Ah, To Rise Again

As we approach Easter, I have to admit I'm not talking about anything highly spiritual here - I'm talking about rising from the floor after you've done your 300th squat. That's part of a torturous CrossFit workout called "Murph" that has you run a mile, do 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups, 300 squats, followed by another mile run.  Murph is one of the more extreme CrossFit workouts, and doing it a couple of weeks ago left me sore and miserable for five days, but it made me reflect on the fact that a little over two years ago, shortly after my 50th birthday, I couldn't do even one pull-up. In fact, like many other middle-aged people, vegan or otherwise, I was on the long but downhill approach to the Big End. I was probably in better shape than many people my age - after all, I exercised moderately and ate a fairly healthful, plant-based diet -- but after passing the half-century mark, I felt for the first time in my life that I was actually getting older.  My mortality somehow felt more palpable. 


Then I discovered CrossFit. No, it's not quite like discovering Christ, but since practicing it fairly diligently for two years, I do indeed feel as if I have been somewhat born again.  At least I now have the sense of getting younger, which, I realize, is chronologically impossible, but biologically somewhat possible. I know, because now I can keep up with, or  surpass, a lot of people in their twenties and thirties. 


Getting back into an intense exercise regimen made me re-examine my diet as well.  The more I worked out, the healthier I wanted to eat.  It was somewhat a natural navigation for me.  As  a long-time vegan chef, it had been awhile since I actually examined what I was putting into my body, other than following the basic rule that it had to taste good. But suddenly I found myself gravitating to a higher concentration of veggies and fruits than ever before, leaving behind some of the richer, "fun" foods I had grown to love.  The combination of the exercise and improved vegan diet for me has resulted in an energy level that I haven't had in years.  Occasionally, I still get tired.  But only very occasionally.  


I'm not in any hurry to meet my maker.  In fact, I plan to continue getting younger for a few more years.  And as Easter and Spring are the time of rebirth, and at the special request of good friend and vegan shoe designer extraordinaire, Nancy Dong of Kailia Footwear, I present to you an Easter Menu with recipes.  One thing to mention - Nancy lives in Italy and thus some of the recipes have an Italian flair - and admittedly, a couple of these recipes have flavor, rather than athletic performance, in mind.


Salad of Mango, Orange and Avocado
Herbal Shiitake Bisque
Manicotti or Ravioli with Creamy Cashew Ricotta
Truffled Seitan 
Ultimate Chocolate Mousse

Mango, Orange and Avocado Salad

A salad that bursts with flavor.

First, marinate the onion for 1 hour or more to soften and flavor:

1 red onion, sliced as thinly as possible

½ cup sherry vinegar

½ tsp. Salt

2 Tbs. Agave nectar

Combine the vinegar, salt and agave nectar.  Toss the onions in this mixture and allow to marinate for at least an hour.  The onion will wilt and soften and sweeten in flavor.

For the salad:

2 ripe mangoes, preferably Manila (these are buttery and smoother in texture)

2 sweet oranges

1 head frisee or butter lettuce, washed and torn

1 avocado

½ cup Marcona almonds

Peel the mangoes and cut the flat sides off of the seed.  Slice thinly.  Cut the rind off of the oranges, cut in half, removing any white parts from the middle, and slice thinly.  Likewise, cut the avocado in half, twist, remove the pit, scoop out the flesh and slice thinly.  Combine with the frisee or lettuce and the almonds.  When you are ready to serve the salad, remove the onion from the marinade and combine with the salad.  Toss with the dressing below and serve immediately.

Sherry Vinaigrette:

¼ cup sherry vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

2 Tbs. Agave nectar

½ tsp. salt

Herbal Shiitake Bisque


A fragrant and delicate soup.


2 cups dried shiitake
1 large onion, minced
2 Tablespoons oil or broth for sauteeing
3/4 cup white wine
1 - 2 cups mushroom or vegetable stock
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. fresh chervil
1 Tbs. fresh thyme
1 Tbs. fresh tarragon
1 Tbs. fresh savory
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 cup original flavor almond milk


Soak the shiitake in 5 cups of water overnight.  Remove from the liquid, reserving liquid for soup.  Slice off the stems, and thinly slice the caps.  Heat the oil or a small quantity of broth in a pot and saute the onion, covered, until tender.  Add the shiitake, soaking liquid, stock, white wine and salt, and bring to a simmer.  After about 20 minutes, chop and add the fresh herbs and almond milk.  Simmer gently for another 4 - 5 minutes  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Manicotti with Creamy Cashew Ricotta

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a blender, combine and puree until creamy:

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup water

Pour half of this in a bowl (to be used for step 2).  To the remaining cream in the blender, add an additional

1 cup water

And whip until milky.  Pour into a small saucepan over low heat.  Add and cook until thick and creamy until it resembles a béchamel sauce:

2 cloves minced garlic

1 Tbs. Nutritional yeast

Salt and white pepper to taste

Step 2:

In a bowl, combine and mix well:

The reserved cashew puree from step 1

1 lb. tofu, mashed

2 cloves minced garlic

¼ cup slivered basil

A few drops lemon juice

1- 2 Tbs. Nutritional yeast

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional:  1 bunch chard or spinach, steamed and chopped, OR 8 oz. Sliced mushrooms, sautéed

Fill cooked manicotti or large shell pasta (or roll lasagna noodles to create tubes). 

Step 3:

Prepare the Grilled Tomato Concasse or substitute a fat-free or oil-free tomato sauce.

6 – 8 large tomatoes

3 – 4 large cloves garlic, minced

1 tbs. agave or sweetener of choice

Salt and pepper

Two sprigs of rosemary

6 fresh basil leaves

Grill the tomatoes over an open flame or under a broiler, turning every minute or so, until the skins are blackened and the juices are beginning to ooze. Chop or mash the tomatoes roughly, skin and all, and place in a sauté pan with the garlic, sweetener, salt, pepper and herbs. Simmer for about 10 minutes, adjust seasoning as necessary. No oil is necessary in making this, but a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil may be added at the end for flavor if desired. 

Step 4:

To assemble and bake, pour a little sauce on the bottom of a baking dish.  Arrange the stuffed manicotti or shells in it neatly.  Pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top and spread evenly. Pour the cashew béchamel on top.  Bake for about 30 minutes until hot and the cashew crème is golden brown in spots (like cheese). 

 Truffled Seitan

Meat-eaters have moaned in delight while eating this.  Serve skewered as an appetizer or as filets for dinner.  This makes a bunch, by the way, as you might as well make a lot when something wonderful requires a bit more work; you can freeze some of it and have it on hand for another special dinner.  For an Italian Easter, serve in place of lamb, which are sweeter in the field than on our plates.

6 cups mushrooms (mixed crimini and shiitake or just crimini), roughly chopped

½ cup olive oil (or less)

½ cup soy sauce

½ cup red wine

3 – 4 cloves garlic

2  ½ cups water or stock

5 cups vital wheat gluten to make soft dough

Puree the mushrooms with the oil, soy sauce. wine and garlic in a blender until creamy.  Whisk in the water or stock, then mix in the vital wheat gluten until a very soft dough appears.  It will not be as firm or stretchy as bread dough, but more like biscuit dough.   Divide into 5 loaves and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, bring to a boil a large pot of water.  After baking, transfer the seitan loaves to the pot and simmer for about an hour.  At this point, the seitan can be sliced and marinated overnight in the truffle marinade, or refrigerated for 2 – 3 days before marinading.

When ready to marinade, slice the loaves thinly into fillets (less than 1/4”).  Marinate overnight in the following:

Truffle Marinade:

2 ½ cups red wine

1 ¼ cup mirin (sweet sake)

1 cup soy sauce

¾ cup olive oil

3 – 4 Tbs. Truffle oil 

1 bulb minced garlic

Combine all ingredients.  Marinate fillet of seitan overnight in this mixture.  When ready to use, sear seitan on both sides in a hot, lightly oiled skillet.  Skewer and serve as an appetizer or use in the exquisite Truffled Seita Rolls with Duxelles and Asparagus. 

Ultimate Chocolate Mousse

I've experimented with and tasted a lot of vegan chocolate mousses over the years, but I have to say that this is the best – it is definitely one of those “I can't believe it's vegan”-type of desserts. Amazingly, it is also a cinch to make.

1 cup cashews

1 cup water

½ cup maple syrup

2 tsp. Vanilla

10 ounces dark chocolate

1 ½ – 2 cups coconut milk solids (see explanation below)

¼ cup powdered sugar (optional)

2 Tbs. Orange liquere

To make this dish, you must first refrigerate at least two cans of full-fat coconut milk overnight.  This will separate and solidify the coconut cream solids from the water.  Measure only the solid coconut cream.  For a darker chocolate mousse, use about 1 ½ cups of coconut milk solids.  For a lighter, milk-chocolate flavor, use up to 2 cups. The coconut milk solid must be chilled when using.

Puree cashews with water and maple syrup until absolutely creamy.  Melt chocolate over a double boiler and add to the blender with the cashews and puree together.  Allow this mixture to come to room temperature and thicken slightly.  It should thicken as it cools slightly to become like a runny pudding.

Meanwhile, in an electric mixer, whip the solid part of the chilled coconut milk until light and fluffy and resembles whipped cream.  Add the vanilla and the optional powdered sugar and whip again.  (For a truly bittersweet mousse, do not add the sugar).  Add the chocolate mixture to the whipped coconut cream and fold gently but thoroughly.  Mix in the orange liquere.  Pour into ramekins and chill for a couple of hours until firm.  If desired, top with additional whipped coconut cream.  Makes about 10 servings.