Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 70

cup cornmeal

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 cup finely chopped scallions

cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

teaspoon cayenne

PREHEAT THE oven to 350F and lightly grease an 8-inch square baking or ca.s.serole dish. A cast-iron pan would work here, too (in fact, to cut down on dishes, you can saute the corn in a cast-iron pan and later use it to bake the batter).

Saute the corn, bell pepper, and jalapenos in a large skillet for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally; the corn should be very lightly browned. Meanwhile, stir together the cornstarch and coconut milk until the cornstarch has mostly dissolved.

When the corn and peppers are ready, transfer 2 cups of them to a blender or food processor. Add the coconut milk and cornstarch mixture, and pulse about twenty times, until the mixture is mostly pureed but not completely smooth.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix with the remaining corn, cornmeal, maple syrup, scallions, cilantro, salt, and cayenne.

Pour the batter into a baking dish (or your cast-iron pan) and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

CARAMELIZED ONION-b.u.t.tERNUT ROAST WITH CHESTNUTS.

Serves 6 to 8 TIME: 1 hour 30 minutes Holidays a pain in the b.u.t.t? Just imagine perfectly roasted chestnuts in a rich, savory medley of tender b.u.t.ternut squash, white beans, and caramelized onions in this stuffinglike ca.s.serole-little bit like the best parts of a holiday meal all rolled up into one. It's only natural to want to serve this with simply roasted Brussels sprouts (page 31) and Holiday Cranberry Sauce (213). Enjoy this special ca.s.serole in those early fall months when the holidays seem so far away and all you crave are the fixins' of Thanksgiving dinner.

P.S. We'll admit that peeling a pound of chestnuts could have you longing for a drive around the mall parking lot. So if you'd rather not channel all your jolly, festive anxiety into peeling these little b.a.s.t.a.r.ds, you can also grab prepeeled or even jarred chestnuts for this recipe.

This dish is best made with fresh chestnuts when they are in prime season, between October and January. After that, the freshness of most nuts in stores is often dubious; all too often we've purchased a pound and found out after peeling them that many a chestnut to be nasty, moldy, and shriveled. Instead, look for prepeeled, frozen, or jarred chestnuts available during the fall/winter months in many gourmet, natural, or specialty shops. Plus, they easily cut the prep time in half, giving you more time to procrastinate gift buying!

Ca.s.serole: 1 pound onions, peeled and sliced thinly

cup olive oil

1 pound chestnuts, fresh in the sh.e.l.l or frozen/jarred and prepeeled

2 pounds b.u.t.ternut squash (1 medium-size squash),

peeled and cut into -inch cubes

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, such as cannellini or navy, drained and rinsed, or a (10-ounce) package of prepared baby lima beans

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoons ground coriander

teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoons salt, or to taste

Freshly cracked pepper

cup vegetable broth

Crumb topping: cup dry white bread crumbs

2 tablespoons olive oil

teaspoon dried rubbed sage

Pinch of ground cayenne

teaspoon salt, or to taste

Freshly cracked pepper

PREHEAT THE oven to 375F.

Prepare the ca.s.serole: Place the onions and olive oil in a 9 13-inch baking dish, tossing to coat the onions with oil. Bake for about 30 minutes, stirring 3 or 4 times with a wooden spatula, until the onions are browned and sizzling. Remove from the oven and set aside.

While the onions are roasting, prepare the whole, unpeeled chestnuts according to the directions for the Chestnut-Lentil Pate (page 63). If using prepeeled chestnuts, skip this step and thaw if frozen, drain if jarred. Coa.r.s.ely chop the peeled chestnuts and add to the pan with roasted onions.

Add the diced b.u.t.ternut squash, white beans, thyme, coriander, nutmeg, salt, pepper, and broth to the baking pan, stirring so that the chestnuts, squash, and beans are well coated. Tightly cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the squash and chestnuts are tender.

Prepare the crumbs: Toss together the bread crumbs, oil and sage in a bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Remove the foil from the baking pan, top with the crumb mixture, and bake for another 15 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.

ASPARAGUS QUICHE WITH TOMATOES AND TARRAGON.

SERVES 6 TO 8.

1 HOUR 30 MINUTES, PLUS COOLING TIME.

Real men are vegan, and they do eat vegan quiche. We really wanted to make a vegan quiche that didn't include tofu or nutritional yeast because every vegan cookbook in the world has one of those. So instead we created a blend of beans and walnuts, making this quiche tender and creamy with a crispy crumb top. It's a pleasure to sink your fork into during brunch, lunch, or dinner. Serve with a Caesar Salad (page 81) on the side.

1 recipe Basic Single Pastry Crust (page 262)