Vegan Miscellanies

Apple and Potato Soup a la Normande

This is another veganization of a Normandy dish. It can be eaten hot or cold. Though it may look a bit like a breakfast cereal, this is a wonderfully delicate soup with just a hint of sweetness borrowed from the apples, sherry and coconut cream.

In Normandy, so I've read, this soup (that is the dairy-laden version called La Pommeraie Glacee) is often served as a first course to an autumn meal of roast duck or chicken with roasted root vegetables. Vegans wishing to use it similarly could have it before a hearty meal of Tofurkey Roast, roast seitan, or baked tofu and roasted root vegetables.

It is hearty enough, however, to have it on its own as a main course. That's how we had it. And the recipe makes so much that there will most certainly be leftovers to try chilled.

Here we go:

• 4 tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine
• 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced (mostly the white part)
• 4 apples, chopped, not peeled (I used Red Delicious, though apparently tart green ones  like Granny Smith are ideal)
• 6 cups stock (3 cups water, 3 cups soy milk, 1 tbsp soy sauce and 1 tsp marmite)
• 3 cups small yellow potatoes
• 1 cup heavy coconut cream (I used a package of creamed coconut)
• 2 teaspoons cream sherry or, more traditionally, Calvados
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Sautee sliced leeks in margarine for 3-4 minutes on medium heat, covered.
2. Toss in sliced apples and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so apples are well coated with margarine.
3. Pour in the stock, add potatoes, and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.
4. When apples and potatoes are soft, puree in blender, then return to pot and stir in coconut cream, sherry, and cinnamon.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Garnish with apple slices sauteed in margarine for 5 minutes and then drained on paper towels.

Enjoy!

Portabellas a la Normande

This dish, unfortunately, is not very photogenic. But it is a delicious treat.

Credit for this tasty, mushroomy dish goes to the people of Hezbollah Tofu. See their recipe here. I didn't have fresh shiitake  mushrooms, so I used the dehydrated ones I had on hand. I buy large bags of these dried mushrooms, sometimes called 'flower mushrooms', or 'black forest mushroom', at local Asian markets. As I learned today, they are all really shiitake.

As for the portobello mushrooms (apparently also spelled portabella), those I bought fresh at the grocery store. What I did not know -- I suspect many don't -- is that they are simply more mature crimini mushrooms.

Anyway, on to the dish itself. Though it doesn't look that great in the photo, this dish is quite delicious. The mushrooms and black pepper give this dish its hearty, meaty taste, while the coconut cream, golden cream sherry and apple add a delicious sweetness.

We served it over brown basmati rice, though Sara at Hezbollah Tofu says it goes well with bread and vegan cream cheese.

I did create a category for 'a la Normande' because I know (not from experience, mind you, as I come from a poor Mennonite family in Mexico not exposed to haute cuisine) that there are other dishes under that category that I'd like try in veganized form.