Vegetarian Journal's Foodservice Update
Healthy Tips and Recipes for Institutions
Volume X, Number 3 Summer 2002
Vegetarian Quantity Recipes
- - Wild Rice with Herbs, Dried Cranberries, and Pine Nuts
- - Fennel and Tomato Gratin
- - Vegan Chocolate Cake
- - Squash Pasta with Zucchini and Garlic Sauce
- - Orange Chocolate Bread Pudding with Maple Rum Sauce
Fennel and Tomato Gratin
Serves 20 Copyright: Nancy Berkoff
Fresh fennel is usually available from late Spring to early Autumn. Serve this gratin as an elegant entrée.
| Ingredients | Measure |
| Dried breadcrumbs | 2 cups |
| Olive oil | 1/2 cup |
| Minced garlic cloves | 6 |
| Onions | 2 large (1-1/2 pounds) |
| Fresh fennel bulbs | 12 |
| Diced tomatoes, drained | 1 quart plus 1 pint |
| Black pepper | 1 Tablespoon |
| White pepper | 2 teaspoons |
| Fresh basil, finely shredded | 2 Tablespoons |
| Shredded vegan cheese | 3 ounces |
| Fresh lemon zest | 1 teaspoon |
Method
Cut onions in half across the root end and thinly slice. Trim off leaves and stalks of fennel bulbs. Core fennel and cut into thin slices (about 1/2-inch thick). Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat a medium-size sauté pan and toast the breadcrumbs in the dry pan, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set crumbs aside. Heat oil in the same pan. Sauté garlic and onions until soft (do not brown), about 3 minutes. Add fennel. Cook and stir over medium heat until fennel has become tender and golden, about 15 minutes. Reduce heat, add tomatoes, black and white pepper, and basil. Cover and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Place mixture in a shallow half steam table pan or large glass casserole and set aside. Combine breadcrumbs with the cheese and zest. Bake until heated thoroughly, about 15 minutes. Serve bubbly hot.
Note: The gratin can be assembled and refrigerated, uncooked, about 6 hours before needed.
Vegan Chocolate Cake
Serves 12 (one 13”x9”x2” sheet cake) Copyright: Nancy Berkoff
| Ingredients | Measure |
| Oil | 1/2 cup |
| White vinegar | 1 Tablespoon |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons |
| Fresh orange zest | 1 teaspoon |
| Orange juice | 1 cup |
| Unsweetened applesauce | 1 cup |
| Water | 1/2 cup |
| All-purpose flour | 3 cups |
| Dry vegan sweetener | 1-1/2 cups |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 1/2 cup |
| Baking soda | 2 teaspoons |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Vegetable oil spray | to cover pan |
Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine oil, vinegar, extract, zest, juice, applesauce, and water. Mix and set aside. In a medium-size bowl, combine flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add flour mixture to oil mixture and beat until well blended, incorporating a lot of air. An electric mixer can be used. Spray a 13”x9”x2” baking pan with oil. Add cake batter and bake for 30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before attempting to remove cake from pan.
Orange Chocolate Bread Pudding with Maple Rum Sauce
Serves 20 (2”x2” portions) Copyright: Nancy Berkoff
This recipe can be made a day ahead then reheated and sauced when ready to serve.
Pudding:
| Ingredients | Measure |
| Vegetable oil spray | to cover pan |
| French bread | 1-1/2 pounds |
| Vanilla soy or rice milk or almond milk | 2-1/2 cups |
| Vegan dry sweetener | 1-1/2 cups |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 1 cup |
| Silken tofu | 2 Tablespoons |
| Fresh orange zest | 2 Tablespoons |
| Vanilla extract | 2 teaspoons |
| Vegan chocolate or carob chips | 2 cups |
Method
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a shallow half steam table pan or 13”x9”x2” pan with vegetable oil spray. Tear bread into bite-size pieces. Place bread in bottom of pan. Cover and set aside. In a small sauce pot, heat milk, sweetener, and cocoa powder over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture resembles a hot chocolate beverage (about 5 minutes). Briskly mix in tofu, zest, and extract and heat for 3 minutes. Pour mixture over bread, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is absorbed. Bake in the oven, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If desired, sprinkle chips over pudding while still hot. Serve pudding hot or cold, with or without the sauce below.
Sauce:
| Ingredients | Measure |
| Vegan dry sweetener | 1 cup |
| Vegan margarine | 1/3 cup |
| Unsweetened cocoa powder | 1/2 cup |
| Maple syrup | 1/4 cup |
| White or dark rum | 1/4 cup |
Method
Combine sweetener and margarine in a small sauce pot, stirring constantly over a medium heat until smooth, about 4 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in cocoa and syrup. Stir to combine. Serve hot over bread pudding, cake, or sorbet.
Excerpts from the Summer 2002 Issue:
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June 11, 2004
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