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

(UPDATED on June 30, 2020.)

I haven't been blogging lately, but I have been cooking and researching!  My new doctor sent me to an internist a few weeks ago and I've been told that I am not pre-diabetic, as I was previously told by another doctor, but I am actually diabetic. It's not so bad as to need insulin, and my glucose levels have actually gone down, but I do need to be more strict about my diet and exercise. So, I am still on a low-glycemic diet, of course, but also counting carbs and sugars, and I am getting back into walking, weights and other exercise, now that my shingles nerve pain has lessened quite substantially (after 6 months!).

So, a lot of my time has been taken up with research and experimentation, as you can imagine!  It's not that hard for me to resist the temptation of white bread (my husband's homemade, with some oats and wheat bran in it), pizza, and desserts, etc., because I am determined not to ever have to use insulin, to lose some weight, and to still make food that is delicious and health-promoting. Sprouted grain bread is my choice now, farinata instead of pizza dough (see https://veganfeastkitchen.blogspot.com/2014/04/farinata-italian-chickpea-flour-pancake.html ), fruits for dessert, and the odd homemade low-sugar treat.

That said, I love chocolate and I don't want to give it up!  I can have a bit of dark chocolate (at least 71% chocolate) for a treat, but I want to create some chocolate recipes at home, too.  I had heard about chickpea chocolate spreads and, since I always have a supply of cooked chickpeas in my freezer, I decided to try making some.  Below is my recipe and, with two options for sweeteners,  and Nutrition Facts.  

If you have to be very strict about sweets, you could use your favorite sugar-free sweetener. Personally, I really dislike stevia, so I would use sucralose (Splenda) for a sugar-free product. After much research, I don't see that using those products once in a while would cause any harm.  The most important thing, in my opinion, is to work steadily towards curbing your taste for sweets.

Anyway-- enough chatter!  Here's the recipe!



My husband and I are enjoying this yummy spread on toast, or on apple slices-- small amounts, of course. It's not as sweet as Nutella, for sure, but I now prefer less sweet.  (You can check out the nutrition facts for my spreads at the bottom of the page,and there is a photo of the nutrition facts from a jar of Nutella just below.) UPDATE: You can make chocolate milk by blending 2 tablespoons of the spread with a cup of your favorite plant-based milk-- I used an immersion/stick blender.

BRYANNA'S CHICKPEA CHOCOLATE SPREAD, TWO WAYS
Makes 1 7/8 cups (2 cups when made with Date Paste)
15-16 servings-- 2 T. each serving

This delicious spread is a much more nutritious and dairy-free, palm oil-free option than Nutella, and also less expensive. (See Nutella nutrition label just below, to compare with both versions I have devised .) It's not as cloyingly sweet as Nutella, but the chocolate flavor is deeper and more pronounced, which is a plus, in my opinion!


See Nutrition facts for Chocolate Chickpea Spread made with syrups, or with date paste, at the end of this post. NOTE: When made with Date Paste, the spread is not quite as sweet, but calories, carbs and sugars are somewhat lower.

1 1/2 cups canned or cooked chickpeas, rinsed & drained (14-15 oz. can)

Blend all of the ingredients in food processor until very smooth.  Store in jar in the refrigerator in a tightly-closed jar for up to two weeks.

HOMEMADE DATE PASTE  (Makes 3 cups)
NOTE: I use organic Deglet Noor pitted dates, but you can use pitted Medjool dates, if you like.
***You can also use the more inexpensive, tightly-packed block of pressed baking dates from your supermarket, but you will need to weigh the dates -- 15.25 ounces for this recipe. You may also need to add a bit more hot water when processing.***

2 cups (tightly packed) pitted, chopped dates (See Note above)
3 cups boiling water


Soak the dates in the boiling water in a COVERED heat-proof bowl or batter bowl for about 30 minutes.

In the bowl of a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, combine the soaked pitted dates and water.

Process until very smooth, scraping down the bowl to make sure all of the dates are pulverized. Add a bit more water if the mixtured is too thick.  It should be thick enough to mound up on a spoon, not runny.

Store the date paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or you can freeze it in amounts that suit your cooking or baking needs.

NUTRITION FACTS
For recipe using Date Paste:

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	105
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.7g	6%
Saturated Fat 1.1g	6%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 105mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 14.7g	5%
Dietary Fiber 3g	11%
Total Sugars 6.4g
Protein 4g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 11mg	1%
Iron 2mg	9%
Potassium 132mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by

For recipe using Splenda (sucralose-- a sugar alcohol):

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 2 tablespoons
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	80
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4.7g	6%
Saturated Fat 1.1g	6%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 105mg	5%
Total Carbohydrate 8.1g	3%
Dietary Fiber 2.4g	8%
Total Sugars 0.8g
Protein 3.6g
Vitamin D 0mcg	0%
Calcium 11mg	1%
Iron 1mg	8%
Potassium 132mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by

Enjoy!

Last week I made a large batch of pressure-cooked chickpeas that I over-cooked-- they were pretty mushy!  I wondered what the heck I was going to do with all these mushy chickpeas.  My first thought was dinner that night-- I didn't have much time.  I remembered some Indian chickpea patties or "cutlets" that I had made years before-- that sounded like a good solution for at least some of the chickpeas.  It turned out to be an excellent idea-- tasty, quick to make, inexpensive and nutritious.  I served them (drizzled with homemade soy yogurt and chutney (not the one I used this time, but this is a great homemade chutney recipe) with some bulgur wheat pilaf that I had in the refrigerator, and steamed green beans-- a very satisfying and delicious dinner!

PS: What did I do with the remaining mushy chickpeas? I made a couple of delicious batches of super-silky hummus!  One night we made a filling and yummy meal of a large salad with various veggies and that hummus on homemade sourdough bread.

Printable Copy
BRYANNA'S CHANA (CHICKPEA) CUTLETS
Servings: 6
Yield: 12 patties

3 cups well-cooked chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 large onion, minced
1 large carrot, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped pickled jalapenos
4 cloves garlic, minced
(Note: You can chop the onions, carrot, garlic, and jalapenos together in a food processor if you wish.)
2 tsp garam masala or curry powder
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
3 cups fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
panko (dry Japanese breadcrumbs-- they can be whole wheat) for coating

Mash the chickpeas with a fork or a potato masher.

Sauté the minced onion, carrots, garlic and jalapenos in a little oil until softened, along with the curry powder, cumin, turmeric and salt OR, microwave them in a covered micowave-safe covered dish until softened, about 4 minutes.

Mix the sautéed veggies with the mashed chickpeas, ginger and lemon juice. Add the whole wheat breadcrumbs.  The mixture should be thick enough to shape into patties.  If not, add more breadcrumbs. Taste for salt.

If you have time, refrigerate the mixture for a few hours.  It is easier to form the patties with a chilled mixture, but you can do it with the just-made mixture if necessary.

Divide the chickpea mixture into 12 equal portions.  Set out a shallow bowl and add the panko.

Shape the chickpea mixture into patties or "cutlets" about 1/2-inch thick.  Coat each side of the cutlets well with the panko.



You can cook these cutlets in 3 different ways:

1.) Brown them in a little hot oil in a heavy skillet over medium to medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy on both sides.  Place on brown paper or paper towel-lined cookie sheet and keep warm in a low oven for a short time until you serve them.

2.) Place the cutlets on a lightly-oiled cookie sheet and bake at 450  degrees F until golden brown, turning once (carefully).



3.) Same as #2, but instead of baking, place the cookie sheet about 4-5 inches under your oven's broiler, using high heat.  With this method, you must watch carefully.  When the top is golden brown, turn the cutlets over and broil the other side in the same way.  To keep warm for a short time, turn off the broiler and place the pan on the bottom shelf of the oven.



Serve the cutlets with vegan yogurt (or sour cream) and your favorite chutney. (See photo at the top of this blog post.)

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving-- 2 cutlets): 304 calories, 39 calories from fat, 4.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 454.4mg sodium, 430.8mg potassium, 55.6g carbohydrates, 10.8g fiber, 6.7g sugar, 13.2g protein.

Enjoy!

About 3 years ago we discovered that one side of my father's family might have Basque roots in Spain.  That, of course, made me curious about Spanish Basque culture and cuisine.  (UPDATE, 2017-- this has been confirmed by my sister's DNA test.) The cuisine is quite meat-heavy, but many dishes can be made vegan. One category of dishes that Basques are well known for is their delicious bean stews. (I posted one with red beans a few years ago.)

The following vegan version of another common Basque bean stew based on chickpeas is from my book "World Vegan Feast".  Since I always keep a good store of home-cooked beans (including chickpeas) and some Field Roast Chipotle sausages, in my freezer, this satisfying stew is one of my go-to dishes for a quick, easy and delicious dinner.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S SPICY VEGAN BASQUE CHICKPEA & SAUSAGE STEW 
Serves 4
There are many versions of this common Basque bean stew-- this one, thick with vegetables and spicy vegan sausages, is super-simple and super-delicious. The recipe is easily doubled.

**This recipe, slightly altered, is from my book World Vegan Feast.**

8 ounces dried chickpeas, picked over, rinsed and drained and soaked overnight in plenty of water
OR USE 3 1/4 cups drained cooked or canned chickpeas (If you use these, omit the first step in the recipe.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium carrot, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds
4 to 6 ounces vegan chorizo or spicy vegan sausage (such as Field Roast Chipotle, which is very spicy) coarsely crumbled or sliced diagonally into 1/4-inch thin rounds
1 (14-ounce) can plum tomatoes, with juice
1/2 to 1 cup vegan broth (depending on how "soupy" you prefer the stew)
salt to taste

1.) Drain the soaked chickpeas and put in a medium pot with water to cover, with 2 to 3 inches water above the beans. Simmer for 2 hours or until the chickpeas are tender. Drain them and set aside.  (Omit this step if you use cooked or canned chickpeas.)

2.) Use the same pot to heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, bell peppers and carrot and sauté until the onion starts to brown. Add the chorizo or sausage and brown it a bit. Add the tomatoes and juice, crushing the tomatoes a bit. Add the broth and bring the stew to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 30 minutes. Taste for salt and serve with crusty bread, or, though it's not as authentic, you could substitute steamed rice or cornbread to soak up the juices.

Nutrition Facts Per Serving:     
Calories 385.42, Calories From Fat108.82, Total Fat 12.77g, Saturated Fat 1.81g, Cholesterol 0.31mg, Sodium 763.87mg, Potassium 1082.89mg, Carbohydrates 53.91g, Dietary Fiber 14.24g, Sugar 13.58g, Sugar Alcohols 0.00g, Net Carbohydrates 39.67g, Protein 18.62g.

Enjoy!

I have alot veggies to use up this week, so I was busy this morning!  The first thing I made was a lovely soup from Nava Atlas' wonderful book, "Wild About Greens". It's called Italian-Style Potato & Escarole Soup, but the recipe notes add that broccoli rabe (rapini) can be used instead of the escarole-- just the thing to use half of the big bunch of rapini in my fridge.



This veggie-full soup is easy to make and so delicious!  We're having it for dinner tonight.  You can access the recipe from Nava's website here. I followed it exactly, but used broccoli rabe (rapini) for the greens.  Do give it a try (and check out the book, too). Thanks, Nava!

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The second thing I made (which we're also having for dinner) was Tabbouleh. Tabbouleh should be vibrant and flavorful.  A Lebanese friend told me that an authentic tabbouleh must have LOTS of parsley—it’s not supposed to be just a bulgur salad with a little parsley in it.  It should be very green. Italian parsley is the tastiest, but you can use ordinary curly parsley, or a combination.   Fresh mint and dill add delightful fresh flavor.  Today I made the following Tabbouleh recipe, my standard, in order to use up some ripe tomatoes.  But, I soon realized that I was out of parsley! I decided to go ahead with it and try using minced chard instead, since I have lots in the garden. At the last minute I decided to add a 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas to make a full-meal salad. It's delicious! (PS: I found that the dressing needed more lemon juice than usual with the chard.) I give you the directions for using chard instead of parsley in the recipe intro.



The traditional (and very attractive) way to serve Tabbouleh (see photo above-- probably my most artistic presentation ever! ) is to mound it  in a serving bowl or platter with a rim and surround it with crisp Romaine lettuce leaves to use as scoopers.  Decorate the top of the salad with tomato wedges or halved grape tomatoes, sprigs of fresh mint and parsley, and black Kalamata olives.

Chard and Chickpea Variation of Tabbouleh

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BRYANNA'S TABBOULEH (WITH A VARIATION)     
Serves 8 to 12  
ALLERGY NOTE: If you are allergic to wheat, use cooked and cooled quinoa instead of bulgur.

This popular Middle Eastern salad has long been a staple for vegetarians, but it often contains 3/4 cup or more of olive oil for a salad of this size.  My version contains far less oil, but none of the flavor is missing.
CHARD AND CHICKPEA VARIATION: I cut 2 big bunches of chard and cut off the stems before processing the green leaves to use in place of parsley. At the last minute I decided to add a 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas to make a full-meal salad. It's delicious! (PS: I found that the dressing needed more lemon juice than usual with the chard.)

1 cup dry bulgur wheat (medium or #2)
1 cup boiling water
2 large bunches parsley. stemmed and minced  (Before chopping, parsley should be dried well in a lettuce spinner--  I mince it in  a food processor.)
2 ripe, firm tomatoes, diced (or use 2 cups diced grape tomatoes)
1/2 a large European or English cucumber (the kind with an edible skin), diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped green onion
 3  tablespoons  fresh, chopped dill (or 1 tablespoon dried dill weed)
OPTIONAL: 1/2 a large green pepper, seeded and chopped
Dressing:
1/2 cup aquafaba OR Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings 
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil  (or more aquafaba or Oil Substitute, for a no-fat dressing)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
pepper to taste
Garnish (optional):
crisp Romaine lettuce leaves  (you’ll probably need 2 heads in order to have enough large, well-formed leaves)
2 firm, ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
parsley and mint sprigs
about 12 Kalamata olives

In a large serving bowl mix together the bulgur and boiling water.  Let stand while you prepare the vegetables and dressing.

Add the olive oil (if using), lemon juice, salt and pepper to the Oil Substitute and whisk  or shake together well. Set aside (or chill, if you used the Oil Sub while hot) until time to add to the salad.

When the bulgur has absorbed all of the water, add the remaining salad ingredients and the dressing.  Toss well.  Taste for lemon juice, salt and pepper, adding more if needed (I found that I needed more lemon juice when I used chard in place of parsley).  Refrigerate until serving time, or allow to come to room temperature, if you prefer.

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Last, but certainly not least, I made a pineapple salsa to go with a recipe idea from my friend Betsy DiJulio, innovative cook and author of the wonderful cookbook "The Blooming Platter of Vegan Recipes" and blog of the same name.  It's a simple idea for dressing up veggie hot dogs (she has a few really great ideas for making ordinary veggie hot dogs scrumptious on her blog).  She called them "Sassy Vegan Sausage and Salsa Roll-Ups (Stupid-Easy and Simply Beautiful)". My husband loves any excuse to eat a veggie dog, so he was thrilled to try this for lunch.  The recipe is here and you will see that her version looked a lot prettier than mine!  But we loved it anyway.  Here's my version:

We have a bulk food store in our nearest town now, and they carry an interesting array of whole grains.  One that caught my eye was "Purple Prairie Barley", so I bought a small amount. But I never got around to using it until a few days ago. 



I knew already that barley is a grain very low on the glycemic index, providing slow-acting, longer-lasting energy, and that it's a good source of soluble (viscous) fiber, too.  Purple barley has an added bonus in that it is a variety sometimes called “naked barley,” or hull-less barley, which doesn't need pearling, so it still has the bran and germ intact. In addition, as we know, the colors in foods usually indicate the presence of antioxidants, and that's certainly true of purple barley!

"A press release on 15 August, 2011 by Ohio State University announced that anthocyanins, chemicals that offer red, blue and purple color to foods, are capable of inhibiting the growth of cancer cells while keeping healthy cells intact... Lead author of the study, Dr. Monica Giusti, commented, “These foods contain many compounds, and we’re just starting to figure out what they are and which ones provide the best health benefits.” Giusti added, “All fruits and vegetables that are rich in anthocyanins have compounds that can slow down the growth of colon cancer cells, whether in experiments in laboratory dishes or inside the body.” ...The bran fraction of purple barley has a significantly higher antioxidant activity than its paler cousins, by as much as six times."
See source links at http://www.bodybio.com/content.aspx?page=Purple-Foods

So this is a really nutritious grain, besides being a lovely color! It also has a nice chewy texture-- it's not mushy or slimey.  I decided to make a hearty full-meal salad with my cup of Purple Prairie Barley, utilizing foods that I had in the refrigerator and pantry already. The result was delicious, nutritious and very colorful!



Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S PURPLE PRAIRIE BARLEY & CHICKPEA SALAD
Servings: 8

Cook the barley several hours ahead of making the salad:
1 cup Purple Prairie Barley
2 cups water
1/2 tsp salt
Other salad ingredients:
2 cups rinsed and drained cooked or canned chickpeas
2 large red peppers, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (more or less)
1 cup chopped celery (with leaves)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or chopped dried apricots)
4 large  or 6 small green onions, chopped
1/2 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
Dressing:
1/2 cup aquafaba or Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbs agave nectar or maple syrup
1 Tbs dark sesame oil
1 tsp dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. To cook the barley, mix the barely, water and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.  Turn down, cover and cook on Low for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the barley is tender, but a bit chewy, and all of the water has been absorbed. Cool at room temperature.

2. While the barley cools, prepare the other salad ingredients and make the Dressing by whisking or shaking all the ingredients together.

3. Combine the cooled barley, other salad ingredients and dressing and refrigerate.  The salad is best when served at room temperature.

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The same day that I made the salad, I needed to use up some of my homemade vegan "ricotta", and I also had some of my "Potted Tofu" in the fridge that was getting quite "ripe"!  (The links to the recipes are in the recipe below.)  I decided to make a spread-- spreads are always handy to have around to use on rye crisp, toast or vegetables for a quick snack.  It turned out very well!


Printable Copy


BRYANNA'S VEGAN "RICOTTA","FETA" & SUN-DRIED TOMATO SPREAD
Serves 12

6 ounces of any kind of vegan "Feta" (such as my "Potted Tofu" or Quick "Feta" Crumble)
2 7/8 cups (1 lb.) unseasoned vegan "Ricotta" (I used my Okara/Cashew Ricotta, but you could use my Tofu/Cashew Ricotta or Almond Ricotta)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red chile flakes
1/4 teaspoon onion granules
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1/3 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes in oil, rinsed under hot water and squeezed
Garnish:
extra-virgin olive oil, Kalamata olives, parsley 

Combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT the sundried tomatoes in a food processor or high-speed blender and process until smooth.  Add the tomatoes and process briefly-- you want it to have a little texture.  

Scoop the spread into an attractive bowl, smooth it out, drizzle with olive oil and garnish with the olives and parsley.

Serve with crackers (we like rye crisp), thin slices of crusty bread, or raw vegetables.


Enjoy!