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

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!


Yesterday, I checked the refrigerator for greens that needed using up.  We live on an island, so we only shop every 2 weeks.  I'm trying to avoid any food waste (watching this documentary has strengthened my resolve!), so I moved all the vegetables out of the refrigerator drawers (filled them with condiments) and I have my veggies right in the center of the fridge, with the ones that need to be used up first in the front, so that I don't forget about them.  Anyway, I had spinach and baby bok choy to use up, so I turned to two of my older recipes.  (BTW, if you can't watch that movie outside of Canada, check out this review and watch for screenings in your area-- it's worth watching!)

For lunch, I made Baby Bok Choy and Tofu Soup from my book "Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen: All Vegan Recipes", and, for dinner (because I had some vegan crepes left over from Saturday breakfast, and some of DH's spaghetti sauce in the refrigerator), I made Italian Savory Crepes Stuffed with Vegan Ricotta & Spinach from my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen: Delicious Home-Style Vegan Cuisine", both with a couple of little tweaks. It's been too long since I made these recipes-- so delicious and healthful!  So, I'd like to share the recipes with you. Enjoy!

Crepes have been made in Italy for centuries, with many different types of flours.  They are particularly popular in Tuscany. Filled crepes that are cut into short lengths and baked are called bocconcini, which means "little mouthfuls".  Crespelle "cakes", or timbali, are crepes stacked with filling in between and cut into wedges.

BRYANNA'S CRESPELLE RIPIENE (STUFFED CREPES) WITH VEGAN SPINACH/RICOTTA FILLING  
Serves 6 (Can be soy-free)

12 vegan crepes (see my recipe below-- can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen--OR you can use my recipe for Fat-Free Whole Grain Crepes)
Spinach and "Cheese" Filling:
2 onions, minced
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. fresh cleaned spinach, OR 2/ 10 oz. pckgs. chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cups Tofu or Almond Ricotta OR Okara/Cashew Ricotta
4 to 6 tablespoons vegan Parmesan substitute (we like GoVeggie! brand)
salt, freshly ground pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg
Bake crespelle with a light tomato sauce or a medium Besciamella (Bechamel) sauce, ( or you can layer Besciamella over the tomato sauce, for a really special dish), along with a vegan Parmesan substitute or alternate. There is a recipe for my low-fat Creamy White-Bean-Flour Based Bechamel here, and my basic vegan Bechamel/White sauce recipe is here.

Sauté the onions in the olive oil in a non-stick or cast iron or hard-anodized skillet until they are soft and starting to brown (adding a tiny bit of water as needed, to keep from sticking).  

Meanwhile, place the fresh spinach in boiling water until it is completely wilted, then drain, squeeze dry, and chop it finely.  OR, if using frozen chopped spinach, thaw it thoroughly (you can quick-thaw it by placing the whole carton in the microwave for 5 minutes) and squeeze it as dry as possible.

Mix the spinach in a bowl with the cooked onions, ricotta, Parmesan sub , and salt, pepper and to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.  




Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.



Place a generous amount of filling down the center of each crepe and roll it up.   



Place the rolls in an oiled baking dish.  (You can prepare the crepes up to this point several hours ahead of time.)  



Pour a little of the sauce you are using over the crepes, sprinkle with Parmesan or alternative (and some shredded vegan mozza-type cheese, too, if you like) and bake for 20 minutes. 







Serve immediately!

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BRYANNA'S TOFU CREPES    
Makes 12-13 crepes
From my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause".

These are really excellent--they have that flexible "eggy" texture of regular crepes.  You can freeze them, too.

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1 cup unbleached white flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup medium-firm tofu or silken tofu
1/4 cup soy or chickpea flour
OPTIONAL: 1 to 2 tablespoons  nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon unbleached organic sugar
1/2 tsp. EACH salt and baking powder
a pinch of nutmeg

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until very smooth.  If the batter seems too thick (and it should be like thick cream), whisk in a bit more non-dairy milk or water until it is the right consistency.

No need to "rest" this batter first.  Tofu crepes are made just like ordinary crepes.

Heat a nonstick or cast-iron 8" skillet over medium-high heat and wipe it lightly with oil before making each crepe. 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.  Cook for a few seconds, or until the top looks dry.


Carefully loosen the crepe with a spatula and flip it over.


Either fill the crepes and serve according to the specific recipe directions, or let them cool and place in a plastic bag or rigid container (with pieces of waxed paper in between each crepe) and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze them for future use (thaw thoroughly before filling).

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Printable Recipe

I'm mixing the Far East with the Middle East today! It's almost a year since I did a blog post on baby bok choy-- they are so tempting this time of year! The flavor is much sweeter than in mature bok choy and I didn't want a sauce that would compete with or overpower that sweetness. So this stir-fry is a mild Cantonese-style dish. We ate the whole thing between the two of us!




Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S STIR-FRIED SOY CURLS® (OR OTHER CHICKEN SUB) AND BABY BOK CHOY (WW Core Plan Compatible)
Servings: 3

Baby bok choy are appealing and delicious, as well as nutritious, in this quick stir-fry. Serve with steamed brown basmati rice for a satisfying meal!

Have Ready:
1 lb baby bok choy, washed, drained and sliced in half lengthwise (purchase the kind that are only 2-3"long for this recipe)
2 cups (2 oz. dry) drained, reconstituted Soy Curls® or other vegan chicken sub, in slices (see here for info on Soy Curls® and how to reconstitute)
Aromatics:
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and thinly-sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Cooking Sauce: (whisk together in a small bowl)
1/2 cup vegetarian broth
1 tablespoon Vegetarian "Oyster Sauce" (such as Lee Kum Kee "Vegetarian Stir-fry Sauce"-- see here for info and a homemade recipe)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
Thickener:
1 tablespoon cornstarch (organic is available) mixed with
1/2 cup water

Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or skillet. Add the Aromatics (chopped green onions and garlic) and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the Soy Curls® or other sliced vegan chicken sub and stir-fry for a few more minutes over high heat.

Add the prepared bok choy and stir-fry until the bok choy starts to wilt. Add the Cooking Sauce and stir to coat all of the ingredients and to heat. Quickly add the Thickener and stir quickly. Remove from heat and serve immediately with hot rice.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 169.1 calories; 43% calories from fat; 8.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 449.6mg sodium; 500.0mg potassium; 14.9g carbohydrates; 4.5g fiber; 4.8g sugar; 10.4g net carbs; 10.3g protein; 3.2 points.

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NOW, ABOUT THAT LOW-FAT BAKED FELAFEL THAT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE SAWDUST......



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S QUICK AND EASY LOW-FAT FELAFEL WITH CREAMY TOFU/TAHINI MINT SAUCE

This is a "cheat" recipe-- it uses a mix! But it's worth it if, like me, you rarely eat felafel because of the oil involved. There is an excellent felafel mix made by a Lebanese company, Cedar, that I like. However, if you can't find it, it seems that there are any number of Middle Eastern brands out there. Use one that just soaks in water for an hour before cooking. All you do with these mixes is add water and let it stand for an hour. Then you form the mix into patties and fry. The trouble is, I'd rather not fry if I don't have to! So, I found a way to enjoy these without the oil-- steaming them, and then oven-frying! (Unfortunately, I don't have the nutritional analysis for these.) The steaming cooks them thoroughly and makes them moist inside. Not quite as good as fried, but almost!

1 box or package of your favorite felafel (falafel) mix (whatever brand you like-- I'm not crazy about the Fantastic Foods brand; I prefer the Cedar brand)
water (the amount instructed on the box or package)

Creamy Tofu/Tahini Mint Sauce:
2/3 cup (5.25 oz.) firm or extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or organic bottled)
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried mint (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch sugar

Mix the felafel mix and water in a large bowl. Let stand for an hour (it can sit longer).

While the mixture stands, make the Sauce.

Mix the sauce ingredients until VERY smooth in a blender or food processor. Scoop the sauce into a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving time.

When the mixture has soaked for an hour or more:

Make small patties out of the mixture (these are easier to cook than balls).

Place the patties, not touching, on oiled steaming plates or baskets, with small holes in them, not grates. You can also use a collapsible metal steamer; a Chinese stacking steamer pot in stainless steel; or Chinese bamboo stacking steamers to use in a wok or stirfry pan.  If using bamboo baskets, line them with cooking parchment cut to fit, or parchment steamer liners.

If you have no streaming apparatus, place the patties on dinner plates lined with cooking parchment. The plate can be balanced on two chopsticks placed across the inside of a wok or stir-fry pan (or 4 chopsticks, "tic-tac-toe" style). (You'll have to steam one plate at a time.) Cover with a domed lid while steaming.

You can improvise a steamer using a large pot with a tight lid. An electric skillet with a collapsible steamer basket also makes a good steamer. The lid should be 1 to 2" above the food so that the steam can circulate around the food. The food should be supported at least 1" above the simmering water.

Steam the patties over barely boiling water, covered, for 10 minutes. You can do this ahead of time and then oven-fry them later, if you like.



Let the patties cool until they are easier to handle. In the meantime, heat the oven to 500°F.

Place the patties on dark cookie sheets (they brown better than shiny ones) sprayed or brushed lightly with olive oil. Spray or brush the tops with olive oil, too. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the bottoms are crispy and golden-brown. Flip them over gently and bake for 3-5 minutes more, to brown the other side.



Serve immediately with the Sauce.

Enjoy!

Cute!

Saturday we visited our favorite little Asian Grocery store in Nanaimo, BC, and I couldn't resist what the Washington Post called the "cuteness quotient" of the baby bok (or pak) choy.

Baby bok choy is simply a miniature, immature version of the larger bok choy, but I like the texture better, and, as that particular article stated: "Cuteness quotient aside, baby bok choy are more tender and incomparably milder than big bok choy." Perfect for the soup recipe I had in mind. (See below.)

And, like other members of the brassica (cabbage) family of vegetables, bok choy provides lots of vitamin C, calcium, vitamin A, and glucosinolates, which may help prevent cancer.

So, this green vegetable is more than just cute.

Here's an easy, traditional home-style Chinese soup that showcases these little beauties!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S BABY BOK CHOY, MUSHROOM AND DEEP-FRIED (OR OVEN-FRIED) TOFU SOUP
Serves 4

This makes a wonderful light lunch or supper. This recipe is adapted from a recipe in my book "Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen".

5 cup light vegetarian broth (see here)

1 and 1/2 lb. baby bok choy (Nai Yu), washed, dried, trimmed and sliced in half vertically (get the kind that are only 2-3" long for this recipe)
6 dried shiitake or Chinese black mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 1/2 hour, stemmed, and sliced (save strained soaking water)
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 Tbs. oil
9/ 1 1/2-inch cubes of commercial deep-fried tofu
(OR you can use 3/4 lb. firm tofu cut into 1 by 1 1/2-inch by 1/2-inch triangles, pan-fried until golden in a little oil, or Oven-Fried as instructed below the recipe)
2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tbs. dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
2 1/2 cup cooked gan mian or ji mian (plain, thin Chinese flour and water noodles), or spaghettini
dark sesame oil, for garnish

If using the commercial fried tofu, pour boiling water over it, let stand for a few minutes, then drain it and squeeze out as much water and oil as you can. Cut the cubes in half.

Have a large soup pot containing the broth heating at a simmer.

Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. When hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the bok choy, dried mushrooms and fresh mushrooms. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add these vegetables, along with the remaining ingredients, including the mushroom soaking water and the fried tofu, to the pot of broth. Let it simmer for a few minutes, until everything is hot. (You don't want to overcook the bok choy!)

Divide immediately between four bowls and pass the sesame oil to sprinkle over each serving. Serve with a spoon and a fork!

BRYANNA’S OVEN-FRIED TOFU

Use firm tofu. Cut the block in half crosswise, then each half in thirds horizontally. Then cut each piece into triangles. Place these on dark oiled cookie sheets and spray the tops with oil from a pump sprayer. Bake at 500 degrees F 5-7 minutes per side, or until golden and puffy. These may be frozen for future use.

Enjoy!