Green Bean Casserole

A classic holiday favorite.

Ingredients:
• 1 and ½ lbs. fresh green beans trimmed into bite-size pieces
or 2 cans (14oz. each) cut green beans, well drained
• 2 T flour (unbleached all-purpose wheat; rice or soy)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 and ½ cups plain unsweetened non-dairy milk
• 1 T tamari, soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos™
• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce
• 3 T Better Butter (from my cookbooks) or vegan margarine
plus additional for “buttering” the casserole dish
• 1 and ½ cups finely chopped white mushrooms
• 1 and ⅓ cups French-fried onions (from canned – French’s™ are vegan) – or make your own, the recipe and technique follows this recipe
• sea salt or kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste

Technique:
If using fresh green beans, steam or boil the beans for about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain thoroughly and set aside in a large mixing bowl. If using canned green beans, drain them thoroughly and set aside in the mixing bowl.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly “butter” a casserole dish with the butter or margarine and set aside.

In a small dish, measure the flour, onion powder and garlic powder; set aside.

In a measuring cup, measure the non-dairy milk and add the tamari/soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce; set aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter or margarine. Add the mushrooms and sauté until the excess liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms. Transfer the mushrooms to the mixing bowl with the green beans and set aside.

In the same saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter or margarine over medium-low heat and whisk in the flour mixture. Continue to stir for about a minute. The mixture will be very thick and pasty. Don’t be concerned if the flour sticks to the bottom of the saucepan as it will loosen when the milk mixture is added.

Slowly whisk in the milk mixture until smooth, add a pinch or two of black pepper and bring to the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer an additional 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture will have a somewhat thin consistency; this is desirable as it will thicken when the casserole is baked. Taste and add salt to your liking and additional black pepper, if desired. Remove from the heat.

Gently toss together the cream mixture with the green beans, mushrooms and ⅔ cup French-fried onions in the mixing bowl. Transfer to the casserole dish.

Bake uncovered for 25 minutes or until the bean mixture is hot and bubbling around the edges. Gently stir and top with the remaining ⅔ cup onions. Bake for an additional 5 minutes or until the onions are golden brown.

French-Fried Onions

Ingredients:
• 2 or 3 large or 5 medium sweet yellow onions
• plain unsweetened non-dairy milk for soaking the onions
• 1 and ½ to 2 tsp sea salt or kosher salt (try the first batch and adjust the salt to taste)
• ground black pepper
• pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 and ½ cups unbleached all-purpose wheat flour
• vegetable oil for frying

Technique:
Mix the flour, salt, and ground peppers in a large bowl. Slice the onions and separate into rings. Soak the onions in the milk.

Heat about ½-inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to shimmer.

Dredge the onions in the seasoned flour. Give them a good coating of flour. Place the onions into the hot oil in the skillet. Don’t try to do all the onions at one; just one batch at a time.

When the onions begin to brown around the edges, turn them over and cook an additional minute or so (they cook very quickly!) Remove the rings and lay them on a paper bag or paper towels to cool/drain. Serve immediately or store in an air-tight container for topping your casseroles.

Green Bean Casserole

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Scalloped Potatoes Gratin

Sliced potatoes are baked in a luscious, golden cheese sauce until tender and delicious! Parboiling the potatoes briefly before baking ensures that the potato slices cook evenly in the gratin.

Ingredients:
• 2 lbs. russet potatoes (about 4 large potatoes) or 2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 T Better Butter (from my cookbooks) or commercial vegan margarine
• 2 cups Golden Cheese Sauce (recipe follows)
• ¼ tsp dried thyme (optional)
• sea salt or kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper

Technique:
Peel and thinly slice the potatoes (about ⅛-inch thick). A mandoline works great for this, but watch your fingers! Place the slices in a large pot of salted water (2 teaspoons of salt is sufficient) so they do not oxidize (turn brown).

After all the potatoes have been sliced, bring the water and potato slices to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water begins to boil, set a timer for 1 minute. Immediately remove from the heat and drain the slices in a colander. DO NOT rinse with water! The potatoes will continue to cook slightly as they cool in the colander. Drain well and then place the slices on several layers of paper towels or a clean lint-free kitchen towel on your work surface. Pat them dry with additional towels.

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Prepare the cheese sauce and keep warm over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Next, “butter” a shallow casserole dish with the butter. Place a layer of potato slices in an overlapping pattern and season lightly with salt and pepper. Spoon a little of the cheese sauce over the potatoes and spread evenly.

Continue to layer the potatoes with a light sprinkle of salt and pepper and then the cheese sauce. Sprinkle the top with the optional dried thyme and bake uncovered for 45 minutes. If the top has not sufficiently browned,
set the oven on “broil” and cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes. Watch
carefully so they do not burn. Remove from the oven and serve.

Golden Cheese Sauce

Ingredients:
• 1 and ¾ cup plain unsweetened soymilk
• 5 T tapioca flour
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 T mellow white miso paste
• 2 tsp organic tomato paste
• 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp dry ground mustard
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper

Technique:
Process the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Please note that the light golden color will develop as the cheese cooks. Transfer to a medium saucepan and cook the mixture over medium-low heat, stirring slowly and continually with a silicone/rubber spatula.

As the mixture begins to form curds, stir vigorously, scraping the sides and bottom of the saucepan with the spatula as you stir. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes bubbly, smooth and glossy. Taste and add salt as desired and/or additional soymilk to lighten the consistency to your preference. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm until ready to serve. Stir occasionally. The sauce will thicken upon cooling.

Scalloped Potatoes Gratin

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Falafel

Falafel is a small, deep-fried patty made from ground chickpeas and a blend of herbs and spices. For my own signature version, I also incorporate ground split peas (which is optional) and season with my own blend of spices. Falafel is a traditional Arabic food, usually served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread and topped with various sauces and vegetable garnishes. This recipe yields about 16 falafel patties.

Ingredients for the falafel:
• ¾ cup dried chickpeas and ¼ cup dried yellow or green split peas
– or 1 cup dried garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
• ¼ cup diced onion
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 and ¼ tsp sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 tsp minced fresh rosemary or ¼ tsp dried powdered rosemary
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
• 6 T garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour or soy flour
• 2 T olive oil
• ½ tsp coarse ground black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, loosely packed

Other ingredients needed:
• vegetable oil for frying
• pita or flat bread
• Tzatziki sauce, Tahini Sauce and/or Hummus
• thinly sliced onion
• sliced cucumbers
• chopped tomatoes

Technique:
Place the dried chickpeas and split peas (or chickpeas alone) in a large bowl and add enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Let them soak for 24 hours, then drain thoroughly. DO NOT use canned chickpeas.

Place the drained, soaked chickpeas and split peas, onion, garlic, salt, rosemary, cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a chopping blade. Process the mixture until all the peas are coarsely ground. Remove the lid and scrape down the peas as necessary to incorporate them into the mixture. DO NOT purée! It is important to retain a “grainy” texture”.

Sprinkle in the garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour, olive oil, black pepper and parsley and pulse the mixture several times to combine. Turn the mixture into a bowl and refrigerate, covered, for a minimum of 30 minutes.

Form the chickpea mixture into balls about the size of walnuts and then gently press to flatten into small patties. The mixture will be moist and some will stick to your fingers, so keep a moist towel on hand while you work. Place the patties on a plate or cutting board.

In a deep skillet or wok, heat ½-inch of oil to 375°F, or for a full 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Fry the patties in batches for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Stuff half a pita with 3 falafel patties or serve on a plate. Garnish with fresh produce and condiment(s) of your choice. Store any remaining falafel in a covered container or zip-lock bag and refrigerate.

To reheat, wrap the falafel securely in foil and place in a 350°F oven for 15 minutes – or briefly reheat in the microwave.

Falafel

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Three Bean Salad with Cumin-Scented Vinaigrette

Fresh cooked green beans, mukimame (shelled edamame aka green soybeans), chickpeas and sliced onion are tossed with a light and refreshing cumin-scented vinaigrette.

Ingredients:
• 1 lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed
• 1 lb. frozen mukimame (shelled edamame)
• 1 can (16 oz.) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed well and drained
• ½ small sweet onion, sliced paper thin
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 T white wine vinegar
• 2 T fresh lemon juice
• 1 T sesame tahini
• 1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 1 clove garlic (1 tsp minced)
• ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
• coarse ground black pepper, to taste

Technique:
Steam the green beans until crisp tender. Rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and drain. Cook the mukimame according to the package directions; rinse with cold water and drain. Add the green beans and the mukimame to a large mixing bowl. Add the thoroughly rinsed chickpeas and the sliced onion. Set aside.

In a small skillet, toast the cumin seeds over medium heat until fragrant. Place the cumin seeds in a blender with the remaining ingredients except for the black pepper and process until smooth. Pour over the beans and gently toss to avoid breaking the green beans. Add the black pepper, to taste, and gently toss again. Chill for a minimum of 30 minutes to blend the flavors before serving.

Three Bean Salad with Cumin-Scented Vinaigrette

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Marshmallow Creme

Yes, you heard correctly, sweet and gooey marshmallow creme without using egg whites. The secret ingredient to this deliciously spreadable confection is Versawhip 600K™, which is a modified form of soy protein. Versawhip 600K™ will need to be purchased through the internet and I recommend ModernistPantry.com as the source from which to order.

A stand mixer is REQUIRED for this recipe. The technique involves whipping molten hot sugar syrup, so do not attempt with a hand-held mixer or splattering can occur which can result in severe burns. Food processors, stand blenders or immersion blenders are not recommended for this recipe either as they will not work properly. So please don’t try it. It is also recommended that the stand mixer be equipped with a splatter shield to prevent the sticky marshmallow mixture from splattering out of the mixing bowl.

You will also need a candy thermometer to determine when the molten sugar syrup has reached the proper temperature. Light corn syrup is also required for this recipe and due to the concern about GMO products, a non-GMO light corn syrup is available by searching on the internet. This recipe yields about 4 cups.

Ingredients for the sugar syrup:
• ¼ cup water
• ⅓ cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup organic sugar
• pinch of sea salt

Ingredients for the fluff:
• ¼ cup water
• 1 and ½ tsp Versawhip 600K™
• ¼ tsp guar gum or xanthan gum
• ½ tsp real vanilla extract

Technique:
Attach a candy thermometer to the side of a small saucepan. Be sure the base of the thermometer rests just above the bottom of the pan without touching the metal.

Add the water, corn syrup and then the sugar into the center of the mixture. Swirl gently and place over medium-high heat. Do not stir while the sugar mixture is heating. The mixture will need to be boiled and brought to the “soft-ball candy” stage or 240°F. This will take several minutes.

While the sugar syrup is boiling, add the water to the bottom of the mixer’s bowl. Sprinkle in the Versawhip 600K™ and the guar gum or xanthan gum. Reserve the vanilla extract for later. Turn on the mixer and increase the speed to the highest setting. The mixture will whip into a voluminous white foam.

When the sugar syrup has reached 240°F, remove the saucepan from the heat and with the mixer running at high speed, pour the molten sugar syrup into the foam. Set a timer for 10 minutes while whipping at high speed. While the mixture is whipping, add the vanilla extract. That’s all that is necessary to make marshmallow creme. Transfer the marshmallow creme to a container with a lid and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Marshmallow Creme