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

I'm in the habit of making low-fat spreads to eat with raw veggies or rye crisp for snacks.  DH is a snacker-- he feels the need to munch every couple of hours or so.  He likes fruit, and soy yogurt, so those are snack staples, of course, but sometimes a savory, protein-rich snack is more satisfying. So that's what I concentrate on keeping in the refrigerator at all times (though leftover homemade soups and grainy/beany salads are good, too).  My Cheddary Spread is a favorite.  But, yesterday I was out of silken tofu (calamity!), so I looked around for what I had-- can of black beans, jar of salsa, could quickly make some Melty Chedda, since it doesn't require tofu. Here's the result, and it passed DH's taste-test with flying colors.

Printable Recipe (both spread and Melty Cheeze)



Enjoy!

Dinner last night-- tabbouleh, olives, crackers, Syrian bean dip, and raw veggie dippers

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while-- many things keeping me from blogging.

The delicious dip (or spread) in the photos and the recipe below is my take on a Syrian dish called Fooliya (pronounced Foo-lee-ya), which is made with dried fava (or broad) beans. I have a hard time finding dried fava beans in my area. However, I have noticed that cooked, pureed dried favas are similar in taste to cooked, pureed dried yellow split peas, so I use the split peas as a substitute, with good results. (They are much cheaper and more available in many areas, too.) The onions cooked with the peas lend a lovely sweetness to the puree.

This dip makes a nice change from the equally delicious, but ubiquitous, hummus, and is just as nutritious.  Leftovers could be mixed with some broth and/or water to make a light soup, as well.


Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S SYRIAN-STYLE BEAN AND ONION DIP (FOOLIYA)
Approximate servings: 8 
Serve at room temperature with crackers, flatbread, or raw veggies.

1 cup dried yellow split peas
3 cups water
3 medium onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1/4 cup good extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
Garnish:
1/4 cup (more or less) chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Optional:
2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds (many markets now sell these fresh in packages in the produce section-- they can be frozen)

Place the split peas, water and onion wedges in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Turn down to medium-low, cover and cook for 30-60 minutes, or until the peas are softened and the water is almost absorbed.

Pour the mixture into a food processor and process until smooth (Take the pusher out of the funnel and cover the hole loosely with a folded clean tea towel, so that steam does not build up inside the processor.) Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process briefly again.

Scoop the mixture onto a large , flat bowl, or plate with a bit of a depression in it (see picture). Smooth the mixture out. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and use the back of a clean spoon to spread the olive oil around evenly. Allow to cool to room temperature, then sprinkle with the garnishes.

Serve with raw vegetable dippers, crackers or flatbread. Leftovers should be refrigerated in a covered container, but bring to room temperature before serving.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 165.5 calories; 37% calories from fat; 7.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 478.6mg sodium; 331.4mg potassium; 20.2g carbohydrates; 7.1g fiber; 4.1g sugar; 13.1g net carbs; 6.6g protein; 3.1 points.

Enjoy!

Here are two bean recipes we've been enjoying in the last couple of days:

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S EASY BLACKEYED-PEASY DIP 

This dip is inexpensive, a bit spicy, creamy, and full of fiber! I like using blackeyed peas because they don't need to be soaked, and they cook quickly.

2 1/2 cups drained canned or cooked blackeyed peas
1/2 of a 12.3 oz. box extra-firm SILKEN tofu (regular or lite)
1 1/2 Tbs fresh or organic bottled lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. garlic granules
1/4 tsp sugar
3/4 cup chunky no-sugar tomato salsa (medium to hot)
2 large green onions, chopped (white and green)
2 Tbs vegan "bacon bits"

Place the drained blackeyed peas, tofu, lemon juice, salt, garlic granules, and sugar in a food processor. Process until smooth. Add the onions and pulse. Add the salsa and soy bacon bits and pulse again. Scoop into a bowl. Cover and chill. Serve with baked tortilla chips, wholegrain bagel or pita chips, or raw vegetable dippers.

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 52.9 calories; 11% calories from fat; 0.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 285.6mg sodium; 137.8mg potassium; 8.1g carbohydrates; 2.3g fiber; 1.8g sugar; 5.8g net carbs; 3.9g protein; 0.7 points.



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S LEVANTINE-STYLE BEAN SOUP (a Canadian version of Shorbat Hummus wa Fool) 
Servings: 8 
This is a delicious and colorful soup. I used dried split yellow peas instead of the traditional dried fava beans, which are hard to find in my neck of the woods. When cooked down, they taste very similar.  PS: "The Levant consists today of Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Cyprus, Hatay Province and other parts of southern Turkey, some regions of northwestern Iraq and the Sinai Peninsula." (Basically, the Eastern Mediterranean region.)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Levant

1 cup split yellow peas
1 Tbs olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/ 28 oz. can diced tomatoes (save the juice)
1/2 Tbs dried mint (or 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint or cilantro, minced)
1 pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
6 cups water
2 cups good vegetarian broth
2 1/2 cups drained canned or cooked chickpeas
1 lb. red-skinned potatoes, scrubbed and diced
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano, rubbed between your fingers
1/2 Tbs salt, or to taste
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Rinse the split peas and leave to soak in plenty of water overnight.

Heat the oil in a large heavy pot and saute the onions until almost soft, adding the garlic towards the end. Add the drained tomatoes, the mint, and the optional cayenne pepper, if using. Cook down for 10-15 minutes. Add water, broth, and reserved tomato juice, bring to a boil, then add the drained, soaked split peas. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours, or until the peas are tender.

Add the chickpeas and the diced potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the oregano, salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
(I like to remove most of the chunky solids from the soup with a slotted spoon and blend the remaining soup with a hand immersion blender until smooth, then add the solids back to the soup.)

Serve immediately with good bread. You can garnish each bowl with a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro, minto or parsley, or some dried mint.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 277.3 calories; 11% calories from fat; 3.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 831.7mg sodium; 1047.4mg potassium; 50.2g carbohydrates; 13.6g fiber; 9.7g sugar; 36.6g net carbs; 14.0g protein; 5.1 points.

Enjoy!