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

This is a recipe I developed more than 10 years ago, but it's still a great one for this time of the year, when fresh corn is available (though you can make it with frozen sweet corn kernels, of course).  It's an easy make-ahead main dish for a company dinner, colorful and delicious, but it makes an elegant brunch dish as well. The components of the dish, the "ricotta", vegan Bechamel, and crepes can be made well ahead of time, and the sauce (Coulis) can be made early in the day and reheated-- and the Coulis is the easiest sauce in the world to make. The crepes can be frozen well before you use them.

One crepe is filling, but hearty eaters can probably eat two. (These crepes are a little larger than the ones I usually make.)
































Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CORN CREPES WITH RICOTTA-"HAM" FILLING AND RED PEPPER COULIS
Serves 6-12

Crepes: (makes 12 large crepes)
2 1/4 cups nondairy milk
3/4 cup wholewheat pastry flour
3/4 cup unbleached white flour
6 oz (3/4 cup) extra-firm SILKEN tofu or medium-firm tofu
1/3 cup corn flour (finely-ground yellow cornmeal, NOT cornstarch)
1 1/2 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp baking powder
Optional:
3 pinches ground nutmeg
1 pinch turmeric
Filling:
1 recipe Bryanna's Vegan Ricotta (see 2 recipes here) -- you might have a bit left over.
285 g or 10 oz. vegan "bacon" or 'ham" of your choice
2 cups frozen sweet corn kernels, thawed, OR fresh corn kernels, lightly cooked and drained well
3 green onions, chopped
Red Pepper Coulis:
4 large roasted red peppers, peel removed, rinsed (can be from a jar)
3/4 cup Bryanna's Vegan Béchamel Sauce or this bean-based version
2 Tbs dry to medium sherry (or a nonalcoholic white wine, if you prefer)

To Make the Crepes:
Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until very smooth. No need to "rest" the batter first. Tofu crepes are made just like ordinary crepes. Heat a nonstick 10-12" skillet over medium-high heat and wipe it lightly with oil before making each crepe. Use about 1/4 cup of batter per crepe (stirring the batter before you make each crepe), rolling and tilting the pan until it evenly covers the bottom. Cook for a few seconds, or until the top looks dry. Carefully loosen the crepe with a spatula and flip it over. After a few seconds the other side should be dry. Fold into quarters or roll like a jelly roll and place on a plate (or leave them flat if you are going to stack them with filling). If you are going to use the crepes shortly, cover them with a clean tea towel.


If you are going to store the crepes for later use, let them cool and place in a plastic bag or rigid container (with pieces of waxed paper in between each crepe) and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze them for future use (thaw thoroughly before filling).

To Make the Filling: 
Mix together all of the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

To Make the Sauce (Coulis): 
Mix together all the coulis ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Heat gently in a microwave-proof bowl, or in a saucepan over low heat.

To bake and serve the crepes:
Divide the filling into 12 equal parts. Place each portion of filling down the center of one crepe and roll it up. If it seems like too much filling, cut it down to your liking, but I like these well-filled. Place the filled crepes in a large rectangular baking dish (in one layer-- use another baking dish, if necessary) lined with cooking parchment.

The crepes can be filled ahead of time and refrigerated for a few hours or overnight, well-covered. When you are ready to serve, heat the oven to 400°F. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 20 minutes if the crepes have not been refrigerated, or 30 minutes if they have. Serve the crepes hot with the reheated Red Pepper Coulis.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 1 filled crepe with sauce): 251.2 calories; 23% calories from fat; 7.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 449.3mg sodium; 513.5mg potassium; 30.9g carbohydrates; 3.7g fiber; 5.2g sugar; 18.3g protein.

Enjoy!

What is Shrove Tuesday and what does it have to do with pancakes?  Here's a short history.  It's known as "Mardi Gras" in French-speaking regions (including New Orleans, as I'm sure you are aware). "Mardi Gras" means "Fat Tuesday", the day before Ash Wednesday, when Christian Lent begins.  It's referred to as "Fat Tuesday" because fat and eggs, etc. had to be used up before the Lenten fast. Cakes, rich breads and pastries, and pancakes were made in order to consume these foods and not let them go to waste, and also to let loose and celebrate before the fast. Pancakes seem to be a nearly universal way to celebrate.

I actually had pancakes for breakfast this morning, even though I had forgotten it was Shrove Tuesday. Yesterday I had made some batter for grain and bean-based Indian crepes called Adai.  These were made with soaked, split. skinned mung beans (mung dal), oatmeal and chickpea flour.  They were so easy to make and quick to cook, AND nutritious and delicious. I'll post the recipe soon. (There are two other Indian crepe recipes listed below.)

So, pancakes and crepes can be made out of all sorts of ingredients and they can be sweet or savory.  I've compiled a list (with links to the appropriate blog post) of all the pancake and crepe recipes currently on my blog.  They are all delightful for any meal of the day.  A few can only loosely be described as pancakes, being flat or flattish, but no matter, they are all delicious.

Of course, being vegan and often low-fat, these recipes are not necessarily the best way to use up fat (and certainly not eggs and milk), but you can always slather them with vegan butter to keep the spirit of the day. And, vegans don't have to "give up" meat, eggs, dairy products and animal fat, but any excuse to eat pancakes!

NORTH AMERICAN-STYLE PANCAKES (or pancakes that are normally eaten with sweet toppings or fillings):

VEGAN ALL-AMERICAN "BUTTERMILK" PANCAKE MIX "I wanted a healthful vegan mix that produced a light, fluffy, white pancake (it's full of whole grains, but it looks white!). I also wanted it to have very few additions, so that it was really quick and easy. You only have to add water and a little lemon juice to this mix, and it produces pancakes you can be proud to serve to children, picky eaters, omnis, anybody!"

MULTI-GRAIN, HEMP PROTEIN PANCAKE MIX (There are some options if you don't want to use hemp.) "Why a hemp pancake mix? This is a multi-grain vegan pancake mix that I originally devised for a proposed hemp book. That deal fell through, but it's a good mix, and a fun way to add some hemp to your diet. You can read about the ecological benefits of hemp here. Hemp can play a role in an anti-inflammatory diet, since it is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Hemp is a good source of fiber and protein, and it is a very sustainable, versatile crop that can grow in North America without pesticides! It is grown in many countries, including Canada, and is considered a good crop to replace tobacco." WHOLE GRAIN VEGAN SOURDOUGH PANCAKES "Here is my vegan version [of sourdough pancakes, using whole grain flours. It turned out beautifully! BTW, sourdough pancakes have a slightly different texture from regular pancakes-- fluffy, but a little more "bready". And, of course, with that sourdough tang that I love."              VEGAN ORANGE-CRANBERRY-PECAN MULTIGRAIN                      "BUTTERMILK" PANCAKES (Can be GF and SF) "Light, fluffy ALL-whole-grain vegan pancakes with the added fiber and antioxidants of flax, cranberries, and pecans. You can use this recipe as a template for plain multi-grain pancakes or pancakes with other flavors, fruits and nuts or seeds...They contain four different kinds of whole grain flour, a combo that makes a very light pancake.  I like to keep all of these flours together in the freezer to have at a moment's notice when we feel like having pancakes, without scrambling around to find everything."                               BLUEBERRY-OAT PANCAKES (No-Fat) "This is a great basic high-fiber, but very light and tender pancake recipe, due to the oat flour and wholewheat pastry flour."                          FAT-FREE WHOLE GRAIN VEGAN CREPES "When I was at the McDougall Celebrity Weekend in Santa Rosa in June [2008] , we were not supposed to use any added fat or oil, even pan-spray on the pans. I was planning to make no-fat crepes made with whole wheat pastry flour, chickpea flour and oat flour. In the nonstick pans Mary [McDougall] provided, I made about 50 crepes for audience tasting, and then, in the workshop, I made several in front of the audience, with no mishaps. They were very impressed, and Chef Kevin Dunn told me he never would have tried that! This is the crepe recipe I made at that McDougall event." SAVORY PANCAKES, CREPES, ETC.: FERMENTED OAT AND URAD DAL UTTAPAM (SAVORY OR SWEET)

"Uttapam (or ooththappam or Uthappa) is a South Indian or Tamil pancake-like dish made with a batter of grain (such as rice, semolina or millet), or grain and legumes, similar to dosa batter. Dosa is thinner and crepe-like--sometimes crisp and sometimes softer. Uttapam is a thick pancake, with toppings of vegetables added to the "pancake" when it is just ready to be flipped over. Uttapam is sometimes called an "Indian pizza".  It's a common breakfast and snack food in Southern India."   PS: There is also a fruit variation!

             MOONG DAL ADAI OR PESARATTU (INDIAN CREPES )

"These crepes are a type of dosa that is made only from dal and is unfermented. These are actually a bit sturdier than the crepes we're used to, but they fold and roll nicely. You can just eat them with chutney or an Indian-style vegetable stir-fry, or with a more elaborate vegetable curry, if you like. They can be eaten for breakfast, as a snack, or for a lunch or supper dish. (They would be great for a gluten-free diet, too.)... this simple, delicious, nourishing, and filling meal was so inexpensive to make!"

VEGAN OKONOMIYAKI (JAPANESE OMELET OR PANCAKE) (Can be GF and Soy-free)

"I've worked on this recipe on-and-off for a little while. Besides making them vegan, I wanted to use ingredients that most North Americans would be able to obtain easily. These vegan savory omelets or pancakes, however you choose to think of them, are so simple, cheap and quick to make, but absolutely addictive!  They originated as frugal street food and were eaten often in the days of reconstruction after WWII."

FARINATA (FAINÁ) (ITALIAN CHICKPEA FLOUR "PANCAKE") 

"So what is this mysterious “pancake”? It’s a delicious and nourishing snack food, a flatbread, really. In Nice, their version, Socca, is a street food, cooked huge copper pans over wood burners (rather than baked), pieces eaten out of hand like French fries in a cone of paper with lots of pepper. In Italy, it is eaten at home, with a knife and fork, or at a bar. In Genoa, there are farinata bakeries everywhere. In Argentina, they eat it on pizza! Both Italians and Niçois will tell you that it should not be made at home and it won’t taste the same if it’s not made over a wood-fired stove or in a wood-fired oven, but, trust me, a very reasonable approximation can be made and enjoyed at home!...This from my book Nonna's Italian Kitchen.

This is a thin version, which I prefer. You can sprinkle the top with chopped garlic and rosemary, thyme or sage before baking, if you like. Ligurians, who eat it with a knife and fork, sometimes also top it with thinly sliced onions or green onions, or even slices of baby artichoke. I like the leftovers cold, too. (UPDATE: Here's another great way to serve farinata.)"

   BROWN RICE AND LENTIL ADAI (INDIAN DOSAS OR CREPES)  

For some reason, I've always been fascinated with recipes using plain beans and whole grains that are soaked and ground and used to make delicious, simple and healthful breakfast treats, breads and snacks. We need more recipes like this under our belts, so to speak, to get through hard financial times in good health and spirits... I used to make this type of dosa years ago for my children for breakfast.  They loved it and I still do!"  (These crepes are gluten-free and soy-free, BTW.)

                         PERSIAN-STYLE VEGAN POTATO PATTIES 
                                                 (Kuku Sib-Zamini) GF

In Arabic and Persian cuisines there is a type of thick baked omelet or fritatta that can utilize almost any vegetable (but always contains some green herbs).  It can be eaten hot or cold and is often used as a picnic food.  In Arabic it is called "eggah" ( عجة ʻaggah or ʻajjah) and in Perisan it is called "kuku" (کوکو).  According to food historian Alan Davidson, these are most probably the origin of Italian fritattas and Spanish tortillas (not the Mexican corn variety)... Sometimes the mixture is made into "pancakes" or "patties" and is shallow-fried in oil or clarified butter instead of baked.  This is the type of thing I wanted to try, but, of course, egg-free and made with only a little oil.  I also wanted to make the potato variety because it sounded nicely substantial and I thought the potato would help hold things together. (It can be made with eggplant, parsley and green onions, leeks, broad beans, spinach and other greens, cauliflower, squash...)  I decided to try a mixture of mashed tofu and chickpea flour instead of the egg....It was super simple to make and very tasty—open to alot of variation, too, so I will be playing with it further. I think the potato did help, but you could probably use less if it was baked—something for further experimentation."

Enjoy!

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!


Yesterday, I checked the refrigerator for greens that needed using up.  We live on an island, so we only shop every 2 weeks.  I'm trying to avoid any food waste (watching this documentary has strengthened my resolve!), so I moved all the vegetables out of the refrigerator drawers (filled them with condiments) and I have my veggies right in the center of the fridge, with the ones that need to be used up first in the front, so that I don't forget about them.  Anyway, I had spinach and baby bok choy to use up, so I turned to two of my older recipes.  (BTW, if you can't watch that movie outside of Canada, check out this review and watch for screenings in your area-- it's worth watching!)

For lunch, I made Baby Bok Choy and Tofu Soup from my book "Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen: All Vegan Recipes", and, for dinner (because I had some vegan crepes left over from Saturday breakfast, and some of DH's spaghetti sauce in the refrigerator), I made Italian Savory Crepes Stuffed with Vegan Ricotta & Spinach from my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen: Delicious Home-Style Vegan Cuisine", both with a couple of little tweaks. It's been too long since I made these recipes-- so delicious and healthful!  So, I'd like to share the recipes with you. Enjoy!

Crepes have been made in Italy for centuries, with many different types of flours.  They are particularly popular in Tuscany. Filled crepes that are cut into short lengths and baked are called bocconcini, which means "little mouthfuls".  Crespelle "cakes", or timbali, are crepes stacked with filling in between and cut into wedges.

BRYANNA'S CRESPELLE RIPIENE (STUFFED CREPES) WITH VEGAN SPINACH/RICOTTA FILLING  
Serves 6 (Can be soy-free)

12 vegan crepes (see my recipe below-- can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen--OR you can use my recipe for Fat-Free Whole Grain Crepes)
Spinach and "Cheese" Filling:
2 onions, minced
1 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs. fresh cleaned spinach, OR 2/ 10 oz. pckgs. chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 1/2 cups Tofu or Almond Ricotta OR Okara/Cashew Ricotta
4 to 6 tablespoons vegan Parmesan substitute (we like GoVeggie! brand)
salt, freshly ground pepper to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg
Bake crespelle with a light tomato sauce or a medium Besciamella (Bechamel) sauce, ( or you can layer Besciamella over the tomato sauce, for a really special dish), along with a vegan Parmesan substitute or alternate. There is a recipe for my low-fat Creamy White-Bean-Flour Based Bechamel here, and my basic vegan Bechamel/White sauce recipe is here.

Sauté the onions in the olive oil in a non-stick or cast iron or hard-anodized skillet until they are soft and starting to brown (adding a tiny bit of water as needed, to keep from sticking).  

Meanwhile, place the fresh spinach in boiling water until it is completely wilted, then drain, squeeze dry, and chop it finely.  OR, if using frozen chopped spinach, thaw it thoroughly (you can quick-thaw it by placing the whole carton in the microwave for 5 minutes) and squeeze it as dry as possible.

Mix the spinach in a bowl with the cooked onions, ricotta, Parmesan sub , and salt, pepper and to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg.  




Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.



Place a generous amount of filling down the center of each crepe and roll it up.   



Place the rolls in an oiled baking dish.  (You can prepare the crepes up to this point several hours ahead of time.)  



Pour a little of the sauce you are using over the crepes, sprinkle with Parmesan or alternative (and some shredded vegan mozza-type cheese, too, if you like) and bake for 20 minutes. 







Serve immediately!

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BRYANNA'S TOFU CREPES    
Makes 12-13 crepes
From my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause".

These are really excellent--they have that flexible "eggy" texture of regular crepes.  You can freeze them, too.

1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1 cup unbleached white flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup medium-firm tofu or silken tofu
1/4 cup soy or chickpea flour
OPTIONAL: 1 to 2 tablespoons  nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon unbleached organic sugar
1/2 tsp. EACH salt and baking powder
a pinch of nutmeg

Process all ingredients in a food processor or blender until very smooth.  If the batter seems too thick (and it should be like thick cream), whisk in a bit more non-dairy milk or water until it is the right consistency.

No need to "rest" this batter first.  Tofu crepes are made just like ordinary crepes.

Heat a nonstick or cast-iron 8" skillet over medium-high heat and wipe it lightly with oil before making each crepe. Use 3-4 tablespoons of batter per crepe (stirring the batter before you make each crepe), rolling and tilting the pan until it evenly covers the bottom.  Cook for a few seconds, or until the top looks dry.


Carefully loosen the crepe with a spatula and flip it over.


Either fill the crepes and serve according to the specific recipe directions, or let them cool and place in a plastic bag or rigid container (with pieces of waxed paper in between each crepe) and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze them for future use (thaw thoroughly before filling).

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Printable Recipe

Italian kale from our garden patch

I have to tell you that DH and I are NOT gardeners! We both don't like gardening much (I'm almost afraid to admit that around here!), and our soil is very rocky, but DH has made a fertile little patch and then we grow some hot-weather plants in pots on our back deck-- enough to keep us in fresh greens, herbs, and tomatoes for the summer and fall, with a few things in the freezer.

Below are some photos of our VERY modest little veggie patch, and potted plants on out back deck.




A view of some of the plants on the deck (tomatoes, peppers, basil, parsley, etc.)


Basil!

More greens:
Beets

Chard

Russian kale

While I'm at it, here are some views of the woods and greenery around our house:

View from the back deck


View from the living room window

**Back to the eating sort of greenery-- I picked a big bowl of mixed greens the other day and at the same time made a batch of my lower-fat guacamole, and then I had to figure out something to do with them that didn't involve tortillas or tortilla chips (which I didn't have on hand). So below is what I came up with, and it was good!

Below that are some family photos.:)


Masa Crepes with Green Filling, Topped with Black Bean and Corn Salsa and Lower-Fat Guacamole (UPDATE: the recipe will be in my new book coming up at the end of  August 2011!)



And now, proud Nonna has to show off a little!


My granddaughter H. at her piano recital.

5-year-old grandson L., seen here playing swordsman, is now reading whole books by himself!


Here he is playing hockey for the first time:


Two more granddaughters (who are stepsisters, one already 10 and one about to be 10) got their yellow belts in tai kwon do on Saturday:

Going through their paces:



F. doing her high kick.


M. doing her high kick.

Proud moment!

F. on the far left, and M. on the far right.

Enjoy!