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

This was a rather spur-of-the-moment soup, but we really enjoyed it.  I had one Field Roast Chipotle sausage left (we haven't been able to buy them in Canada for a while, so this was the end of my freezer stash) and I felt like making a corn chowder, so I decided to make a spicy one.  Then I thought of adding the jar of homemade Golden Cheesey Sauce to the pot and-- voilà-- a new family favorite has been born!



The Golden Cheesey Sauce is an updated version of the "Golden Sauce" from my very first cookbook, circa 1994.  I've noticed that there are a number of new versions of this potato and carrot-based sauce going around, but it actually originated years ago in Seventh Day Adventist recipe books. I've made it a bit stronger-tasting than my original version.  It's great on steamed veggies, as well as in this soup.


Printable Copy (includes Cheesey Golden Sauce recipe)

BRYANNA'S CHEDDARY ROASTED CORN AND CHIPOTLE CHOWDER
Serves 6

1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup celery, sliced
1 lb yellow potatoes, diced
4 cups vegetarian broth (I like Better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken Broth Paste)
3 cups frozen corn kernels
1 Field Roast Chipotle sausage, thinly-sliced (Or use 1 vegan Italian sausage and add a bit more chipotle chile to the soup.)  
1 recipe Bryanna's Golden Cheesey Sauce (See recipe below. Make this before starting the soup.)
1 canned chile chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped
Optional: a few shakes of liquid smoke
Optional: add 1 or 2 more tablespoons of nutritional yeast flakes if you want a stronger flavor.
Garnish: smoked paprika
NOTE: For a *really* creamy soup, blend another 6 oz. of tofu (leftover from the Cheesey Sauce recipe) with  a little of the soup until smooth, and stir it in at the end of cooking. 

Combine the chopped onion, garlic and celery.  Sweat the vegetables in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, adding a little water as needed to keep them moving.  If you prefer, you can use a little olive oil.  When they start to soften, cover the pan and let them steam in their own juices until soft. Alternatively, you can microwave them in a covered microwave-proof casserole or dish for about 5 minutes on High, or until soft.

Spread the corn kernels on an oiled cookie sheet and place under your oven's broiler (about 4 inches from the heat source) and broil them until they start to char a little bit.  Remove from the oven.

Combine the cooked vegetables, potato cubes, and roasted corn kernels in a soup pot along with the broth.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes.


Add the sliced sausage, chopped chipotle chile and the Golden Cheesey Sauce, along with any optionals you wish to use (taste first).  Simmer a few minutes longer and serve.

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BRYANNA'S GOLDEN CHEESEY SAUCE (LOWFAT)
Yield: 2 1/2 cups

1/2 cup water (or beer for stronger, more "aged" flavor)
1 medium potato, peeled and cubed
1/2 medium carrot, peeled and cubed
1/2 medium onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup medium-firm tofu (or use 1/2 box/6 oz. firm or extra-firm silken tofu)
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1-2 Tbs tahini (Optional but recommended)
1 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp salt (OR 1 tablespoon light miso + 1/2 tsp salt)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp garlic granules
NOTE: For a slightly thinner sauce, cook the vegetables in 3/4 cup liquid.  
Cook the potato, carrot and onion in the water in a covered saucepan until the carrot is tender.

Combine the vegetables and cooking liquid in a blender with the remaining ingredients.


 Blend until very smooth. CAUTION: Uncover the center hole of the blender lid and cover with a folded towel while blending, to prevent hot liquid from exploding!

Use as a vegan cheese sauce on vegetables, etc..

Enjoy!

Lobster Mushroom & Corn Chowder

Lobster Mushrooms

We picked some more lobster mushrooms on our walk this morning (got some chanterelles yesterday!), so I decided to make a creamy chowder with some of them.  I wanted the chowder to be creamy but low in fat, so I decided to make a "cream" with cooked white beans, instead of using tofu or cashews.  It worked beautifully and was perfect for sunny, but chilly, October day.

I know that lobster mushrooms are not available to everyone (especially for free!), so you could substitute oyster mushrooms for them if they are easier for you to find.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S LOBSTER MUSHROOM AND CORN CHOWDER WITH WHITE BEAN "CREAM"
(PS: Substitute oyster mushrooms for lobster mushrooms if they are more easily obtainable)

Serves 4-6  Low-fat, GF and can be Soy-free

1 large onion, chopped

3 cups water

2 tablespoons dulse flakes

1 tablespoon low-salt vegan “chicken” broth powder or paste

4 medium yellow potatoes (about 1 lb.), peeled and cut in 1/2” dice

1 1/2 cups chopped sautéed lobster mushrooms (see PS above)

1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed in hot water and drained

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon vegan bacon chips

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

White Bean "Cream":

1 cup rinsed and drained cooked or canned white beans

1 cup plain non-dairy milk of choice

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Finishing:

freshly-ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

smoked paprika

Sautéed lobster mushroom pieces-- chop them smaller after cooking

In a medium non-stick skillet, steam-fry (see Cooking Tip below) the onions over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes, adding a squirt of water as needed, until softened. (OR, what I do-- place the onions in a covered microwave-safe casserole or dish and cook on 100% power in the microwave oven for 5 minutes.)

While they cook, bring the water, dulse flakes and broth powder to a boil in a 4-quart pot. Simmer at medium heat for about  5 minutes. Strain off the dulse flakes through as fine a strainer as you have and discard the dulse.  Strain the liquid once again through a fine tea strainer into a 1 quart measuring pitcher. Add water if necessary to make 2 1/2 cups. Pour the broth back into the pot (which you have rinsed out).

Add all the ingredients to the pot, EXCEPT the White Bean "Cream" ingredients and the pepper, sesame oil and paprika. Simmer the mixture, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

Meanwhile, process the White Bean "Cream" ingredients in a blender or with a hand/immersion blender, until VERY smooth. When the potatoes are tender, remove the bay leaf, stir in the White Bean "Cream",  add pepper to taste, and the sesame oil, and heat gently. Taste for salt. Sprinkle each serving with smoked paprika.

Cooking Tips

HOW TO STEAM-FRY

You will often see the term "steam-fry" in my recipes. Here is a description of what it is and how to do it.

METHOD OF STEAM-FRYING:

"Steam-fry" simply means sautéing without fat. To do this, use a heavy skillet  (use non-stick, hard-anodized aluminum [aluminum does not leak into food when it is hard-anodized], or cast iron), or a well-seasoned spun-steel wok or stir-fry pan, sprayed lightly with oil from a pump sprayer, or with cooking spray, if needed.

Heat the pan over high heat, add the chopped onions or other vegetables, and one or two tablespoons of liquid (water, low-sodium vegetarian broth, or wine), depending on the amount of vegetables. Do not crowd the pan, or your vegetables will "stew". Cook over high heat until the liquid starts to evaporate, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon. Keep stirring until the vegetables are done to your liking, adding JUST ENOUGH liquid to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan. (I use a squirt bottle.)

You can brown onions perfectly by this method. As soon as the natural sugar in the onions starts to brown on the bottom and edges of the pan, add a little liquid and scrape up the brown bits, mixing them into the liquids and around into the cooking onions. Keep doing this until the onions are soft and brown, being careful not to scorch them.

TO "STEAM-FRY" IN THE MICROWAVE, use a glass dish, such as a round 10" Pyrex casserole dish or pie plate. Spray with oil from a pump sprayer or cooking spray. Add the chopped onions, garlic, carrots, celery, or whatever vegetables you want to sautè. Cover the dish with a glass lid or microwavable plate, and microwave 5 minutes, or however long it takes to soften them. This method is convenient because you don't have to watch the vegetables- you can be preparing the rest of the recipe while they cook. Just add the softened vegetables to the recipe.

Enjoy!

I haven't been doing much in the way of interesting cooking lately, as life has been a bit helter-skelter due to my mother's illness.  I have alot of things I want to experiment with, but it's just not going to happen right now, so I'm making quick or slow-cooking favorites.  Soup is a life-saver these days.  The following soup is my "go-to" when I want something really hearty and  filling, but quick to make and low in fat.  We'll probably have leftovers for dinner when we get off the ferry tonight from being with my mom in Courtenay.

One thing good about this time is that I have to slow down on certain things, and do some reflection.  This has led me to take care of some parts of me that have been neglected.  I've started dancing with my dance sisters, Gillian and Bronwyn, once a week again (and vowed to do some by myself, too!)-- good for the spirit and the body.  We're eating simply, which is what we need after the Christmas season.  I've also started up a new cooking journal like I used to keep (read about those here), with a brand new red and black volume of blank lined pages-- you know, there's something satisfying about putting pen to paper sometimes, rather than using the computer.  I'm enjoying sitting down and reading randomly from the old ones.

I was contemplating a blog post on vegan Super Bowl food (no-- I'm not a football fan, but my husband is!), when I saw this article:

Manhattan vs. New England in Bloomberg Super Bowl chowder bet
Associated Press

NEW YORK -- A friendly Super Bowl wager between the mayors of New York and Boston is pitting Manhattan clam chowder against New England clam chowder.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino are doing more than rooting for their hometown teams in the game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots on Sunday.

In the bet placed Tuesday, the loser will donate local foods to charity in the other mayor's city.

If the Patriots win, that means Bloomberg will send a delivery to Boston that includes Manhattan clam chowder, pastrami sandwiches, New York pizzas, black and white cookies, New York steaks and a few gallons of lemon ice.

And if the Giants claim victory, Menino will send a package with New England clam chowder, Dunkin' Donuts coffee, Boston cream pies, chicken sausages and Brigham's ice cream.

Boston-born Bloomberg insists he is rooting for the Giants, and City Hall announced that the Empire State Building will glow blue this weekend to show solidarity for the team, which actually plays its games and practices in New Jersey.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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Combined with the fact that Super Bowl food tends to be greasy, salty and high-calories, I thought I'd offer you a few lower-fat options. (I heard on the radio that 7-Eleven stores report a 20% increase in the sale of antacids after the Super Bowl!) Since new England is playing New York, below are the recipes (from my vegan cookbook "20 Minutes to Dinner") for the vegan versions of New England chowder and Manhattan chowder. People tend to have a strong preference for one or the other, but I like both!  But first....

MORE LOWER-FAT SUPER BOWL RECIPES FOR VEGANS (UPDATED 2012): Check out the following lower-fat (and sometimes a little outside the traditional box) recipes for your vegan Super-Bowl party....

APPETIZERS, CONDIMENTS, SANDWICHES, WRAPS
Smoked Almond-Mushroom Pâté

MAINS
Prize-Winning Vegan Chile
Easy Tortilla Pie
Cast-Iron Pizza


BREADS AND SIDES
Creamy Corn Muffins

BEVERAGES, DESSERTS
Iced Chocolate Chai!
Vegan Chai Brownies with Ginger Gelato Big Chewy Chocolate Chunk and Pecan Cookies (lower-fat and whole grain)
Almost No-Fat Brownies
Banana S'More Panini
Rustic Apple-Raisin Pie with Low-Fat Olive Oil Pastry



So, choose your team, or your chowder...

Printable copy for both chowder recipes

BRYANNA'S NEW ENGLAND-STYLE SEA VEGETABLE CHOWDER (CAN BE SOY-FREE)
Servings: 6 
Dulse is a sea vegetable which is gathered on the Northeastern coast of North America, so I thought it would be an appropriate substitute for the clam flavor. This soup rivals calorie-rich and fat-laden version for flavor and texture. However, if you want some fat in this soup, saute the onions in a couple of a little dark sesame oil, which lends a rich, smokey flavor.

1 large onion, chopped
4 medium (1 lb. total) waxy potatoes (such as red ones), peeled and diced
2 cups vegetarian broth
1-2 cups chopped oyster mushrooms or white mushrooms
OR 1/2 cup dry textured soy protein (TSP or TVP) granules OR Soy Curls crumbles) mixed with 1/2 cup boiling water
OR 1 cup seitan OR reconstituted Soy Curls (butlerfoods.com), in small dice
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup crumbled dry dulse (or 1/4 cup dulse flakes)-- dulse is a sea vegetable
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 Tbs vegan bacon chips
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp kelp powder
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
paprika or smoked paprika
Blended Mixture:
1cup + 2 Tbs crumbled, packed extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar or alternate

In a medium-sized heavy pot, steam-fry the onions (See Cooking Tips below for how to steam-fry-- there is an option to steam-fry in a microwave, if you prefer)  for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Add all ingredients except pepper, paprika, and Blended Mixture. Simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft.

Meanwhile, whip the Blended Mixture ingredients in a blender until VERY smooth. When the potatoes are soft, stir in the Blended Mixture, add pepper to taste, and heat gently. Add more broth if it's too thick. Sprinkle each serving with paprika. Serve with crackers.

TO MAKE SOY-FREE: In the Blended Mixture, omit tofu and use 1 cup cooked short grain rice and 1/4 cup raw cashews (this adds about 10 g fat to the entire recipe).

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 172.7 calories; 8% calories from fat; 1.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 690.3mg sodium; 621.0mg potassium; 27.5g carbohydrates; 2.5g fiber; 3.0g sugar; 25.1g net carbs; 13.4g protein; 3.1 points.

Cooking Tips
****BRYANNA'S METHOD OF STEAM-FRYING*****
One term that you will often see in my recipes is "steam-fry". It simply means sautéing or stir-frying without fat. To do this, use a heavy skillet or stir-fry pan, lightly greased with about 1/2 tsp. of oil.

Heat the pan over high heat, add the chopped onions or other vegetables and one or two tablespoons of liquid (water, broth or wine), depending on the amount of vegetables. Cook over high heat until the liquid starts to evaporate, stirring with a spatula or wooden spoon. Keep doing this until the vegetables are done to your liking, add JUST ENOUGH liquid to keep the vegetables from sticking to the bottom of the pan-- you don't want to stew them!

You can brown onions perfectly by this method. As soon as the natural sugar in the onions starts to brown on the bottom and edges of the pan, add a little liquid and scrape the brown stuff, mixing it into the liquids and around into the cooking onions. Keep doing this until the onions are soft and brown, being careful not to scorch them.

TO "STEAM-FRY" IN A MICROWAVE OVEN, use a round microwave-proof, covered 10" casserole dish. Add your chopped onions, garlic, carrots, celery, etc.. Cover and microwave 5 minutes, or however long it takes to soften them. You can't actually brown onions, etc, this way, but you can thoroughly cook them through with this method and then finish browning them in a non-stick skillet.  It works wonderfully well  and you don't have to watch the veggies-- you can be preparing the rest of the recipe. Just add the softened veggies to the recipe.



BRYANNA'S MANHATTAN-STYLE SEA-VEGETABLE CHOWDER 
Servings: 6 
For devotees of the tomato-ey version, a spicy, vegetable-thick chowder. This soup is actually a derivation of an Italian soup. Some historians say that Manhattan clam chowder was originally called Coney Island Clam Chowder and/or Fulton Market Clam Chowder. Both of these names were used in the 1890s.

The cookbooks written by Alessandro Filippini and Charles Ranhofer, who both worked at the famous Delmonico's Restaurant in New York at different times, were considered as most important cook books in modern cooking. They both contained versions of a tomato-based clam chowder. Since nearly everything that Delmonico's Restaurant served was widely imitated, it is certain that several New York upscale restaurants probably sold a version of tomato-based clam chowder, today known as Manhattan Clam Chowder.

This soup is virtually fat-free. If you would like to add some fat to this soup, saute the vegetables in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil with a few drops of dark sesame oil.

1 large onion, peeled and chunked
1 large carrot, peeled and chunked
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 large green pepper, seed and diced
3 cup vegetarian broth
1/ 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
2 medium waxy (red) potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms
OR 1/2 cup dry textured soy protein granules (TSP or TVP OR SoyCurls crumbles) mixed with 1/2 cup boiling water
OR 1 cup seitan OR reconstituted Soy Curls (butlerfoods.com), in small dice
1/2 cup dry crumbled dulse (or 1/4 cup dulse flakes)-- dulse is a sea vegetable
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp kelp powder
pinch cayenne pepper and freshly-ground black pepper
OPTIONAL: 1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/2 cup dry white wine OR white vermouth
1 Tbs vegan bacon bits

Mince the onion, carrot and garlic in the food processor, or by hand. Steam-fry the minced vegetables for about 5 minutes  (See Cooking Tips above in New England Chowder recipe for how to steam-fry-- there is an option to steam-fry in a microwave, if you prefer) , or until softened. Add all the ingredients to a medium soup pot, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 124.3 calories; 5% calories from fat; 0.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 655.8mg sodium; 770.2mg potassium; 23.2g carbohydrates; 3.9g fiber; 7.1g sugar; 19.3g net carbs; 6.7g protein; 1.8 points.

Cheers!