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

Ringo and Tina decided to curl up on the dirt in an unused planter!

I started on the Weight Watcher's Core Food plan the week of my son's wedding- probably a silly idea, but I actually did lose weight, even with the wedding and almost a week of company. The Core Food Plan is very flexible and easy for vegans. It actually does help me to stay on the plan, knowing I spent some money on this!

Here are a few things I've cooked up that conform with the Core Plan:


Some local beets and greens that I steamed (tossed the beets with no-fat balsamic vinaigrette); steamed local baby potatoes; extra-firm tofu that I dredged in seasoned ww flour and browned under the broiler, then cooked in broth and dry sherry, with green pepper, sundried tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, and just a smidgen of kalamata olives.


A bowl of romano beans (you could use pintos) that I cooked in chicken-style veggie broth with onions, garlic, celery, carrot, fresh sage and rosemary, pepper, and a couple of extra spoonfuls of my homemade veggie broth powder. Very yummy! I cooked some organic local cauliflower and our own kale in some of the broth and added it to the bowl.


"Fritattine" (small fritatte, or Italian omelets) folded around browned mushrooms and potatoes (fat-free) with a little of my vegan "Gruyere" cheese melted on top (UPDATE: recipe in my book World Vegan Feast). I used my basic Fritatta recipe from my book "Nonna's italian Kitchen", but I only made 3/4 of the recipe and used 1 (12.3 oz.) box of extra-firm SILKEN tofu. I only added some basil to the basic batter.


It made 5 small omelets about 5-6" across. I cooked them in small nonstick skillets over medium heat, covered, for a few minutes, until they firmed on top and browned on the bottom, then flipped them over and cooked a few more minutes. They can be filled with all sorts of vegetable mixtures. This one was actually a little dry-- next time I would serve the potatoes on the side, I think.

In the book, the directions are to cook them on a baking sheet, which is actually more practical for a large amount, but I couldn't wait for the oven to heat up. The texture is better when they are cooked in the oven, but they were pretty good done on the stovetop.

Hope you're having a good weekend!

I just had a cup of green tea that I'd like to share with you. I work in a library, which some of you may know, and one of my library patrons gave me a little gift-- a packet with two odd-looking sort of straw balls in it it, labelled "Flower Among the Tea". She told me that when you steeped it the ball turned into a beautiful flower in a cup of green tea. And indeed it did!





Lisa got it from the Tea Centre in Courtenay, BC, near where I live. Check out their page about "Flower Among the Tea". It explains how they make them, too. (They mail-order.) I recommend using a glass cup, as I did, for full effect. (Or a glass "flowering tea" pot for larger tea balls.) They say you can steep it three times.

UPDATE: There are now many brands of flowering teas available, including on amazon.  An organic brand is Numi.

Just thought it was too interesting not to share (and it tasted good too!).

Enjoy!

What did I make for dinner in the midst of all the wedding busy-ness last week? Here's one thing we really liked! I made it totally on the spur-of-the-moment. I used the fat-free chili gravy from the "Chicken" Tortilla Pie from last July's Vegan Feast newsletter (which was "fancier", with artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes in it). This sauce is so quick to mix up and tastes great on this sort of dish! Corn tortillas are tastier than flour tortillas in this type of dish, I think, and have fewer calories, too. (NOTE: I discontinued my newsletter several years ago.)



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S EASY VEGAN "HAMBURGER" TORTILLA PIE
Serves 4
I made this with leftover frozen tortillas, homemade tofu "mascarpone", vegan "cheddar", and a package of Yves Veggie "Ground Round", PLUS a jar of peppers and some canned sliced olives that I wanted to use up. For want of a vegetable, I used some frozen corn that I had in the freezer. It was yummy!

8 corn tortillas (8-inch size)
FILLING INGREDIENTS:
1 pckg Yves Veggie "Ground Round" (any style), or about 2 cups any veggie "hamburger" crumbles
(NOTE: You can use whole or mashed pinto or black beans, or spicy bean spread, either instead of, or in addition to, "hamburger" crumbles, if you wish.)
2 cups frozen corn, thawed and drained
1 cup Tofu Mascarpone (from my book Nonna's Italian Kitchen), or you could use vegan cream cheese, OR vegan "Ricotta" (recipes here)
6 oz. chiles from a jar (NOT jalapeños-- California green chiles are good), rinsed (seed if necessary) and flattened out (I used a jar of Spanish "fire peppers", but they were actually quite mild)
3 oz. grated vegan cheese (your favorite variety)
FAT-FREE CHILI GRAVY:
1 cup water
1 1/2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs white flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soy sauce
GARNISHES (any or all):
sliced California black olives
vegan sour crème
sliced avocado
hot sauce or salsa
chopped tomatoes
chopped onion

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

TO MAKE THE CHILI GRAVY:
Blend all of the gravy ingredients in a blender until smooth. Bring to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring, then reduce heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring frequently. OR place it in a 1 qt. microwave-safe bowl and microwave 2 minutes. Whisk and microwave 1 more minute until thickened.

TO ASSEMBLE THE PIE:
Mix the "hamburger" crumbles with 1/2 cup of the Chili gravy. Set aside.

Spray a 9" pie pan with oil from a pump sprayer.

1.)Layer 2 tortillas in the bottom of the pan. (Or make 2 stacks in an oval pan.)
2.) Layer on the peppers; then 2 more tortillas.
3.) Spread on the "mascarpone"(or vegan cream cheese, OR vegan "Ricotta"), and add the corn kernels (they will stick to the "cheese"; add 2 more tortillas.
4.) Add the "hamburger" crumbles in an even layer; add the last 2 tortillas.
5.) Spread on the the remaining sauce, sprinkle with the the soy cheese and olives.

Cover the casserole with foil.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.


Enjoy!

My mom came over for lunch yesterday and we had one of our favorite casual meals, big bowls of Japanese-style noodle soup with triangles of fried (or oven-fried) tofu. The original recipe is from my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause", but I adapt it to what vegetables are at hand, which yesterday was mushrooms, savoy cabbage, and frozen shelled edamamé (green soybeans).

A funny story about that book: I was promoting it at a health food store in Calgary just after it came out, and I had some dips and spreads from the book for tasters. Men would approach to taste, but, 9 times out of 10, they would back away when they saw the title of the book! I had to tell them that it wasn't catching! Anyway, the first person to have a copy and use it was my stepson Sean, then in his early 20's. He threatened to put a brown paper cover on it, but he loved the quick and easy, tasty recipes!

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S JAPANESE-STYLE NOODLE SOUP WITH CABBAGE AND EDAMAMÉ, JUNE 25, 06 VERSION
 Serves 4-6
Aadapted from my book “Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause”.

This is an easy, inexpensive and delicious meal for days when you have little time or energy.

4 c. water
4 c. good vegetarian broth
1/4 c. dry sherry
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 T. grated ginger
12 oz. Oven-Fried Tofu (below), or homemade or commercial deep-fried tofu cubes or triangles (atsuage)
2 carrots, in julienne strips
8 oz. dry semolina spaghettini, cooked and drained (OR thin quinoa, buckwheat, red lentil or black bean pasta; or Japanese barley pasta--  see other healthful, low-glycemic options below)
1 cup frozen, shelled edamamé (green soybeans), thawed in hot water
about 3 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
about 3 cups sliced mushrooms
sliced green onions and roasted (Asian) sesame oil for garnish

Bring broth and water to a boil in a large pot. Add sherry, soy sauce, ginger, tofu, and carrots. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and vegetables. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve with green onions and sesame oil sprinkled over each serving.

NOTE: Other healthful, low-glycemic noodle options:
Asian "cellophane" or "glass" or "bean thread noodles, made from mung bean flour
Amaranth pasta
Millet pasta
Milo or sorghum pasta
cassava or malanga tuber pasta
Jerusalem artichoke pasta
sweet potato, yam or konjac pasta


BRYANNA’S OVEN-FRIED TOFU

Use firm tofu. Cut the block in half crosswise, then each half in half horizontally. Then cut each piece into triangles. Place these on dark oiled cookie sheets and oil the tops. Bake at 500 degrees F 5-7 minutes per side, or until golden and puffy. These may be frozen for future use.

Enjoy!

Vegan Omelet made with leftover Soy and Seitan Ham, mushrooms, and my Vegan "Gruyere" (UPDATE: recipes is in my new book coming out in Sept. 2011)

This has been the craziest week! It's almost over, thank goodness. Here are some pics and descriptions of recent quick meals, so quick, most of them, that I didn't even use a recipe:


Pasta ala Primavera with wild oyster mushrooms


Tofurkey Italian Veggie Sausages with sautéed mushrooms, onions and peppers in red wine


Chinese Pepper Steak made with leftover Seitan "Steaks" (UPDATE: the steak" "recipe will be in my new book coming out in Sept. 2011)


Stir-fried Tofu and Snow Peas

BRYANNA’S STIR-FRIED TOFU AND SNOW PEAS
Serves 2
A Cantonese favorite adapted from my book “Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen”.

6-7 oz. firm or extra-firm regular (NOT silken)tofu, cut into 1/2" cubes
1 T. vegetarian "oyster sauce" (homemade vegetarian "oyster" sauce recipe)[commercially known as "vegetarian stir-fry sauce"])
2 tsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. dry sherry
2 tsp. cornstarch
dash white pepper
1 T. oil (Chinese cold-pressed peanut oil is a tasty choice-- Lion&Globe brand is a good one)
Vegetables:
1/4 lb. fresh or frozen snow peas, trimmed and stringed
1/2 c. sliced celery
4 large mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
Cooking Sauce:
1/2 c. water
1 T. dry sherry
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. vegetarian stir-fry sauce (see above)
1 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. roasted (Asian) sesame oil
1/4 tsp. sugar

Mix the tofu cubes with the first tablespoon of "oyster” sauce and the 2 tsp. each soy sauce, sherry, and cornstarch, and the pepper. Set aside while you prepare the vegetables.

Heat a large, heavy (nonstick, if possible) wok, stir-fry pan, or heavy skillet over high heat. When it's hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu and garlic and stir-fry until the tofu begins to brown. Add the mushrooms and celery, and the snow-peas. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, adding drops of water if the mixture begins to stick. Add the Cooking sauce and stir until it bubbles and thickens. Stir in the nuts, if you are using them. Serve immediately.

And last, but not least, an impromptu recipe:

Canned (Companion brand) Chinese Vegetarian Roast "Duck" with pineapple and peppers, in a sweet, hot sauce made with orange and red pepper jelly, orange juice, soy sauce, whiskey, (I think it was 1/2 cup of the jelly and 2 T. each of the soy sauce and whiskey and orange juice) ginger and garlic:


The "duck" right out of the can





Happy quick cooking!

Sizzling Tofu and Mushroom Stew with Edamamé

Sorry I haven't blogged for days and days, and this is going to be short! I'm making a wedding cake for 250 people (make a couple of large layers every day that I'm home), and there is still this ongoing custody thing going on with my grandchildren that is very stressful and requires alot of time. The trip to Victoria to see Howard and Willow Jeane Lyman again and do some quick demos was a nice break. Victoria is a great little city, easy to walk in, and with some good vegetarian dining. We had a wonderful lunch at the Chinese Buddhist vegan restuarant, The Lotus Pond. We had a spicy TVP dish with peppers on a bed of greens, and an interestingly good chow mein with vegan "ham", corn, and a coconut sauce-- and some veggie potstickers, too!

The banquet at the VIVA 25th Anniversary event was catered by Green Cuisine, and was delicious! There was a delicious Moroccan stew, biryani with nuts, a very tasty pasta salad with tofu, green salad, couscous salad, and an apple and rhubarb crumble with Mario's Gelato vegan Tofulati (a Vancouver company).

When we got home, I made this quick Chinese stew out of my vegan Chinese cookbook, only I substituted a cup of frozen, thawed green soybeans (edamamé) for the peas. This is real comfort food for me!

Printable Recipe
BRYANNA'S SIZZLING TOFU AND MUSHROOM STEW Serves 3-4
© Bryanna Clark Grogan from my book Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen

This is a very quick and easy Chinese hotpot dish, containing ingredients most of us have around all the time.

10 oz. extra-firm tofu, cut into 3/4" cubes
1 T. oil

Tofu Marinade:
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. minced ginger
1 T. dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1/2 T. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. sugar
dash of white pepper

Vegetables:
1 T. oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 large fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. frozen petit pois (baby peas) (I used 1 cup of green soybeans or edamamé this time)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. vegetarian broth

Thickener:
1 T. water
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
1/2 T. cornstarch
Garnish: 1 green onion, chopped

Mix the tofu cubes with the Marinade ingredients and marinate at least 20 minutes, while you prepare the other ingredients and put some rice on to cook.

Heat a large wok, stir-fry pan or heavy frying pan over high heat. When it's hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the tofu and marinade. Stir-fry until the marinade is absorbed and the cubes are glazed. Set aside.

In the same pan (or in a 1 qt. or more Chinese clay pot with wire), heat the second tablespoon of oil over high heat. (Use a heat diffuser under the clay pot.) When the oil is hot, add the garlic and onion and stir-fry until the onion wilts. Add the mushrooms, peas, tofu cubes, and broth. Bring to a boil and then simmer, covered, for about 3 minutes.



Stir in the Thickener. Stir until the broth has thickened. Sprinkle with green onions and serve hot.

Enjoy!

Howard about to try my Soy and Seitan "Ham"
Photo by Fireweed

I met Howard Lyman (author of "The Mad Cowboy" and "No More Bull") and his wonderful wife Willow Jeane in Grand Rapids at the Vegetarian Awakening Chefs' Conference in April (well, I had met him before, but only for a minute). We had a few meals together and I invited them to dinner when they were in my area. Well, they are in the area now and Howard spoke in Courtenay, BC last night; then they are travelling down Vancouver Island to speak in the town of Duncan tonight, I think, and then in Victoria for the Vancouver Island Vegetarian Association (VIVA) 25th anniversary celebration on Saturday, an event at which I am going to be giving cooking demos.

So, I invited them to dinner Tuesday night, while they were having a little mini-vacation-breather at a B&B on Denman Island. I also invited my friends Fireweed and Mike, who are tireless vegan activists, run the Denman Island Vegan Potluck Series, do vegan catering, and are the moving forces behind DI MEOW, a highly successful "trap, neuter, and return" program for cats on Denman Island.

We had a great time with these wonderful people. Please see Howard if he's speaking in your area! Buy his books, and documentary DVD (show it to your group or friends!) He and Willow Jeane are a big-hearted, incredibly well-informed, courageous, and intelligent people. The vegan movement owes alot to them! I was honored to get to know them better.

What did I serve?
I decided on a "down-home" dinner: My Soy and Seitan "Ham" with a brown sugar glaze and pineapple (just like your mom or gramma used to make!); mashed potatoes and my special "ham" gravy; Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Moroccan Spices; organic baby greens and tomatoes with Vegan Black Pepper Ranch Dressing; ruby chard with braised with garlic; vegan "spoonbread"; my Vegan Key Lime Bars; and, since my husband Brian and I just had birthdays, Fireweed's beautiful and delicious vegan chocolate cake (with some Soy Delicious "ice cream").  It was a big success and we all had to retire to the living room for tea and to rest our tummies and talk alot!

Soy and Seitan "Ham"

                                             Vegan Key Lime Bars





Fireweed's vegan chocolate birthday cake

B&B with birthday cake Photo by Fireweed

Photo by Fireweed

Cheers!

On the right, quesadillas filled with leftover Seitan "Steak" au Poivre, my Vegan "Gruyere", and baby spinach

On the left, Vegan "Gruyere" and Mango Quesadillas

On Monday I had a thing about quesadillas. I had breakfast late and I took a couple of corn tortillas out of the freezer. I know, flour tortillas are supposed to be the thing for quesadillas, but I really love corn tortillas. I topped one with slices of my homemade Vegan "Gruyere" (but you could use any vegan "cheese") and fresh mango slices, topped it with another corn tortilla, and then pan-grilled it on both sides in a nonstick pan. I ate it with some storebought corn and tomato salsa...very satisfying.

By the time I was hungry for lunch, I still craved tortillas, so I took a couple more out of the freezer, but this time I sliced one of my leftover Seitan "Steak" au Poivre in half horizontally and paired it with more of the Vegan "Gruyere" and some baby spinach leaves.

I grilled it the same way. Because the "steak" was so peppery, I didn't need salsa with it.

There you have it...nothing dramatic; quick, easy, tasty, healthful. What do you like in quesadillas? Do you prefer corn or flour tortillas?

 Spinach Salad with No-Oil Poppyseed Dressing, featuring radish "ruffles" made in my new Joyce Chen Saladacco Spiral Slicer, a birthday present. (See notes and alternatives below.)

Tonight we had a spinach salad with my husband's favorite dressing, Poppy Seed. I'm going to share this easy, low-fat recipe with you-- it's very similar to the Poppy Seed Dressing that you can buy in bottles, or be served in restaurants, but those versions consist first and foremost of oil and either sugar in excess, or non-vegan honey.

This version is quick and easy and very low in fat; sweet, but not cloying. It’s great on fruit salads, spinach salads, etc... We had it alongside Pommes Frites (French for French fries, but in this case they were oven-fries and also low-fat) and a new dish I tried for the next issue of the Vegan Feast newsletter [update: newsletter is now defunct], Vegan "Steak" au Poivre, made with homemade seitan "beefsteaks".

Steak au Poivre is a classic French dish, usually very heavy on the butter, which was not the case here. The black pepper "crust" is addictive! It is scrumptious, and fast and easy to make, once the juicy seitan "steaks" are made (they freeze well). (UPDATE: The recipe for the "steaks" and the au Poivre is in my new book, World Vegan Feast.)



PS: ABOUT SPIRAL SLICERS: The Joyce Chen Saladacco Spiral Vegetable Slicer mentioned above gets mixed reviews online. It got consistently poor reviews on amazon, but pretty positive ones on cooking.com. I didn't buy mine, it was a gift, and I'm kind of glad I didn't pay the Cnd $30 for it. I like it, but it isn't very heavy-duty. I will just use it for decorative slicing, I think. But, here is a whole page (6 pages printed!) about using the Saladacco properly-- seems a bit much for something that is supposed to be simple. This is a Japanese one, the "Super Spiral Slicer", that is supposed to be a little better, and this one is very similar, but quite a bit cheaper (there are many similar models on the market).

Options?  This is a more expensive one, but it's bound be better than the Saladacco, because a.) it weighs quite a bit more, b.) because of the way you clamp the vegetables on it looks more stable, and c.) that you can just keep spiralling into a bowl and you don't have to empty the device out every few minutes. Oh, and it does thin strands, too.

Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S NO-OIL VEGAN POPPY SEED DRESSING (UPDATED WITH SOY-FREE OPTION)
Makes about 2 cups











In a blender, mix until smooth:

8 ounces medium-firm tofu OR (2/3 of a box) firm or extra-firm SILKEN tofu, crumbled
(For soy-free, omit tofu and instead use 1 cup rinsed and drained cooked or canned white kidney beans or Great Northern beans)
6 tablespoons maple syrup (you may substitute agave nectar for the maple syrup,  but you may need a bit less)
OR half of a 6 ounce can frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
6 tablespoons non-dairy milk
3 tablespoons cider vinegar (or other preferred vinegar-- but *not* red wine or balsamic vinegar; use white wine vinegar, and berry or fruit vinegars are good!)
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 tablespoons wholegrain Dijon mustard
1 scant teaspoon salt

Store in a jar in the refrigerator. This recipe is easily multiplied.

VARIATIONS:
1.) Use the white part of 2 or 3 green onions, or a shallot, instead of the onion.

2.) Use lemon juice instead of vinegar (you could also add a teaspoon of organic lemon zest, if you wish).

4.) Use 3 tablespoons maple syrup and 3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate for the sweetener, and add a teaspoon of organic orange zest, if you wish.

Nutrition Facts (using reduced-fat silken tofu, reduced-fat soymilk, apple juice concentrate, and only 1 tablespoon of poppyseed)
Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 45.2 calories; 18% calories from fat; 1.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 268.3mg sodium; 110.7mg potassium; 7.1g carbohydrates; 0.3g fiber; 0.6g sugar; 2.5g protein.


Enjoy!