Vegan Valentine's Day Recipes

I have been a vegetarian for 15 years and a vegan for about 5 of those. Being vegan doesn't mean that you have to miss out on a festive Valentine's dinner. I've put together two vegan Valentine's Day menus using my favorite recipes that are sure to put some romance into you're life. The first is a 4-course elegant dinner and the second is a lighter, Mediterranean-style small plates menu. Since it wouldn't be Valentine's Day without chocolate, I've included it on both menus. Enjoy!

Elegant Menu:

Appetizer

Eggplant Caviar (adapted from The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen by Donna Klein)

Makes 4-6 servings

2 medium globe eggplants (large eggplants tend to be bitter, hence the use of medium)

2 large cloves of garlic

1 medium onion, peeled, left whole with skin intact

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon of tomato paste

1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon of cayenne or to taste

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Assorted raw veggies, toasted baguette rounds, breadsticks to serve

Preheat the oven to 400F

With the tip of your knife, pierce the eggplants all over. Cut a slit in the fattest part of the eggplant and insert one garlic clove in each.

Rub the eggplants and the onion with one tablespoon of the olive oil. Roast the eggplants and onion on a baking sheet for about 40 minutes or until the eggplants are collapsed and the onion brown. Turn the veggies frequently while roasting. When done, cut the eggplants lengthwise and drain on several layers of paper towels, cut side down. When cool enough to handle, strip off the skin and cut the flesh into 4 quarters. Quarter the onion, then put the eggplant and onion into a food processor. Add the rest of the oil, the lemon juice, tomato paste, salt, pepper and cayenne. Process until very smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.

Refrigerate in a covered bowl. You can make this the day before if you want. Serve with veggies and/or bread.

Salad

Spinach Salad with Strawberries and Toasted Pecans(dressing courtesy Extraveganza by Laura Matthias)

Makes 4-6 servings

8 ounces of baby spinach or torn fresh spinach

1 ½-2 cups fresh strawberries, hulls removed and thinly sliced

½ cup lightly toasted pecan halves or pieces

¼ cup thinly sliced red onions

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons poppy seeds

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard.

Combine spinach, strawberries, pecans and onions in a large serving bowl. Put the dressing ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake well. Pour the dressing over the salad to serve. `

Main Course

Pesto Polenta with Sautéed Portobello Slices (courtesy Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson)

Makes 4 servings

3 ½ cups of water

1 teaspoon salt, more for seasoning

1 cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal

¼ cup vegan pesto (recipe follows)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed and caps cut into ¼ thick slices

First, make the pesto:

Vegan Pesto

2 cloves garlic

1/3 cup toasted pine nuts

½ teaspoon salt

2 cups loosely-packed bail leaves

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Peel the garlic and grind it, the nuts and the salt in a food processor. Add the basil leaves and grind them. Stream in the oil with machine running. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Next, make the polenta:

Boil the water over high heat in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and add the salt. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 30 minutes, stirring frequently until mixture thickens. Near the end of cooking time, combine the pesto with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Stir it into the polenta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the polenta evenly over the bottom of a lightly oiled, shallow 10-inch square baking dish. Refrigerate until firm (at least 30 minutes).

Preheat the oven to 375F

Cut the now-firm polenta into 4 squares. Put it on a lightly-oiled baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil and bake for about 30 minutes, until it's hot and golden brown.

While the polenta bakes, make the mushroom sauce:

Over medium heat in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for about 5 minutes more, until the mushroom slices are tender. Keep warm over low heat.

To serve, put a slice of the polenta on a plate and top with the mushrooms.

Dessert

Chocolate Truffles (Adapted from Extrveganza by Laura Matthias)

Makes 20-30

¾ cup vegan chocolate chips or chunks (Whole Foods has vegan chocolate chips, or you can use a vegan bar. Make sure to check the label)

¼ cup soy milk

¼ cup almond-flavored liqueur (hazelnut or coffee-flavored liquors will work as well)

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium-high heat until its melted, stirring constantly (or microwave it at half power for one minute, stir, and microwave it for one more minute). Once it's melted, add the soy milk and liqueur, stirring until the mixture is thoroughly combined and thickened. Put it in a bowl and refrigerate it for 1-2 hours.

Put the cocoa on a small plate. Make little balls out of the chilled chocolate and roll them in the cocoa. (If the chocolate is too cold, let it sit around for a bit until you can form the balls.)

Mediterranean Menu:

Hearts of Romaine, Palm and Artichoke with Citrus Dijon Dressing(courtesy of Food Network)

Makes 8 servings

2 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can hearts of palm, drained and sliced 1-inch thick on a bias

1 (15-ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and quartered

1/4 cup orange marmalade

1 lemon, juiced

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Arrange romaine lettuce, hearts of palm and artichokes on large platter. Combine the marmalade with lemon juice, mustard, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the olive oil slowly. Pour dressing evenly over salad when ready to serve. Garnish with toasted sliced almonds.

Salsa Romesco (Version courtesy The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen by Donna Klein)

Makes about 1 ½ cups

¼ cup blanched almonds

¼ cup hazelnuts

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small dried red chile (ancho will work), crushed

2 medium vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, quartered, and seeded

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 to 1 ½ tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350F

Spread nuts on baking sheet and bake for about 7 minutes until lightly golden, stirring once. Remove from baking sheet and let cool. Rub the hazelnuts with a damp cloth to remove skins.

Put the nuts, garlic and chile into a food processor. Process until finely ground. Add tomatoes, paprika and salt; process until smooth. Stream in the oil with the motor running. Add vinegar to taste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the parsley. Cover and let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Serve at room temperature.

This sauce can be made and refrigerated up to two days in advance. Serve with grilled vegetables like red and yellow peppers and eggplant, steamed green beans or asparagus spears, and toasted bread slices.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries (adapted from a Food Network recipe)

Makes about 20

6 ounces good vegan chocolate

1 pound of strawberries (about 20), washed and dried very well

Optional: vegan chocolate chips, shredded coconut, finely chopped nuts

Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over medium-low heat (or microwave it at half power for one minute, stir, and microwave it for one more minute). Remove the chocolate from the heat. Holding the strawberries by the stem, dip them in the chocolate, twisting them slightly and letting any excess chocolate drip off. Then if you want you can dip them in the chocolate chips or nuts or whatever. Set he strawberries on the baking sheet until the chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.