Mock Chopped Liver/Cashew and Green Bean Pate

Here's another appetizer I made for my BFFZ Tonya's (above, right) closing art reception. Shockingly, I didn't get a photo of the actual food - so here are some event pics instead. Not as good - I know!

I discovered this recipe on the Veg Kitchen website. It was posted by a user named Nava - who is a genius by my account.
http://www.vegkitchen.com/recipes/savor-and-flavor/snacks-and-dips/mock-chopped-liver-cashew-onion-and-green-bean-pate/

Mock Chopped Liver (Cashew and Green Bean Pate)
Makes: About 2 cups

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 2/3 cup toasted cashews*
• 1 cup steamed green beans, cut into 1" lengths, or 1 cup thawed frozen cut green beans
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Saute the onions slowly over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until nicely browned.

Combine the onions with the remaining ingredients in the container of a food processor. Process until smoothly pureed, scraping down the sides as needed. Store in a jar until needed, and bring to room temperature before serving.

*I like the added flavor given by the toasted cashews, but if you're into raw cashews, by all means, use them.

Notes: For serving, I used Mary's Gone Crackers crackers original flavor. This was the most popular appetizer at the art reception. Little babies loved it, omnis loved it, and vegans loved it! Guests wanted to scoop it up and gobble it down as is without the cracker. I have never tasted liver but I am sure this is 100% healthier and maybe tastier? I can say this pate was DAMN good!

 Tonya Kehoe-Anderson (left), the artist and Cortnie Widen (right) the hostess and owner of White Rabbit. There are no flies on these girls!

Me, setting up the appetizer table in my farm apron!

Recipe Review: BIG VEGAN: Three-Nut "Cheese" Quesadillas with Fresh Mango Salsa

Recipe from the BIG VEGAN cookbook by Robin Asbell - more than 350 recipes No Meat/No Dairy ALL DELICIOUS.

Three-Nut "Cheese" Quesadillas with Fresh Mango Salsa

Nut "Cheese"

• 1/3 cup/40 g macadamia nuts
• 1/3 cup/40 g raw cashews
• 1/3 cup/40 g slivered/flaked almonds
• 1 acidophilus capsule (make sure it is dairy free)
• 1 tbsp cold-press corn oil
• 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt

Salsa 

• 1 large mango, diced
• 1 large jalapeno, chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped red onion
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint or cilantro/fresh coriander
•  1/4 tsp salt

• 2 scallions/spring onions, chopped
• 1/4 cup/7 g cilantro/fresh coriander
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• Eight 6-in/15-cm whole wheat/wholemeal tortillas 

1. To Make the Nut "Cheese": Put the nuts in a bowl, cover them with cold water, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the nuts, then puree them with 1/2 cup/120 ml fresh water in a blender or food processor. It make take some scraping down and repeating to get it smooth. Add the contents of the acidophilus capsule and puree to mix. Transfer the mixture to a glass or ceramic bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap/cling film, and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. It should form some bubbles and smell cheese-like.

2. The next day, stir in the oil, lemon juice, and salt, then refrigerate.


3. To Make The Salsa: Put the mango in a medium bowl and add the jalapeno, onion, lime juice, mint, and salt. Toss to mix and refrigerate until needed.

4. When the nut "cheese" is cold, mix in the scallions/spring onions, cilantro/fresh coriander, and chili powder. Divide the mixture among four of the tortillas and top them with the remaining tortillas.

5. To cook, preheat a large cast-iron frying pan on high heat. When it is hot, put one quesadilla in the pan, and cook it for about 2 minutes per side, until it is dappled with brown spots and the "cheese" is heated through. Transfer it to a cutting board and slice the quesadilla into six wedges. Repeat with the other quesadillas. Serve hot with the mango salsa.

Notes: YUMMY! I really enjoyed making my own cheese for this dish. Making food from scratch and knowing exactly what is going into my food is becoming increasingly important to me. Having complete quality control makes me feel good about what I make and serve. This was a fun and tasty meal - the mango salsa was a really fresh taste explosion! The quesadillas were good ole fashioned, messy fun-to-eat. Having yeasty nuts brewing made me feel especially fancy and pro-style! Also, saying nut-cheese is just juvenile giggle time!

Recipe Review: BIG VEGAN: Tortilla Soup with Mock Duck & Chipotles

This recipe is from my favorite new cookbook: BIG VEGAN by Robin Asbell published by Chronicle Books.

Tortilla Soup with Mock Duck and Chipotles

• 1  tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 8 oz/225 g Mock Duck (page 38) or chicken style seitan, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 1 qt/960 ml Basic Vegetable Stock (page 49) or mock chicken stock
• 1 small sweet potato, cubed
• 1/4 cup/45 g quinoa, rinsed
• 1 tbsp chopped chipotle chile in adobe sauce
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 3/4 tsp salt
• Six 6-in/15cm corn tortillas
• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1/2 cup/15 g cilantro/fresh coriander
• 1 large lime, cut into wedges, for serving

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and stir for 5 minutes or so, lowering the heat to medium. When the onion is soft, add the mock duck, garlic, cumin, and cloves. Stir for a few minutes.

2. Add the stock, sweet potato, quinoa, chipotle, and oregano and bring to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp of the salt. Reduce the soup to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. When the quinoa is throwing off its tiny white halos and the sweet potato is tender, reduce the heat to low.


3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C/gas 5. Stack the tortillas and slice them into strips 1/4in/6 mm wide. Place them on a baking sheet/tray and drizzle with the canola oil and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Bake, stirring every 5 minutes until the strips are crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Serve the soup topped with the cilantro/fresh coriander and tortilla strips, with lime wedges for squeezing over the soup. 

NOTES:    
  Working with mock duck for the first time was a little unsettling. It is almost too like poultry - pimply goose skin and all - and it sort of plops meat-like out of the can. I gagged a few times, to be honest. It is delicious if you can get past that resemblance!
Out of my four taste testers, two thought there was too much clove flavor in my soup. I suggest a very conservative, small pinch. 
   I took the lazy route and used store bought, tortilla chips for the crispy topping. Next time I will set aside more time to make the lower fat homemade version detailed in the recipe.
This was a fun recipe to make and I think meat eaters would like the mock duck, so it would be good for a mixed crowd meal.
   This cookbook has been my go-to for the past few weeks. I really like the recipe page set-up, with ingredients on the left in a green box and instructions to the middle/right. The recipes I've made thus far have been quick, easy and tasty. In my opinion, it  would be a good cookbook for any vegan to have in their arsenal.