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

Showing posts with label quinoa. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 21, 2018

QUINOA & BULGUR (OR, JUST QUINOA) SALAD WITH FRESH GREEN BEANS, CREMINI MUSHROOMS AND CHICKPEAS

This is the time of year when we often on tasty full-meal vegan salads for lunch or dinner. Since we live on an island and can't run to a supermarket or natural food store for everything that might be called for in a recipe, I often just have a look in the refrigerator, freezer and pantry to see what I have around that might make a nutritious, delicious and satisfying salad meal all by itself.

Yesterday, I made this salad for lunch (and there's some leftover for tomorrow!), with some cooked quinoa and bulgur and cremini mushrooms that I had in the refrigerator, plus some gorgeous fresh-picked green beans from our neighbor's garden, a cup of cooked chickpeas from my stash in the freezer, and one lone orange that was left from the last shopping. Mixed with a piquant, slightly Asian-style dressing, it all became a very tasty and filling low-fat, high-fiber meal, AND one that is low-glycemic, which is what I need to be concerned about because of a pre-diabetes diagnosis. (The diet is working-- my blood sugar levels have improved and I've lost 13 lbs.)

Cooked Quinoa

Medium (#2) Bulgur Wheat

Both quinoa (which is actually a seed, not a grain, but we use it like a grain) and bulgur wheat are low on the glycemic index. (Bulgur (the grain used for making tabouleh), because of the ancient way in which it is processed, contains "resistant starch", which is a good thing! You can read all about it here.) I usually mix quinoa with bulgur because my husband is not fond of quinoa on its own, and bulgur is very inexpensive, so this cuts the cost a bit. Fortunately, they cook in about the same amount of time, with the same amount of liquid. I often cook a large-ish pot of them together and freeze portions for future use.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S QUINOA & BULGUR (OR, JUST QUINOA) SALAD WITH FRESH GREEN BEANS, CREMINI MUSHROOMS AND CHICKPEAS

Servings: 4

A citrus-y dressing, orange zest and little chunks of fresh orange make this full-meal salad refreshing as well as satisfying. NOTE: Both quinoa and bulgur wheat are low-glycemic, so this is a great salad for anyone is on a Low-GI diet.

You might be interested in my article, “Are Vegans Really Hurting South American Farmers by Eating Quinoa?”, at https://bit.ly/2BACGoE

Ingredients

1/2 cup white or red quinoa (pre-washed, such as the Kirkland organic white quinoa from Costco)

1/2 cup medium (#2) bulgur wheat

(For a gluten-free version you can use 1 cup white or red quinoa or a mixture of both, and eliminate the bulgur.)

2 cups water

1/2 tsp. salt

NOTE: You could use 3 cups of pre-cooked quinoa/bulgur mixture, or just quinoa (of any color) if you have some on hand in your refrigerator.

12 oz. fresh green beans, stemmed and cut into 1 to 2" pieces

1 Tbs. dark sesame oil

8 oz. fresh cremini mushrooms (remove any tough stems), sliced about 1/4" thick

1 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 medium orange, peeled after zesting, and sliced into small chunks

zest from 1 medium orange

Citrus Dressing:

1 1/2 Tbs. plain rice vinegar (not salted)

1 1/2 Tbs. soy sauce or tamari

NOTE: I urge you NOT to use Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which actually contains more sodium than soy sauce and is unfermented, so lacking umami flavor compounds. See this article: https://bit.ly/2N4LaFD

1 Tbs. dry to medium sherry

1 Tbs. orange juice

1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs. olive oil

Mix the quinoa and bulgur (or 1 cup quinoa for gluten-free) in a medium saucepan with a tight lid. Bring to a boil, stir and turn the heat down to Low. Cook, covered, for 12-15 minutes. Remove the cover and fluff the grains with a fork. Scoop into your serving bowl and set aside.

While the quinoa/bulgur mixture is cooking, you can cook your green beans in another pot, just barely covering the beans with water. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 5 minutes, or until tender but firm-- not mushy. Drain immediately in a colander and run cold water over them to cool them down. Leave in the colander to drain while you finish the recipe.

Heat the sesame oil in a medium-large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the mushrooms, sprinkle with a bit of salt, and sauté until they are cooked to your liking but still keep their shape. You can add a bit of water from a kitchen squirt bottle every now and then as you sauté to keep the mushrooms moving well and prevent sticking-- but don't overdo the water! When they are cooked, scrape them into the bowl with the quinoa/bulgur mixture.

Now, add the drained green beans to the hot skillet over high heat and keep the beans moving until most of them are slightly seared. Immediately add them to the bowl with the grains and mushrooms.

Add the drained chickpeas and the orange chunks and zest to the bowl.

In a small bowl or pitcher, whisk together all of the Dressing ingredients, then add the dressing to the bowl of salad ingredients and mix gently with a large spoon.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per ¼ recipe serving): 333 calories, 82 calories from fat, 9.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 482mg sodium, 907.5mg potassium, 55.4g carbohydrates, 11.7g fiber, 7.8g sugar, 12.2g protein, 10.2 points.

Enjoy!

Sunday, June 14, 2015

GREEN AND GOLD QUINOA-VEGETABLE PILAF

My husband isn't crazy about quinoa. I often cook it half-and-half with bulgur wheat because he likes it better that way. But last night I made a recipe that I had devised back in 2008 for my old newsletter. It seemed like the perfect dish to accompany cutlets from my book "World Vegan Feast", topped with my low-fat vegan version of the Peruvian Salsa de Mani-- a creamy peanut sauce spiced up with aji amarillo (a Peruvian yellow chile pepper). He loved it-- success!

I hope you'll enjoy this pilaf as much as we did.

Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S GREEN AND GOLD QUINOA-VEGETABLE PILAF
Serves 6-8

1 1/2 Tbs olive oil
1 cup diced zucchini, yellow pattypan squash, peeled winter squash OR peeled orange sweet potato
1 cup chopped leeks (both green and white parts)
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 1/2 cups quinoa
2 1/2 cups vegan "chicken" style broth
1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed and drained
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels, thawd and drained
3 Tbs vegan soy parmesan (I use Go Veggie!)
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

In a nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the squash (or sweet potato), leeks, onion and celery and sauté until the vegetables soften. Set aside.

Toast the quinoa in a dry (ungreased) heavy saucepan until it smells toasty, stirring continually with a wooden spoon. Add the sauted vegetables, along with the broth. Bring to a boil, and then turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes, covered.

After the quinoa has cooked for 15 minutes, add the thawed and drained peas and corn and cook for about 5 minutes longer, or until the quinoa is cooked through.

Stir in the vegan parmesan and pepper to taste, and fluff with a fork before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 202.8 calories; 20% calories from fat; 4.7g total fat; 0.0mgcholesterol; 40.9mg sodium; 422.8mg potassium; 33.5g carbohydrates; 3.9g fiber; 2.2g sugar; 7.1g protein

Enjoy!

Monday, August 18, 2014

CHARRED CORN, BLACK BEAN, VEGETABLE & QUINOA SALAD WITH PEACHES (OR NECTARINES)

This is a different take on the Charred Corn, Black Bean & Toasted Barley Salad from an excellent book in my cookbook collection called “Spilling the Beans” by Julie Van Rosendaal and Sue Duncan. My husband doesn't like barley in salads and I had no mangoes or red onion, so this is my riff on this colorful full-meal salad. It is filling, colorful and delicious! I made this for lunch last week when we had guests and it was very well-received.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S CHARRED CORN, BLACK BEAN, VEGETABLE AND QUINOA SALAD WITH PEACHES (OR NECTARINES)

Serves 8

1 cup quinoa (pre-washed type)

2 cups vegan broth

2 heaping cups fresh or frozen (thawed) sweet corn kernels, thawed and drained

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups canned (19 oz. can) or cooked black beans, rinsed and drained

1 yellow or orange bell pepper (or a combination of both), seeded and chopped

1 cup diced red grape tomatoes

4 ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled and diced

1/2 cup chopped green onions (both white and green parts)

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley (some chopped fresh mint would be nice, too, if you have it)

Dressing:

1/2 cup aquafaba or my Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup fresh lemon or lime juice

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon agave nectar

2 cloves garlic, crushed

a generous 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a medium saucepan, toast the dry quinoa over medium-high heat for a few minutes, or until golden and toasty-smelling. Immediately pour in the broth, bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes. When it is done (it should have absorbed all of the broth and be fluffy), transfer it to a large serving bowl to cool completely. (If you’re in hurry, spread the quinoa on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer for a few minutes.)

2. Mix the corn kernels with the 2 teaspoons olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet and spread it out evenly. Place it on your oven rack about 6 inches below the broiler coils. Broil under the heat source (I turned my broiler on to High) until the kernels start to brown and get charred a bit.. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool. (If you’re in hurry, spread the charred corn on a fresh rimmed baking sheet and place in the freezer for a few minutes.)

3. In a small bowl or jar, combine all the dressing ingredients and whisk well to combine.

4. Add the cooled corn, beans, peppers, tomato, peaches or nectarines, green onion and parsley. Add the dressing and toss well.

5. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a few hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

MULTI-WHOLE-GRAIN INARI SUSHI (SUSHI GRAINS IN FRIED TOFU POCKETS/AGÉ)

When I posted this blog post about a recent picnic, I promised to post the recipe for my multi-grain inari sushi. It took me a few years to get this recipe right-- I had tasted enough bland and either dry or mushy brown rice sushi in my time to make me determined to do better! I wanted a sushi that was nutritious, and delicious enough so that anyone eating it would enjoy it for what it was and not immediately think " health food"!

My rice mixture is made from short grain brown rice with some millet or quinoa added, and it is nicely seasoned. The grain mixture provides variety and extra nutrients, but the texture of the rice predominates, which is what I prefer. (I find the millet or quinoa grains too small and separate to use alone in sushi.) This whole grain sushi mix does not taste heavy or starchy, and I was happy to discover that the seasoned fried tofu pockets or pouches (agé) are less calorific and fat-laden than I had assumed-- the seasoned ones contain only about 60 calories per pouch. We love it for summer meals.

BTW, inari sushi is great for anyone (like my husband) who does not like seaweed, and it makes great picnic food. It should not be refrigerated, since this makes the rice hard, so plan to eat it up in one day (which is not a difficult feat!).

I hope you enjoy this sushi!

This was a batch of my multi-grain inari sushi, tops dipped in toasted sesame seeds, that I made for a picnic with friends a few weeks ago.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S MULTI-WHOLE-GRAIN INARI SUSHI (SUSHI GRAINS IN FRIED TOFU POCKETS/AGÉ)
Makes 16 pockets

16 storebought seasoned inari sushi pouches (You can buy them refrigerated in Asian grocery stores in small packets, or in cans on amazon and from online Asian food venders.)
OR, if you are preparing your own seasoned inari sushi pouches, you will need:
1 package (80 g-- 8 pieces) of abura agé (plain, unseasoned Japanese fried tofu rectangles), cut across in half to make "pouches" (You can buy them refrigerated or frozen in Asian grocery stores and some natural food stores in small packets.)

Flavoring Broth:

1 c. vegetarian broth

2 T. soy sauce or tamari

2 T. unbleached light organic sugar

2 T. dry sherry or mirin (Japanese rice wine) (or a non-alcoholic sweetish white wine)

FILLING:

(To cook the grains, for each one, bring the water and grain to a boil in a heavy pot with a tight lid, turn down to low and cook covered for the time indicated.)

Grain Choice #1:
3/4 c. Japanese short grain brown rice + 1/4 c. toasted millet, cooked together 40-45 minutes in

1 1/2 c. water

(Toast the millet in a dry heavy saute pan or skillet over medium heat, stirring all the while, until light brown and fragrant. If the grains start to pop, reduce the heat.)

OR Grain Choice #2:

1/2 cup Japanese short grain brown rice cooked in 2/3 cup water for 45 minutes

1/2 cup quinoa cooked separately in 1 cup water for 15 minutes

(Let the quinoa stand, covered, off the heat 10 minutes.)

Seasoning:

2 T. plain rice vinegar

2 T. unbleached light organic sugar

3/8 tsp. salt

Optional but recommended: 1 T. dry sherry or mirin (Japanese rice wine)

Additions: (Traditionally, only seasoned rice is used for filling, but I like to add some color and texture with vegetables.)

1/2 c. frozen baby peas, thawed

1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated

Optional: toasted sesame seeds to taste

If you are preparing your own seasoned inari sushi pouches, cut each piece of abura agé tofu across in half. Pour boiling water over them, then drain and squeeze them carefully to remove the oil.

In a medium pot, bring the flavoring broth to a boil, add the tofu pockets and reduce the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, turning now and then. Drain and cool until you can handle them. Gently squeeze out excess liquid.

Whichever type of seasoned pouches you are using-- store-bought or home-prepared-- carefully separate one “wall” of each pocket from the other to make the pouches.

Dump the hot cooked rice (make sure it is tender) and the millet or quinoa into a large shallow baking dish. Mix the sugar and salt with the vinegar and wine until it is dissolved. Pour this over the hot rice. Turn the rice mixture with a small spatula (wooden, preferably, or a bamboo rice paddle), using an over-and-under-motion, until the mixture is cool. (Traditionally, you fan the rice while you mix.)

Add the peas and carrots and a bit of the optional toasted sesame seeds, if you like. Stuff the pockets carefully and evenly (there should be just enough filling for 16 pockets). Traditionally the pouches are not stuffed full and the pouch is pinched closed at the top, but, as you can see in the pictures, I usually fill them full full and leave them open at the top.

If you like, you can dip the tops in toasted sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature. Rice gets hard when refrigerated, which spoils the texture of the dish, so the sushi pouches should be eaten the same day they are made.

Enjoy!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

CREAMY CHANTERELLE MUSHROOM & QUINOA SOUP AND ROASTED LEEK & CAULIFLOWER PASTA

I apologize for not blogging for so long! Since (Canadian) Thanksgiving, we've had lots of family staying over, in and out, and I've been just keeping up with work and day-to-day stuff. Consequently, I've done more quantity cooking than innovative cooking, and made many dishes from leftovers and/or foods that need to be used up. But I did make a few dishes which were tasty enough to jot down (and take some pictures), and I'd like to share two of them with you today. One is based on chanterelle mushrooms, which are in abundance here right now, and the other on one of my current favorite vegetables-- leeks. Leeks are so delicious, and not only in soup! When roasted, they are out of this world!

The first recipe is a soup I made with chanterelle mushrooms picked here on Denman Island, BC. If you don't have chanterelles, use any favorite mushroom instead.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CREAMY MUSHROOM AND QUINOA SOUP

Serves 6 (Can be GF and/or Soy-Free)

Light and a bit sohisticated, but satisfying.

3/4 lb. mushrooms (preferably chanterelles, but use whatever variety available to you), cleaned

1 Tbsp oil or vegan butter (try my homemade vegan palm oil-free Buttah)

salt
1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped vegan "ham" OR 1/4 cup vegan bacon bits soaked in 1/4 cup very hot water

(For GF and/or Soy-Free, you may have to use homemade Shiitake "Bacon", chopped)

3 Tbsp dry sherry (or non-alcoholic white wine)

1 Tbsp unbleached flour (can be GF)

1 tsp. dried thyme leaves (or 1 Tbsp chopped fresh)

4 cups "chickeny" vegan broth + 1 extra tsp. broth paste or powder (I like Better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken Broth Paste)

1 cup whole cooked or canned white kidney or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup cooked or canned white kidney or cannellini, rinsed, drained and pureed with a bit of the broth until creamy (use a hand/immersion blender or regular blender)

NOTE: Other beans you could use would be Great Northern or small white beans

To Finish:

1/2 cup So Delicious Original Coconut Milk Creamer (or other favorite non-sweet vegan creamer)

2 cups cooked quinoa (or 1/2 quinoa and 1/2 medium bulgur or millet)

Slice the mushrooms. Heat the oil or butter in a large heavyskillet over high heat. Add the mushrooms, salt lightly, and turn the heat down to medium-high. Saute until the mushrooms exude their juice. Add the onion and garlic and keep sauteing (adding small squirts of water as needed to keep from sticking). When the onion is soft, stir in the flour until well mixed. Stir in a little of the broth to distribute the flour throughout the mixture. Scrape all the contents of the skillet into a soup pot with the remaining ingredients (EXCEPT for the creamer and quinoa). Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes.

Stir in the creamer and the cooked quinoa. Taste for salt. Serve hot.

Note: If leftover soup gets too thick, add a bit more creamer or any plain nondairy milk.

*****************************************************************

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S GARLICKY ROASTED LEEK AND CAULIFLOWER PASTA WITH KALAMATA OLIVES AND CREAMY LOWFAT PASTA SAUCE (can be GF and/or Soy-Free)
Serves 6
The roasted vegetables add so much flavor to the simple sauce and pasta-- you'll be amazed! Not much oil is needed for roasting the vegetables and the sauce is very low in fat, BTW.

Make ahead and set aside: 1 recipe Bryanna's Low-Fat Quick Creamy Sauce for Pasta (recipe here)
NOTE: Use the wine option in the recipe (can be non-alcoholic) and also the miso option. Use the tahini also, if possible.
3 large leeks, or 4 medium leeks
12 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
about 8 oz. of cauliflower, trimmed and sliced to make about 4 cups
olive oil
salt
1/2 to 1 cup of vegan "Chickeny" broth (I like Better Than Bouillon Vegan No-Chicken Broth Paste)
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, sliced in half lengthwise
12 oz. dry farfalle (butterfly or bowtie pasta-- can be GF variety)
salt and pepper
Go Veggie! Soy Parmesan or other favorite vegan parmesan

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Cut off the very dark green parts of the leeks (I save them to add to other soups) and trim away the root ends. Cut the white parts in half lengthwise and clean them thoroughly under cold running water. Place them cut-side-up in a large baking pan oiled with olive oil. Nestle the garlic slices around the leeks. Spray with olive oil from a pump-sprayer and sprinkle with salt.

Place the cauliflower slices in another oiled baking pan and spray with olive oil from a pump sprayer. Sprinkle with salt. Add 1/2 cup of the broth. Place both pans, uncovered, in the hot oven.

While the vegetables roast, heat salted water for the pasta in a large pot. When it boils, add the pasta and cook about 10 minutes, or until "al dente".

Keep an eye on the vegetables. I stirred the cauliflower around a bit-- the broth should evaporate and some of the cauliflower will brown, but add more broth if necessary to tenderize it. I didn't stir the leeks-- they gave off enough juice to keep them moist and brown them and the garlic nicely, as you can see below.

Chop the roasted garlic and slice the roasted leeks:

When the pasta is cooked and drained, add it back to the drained pasta pot, along with the roasted vegetables, olives and the pasta sauce. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve in shallow pasta dishes with vegan parmesan to sprinkle on top.

Enjoy!

Sunday, November 25, 2012

"VEGAN SANDWICHES SAVE THE DAY" BLOG TOUR FINALE: PROTEIN-HAPPY QUINOA WRAPS

I had a really difficult time choosing which recipe from Celine Steen and Tamasin Noyes' new book, "Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!" This book has energy! And its contents will fuel you through your day, morning, noon or night-- 101 new, original recipes that are not only plant-based, but seriously yummy.

Was it to be Berry-Stuffed French Toast Pockets for a luxurious breakfast? Or perhaps an elegant lunch of French Tofu Salad with Grapes on baguettes with arugula or Tofu Pomegranate Pockets? Or a supper sandwich such as the German stuffed buns, Bierocks; or Portobello Po' Boys; or mile-high Dagwood's Special Sandwiches? Honestly, you are spoiled for choice with this book.

In the end, I opted for a delicious-looking wrap that would fit well into our pre-Christmas low-fat, high-fiber eating regime-- Protein-Happy Quinoa Wraps. I had most of the ingredients, and would only have to deviate slightly by using chopped green olives in place of a couple of tablespoons capers, dark raisins instead of golden, and 8-inch whole grain flour tortillas instead of white 10-inch ones. (I live on an island-- can't run to the store whenever I like!) I'm sure you could use a gluten-free wrap instead.

I made cooked the quinoa and made the sun-dried tomato and olive tapenade in the morning so that, as the recipe mentions, it would have time to develop flavor. When the quinoa was cool, I quickly made the quinoa and bean filling, sliced the raw veggies and set everything aside, covered, until lunchtime. Since I had smaller tortilla wraps than were called for, I made 3 wraps instead of 2 to share with my husband for lunch. (He is quite happy to take the rest for a work lunch tomorrow.)

The sun-dried tomato and olive tapenade really added a depth of flavor to the mild, nutty quinoa salad, and there was plenty of crunch and a little bit of chile heat there, too. Very filling, satisfying, healthful and delicious.

Congratulations to Celine and Tamasin for this creative take on this worldwide favorite, the sandwich!

PRINTABLE RECIPE

PROTEIN-HAPPY QUINOA WRAPS

Yield: 4 wraps, generous 3/4 cup (100 g) tapenade

(From Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! Fair Winds Press, 2012)

For tapenade: (Note from BCG-- Make at least 2 hours ahead of serving)

1/2 cup (28 g) minced sun-dried tomatoes (moist vacuum-packed, not oil-packed)

1/4 cup (25 g) minced (pitted) kalamata olives

2 tablespoons (15 g) chopped capers

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

For filling: (Note from BCG-- good idea to make this an hour or two ahead, as well)

1 ½ cups (355 ml) vegetable broth

1/2 cup (84 g) dry quinoa

1/4 cup (30 g) packed golden raisins (optional)

1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lemon juice

1½ tablespoons (25 ml) olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, to taste

1 ½ tablespoons (15 g) minced red onion

1 clove garlic, minced

Fine sea salt, to taste (I used 1/2 tsp.--BCG)

Cracked black pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons (15 g) roasted salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

3/4 cup (197 g) cooked cannellini beans

2 tablespoons (8 g) chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon (2 g) minced fresh basil

For wraps:

Four 10-inch (25-cm) flour tortillas (BCG-- I used whole grain)

1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into strips

1 small cucumber, cut into strips

To make the tapenade:

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse a few times, but leave it chunky. Chill for at least 2 hours to let the flavors develop.

To make the quinoa:

Bring the broth to a boil in a medium size pot. Add the quinoa and cook for 8 minutes. Add the raisins and cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer, or until the quinoa is cooked and the telltale tail appears. Drain in a fine-mesh sieve. Set aside to cool completely.

In the meantime, prepare the dressing by combining the vinegar, lemon juice, oil, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, pepitas, and beans in a large bowl. Add the quinoa mixture, parsley, and basil to the dressing and stir until well coated. (Note from BCG-- If making ahead, cover and refrigerate until serving time.)

To assemble the wraps:
In the middle of each wrap, spread 3 tablespoons (25 g) tapenade. Top with a generous 1/2 cup (120 g) quinoa filling. Divide the red bell pepper and cucumber among the wraps. Fold the ends in and roll closed.

Enjoy!

Thursday, July 28, 2011

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

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Thursday, July 28, 2011

VEGAN RECIPES TO CELEBRATE PERUVIAN INDEPENDENCE DAY!

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