Cilantro-Lime Chickpea and Avocado Salad

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If you're short on time, this protein salad—featuring a mix of hearty chickpeas and creamy avocado—is your pal. An immersion blender (or small food processor) will get you a dressing seasoned with lime and fragrant fresh cilantro in no time. Bonus: it's thickened and made creamy by way of the combination of oil and pumpkin seeds.

Once you've whipped up the dressing, there's nothing to do but mash canned chickpeas and stir those together with diced avocado. Top your toast or lettuce leaves and dig in with whatever lovely bit of produce you have in the kitchen as garnish. Hey, you're fed! And thereby ready to speed off to whatever's next on the schedule.

Cilantro-Lime Chickpea and Avocado Salad

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serves 4 [see Note]

2 15-oz cans chickpeas

2 ripe avocados, halved and pitted

1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro

1/4 cup unsalted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)

1/4 cup canola or other neutral vegetable oil (olive oil will not work here)

1 very small clove garlic

2 TBSP lime juice

2 TBSP water

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

For garnish: slices of cucumber, tomato, or radish; snipped chives or scallions; or whatever fresh produce you like.

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Set aside in a sieve to let drain thoroughly. Slice avocado halves, still in the skin, into dice, and set aside.

Add remaining ingredients, except garnish, to a wide-mouth jar and process with an immersion blender until smooth (or, if you have a small food processor, that'll work, too).

Add chickpeas to a mixing bowl and mash roughly with a fork. Add avocado dice to the mixing bowl, using a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Add dressing and toss until combined.

Serve at once with your fresh garnish on toast or in lettuce leaves.

[Note: avocado does not keep well once exposed to air, so if you do not need all four servings at once, you can make a half-recipe by making all of the dressing at once, and reserving half in a small container in the refrigerator for several days. Prepare the other half of chickpeas and avocado at your leisure, and your dressing is already waiting for you.]

Hitting the Books No. 7: Gena Hamshaw's Power Plates (ftr. Whipped Banana-Coconut Cream)

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I'm pretty jazzed about this little Hitting the Books post. I'll be highlighting two seriously lovely (and easy!) recipes from Gena Hamshaw's Power Plates, which I've been having a great time digging into lately. Anyone who reads The Full Helping won't be surprised that this latest book of Gena's is totally gorgeous:

Also unsurprising, but still valuable is the conceit of this cookbook, which offers "nutritionally balanced" dishes. Frequently, that means the recipes showcase a grain, a protein, a fat source, plus a buncha veggies. I love that kind of thoughtful framing—basically, Gena thought about it so now I don't have to. It makes reaching for this book a no-brainer when I need to plan meals during busier times.

And busier times are exactly what I've been having lately. So instead of digging deep into the bowl section—with all its alluring chopped veggies, savory proteins, and variety of sauces and dressings—I've sampled some of the quicker items from Power Plates. Starting with this to-die-for Guacamole Rice Salad with Black Beans. (It's actually a quinoa salad in the book, but I find quinoa aggressively joyless, so I swapped in brown rice. I can't wait to try this with couscous, too, but I've been adoring the rice.)

Gena advertises this salad as basically a batch of guacamole with mix-ins, so sign me up. And boy howdy, does she deliver. This seems like a dish you would hardly need precise instruction for, but I promise you want to use Gena's recipe. The balance of everything is bang-on, and this is my new favorite meal. Stuff it in romaine leaves and eat it like a taco, and invite me over when you do.

The recipe starts with preparing all the avocado and then adds everything else, but I don't need the whole recipe at one sitting. To make it work for my leftover-reliant weekdays, I assemble the salad first, which keeps well in the fridge for a few days, then add freshly mashed avocado to the amount I want just before serving. Works like a charm.

I was so eager to dive into this recipe that I bought grocery store cherry tomatoes in April. I regret nothing, but they were predictably sad, so my advice is to substitute chopped Persian cucumbers, diced jicama, or a mix of both, if you're making this out of season (which I continue to do because you could not possibly stop me).

I'm equally enthusiastic about Gena's Whole Grain Waffles. The first thing that struck me about Power Plates is how generous the breakfast section is, with plenty of savory options. I may have mentioned fifty or so times that I prefer savory breakfasts to sweet. But I make an exception for waffles. These are made with spelt, which I had never used before, and they are super-tasty. If you adore nutty, more complex whole-grain baked goods, then there's nothing more I need to say here. These guys are totally great, and I'll be making these repeatedly whenever I'm craving a waffle with sweeter toppings.

Speaking of toppings, I have something special for you. It's a dead-simple whipped banana-coconut cream, and it adds a dreamy, fluffy tropical note to any baked good, fruit salad, fresh berry, or spoon you care to stuff in your pie hole. I finished off this particular plate with some trail mix I had handy, but cacao nibs are also a nice, crunchy addition. Or you can enjoy the cream atop the waffles without anything extra. I recommend it like I recommend Power Plates.

Whipped Banana-Coconut Cream

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yields 1 generous cup

1 can full-fat coconut cream chilled at least 24 hours, such as Thai Kitchen brand

1 just-ripe banana

1 TBSP powdered sugar

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla extract

Spoon the solid fat from the chilled can of coconut cream (reserve liquid for another use). You should have one rounded cup of chunks (not firmly packed).

Puree all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and fluffy. Leftovers may be kept for several days in an airtight container.

__________________________________________________________

About Hitting the Books: You know that shelf in your house with all the great cookbooks you don't get to nearly as often as you'd like? Yeah, there's one of those over here, too. The Hitting the Books series allows for occasional opportunities to dig into that shelf and highlight some handy cookbooks.

Dead Simple Zucchini Toast with Avocado, Lemon Zest & Coconut Bacon

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I'm on a minor mission to work more fresh veggies into my diet, and it seems particularly satisfying to be able to squeeze some in during the first meal of the day. Enter this wholesome toast topped with shredded zucchini. Bonus: this works with sourdough, whole wheat, pumpernickel, whatever—maybe even an everything bagel? So, hey, variety is built right in.

It's worth noting that since this is such a simple dish, the more flavorful your zucchini, the better this toast will be, so keep this one in mind when summer's finest is overflowing at the market. But you won't rely entirely on your zucchini for flavor, of course. You'll enrich your shredded veg with a little mashed avocado, a sprinkle of salt and black pepper, lemon (both zest and juice), and to finish with extra satiety and salt, a generous dose of coconut bacon. Good morning, right?

And note that you can prepare the coconut bacon in advance to make this recipe extra morning-friendly.

Dead Simple Zucchini Toast with Avocado, Lemon Zest & Coconut Bacon

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serves 2

1 small-medium zucchini, washed and ends trimmed

4 slices bread of choice

1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted

1 lemon

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1 recipe Stovetop Coconut Bacon, recipe follows

Grate zucchini until you have 2/3 cup, loosely packed. Add zucchini to a mixing bowl and set aside.

Toast or grill bread. Meanwhile, roughly score the avocado flesh, still in the skin, into dice. Scoop flesh into mixing bowl. Rather than cutting the lemon in half, cut off just one third and set the larger portion aside. Measure out 1 tsp of juice from smaller portion and add to mixing bowl. Add salt to mixing bowl and use a fork to mash the avocado, mixing in the zucchini and seasonings as you go.

Divide zucchini mixture evenly among toast. Crack pepper generously over top, to taste. Zest larger portion of lemon generously over top, to taste (the lemon can be juiced after zesting, so reserve for another purpose). Divide coconut bacon evenly over toasts and serve at once.

Stovetop Coconut Bacon

yields 1/4 cup, adapted from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

1 tsp reduced-sodium tamari

1 tsp liquid smoke

1/4 tsp maple syrup, grade B preferred

1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. In the skillet, combine tamari, liquid smoke, and maple syrup. The second it begins to boil, sprinkle coconut over and stir until thoroughly mixed. Continue cooking for a few minutes—stirring every 30 seconds—until coconut absorbs all liquid, the skillet becomes dry, and coconut just begins to crisp in spots. Your nose is your best guide. When it smells deeply toasted and just shy of burning, quickly remove from heat and immediately transfer to a plate, spread out in a single layer. Coconut will continue to crisp as it cools. Store leftovers in an airtight container with a clean absorbent cloth (to keep it from going soggy).

Pineapple, Black Bean and Poblano Salsa Fresca

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All this unseasonably warm weather in Knoxville has awoken cravings for water-rich fruits. But it's still February, so let's raid the citrus and frozen aisles of the grocer to scratch that itch.

This guy is really a cross between a salad and salsa fresca, since it gets a bona fide dose of dressing. But no matter. It still eats great on a corn chip. So, to your totally satisfying base of sweet-tart pineapple chunks, earthy black beans, gently piquant poblano, and fragrant green onions, you'll add a dressing of cilantro and mint, which pairs wonderfully with fruit. To really drive that home, you'll use a base of orange juice (also some lime), then give the whole thing a little body with olive oil and a little pine nuts. It's simple, fresh, criminally easy to make, and entirely lovable. Get munching.

Pineapple, Black Bean and Poblano Salsa Fresca

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serves 4-6

For the salsa:

1 15-oz can black beans

2 cups frozen pineapple chunks, thawed (or use roughly 1-inch fresh chunks)

1 medium poblano pepper, trimmed, seeded, and de-veined

2 scallions, trimmed

zest of 1/4 orange (app 1/2 tsp)

fine sea or kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

For the dressing:

1/4 cup tightly packed cilantro

1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves

2 TBSP pignoli (pine nuts)

3 TBSP orange juice

2 TBSP olive oil

1 TBSP lime juice

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

Drain and rinse beans in a sieve. Set aside to let drain thoroughly.

Meanwhile, chop pineapple chunks into roughly 1/2-inch chunks and transfer to a serving bowl. Chop poblano into small 1/4-inch dice and add to bowl. Finely slice tops and bottoms of scallions and add to bowl. Grate orange zest (before juicing the orange), add to mixing bowl, and set aside.

Make dressing by puréeing all ingredients until well blended, about 20 seconds. Add dressing, to taste, to mixing bowl and stir to combine thoroughly. (You may have a few tablespoons of dressing left over—if so, it works well as a green salad dressing, too.) Season to taste with freshly cracked black pepper and, gently, with salt (if serving with salted chips, you may not want to salt further at all).

Salsa can be served at once, but benefits from an hour's rest in the fridge for the dressing flavors to come together and season the fruit, veggies, and beans.

Orange, Dill, and Fennel Chickpea Salad with Essential Fluffy Tahini Spread

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There may be nothing handier than having a batch of chickpea salad hanging out in the fridge. Plus, making your own convenience foods gets you instant meals that are made to suit your tastes. Like this simple and flavorful little chickpea salad that will fill you up whether on a plate of munchies with crackers, tucked into a loaf of pita, or scooped atop big tender lettuce leaves. Mash up your chickpeas, stir in some dill, orange zest, and a little fennel seed, and you're set.

Well, almost. First, you whip up this simple tahini spread. Which is currently the favorite sandwich spread in the MSV kitchen. It's lemony and satisfying, and hangs onto a sandwich without running all over the place like thinner tahini sauces. And it's all thanks to pureeing in just a little bit of silken tofu. Did I mention handy?

Orange, Dill, and Fennel Chickpea Salad with Essential Fluffy Tahini Spread

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serves 4-6

2 15-oz cans chickpeas

2 TBSP fresh dill

zest of half an orange (about 1 tsp)

generous pinch fennel seed

1/3 cup Essential Fluffy Tahini Spread, recipe follows

fine sea or kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Drain and rinse chickpeas. Set aside in a sieve to let drain thoroughly while you prepare the other ingredients.

Transfer chickpeas to a mixing bowl and mash roughly with a potato masher. Stir in all other ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste.

Essential Fluffy Tahini Spread

yields about 1 cup

1/3 cup tahini

1/4 cup silken tofu (from an aseptic pack)

1/4 cup water

3 TBSP lemon juice

1 small clove garlic

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Spread can be used immediately, but will firm and fluff up a bit after chilling in the refrigerator.

Blueberry, Lemon and Thyme Granola

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Good granola is a real treat, and this easy stove-top version is so very nice. Start with plenty of oats, of course, and dress them up with lemon zest, fresh thyme, and a heap of gorgeous dried blueberries. The result is wonderfully fragrant and irresistible. Eaten for breakfast, it's a seriously lovely way to start your day. Try it on tofu mousse for instant morning meals—you won't be sorry.

Because dried blueberries are so expensive, using seeds (here, sunflower and pumpkin) instead of nuts (and canola oil instead of pricier fats) maintain satiety while keeping the cost down a little. But follow your bliss and customize your toss-ins to include whatever you love best. And of course, a little goes a long way.

Blueberry, Lemon and Thyme Granola

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yields one quart

1/2 cup hulled unsalted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1/2 cup hulled unsalted sunflower seeds

2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup dried wild blueberries

1/2 cup dried unsweetened shredded coconut

zest of one lemon

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves

1 TBSP canola oil

2 TBSP brown rice syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

generous pinch fine sea or kosher salt

Heat a large, dry, nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pepitas and sunflower seeds. Dry toast, tossing every minute or two, until pepitas begin to lighten. Add oats, blueberries, coconut, lemon zest, and thyme leaves. Continue to toast, tossing every minute, until the oats are toasted.

Meanwhile, whisk together oil, syrup, and vanilla (measuring the oil before the syrup will help the sticky syrup slide out of your measuring spoon). When the granola mixture is toasted, pour wet ingredients over and stir to combine thoroughly. Let cook two to three more minutes, stirring frequently.

Transfer mixture to a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread out. Sprinkle salt evenly over the whole thing. When cool, break apart and store in an airtight container.

Party Animals No. 57: A Table of Munchies for Xmas Eve (or Whenever You Need)

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I host both Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve at my place for our tiny family. After the big November meal, my husband requested more of a cocktail-party setup for December. We still served ourselves buffet-style for ease. If you need a festive spread for NYE or any other time, may this generous little spread help you with inspiration.

Beverages:

• Kir Royale
• spiced Assam tea Toddy (substituting grade A dark/robust maple syrup for honey)
• for non-alcoholic, spiced tea with hot soy milk and a little extra maple

The munchies menu:

• fresh grapes
• pear chips (pear slices pressed in sugar and baked at low temp for a couple hours)
• rosemary mixed nuts
• spiced oat cookies with espresso glaze
• toasted french bread slices and whole-grain crackers
• smoky almond pâté
• veg cream cheese (Kite Hill recommended) with dill and capers
• ginger fig jam (store bought)
• freshly cracked black pepper
• coconut bacon

Happy entertaining! Here's to the days getting longer and the table being full. Happy New Year's to you all, and thanks so much for hanging with me in this totally bananas year. Onward!

Dead Simple Black Bean Nachos with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce

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Food doesn't get much more fun than nachos, even non-traditional ones like these guys. And what better time for an autumn-flavored pick-me-up than now, when the days are about as short as they get (if you're in my part of the globe, anyway).

So, grab a handful of chips and douse them in a pumpkin sauce spiced up with chipotles en adobo for a dead-simple, totally flavorful dish. It all comes together in a snap thanks to the convenience of canned pumpkin, beans, and chiles.

You'll pop all that in the oven to get everything warmed and mingled, and meanwhile, you'll chop a few fresh elements to balance the salt and spice (namely, crisp red pepper, fresh cilantro, and creamy avocado). Then nothing left to do but pour yourself a cold one and get munching.

Dead Simple Black Bean Nachos with Chipotle Pumpkin Sauce

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serves 4-6

For the black bean and chipotle pumpkin sauce:

2 15-oz cans black beans

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree

1/2 cup water

1 no-salt-added vegetable bouillon cube

1 chipotle en adobo

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

1 TBSP canola or grapeseed oil

1 generous pinch fine sea or kosher salt

1 generous pinch Mexican oregano (optional)

To assemble:

tortilla chips

diced red bell pepper

chopped cilantro leaves

chopped avocado

flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 375 (if assembling nachos right after making sauce)—see Note.

Drain both cans of beans, but do not rinse. Add to a medium pot and set aside.

Add remaining sauce ingredients to a food processor and process until very smooth, 30-60 seconds.

Add pumpkin mixture to pot with beans and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat slightly to medium-medium low. Cook, stirring frequently, until heated through and thickened a bit, about five minutes.

To assemble, pile tortilla chips snugly in a low mound in a baking dish and pour sauce over top, leaving a small border of chips uncovered (the chips touching the sauce will absorb it and soften, but the chips below and to the side will leave some crunchy chips that can scoop up toppings). Bake 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, top generously with diced pepper, cilantro, and avocado. Sprinkle top of dish gently with flaked salt and then generously crack black pepper over top. Serve at once with forks.

Note: once the sauce is done, nachos can be assembled immediately in any desired quantity. Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for days and reheated as desired to make a batch.

Party Animals No. 55; On the Town No. 3: A (Calcotada-Inspired) Backyard Barbecue

Another hasty photo essay:

My pal Elaine hosted a great-big onion-grilling party (inspired by the Catalan calcotada tradition). For you fellow East Tennesseeans, consider this a suggestion for celebrating ramp season come March. I co-hosted the cookout, insofar as I helped make some stuff and invited some friends. My contributions:

1. Bread! Crusty, beautiful boules from the famously tried-and-true Sullivan Street Bakery recipe.

2. White wine-braised white beans and garlic, served in adorable mugs along with that bread.

3. Miso-marinated, thinly sliced portobello mushrooms topped with lemon zest, pistachios, and arugula—highly recommended.

4. Vegetables roasted whole, served alongside the grilled onions with a romesco-type sauce and Elaine's beautiful mixed-herb sauce.

After munching on the veggie courses out of doors, we were driven inside by light sleet and the disappearance of the last ray of sun. And thus officially began the indoor-party season. Happy November, and I'll be back soon with a new recipe.

Party Animals No. 53: Fig Paste, Fig Syrup, and Instant Pantry Entertaining

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We have some catching up to do, don't we? Let's get to it.

I missed two weeks in a row, which is a first on MSV. It's a bummer but couldn't be helped. First, briefly, there's a cat in the MSV house feeling poorly.

What's more, that cat feeling poorly is nearly 18 years old. Yeah. I don't wanna talk about it.

Additionally, I have been busy with Libacious. Specifically, we had a couple of jobs that wanted a bunch of original development—much more than would usually go on. First, there was a masquerade murder-mystery birthday party for 12 and 13-year-olds at Westwood, complete with pomegranate sours shaken up for the kiddos. I was not about to miss the chance to design something to pour into a coupe glass for this event.

Also, I got to wear a masquerade mask.

 photo by Casey Fox

So much fun.

That was overlapped with/immediately followed by serving the signature cocktail for Knoxville Botanical Garden and Arboretum's Green Thumb Gala. Meet the Barn Raiser.

photo by Temple Photography

There's a bunch of stuff in here: Assam tea spiced with allspice, black pepper, and cinnamon; fig-turbinado syrup; lemon juice; vodka; orange bitters; and orange blossom water—all garnished with sage leaves pinned to dehydrated orange slices and star anise.

I built the Barn Raiser from scratch, beginning with a single cocktail and scaling it all the way up to 380 servings. It was both nerve-racking and ultimately confidence-boosting, and, happily, brings us to today's recipes.

The fig-turbinado syrup is totally lovely. It obviously works in drinks (alcoholic or otherwise), but you can also drizzle it over vanilla ice cream or use it to jazz up breakfast.

New waffle recipe coming very, very soon, by the way.

What's more, when you finish making the syrup, you'll have some rehydrated figs on your hands, which means you're only moments away from a seriously dreamy batch of fig paste.

Which brings us to a note on instant entertaining, in case it helps anyone. Lots of tips you find online for items to keep on hand for surprise guests involve animal products, so it seems worth noting that a vegan platter does not have to be a chore. I hosted a business meeting on short notice (with Libacious' wildly talented graphic designer, Tricia Bateman), at which I knew we'd be having some special celebratory cocktails all the way from Edinburgh (brought back, thoughtfully, by my business partners).

And I never feel entirely comfortable serving drinks without something to nibble on. I had only about 20 minutes to get something onto the table. If I'd had just 15 or 20 minutes more, an almond pâté log would definitely have been the savory spread on the table, but them's the breaks.

Clockwise from left: lemony chickpea, artichoke, and red pepper spread; two cracker varieties; fig paste; and rosemary mixed nuts.

The artichoke hearts, chickpeas, and red peppers all came straight from the pantry to combine with olive oil, lemon-infused grapeseed oil, a little lemon juice, salt, and dried herbs. That's it. The mixed nuts were purchased roasted and salted. Then there was nothing left to do but briefly toast them on the stovetop with a small amount of olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Tiny crispy fried rosemary needles are hopelessly irresistible, you know.

And, finally, the fig paste. I grabbed a handful of rehydrated figs from the comically large batch on hand from syrup testing and blended it up with a little brandy, dried sage, orange exract, and a touch of orange blossom water (since the figs absorb syrup, not just water, the mixture is plenty sweet already). The whole thing still tastes like spreadable figs, but the additions give the paste a very subtle depth that keeps it from being one-note.

For instant entertaining, you do not have to have pre-soaked figs on hand. Begin your preparations by rehydrating figs (or any dried fruit you have in the cabinet). They will soften while you arrange everything else, then you can finish by blending them up into your paste (sweeten gently, to taste).

It's also especially nice baked into fig bars (instant breakfasts!) or dolloped on a cracker atop Kite Hill cream cheese.

Dead Simple Fig Syrup and Fig Paste

Print the recipe

yields about 10 oz syrup and a scant cup paste

For the syrup:

1 cup water

1 cup turbinado/demerara sugar

1 cup packed dried figs [see Note], roughly chopped

For the paste:

1 tsp brandy

1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage

1/4 tsp orange extract

pinch flaked sea salt

two drops orange blossom water (optional, or substitute with a pinch orange zest)

Begin by making syrup. Heat water and turbinado in a medium pot over high heat, stirring to help dissolve sugar. As soon as it begins to boil, add chopped figs, and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let steep one hour. Strain, pressing gently on figs to extract some of the absorbed liquid. Chill syrup in an airtight container.

To make the fig paste, transfer steeped figs to a food processor bowl. Add all other paste ingredients and process to a uniform paste. Store fig paste in the refrigerator, but it's best served at room temperature and will readily soften if heated briefly in the microwave.

Note: either Calimyrna or black mission figs may be used. The former will give a gentler flavor and sweetness that is particularly nice alone, while the latter will come through a bit bolder and makes a wonderful, traditional-feeling fig bar. Both are tasty, so follow your bliss.

Pesto-Swirled Polenta with Fresh Tomato and Lemon-Pepper Chickpeas

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How to build a killer brunch in three easy steps. Step one: swirl pesto into polenta/grits.

Step two: lay a fat slice of a gorgeous, seriously ripe tomato on top.

Step three: add a final dose of seasoning—not to mention texture and protein—by adding a handful of chickpeas cooked with lemon zest and freshly cracked black pepper.

And dig in.

Pesto-Swirled Polenta with Fresh Tomato and Lemon-Pepper Chickpeas

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serves 2 generously

1/2 cup quick-cooking polenta (or grits)

1/4 cup blanched almond meal

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt (plus additional for chickpeas)

1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk

1 1/2 cups water

2 tsp olive oil

1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained

1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

zest from half a lemon

2 TBSP Classic Vegan Pesto Genovese, recipe follows

1 ripe good-quality tomato

Whisk together polenta, almond meal, and 1/2 tsp salt in a bowl. Combine soy milk and water in a pot over high heat. When it begins to steam, begin whisking while pouring the polenta mixture into the pot in a thin, steady stream, whisking all the while. When all is incorporated, be sure the mixture is bubbling, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook five minutes, covered, carefully whisking the bubbling mixture once each minute.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add drained chickpeas, pepper, lemon zest, and generous pinch salt. Cook chickpeas, stirring occasionally, until chickpeas are heated through and the flavors have melded a bit, about five minutes.

Divide grits between two serving bowls. Swirl a tablespoon of pesto into each. Top each with a half-inch-thick slice of tomato and finish with the chickpeas. Serve at once.

Classic Vegan Pesto Genovese

yields about 2/3 cup 

2 oz basil, leaves only, from two large bunches (about 1 cup of tightly packed leaves) 

1 clove garlic

2 tsp red miso paste

1/4 cup pignoli (pine nuts) 

1/4 cup good quality olive oil

Puree all ingredients until smooth.

Dead Simple Red Wine-Fig Syrup

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Three ingredients and occasionally stirring a pot are all that stands between you and this dreamy condiment. Red wine and figs make a rich and complex pairing that you can use to punch up any meal of the day.

Pancakes, ice cream, and pastries would all be happy to go for a swim in this syrup, but don't hesitate to work it into salad dressings or sandwiches, too. First one to try roasting Brussels sprouts in it, let us all know how it goes.

Crackers or toast spread with Kite Hill cream cheese (which provides a nice canvas to show off the syrup's color) absolutely beg for the stuff and make for an instant treat.

If you're feeling a little more ambitious, use the red wine-fig syrup to marble a batch of gently sweetened almond pate. This small tower was a recent take-along to a pal's housewarming (more on almond pate towers at a later date if all goes as planned). Good stuff.

Dead Simple Red Wine-Fig Syrup

Print the recipe

3 cups red wine, such as Zinfandel

1/2 cup fig jam

1/2 cup natural cane sugar (evaporated cane juice)

Bring all ingredients to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a low, steady simmer. Let cook down, stirring occasionally, for about an hour—give or take—until the mixture is reduced by two-thirds. Let cool completely before storing in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Syrup will continue to thicken a bit when chilled.

Party Animals No. 47: Big Ears Brunch 2017

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Big Ears brunch, 2017 edition! (Past years: 2014, a tiny peek at 2015, and 2016.)

In addition to coffee on the hot end, there were four chilled drinks on offer:

• pineapple-carrot-chamomile juice topped with sparkling water
• blueberry-mint Bellini
• apricot-ginger Bellini
• ginger shandy made with Harpoon UFO White

All four garnished with a lime wedge (easy peasy).

The main focus this year was breads and things. There were biscuits with tempeh-walnut patties (not pictured), everything bagels, wheat toast, and pecan-raisin toast.

And the toppers, from right to left:

• apple-chamomile molasses
• strawberry-jalapeno jam
• Blackberry Farms blackberry jam (out of frame)
• coconut bacon
• pear slices
• mashed avocado
• pesto
• Kite Hill plain cream cheese
• smoked sun-dried tomatoes
• chives
• capers
• lime wedges
• freshly cracked black pepper
• flaked sea salt
• crushed red chiles

No one went hungry.

There were also some fork foods to round out the table. On the left is a fruit salad of mixed grapes and halved strawberries tossed with a little oil, a dose of apple-chamomile molasses (the best fruit booster, by the way—adds tart and sweet in one go), and finely chopped mint. On the right is a dish of black beans and tomatoes simmered with cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and Mexican oregano. Into a giant baking dish they went. The top was studded with slices of polenta, which were brushed with a mix of olive oil, nutritional yeast, and kala namak before baking. Hearty and comforting and seriously spiced. Finally, a big bowl of this potato salad was served, but with roasted cauliflower florets substituted for the potatoes (with all the bread on hand, potatoes seemed a bit much). Parsley for the herb. It was a hit, as ever. Seriously, take that salad to the next party you go to.

So there you go. This was decidedly a generous vegan brunch. And a great festival.

Back next week with a new recipe. Thanks for reading.

Smoked-Tea Baba Ghanoush

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The popular spread known in the States as baba ghanoush—that sikly puree of eggplant, tahini, garlic, lemon, and oil—has been primarily a restaurant experience for me. In Knoxville alone, there were generous bowlfuls garnished with streams and lakes of oil at Ali Baba's Time Out Deli (RIP). There were tastes stolen from a friend's order at Yassin's Falafel House (later learning, alas, there's a touch of dairy yogurt involved). Then there's the stuff from Holy Land Market.

Paprika and liquid smoke can do a lot, but maybe not everything. Having nothing but an electric broiler in the MSV kitchen to char eggplants, knowing I'll never bring myself to load in the oil the way restaurant owners will, and having known Holy Land's exquisitely smoky spread, at-home baba ghanoush has always felt pointless. Until now.

Thanks to Kathy Hester's smoke-infusing method from the deceptively humble-sounding Tea-Scented Tofu(*) recipe from The Vegan Slow Cooker, satisfying baba ghanoush can happen even in electric-only kitchens with no access to an outdoor grill. The smoke-infused eggplant, thanks to a spin in the slow cooker with a dose of Lapsang Souchong, takes on such a deep, seductive flavor that you can get away with surprisingly little added oil and still come out with a gorgeous spread.

Side note: the same method works on sun-dried tomatoes, too. Oh, yes, it does. (Calling all bagels.)

This spread may not look like much, but it's seriously worth it. The eggplant keeps everything silky, the smoke (the smoke!) infusion ensures the eggplant can stand up to the bold flavors of tahini and fresh garlic. Lemon lightens it all up. The unique flavor of the tea adds a touch of je ne sais quoi. It wouldn't hurt to make a double-batch.

Smoked-Tea Baba Ghanoush

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yields about 1 3/4 cups, adapted from The Vegan Slow Cooker and the kitchn

1/4 cup loose Lapsang Souchong

1/4 cup brown rice

1/4 cup turbinado

1 1/4 lbs eggplant, trimmed, and cut into large dice

2 small cloves garlic, peeled

1/4 cup tahini

3 TBSP lemon juice

2-4 TBSP olive oil (or to taste)

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

Line a slow cooker crock with foil. Add tea, rice, and sugar, and stir to combine. Place a small metal adjustable steamer basket (wrap the feet in foil, too) into the cooker. Place eggplant cubes into steamer basket. Cover and cook on high two hours. Reduce heat to low and cook two hours more.

Place all other ingredients in a food processor. Carefully add eggplant and blend, adding oil as desired to loosen. Serve at room temperature. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Apple-Chamomile Molasses

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A long time ago, I made a pile of syrup made from nothing but unfiltered apple juice. This week, we improve upon it. And in a reasonable quantity.

The pure apple syrup is totally good, but there's a brunch coming up in the MSV house, and it's going to feature condiments in a big way. So to add complexity to something already yummy, look to sunny chamomile.

The result is tart, sweet, and a little floral—in short, a total dreamboat. It's a wildly handy liquid sweetener to keep on hand because (dare I say it?) sometimes you don't want what you're making to taste of maple.

To put it to work, an easy place to start is a big slice of toast topped with Kite Hill ricotta (or plain nondairy cream cheese), pear slices, and roasted and salted pistachios. Drizzle the syrup over all that goodness and buckle up for a dead-lovely breakfast. Or snack. Or whatever.

Apple-Chamomile Molasses

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yields 1 - 1 1/4 cups, adapted from here

1 gallon unfiltered apple juice, such as Field Day Organic brand

1/4 cup dried chamomile

1/4 tsp pure orange extract (optional)

Add chamomile to juice and let steep, refrigerated, overnight.

Strain juice and discard chamomile. Add strained juice to a pot, add orange extract, if using, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high to maintain a steady boil. Cook about one hour, or until reduced to eight to 10 oz. Reduce heat as needed as the syrup reduces to maintain your steady boil. (To measure your reduction, pour a cup of water into the pot before beginning and mark the level on the end of a wooden spoon.)

The syrup will continue to thicken a bit as it cools, and, at this level of reduction, settles at a thick, pourable syrup consistency (it does not get as thick as molasses) when stored in the refrigerator.

Dijon Chickpea and Broccoli-Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Creamy Dill-Caper Dressing

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If there's one culinary benefit to winter, it's the freedom to crank the oven up and bake your veggies until browned and lovely. You're assured a plate with deep flavor with a minimum of effort. Make one of those veggies fluffy, earthy russet potatoes, and you've got a serious plate of comfort on your hands.

It goes like this: pop open a couple cans of chickpeas, tear up some broccoli, and toss that in a big pile of Dijon-style mustard (it'll seem like too much, but don't worry—it mellows out in the oven (thanks, Mollie Katzen)). The potatoes and the filling cook right alongside each other.

While all that takes care of itself in the oven, blend up a quick sauce that makes an ideal accompaniment for baked potatoes. It's cool and creamy thanks to a base of soy milk and tofu, and it's flavored with scallions, fresh dill, and capers. The dijon-roasted beans and veg also love this sauce. The three elements come together to make a totally satisfying meal.

Dijon Chickpea and Broccoli-Stuffed Baked Potatoes with Creamy Dill-Caper Dressing

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serves 4

For the potatoes, adaped from Food Network's Alton Brown:

4 medium-large russet potatoes, scrubbed

olive oil

fine sea or kosher salt

For the filling:

2 15-oz can chickpeas

3/4 lb broccoli crowns

1/3 cup Dijon-style mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

fine sea or kosher salt

For the dressing:

5 oz soft or firm tofu (one-third of a water-packed slab)

4 scallions, divided

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

2 TBSP lemon juice

1 TBSP packed fresh dill fronds

1 tsp drained capers

1/4 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Heat oven to 350.

Poke three sets of holes on each side of each potato with a fork. Rub potatoes lightly with olive oil (your hands work great) and set directly on a rack placed in the middle of the oven (leave half the rack open for the chickpea dish). (Place a piece of aluminum foil on the rack below to catch drippings.) Sprinkle potatoes with salt. Bake one hour. Check for tenderness, and, if needed, bake an additional 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse chickpeas. Set aside in a sieve to let drain thoroughly. Break broccoli into small florets. Toss both with mustard, oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Add to oven and bake along with the potatoes, tossing once when the potatoes have been cooking for 30 minutes. The chickpeas and broccoli should be done when you test the potatoes at the one-hour mark.

Once the chickpeas and broccoli are in the oven, puree all sauce ingredients—using only the white and firm green parts of the spring onions—with an immersion blender in a wide-mouth mason jar. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside to give the flavors time to mingle. Chop the scallion tops and set aside.

When the potatoes are done, carefully split them (press the ends to open them up for stuffing) and divide the filling among the potatoes. Serve at once. Allow each diner to add dressing to taste. Garnish with chopped scallion tops, as desired.

Artichoke and Poblano Almond Pâté

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Almond pâté is great, but it's so rich that it tends to get reserved around here for entertaining. But today's version may change that.

Today's creamy little wheels of joy come packed with a good dose of bright artichokes and gently spicy poblano peppers. The natural bitterness of green veg plays well with the natural sweetness of blanched almond meal.

The result is a predictably pleasing spread that comes across a little lighter thanks to that flavor tweak, plus the extra bulk from the finely chopped veggies.

Keep a batch of of this stuff in the fridge and get ready to seriously—and effortlessly—elevate your sandwiches. And pretty much anything else you put in your pie hole.

Artichoke and Poblano Almond Pâté

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serves 4-8, adapted from here (post includes credit links)

3 oz (app. 3/4 cup) frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1 small poblano (2 1/2-3 oz total weight), trimmed, seeded, veined, and roughly chopped

1 tsp lime zest

150 g blanched almond meal

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

3 TBSP olive oil

1 small clove garlic

1/2 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

Use a food processor to finely chop artichoke hearts and poblano. Add lime zest to processor bowl and set aside.

Blend all other ingredients with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in veggies and lime zest.

For a softer spread, heat oven to 350. Divide evenly between two 10-oz ramekins. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown on top. The spread can be used immediately as a tart base before baking, or let cool before serving on a tartine or crackers.

Alternately, to mold, line two 10-oz ramekins with a double layer of cheesecloth. Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins, fold cheesecloth over, and chill for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight. (In a pinch, chill in the freezer for 30 minutes.)

Heat oven to 350. Use the cheesecloth to lift the pâté from the ramekins, carefully transfer to an oiled (or parchment-lined) baking sheet (without cheesecloth), and bake 40-45 minutes, or until golden.

Let cool thoroughly before transferring to the refrigerator. This pâté improves as it sits, when the flavors have had a good chance to mingle.

Hitting the Books No. 6: Isa's Jumbo Oatmeal Cookies + BBQ Tofu and Thai-Inspired Slaw

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Today, recipe test-drives from Isa Does It (also at the library, for Knoxville folks), Pure Vegan, and Christopher Kimball's new Milk Street Magazine. Without further ado, first up is this BBQ-sauced tofu sandwich:

I don't actually have a go-to BBQ sauce, and have long assumed the Date Barbecue Sauce from Pure Vegan (recipe available here) would be one. Alas. A little too mild, decidedly sweet, this one did not hit my sweet spot. It's possible swapping fresh ginger for the called-for ground ginger could adjust the spice to suit my tastes. But honestly, I don't care enough to try. The first recipe from Pure Vegan I won't revisit.

The slaw from Milk Street Magazine, on the other hand, is a winner. Thai food is famous for balancing bold flavors—savory with sweet, fat with acid—then often adding heat from fresh chiles. Those principles are taken to this slaw that is now my go-to. The lime and coconut milk dressing will likely show up here soon in another application (or three). Get the recipe here, and to make it vegan, swap reduced-sodium tamari for the called-for fish sauce.

Next up, dessert. And/or gifts.

Isa Does It has become an invaluable book on the MSV shelf. I've toyed with the idea of giving up my copy of Veganomicon more than once—I cook from it so infrequently and book space is valuable in my small-ish place—but I cannot imagine parting with this one.

These jumbo oatmeal cookies are totally easy and really fun. This is definitely a recipe to turn to again and again, using whatever is in the pantry. The cookies shown here, which were a gift, include some chocolate I'd just been given. In that went (in fat chunks), along with currants already in the cabinet. Tie them up in a bow, and done. Remember to save yourself at least one for tomorrow's breakfast.

Thanks so much for reading. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. Let's all breathe a huge sigh of relief that the solstice has come and gone, and the days are officially getting longer. See you next week.

About Hitting the Books: You know that shelf in your house with all the great cookbooks you don't get to nearly as often as you'd like? Yeah, there's one of those over here, too. The Hitting the Books series allows for occasional opportunities to dig into that shelf and highlight some handy cookbooks.

Roasted Red Pepper Hot Sauce (From the Pantry)

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It's not unusual to find hot sauces with veggie bases, like habanero sauce with a carrot base, or harissa. But ease is the name of the game here. Granted, you do have to roast peppers (but no peeling!), but that's absolutely it. So grab your spice rack, a lemon, and fresh pepper, and get to know a slightly fresher hot sauce you'll find yourself whipping up on a regular basis.

Naturally, it's fabulous on avocado toast, scrambles or hashes, and makes totally nice hummus sandwiches.

For a low-effort hot meal you can even serve to pals, roast a pan of cauliflower and potatoes with some kidney beans underneath with salt, pepper, and garlic. You can roast the peppers at the same time. Blend up your sauce, mix it with a little plain nondairy yogurt (Forager brand is excellent for this) and go to town.

Roasted Red Pepper Hot Sauce (From the Pantry)

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2 fresh red peppers, trimmed, seeded, and halved

1/4 cup olive oil

2 TBSP fresh lemon juice

1 TBSP smoked paprika

1 tsp fine sea or kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground cayenne

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp lemon zest

Heat oven to 425. Roast pepper on the middle rack (but placed directly under the heat source to the left or right, not in the middle), cut side-down until tender and dark, 35-40 minutes.

Add all other ingredients to a food processor. Carefully add roasted peppers and blend until thoroughly combined and just a little chunky. Sauce will keep, refrigerated in an airtight container, for about a week.

Lavender Apricot Butter

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Sunny apricots, seriously fragrant lavender, orange zest (and juice) all make this apricot butter floral, sweet, and overall incredibly handy to have in your refrigerator.

A good fruity condiment turns a muffin into a treat and ordinary sandwiches into lunches worth lingering over. Bonus: this apricot butter is really easy to make. It simmers away on its own while you do whatever you like. Give it a puree, and you're set for days.

Lavender Apricot Butter

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yields about 1 1/2 cups

1 cup unsweetened, unfiltered apple juice

3 TBSP dried lavender

1 orange

heaping 1/2 cup dried apricots

Heat apple juice until hot, but not boiling. Add lavender, cover with a clean kitchen towel, and let steep 30 minutes. Strain and discard lavender.

Meanwhile, take one teaspoon of zest from the orange and add it to a small pot. Juice orange into a measuring cup. If needed, add enough water to yield a half-cup of liquid. (If you recover more than a half-cup of juice from the orange, reserve excess for another purpose.) Add orange juice to pot along with apricots. Cover pot with a clean kitchen towel and set aside.

When apple juice is ready, add to pot. Cover, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, 30 minutes. Carefully transfer apricots and remaining liquid to a wide-mouth pint jar and puree with an immersion blender. Let cool completely, covered loosely with a kitchen towel, before refrigerating.