Chocolate Cheesecake with Hazelnut Cream

 

This was an entirely decadent endeavor from start to finish and an event so rare, I cannot remember the last time I made something so indulgent.  Our friend Marti came over for dinner the other night and I decided that she would be the perfect specimen upon which to test a wicked chocolate dessert.  She loved it,  so it went into the recipe vault and earned a post here. 

 

Chocolate Cheesecake with a Citrus-Nut Crust

Ingredients:

2 cups non-dairy creamer [I used So Delicious Original Coconut Creamer]

1 cup plain non-dairy yogurt [I used Nancy’s Soy Yogurt]

1 cup simple syrup* [1:1 sugar to water dissolved over heat], or agave nectar

1 recipe homemade tofu at curd stage [which is what I used for this] or 2 blocks firm regular tofu

1 ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder [I dig Dagoba], sifted

1 tsp espresso powder

2 oz organic cornstarch [@8 tablespoons], sifted

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 cup mixed raw nuts, ground [I used ½ cup cashews and ¼ cup each sunflower seeds and hazelnuts]

zest of one orange

[*Agave syrup is my go-to sweetener of choice and I would have used it in this recipe except that my friend is allergic to agave.  For this reason, I used a simple syrup solution as a substitute.  If you do choose to use agave rather than the simple syrup, you may want to begin with adding half a cup and tasting for sweetness.  If it is sweet enough, simply add half a cup of creamer to make up the volume lost.  If you prefer it sweeter, then add the full cup of agave.]

Directions:

Place nuts and orange zest into a food processor and grind until crumbly.  Add a wee bit of agave or other liquid sweetener at a time and pulse until the nuts hold together.  Press the nuts into the bottom of a sprayed [I use an aerosolized coconut oil] 8-inch springform pan.  Place in the refrigerator.

Crumble the tofu and place in a cheesecloth.  Squeeze until all the liquid is removed.  Transfer to a blender and add the yogurt, simple syrup or agave, vanilla extract and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Set aside.

Add creamer to a pan on the stove and slowly add the cornstarch and cocoa powder while the creamer is cold, whisking until it is fully incorporated and there are no lumps.  Add the expresso powder.  Heat to a simmer, whisking continuously and making sure to rake the bottom of the pan to bring up any settled layer.  Continue to cook until well thickened.  Transfer to the blender containing the tofu mixture and blend until silky smooth.

Pour the contents of the blender into the springform pan and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours to set.  Overnight would be best.

Hazelnut cream

Ingredients:

½ cup hazelnuts, soaked for at least an hour in water

½ cup cashews, soaked for at least an hour in water

½ cup non-dairy creamer

simple syrup or agave nectar, to taste

pinch of salt

a couple grates of fresh nutmeg

Directions:

Drain the nuts and place into a blender.  Add creamer and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Add sweetener to taste and grated nutmeg.

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Artisanal Tofu: Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Pesto

 

Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Pesto Tofu

Ingredients:

freshly-made tofu [My recipe and directions]

4 cups fresh basil, packed

¼ cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil

1-2 T oil

zest of ½ lemon

3 garlic cloves

⅓ cup toasted pine nuts

sea salt

freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

After you have fresh tofu curds, transfer to a cheesecloth-lined colander and allow to drain and cool.  Once cooled, move to a large bowl. 

Add basil, sun dried tomatoes, lemon zest, garlic and oil to a food processor and pulse until combined.  Add ½ of the pine nuts and pulse a few times.  Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pesto and remaining pine nuts to the bowl with the tofu curds and mix well yet gently.  Transfer to a tofu mold that has been lined with cheesecloth and press for an hour.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

To serve, dredge in seasoned brown rice flour [I added a little bit of garlic and onion powders as well as a bit of oregano and salt and pepper] and then into ground flax seed gel [1 T flax seed blended in ¼ cup water].  Finally, dredge in some seasoned panko bread crumbs.  Pan fry in some olive oil until all sides are golden brown.

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Artisanal Tofu: Baked Tangy Greek Custard

 

Tangy Greek Custard-Style Tofu

 

Ingredients:

1 recipe homemade tofu, at curd stage

1 cup non-dairy yogurt

¼ cup nutritional yeast

Juice of one lemon

¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

¼ cup capers

½ cup caper/olive brine

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp freshly-cracked black pepper

 

Directions:

Transfer tofu curds into a cheesecloth-lined colander to drain off the whey.  Once drained, move to a bowl and gently mix in the brine, olives, capers, oregano and pepper.  Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse together the yogurt, lemon juice and nutritional yeast. 

Add the yogurt mixture to the tofu curds and stir through, gently.  Transfer to a cheesecloth-lined tofu mold and press for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Unmold [It will be wet and sticky because of the yogurt] and place upon a silpat-lined [or any other non-stick oven-safe surface] baking sheet.  Bake for an hour.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature to set.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

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Meatless Monday: Vegan Machaca

 

This is  a great way to morph leftover Yuba Asada into a new dish or to forge ahead and simply create this one on its own.  I grew up in southern California and machaca burritos were sold at nearly every Mexican food restaurant.  As a result, I grew to love them but since they contain egg and shredded beef,  as a vegan,  I figured that I was outta luck forever until I actually gave this dilemma some thought.  This is what I came up with and it satisfied my tastes entirely. 

 

Vegan Machaca

Ingredients:

 yuba asada [I used leftovers and I'd estimate that there were 2 cups of yuba asada used in this recipe.]

1 block of firm tofu, crumbled into bite-sized pieces

juice of half a lemon

1 green bell pepper, large dice

1/2 an onion, large dice

2 canned green chiles, large dice

1-2 T canola or peanut oil

1/2-1 tsp annatto seeds [The amount depends upon the amount of oil to flavor/color.]

2 tsp dried Mexican oregano

Garnishes:  chopped tomato, sliced green onion, cilantro

Directions:

Add oil to a large sauté pan or wok and bring to a medium low-medium heat.  Toss in the annatto seeds and cook for about 5 minutes until the oil is both flavored and colored.  Remove seeds and discard.  [Annatto will give the dish a unique latin flavor as well as a saffron-hued color.]

Turn up the heat a bit and add onion and bell pepper and sauté until softened.  Add in green chiles and the tofu and mix well.  Cook until the moisture from the tofu has evaporated.  Add the oregano and lemon juice and then the yuba asada.  Continute cooking until the yuba is hot.

Serve with warm corn tortillas and garnishes.

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Artisanal Tofu: Feta-Style with Greek Olives

 

I was really craving a big Greek-style salad the other day and, although, as a vegan,  I could bring together nearly all the ingredients to fashion one, there was one glaring omission:  feta cheese.  That tangy and salty flavor coupled to a creamy and crumbly texture; oh how I miss feta.  It was time to go back to the kitchen and tinker. 

Turns out, this tofu is delicious enough to stand on its own merits and serve as the star of the show upon a homemade flatbread cracker.  It’s not nearly as salty as feta cheese, but it’s a really nice compassionate stand-in that has worked very well in all the dishes I’ve since used it in.  Plus, it’s just am incredibly beautiful bite of food.

 

Feta-Style Tofu with Olives

Ingredients:

one recipe homemade tofu, at the curd stage

1 cup caper brine

2 T capers

1/2 cup Greek olives and their brine, pitted and halved

juice of one lemon

2 T dried oregano

Directions:

Once you have the tofu at the curd stage, drain in a cheesecloth-lined colander.  Transfer to a bowl and add all of the ingredients.  Gently mix to incorporate.  Let sit for one hour at room temperature to marinate.  Transfer to a cheesecloth-lined tofu mold and press for an additional hour.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

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Meatless Monday: Agave, Mustard and Chili-Glazed Tofu

 

The other day H decided that she was going to make some soft pretzels [I believe she used Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s recipe].  They turned out really well and, as it also turns out, they freeze beautifully.  Now, knowing that there were frozen soft pretzels lurking in the freezer, and having the urge to make a new variant of tofu, I decided to fashion a meal out of the two items.  The only thing that remained unresolved was what flavors to infuse the tofu with; a combination of agave, mustard, orange zest and chili sauce grabbed hold of my mind and pulled me into it’s undertow.  Sweet and mustardy with a kick of heat turned this idea into an amazing dinner.

The glaze would also work really well baked onto store-bought tofu.  It would jazz it up and make it a great addition to any spicy dish.

 

Agave,  Mustard and Chili Tofu

Ingredients:

freshly made tofu,  ready to be pressed

½ cup agave syrup

2 T yellow mustard

1 T stone-ground mustard

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

zest of 1 orange

pinch of salt

Directions:

Drain the tofu curds and let cool.

While the tofu is cooling, heat the agave, mustards, chili garlic sauce, salt and orange zest in a sauce pan and bring to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let cool.

Once cooled, transfer the tofu curd to a large bowl and mix in ½ of the agave and mustard sauce.  Mix well, but gently.  Transfer the infused tofu to a mold and press for 30 minutes to an hour.

Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.  Reserve the remainder of the sauce for use as a glaze.

Preheat oven to 350°.

When you are ready to serve, cut the tofu into slices* and place upon a silpat on a baking sheet [or other non-stick, oven-safe surface].  Spoon ½ of the remaining glaze atop the slices and bake for 20-30 minutes.  Add the remainder of the glaze and repeat.  Baking the tofu will firm up the texture and the glaze will become thick and sticky. 

*I grilled the tofu prior to glazing and baking it in order to give it grill marks and to give the outside layer a chewier texture.

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Kombu Bay Red Chowder

Kombu Bay Red Chowder

Ingredients:

grilled Tofish [Could substitute regular grilled tofu.]

4 cups kombu/arame broth [2 dried kombu / 1½ T arame per quart of water.  Soak for 30 minutes and then bring to just under a boil and turn off heat.  Let sit an additional 30 minutes and then strain out the seaweeds.]

2 cups No Chicken broth

1 onion, sliced

1 leek, thinly sliced

2 carrots, cut into oblong coins

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1½  lb potatoes, diced into bite-sized chunks

1 28 oz can plum tomatoes, broken up into bite-sized pieces

5 cloves garlic, sliced

1 T dried thyme

1 T dried oregano

5 dried Turkish bay leaves [Not the fresh ones that taste like eucalyptus.]

5 fresh thyme sprigs tied into a bundle [This makes it much easier to remove later.]

½ cup white wine

olive oil

½  tsp liquid smoke [I would start by adding half the amount and tasting.  If you want the rest then add it.  Some people prefer a lighter smoke flavor.]

sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

fresh basil [This adds a great flavor and beautiful color as a garnish.]

Directions:

Drizzle a bit of olive oil into a soup pot and place on medium heat.  Sauté the onion and leek until they have softened.  Add in the bell pepper, carrots and potatoes and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes.  Add the white wine and cook until the alcohol has evaporated.  Add in the bay leaves, fresh and dried thyme, oregano and tomatoes.  Mix well and then add in the broths and liquid smoke.  Cook until the potatoes and carrots are fork-tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove bay leaves and thyme bundle.

Serve with a toasted piece of some crusty bread that’s been rubbed with fresh garlic and garnish with some fresh basil.

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Jerked Tofu with Plantain Mash

Jerk-Style Tofu

Ingredients:

1 block tofu, sliced into appox. 1/2- inch wide slices

1 T dried thyme

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 tsp mace

1 tsp scotch bonnet pepper, minced

1 T minced onion

2 T agave syrup

3 T coconut or macadamia nut oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Combine all ingredients of the marinade in a ziplock bag and add tofu.  If you need more volume to cover the tofu, add a bit more oil.  Marinade at least a few hours up to overnight, turning it every so often so that both sides are seasoned.  Remove from marinade and brush off the thyme leaves else they will burn.  Grill it up to heat through and serve with plantain mash.

Plantain Mash

Ingredients:

3 ripe plantains, diced

1/2 onion, diced

1 T golden raisins

2 cloves garlic, minced

Few sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 tsp mace

salt, to taste

freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

pinch of allspice

coconut or macadamia nut oil

Directions:

Sauté the onions, garlic and plantains in a drizzle of oil until the onions have softened.  Add in 1/2 cup of water and the raisins as well as the thyme and mace.  Simmer over medium low heat until the water has evaporated.  Test the plantains for softness.  If they need more cooking time, add another 1/2 cup of water and repeat.  Once softened, continue to cook until the edges have crisped up a bit like home fries.  Mash part of the plantains leaving a portion of them intact for texture.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if necessary.  Remove the thyme stems and serve.

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Tofish ‘n’ Chips

I grew up beside the ocean in Southern California, and because of that it will forever be a part of me.  I love the scent of the kelp, the sand, and the water and am one of those odd ducks that actually approaches a beached kelp pile in order to breathe its scent in deeply and investigate which critter hitched a ride to shore with its torn holdfast.  Yet, since we no longer consume sea creatures, a bit of creativity with botanical foods was called for in order to mimic the flavors of seafood.  Also, since this tofu variant was deep fried, I felt the need to compensate by roasting the chips rather than frying them.  They taste better roasted and are a heck of a lot better for you.

Tofish

Ingredients:

2 cups dried organic soy beans, soaked overnight

3 kombu dried fronds

¼ cup arame kelp

10 dried turkish bay leaves

roasted nori super-fine strips, cut into tiny pieces

lemon pepper

Braggs Sea Kelp Delight seasoning

cheesecloth x 2

candy thermometer

calcium sulfate [3 T suspended in 3 cups 180° water]

tofu mold

Please read the procedure for making tofu prior to attempting this variation to familiarize yourself with the overall process.

To a large stockpot add 5 quarts water and the kelp.  Soak for 30 minutes.  Add heat to the stockpot and bring to just under a boil.  Strain through a cheesecloth to remove kelp.  Return to the stove.

Add half the soaked soybeans to a blender and cover by an inch with the kelp broth.  Blend until liquefied.  Decant into the stockpot.  Repeat the process with the remaining soy beans. Add the bay leaves and bring the soybean slurry to 180°.  Cook for 30 minutes.  Strain through cheesecloth into a clean container.

Return the kelp and bay-flavored soy milk to the stove and bring back up to 180°.  Add 3/4 of the calcium sulfate slurry and let sit for 10 minutes to allow large curds to form.   Ladle the curds into a colander lined with cheesecloth to drain the majority of the whey off.  Transfer about an inch-thick layer of these curds into the cheesecloth-lined tofu mold.  Sprinkle some finely chopped nori, lemon pepper and Braggs Sea Kelp Delight seasoning over the layer then cover with a new layer of the partially-drained tofu curds.  Repeat until you have 3 layers and end with a layer of tofu curd.  Press for 30 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl of iced water and soak for an hour.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Oven-baked Potato Wedges

Ingredients:

Russet Potatoes

olive oil

sea salt

freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

Cut Russet potatoes into wedges and spray lightly with olive oil or for an interesting flavor use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a 400° oven until golden brown.  This should take 45 minutes to an hour.

Mushy Peas

Ingredients:

one bag frozen peas

12 fresh mint leaves [Or more if you favor a strong mint flavor.]

Earth Balance vegan margarine

sea salt

freshly-cracked black pepper

Directions:

Put a pot of salted water on the stove and bring to a boil.  Add peas and cook until the peas are hot.  Drain and transfer peas to a food processor.  Add a pat of Earth Balance margarine and a dozen mint leaves.  Pulse until incorporated but not so much so that you have a smooth paste; you want texture.  Season with salt and pepper.

Frying the Tofish:

8 oz AP flour

a bottle of vegan beer

1 cup brown rice flour

Old Bay seasoning

canola oil

Directions:

Heat canola oil to 350°.

Make the batter by whisking the beer into the AP flour and add a tablespoon of Old Bay seasoning.

Place a cup of brown rice flour on a plate and mix in a couple of teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning.

Pat the tofu dry and cut into slices.  Dredge in the seasoned brown rice flour.  Dip into the beer batter and deep fry at 350° until brown and crispy.  Drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.  Salt while hot and serve with oven-baked potato wedges and mushy peas.

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Oh yes, I did

 

 

 

So, yeah.  It was another one of those “why not”moments.  I do love my salty and my sweet together and I couldn’t think of a better combination than a riff on my favorite candy bar of times past.  The tofu keeps it from being cloyingly sweet and gives the dessert a custardy texture.  I took some pieces from this very same block and passed them along to a couple of local vegan friends and I was given two enthusiastic thumbs up.  

*Walks off following my errant thoughts and cravings*

 

 

 

 

Snicker-Tofudoodlin’

Ingredients:

One recipe of fresh silken tofu

salted and roasted peanuts

2 dark chocolate bars, divided [One for the tofu and one to be used as garnish.]

1 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed [You could use a bit more, up to 1/3 cup more, I'd say, for a thicker sauce.]

1/3 cup non-dairy yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

brown rice flour

coconut oil for pan frying

Directions:

Make the caramel by adding the yogurt and brown sugar to a pan and bringing to a bubble while stirring over medium heat.  Add the vanilla extract and salt and allow to cook for a few minutes.   Take off the heat and set aside to cool.

Make the tofu as per the recipe with one modification.  Rather than directly ladeling the curd into the tofu mold, add a stage wherein you ladel it to a separate cheesecloth draped colander set over a bowl beforehand.  This will remove the majority of the whey and will prevent your filling layers from being washed out. 

Ladel out drained tofu to an inch depth in the mold. Drizzle on some caramel and sprinkle with peanuts and chocolate but do not completely cover the layer. [ If you completely cover the layer then later when slicing,  the tofu will not hold together well as the layers will slide off one another.  You need some tofu-tofu contact for structural reasons.]  Add the next layer of tofu.  Continue this twice more and end with a layer of curd.  Press for 45 minutes and then soak in a bowl of iced water for an hour.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Pat tofu dry and cut into slices or blocks and dredge in brown rice flour.  Pan fry until all sides are golden brown [This is easier to do if the initial shape is a cube.]  Garnish with caramel sauce, peanuts and dark chocolate chunks.  Serve while warm and enjoy!

 

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