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

A couple of weeks ago, I had a big bag of lovely little fresh Brussels sprouts--they are always a great price this time of year.  I also had some beautiful firm-but-ripe pears froma friend's tree, and it occured to me that they might mix well in a salad.  This is what I came up with and they did, indeed, mix well!  We've had it a couple more times since then. (I think it would be a great addition to a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast, BTW.)


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BRYANNA'S BRUSSELS SPROUTS & PEAR SALAD WITH PECANS AND DJON-MAPLE-BALSAMIC DRESSING
Servings: 6

Salad:
1 1/2  lbs Brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced 1/4" thick
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 large pears, firm but ripe, peeled, cored, sliced 1/4" thick
1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
2 large green onions thinly sliced
Dressing:
2 Tbsp water or aquafaba
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tbsp Dijon mustard (smooth or grainy)
1/4 tsp salt

Toss the Brussels sprouts with the 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes, or until they have browned a bit on top. remove from the oven.

Cut the pear slices into about 1" pieces. Whisk the dressing ingredients together well. Mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl.  Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 205 calories, 98 calories from fat, 11.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 125mg sodium, 598.3mg potassium, 25.4g carbohydrates, 7.6g fiber, 11.9g sugar, 5.1g protein.

Enjoy!

I made a HUGE focaccia one this time-- in  a 17" x 12" rimmed baking sheet.  I usually make fruit focaccia with my Crusty Artisan Bread dough from my book "World Vegan Feast", but I decided to try making a no-knead dough out of the Apulian Potato Focaccia recipe from that same book. This amounted to simply adding 1 1/3 cups more water to the dough, letting it rise for a few hours on the kitchen counter, then refrigerating it for a few more hours before using.





Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S SIMPLE, CREAMY ORANGE & PEAR SORBET
Servings: 10
Yield: 5 cups
This so easy and it's the perfect way to use up excess ripe pears without lots of calories and fat!
NOTE: You could use 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1/2 cup if you prefer sweeter, and you can achieve a more pronounced orange flavor if you use the optional orange zest and/or orange liqueur.

3 cups peeled, cored, diced ripe pears
1 cup orange juice
1 cup water
1/2 cup light organic granulated sugar
3 Tbs lemon juice
1 tsp guar or xanthan gum
Optional:
1 Tbs grated orange zest
1 Tbs orange or pear liqueur

Puree all of the ingredients in a blender until very smooth. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it according to directions for your machine.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving):
 80 calories, less than 1 calorie from fat,less than1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1.3mg sodium, 115.7mg potassium, 20.8g carbohydrates, 1.7g fiber, 17g sugar, less than 1g protein.

Enjoy!

Chanterelle season is here on Denman Island-- always eagerly awaited.  Here are some of the beauties on the cutting board:


Night before last I needed to make a quick meal for the two of us, and I had chanterelles waiting in a bag in the fridge, and some of my neighbor's pears needing to be used.  I thought pears and chanterelles (with some fresh tarragon from the herb garden) would work well together with a mild, slightly creamy white wine sauce, so this is what I came up with.  It was delicious on rice with some homegrown pattypan squash sauteed with tomatoes and peppers. (I would ordinarily use brown basmati, but I had already-cooked white basmati that just need to be heated up, so that's what's in the photo.)  Lucky me-- I get the leftovers for lunch today!


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I'm a bit late blogging this week and this will be a quickie blog post, too.  Easter, company, family stuff and working on a longer post (cookbook review) got in the way.  But, until I get that one done (tomorrow?), here's a new recipe I'm quite pleased with.

I'm always on the lookout for low-fat salad dressings that don't scream "low-fat"-- dressings that I can serve to guests who never worry about fat or calories, confident that they won't be disappointed.  I have been using  dressings made with my Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings (4 parts to 1 part olive oil, usually), such as Figgy-Balsamic-Sesame Vinaigrette and variations thereof (UPDATE: or use aquafaba/chickpea canned or cooking broth instead);  or silken-tofu-based dressings, such as Lowfat Poppyseed Dressing or Creamy Lemon-Agave Dressing.  Lately I've been experimenting with creamy dressings made with well-cooked white beans or chickpeas, such as Oil-Free Creamy Bean-Based "Caesar" Dressing.  (I've found that white beans make a good substitute for silken tofu in dressings, if you blend them until they are very smooth.  This is good news because they are much less expensive than silken tofu, and soy-free, if that is a concern.)  On occasion I've used fruit or vegetable-thickened dressings, such as Roasted Garlic Dressing or Blueberry/Pomegranate Vinaigrette.  They have all been well-received.  (I haven't had much luck with chia seed dressings, though, for some reason-- maybe I just don't like chia.)

Today, I had a couple of ripe pears around and I remembered that blended raw pears made a delicious, creamy dessert sauce.   Since pears are a mild-tasting fruit and their fruit is a bit pulpy, but blends down to a creamy texture, I thought it might make a nice thickening for salad dressing, too.  I was right, and the resulting recipe is below.  NOTE: Though I added a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, I think it would be fine without it.  And I think this recipe would be an excellent base recipe for all sorts of variations.   I hope you enjoy it.



Note: When you are tasting your salad dressing, remember that this is not something you are going to drink-- you are only going to use a bit of it to dress your salad greens.  So, it should not have a sharpness that will hit you at the back of the throat and make your eyes water, but it should be full-flavored.

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BRYANNA'S CREAMY PEAR-BASED VINAIGRETTE (TARRAGON VERSION)-- New, Improved Version Aug. 20, 2015
Makes 2 1/2 cups
Play around with this recipe, using different varieties of  vinegar (or lemon or lime juice),  different herbs, and other types of oil (if you use oil), such as roasted sesame or nut oil.

2 medium, ripe pears, peeled and cored and cut into small dice (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
(Or, for a No-Fat version, omit the oil and use use 2 tablespoons more water, or juice, aquafaba/chickpea broth, or non-dairy milk, creamer or yogurt.)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 large cloves garlic, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, minced)
Optional: 1/2 tablespoon golden flax seeds

Blend all of the ingredients together in a high-speed blender until very smooth.  Store in a covered jar in the refrigerator.  Simple as that!

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons serving): Calories 13.63, Calories From Fat, 7.28, Total Fat 0.84g, Saturated Fat 0.11g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 57.76mg, Potassium 15.35mg, Total Carbohydrates 1.67g, Fiber 0.35g, Sugar 0.91g, Protein 0.1g.

Enjoy!

I'm attending a Hanukkah party tonight, which reminded me that there are only three more days left of Hanukkah, and I wanted to share a favorite latke recipe from my book "World Vegan Feast".

According to the Free Dictionary, latke means "A pancake, especially one made of grated potato.[Yiddish, from Ukrainian oladka,]".  As you probably know, they are traditional fare in many Jewish homes during Hanukkah, usually fried in plenty of oil to celebrate the miracle of the Hanukkah oil. But what if you are vegan and you are trying to cut back on fat?

Good news-- yes, you can make delicious latkes without eggs and with only a small amount of oil (or even no oil-- see the alternative cooking methods below the recipe).  This is my "fancy pants" recipe, but, if you don't want to bother with the grilled pears, you can serve them simply with the traditional applesauce and with Tofu Sour Creme (homemade or commercial) or Cashew Sour Creme.  (You could even be a rebel and serve them with cranberry sauce.)

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S SWEET POTATO AND YUKON GOLD LATKES (POTATO PANCAKES) WITH MAPLE-PECAN GRILLED PEARS
From my book “World Vegan Feast” © Bryanna Clark Grogan
Serves 4 (Can be Gluten-Free and Soy-Free)

This is a beautiful dish and a luscious combination of cold season vegetables and fruits. It can be the centerpiece for an elegant brunch at any time of the year, but is spectacular for a Hanukkah meal. This recipe can be easily multiplied as needed. The pears can be cooked ahead of time and the pancakes can be made earlier in the day, transferred to baking sheets (any size), covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated until just before cooking and serving.

Maple-Pecan Grilled Pears:
4 medium-sized ripe, but firm, pears, peeled, cored and thinly-sliced
4 teaspoons vegan butter, melted (try my homemade palm oil-free vegan Buttah)
2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4 cup lightly-toasted chopped pecans
Latkes (Potato Pancakes):
2 2/3 cups shredded peeled sweet potato
2 2/3 cups shredded scrubbed Yukon Gold potato
1 medium onion, shredded
1/2 cup whole wheat flour (or a gluten-free flour mix)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cooking oil for frying
To Serve:
Tofu Sour Cream or Cashew Sour Cream

Make the Grilled Pears before you start the pancakes. Turn on the broiler in your oven and place the rack on the top setting. You want the pears to be about 3 to 4 inches below the heat source. Transfer the sliced pears to a baking sheet (any size) and toss the slices with the melted vegan butter. Broil the pears until they start to brown around the edges. Stir gently and broil further, but don't burn them or make them too soggy.


Remove from the oven when they look appetizingly “grilled” but still hold their shape, and scoop them gently into a shallow bowl. Drizzle with the maple syrup and add the pecans, folding gently. Set aside.

To make the Latkes (Pancakes): Transfer both the shredded sweet potatoes and potatoes to a large square of cheesecloth (fine mesh, or layers of the coarser kind) or cotton cloth, gather in the corners and squeeze and twist them to remove as much of the liquid you can. This is important! 


Transfer the squeezed, shredded potatoes (both kinds) to a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and pepper. Add this mixture to the potatoes and mix well. (TIP: This mixture is more solid than the traditional egg-y latke batter.)



Divide the potato mixture into 12 equal "balls". Press the balls down on a sheet of baking parchment on your work surface or on a 12 x 17-inch baking sheet, to make pancake shapes.

Heat the half of the oil in a large nonstick, cast iron or hard-anodized skillet and carefully transfer the 6 latkes to the skillet using a thin non-metal spatula-turner. Fry the latkes in the hot oil over medium-high heat until golden and crispy on both sides. Repeat with the rest of the oil and latkes.


Serve the latkes hot and fresh, topped with the Grilled Pears and offer Tofu Sour Cream or Cashew Sour Cream on the side.

ALTERNATIVE FAT-FREE COOKING METHODS:

#1.) You can cook these latkes on several large nonstick, cast iron or hard-anodized skillets, lightly-sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer, over medium-high heat. However, the easiest way is to use a nonstick electric pancake griddle-- this accommodates quite a few pancakes and they cook evenly.

Place 1/4-cupfuls of the potato mixture onto the preheated griddle or skillets. flatten them into thin pancakes with a spatula. Cover pans with lids or foil, or use inverted cookie sheets over the griddle. Cook until the bottoms are golden-brown, then flip them over and cook, uncovered, until the second side is golden-brown. Serve hot.

#2) Preheat the oven to 500°F. Flatten the pancakes as instructed above on nonstick cookie sheets, lightly-sprayed with oil from a pump sprayer, or with cooking spray. Bake them for 15 minutes, then turn the pancakes over and bake 5 or 6 minutes more.
  

Happy Hanukkah! 

I feel so badly that I can't participate in Vegan Mofo this year!  But, it's just not  feasible for me this year, as I am organizing a fund-raising event, which is taking up alot of time and energy. Next year!

But, we still have to eat, and I had some nice pears to use up.  I decided to make some muffins with them, and, before I had thought of pear muffins, I had been been considering making some corn bread.  This led me to an idea for pear muffins made with some cornmeal.  And then I thought adding some of my favorite organic candied ginger (it has some real zing to it!) would be nice, and why not a handful of pecans for good measure?  The results were excellent-- good enough to share with you.  They would make a wonderful breakfast muffin because they are whole grain, substantial, and rather rustic, but not heavy or overly-sweet.

BRYANNA’S RUSTIC GINGER-PECAN-PEAR MUFFINS WITH CORNMEAL
Makes 12

Apple and Cranberry Oat Crisp

This has been a great year for apples and pears, and those of us with friends who are generous with their bounty are busy trying to use it up in ways that will insure that it does not get lost at the bottom of the freezer! (By the way, sometimes people are downright desperate to get rid of extra fruit this year. Don’t forget your local Food Banks, food salvage, gleaning and reclamation programs, church programs, and other social agencies that feed people.)

Having already made applesauce and apple butter, and also pear sauce (make it the same way as applesauce— smooth or chunky but with some ginger —it’s good!), I was searching for some low-fat ways to use up the rest of this bounty that keeps coming my way (I’m not complaining!). I didn’t want to make pies this year because we’re trying to keep off the weight we lost earlier in the year. (But, if you want to make pie, there are a couple of yummy pies on the recipe list below.) So, #1, I made pear chutney, because we love chutney and it keeps well, plus I had everything I needed in the house already.

I’ve been asked, “What do you serve chutney with if you don’t eat meat or cheese?”. Well, curries and other Indian dishes, of course; veggie “sausages” and seitan; smoked tofu (this is a terrific combination!) or tofu cream cheese on crackers—and that’s just for starters!

And, #2, I had some cranberry sauce leftover from Canadian Thanksgiving, and I decided to mix that with an impressive amount of apples to make a very large and low-fat apple crisp, some of which could be frozen for a future desserts. Both of these recipes were hits and now I’d like to share them with you.