Celine Steen's Blog

Au revoir, Mamounette.

I guess I should post something. It’s been a while. I’ve started too many posts like this but the circumstances are different this time around.

If you aren’t on Instagram, you might have missed the news that my mom passed away in an incredibly brutal way a couple of months ago. (Damn, almost 2 months already. It feels like it was yesterday.)

We were incredibly close. She was even a tester for my cookbooks. I think the only two or three recipes she didn’t test for me where those with...

Out very, very soon → A new cookbook collaboration

I’ve been meaning to post what follows for quite a while now, but these last couple of months have been so tumultuous that “very, very soon” turns out to be next week already. Gah! Anyway, here I go.

Page Street Publishing, aka the publisher of my cookbook, invited me to join six other authors (Linda & Alex Meyer, Amber St Peter, Marie Reginato, Emily von Euw, and Kathy Hester) in contributing 100 recipes each (that’s over 600 recipes total) to The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook!
This great whoppe...

Oh cookie mio, sta ‘nfronte a te.

Remember the Oreo Cookie Cookies of yore? I suddenly did and decided to use the brand new Trader Joe’s Neapolitan Joe-Joe’s in yet another adaptation of the original recipe. A little less butter (because I ran out), (slightly) better sugar (which I powdered because I didn’t want the tell-tale brown spots Sucanat can leave behind), no baking soda (holy sheesh, there was no need for so much rising agent in the first place), a different flour (just because), no cream of tartar (because no eggs...

Taco Friday, Taco Every Day.

I came across what sounded like a simple and pretty kickass recipe on BA‘s sister site Basically, and knew I had to whip up a vegan-friendly version of it. Mission accomplished, I already made it twice. The first time fairly faithfully to the original, albeit with the appropriate changes to veganize it. The second time, with more tweaks to make it even friendlier to my own palate. The original was just too sweet for me and didn’t allow the adobo sauce to come through. The recipe can be found...

Moroccan Tempeh Pita Breads

I just finished a plate of this and had to share the love over here. Textures, flavors, general awesomeness? Check, check, and check.

Not in the mood for bread-y stuff? I feel that way sometimes too. So I turn my meals into massive salads instead. It allows you to be even more generous with the veggies since nothing risks falling out of the bread. The method here: slather some of the mayo at the bottom of your plate, using a spoon. Then pile all the veggies, tempeh, pour the marinade or pom...

Lazy bread for tomato toast, perhaps.

Here’s a quick, yeast-free bread recipe that’s been knocking our socks off in recent weeks. It’s savory, sturdy, and perfect for breakfast/avocado/whatever toast and as a sidekick to salads, soups, and stews (when the weather is more appropriate for the latter two). You can see it jazzed up in the pictures with a thin layer of tahini, sliced summer tomatoes (aka perfection), pickled onion (well, only in batch of toast in last picture), a pinch urfa biber, Aleppo pepper, Maldon salt, roasted...

A refreshing cauliflower tabbouleh

I could eat cauliflower tabbouleh all day, every day. It’s such a perfect and quick summertime meal! I adore the variety of textures and flavors of this particular recipe. It’s a good thing Chaz doesn’t really go for raw cauliflower and pistachios: it means I have this huge bowl all to myself for the coming days.
I used an orange cauliflower, but any color will do of course. The store didn’t have regular lemons either (!) so I used variegated pink ones, which happen to be quite lovely to loo...

The Pie is a Lie.

Because galettes are much easier to make and less fussy. (Pies are still great though, I’m not hating.)

I had to make the miso sweet galette twice before I got it right. The first time, it was way too salty and more like a savory sweet potato pie than the dessert it should have been. We still ate it with loads of ice cream to fix the savory problem. It worked. But this version is a million times better and so festive, full of delicious textures and flavors. While writing down the recipe(s) m...

Citrus Chile Soy Curl Tacos

Like 99% of the population, we’re all about easy dishes here when heatwaves keep coming at us throughout the summer. Possibly more than 99% of the population will also agree that it doesn’t get much easier or delicious than tacos.

If you don’t fancy making your own crema, get yourself some vegan sour cream at the store and be happy. I also occasionally just go for a 12-ounce pack of silken tofu blended with the chilled coconut cream from a can of coconut cream or milk, combined with 1 table...

I wasn’t built to be an oil-free vegan.

My love for good oil is immoderate, but I still use it in moderation. As you do. Toasted oils and infused oils are the epitome of flavor bliss, so I was tickled pink when La Tourangelle offered to send a few samples. I was already familiar with the brand of course, and actually do purchase their products as a frequent treat.

While one might argue that La Tourangelle oils aren’t the cheapest compared to more regular types of oil, one should also bear in mind that you don’t need to add a ton...