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

It's been a long time since I last blogged.  I guess I just needed a break.  I'm happy to say that some inspiration is returning and I've been playing around with veganizing some more Peruvian recipes.  (In case you're new here, my father was Peruvian and I still have family there.)

My late father, Alejandro Jaime Urbina

The Urbina Family in Lima, Christmas 1954; Abuelita in the center, my father in the back row on the far right, standing behind my mother; my sister Karin on the far right in the first row, on the floor; and I am just behind one of my little cousins, who is third from the left on the floor.

Peruvian food is delicious and colorful.  It is a heady mixture of the cooking and foodstuffs of the indigenous people, the invading Spanish, African slaves, and immigrant from Italy (the second largest European group in Peru after Spanish), China and Japan.  I've veganized a number of Peruvian recipes on this blog and in workshops, but still have a long list to get through. (If you type "Peru" in the search bar of this blog, all of my Peruvian food posts will come up.)

Sometimes it can be difficult to find Peruvian ingredients outside of large cities, so it's not unusual for me I have to improvise, while striving to preserve authentic flavor. (I live on a little island off of Vancouver Island on the West Coast of British Columbia.) I do my best and try to stock up on authentic Peruvian condiments, etc. when I make one of our infrequent trips to Vancouver.  

Anyway, on to the recipe! Peruvians love seafood, and the following recipe is a vegan version of a well-known and popular Peruvian rice and seafood dish.  (Rice was brought to Peru by the Spanish, by the way, and is served at almost every meal, often in the company of the indigenous potato!)  I hope you enjoy it!



Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S ARROZ CON CONCHAS VEGETARIANAS
(PERUVIAN-STYLE RICE AND VEGETABLES WITH VEGETARIAN "SCALLOPS") 
Serves 4
This makes a satisfying light supper on its own, or an excellent side dish for a more elaborate meal. I use less fat than they would in Peru, by the way.

1-2 tablespoon olive oil and/or vegan butter
about 24 vegan "scallops"-- made from mushrooms (see below), tofu or gluten-based "Sea Meat" **(See below recipe for making mushroom scallops; see this page for how to make tofu scallops, and see this page for how to make my "Sea Meat" scallops.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
3 tablespoons Peruvian aji amarillo paste (See Notes at end of recipe for where to purchase and also a possible substitute.)
1 cup thawed frozen corn kernels (In Peru these would be large white kernels, but I use North American yellow corn kernels.)
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and diced small
1 cup thawed frozen green peas (or thawed shelled frozen edamame [green soybeans])
2 cups "Sea Stock" (vegan "seafood" broth-- see recipe below)
1/2 cup dry white wine, OR 1/4 cup Pisco (Peruvian grape brandy) or dry sherry
3 cups cooked long-grain rice (I prefer  converted/parboiled rice, but you can use a long grain white rice such as basmati)
1 cup EACH diced red bell pepper and orange bell pepper
salt to taste
For Serving:
chopped fresh cilantro, or Italian parsley, or a mixture of mint and basil
lemon or lime wedges

First of all, heat the vegan butter and/or oil over medium heat in a large heavy skillet.  Add the "scallops" and saute until they are lightly browned.  Remove the "scallops" from the pan and set aside.

Add the next 1 tablespoon olive oil to the same pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened.  Stir in the aji amarillo paste (or substitute).  Add the diced carrots, peas, wine and "Sea Stock". Cook, stirring now and then, for 10 minutes, or until the liquid is somewhat reduced.  

Add the cooked rice and the diced peppers.  Toss well and keep cooking, uncovered and stirring now and then, until the rice has soaked up some of the liquid. Taste for salt and add as necessary.  Stir in the sauteed "scallops".  Heat briefly and serve sprinkled with cilantro or alternates, with wedges of lemon or lime to squirt over the rice as desired.



Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 400 calories, 101 calories from fat, 11.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 423.6mg sodium, 729.9mg potassium, 62.5g carbohydrates, 6.9g fiber, 11.1g sugar, 10.5g protein, 11.8 points.

NOTES:
You can use my Tofu "Scallops" (recipe at this link), or my "Sea Meat" (gluten-based) "Scallops", recipe at this link), 




or "Mushroom Scallops":













Making "Mushroom Scallops":
Many recipes these days call for using thick slices of stems of King Oyster mushrooms  or King Trumpet mushrooms.  They are expensive and very hard to find where I live, so this is what I do:
I use large ordinary white mushroom caps, or even cremini mushrooms, stemmed, and cut out rounds with a small biscuit cutter. (PS: I use the scraps for mushroom soup.)










Aji Amarillo (the dried version of aji amarillo/Peruvian yellow pepper is often called aji mirasol):
In the USA you can purchase Aji Amarillo Paste in many Latin American food stores, or online Latin American food purveyors, or on amazon.com.
In Canada, it's overpriced on amazon.ca, but, if you live in a large city you can probably find a Latin American food store that carries it, or order it online from this Vancouver store chain.  
A substitute might be a Jamaican Scotch Bonnet pepper sauce mixed with pureed roasted large yellow bell peppers (Scotch bonnets are "fruity" like aji amarillo, but much higher on the heat scale!)




BRYANNA’S VEGAN “SEA STOCK”
Yield: 4 cups
This is a handy recipe for vegan “sea-meat” recipes.
From: http://www.veganmainstream.com/2014/01/23/homemade-vegan-seafood-satisfies-some-nostalgic-cravings/

6 cups hot water
10 medium dried shiitake or Chinese black forest mushrooms
1/2 oz dried kombu seaweed
2 teaspoons light miso
1 1/2 teaspoons vegetarian “oyster” sauce (see recipe and info on commercial brands below)
1 teaspoon salt

Simmer the mushrooms and kombu, covered, in the water for 30 minutes. Strain in a colander. Save the mushrooms for another dish, if you like. Discard the kombu. Stir in the miso, vegetarian “oyster” sauce, and salt. Dissolve thoroughly. Strain through a fine sieve. Refrigerate.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/2 cup): 18.6 calories; 6% calories from fat; 0.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 318.5mg sodium; 75.3mg potassium; 4.3g carbohydrates; 0.6g fiber; 1.5g sugar; 0.7g protein ; 0.3 points.


VEGETARIAN “OYSTER” SAUCE:
Chinese oyster sauce is a favorite flavoring, thick, rich-tasting, and slightly sweet. I use the vegan version frequently to coat plain tofu for use in stir-fries and fried dishes instead of chicken, and, of course, it’s essential in some Chinese dishes. As well, it can add rich flavor to homemade seitan/grain meat. If you can’t buy it, it’s easy to make a very acceptable substitute (see below).

You can find commercial vegetarian versions, made with mushrooms, in some Asian groceries and large supermarkets (and online, including at amazon). Sometimes it is labeled “vegetarian oyster sauce” or “mushroom oyster sauce". It is also marketed as “vegetarian stir-fry sauce” (Lee Kum Kee brand-- a very common one). It keeps for a long time in the refrigerator. However, it can be difficult for people in some areas to find, so I am giving you a recipe for a homemade version.

BRYANNA’S HOMEMADE CHINESE VEGETARIAN MUSHROOM “OYSTER” SAUCE (ALSO KNOWN AS “VEGETARIAN STIR-FRY SAUCE”)
Makes 18 liquid oz., or about the same as a commercial bottle

NOTE ON MUSHROOMS: For the dried mushrooms, you don’t need expensive shiitakes—just use the inexpensive dried Chinese mushrooms (or Chinese forest mushrooms) that are easily available. Snap off the stems and discard them, then grind the mushrooms to a powder in a DRY, clean blender or coffee/spice grinder.

1 1/2 cups boiling water
6 tablespoons ground dried Chinese mushroom (see note above)
6 tablespoons Chinese brown bean sauce or paste
OR use 5 tablespoons mild brown miso + 1 tablespoon water
6 tablespoons soy sauce
6 generous tablespoons brown sugar,
1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in
1 tablespoon cold water

Blend all of the ingredients EXCEPT the dissolved cornstarch in a blender until as smooth as possible. Pour into in a medium saucepan and heat to boiling over high heat.  (IMPORTANT: leave the plastic cap out of the center hole in the blender lid and cover it with a folded towel, so that the hot liquid doesn’t explode.) Add the dissolved cornstarch and stir until thickened. Cool and store in a covered jar or bottle in the refrigerator. Since it is quite salty and sweet, it should keep for several months.

NOTE: You can, alternatively, microwave the mixture, with the cornstarch, in a medium bowl and cook on 100% power for about 1 minute, then whisk. Repeat until thickened and store as above.

Enjoy!

Peruvian cuisine is a delicious and exciting melange of indigenous Inca cuisine and ingredients, mixed with Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, West African, and even German influences.  I never tire of exploring it.  Of course, some of my interest is because my late father, Alejandro Jaime Urbina was Peruvian and I still have family there.  Today I'd like to share a version I just made of one of Peru's most famous dishes, which also happens to be quick and easy to make, and very delicious.

A family gathering in Lima, Peru in 1954: me (on left) and my sister in the very front with a young cousin in the center. My mother is in the center behind us (my Abuelita/grandmother to her left) and my father behind her. (Right-click on photo and choose "open link in new tab" [NOT "open image in a new tab"] to see a larger version.)

My book "World Vegan Feast" contains a recipe for vegan "Lomo" Saltado, sometimes called Peru's "National Dish".  It's a Chinese-style beef and vegetable stir-fry with some piquant Peruvian accents (chilies, vinegar, cumin and sometimes cilantro), but other versions are available now, including vegan ones.

Saltado dishes are commonly known in Peru to have a definite Chinese culinary  influence. (The culinary term saltado is unique to Peru, and doesn't exist in other Latin countries.) The term Chifa is used in Peru to refer to Chinese-Peruvian cooking, in which Peruvian and Chinese ingredients are fused to Cantonese culinary tradition. It also refers to a restaurant where this type of quick, hearty, cheap and nutritious food has been served to workers for over 200 years.  Now Lomo Saltado (and other versions) is considered a national dish in Peru and people make it home, too.

Chinese immigrants came to Peru mainly from the southern province of Guangdong and particularly its capital city Guangzhou in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. They settled for the most part in the coast of Peru and the capital city of Lima. Chifa has become one of the most popular types of food in Peru and there are thousands of Chifa restaurants across all districts of Lima and throughout other Peruvian cities, with sometimes many Chifa restaurants operating in close together on a single city block.


Peruvian chefs now commonly use products used in traditional Chinese cooking such as ginger, soy sauce, scallions, and a variety of other ingredients.

NOTE: Saltado is generally served with both rice (which is a Spanish as well as Asian import), as well as French fries piled on top. Peruvians often serve rice and potatoes with meals at the same time.  I didn't serve this with French fries this time-- but it's really good either way.



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S SALTADO DE "POLLO" CON VAINITAS VEGANO (PERUVIAN-STYLE VEGAN STIR-FRY OF SOY CURLS WITH GREEN BEANS)
Servings: 3


1/2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
2 cloves (large) garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Peruvian aji amarilllo paste (or use chopped canned or pickled jalapeno peppers, or Sriracha sauce)
2 cups reconstituted Soy Curls (or other vegan "chicken" strips)
3 Tbs soy sauce (divided)
1/2 Tbs ground cumin
1/2 Tbs oil
1/2 medium onion, thinly-sliced
2 medium tomatoes, ripe, cut into wedges (preferably Roma tomatoes, but I've used other ripe tomatoes successfully)
12 ounces thin green beans, blanched and rinsed in cold water, drained
(Note: They can be frozen and thawed, but have to be thin "baby" ones-- you don't have to blanch frozen beans)
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
2 Tbs vegan "chicken-y" broth
OPTIONAL:
a handful of chopped fresh cilantro (Note: If you don't like cilantro, use a combination of basil and mint.  Use 1 tsp each of dried, if you like.)

Have all of the ingredients prepared before you start cooking. Have steamed long grain rice prepared and kept hot. (NOTE: The rice is usually packed tight into flat-bottom cup that is wider at the top and up-ended on the plate, then surrounded by the stir-fry.)

If you are also serving French fries with the dish, prepare them right before doing the stir-fry and keep them warm in a low oven, spread out on a baking sheet.

Heat the sesame oil in a large heavy skillet or stir-fry pan over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix the Soy Curls with 1 1/2 Tbsp. of the soy sauce, garlic, chile paste and cumin.


Add the Soy Curls mixture to the hot oil and stir-fry for a few minutes.  Remove from the pan to a dish.

Heat the remaining oil in the same pan.  Add the onion and green beans to the oil and stir-fry briefly.  Add a little water (a tablespoon or two), cover and cook until the beans are crisp-tender-- it won't take long.


Add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce, the red wine vinegar and broth, and the optional cilantro, if using. Stir briefly and serve immediately with the rice and, if you're serving the French fries, top the Saltado with a small heap of them.

PS: This Saltado may seem dry compared to many other stir-fries, but, trust me, it's full of flavor!

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 217 calories, 84 calories from fat, 9.6g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 742.9mg sodium, 535.8mg potassium, 21.7g carbohydrates, 8.4g fiber, 6g sugar, 14.2g protein.

Enjoy!

Last May I experimented with a Latin American fruit and oat "smoothie", and we really enjoyed it.  I began researching and discovered a myriad of Central and South American beverages made with grains. Indeed, South Americans seem to love grain drinks, and I think it's a fabulous idea to use different grains to thicken and enrich beverages.  So, way back in May, I promised that I would  experiment with more of these drinks, but the book sort of got in the way of much experimentation!  However, I'm on a bit of a Peruvian and South American cooking roll, so I decided to try two beverages today.  I'm very happy with the results and I hope you'll try them!