Saturday, May 30, 2009

FRUITY TABOULI! (AND SOME INFO ABOUT BULGUR WHEAT)



This post was updated on Sunday, May 31, 2009.
NEWS FLASH! For those of you with a wheat sensitivity (NOT a gluten allergy, though), there is now a Kamut® Bulgur on the market! Check it out! It could be used in place of couscous, too. amazon.com carries a different brand of organic kamut bulgur, in coarse, medium, and fine varieties. (If you are gluten-free, substitute quinoa for bulgur and couscous. or, check out Carol Fenster's recipe for "Rice Couscous" halfway down this page. It could be used as a "bulgur rice", too!)

kamut bulgur
Kamut® Bulgur

This time of the year almost always keep a grain salad on hand for snacking. Grain salads are hearty, filling, nutritious, and, the way I make them, low in fat. Tabouli (also spelled tabbouleh or tabbouli), the lemony Levantine bulgur wheat and parsley salad, is well-known to vegans and omnis alike. Sometimes it's the only thing we vegans can eat at a potluck! But I never get tired of it.

The other day I was craving some tabouli, but I didn't have any tomatoes. I've made other versions before-- I guess you can't really call them tabouli, but I do, anyway!-- but I decided to use chopped fresh orange and mango instead of tomatoes and green peppers, and add a few kalamata olives for a savory touch. The result was delicious and I was sorry when there was no more left! (See the recipe below.)

"Also known as bulgar, bulgour, or burghul, this very versatile food, is believed to have been first eaten in the Euphrates Valley as far back as 5000 BC. Since then, it has been on the daily menu of the people of the Middle East," writes Canadian cookbook writer and historian Habeeb Salloum in his article "Bulgur, the noblest food achieved by wheat" in the Vegetarian Journal, Jan/Feb 2004. In this article he describes how his Syrian immigrant family made their own bulgur on the Saskatchewan prairie. He and his young siblings did not appreciate the hard work involved in making bulgur, but he now appreciates the value of bulgur to Middle Eastern cuisine, and even modern, Western cuisine. He writes, "Simple to prepare, this ancient food is an inexpensive, succulent, and versatile cereal. It is cooked in the same fashion as rice, which it commonly replaces, and takes about 20 minutes to prepare. It can be used in all types of dishes, and it can be employed in every course and every meal of the day."

Bulgur pilaf was one of the first dishes I learned to make as a child. I learned it from Rosie, a good friend of our family who was an Armenian refugee in California. Now I always have 3 types of bulgur in my kitchen-- coarse (#3), medium (#2), and fine (#1)-- ready to make a nourishing, quick meal at any time. (There is also an "extra-coarse" grade [#4], but I've never used that.)

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L to R: fine, medium, coarse, and extra-coarse bulgur (photo by Craig Lee, SF Chronicle)

What about the nutrition in bulgur? Bulgur is made by pre-cooking whole wheat kernels, drying them, and then cracking them. That's why it cooks so quickly. According to this interesting article on bulgur, "Bulgur Wheat is a natural whole grain food in that no chemicals or additives are used in processing the product. Many of the wheat's naturally occurring vitamins and minerals permeate the kernel during cooking thus maintaining more nutritive content than other forms of processed wheat products."

This is similar to what happens with “parboiled” or “converted” rice.

This article also reports: "The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) published two posters in 1992 describing the nutritional characteristics of bulgur wheat. The first, titled 'Nutrition Scoreboard', listed bulgur wheat as the number one grain in terms of nutrition scoring. Bulgur (69 points) outpaced wheat germ (61 points), pearled barley (60 points), brown rice (45 points) and pasta (45 points). It beat oatmeal and the highly touted Wheaties cereal (both 38 points) by 31 points!

The second poster from CSPI, titled "Rough It Up", listed bulgur wheat as the third highest grain item in the Grains and Pasta category in terms of fiber content. In this category bulgur wheat beat out whole-wheat spaghetti, buckwheat pancakes, and had more than double the fiber of cous cous. The Food Research & Innovation Enterprises says "cereal foods like bulgur should be the cornerstone of our daily diet."


Cooking Light magazine published (June 2004) an excellent comparison between bulgur and brown rice, showing that a cup of bulgur has fewer calories, less fat, and more than twice the fiber of rice!"

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Here's an interesting food article on bulgur wheat.

(PS: read more about Habeeb Salloum's prairie childhood and his mother's recipes in his fine book "Arab Cooking on a Saskatchewan Homestead: Recipes and Recollections". It was the Silver Winner of the 2006 Canadian Culinary Awards, Canadian Food Culture Category. It's not a vegetarian book, but there are many fine vegetarian recipes, and the cooking lore and history is fun to read. It's one of my favorite cookbooks.

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Habeeb is also the author of "Classic Vegetarian Cooking From The Middle East And North Africa", a book that should be in every vegetarian kitchen, and is co-author of From the Land of Figs and Olives, another excellent cookbook. He's also written many articles for The Vegetarian Journal, and a variety of articles on Canadian, Arab and Latin- American history, travel and the culinary arts in various journals.)

Okay, enough talk! Here's the recipe!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S FRUITY TABOULI
Servings: 5


Very refreshing!

3/4 cup medium bulgur wheat (See "News Flash!" at the very top of this post for wheat-free and gluten-free alternatives to bulgur wheat)
2 cups boiling water
2 medium oranges
1 large, ripe mango
1 1/4 cups English (European) cucumber, diced small
1 cup minced, fresh parsley
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped green onions
8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
OPTIONAL:
1 tablespoon agave nectar or unbleached organic granulated sugar

Place the bulgur in a medium bowl and pour the boiling water over it. Cover and let stand for 1/2 an hour while you prepare the vegetables and Dressing.

Shred the zest of 1 of the oranges and set aside.

Peel the two oranges (seed if necessary) and separate into sections. Cut each section in half or in thirds. Set aside.

Peel and dice the mango and set aside. (Here are video and photo instructions for different ways to cut a mango.)

Dice the cucumber and set aside.

Chop the parsley (I use a dry food processor), mint, and green onions, and set aside.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

Drain the bulgur in a sieve and place the drained bulgur in a serving bowl. Add the diced fruit, vegetables, and herbs. Pour the dressing over the mixture and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Nutrition (per serving): 204.1 calories; 32% calories from fat; 7.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 298.0mg sodium; 414.9mg potassium; 33.6g carbohydrates; 7.0g fiber; 12.2g sugar; 26.6g net carbs; 4.2g protein; 3.9 points.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

LUSCIOUS VEGAN PECAN MOCHA LATTE CAKE!

latte cake



Yes, it was my birthday yesterday! Here I am blowing out my candle with two grandaughters looking on.

I took some time of work for an extended weekend and DH and I went over to Hornby Island on Sunday morning to walk the trail through the Mt. Geoffrey Escarpment Provincial park, which goes from the ferry landing to picturesque Ford's Cove. It was a vigorous 45-minute walk, with alot of uphill and downhill, and very beautiful.

An interesting tree root

When we arrived in Ford's Cove, we walked out on the dock and sat down on a very comfy bench to enjoy the scenery, the sun and the quiet while eating the lunch we had packed.

The view of Denman Island, where we live, from Ford's Cove:



Some of the boats docked at Ford's Cove:



My daughter, Bethany, met us on the dock and we also met briefly with my oldest granddaughter, Savannah, who was just coming off a dive boat she helps out on. We had tea and coffee with Beth at the "Circle" near the Hornby Co-op Store, in the outdoor "Vorizo Cafe", then she drove us to the ferry and we went home. A lovely spring outing!

I insisted on making my own birthday cake, over some mild protests from family members, because I have really had the urge to bake in the last little while. But DH and I have been on the Weight Watchers' Core plan (still are-- almost 15 lbs. gone--each!), so, as you might have noticed, I haven't been making desserts! So, I controlled myself and waited for my birthday! I decided to make a version of my Vegan Almond Mocha Latte Cake, which I had devised for my son's birthday a few years ago, and which was featured in one of my newsletters. I had no almonds this time, so I used pecans (my favorite nut, anyway).

We took it over to my son's house to share with his family (leaving some behind, so we wouldn't indulge further!). The quarter of the cake that is left is going with us to some friends' house tonight to finish off. I will not have anymore, since it is 10.5 points per slice (1/12th of the cake-- a good size, actually), but I really, really enjoyed my birthday slice, I can tell you!

latte cakelatte cake

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S ALMOND (OR PECAN) CAFÉ LATTE CAKE
Servings: 16
Yield: Makes an 8" two-layer cake


This recipe is based on my Vegan Genoise Cake recipe, but, for some reason, this version even more tender and fluffy than usual. I wanted just a little chocolate in this cake-- my goal was for the coffee flavor to come through. So, I used a mocha-chocolate ganache filling, but only coffee (espresso-- no chocolate or cocoa-- in the cake itself and in the frosting.

I changed the mixing method in this version of my cake, just to see if it would make a difference, but it seemed the same to me. I find that, for some reason, this version of my Vegan Genoise cake is very light and fluffy.

Creamed Mixture:
1 1/2 cups organic unbleached granulated sugar
6 Tbs Earth Balance
1 Tbs coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua, which is what I used this time), or Amaretto liqueur, or almond or coffee-flavored syrup (see Cooking Tip below)
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract

Dry Mix:
2 1/2 plus 2 T. white pastry or cake flour
NOTE: To measure the flour, stir the flour in the bag or container, then spoon it out into the cup measure and level off with a knife. Do not sift or pack down.
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt

Wet Mix:
1 cup soy milk
3/4 cup freshly-brewed espresso, or made from instant espresso powder

Finishing the Cake:
1 recipe Bryanna's Mocha-Soy Ganache Filling (see below)
1 recipe Bryanna's Vegan Coffee Buttercream Frosting (see below)
1 cup toasted slivered almonds or whole pecans
1/2 cup grated or chopped dark vegan chocolate for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Prepare the pans by greasing two 8" round cake pans with non-hydrgenated shortening and then coating with flour (shake excess off). If you like, you can also line the bottoms of the pans with cooking parchment cut to fit the bottom.

To the bowl of a stand mixer, add the Creamed Mixture ingredients and beat together for about 3 minutes, stopping the machine and scraping down the sides a couple of times.

Mix the Dry Mix ingredients together with a whisk in a large mixing bowl.

Mix together the Wet Mix ingredients in a pitcher or large measuring cup.

Add the Dry Mix and the Wet Mix to the Creamed Mixture in the stand mixer alternately, using about 1/3 of each mix at atime, starting with the Dry Mix. Beat on medium in the stand mixer just until mixed. Do not over-beat. NOTE: This batter is runnier than ordinary cake batter, so don't worry!

latte cake

Divide equally between the two prepared cake pans. Bake 30 minutes, or until cakes tests done.

Cool the cake layers in the pans on racks for 10 minutes. To remove from pans, first, run a thin knife to loosen the edge of the cake layer from the pan. Then, place a wire cake rack over the top of it and with a hand on each side of the baking pan and rack, quickly invert. Gently shake or tap the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon handle to help remove the cake layer . Carefully peel off the parchment liner, if you used one, and turn cake layer right-side-up to cool on the rack. Cool thoroughly before icing.

latte cake

While the cake layers cool, make the Mocha-Soy Ganache and the Coffee Buttercream Frosting and refrigerate them. Toast the nuts and grate the chocolate And set aside.

To assemble the cake:
Place the bottom layer on a plate with a slight raised edge, with the bottom, flat side of the cake layer facing up. Spread evenly with the Mocha-Soy Ganache. Top with the second layer, flat side down.

latte cake

Ice the whole cake with the Coffee Buttercream.

Sprinkle the top of the cake with the toasted almond slivers, leaving a circle in the center. Sprinkle the grated chocolate in the center.

latte cake

Refrigerate until serving time.

Nutrition Facts (this includes the Filling and Frosting)
Nutrition (per 1/12th of the cake)):
462.1 calories; 36% calories from fat; 19.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 256.4mg sodium; 233.6mg potassium; 68.8g carbohydrates; 2.4g fiber; 41.1g sugar; 66.3g net carbs; 6.0g protein; 10.4 points.

Cooking Tips
FLAVORED SYRUPS:

Italian flavored syrups meant for flavoring fancy coffees and fizzy sodas can be used instead of liqueurs. Monin syrup is available in health food stores. It is vegan because they use unprocessed cane sugar. It is a bit expensive but delicious. Here is the website: http://www.monin.com/us/en/syrups.html


BRYANNA'S MOCHA-SOY GANACHE FILLING
Servings: 12
Yield: 1 and 1/2 c


A ganache is a rich, fudgy chocolate icing that firms up when cooled. It is usually made with heavy cream, but rich, full-fat soymilk blended with silken tofu makes a wonderful substitute. Remember that the quality of your ganache depends upon the quality of the chocolate you use. Make this well-ahead of time so that it is spreadable by the time you ice the cake. If it gets too firm, leave it out at room temperature to soften.


6 oz excellent-quality dairy-free semi-sweet eating chocolate or chocolate chips
1/4 cup full-fat soymilk or nut milk
1/4 cup espresso, freshly-brewed or made with instant espresso powder
1/3 cup extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1/2 tablespoon vanilla OR 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua), or Amaretto liqueur

Break the chocolate up and process it finely in a dry food processor. Leave the chocolate in the processor.

Whip the soymilk, espresso, and silken tofu together in the blender or with a hand blender until VERY smooth. Heat it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until almost to the boiling point, OR microwave it in a microwave-save bowl for about 1 minute at 50% power, or until very hot, but not boiling. (If the mixture seems to curdle at all, blend it again until smooth.)

With the motor running, pour the hot soy creme in through the feed tube. Process until the mixture is smooth. Refrigerate until time to ice the cake.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving):
75.1 calories; 47% calories from fat; 4.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 9.6mg sodium; 27.2mg potassium; 9.4g carbohydrates; 0.9g fiber; 0.1g sugar; 8.5g net carbs; 1.3g protein; 1.7 points.



BRYANNA'S VEGAN COFFEE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
Servings: 12


1/4 cup Earth Balance from the tub (NOT the whipped version)
1/4 cup Earth Balance stick or Earth Balance non-hydrogenated shortening
3/4 lb organic powdered sugar
5 1/2 tsp nondairy milk
3/4 Tbs instant coffee or espresso powder
1/2 Tbs coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua) or Amaretto liqueur +
1 tsp vanilla
OR use 2 tsp. vanilla plus 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the Earth Balance and Earth Balance stick or shortening until smooth. Add 2 c. of the powdered sugar and the remaining ingredients. Beat until creamy. It may look curdled-don't worry! Add the remaining sugar, a little at a time, as you beat it, until it holds it shape well and you can see "trails" in it from the beaters. Adjust sugar or liquid (TINY drops at a time!) as needed. It will firm up when refrigerated. Refrigerate until it's time to ice the cake.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving)
: 182.0 calories; 36% calories from fat; 7.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 81.7mg sodium; 10.2mg potassium; 28.8g carbohydrates; 0.0g fiber; 28.2g sugar; 28.8g net carbs; 0.1g protein; 4.3 points.


latte cake


Mmmmmmmm...enjoy!

Saturday, May 23, 2009

GUJARATI CHICKPEA FLOUR "OMELET" (CHILLA)-- FUSION-STYLE; AND FAT-FREE HASH BROWNS, 2 WAYS

chilla
Italian-style Chilla!

I'm still on the quest for chickpea flour recipes! For lunch today I made a familiar recipe, a type of chickpea flour "omelet" or "crepe" that originated in the Indian state of Gujarat. When I first made it, I realized that it could be like a blank canvas for the styles of many different cuisines. Thus far I have made more-or-less traditional Indian chilla, Italian-style, Mexican-style, and even Japanese-style!

I developed this recipe for the book Dr. Neal Barnard's Program for Reversing Diabetes, but, unfortunately, it didn't make it into the final version. So here it is-- give it a try!

chilla

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CHILLA (CHICKPEA CREPES)
Servings: 5
Yield: makes 10/ 6" thin "omelets"


This recipe is adapted from a traditional recipe from the Indian province of Gujarat (called a "chilla"), but the recipe lends itself to a variety of seasonings. The "crepes" can be filled with grilled vegetables for a special brunch dish.

In the photos for this blog post, I made the Italian-style version, and topped the "omelets" with some leftover homemade spaghetti sauce, mixed with some leftover tofu sour creme, and added some sautéed oyster mushrooms and a sprinkle of my homemade Okara Parmesan.

For an even lower-calorie, lower-fat Chilla, instead of all chickpea flour, use:
3/4 cup chickpea flour (besan)
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons split red lentils, ground in a DRY electric coffee mill/spice grinder until like flour
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1 1/2 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (besan)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3/4 cup chopped canned tomatoes, drained, or chopped fresh tomatoes
(or you can use roasted, peeled red bell peppers, fresh or from a jar)
Flavor Options:
Indian-- 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Mexican-- 2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños, 2 teaspoons dry oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Italian-- 2 teaspoon dry basil (or 2 tablespoon fresh, chopped), 2 cloves garlic, minced

Blend together the water, chickpea flour, sugar, salt, and turmeric with a whisk or hand immersion blender, or in a blender or a food processor. The batter should about the same consistency as a crepe batter. In a medium bowl, stir the tomatoes and any other optionals) into the mixture.

chilla

Heat a nonstick 7-8" skillet over medium-high heat. Cook just as you would a crepe, using 1/4 cup batter for each, and spraying the pan with oil from a pump sprayer or cooking spray before cooking each "crepe". Quickly pour in the batter and swirl it in the pan to make an approximately round, thin 6" crepe-like round. Use the back of a spoon to smooth out the mixture and make it round, if you wish. (The batter is thin, so I just swirl it like crepe batter.)

CHILLA

When the bottom is golden-brown, and there are little holes in the batter on top, carefully loosen it with a very thin spatula, and turn it over. When just cooked dry on the other side, but not browned, remove it from the pan, place it on a platter, cover it with a clean towel, and continue until all of the batter is used up. Just stack the cooked "crepes" up on top of eachother and keep covered.

You can roll them up like traditional crepes,
chilla

fold them in half like an omelet,
chilla

or leave them flat.
chilla

Serve hot.

Serve Indian-flavored "omelets" with plain soy yogurt or tofu sour creme and any kind of chutney, or fill them with curried vegetables.

Serve Mexican-style "omelets" with tofu sour creme and your favorite salsa.

Serve Italian-style "omelets" with a non-dairy béchamel or cheesy sauce, or marinara (simple tomato) sauce, or grated soy mozza.

All go well with potatoes-- we like them with Waffle Iron Hash Browns OR Oven-Crisped Hash Browns (see recipes below.)

MORE IDEAS:

JAPANESE-STYLE “OMELETS”: Use the basic batter with no additional ingredients. Use instead of Japanese thin egg omelet to cut into strips for sushi.

EGGLESS OKONOMIYAKI: Sprinkle a mixture of corn, baby peas, shredded cabbage or carrot; minced green pepper, chopped cooked green beans, and bits of cubed tofu over the batter in the pan just after you have formed the “omelet”, while it is still soft on top. Serve with brown rice and teriyaki sauce.

SWISS-STYLE “OMELET”: Use the basic batter with no additional ingredients. Fill the “omelets” with browned cooked potatoes and onions, and top with a non-dairy cheesy sauce or béchamel sauce, parsley, salt, pepper, and soy bacon chips or bits of vegetarian “bacon” or “ham”.

SPANISH “OMELETS”: Use the basic batter with no additional ingredients. Fill with sauteed onions, green pepper, tomato, garlic, perhaps mushrooms.

KENTUCKY “OMELETS”: Use the basic batter with no additional ingredients. Fill with sauteed onion, green pepper and corn kernels, with soy bacon chips.


Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving):
229.0 calories; 15% calories from fat; 3.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 414.2mg sodium; 536.6mg potassium; 35.6g carbohydrates; 6.3g fiber; 9.2g sugar; 29.3g net carbs; 12.6g protein; 4.1 points.

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Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S WAFFLE IRON "HASH BROWNS"
Servings: 2
Yield: four 4" "waffles"


This is a great breakfast dish, or even a snack when you are really hungry.

8 ounces red or new potatoes, scrubbed and grated
3 medium (12 ounces) carrots, scrubbed and shredded, or sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and shredded
1 tablespoon powdered egg replacer mixed with
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon oat bran
1 tablespoon dehydrated onion flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic granules
2-4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)

Preheat a nonstick waffle iron.

In a medium bowl, mix together all of the ingredients well.

Spray the waffle grids lightly with oil from a pump sprayer, or with cooking spray. Pack half of the mixture into the hot waffle iron. Allow to cook 10-12 minutes, or until the mixture is well-browned and crispy-looking. Gently ease the "waffle" from the iron.

Serve the potatoes immediately, and repeat with the second half of the batter. Serve with ketchup, applesauce, or gravy.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving):
179.1 calories; 2% calories from fat; 0.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 777.6mg sodium; 1041.0mg potassium; 40.0g carbohydrates; 5.8g fiber; 5.2g sugar; 34.2g net carbs; 5.9g protein; 2.8 points.

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Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S OVEN-CRISPED HASH BROWNS
Servings: 6


Easy, quick and fat-free-- this will quickly become a favorite for breakfast or snack times.

3 cups grated new or red potatoes (about 4 medium)
3 cups grated peeled carrots, yams, or sweet potatoes ( about 18 ounces)
1 small onion, grated (optional)
salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Cajun seasoning, or Old Bay Seasoning (optional)

Preheat the oven to 500°F.

Mix the grated potatoes and carrots (with optional onion) in a medium bowl.

Mound the mixture on 2 nonstick cookie sheets sprayed lightly with oil from a pump sprayer, or with cooking spray, making 3 mounds on each. (If the mixture is very juicy, squeeze the juice into the bowl before you shape the mounds.)

Flatten the mounds with a spatula, or the palm of your hand. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper (and other seasonings, such as Cajun, if you like), and bake on the lower shelf of the oven for 10 minutes, or until browned on the bottom. Turn over and bake 7-10 minutes more, or until crispy.

Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving):
91.7 calories; 2% calories from fat; 0.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 43.2mg sodium; 634.4mg potassium; 21.1g carbohydrates; 3.0g fiber; 3.0g sugar; 18.1g net carbs; 2.3g protein; 1.3 points.

Enjoy!

Monday, May 18, 2009

RUSTIC APPLE-RAISIN TART WITH CRISPY, LOW-FAT OLIVE OIL PASTRY

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YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO JOIN THE DISCUSSIONS ON MY VEGAN FEAST OPEN COOKING FORUM!

This is a traditional pastry for savory pies in some parts of Italy, and I have used it for several years. I was always impressed with the crisp texture and ease of handling of this dough, considering how little oil there is in it (2 tablespoons)! Since olive oil is my primary oil for cooking (being a tasty, monosaturated oil), I have been wanting to try it in a fruit pie. But, since being on the WW Core Plan for the last 7 weeks, I haven't been making very many desserts!

Yesterday, however, we were invited by some friends' for coffee, I had some apples that needed using, and we had some extra WW points leftover, so I offered to bring an apple tart. I was impressed with the almost buttery taste of it and our hosts gobbled it up with groans of pleasure! This will now be my choice for pastry for any free-form pie! (I have yet to try it as a regular 2-crust covered pie.) I may try it with half whole wheat pastry flour next time-- I'll let you know how it works!

The apple filling is moderately sweetened with agave nectar and raisins plumped in sherry, but you can alter that as you like. Enjoy!

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Printable Recipe for Pie and Pastry

Printable Recipe for Olive Oil Pastry only

BRYANNA'S RUSTIC APPLE-RAISIN TART WITH CRISPY, LOW-FAT OLIVE OIL PASTRY
Servings: 6
Yield: 1 freeform tart


This is a lovely, not-too-sweet treat. PS: If you would like a large tart, double the recipe, including the pastry and form the tart on a 14" pizza pan. Bake the large pie for 1 hour.


1 recipe Bryanna's Low-Fat, Crispy Olive Oil Pastry
(See recipe in Cooking Tips below)
Filling:
1/4 cup raisins (organic Thompson is what I used)
soaked in:
2-4 tablespoons medium sherry (enough to cover the raisins)
3 large apples, cored and thinly sliced (I don't peel them- it's up to you!)
(whichever variety you like-- I used what I had: 1 Cox's Orange Pippin, and 2 Galas)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup agave nectar
Spices:
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
a few gratings of nutmeg
1 pinch salt
3/4 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional:
You can add some grated lemon or orange zest, if you like
Finish:
soy or nut milk ofr brushing and a sprinkle of organic granulated sugar

Make the pastry as instructed in the recipe below. Place in a bowl covered with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you prepare the Fillling.

You need to soak the raisins and there are 2 ways to do this. 1.) place the raisins in a small microwave-proof bowl and cover with sherry. Cook in the microwave for 30 seconds, or as long as it takes to just come to a boil. Or, 2.) place the raisins and sherry in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil over high heat. Immediately remove from the heat. Either way, cover the bowl or pan and let sit while you go on to the next step.

Mix the sliced apples in a large bowl with the lemon juice, agave nectar, spices and salt. Add the plumped raisins and sherry, optional citrus zest (if using), and sprinkle with the cornstarch.

Combine well. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

On a lightly-floured piece of baking parchment, roll the pastry dough out into a 13-14" circle (it doesn't have to be perfect, but avoid having any holes or very thin spots). Carefully transfer the dough circle to a 9-10" pie pan or small pizza pan, lightly sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer. Pile the apple filling in the middle of the pastry and bring the edges up around the filling, to make a freeform pie. Pleat the edges of the dough over the filling, leaving a 5" open circle in the center.

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Brush the pastry with soy or nut milk and sprinkle with a little organic granulated sugar.

Cover the fruit in the open circle (not the pastry) with a circle of foil cut to fit.

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Place the pie in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°F.

Bake the pie for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and poke the apples with a fork to see if they are tender. If they are, remove the foil. If the pastry not golden yet, bake another 5-10 minutes, or until golden.

Cool on a rack until just warm. Serve warm, if possible. Cut into 6 wedges to serve.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/6th):
235.6 calories; 18% calories from fat; 4.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 285.0mg sodium; 204.6mg potassium; 47.9g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 26.2g sugar; 44.3g net carbs; 2.7g protein; 4.4 points.

Cooking Tips
BRYANNA'S LOW-FAT, CRISPY OLIVE OIL PASTRY
This crispy pastry is very easy to handle and quite low in fat (about 1 tsp. of olive oil per serving). Perfect for rustic "freeform" tarts. If you want to make a larger tart, double the recipe and make it on a 14" pizza pan.

1 cup unbleached flour (NOT pastry flour)
3/4 tsp salt
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup ice-cold water

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold olive oil briefly. Add the water and mix with a fork until it hold together. Handle as little as possible. Lightly form it into a ball and refrigerate, covered, for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

On a lightly-floured piece of baking parchment, roll the pastry dough out into a 13-14" circle (it doesn't have to be perfect, but avoid having any holes or very thin spots). Carefully transfer the dough circle to a 9-10" pie pan or small pizza pan, lightly sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer. Pile the filling in the middle of the pastry and bring the edges up around the filling, to make a freeform pie. Pleat the edges of the dough over the filling, leaving a 5" open circle in the center.

For a sweet pie, brush the pastry with soy or nut milk and sprinkle with a little organic granulated sugar. For a savory pie, brush or spray lightly with olive oil.

Cover the filling in the open circle (not the pastry) with a circle of foil cut to fit. Place the pie in the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350°F.

Bake the pie for about 45 minutes. Remove the foil and poke the apples with a fork to see if they are tender. If they are, remove the foil. If the pastry not golden yet, bake another 5-10 minutes, or until golden.

Servings: 6
Yield: 1 crust

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/6th):
115.6 calories; 36% calories from fat; 4.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 235.8mg sodium; 22.3mg potassium; 15.9g carbohydrates; 0.6g fiber; 0.1g sugar; 15.3g net carbs; 2.2g protein; 2.6 points.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

MOONG DAL INDIAN CREPES (DOSA)-- MADE ONLY WITH BEANS; NO FLOUR OR GRAIN

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO JOIN THE DISCUSSIONS ON MY VEGAN FEAST OPEN COOKING FORUM!

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Moong Dal Dosa with Indian-style sautéed Savoy cabbage and tofu "yogurt"

The reason I'm excited about these Indian crepes (also called adai or pesarattu, a type of dosa that is made only from dal and is unfermented) is that they are so great for the WW Core Plan because they are made from beans! (I have lost 11 lbs. so far, BTW, and DH has lost 13! We are not suffering at all on this plan!) If I had used a grain flour, I would have had to use some of my extra points. (I'm not sure the points thing would work if I used soaked, ground whole grain-- anybody know?)

I have made dosa for years, but usually with some grain or flour in them, and usually with some oil in the pan. My experiment was to make them solely with soaked beans and with no more than a light spritz of oil in a nonstick pan. It was a success, and DH and my friend Holly gobbled them up. (For a filling, I used a simple cabbage stir-fry recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's World of Vegetarian Cooking, with some Tofu "Yogurt".)

We also remarked that this simple, delicious, nourishing, and filling meal was so inexpensive to make!

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This has inspired me to try different kinds of Indian breads and dumplings that can be cooked in a nonstick pan, or steamed, using soaked beans, sprouted beans, bean flours, and even fresh corn. I'll let you know if I have any other successes!

Last night I soaked some moong dal in water:

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I used split moong dal, but it still had the skins. Unfortunately, much later, I found my split washed moong dal (which has the skins removed), which would have made a nice white batter. Mine was kind of green! Oh, well-- next time!

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Washed moong dal

In the morning it looked like this and I had about 5 1/2 cups of soaked dal!

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Here's the recipe:

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S MOONG DAL DOSA (INDIAN CREPES )
Servings: 12
Yield: 12 crepes


These "crepes" are also called adai or pesarattu, a type of dosa that is made only from dal and is unfermented. These are actually a bit sturdier than the crepes we're used to, but they fold and roll nicely. You can just eat them with chutney or an Indian-style vegetable stir-fry, or with a more elaborate vegetable curry, if you like. They can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or for a lunch or supper dish. (They would be great for a gluten-free diet, too.)

1 1/2 cups split moong dal (the washed kind have no skins, so make a nicer-looking batter, but you can use the kind with the skins-- just don't use whole mung beans)
water to generously cover-- they really soak it up!
2 tablespoons (or more, according to taste) of fresh chopped green chilies (seeds removed)
(Or, cheat, as I did, and use pickled or canned jalapeño peppers)
1 piece (1-inch) fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
water to thin the batter, as necessary (1/2 cup, at least)

The night before you are to make the dosa, rinse and drain the dal and then place in a bowl or container with room to almost triple, and cover generously with water. The dal will soak up alot of water, so don't be stingy!

The day you are making the dosa, make or assemble your filling(s) before starting to cook the dosa.

Drain the water off the soaked dal and place it in a large blender container, along with the chilies, salt and ginger. In a Vita-Mix, you can grind the soaked beans, using the tamper, without extra water, but I don't think you could do this in cheaper blenders. In any case, I ended up adding water to the batter, so you are safe to add 1/2 cup of water to the batter when blending.

Blend the mixture until smooth, stopping and scraping down as necessary. Scoop the mixture into a bowl. Add the cumin seeds.

Now, adjust the thickness of the batter. If it's too thick, it won't spread easily. I kept stirring in water until it spread easily. I didn't measure, unfortunately, but the batter ended up like a regular crepe batter, more or less-- kind of like cream.

Spray an 8 to 10" nonstick skillet (a good one) with oil from a spray pump and heat over high heat. (My Swiss Diamond pan can cook these without using a spray pump with oil, but it depends on how good your pan is.) When cold water sprinkled on the pan sizzles, scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the pan with a small ladle and then use the bottom of the ladle to go in circles and spread the batter out from the center. It's easier than you might think! See the "action" pictures below:

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PS: if your batter doesn't spread easily, it may be too thick.

I turned the heat down just a notch or two from the "high" setting. Almost as soon as you have the batter spread, it will start looking a bit dry on top.

Carefully turn the dosa and cook for a few seconds, then fold in half and lay on a platter with a clean tea towel over the dosa.

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Repeat until the batter is all used up. These can be refrigerated and reheated.

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Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per dosa)
: 90.8 calories; 3% calories from fat; 0.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 166.5mg sodium; 327.7mg potassium; 16.4g carbohydrates; 4.3g fiber; 1.7g sugar; 12.1g net carbs; 6.2g protein; 1.0 points.

Enjoy!

Thursday, May 7, 2009

FARINATA OR FAINÁ (ITALIAN CHICKPEA PANCAKE), TOFU YOGURT, AND OTHER THINGS WE'VE EATEN LATELY

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO JOIN THE DISCUSSIONS ON MY VEGAN FEAST OPEN COOKING FORUM!

Here are some pics of things we've been eating lately (on the Weight Watchers Core Plan). Below the photos are a couple of recipes and details about them.

The making of a new Field Roast cookbook recipe (I know, the book is very delayed-- but it is still in process!)-- a "Baked Kibbeh" or Middle Eastern-style "Grain Meatloaf":

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Making miso powder for my New, Improved Okara Parmesan (the directions for making the miso powder are in the same post):

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Experimenting with a vegan "tortillita" (Spanish chickpea pancake usually made with seafood--I used vegan "shrimp"). It wasn't as tasty as I would have liked, perhaps because I wasn't using much oil. I'm still working on this!

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Vegan "shrimp" from an Asian grocery

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The "tortillita" before turning over.

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A simple Cantonese "shrimp" stirfry with the vegan "shrimp":

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A Japanese version of a Chinese recipe-- Mapo Doufu:

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Chinese Lemon "Chicken" Cutlets with gai lan (Chinese broccoli) (the cutlets are the type they serve in Buddhist vegetarian restaurants-- we found them at an Asian grocery store):

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Pasta with Lemon, Asparagus, Peas and Vegan "Ham" (I'll post this recipe another time):

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A grilled asparagus and corn dish with a tomato-curry sauce, adapted from a recipe from Vij's cookbook (I considerably reduced the fat and it was still yummy!):

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Dal Soup with vegetables in it (made from leftover Red Lentil Dal from my "Fiber for Life Cookbook") with poppadoms toasted on a dry cast iron skillet instead of frying them in oil:

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A poppadom (or papad)is a South Indian wafer made from lentil flour. They are inexpensive and take only seconds to dry-toast or grill or fry. Very crunchy and yummy!

A Middle Eastern-style stew with peas and tomatoes, made with textured soy protein chunks:

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NOW, THOSE RECIPES:

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Freshly-baked chickpea flour Farinata or Fainâ

I've been fooling around with chickpea flour alot these days, because it's a legume flour which we can eat on the WW Core plan without having to count extra points for it! One of my favorite chickpea flour dishes is Farinata, a dish from the region of Italy where my fraternal grandmother's family originated.

My father called it Fainâ, and for years I thought that was because his mother’s family was originally from the Genoa region of Italy. But I have just discovered that it is called Fainá in South America. The dish is popular in Uruguay and Argentina, and, apparently, also in Peru, where my father was born. (There are a surprising number of Italians in those countries, and many people from the Genoa area immigrated to South America in the 1800's.) Fainâ or Fainá, the name undoubtedly resulted from a slurring of the more general Italian term for the dish, Farinata. Which is odd, because “farina” actually means white flour in Italian, not chickpea flour. Scholars guess that this was a reflection of the dish’s origins among the poorest population—to these peasants, who never saw white flour, all flour was chickpea flour. (They had the last laugh, though, because high-protein chickpea flour is a lot more nutritious than white flour!)

The dish migrated to Tuscany, where it is called Cecina (from the Italian for chickpea, ceci) or “Calda, Calda” (meaning "hot, hot"); to Livorno (Torta di Ceci); across the border to Monaco and Nice, in France, where it is called Socca; to Sardinia (la fainé genovese); and to Gibraltar (Calentita).

So what is this mysterious “pancake”? It’s a delicious and nourishing snack food, a flatbread, really. In Nice, their version, Socca, is a street food, cooked huge copper pans over wood burners (rather than baked), pieces eaten out of hand like French fries in a cone of paper with lots of pepper. In Italy, it is eaten at home, with a knife and fork, or at a bar. In Genoa, there are farinata bakeries everywhere. In Argentina, they eat it on pizza! Both Italians and Niçois will tell you that it should not be made at home and it won’t taste the same if it’s not made over a wood-fired stove or in a wood-fired oven, but, trust me, a very reasonable approximation can be made and enjoyed at home!

It’s basically a chickpea flour and water batter with some salt, olive oil, and sometimes garlic and fresh herbs. Some people make it thinner than others— there are many versions. Farinata is sometimes eaten with sliced onions or artichokes. Modern chefs are now using it as a base for imaginative toppings, even salads.

It couldn’t be simpler, and yet it will raise your status with knowledgeable “foodies”, if that is what gives you a thrill. It’s one of those ancient, nourishing peasant dishes (like polenta) that one now encounters in trendy, expensive city restaurants, perhaps to be nibbled with wine. But that’s okay— it can’t hurt for more people to learn to love this dish, because it’s delicious, inexpensive and very easy to make at home, and we grow a lot of chickpeas in Canada (in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, mostly).

I hope I’ve intrigued you sufficiently to try out my version of it. Whenever I serve it to guests they are mystified, but they love it! We eat it hot or cold for a snack. (On the WW Core Plan, 1/6th of the "pancake" uses 1 teaspoon of your 2-teaspoon daily oil allowance; or, if you've used that up, you use up 1 point-- not bad for alot of satisfaction!)

(Chickpea flour, by the way, can be purchased in Indian food stores under the name “besan” or “chana flour”, as well as in health food stores, and in the Indian food section of some large supermarkets.)

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Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S FARINATA (FAINÁ) (ITALIAN CHICKPEA FLOUR "PANCAKE")
Serves 6


This from my book Nonna's Italian Kitchen.

This is a thin version, which I prefer. You can sprinkle the top with chopped garlic and rosemary, thyme or sage before baking, if you like. Ligurians, who eat it with a knife and fork, sometimes also top it with thinly sliced onions or green onions, or even slices of baby artichoke. I like the leftovers cold, too.

1 1/2 cups chickpea flour or plain besan
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 tsp. salt
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
OPTIONAL: 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 hours before cooking,
mix the water and chickpea flour in a medium bowl, cover, and let stand in a cool place for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 475° F (450° with convection). Coat a 14" pizza pan (or an 11 x 15” rimmed cookie sheet) with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Stir the salt and pepper (and optional garlic, if using) into the batter, which should be like a pancake batter (add water if too thick). Pour the batter into the pan and drizzle with the remaining oil. (If you like, sprinkle with some of the items suggested in the text, above.)

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Bake for 10 minutes, then place under the broiler for a few minutes to brown the top. Grind more pepper on top, if you wish, and cut into wedges to serve. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving):
128.8 calories; 41% calories from fat; 6.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 251.0mg sodium; 194.6mg potassium; 13.3g carbohydrates; 2.5g fiber; 2.5g sugar; 10.8g net carbs; 5.1g protein; 2.6 points.


THE SECOND RECIPE:

This is nothing very earth-shaking, but I had a craving this morning for a really rich, Greek or Bulgarian-style whole milk yogurt! I like soy yogurt, but it's more like a low-fat or no-fat yogurt. So I made a recipe that I generally use as a yogurt substitute in Greek and Middle Eastern cooking, just because it tastes so rich and is so stable when cooked. The recipe is for Tofu Yogurt, made with silken tofu. It is is almost all of my cookbooks. I made a little change, though. I had used the same recipe last night for the "Yogurt/Mint sauce" to go with the "Grain meatloaf" pictured above, and I put just a little bit of tahini in it. It tasted to rich, and yet you could not detect the tahini taste, so I decided to add some tahini to the yogurt recipe for eating. It is delicious! I just added a spoonful of low-sugar jam to it and ate some that way, and used the rest as a sauce on some polenta squares browned in a non-stick pan. Yummy!

I know that silken tofu can be expensive, so I won't eat it this way often, but it was sure a treat! (I buy silken tofu by the case from a local food co-op and save about $1 a box, though.)

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Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S TOFU YOGURT, RICH "BULGARIAN-STYLE"
Servings: 6
Yield: 1 3/4 Cups


Silken tofu makes a smooth, rich-tasting mixture which can be used anywhere you would normally use yogurt, including cooking. The little bit of tahini adds richness, without any assertive sesame flavor.

If you like, you can add some dairy-free acidopholis powder.

1 box (12.3 oz.) extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon tahini
1/2 tsp unbleached organic sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Process all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender until VERY smooth. Keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

For a snack or topping for fruit, sweeten with Grade A light maple syrup, fruit-sweetened jam, agave nectar, fruit juice concentrate, and/or fruit liqueur.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per generous 1/4 cup)
: 47.7 calories; 42% calories from fat; 2.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 116.8mg sodium; 100.6mg potassium; 2.2g carbohydrates; 0.3g fiber; 0.9g sugar; 1.9g net carbs; 4.7g protein; 1.1 points.

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Enjoy!

Friday, May 1, 2009

VEGAN LEMON-COCONUT "POUND CAKE"-- LESS FAT, BUT YOU'D NEVER GUESS!

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YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO JOIN THE DISCUSSIONS ON MY VEGAN FEAST OPEN COOKING FORUM!

I haven't been doing desserts lately because DH and I are on the Weight Watchers' Core Plan, but I was inspired to develop this recipe for two reasons-- #1, a friend was asking for a vegan pound cake recipe that was rich, like the original; and #2, I had just read an article in the Jan. 2007 issue of Fine Cooking magazine, which was about modernizing the traditional pound cake so that it would not be so dry and "sturdy", as the author, Nicole Rees,author of Baking Unplugged, put it.

I had previously developed a "heart-healthy" pound cake that was very low in fat. I wanted this one to be richer, but not as high in fat as traditional ones. I found several vegan pound cake recipes online, ranging from no-fat to very-high-fat, but I wanted mine to have a healthful component, too. So, I revamped my older recipe, and used some of the same proportions as the Fine Cooking Nicole Rees recipe. For instance, the author used 1 3/4 cups of sugar to 2 1/2 cups of flour. This is actually a higher amount of sugar by weight, and she explains that this makes a more moist and tender crumb. So I took her advice, but I used 1 cup white whole wheat pastry flour, and 1 cup unbleache white flour, and I added some chickpea flour and corn flour for a more eggy, buttery taste and color, as well as more nutrition. I kept the silken tofu and egg replacer as the egg substitute. We really liked it! It is not too sweet, not too light, but moist, and surprisingly very rich-tasting!

I served this to company last night and they loved it! I froze the leftovers so that we wouldn't be tempted to eat any more for now!

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Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN LEMON (OR LEMON-COCONUT) POUND CAKE
Servings: 16


NOTE: if it's been a long time since you ate pound cake, remember that it isn't meant to be a light, fluffy cake!

1 tablespoon Earth Balance (for greasing pan)

Creamed Mixture:
1/3 cup olive oil (PS: One friend didn't like the taste of olive oil in this cake-- we didn't even notice it! But, if you don't like the idea, use light olive oil, [which is light in taste, not fat!] or canola oil instead.)
1/3 cup Earth Balance (at room temperature)
1 3/4 cups organic unbleached granulated sugar
12.3 0z extra-firm silken tofu
2 1/2 tablespoons Ener-G Egg replacer

Dry Mixture:
1 cup unbleached white flour
1 cup white whole wheat PASTRY flour
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup corn flour (if you can't find this, grind yellow cornmeal to a fine flour in a dry spice or coffee mill-- do NOT substitute corstarch!)
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Additional:
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
finely-grated zest of 1 large lemon

OPTIONAL:
1 cup unsweetened coconut

OPTIONAL LEMON GLAZE:
10 tablespoons organic powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt 1 tablespoon Earth Balance and , using a pastry brush, brush it even over the inside of a 8 to 12-cup Bundt pan. (The cake won't rise all the way to the top of the 12-cup one, but that's what I used because that's what I had.) Dust evenly with flour and tap out the excess.

Place the olive oil, Earth Balance and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Stop the machine and crumble in the silken tofu.

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Add the egg replacer powder. Beat at medium high speed for 2 more minutes, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl halfway through.

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Whisk together the Dry Mixture ingredients in another bowl. At low speed, add half of the Dry Mixture to the sugar mixture and beat just until it is combined, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl, if necessary. Add the lemon juice, non-dairy milk, vanilla and lemon zest and beat again just until combined. Add the remaining Dry mixture and beat at low speed just until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds more. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. If using the coconut, fold it in gently.

Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan.

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Bake in the center of the oven for 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out absolutely clean (under-cooking may result in a "gummy" texture). Allow to cool in the pan, on a rack, for 10-15 minutes. Then invert on a plate, on a rack, and let cool. Do not slice the cake until it is thoroughly cooled.

Optional Glaze:
Whisk together the sifted powdered sugar and lemon juice. Poke holes in the cake with a skewer at intervals. Brush the glaze on all surfaces of the cake until you have used it all up. When this dries, it will create a sort of crust, which will keep the cake moist for several days.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving):
246.5 calories; 32% calories from fat; 8.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 175.3mg sodium; 182.9mg potassium; 38.3g carbohydrates; 1.6g fiber; 22.7g sugar; 36.7g net carbs; 4.0g protein; 5.3 points.

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IF YOU USE THE COCONUT OPTION: Nutrition (per serving): 278.3 calories; 38% calories from fat; 12.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 177.1mg sodium; 209.1mg potassium; 39.5g carbohydrates; 2.4g fiber; 23.0g sugar; 37.0g net carbs; 4.3g protein; 6.1 points.

IF YOU USE ONLY THE LEMON GLAZE OPTION: Nutrition (per serving): 277.6 calories; 28% calories from fat; 8.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 175.3mg sodium; 186.0mg potassium; 46.4g carbohydrates; 1.7g fiber; 30.6g sugar; 44.8g net carbs; 4.0g protein; 6.0 points.

IF YOU USE BOTH THE COCONUT OPTION AND THE LEMON GLAZE OPTION: Nutrition (per serving): 309.4 calories; 34% calories from fat; 12.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 177.1mg sodium; 212.2mg potassium; 47.6g carbohydrates; 2.4g fiber; 31.0g sugar; 45.1g net carbs; 4.4g protein; 6.7 points.

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Enjoy!