Blended Mushroom Gravy over Turnip Cauliflower Mash

Turnip Cauliflower Mash

2 large turnips, peeled and cubed, peels reserved
one or two large cauliflower florets

Boil or pressure cook until very soft. Drain well, reserving the cooking liquid. Mash with a potato masher or stiff fork. Peeling the turnips makes them easier to mash, but cooking the peels into the gravy retains their fiber and nutrients while adding some body and flavor.

Gravy

2 large handfuls of white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
peelings from two large turnips

1 tablespoon dry rubbed sage
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon miso paste
cracked black pepper to taste
any other seasonings of choice

Place first three ingredients in a non-stick skillet and simmer or saute in water or broth until soft, adding more liquid as necessary (about 1/2-1 cup). Allow to cool until just warm.

Add pan contents and reserved turnip liquid to Blendtec. (Be very careful about adding hot liquids to the Blendtec; the steam can cause the lid to come off when you blend.) Add seasonings and miso. Pulse until completely blended. Add water to desired consistency, or if too watery, add a few tablespoons of cooked beans or your thickener of choice. Reheat if necessary and serve poured over mashed vegetables.

I really enjoy the white bean gravy from Vegan with a Vengeance. This mushroom gravy is a good alternative if you want a gravy that doesn't rely on flour for thickening, but aren't in the mood for beans. (Or in my case, had way too many cheap mushrooms that needed to get used up). I think some red pepper, cooked celery or garlic might have improved this gravy.

Broccoli Raab Pesto

Broccoli Raab Pesto

About half a pound of broccoli raab greens
1/2 cup of pine nuts
Three medium cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup of water or lemon juice
Salt to taste

Blanch greens in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and rinse in cold water. Reserve 1/4 cup of cooking liquid for use later in recipe, if desired. Drain and squeeze all excess water from greens and coarsely chop. Add greens, garlic, olive oil, nuts and water to Blendtec and pulse until well blended. It may take awhile to get completely mixed--when it looks well integrated and creamy, it is ready.

This experiment came about as a result of a great deal at the Farmer's Market that resulted in two gigantic bunches of broccoli raab, and a Christmas gift of pinenuts (I had let my family know there are certain kitchen items I consider somewhat of a luxury). The bunches were so big that I was having trouble fitting them in my crisper drawer, and the leaves were getting unhappy fast. So I chopped off the upper parts of both bunches, saving the lower stalks for another use (though a number of stems still made it in, and probably don't hurt), and put them to work in this recipe.

I was impressed by the bright color and thought it tasted great and not much different from basil pesto. So far we've used it on vegan pizza, and as a garnish on a blended white bean soup.

Jalapeno Mojito Hot Sauce

roughly a pound and a half of jalapenos, trimmed but not de-seeded
the juice of about 12 limes
salt to taste
a few sprigs of mint, about 1/8th of a cup
a quarter of a medium yellow onion, peeled

Simmer the jalapenos in water for about 5-10 minutes--if you like heat, consider setting some aside and adding a couple raw at the end. Drain and add to Blendtec, followed by remaining ingredients. Pulse to desired consistency, then store in clean jars or bottles and refrigerate. Let rest for a day before serving.

This came out really hot. Next time I might cook the jalapenos longer (when I made it, I cooked all the jalapenos except half of one which was left over from something else). But it's still good, very thick with a lot of jalapeno flavor, not just heat. I will probably use it sparingly as a garnish and also perhaps try cooking with it.

Hot Sauce

just under a pound of peppers, I used some very spicy banana peppers
juice of one lime
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon coarse salt
7 cloves of garlic, peeled
two small tomatoes
couple tablespoons of chili powder (mostly for color)

Trim and chop up peppers and tomatoes. Big pieces are fine. I didn't bother seeding the peppers because I like heat, and also, it reduced the chances of hurting myself on the juice. Add all ingredients to Blendtec, liquids last. Pulse for about 10 or 15 seconds, until well-pureed. It will be frothy. Transfer to deep saucepan and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 or 15 minutes. Transfer to clean glass jars or bottles and refrigerate.

The Whole Baba Ghanouj

1 medium eggplant (approximately one pound)
1 tablespoon capers
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
juice of 1 small lemon
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Trim the stem and quarter your eggplant. Brush the largest cut sides with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Prick numerous times with fork or knife. Bake about 45 minutes, or until very soft.

When eggplant is cool enough to handle briefly, toss it into the blender with the capers, garlic and lemon juice. Leave the peel on. Run on Sauces/Dip cycle. Serve immediately, while still warm, garnished with pepper, or chill for later.

I love baba ghanouj, but I always thought scraping out the eggplant pulp and discarding the skin was sort of tragic. I liked this dip. If you like a creamier dip, you can add the traditional tahini or olive oil. You could also roast your garlic with the eggplant, for a sweeter, mellower flavor.