Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 27

cup water

cup buckwheat flour

cup all-purpose flour

cup chickpea flour

1 tablespoon arrowroot flour

teaspoon salt

To prepare the crepes: Nonstick cooking spray

Softened nonhydrogenated vegan margarine

COMBINE THE soy milk, water, flour(s), arrowroot, and salt in a food processor or blender. If making sweet crepes or any of the variations, then add sugar and flavorings, too. Blend for a few seconds, sc.r.a.ping the sides of the blender once, until everything is smooth. The batter will be very thin. Pour into an airtight container, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or as long as overnight. When ready to cook the crepes, briefly stir the batter if the ingredients have separated.

Over medium-high heat, heat a 9- to 10-inch crepe pan or a heavy skillet. The pan is ready when a few drops of water flicked into it sizzle. Spray with non-stick cooking spray, dab a silicone brush into softened margarine, and brush along the bottom and sides of pan.

A few items that will make your crepe-making experience all the easier: a silicone basting brush (that can withstand contact with a hot pan), non-stick cooking spray, a crumpled paper towel for wiping the crepe pan or skillet, and a long, thin spatula (like the kind used to frost cakes).

The buckwheat crepe batter is somewhat more viscous and difficult to work with than the wheat batter is. We recommend making the wheat crepes a few times and getting the hang of 'em before trying your hand at the buckwheat batter.

Once cooked and stacked, a batch of well-wrapped crepes can keep in the fridge for a little over a week. Have some on hand for fun weekday breakfasts or simple, fun, quick dinners. To reheat cooked crepes, simply heat your crepe pan, brush with a little margarine or a spray of nonstick cooking spray, and cook the crepes for about 30 seconds each side. Flip just once.

Ladle to cup (use the bigger amount for a bigger pan) into the center of the pan. The batter should sizzle when it hits the pan. Holding the pan firmly by the handle, use your wrist to tilt the pan in a circular motion so that the batter spreads in a thin layer across the bottom. Continue to tilt the pan until the batter is fully spread and then sets.

Cook until the top of the crepe is dry, the center is bubbling, and the edges appear firm and lightly browned when gently lifted with the spatula, 1 to 1 minutes. Gently run the spatula under the crepe to loosen it, then carefully flip and cook on the other side for 30 seconds. Slide the crepe onto a regular-size dinner plate.

Brush a little more margarine onto the crepe pan for the next crepe; if the crepes start to stick to the pan, give it another spray of nonstick cooking spray. If bits of batter collect on the pan, or the pan seems too oily, quickly swirl a crumpled paper towel across the surface of the pan to remove the crumbs. Cook the rest of crepes, stacking one on top of another (often it's easiest just to slide the flipped crepe directly onto the stack). If not serving immediately, cover the entire batch with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Variations: Sweet Crepes: Add 2 tablespoons sugar.

Sweet Orange or Lemon Crepes: Add 1 teaspoon of finely grated orange or lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of sugar.

Whole Wheat Crepes: Subst.i.tute cup of whole wheat pastry flour for cup of the all-purpose flour, to add extra fiber and nutrients.

POTATO-MUSHROOM BLINTZES.

MAKES 8 TO 10 BLINTZES.

TIME: 45 MINUTES, NOT INCLUDING MAKING CREPES.

Blintzes are plump little packets of folded crepes stuffed with a sweet or savory filling. For your brunching pleasure, we present a hearty potato-mushroom filling, wrapped in your choice of a wheat or buckwheat crepe. Serve with any sauce you'd use for crepes, such as Mushroom Gravy (page 211) or any natural applesauce. These blintzes are also an exceptional choice for dinner served alongside a simple green salad. a.s.semble the blintzes the day before and they'll saute up crisp in mere minutes for a fun and filling meal.

1 recipe Savory Wheat or Buckwheat Crepes (page 77)

Softened nonhydrogenated vegan margarine for frying

Filling: pound Yukon gold or other waxy potato (about 2 medium-size potatoes)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 small onion, diced finely

1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)

pound mushrooms, any variety, sliced thinly

Plenty of freshly ground pepper

Salt

Optional sauces for garnish: Mushroom Gravy, Mustard Sauce, Dill-Tahini Sauce, all-natural unsweetened apple sauce, store-bought soy sour cream FIRST, PREPARE the crepes (see page 77). Stack them, one on top the other, on a dinner plate. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and set aside.

Peel and coa.r.s.ely chop the potatoes. Place them in a medium-size pot, add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch, and boil for 20 to 25 minutes until easily pierced with a fork and tender. Drain, place the potatoes in a large bowl, and mash coa.r.s.ely.

In a heavy skillet over medium heat, heat the oil and add the onion. Stir and fry the onion until it's golden-brown and very soft, about 15 minutes. Add the caraway seeds and mushrooms. Saute until the mushrooms are very tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 7 minutes.

Fold the cooked mushroom mixture into mashed potatoes and season to taste with salt and plenty of ground black pepper.

To a.s.semble each blintz, place 3 to 4 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the crepe. Pat the filling to shape it into an oblong. Fold two opposite sides of the crepe over the filling, then fold the remaining two sides over those. The resulting blintz should be a rectangular little bundle. Stack the a.s.sembled blintzes on a plate, seam side down.

Heat a heavy skillet or crepe pan over medium heat. The pan will be ready when a few droplets of water flicked onto its surface sizzle. Using a silicone brush, brush the bottom of skillet with the softened margarine. Place two or three blintzes, seam side down, onto the skillet and cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, until their pan-side surface is crisped and browned. Use a small, firm spatula to turn once. Serve the hot blintzes immediately.

Variation: Potato-Spinach Blintzes: Subst.i.tute 1 pound of cooked, chopped fresh spinach for the mushrooms.

SALADS AND DRESSINGS.

WE HAVE NOTHING personal against salads. Some have suspected that we do, just because they don't feature prominently in Vegan with a Vengeance. It's just that, all too often, salads are a.s.sumed to be the staple of vegetarians everywhere, and lots of times they end up being just that. It's because we sympathize with the eleven-year-old vegetarian who ends up eating a sprig of parsley and a slice of limp, pink tomato while the rest of her family chows down on hamburgers that we've often paid attention to heartier, cooked fare, rather than a handful of leaves and olive oil.

But salad lovers everywhere can now rejoice that we've come to terms with all of those issues. Time well spent on the couch has allowed us to reexperience the subtle joys of arugula, spinach, fresh fruits and herbs, piquant vinegars, and oils. We lean toward substantial salads these days, so you'll notice lots of tender grains, beans, roasted vegetables, and mushrooms adding plenty of depth and flavor to the medley of traditional leafy greens.

Most of these salads can be served as entrees with a couple of add-ons. Salads deserve to hang out all year round-not just during those steamy summer days-therefore, we proudly present a salad for most any occasion and season. So dust off those salad tongs and rev up the salad spinner. And don't forget the parsley.

CAESAR SALAD WITH ROASTED GARLIC CROUTONS.

SERVES 4 TO 6 AS A SIDE, 2 TO 3 AS A ENTReE.

TIME: 30 MINUTES, PLUS TIME TO CHILL.

Creamy, bold, garlicky-this is the cla.s.sic salad that eats like a meal. In our version of a Caesar, ground almonds provide a texture similar to that of grated hard cheese, and capers bring on that essential briny flavor. Fresh, homemade croutons bathed in roasted garlic and olive oil really make this and are super-easy, so don't subst.i.tute lame store-bought ones if you can help it. (Be sure to roast a bulb of garlic in advance so that you can get on with the crouton recipe-see page 32.) Be generous when applying the Caesar dressing to the salad, as this dressing recipe makes a lot.

Leftover salad, dressing, and grilled tempeh or tofu make an amazing filling for homemade Caesar salad wraps. Just tuck and roll up filling ingredients into your favorite flatbread and eat ASAP.

Caesar dressing: cup slivered or sliced blanched almonds