Vegan Asparagus and Potato Spring Rolls

Spring rolls are a first for me - but I'm always up for a culinary challenge. I figured, how hard could it be? You just have to roll some vegetables with some rice paper. Well, there is definitely a learning curve when using rice paper like (1) do not put wet rice paper on paper (2) do not over soak rice paper and (3) Roll as tight as possible or you'll have crumbling burrito syndrome. I made up that last ailment name, but you probably get the gist of the issue. But all-in-all, it's the flavor that really matter, and when all of the vegetables and sauces come together, spring rolls are a fun way to prepare and serve. 

Ingredients:

• 1 package of rice paper
• 4 fingerling sweet potatoes
• 4 fingerling purple potatoes
• 20 thin asparagus spears
• 2 cups shredded purple cabbage
• 1/2 c natural peanut butter
• 2 T soy sauce
• 1 t mustard
• 1-2 T sriracha 
• black sesame seeds
• salt and pepper 

1. Preheat oven to 450° F.

2. Slice the potatoes into fry size and on a lined baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes until soft.

3. Bring a sauce pan with water to a boil. Quickly blanch the asparagus for 90 seconds. Want the color and the crunch to still be intact.

5. Remove the potatoes from the oven and set aside. Remove asparagus and drain on paper towel.

6. In a bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, sriracha, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir until all combined and smooth.

7. To prep to build the spring rolls, wet a piece of paper towel or a tea towel and set on a ceramic plate. Have a large bowl filled with warm water right next to you. Place one piece of rice paper in the warm water and let soak until it begins to give and become flimsy, but not falling apart or tearing. About 20-30 seconds max. Set spring roll on damp towel.

8. Layer your spring roll with the cabbage, 4-5 of each potato and 5 asparagus spears. Drizzle with sriracha and sesame seeds. Tuck in the small ends of the spring roll, then gently, roll the spring roll as you would a burrito, keeping it as tight as possible. The spring roll will stick to the other side.

9. Slice down the middle t split and serve with the spicy peanut butter sauce.

What I love most about these vegan spring rolls are the colors. The vibrant purples, oranges, and greens really remind me why eating vegan is a pleasure - the food is just so colorful. The warm potatoes just melt in your mouth and the asparagus and cabbage add the crunch that is needed. The peanut sauce adds additional heat to the dish. 

While I think my first attempt at spring rolls was probably in the B to B+ range, I will continue to experiment and fineness the recipe until it becomes second nature. Can't wait to try with different fruits and vegetables and share with my friends.

Cheers,

Kate

Animal

Better late than never, but my brother was in town until Tuesday, so I took Monday off and we went to Six Flags for the day - and to finish off this fun, short trip, we made our way to Animal in Los Angeles to gorge our faces with adventurous pieces of protein. We were in for quite a treat! Like Tar & Roses - we ordered a bunch off the menu (the more out-of-the-ordinary, the better) and really took our time eating each dish. To top it off, Animal had really great craft beers to choose from and the cozy space made it quite intimate, yet casual.

So stoked to relive this meal through pictures.

Kampachi tostada, herbs, fish sauce vinaigrette, peanuts

Heirloom tomatoes, stone fruit, pistachio, red onion, chrysanthemum

Veal tongue, west Indian gherkin, steelhead roe, black mustard

Crispy pig head, short-grain rice, bulldog sauce, soy egg

Veal brains, vadouvan, apricot puree, carrot

Sweetbread, corn, fennel, crema, raymundo's tomatillo salsa

Liberty farms duck breast, charred cabbage, liptauer, mustard

Blueberry, frozen brown butter crumble, yogurt, bay leaf ice cream

Bacon chocolate crunch bar

While the whole meal overall was scrumptious and satisfying, there were definitely some real standouts on the menu. The veal tongue, pig head, and veal brains were amazing. Amazing flavors and textures that I had never experienced before and couldn't get enough of - I think I'll eat brains everyday from now on, thank you!

Animal definitely lives up to it's name - over the course of 2 hours we tasted five different animals and all different body parts. Highly recommended, but call and make a reservation because good luck trying to get in without one.

Back to vegan now!

Cheers,

Kate

Tar & Roses

My older brother is in town for the first time since I've been living in LA. Which gives me the perfect opportunity to visit some of the restaurants that I've been wanting to go to for quite some time and one of them is Tar & Roses in Santa Monica. I've said it before, but I love that Los Angeles is the king of small plates. To me there is nothing better than ordering as many things off the menu and sharing with the people that you're going with. Best way to try and enjoy a bunch of different dishes without completely breaking the bank. And per usual, all veganism is suspended during times of delicious restaurant visits! 

Onto the onslaught of tastiness overload!

Bone marrow | onion marmalade | sea salt | sour dough

Atlantic sardine crostini | avocado | pickled onion | cilantro | lime

Oxtail dumplings | san bai su | chili | green onion

Beef "pho"-paccio | bean shoots | thai basil | cilantro | chili

Wood roasted sunchokes | goat cheese | lemon | hazelnuts 

Balsamic glazed ribs | fried basil

Braised lamb belly | minted apple chutney

Squid ink fettucini | octopus | blistered tomatoes | breadcrumb 

King trumpet mushrooms | soft egg | rosemary | chili de arbol 

Sticky toffee bread pudding

Check please!!

This meal definitely goes up to the top of the list with Ink, Waterloo & City, and The Tripel as one of the best meals that I've had in Los Angeles. The ambiance of the room felt nice and cozy. They had a great beer menu (no liquor which is okay) and I'm obsessed with any restaurant (or any establishment for that fact) that has light bulbs with exposed filament. Love it! The meal was coursed pretty well and the staff was very nice and enjoyed discussing the menu, which I love.

If I absolutely had to pick favorite dishes it would be the oxtail dumplings, the beef "pho"-paccio, the squid ink fettucini, and the trumpet mushrooms, but overall the entire meal was balanced with acidic dishes and rich dishes. Icing on the cake was the bloody sticky toffee pudding. Please bury me in sticky toffee bread pudding if I happen to have an untimely death. Please? Please!

Another great restaurant on the list. So stayyyy tuned!

Cheers,

Kate

Vegan Roasted Pear and Sugar Pie Pumpkin Soup

Soup season is out in full force so I'm super excited to be making them throughout all of the winter months. I know I keep raving about my Farm Fresh to You box but it really helps with inspiration. The more I think about it, it's kind of like being on one of those many food competition shows where you must use an ingredient from the box and create something out of it. I believe that a really underutilized winter squash is the sugar pie pumpkin. These are not like jack-o-lanterns in the sense that you're suppose to remove their guts and carve a face into the side. These are specifically meant for roasting and consuming their deliciously buttery flesh! I also used two different pears from the box as well, to mix up the flavors slightly.

Ingredients:

• 1 sugar pie pumpkin
• 2 bosc pears
• 2 french butter pears
• 3 onions
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• 4 1/2 c vegetable stock
• salt and pepper
• green onions for garnish

1. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Using a sharp knife, slice pumpkin into manageable pieces.

2. Remove the flesh. In a baking dish, elevate the pumpkins off the dish. Fill with 1/4 inch water around the dish. Rub with a touch of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes until flesh is soft.

3. With the saved pumpkin seeds. Let them dry on some paper towel and pat dry.

4. Dice the fresh garlic.

5. Dice the onions. Does not need to be perfect because everything will be blended.

6. Peel the pears.

7. Cut into fourths and remove the stems and seeds.

8. On a lined baking sheet, spread out the slices pears and sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until pears of soft and beginning to brown slightly.

9. In a large pot, add onions, garlic, and olive oil. On medium-high heat sauté the onions until they begin to soften but not caramelize. 

10. Add the vegetable stock to the pot and begin to bring to a boil.

11. Remove the roasted pumpkin and roasted pear from the oven.

12. Remove the flesh from the pumpkin rinds.

13. Chop pears into large chunks.

14. Add to the pot and bring to a boil.

15. Once at a boil, lower the heat to low and keep at a simmer. Simmer the soup for 30 minutes until all the flavors have melted together.

16. On a non-stick baking sheet, toast the pumpkin seeds with a touch of salt for 7-10 minutes until the seeds are brown but not burnt.

17. In a blender, add the contents of the soup and the broth. Blend until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

18. Dice the green onions for garnish.

19. Sprinkle with green onions and the toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve with a delicious pretzel roll.

This soup is really creamy for not having any cream type base in the soup. The pumpkin and pears break down nicely in the blender and since there are so few ingredients they each get to shine with each bite. The cinnamon is a great little add to bring a little spice to the sweetness of the pears and pumpkin and the vegetable stock and salt add the balance that is needed. It was so good that I ate it as a midnight snack and didn't feel guilty at all. 

Cheers,

Kate