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

Do you like doughnuts? Silly question--who doesn't? I love them, but I rarely eat them from doughnut shops and bakeries because they are a.) fried, probably in questionable fat, and b.) usually not vegan. But, over the years, I have discovered two ways to make yummy vegan doughnuts without frying them.

It took quite a bit of experimenting because "veganizing" the baked doughnut recipes that I found did not seem to work, so I had to start from scratch. Below is what I have come up with, and the recipes are open to variation!

RECIPE #1:



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S BAKED MAPLE-SPICE CAKE DOUGHNUTS (Wheat-free? Possibly!)
Yield: 12 doughnuts

If you are lucky enough to have some of those black, nonstick baked doughnut pans (you need two pans for this recipe, or you can make 2 batches in succession), you are in for a treat! These are truly satisfying for doughnut cravings! WHEAT-FREE VERSION? I haven't tried this yet, but I think this recipe would work with my High-Fiber Gluten-Free Flour Mix in place of the pastry flour— see recipe here.

Liquid Mixture:
1 cup soymilk
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
2/3 cup light unbleached sugar
2 Tbs oil
1 tsp vanilla
Dry Mixture:
2 cups cake or pastry flour (white or wholewheat, or a mixture)
1/4 cup soy or chickpea flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp freshly-ground nutmeg
Glaze and Topping
1 cup organic powdered (icing) sugar
1/4 cup real maple syrup (Grade B is good)
1 cup chopped roasted nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts/filberts are excellent choices)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Spray the pans (see photo of pans below recipe) with an oil pump-spray bottle and sprinkle each one with a little unbleached sugar (this makes the bottoms crispy).

Beat the liquid ingredients together in a medium bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together in another smaller bowl, then add to the liquid ingredients and stir briefly, just to mix.

Divide the batter evenly between 2 nonstick doughnut pans and smooth it out evenly (use about 3 Tbs. batter per doughnut). Bake 15 minutes. Remove the doughnuts to a rack to cool.

Whisk together the sugar and maple syrup. Dip the doughnuts in the glaze, or spread it over the top of the doughnuts. Sprinkle the tops with chopped roasted nuts while the glaze is still wet.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per doughnut): 227.1 calories; 36% calories from fat; 9.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 184.0mg sodium; 172.3mg potassium; 33.5g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 16.2g sugar; 4.5g protein; 4.6 points.



Nonstick doughnut pan


RECIPE #2:



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN MINI DONUT MAKER DOUGHNUTS
Yield: 30 small doughnuts

I found one of those old Salton mini donut makers at a thrift store. It looks like a big white doughnut and has 6 nonstick doughnut-shaped depressions for the dough, with a lid with matching depressions that comes down over it.  There are quite a few new models on the market now-- for example, here and here and  another one.




Also look for these in thrift stores, at garage sale, or online auctions, etc.

Most of the recipes I found online contain not only eggs, but a fair amount of fat. I have been experimenting with vegan doughs and have found out that, contrary to the directions for this type of machine (other companies make similar ones), a pourable vegan batter does NOT work. You need a thicker batter. It's a bit more trouble spooning the batter into the bottom depressions than pouring it, but it works beautifully! This batter contains no added fat, but the doughnuts are tender and tasty.

Cooking Tips
Glaze these doughnuts with a plain glaze of organic powdered sugar and hot water (1/2 cup powdered sugar and start with 1 tbs. boiling water-- mix, adding more water as necessary, but in minute amounts, until a dipping consistency), or any favorite glaze. Then they can be dipped in colored sugar, etc., if you wish. OR use a chocolate icing. OR brush with melted Earth Balance and dip in cinnamon sugar.

WET MIX:
8 oz medium-firm tofu OR extra-firm SILKEN tofu
3/4 cup vegan sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
DRY MIX:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
6 Tbs corn flour (grind cornmeal in a coffee mill until fine, if necessary)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp powdered ginger

VARIATIONS:
Spicier Version:
Use brown sugar, if you like. Use 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger, and 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg. Optional is 1/4 tsp. ground cloves or allspice.
Chocolate Version:
In the basic version, use 6 Tbs. organic cocoa instead of the corn flour. Omit spices and almond extract and use 1 Tbs. vanilla. You can use cold liquid coffee or coffee substitute instead of water

Instructions:
Plug in your donut maker. Spray the top and bottom depressions well with oil from a oil pump sprayer. Close the lid and let heat for about 10 minutes.

Blend the Wet Mix ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Whisk the Dry Mix ingredients well in a medium bowl. Add the wet mix and whisk in just until blended-- briefly, like a muffin batter.

When ready to cook, scoop out EXACTLY 1 level Tbs. of batter (use a measuring tablespoon, not a soup spoon) and use your finger to scoop it into one of the bottom depressions, evenly spreading it around the center. Repeat until all are filled. Immediately close the machine and set a timer for 4 minutes.

When 4 minutes is up, the cover should open easily and the doughnuts will be golden-brown. Use a wooden skewer to loosen and remove the doughnuts to a baking rack. Repeat until all of the batter is gone.

Glaze the doughnuts while still hot, setting them on a baking rack over a cookie sheet to let the glaze drip.

Nutrition Facts (analyzed without glaze)
Nutrition (per doughnut): 46.6 calories; 5% calories from fat; 0.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 57.7mg sodium; 54.5mg potassium; 10.1g carbohydrates; 0.8g fiber; 5.1g sugar; 1.4g protein; MyPoints 1.1

Enjoy!

What is Vegan MoFo? Click here to find out!



If you don't already have a copy of Fran Costigan's More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally, then put it on your holiday wishlist immediately! It's a vegan kitchen must-have.

Fran herself is a wonderful, warm, funny, loving, hard-working and knowledgable person. I'm privileged to be able to call her my friend.



We met at a NAVS SummerFest quite a few years ago. She was presenting the day before I was. She had a mini-disaster while baking some cookies in her workshop-- one of the helpers placed cookie dough on baking-parchment-covered trays as directed, but used plastic serving trays instead of metal baking trays! They were slipped into the oven as Fran demonstrated another dish. She began to smell plastic and peeked into the oven to see the trays melting! She quickly shut the oven door and turned off the oven, and kept going.

I needed to use the oven in my workshop the next day, so Fran and I met over a garbage can-- scraping hardened plastic off the oven racks! We had a great time, though, and discovered many similarities in our personal backgrounds, as well as both being Geminis and cooks. Even though we live on opposite ends of the continent, and usually only meet at vegan conferences, we keep in touch and have a great time when we meet.


Me and Fran in the middle, between chefs Eric Tucker and Sualua Tupolo at the airport, all looking a bit worse for the wear after the 2007 Vegetarian Awakening vegan chef's conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.


The chefs at the 2007 Vegetarian Awakening Conference Back Row (L to R): Tal Ronnen, Chad Sarno, Ian Brandt, Kevin Dunn, Eric Tucker, Sualua Tupolo; Front (L to R) Bryanna, Cathi Di Cocco, Fran Costigan


I visited briefly with Fran when I was in New York last March. In her tiny apartment kitchen, she was making a vegan wedding cake for her daughter, plus about 400 biscotti!


The Chocolate Cake to Live For, for Tracy & Rob by Mom Costigan (Mocha ganache and white vegan buttercream)-- spectacular!!

Fran uses the best natural ingredients, and, unlike alot of pastry chefs, she doesn't go crazy on the fats! Her desserts are absolutely fabulous and have won over traditionalists such as Deborah Madison:

"I’m a fan of traditional pastry – flaky, buttery pie crusts, sugar cookies made with white sugar and wheat flour, rich pastry creams and all of that. I’ve even worked as a pastry chef. But when I wanted to make a chocolate cake for a vegan friend, I didn’t know where to begin. Thankfully Fran Costigan came to the rescue. I made her Chocolate Cake. I couldn’t believe how utterly delicious it was! No one who tasted the tender-crumbed, dark chocolate cake guessed that it was made with whole-wheat pastry flour, maple syrup, no eggs and oil instead of butter. Even I, the big doubter, was terribly impressed and very pleased to know that such good confections can be made in a healthful manner without losing their taste. Cooking from Fran’s book has taught me to open my mind to new possibilities. Vegan I am not, but I’d make this cake (and many of her other recipes) again, purely for my own selfish enjoyment."
Deborah Madison, award-winning author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Fran also gives explicit directions and lots of information about ingredients-- so important with any baking, but especially vegan baking!
She's going to have a blog soon, so keep an eye out for it!  UPDATE: The blog is still in the making, though you can see pictures at her website at that link, but you might want to "like" her Facebook page.

Get this book and start baking vegan!

Enjoy!

What is Vegan MoFo? Click here to find out! (Sorry to be so late with this posting! Computer issues!)


Salt Spring sea view

We traveled south on Vancouver Island this weekend and took a ferry to a much larger island than ours (Denman Is.)-- Salt Spring Island. DH has a stepdaughter (Kathy) and three step-grandchildren there, and even 2 step great-grandchildren! (We have a complicated blended family because we were both widowed when we got married, with large families in tow!) Denman Island has a population of about 1500 now, and Salt Spring has about 14,000, so it's almost like going to the "big city" for us, with rural and alternative twists!

After a leisurely drive down, stopping in Nanaimo, which is where you get the big ferry to Vancouver) to check out DH's favorite music store, Fascinating Rhythm, and have a delicious vegan Lebanese lunch at Aladdin's Cafe. (They have a generous vegetarian plate with spicy carrots, fantastic tabbouli, baba ganoush, creamy hummous, vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, olives, homemade pita, and felafel.) Nicely sated, we continued on to the little town of Crofton, where you catch the salt Spring ferry.

We arrived with plenty of time to settle in and have a good chat with Kathy and her husband before they took us to the Rock Salt Restaurant & Cafe in tiny Fulford Harbour, near their house. This is a charming restaurant with an interesting menu. They make everything from scratch and try to use as many local and organic products as possible. There were plenty of vegan options (and vegetarian stuff that could be made vegan).

I had the Organic Smoked Tofu Burger (Salt Spring's Soya Nova Tofu makes it-- delicious smoked tofu!) seared in tamarind chipotle bbq sauce, and topped with sweet caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms (I ask them to leave off the cheese), on a homemade ciabatta bun. There was a delicious Asian slaw on the side.

DH had the Roasted Yam (actually sweet potato) Quesadilla, grilled with tamarind tomato chipotle sauce, toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro, green onion, served with salsa, and Asian slaw (you can ask to have the cheese left off). Kathy had the Tokyo Spinach Salad, which consisted of warm sugar baked yams, cucumber, julienne carrots and toasted sesame seeds tossed in house-made miso vinaigrette. All of our dishes were delicious and filling. They had a very nice house wine, too! I would recommend eating there if you ever visit Salt Spring!

Even though the weather was lousy, we had a good time. On Saturday, DH and I walked all over Ganges, the main town, which is really bustling-- it's hard to find a parking space! We meandered through the Saturday market, which is smaller than it was in the summer, but still entertaining. We walked along the dock to see all the boats, and we checked out the local shops, including the health food store. In the afternoon we went back to Kathy's house, just as it started to pour!


Kathy's back deck in the rain


Kathy's beautiful sumac tree through the rain

DH had made his famous spaghetti sauce to bring, because the family always misses his spaghetti. (The recipe is in my book Nonna's Italian Kitchen-- Brian's Ragu.) Because we had a crowd, we stretched it out by adding some red wine, mushrooms, and a package of Yves Ground Round. With a beautiful salad by Kathy (with Annie's Natural's [vegan] Green Goddess Dressing-- I had never had this before, since I rarely buy salad dressing, but it was yummy!), dishes of avocado and olives, red wine, and Brians' great bread(recipe here), we had plenty for 9 adults and two kids (also there was Kathy's daughter and husband and two children; Kathy's son and his girlfriend; and Aimee, Kathy's niece and Brian's step-grandaughter, who graduated from high school this summer.


(Unfortunately, the light wasn't good, so the photos are a bit fuzzy.)


Brian's spaghetti


A beautiful salad!


Brian's bread

For dessert, Kathy made a delicious apple crumble, which got eaten before I could take a picture!

I was happy to get home on Sunday (we attended a play in Nanaimo on the way home-- first live theater I've seen in a long time!), but it was a lovely, relaxing weekend!

I hope you had a good one, too!

More vegan comfort food! When I had company, I was trying to make some easy dishes that would feed a crowd and that omnivores would like. I had reconstituted Soy Curls® (see info here) and lots of corn. I remembered this soup from somewhere in my memory. It usually just has corn in it, but I added some celery and carrots for body and interest. I left out the usual hard-boiled egg that is sprinkled on top, of course! It was a winner.




Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH-STYLE "CHICKEN" NOODLE AND CORN SOUP
Servings: 8

This is so simple, but my DH and omnivore guests just gobbled it up! It's really low in calories, but it seems "rib-sticking"! The quality of the broth is REALLY important to this recipe. Other alternatives to the broth paste I suggested are below in Cooking Tips.

8-10 cups good vegetarian "chicken-style" vegetarian broth
(I used Superior Touch "Better than Bouillon" No-Chicken Vegan Base, which is a paste-- see Cooking Tips below recipe for alternatives and measures)
2 cups re-hydrated Soy Curls® or other vegan chicken sub, in strips
(2 oz. dry-- see here for info on Soy Curls® and how to reconstitute)
2 to 3 medium carrots, scraped and diced small
2 stalks celery, with leaves, sliced
1 3/4 cups egg-free tagliatelle (see note just below), OR linguine or fettuccine, broken up OR use egg-free ribbon noodles
(NOTE: Tagliatelle is a dry flat pasta, often sold rolled up in "nests"-- see photo below [use 4 "nests", if they are packaged that way]. Check labels as it is often made with eggs. My supermarket carries 2 kinds of egg-free ribbon noodles [broad and medium], and a house brand of egg-free tagliatelle, so read labels and you should be able to find a flat pasta that will will work.)
2 cups    fresh or thawed frozen sweet corn kernels
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Mix together the broth, Soy Curls®, carrots, and celery. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and corn. Turn the heat down and simmer, covered, until the pasta is tender. Taste for salt and pepper. Sprinkle each serving with chopped parsley or chives.

 Tagliatelle nests

Nutrition Facts 
Nutrition (per serving): 141.0 calories; 10% calories from fat; 1.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 718.6mg sodium; 218.7mg potassium; 27.2g carbohydrates; 3.0g fiber; 3.9g sugar; 24.2g net carbs; 7.4g protein; 2.4 points.

Cooking Tips
CHICKEN-STYLE VEGETARIAN BROTH

The product you use should contribute full flavor, not just saltiness. Unfortunately, many vegetarian broth powders do not deliver in the flavor department! And, sadly, the major organic brands are inadequate--too salty and not enough real flavor.

Brands of instant vegetarian broth, or bouillon, powders, pastes, and cubes seem to vary from region to region, even within North America. Many readers use brands that I have never heard of, or cannot get where I live in Western Canada. Fortunately, we can now order specific brands online if we can't convince our local grocer or health food store to carry the ones we like.

HERE ARE SOME THAT I LIKE:

#1 Seitenbacher Vegetarian Vegetable Broth and Seasoning Powder, a German brand which is widely distributed in the USA and in Europe. It is the #1 choice for the recipes in this book. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it in Canada, but Canadians can order it from veganessentials and the shipping to Canada is very reasonable.

Seitenbacher is MSG-free and "All natural; Vegan; No Gelatine; No Dairy; No Meat; No Eggs; No Artificial Flavor Enhancer; Fat Free; Cholesterol Free; Gluten Free; No Oil". (Another good MSG-free broth powder is Massel-- see below.)

#2: An excellent homemade alternative is my own broth powder mix. It's easy and cheap to make and has excellent flavor--but you must use 2 teaspoons for each cup of water.

#3: One of my favorite broth products--but not a powder: "Better than Bouillon" "No Chicken Vegan Base" (a paste) is delicious (and it's what I used in the soup above).  Ask your health food store or grocery store to carry it. "Better than Bouillon" also has a "No Beef Vegan Base", which is good, and a "Vegetable Base", which also comes in an organic variety (available at a good price in large jar form at Costco, even in Canada), but, while it's good, I wasn't super-impressed with the Vegetable Base. (Unfortunately, their "Mushroom Base" contains dairy products.)

#4: "Massel Vegetable Style Stock Powder", all vegan, MSG-free, palm oil-free and gluten-free, now available in the US and Canada from VeganEssentials.com, and also from amazon.com and many kosher outlets. There is Vegetable-Style, Chicken-Style and Beef-Style, all vegan.  Massel broth powder contains no trans-fats, and has good flavor, without too much salt.

For 1 cup of broth , use 1 cup water and add:
* 1 teaspoon Seitenbacher or Massel vegetarian broth powder
* OR 2 teaspoons Bryanna's Homemade Broth Powder (see recipe here )
* OR 1 teaspoon Superior Touch "Better than Bouillon" Vegan No-Chicken Base

Enjoy!

The weather changed abruptly today and we have dark clouds, wind and rain (not really that cold, though). This makes my thoughts turn to homey vegan comfort food. What could be more homey than mac'n'cheese (or cheeze)?

I'm always trying to improve on my vegan macaroni and cheese recipe. I think I have two different recipes published in books, and probably more online somewhere. This latest is creamy and yummy, and it can be be made both soy-free and gluten-free, if need be. It's good both plain and with additions, such as the broccoli suggested in my recipe. But why not add red peppers, vegetarian "ham", vegetarian "sausage", olives...?


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S NEW BAKED VEGAN MACARONI AND CHEEZE
Servings: 6
For a spicy version, add some canned chipotle pepper to taste and maybe some Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausage.

8 oz macaroni or penne (can be whole wheat; can be gluten-free)

Cooked Mixture for Sauce:
1 1/2 cups plain (original) nondairy milk
1/2 cup extra-firm silken tofu  
OR (for soy-free):
1/4 cup raw cashews plus 1/4 cup more non-soy, non-dairy milk instead of the tofu (soak the cashews in hot water for 5 minutes and drain before blending)
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
OR, for gluten-free, use GF oat flour, or  white rice flour (or mochiko-- sweet rice flour)
1 tsp chicken-style vegetarian broth powder or paste (see info here)
1 tsp salt

Additional Ingredients for Sauce:
1 cup water (OR use 3/4 cup water + 1/4 cup beer or dry white wine)
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper (from a jar, rinsed) (OR 1 tsp. paprika)
1 1/2 Tbs white miso
1 tsp Dijon mustard OR 1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder or granules
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Optional:
8 to 16 oz broccoli or cauliflower flowerettes, sliced into thin slices and blanched (partially-cooked)

Topping:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (panko is fine; can be gluten-free bread or fine cracker crumbs)
oil from a pump-sprayer

Boil the macaroni in lots of salted water until tender, but al dente. Drain. (If you are using the broccoli, prepare that as directed and set aside.)

While the macaroni cooks, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix the "Cooked Mixture for Sauce" ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium, heavy saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until it thickens and boils; turn down and simmer on low for a few minutes.

MICROWAVE OPTION: Pour the mixture a 1 qt. microwave-safe bowl measuring pitcher. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Whisk. Microwave for 2 more minutes. Whisk. Microwave for 2 minutes more.

Rinse out the blender.

Place the "Additional Ingredients for Sauce" into the blender. Add the Cooked Mixture to the blender. Process until very smooth.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked macaroni (and broccoli, if using) and the sauce together well. (It will seem like you have too much sauce, but, don't worry, the pasta will soak it up!) Scoop the mixture into a "buttered" (with Earth Balance) 2 qt. casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs and spray lightly with oil from a spray-pump. Bake for about 30 minutes (uncovered). Serve hot.

(Nutrition Facts were calculated using Silk Original soymilk, silken tofu, whole wheat macaroni, and panko, with the optional broccoli.)



Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 357.8 calories; 27% calories from fat; 11.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 648.6mg sodium; 561.7mg potassium; 50.4g carbohydrates; 7.6g fiber; 2.2g sugar; 42.8g net carbs; 18.4g protein; 7.3 points.


Enjoy!

I haven't been doing much bread-baking lately, but I have wanted to adapt my low-fat vegan sweet bread dough to the no-knead method for some time. So, last week I made a batch, adapting it somewhat (as described in the recipe at the end of this post). I stirred it up (no kneading, of course), let it rise for 2 hours and then stashed it into the fridge for a couple of days. I then adapted another cinnamon roll recipe of mine, using what had been an applesauce-caramel-sticky-bun-goo as a filling, and making giant rolls. We loved them, so I want to share them with you. I'm sure you will find many uses for it!

This method means that you can whip up some dough--literally in 5 minutes!-- and have it in the fridge ready for a batch of some delectable treats at a moment's notice. This is great for holiday breads, too-- adapt it to your family or ethnic recipes.

As I mentioned in my blog post on no-knead crusty bread:

"The science behind it-- Harold McGee author of "On Food and Cooking" (Scribner, 2004-- a book I have on my personal shelf!), says:
'It makes sense. The long, slow rise does over hours what intensive kneading does in minutes: it brings the gluten molecules into side-by-side alignment to maximize their opportunity to bind to each other and produce a strong, elastic network. The wetness of the dough is an important piece of this because the gluten molecules are more mobile in a high proportion of water, and so can move into alignment easier and faster than if the dough were stiff.'

As well, the long rise produces umami flavor compounds which give the bread outstanding flavor."

This dough is not really sweet, so it can be used for any soft bread, even savory versions.

Even though they contain some vegan buttery spread, these big puffy, sticky, gooey cinnamon rolls contain about HALF the fat and calories of a Cinnabon classic cinnamon roll, or a roll from a recipe such as the Giant Sticky Pecan Rolls on the Fleischmann's Yeast website!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S GIANT APPLE-CARAMEL CINNAMON ROLLS (FROM NO-KNEAD DOUGH)
Yield: 16 large rolls
The applesauce-brown sugar caramel is gooey and delicious, but not a total nutritional loss!

You can make 32 smaller rolls (or cut the large ones in half) for smaller portions. The Nutrition Facts for 1 smaller roll are: Nutrition (per serving): 181.7 calories; 26% calories from fat; 5.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 173.5mg sodium; 145.1mg potassium; 31.7g carbohydrates; 1.3g fiber; 14.9g sugar; 30.4g net carbs; 3.1g protein; 3.8 points.

Apple-Caramel Filling:
1 1/4 cup unsweetened smooth applesauce
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup melted vegan buttery spread (try my homemade palm-oil-free Buttah)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Remaining Ingredients:
1 recipe Low-Fat, Vegan, No-Knead, Refrigerator Enriched Yeast Dough (recipe below), risen in the refrigerator at least 12 hours (straight out of the fridge!)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

To make the filling:
mix together the applesauce and brown sugar in a medium bowl. When well-combined, add the melted buttery spread and cinnamon and whisk until totally combined. Set aside in the refrigerator.

To form the rolls:
Have ready an oiled baking pan (or pans). I have a large baking pan (with 2"-high sides-- NOT a cookie sheet!) measuring 16 x 11". If you don't have such a pan, you could use two 7x11" pans, or two 9" square pans.

Also have ready a WELL-FLOURED sheet of baking parchment OR a plastic or silicone pastry mat (or sheet) measuring 24 x 18" (or it can be larger). I have an old Tupperware one, but they have some new ones now. Many new versions and brands are available at kitchen stores, or online, such as amazon.com (or, for Canadians).

The parchment or mat is helpful because this dough is quite soft and sticky and the mat makes it easier to handle and roll up.

Scrape the dough, straight out of the refrigerator, onto the middle of the mat.



Sprinkle unbleached flour liberally over the dough. Pat the dough down into a rectangle shape. Now, use a rolling pin to roll the dough gently into a rectangle about 18 x 24". Have one long (24") edge facing you. (The corners might not be exactly square-- that's okay!).

IMPORTANT: While you are rolling, lift up the dough from time to time to make sure there is enough flour under it to keep it from sticking to the mat, and sift flour over the top to stop the rolling pin from sticking. Make sure the dough is rolled out to an even thickness. Work as quickly as possible, in order to keep the dough cold.

Spread the Apple-Caramel Filling evenly over the dough from short end to short end, leaving about 1" of dough empty on each long side. Sprinkle the Filling evenly with the raisins and pecans.



Using the mat or the parchment to help you, start rolling the long side closest to you away from you. Roll carefully and gently until you roll it almost to the other long side. If some of the Filling has gushed out and threatens to leak onto the clean edge of dough (which will make it hard to seal the dough), scrape it off with a spoon and set it aside in a small cup-- you can spread it on top of the buns later.

Pull the opposing long side up over the roll, pinching the dough together to seal, smoothing it as you go.

Now, using a very sharp serrated knife, and wiping it off cleanly between cuts, cut the dough into 16 rolls of an even width. Use a gentle sawing motion rather than cutting down sharply (which will squish the dough).

Carefully transfer the rolls, using a cake slice or pie server, to the prepared pans(s), placing them cut-side-up (the gooiest side facing up!). They can touch, but don't fit too tightly. If you have some left-over filling, spread it over or into some of the rolls that may not have as much filling as others.

Cover the pans loosely and let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour.


The buns risen and ready for the oven.

Bake the rolls in a preheated 350°F oven for about 30 minutes, or until golden.
Loosen the rolls all along the sides of the pan(s) and allow to cool a bit with the pan(s) on a rack, until you can handle them. if you like, you can add a powdered sugar glaze, but we prefer them plain. Eat warm! They freeze well after cooling thoroughly.



Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per roll): 378.1 calories; 25% calories from fat; 10.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 348.5mg sodium; 305.0mg potassium; 67.2g carbohydrates; 2.7g fiber; 33.1g sugar; 64.4g net carbs; 6.1g protein; 7.9 points.

THE DOUGH:


The dough after 2 days in the refrigerator

BRYANNA'S LOW-FAT, VEGAN, NO-KNEAD, REFRIGERATOR ENRICHED YEAST BREAD DOUGH
Servings: 32
Yield: Makes 2 loaves, 16 large rolls, or 32 small rolls

This is great basic dough for breads that usually call for eggs and butter-- it's light and moist (due to the mashed potatoes) and just slightly sweet. You can use it for sweet or savory breads that call for a soft, puffy dough. This is adapted from my Sweet No-Fat Yeast Dough recipe from my book "The Almost No-Fat Holiday Cookbook". I find that a little vegan butter makes the refrigerated dough a bit softer, but, if you want to make it with no fat, omit the vegan butter and use 1 cup of mashed potatoes. The long rising develops both the gluten (so that it's like a kneaded dough) and the flavor. The dough is sticky to work with, but when it's cold, it's not too hard to work.

2 cup warm nondairy milk (soymilk works really well in yeast breads)
1 pkg. (or 2 1/2 tsp.) dry active baking yeast OR 1 1/2 tsp. instant baking yeast
 2/3 cup mashed potatoes (generous 5 oz. russet potatoes, cooked and mashed with no milk added) OR 2/3 c. instant organic mashed potato flakes mixed with 2/3 c. boiling water
1/3 cup melted vegan buttery spread (try my palm-oil-free Buttah)
1/2 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup maple syrup, agave syrup or brown rice syrup
1/4 cup light unbleached sugar
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp turmeric
4 cup unbleached white flour (or you can use up to half wholewheat)

In a large mixing bowl combine the milk and yeast. When the yeast has dissolved, add the mashed potatoes (cooled down), melted vegan butter, wheat germ, syrup, sugar, lemon juice, salt, and turmeric. Mix in the flour with a wooden spoon. It will be a soft, rough dough. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, or place the bowl inside of a clean white plastic trash bag. Let rise at room temperature for at least 2 hours.

Now scrape the dough into a lightly-oiled closed container ( the rectangular box that organic baby greens come in works well but you might want to invest in a dough rising bucket). Cover tightly (but not air-tight) and refrigerate from 12 hours to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.


This photo shows how the dough doubled in the refrigerator.

Several hours before serving, shape the cold dough (right out of the refrigerator) into two loaves, or 16 large buns, or 32 small rolls, according to the recipe you are using. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-45 minutes, depending upon the size and shape of the loaves or rolls. (Solid round or pan loaves may take as long as 45 minutes; long, braided, or ring loaves about 30 minutes; small rolls 20 minutes.) Cool on racks and decorate as directed in your recipe.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 108.7 calories; 18% calories from fat; 2.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 150.3mg sodium; 69.6mg potassium; 19.8g carbohydrates; 0.9g fiber; 5.2g sugar; 18.9g net carbs; 2.7g protein; 2.2 points.


Enjoy!

Mmmmmm...brownies!

UPDATE: If you have no okara handy, you can make these brownies with black beans-- and, no, they do NOT taste like beans!  Instead of the okara, use 1 cup UNSEASONED home-cooked black beans (or very well-rinsed canned black beans), with a little water (it should all fit in a 1 cup measure). DO NOT use the canned bean liquid, please! 
NEW, STREAMLINED, ALMOST-FAT-FREE VERSION HERE!

I have to admit that I do not make use of the okara (soybean pulp) from making soymilk (and I make 2 batches at least twice a week) as often as I should. Yesterday, I had a chocolate craving (it was a bad computer day!), so I decided to try some ideas I had. I made three recipes and I will post the others if I think they came out well-- not sure yet!

But the brownies--this has got to be the most delicious way to use up some of your okara! DH declared these the best vegan brownies I've ever made! They are also pretty simple to make. They are cooked at a lower temperature for a longer time than most brownies to ensure the proper fudgy-ness without that yucky raw texture and taste.

NOTE: I squeeze and twist my okara in a large piece of cotton sheeting until I can get as much soymilk out of it as possible, so it is quite solid. To make this recipe come out properly, I recommend that you do the same. A very wet okara may result in disaster! This is what my okara looks like:



THE BROWNIES:



Printable Recipe
UPDATE: If you have no okara handy, you can make these brownies with black beans-- and, no, they do NOT taste like beans!  Instead of the okara, use 1 cup UNSEASONED home-cooked black beans (or very well-rinsed canned black beans), with a little water (it should all fit in a 1 cup measure). DO NOT use the canned bean liquid, please!
NEW, STREAMLINED, ALMOST-FAT-FREE VERSION HERE!

BRYANNA'S DARK, FUDGY OKARA BROWNIES
Yield: 20 squares

FLAXSEED AND EGG REPLACER "GLOP"
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons flaxseed, ground in a dry blender or coffee/spice mill
(do not omit the grinding step!)
2 tablespoons Ener-G or Orgran egg replacer powder

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
1 cup light organic sugar
1 cup, packed brown sugar
3/4 cup, packed well-squeezed okara (soybean pulp from making soymilk)--
do not use very wet okara! See NOTE above.
4 oz (1/2 cup) melted vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free Buttah)
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DRY MIX
1 1/4 cups organic unsweetened cocoa (yes.. that much!)
1/2 cup wholewheat or unbleached white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

OPTIONAL: NUTS & OTHER POSSIBLE ADDITIONS.
1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or other favorite nuts (you could also add organic dairy-free chocolate chips, dried fruit, etc.)


Preheat the oven to 300°F. (Yes, only 300°F! That is not a typo!) Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with oil from a pump-sprayer, or with cooking spray, and line it with cooking parchment, with the parchment going up to the the top of the pan on at least two opposing sides. This enables you to lift the cooled brownie (uncut) out of the pan with no muss or fuss.

In a food processor, process the water and ground flaxseed at high speed until the mixture is smooth, somewhat like egg whites. I call this "Flaxseed Glop". Add the egg replacer and beat until thick and foamy.

Add the Additional Ingredients (the sugar to the vanilla) to the Food processor and process until well-mixed.

Whisk together the Dry Mix ingredients in a wide medium-sized bowl. Scrape the food processor mixture into the Dry mix. Fold and stir briefly, just to blend. Fold in the nuts.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool. Do not cut until the brownies are cool. You can lift the whole thing out of the pan, using the parchment liner, onto a cutting board . Use a very sharp serrated knife to cut into 20 squares.

Nutrition Facts (not including nuts or any other optional ingredients)
Nutrition (per serving): 194.6 calories; 41% calories from fat; 9.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 102.3mg sodium; 185.9mg potassium; 28.5g carbohydrates; 3.0g fiber; 21.0g sugar; 25.4g net carbs; 2.3g protein; 4.1 points.

Enjoy!

Just wanted to share a couple of old favorite seasonal vegan dessert recipes with you!



Printable Copy of Both Recipes

BRYANNA'S APPLE "ROLY POLY" (Fat-Free)
Serves 4  (Can be GF and SF)
This is an old-fashioned dessert that deserves to be resurrected. I've been making it for years and years! It's easy, delicious and comforting, AND the pastry contains no fat! The dessert "poaches" in the syrup, so the pastry stays tender even without fat.

Syrup:
1 cup hot water
3/4 cup brown sugar
OR use:
1 cup maple syrup PLUS 1/4 cup water

Pastry:
1 cup whole wheat PASTRY flour OR Gluten-Free Flour Mix
(do not substitute ordinary whole wheat flour or the product will be tough)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup nondairy milk
2 small apples, cored and chopped
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

In a small saucepan, bring the hot water and brown sugar (or the maple syrup and water) to a boil. Boil gently, uncovered, for 5 minutes:

Pour the syrup into a 9 x 9" or 7 x 11" baking pan .

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk and mix briefly. If it's too dry to handle, add more milk, just a few drops at a time.

Roll the dough out on lightly-floured baking parchment into a 1/4"-thick rectangle, about 7 x11", covering the top with another piece of cooking parchment. Spread the chopped apples over the dough, to within 1/2" of the edge of the dough.

Roll the filled dough up like a jelly roll along one of the long edges. This dough may be a little hard to handle and look a bit messy, but it doesn't really matter after it's baked.

Brush the overlapping edge with water and seal it well to the rolled dough. Cut the roll into 12/ 1/2" slices with a sharp serrated (bread) knife. Place the slices in the syrup, cut-side-down, using a small spatula or pie server. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with Soyatoo whipped topping (pictured-- or you can use Soyatoo Topping Cream or Mimicreme Healthy Top (nut-based), which come in aseptic cartons & you can whip them yourself), or Soyatoo Rice Whip,  or your favorite vanilla nondairy "ice cream".

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 296.5 calories; 2% calories from fat; 1.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 146.5mg sodium; 471.2mg potassium; 71.3g carbohydrates; 5.5g fiber; 45.6g sugar; 5.0g protein.



BRYANNA'S APPLE-POLENTA-PECAN CRISP
Serves 8 (Can be GF and SF)
This unusual crisp is a delicious variation on the traditional. (Confession: I said "polenta" in the title just because it sounds more exotic-- it's actually just plain ol' cornmeal along with some powdery corn flour.)

1 1/2 lbs. organic apples, cored and cut into thin slices (I don't peel them)
1/4 cup light unbleached organic sugar
1 Tbs. unbleached white flour OR rice flour or Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (regular or pastry) OR Gluten-free flour mix
1/2 cup corn flour (finely milled yellow cornmeal-- see note below)
1/2 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 cup cold vegan buttery spread (such as my homemade palm-oil-free vegan "Buttah")
your favorite vanilla non-dairy "ice cream" to top it off

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

NOTE: Corn Flour is very finely-ground yellow cornmeal-- ground almost to a powder. You can do this in small amounts in a dry, clean electric coffee/spice grinder. Or you can purchase it (sometimes organic) at a health food store or South Asian market. Bob's Red Mill is one brand you can find in HF stores.

Toss the apple slices with the 1 Tbs. flour, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. Spread in a 9x13" baking dish. In a food processor, pulse the whole wheat flour, corn flour, cornmeal, pecans, brown sugar, and cinnamon until well-mixed and the pecans are chopped. Add the Earth Balance, cut into pieces, and pulse until crumbly. Spread the topping over the apples. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the apples are tender and the topping is browned.

Serve hot with your favorite vegan vanilla "ice cream" on top.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 288.6 calories; 32% calories from fat; 10.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 68.9mg sodium; 237.2mg potassium; 48.3g carbohydrates; 5.1g fiber; 28.8g sugar; 2.9g protein; 7.5 points.

Cooking Tips
You could add a few fresh or dried cranberries to the filling, if you like.



Enjoy!

Fresh Denman Is. corn with Chipotle Creme instead of vegan butter

We are having a great corn season here on Denman Is., so sweet that I have been eating them plain. But sometimes you just HAVE to have something on your corn! In past years I've tried various lowfat toppings. Salsa is good, but I like something creamy. I devised the following a few years ago and it is quite yummy!

Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S LOWFAT CHIPOTLE CREME 
Yield: 3/4 cup
This is delicious on corn on the cob, but would make a good start for a dip, too.

1/2 cup extra-firm or firm silken tofu
1/4 cup low-fat vegan mayonnaise (my lowfat mayo recipe here; my Tofu Mayonnaise recipe here)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 to 1 whole drained canned chile chipotle in adobo sauce, seeded and chopped (depending on how hot you want it)

Puree the ingredients in a blender or with a stick/immersion blender. Refrigerate in a covered jar.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 11.1 calories; 29% calories from fat; 0.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 90.4mg sodium; 31.1mg potassium; 0.5g carbohydrates; 0.0g fiber; 0.2g sugar; 0.5g net carbs; 1.4g protein; 0.2 points.

Cooking Tip
A chipotle pepper is a smoked jalapeno; they are sold dried or in cans in a tomato sauce (adobo or adobado), which is my preference.

************************************************************

When I was at the McDougall Celebrity Weekend in Santa Rosa in June, we were not supposed to use any added fat or oil, even pan-spray on the pans. I was planning to make no-fat crepes made with wholewheat pastry flour, chickpea flour and oat flour (see recipe below). In the nonstick pans Mary provided, I made about 50 crepes for audience tasting, and then, in the workshop, I made several in front of the audience, with no mishaps. They were very impressed, and Chef Kevin Dunn told me he never would have tried that!

Here's the crepe recipe I made at the McDougall event:





Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S FAT-FREE WHOLE GRAIN CREPES (WW Core plan Compatible)
Makes 12

2 1/4 cups nondairy milk
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour (do not substitute ordinary whole wheat flour)
3/4 cup oat flour (or use 2/3 cup rolled oats, ground in a dry blender or electric coffee/spice mill)
3/4 cup extra-firm silken tofu (can be reduced-fat)
1/3 cup chickpea flour (besan) or low-fat soy flour
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached organic sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder

Process all of the ingredients ingredients in a food processor or a blender until very smooth. You do not need to "rest" the batter before cooking, as you do with egg crepes.

Heat a good nonstick 8" skillet (a shallow crepe skillet is the best, if you have one) over medium-high heat. (You can use a spray of oil from a pump-spray bottle if you like.) Use 3-4 tablespoons of batter per crepe (stirring the batter before you make each crepe), rolling and tilting the pan until it evenly covers the bottom. Cover the pan and cook for a few seconds, or until the top looks dry. Carefully loosen the crepe with a very thin silicone spatula and turn over carefully. (Or, if the crepes are to be filled and baked, you only need to cook them on one side.)

Stack the cooked crepes on a plate and cover them with a clean napkin.

Either serve the crepes right away, or let them cool and place in a rigid container (with pieces of cooking parchment in between each crepe), and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze them for future use (thaw thoroughly before filling).

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per crepe): 85.5 calories; 14% calories from fat; 1.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 157.7mg sodium; 171.1mg potassium; 14.4g carbohydrates; 1.8g fiber; 3.1g sugar; 12.6g net carbs; 4.7g protein; 1.5 points.


Enjoy!