Oil for frying
1 cup flour
4 eggs
1 large onion, grated very fine
Salt and pepper to taste
8 large potatoes, grated very thin for smooth texture, or coarser for crunchier texture
Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan (about 1/3") until very hot.
Mix all ingredients except potatoes in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add potatoes last, and mix thoroughly without squeezing so as not extract moisture. Work very quickly so they do not get time to get discolored. Form medium-small patties and throw in hot oil, or drop by tablespoons. Fry until golden, about 3 minutes on each side. Take out and drain on paper towels. Best served immediately after frying, with apple sauce, vegan sour cream (use homemade recipe from Go Dairy Free for soy-free) or soy yogurt (use coconut-based yogurt for soy-free). If you must make them in advance, reheat uncovered at 300 degrees for about 15mn, till hot and crisp.
Posted By: Mama Mangia
Aug 2 # 17 of 53
Italian Potato Wedges (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free)
500g White Potatoes (about 1 lb)
4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp Dried Thyme
2 tbsp Dried Basil
2 tbsp Dried Sage
Freshly ground Black Pepper
1 - Preheat the oven to 210°c. Chop the potatoes into wedges, making sure they are all reasonably similar in size. Place on a baking sheet.
2 - Mix the herbs together and sprinkle over the wedges. Drizzle the oil over the top of them and mix thoroughly with your hands. Make sure all the wedges are evenly covered.
3 - Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until soft. Turn them half way for an even crispy coating.
Posted By: Mama Mangia
Aug 2 # 18 of 53
Barley Pilaf (Vegan, Soy-Free)
Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup barley, hulled or pot
3 scallions, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Directions:
In a medium saucepan, boil vegetable stock (set aside about 3 Tbs. for later use) over high heat.
Add barley, reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook until tender (about 50 mins).
Drain and place in a large bowl.
In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 3 Tbs. of stock over medium heat.
Add the scallion and celery and cook until the celery is crisp-tender (5-6 mins).
Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are soft and most of the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporate (about 5 mins).
Stir the cooked vegetables into the barley and mix well. Serve hot or cold.
Recipe reprinted with permissions from the Vegan Culinary Experience
Type: Main Dish
Serves: 2
Time to Prepare: 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 cup of Arborio rice
½ tsp. of olive oil
3 to 4 cups of veggie stock
1/8 tsp. of salt
Option: ½ cup of white wine in place of ½ cup of veggie stock
Instructions
Warm the veggie stock in a pot.
Heat the oil over a medium heat in a separate pot.
Add in the uncooked rice and toast it until some of the grains turn golden.
Add in ½ cup of veggie stock and stir.
Keep stirring slowly.
When the liquid is mostly absorbed, add in another ½ cup of veggie stock.
Repeat this process of stirring, absorbing, and adding stock until the rice is soft and creamy.
Add the salt at the end.
Kitchen Equipment
Medium sized Pot for the veggie stock
Medium sized Pot for the risotto (an enameled cast iron pot works best for this)
Ladle
Wooden Spoon to stir the rice
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoon
Presentation
This recipe is only the base for other risotto recipes, so there is no presentation to speak of.
Time Management
Risottos require constant attention for them to work because the stirring is what creates the creaminess of the rice. Make sure to warm the stock as the warm stock will absorb faster than one at room temperature. Lastly, if you want to be able to walk away from the risotto, you can cook it in a pressure cooker. Saute the rice the same way as above and then add all the ingredients to your pressure cooker and cook it for 7-10 minutes.
Complementary Food and Drinks
The basic risotto recipe is incredibly versatile. It can take classic Italian ingredients like mushrooms and basil. It can take hot Southwestern peppers. It can be mixed with Thai curry paste for good effect and nuts go very well with almost all risotto recipes.
Where to Shop
Arborio rice can be purchased packaged in most grocery markets. However, the best place to get it is in a store that has it in bulk. You’ll get a better price on it and often a store with bulk bins will have an inexpensive organic version of it.
How It Works
Risotto is known for its creaminess and that creaminess is derived from the starch of the rice. Rice has two starches. Amylose and amylopectin. Rices with a high proportion of amylose turn fluffy, while rices with a high proportion of amylopectin, a long chain starchy molecule with lots of protrusions that bind to other amylopectin molecules, turn creamy. Short grain rices, like Aroborio rice, contain higher portions of amylopectin than they do amylose. Stirring the rice slowly knocks off the amylopectin molecules into the stock, where they bind together and create a creamy texture. This is why the stock must be added slowly. If it is added quickly, there is not enough time for the amylopectin to work itself out into the liquid and create that creamy texture. Also, if too much of a volume of liquid is added at once, the amylopectin molecules will disseminate in the liquid and not touch, meaning that they won’t have the opportunity to bind. Sauteeing the rice in oil also retards the absorption of the liquid, which allows the amylopectin more time to bind. This also gives the rice a deeper, nuttier flavor.
Chef’s Notes
Risotto is a bit labor intensive, but it is well worth the effort and time put into it. Keep in mind that it is very filling, so you will not need a lot of it to feed yourself and your guests.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup celery and tops, chopped
3/4 pound bread cubes or corn bread cubes
11/2 cup vegetarian broth
1/2 teaspoon each of sage, thyme and savory or to taste
Asian sesame oil
Directions:
Saute the onion and celery in a large lightly-oiled frying pan until softened, adding a little broth if necessary to keep from sticking. Remove from heat and add the remaining stuffing ingredients. The bread should be moist. Mix well. Grease cooking dish with Asian sesame oil. Pack in the stuffing. Brush with more sesame oil. Cover with foil. Bake at 325-375F for about 1 hour.
