Pine Nut and Basil Seared ‘Chicken’ with Mushroom Sauce, Braised Kale and Roasted Chat Potatoes

From The Conscious Cook, Tal Ronnen, William Morrow, 2009.

I knew when I looked at this recipe that I would have to modify it. It was a vegan recipe, which didn’t worry me, but there were also ingredients listed that were specific to US conditions and were proprietary named. They were unavailable here in Australia.

I managed to find some vegetarian ‘chicken’ breasts so that was a good starting point. That was basically what persuaded me to try this.

Some chat potatoes were halved, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and black pepper and fresh thyme leaves. They went into a 200ªC oven for half an hour.

A handful of pine nuts were roasted then churned in a blender with some plain flour and some basil leaves. The blender was only given a couple of bursts, sufficient to break down the leaves and nuts but not break them down completely. The ‘chicken’ breasts were now seasoned and pressed into the flour mix on both sides. They were then fried in a little oil on both sides until crisp. They were now kept warm while the sauce was made.

Two shallots were thinly sliced and sautéed in some olive oil until softened. Mushrooms for the sauce were sliced thinly and added to the shallots for a few minutes more. About ¼ cup white wine was now added and cooked until it had well reduced. I then added ¼ cup cream and cooked it for a few minutes more. It was now taken off the heat and 4 tablespoons margarine beaten in one at a time. Salt and pepper was added to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice. The sauce was ready.

A few leaves of kale were torn into pieces and the stems removed. The torn leaves went into a frying pan for a minute or two until they wilted. A little water was added and they continued the cooking for a minute or two more. Seasoning was added and they were ready.

To serve, kale was placed in the centre of a plate. The ‘chicken’ breasts were leaned against the kale, the potatoes placed around and the mushroom sauce poured over.

This was tasty enough though the ‘chicken’ was really tough. I suspect this was because it had had to be kept warm while the sauce was being made and the kale cooked. In future I would make the sauce first then, while the kale was cooking, would quickly fry the breasts. I also did not like the way the breasts just had the coating pressed into them. This did not really work too well. I would prefer to give a flour coating, then egg and breadcrumbs which would make a crunchier—and possibly tastier—result.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔

Corn Chowder

From The Conscious Cook, Tal Ronnen, William Morrow, 2009.

When I decided to make this corn chowder I got out the cashews to make cashew cream but, to my dismay, all of the nuts seemed to have small white worms in them. They went into the bin.  I had some ricotta in the refrigerator so decided that I would puree this and use it instead. I know it would not now be a vegan dish but I am not vegan so I felt it did not matter.

The first stage of the dish was to add chopped onions, carrots, celery and a red capsicum to the frying pan. I also added a chipotle chilli. This mix was sautéed for about 10 minutes. Stock was added together with diced potatoes and a couple of thyme sprigs. This was all simmered for about 20 minutes until the potatoes were tender.

I now took a tablespoon and flattened some of the potatoes against the side of the pan. This thickened the soup a little. Now the corn was added and the pureed ricotta. It was all seasoned and simmered for a little longer, about 15 minutes.

To serve, the chipotle chilli was taken out as well as the thyme sprigs. For garnish I added some chopped tomato and chopped parsley.

This was a most enjoyable chowder. The chipotle added a wonderful smoky flavour that enhanced the vegetables. It was a thick soup to warm the cockles on a freezing evening. The ricotta was a mistake as it still had a slight graininess to it; I would have been better to have used cream.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Twice-baked Kipfler Potatoes with crisped Dulse

From The Conscious Cook, Tal Ronnen, William Morrow, 2009.

This recipe called for a small amount of dulse. I hunted store after store to find it. When I did chance upon it I found it cost $140 a kilogram. However it was not heavy and I only needed a little so only paid $1 for a fraction more than required.

I’m not a great fan of sea vegetables for the taste or smell of the sea reminds me of fish which I strongly dislike. I do persevere with seaweeds and may over time overcome my dislike for them. The dulse I found to be much more to my liking than any of the others I have tried. It’s actually the first one to win me over.

This recipe was little more than filled baked potatoes with an elaborate name. However, it was a vegan dish that called for me to investigate some new items such as cashew cream. Being an ovo lacto vegetarian I could make do with dairy products but decided that I would try for the recipe as it stood.

The first thing that I needed to do was make the cashew cream. This entailed soaking some cashews in water and letting them soak over night. The next day the cashews were rinsed and placed in a blender with enough water to cover them. They were then pulsed until they became the cashew cream.

The potatoes were washed and baked until tender. They were then cut in half and as much of the contents scraped out of the skins as could be done without breaking them. This pulp was placed in a bowl and other ingredients added: a little horseradish sauce, a tablespoon of mayonnaise (the recipe called for vegan but I settled for what was in the refrigerator), a couple of tablespoons of cashew cream, and a tablespoon of margarine (the recipe called for Earth Balance which I was not able to get but I understand is a type of margarine). These were all mashed together and seasoned to taste.

The potato skins were filled with this mixture. They were sprinkled with paprika and put in the oven to heat through. Some dulse was placed on the top of each potato when serving. The dulse was crisped by frying it for a short time in some oil.

As far as baked potatoes go these were reasonable. It was a change having kipfler potatoes rather than the larger varieties which meant you could settle for smaller portions. Next time I would settle for real cream rather than one made from cashews. The horseradish tang is always good with potatoes and it came through well in these.

Taste: ✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔

Green Bean and Kipfler Potato Salad with Miso Dressing

From The Conscious Cook, Tal Ronnen, William Morris, 2009.

When I saw the list of ingredients for this salad dressing I just had to make it to see what it was like: miso paste, rice vinegar, agave nectar, shallot, garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil and lemon. That’s quite a mix for a dressing.

The salad itself was quite simple. Kipfler potatoes were boiled and then sliced. Green beans were blanched in boiling water. Roquette was washed. The three were mixed and tossed with the dressing.

The dressing had a wonderful tang to it with the lemon coming through just nicely over the bite of the mustard and miso. It suited the potatoes perfectly. And the sweetness of the beans complemented the mix well. This could easily become my favourite dressing for potato salads.

This is only the second item I have cooked from this book by Tal Ronnen. It’s a vegan cookbook and I have a tendency to overlook vegan because I have a strong preference for dairy products. But I am finding that this book is well worth investigating further.

Taste: ✔✔✔✔

Ease of cooking: ✔✔✔✔