Wedding Menu- Spiced Nutz

Spiced Nutz

¼ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

2 cups unsalted mixed nutz (almonds, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, pistachios) 

2 Tbsp EarthBalance (vegan butter)

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp water

½ tsp salt

Mix the spices together and set aside.

 In a dry skillet, heat the nuts, stirring frequently, until they begin to toast- about 4 minutes. Add the Earth Balance and cook another minute. Add the mixed spices, sugar, 1 tablespoon water, and the salt and cook about 5 minutes more- or until the sauce thickens and the nuts are glazed.

 Cool the nuts on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, separating them with a fork. Store the Spiced Nutz in an airtight container after cooled. 

Wedding Menu- Eggplant Dip

Roasted Eggplant Dip and Warm Pita

Otherwise known as Baba Ghanoush, this dip is best served warm but is good cold too!

1 large eggplant

½ of a Lemon + Juice of one Lemon

3 Tbsp Tahini (sesame seed butter)

Drizzle Olive oil

Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper to taste.

  My favorite way to roast the eggplant is on the grill outside, but you can also to it in the oven, on the broil setting.

  Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise. Remove seeds if you desire. If there are lots of seeds, I try to remove some, but don’t worry about getting them all. Poke the flesh of the eggplant with a fork, squeeze lemon juice over it and let it soak in. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Skin side down- place them in the oven on a sheet pan, or straight onto the outdoor grill. Roast on Med-Hi for 20 minutes. Check to see if the flesh is soft. Time may vary.

If grilling out, turn flesh side down for last couple minutes for grill marks and extra roasty flavor if desired.

  When it’s ready, the flesh should be soft enough to scoop out of the skin with a spoon.  

  In a food processor or blender; blend roasted eggplant, lemon juice, and tahini. Add a drizzle more olive oil while blending. If desired, add more salt and pepper to taste.

  Serve with warmed pita bread or for a gluten free option, use as a dip for fresh veggies like red peppers or snap peas. 

Wedding Menu- Fingerling Potatoes

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Aioli

1lb (or more) fingerling potatoes

Olive Oil

1 Tbsp (chopped) Fresh Rosemary

Salt & Pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Rinse the potatoes and slice them in half, lengthwise. Toss with Olive Oil, fresh chopped Rosemary, salt, and pepper. Place on baking sheet or roasting pan and roast in oven for

Aioli

¼ cup Vegenaise (by Follow Your Heart)

1 clove fresh garlic (finely minced)

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp fresh Lemon Juice

Pinch of Salt

Blend all ingredients in blender, or mix by hand. Adjust and ingredients to your taste!

Wedding Menu... Recipes too!

“Love is in the air, and we're not talking about the mushy, get-each-other-cards kind of love. We're talking about the love for animals.” VegNews Magazine

  This is the same way I felt about having vegan food at my wedding. I felt that a celebration of loving-kindness, compassion, and commitment to each other, shouldn’t just end there, but extend into all aspects of our lives. That is how it played into the details of the food.

  So, in celebration of the ‘Day of LOVE’ -Valentines Day-

Here are some of the tasty recipes from my late summer wedding! And a toast to the animals that we love so much… and that were not harmed in any way during the event.

                    The MENU

       Fingerling Potatoes with (vegan) Aioli

         Stuffed Grape Leaves

               Roasted Eggplant Dip and warmed Pita

             Crostini with Roasted Cauliflower Spread and Wild Mushrooms

                 Crostini with White Bean Hummus and fresh Tomatoes 

         Spiced Nuts

       For DESSERT

             Fresh Figs       

        Mexican Wedding Cookies

        Spanish Crumble Cakes

    As it was an outdoor wedding and reception, I didn’t want a sit down meal, so I opted for a simple menu of finger-food appetizers. This eliminated the need for silverware, place settings, or any other formal dinnerware. The question of Cake came up at one point, and we decided that cookies would be a better option for the style of party we were planning. Then, again, we wouldn’t have the need for forks, and I was able to have a Gluten Free cookie to offer as well. 

Details are very important to me, as I feel they add a touch of personality and in this case, elegance. Though our style is simple, I wanted it to be beautiful, just as the day should be.

  The Heirloom Tomatoes and the micro-greens that garnished the Crostini were from the same local greenhouse that provided the amazing flower bouquets. I hand-picked all the grape leaves from wild vines near our local stream. All the cookies were homemade, as well as everything else. I chose to ship in Fresh Figs, because they are my most favorite fruit, and happened to be in season on the west coast. The Figs were perfectly ripe, and all we did was cut them in half to show their beautiful gooey centers.

   Even the beer and wine was hand crafted locally! All of these details could not have been possible without all the amazing people that helped put my vision together. Thanks goes out to Maija for sharing her delicious recipes for the Fingerling potatoes, Crostini, and Spiced Nutz; to Nancy for the irresistible Spanish Crumble Cakes recipe; to my sister Jess (also author on this blog) for the Mexican Wedding cookies recipe and the beautiful photos; to Bitsy and MaryAnn for helping to roll all the grape leaves; and to my Mom, for testing many of the recipes months in advance to make sure they would be a go!

Here’s to Love, Compassion, and Beautiful Food! Click on the food titles under the MENU for their recipes… Enjoy!

             -Lisa