Editor’s Note: I am so honored to have my colleague, Robin Asbell, based in Minneapolis, joining us to share a delectable vegan recipe with y’all “Eat Winers” this week. Robin is a chef, cookbook writer and master of natural foods: grains, vegetarian meals, and now her latest book is Big Vegan, which came out this fall with Chronicle Books and has now made many a top list.
As many of you know, while I am far from ever being a true vegetarian, I am totally obsessed with vegetables and health food. I try to eat vegan 70% of the day. For me, it’s about kicking up the amount of vegetables, nutrients, and variety in my diet. Don’t look at this book as just a “vegetarian” cookbook. Robin, who is also a culinary instructor giving classes across the US, will share tons of tips on how to utilize whole grains, beans, tofu, and even make delicious cheese out of nuts –delicious as cheese and healthier– with a Global perspective (Asian, Indian, American classic, French, etc.) Honestly, this is a great addition to any cookbook collection, especially if your New Year’s resolution is losing those extra pounds, upping your vitality (eat veggies!), or getting in the best shape of your life in 2012. Big Vegan HAS to be part of that strategy. Thank you Robin for sharing your passion with us!
I’ve been knocking around the whole-foods cooking world for my entire adult life, and have cooked in restaurants and delis where we catered to vegetarians and vegans most of that time. I also cook omnivorous food, and I now work as a private chef, while writing books, and I really believe that it makes me a better vegan chef, as odd as that sounds. People often hire me to cook special diets, which run the gamut from gluten free to Paleo, and I develop recipes for magazines of all sorts. I know how to cook, work with flavors, and make things work. It’s all food.
These quesadillas feature a really fun transformation, and that is a nut-based cheese. For folks avoiding dairy, most of the alternatives are very processed and not all that great. Homemade nut cheese is a far better alternative, made from a nutritious, natural whole food that tastes great. When working without cheese, I look for other ways to get the same qualities-richness, creaminess, tanginess and saltiness, with a touch of umami. Toward that end, raw nuts are a perfect and simple solution.
You can give vegan a try, and you don’t have to commit to anything. Just enjoy some delicious plant-based cuisine, and see how you feel. Every vegan meal is better for you and better for the planet, so if you find something that you like, enjoy it.
Three-Nut “Cheese” Quesadillas with Fresh Mango Salsa
Ingredients:
- Nut “Cheese”:
1/3 cup/40 g macadamia nuts
1/3 cup/40 g raw cashews
1/3 cup/40 g slivered/flaked almonds
1 acidophilus capsule (make sure it´s dairy free)
1 tbsp cold-press corn oil
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt - Salsa:
1 large mango, diced
1 large jalapeño, chopped
3 tbsp chopped red onion
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint or cilantro/fresh coriander
1/4 tsp salt - Others:
2 scallions/spring onions, chopped
1/4 cup/7 g cilantro/fresh coriander
1/2 tsp chili powder
Eight 6-in/15-cm whole-wheat/wholemeal tortillas
SERVES 4
- TO MAKE THE NUT “CHEESE”: Put the nuts in a bowl, cover them with cold water, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, drain the nuts, then puree them with 1/2 cup/120 ml fresh water in a blender or food processor. It may take some scraping down and repeating to get it smooth. Add the contents of the acidophilus capsule and puree to mix. Transfer the mixture to a glass or ceramic bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap/cling film, and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours. It should form some bubbles and smell cheese-like.
- The next day, stir in the oil, lemon juice, and salt, then refrigerate.
- TO MAKE THE SALSA: Put the mango in a medium bowl and add the jalapeño, onion, lime juice, mint, and salt. Toss to mix and refrigerate until needed.
- When the nut “cheese” is cold, mix in the scallions/spring onions, cilantro/fresh coriander, and chili powder. Divide the mixture among four of the tortillas and top them with the remaining tortillas.
- To cook, preheat a large cast-iron frying pan on high heat. When it is hot, put one quesadilla in the pan, and cook it for about 2 minutes per side, until it is dappled with brown spots and the “cheese” is heated through. Transfer it to a cutting board and slice the quesadilla into six wedges. Repeat with the other quesadillas. Serve hot with the mango salsa.
