Chopped Vegan: Butternut Crepes with Cashew Rosemary Filling and Apricot Cranberry Sauce and Popcorn Dust

You've heard me talk about the show, Chopped, before, right? It's this show on the food network that has 4 chefs make an appetizer course using ingredients in their mystery baskets and then the worst dish gets "chopped" and then the next 3 contestants who passed, all make the entree course using a new mystery basket full of curveball ingredients. One gets chopped, the last 2 make dessert using a new basket, then the winner wins! They win $10,000 too. Anyways, this year, Vegan MoFo is having a "Vegan Chopped" contest and the mystery ingredients were: Butternut Squash, Apricot Preserves, Fresh Rosemary, and Popcorn. I feel like Ted Allen, the show's host, always says the hardest ingredient last, so that's what I did.

My Entry is a Butternut Squash Crepe. Inside is a cashew-tofu filling with roasted garlic and rosemary with a little nooch. Also inside the crepe is bits of popcorn dust. Over the top I poured an Apricot-Cranberry sauce and a little noochy popcorn dust too. Honestly, it tasted great. I was impressed with myself. Wishin' I had a sweet camera though, to take some nice pics of it.

A visual learner's dilemma is the need to draw pictures of the thing you need to make or solve the problem with the task you have to execute. Take note that this is a straight-on view, not a ball of stuff. I needed to see it before I could figure out how it was going to come to be. Don't judge me.

The crepe was really delicious and the filling was full of rosemary and roasted garlic flavor. The popcorn is tossed in nooch and ground up. It really gave a good texture to the crepe and didn't get soggy.The apricot-cranberry sauce stole the show. I definitely made extra for eating. Or drinking.

I love how orange they look! Also look at my crepe pan. You are jealous. It's okay. You'll get one someday, I'm sure.

A nice aerial view of my crepe! This really was a great brunch dish. I'm thinking about making it again sometime. Maybe Xmas morning breakfast would be good, because it's so fancy.

I already glanced through a bunch before posting mine, and everyone's look so good! Vegans are way more creative than non-vegan chefs. But we already know that. Chopped is just proof for the outside world.
Wish me luck!

Spiced Butternut Squash Crepe with garlic rosemary filling, cranberry apricot sauce with toasted popcorn dust

filling

1/2 butternut squash

1 head roasted garlic

1/3 block firm tofu

1/2 cup cashews

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 tablespoons nooch

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon unsweetened almond milk

popcorn

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup popcorn kernals

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon nooch

crepe

2/3 cup flour

1/2 butternut squash puree

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

cranberry apricot sauce

1/4 cup fresh cranberries, or frozen cranberries

1/2 cup apricot preserves

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

Roast garlic and butternut squash (cut in half, widthwise and again lengthwise, scoop out seeds and place cut sides down on a baking tray) at 400ºF for about 30 minutes, or until squash is tender. Scoop out flesh and let cool slightly. Then puree in a food processor until very smooth.

Make the filling by pureeing roasted garlic cloves, tofu, cashews, nooch and fresh rosemary, salt and pepper. If needed, add the 1 tablespoon of almond milk.

In a large pot with lid, heat canola oil and add 3 kernals of corn. Once the 3 kernals pop, add the rest of the kernals. Allow to pop until pops are about 20-30 seconds apart, then turn off heat. Pour into a large bowl and season with salt, pepper and nooch. Put a couple handfuls into a food processor and process until fine crumbs are acheived.

Make the sauce by blending the fresh cranberries and sugar in a blender or food processor. Transfer to a mixing bowl and whisk in remaining ingredients.

Whisk together the four and spices. In the center, pour in the squash puree and mix. Slowly add the almond milk, and whisk until a very thin batter comes together. season with salt and pepper

Heat a crepe pan to medium high heat and spray with canola oil. Ladle about 1/2 cup of mixture onto center of crepe pan and twist pan to coat. Let cook about 2 minutes and carefully flip onto second side. Let cook another minute and transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining batter. It took me a few tries, I won't lie.

Lay a crepe flat on your plate. Place 2-3 tablespoons of the rosemary garlic filling in a line down the middle of your crepe. Now sprinkle some popcorn dust on top. Fold one side of the crepe over the filling and roll the rest of the way around so the seam is facing down. Pour sauce over the top of the crepe. Top with popcorn dust and serve!