Despite the hot weather in Toronto this past week, I’ve had the urge to cook on several occasions (as opposed to my uncook, my usual activity). Maybe it’s because I buggered up my knee (again! why?!) playing softball last night and craved comfort food. Or maybe it’s because vegan food bloggers are continually coming up with recipes that are too good not to try. I think that must be the latter, because both of these treats are ones I first drooled over on other blogs.
Last weekend, after a big day of patio furniture shopping, I wanted something quick and nutritious to eat. I’d been eying nut butter root veggie fries since I first saw Angela make them on Oh She Glows. The original recipe is by Ricki, of Diet, Dessert & Dogs. (Both of these ladies have awesome blogs – check them out!) I didn’t have parsnips on hand, but I did have carrots. Here’s my take:
Carrot & Nut Butter “Fries”
Ingredients
3 large carrots, cut into fry-sized chunks
1 tbsp almond butter
1 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the nut butters, soy sauce and cinnamon in a bowl. Add carrots and ensure they are well coated. Spread carrots on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
The verdict? Delicious! They didn’t last long. I’m lucky I managed to snap a photo before devouring them.
The other cooking adventure I want to share is something I first saw on Pure2Raw – socca! Lori and Michelle posted some mouthwatering photos and recipes of this French flatbread, and I’ve been dying to try it ever since. Today was the day – I picked up the necessary garbanzo bean flour this afternoon, I selected some rosemary from my patio garden, and I was set. Here’s what I did:
Rosemary and Onion Socca
Ingredients
1 cup garbanzo bean (chickpea) flour
1 cup water
2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a small onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp rosemary, chopped
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk flour, water, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper together in a bowl until completely mixed. Let sit for at least 30 minutes. (Or the whole day if you have the time – it makes the socca creamier. If not, don’t worry – it will still taste amazing.) Add onions and rosemary. The batter will be very soupy — this is fine.
Grease a large cast iron skillet with the remaining 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Place in the heated oven for a few minutes until the pan is hot. Remove from the oven and pour in the batter. Return the skillet to the oven and bake for 40 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. Place skillet under the broiler for several minutes to make the top crispy.
Voila! This flatbread is better than words can describe. The outside is crisp, but the inside is soft and custard-like. I ate it plain because I found the rosemary and onions were flavourful enough, but you could add any number of toppings to dress it up. I could definitely see it tasting great with some hummus, sundried tomatoes, and olives. Thank you Lori & Michele – I had never even heard of socca before you posted about it!
