Vegan « (y)our food choices™

We just love discovering new foods. The greatest thing to hit our local farmers markets this summer, or at least that’s new to us, is the Padrón pepper. Steve first tasted them at Bocadillos where they were served pintxos-style, cooked whole in a little olive oil until the skins blistered then lightly salted. He was hooked from the first bite.

Padróns have a unique flavor marked by an unusual meatiness and just a hint of bitter. They (usually) pack no heat in the tiny seed cluster that nestles next to the stem. But every once in a while, you get a hot one that reminds you that you’re eating peppers. The heat dissipates quickly. It’s spicy like cinnamon, not like a hot chili pepper, so there’s no risk that the capsaicin sensitive will be bowled over by these delicious nibbles.

The dark green peppers are picked when bite-sized making them a perfect finger food. And like other salty finger foods, they’re hard to push away from after only a couple of bites. We’ve eaten entire pints in a single sitting. But unlike potato chips or roasted nuts, we just can’t feel guilty about feasting on them.

These Spanish delicacies are, in fact, a New World food that made its way back to Europe a few hundred years ago. Popularized by Jose Andres, and other Spanish chefs, the pepper variety is enjoying its 15 minutes of fame and as such is now readily available throughout the summer at a growing number of farmers markets across the country.

Peter Piper may have picked a peck of pickled peppers, but we sautéed the Padrón peppers with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Which is much easier to say and do.

Even though we are late to this pepper’s fan parade, we want to give a big shout out to them for anyone who will listen. Now go out and find some Padrón peppers and give them a try!

Delicioso!

Padrón Peppers

1 pint Padrón peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 good pinch of course sea salt

Wash peppers under running cold water until well rinsed, drain. Heat olive oil in sauté pan until just shimmering. Add peppers and cook on medium high heat, turning frequently, until skins blister on all sides. Remove from heat, drain on paper towels and plate, sprinkling with the sea salt. Eat warm or at room temperature.

A dollop of whipped cream adds a bit of love to this otherwise vegan chocolate mousse.

You can’t get a reservation to save your life, all the restaurants are filled up, and you have to work late. After all, Valentine’s Day falls on a Monday this year and your boss doesn’t care if you have a love life or not. You feel like an idiot because you didn’t prepare for this day and you know your significant other is going to be beyond pissed if you don’t do something special. What to do?

Beyond hoping that you can find some decent flowers, we suggest you buy a nice bottle of Champagne, or two, a good pâté, a few nice cheeses, a bleu, cheddar, and maybe a Swiss, and a baguette. A few other things like olives, cornichons, some raw almonds, and dried apricots to round out the nosh. Keep the meal simple so you don’t feel stuffed and bloated. After all, neither one of you will be in the mood for that something-something if all you want to do is veg out on the sofa.

To assure that you’ll be getting that something-something, invite your honey into the kitchen while you defy all the laws of cooking by adding water to chocolate. In less than 5 minutes you’ll have the best chocolate mousse ever. You’ll even prove that your biceps are not just for show, but that you can actually use them. While you are whisking away, throw out terms like ‘molecular gastronomy’ and that it was the French chemist, Hervé This that discovered this unusual dessert. By the end, you’ll both be feeding each other out the bowl and well, let’s just say that the kitchen will really be cooking.

5 Minute (Vegan) Chocolate Mousse

265 grams (about 9.40 ounces) dark chocolate (we use 54% Trader Joe’s dark chocolate we don’t recommend using any chocolate higher than 60% cocoa)
1 cup water
1 – 2 tablespoons of honey or ultra fine sugar (optional)
Note: honey is not vegan.

Place a large mixing bowl on top of another slightly smaller one, filled with ice and cold water (the bottom of the large bowl should touch the ice). Set aside.
Put chocolate, water, and honey/sugar in a medium-sized pan and melt the chocolate over low heat, stirring occasionally until just melted. Do not boil or simmer.
Pour the melted chocolate into the mixing bowl sitting on top of ice and water, and start whisking like hell with a wire whisk (or an electrical hand-held mixer if you don’t have the muscles) until it begins to thicken. Watch the texture as you whip and make sure not to over-whip as it will make the mousse grainy. You want it drip from the whisk in ribbons. If the mousse becomes grainy transfer it back into the pan, reheat until half of it is melted, pour it back to the mixing bowl and whisk again briefly.
Divide into four serving cups serve right away or refrigerate.

Thanks to Cenk over at Café Fernado for inspiring this blog post!