Today is a pretty special day on The Curvy Carrot. I’ve been excited about this for several weeks, but now I can share some good news with you.
One of my favorite vegetarian bloggers, Michael Natkin, is now a cookbook author. I was even more excited when I was invited to have a sneak peek at his new cookbook, Herbivoracious, and I was given the opportunity to share it with you.
I’ve been following Michael for a pretty long time. His vegetarian recipes range from simple to completely inventive…cheddar battered onion rings? I mean, seriously. That idea is BRILLIANT (unfortunately, due to my super sensitive smoke detector and tiny little apartment kitchen, I had to pass on trying that recipe for something else instead…but, let me tell you, it’s on my bucket list.) Through reading through many of his recipes, I have been introduced to new ingredients, new ideas, and new flavor combinations that leave me inspired, excited, and proud to be almost a full-time vegetarian.
For my recipe, I chose his Maple Pudding with Spiced Pecans. For several reasons. One, I have been longing to make a homemade pudding from scratch. It’s easy, folks. Two, apparently it’s maple season around the Upper Valley, and I am becoming a maple fan. Not a super sugary processed maple. The maple that is thick and golden and tastes like nothing else in this world. THAT kind of maple. And, lastly, I knew his meals and entrees would be great, so I wanted to test out a dessert. Glad I did. Smooth and creamy with sweet maple flavoring-that’s how this tasted. It was a really hard decision, to be honest. I went through this cookbook at least 6 or 7 times before deciding. The photography is fantastic. It’s a great cookbook-and not just for vegetarians. To pre-order yours before it comes out on May 8, click here.
Thanks, Michael, for offering me the chance to try your wonderful recipes!
Maple Pudding with Spiced Pecans
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the pudding:
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup maple syrup (preferably Grade B)
Salt
For the spiced pecans:
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 cup pecans (halves or pieces)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Nutmeg (preferably freshly grated)
Smoked paprika
Salt
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
Instructions
1. For the pudding: In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of milk together until smooth.
2. Place the remaining milk into a medium saucepan and add the cornstarch/milk mixture, whisking until smooth.
3. Whisk in the maple syrup and a pinch of salt.
4. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring frequently.
5. As soon as the mixture begins to thicken (a couple of minutes), remove it from the heat and pour into a medium bowl or four ramekins.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set. (1-2 hours or so.)
7. For the spiced pecans: In a small skillet over medium heat, cook the sugar and pecans, stirring frequently, until the sugar is melted and the pecans are browned, about 5 minutes.
8. Stir in the cinnamon, a few gratings of nutmeg, a big pinch of smoked paprika, a pinch of salt, and the butter.
9. As soon as the butter is melted and has coated the nuts, remove from the heat and pour the nuts onto a plate to cool. They may stick together somewhat; simply break up the clusters with your hands at serving time.
10. Place about 2 tablespoons of the nuts on each portion of maple pudding and serve.
Source: Directly from Herbivoracious.
Virginia - This was probably not the best thing to look at before breakfast- now I don’t want my granola bar and am craving pudding! this is going to the top of the “must make” list.
Michael Natkin - Thank you so much for trying out the book and sharing! Your pictures of the pudding are absolutely gorgeous.
Medeja - Wow..Looks like a really lovely pudding! I guess flavor combination is just adorable.
Georgia @ The Comfort of Cooking - What a fabulous pudding and lovely photos! This looks so delicious. Thanks for sharing. Also, I’m having a great giveaway today with four potential prize winners, so you should enter!
Herbivoracious in the News » Harvard Common Press - […] The Curvy Carrot ran a review and recipe from […]
Julia - This was so easy, I was skeptical that it would work. But it was really nice! I added a bit of vanilla. The maple flavor was good, but fairly subtle. Next time I would add a touch of maple extract. The spiced nuts and some whipped cream are mandatory, otherwise it would be pretty boring.
Maple Pudding with Spiced Pecans - […] For recipe visit: thecurvycarrot.com […]