Savoury Lentil Vol-au-Vent with Ginger Applesauce

These are officially my new favourite appetizer for the holiday season.  Or, make the vol-au-vent bigger and you have your entrée.  The lentil filling is amazing, so don't worry if you have leftovers.  I use it as a sandwich filling.

INGREDIENTS
Vol-au-Vent
- 1 lb (i.e. one recipe) puff pastry

Savoury Lentil Filling
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- 1/4 cup finely grated carrot
- 1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup finely diced cooking apple
- 3/4 tsp ground fennel seeds
- 1 tsp ground sage
- large pinch of cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
- 3/4 cup vegetable stock, divided
- salt and pepper to taste

Ginger Applesauce
- 1 tbsp margarine
- 1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1.5 cups small diced cooking apple
- 1 tbsp sugar

METHOD
Vol-au-Vent
Makes 8-12, depending on size.
These aren't hard to make, but they take a little skill.  The key here is to roll out the pastry evenly, and to keep the size of your cutter in mind so you don't waste and pastry (i.e. if your pastry is 3.5 times the width of your cutter, you will waste pastry).  You can't re-roll the scraps like you can with with pie pastry.

Don't cut out too much of the middle or the sides will sag, 

as you see here.  Still tasty, though!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

1. Roll the chilled dough out 1/4" thick on a lightly floured surface.  Cut out as many shapes as you can (you want an even number).  Cut out the centres from half of them.  These will be the tops.

These are the cutters I used

2. Place the bottoms on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Lightly brush with soy milk. making sure you get all the way to the edges. Prick the bottoms several times with a fork.

3. Place the tops on the bottoms and gently press them down so that the two layers adhere.  Gently brush the tops with soy milk.

4. Bake for 20 mins, then reduce heat to 350, rotate pan, and bake for 8-10 mins, until golden all over.
5. Remove pastry to a cooling rack.  While pastry is still warm, scrape the pastry out of the middle with a fork.  Let fully cool before filling.

(So, what do you do with the pastry scraps?  I bake them for 20 mins at 425, then toss in cinnamon and sugar while still warm.)

Savoury Lentil Filling
1. Bring the 3 cups of water to a boil.  Add lentils, reduce heat to med-hi, and boil for 5-6 mins, until lentils soften and begin to expand.  They will be whitish around the edges but still have red centres.   Drain and set aside.
2. While lentils are cooking, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Gently sauté shallots, garlic, and celery for 5-7 mins, until golden and translucent.
3. Add carrot, mushrooms, and apple.  Cook for about 5 mins, until mushrooms begin to release their water and the apples begin to soften.
4. Add fennel, sage, cinnamon, and nutmeg.  Cook for 1 min, until fragrant.
5. Add soy sauce and 1/4 of the vegetable stock.  Cook until liquid reduces down.
6. Add drained lentils, and the remaining 1/2 cup of stock.  Mix well, then cook, uncovered, for about 10 mins, until liquid has almost all reduced, apples are cooked, and lentil are soft but not cooked into a paste.  Stir regularly. Season to taste.  Add more veg stock if you need more cooking time.  Don't dry out the mixture too much.
7. Fill vol-au-vent while mixture is still warm.  Top with ginger applesauce and serve.

Ginger Applesauce
1. Melt margarine over medium heat and sauté ginger for 1 min.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to bubbling.  Reduce heat to med-lo, cover, and cook for about 10 mins, stirring regularly, until apples are soft but still hold their shape.

Easy Puff Pastry

Ah, quick laminated pastry dough.  How I love thee.  This is the recipe that inspired my experimentation with making easy croissants.  It is really easy and produces a remarkably flaky pastry for the amount of time it takes to make.  Again, the lamination process is super fast and the end result, while not as light and flaky as the classic method, will totally impress all of your friends.  Puff pastry recipes to follow in later posts!

INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 lb of dough
- 1.5 cups (7.5oz/235g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (2oz/60g) cake and pastry flour (or more all purpose)
- scant 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 lb (250g) cold margarine or vegetable shortening (I like a 50:50 mix)
- 1/2 cup (4oz/125ml) ice cold water

METHOD
1. Whisk together flour(s) and salt.
2. Use a pastry cutter to cut the fat into the flour.  There should be largish chunks of fat visible--don't cut it down too much.

3. Sprinkle water over the flour/fat mixture and gently mix together with a wooden spoon (you don't want to mash the fat chunks too much).  When you can't incorporate any more flour in, use your hands to gather together a dough ball.  Press/squeeze the flour mixture together to form a dough, rather than kneading.  The final dough will be sticky.
4. Turn dough out onto a well floured surface.  Flour the top of the dough.

Roll into a rectangle, about 7x16 inches.  Make sure everything stays well-floured--keep checking under the dough to make sure it is not sticking.  Square everything up by pressing the dough into the side of a pastry scraper.

5. Fold the top down to the middle, and the bottom to the middle.  Fold in half.  Use the pasty scraper to square everything up.

6. Rotate dough 90 degrees (see pic at the top of this post) and repeat step 5.
7. Wrap dough in plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before using.


As you can see, I am back blogging.  Life is still busy here, but I really missed creating and posting new recipes.  I have all the wonderful people I met at the Atlanta VegFest to thank for getting me back in the Vegan Dad groove.  I was amazed that so many people knew who Vegan Dad was, still loved the blog, still followed the Facebook page, and who still (despite the explosion of vegan blogs and cookbooks in the past few years) wanted me to post new recipes.  I also had the great fortune to eat lunch and dinner with Isa in Athens (thanks, Janet!).  She has been a supporter of the blog since the very beginning and is a source of vegan inspiration.  So, I'm back.  I'll probably only get a few posts off a month until the book manuscript is in (not a cookbook, I am sorry to say).  Thanks for sticking with me, and let's eat some good food!

Here I am contemplating my future whilst Isa signs my copy of her cookbook.

Roasted Winter Veggies and Tofu with Orange Cranberry Sauce

I thought I would squeak in one last recipe before American Thanksgiving just in case you aren't sure what you are making this year.  I love this method for roasting veggies because it produces a dish reminiscent of the Sunday roasts of my youth.  The potatoes are my absolute favourite.  All of this can be made in one pan, so it makes for a less busy holiday kitchen.  The real key here is the cast iron skillet, so if you don't have one go borrow one.  

INGREDIENTS
Roasted Veggies
- 1/4 cup margarine
- 3 leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced in 1/2 inch slices
- 3 shallots, halved and sliced
- 1 large sweet onion, halved and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
- a variety of winter veggies: 1 used 3 turnips, 6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, and 6 large carrots,   chopped into large chunks (you want enough to fill up your pan)
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- salt and pepper to taste

Tofu with Orange Cranberry Jus
- 1 pkg firm tofu, cut into twelve pieces
- salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp margarine
- 2 cups vegetable broth (more as needed)
- 1/8 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp poultry spice
- 1/2 cup chopped cranberries
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp orange juice
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
Roasted Veggies
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Heat a large 14" cast iron skillet over med-hi heat.  Melt margarine, then saute leeks, shallots, and onion for 5-7 mins, until nice browned and golden.  Add garlic and thyme and saute for 1 min.
2. Add veggies and mix well to coat.  Cook veggies for 5 mins, stirring regularly to heat through.  Add broth and cook for another 5 mins, stirring regularly.  Season to taste.
3.  Place pan in the oven, uncovered.  Roast veggies for about 45 mins, stirring about every 10 mins, until veggies are golden and tender and broth has reduced.

Tofu with Orange Cranberry Jus
1. While veggies are roasting, salt and pepper both sides of the tofu.  Set aside.
2. When veggies are done roasting, remove thyme stems, transfer veggies to a serving bowl and keep warm in the oven.
3. Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over med-hi heat.  Melt margarine and add tofu.  Fry on each side for 3-5 mins, until golden.  Add 1/2 cup of the broth, then sprinkle pepper and poultry spice over the tofu.  Mix around and flip tofu, deglazing the pan until the broth has reduced.
4. Add another 1/2 cup of broth and mix around and flip tofu until broth has reduced.  Remove tofu from pan to a serving dish.
5. Increase heat to high.  Add remaining 1 cup of broth, cranberries, sugar, and orange juice.  Add broth reduces, mash the cranberries.  Reduce by about a third, season to taste, then spoon over the top of the tofu.

Easy Vegan Croissants

Vegan croissants are nothing new since the invention of butter substitutes that act and bake very much like their dairy counterpart.  The problem is that the croissant-making process is pretty laborious and takes a certain amount of skill to pull off so you don't end up with margarine squirting out from between your layers of dough and making a huge mess.  I speak from experience.  But what if you could make croissants with minimal skill and only about 45 mins of prep time?  Wouldn't that mean that all of us could frolic in fields of flaky pastry and French-inspired carbohydrate goodness?  Yes!  Yes, it would!  Well, the dream is a reality: these croissants are both easy and tasty.  Sure, they are not exactly like a real croissant, but I am willing to trade time and ease for some flakiness and lightness.  The worst thing that can happen is that you end up with the tastiest bun you've ever eaten.

Now, this recipe still takes time, but it is lazy, waiting around time.  Actually prep time is comparatively minimal.

There are four things that make this recipe work.  First, instant yeast.  Only instant yeast can dissolve and raise the dough under these conditions.  Second, you need to keep things cold.  Warming things up before the final rise will mean greasy croissants with less rise.  Third, keep things well-floured.  Finally, keep in mind that you are not making a pie.  Don't be afraid of bigger chunks of fat.

You can use all-purpose or bread flour.  The former will give you a softer dough that is easy to work with, the second will give you a better gluten structure and more rise.  I like a half and half mix of the two.  You can also play around with the fat you want to use.  The pictures here used a mix of shortening and coconut oil--it was less successful (you can see the chunks of coconut oil in the dough that never really flattened out) but still perfectly passable and edible.  You want cold but pliable chunks of fat that will roll out without ripping your dough and tearing the layers.  If you are using a rather soft fat, like Crisco or the like, I recommend keeping it in the freezer.  The great thing is that unlike the traditional method, these croissants can be made with softer fats with pretty good results.

Recipe adapted from Reinhart, Artisan Breads Everyday

INGREDIENTS
Makes 7 croissants
- 2 1/3 (298g) all purpose or bread flour, or a mix of the two
- 3/4 tsp salt (less if you are using a salted margarine like Earth Balance)
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast (NOT rapid or quick-rise)
- 3/4 cup (170g) cold margarine or shortening (or a mix of the two)
- 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp (99g/3.5oz) cold plain soy milk
- 1/2 cup (114g/4oz) cold water

METHOD
1. Whisk together flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
2. Cut margarine/shortening into chunks and put in flour.  Using a pasty cutter, gently incorporate the fat into the flour. You want to leave chunks of fat the size of large peas.
3. Drizzle the soy milk and water over the flour/fat mixture and gently incorporate with a silicon spatula.  The dough will be sticky.  When all of the liquid has been evenly incorporated, cover the bowl and place in the fridge overnight, and for up to three days.
4. On baking day, remove the dough from the fridge.  It will have risen some in the cold, and will be sticky and spongy.  Like so:

From here you will need about 3-4 hours to finish the bake.  On a well-floured surface, and after flouring the top of the dough, pat the dough into a rectangle.

5. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 7x15.  The key to evenly rolled dough is to start in the centre and roll out towards each of the four corners.  Square off the corners as best you can.

6. Now the laminating: fold the top edge down to the middle, and the bottom edge up to the middle.

 Then, fold in half along the middle line.

Side profile:

7. Rotate 90 degrees so that the folded edge is on your left.  Keeping everything adequately floured, Roll dough out into another 7x15 rectangle and repeat step 6.  Rotate 90 degrees and repeat step 6 again.  By now, the dough will have firmed up.  If the dough bounces back too much, let it rest a few minutes before continuing to roll it out.
8. Cover the dough and let rest at room temperature for 30 mins.
9. Keeping everything adequately floured, gently roll the dough into a 9x16 rectangle.
10. Working along the long side, notch the dough every 4 inches.  Do the same on the opposing side, starting two inches in from the edge.

11. Cut the dough into triangles by connecting the notches.  I find a pizza cutter works really well for this.  There will be some scrap pieces on either side.

12. This part takes a little finesse.  Gently stretch the base of the triangle, then gently pull the tip of the triangle to extend the croissant's length. If the underside it too floury, dust off as much as you can.

Start rolling from the base to the tip.  Anchor the tip to the counter with your finger so you can gently pull back on the base as you roll the croissant.  Make sure the tip is on the bottom and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Tuck in the ends to get the crescent shape.  You can make mini croissants with the end scraps.

13. Loosely cover the croissants with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for about 2.5 hours, until well-swelled.
14. Heat oven to 350 degrees,  Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for anther 15 mins until croissants are evenly golden.
15. Let cool for 1 hour, and enjoy!  These croissants freeze very well.

Sheep-Lover's Pie

My guess is that if you love sheep you don't to grind up their bodies and eat them.  This recipe isn't supposed to precisely mimic shepherd's pie, but it certainly is reminiscent of it.  I like the fennel, even though I don't think it is a traditional ingredient for such pies, and the Dijon mustard and horseradish in the potatoes really complete the dish.  This recipe makes a lot, so either halve it, or invite a bunch of friends over.  I could also see adding some cranberries and roasted chestnuts and making this a holiday meal.

INGREDIENTS
Mashed Potatoes
- 3.5 lbs potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- margarine to taste (I like 1/4 cup)
- soy milk to taste (I use about 1/2 - 3/4 cup)
- 2 tbsp large grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp horseradish
- salt, to taste

Tofu
- 1 pkg firm or extra firm tofu, small dice
- 2 tbsp oil
- 4 tsp ground fennel
- 1 tsp each coriander, ground mustard, sage, parsley, tarragon, smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp mild chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp HP sauce (or A1)
- 1/3 cup red wine

Veggie Mix
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 large onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups diced carrots
- 2 leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced
- 2 cups finely sliced kale
- 2/3 cups white wine

METHOD
Mashed Potatoes
1. Peel potatoes and garlic, then cut into chunks.  Boil until tender in salted water.  Drain, then mash until very smooth.  Add as much margarine and soy milk as you wish to make an easily spreadable mashed potato.  Stir in mustard and horseradish, then season to taste.  Set aside.

Tofu
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over med-hi heat.  Add tofu and fry until golden on all side.  Add spices, and stir well to coat.
2. Add soy sauce, HP, and read wine and stir well.  When wine has reduced, remove from heat and set aside.

Veggie Mix
1. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Saute onions for 7-10 min, or until lightly golden and tender.  Add garlic and dry 1 min.
2. Add carrots, leeks, and kale and fry for 5 mins.
3. When kale and leeks have cooked down, add wine and let reduce.  Remove from heat.

TO ASSEMBLE:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. Distribute tofu evenly on the bottom of a large, oven-proof, dish (somewhere in the 10.5 x 13.5" range).
2. Top with the veggie mixture.
3. Gently spread mashed potatoes on top.
4. Bake for about 35-40 mins, or until potatoes are golden.

Serve with tomato chutney, or this tomato-onion relish.