Vegan recipes from Savoring | National Post

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Our cookbook of the week is Savoring by Montreal-based food photographer, recipe developer and food stylist Murielle Banackissa.

Jump to the recipes: saka saka (Congolese cassava leaf and spinach stew), sweet potato shiitake poutine and pampushki (Ukrainian garlic rolls).

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The essence of Murielle Banackissa‘s cookbook debut, Savoring, can be felt in pampushki. The garlic rolls “are like a hug from a Ukrainian grandmother,” says the Montreal-based food photographer, recipe developer and food stylist. They also perfectly illustrate the book’s theme, which isn’t just about enjoying finished dishes but embracing the entire journey. “You need to knead the dough. You need to follow each step carefully: oil your hands to ensure the dough is nice and supple. I love the process of making pampushki.”

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As the owner of a photography studio who has worked with companies such as Nespresso, Lindt, Oikos, Activia and Silk, Banackissa has a lot on her plate. Most of the time, especially during the week, she cooks simply. But she makes it a practice to cook mindfully as often as possible, taking her time with the ingredients. “My cooking philosophy is really just enjoying the process. We live in a world that’s so fast-paced. We have so many things on our to-do list. We’re always juggling a million different tasks.”

Like anyone, sometimes, she feels an urge to rush into the kitchen and make something quick. But for Banackissa, cooking has always been a way of grounding herself. Whether taking time on the weekend to make something involved or creating something more straightforward on a weeknight, she strives to be present in the moment. “Like maybe putting some music on, creating a whole ritual around that. And I want to encourage the readers of Savoring to adopt that mindset a little bit in their lives, too. It’s something that brings me a lot of joy and peace, and it makes the whole experience so much more pleasurable and fun and memorable.”

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In Savoring, Banackissa shares 100 vegan recipes, many inspired by her childhood in the Republic of the Congo and Quebec, her home of more than 20 years. “I’ve always had a feeling that at some point, I would share a little bit more of my story, because it’s so particular,” she says, laughing. “I moved a lot. I have a diverse background and have had many different life experiences. And I always thought it would be more of an (autobiography) at some point, not really a cookbook. But it’s special that I get to share a bit of my story through recipes.”

Banackissa became vegan in 2017 and, at the time, didn’t know any others besides her now-husband, artist Sam McKinnon. She started reinventing her culinary style, incorporating flavours she had enjoyed before becoming vegan and trying new cooking techniques and recipes.

She learned how to cook by adapting other people’s recipes to her preferences and took the same approach to veganism. For the first couple of years, she experimented with recipes from other plant-based creators, such as Niagara-based cookbook author Laura Wright of The First Mess and Dana Shultz, a recipe developer and co-author of the Minimalist Baker. She played with ingredients she hadn’t worked with before, such as nutritional yeast, and made cheese from cashews. (Banackissa shares a nut-free ricotta in the book).

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“Slowly but surely, I created my own identity and felt more comfortable adapting recipes I grew up eating to veganism. And the more you have successful results, the more it encourages you to keep going.”

Banackissa was born in Pointe-Noire, a coastal city in Congo, to a Russian-Ukrainian mother and a Congolese father. She moved to Canada with her family when she was eight years old. Studying international business at Concordia University, she had never considered working in the food industry. It wasn’t until a friend asked her to take photos for his ice cream company that her passion for photography materialized into a career.

After she graduated from Concordia, she started pitching clients to see how far she could take her photography. As her business grew, she began offering other services, such as recipe development. “I fell in love with creating my own recipes,” says Banackissa. “A lot of people who write cookbooks start with a blog, and then they develop their photography. For me, it was the other way around. Photography was the first thing.”

Even before she started a career in food, it had always been a source of comfort and a way to show love to the people in her life. In Savoring, Banackissa shares recipes that mean the most to her and her family — dishes she grew up with, such as her mom Olga’s borscht and the saka saka she enjoyed at her dad Cyrille’s church gatherings, which she veganized or put a twist on.

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Take Olivier salad, a dish that originated in the Russian Empire and is now popular worldwide (especially in former Soviet countries), which typically includes fish, meat or poultry. Olga used to add ham to the diced potatoes, carrots, apples, hard-boiled eggs, pickles and peas before pouring on a mayonnaise-based dressing. When Banackissa started following a plant-based diet, she adapted it to capture the same flavour and spirit, minus the ham, and shares a vegan version in the book.

Since Banackissa became vegan seven years ago, she’s noticed a rise in plant-based content in general, as well as more culturally diverse food bloggers and recipe developers.

“Now we have creators like Afia Amoako, The Canadian African, making Ghanaian vegan food, which is awesome. Or someone like Lisa Kitahara from Okonomi Kitchen. She’s making Japanese vegan food, which is great. That’s what excites me: having this diversity entering the scene. And just being exposed to all types of food because, initially, it was a little bit more difficult to find these recipes — especially in the mainstream,” says Banackissa. “I love finding inspiration in other cultures and other ways of cooking. That’s how I’ve grown my skills in the kitchen, and I continue to do that. Two thousand and twenty-four is a very exciting time in food.”

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SAKA SAKA

Makes: 4 servings
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 2 hours

1 tbsp avocado oil
1 cup diced red onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 large green bell pepper, diced
2 1/2 cups cassava leaves (a 18 oz/500 g frozen package), thawed and drained
2 1/2 packed cups (4 1/2 oz/125 g) fresh spinach
1/4 habanero pepper, chopped (see note)
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth or vegan chicken broth
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to taste
2 green onions, chopped
3 tbsp natural crunchy or smooth peanut butter

Garnishes (optional):
Chopped peanuts
Hot sauce, such as sambal oelek
Finely chopped parsley or green onion

Step 1

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the avocado oil and onion and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and starting to brown.

Step 2

Add the garlic and bell pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

Step 3

Stir in the cassava leaves, spinach, habanero, broth, salt, and pepper.

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Step 4

Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally.

Step 5

Add the green onions and peanut butter. Stir and let simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Step 6

Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking.

Step 7

Garnish with peanuts, hot sauce, and parsley. Serve hot alongside coconut rice, pan-fried plantains and fufu.

Step 8

Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Note: Depending on your heat tolerance, the amount of habanero pepper can really vary. If you are super sensitive to heat, simply skip it in this recipe or use a quarter but remove the seeds. On the other hand, if you love the heat, you can use half or an entire habanero pepper, seeds included.

You can find frozen cassava leaves in most African grocery shops.

SWEET POTATO SHIITAKE POUTINE

Makes: 4 servings
Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 1 hour

Sweet potato fries:
4 sweet potatoes, unpeeled and cut in 1/2-inch (1.25-cm) -thick sticks (see note)
1 tbsp avocado oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp black pepper

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Mushroom gravy:
4 cups vegan beef broth or vegetable broth
1 cup (40 g) dried whole shiitakes
1/4 cup unsalted vegan butter
1/2 cup finely diced shallots (see note)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh thyme
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp whisky, optional (see note)
2 tsp tamari
2 tsp dark miso paste
1/2 tsp black pepper

Sautéed shiitakes:
2 tbsp unsalted vegan butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp tamari
Black pepper, to taste

Toppings:
Vegan feta cheese
Sliced green onions

Prepare the sweet potato fries

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

Step 2

Drizzle the sweet potatoes with the avocado oil and sprinkle with the salt, chili powder, and pepper. Toss to coat, then arrange in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until tender and browning at the edges. Give the fries a toss halfway through the cooking time.

Prepare the mushroom gravy

Step 3

In a small saucepan with the lid on, bring the broth and dried shiitakes to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, covered.

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Step 4

Remove the shiitakes from the saucepan and set aside. Transfer the broth to a bowl.

Step 5

Return the saucepan to the stove and melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often using a silicone spatula, for 2 to 3 minutes, until softened.

Step 6

Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

Step 7

Add the warmed broth, whisky, tamari, miso, and pepper. Stir, then bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often.

Step 8

Transfer the mixture to an immersion blender or a regular blender and blend until smooth. Return to the stove and cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes or until thickened. Set aside.

Prepare the sautéed shiitakes

Step 9

Thinly slice the rehydrated shiitakes.

Step 10

Melt the butter in a pan, then add the shiitakes and cook until golden, about 2 minutes.

Step 11

Sprinkle in the garlic, tamari, and pepper. Stir, then remove the mixture from the heat to prevent burning.

Assemble the poutine

Step 12

Divide the sweet potato fries among four individual bowls. Top with crumbled feta, gravy, and sautéed shiitakes. Sprinkle with sliced green onions and serve.

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Notes: Looking for a more traditional poutine? Use russet or Yukon Gold potatoes instead of sweet potatoes.

Feel free to swap the shallots in the gravy with red onion or yellow onion.

Although the whisky is optional, I really recommend it! It adds another layer of flavour and makes the ingredients come alive. If you only have bourbon on hand, feel free to use that instead.

PAMPUSHKI

Makes: 15 rolls
Preparation: 25 minutes
Cooking: 30 minutes
Resting: 1 hour 15 minutes

1 cup (250 mL) warm water (at about 120F/49C)
1 tbsp (15 g) organic cane sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 (2 1/4 tsp/7 g) sachet instant yeast
3 tbsp + 1/4 cup (105 mL) canola oil, divided, plus more for greasing
3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour, divided

Garlicky glaze:
3 tbsp (45 mL) water
2 tbsp (30 mL) canola oil
2 tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, grated using a Microplane
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp fleur de sel or coarse sea salt

Step 1

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, and salt until most of the sugar and salt have dissolved.

Step 2

Sprinkle the instant yeast over the water mixture in an even layer. Let sit for 5 minutes to activate. It will go from granulated to foamy, creating a uniform layer on top of the water.

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Step 3

Whisk the mixture until the yeast is incorporated (it’s okay if some small clumps remain), then stir in 3 tablespoons (45 mL) of canola oil.

Step 4

Add 1/3 cup (45 g) of flour, whisking to incorporate. Repeat two more times.

Step 5

Set the whisk aside. Add 1/2 cup (70 g) of flour and stir with a wooden spoon to incorporate. Repeat two more times.

Step 6

Pour 1/4 cup (60 mL) of canola oil into a small bowl.

Step 7

Sprinkle 1/4 cup (35 g) of flour over the dough and incorporate using your hands.

Step 8

Oil your hands (using the oil in the small bowl) and knead the dough directly in the bowl (or on a clean, lightly floured work surface, if you prefer). If the dough is very sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup (35 g) of flour, 1 tablespoon (9 g) at a time, kneading between additions. Make sure to oil your hands often to help keep the dough smooth and airy. If you add too much flour, it will be too dense. Once the dough is no longer sticky, but smooth, elastic and soft, knead for 5 more minutes.

Step 9

Remove the dough from the bowl and brush some oil onto the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Step 10

Cover the dough in a thin layer of oil, return it to the bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Let rise for 1 hour in a warm environment.

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Step 11

Dust a clean work surface with flour and grease a 9-inch (23-cm) pie dish with canola oil or cooking spray.

Step 12

Transfer the dough to your work surface and sprinkle lightly with flour. Using your hands, form the dough into a 14-inch (36-cm) log. Cut it into 15 equal pieces. To form into balls, pull each dough piece outward, then gather the edges together under the dome and pinch together. If you find that the dough is too sticky, making it hard to form each ball, dust each ball with a little flour.

Step 13

Place in the glass dish, smooth side up. Brush canola oil over the pampushki or spray with cooking spray. Loosely cover in plastic wrap (you can reuse the piece you used previously). Let rise for 15 minutes in a warm environment.

Step 14

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F (177C).

Step 15

For the garlicky glaze, mix together the water, canola oil, dill, grated garlic and fine sea salt in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 16

Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, until they turn brown. To add a deeper brown colour, broil at 500F (260C) for 1 to 2 minutes after baking.

Step 17

Remove from the oven, give the garlicky glaze a stir, and immediately spoon over the hot rolls. Garnish with fleur de sel.

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Step 18

Enjoy warm or at room temperature. Store at room temperature, tightly covered with foil, for up to 2 days.

Recipes and images excerpted from Savoring by Murielle Banackissa. Copyright ©2024 Murielle Banackissa. Photographs by Murielle Banackissa. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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