Showing posts with label celery root. Show all posts
Showing posts with label celery root. Show all posts

Dec 13, 2012

cajun tofu over celey root puree




Celery Root makes a delectable, light and airy, puree, one tasting exactly like celery, but without any strings attached, so to speak. The root vegetable can be off-putting because of its thick, wrinkly, outer skin, but considering the amount of time the root spends underground, the thickness and gnarliness makes sense. It is easy to remove the skin using a sharp chef's knife, peeling it as you would a grapefruit or cantaloupe - should the urge strike you to peel one of those fruits. 

Cut away the thick skin, dice the root and then simmer it in almond milk until tender. After pureeing the veggie, it is necessary to pass it though a fine mesh strainer to remove the parts of the skin that your knife will miss cutting out; the root is very wrinkly and the folds of the skin are everywhere. Once you have tackled the peeling, pureeing and straining, it is clear sailing. You can allow the puree to cool and reheat it with no problem, given that there is no starch to gum up your gorgeous velvety puree, unlike with a potato.

I served this unique puree with Cajun Tofu because the spiciness of the seasonings was wonderfully foiled by the subtlety and sweetness of the celeriac. Adding a bit of olive oil on top of the grilled tofu allows the flavors of the spices to meld with the puree and gives the dish that needed richness that one expects from a dish that uses Celery Root Puree.

Cost Breakdown

celeriac: $6
spices, oil, herbs, milk: $2
tofu: $3
green beans: $3
   Total to make 6 servings:
$14.00




Jan 31, 2011

vegetable stew with herb dumplings

Meatless Monday

I've decided to jump on the Meatless Monday bandwagon! Even though this is a vegan blog, I want it to be easier for all people to have access to simple and quick veg food without any of the 'quirky' vegan pantry items - such as nutritional yeast, agar, etc. Just easy, accessible veg recipes, that also happen to taste great.

With my new theme in mind, tonight's meal of Vegetable Stew with Dumplings is just that - quick, easy and accessible. This is a very flexible recipe that uses whatever vegetables you have on hand, including onions, celery and carrots, but can certainly (and should) include seasonal vegetables such as winter squash and root veggies.

The dumpling part is also easy since you can use a pre-made Bisquick-type of mix, or just make your own, using the recipe I have provided.

The adobo sauce (which comes out of the canned chipotle in adobo) is in every grocery store since the chipotle craze hit the culinary world a few years ago. The sauce gives you a little kick - not as much as adding a whole chipotle would - but also gives it a wonderful smoky flavor, which is also accented by the use of smoked paprika (if available) as well.
(Thanks for all your smokey ideas, Tami! American Vegan Kitchen has opened my eyes to using both chipotles and smoked paprika. Love it!)

No need to be vegetarian, vegan or even a cook for this one.

Cost Breakdown

onion, celery, carrot, garlic: $1
vegetables: $4
(I used parsnip, celery root, butternut squash, turnip)
legumes: $1
(I used peas)
chipotle in adobo sauce: $.25
spices, herbs: $1
flour, coconut oil, nondairy milk: $2

Total to make 5 servings:
$9.25