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

         You'd better be really, really hungry before you eat a meal like this!  

I have to apologize for being so silent during the last two weeks!  I've been wanting to write this post on the new cookbook "Betty Goes Vegan" for a month, but life keeps getting in the way!  I've never met Annie and Dan Shannon, but what a dynamo pair they must be.  This project was a huge commitment (good thing there are two of them, is all I can say!) and they can be very proud of their achievement.

Their fun and slightly cheeky "Betty Goes Vegan" is not only a massive hit, but it's a massive collection (500 recipes) of comfort-food vegan dishes. For anyone who grew up in North America, with a Betty Crocker cookbook of some kind or other (perhaps a tattered and dog-eared one that belonged to your mother or grandmother; perhaps the 2010 version that the Shannons used for this project), this is nostalgia gone vegan.  The Shannons have perfected vegan versions of many all-American favorites, such as biscuits with  gravy, fried eggs (yes, indeed!), brisket and cabbage, German potato salad, Snickerdoodles, and crab cakes, plus numerous international recipes such as the "great English breakfast", Italian Wedding Soup, Ramen bowls, Caribbean black beans with rice, Paella, and lots more.  The dessert section is 100 pages alone! So many choices, so little time!

I wanted cook a whole meal from the book for this blog post, but it was very difficult to choose the recipes.  In the end, I decided to do a brunch menu-- the Denver Omelet (which was a favorite of mine as a teenager), the Creole Potato Wedges, the pillowy-soft-in-the center Garlic and Cheese Biscuits (see photo below).


For the vegetable dish to round out the meal I made the spicy, creamy Old Bay Coleslaw-- a real winner:

I had planned on doing a dessert, but, to tell you the truth, we wouldn't have been able to eat it! Another time (DH will be happy).

The meal was a huge success-- DH loved all of it and everything was quite easy to prepare.  And, honestly, your picky omnivore brother-in-law would be hard-pressed to find fault with this brunch! (That reminds me-- BGV would be a great gift for a new vegan or thinking-about-it friend or relative.) Here are two of the recipes I made from this fabulous addition to the vegan cookbook universe, courtesy of  Grand Central Publishing.

       Crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside Creole Potato Wedges and Old Bay Coleslaw with a creamy, spicy dressing accompanied the Vegan Denver Omelet.

Pineapple and Oat breakfast drink

Oddly enough, oatmeal is a staple in many Latin American and Caribbean households, and it is used, most interestingly, in wonderful, cheap, healthful hot and cold beverages. I came across this concept while researching Peruvian breakfast foods for my last post. These cinnamon-flavored oat-and-/milk or oat-and fruit drinks are variously called Avena or Cuaquer (Spanish translation of  "Quaker", for the oats!), Jugo de Avena, Chicha de Avena, Atole de Avena, Colada de Avena, and Avena Caliente, depending on which country of origin. ("Avena" means oatmeal, BTW.)

It is so popular that there is a packaged version (actually several versions) called "Avena", made by Alpina, a South American company.  You can read comments about it here, but I can't find out whether it it has milk in it or not.  If anyone knows, please let me know! (There are also other brands of similar drink mixes.)

Some recipes call simply for oatmeal, a sweetener, milk and/or cream, water, and cinnamon; others contain fruit.  Some are served hot, others cold.  I was intrigued by the idea of a simple drink thickened by grain, so I just had to try it.  I made a cold smoothie-type concoction with canned pineapple, which is what I had in the house.  We love it!  I plan to experiment with other fruits and combinations of fruits (mango, papaya, banana, passion fruit, even North American fruits and berries), as well as the non-fruit version.  Similar drinks are also made with corn or masa flour, barley, and quinoa, so I have lots of experimenting to do.  I'll post future results and recipes as I go!

Do give this a try!  It is refreshing and delicious.  Below is my original recipe, which you can fortify with soy or hemp protein powder, if you wish, and then, below that,  another version made with more nondairy milk, so that it it makes a protein-rich breakfast drink or snack without adding protein powder.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN PINEAPPLE AVENA (OR CUAQUER)-- LATIN-AMERICAN-STYLE OAT “SMOOTHIE” (Version #1)
Servings: 4

Use soy or hemp milk for a decent protein count. Other nondairy milks are very low in protein.  I have listed the nutrition facts for all of the variations based on the options given in the recipe.

NOTE: You need to make this ahead of time and chill it.

1/2 cup rolled oats (regular or quick)
2 cups water
1 cup soymilk or hemp milk
19 oz can unsweetened pineapple chunks with juice (you could also use about 2 cups of fresh pineapple chunks)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar or organic sugar
OPTIONAL:
1 oz. soy protein powder or hemp protein powder

You can cook the oats in the water in a small pot, turning the heat down when it boils and cooking it until it is thick and bubbly. I used the microwave oven-- place the oats and water (or non-dairy milk) in a 2 qt. microwave-save bowl (to avoid boil-overs) and cook on high 2 minutes, then 50% power for 3 minutes. Let it cool a bit.

Scoop the oatmeal into a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Taste for sweetener. Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate.

Nutrition Facts (These Nutrition Facts were calculated using 1 cup soymilk and 1 1/2 tablespoons of agave nectar, WITHOUT the optional protein powder.)
Nutrition (per serving): 150.4 calories; 9% calories from fat; 1.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 36.9mg sodium; 237.6mg potassium; 32.1g carbohydrates; 1.6g fiber; 23.9g sugar; 30.5g net carbs; 3.5g protein; 2.8 points.

NUTRITION FACTS FOR VARIATIONS:

If you use the same amount of sugar instead of agave, they are as follows:
159.7 calories; 8% calories from fat; 1.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 36.9mg sodium; 237.7mg potassium; 34.0g carbohydrates; 1.6g fiber; 25.8g sugar; 32.4g net carbs; 3.5g protein; 3.0 points.

If you use soymilk and agave, and add the optional soy protein powder, they are as follows:
174.3 calories; 9% calories from fat; 1.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 108.1mg sodium; 243.3mg potassium; 32.6g carbohydrates; 2.0g fiber; 23.9g sugar; 30.6g net carbs; 9.2g protein; 3.2 points.

If you use soymilk and agave and add the optional hemp protein powder, they are as follows:
182.0 calories; 14% calories from fat; 3.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 40.4mg sodium; 237.6mg potassium; 33.3g carbohydrates; 2.5g fiber; 24.1g sugar; 30.7g net carbs; 7.1g protein; 3.4 points.

If you use hemp milk and agave, and NO protein powder, they are are as follows:
160.1 calories; 13% calories from fat; 2.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 28.1mg sodium; 237.6mg potassium; 32.3g carbohydrates; 1.8g fiber; 24.7g sugar; 30.4g net carbs; 3.4g protein; 3.0 points.

If you use hemp milk and the same amount of sugar instead of agave, and NO protein powder, they are as follows:
169.4 calories; 13% calories from fat; 2.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 28.1mg sodium; 237.7mg potassium; 34.2g carbohydrates; 1.8g fiber; 26.6g sugar; 32.4g net carbs; 3.4g protein; 3.2 points.

If you use hemp milk and agave, and the optional hemp protein powder, they are as follows:
191.8 calories; 18% calories from fat; 3.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 31.7mg sodium; 237.6mg potassium; 33.5g carbohydrates; 2.8g fiber; 24.9g sugar; 30.7g net carbs; 6.9g protein; 3.6 points.

If you use hemp milk and agave and use hemp protein powder with extra fiber, they are as follows:
190.1 calories; 15% calories from fat; 3.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 30.5mg sodium; 237.6mg potassium; 35.6g carbohydrates; 5.2g fiber; 24.7g sugar; 30.4g net carbs; 6.0g protein; 3.3 points.




Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S SOY OR HEMP/PINEAPPLE AVENA (OR CUAQUER)-- LATIN AMERICAN OAT SMOOTHIE (Version #2)
Servings: 4

This is a higher-protein version of my original one, without adding protein powder. Soy and hemp milks contain considerably more protein than other non-dairy milks. NOTE: You need to make this ahead of time and chill it.

1/2 cup rolled oats
2 cups soymilk or hemp milk
1 cup soymilk or hemp milk
19 oz can unsweetened pineapple chunks with juice (or about 2 cups of fresh pineapple chunks)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar or organic sugar

You can cook the oats in the 2 cups soy or hemp milk in a small pot, turning the heat down when it boils and cooking it until it is thick and bubbly. I used the microwave oven-- place the oats and soy or hemp milk in a 2 qt. microwave-save bowl (to avoid boil-overs) and cook on high 2 minutes, then 50% power for 3 minutes. Let it cool a bit.

Scoop the oatmeal into a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Blend until completely smooth. Taste for sweetener. Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate.

Nutrition Facts (Nutrition Facts were calculated using soymilk and agave nectar.) Nutrition (per serving): 185.9 calories; 15% calories from fat; 3.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 99.5mg sodium; 237.6mg potassium; 35.1g carbohydrates; 1.6g fiber; 25.4g sugar; 33.5g net carbs; 6.3g protein; 3.7 points.

NUTRITION FACTS FOR VARIATIONS:

If you use agave and hemp milk, they are as follows: 
215.1 calories; 24% calories from fat; 6.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 73.3mg sodium; 237.6mg potassium; 35.8g carbohydrates; 2.3g fiber; 27.7g sugar; 33.4g net carbs; 5.9g protein; 4.3 points..

If you use soymilk and sugar, they are as follows:
195.2 calories; 14% calories from fat; 3.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 99.5mg sodium; 237.7mg potassium; 37.0g carbohydrates; 1.6g fiber; 27.3g sugar; 35.4g net carbs; 6.3g protein; 3.9 points

If you use hemp milk and sugar, they are as follows:
224.4 calories; 23% calories from fat; 6.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 73.3mg sodium; 237.7mg potassium; 37.7g carbohydrates; 2.3g fiber; 29.6g sugar; 35.4g net carbs; 5.9g protein; 4.5 points.

Enjoy!

No, it's not really my recipe. It's my version of Julie Hasson's recipe, and we love it! It's not dry and almost tasteless like other tofu scrambles I've sampled. We have been eating very simply these days (between guests) and this recipe just seems to be the ticket when you want something quick, tasty, simple and versatile. Even my picky brother-in-law liked it!

I really like this recipe when made with medium-firm tofu pressed for 1/2 an hour in the Tofu Xpress gadget that I blogged about here, and Julie blogged about here. The tofu is firm, and yet has a silky texture that really "feels" like scrambled egg! UPDATE AUG 2012:  Recently I blogged about a new tofu press, larger capacity, handmade wood, that would work much better if you are using this recipe for a crowd. You can order it here, and read about it (with pics) here.


Medium-firm tofu pressed for 1 hour. (Update: I now press it for only about 1/2 an hour-- it's your choice!)

In the recipe below, I use 16 oz. of medium-firm tofu pressed for about 1/2 hour in the Tofu Xpress, which results in about 12 to 8.2 oz. firm, but smooth and silky, tofu. If you do not own a tofu press, you can find various methods on the Internet.  Here is a good one, but I don't think it's necessary to press for 24 hours, as it says!  You can see how much water is in the press in the picture above, and you should get as much out with a similar amount of pressing time using the method I linked to.


We had Julie's Tofu Scramble over steamed asparagus for dinner the other night-- very satisfying!


Cooking the tofu

Printable Recipe



Enjoy!

 I devised this mix a couple of years ago for my [now defunct] subscriber newsletter, The Vegan Feast, and I wanted a healthful vegan mix that produced a light, fluffy, white pancake (it's full of whole grains, but it looks white!). I also wanted it to have very few additions, so that it was really quick and easy. You only have to add water and a little lemon juice to this mix, and it produces pancakes you can be proud to serve to children, picky eaters, omnis, anybody!

I make double, sometimes even triple, the recipe most of the time, to have it on hand for company breakfasts, or mornings like today, when we want a quick treat. So here's a little gift for you:


Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S VEGAN ALL-AMERICAN "BUTTERMILK" PANCAKE MIX
Servings: 12
Yield: 8 cups

Enough for 4 batches of 12/ 3" pancakes each batch; 2 c. mix per batch)

These can be mixed up in a minute and taste almost like the white kind, but have plenty of fiber and grains in them! I looked at the labels of pancake mixes and found that many of them contain rice flour and corn flour, so I added them (whole grain, though, of course!) and found they did improve the finished product!
NOTE: To make the mix with ALL wholegrain flour, the only change you have to make is to use 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (white whole wheat pastry flour would be good!) plus 1 cup oat flour (rolled oats ground in a DRY blender or coffee/spice mill) in place of the 2 cups unbleached white flour and 2 cups wholewheat pastry flour in the mix recipe. The rest of the recipe is the same.

2 cup unbleached white flour (See NOTE above)
2 cup whole wheat pastry flour-- white whole wheat pastry flour would be good!(DO NOT use regular whole wheat flour, or the pancakes will be tough!)
3/4 cup corn flour (**see Cooking Tips below)
1/2 cup soy flour (or use chickpea flour if you are allergic to soy)
1/4 cup golden flaxseed, ground in a dry electric coffee mill (one that is NOT used for coffee!)
1/4 cup brown rice flour (Brown rice flour can also be made in a clean, dry coffee/spice grinder. Grind as finely as possible.)
2 Tbs unbleached organic sugar
4 tsp Ener-G or Orgran egg replacer powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup oil of your choice

TO MAKE THE MIX:
Ideally, mix the ingredients together in a dry food processor. If you don't have one, whisk the dry ingredients together well in a bowl, then rub in the oil with your fingers. Keep in a tight jar, refrigerated, unless you use it up fast. STIR BEFORE MEASURING OUT.

T0 MAKE 12/ 3" PANCAKES WITH 2 CUPS OF THE MIX, ADD:
1 1/2 cups water
1 Tbs. lemon juice

Place mix in a medium bowl. Dump the lemon juice and water into the dry ingredients and whisk briefly just until no dry flour is visible-- it will be lumpy and quite thick.

Let stand while you heat up your pancake griddle or skillet-- seasoned cast iron or carbon steel is good.  Drops of water should sizzle when sprinkled on the surface of the pan if it's hot enough. Turn the heat down to medium.


Spoon heaping tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the hot, oiled griddle and spread it out gently to a 3" circle with the back of the spoon. (I used a tiny ladle that holds 1 1/2 Tbs. batter and that's perfect. If you want larger pancakes, use a ladle that hold 3 Tbs. batter; the yield will be about 9 pancakes.) Cook until it has puffed a bit, bubbles appear in the surface and the bottoms are golden-brown.


Carefully loosen with a spatula (if using a silicone spatula, make sure that it has a nice thin edge on it) and turn over gently. The center will rise a bit and be firm, and the other side golden when done. Don't overcook, or they fall and are heavy.


Serve on warm plates with vegan butter (optional) and warm syrup (we like real maple syrup), or a low-sugar jam or fruit sauce-- whatever is your fancy! Yum!

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 270.2 calories; 24% calories from fat; 7.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 370.8mg sodium; 293.4mg potassium; 44.8g carbohydrates; 5.6g fiber; 2.6g sugar; 39.2g net carbs; 7.6g protein; 5.2 points.

Cooking Tips

**CORN FLOUR: As a thickener, corn flour creates a pale yellow "buttery" or "eggy" color in the finished product that is much more appetizing than turmeric (which tends to have a greenish cast and, therefore, looks phony).

It also contributes a "buttery" flavor or even an "eggy" flavor. It blends to a creamy smooth texture after it's cooked in liquid and then blended with more liquid. Adding a tiny bit of vegan butter gives it an even more buttery taste with very few calories in the finished product, but, in most cases it is not even necessary.

You can create soy-free vegan sauces and spreads, if that is a concern to you, and smooth, creamy products without the expense of silken tofu. Corn flour mixtures cook well in the microwave.

Corn flour is not the same as cornstarch (confusingly, what we call "cornstarch" in North America is referred to as "corn flour" in the UK)- it's very finely-ground yellow cornmeal. Nor is it the same as "masa harina", the corn flour used for making tortillas, which is treated with lime. It is available in the Asian or Indian section of many large supermarkets supermarkets (SaveOn and SuperStore here in BC, Canada), but also look for it in Indian markets and health food stores, which have organic brands.

Basically, use half again as much corn flour as cornstarch, if converting a recipe.

NOTE: IF YOU CAN'T FIND CORN FLOUR, if you prefer to use organic products and can't find the organic kind, grind the finest yellow cornmeal you can find in a clean coffee/spice mill until it is powdery (this is important), or grind yellow cornmeal on the finest setting of your electric grain mill (I had to run it through mine twice).

Enjoy!