Zachary PaclebYesterday, Restaurant Zoe’s Zachary Pacleb painted a picture of life in some of Seattle’s best kitchens. Today, he shares his recipe for Quinoa Panisse Cakes with Roasted Cauliflower and Celery. “I have a lot of dietary restrictions myself, so I essentially cook a lot of rustic vegan at home,” said Pacleb, offering this vegan dish that’s as pretty as a picture. Quinoa Panisse Cakes w/ Roasted Cauliflower and CeleryServes 4 -6Panisse2 1/2 Teaspoon of olive oil1/2 cup celery, finely diced1 cup shallot, finely diced2 cups quinoa flour (dry quinoa ground in a blender or spice grinder to find powder)4 cups wter or vegetable stocklemon zest1 Tablespoon of parsley, chopped2 Tablespoon of rosemary, chopped1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted and coarsely chopped salt and pepper to tasteIn a wide bottom pot heat the olive oil over a medium heat. Add the celery and shallot and cook down until well caramelized. Remove the pot and add your water or stock to deglaze. Bring the liquid to a boil. Once hot, transfer the liquid to a blender or food processor. Add half of the quinoa flour to the liquid and blend thoroughly. Return the mixture to the pan, again on medium heat. Whisk in the remaining flour, the rest of the ingredients and the shallot and celery mixture. Check the seasoning with salt and pepper. Continue to cook the mixture whisking continually until it reaches a thick, stiff consistency. Should resemble the texture of cookie dough in the pan. When fully thickened, transfer to a 9 in x 9 in baking pan lined with parchment paper. A little oil below the paper helps it stick to the pan. Smooth the top of the panisse and cover with another piece of parchment. Let set in the refrigerator until fully cooled and firm. This can be done 1 -2 days in advance. Before serving cut the cake into rectangles ¾ in by 2 ½ in or desired shape, and dredge both sides in extra quinoa flour and pan fry until golden brown on both sides and warm all the way through. Cauliflower and Quinoa Salad1 1/2 cups grated cauliflower (either on fine box grater or micro-plane)1 cup cooked quinoa, per package’s instructions1 jalapeno or Anaheim chili, finely minced (about ¼ cup)1/2 cup celery, finely diced1/2 cup green apple, finely diced and pickled (recipe follows)1/2 lemon, juiced and zested1 Tablespoon rosemary, chopped1 Tablespoon mint, chopped3/4 cup extra virgin olive oilCombine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Check seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve room temperature.Sultanas Vinaigrette1/2 cup sultanas (golden raisins), plumped with pickling liquid1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard1 teaspoon shallot, minced1/2 cup pickling liquid3/4 cup extra virgin olive oilsalt and black pepper to tasteWhisk together the Dijon, shallot, and pickling liquid in a bowl. Slowly add the oil until combined. Stir in sultanas and check the seasoning. This does not need to be totally emulsified. A little separation is okay.

Pickling Liquid1 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup water2 Tablespoon sugar1 1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 of a bay leaf1 teaspoon black peppercorns2 cardamom podsCombine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. For apples: pour the hot liquid over the diced apples and cover the surface with plastic wrap and let cool at room temperature. This recipe requires about 1/2 cup of liquid. For sultanas: pour just enough hot liquid to cover so that it can be absorbed into the sultanas.

To Serve:olive oil for frying6-8 large cauliflower florets, cut in half10 celery ribs18 picked celery leaves12 picked mint leaves1/2 of an apple, juliennedWith a vegetable peeler, peel down the back of the celery ribs to create long thin strips. Submerge the strips in ice water until they’ve curled into ribbons. Drain and reserve. Left over celery stalks can be diced up for the panisse. When ready to serve heat two pans over high heat, one large and one medium. Add enough oil to each pan to be about 1/4 inch deep. In the larger pan, sear off the panisse cakes to a golden brown, 3 per plate. If not entirely warm pop them into a 375 degree oven until hot. In the smaller pan, drop the cauliflower florets flat side down to develop a great sear and golden brown crust. Baste the back of the florets in the hot oil with a spoon to cook the back of the cauliflower. It should be tender, but still have a crunch. Drain both on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Toss the celery ribbons, mint leaves, celery leaves, and apple julienne in the vinaigrette. On each plate, lay down a bed of quinoa salad and place the cakes on top. Place 3 to 4 florets on each plate, and garnish with the celery ribbons, apple, and herb leaves. Sauce the plate with a bit more vinaigrette. Serve and enjoy!