Raise a Toast
By Jason Yowell
Sometimes, a simple piece of toast just doesn't cut it. You want something a little heartier than a smear of jam on your slice. Time for toast to get an upgrade. While avocado is a modern classic, step outside the box and get something new on top of your toast. Start with my unconventional Frico Caprese - it's like grilled cheese without the sandwich. Toast goes savory with creamy herbed cashew cheeze, mushrooms, and caramelized onion atop a baguette. Get ready for satisfaction with piled-high Seitan “Brat” Crostini and for a fully all-veg toast, make my stunning Sweet Potato Toasts with Beet Purée, topped in a syrupy drizzle of balsamic. No one will be able to resist my BLT Toasts with rice paper vegan bacon and a saucy splash of fiery mayonaisse. For a brunch or dessert crunch, try Sweet Cream & Fruit Tartines with your favorite seasonal fruits. With all this flavor, you can raise a toast for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks!
Frico Caprese
(Serves 12 as an appetizer)
3/4 cup vegan mozzarella-style cheese shreds (VioLife worked best in tests)
1 cup cherry or plum tomatoes
Fresh basil, to garnish
Balsamic Reduction, to garnish
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place 1 Tablespoon of vegan cheese shreds in a loose circle, as flat as possible. Repeat with remaining cheese, forming 12 circles. Bake for 15-20 minutes and allow to cool. Frico will crisp up and set as they cool, as they must be firm to support the toppings.
While cheese is baking, slice tomatoes thin, and chiffonade basil by rolling basil leaves and slicing them into thin strips.
Assembling Frico Caprese:
On each frico, alternate between tomato and basil until you have a nicely topped
crisp. Drizzle a bit of Balsamic Reduction and serve.
| Total calories: 34 | Fat: 2 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 5 grams | Protein: <1 gram |
| Sodium: 50 milligrams | Fiber: <1 gram |
Mushroom Medley Toasts with Herbed Cashew Cheeze
(Serves 12 as an appetizer)
Herbed Cashew Cheeze:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
3 cloves fresh garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
3 Tablespoons dried dill
Ideally, Herbed Cashew Cheeze should be prepared the day before. To make cheeze, put the cashews in a small bowl with just enough boiling water to cover, and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes and up to overnight.
When cashews are softened, add to a blender or food processor with half of the soaking liquid, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and paprika. Purée about 3 minutes on high power until the mixture is smooth with no chunks of cashew or garlic remaining. Add more water if needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Move mixture to a storage bowl and stir in dill. Allow to set up in the fridge for several hours or overnight to thicken.
Mushroom Medley:
1 white onion, chopped
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped
5 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 cup walnuts
2 Tablespoons liquid aminos or lite soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
Finely chopped parsley, for garnish
To make the mushrooms, sauté onions in olive oil over medium heat until translucent, 3-5 minutes. Add chopped mushrooms and garlic, and sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 8-10 minutes.
In a second pan, toast the walnuts until they start to brown and are lightly fragrant. Add to a blender or food processor and pulse until the walnuts are the consistency of bread crumbs. Add mushrooms, liquid aminos, thyme, and pepper to blender with walnuts and process until smooth.
Assembling Mushroom and Cheeze Toasts:
1 fresh baguette
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Herbed Cashew Cheeze
Mushroom Medley
Fresh parsley, to garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice a baguette into roughly 1-inch slices and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes, until toasted.
Spread baguette slices with a generous portion of the cashew cheese followed by mushroom mixture. Arrange on a serving plate and garnish as desired with chopped parsley.
| Total calories: 271 | Fat: 9 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 39 grams | Protein: 9 grams |
| Sodium: 687 milligrams | Fiber: 3 grams |
Seitan “Brat” Crostini
(Serves 6 as an entrée)
Homemade Seitan
Cooking Broth:
1 cup of mixed carrots, celery, and onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
6-8 cups water
In a large pot, sauté onions, celery, carrots, and garlic in olive oil until tender and aromatic. Add 6-8 cups water and bring to boil once seitan dough is about to be ready. Use to make seitan, as below.
Seitan Dough:
1-1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon liquid aminos or lite soy sauce
1 teaspoon molasses
1-3/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 Tablespooon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/3 teaspoon ground fennel seed
All-purpose flour, for kneading
To make seitan, mix broth, liquid aminos and molasses in a small bowl; set aside. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients and make a well. Add in the wet ingredients, working quickly to combine into a spongy dough.
Once the liquids are fully incorporated, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead vigorously for about 8-10 minutes. Dough will be spongy but moldable. Shape the dough into a 1-inch thick rectangle, about 5 x 7 inches, and slice into six 1-inch thick strips.
Place dough into boiling broth for 60-90 minutes depending on how thick the slices ended up. The dough will initially sink before puffing up to a much larger size and floating to the top. At the end of boiling, the seitan will have a more solid texture and some of the puffiness will have reduced. Remove from broth and allow to cool before serving or storing. Store in cooking broth in the fridge. Seitan keeps for at least a week in the fridge and longer if frozen.
Dijon-Maple Sauce:
1/2 cup vegan Dijon mustard
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
Whisk all ingredients. Store in the fridge and use in this recipe, or on roasted veggies, or salads. Note, only a portion of the seitan and sauce will be used.
Assembling Seitan “Brat” Crostini:
1 fresh baguette
4 Tablespoons olive oil, separated
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped into 1-inch squares
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped into 1-inch squares
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
2 slices homemade seitan (or plant-based sausages such as Beyond, Field Roast, or
Tofurky )
Vegan cheese shreds (optional)
About 1/3 recipe of Dijon-Maple Sauce
Parsley, finely chopped (garnish)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice baguette into roughly 1-inch slices and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil, and bake for about 10-15 minutes or until toasted.
In large pan over medium heat, sauté peppers, onions, and jalapeños in olive oil until tender, about 4-6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, chili powder, pepper, and salt. Set aside.
Slice seitan into 1/2-inch slices, add to a pan, and brown on both sides. Once browned, mix into the peppers and onions. If using vegan cheese, add now and cover for cheese to melt with the residual heat.
To assemble the crostini, remove baguette slices from the oven, and spread with a generous portion of the Dijon-Maple sauce. Follow with the veggie and seitan mixture until all ingredients are used. Arrange on a serving plate and garnish with parsley. Serve warm.
| Total calories: 348 | Fat: 11 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 45 grams | Protein: 16 grams |
| Sodium: 563 milligrams | Fiber: 3 grams |
Sweet Potato Toasts with Beet Purée
(Serves 12 as an appetizer)
2-3 fresh sweet potatoes, firm and free of soft spots
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Herbed Cashew Cheese (above)
Sweet Potato Toasts:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes lengthwise into 1/2-inch slices. Be
sure the slices are roughly the same size for even cooking. Transfer slices to
baking sheet in a single layer, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt,
pepper, and cumin. Bake for 30-35 minutes until lightly toasted and slightly
tender.
2 pounds beets, cleaned
1-1/2 cups water
2 cups balsamic vinegar
Beet Purée:
Trim beet roots, no need to peel. Add to a large saucepan with enough water to
partially submerge the beets. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and simmer
for 25-30 minutes until fork-tender. Place beets into blender or food processor and
pur??e until smooth.
Balsamic Reduction:
In a medium saucepan, heat balsamic vinegar until bubbling. Reduce heat to low and
simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by half.
Assembling Sweet Potato Toasts with Beet Purée:
Smear beet purée onto baked sweet potato toasts.
Dollop Herbed Cashew Cheeze on top and drizzle with Balsamic Reduction. Serve warm
or chilled.
Cook's Notes: To save time, buy pre-cooked beets, which are available in many grocery store produce sections. Another shortcut: Look for bottled balsamic glaze with the oils and vinegars at most grocery stores.
| Total calories: 166 | Fat: 7 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 23 grams | Protein: 3 grams |
| Sodium: 368 milligrams | Fiber: 3 grams |
BLT Toasts
(Serves 4 as an entrée)
Rice Paper Bacon:
2 Tablespoons tamari
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Tablespoon maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
Pinch ground black pepper
Pinch smoked paprika
4 sheets rice paper
To make the rice paper bacon, preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Have two shallow bowls on hand, one to hydrate the rice paper strips and the second to marinade the strips. Fill one bowl with water. In the second bowl, combine all ingredients except rice paper to make the marinade. Stir until marinade is well mixed.
Rice paper has a smooth side and a textured side. Place two sheets together with the smooth sides facing in. Use a sharp pair of scissors to trim the sheets into 5-6 strips. Repeat with second set of rice paper. If the rice paper is stale or the scissors are too dull, the sheets may crack or fall apart.
When strips are cut, run them individually through the water to hydrate. As you pull them out of the water, run your fingers down the strip to remove excess liquid. This step is crucial so that the rice paper can absorb the marinade. Once drained, place each strip in the marinade immediately and allow to rest for a few minutes. Marinade should cover the strips. Note, strips may remain translucent; this is normal.
Place the strips on the parchment paper and brush with any remaining marinade. Bake for about 3 minutes, then flip and bake for an additional 3 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving so that rice paper bacon can become crispy.
Assembling the Toast:
2 Tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons sriracha (or less for less heat)
Ciabatta loaf
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 vine ripe tomato, sliced
8-10 pieces of Rice Paper Bacon
Mix together vegan mayonnaise and sriracha. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice ciabatta horizontally and then in half. Place sliced ciabatta on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10 minutes, then flip and toast for another 10 minutes until crisp. Allow to cool a few minutes, then rub cut-side with raw garlic to add subtle flavor. Spread with sriracha-mayonnaise and top with lettuce, tomatoes, and Rice Paper Bacon.
Serve immediately.
Cook's Notes: Rice paper is usually found in the Asian aisle of large grocery stores.
Pictured on the cover.
| Total calories: 367 | Fat: 9 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 60 grams | Protein: 11 grams |
| Sodium: 1,353 milligrams | Fiber: 3 grams |
Sweet Cream & Fruit Tartine
(Makes 12 as an appetizer or dessert)
Sweet Cashew Cream:
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons maple syrup or agave nectar
Pinch of salt (optional)
Ideally, Sweet Cream should be prepared the day before. To make cream, put the cashews in a small bowl with just enough boiling water to cover, and allow to soak for at least 10 minutes and up to overnight.
When cashews are softened, add to a blender or food processor with soaking water, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, maple syrup, and salt. Purée about 3 minutes on high power until the mixture is smooth with no chunks of cashew remaining. Add more maple syrup if a sweeter cream is desired. Move to a storage bowl. Allow to set up in the fridge for several hours or overnight to thicken.
Assembling Sweet Cream and Fruit Tartine:
1 fresh baguette
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups of your favorite fruit, such as strawberries, blueberries, blackberries,
apples, peaches, etc.
Fresh mint, to garnish (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice a baguette into roughly 1-inch slices and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with olive oil and bake for 10-15 minutes, until toasted.
Smear toast with Sweet Cashew Cream and arrange fruit on top. If desired, top with a drizzle of maple syrup or fresh mint.
| Total calories: 271 | Fat: 9 grams |
| Carbohydrates: 41 grams | Protein: 8 grams |
| Sodium: 397 milligrams | Fiber: 3 grams |
Jason Yowell is a vegan of five years, an avid hiker and runner, and a competitive cyclist. He owns the Allegheny Trail House in Frostburg, Maryland, www.alleghenytrailhouse.com See more of his tasty vegan food on Instagram at @plantbased_jase
