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

I'm trying to use up all the great vegetables I have around-- especially the lovely local winter squash.  I love winter squash.  I actually eat it for breakfast sometimes (very satisfying!).  Last night I had a chunk of Hubbard squash and some cooked brown basmati rice in the refrigerator that I wanted to use, so I decided to make a tian, which is a type of vegetable gratin from Provence (named for he earthenware vessel of Provence used both for cooking and serving), sometimes made with the addition of rice.  It makes a great side dish or a main dish, if you like.

To add nutrition, I used my creamy, fat-free white bean flour based Béchamel sauce (see this blog post for more info), with a small amount of vegan cheese, to hold it together, instead of the more common and sometimes copious amounts, of dairy cheese and cream-based sauce.  


The ingredients for this recipe are few and simple, but, together, made a delicious and nutritious dish.


Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S VEGAN BROWN RICE & WINTER SQUASH TIAN (GRATIN) WITH BEAN FLOUR-BASED BÉCHAMEL
4-6 servings

1 Tbsp vegan butter or olive oil
2 tsp dried, crumbled sage (not powdered)
3 cups grated peeled winter squash (such as Butternut, Hubbard, etc.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped parsley (this can be omitted, if you don't have any)
3 cups cooked long grain brown rice, such as brown basmati
1/2 cup grated melt-able vegan cheese, such as Daiya Mozza or "Smoked Gouda", or your favorite kind
Fat-Free, Creamy Vegan White Bean Flour-Based Béchamel (Make ahead):
2 cups non-dairy milk of choice (use Original type-- I use soy milk)
1 tsp vegan chicken-style broth powder or paste (I like Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken Vegan Broth Base)
1/4 cup white bean flour (or white urad dal flour)-- see below
1/4 tsp salt
1 pinch grated nutmeg
freshly-ground pepper to taste

Freshly-milled white bean flour-- you can use navy beans, Great Northern, cannellini or white kidney beans.  This batch was made with navy beans. If you can't find white bean flour to purchase look for white Urad Dal flour where ingredients for Indian cooking are sold (which includes some large supermarkets).

To make the Béchamel Sauce:

Place all of the Béchamel ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. I cook the sauce in the microwave, in a large Pyrex batter bowl. I cook it on 100% power for three minutes, then whisk it then repeat for 3 minutes more. Microwave a bit more if necessary. If you prefer, you can cook it in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the sauce boils and thickens.


To make the casserole:
Set oven to 400 degrees F. Oil an 8-cup shallow gratin or casserole dish.

In a wide heavy skillet, stir-fry pan or sauté pan, heat the vegan butter or olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the sage and grated squash.  Sauté until the squash has just softened.  I only sautéed it for 3 minutes, but it may take longer if you grate it more coarsely.  You don't want it mushy. Immediately stir in the chopped garlic and parsley (if using).


Combine the sautéed squash in a large bowl with the cooked brown rice, cheese, and the pre-made Béchamel Sauce.


Scoop the mixture into the prepared pan and place in the oven.


Bake for 25 to 25 minutes, or until a bit of a crust forms on top.  Serve immediately.


Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/4 of recipe): 365 calories, 80 calories from fat, 8.9g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 488.3mg sodium, 712mg potassium, 63.2g carbohydrates, 8.5g fiber, 7.4g sugar, 10.8g protein, 10.4 points.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/6 of recipe): 243 calories, 53 calories from fat, 5.9g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 325.5mg sodium, 474.7mg potassium, 42.1g carbohydrates, 5.7g fiber, 4.9g sugar, 7.2g protein, 6.9 points.

Enjoy!

I haven't made Jambalaya for ages and I had a craving for it today, so, guess what we had for dinner?  I wanted to make a spicy Cajun jambalaya that doesn't contain the tomatoes used in the Creole version. I had all of the major ingredients for a vegan version at hand. In Cajun jambalaya, protein and vegetables are cooked separately from the rice, which is cooked in a savory stock. The rice is added to the protein and vegetables before serving. It's called a  "white jambalaya." (We could call this one a "brown Jambalaya", since it's made with brown rice.)  This version works best with brown rice, in my opinion, because the brown rice needs a longer cooking time and if you cook everything together, it might get a bit soggy.

In any case, it worked well, we loved it, devoured it, and were very happy that there is enough left for lunch tomorrow.

NOTE: This dish is easy and fast to put together just before you eat if you treat it  as you would a Chinese stir-fry-- which means, have all of the ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. For convenience, you can cook the rice the day before or earlier in the day, if you wish.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CAJUN-STYLE WHOLEGRAIN VEGAN JAMBALAYA
Servings: 5
NOTE: If you can't find Cajun Spice Mix/Seasoning, there are many recipes online for making your own.

1 1/2 cups long grain brown rice (preferably Basmati or jasmine)
2 1/4 cups vegan chicken-style broth (I like Better than Bouillon No-Chicken Vegan Broth base)
1  Tbsp dark sesame oil
1 vegan chorizo-style sausage (such as Field Roast Chipotle), crumbled
1 mildly spicy vegan sausage (such as Tofurky Andouille or Italian, or Field Roast Italian), thinly sliced
1/2 cup vegan "ham", diced small
2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped (or use 1/2 a green pepper and 1/2 a red bell pepper)
1/2 cup celery, chopped, with leaves
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. Cajun Seasoning/Spice Mix
3/4 cup vegan chicken-style broth (I like Better than Bouillon No-Chicken Vegan Broth base)
1 cup shredded or thinly-sliced vegan chicken substitute, such as reconstituted Butler Soy Curls, or vegan chicken-style strips, or vegan "chikn brest"
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 green onions, whites and tops, chopped

Bring the brown rice and 2 1/4 cups broth to a boil in a medium pot.  Turn down to Low, cover and cook for 45 minutes. OR, to cook the rice in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, cook on high pressure for 22 minutes and use natural pressure release.  Set aside. PS: You can make the rice earlier in the day, if it's more convenient.

Prepare all of the other ingredients before you start assembling the dish.




In a large heavy skillet, or flat-bottomed wok/stir-fry pan, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat.  Add the crumbled "chorizo" sausage and stir-fry for a few minutes.


Add the vegan "ham", chopped onions, green pepper, celery, garlic and Cajun or Creole seasoning.  Stir-fry until the onion has softened a bit, raising the heat as needed, adding a squirt or two of water if necessary to loosen any stuck bits, and keeping the mixture moving.


Add the cooked rice, the remaining 3/4 cup broth, shredded chicken sub, bay leaf, and thyme. Stir well to mix. Turn the heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, stir in the green onions.  Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 467 calories, 91 calories from fat, 10.2g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1153.9mg sodium, 596.6mg potassium, 59.9g carbohydrates, 7.6g fiber, 6g sugar, 36.3g protein, 12.7 points.



Enjoy!

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.


***********************************************************************
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!

This recipe is a slight variation on a recipe in my book "20 Minutes to Dinner" (now out of print, but you can still buy it). I hadn't made these patties for a while, but recently made them again for a quick, tasty meal-- I'd forgotten how much I liked them! Originally I had designed this recipe to use up okara, the soy pulp left over from making soy milk or tofu, but the editors of my book thought (wisely, no doubt) that we should substitute crumbled frozen tofu for the okara because most people don't make their own soy milk or tofu, nor do we all have a tofu shop that sells it just down the street. So, you have a choice-- okara or crumbled frozen tofu. These "cakes" are very tasty, with a mild seafood flavor, and they are an excellent, down-home way to use up that last 2 cups of leftover cooked rice (or, possibly, okara). The plain ones make great "fish burgers", served on buns, but I've also included some exotic flavor options below. You can freeze any leftovers (the uncooked mixture, or the cooked patties) for future meals. BRYANNA’S VEGAN "FISH CAKES" (can be GF) Makes about 20 patties 2 cups okara (pulp from making soy milk or tofu), drained well (If you have no okara, you can use 2 cups of medium-firm tofu that has been frozen for at least 48 hours, then thawed, squeezed dry and finely-crumbled. You can keep some tofu in your freezer for just such a purpose.) 2 cups cooked short grain brown rice (Be sure that it is short grain rice because that helps bind the patties together-- long grain is not sticky enough. 1 small onion, minced 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes 2 tablespoons minced celery 1/4 cup unbleached flour (can be a GF flour mix) or pure gluten powder (Vital wheat gluten) Blended Mixture: 4 oz. medium-firm tofu OR extra-firm SILKEN tofu (NOT frozen!) 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce (low-sodium is fine) 2 tablespoons water or white wine 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 tablespoon herbal salt OR 2 tablespoon miso 1 teaspoon kelp powder or 2 teaspoons dulse flakes 1/2 teaspoon each dry mustard powder and dried dill weed freshly-ground black pepper to taste pinch celery seed Mix the okara (or crumbled frozen tofu), rice, onion, yeast and celery in a large bowl. Combine the Blended Mixture ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add this to the bowl, along with the flour or gluten powder. Mix well with your hands. (You can make this ahead of time and refrigerate it until you are ready to cook the patties.) Form the mixture into 20 thin patties. Brown in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat with a little bit of oil (say 1 tablespoon) about 6 minutes per side, covering the skillet while cooking the first side. (THE MIXTURE CAN ALSO BE SHAPED LIKE "FISH STICKS", if you like, instead of patties.) ALTERNATE COOKING METHOD: Place the patties on lightly-greased or nonstick cookie sheets and bake at 400 degrees F for about 7 minutes per side. FOR A CRUNCHY OUTSIDE COATING ON THE PATTIES, coat the patties with Seasoned Coating Mix (below) OR Japanese panko breadcrumbs and use either cooking method. A GF coating option might be crushed whole grain puffed crispy rice cereal or corn flakes. Serve the "fish cakes" alone or on buns with Vegan Tartar Sauce (below), ketchup, or chile sauce. (PS: You can make chile sauce by mixing 1/2 ketchup and half tomato salsa.)(shortened version--stats soon): 63 calories; 6 g protein; 1 g fat;8 g carbohydrates "FISH CAKE" VARIATIONS: 1.) For Thai "Fish Cakes": Add 1 tablespoon fish-free Thai red curry paste, 4 cloves crushed garlic, 1/2 cup chopped green beans or peas. Top with a "Vinegar Sauce" of 1/2 cup rice vinegar or cider vinegar, 1/3 cup minced onion, 2 tablespoons tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil or cilantro, 2 tablespoons grated carrot, and 1 small dried red chile, crushed. 2.) For Indian-Style "Fish Cakes":< Add 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons minced cilantro, 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint, 2 cloves crushed garlic, and a pinch EACH of curry powder, cayenne, tumeric, coriander, and red chile pepper flakes. 3.) For Cajun-Style "Fish Cakes", Add 1/2 cup minced green onion, 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (homemade recipe- "http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.ca/2010/11/common-seasoning-mixes-made-in-your-own.html" here and 2 crushed cloves of garlic. **VEGAN TARTAR SAUCE: To 2 cups vegan mayonnaise homemade low-fat  recipe cucumber with a bit of dried or fresh dill weed and white wine vinegar to taste. BRYANNA’S SEASONED COATING MIX: Mix together: 1 c. soft whole wheat breadcrumbs 1/4 c. cornmeal 2 tsp. paprika 1 tsp. salt or herbal salt or seasoned salt (homemade: http://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.ca/2010/11/common-seasoning-mixes-made-in-your-own.html">recipe here: 1/2 tsp. ground sage 1/2 tsp. dried thyme 1/2 tsp. dried basil Store in a container with a tight lid, in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

Don’t forget to comment on all the posts if you want to win a copy of Big Vegan. If you are a twitter user, you can also tweet why you go vegan with the hashtag #bigvegan by midnight November 4 to enter to win a copy.





It's the 2nd Big Vegan (by Robin Asbell) Potluck day and I chose to make the Armenian Red Lentil-Apricot Stew with Sesame Rice.  I love Armenian cooking and this sounded like a lovely blend of sweet and savory.  The ingredients for the stew are so colorful!



As Robin mentions in the book, all you need to make this a whole meal is a salad. A bonus is that it's a very easy meal to prepare-- a little chopping, rinsing the lentils, measuring out the spices and that's it, really!

After you get the stew simmering, you can start on the rice:

  Chopping the shallots.

Sauteing the shallots, sesame seeds, and rice kernels before adding the liquid.

My husband and a friend shared this together and were all impressed by the combination of the rice bathed in mild humus flavors (tahini and lemon juice, in addition to the toasted sesame seeds) with the hearty, flavorful stew.  We particularly liked the addition of the dried apricots, which added a real zing to the dish, already redolent of sweet and hot spices and the fragrance of mint. It is actually a perfect autumn meal!




ARMENIAN RED LENTIL-APRICOT STEW WITH SESAME RICE
Serves 6
Red lentils simmer into a creamy stew, piqued with bits of tangy apricot and tender eggplant. The warming spices make it even more delicious, perfect over the sesame-fortified brown rice.

1 cup/250 g red lentils, rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
14 oz/400 g canned/tinned diced tomatoes
1 small Japanese eggplant/aubergine, peeled and diced
½ cup/85 g dried apricot, chopped
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 cup/30 g chopped fresh parsley
½ cup/15 g fresh mint, chopped
Rice:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 large shallots, chopped
¼ cup/35 g sesame seeds
1 ½ cups/320 g long-grain brown rice
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp tahini paste
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. In a 4-qt/3.8-L pot, combine 1 qt/960 ml water, the lentils, and onion. Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the eggplant/aubergine, tomatoes, and apricots and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes.

3. When the lentils are falling-apart tender and the vegetables are also tender, add the paprika, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cayenne and simmer for another 5 minutes to marry the flavors to bring the flavors together. Add the parsley and mint just before serving. Keep the stew warm while cooking the rice.

1. To make the rice: In a 2-qt/2-L pot over medium heat, sauté the shallots in the oil . When the shallots are clear and soft, add the sesame seeds and sauté for 5 minutes.

2. Add 3 cups/720 ml water, the rice, and salt. Bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover. Check after 35 minutes. When all the water has been absorbed, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, to finish steaming the rice, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. In a small cup, stir together the tahini and lemon juice, then fold them into the rice. Serve the rice hot with a ladleful of stew on top.

Robin Asbell http://robincooksveg.wordpress.com/
Author of Big Vegan (Chronicle Books, Fall 2011)

Click here to follow Big Vegan's virtual potluck and get more of Robin's recipes.


Enjoy!

My old 1970's cooking notebook

In this post, I talked about my old cooking notebooks, particularly the one from 1973.  Well, it inspired a hankering for a very simple zucchini recipe that my mother used to make frequently.  It's so simple that it isn't really a recipe!  I didn't make it for years because it requires cheddar cheese and when I first became a vegan there was nothing decent in the vegan cheese department!  Even now, vegan "cheddar" is usually pretty bland.  I think the best one is Sheese.  I didn't have any in the house to make this recipe and was stuck with Tofutti Slices, but it still brought back memories!  Next time I'll use Sheese Strong Cheddar.  (Sheese Smoked Cheddar and Cheshire are actually my preferences, but they don't sell them in our local HF store.)


ANYWAY, TO MAKE THIS, simply take some small zucchini (4-6 inches long), wash, trim, and cut them in half lengthwise, steam them until almost tender, and then lay them out cut-side-up on a cookie sheet.  Slather on some tasty tomato sauce and top with vegan cheese (see remarks above).  Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. That's it!  We gobbled this down as kids!  (Yes, it was the 50's and 60's, but  we were California kids with a half-Italian father-- grew up on zucchini and greens!)

I think I'll update this, not only with vegan cheddar, but with roasting the zucchini with a bit of olive oil instead of steaming it-- since you have to turn on the oven anyway.


OH, AND I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A TIP FOR CUTTING DOWN THE TIME WHEN MAKING BROWN RICE.  
I've done this for years. Before you leave the house in morning, or as you go about your morning business, soak the rice in 2-3 cups of water per cup of dry rice. Soak for 2 hours to overnight. KITCHEN PICS:
We got a new stove the other day and I decided to take some pictures of my tiny kitchen.  It works for me, though-- everything I use often is at hand.  (Though we have a big freezer outside and a pantry/closet for alot of our food.  I keep some of the serving dishes and bowls, etc., that I don't use often in the dining area.)






Cheers!