Spa Night with my Idol
January 28, 2010
Renee Loux is my Green Goddess, Cook Book and Chef Idol! The one person I would most like to cook with and discuss all things foodie and all things Eco Green.
(OK Universe, I’m waiting for the call!)
I wanted the food for our first Green Goddess Spa Night to be just as spectacular as our guests Carolyn and Gail of Mobile Beauty, Magdalena of Woman Divine and Robyn, our Restorative Yoga Teacher extraordinaire. So of course I called on Renee the Green Goddess herself to help me whip up some Gourmet Vegan Delights. Hmm I wish I really could call her and she would rush right over, however her insights and love of food in her amazing cookbook The Balanced Plate, had me channeling my inner Green Goddess in no time. I decided finger food would be best, no knives and forks to dirty, recipes that could be made ahead of time and I wanted the menu to be mostly raw, and definitely gourmet. So I set about my task of creating Excel grocery lists (no time for forgotten items at the last minute) and Flow Charts of what dishes could be made ahead and what needed to be done right at the last minute – phew, here we go.
First was the Beet Ravioli with the Pine Nut Ricotta, both the filling and the marinaded beets can me made a few days ahead and take just minutes to assemble, these are amazing! Bonus the left-over Pine Nut Ricotta can be used as filling in wraps with lots of greens and shredded veggies.
Next the Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps (recipe below), for this you can make the dressing a few days ahead and I chopped up all the veggies the previous day as well, so all that had to be done on Spa day was roll up the Wraps. The dressing was amazing and it turns out I had leftovers of this too, so I combined the dressed veggies with cooked rice noodles and a bit of home-made peanut sauce for a yummy noodle salad.
The most time consuming recipe, and of course the most delicious, was the Winter Collard Wraps (recipe below). There are a number of steps involved, first making the Wild Mushroom Dipping Sauce (which can be made ahead of time) and then marinading and broiling the butternut squash, fennel, mushroom filling, then blanching and shocking the collard greens to give them an amazing bright green colour and then with the help of my wonderful, amazing, goddess friend Sue, these little Collard Wraps had to be, well, wrapped. This was the tough part – Sue with patience I do not possess, did a brilliant job! We had leftover roasted squash and fennel which I used the next day in a tortilla wrap with the pine nut ricotta and lettuce – blow your socks off delicious!
The final dish was Edamame Hummus, which takes only seconds to whip up and is low-fat, high in protein and delicious!! I also made Endive Cups with Pine Nut Creme Fraiche and Sweet Pea Mole – if making it again I would prefer the endive filled with 1 tbsp of the Edamame Hummus and 1 tbsp of the Pine Nut Ricotta, easier than making 2 more fillings.
We complimented the meal with organic and Eco wines, Caliterra Bio – Sur Carménère 2009, which will be certified organic in 2011 and Fetzer Valley Oaks Sauvignon Blanc. And we finished the meal with delicious raw almond truffles , supplied by Robyn, and mint tea.
The whole evening was a huge success; the food, the wine, the women, the pampering, what a great way to spend an evening. A big thank you to all the Green Goddesses who attended, to Carolyn, Gail, Magdalena and Robyn for treating us to their magic and to Laurie and Kerry who make everything flow so smoothly. Thanks Ladies.
RECIPES
Spicy Thai Lettuce Wraps
From The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux (c) 2006 Rodale Inc
Yields 12 rolls about 6 servings, approx. 100 calories per roll
The list of ingredients is long but it’s worth it. The dressing is worth making double as it keeps well for a few days and its delectable on a crunchy salad, steamed veggies or as a dip
1-2 heads romaine lettuce 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 tbsp umeboshi plum vinegar 2-3 ribs celery, cut into matchsticks
3 tbsp sesame oil 2 cups napa cabbage or Chinese cabbage, sliced finely across the leaves
1 tbsp raw almond butter 1 mango or papaya, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼ inch strips
1 clove garlic, pressed 2 cups mung bean sprouts
½ cup finely chopped green onions, including greens ½ bunch cilantro, washed
2 tbsp peeled and finely shredded ginger ¼ cup packed mint leaves, torn if they are large
¼ cup lime juice + 1-2 tbsp 20 basil leaves, torn
1 ½ tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp agave nectar
½ – 1 Thai chilli pepper (or other small chilli pepper) seeded and finely chopped
Sea salt
Separate the 12 largest lettuce leaves from the head (save the rest for a salad)
Bring a large pot of water to a simmering boil. Submerge the lettuce leaves in the water for about 10 seconds. Remove with tongs or drain water immediately. Shock under cold running water or submerge in ice water to halt the cooking and preserve the bright green colour at its peak. Gently squeeze and blot with a clean, dry towel. Toss gently with 1 tbsp of umeboshi plum vinegar to coat. Set aside.
In a bowl or measuring picture, mix together the sesame oil, almond butter, garlic, ginger, green onions, lime juice, the remaining 2 tbsp of vinegar, soy sauce, maple syrup, agave and chilli pepper. . Season with salt to taste. This can be made ahead of time and will keep for 2 days in a sealed container in the fridge.
Lay one of the lettuce leaves flat on a cutting board with the rib facing up. Trim away the protruding rib of the leaf with a paring knife.
Use a drinking glass to flatten the rib so it will be flexible enough to roll
Make sure the stem of the leaf is facing you. Place ¼ to ½ cup of the dressed vegetables evenly across the bottom half (stem half) of the leaf. Top with a few strips of mango, a small bunch of mung bean sprouts, a few sprigs of cilantro, a few mint leaves and pieces of basil leaves. (The tendency is to overfill but less is more here). Fold the flattened bottom of the leaf over the vegetables and tuck under. Fold the sides of the leaf in (like rolling a burrito) and roll into a cylinder. Set aside and carry on with the rest.
The rolls may be cut in half on a slight angle for presentation.
Winter Collard Wrappers
From The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux (c) 2006 Rodale Inc
Yields: 6 servings
1 medium butternut squash 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 fennel bulb 2 tsp dried thyme
1 large Portobello mushroom, stem and gills removed 2 tsp dried rosemary
6 shallots Sea salt
3 tbsp olive oil Fresh ground pepper
1 tsp balsamic vinegar Collard Wrappers
1 tsp umeboshi plum vinegar Wild Mushroom Dipping Sauce
1 tsp maple syrup
Preheat broiler (but note you may not need the oven for 2 hours, see below)
Peel the butternut squash. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut across into 3 sections. Slice into small ¼ inch wedges
Remove the upper stem and feathery leaves of the fennel. Cut in half madn cut out the stem at the bottom. Lay face down on the cutting board and cut across into small ¼ inch pieces
Cut mushrooms into ¼ inch slices
Mix together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, umeboshi plum vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, thyme and rosemary. I recommend putting the squash in one bowl and the rest of the veggies (including shallots) in another bowl. Distribute the marinade evenly between the bowls and toss it with the vegetables to coat evenly, season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a little extra olive oil if necessary. Marinade for 15 minutes to 2 hours (the flavor gets better with more time).
Lay the squash in one casserole dish and the rest of the veggies in another.
Place on the top rack of the oven and cook for 6-8 minutes. Flip the vegetables over with a spatula and return to the broiler for another 5 to 7 minutes, until savoury and browned.
Remove and let cool enough so that you can handle them comfortably
Lay a prepared collared wrapper flat on a cutting board. Use a paring knife to slice close to the rib on either side to remove the rib. Each side can be cut into half across (to get 4 pieces per leaf).
Lay a piece of collard with short side facing you (long side running away from you).
Lay a piece or tow of squash, a nice pinch of fennel and shallot and a slice or two of mushroom in the center of the wrapper. Fold the bottom edge over the vegetables and tuck under. Fold the sides in (like rolling a burrito), then keep rolling the package away from you until it is closed.
Carry on until you have used up all the greens or veggies. Serve at room temperature with Wild Mushroom Dipping Sauce
Collard Wrappers
From The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux (c) 2006 Rodale Inc
Yields: 6 servings
6 large collard leaves 1 tsp umeboshi plum vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper
Bring a pot of water to a simmering boil. Submerge the collard leaves for one minute until they turn bright green. Pull out with tongs and drain immediately. Shock by running under cold water or plunging into ice water to arrest the cooking process and preserve the bright green colour. Drain
Toss the greens with the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside until ready to use (if it will be longer than 20 minutes, store covered in the fridge).
Wild Mushroom Dipping Sauce
From The Balanced Plate by Renee Loux (c) 2006 Rodale Inc
Yields: 6 servings
¼ cup dried wild mushrooms (about ¼ ounce) ¼ cup white wine or more stock
4 large dates, pitted and torn into pieces 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 ¼ cups vegetable stock 1 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp pine nuts 1 tsp maple syrup
3 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp dried thyme
6 shallots thinly sliced (about 1 ¼ cups) 1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic minced Sea salt and pepper
Place the mushrooms and dates in a small saucepan with the stock. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Reduce to low and let simmer fo 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are completely soft.
Place the pine nuts in a medium skillet and toast over low heat, stirring regularly, for 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant but not browned, set aside.
In the same skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until soft and turning translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned. Add the wine, balsamic, soy sauce and maple syrup. Turn the heat up to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes, or until almost all of the liquid has cooked off. Add the softened mushrooms and dates with their cooking stock. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until about half of the liquid has reduced. Add the thyme and mustard, and a pinch of salt and pepper (be mindful not to over-salt if the stock has salt in it already). Stir and remove from the heat.
Let cool for a few minutes. Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender to blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper only if needed.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days
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