Happy Cow Cookbook

The HappyCow Cookbook compiles a full range of vegan and vegetarian recipes from restaurants around the world. Some of the recipes do require a lot of ingredients, and many of these are specialty order items, so stock your larder accordingly and ahead of time. Cheaper than hopping a plane, Eric Brent, creator of HappyCow and Glen Merzer, coauthor of Food Over Medicine, bring global gastronomy to your door--and dish with the owners about their restaurants is included as a complimentary side! Graze over pumpkin noodle salad, tricolor vegetable pasta with sun-dried tomato marinara and cashew cheese, and sweeten the pot with gluten-free coconut strawberry shortcake cupcakes! Here are two recipes that I think you will enjoy:

Buddha Lentil Burger (shown above)

From Buddha Burgers in Tel Aviv, Israel

Serves 8–10

“The principle of this burger is simple: to include as many healthy and energizing ingredients as possible. Therefore, the base is sprouted lentils and quite a lot of flaxseed. All other ingredients are included for texture and taste.”

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

1 1⁄2 cups minced white onion

7 cups sliced white mushrooms

3⁄4 cups sliced celery stalks

3 cups sprouted green or black lentils

1 1⁄2 cups minced toasted walnuts

10 garlic gloves, minced

1⁄4 of a green jalapeno pepper, minced well*

1 cup tomato paste

1 cup ground flaxseeds

4 tablespoons tahini mixed with

4 tablespoons water

4 tablespoons soy sauce**

30 minced fresh basil leaves

1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground sea salt (or regular salt)

1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground black pepper

*Wear gloves when handling these peppers and never touch your eyes.

**For a gluten-free version of this recipe, use gluten-free soy sauce or Bragg Liquid Aminos.

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Warm the olive oil in a pan and add the minced onion together with the mushrooms and the celery. Sauté for five minutes. Drain the vegetable mixture in a colander and press out all the juices and oil. Then put the mixture in a food processor together with the lentils and walnuts. Using a large food processor, work in batches. With the food processor half-full, pulse the ingredients for 5 to 8 seconds until it resembles the texture of ground beef.

Transfer the mixture out of the food processor and into a large bowl, and stir in the rest of the ingredients with a large spoon (or a mixer). Set aside and let it rest for 10 minutes so the ground flaxseeds can bind the mixture. The mixture should be soft and moist.

To make each patty, take about 5 heaping tablespoons of burger mixture and press them flat into a disc onto an oiled baking pan. Bake the patties at 375 degrees. After 10 minutes, flip the patties and rotate the pan around in the oven back to front (for even baking). Bake another 10 minutes. Remove and cool. The patties should be crunchy on the outside and softer on the inside.

Serve in a whole spelt bun with toppings, like our Bechamel “Cheese” (recipe in full cookbook), a vegan Thousand Island dressing (vegan mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles, and dried onion), mustard, lettuce, tomato, red onion, or chives.

Tip: The healthiest way to prepare these burgers is to dehydrate them rather than baking. After shaping the patties, place them in an oven at 115 degrees for 12 hours.

  

Seitan Marsala

From Café Blossom in New York, NY

Serves 4–6

“This is our most popular dish at Cafe Blossom! It has satisfied many vegans and non-vegans alike for the more than five years.”

Ingredients

For the mashed potatoes:

6 Yukon Gold potatoes

1⁄2 cup Earth Balance butter substitute

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the sauce:

1 bottle (750 mL) Marsala wine

1 cup vegetable stock

2 cups port wine

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1⁄2 cup brown sugar

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the fillet and greens:

3 medium bunches kale

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon Earth Balance butter substitute

12 4- to 5-ounce seitan fillets

1 cup flour

4 heads fennel, sliced

4 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

4 shallots, sliced

Peel and boil potatoes. Place cooked potatoes in bowl, add 1⁄2 cup of Earth Balance, chopped garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Mash together until thick and smooth.

Method

For the sauce:

Combine all ingredients into a large pot and simmer for approximately 5 minutes over

medium-low heat to dissolve sugar, and then remove from heat.

For the fillet and greens:

Sauté kale with olive oil and garlic. In a separate pan, add 1 tablespoon of Earth Balance to pan over high heat. Coat seitan fillets with flour, reduce heat, and place fillets in pan. Once brown, add fennel, mushrooms, and shallots. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are cooked, and then ladle Marsala sauce into pan. Reduce heat, cover for 10 minutes, and let the Marsala reduce.

To assemble:

Place two large scoops of mashed potatoes in a deep dish. Place a handful of kale over the mash. Lastly, place your fillets and veggies on top and add salt and pepper to taste. Each serving should have two fillets. Pour remaining Marsala sauce over filets and serve.