This week I was lucky enough to be in Maryland where I discussed my “vegetarian crab cake” idea with James’ mom. Apparently, this is not a strange idea in the Old Bay State and Eleanor was almost immediately able to put her hands on a photocopy of an article “Not Quite Crab” (author, date, and publication did not make it to the Xerox machine).  The article included two recipes for Zucchini Crab Cakes which had appeared in Maryland community cook books and it was exciting to see evidence of a vege-tizing tradition around this traditional and revered Maryland food. Zucchini and crab are both in-season in the summer, but since there are no zucchinis to be found this weekend I used turnips, which impart a little more earthiness and spice.

Poor Man’s Crab Cakes

Ingredients

• 4 pounds purple-top turnips, grated
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 4 spring onions, minced
• 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 cup egg replacer
• 3 tablespoons non-margarine butter substitute, melted
• 2 cups breadcrumbs

Preparation

1. Combine grated turnips and salt in a large bowl. Allow the turnips to drain for at least four hours. 
2. Drain the excess liquid from the turnips, then add onion, Old Bay seasoning, egg replacer, and melted butter substitute. Combine thoroughly with your clean hands.
3. Pour breadcrumbs into a shallow dish and set aside.
4. Form the “crab” mixture into fist shape balls squeezing firmly to remove excess liquid. Roll the balls in the bread crumbs the transfer to a greased cookie sheet and flatten gently with the palm of your hand. Repeat until all of the “crab” mixture has been used.
5. Bake the crab cakes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes with a spatula then return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve warm with your favorite creamy sauce.

This spin on classic rice and beans uses food-processor processed cauliflower and quinoa as a substitute for rice.  Not only does it taste great, but it packs a whole ton of nutrients and protein!

Black Beans and Quinoa Cauliflower “Rice”

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa, cooked
• 1 pound cauliflower, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup black beans
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon hot pepper flakes
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1/2 a cup chopped cilantro
• salt to taste

Preparation

1. Pulse the cauliflower in a food processor until it is in uniform small rice-like pieces then set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute the onion, garlic, cumin, and pepper flakes. When the onion is transparent, add the cauliflower and quinoa and continue to saute, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender, about two or three minutes.
3. Add the beans, tomatoes, vinegar, and vegetable broth and cover the pot. Bring the ingredients to a simmer then uncover. Stir in the cilantro and serve with an avocado and the salsa of your choice.

Black Radish Latkes

Ingredients

• 1 pound black Spanish radishes, grated
• 1/2 pound white potatoes, grated
•  2 sprigs of green garlic, minced
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon black cumin, ground
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Vegetable oil based spray

Preparation

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Form patties using about 1 cup of the mixture. Space the patties on a well oiled cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 375 degrees until they begin to brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the patties and cook another 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Serve hot with apple sauce or any other condiment of your choice.

Enchiladas Mineras are a special Mexican dish originating in Guanajuato.  Mining was and is still a large part of the economy of the city and state of Guanajuato, and miners need hearty food to replenish themselves after a hard day’s work.  These enchiladas filled with potatoes and carrots and covered with a rich red sauce certainly fit the bill, though you don’t have to be a miner to enjoy them!

Enchiladas Mineras

Ingredients

• 1 batch Red Enchilada Sauce
• Corn tortillas
• 1 cup crumbled queso fresco or shredded Monterrey jack cheese (optional)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound golden potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 pound carrots, sliced
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 Persian lime)
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground cumin
• 4-3 pickled jalapenos, sliced
• salt to taste
• 2 cups sliced cabbage or lettuce

Preparation

1. Bring potatoes, carrots, stock, and bay leaves to a simmer in a large soup pot. Cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the vegetables, removing the bay leaves, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil and saute the onions and garlic with cumin until fragrant and tender, about three minutes. Mix in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.
3. Combine the potatoes and carrots with the sauteed onions and cheese.
4. Pour the enchilada sauce in a shallow dish, like a pie pan. Prepare the enchiladas by coating the tortillas with sauce and then filling each with about 1/2 a cup of filling. Roll the filled enchiladas and place in a rectangular baking dish.
5. When the dish is full, pour the remainder of the sauce over the enchiladas and bake at 350 degrees until the sauce begins to bubble, about 15 minutes.
6. Remove the enchiladas from the oven and allow to cool for about five minutes.
7. Serve the enchiladas over a bed of lettuce or shredded cabbage, and garnish with pickled jalapeno slices and cheese, if desired. Consider serving with fresh tomatillo salsa and refried black beans.

Broccoli Rabe Ravioli

Over Thanksgiving I talked my mom into letting us bring home the hand-crank pasta machine that belonged to my grandfather.  I remember making fresh pasta with him as a child, my favorite type being ravioli.  My grandfather had a ravioli press, but unfortunately it was not in my mother’s possession.  As a first dish, I made these ravioli.  Beware – this is a time-consuming recipe, but the results are fantastic.  It is best done with friends and loved ones on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Some wine or cocktails don’t hurt either!

Broccoli Rabe, also known as rapini, is a slightly bitter, slightly spicy green from the mustard family.  It is quite popular in southern Italy as well as in China.  Its somewhat strong flavor pairs well with the sweetness of ricotta to make these yummy ravioli.

Ingredients

Preparation

Filling

1. First, place the ricotta into a cheesecloth-lined colander and let drain over a bowl in the refrigerator for several hours before you start preparing the rest of this recipe.  This will get the ricotta to a thicker consistency.
2. Steam the broccoli rabe until tender, then squeeze lightly to remove excess water.  Let dry on a clean towel while waiting to use.
3. Over medium heat, saute the rehydrated mushrooms in the olive oil.  Once they are fragrant and slightly fried (about 3 minutes), reduce heat to low and add the minced garlic.  Continue to saute until the garlic is lightly browned, about 2 more minutes.
4. Remove the mushrooms and garlic from the pain, avoiding as much liquid or oil as possible.
5. Finely chop the steamed, dry broccoli rabe.
6. Combine the chopped broccoli rabe, drained ricotta cheese, fried garlic and mushrooms, and lemon zest in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ravioli

1. Divide the prepared dough into quarters.
2. Run each of the dough portions through the pasta machine at the widest setting 2 or 3 times, then through each setting until the finest or second-finest setting.  Lay the sheets of dough on a lightly floured surface.
3. Scoop out about 1 1/2 tablespoons of filling onto 1 sheet of dough at regularly-spaced intervals.  Lay a second sheet of dough on top of the first, and lightly press down around the scoops of filling to seal the dough.  Use a knife or scissors to cut ravioli from the dough. Place the ravioli on a lightly floured plate or other flat surface, but do not stack them on top of each other (they’ll stick!).
4. Continue step 3 until you are out of filling. You can recombine the excess pieces of dough and make new sheets if you have excess filling.
5. Cook the ravioli 3 or 4 at a time in a large pot of salted, boiling water.  They are done when they float, about 60 to 90 seconds.
6. Serve with a sauce of your choice, such as our Garden Marinara, or just drizzled with a nice olive oil and some salt.

Makes 20-24 ravioli.

Elliott, James, and Clayton Making Ravioli

Cauliflower Roast

These roasted cauliflower wedges go great with Mushroom Gravy.

Ingredients

• 1 large head cauliflower, quartered into wedges
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Arrange the cauliflower wedges on a baking sheet, then drizzle generously with olive oil.
2. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper.  Rub this spice mixture on the cauliflower wedges.
3. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until the cauliflower is nicely browned and soft, about 35 minutes.

Feel free to play around with the spice mixture in this recipe!

This year, Coseppi Kitchen answered the call to duty when the Austin Food Blogger Alliance (AFBA) asked for volunteers to represent the organization at the 24th Annual Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off. With the help of some AFBA volunteers including Jessica of Bake Me Away (see her write-up here), we made five gallons of Black Bean, Lentil, and Eggplant Chili and served hundreds of Cook-Off attendees! After braving the wind, some knife nicks, and a few steam burns, we went on to win the “All Veg” Category and the greatest honor of all, People’s Choice!

Thanks goes out to everyone who helped including Jessica, Gabe Hasser, Taylor’s parents Mike and Shelly who came down from Fort Worth to help, and the folks who lent us the equipment – Stephen Palmer, Clayton Ernst, and Molly Frisinger.  We also need to thank Johnson’s Backyard Garden for the delicious eggplant and cilantro that carried us through to victory!

Lone Star Vegetarian Chili Cook-Off
First Place All Veg and People’s Choice

Black Bean, Lentil, and Eggplant Chili

Ingredients

• ½ pound black beans, pre-soaked overnight
• 2 dried chili pasilla peppers, stemmed
• 4 large cloves garlic, diced and divided
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 dried chili pasilla peppers
• 3 dried chili cascabel peppers
• 2 dried chipotle peppers
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 poblano pepper, diced
• 1 pound eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
• ½ 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• ½ 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 quart water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable Better-than-Bouillon
• ½ cup dry green lentils
• Juice of 2 key limes
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Boil the black beans with 2 stemmed chili pasilla peppers, 3 bay leaves, and half of the diced garlic until soft, about 1 1/2 hours.
2. While the beans are cooking, finely dice (or use a food processor) the remaining chiles pasillas, chiles cascabeles, and chipotle peppers.
3. When black beans are tender, remove from heat.
4. Saute the onion, diced dried chilies, and ground cumin in olive oil over medium-high heat until the onions are soft and the cumin is fragrant, about 10 minutes.
5. Add the remaining diced garlic and the diced poblano pepper, and saute for 5 minutes more.
6. Add the eggplant and a pinch of salt, then continue to saute until it is tender, about 8 minutes.
7. Add the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, water, Better-than-Bouillon, and lentils.  Bring to boil then lower heat to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are almost cooked, about 30 minutes.
8. Add the cooked black beans and let the chili simmer until the lentils are soft and the flavors have melded, about 30 minutes more. The longer you let the chili simmer, the thicker it will become, so you can adjust based on your preferences.
9. Season with salt to taste and add the key lime juice.
10. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro, diced jalapenos (for extra heat), or your preferred chili topping.

These baked chiles rellenos pair the creamy sweetness of sweet potatoes with the smoky heat of poblano peppers.  We used smaller, almost bite-size poblanos and served these as an appetizer at a recent gathering, but larger poblanos would work well for entree portions.  Either way, serve these with our Cilantro Lime Aioli for a delicious treat!

Sweet Potato Chiles Rellenos

Ingredients

• 2 pounds poblano peppers
• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped finely
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground cumin
• 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1 cup corn meal
• 1 cup unsweetened milk substitute (soy, coconut, almond, etc)
• cooking spray
• salt to taste

Preparation

1. Top, seed, and roast the poblanos. See our Roasted Peppers post for instructions.  You might want to wear gloves if you are sensitive to hot peppers (or prone to touching sensitive areas!).
2. Boil the sweet potatoes in lightly salted water until they are soft, about 25 minutes.
3. Saute the garlic and onion in olive oil on medium heat until the onions just begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
4. Combine the sauteed ingredients with the boiled sweet potatoes and ground cumin.  Mash together and season with salt to taste.
5. In a large shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal and breadcrumbs along with about 1 teaspoon of salt.
6. Lightly coat the baking sheet with cooking spray.
7. Stuff each roasted poblano with the mashed sweet potato mixture.
8. Dip each stuffed pepper into the milk substitute and then roll in the breadcrumb/cornmeal mixture until coated. Place each chili relleno on the baking sheet.
9. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes until the breading becomes lightly browned.

Causa is a wonderful Peruvian dish that basically amounts to a fish, seafood, or vegetable salad sandwiched between two layers of mashed potatoes seasoned with Peruvian aji chilies.  Causa has become a symbol of the creativity inherent in modern Peruvian cuisine, with chefs and home cooks alike making their own unique versions that follow the basic format.

Typically, Peruvian yellow and white potatoes are used in a causa, but to celebrate the fall and practice some creativity of our own, we used delicious sweet potatoes from Johnson’s Backyard Garden (along with several of their other seasonal veggie offerings) to make this version.

Sweet Potato Causa

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
• 4 sweet carmen peppers (or one large red bell pepper), roasted, peeled, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons aji amarillo paste
• 4 key limes, juiced
• 1 25-ounce can chickpeas, drained
• 1/2 medium purple onion, juilienned
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegan mayonnais
• Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Boil the potatoes with the skin on until very soft, about 30 minutes. When cool to the touch, peel with your fingers then mash in a large bowl. Add aji amarillo and the juice of two key limes to the mashed potatoes and season with salt to taste. Set the potato mixture aside.
2. In another bowl, mash the chickpeas. Add onions, parsley, roasted peppers, vegan mayonnaise, and the juice of the other two key limes. Season with salt to taste.
3. Assemble the causa in a large casserole dish. Make an even layer of the potato mixture on the bottom of the dish then make a layer using all of the chickpea salad. Finish with a top layer of the potato mixture. Decorate as desired.  Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Pasties are basically the British version of empanadas or calzones, and are quite popular in the Midwest of the United States.  Pasties originally gained popularity with workers in colder climes, whose wives would pack freshly-baked pasties that would hold some of their warmth throughout the day.  Nowadays, with the advent of microwaves and toaster ovens, you can enjoy these whenever you’d like!

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Pasties

Ingredients

Dough

• 1-3/4 cups flour (or gluten-free substitute)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup non-margarine butter substitute
• 6 to 10 tablespoons water

Filling

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup vegetable broth
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard
• salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation

1. To prepare the dough, sift flour and salt into a medium bowl. With fork or pastry cutter, add the non-margarine butter substitute. Stir in ice water gradually just until the mixture holds together – don’t overwork the dough, you want the end result to be flaky. Cover and chill for an hour.
2. While the dough chills, prepare the filling. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms to the saute and cook until the mushrooms express their liquid.
3. Add sweet potato and combine until the potatoes are thoroughly coated, then add the broth and reduce heat to low and cover while the potatoes cook. They should be tender in about 15 minutes.
4. Add broccoli to the potatoes and cook an additional 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the cottage cheese and mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. To prepare the pasties, divide the dough in half, and roll 1 half out on a floured work surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out 5-inch round crusts then roll and repeat until the dough is exhausted.  Roll each dough into an oval and fill each pastry with about 1/2 a cup of dough then press down the edged with a fork. Transfer each pastry to a baking sheet.
6. When the baking sheet is full, bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 18- 25 minutes.

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Pasties