We had friends over for a quiet Thanksgiving this year. The four of us were in France in September and decided, once I bought a very not vegan cookbook filled with traditional Alsatian recipes, to create a November feast with vegan versions. We made tartes flambeés, fleischschnacka and crêpes - all of which we had vegan while staying in Ensisheim, a lovely village in the Alsace region. There was one recipe in the book that I wanted to try that we did not get to experience while in France: Baked Muenster Cheese.
I happen to make Muenster cheese from scratch fairly often - thanks to Chef Sky Michael's The Non-Dairy Evolution Cookbook - and was obsessed about breading and baking it based on the recipe in the cookbook. I dredged four pieces of cheese in flour, then coated it with a combo of panko, chopped and roasted hazelnuts, cumin, and VeganEgg. I air fried it in a pan in my Foodi for 10 minutes at 400°F and then broiled it for 5 minutes longer. Perfect.
And it needed to be served perfectly.
While I was breading the cheese, I started grabbing some things from my pantry. My vision was serving the heavy, breaded cheese on light greens with a small amount of a sweetly savory dressing. The result is this Cranberry and Currants Dressing (or sauce). Which is so thick it makes for a delightful spread on a piece of crusty sourdough bread, too.
Enjoy!
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If you're interested in joining me in France in 2020, please check out my upcoming trips! For the first we will return to the Alsace region (starting in Paris and including jaunts into Germany and Switzerland) the second is a new trip to Provence. You can even sign up for BOTH at a savings (details on that sweet deal at the bottom of this page).
To reserve your spot you simply make a deposit now and then pay monthly into 2020! Let's go!
Cranberry and Currants Dressing or Spread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup dried currants
- 1 medium orange juiced
- 1 large lemon juiced
- 1 shallot (about 1-ounce)
- 2 tablespoons plain vegan yogurt
- 2 tablespoons agave syrup
- 2 tablespoons pecan or walnut oil
- 1 tablespoon white balsamic glaze
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
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Combine the cranberries and currants in a small bowl. Pour the orange and lemon juice over the dried fruit and set aside for 10 minutes.
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Transfer the reconstituted fruit (and juice) to a food processor or blender. And the remaining ingredients and puree to desired consistency (it should be creamy but still chunky for spread; add more lemon or orange juice for a thinner dressing).
