Veg Week 2011 Cooking Class Recipes

Butternut Squash Bisque

Recipe adapted from veganyumyum.com.

Serves 4 large bowls, 6-8 Cups

Bisque

• 1 3-pound butternut squash, (2 pounds after prepping)
• Oil for roasting
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 tsp thyme
• Lots of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp salt, more or less to taste

Cashew Cream

• 1 Cup raw, unsalted cashews
• Water

Preheat oven to 400.

Peel squash and chop off the ends. Halve the squash and scrape out the seeds. Place on a baking sheet cut-side down and brush lightly with oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until tender and beginning to brown. Flip squash before the baking is finished if needed to prevent burning.

Meanwhile, add the cashews to your blender and ½ cup water. Begin pulsing to incorporate, eventually turning the blender all the way on while slowly adding another ½ cup water. Let the blender run for 1-2 minutes until very, very smooth. Set cream aside. If your blender can’t get the cream completely smooth, strain before adding it to the soup.

Remove squash from the oven. Transfer into a large soup pot. Break up the squash into chunks with a spoon or your spatula and add 4 cups of veggie broth, thyme, and black pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down the heat and let simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

Working in batches if needed, blend the soup until very smooth, being careful not to overfill your blender.

Return the blended soup to the pot and add all but 1/4 cup of the cashew cream. Season with salt and more pepper to taste.

Remove soup to bowls (or mugs) and garnish with a drizzle of extra cashew cream and some fresh black pepper.

Pear and Ginger Compote

• 4 Bosc or Bartlett pears (still a little firm, not too hard or too soft)
• 1/4 cup real maple syrup (or 1/4 cup brown sugar)
• 4 slices fresh ginger, 1/4 inch thick
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cups of apple or pear cider/juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 tsp orange zest
• 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1 T. orange juice
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• Gingersnap granola (optional, for serving)
• Vegan ice cream (optional, for serving)

Peel, core and cube pears (1/2 inch cubes). Slice the ginger.

Combine all ingredients into a sauce pan and simmer for ten minutes.

Use a slotted spoon to remove pears and place in a bowl. Simmer remaining liquid for five more minutes or until reduced and a little syrupy.

Spoon pears over vanilla ice cream and top with sauce. Sprinkle on gingersnap granola and serve.

Walnut Sage Fettuccine

Recipe adapted from www.manifestvegan.com.

• 12 oz silken tofu, extra firm (don’t worry about the extra firm, just make sure it says SILKEN)
• 2 cups walnuts
• 1 cube vegetable bouillon
• 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for drizzling onto pasta
• 1/3 cup almond milk
• 2 -3 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh
• sage leaves or 2 tsp dried rubbed sage
• 1 package fettuccine
• noodles, gluten free or regular

Soak one cup of the walnuts for at least one hour and up to eight hours. Toast the remaining cup of the walnuts and peeled garlic cloves lightly for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven or in a skillet on low. Set a timer! Remove from the oven/skillet when fragrant and chop walnuts coarsely.

In food processor, combine soaked walnuts, tofu, vegetable bouillon, 2 tbsp olive oil, almond milk, sea salt, garlic and sage leaves. Puree until smooth. Sauce should appear liquidy. If not, add a little more water.

Cook pasta one minute less than recommended and drain. If using gluten-free pasta, rinse with cold water. While the pasta is still in the colander drizzle with extra olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Place back in pot over a flame and toss pasta with sauce and half of the amount of the toasted walnuts. Let sauce get hot but don’t let cook for more than a minute. Place into serving dishes and top with the remaining toasted walnuts. Garnish with fresh sage leaves if desired and sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve hot.