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Guest Recipe: Sliced Potatoes from Vegan Miam!  »

Back in Rome, Italy, I instantly fell in love with potato pizza, where pizzas do not necessarily need cheese or meat. And I’m also a massive fan of potatoes and much more potatoes [Ed. note: Who isn’t?! Loonies!]. So instead, we’ve decided to make our own potato pizza from scratch.

Directions:

You will need a mandoline slicer to slice these potatoes paper thin (be careful not to slice your finger). These potato rounds have to be very thin. We used Yukon potatoes (a waxier and less starchy potato) or you can use red potatoes (they are kind of waxy).

In a large bowl, dress the potato slices with olive oil, rosemary and a handful of sea salt and pepper. You can also try to oil them, then sprinkle salt, pepper and rosemary over the top once on the pan if you want more distribution. Place potato slices (separate from each other) on baking non-stick silicone mat such as SILPAT® [Ed. note: I have this mat, it’s freaking amazing—great for chocolate covered stuff!]. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Make sure they don’t burn quickly, keep an eye out.

These baked potato slices are great for anything from snacking to pizza topping. For instance, I used them on my pizza as a topping along with shredded red onions, peperoncini and shiitake mushrooms/button mushrooms as well as Daiya cheddar style shreds. Yum to all potatoes!

Based both in Oregon and worldwide, Taiwanese vegan Rika runs an international and travel vegan blog since July 2011. She documents and photographs vegan cuisine, airports/lounges, groceries, products and home cooking. She also spends her time abroad caring for and feeding feral cats and dogs. You can find her on Twitter and Pinterest. 

Cookbook Review: The Tipsy Vegan!  »

I got a gratis copy of John Schlimm’s The Tipsy Vegan to review for you guys! Rachel has been on a cookbook review roll, as I’m sure you’ve read, but when I saw “tipsy,” I knew this book was for yours truly. However, this is not a book of vegan cocktails like I thought! It’s all about cooking with wine and liquor. But there are a handful of cocktail recipes as well, they kick off each chapter. 

To sum up the book in three words: Fun, challenging, sassy! That’s right, sassy. The tone of the book is very jovial and lighthearted, which I appreciate. And you are encouraged to enjoy your booze! As god intended. One thing I will say is that I’m not sure it’s really a book for beginners. It’s for more of a mid-level to experienced cook. There are lots of ingredients, lots of different techniques involved, and lots of recipes requiring things like ice cream makers and food processors (which I do not have because I’ve slimmed down my kitchen accessories. Oh, life in the big city!). A bowl and spoon are not going to get you very far here. On the other end of the spectrum, this is just the thing for the uninspired cook! It’ll give your cooking a kick in the pants! The recipes and ingredients are inventive and interesting. And the book is entertaining. I’m a fan!

I tried two of the recipes: Bruschetta on a Bender and Rockin’ Roasted Potatoes With Racy Rosemary and Mustard. The potatoes, the recipe for which you can get over on NYT, had vodka in them, which I had because my first housewarming gift was a half-empty bottle of Ketel One (#classy). Both recipes called for vermouth, but the potatoes said you could use a dry white wine instead and the bruschetta said a fruity red would work too. As I don’t know what I’d do with a bottle of vermouth and you better believe I know what to do with two bottles of wine, I opted for the wine. But the book said I could!

I don’t know what you call the sauce I made for the potatoes but it was damn good! Like, I was about to lick the bowl, horseradish and all. I had a little sauce left over and I put it in a cup to save in the fridge. I’m thinking Brussels sprouts! 

The bruschetta was interesting because it called for thyme instead of your typical basil. My bro and sis-in-law were ‘bout it for the bruschetta! They both had like seven pieces. I liked it too but I did miss the basil. But there’s really no need to buy a cookbook with a basil bruschetta recipe, is there? And red wine on the tomatoes? Genius! Why don’t we do that all the time? We can from now on. Pish, I don’t even remember what life was like before red wine-soaked tomatoes!

Sweet Instagram pic of the bruschetta. Oh, Instagram, how I love you. Follow me: @MeganRascal!!!

Check it, I scored the Bruschetta on a Bender recipe for you! With permission from Da Capo Press, naturally:

Bruschetta on a Bender

Ingredients4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and very coarsely chopped
2 tsp. kosher salt
12 slices crusty French or Italian bread, about 3 inches in diameter
1 garlic clove, peeled and split
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp. dry vermouth or a fruity red wine
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tsp. dried oregano
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
Toss the tomatoes with the salt and drain for 30 minutes in a large colander set over a bowl.

Under a hot broiler, toast the bread slices on both sides.

Rub the toasted top of each slice with the split garlic clove and lightly brush the top of each slice with the olive oil

Gently press down on the drained tomatoes to extract even more juices. Then transfer them to another bowl and toss with the balsamic vinegar, dry vermouth, thyme, and oregano.

Season with the pepper to taste. Spoon the tomato mixture in small mounds on top of the toasts and serve at once.

Yield: 12 bruschettas

Yay! Now you can make the bruschetta just like your pal Megan.

There are a lot of other great-sounding recipes I still want to try, namely the Merlot ice. Basically a Merlot slushy, it requires a food processor. I’m about to get one just to make it. Can you imagine? A Merlot slushy? Be still my heart! 

Before I sign off, I’ll add another point: this book doesn’t really feel like a vegan cookbook, it feels like a “regular” cookbook. It’s not really about being vegan and you aren’t making approximations of omni recipes you’ve been missing; you’re making fun and exciting recipes that are also vegan. I think omnis would certainly enjoy this book too and if not for the title, I doubt they’d notice the absence of animals products. It’s definitely a good cookbook if you’re entertaining a mixed-diet crowd! So I say check it out and get a little crazy. A little crunked, even. Go for it. 

Vegan Hash With Homemade Ketchup   »

I am reblogging this because we love potatoes and don’t think we’ve seen a homemade ketchup recipe yet! This is from the normally omnivorous food blog, Tessipes.

Full disclosure! I’ve made all of this except for the home-made ketchup. I’m going to try it, though, so I’ll keep you posted — the recipe seems promising.

Vegan Hash with Homemade Ketchup

Ingredients:

2 Russet potatoes, chopped into cubes

1 large onion (sweet onions like Vidalia are great), also chopped

4 Tbsp peanut or vegetable oil

Salt + pepper

Fresh chopped herbs (rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme — if you’re in a pinch, dried is fine)

In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high until a piece of onion sizzles in it. Layer the potatoes, then onions, in the pan, and season with salt, pepper, and herbs; cover for 5-10 minutes. Take off the cover, let cook for a minute or two, then stir it up with a heatproof spatula. Cover again for 5, then let the potatoes and onions fry for 5; test out a tater and see if it’s done. If not, continue to cook over medium-high for a bit until it is done (it should be soon!). Serve immediately with homemade ketchup.

Possible addition:

Bell peppers sauteed with onions, garlic, a splash of cider vinegar and olive oil (/- thyme).

Possible side dishes:

1. Sauteed spinach with garlic and a splash of soy sauce

2. Apples (peeled, cored, sliced) sauteed in a splash of apple cider, a pat of margarine, and cinnamon + vanilla + allspice

3. Your favorite vegan sausage