Today I’m going to talk about a new cookbook that has been getting a fair amount of attention lately—one that’s just in time for fall and winter gatherings with a slew of comforting meals in the form of Vegan Casseroles. 

If you’re in tune with the vegan scene, you’ll likely recognize the author’s name and want to buy this book immediately. In case you don’t know, Julie Hasson is the beautiful and talented powerwoman behind eight other cookbooks, a line of gluten-free and vegan baking mixes called Julie’s Original, the Internet cooking show Everyday Dish, the hip food cart Native Bowl in Portland, and the original Babycakes Bakery in LA. Yep, she does it all.

Julie took on quite a challenge with this cookbook topic, and for that I am truly impressed. You see, when people talk about traditional comfort food, it typically means using key ingredients that are off limits to health-conscious vegans. Recreating the flavours of eggplant parm, shepherd’s pie, and cheesy rice and broccoli casserole without the cheese, eggs, butter or even any of the processed vegan substitutes, for example, means Julie had to rethink the whole casserole concept and look at it with fresh eyes.

I love that her new book emphasizes whole food ingredients. The resulting recipes are a mix of retro flavours—with a variety of cashew-based cheese sauces and a lighter cream of mushroom soup for that creamy goodness—and comforting, veggie-full dishes like cabbage rolls, stuffed swiss chard, and creamed greens. You can even invent your own casserole creations by pairing any of the super-simple sauces with your favourite veggies or pasta.

Book chapters include:

• The vegan casserole pantry
• One-dish appetizers
• Dutch-oven and skillet casseroles
• Old favorites and new twists
• Pasta casseroles
• Vegetable casseroles
• Dessert casseroles
• Sauces, toppings and basics

So far, my favourite recipe in this book is the creamy spinach florentine on page 98. It makes use of the almost alfredo sauce from the sauces, toppings and basics chapter to create a creamy base for the pasta and spinach. In this recipe, the addition of Dijon mustard, sherry and fresh nutmeg add a lot of depth and warmth to the dish. I can see myself pouring the sauce over steamed broccoli and other veggies, too.

If you’re not already excited about this book, I’ve got something else to share. Julie is inviting all ADC readers to enter a grand prize giveaway for a brand new BLENDTEC Designer 725 Blender! Five runners up will receive a copy of Vegan Casseroles.

Please note the giveaway prizes can only be shipped to US mailing addresses. Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Even if you don’t win, you’re still in luck because Julie was kind enough to allow me to share the florentine recipe from her book. Go make it now! And then buy the book to get more amazing casserole recipes.

Creamy spinach florentine

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the almost alfredo sauce:

• 2 1/2 cups plain unsweetened soymilk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours and drained
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 3 tablespoons oat flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 11/4 teaspoons fine sea salt, or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion

For the florentine:

• 8 ounces dried shell pasta or macaroni
• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen spinach, thawed
• 1 recipe Almost Alfredo Sauce (see below)
• 3 to 4 tablespoons dry sherry, depending how strong of a sherry taste you like
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
• 1 teaspoon granulated onion
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

For the almost alfredo sauce:

1. In the jar of a blender, combine the soymilk, water, cashews, nutritional yeast, oat flour, cornstarch, salt, and granulated onion. Blend the mixture at high speed until completely smooth and no bits of nuts remain. If you don’t have a big blender, blend the mixture in two batches.
2. Transfer the mixture to a large saucepan and place over medium-high heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking continuously. Once the mixture comes to a simmer, reduce the heat slightly and cook, whisking continuously until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. Tip: Use a good-tasting unsweetened soymilk for this sauce, as the flavor really comes through. If you’re using a high-speed blender, you can skip the soaking step for the cashews and just use them dry. Add a little extra water to blend if needed.

For the florentine:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish.
2. In a large pot of lightly salted boiling water, add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Don’t overcook the pasta, especially if you’re using one that is gluten-free. Drain the pasta well and transfer to a large bowl.
3. Drain most of the liquid out of the spinach by gently squeezing it, but don’t squeeze it completely dry. Add the spinach to the pasta, along with the sauce, mixing until the pasta is thickly coated. Add the sherry, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, granulated onion, and nutmeg, stirring well. Add salt and pepper, and adjust seasonings to taste. Scoop the pasta mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until hot and slightly bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven and serve.

To make gluten-free: Use a gluten-free oat flour in the sauce and gluten-free pasta (my favorite here is brown rice macaroni).

Reprinted with permission from Vegan Casseroles © 2014 by Julie Hasson, Running Press.

Better still, I headed out on Saturday evening to spend time with my loveliest of lady friends. I’m convinced there’s no better cure for stress than an evening with friends, food and wine—this particular combination always leaves me glowing with happiness (not just from the wine).

To celebrate, I couldn’t help myself from taking advantage of the strawberries that seem to be invading the produce aisle at the grocery stores. Although I’m still anticipating the local harvest, I created a scrumptious summer tart by combining fresh strawberries and Granny Smith apples and baking them in a lovely pistachio and poppy seed crust. Enjoy!

Strawberry apple tart

Yield: one 8-inch tart

Ingredients:

For the crust:

• 3/4 cup unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup ground pistachios
• 1 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup sunflower or canola oil
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For the filling:

• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and peeled
• 1 pound of strawberries, rinsed and dried
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

Directions:

For the crust:

1. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine the unbleached flour, whole wheat flour, pistachios, poppy seeds, baking soda and salt.
2. With the mixer running, add the oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract and continue to mix until combined. The dough should stick together when pressed between two fingers.
3. Press the dough into a flat disk shape and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes. While the dough is chilling, proceed with the filling (recipe below).
4. Roll out the dough in between 2 pieces of parchment paper, working from the middle out, until it is large enough to fit into an 8-inch tart pan with a removable bottom.
5. Carefully transfer the dough to the tart pan and gently press it down to fit, filling cracks where needed. Be sure the dough is not thicker where the sides and bottom meet. Trim any excess dough on the rim. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
6. Make small indents in the bottom of the unfilled crust with a fork and prebake it on the bottom rack of the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.
7. Remove the crust from the oven and evenly spread 1 tsp of coconut oil on the bottom of the crust. Next, spoon the filling into the crust and slip a cookie sheet underneath it (to catch the juices while baking).
8. Return the tart to the bottom rack of the oven and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. If you notice the edges are browning too much during baking, cover with aluminum foil.
9. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, move the tart to the middle oven rack and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and allow it to sit undisturbed for 2 to 3 hours before serving. Store leftovers at room temperature, covered loosely with plastic wrap.

For the filling:

1. Cut the apples and strawberries into 1/2-inch pieces and place them in a saucepan. Add the maple syrup and lemon juice and allow to sit for about 20 minutes.
2. Stir in the cornstarch and cook the mixture over medium-low heat until it comes to a boil, and then simmer for about 1 minute, stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken. Remove from heat and allow to cool until the crust is ready.

The September 2010 Daring Bakers challenge was hosted by Mandy of What the Fruitcake?! Mandy challenged everyone to make decorated sugar cookies based on recipes from Peggy Porschen and the Joy of Baking. I’m not a fan of sugar cookies at all–mostly because they don’t contain one single healthful ingredient. And, they’re just plain boring!

That being said, this month’s challenge involved more than just a basic sugar cookie recipe. What intrigued me was the idea that, with just a little imagination, a simple sugar cookie can be transformed into a gorgeous bakery-style treat that is perfect for special occasions. It is definitely something I will keep on file for my Christmas gift baskets.

Since it’s the beginning of autumn, the most gorgeous time of the year, I envisioned vibrant shades of red, orange and green that mark the transition from summer into winter. To spice up these autumn-style cookies, I also added a touch of freshly ground nutmeg and orange zest. My veganized versions of the recipes are adapted from one of my favourite books, The Joy of Vegan Baking. 

Vegan sugar cookies

Ingredients:

Sugar cookies:

• 1 cup unbleached AP flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup nondairy butter (I use Earth Balance)
• 3/4 cup Sucanat
• 1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp fresh orange zest

Vegan royal icing:

• 1/2 cup vegan powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Food colouring (optional)
• 2 to 3 tsp nondairy milk

Directions:

For the cookies:

1. Sift the flours and baking powder in a large bowl and set aside.
2. Grind the Sucanat briefly in a spice or coffee grinder. In a separate bowl, beat the Sucanat and vegan butter with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Add the egg replacer, water and vanilla and beat for another minute.
4. Add the flour mixture and beat until the dough is smooth.
5. Divide the dough into two flat disks and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour, until firm.
6. Roll out the dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. (I roll mine out between two pieces of parchment paper to prevent sticking.)
7. Cut out the cookies with cookie cutters and carefully transfer them to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.
8. Put the cookies in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking to help them keep their shape.
9. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes, or until they start to brown around the edges.
10. Cool on a wire rack and decorate with royal icing.

For the royal icing:

1. In a medium bowl, sift the powdered sugar and cornstarch together.
2. Stir in the lemon juice and optional food colouring.
3. Add nondairy milk 1 tsp at a time until the mixture becomes smooth.
4. Do the toothpick test to get the correct consistency: Drag a knife through the royal icing and count to 10. If the surface becomes smooth within 5 to 10 seconds, the icing is at the correct consistency. If not, add more powdered sugar or nondairy milk for desired results.
5. Decorate cookies as desired and let sit for several hours to dry. Store cookies in between pieces of parchment paper in a tightly-covered container for up to one week.