Tofu Dandelion Stuffed Shells
Photo by Gabe Hasser

Tofu takes the place of cheese in this stuffed shell recipe. The addition of dandelion greens and walnuts it is not only a healthy choice, it is very tasty!

 Ingredients

• 1 package large pasta shells, boiled and cooled
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 bunch of dandelion greens, chopped
• 1 pound firm tofu, crumbled
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• Zest from 1/2 a lemon
• 1 preparation of tomato sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Grated Parmesan cheese or Vegan Parmesan substitute (optional)

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Over medium heat saute the onion until it is tender. Add garlic and continue cooking until fragrant, about one minute. 
2. Add dandelion greens, tofu, and walnuts. Continue cooking, stirring continuously, over medium heat until the greens begin to wilt, about two minutes.  Stir in the lemon zest, season with salt and pepper to taste, then remove from heat.
3. Stuff the shells and arrange in a large baking dish. When the dish is at capacity top with sauce and a little grated Parmesan cheese or cheese substitute.
4. Bake at 350 degrees until sauce simmers, about 15 minutes.

Gluten-free variation: Substitute gluten-free shell or manicotti pasta, or roll the filling in blanched Brussels sprouts greens or collard leaves.

This soup, packed with herbs and quinoa, is very reminiscent of many soups we ate while living in Huaraz, Peru.  The parsnips add a nice mild earthiness to this soup.

Parsnip Quinoa Soup

Ingredient

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 celeriac stalks or 1 celery stalk, diced
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 3/4 pound parsnips, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup raw quiona
• 4 cups light vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent.
2. Add celeriac and white wine and continue to simmer until wine is evaporated, another three to four minutes.
3. Add the parsnips and saute for five minutes.
4. Add broth, quinoa, and oregano. Bring to boil then cover, reduce heat to low, and let simmer until the quinoa is cooked, about 15 minutes.
5. Serve garnished with fresh celeriac or celery leaves, diced spring onion, parsley, or other fresh herb of your choice.

Rutabagas are a cross between cabbage and turnips. So, while this recipe resembles potato salad the flavor is more akin to the other ubiquitous cookout dish – coleslaw.

Rutabaga “Potato” Salad

Ingredients

• 3 pounds rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 carrot, grated
• 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
•  1/2 cup curly parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup celeriac greens or celery tops, chopped
• 2-3 green onions, finely chopped
• 1 sprig of green garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Boil rutabaga in salted water until tender, about 15-20 minutes. 
2. Drain the rutabaga and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Combine cooled rutabaga cubes with the remaining ingredients.

Mini Allspice Dram Cakes with Mayfair Icing

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten-free flour, divided
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 teaspoons Allspice Dram, divided
• 3 tablespoons non-margarine butter substitute
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Preparation

1. Combine 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, and 1 teaspoon Allspice Dram in a medium bowl. Cut non-margarine butter substitute into the mixture and set aside.
2. Combine coconut milk and vinegar in small bowl and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. Combine remaining flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.  Add the vegetable oil, remaining Allspice Dram, and coconut milk mixture.
4. Coat the cups of a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. put one table spoon of topping in the bottom of each cup. Top with 1/2 cup of cake batter.  Bake for 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees Fahrenheit until they pass the toothpick test.
5. Turn the cakes out on to a rack to cool.

Note: For a little extra kick, drizzle the cakes with Mayfair Icing.

This icing is inspired by the Mayfair Cocktail.

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoon Apricot Brandy
• 1/2 teaspoon Allspice dram
• 1/4 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons water

Preparation

1.  Mix all ingredients until smooth.
2. Spread on cooled baked goods as desired.

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.

Two of our favorite vendors at the Barton Creek Farmers’ Market (other than Johnson’s Backyard Garden, of course) are Dad’s Granola and Rinkon Farm’s Preserves. This recipe combines their marvelous products into one delicious recipe.

Ingredients

• 4 cups (1 package) your favorite type of Dad’s Granola, divided
• 1/2 cup dry unsweetened coconut
• 2 tablespoons ground flax
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup egg replacer
• 1/4 cup turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup garbanzo flour
• 1 jar (11 ounces) of your favorite Rinkon Flume Creek Preserves
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preparation

1. Combine 3 cups granola, coconut, flax, salt, egg replacer, sugar, oil, almond milk, and flour in a large bowl. 
2. Transfer the granola mixture to a greased rectangular baking sheet and press into an even layer.
3. Spread the jam evenly over the layer of granola. Sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of granola evenly over the jam and spray lightly with a vegetable oil-based cooking spray.
4. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
5. Cut granola squares with a sharp knife and allow to cool before serving.

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.

Mirepoix is the aromatic flavor trinity of celery, carrot, and onion used as a base in typical French cuisine.

This simple bean soup replaces common celery with the stalks and leaves of its more pungent cousin, celeriac (often called celery root) in the mirepoix. If you are in Austin, Johnson’s Backyard Garden recently started selling this delicious herb at farmers’ markets around town.

Celeriac White Bean Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced celeriac stalks and leaves
• 1 cup diced carrots
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup cooked cannellini beans
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Saute celeriac, carrots, onion, and garlic in olive oil until the onion is translucent and the carrots are tooth-tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Add the bay leaves, broth, and water, and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer partially covered for 10-15 minutes.
3. Add the white beans and continue to simmer a few minutes until the beans are warmed.
4. Add the lemon juice, season with salt to taste, and give a few good twists of freshly ground black pepper.

Sauteeing the Celeriac Mirepoix

Spaghetti Westerns are a genre of Western movies that were made in Italy. They resemble the typical American-made Westerns, and the better ones feature unusual music and heroes with unnaturally good fighting skills and an unlikely partner.

Like Quentin Tarantino, we are  fans of quirky multi-national fusions. However, we are not in the movie business and so our Django Unchained-equivalent works are more likely to appear on small plates or glasses, rather than big screens.

Jake from Haus Alpenz pouring samples

We recently found a healthy dose of inspiration at Hopfields. If you have not made it there yet, Hopfields is a fantastic restaurant with a great beer selection and a gifted bartender – Carter – who makes some o f the best “17 [% ABV] and under” drinks in Austin.

On January 16th, Hopfields hosted a small tasting with Jake Parrott from Haus Alpenz. Haus Alpenz is an importer of unique international spirits and liqueurs, and has taken an important part in revitalizing America’s cocktail movement.  We sampled a variety of their offerings, including Cocchi Americano Rosso (the first bottle in Texas!), Cocchi Barolo Chinato, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Bhyrrh, and a few others.

Spaghetti Western Cocktail (Photo by Gabriel Hasser)

One of our favorites was Cardamaro Amaro, a wine-based bitter flavored with cardoon (not cardamom as the name might lead you to believe).  Jake suggested the this cocktail to us (and even gave us the name), so after the tasting we hurried to the liquor store to gather our ingredients.  After a few variations, we decided the following preparation was our favorite Spaghetti Western Cocktail, which mixes spicy American rye whiskey with the sweetly bitter Italian Cardamaro.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Rye
• 1 ounce Cardamaro
• 1 dash orange bitters

Preparation

1. Stir the rye and Cardamaro together in a mixing glass with several ice cubes until chilled, about 30 seconds. 
2. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
3. Garnish with a healthy orange twist.

Corsicana Dawn from Hopfields (Photo by Gabriel Hasser)