Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

Note: see this new post for the easy updated recipe.
But what do I mean by "cruelty-free"?  Read on...

You may have noticed that I don't post many dessert recipes.  That's because, though we're not "on a diet", we are of a certain age and need to "watch our weight', as the saying goes.  So, we generally only eat desserts at other people's tables, or when we have company. And I try to go easy on the fat in my dessert recipes, without ruining the texture and flavor of the dish.

We had dinner with some old friends last week, and I brought this pie for dessert.  It's actually a recipe (slightly altered) from one of my old cookbooks, Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause (not my biggest seller, I must say-- perhaps partially due to the anti-soy hysteria of the last decade or so).  The filling is a richer version of the Tofu Chocolate Mousse in that book.

Our hosts (not vegans) LOVED this pie!  It's really a winner-- easy to make, and so silky, creamy delicious. It's a low-fat as I could make it, but certainly lives up to expectations!





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BRYANNA'S VEGAN CHOCOLATE CREME PIE
Yield: 1/ 10" pie; 10 servings
Easy to make and richly delicious without excessive fat. NOTE: Nutrition facts are for the pie without the whipped creme topping. See Tips below for calorie and fat counts for toppings.

Filling:
1 cup unbleached sugar
7 Tbs strong liquid high-quality coffee, preferably espresso
9 Tbs unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup (6 oz.) dairy-free semisweet chocolate chips
24.6 oz extra-firm SILKEN tofu-- that's two 12.3 oz. boxes.
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 pinches salt
3 Tbs rum, or a liqueur or flavored Italian syrup (used for special coffee drinks)-- coffee, chocolate or orange liqueur flavors
NOTE: You could use the grated zest of 1 large orange instead of the liquor or syrup, if you prefer.
Crust:
One pre-baked and cooled 10" pastry crust (my standard lower-fat vegan recipes here and here) or your favorite crumb crust (I prefer the pastry crust).
Variation:
For Chocolate-Banana Creme Pie, place sliced ripe banana over the crust, spread on half the chocolate filling, another layer of banana, and then the remaining filling.

Place the silken tofu, vanilla, salt and liquor or syrup (or orange zest) into a large food processor or high-speed blender. Set aside. Now, mix the sugar and coffee in a small saucepan and stir over high heat until dissolved. Lower the heat to medium or medium-low and stir in the cocoa until a paste forms. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Use a silicone spatula to scrape the chocolate mixture into the food processor or blender, on top of the other ingredients. Process until VERY smooth.

Spread the mixture evenly in a pre-baked and cooled 10" crust of your choice (you may have a bit leftover for tasting).  Chill thoroughly.

Before serving, top with your favorite non-dairy creamy whipped topping, such as So Delicious CocoWhip! or (in Canada) Gae Lea Real Coconut Whipped Cream. Both products are delicious and much lower in fat and calories than whipped canned coconut milk. (See Tips below recipe for calorie and fat counts and website links.)

Nutrition Facts (See Tips below for topping suggestions & links, and calorie/fat content of toppings.)
Nutrition (per serving without whipped topping): 296 calories, 91 calories from fat, 10.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 248.8mg sodium, 282.4mg potassium, 42g carbohydrates, 3.5g fiber, 21.4g sugar, 9.1g protein, 8.8 points.
(This was calculated using regular Mori-Nu Extra-Firm Silken Tofu.)

TIPS:
Whipped Toppings:
So Delicious CocoWhip! contains 60 calories and 4g fat per 1/4 cup.

Gae Lea Real Coconut Whipped Cream contains 30 calories and 2g fat per 1/4 cup.

According to this pretty standard recipe for whipped canned coconut milk, 1/4 cup contains 126 calories and  9.4g fat, 8.4 of those saturated.

Enjoy!

This recipe is from one of my older cookbooks, Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause.  I don't know why I haven't posted the recipe before-- it is one of our favorites, especially for potlucks.  I prefer it to your run-of the-mill Shepherd's Pie. It's not heavily seasoned, but a bit more exotic.  The filling mixture is actually a type of picadillo, a traditional Spanish hash of sorts, consisting of ground meat, spices, tomato, vegetables, and quite often raisins and sliced olives.  Latin American countries and even the Philippines, each have their own versions.

I hope you will enjoy this version as much as we do!



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BRYANNA'S VEGAN ARGENTINE SHEPHERD'S PIE (PASTEL DE PAPAS)    
Makes one full 9 x 13" casserole; serves 6 to 12, depending on appetites
This is one of our favorite winter dishes and my husband often suggests that I make it for potlucks or for bringing a dish to a dinner party.  From my soy foods cookbook.

Filling:
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced small
6 cups commercial vegetarian "hamburger crumbles" (I use 3 pckgs. Yves "Ground Round")
NOTE: I think this works best with a commercial hamburger replacement, but you could substitute ground "beefy" seitan, OR an equal amount of reconstituted textured soy protein (TVP) granules, flavored as you like them, OR a combination of cooked brown lentils (not mushy!) and sautéed chopped mushrooms, with a splash of soy sauce.
1/ 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, well-drained
1 cup leftover vegetarian brown gravy (your own, or see this recipe. [If you prefer, use 1/3 cup unbleached white flour in place of the oat and bean flours.])
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. raisins
1/2 c. sliced pitted green olives (plain or stuffed with pimiento)
Topping:
6 large yellow-fleshed potatoes, peeled and chunked (about 1" square-ish)
approximately 1/4 c. soymilk or other creamy non-dairy milk (you may need a bit more)
salt to taste
paprika (can be smoked)
breadcrumbs and/or Parmesan substitute (we like Go Veggie!)

You can boil the potatoes if you wish, but these days I steam them to preserve nutrients.  You can either steam them in a basket over boiling water, or you can put the metal tray in your Instant Pot, add 1 1/2 cups water, add your chunked potatoes and pressure cook them for 4 minutes, using the quick release.

Drain the potatoes and mash or rice the potatoes well. Add the soymilk and stir with a spoon. Add salt to taste. Cover and set aside.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large heavy seasoned skillet or seasoned stir-fry pan/flat-bottomed wok over medium-high heat and stir-fry the onion, garlic and green pepper until the onion has softened.  Add the "hamburger crumbles" and stir-fry for a few minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and place in a 9 x 13" casserole or baking pan.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the filling and sprinkle with soy Parmesan and/or breadcrumbs, if you wish. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 20-30 minutes.  Cut into rectangles to serve, plating it with the filling on top.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/8th of casserole): 394 calories, 36 calories from fat, 4.3g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 806.2mg sodium, 1994.1mg potassium, 65.5g carbohydrates, 11.8g fiber, 9g sugar, 29.7g protein, 11.3 points.

Enjoy!