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

This is my first "Use-It-Up Tuesday" post-- a great idea from the Urban Vegan, Dynise Balcavage.

The other day I experimented with a vegan omelette made with The Vegg, a new egg yolk substitute.  I tried four different versions, two with tofu and two soy-free. The soy-free versions seemed too much like stiff crepes to me, so I abandoned that idea and ended up with a quick and easy tofu-based omelet with eggy flavor-- soft in texture, but strong enough to hold up to folding over a filling (recipe below).  The tofu gives the VEGG mixture more substance-- it's too slimey by itself-- and the flours help the mixture set.

When I was trying to decide how to use leftover omelette (Pheobe the dog is getting some of the "crepey" experiments for treats these days), fried rice came to mind immediately.  I surmised that chopped, cold omelette would be perfect to use in place of the usual scrambled eggs in a fried rice dish-- or, in my case the usual scrambled tofu. I also had some cooked brown basmati and red rice and Chinese vegan "ham" in the freezer, lots of green onions, savoy cabbage (didn't have any bean sprouts), celery and mushrooms (which needed using)... perfect for a fried rice dish with more nutrition than most versions, and a tasty use of leftovers.

Below is the recipe for the new VEGG Omelette and below that is the fried rice recipe.  I hope you enjoy them!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S NEW TOFU AND VEGG OMELETTE (GF)
© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2012
Makes 5 omelettes
TIP: Use an 8-inch nonstick skillet for this recipe.  If you don't have nonstick, use well-seasoned cast iron or hard-anodized, but you may need a little more fat for cooking. Recipe updated December 1, 2013

3/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons VEGG powder (egg yolk sub)
12.3 ounce box extra-firm silken tofu, drained and crumbled
1/2 cup chickpea flour (besan)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Per omelette you will need: 1 teaspoon oil or vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free Buttah)
Filling: I used some Daiya shreds (use whatever vegan cheese you like) and sautéed mushroom slices with red pepper strips, but use your imagination! Have your filling ready and kept warm before you begin cooking the omelettes, because they cook quickly.

In a blender, process the water and VEGG powder until well mixed and a bit "gloppy"-looking.  Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Scrape into a bowl or batter bowl.


Heat your omelette pan (see tip above in recipe intro) over high heat with the oil or vegan butter. 

Use 1/2 cup of batter per omelette. Scoop it into the center of the pan and, using the back of a spoon or a spatula in a circular motion, evenly spread the batter outwards to make a circle that's fairly thin, but with no holes.  Cover and let cook for a couple of minutes, or until the top is set and dry and the bottom is golden and a bit crispy.


Turn the heat down to medium or medium-low and place some of your Filling and vegan cheese (if you are using it) over one half of the circle, then use the spatula to fold the other half over the Filling. Cover the pan again and leave for a minute or two to melt the cheese. Slide onto a warm plate and repeat with the remaining batter.


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And now, the fried rice recipe...


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S FRIED BROWN BASMATI AND THAI RED RICE WITH VEGG OMELETTE AND VEGETABLES (Recipe updated December 10, 2015)
Serves 6

Rice is normally eaten plain in China, but occasionally a savory (or "fried") rice dish will be made with leftover rice and other bits and pieces. This type of dish was made popular in Chinese restaurants in North America, so, like the flat egg foo yung omelettes in brown sauce, and ubiquitous chop suey, fried rice is really a Chinese-American dish. However, it is well-loved and can be very delicious. Savory fried rice doesn't need to be greasy and it should be seasoned with salt or just a little light soy sauce-- most American versions are too heavy on the soy sauce. You can use the suggestions I have made in the recipe, or change it to suit what you have on hand. Fried rice invariably contains scrambled egg, which can be replaced with scrambled tofu (or the quick version below the recipe), but I think leftover vegan omelette (recipe above) works even better. TIP: The rice should not be freshly-made-- it should be cold so that it is a bit dry and separates easily. 

                                                    INGREDIENTS:

I prefer Savoy cabbage in this dish because it's more tender than regular green cabbage.

1 tablespoon oil 
1/2 a small Savoy cabbage, core and hard spines removed, finely shredded or sliced
2-3 cups sliced mushrooms
7-8 large green onions, chopped 
2 stalks celery, thinly-sliced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 cup slivered vegan "ham" or "bacon", or smoked tofu
(Other options might be baked, marinated tofu, smoked tempeh, or any sort of seitan or commercial meat sub)
2 cups cold cooked brown basmati or Jasmine rice
2 cups cold cooked Thai red rice
(OR use 4 cups of the two varieties cooked together and chilled)
1/2 tablespoon dark sesame oil 
1 teaspoon salt 
freshly-ground pepper to taste 
approximately 2 cups of chopped leftover VEGG Omelette (see recipe above, or use your own version)
(Another option would be leftover scrambled tofu or the quick version for fried rice [from my book Authentic Chinese for the Contemporary Kitchen] below this recipe)

DIRECTIONS: Heat a large heavy wok, skillet or stir-fry pan over high heat. When it's very hot, add the 1 tablespoon oil. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables, garlic and "ham" or alternate. 



Stir-fry for several minutes, or until the cabbage starts to wilt, scraping the bottom of the wok with a metal spatula and adding squirts of hot water from a squeeze bottle if it starts to stick to avoid the need to use more oil). Add the cold rice, breaking up any clumps. 



Add the sesame oil, salt and a few grindings of pepper, and keep turning the mixture with a spatula until the rice is heated through-- again, scraping the bottom of the wok with a metal spatula and adding squirts of hot water from a squeeze bottle if it starts to stick to avoid the need to use more oil. 

 Add the chopped Omelette to the pan and stir-fry until everything is well-mixed and hot. 



Serve immediately. Any leftovers can be refrigerated and reheated.

Quick Scrambled Tofu for Fried Rice (from my book Authentic Chinese for the Contemporary Kitchen):
1 lb. medium-firm or firm tofu, drained and crumbled
4 T. nutritional yeast flakes
4 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. onion powder
large pinch of onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the crumbled tofu with the other ingredients.  Heat a lightly-oiled nonstick or cast iron skillet over high heat.  Add the tofu and keep turning it with a spatula until it turns a bright scrambled egg color and dries out to your satisfaction.  Set aside.

Enjoy!

I had a potluck to go to Thursday night and had to make something the night before, as I was going to be on the go all day on Thursday.  A hearty full-meal salad is always my go-to dish for this type of situation, but I wanted to make up something colorful and interesting for a rather bleak November day.  After assessing the possibilities in my cupboard and refrigerator, I came up with an idea for a non-Asian-style red rice salad that turned out to be really delicious-- enough so that I will make it again this coming Wednesday for another potluck. And, I think it would be an excellent holiday salad, as well.

Whole grain, low-fat, fiber-rich, easy to make, and mighty tasty-- what more could you ask for?  Versatility, perhaps?  Feel free to experiment with different nut and dried fruit combinations (hazelnuts & dried apricots; pecans & dried sour cherries; dried figs & roasted pumpkin seeds immediately come to mind), and to substitute other crunchy vegetables for the ones I used.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S RED RICE, WHITE BEAN & VEGETABLE SALAD WITH TOASTED ALMONDS, DRIED CRANBERRIES AND CREAMY BALSAMIC DRESSING
Serves 12
See the blog text for ideas for variations. This makes enough for a party or potluck, and, if you are lucky, you'll have some left over for a school or work lunch.

2 cups Thai (long grain) red rice
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2/ 19 oz. cans white kidney beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or use 3-4 cups home-cooked)
1 orange or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups diced celery (with leaves)
6 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (both green and white parts)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil
Creamy Balsamic Dressing: 
Blend together in a blender or with a stick/immersion blender,
1 cup Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing (see recipe below)
and
1/2 cup Low-Fat Vegan Mayonnaise (or use Tofu Mayonnaise, Reduced Fat Vegenaise, or Spectrum Naturals Eggless Vegan Light Canola Mayonnaise)

You can cook the rice in a pot on the stove,or in a rice cooker.  if you use the rice cooker, follow the directions for your machine, using the rice, water and salt called for above.  Otherwise, place these ingredients in a medium pot with a tight lid, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender and no liquid is left.  Fluff it with a fork.

Spread the cooked rice out on a baking sheet and allow it to cool a bit.  It should be warm, but not hot and not chilled.  In a large bowl, mix the rice with the rinsed, drained beans, peppers, celery, green onions and dried cranberries..  Mix together your dressing and toss with the salad ingredients in the bowl.

In a small, heavy skillet (cast iron is good), heat the olive oil and sesame oil and add the slivered almonds.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the almond slivers become golden.  Remove from heat immediately and add to the salad.  Toss once again, cover and refrigerate until serving time.  Bring the salad to room temperature before serving.  Garnish with fresh herb or parsley sprigs, or leafy celery stalks, or more toasted almonds.

Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing:
1 cup aquafaba or Fat-Free Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar (Costco's Kirkland brand is a good commercial version)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt

 Whisk, shake, or blend the ingredients together well, bottle and store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!