 minutes)

Serve atop sauteed veggies!! This meal was AWESOME tonight and totally satisfying. Can't ask for anything better and the cost to make this was next to nothing! Much better than going out and easy to make!

2 Comments

Food 4OREthought:)

Fathers Day Brunch: Vegan Hollandaise & Sunflower Pâté

Sunflower pâté

Vegan Arugula Hollandaise Sauce

What's on the Menu Tonight? Indian Broccoli Polenta!

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