Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook Part 77

cup vegetable broth or red wine

2 (15-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes, with juice

2 teaspoons dried oregano

teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 bay leaf

Salt

Pine Nut Cream: 1 pound soft silken tofu

cup pine nuts, plus additional for garnish (optional)

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon arrowroot powder

1 clove garlic

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1 teaspoons salt, or to taste white pepper

cup dry, fine white bread crumbs PREHEAT THE oven to 400F. Lightly oil three baking sheets or shallow pans.

Prepare the vegetables: Wash the eggplant and zucchini, and trim the stems. Scrub and peel the potatoes. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and potatoes lengthwise into approximately -inch-thick slices. Rub the eggplant slices with a little salt and set aside in a colander in the sink or in a big bowl for about 15 minutes to drain. Briefly rinse with cold water and pat dry with a paper towel.

Place each vegetable on a separate baking sheet. Distribute the cup of oil among the three sheets and sprinkle vegetables with salt (except the eggplant, if salted already). Toss to coat the vegetables on each sheet, making sure each piece is completely coated with oil. Drizzle a little extra oil on the eggplant, as it has a slight tendency to stick (or if you're really paranoid, place the eggplant slices on oiled baking parchment). Spread out the vegetables on each sheet; some overlapping is okay. Roast the pans of zucchini and eggplant for 15 minutes, or until tender. Roast the potatoes for about 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Allow the vegetables to cool.

While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the tomato sauce: Combine the remaining cup olive oil and minced garlic in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium heat and let the garlic sizzle for about 30 seconds, then add the shallots and cook until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until slightly reduced, another 3 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, ground cinnamon, and bay leaf. Partially cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 14 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should reduce slightly. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and adjust the salt.

Make the pine nut cream: In a food processor, blend the pine nuts and lemon juice, sc.r.a.ping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, until a creamy paste forms. Add the tofu, garlic, arrowroot, nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Blend until creamy and smooth.

Lightly oil a 9 13-inch pan and preheat the oven again to 400F, if necessary. Spread cup of sauce on the pan, then add successive layers in order of eggplant, potatoes, sauce, and half the bread crumbs. Spread all the zucchini on top of this. Top with a final layer each of eggplant, potatoes, sauce, and bread crumbs. Use a rubber spatula to evenly spread the pine nut cream over the entire top layer. Scatter a few pine nuts on top, if desired.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and a few cracks have formed in the topping. Allow to cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

KASHA PHYLLO PIE.

SERVES 6 TO 8.

TIME: ABOUT AN HOUR.

This filling wintertime pie is a little like a great big mushroom and kasha knish. It's wrapped up in layers of flaky, melt-in-your-mouth phyllo dough with a sneaky layer of crunchy sauerkraut tucked in its center. The filling can be made days in advance and the pie a.s.sembled and baked later (but don't a.s.semble the pie until you're ready to serve it, to keep the dough from getting soggy). Serve with a dollop of your favorite spicy brown mustard or Horseradish-Dill Sour Cream (page 208), or doused in Mustard Sauce (page 204).

Filling: 3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium-size onion, cut into small dice

1 stalk celery, cut into small dice

pound cremini mushrooms, sliced thinly

1 small carrot, grated

1 teaspoon caraway seeds

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 cups whole roasted buckwheat groats (roasted kasha)

2 cups vegetable stock, preferable mushroom- flavored, heated to almost boiling

teaspoon salt

Freshly cracked black pepper

1 cup sauerkraut, well drained of excess liquid

Phyllo: 1 16-ounce package of frozen phyllo dough, thawed

according to package directions

cup or more of olive oil for brus.h.i.+ng