Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces spirali pasta
• 1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
• 2-3 cups romanesco broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup fresh basil,chopped

for the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons miso
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1-2 ounces soy cheese grated as garnish and handful toasted almonds

Directions:

1. Steam the romanesco florets al dente.
2. Cook the pasta according to the recommendations of the package.
3. Prepare the peas – frozen can be thawed with boiling water, fresh should be cooked al dente.

to prepare the sauce:

1. Place the miso in a small saucepan.
2. 
Add the white wine and stir to evenly dissolve the miso.
3. Add the ground almond and pepper flakes if using.
4. Lightly warm the sauce.
5. Season to taste as desired.
6. Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan.
7. Grate the soy cheese.

to prepare the meal:

1. When the pasta is coked, drain off the water and return to the pot
2. Add 13/4 of the miso sauce and mix well.
3. Add 3/4 of the chopped basil, the peas and mix.
4. Add the romanesco and lightly mix in.
5. Serve the meal in a large serving bow, or on individual serving plates.
6. Garnish with a few more basil leaves, some toasted almonds, and the grated soy cheese.
7. The rest of the miso dressing can be served in a bowl for people to help themselves I they want more.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 cup large couscous (kuskus)
• 2-3 cups vegetable bouillon
• 1 can garbanzo beans (chickpeas) (8 ounces)
• 1 lb. fresh asparagus spears
• 1 ounce almond slivers (alternatively pistachio)
• 1-2 teaspoons sambal oelek
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 2 sprigs fresh mint
• 1 cup soy yogurt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin and sweet Hungarian paprika
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Clean the asparagus and slice the hard woody steam off.
2. Slice the asparagus in bites-sized pieces.
3. Cook the couscous in a large pot with 2 cups of vegetable bouillon. As the couscous cooks down, you may need to add a 3rd cup until the couscous is cooked.
4. Drain the can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans) and add to the couscous.
5. Add the raisins also at this time.
6. When the liquid has cooked off, remove from the heat, add the sambal oelek and place a lid on the pot, the couscous will continue to swell.
7. Meanwhile, bring a pan of lightly salted water to boil, add the asparagus pieces ad cook until al dente.
8. Prepare the soy yogurt sauce.
9. Place the soy yogurt in a blender.
10. Remove the leaves from the mint sprigs and add to the soy yogurt.
11. Add the lemon juice a pinch of salt and pepper and a pinch of sweet Hungarian paprika.
12. Blend to a smooth consistency. Taste and season according to preference.
13. Shortly before serving, add the asparagus pieces to the couscous.
14. Sprinkle the almond or pistachio pieces on top.
15. Serve the couscous warm with the dressing on the side, or cold as a salad and optional dressing on top.

I did add 1 teaspoon extra of almond flavor, and was happy that I did so. The flavor was wonderful, and the house smelled lovely while they were baking.

The recipe is easy to make and turns out very well. Since it is nearly impossible to find vegan ones in the store, we are glad that we can now make our own.

Ingredients:

for the plums:

• 10 plums
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• small pinch salt
• pinch cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons water, as needed

for the custard:

• 2 cups vanilla soy milk
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Make the custard first.

to make the custard:

1. Place the vanilla soy milk in a small saucepan.
2. Add the sugar, vanilla and cornstarch and stir to mix well.
3. Bring the mixture to a slow boil, stirring constantly.
4. When the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat and allow to cool.

to make the plums:

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F / 204 C.
2. Mix the ground almonds with the small pinch of salt, cinnamon, and maple syrup to make a paste. A bit of water is probably needed to make it a spreadable paste.
3. Halve the plums and remove the seeds.
4. Fill the cavity of each plum with the nut mixture.
5. Top with the chopped walnuts.
6. Place in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes.
7. Check after 10 minutes to see if the plums are soft, and that the nuts are not too brown.
8. When done, remove from the oven and serve in bowls or plates with the custard.
9. We garnished with a spring of mint.

Notes:

We are trying to cut down in the amounts of sugars and fats used in recipes. We find that fruit recipes often do not need any extra sugars at all. This used just a bit of maple syrup with the nuts, and a bit in the custard. It was a lovely treat. Depending on size of the plums, one full plum per person is usually enough, if they are small perhaps more.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 & 1/2 cups fava beans, shelled, blanched and peeled
• 1 pint strawberries, cleaned, hulled and halved
• 100 grams tofu feta
• handful mint leaves, cleaned and chopped
• handful almonds or pine nuts
• mint
• salt and pepper
• balsamic vinegar
• olive oil
• Italian herbs
• pinch of sugar

Directions:

1. Remove the fava beans from their pods.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil and put the beans in.
3. Allow them to cook, just until the begin to float.
4. Then directly plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking process.
5. Remove the outer skin of the favas to reveal the tasty bright green bean.
6. Make the dressing by combining the vinegar, oil, salt and pepper, herbs and a pinch of sugar. Season to taste.
7. Clean and spin dry the spinach leaves.
8. To assemble the salad:
9. Mix the spinach and mint leaves together and arrange as a bed on individual salad plates.
10. Lay a few strawberry halves on top of the spinach and mint.
11. Add the favas around on top also.
12. Sprinkle the tofu feta and almonds or pine nuts on top.
13. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.

Notes:

You can make “tofu feta” by cutting the tofu in very small pieces. Then soaking it in a brine of salt, miso Italian herbs a bit of vinegar and water overnight.

Inspired by Amanida de faves tendres i maduixes from cuinaperllaminers.com.

Yield: 36- 40 balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons ginger syrup
• colored decorates

Directions:

1. Make sure you are using blanched almonds so that the ground almond “meal” is white.
2. In a large bowl, mix the ground almonds and the powdered sugar.
3. Add 4 tablespoons of ginger syrup and mix with a fork.
4. If the mixture is still dry add another tablespoon of syrup.
5. Roll a small about of dough into a ball about the size of a large marble.
6. Rollin colored decorates.
7. Keep in an air-tight container.

Notes:

You can use other ways of decorating the balls, even leaving them plain with just a gold or silver ball on top. However, the colored decorates help to keep them from drying out. Alternatively you can use other syrups rather than the ginger syrup or even flavored waters such as rose water, lavender water or orange blossom water.

adapted from http://ourkitchen.fisherpaykel.com/2009/12/almond-drops/

Serving Size: 2

Ingredients:

• 3 sheets ready made frozen vegan puff pastry, thawed
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 tablespoons almond meal (ground almonds)
• 3-4 figs, sliced
• 1/4 cup soy yogurt
• 2 tablespoons cashew nut butter
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C / 392 F.
2. Place the thawed pastry sheets on a workspace.
3. Using a saucer, cut the pastry into a round form.
4. Do this twice, one circle for each pastry sheet.
5. Place the circles on a cookie sheet lined with baking parchment.
6. Slice the remaining pastry into long, thin (1/8″) strips.
7. Using your finger, and water, lightly moisten the edge of each circle and lay the strips around the edge to form a small border or edge once they are cooked. You will have enough strips to go around the circle twice.
8. Prick the bottom of the pastry with a fork.
9. Mix 3 tablespoons of maple syrup with almond meal to make a paste..
10. Spread a thin layer of almond paste over the bottom of the tart.
11. Arrange the sliced figs in the galette, leaving the edge free.
12. Drizzle a bit of maple syrup over the top of the figs..
13. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the edge is golden brown.
14. While the galettes are baking, make the vegan maple mascarpone.
15. Place the soy yogurt in a small bowl.
16. Add the cashew nut butter and whisk or mix well.
17. Add the maple syrup, chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
18. When the galettes are golden, remove from the oven and allow to cool.
19. Serve the galette with a dollop of maple mascarpone on the side or in the middle.

Yield: one 8″ galette

Ingredients:

• 4 sheets vegan puff pastry, thawed
• 6-7 fresh apricots, pitted and sliced
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1/4 cup almond meal (flour) made from ground almonds
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Directions:

1. Place 2 tablespoons of apricot jam in a saucepan.
2. Add 3 or 5 tablespoons of water and gently simmer to melt the apricot jam.
3. Stir to mix well, and remove from the heat.
4. Grind 1/4 cup of almonds to a flour texture, or use almond flour.
5. Place the almond flour in a small bowl and add the powdered sugar, mix well.
6. Thaw the puff pastry.
7. Lay the sheets out on a lightly floured surface so that they slightly overlap.
8. Using a rolling pin that has been dusted with flour roll the 4 sheets to make one large square.
9. Take an 8″ or 9″ pie pan and lay it on the puff pastry as a guide.
10. Using a knife cut the puff pastry into a circle using the pie pan as a guide.
11. Pre-heat the oven to 425 F / 218 C.
12. Prepare a cookie sheet with baking parchment or silicone sheet.
13. Clean the apricots, cut in half, remove the pits and slice in thin slices.
14. Carefully place the round puff pastry on the baking parchment.
15. Prick holes in the dough, however leave an edge of about 1/4 inch all around the edge free.
16. Lightly brush a bit of the apricot sauce on thee puff pastry, still leaving the 1/4 inch edge free.
17. Dust the almond mixture over the apricot sauce and go almost to the 1/4 inch free space, but still leave that area free.
18. Take the sliced apricots and arrange them artfully around the pastry. I laid them as quart moons first from the outer area then to the middle and the middle was one 1/2 of an apricot.
19. Dust the top of the apricots with sugar and place in the oven to bake for 20 minutes or until golden. The quarter edge that was left free will rise to form a low edge to the galette.
20. When the galette is done, remove from the oven and again, brush with the apricot sauce to make a glaze. Allow the galette to cool before slicing and serving.

Notes:

Adapted from http://www.epicurious.com

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 4 sheets of puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped ad ground
• 2 tablespoons pecans, chopped and ground
• 2 tablespoons walnuts, chopped and ground
• 2 tablespoons vegan margarine, melted
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• pinch sugar

Directions:

1. Thaw the puff pastry.
2. Preheat the oven to 220 (C). or whatever the package of puff pastry indicates.
3. Chop the nuts, put some of the nut pieces in a bowl, and the rest in a coffee grinder or food process to further grind to a flour consistency.
4. Melt the vegan margarine.
5. Place all of the nuts in a bowl.
6. Add the powdered sugar, and then add most of the melted margarine. (Save a little to brush on the outside of the pastries.
7. Mix he nut mixture well (I used a fork). It should be crumbly although at times stick together also.
8. Place the puff pastry sheets on a cookie sheet prepared with baking parchment or a silicone sheet.
9. Put a tablespoon of the nut mixture in the center of each pastry.
10. Bring the points of each corner to the center and pinch together.
11. Brush the remaining melted margarine on the outer portions of the puff pastry and dust lightly with sugar.
12. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. fresh white asparagus.
• pinch salt
• pinch sugar
• 1/4 cup of slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup of fine olive oil
• splash lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• pinch white pepper

Directions:

1. Peel the fresh asparagus with a vegetable peeler.
2. Brig a large pot or pan of water to boil.
3. Add the pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar.
4. Carefully lay the asparagus in the pan and cook until al dente.
5. Drain the asparagus.
6. Pour the olive oil in a skillet.
7. Cook the almonds over a low heat, stirring frequently, until they turn golden brown (takes about five min).
8. Remove from heat.
9. Add the lemon juice, salt and almond extract.
10. Pour over hot asparagus.
11. Serve.

Notes:

adapted from http://www.asparagusrecipes.net/asparagus-almandine.html