Off until Jan 10

The Vegan Palmiers is my last recipe for 2009. We are off to the east coast on Wednesday, but I’ll be back starting Sunday, January 10, 2010. Happy Holidays and best wishes for the New Year!

Vegan Palmiers

Rainy or snowy day out? Got 5 hours stuck in the house? Time to make palmiers! I fully expect no one to write to me telling me they made this recipe. I was determined, however. I love palmiers - the flaky, delicate, sugary French heart-shapped cookie. But these things are expensive! Probably $1.00 per cookie. And after spending my entire Saturday rolling and refrigerating them, I will gladly pay the Frenchman anything he wants for them. Wow, it really did take me 5 hours to make these. They are gorgeous and delicious, but I guess the French, in their food-perfection culture, make time for these treats - not so much for the Americans.

Vegan Palmiers
Servings: about 6 dozen; 4 cookies per serving
Time: 45 minutes active; 5 hours total
Price: ~$3.00 total
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 126.6
Protein: 0.9g
Fat: 6.1g
Saturated Fat: 1.7g
Carbohydrates: 17.4g
Fiber: 0.1g
Sodium: 196.2mg
Cholesterol: 0mg


1 1/4 cup white flour
1 tsp salt
12 Tbsp (6 oz) soy-based or plant oil-based butter
5 Tbsp ice water
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon


1. Chill a metal bowl and freeze the butter. Stir flour and salt together in the cold, metal bowl. Coarsely grate the frozen butter into the flour and toss to coat.

2. Drizzle ice water evenly over mixture and gently stir with a fork or your fingers until incorporated. Test mixture by squeezing a small handful - it has the proper texture if it holds together without falling apart. If it's still crumbly, add another tablespoon of ice water. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
3. Form dough into a 5" square, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Roll dough out into a 15" x 8" rectangle on a floured surface. Fold into thirds like a letter, rewrap and chill for another 30 minutes. Repeat this step two more times. Half the dough crosswise, wrap separately, and chill for one hour.

5. Stir together cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle a generous amount on the working surface. Place one piece of dough on top and roll out into a 16" x 12" rectangle. Sprinkle top of dough evenly with cinnamon sugar.

6. Fold two opposite long sides of pastry so they meet in the center. Fold same sides of pastry in the same manner, then fold one half over the other and press gently to flatten slightly, forming a long rectangular log. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar.

7. Repeat with remaining dough and then chill on a baking sheet, uncovered, at least 30 minutes and up to two hours.
8. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut one log crosswise into 1/4" thick slices with a sharp knife. Arrange slices on a sprayed cooking sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes, turn palmiers over gently, and cook 3-5 minutes more. Cool on a wire cookie rack. Eat more than four, it's ok.

"Chicken" Pot Pie with Rosemary, Cheddar Biscuit Crust

Here's another great vegetarian main for the holidays. It's warm, hearty and full of fall vegetables. And who couldn't get sucked in by a rosemary, cheddar biscuit crust?! I've started using goat's milk cheddar recently and am hooked. It melts beautifully and has a more earthy, tangy taste. Matched with rosemary, it's a hit for the crusty, soft biscuit topping. This dish is also packed with protein, low in fat and high in fiber, but watch out for the sodium content. The high sodium comes from the faux chicken. Mock meats are great substitutes, but they are pretty much all high in sodium so watch your intake.

"Chicken" Pot Pie with Rosemary, Cheddar Biscuit Crust
Servings: 8
Time: 30 minutes active; 90 minutes total
Price: ~$22.14 total ;~2.77 per serving
Nutrition (per serving):
Calories: 367.6
Protein: 26.3g
Fat: 9.3g
Saturated Fat: 4.1g
Carbohydrates: 46.9g
Fiber: 10.4g
Sodium: 1330mg
Cholesterol: 14.2mg


For the stock:
See my vegetarian stock recipe, posted on Vegetarianized this past May.

For the filling:
1 Tbsp butter (I used soy butter)
1/4 tsp SnP, each
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4" pieces
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4" pieces
1 large parsnip, cut ing 1/4" pieces
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup white flour
4 6oz pack of faux chicken (I used Lightlife Chicken Strips)
10 oz frozen peas

I finally got some thyme to grow among my lime tree in its barrel planter.

For the biscuit crust:
1 cup white flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp SnP, each
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated (preferably goat's milk)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp dried rosemary, chopped
2 Tbsp butter (I used soy butter)
1 1/8 cup soy milk plus 2 Tbsp white vinegar (mix and let sit for 10 minutes before using or use 1 1/4 cup buttermilk)

The vinegar curdles the soy milk just like regular milk to make homemade buttermilk.


1. Make stock according to vegetarian stock recipe, except wait to strain the liquid and leave to cool.

Vegetable peels make great homemade stock.


2. To make the filling, heat butter in a large, shallow pan or pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, parsnip, thyme and SnP. Cover and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add mushrooms and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes more.
4. Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups of stock, bring to a boil, and then turn down heat to simmer for 3 minutes, until thickened.

5. Stir in "chicken" and peas. Turn heat to low and leave to warm.

6. To make the biscuit crust, first preheat oven to 400 degrees. Then stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, SnP,  cheeses, and rosemary.

Goat's milk cheddar is my new favorite sharp cheddar cheese to use.

7. Blend in butter with your fingers until mixture becomes coarse crumbs. Add soy milk/vinegar mixture and stir until dough forms.

8. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray or alternatively 8 10-12oz gratin dishes, if you have them. Put chicken/vegetable mixture in casserole dish or divide among gratin dishes and top with 1/8 biscuit mixture.

9. Bake until biscuit are puffed up and golden and filling is bubbling, about 35-40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

No Sunday Serving on Nov 22 or 29

There will not be a Sunday Serving on November 22 or 29 due to my travel schedule and the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. I’ll be back on December 6 with more yummy vegetarian dishes!