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

Once again, I apologize for posting so infrequently.  I guess I'm being a lazy cook these days!  In my defense, however, we have had some exciting family times lately-- I just became a great-grandmother for the first time! Here is my great-grandson Westen, at just a day old:

Mama (my granddaughter) and daddy and baby are doing wonderfully well, I'm happy to say, and have lots of family support on all sides.

Now that things are settling down, couple of days ago I decided to make some of my homemade vegan chorizo, and I realized that I've never posted the recipe.  It's pretty easy to make and you can freeze excess for another meal-- something I do whenever possible.

I know that commercial vegan chorizo is available in many places, especially in the USA, but, where I live it's hard to find and expensive when we do find it.  I use delicious and spicy Field Roast Chipotle sausages when we can get them, but I don't always have them on hand.

My recipe is not gluten-free or soy-free, just so you know. (I developed a Tempeh chorizo for a magazine article, if you would prefer that.  See http://www.alive.com/recipe/tempeh-chorizo/) I generally use Yves Veggie "Ground Round" (the plain variety) for this recipe, but other varieties would be fine, I'm sure. Using vegetarian “hamburger crumbles” in the recipe gives this vegan chorizo the "coarse grind” feeling that I remember from eating chorizo in California when I was growing up.

BTW, I chose to form the chorizo into patties rather than "links" because it seems to work better.

I made some easy and delicious Potato-Chorizo Tacos with some of the chorizo, which we enjoyed two nights in a row, and froze the rest for another meal.  I'll give the general recipe for the tacos below the chorizo recipe, and also how to make a delicious vegan Mexican-style Crema.


Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S VEGAN "CHORIZO"
Yield: Makes 14 patties
Great with scrambled tofu and many other recipes.

4 cups vegetarian “hamburger crumbles” (such as  2 pckgs. Yves “Ground Round”) OR use crumbled veggie burgers of your choice (the more "meaty-textured" variety)
12 oz firm tofu, mashed
6 Tbs red wine vinegar 
2 Tbs dry red wine
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cornmeal
Seasoning Mixture:
8 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbs paprika
2 Tbs pureed or mashed canned chile chipotle in adobo sauce (See my note and photo below about how I store leftover chipotles from a can.)
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together well with your hands.  



Form into about 14 patties. (I use an English muffin ring to form mine.)


Cook the patties in batches in a covered, preheated large heavy skillet (I prefer well-seasoned cast iron), or pancake griddle (stovetop or electric), or in a roomy electric skillet, over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side. (Don't crowd them.) Carefully (the patties are rather fragile when hot), remove the patties to a platter and refrigerate to firm them up.

To store for later use, layer them with cooking parchment in a rigid container and refrigerate for up to one week, or freeze them. To eat immediately (with scrambled tofu, for instance), quickly heat them up over medium heat in a heavy preheated skillet.  Break them up with your scramble, if you like, or serve intact, as you would any sausage.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per patty): 91 calories, 14 calories from fat, 1.8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 655.2mg sodium, 340.6mg potassium, 9.1g carbohydrates, 3.7g fiber, 1.4g sugar, 11.6g protein, 2.7 points.

NOTE:
To store canned chipotles in adobo sauce for future use, I freeze each chile with some of the sauce in a section of an ice cube tray. When they are frozen solid, a loosen them and remove them from the ice cube tray and store them in a freezer container or zipper-lock bag in the freezer.




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

TO MAKE THE POTATO-CHORIZO TACOS:



Tacos de Papas con Chorizo are common in Mexico and there are many recipes for it.  I made a very simple version.

I used two soft, warm corn tortillas for each taco. The following made 8 tacos.  

For the Filling, I sautéed a medium onion, chopped small, in a little dark sesame oil and then added 8 of the cooked Chorizo patties, crumbled coarsely, and a couple of tablespoons of chopped pickled jalapeño peppers from a jar, and kept sautéing for a few minutes.  Then I added about 3/4 lb. of diced thin-skinned potatoes which I had briefly microwaved until firm but cooked through.

Toppings: I had no avocado or red salsa, and we had a big salad on the side, so I didn't add extra vegetables (such as shredded cabbage).  For the only toppings, I used some homemade green salsa that a friend had made from her homegrown tomatillos (I added some of the pickled jalapeño brine to make it a bit spicier) and some homemade vegan Crema.

Mexican Crema is runnier than sour cream and not quite as sour.  I used half my recipe for Tofu Sour Creme (made with extra-firm silken tofu) with 1/2 cup added soymilk and another 1/2 tsp organic sugar.  You could also use my recipe (the whole recipe) for Cashew Sour Creme, if you prefer.  I love this Crema-- so rich-tasting and smooth, and not loaded with fat.

Delicious and messy!

Enjoy!

Last week I made a batch of my vegan taco filling from one of my older books ("Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause") and we had tacos for two days running.  (I had added some coarsely-mashed black beans to the taco filling this time.) I stored the remainder of the filling, Tofu Sour Creme, salsa and shredded lettuce in the refrigerator. A couple of days later, we arrived home late and I contemplated the contents of my refrigerator, and  spied these leftovers. However, I didn't feel like messing with taco shells this time.  I grabbed some potatoes (locally grown thin-skinned yellow German Butter [Sieglinde] potatoes), scrubbed and poked them with a knife, and microwaved them while I heated the taco filling.

Sieglinde (German Butter) Potatoes

The buttery-tasting potatoes were delicious topped with our taco filling and condiments, and I served a friend's tasty bean salad (made with his home-grown beans) alongside.

This recipe, by the way, includes my recipe for making homemade red chile paste, which is very easy to make and can be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealed jar, for weeks.  

I love it when we can use up good food in a delicious and creative way!



Printable Copy (of both recipes)

BRYANNA'S EASY VEGAN TACO, TOSTADA, OR BURRITO FILLING
(From my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause", slightly revised.)
© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2015
Enough for 12 tacos or tostadas, or 6 burritos.

If you package of taco shells in the pantry, or some tortillas in the refrigerator, this deliciously spicy, kids-of-all-ages-pleasing dinner won't take long.

Your choice of vegan "burger":
3 to 31/2 cups firm tofu, which has been frozen at least 48 hours, thawed, squeezed dry and crumbled
OR commercial vegan "hamburger crumbles" 
OR ground seitan 
OR reconstituted granulated textured soy protein (my favorite is So Soya+ Ground Veggie Burger, which is organic and kosher certified) 
OR the crumbs from Soy Curls (or crushed Soy Curls), reconstituted
Additional ingredients:
1/4 c. Bryanna's Red Chile Paste (see recipe below)
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vegan "burger" of your choice with the Red Chile Paste in a bowl, combining it in well.

In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the onion and sauté until it softens.  Add the "burger"/chile paste mixture and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, adding a little water if it dries out too much.

Fill the heated taco or tostada shells, or warm soft wheat or corn tortillas-- we add shredded lettuce or cabbage, a good spicy tomato salsa, avocado, if we have it, and tofu sour creme.

Cooked pinto or black beans, or vegetarian refried beans, are optional.  You could also add some hashbrown potatoes and/or grated vegan "cheese", if you like.

BRYANNA'S RED CHILE PASTE
(From my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause", slightly revised.)
© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2015
Yield: 1 3/4 cups

1/2 c. good-quality chile powder
7 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. dried red chile pepper flakes
4 vegetarian broth powder or paste (or enough for 4 cups liquid)
1 T. dark sesame oil 
1 T. unbleached flour or 2 tsp. rice flour
1 T. Marmite (or other yeast extract paste) OR 2 T. red miso 
1 T. water
1 T. salt 
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 tsp. dried oregano 
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!

A hurried shot of dinner last night-- tortillas get cold fast!


Yesterday we had to go to town on various bits of business, and we decided to have lunch at a little cafe, the Roadrunner Cafe, that's been in Courtenay for years, attached to a motel, but never really attracted our attention.  But I've been intrigued by their new sign "Tortilla Factory" for some time, so we thought we'd go check it out for lunch.  It's under new management, a couple and their daughter, it looked like, and the female half of the couple, and the cook, is from Mexico.  It's very diner-like inside, with colorful, but kitchy, Mexican décor.  The menu is small (they serve breakfast and lunch and close at 2 PM) and not terribly vegan-friendly, but, as they advertise, they have a few vegetarian entries and lots of gluten-free choices.  One, the Veggi-Lover's Quesadilla, can be made vegan, though, by asking for no cheese and more veggies in the filling.  It comes with mildly spicy pureed beans and fresh salsa.  (BTW, the tortillas are served soft, not fried, so nothing is greasy!) There is also a cheese quesadilla with a bean sauce.  Hmmm, I wonder if they would do the veggie quesadilla with the bean sauce??  One can only ask!  Anyway, the service was friendly, the tea was nice and strong and came in a Brown Betty teapot, and the price was right!  Of course, I had to take home some fresh tortillas!  (Those of you south of the border or who live in Vancouver, may not realize how hard it is to purchase fresh tortillas in small BC communities!)



On the way home, I asked DH for some dinner ideas, and he suggested crepes with asparagus (we had some asparagus in the fridge).  But I was still over-the-moon about the fresh tortillas, and wanted to eat them immediately, so I asked, why not asparagus in tortillas instead of crepes?  He was all for it, so this is what I came up with in a very short amount of time (making it up as I went).  It was very fast and easy and very tasty!


You could use more filling, if you like, and eat it with a knife and fork!

Printable Recipe


BRYANNA'S ASPARAGUS AND MUSHROOM SOFT TACOS WITH LIME AND CHILE CREMA
Serves 3

12 small fresh corn tortillas
Crema:
Filling:
4 tsp. olive oil
8 medium white mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly-sliced
1 lb. asparagus, cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1" lengths
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. hot smoked paprika (pimenton) (you could use chipotle powder for more heat)
OPTIONAL:  about 1/2 cup grated vegan cheese (I used white Daiya)
Garnishes (optional):
chopped fresh cilantro or Italian parsley
hot tomato salsa
sliced avocado tossed in lime juice
hot sauce

Make the Crema before you start anything else.  (I had to make the Tofu Sour Creme, as well, but that only takes a few minutes and the rest will keep in the fridge for another meal.)  Whisk everything together.  If you have a small squeeze bottle, scoop the Crema into that.

Heat the tortillas in a tortilla warmer, or warm them in a covered casserole in the oven, OR in the microwave for a minute or two (if you use the microwave, heat them AFTER the Filling is done). Here's advice on using a terra cotta tortilla warmer in your stove's oven, and here is advice for using it in a microwave.  You can use other types of covered casseroles or tortilla warmers.  You can also wrap them in foil and use the oven.  You could wrap them in cloth and use a bamboo or other steamer.  Here is a page with examples of the many ways to heat soft tortillas: http://ask.metafilter.com/16385/Warming-Tortillas.

To make the Filling, heat the oil in a large wok, stir-fry pan or skillet (preferably well-seasoned wok or cast iron skillet, or nonstick pan).  When it's hot, add the onion and mushrooms, sprinkle with salt (to help release the juices) and stir-fry like crazy!  Add a small splash of hot water if it's sticking.  When the onion wilts, add the garlic and stir-fry a bit more.  Add the asparagus pieces and stir-fry, keeping the asparagus moving.  It's okay of it chars a bit.  Sprinkle with a little more salt and the cumin and paprika.  Add about 1/4 cup of veggie broth, white wine, or water.  Cover and cook over high heat just until the liquid is gone and the asparagus is crisp-tender.

If you use the vegan cheese, you can add it before serving or sprinkle it on top of each serving.  My Daiya cheese was frozen, so I crumbled it on top of the vegetables and put the lid over it for a minute to melt it.

Quickly microwave the tortillas if you haven't got them warming already (see above).

For each serving, place 2 hot, soft tortillas on a warmed dinner plate and top each with another tortilla (so you have 2 stacks of 2 tortillas each).  Scoop 1/6th of the filling down the middle  of each torilla stack. Drizzle of squirt some of the Crema over each mound of filling.  Serve immediately and let the diners add their own garnishes before folding the tacos and eating (leaning over the plate) with lots of napkins!  Very satisfying!


Enjoy!

(Sorry I've been posting so infrequently lately-- family business.)

I don't live in L.A.-- I live on a little island off of Vancouver Island, on the west coast of Canada. But I have read about those Korean BBQ tacos from Southern California (my mother's old stomping grounds from when she was a kid). They have been a smash success being sold from the Kogi Korean taco trucks.

Here's what their website says: "Born from late-night hunger by founders Mark Manguera, Caroline Shin-Manguera and Chef Roy Choi, the Kogi truck is a traveling Los Angeles landmark that serves up Korean Mexican tacos, day and night.

... Quality Korean barbecue meets traditional, homemade tortillas and fresh veggies to create a taste that carries the rhythms of LA street culture and exudes the warmth of all that California sun. Under the direction of Chef Roy Choi, Kogi has developed a menu that delivers high-end food at street level prices.

Twitter is used to communicate truck locations and Chef Roy Choi’s daily specials to well over 50,000 loyal followers. Add some wheels to the mix and you’ve got yourself a restaurant that geographically responds to the flavor of the crowd – from Silver Lake to Eagle Rock to all the way down to Orange. Currently Kogi operates 4 trucks – Azul, Verde, Naranja and Roja – and fresh out of the kitchen at the Alibi Room in Culver City."

I first saw a recipe for Korean Tacos on the Steamy Kitchen blog from last July-- meat version, of course (kogi means "meat", BTW).  I just got around to trying a vegan version of Korean tacos today for lunch. I don't know why it took me so long-- it was fast, easy and scrumptious. Making your own veggie version is probably going to be the only way you can enjoy it if you are vegan or a vegetarian. The Kogi BBQ blog has a post about eating veggie from their trucks, so read up if you're vegan or vegetarian and interested-- there is fish sauce in their kimchi and the organic tofu is cooked on the same grill as everything else-- it's a small truck.

One of the Kogi BBQ trucks

If you are curious about the combining of cultures in food, the Kogi BBQ blog has a post called "Ess Not Fusion". Here are some excerpts:

"I can see the confusion over the fusion label — there are a lot of Korean flavors. There are a lot of Mexican flavors. And sometimes some trashy American flavors mixed with some Salvadorean influences. It’s confusing. But just know that our food is not confused: it knows EXACTLY what it is."

and:

"FUSION implies you take 2 disparate things and FUSE them together. You join two things together with duct tape, you can see where one thing ends and the other begins. It’s fascinating, and yet it’s not natural. Like French Japanese or Korean Italian. Those cuisines didn’t come together through a natural affinity, a natural progression over time. For example: Mexican Italian. I’ve seen it done and done well — but it’s that European element that’s usually utilized to “elevate” a food and make it more marketable as a “serious” cuisine. Moreover, the intention behind fusion is usually to catch someone’s attention, to spark or speak to a trend.

We didn’t go in here thinking, “Let’s bring Mexican and Korean together because it’ll be weird and cool.”

The thing is, Mexican Korean flavors coming together is only a natural progression. For generations, Chicanos and Koreans have lived side by side in K-town. Tortillas are commonly found in supermarkets around here — and it wasn’t uncommon to bring a bag of those Mission tortillas to a Korean barbecue in the height of summer. What do you think happened when those Korean peoples ran out of rice?

That’s why we don’t call it fusion.

But what we do call it is Angeleno."

Okay, on to what I did with this today...

I did have a container of Korean fermented hot pepper paste (gochujang) in my refrigerator, and I added liquid smoke to my sauce because smoky BBQ meats are generally used in these tacos. I used corn tortillas because that's what I had, and, anyway, I think they taste better than wheat tortillas. I didn't have any kimchi (Korean spicy cabbage pickle), or cucumbers to make Quick Cucumber Pickle (remember, I live on an island and the store is closed on Sundays.) But that wasn't really a problem. I searched through my fridge and found a turnip, some red and green peppers already cut, and some green onion-- good enough. I made a tasty quick pickle/salad with that and we were in business.


Printable Recipe

PS: If you want to make your own vegan kimchi to use as a condiment with this dish, try Julie Hasson's recipe-- easy-peasy, she says. You may be able to find a commercial version without seafood (many varieties contain either fish sauce or salted shrimp)-- see this article for the regional differences in ingredients.

BRYANNA'S VEGAN VERSION OF KOREAN-STYLE SOFT TACOS WITH KOGI BBQ SAUCE
Servings: 4
Yield: 8-12 tacos

Adapted from a recipe here. For the "kogi" (which means "meat"), you can use reconstituted Soy Curls™, your favorite type of seitan, commercial "chicken strips", Field Roast "Celebration Roast" cut in strips, even strips of fried tofu or tempeh. I have include a recipe for a Quick Turnip Pickle, but you can use vegan kimchi instead, or use both. This recipe, including the pickle, is very quick to make!

1 lb (16 oz.) shredded or julienned chicken substitute of choice (see text above)
8-12 / 7" corn tortillas
KogisStyle BBQ Sauce:
2 tablespoons Korean fermented hot pepper paste (gochujang)
3 tablespoons organic unbleached granulated sugar
or 2 tablespoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (or a little more to taste)
1/2-1 teaspoon liquid smoke
Quick Turnip Pickle:
1 medium purple and white turnip, peeled and shredded or grated
1/2 a medium red bell pepper, seeded cut into short slivers
1/2 a medium green bell pepper, seeded cut into short slivers
4 green onions, chopped
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar or lime juice
1/2 teaspoon organic unbleached granulated sugar or agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili pepper flakes
salt to taste

For the BBQ Sauce, whisk all of the ingredients together until sugar has dissolved. You can make this ahead of time and store it in a covered jar the refrigerator, if you like.

The type of Korean hot pepper paste that I use

Jar of Korean fermented hot pepper paste (gochujang)

To make the Quick Turnip Pickle, mix together all of the ingredients. Taste for salt. Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate as you make the tacos.

Sunday breakfast, vegan-style, with Lightlife "Gimme Lean" "sausage" patties

Well, I guess it was inevitable that I get one of those boxes of goodies from Lightlife to try out and report on on this blog. (I am going to be totally candid about my reactions, BTW!) I have tried some of the Lightlife products, but they are no longer available in my area. After trying some of the products, I am going to ask my HFS to get some of them back!

Our favorite was the "Gimme Lean" Sausage Style

which I was afraid might be kind of dull, like many vegan "sausage" brands. It's low in fat, has a great texture, and actually a very nice flavor. If you want it spicier, the great thing is that you can squeeze it out of the tube into a bowl and knead in some spices and/or herbs, then form it easily into patties. Otherwise, just slice it like I did, with a sharp serrated knife.



I cooked the patties in a nonstick skillet with a small amount of Chinese (dark) sesame oil for a smokier flavor.



With hashbrowns, browned onions and apples, whole wheat sourdough toast, and tofu scramble, and accompanied by one of my husband's great soy cappuccinos (made with my homemade soymilk!), it was a great meal!



Previous to that breakfast, we'd tried the Organic Smoky Tempeh "Fakin' Bacon" Strips with a similar meal.



I was not sure how DH would receive these because he doesn't really like tempeh, but, surprise, surprise, he really liked them! They don't get really crispy unless you use alot of oil (and I cooked them in just a little dark Chinese sesame oil in a nonstick skillet, as I did with the sausage patties), but we still liked them. Very nice flavor.



On Friday, my husband tried the Smart Chili for lunch, and saved me some to taste later. It was surprisingly spicy (pleasantly so-- I thought it would be under-spiced), hearty, and low in fat, but a little on the sweet side. But it would make a good quick meal if you are really on the go.



Today for lunch, we tried the Smart Strips Chick'n Strips.



I wasn't as enthusiastic about these. I thought they were too salty, and a bit on the thick side. I rinsed them and drained them, but they were still pretty salty. However, they were pretty good in a "chicken" taco, cooked in my homemade Red Chile Paste (see below) (you could use your favorite taco seasoning).



I used commercial taco shells, Tofu Sour Creme, grated vegan cheeze, commercial tomato salsa, and shredded Savoy cabbage (didn't have any lettuce). They were quite tasty!