Dining Out in New York City - by CHLOE.

Now this is a "Happy Meal" - by CHLOE

Given my fondness for and success with Chloe Coscarelli's recipes, it's no surprise that I was anxiously awaiting the launch of her all-vegan NYC restaurant by CHLOE. I suspected this might be coming with her efforts to grow her brand by appearing on the Today Show and keeping an active social channel going (Instagram: @bychefchloe, @chefchloe) where she shared updates along the way; this was a smart move, building loyalty before opening. The location is another smart move, near the W 4th Street subway stop and right by NYU, where students can grab vegan grub until 12am most nights. The creative direction and branding is just like her, refreshing, adorable and easily likable! 

Interior Design, Complete with Wicker Chair Swings (on the other side) - by CHLOE

Love all the packaging!

I saw the announcement just yesterday that her restaurant was having its grand opening on Tuesday, July 28th and I excitedly told my boyfriend exactly what we'd be doing for dinner the next day. He's enjoyed many Chloe cookbook recipes and was happy to take me! We showed up around 7:30pm and a large, but well managed line was there. They were giving away free cookies all day and even free burgers to the first 50 customers. The website only launched today with a posting of their menu, so I scrambled to make a very hard decision. In line, Chloe herself came around with free samples of a Peanut Butter Cacao Smoothie and a Kale Smoothie. Both were very yummy! I didn't hold back and asked to take a picture with her, she is so sweet! 

Now for our taste testing in the form of a large meal: I ordered the Kale Caesar Salad, as is, with shiitake bacon, avocado, almond parmesan, maple-wheat croutons, capers, grape tomatoes, and Caesar dressing. I hate to criticize my first choice, but this was just too salty for me to order again. I finished it, of course and thought the ingredients themselves were great, but it seemed like each one got salted separately and then tossed together. Along with it, I had a small order of Mac N' Cheese, which was creamy and delicious with a slight kick of smokey spice. The sauce coating the shells was a sweet potato cheese and it was topped with another dose of crunchy shiitake bacon. 

Mac N' Cheese - by CHLOE

The Classic Burger - by CHLOE 

My non-vegan boyfriend got The Classic Burger with Air Baked French Fries. The Classic Burger is built off a super hearty patty with tempeh, lentil, chia and walnut, topped with pickles, onion, beet ketchup and served on a potato bun. I had one bite and said without much experience myself, "tastes like a real burger!" My boyfriend didn't want to share, which is a good sign. His major complaint with vegan burgers is the mistake of serving a mushy veggie-based burger on tough, dry bread so the whole thing falls apart in your hands - this burger had a soft bun and it held it all together. The fries were also very tasty and you'd have no idea they weren't actually "fried." The Beet Ketchup was hot pink and sweet, a nice upgrade. The Special Sauce was light orange and likely a cashew cream base, it was a little bland and I would have preferred more of a mayo or vegannaise flavor. 

 

Chlostess Cupcake - by CHLOE

Dessert was another full course! For my free cookie, I got the Cinnamon Espresso Cookie, compared to my experience making these from her cookbook hers were much thinner and crisp, not moist. I really liked it, its got a slight overbaked taste, but in a good way that complements the espresso flavor. My boyfriend bought for himself (thinking he wouldn't have to share!) a big square of the Banana Bread and a Chlostess Cupcake (previous blog post here). He really enjoyed the Banana Bread, stuffed with chocolate chips and walnuts. As for the Chlostess Cupcake, this was super chocolatey and velvetly smooth and rich. 

Cinnamon Espresso Cookie - by CHLOE

These Look Familiar! The Many Dessert Options - by CHLOE

The menu is lengthy, especially considering this is a brand new restaurant, so that means I will be making many return trips. Chloe is a doll and was a pleasure to talk to, so it makes it a no brainer to support her in her business endeavor! Good luck :)

by CHLOE.

185 Bleecker Street

New York, NY 10012

by Chloe Website

by CHLOE from the Outside

Dining In - Kate Middleton's Pasta Alfredo

Kate Middleton's Pasta Alfredo - Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen

I first made this dish last December for Christmas. I had just gotten Chloe Coscarelli's new cookbook Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen (buy yourself a copy here to fully enjoy!) and was rapidly making my way through it. My mom helped a lot with this one! It makes a huge batch when using one pound of pasta so get ready for leftovers, or feed to a large group.

I just made this again for dinner for my boyfriend and I. With a reminder on the taste, I can say it's on the sweeter side because of the caramelization of the vegetables. It's not your traditional alfredo sauce and without any soaked nuts to add fat it left me wanting a slightly creamier, more satiating sauce. Regardless it's still a good dish and with the added homemade vegan Parmesan (a little on the sweet side, as well) it was enjoyable. I don't know if it lives up to the adorable name, but for how easy it was to prepare it's worth a try!






Pasta Alfredo

12 oz. cauliflower florets, fresh (use a kitchen scale to measure)
5 garlic cloves, whole
1 onion, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 pound fusili pasta (I used Trader Joe's Gluten-Free Brown Rice Fusilli)
2 cups almond milk
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Ground black pepper
Italian parsley, fresh, for garnish


Parmesan Topping
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon maple syrup


To Prepare Pasta Alfredo:

Cauliflower, Onion, and Garlic Cooking

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix cauliflower, garlic, and onion with olive oil in a large baking pan, season with sea salt. Cook for 30 minutes, stirring a few times, and remove from oven when vegetables are fork tender.

While vegetables are cooking, prepare the pasta according to package in salted water. Drain and rinse, particularly if using gluten-free pasta as the water gets cloudy.

In a blender, add in cooked vegetables, almond milk, lemon juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt. Blend until smooth. Toss sauce with the cooked pasta and add pepper to taste. Top with parsley garnish and Parmesan topping.

To Prepare Parmesan Topping:

Making Blanched Almonds

In a food processor, combine blanched almonds, nutritional yeast and sea salt. Pulse until it forms a crumble. Add in maple syrup and pulse again. Use this to top each serving of the pasta alfredo. 

Parmesan Topping - Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen

Leftover Parmesan Topping!

Dining In - Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Coffee Frosting (Gluten-Free)

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Coffee Frosting - Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen

When my boyfriend's birthday rolls around it's time to jump in the kitchen and bake! In previous years I've made full cakes, including last year's ambitious duo of German Chocolate Cake and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake (divine!), but this year I hate to say I was pressed for time so cupcakes were the pick. I wanted to incorporate my boyfriend's favorite flavors and Chloe delivered with her new cookbook for a recipe that included coffee, banana, and chocolate. The recipe is in Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen (buy yourself a copy here to fully enjoy!). I chose to make these gluten-free like my last baking experiment, because it came out so well! I used Trader Joe's gluten-free flour and Bob's Red Mill Xanthan Gum. These were a delicious batch of cupcakes. I loved the chocolate chunks in the subtle banana-flavored cake, and of course coffee frosting is taking things to the next level of yumminess. The banana cake included similar spices that you would use in a banana bread, like ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, so it smelled great when baking! I did notice that the cupcakes got a little tough and chewier than normal ones, so my lesson learned was to bake for a little bit less time.

Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
2 cups gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum

Mashed Banana

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 ripened bananas mashed (equals about 1 cup)

1 cup canned coconut milk (I use Trader Joe's Light Coconut Milk, canned)

1/2 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups dairy-free chocolate chips

Coffee Frosting
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder mixed with 2 tablespoons of water

To Prepare Banana Chocolate Chip Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins for about 16-18 cupcakes.

In a large bowl sift together all dry ingredients up until the bananas in above list. In a separate bowl, combine bananas, coconut milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla.

Pour wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients and stir together without over-mixing. Next add in chocolate chips and stir so they are evenly distributed.

Fill cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. In my baking experience these would have been best baked for about 18 minutes then removed from pan to stop from cooking. Let cool.


To Prepare Coffee Frosting:

Use a stand mixer or handheld mixture to smooth out shortening for one minute. 

Slowly add in powdered sugar and vanilla, while beating on slow speed. Add one tablespoon at a time of the espresso liquid, blend in completely and continue adding tablespoon by tablespoon until you reach the proper consistency for frosting. Continue to blend on high speed for two minutes until frosting is fluffy. Set aside.

Once cupcakes are fully cooled, use a frosting bag and tip to frost or a frosting knife. 

* I went a step further to make these visually appealing by mixing up some chocolate ganache to drizzle on top. I heated up about 1/4 cup chocolate chips and a couple teaspoons of coconut milk to blend into a nice sauce that I then poured over the cupcakes and cooled in the refrigerator. 

Dining In - Pesto Mac 'N' Cheese

Pesto Mac 'N' Cheese - Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen

Eating this dish felt like being a kid again. It's mac 'n' cheese for one thing, but it's also colorful with a bright orange pasta sauce and bright green pesto topping. It'd be a great dish to make in the summer, but we loved it just as much in the winter. :) I made this to enjoy as dinner with my non-vegan boyfriend. I was worried it, served with the Creamed Spinach wouldn't be enough of a meal, but I'm happy to report it was a winner for both of us and we were very full! The sauce was creamy and cheesy from the blended roux made with nutritional yeast. The basil pine nut pesto was spot on, adding more salt to the dish. This makes a huge batch, which for us often results in overeating, but you could save lots for leftovers or serve to a bigger group (like for a summer BBQ... that unfortunately is months away).

Mac 'N' Cheese
1 pound elbow pasta (I used gluten-free brand Tinkyada) 
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup flour (or gluten-free flour to make it a fully GF dish)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups almond milk
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pesto Sauce
2 cups basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup pine nuts (I used raw)
2 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon sea salt (I found the pesto to be too salty, so next time I'll reduce this)
1/4 cup olive oil


To Prepare Mac 'N' Cheese:

Gluten-Free Elbow Pasta

Begin by preparing the pasta according to the package, and adding a pinch of salt to the water. Drain and rinse the pasta. I do this more often when using gluten-free pasta to wash away the milky-looking cooking water. Set aside.

Make the cheese sauce by blending flour and olive oil in a medium saucepan. This looks like a pale green paste and I was worried about cooking it too long for fear of burning it, but Chloe suggests cooking for 3-5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook for just a minute. Next add almond milk, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Simmer on low heat to allow to thicken. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.

Roux in the Making - Flour, Oil, Garlic

Vegan Cheese Sauce

Toss cooked pasta with the sauce in a large bowl. When I first did this I thought there was way too much sauce, but I let it sit for a while to thicken and even put it in the oven to keep warm. This helped quite a bit and the sauce to pasta ratio was just fine.

To Prepare Pesto Sauce:

Vegan Pesto in Under 5 Minutes!

Use a food processor to chop up basil leaves, garlic cloves, pine nuts and blend with lemon juice and salt. Once blended add in olive oil and pulse until incorporated and it resembles traditional pesto sauce.
Top each serving of mac 'n' cheese with pesto sauce and savor every bite!

Dining In - Creamed Spinach

Creamed Spinach - Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen

I'm actually swooning over spinach after tasting this. It's unbelievably delicious! I'm definitely making this again and will add to the holiday menu next year. This simple, gluten-free dish was certainly creamy, like its name suggests, and with a pinch of salt it had the perfect flavor. It only took about 15 minutes to prepare and as soon as I was done I caught myself eating almost half of it before I could serve it for dinner! Oops. Luckily my non-vegan boyfriend shared my sentiments, but sadly we devoured it all within minutes. I blame myself for serving up significantly less than the original batch, but this just means it will be bookmarked for future meals. With a bit of olive oil and raw cashews it serves up some healthy fats that go so well with sweetened cooked onion, fragrant garlic, and wilted spinach. This recipe is from Chloe Coscarelli's latest cookbook Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen (buy yourself a copy here to fully enjoy!).

1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 oz. fresh spinach
Ground black pepper
Sea salt
Pinch of ground nutmeg (I left this out and didn't think the dish was missing anything)


Start by blending the raw cashews and water together on high speed in a blender for about 1 minute. It will resemble a white milky liquid when done. Tip: boil cashews with the water for 10 minutes first or use hot water to get a creamier consistency. I still ended up with some larger pieces of cashews because my blender is not the best, but I actually really liked that texture in the dish. 

Heat olive oil in large skillet on medium heat and add in onions. Cook until onions are softened and then add in spinach. Watch as the spinach shrinks down and turns a dark green color, stir occasionally. It will take about 5 minutes to cook the spinach. Once done add the garlic and cook for another minute, while stirring. Next add in the cashew cream and continue cooking for a minute or 2 more so it's heated throughout. 

Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper (and nutmeg if you so choose) and do a taste test, but don't get carried away like I did :) Add more seasoning, as needed.

Dining In - Almond Florentine Bar Cookies

Florentine Bar Cookies - Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen

I made these as a Christmas gift for my grandmothers. When flipping through dessert recipes I thought they looked so elegant and would work well for packaging in a decorative tin. The process was multi-step, but fairly easy. Almost all ingredients are kitchen basics and may only require a quick trip to the store. 

The bottom layer was similar to a buttery shortbread cookie that was then topped with a gooey sweet almond-filled sauce, which hardened after baking and cooling. Once cut into squares, they were drizzled with melted chocolate to take them to the next yummy level and add an aesthetically-pleasing garnish. This recipe is from Chloe Coscarelli's latest cookbook Chloe's Vegan Italian Kitchen (buy yourself a copy here to fully enjoy!). I cracked it open for the first time this Christmas and am quickly progressing through recipe by recipe. 


Crust
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Almond Sauce Topping
1/2 cup Earth Balance margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup almond milk
3 tablespoons agave syrup
1/4 cup flour
2 cups sliced almonds

Chocolate Drizzle
1 cup non-dairy semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon canola or coconut oil

Cookie Crust Ingredients
in Food Processor

To Prepare Crust: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 inch baking pan (deeper than a cookie pan).

Place all ingredients for the cookie crust in a food processor and pulse many times until you see the margarine has been incorporated and it resembles a fine meal.

Pour into the baking pan and spread evenly to cover the bottom. Press down to pack it in. Bake for about 10 minutes until it looks golden brown and is dry and hardened (I don't think I baked long enough as the cookie part was a little softer when it all cooled). 

To Prepare Almond Sauce Topping:

Use a medium saucepan and heat  on medium-high the margarine, sugar, almond milk, and agave so that it boils. Continue cooking at a boil for 10 minutes, but don't abandon the pot (it may boil over). Remove from heat and add in flour and almonds. Stir well. Sauce will thicken as it cools. 

 

Assemble cookie bars by spreading the almond sauce topping over the cooked bottom shortbread layer. Cook for another 20 minutes, but check on it towards the end to make sure the topping doesn't begin to burn. 

Let cool completely before slicing into small squares. I found that using a pizza cutter works well for this step, but it won't reach all the way to the edge, so use a knife and/or metal spatula to finish the job. Remove squares from pan and place on a large flat baking sheet covered with parchment paper for the final step!

To Prepare Chocolate Dip:

Burnt Chocolate :(

I had a baking fail on this step. I've melted chocolate a hundred times for the now FAMOUS vegan chocolate chip cookie dough balls. This time I burned the chocolate and had to repeat. Be careful to microwave on medium to low power for only a minute or less at a time and stir before continuing to melt. Once the chocolate hardens you can't successfully reheat it without it burning and drying up. You can also heat a small pot of water on the stove covered by a bowl with the chocolate chips in it (a homemade double boiler). You'll still need to stir frequently to distribute heat. 

Adding the oil will create a more fluid chocolate for decorating with, similar to a ganache. Use a fork or a squeeze bottle (like ketchup and mustard bottles - they sell these at kitchen supply stores) to drizzle melted chocolate on the bar cookies. 

Allow them to cool at room temperature or chill them in the refrigerator. Enjoy!