Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (59 page)

EGGPLANT- POTATO MOUSSAKA WITH PINE NUT CREAM

SERVES 6 TO 8
TIME:
1 HOUR 20 MINUTES

Our version of this traditional Greek casserole tastes like it was made in a restaurant. A magical restaurant that only makes vegan moussaka all day long and delivers it instantly to anyone who reads this recipe aloud three times and clicks her heels. Okay, that part is a lie, but we promise, if you follow the instructions, this outrageous casserole will be yours. Just imagine delicate layers of roasted eggplant, potatoes, and zucchini topped with a sublime cinnamon-spiked tomato sauce and a creamy pine nut custard. Our testers and friends can’t stop raving about the pine nut cream and often just make that to incorporate into other baked dishes.

This reheats nicely and tastes even better the next day. Serve with slices of crusty peasant bread, and a simple tomato and cucumber salad dressed with Mediterranean Olive Oil and Lemon Vinaigrette (page 94).

➣
The zucchini will likely be very watery after roasting, so when it’s cool enough to touch, gently but firmly squeeze the slices, by the handful, to remove any excess water. This will prevent an overly wet casserole and will help concentrate the flavors. See our tips for roasting summer squash (page 35), for further suggestions.

Vegetable layer:

1 pound eggplant
1 pound zucchini
1½ pounds Russet or baking potatoes (large, long
potatoes work perfectly in this recipe)
¼ cup olive oil

Sauce:

¼ cup olive oil
4 large shallots, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
⅓ cup vegetable broth or red wine
2 (15-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, with juice
2 teaspoons dried oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 bay leaf
Salt

Pine Nut Cream:

1 pound soft silken tofu
½ cup pine nuts, plus additional for garnish
(optional)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
1 clove garlic
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
1¼ teaspoons salt, or to taste
white pepper

½ cup dry, fine white bread crumbs

PREHEAT THE oven to 400°F. Lightly oil three baking sheets or shallow pans.

Prepare the vegetables:

Wash the eggplant and zucchini, and trim the stems. Scrub and peel the potatoes. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes lengthwise into approximately ¼-inch-thick slices. Rub the eggplant slices with a little salt and set aside in a colander in the sink or in a big bowl for about 15 minutes to drain. Briefly rinse with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Place each vegetable on a separate baking sheet. Distribute the ¼ cup of oil among the three sheets and sprinkle vegetables with salt (except the eggplant, if salted already). Toss to coat the vegetables on each sheet, making sure each piece is completely coated with oil. Drizzle a little extra oil on the eggplant, as it has a slight tendency to stick (or if you’re really paranoid, place the eggplant slices on oiled baking parchment). Spread out the vegetables on each sheet; some overlapping is okay. Roast the pans of zucchini and eggplant for 15 minutes, or until tender. Roast the potatoes for about 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Allow the vegetables to cool.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the tomato sauce:

Combine the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and minced garlic in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium heat and let the garlic sizzle for about 30 seconds, then add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until slightly reduced, another 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, ground cinnamon, and bay leaf. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce slightly. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and adjust the salt.

Make the pine nut cream:

In a food processor, blend the pine nuts and lemon juice, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until a creamy paste forms. Add the tofu, garlic, arrowroot, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Lightly oil a 9 × 13-inch pan and preheat the oven again to 400°F, if necessary. Spread ¼ cup of sauce on the pan, then add successive layers in order of eggplant, potatoes, sauce, and half the bread crumbs. Spread all the zucchini on top of this. Top with a final layer each of eggplant, potatoes, sauce, and bread crumbs. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the pine nut cream over the entire top layer. Scatter a few pine nuts on top, if desired.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a few cracks have formed in the topping. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

KASHA PHYLLO PIE

SERVES 6 TO 8

TIME:
ABOUT AN HOUR

This filling wintertime pie is a little like a great big mushroom and kasha knish. It’s wrapped up in layers of flaky, melt-in-your-mouth phyllo dough with a sneaky layer of crunchy sauerkraut tucked in its center. The filling can be made days in advance and the pie assembled and baked later (but don’t assemble the pie until you’re ready to serve it, to keep the dough from getting soggy). Serve with a dollop of your favorite spicy brown mustard or Horseradish-Dill Sour Cream (page 208), or doused in Mustard Sauce (page 204).

Filling:

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-size onion, cut into small dice
1 stalk celery, cut into small dice
½ pound cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 small carrot, grated
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1¼ cups whole roasted buckwheat groats (roasted
kasha)
2¼ cups vegetable stock, preferable mushroom-
flavored, heated to almost boiling
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 cup sauerkraut, well drained of excess liquid

Phyllo:

1 16-ounce package of frozen phyllo dough, thawed
according to package directions
⅓ cup or more of olive oil for brushing

PREPARE THE filling: Heat the olive oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the onion and celery. Stir-fry the vegetables until slightly soft, 4 to 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook until most of mushroom liquid is evaporated, another 6 to 8 minutes. Add the grated carrot, stir-fry for 2 more minutes, then add the caraway seeds, coriander, salt, pepper, and buckwheat groats. Stir to coat the groats with oil and pour in the hot vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat to a low simmer, and cover.

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Kasha, or buckwheat, is a hearty, protein-packed grain (actually an herb, botanically speaking!) that’s kept people alive in many parts of Asia and Eastern Europe for thousands of years. It can do the same for you; however, it does have a distinctive, “earthy” taste that might take some getting used to, for those uninitiated in the ways of buckwheat. This pie is a must for kasha fans, though! Look for whole, roasted buckwheat groats in the rice and pasta or kosher foods section of well-stocked grocery stores.

➣
Use the best possible sauerkraut you can get, so stay away from the canned stuff. Look for fresh, water-packed varieties found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store.

➣
Working with temperamental phyllo, a thin pastry dough, can sometimes make you curse the Greek gods, but with a little practice and some careful arrangement of your work “materials,” you’ll fly though it. For this dish, have the phyllo arranged right next to the casserole dish and keep the dough covered with either plastic wrap or a lightly damp, clean dish towel, so that it doesn’t dry out. (Make sure to keep phyllo covered when not using, even between adding layers.) Keep a bowl with the olive oil and a brush near the phyllo as well. You will get olive oil all over the place, but soldier though it like a Spartan warrior.

Cook for 12 to 14 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the buckwheat is tender. Remove from the heat, fluff with a fork, and partially cover. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 to 15 minutes so that kasha is cool to the touch before you proceed with assembling the pie.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a medium-size casserole dish. Set up your work area to work with phyllo dough. We like to spread out a clean, damp tea towel on a cutting board, and to keep nearby the stack of phyllo covered in a plastic wrap and draped with another damp towel. Consult the package directions if you’re looking for additional support.

Lay a sheet of phyllo dough on your work area. Quickly brush it with olive oil and layer with another sheet. Repeat four or five more times, then fold the entire thing in half and press into the bottom of the casserole dish to form a bottom crust. Push up the edges of the dough along the sides to form the sides of the pie.

Press one-half of the kasha mixture onto the dough. Spread the drained sauerkraut over kasha and sprinkle with a little freshly cracked pepper. Top with the remaining kasha and press the mixture to edges of the pie to even out. Repeat the process of layering and folding the phyllo dough (as for the bottom crust) to form the top crust of the pie, then press this top crust onto the kasha filling and fold any hanging edges into the sides of the pie.

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