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

 
I confess that I really liked liverwurst in pre-vegan days. And, judging by the recipes and info online, I am not alone. I devised a recipe that tastes very much like it, in my opinion (and in the opinion of some real German testers), but involves no meat, is easy to make, can be frozen, and has a wonderful flavor. It makes good sandwiches, too and is great to have in the refrigerator during the summer, for a quick meal or an appetizer.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN "LIVERWURST"
From my book “World Vegan Feast” © Bryanna Clark Grogan
Servings: 16
Yield: Two 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 1/8-inch loaves

With an easy addition, this can be turned into A VEGAN "braunschweiger", which is a smoked "liverwurst". If you liked braunschweiger in the past, just add a little liquid smoke (see NOTE below) to taste, starting with a 1/2 teaspoon.

Dark sesame oil for oiling the pans
1 (12.3 oz.) box extra-firm SILKEN tofu OR 12 oz. medium-firm tofu
1 medium russet potato (about 4 oz.), scrubbed and cut into 1-inch dice (no need to remove the high-fiber peel!) 
1/2 medium onion (about 2.5 oz.), peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1/2 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup wholewheat flour, OR stone ground cornmeal, OR soy flour, OR chickpea flour (besan)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons warm water
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 teaspoon organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1/2 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 1/2 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram (or 1/2 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
a few gratings of freshly-ground nutmeg
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil two nonstick 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 1/8-inch fruitcake/mini loaf pans or an 8-inch round cake pan liberally with the dark sesame oil and line the bottoms with baking parchment cut to fit. Oil the parchment, too.

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender (preferably) or food processor and blend until very smooth.

Divide the mixture between the two prepared nonstick 5 3/4 x 3 x 2 1/8-inch fruitcake/mini loaf pans or 8-inch round cake pan. Smooth the tops evenly.



Cover each pan with foil (oiled on the part that will touch the liverwurst mixture). Place the pans inside of an 8 x 12-inch shallow baking pan with about 1 inch of hot water in the bottom. Bake for 1 hour.

Cool the liverwurst in the pans on a cooling rack until firmly set. Carefully loosen around the sides of the pans with a table knife and invert them onto a platter. Cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to a week.


If you would like to freeze the liverwurst, cut them into whatever sizes are useful for you, wrap well with foil, then place in a zipper-lock bag, seal and freeze for up to three months.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving or 1/ 8th of a loaf): 61.6 calories; 39% calories from fat; 2.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 148.9mg sodium; 182.5mg potassium; 5.6g carbohydrates; 1.4g fiber; 0.9g sugar; 4.2g net carbs; 4.4g protein; 1.2 points.

NOTE: 
Nervous about using liquid smoke? Here's some info from Cook's Illustrated magazine:

"Liquid Smoke
What is liquid smoke and how is it made? We were among the many people who assume that there must be some kind of synthetic chemical chicanery going on in the making of "liquid smoke" flavoring. But according to the Colgin Company (which has been bottling liquid smoke since the 19th century), that's not the case. Liquid smoke is made by channeling smoke from smoldering wood chips through a condenser, which quickly cools the vapors, causing them to liquefy (just like the drops that form when you breathe on a piece of cold glass). The water-soluble flavor compounds in the smoke are trapped within this liquid, while the non-soluble, carcinogenic tars and resins are removed by a series of filters, resulting in a clean, smoke-flavored liquid.

Curious about the manufacturing process for this product, we wondered if we could bottle up some smoke for ourselves. To do this, we created a small-scale mock-up of the commercial method, involving a kettle grill, a duct fan, a siphon, and an ice-chilled glass coil condenser.

In a comparison of homemade and store-bought liquid smoke, homemade was praised for its clean, intense, smoky flavor. But we spent an entire day and $50 on materials to produce 3 tablespoons of homemade liquid smoke. Commercial liquid smoke is just fine, especially if you avoid brands with additives such as salt, vinegar, and molasses. Wright's Liquid Smoke ($2.99 for 3.5 ounces) is our top-rated brand and contains nothing but smoke and water." 


Enjoy!

I promised to post my recipe or vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Spread (what most people know as "Nutella")  from my book "World Vegan Feast" this week, so I'm making good on my promise. In Europe, chocolate is considered a food and, indeed, it does contain valuable antioxidants. Combined with nuts, it makes a delicious, nutritious (if high-fat) traditional Italian spread to use on toast or bread as you would peanut butter. I would recommend it as a treat, not an everyday commodity. Since most commercial brands contain hydrogenated fats and dairy products (and even the organic vegan commercial varieties contain palm oil), I prefer to make my own.


Since I had to make some to photograph, we are going to have to exercise restraint and not gobble it up too fast!  It is very delicious and actually easy to make (especially if you use commercial hazelnut butter-- or almond butter, which makes an easily-available substitute).  If, for some strange reason, you don’t use it all up, you can swirl it into muffin batter (see the second recipe below for Gianduia Muffns) or vegan ice cream, use it in sweet breads, or make chocolate panini with it (try it with apricot jam or sliced bananas and vegan marshmallow creme).

I had a potluck to go to Thursday night and had to make something the night before, as I was going to be on the go all day on Thursday.  A hearty full-meal salad is always my go-to dish for this type of situation, but I wanted to make up something colorful and interesting for a rather bleak November day.  After assessing the possibilities in my cupboard and refrigerator, I came up with an idea for a non-Asian-style red rice salad that turned out to be really delicious-- enough so that I will make it again this coming Wednesday for another potluck. And, I think it would be an excellent holiday salad, as well.

Whole grain, low-fat, fiber-rich, easy to make, and mighty tasty-- what more could you ask for?  Versatility, perhaps?  Feel free to experiment with different nut and dried fruit combinations (hazelnuts & dried apricots; pecans & dried sour cherries; dried figs & roasted pumpkin seeds immediately come to mind), and to substitute other crunchy vegetables for the ones I used.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S RED RICE, WHITE BEAN & VEGETABLE SALAD WITH TOASTED ALMONDS, DRIED CRANBERRIES AND CREAMY BALSAMIC DRESSING
Serves 12
See the blog text for ideas for variations. This makes enough for a party or potluck, and, if you are lucky, you'll have some left over for a school or work lunch.

2 cups Thai (long grain) red rice
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
2/ 19 oz. cans white kidney beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or use 3-4 cups home-cooked)
1 orange or red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 yellow or green bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 cups diced celery (with leaves)
6 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced (both green and white parts)
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. dark sesame oil
Creamy Balsamic Dressing: 
Blend together in a blender or with a stick/immersion blender,
1 cup Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing (see recipe below)
and
1/2 cup Low-Fat Vegan Mayonnaise (or use Tofu Mayonnaise, Reduced Fat Vegenaise, or Spectrum Naturals Eggless Vegan Light Canola Mayonnaise)

You can cook the rice in a pot on the stove,or in a rice cooker.  if you use the rice cooker, follow the directions for your machine, using the rice, water and salt called for above.  Otherwise, place these ingredients in a medium pot with a tight lid, bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender and no liquid is left.  Fluff it with a fork.

Spread the cooked rice out on a baking sheet and allow it to cool a bit.  It should be warm, but not hot and not chilled.  In a large bowl, mix the rice with the rinsed, drained beans, peppers, celery, green onions and dried cranberries..  Mix together your dressing and toss with the salad ingredients in the bowl.

In a small, heavy skillet (cast iron is good), heat the olive oil and sesame oil and add the slivered almonds.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the almond slivers become golden.  Remove from heat immediately and add to the salad.  Toss once again, cover and refrigerate until serving time.  Bring the salad to room temperature before serving.  Garnish with fresh herb or parsley sprigs, or leafy celery stalks, or more toasted almonds.

Low-Fat Balsamic Dressing:
1 cup aquafaba or Fat-Free Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup good quality balsamic vinegar (Costco's Kirkland brand is a good commercial version)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt

 Whisk, shake, or blend the ingredients together well, bottle and store in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

This post is going to be a quickie, as I'm belatedly making the components tonight for a lasagna to bring to our friends' house where we're going to lunch tomorrow. I also decided to make this recipe with frozen rhubarb (the first year we've grown any) to bring for dessert, so I thought I'd share it with you. I developed them back in 2007 for my old newsletter, the Vegan Feast. These whole grain bars are easy to make, easy to store and easy to transport, so they're an excellent choice for taking along to a potluck or shared meal. Though scrumptious any time of the year, these bars are a perfect fall dessert-- delicious hot or cold with vanilla vegan ice cream (like my Vegan French Vanilla Ice Cream) or whipped topping (here's my Almond Cream Whipped Topping).  I think you'll like them!

Printable Recipe

Quick and Easy Vegan Spaghettata Yesterday was one of those days when I didn't know what I was going to make until the last minute.  (This seems to be happening more frequently than it used to-- I blame the computer!) In the late afternoon, after scrubbing the shower and hanging up the new shower curtain and liner, I had made the last of two versions of vegan popovers/Yorkshire Puddings (my cooking quest of the moment) I made that day (both just okay-- the quest goes on), plus some of my homemade mayonnaise.  Suddenly, it was 6 PM and "what to make for dinner"! (A small digression: I'm in the cooking doldrums lately, which is partly why I haven't been blogging much.  The other reason is that I've been very busy planning for a fund-raising event, which took up much of my time.  The event was last Saturday and was successful, but I was exhausted, to tell you the truth. A couple of days of doing almost nothing, plus alot of catch-up to accomplish in the house and elsewhere, has not yet resulted in a burst of creativity in the kitchen-- though I seem to have revived interest in the vegan popovers again. This is probably a good sign.) In this sort of situation, I open the fridge and peer in, looking for things that need to be used.  Usually, this will inspire me to come up with a fast, edible improv dish, or remind me of a recipe I've made before which is worth repeating.  This time I remembered the bunch of beautifully fresh spinach we had bought the day before.  You have to use that up pretty quickly.  I had been thinking before that a pasta dish of some sort might fill the bill for dinner, but I hadn't settled on anything, so this led me to wonder about pasta+spinach+?? for a quick, full-meal-deal. (This type of pasta dish, BTW,  is known as "spaghettata" in Italy-- a sort of Italian version of what my late husband Wayne's Irish grandmother called "bread-and-with-it".)  Fresh oregano in the garden, fresh mushrooms (also purchased the day before), a little white wine needing to be used up... the result was the following dish, which my husband declared "one of the best pasta dishes I've eaten in a long time"! I opted to add strips of browned President's Choice (made by Gardein) PC Blue Menu The World's Best Meatless Seasoned Chicken Breast (a Canadian brand).  My husband thought that was the least interesting part of the dish and said it could easily be left out without losing anything, so I've added that, or any favorite vegan chicken-y alternative, as an optional ingredient.  My cutlets from my newest book, World Vegan Feast (or "Breast of Tofu"  in my other books or at this post), or Soy Curls, or whatever is your favorite chicken sub. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as DH did! Printable Recipe BRYANNA'S QUICK & EASY "SPAGHETTATA" WITH MUSHROOMS AND SPINACH Serves 4 12 oz. spaghetti (made with durum semolina-- for GF, use a good one with some "bite", such as quinoa pasta)  1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 small onion, or 1/2 a medium onion, thinly-sliced 1/2 lb. (8 oz.) mushrooms (any kind-- white button is fine) 2 large cloves garlic, minced (or more, according to your taste) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried) 1 bunch fresh spinach, washed, spun dry and thinly-sliced (or 8 cups packed baby spinach)-- this will cook down considerably so don't worry that it's too much!  1/3 cup white wine, dry white vermouth, or dry sherry 1/2 cup good tasting vegan chicken-style broth (my favorite is Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken) 1/2 cup or so of shredded vegan mozzarella  To serve: your favorite vegan parmesan (Go Veggie! or EarthIsland/Follow your Heart are good brands) salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste OPTIONAL: Sliced vegan "chikn brest" or "chickn strips"  (Alternatives:  my cutlets from my newest book, World Vegan Feast (or "Breast of Tofu"  in my other books or at this link), or Soy Curls, or whatever is your favorite chicken sub. Put a big pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta. When the water boils, add the pasta and cook for 9-10 minutes, or until al dente.  Drain and set aside.  NOTE: you can be preparing the rest of the dish while the water boils and the pasta cooks. If you are going to use the vegan chicken sub option, brown your choice in a little olive oil, cut into thin strips and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat.  Add the onions and stir-fry until they start to wilt (add a squirt of water every now and then, as needed to keep from sticking).  Add the garlic, mushrooms to the pan and sprinkle with a little salt to release the juice. Stir-fry until the mushrooms begin to cook. Start adding the sliced spinach one handful at a time and stirring until it wilts before adding another.  This will go pretty fast.  Then, add the wine, broth, vegan mozzarella and optional vegan "chicken" strips, if using. Mix quickly, but gently. Quickly add the cooked pasta and toss the mixture with a spaghetti rake and a spoon to mix evenly and to re-heat the pasta.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately in heated pasta bowls with the vegan parmesan. Enjoy!

From center L around the front, L to R: Tofu pot pie;  traditional sage and onion bread stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce with port and orange; No-Knead  Fluffy Hazelnut/Bran Dinner Dinner Rolls;  vegan brown gravy; Back: sauteed Brussels sprouts with homegrown yellow patty-pan squash and red pepper; seitan turkey; Fireweed's mashed Denman island potatoes; roasted red beets and golden beets with olive oil and za'atar

 
(Not shown is Fireweed's delicious Gazpacho starter course, which we had already devoured; my Smoked Tofu Cheese Spread appetizer, which I had developed for an article in Alive Magazine; and the roasted sweet potatoes, which I forgot to put on the table until after we had taken pictures!)

From center L around the front, L to R: Traditional sage and onion bread stuffing and my seitan "turkey", stir-fried Brussels sprouts, home-grown yellow pattypan squash and red peppers; roasted red beets and golden beets with olive oil and za'atar; tofu pot pie; my homemade palm-oil-free vegan Buttah; vegan brown gravy; mashed Denman Island potatoes brought by my friend Fireweed.

"Yours truly" carving the seitan "turkey", stir-fried Brussels sprouts, home-grown yellow pattypan squash and red peppers

Top: Roasted red beets and golden beets-- the red ones sprinkled with balsamic vinegar; the golden with rice vinegar; both drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with za-atar herb mix. Bottom: sauteed Brussels sprouts with yellow patty-pan squash and red pepper

L to R: Tofu pot pie, traditional sage and onion bread stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce with port and orange, No-Knead Fluffy Hazelnut/Bran Dinner Dinner Rolls

Traditional sage and onion bread stuffing and my seitan "turkey"

See the accidental stylized vegan "V" symbol at the top (composed of a swirl in the filling mixture and a crack after baking)?

New (divine) Flourless Chocolate Cake I tested for Betsy DiJulio, author of the wonderful book, The Blooming Platter Cookbook, and a slice of vegan pumpkin pie with Mimicreme.