Mastering the Art of Vegan-French Cooking
Rebecca Leffler, who is called "the Queen of the vegolution" in France, hosts "Très green très chic" wellness events in New York and Paris at both public and corporate levels.
As an American in Paris, my first years in the City of Lights were filled with a diet that was anything but “light.” When I was diagnosed with gluten and dairy intolerance and forced to revamp said diet (which at the time was admittedly 90% bread, cheese and pastry), I thought la vie as I knew it was over.
However, a whole new world opened for me. First of all, I discovered that French cuisine wasn’t simply boeuf bourguignon, croissants and tarte tatin. Traditional French cuisine is, in fact, focused on simplicity, seasonal eating and finding a balance between savoring and appreciating food, but eating it in moderation.
A restricted diet can be tough for anyone, particularly for those who love food and love sharing food with others. I feared that my social life would suffer and that I’d never again be able to enjoy my favorite French foods. Au contraire! While perhaps I will never again be able to stop at my local Parisian boulangerie twice daily for a fresh-baked wheat baguette and buttery pastry du jour (this may be a good thing!), I’ve learned that is it possible to entertain and entertain my taste buds with delicious fare. Like fine French fashion, simple but elegant is usually best. Dressing all in black with the perfect pair of jeans, then accessorizing by season with a splash of color or a beautiful scarf, isn’t so different from dressing up a perfectly cooked quinoa salad with some seasonal vegetables and a delectable sauce.
Auguste Escoffier would likely be shouting sacre bleu! if he knew his beloved mother sauces were given a dairy-free makeover. And French grandmothers from Brittany might be teary-eyed to discover their dear traditional crêpes have been fattened up American-style. However, allergies are more ubiquitous in 2015 than they were in 1915 so it is time to adapt, oui? Whether your guests are vegan, gluten-free or will eat anything, the recipes here are crowd-pleasers that are also perfect as leftovers for one, so feel free to make several portions at once. As Julia Child said, “You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces, just good food from fresh ingredients.”
Bon appétit! 
Pancrêpes
Can’t decide between a thin French crêpe and its fatter American cousin, le pancake? Try a pancrêpe! Thicker than a crêpe (and thus, much easier to make at home — no special skillet required) but thinner than a pancake, these are the perfect hybrid. Traditionally, in Brittany, sweet crêpes are made with wheat flour and savory crêpes with buckwheat flour. Buckwheat flour is so nourishing, but it can also weigh you down, so I like the contrast of the lighter, more neutral brown rice flour. If you prefer, use all buckwheat or substitute other flours like sorghum, quinoa, or millet.
- Servings Makes 8 pancakes (2 to 4 servings)
Ingredients
For the batter:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 60 grams (½ cup) buckwheat flour
- 60 grams (½ cup) brown rice flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 300 ml (1¼ cups) homemade or store-bought almond milk, as needed
For a creamy sauce:
- 2 tablespoons coconut butter or cashew butter
- tablespoon maple syrup
For a fruity sauce:
- 200 grams (1 cup) chopped seasonal fruit (apples, pears, cherries, figs...)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla powder or extract
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
Optional toppings:
1 tablespoon sweet butter
1 banana, sliced thinly
¼ cup sliced seasonal fruit
1 tablespoon toasted nuts of choice
A pinch of cinnamon
Preparation
1. Warm the coconut oil over low heat until liquid. Pour into a dish and set aside.
2. Blend the buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Add the maple syrup, lemon juice, and almond milk and mix well. The consistency should be liquid, but thick. If you prefer thinner pancakes or crêpes, add more almond milk.
3. Coat a pan with some of the coconut oil and pour in a scoop of the batter, turning the pan so that a perfect circle forms. Alternatively, pour the batter into cookie cutters set in the pan—a great activity to do with kids! Cook until the top starts to bubble, about 2 minutes, then remove the cutter, if using. Flip the pancake with a spatula, and cook until golden brown and cooked through.
4. Repeat with the rest of the batter. Eat as you go, or keep them warm, arrange in a stack on the plate, and top with sweet butter, your sauce of choice, fruit, nuts, and cinnamon, and dig in!
If making a creamy sauce:
Warm the coconut butter gently over the stove over low heat then add maple syrup and 1 tablespoon water. Pour over the pancrêpes.
If making a fruity sauce:
You have two options here: (1) Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and creamy. (2) Add all ingredients to a small pan and cook, covered, on low heat until soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Mash with a fork, then spoon on top of the pancrêpes.
Recipe from Très Green, Très Clean, Très Chic: Eat (and Live!) the New French Way with Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Season, copyright© Rebecca Leffler, 2015. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment.
Quinoa-là-là Salad with Turmeric Tahini Hollandaise
Summertime calls for lighter fare that won’t weigh you down or make you sweat in the kitchen. But who really wants to eat a plate of bland lettuce? This salad provides protein-packed quinoa and roasted sweet potatoes that are lightened with arugula and herbs and drizzled with creamy tahini hollandaise. This is a detoxifying (arugula!), beautifying (sweet potato!), energizing (quinoa!) and très delicious dish that is easy to prep in advance. Take it away for a summer picnic or dress it up at home for a beautiful display to serve to guests (just increase the portions). Vary the sweet potato with other roasted, seasonal vegetables (butternut squash in the fall, carrots or asparagus in spring, kabocha squash in winter, eggplant or zucchini in summer). Any tender fresh greens can be swapped for the arugula and grains or seeds (buckwheat, millet or brown rice) can be used in place of quinoa.
- Servings Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
- ¼ cup white quinoa
- Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, as needed
- 70 ml (⅓ cup) vegetable broth, homemade bouillon or water
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
- A generous handful of arugula (or salad greens of choice)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley or other fresh herbs of choice
- 1-2 tablespoons of Turmeric Tahini Hollandaise*
- 1 tablespoon toasted pumpkin seeds or walnuts
- 1-2 teaspoons sliced chives
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh sprouts, optional
- ½ tablespoon olive oil (or other heart-healthy vegetable oil of choice such as walnut, pumpkin seed, sesame, flax or hemp seed)
Preparation
1. Earlier in the day or the night before, soak the quinoa in filtered water with a splash of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Cover and allow to soak for several hours or overnight. Alternatively, you can simply rinse and cook the quinoa, but the cooking time will be longer and you may need a 1:2 ratio of quinoa to liquid.
2. If you’ve soaked the quinoa, when you’re ready to cook it rinse it in a sieve then add to a small saucepan on the stove with the vegetable broth or water. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn off the heat, allow to sit covered for another 5 minutes, then remove the cover and fluff with a fork.
3. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool. If desired, the quinoa may be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 190° C (375° F). On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, toss the sweet potato evenly with coconut oil (liquid or solid as it will turn to liquid in seconds once placed in the oven) and salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, toss well, and dab with a paper towel if they seem very oily. Continue baking until fork-tender, 10 to 15 more minutes, then remove from heat and set aside.
5. Place the arugula and parsley in a large bowl (see Note). Add the quinoa and sweet potatoes and mix together. Drizzle with Turmeric Tahini Hollandaise to taste. (Additional dressing may be served separately or added as you eat.)
6. Top with toasted seeds or nuts, chives and sprouts. Drizzle with olive oil and a splash of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: If you’re taking this to go (it’s the perfect desk or picnic lunch and great to eat on a plane if you’re heading off on summer travels!), place the greens in a container, carrying the dressing separately. Or pour the dressing into a glass jar, top with the greens, and add a layer of quinoa, then sweet potato, and seeds or nuts. Shake and stir when you’re ready to eat.
Recipe from Très Green, Très Clean, Très Chic: Eat (and Live!) the New French Way with Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Season, copyright © Rebecca Leffler, 2015. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold.
Tahini Hollandaise
- Servings Makes 1 serving
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon tahini
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and ground pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)
- 1 teaspoon honey (optional, for bee-gans only!)
Preparation
Blend all ingredients in a blender or stir by hand until smooth.
Variations
For Miso-Ginger Tahini Hollandaise:
Substitute 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil for the olive oil. Add a piece of fresh ginger or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon miso paste, and 1 teaspoon tamari.
For Turmeric Tahini Hollandaise:
Add ½ teaspoon ground turmeric, an extra pinch of black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper (to taste), 1 teaspoon maple syrup, and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
Recipe from Très Green, Très Clean, Très Chic: Eat (and Live!) the New French Way with Plant-Based, Gluten-Free Recipes for Every Season, copyright © Rebecca Leffler, 2015. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment.
Rebecca Leffler
Rebecca Leffler is an author, journalist and consultant. She hosts “Très green très chic” wellness events in New York and Paris on both a public and corporate level. Called “the Queen of the vegolution” in France, her best-selling French book Green, Glam & Gourmande has been translated into Spanish and Dutch and the English-language adaptation Très Green, Très Clean, Très Chic: Eat (and live) the New French Way with Plant-based, Glueten-free Recipes for Every Season. Visit her website and follow her blog.
Photo credit: Ola Rindal
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