The Blossom Cookbook – Promotion

Ronen Seri and Pamela Elizabeth, the co-founders of the Blossom restaurants in Manhattan, share their favorite recipes in their debut cookbook, The Blossom Cookbook: Classic Favorites from the Restaurant that Pioneered a New Vegan Cuisine. Over eighty recipes from a Tofu Scramble that can be whipped up in minutes or an impressive Autumn Tower which layers tempeh, roasted vegetables, chickpea cakes with a simple tomato sauce that will take some time commitment but will impress all around your table. The dishes here are sure to ignite a spark of fresh culinary passion for vegan cooks with recipes from sauces and condiments and meals from breakfast to dinner. For non vegans, this will be the book to turn to for guests who have adopted the vegan lifestyle. Even the desserts look as if they were photographed behind the glass case of a patisserie.

Special thanks to Avery for sharing a recipe with our members today and for sponsoring three books in our contest open to Eat Your Book members in the US. Scroll down to enter and don’t forget you can add this recipe to your bookshelf by following the instructions below. 

Cauliflower Risotto
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I am especially proud of this dish because it is so inventive; a vegetable-based spin on a traditional risotto. We replaced the rice with cauliflower, which is an incredibly versatile vegetable. To add a meaty kick, we added shiitakes to this dish to balance the milder taste of the cauliflower. It’s incredible how many other restaurants and chefs are now using cauliflower as a meat or grain replacement!

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 5 tablespoons vegan butter
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic, plus 1 garlic clove
  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more as needed
  • 1¼ cups polenta
  • 1 medium head cauliflower
  • 2 whole shallots plus 2 tablespoons chopped shallot
  • 5 tablespoons olive oil
  • ½ cup white wine
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 2 cups sliced shiitake mushrooms

In a large pot, combine 1 tablespoon of the vegan butter, the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the pepper, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Add the polenta and stir until the water has been absorbed, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and spread the polenta over a baking sheet; let cool in the refrigerator.

Remove the cauliflower stem, coarsely chop it, and place it in a food processor. Pulse seven or eight times, or until it is finely minced, similar to the size and consistency of grains of rice. Divide the cauliflower into two equal portions.

Fill a large pot with water and add half the cauliflower, the whole shallots, and the garlic clove. Bring to a boil, and boil for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is soft. Drain the water and transfer the boiled cauliflower, shallots, and garlic to high-speed blender. Blend until smooth.

In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped shallot and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the rest of the minced cauliflower and stir well. Add the white wine and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, then add the pureed cauliflower and stir. Add 1 cup water, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the vegan butter and stir. Add the parsley and stir to combine.

In a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms begin to brown. Set aside.

Remove the polenta from the refrigerator and use a large thin-rimmed glass or a cookie cutter to cut it into rounds.

In a separate medium sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the polenta cakes and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on both sides.

To assemble, divide the polenta cakes between two plates, then top with the cauliflower risotto and finally the sautéed mushrooms.

Reprinted from THE BLOSSOM COOKBOOK by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright © 2017, Ronen Seri and Pamela Elizabeth Photo: Alex Etling

 

 

The publisher is offering three copies of this title to EYB Members in the US. One of the entry options is to answer the following question in the comments section of this blog post.

Which recipe in the index are you excited to try first?

Please note that you must be logged into the Rafflecopter contest before posting or your entry won’t be counted. Please be sure to check your spam filters to make sure you receive our email notifications. Prizes can take up to 6 weeks to arrive from the publishers. If you are not already a Member, you can join at no cost. The contest ends at midnight on October 15th, 2017. 

 

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47 Comments

  • Littlebirdchoc  on  September 10, 2017

    I would love to try the cauliflower risotto. We love cauliflower in my house and who doesn't like risotto?

  • ravensfan  on  September 10, 2017

    Chipotle aioli

  • lgroom  on  September 10, 2017

    Oyster mushroom quinoa.

  • jr0717  on  September 10, 2017

    The mushroom miso mustard risotto sounds very interesting!

  • eveaway  on  September 11, 2017

    BBQ seitan skewers.

  • Leahspitzer  on  September 11, 2017

    Almond ginger dressing sounds yummy!

  • sgump  on  September 11, 2017

    The Kurdish quinoa looks neat!

  • melmaren  on  September 11, 2017

    Butternut squash gnocchi – sounds interesting and tasty!

  • cookshelf58  on  September 12, 2017

    Tangy BBQ Sauce

  • Siegal  on  September 12, 2017

    Vegan mayo is my fav

  • lhudson  on  September 14, 2017

    Sweet potato and coconut cream soup

  • sarahawker  on  September 14, 2017

    Black-eyed pea cakes

  • ljkish  on  September 14, 2017

    I would like to try the Fluffy quinoa pancakes recipe.

  • ladybrooke  on  September 15, 2017

    Cilantro rice

  • RSW  on  September 16, 2017

    Buffalo Risotto Croquettes

  • t.t  on  September 17, 2017

    Kurdish quinoa

  • Karla123  on  September 17, 2017

    I enjoy cooking with mushrooms, and using them as a filling in these Adobo mushroom tacos would be a big hit with my family.

  • Sakurajima  on  September 17, 2017

    Mushroom miso mustard risotto

  • lauriesk  on  September 18, 2017

    I would try the Adobo mushroom tacos.

  • Cmgitan  on  September 18, 2017

    Fluffy quinoa pancakes! GF and vegan. Yay!

  • LaurenE  on  September 20, 2017

    cauliflower risotto!

  • kmn4  on  September 21, 2017

    Curried lentil rings

  • Shelley.b  on  September 21, 2017

    French onion soup

  • fiarose  on  September 21, 2017

    oh, my god, the dream cookbook. almond ginger dressing, mole, chipotle tomatillo salsa, porcini phyllo cigars, curried lentil rings, trumpet mushroom calamari, trumpet mushroom scallops, kurdish quinoa, sunchoke mash, yellow corn and coconut soup, autumn tower, pine-nut crusted eggplant, lemon seitan with creamy polenta, poblano en nogada…i love these restaurants, i love this cookbook!!

  • cindyrn  on  September 22, 2017

    Blue cheese sauce

  • Dmartin997  on  September 22, 2017

    Cauliflower Paella

  • skenoyer  on  September 22, 2017

    Butternut squash gnocchI!

  • rexxtigger  on  September 22, 2017

    So many, the dressings and sauces, blue cheese is one of my favorites. Put it over asparagus…..

  • lucystew  on  September 23, 2017

    Pistachio sauce!!!

  • tararr  on  September 23, 2017

    Oyster mushroom quinoa

  • br22  on  September 23, 2017

    Yellow corn and coconut soup

  • sequoia55  on  September 23, 2017

    Kurdish quinoa

  • GiselleMarie  on  September 24, 2017

    The Zucchini Napolean. Also the dairy-free "cheese" dishes as well as dairy-free sour cream for my daughter who loves dairy products but can't eat them.

  • caroleeee  on  September 24, 2017

    Buffalo risotto croquettes sound amazing

  • RickPearson54  on  September 25, 2017

    Cauliflower Paella

  • thewoobdog  on  September 26, 2017

    I'd love to try the Parsnip Ravioli or the Adobo Mushroom Tacos – parsnips and mushrooms are two of my FAVORITE things.

  • Scotsman61  on  September 27, 2017

    cauliflower risotto

  • megans608  on  September 28, 2017

    I'm very intrigued by the Autumn Tower!

  • valorie  on  September 30, 2017

    Quinoa Salad and Cauliflower Risotto

  • motherofpearl81  on  October 5, 2017

    Parsnip ravioli

  • patioweather  on  October 5, 2017

    I'm curious to see their "deviled eggs" trick!

  • robynsanyal  on  October 6, 2017

    Mushroom miso mustard risotto

  • KarenDel  on  October 7, 2017

    I want to make the Seitan meatballs (and the Cashew cream, too)!

  • bstewart  on  October 10, 2017

    Pistachio pesto!

  • AlisonL  on  October 10, 2017

    The Pistachio crusted tofu because I have had it at the restaurant and would love to figure out how to make it. I recall it being very tasty.

  • Katiefayhutson  on  October 15, 2017

    Butternut squash gnocchi

  • JenJoLa  on  October 15, 2017

    Curried lentil rings

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