Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table: VEGAN RECIPES TO CELEBRATE PERUVIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!

The Peruvian Flag

Peruvian Independence Day, Peru’s independence from Spain won by Jose de San Martin, is actually a 2-day holiday on July 28th and 29th: Fiestas Patrias Peruanas. Peru has a new President (who recently signed into law the banning of wild animals in circuses in Peru!) and perhaps a new lease on the future! (Since my father was Peruvian, and I have many relatives there, I certainly hope so!)

How better to celebrate than with food! Peruvians love their cuisine and enjoy their food! And it is a very delicious and unique cuisine-- gaining popularity in North America, too. Although the native diet was traditionally heavily plant-based, over time, with the influx of other cultures (Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, African...), it has become not-terribly-vegan-friendly. I am working on that! I have "veganized" about 30 Peruvian recipes and have a long list to get through! (Delicious work!)

(According to http://peru-facts.co.uk/inca-food.html, "The Inca diet was mainly vegetarian based and involved them eating vegetables such as potatoes as their staple diet. Although potatoes were the main source of food for the Incas other food such as quinoa, beans, squash, sweet potatoes, avocados, tomatoes and manioc were also heavily involved within the Inca peoples diet.")

Here are four Peruvian, or Peruvian-inspired, recipes (and there are others on this blog-- just go to the recipe links page and use your browser's search or find function to look for "Peruvian") for you to try.

#1)

My low-fat "Salsa de Mani" on my vegan chorizo-stuffed seitan cutlets. (The cutlet recipe is in my book, "World Vegan Feast".)

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S LOW-FAT VEGAN PERUVIAN-STYLE CREAMY PEANUT SAUCE (SALSA DE MANI)

Yield: 2 1/2 cups

This is a recipe I have been working on for some time in order to veganize it and make it lower in fat (the original recipe contains not only peanuts, but fresh cheese and enough oil to make it qualify for a type of mayonnaise!). The final recipe is not only simple and inexpensive to make, but delicious! I developed it to accompany vegan Chorizo-Stuffed Cutlets for my now-defunct newsletter, The Vegan Feast, but it is also delicious on any type of "chickeny" seitan, tofu, vegan “chickeny” strips, or Soy Curls; on seitan kebabs; or on roasted or steamed new potatoes.

1 Tbs olive oil
1 medium yellow (or orange) bell pepper, seeded and sliced

1 1/2 Tbs sugar
water as needed
8 oz medium firm tofu (or firm or extra-firm silken tofu)

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (or 2/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts)

1 cup Bryanna's Eggless Low-Fat Mayonnaise (or Spectrum Light Eggless Vegan Canola Mayo or Reduced-Fat Vegenaise)

1 tsp Peruvian yellow pepper paste (aji amarillo paste) OR Sriracha hot sauce, or more to taste

1/4 tsp salt

freshly-ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet and sauté the peppers to soften a little, but not brown, over medium heat. Add the sugar and a few tablespoons of water. Cover and cook until the peppers are soft and the water evaporated.

Place all of the ingredients, including the cooked peppers, in a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth.

Taste for seasoning. NOTE: This sauce can be made ahead (store refrigerated) and reheated gently. If it gets too thick after chilling, thin it with a little soymilk or water.

Nutrition Facts (using extra-firm silken tofu and my homemade low-fat vegan mayo)

Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 140.8 calories; 63% calories from fat; 10.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 199.7mg sodium; 163.0mg potassium; 7.8g carbohydrates; 1.2g fiber; 3.2g sugar; 5.8g protein, 3.5 points.

#2)

Photo by Linda Long

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S TRIGO LIMEÑA (WHEAT "PILAF", LIMA-STYLE)

Serves 6

Adapted from a recipe my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook".

This unusual Peruvian dish, made with whole wheat kernels, or wheat berries, was given to me by my cousin Rosario (Charo) Urbina Musso. She just gave me an idea of the ingredients, and I consulted an old, badly translated Peruvian cookbook of my mother’s for more help. This is what I came up with, and I like it very much.

Charo says that the wheat kernels we get here are not the same as the “trigo” available in Peru . Trigo is a bit smaller than our wheat, and you may be able to find it in a Latin American grocery store (UPDATE: I found some at Killarney Market in Vancouver, BC), but I have made it with cooked soft wheat berries, and it tasted fine to me.

1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

(you can add a few drops of roasted sesame oil too, if you like)

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 medium, ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 tsp. aji amarillo (Peruvian yellow hot pepper) paste OR Sriracha sauce

1 1/4 cups trigo or wheat berries (soft wheat, if possible), soaked in 4 cups water overnight, and then cooked in the soaking water until tender (50 to 60 minutes)

NOTE: Save the cooking water

1 lb. Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed, cooked and cubed

1/2 cup grated vegan “mozzarella”-type cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley

salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet. Saute the onions until softened. Add the garlic and tomatoes, along with the chile flakes. Saute for several minutes. (This is what Peruvians call the “sofrito”.) Add the cooked wheat and potatoes and stir-cook for several minutes. Add some of the wheat cooking water if it’s too dry. Stir in the cheese and parsley, and taste for salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

If you like savory foods for breakfast, the leftovers are delicious in the morning!

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 235.3 calories; 16% calories from fat; 4.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 37.0mg sodium; 598.6mg potassium; 43.3g carbohydrates; 7.6g fiber; 3.0g sugar; 35.7g net carbs; 8.9g protein; 4.3 points.

3.)

Mushroom Cebiche (Ceviche/Seviche)(Photo by Debbie Knight)

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S PERUVIAN-STYLE MUSHROOM CEBICHE (say-bee-chay) (Cebiche de Hongos)

Servings: 6

As many of you probably know, cebiche (or seviche) is a way of "cooking" food without heat-- usually raw fish, but sometimes vegetables. The acid from the lemon or lime juice "cooks" it. My Peruvian father used to take us out for "afternoon tea" in Lima when we spent some months there ,and we little girls would have pastries, while he ate cebiche. Here's my vegan version of this popular appetizer. NOTE: Peruvian límones are somewhat like key limes-- less acidic than lemon, but more acidic than our limes-- so a combination of lime and lemon juice is a good substitute.

SALAD:

1 lb whole white button mushrooms (cut in half if too large for "bite-size")

1 cup fresh lemon juice (or organic bottled, if necessary)

1 cup fresh lime juice (or organic bottled, if necessary)

2 medium red onions, sliced into 1/8th " slices and separated into rings

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tsp salt

pepper to taste

slivers of 1 fresh or canned whole Peruvian hot yellow pepper (aji amarillo) or rocoto or habañero chile

GARNISH:

2 average orange sweet potatoes (about 24 oz., total) steamed or microwaved until tender

4 ears yellow sweet corn, cooked

2 small heads crisp lettuce, cleaned and dried

2 pickled or roasted red chili peppers, seeded, and sliced into strips (or roasted red bell pepper)

OPTIONAL:

Peruvian Alfonso olives or kalamata olives

chunks of ripe avocado

Mix the mushrooms with the rest of the salad ingredients. Marinate (in refrigerator) 1 to 4 hours.

Cut the sweet potatoes (unpeeled) into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Cut the corn into 2-inch chunks.

Arrange the lettuce on a large platter. Arrange the salad on the lettuce. Surround the salad with the sweet potatoes and corn, and decorate with the red pepper slivers (and optionals, if using)

Nutrition Facts (they include the sweet potato, corn, lettuce)

Nutrition (per serving): 204.2 calories; 3% calories from fat; 0.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 393.7mg sodium; 979.6mg potassium; 48.3g carbohydrates; 7.8g fiber; 11.2g sugar; 40.5g net carbs; 7.2g protein; 3.4 points.

#4) And last, but not least, a recipe using quinoa, the Mother Grain of the Incas...

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S ENSALADA DE QUINOA

Servings: 8

2 cup dry quinoa (Many brands of quinoa are pre-washed these days, so you don't have to rinse the grains first.)

4 cups boiling water

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste (Peruvian hot yellow pepper paste) or Sriracha sauce

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup aquafaba or Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings

2 medium medium cucumbers, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes (I use the edible peel variety)

1 large ripe, firm tomato, cubed

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced

1/3 cup fresh cilantro or basil, minced

Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

2 heads lettuce, cleaned and shredded

GARNISHES: (any or all)

Tofu "Feta"

Peruvian Alfonso Olives or Black Kalamata olives

2-inch chunks of cooked sweet yellow corn on the cob

1-inch chunks of avocado tossed in lemon juice

2-inch chunks of cooked, peeled sweet potato
wedges of fresh tomato

Toast the quinoa in a heavy, dry skillet until slightly golden. Add the quinoa to the boiling water in a 1 qt. saucepan along with the salt. Bring to a boil, then turn down and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Let stand off the heat for 10 minutes. Transfer the quinoa to a bowl and chill.

Whisk together the lime juice, chile paste or sauce, olive oil, oil sub and salt to taste and set aside.

Combine the quinoa, cucumbers, tomato, green onions, parsley, and cilantro or basil and mix gently. Pour the lime dressing over the top and toss again. Add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

To serve the salad, divide the shredded lettuce between 8 individual plates, mound the salad on top and garnish with any or all of the suggested garnishes.

Nutrition Facts (NOT including the garnishes)

Nutrition (per serving): 268.4 calories; 38% calories from fat; 11.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 126.5mg sodium; 646.8mg potassium; 36.3g carbohydrates; 4.2g fiber; 2.7g sugar; 32.1g net carbs; 7.2g protein; 5.5 points.

¡Felices Fiestas!

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

Thursday, July 28, 2011

VEGAN RECIPES TO CELEBRATE PERUVIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!

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