Chopped - Vegan!

Isa Moskowitz cookbook author (Vegan with a Vengeance, Vegonomicon, Appetite for Reduction, Vegan Pie in the Sky, etc,) and of Post Punk Kitchen fame announced on Facebook last week a vegan version of the popular Food Network show, Chopped.  You know the show...four contestants compete preparing first an appetizer, then an entree, and finally a dessert.  Secret ingredients are revealed before each round and one person is eliminated after each round, leaving a victor at the end of the dessert round.  It's a fun show to watch, however the gross meat that they have is really gross.  Sadly, I'd had enough of the gross meat and had to stop watching.

But Chopped vegan-style?  Right up my alley!  It's odd that it is right up my alley actually.  I follow recipes to a T.  I'm not creative in my life at all and that goes for my cooking in the kitchen too.  But I love the idea behind the show.  The food is judged by how well you incorporate the ingredients, presentation, and taste.

So the challenge for us was to create an entree using the following secret ingredients:

The secret ingredients are blackberries, black eyed peas, fresh mint, and bittersweet chocolate.  I had a bit of trouble locating bittersweet chocolate without milk fat.  I finally found this Ghiradelli that didn't have any milk fat in it.

Before sharing my recipe I must begin my saying that I used Dreena Burton's Moroccan-Infused Vegetable Phyllo Rolls as a source of inspiration.  Her Balsamic Maple sauce was an inspiration as well for my sauce that I made.  Many contestants on Chopped use recipes familiar to them while on the show and I felt inspired by Dreena's recipe and thought the ingredients would go well together in this way.

Now, without further hesitation....let me introduce to you my very first recipe I have ever created...

Drum roll please...

Black Eyed Pea Phyllo Rolls with a Blackberry Balsamic Sauce with Chocolate and Mint.  I served it with a garden salad.

Here is the recipe:

For the rolls:
1 can of black eyed peas
1 medium-sized zucchini, chopped
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 peppers, seeded and chopped (I used one red, one yellow)
4 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 sheets of phyllo dough
3 TBS olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 TBS maple syrup
4 fresh mint leaves
1 square Ghiradelli chocolate
1/4 tsp salt

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a large sauce pan over medium high heat combine 1 TBS olive oil, onion, and potato.  Cook until onion is caramelized and  potato begins to brown, about 8 minutes.  Add zucchini, thyme, tarragon, oregano, marjoram, sage, salt and pepper (to taste) and cook until soft, about another 5 minutes.  Add peppers and cook for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute or until soft.

 

 

 

Prepare the phyllo by unwrapping from the packaging and placing a damp towel over the top of the phyllo to prevent it from drying out.  Carefully take one sheet of dough (remember to replace the wet towel on top of the other sheets so they don't dry out) and spread a small amount of the oil (use a pastry brush) over the entire surface of the sheet.  Place another sheet directly on top of the first sheet and spread this with oil too.  Place a third sheet on top of the second but do not spread with oil.  Spread half of the black eyed pea and vegetable mixture, lengthwise on the phyllo dough and carefully roll up.  Yours may burst out, as mine did...no worries.

 

Carefully transfer the roll to a baking dish.  You may need to curve yours around to fit the dish, like I did for mine.  Repeat the process using the second half of the bean and vegetable mixture.  Brush the tops of both rolls with a little bit of oil.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is golden.

 

While the rolls are baking you can prepare the sauce.  Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pot over medium low heat.  Stir frequently to prevent the chocolate from scorching.  I used a small whisk and broke up my blackberries and crushed the mint a bit to get it incorporated.  Once the berries are thawed and the chocolate is melted, pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the berry seeds and the mint leaves.  Serve on top or as a dipping sauce with your rolls.