vegan

Healthy Appetizers and Food Styling Tips with Nancy Waldeck at Cooks Warehouse Merchants Walk

appetizers, stuffed peppers, vegan appetizers, quinoa, vegan
Sweet peppers stuffed with Quinoa presented in a deviled egg plate=brilliant

I’m usually on the other side of the chef’s jacket, but not this night.  This time instead of teaching a cooking class I got to take one from fantastic chef and food stylist Nancy Waldeck (TasteandSavor.com )  at COOKS WAREHOUSE Merchants Walk  Nancy had great ideas about using unusual items to present your food. She told us a story about how once she and her assistant bought tons on mushrooms from the grocery store just for the cute boxes they were in ( I’m sure she did something wonderful with all those mushrooms).  Her recipes were lovely, light and healthy appetizers great for any party.

The assistants at Cooks Warehouse had the mise en place prepped and ready to go
The assistants at Cooks Warehouse had the mise en place prepped and ready to go
pork sliders, appetizers, sliders
Adorable presentation for pork sliders with red pepper jelly
mini stuffed potato, Cajun crab salad, appetizer
This was the dish my “lab partner” and I chose to make. Teeny potatoes filled with Cajun crab salad. Also pictured, delicious Spanish paprika chicken bites with Romesco sauce.

 

potato cake, appetizer, kale, broccoli, bacon, Chinese soup spoons
 I created this little app out of the potato scraps from the stuffed mini potato recipe and some stuff I found when I raided the fridge at Cooks Warehouse. Waste not want not…and eat well. This is a kale, broccoli and potato cake with bacon.

Mini Potato Cakes with Kale, Broccoli and Bacon ( makes about 15 potato cakes)

1 and  1/4 cups diced Yukon gold potatoes boiled and mashed

1/4 cup finely chopped kale

1/4 cup finely chopped broccoli

1/4 cup diced cooked bacon ( save a few pieces of bacon for garnish if you like)

2 garlic cloves grated

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup mayonnaise (or light mayonnaise)

2 tablespoons butter or canola oil

2 tablespoons sour cream or plain Greek yogurt

Mix mashed potato, kale, broccoli, bacon, garlic mayonnaise and salt together in a bowl.  Scoop about a tablespoon of the mixture and form into a small scallop shaped disk.

Heat a skillet on medium with butter or canola oil.  Brown the potato cakes on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Serve on spoons (Chinese soup spoons or regular tablespoons)

Garnish with a dollop or sour cream or Greek yogurt and top with a piece of bacon

Chinese soup spoon, appetizers
Inexpensive Stainless Steel Chinese Soup Spoons are a great way to serve appetizers

 

chocolate dipped strawberries
Strawberries dipped in chocolate, peanuts and Dukkah (an African spice blend) DELICIOUS
shrimp, tomato soup, appetizers, cocktail
I love this presentation of tomato soup and shrimp skewers in shot glasses on top of a pedestal and gorgeous detailed wooden mat
Sweet Savant
The fabulous Nancy Waldeck and me at Cooks Warehouse Merchants Walk
5 Comments

Beets, because I read somewhere that they’re good for you

Beets, I'd like to paint a room in my house this color...maybe not the whole room, maybe just a wall....or maybe a dress this color...
Beets. I’d like to paint a room in my house this color…maybe not the whole room, maybe just a wall….or maybe a dress this color…

So, I know you hear reports everyday about this study or that study saying that this thing or that thing  is good for you. I usually don’t pay much attention because often its some nonsense like beer has anti-viral properties, but you would have to drink 30 beers a day to see any benefit. Totally useless for regular folks, this is only meaningful if you are a manufacturer of multi-vitamins and are working on a beer pill to take with your fish oil everyday.

But this morning I read an article about beets and blood pressure that caught my eye.  A promising  small study in which a few people with high blood pressure (but who were not taking medication) were given a cup of beet juice a day had a significant drop in blood pressure ( check out the article here =>   http://huff.to/1192FHY   )  . It takes about 2 beets to get one 8 ounce cup of beet juice.

This hits close to home because as many as 1 in 3 adults has high blood pressure including members of my family.  I was inspired to make a beet recipe for good health…plus beets are yummy.  I’ll post the beet recipe as soon as I’m done.

0 comment

Vegan Cauliflower Casserole with a Gluten Free Option

"Creamy" non-dairy, Cauliflower Casserole
“Creamy” non-dairy, Cauliflower Casserole

I grew up with two brothers but no sisters.  Through the North Fulton, GA chapter of Mocha Moms I now have about 80 sisters and I am so thankful for them all.  Last night my sisters and I had a wonderful evening of chatting, chocolate and cooking.

Vegan cauliflower casserole with gluten free option

I was honored to have the pleasure of doing a cooking demo for about 30 ladies, but what to cook for such a large group with diverse tastes and dietary needs. This cauliflower gratin relies on vegan “cream cheese” for it’s creamy sauce and nutritional yeast for it’s cheesy taste.  If you need a GLUTEN FREE version of this recipe leave off the panko gratin topping, replace them with potato chips and enjoy.

Cauliflower Casserole for my Sisters

Demetra Overton
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine American
Servings 4 -6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup medium chopped onion
  • ¼ cup diced carrot
  • 1 cup red bell chopped pepper
  • ¼ chopped celery
  • 1 clove of garlic chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 head of cauliflower about 4 cups
  • 4 ounces vegan cream cheese
  • 4 teaspoons of nutritional yeast
  • ¾ cup vegan panko bread crumbs or potato chips
  • Salt

Instructions
 

  • Sauté onions, carrot, red bell pepper and celery in 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until softened.
  • Add lemon juice, water and cauliflower to the pan.
  • Stir to mix all vegetables together and cover the pan.
  • Steam on low for about 10 minutes or until cauliflower is tender.
  • Stir vegan cream cheese, 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast and salt to taste into the cauliflower.
  • In a bowl, mix panko crumbs, 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and sprinkle on top of cauliflower.
  • Broil for 1 minute or so (watch it closely) until the topping is browned

 

1 Comment

Squashed

Seared Patty Pan Squash

I love this simple vegetarian dish, I’m using patty pan squash ( I don’t know the specific varieties) that I bought from the farmers market this weekend.  They were so beautiful that I almost couldn’t bring myself to cook them….actually I didn’t cook one of them, it’s just too pretty.  When you make this, cut the squash so that you show off the beautiful flower shape.

Seared Patty Pan Squash Steaks

2 Patty Pan Squash (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter)

1 teaspoon of canola or olive oil ( I used canola oil for it’s mild flavor)

1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Slice the squash into 1/3 inch steaks ( see the picture attached to this note for an example)

Coat the patty pan squash slices in oil and season with thyme, salt and pepper

Let this stand (or sit) at room temperature for about 5 minutes

Heat a frying pan over high heat…let the pan get really hot.  Sear the patty pan squash slice quickly over high heat for about 1-2 minutes per side..until beautifully browned

0 comment

1 2

GET DELICIOUS RECIPES DIRECTLY TO YOUR INBOX! SUBSCRIBE TO SWEETSAVANT.COM EMAIL NEWSLETTER

* indicates required