or soymilk. When warm, add agar agar flakes and bring to a simmer. Cook mixture over low-medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until agar agar is mostly dissolved. Set aside.
In a food processor or high-powered blender, add cashews, garlic powder, sea salt, paprika, miso, nutritional yeast, agave, oil and lemon juice.
If using a high-powered blender, put in dry ingredients and almond or soymilk mixture all at once. If using a food processor, add dry ingredients first, pulse about 10-15 times, then add almond or soymilk mixture, blending until smooth and uniform. Mixture can be cooled and reheated to melt.
For the lemon herb sour cream: Whisk together sour cream, lemon juice, agave, dill, sea salt and black pepper. Set aside to develop flavors for 15 minutes.
For the guacamole: Peel avocado and dice, placing in a large bowl. Add lime juice, sea salt and black pepper. Mash with a fork until creamy. Fold in red onion and set aside.
In a small (2-quart) pot over medium heat, add beans, sea salt, chipotle pepper, oil and vinegar, and heat until cooked through. Remove from heat.
To assemble: Place a layer of chips on a large platter or individual small plates. Spread beans evenly over chips. Add another layer of chips and pour a layer of melted cashew cheese. Top with guacamole, scallions and olives. Drizzle with lemon herb sour cream. Serve immediately.
The Sporkie Scoop
FOR YOUR SMARTS Agar agar (a.k.a. agar) is an amazing seaweed used to thicken sauces and is 5 times stronger than gelatin! Not only does it possess tons of minerals and amino acids, but because it grows in the ocean under a lot of pressure and battling the currents, it develops powerful polysaccharides, which are used in gums for all types of cooking and scientific purposes.
FOR YOUR PARTS Eating dill is a great idea after a night of heavy drinking. It helps detox your liver, ridding it of toxic chemicals—or a stiff dirty martini.6
Spiced Beer-Soaked Figs with a Ricotta Filling
Make these when figs are in season, which is usually from May to October, depending on the variety. Whether you are having a fancy-shmancy dinner or just enjoying a simple meal at home with your loved ones, these beautiful stuffed figs will be a perfect addition to your din din. If you have some extra ricotta filling handy, you can use it to stuff manicotti!
Serves 6-8
Ricotta Ingredients
1 cup cashews
1 tablespoon light miso paste
½ cup water
1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, crumbled (see recipe for homemade tofu on p. 84)
½-1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons agave nectar
Dash freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Fig Ingredients
1 pint vegan beer
8-10 whole cloves
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons agave nectar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
24 fresh figs (Calimyrna preferred)
6-8 leaves fresh basil or sage, for garnish (optional)
Directions
For the ricotta: In a blender or food processor, add cashews, miso and water. Blend until smooth and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine crumbled tofu, sea salt, black pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice, agave, nutmeg, olive oil and the cashew mixture.
Mix together well. Set aside for 20-30 minutes to develop flavors.
For the beer-soaked figs: In a medium (4-quart) pot, bring beer to a simmer over medium heat. Add cloves, sea salt, black pepper, agave and lemon juice.
Continue cooking over low heat for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant.
Slice off stems of figs and make 2 cuts on top of fig in a T shape; this is where filling will go. (When cooking, figs will open slightly.) When cut, place all figs in pot with beer mixture and cook over low-medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. Turn off heat and let figs rest in spiced beer for additional 3-5 minutes.
To assemble: Place 1 tablespoon ricotta filling in each fig and serve on a platter. Garnish with fresh basil or sage, if using.
The Sporkie Scoop
FOR YOUR SMARTS There are over 150 varieties of figs in this big world. Some of the most popular include Calimyrna, Kadota, Black Mission, Brown Turkey and Adriatic. Our fave for this recipe is Calimyrna!
FOR YOUR PARTS Olive oil contains vitamin E, which is a natural preservative and prevents these beautifully rich oils from spoiling! Extra-virgin has the most nutritional value and is the least processed.
Spanakopita with Homemade Tofu Feta
We take a sister trip each year to see the world, make new friends and most importantly, eat things we’ve never tried or even heard of. One of our fave trips was to Greece, where we sat on the beaches of Crete, Santorini and Mykonos, drinking white wine and eating spanakopita. We relive our trip every time we make this Greek snack, and it will take you away on a vacay too!
Yields about 10-12 pieces
Ingredients
2 tablespoons neutral tasting high-heat oil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (14-ounce) block extra-firm tofu, crumbled
