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

You may have seen the other yuba recipes I have shared on this blog. (See below for recipe links.)  This recipe is quite different from both the Chinese "Buddha's Roast Duck" and the two European-style stews (one with a Peruvian flair).  It's a recipe I developed for my now defunct vegan cooking newsletter, inspired by some Malaysian food I enjoyed in a Portland restaurant-- rich and spicy.

I love yuba-- it's a very versatile and satisfying food.  I hope you'll give it a try after you've read the information below and checked out the recipe.  Fortunately, you don't have to live in a city with a large Asian population anymore in order to source dried yuba sheets and sticks.  These products, and most of the other more unusual ingredients required for a recipe like this, are available online (see links in recipe ingredient list) and in Asian grocery stores, and, more recently, in many large supermarkets, as well-- check the "International" aisle.


Here is how to make your own yuba.

Dried Yuba sticks

Soaked yuba sticks

Soaked yuba sticks cut up for a stew

An easy, healthful recipe to start the New Year! (I will start blogging in earnest soon, I promise!) Happy New Year, everyone!
                                                          1 large onion, chopped

DH was at work when I had lunch today and I decided to indulge a craving for vegan "seafood" while he wasn't here. Don't misunderstand me-- I wasn't sneaking any goodies while he was slaving away in the bakery! He never liked seafood, even as an omni, and he still hates anything remotely "fishy" (even seaweed!)! But he very kindly brought me a small bag of frozen Chinese mock "shrimp" from West Best Vegetarian store in Vancouver (4934 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, 604-323-2362) when he was over there earlier this month. (They sell Chinese vegetarian "mock meats", etc.. I have since discovered that our favorite Asian store in Nanaimo, Man Lee, now sells mock "shrimp" and some other frozen "mock meats", and they also now have 2 locations, one in the Terminal Mall, and one just across Applecross Road from Costco.)

NOTE ON FINDING MOCK "SHRIMP" OR "PRAWNS": 2 online vendors are Vegieworld.com and Vegecyber. Many Asian markets and some health food stores carry these products in their freezer section.

So today, yet another soaking wet, windy November day (we had no power for a day-- it went on again this morning), I decided to treat myself for lunch and made the following simple Indian-style curry. Mmmmmmm! It would make a good company meal with a vegetable dish to accompany it. And it's low in WW Points, too!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN ALMOND MOCK "SHRIMP" CURRY
Servings: 4

This is deceptively fast and easy to make.

Tofu Creme:
1/2 cup extra-firm silken tofu
1/2 cup nondairy milk
Curry:
1 tablespoon olive or peanut oil
1/4 cup ground almonds (if you grind them yourself, use a dry electric coffee/spice grinder)
4 large cloves garlic, minced or crushed
1 large tomato, chopped small, or about 3/4 cup drained, chopped good-quality canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garam masala or good curry powder
9 1/2 oz Chinese vegan mock "shrimp" or "prawns" thawed (approximately 32) (see Note above recipe)
Garnish:
chopped fresh cilantro or dried cilantro (use about 1/3 as much dried cilantro as you would fresh)
OR you can use fresh parsley instead, if you wish

Blend the tofu and nondairy milk together in a blender, food processor, or with a hand/immersion blender until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat Add the almonds and stir until the they turn golden-- quickly add the garlic and stir briefly. DO NOT BROWN!

Add the tomato, sugar, cayenne, salt and garam masala. Cook for a few minutes, scraping the pan so the mixture doesn't stick, until the tomatoes soften a but. (Add a bit of water if necessary, but not too much.) Add the mock "shrimp" and then the Tofu Creme. Stir briefly. Lower the heat a little and stir-cook just to heat the shrimp and until the sauce is creamy. The sauce will be thick-ish, and not too wet. There is not a lot of sauce in this recipe and most of it will cling to the "shrimp".

Serve over steamed brown basmati rice, garnished with cilantro or parsley.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 179.4 calories; 37% calories from fat; 7.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 393.0mg sodium; 256.3mg potassium; 10.9g carbohydrates; 1.6g fiber; 3.7g sugar; 9.3g net carbs; 18.5g protein; 3.9 points.

Enjoy!

The above picture is a portrait of my Peruvian (paternal) grandmother, Clotilde Roncagliolo de Urbina, painted in the 1950's by my mother, Eve Tonge Urbina. I have it hanging on my wall, but one of my Peruvian cousins recently asked for a copy of it, which is why I took a photo of it. My mother was a professional portrait artist and her father, Gilbert Tonge, was a well-known California artist and muralist.

Spice Island Vegan, who has met my mother, wondered what my mother looked like when she was young (see photo of her now, at age 88), so I'm adding (Sept. 25) a photo I came across recently of the Urbinas when my family visited Peru in 1954. I believe this was taken at Christmas.


My parents are on far right of the picture, my father, Alejandro, standing, and my mother sitting in front of him (she's very obviously the non-Peruvian!). My grandmother is in the very center, holding a baby (I don't know who this was). I (age 6) am in the second row, third from the left, with barrettes in my hair; my sister Karin (age 7) is in the first row, far right.


Our sister and brother kitties, Tina and Ringo. Ringo looks oh-so-dignified, doesn't he?

Now for the food...I'm not going to tease you with more newsletter stuff, which is mostly what I have been cooking. Below are photos and descriptions of some of the more simple meals we've been having this week:


Chikn Pot Pie

This is a recipe from the Dec 04/Jan 05 Vegan Feast newsletter, but I used a biscuit topping-- actually, plain version of the scone dough I posted here. I used only 1 T. sugar, and no additions except a tsp. of dried basil.



The filling consists of SoyCurls, which are tender TVP-like morsels made from the whole soybeans (and they really have the taste and texture of chicken), with a creamy gravy, green soybeans, sweet potato, etc.. The original recipe calls for fennel and leeks, but I didn't have any, so I used celery and onion. It was still good!





Actually, my husband goes nuts over it!


Grape Focaccia

This is a recipe from the Oct/Nov 04 Vegan Feast newsletter, but you don't really need a recipe. I happened to be making pizza that day, so I made extra dough just to make this with some organic grapes I was given. It's one of my favorite Autumn treats! Basically, use your favorite pizza or focaccia dough (if you use pizza dough, make it thicker than a pizza), let it rise for 1/2 an hour in the pan, then "dimple" the dough with your finger tips and place grapes on top (green or red, preferably seedless). I squish the grapes in my hands a bit to make them exude their juice. Then sprinkle with sugar-- it can be coarse if you like. Bake at 400 degrees F for about 25 minutes. Eat hot...yum!


Italian Sausage Stew

This was a real spur-of-the-moment thing. I just sauteed a sliced onion, orange bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, a few mushrooms, lots of garlic, and two sliced Tofurkey Italian Veggie Sausages in a little olive oil with 4 medium garden-fresh tomatoes (two red and two yellow). I simmered it for about 10 minutes. I added about 1/2 cup of dry red wine, a handful of fresh basil, and salt and pepper. At the last minute I added some sliced sundried tomatoes and kalamata olives, but I think that was overkill. It was actually a bit too rich-tasting! The leftovers made a geat bruschetta topping, though!


Red lentil and Tofu Curry with a sort of Indian-style "salsa".

This was a recipe I copied down from a June 1999 Gourmet magazine a long time ago and always meant to try. It was pretty quick to make, and I served it with basmati rice and a sort of Indian "salsa" made from red and yellow diced tomatoes from our garden, green onions, lemon juice, salt and pepper, and homemade plain soy yogurt (that was good!).

The curry was pretty dull, so I jazzed it up as I went along. It was tasty in the end, and certainly cheap!

Printable Recipe

RED LENTIL AND TOFU CURRY, BRYANNA'S VERSION
Serves 2 or 3 with rice

1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2" piece of ginger, grated
1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup split red lentils
3 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. firm tofu, in 1/2" dice
1 tsp. tumeric
1/2 tsp. EACH curry powder, ground cumin, salt, mustard powder, paprika
1/4 tsp. EACH ground cloves and coriander
pinch cayenne (or to taste)
a small cinnamon stick
2 T. lemon juice

Saute the onion, garlic, and ginger in the first T. oil until the onion is softened. Add to the red lentils, wit the water and first 1/2 tsp. salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the red lentils have softened.

Meanwhile, heat the second T. of oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the tofu and all of the spices (except the cinnamon stick). Sate until the tofu is coated with the spices.



Stir the tofu into the lentil mixture and add the cinnamon stick. Simmer at medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture cooks down to a thick stew-like mixture, being careful not to let it scorch. remove the cinnamon stick and discard, and stir in the lemon juice before serving.


Enjoy!

UPDATE OCTOBER 27, 2010:  Solution to the "casein in coconut powder" problem (see below in Aug. Update)! Coconut FLOUR!  It is made from dried coconut meat with most of the fat removed.  NO CASEIN! It's high in fiber, too, BTW. There are many, many brands out there now.  I'm using an organic Canadian brand, Alpha, which is reasonably priced and the label states that 2 tablespoons contains 26 calories, 1.2 g fat and 5.4 grams of dietary fiber.  The calories vary from brand to brand, but the fat content seems to be about the same ( not sure how that works!).  Here are some organic brands available in the USA: Swanson Organic; Let's Do Organic; Aloha Nu; Tropical Traditions; Island Harvest; Bob's Red Mill; Wilderness Family Naturals.

It's a tiny bit grainy, but it has alot of coconut flavor, and it smooths out nicely when well-blended in a Vita Mix or blender.  So, give it a try in my updated low-fat coconut milk recipe below.

UPDATE AUG 29, 2010:  Since I did my last update, I have not been able to find ANY coconut milk powder without sodium caseinate in it!  The brands that I recommended before seem to have either changed their formulas or their labelling!  Even Wilderness Family Naturals brand contains "a trace of casein; a milk protein used to keep the fat from separating. The only one I could find that contained nothing but coconut was TRS Coconut Powder, a Sri Lankan Brand, which only seems to be available in the UK!  There is a Jamaican brand that is widely carried online, called Grace, but I can't find ingredient info anywhere, even on their website.  (If you have a package, could you please post the ingredients in Comments??)

I know that So Delicious has a new low-fat coconut milk beverage tastes good, but it doesn't have the intense coconut-y flavor that coconut powder can provide for cooking and baking (without all the fat), unfortunately.  So I guess I'll have to go back to the drawing board.

(BTW, in case you're wondering why I haven't climbed on the coconut oil bandwagon, read this.) Also, I'm not opposed to using or drinking coconut milk beverage [or rice or almond, etc.], but be aware that the nutrition simply does not equal that of soy milk, or, second in line, hemp milk!  See this article comparing non-dairy milks.  

Here are the nutrition facts for coconut milk beverage.  The calories are fairly low, and the fat about the same as many plant milks, but all saturated.  Coconut milk beverage contains only 1 g protein per cup, the same as almond and rice milk, and nowhere near the 6-8 g of dairy, soy and hemp milk.  Coconut milk beverage contains 7 g of carbohydrates and 6 g sugar per cup (better than rice milk, which is very high in carbohydrates [24 grams] and sugar [11 grams]. Coconut milk beverage has 10% of the RDA for calcium, which is added, whereas many soy milks and other plant milks are fortified to 30%, about the level of dairy milk.  Coconut milk beverage does have B12 added to 50% of RDA.  Dairy milk contains no iron. Hemp and soy milks are highest in iron (10-20% each).  Almond and rice milks are iron-poor (just 2% each).  Coconut milk beverage has 4% RDA. Coconut milk beverage has added vitamin D at 30 % RDA, but no vitamin A.  Coconut milk bevrage is very low in sodium, but unsweetened soymilk contains none at all.)
Anyway, I'll report back when I do some more research.

***********************************
Original Post:
Spice Island Vegan and I have been having an online conversation on low-fat coconut milk. She’s been craving South Asian dishes, but she’s also been cooking low-fat to lose weight. I seldom use coconut milk because of the fat and the fact that there is so much saturated fat in it.

Regular Taste of Thai coconut milk contains 420 calories and 45 g fat per cup! Taste of Thai Lite coconut milk contains 135 calories per cup and 12 g fat, better, but still too high for me and Spice Island Vegan. Unfortunately, we have found no really good coconut flavoring, whether extract or oil, natural or not. Some are downright nasty!

I wondered about using a “mock coconut milk” made from a low-fat nut milk called “Almond Breeze” (Update: or So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage, which is low-fat) and some reduced-fat silken tofu for creaminess, along with some coconut powder (also called "instant coconut cream powder") for authentic flavor. (UPDATE: Okay, this is the part that got complicated when I could no longer find coconut powder without added casein!  See updates above.)

HERE IS THE UPDATED RECIPE USING COCONUT FLOUR INSTEAD OF COCONUT POWDER (See latest update [Oct. 2010] at top of post.):

Printable Recipe

 

This recipe is easily multiplied (or halved). It makes a really creamy, slightly-thick coconut milk.  Almond Breeze is my preferred liquid for this recipe (or Silk Almond). It is made from almonds, but is quite low in fat, and has a nutty flavor which is closer to coconut flavor than either soy or rice milk. You can also use the new low-fat So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage, if you prefer.

This milk can be used in East Indian, West Indian, Southeast Asian, and other dishes which call for coconut milk. The real thing contains from 45 to 60 g of fat and 400 calories or more per cup, compared to 4.4 to 5.4 g fat and 104 to 120 calories per cup for this recipe! It is also alot cheaper AND creamier than canned regular or lite coconut milk. NOTE: If you pressure cook a dish with the mock coconut milk, add the blended silken tofu just before serving.

NOTE: For a soy-free mixture with a few more calories. substitute 1/4 cup raw cashews and 1/4 cup more milk for the tofu.

  

1/2 cup    firm or extra-firm silken tofu (you can use the reduced-fat kind if you like)  

2 cups    almond milk (see above) or So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage, Original 

1/4 cup    coconut flour (see information above)  

  

Mix in a blender until very smooth. Refrigerate in a sealed jar.

VARIATIONS:

For "Coconut Cream" or Thick Coconut "Milk", use more silken tofu (or raw cashews), and less milk.

For a thinner "coconut milk", omit the tofu and use 1 cup milk.

NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS calculated using Almond Breeze Original, regular extra-firm silken tofu and Alpha Organic Coconut Flour.

Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 26.6 calories; 32% calories from fat; 1.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 42.9mg sodium; 62.2mg potassium; 3.8g carbohydrates; 1.3g fiber; 1.8g sugar; 2.5g net carbs; 2.0g protein; 0.4 points.

 

NUTRITION ANALYSIS calculated using So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage, Original, regular extra-firm silken tofu and Alpha Organic Coconut Flour:

Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 30.6 calories; 43% calories from fat; 1.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 15.9mg sodium; 44.2mg potassium; 3.6g carbohydrates; 1.1g fiber; 1.6g sugar; 2.5g net carbs; 2.0g protein; 0.5 points.

Cheers,