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

I love just about anything with peanut butter and chocolate together, and these brownies (actually pretty low in fat) are no exception. They are dark and rich-tasting. (If you are allergic to peanuts, substitute another tasty nut butter-- I would suggest roasted hazelnut butter.) These are easy to make!


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S VEGAN PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL FUDGE BROWNIES
(Soy-Free and can be GF)
Makes 16 squares

BROWNIE BATTER:
3 TBS. oil
3 TBS. boiling water
1 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 c. organic Dutch process cocoa powder (unsweetened)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 TBS. grated orange zest (organic, if possible— orange part only)
1/4 c. water
1 TBS. whole flax seeds OR 1 1/2 TBS. ground flax seed (flax meal)
1TBS. Ener-G egg replacer powder or Orgran No Egg (in my experience, other brands don’t work in this recipe)
1/2 c. regular whole wheat flour or unbleached flour (NOT pastry flour) OR a GF flour mix
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
PEANUT BUTTER SWIRL:
Mix together in a bowl:
1/2 c. natural peanut butter (or you could use other nut butters, such as hazelnut)-- use a brand that is fairly runny, not dry
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. Ener-G Egg Replacer or Orgran No Egg (see note above) beaten with
2 TBS. water
1 TBS. flour
1/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together the oil and boiling water, then whisk in the sugar until dissolved. Whisk in the cocoa, vanilla and orange zest until well combined. Set aside.

Place the 1/4 c. water, flax seeds (or ground flax) and egg replacer in a blender or mix with a stick/immersion blender. Blend on high for several minutes, until the mixture is “gloppy” like slightly beaten egg whites, with little brown flecks of flax skin throughout. Fold this into the cocoa mixture.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and nuts. Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir briefly.

Spread brownie batter in an 8” square baking pan, greased lightly with margarine or sprayed with pan spray or oil from a pump sprayer. (You can line the bottom with baking parchment, if you wish.)

Mix up the Peanut Butter Swirl mixture. Drop the mixture in 9 small “blobs” evenly spaced over the brownie batter.


Swirl the peanut butter mixture through the batter with a knife, as if making a marble cake.


Bake for 25 minutes.

Cool on a rack (yes, you have to wait!), then cut into 16 squares.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per square): 165.6 calories; 34% calories from fat; 6.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 61.7mg sodium; 202.5mg potassium; 25.7g carbohydrates; 2.3g fiber; 18.4g sugar; 23.4g net carbs; 3.2g protein; 3.4 points.

Enjoy!

Above is a series of 3 photos that my husband, Brian Grogan, took last Wednesday when we went for a walk on the south end of our home island, Denman Island, BC, at Boyle Point and Eagle Rock. The herring run is happening now and lots of wildlife about. We could just make out the sea lions congregating on a little uninhabited island off of Hornby Island, the next island over. We could hear them barking, and then a deep, rumbling sound that got louder as we got closer-- it was the bulls roaring! These eagles were on a tree just down from where we were standing.

Here was our view of the water, mountains and Chrome island, the old lighthouse Island, below us:


Something really exciting happened on our way to go shopping on Saturday-- when we were on the ferry there was a pod of Orcas making it's way up Baynes Sound (which separates us from Vancouver Island), no doubt eating herring along the way, and cavorting in the water. I have never seen Orcas firsthand, so it was pretty exciting! Twice, a big one jumped vertically out of the water, showing his or her white belly. We could see a huge dorsal fin sticking up out of the water in the distance-- must have been the Grampa of the group! Unfortunately, we didn't have cameras! It was a fun ride-- the captain went really slowly and everyone on the boat was out of their cars crowding to the railings to watch. Everyone was excited and grinning and it felt very good!

In this ocean-y context, I want to talk a bit about what I substitute for anchovies in my Italian cooking because this pertains to the recipe below. Anchovies are frequently used as a flavor booster-- lots of umami (see here and here)-- in Italian cooking, especially so-called "meatless" cooking. When I was writing my Italian vegan cookbook, Nonna's Italian Kitchen, I noticed that miso has a complex, salty, fermented flavor very much like preserved anchovies. Just like anchovies do, miso provides that mysterious "something" to many dishes, that secret ingredient (umami) that makes a dish taste so delicious, but you can't figure out what it is. I discovered that I can use miso in place of anchovies, at the rate of 3/4-1 tsp. for each fillet, or use an equal amount of miso if anchovy paste is called for. (Of course, this won't work in sauces which consist primarily of anchovies.)

Below is a good example of this usage, a recipe that I pull out when I want a tasty, satisfying meal but have only 10 or 15 minutes to throw it together! I usually have everything already, so all I need is a salad. It's a pasta with a naughty name and a possibly dodgy history, but, oh, it's good!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA’S VEGAN SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA
Servings: 6

This dish with the unrefined name "Spaghetti in the manner of a prostitute" is exceedingly popular-- and so-named perhaps because the “ladies of the night” made it quickly when they had a chance. Anchovies are replaced by miso in this vegan version.

NOTE: This pasta dish is traditionally not eaten with cheese, so don’t worry about a substitute.

1 lb. spaghetti (a good brand)
1-3 T. extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1" piece of dried hot red pepper (or 1/4 tsp. chili flakes)
2 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes, chopped (don’t peel and seed them—that’s where most of the flavor is)
OR a 28 oz. can of good Italian tomatoes, drained (save juice)
2/3 cup pitted and sliced black calamata olives
1 T. capers (optional)
2 T. soy or chickpea miso (not the very dark variety)
2 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Put on a large pot of salted water to boil for the pasta. Pour the drained tomatoes (if using canned) into a bowl and “squish” them up, or break them up, with your fingers.

In a large heavy skillet or pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and hot pepper and cook just until the garlic starts to change color slightly. Add the tomatoes, olives and capers and let simmer while you cook the spaghetti to the al dente stage. (If you are using canned tomatoes and the sauce is too dry, add some of the reserved tomato juice.)

Mash the miso in a small bowl with some of the sauce, then add it back to the sauce and stir well. Taste for salt and pepper. Add the drained pasta, toss well and cook for a minute. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts (calculated using only 1 tablespoon oil)
Nutrition (per serving): 415.4 calories; 23% calories from fat; 11.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 711.7mg sodium; 480.2mg potassium; 68.4g carbohydrates; 4.1g fiber; 6.6g sugar; 64.3g net carbs; 11.7g protein; 8.4 points.

Enjoy!

Shelled hemp seeds

In my last post I said I'd give you my homemade hemp milk recipe, so here it is....

The first recipe is for a very rich, creamy milk that could also be used like cream. It's fairly high in calories. The second recipe is a variation of that recipe, with half the calories and fat, but a nice light beverage. I hope you'll give it a try (maybe in one of the extra recipes that follow)-- it's easy and delicious.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S RICH HOMEMADE HEMP MILK OR CREME
Yield: 3 cups
This recipe produces a creamy, pleasant-tasting, rich white milk (or a light creme) with very little effort. When you strain it, there is very little residue-- just the green covering on the seeds that was left behind. I add some sweetener and salt so that it tastes more like dairy milk, which naturally contains sugar (milk sugars) and sodium.

This is a raw milk, so it must be used within a few days, and it needs to be shaken before use. You can double the recipe if you can use it up in that time. For a longer-lasting milk, you can make it in a soymilk maker that can be used with grains and seeds, such as the SoyQuick Premier Milk Maker 930P.
(Update March 2020: I understand that this company is no longer in operation. Here are some recent reviews of other soymilk makers.)

Ingredients:
3 cups cold boiled or purified water
1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds (sometimes called "hemp nuts")
1 tablespoon light agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon salt
Equipment: (scald everything with boiling water to sanitize before using)
1 blender
1 sieve or strainer
1/ 1 qt. pot or bowl that the strainer will fit into
1 square of very fine (90 weight) cheesecloth to line the strainer, with some overhang
OR you can use a "nut milk bag"
1 whisk
1/ 3-4 cup mason jar with a tight lid

Place the strainer or sieve inside of a pot or bowl, so that it rests on the edge and there is enough room underneath it to hold 3 cups liquid with some room to spare.

Place the water and shelled hemp seeds in the blender and blender on high speed for about 2 minutes.

Pour the blended mixture into your strainer set-up. Let it drip for a few minutes, then bring the cloth up and twist it, squeezing and twisting and "milking" the cloth gently until all of the liquid is released.

You should be left with a thin coating of greenish pulp on the inside of the cloth, which you can rinse off.

To the rich hemp milk in the bowl or pot, add the agave nectar and salt and whisk until dissolved.

Pour the rich hemp milk into the jar, cover and refrigerate. The milk will separate in the refrigerator-- just shake the jar well before using.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per cup): 221.3 calories; 53% calories from fat; 13.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 174.7mg sodium; 0.0mg potassium; 11.8g carbohydrates; 1.3g fiber; 3.8g sugar; 10.5g net carbs; 14.7g protein; 5.2 points.

Lighter Hemp Milk on the Left, and Rich Hemp milk on the Right

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S HOMEMADE LIGHTER HEMP MILK
Yield: 6 cups
This is a pleasant-tasting, light, white milk for drinking and cooking.

For a longer-lasting milk, make the recipe in a soymilk maker that can be used with grains and seeds, such as the SoyQuick Premier Milk Maker 930P. (Update March 2015: I understand that this company is no longer in operation. Here are some recent reviews of other soymilk makers.)

3 cups cold boiled or purified water
1/2 cup shelled hemp seeds (sometimes called "hemp nuts")
3 more cups cold boiled or purified water
2 tablespoons agave nectar (NOTE: Use organic sugar instead of agave if you are using a soy/seed/grain milk maker because the heat will cause acidity in the agave to curdle the hemp milk.)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Equipment: (scald everything with boiling water to sanitize before using)

1 blender
1 sieve or strainer
1/ 1 qt. pot or bowl that the strainer will fit into
1 square of very fine (90 weight) cheesecloth to line the strainer, with some overhang
OR you can use a "nut milk bag"
1 whisk

2/ 3-4 cup mason jars with a tight lid, or a 6-cup glass jug with a lid

Place the strainer or sieve inside of a pot or bowl, so that it rests on the edge and there is enough room underneath it to hold 6 cups liquid with some room to spare.

Place the first 3 cups water and shelled hemp seeds in the blender and blend on high speed for about 2 minutes.

Pour the blended mixture into your strainer set-up. Let it drip for a few minutes, then bring the cloth up and twist it, squeezing and twisting and "milking" the cloth gently until all of the liquid is released. You should be left with a thin coating of greenish pulp on the inside of the cloth, which you can rinse off.

To the hemp milk in the bowl or pot, add the second 3 cups of water, the agave nectar and salt,and whisk well. Pour the hemp milk into the jar, cover and refrigerate. The milk will separate in the refrigerator-- just shake the jar well before using.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per cup): 114.7 calories; 51% calories from fat; 6.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 168.1mg sodium; 0.0mg potassium; 7.2g carbohydrates; 0.7g fiber; 3.2g sugar; 6.5g net carbs; 7.3g protein; 2.7 points.

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS FOR USING YOUR HOMEMADE HEMP MILK:

Top Left: Hemp seeds and homemade hemp milk; Top Right: Hemp Mayonnaise; Bottom Left: Hemp Fruit Shake or Smoothie; Bottom Right: Hemp Milk Latte

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S HEMP MILK LATTE OR MOCHA LATTE
Servings: 1

1/2 cup freshly-brewed, hot espresso (can be decaffeinated)
(see this blog post)
1/2 cup Original or Vanilla commercial hemp milk, or homemade hemp milk (rich or light) , heated gently until almost boiling
sweetener to taste, if desired
Mocha variation:
Use chocolate hemp milk

Mix your sweetener in a coffee cup with the hot espresso. Pour in the hot hemp milk, stir and enjoy!

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 59.5 calories; 58% calories from fat; 3.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 79.3mg sodium; 260.8mg potassium; 3.5g carbohydrates; 0.5g fiber; 3.0g sugar; 3.0g net carbs; 2.8g protein; 1.4 points.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S FRUIT SALAD HEMP SHAKE
Servings: 2

1 1/2 cups Original or Vanilla commercial hemp milk or homemade hemp milk
1 cup frozen sliced mixed fruits and berries (some stores have bags of frozen 5-fruit mixes)
1 medium frozen banana, cut into chunks
2 teaspoons organic sugar or agave nectar (optional)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Blend everything in a blender until smooth. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 222.1 calories; 24% calories from fat; 5.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 90.9mg sodium; 385.3mg potassium; 38.0g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 29.5g sugar; 34.4g net carbs; 5.2g protein; 4.2 points.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S HEMP MILK MAYONNAISE (EGG-FREE)

The pancakes just before we devoured them this morning.

Why a hemp pancake mix?
Below is the recipe for a multi-grain vegan pancake mix that I originally devised for a proposed hemp book. That book 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.

Here are some Hemp Facts from The Hempsters:

"* The Declaration of Independence and US Constitution were drafted on hemp paper.
* The first American Flag was made out of hemp.
* George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp.
* The finest bible paper remains hemp-based even today.
* The first Levi Jeans were made from hemp.
* The canvas on the covered wagons of American pioneers heading west was made of hemp.
* The rigging sails of every ship that sailed the high seas during the 18th and 19th centuries was made of hemp.
* Hemp was money and was used to pay taxes for over 200 years."

Hemp Seeds

"WHY HEMP, YOU ASK?

Hemp can provide a valuable ecological solution to help our civilization transform its economy from relying on non-renewable disappearing resource bases such as petroleum and fossil fuels to a more natural, sustainable economic one, such as plants.

Our reliance on non-renewable fossil fuels releases large amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the environment, which affects our health, our future and our economy and ultimately the sustainability of our species and others on Earth as seen by the dramatic climatic events seen around the globe.

Switching our reliance to a renewable resource such as plants for energy and other materials will help us come back into balance with nature and reduce pollution.

Hemp offers an opportunity to develop agricultural and processing methods that do not harm the environment as it is biodegradable, natural and it will not end up in our landfills."

"WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEMP AND MARIJUANA?

The big difference between hemp and marijuana is the seeds from which it is grown.
Hemp cannot get you “high” as industrial hemp seeds have very minimal THC levels (the psychoactive ingredient), typically less than 0.3%. Canada’s hemp production is regulated by Health Canada through a licensing program where farms that grow hemp are inspected and the crop is tested to ensure the THC levels are below 0.3%."

UPDATE ABOUT GROWING HEMP IN THE USA: "South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster recently signed into law a bill that allows for the growth and sale of hemp. House Bill 3559 establishes a hemp pilot program that will award 20 licenses permitting farmers to grow, harvest and sell hemp in South Carolina. Each grower will be able to cultivate up to 20 acres of the crop.
With the bill signed into law, South Carolina becomes the 31st U.S. state to allow hemp cultivation or pilot programs under the federal 2014 Farm Bill. Its program will be managed by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture." https://news.medicalmarijuanainc.com/south-carolina-becomes-31st-state-legalize-hemp-cultivation/  It has been legal to grow hemp in Canada since mid-1998.

The Hemp Pancake Mix-- you see, it's not green.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S MULTI-GRAIN, HEMP PROTEIN PANCAKE MIX (There are some options if you don't want to use hemp.)

These pancakes can be mixed up in a few minutes and taste almost like the white kind, yet have plenty of fiber and grains in them, plus the goodness of hemp seed!  This is a variation of my Vegan All-American "Buttermilk" Pancake Mix.

Dry Ingredients for Mix—- whisk together well in a large bowl:
3 cup whole wheat pastry flour (use white wheat whole wheat pastry flour, if possible)
1 cup oat flour (you can just grind oatmeal in a dry blender until fine)
3/4 cup corn flour ** (see below) OR millet flour
1/2 cup hemp protein powder
1/4 cup golden flaxseed, ground in a clean, dry blender or electric coffee/spice mill (one that is NOT used for coffee!)
1/4 cup brown rice flour (Brown rice flour can also be made in small amounts in a clean, dry electric coffee/spice grinder. Grind as finely as possible.)
2 tablespoons granulated organic sugar
4 teaspoons Ener-G or Orgran egg replacer powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

Rub in:
1/4 cup oil of your choice

Keep in a tight container, refrigerated. STIR BEFORE MEASURING OUT.


MAKING THE BATTER (stir mix before measuring):
ADD each 2 cups of mix (12-16 pancakes):
1 tablespoon lemon juice plus water to make 1 1/2 cups

ADD to each 1 cup of mix (6-8 pancakes):
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice plus water to make 3/4 cup

ADD to each 2/3 cup of mix (6-4 pancakes):
1 tablespoon lemon juice plus water to make 1/2 cup

ADD to each 1/2 cup of mix (3-4 pancakes):
3/4 teaspoon lemon juice plus water to make 6 tablespoons

To make the pancakes:
Place mix in a medium bowl. Dump the lemon juice and water into the dry ingredients and whisk briefly just until no dry flour is visible-- it will be lumpy and quite thick. Let stand while you heat up your pancake griddle or good, heavy skillet, on top of the stove (I find this makes nicer pancakes than my electric griddle, but it's up to you) and spray with oil from a pump-sprayer ( or rub with an oil-spoaked paper towel) before each batch. Drops of water should sizzle when sprinkled on the surface if it's ready.

Spoon heaping tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the hot, oiled griddle or skillet and spread it out gently to a 4" circle with the back of the spoon. (I used a tiny ladle that holds 1 and 1/2 T. and that was perfect.) Cook until it has puffed a bit, bubbles appear in the surface and the bottoms are golden-brown. Carefully loosen with a spatula (if using a plastic spatula, make sure that it has a nice thin edge on it) and turn over gently. The center will rise a bit and be firm, and the other side golden when done. Don't overcook, or they fall and are heavy.


Serve on warm plates topping of your choice. Yum!
© Bryanna Clark Grogan 2008

Servings: 16
Yield: (4 batches of 12-16 pancakes-- each batch of 2 cups mix)

Nutrition Facts (Nutrition facts are for 1/2 cup mix, which makes 4 small pancakes)
Nutrition (per serving): 247.2 calories; 26% calories from fat; 7.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 400.2mg sodium; 237.2mg potassium; 38.9g carbohydrates; 6.0g fiber; 2.0g sugar; 32.9g net carbs; 8.3g protein; 4.8 points.

Cooking Tips
**Corn Flour:
Corn flour is not the same as cornstarch (confusingly, what we call "cornstarch" in North America is referred to as "corn flour" in the UK)- it's very finely-ground yellow cornmeal. I can find it in the Asian or Indian section of my supermarkets, but also look for it in Indian (East Asian) markets and health food stores.

If you can't find corn flour, or if you prefer to use organic products, grind the finest yellow cornmeal you can find in a clean coffee/spice mill until it is powdery (this is important), or grind yellow cornmeal on the finest setting of your electric grain mill (I had to run it through mine twice).

Enjoy!

Update February 2021: I've added some substitutions to the recipe for a lower-sugar, lower-glycemic version.


Homemade vegan peanut butter cookies

Low-fat peanut butter cookies? Well, not exactly, but lower in fat (especially the saturated kind) than most. Mine are also made with whole grain flour, which provides more nutrients and fiber.

I used a combination of applesauce and syrup instead of the extra fat used in the standard recipe, relying only on the fat in the peanut butter itself. Applesauce only makes too soft a cookie, and all syrup makes a cookie that's too crispy.

Unfortunately, I didn't have any chocolate left over from Valentine's Day to make the peanut Blossom Cookie version to photograph, but they are my favorite.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CHEWY VEGAN LOWER-FAT PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (WITH CHOCOLATE PEANUT BLOSSOM COOKIE VARIATION)
Yield: 30 cookies
A lower-fat, vegan version peanut butter cookies, AND a variation with the "Hershey Kisses" in the middle that I used to love so much-- except that instead of the "kisses" I use organic vegan dark chocolate chunks or chips.

DRY MIX:
1 3/4 cups wholewheat PASTRY flour (OR, for low-glycemic, try a mixture of 1 cup whole spelt  flour + 1/2 cup oat flour + 1/4 cup chickpea flour)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
OPTIONAL: 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts
WET MIX:
1/2 cup light organic granulated sugar OR your favorite granulated sugar substitute
1/2 cup brown sugar OR your favorite brown sugar substitute (see https://bit.ly/37naWBh )
1/4 cup smooth unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 tablespoon Ener-G or Orgran egg replacer powder
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
ADDITIONAL:
Coarse organic unbleached sugar for rolling

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Whisk the Dry Mix ingredients together well in a medium bowl. (If using the peanuts, stir them in.)

In a food processor, beat the Wet Mix ingredients together til smooth. Add to the Wet Mix to the Dry Mix ingredients in the bowl and mix well. Refrigerate the dough in the covered bowl for several hours (or place in the freezer until the dough is firm, if you are in a hurry!)

Divide the dough into 30 even pieces and quickly roll each into a ball (or as close to a ball shape as you can!), then roll in the coarse unbleached sugar. Place on nonstick or parchment-lined cookie sheets. Use the tines of a fork to press down the dough a little in one direction, and then the other, to make a grid design.

Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes, or until they are starting to brown on the bottom. Remove pans from the oven and let cool for about 3 minutes, then carefully place the cookies on racks with a spatula to cool thoroughly.

Cool on racks.

VARIATION:
BRYANNA'S CHEWY VEGAN LOWER-FAT PEANUT BLOSSOM COOKIES:

You will need:
30/ 1/2-inch chunks of 70% organic vegan chocolate  (OR you could use 3 or 4 organic, dairy-free, low-sugar chocolate chips on each cookie instead)

Follow the directions for making the dough and chilling it. Do not press down the cookie balls with a fork as directed above. Instead, leave them in the ball shape. Immediately after removing from the oven, top each cookie with a chunk of chocolate while still hot. Place in the turned-off oven for a few minutes to soften the chocolate. Then cool as directed above.

Yield: 30 cookies
(NOTE: These facts are from the original recipe, not the optional substitutes.)

I'm mixing the Far East with the Middle East today! It's almost a year since I did a blog post on baby bok choy-- they are so tempting this time of year! The flavor is much sweeter than in mature bok choy and I didn't want a sauce that would compete with or overpower that sweetness. So this stir-fry is a mild Cantonese-style dish. We ate the whole thing between the two of us!




Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S STIR-FRIED SOY CURLS® (OR OTHER CHICKEN SUB) AND BABY BOK CHOY (WW Core Plan Compatible)
Servings: 3

Baby bok choy are appealing and delicious, as well as nutritious, in this quick stir-fry. Serve with steamed brown basmati rice for a satisfying meal!

Have Ready:
1 lb baby bok choy, washed, drained and sliced in half lengthwise (purchase the kind that are only 2-3"long for this recipe)
2 cups (2 oz. dry) drained, reconstituted Soy Curls® or other vegan chicken sub, in slices (see here for info on Soy Curls® and how to reconstitute)
Aromatics:
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and thinly-sliced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Cooking Sauce: (whisk together in a small bowl)
1/2 cup vegetarian broth
1 tablespoon Vegetarian "Oyster Sauce" (such as Lee Kum Kee "Vegetarian Stir-fry Sauce"-- see here for info and a homemade recipe)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon organic granulated sugar
Thickener:
1 tablespoon cornstarch (organic is available) mixed with
1/2 cup water

Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or skillet. Add the Aromatics (chopped green onions and garlic) and stir-fry for a couple of minutes. Add the Soy Curls® or other sliced vegan chicken sub and stir-fry for a few more minutes over high heat.

Add the prepared bok choy and stir-fry until the bok choy starts to wilt. Add the Cooking Sauce and stir to coat all of the ingredients and to heat. Quickly add the Thickener and stir quickly. Remove from heat and serve immediately with hot rice.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 169.1 calories; 43% calories from fat; 8.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 449.6mg sodium; 500.0mg potassium; 14.9g carbohydrates; 4.5g fiber; 4.8g sugar; 10.4g net carbs; 10.3g protein; 3.2 points.

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

NOW, ABOUT THAT LOW-FAT BAKED FELAFEL THAT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE SAWDUST......



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S QUICK AND EASY LOW-FAT FELAFEL WITH CREAMY TOFU/TAHINI MINT SAUCE

This is a "cheat" recipe-- it uses a mix! But it's worth it if, like me, you rarely eat felafel because of the oil involved. There is an excellent felafel mix made by a Lebanese company, Cedar, that I like. However, if you can't find it, it seems that there are any number of Middle Eastern brands out there. Use one that just soaks in water for an hour before cooking. All you do with these mixes is add water and let it stand for an hour. Then you form the mix into patties and fry. The trouble is, I'd rather not fry if I don't have to! So, I found a way to enjoy these without the oil-- steaming them, and then oven-frying! (Unfortunately, I don't have the nutritional analysis for these.) The steaming cooks them thoroughly and makes them moist inside. Not quite as good as fried, but almost!

1 box or package of your favorite felafel (falafel) mix (whatever brand you like-- I'm not crazy about the Fantastic Foods brand; I prefer the Cedar brand)
water (the amount instructed on the box or package)

Creamy Tofu/Tahini Mint Sauce:
2/3 cup (5.25 oz.) firm or extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or organic bottled)
2 tablespoons tahini
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried mint (or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch sugar

Mix the felafel mix and water in a large bowl. Let stand for an hour (it can sit longer).

While the mixture stands, make the Sauce.

Mix the sauce ingredients until VERY smooth in a blender or food processor. Scoop the sauce into a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate until serving time.

When the mixture has soaked for an hour or more:

Make small patties out of the mixture (these are easier to cook than balls).

Place the patties, not touching, on oiled steaming plates or baskets, with small holes in them, not grates. You can also use a collapsible metal steamer; a Chinese stacking steamer pot in stainless steel; or Chinese bamboo stacking steamers to use in a wok or stirfry pan.  If using bamboo baskets, line them with cooking parchment cut to fit, or parchment steamer liners.

If you have no streaming apparatus, place the patties on dinner plates lined with cooking parchment. The plate can be balanced on two chopsticks placed across the inside of a wok or stir-fry pan (or 4 chopsticks, "tic-tac-toe" style). (You'll have to steam one plate at a time.) Cover with a domed lid while steaming.

You can improvise a steamer using a large pot with a tight lid. An electric skillet with a collapsible steamer basket also makes a good steamer. The lid should be 1 to 2" above the food so that the steam can circulate around the food. The food should be supported at least 1" above the simmering water.

Steam the patties over barely boiling water, covered, for 10 minutes. You can do this ahead of time and then oven-fry them later, if you like.



Let the patties cool until they are easier to handle. In the meantime, heat the oven to 500°F.

Place the patties on dark cookie sheets (they brown better than shiny ones) sprayed or brushed lightly with olive oil. Spray or brush the tops with olive oil, too. Bake for 5 minutes, or until the bottoms are crispy and golden-brown. Flip them over gently and bake for 3-5 minutes more, to brown the other side.



Serve immediately with the Sauce.

Enjoy!

I work on recipes so often that I often forget to make old favorites, but I've been making this recipe  (from a book of mine circa 1999) often these days as a low-fat snack. It's a spread that's super-easy to make, and it's great on toast (for breakfast), in celery sticks (an old favorite), or just on crackers.

**This spread is also delicious used as a filling for grilled (vegan) cheeze sandwiches-- why didn't I think of that before? This spread doesn't melt, but that doesn't matter, because it is already soft and creamy like melted cheese, so the grilling just heats it up. Yum!


** Another variation-Vegan Cheeze Sauce: If you thin out 1 cup of the spread with 1/2 cup nondairy milk, it makes a great "Cheddar-y Cheese Sauce". (Whisk it well until it's smooth. This can be heated gently.) We loved it on steamed broccoli.


Give this recipe a whirl (not to make a pun!)... it's definitely a keeper.

Printable Recipe
Recipe adapted from from my book "Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause".

12.3 oz (1 box) extra-firm SILKEN tofu, crumbled (OR 1 lb. medium firm tofu or Chinese "Traditional" Tofu, pressed or squeezed to make 12 oz.- 12.3 oz.)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or organic bottled)
1 1/2 tablespoons miso (medium brown)
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon paprika (or use all or half smoked paprika [pimenton])
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder

Mix all the ingredients in a food processor until VERY smooth.

Spoon into a covered container and refrigerate several hours to firm up and meld the flavors (overnight would be ideal). Keeps refrigerated about 1 week.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 35 calories; 1.5g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 175mg sodium; 100mg potassium; 2.5g carbohydrates; 1.0g fiber; 0.5g sugar; 2g net carbs; 3.5g protein; 0.8 points.

Enjoy!

Pardon the terrible photo-- I tried to clean it up, but it's still not very good! There wasn't much light!

Okay, this is NOT a low-fat recipe, but, hey, once in a while you have to have peanut sauce!

I want to apologize for not blogging much these last few weeks-- been a bit overwhelmed with things, including family stuff (all good!). I must confess that I have not been cooking anything very exciting. I hope that will change soon!

This recipe is adapted from one in Bon Appetit magazine, so it's a good example of using a recipe idea and utilizing what you have in the house or garden to make a new dish.

What inspired me to make it was finding some viable kale still growing in the garden after the snow melted! The original recipe called for zucchini, but I had butternut squash, which I think is a better color contrast anyway, and I like the melty richness of it. I thought the sauce needed a bit more zest, and made it accordingly, thinning it out a little more, as well.

The cooking method for the veggies was a bit strange-- grilling. I used my oven's broiler instead, with good results. My kale was nice and small and tender, so it was pretty good cooked that way. If the kale had been older, I think I would have stir-fried/braised it in a pan with some oil.

We all loved it, and I hope you will, too!

Printable Recipe

NOODLES WITH PEANUT SAUCE AND BROILED KALE AND BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Servings: 8

This was a big hit with DH and my friend Holly. If you prefer, you can have all the ingredients heated and serve the dish hot instead of at room temperature.

1 cup chunky peanut butter
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbs unseasoned rice vinegar
2-3 Tbs soy sauce (to taste)
2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds
2 Tbs chopped peeled fresh ginger
3 cloves, garlic, peeled
1 Tbs Thai or Vietnamese hot chili sauce (no fish), such as Sriracha
12 oz dried udon noodles or egg-free (flour and water) Chinese noodles (gan mian or ji mian) or spaghettini
1 1/4 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick slices, about 1" x1/2"
12 oz small, tender, green curly kale, stems removed, cut into wide slices
oil in a pump sprayer
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts

Blend the peanut butter, water, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, sesame seeds, ginger, garlic, and chili sauce in blender or food processor until smooth, adding more water by tablespoonfuls if too thick. Set aside until ready to serve. This sauce can be made 1 day ahead, in which case cover and refrigerate; then bring to room temperature before serving.

Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain the noodles in a colander, running hot water over them. Set aside in the sink to drain..

Place the squash pieces in one layer on a large cookie sheet, spray lightly with oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil about 3" under the heat source until the squash tender and slightly charred, on both sides. Add the kale on top of the squash, spray with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Broil briefly until the kale is tender and a little brown around edges. Watch it carefully-- it doesn't take long!

ALTERNATELY, you can stir-fry the kale in a bit of oil until tender.

Toss the drained cooked noodles, green onions, and peanut sauce in large bowl. Divide noodle mixture among 8 bowls. Top noodle mixture with squash and kale. Sprinkle each serving with chopped peanuts. (This is served at room temperature.)

Servings: 8

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 501.1 calories; 37% calories from fat; 22.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 325.6mg sodium; 969.8mg potassium; 65.8g carbohydrates; 7.7g fiber; 11.8g sugar; 58.1g net carbs; 17.1g protein; 11.1 points.


Enjoy!

Vegan Vietnamese "Fisherman's Soup" (UPDATE: the recipe is in my new book World Vegan Feast)

My first blog post of 2009-- didn't think it would be this late! I'm afraid I've been in a bit of a funk, being snowed in etc.. I've been cogitating on the whole business of cooking and writing and the recession and agriculture and global warming......I was thinking about how I started out, as a young mother with four kids, living the "homesteading" life of the 70's, with very little money and alot of good intentions.

I had always cooked, ever since I can remember, and I was lucky to grow up in California, exposed to the foods of many cultures. I could make a good meal with whatever we had around. Although I could not afford to eat in expensive restaurants, I read copiously about food and cooking and experimented as much as possible.

Eventually I started writing newspaper columns and teaching classes, and that led to writing books and doing workshops, even opening a restaurant at one point. Along came the internet and, now a grandmother, I had to learn a whole new way of communicating!

It is easy to get sucked into the so-called "glamour" of the cooking business-- although most of it is hard work, often solitary, and messy at that! Cooks and cookbook writers almost have to be celebrities these days! And we seem to have to find more exotic and rarefied ingredients to keep people interested.

But is that really wise, I wonder, with the global economy slipping, with global warming? I'm not necessarily advocating the "100-mile diet" (which, in my neck of the woods, would leave a vegan with not a heck of alot of choices in the winter!).  Read what Earthsave Canada's David Steele writes on that subject here.  What I am advocating is learning to cook, for one thing, and learning to cook well from a more limited pantry. Great cooks all over the world have done this from time immemorial. (UPDATE: Check your library for the books "Just Food" and "How Bad are Bananas: The Carbon Footprint of Everything" .)

I wrote this in my book "Nonna's Italian Kitchen":

"One of the first things I realized when I began doing research for this book was that you don't have to have a pantry full of exotic ingredients in order to cook Italian. I found that I was using a fairly modest list of ingredients over and over again to create an infinite number of dishes.

With dry pasta, good extra-virgin olive oil, good-quality canned tomatoes, dried chickpeas, lentils, cannellini (white kidney) and romano (or pinto or cranberry) beans, arborio and long-grain rice, cornmeal, red wine vinegar and balsamic vinegar, lemons, onions, garlic, celery, a few carrots, some good-quality vegetarian broth cubes, salt and peppercorns, and a few herbs, perhaps some wine, you can be ready for anything. What makes the cusine complex is the use of fine quality ingredients, and the way these ingredients are combined, adding fresh in-season produce and fresh crusty Italian bread.

Italian cooks plan their menus around what vegetables and fruits are in season or available that day, and always have the above-mentioned items on hand. This can be a very liberating concept to North American shoppers-- going to the market without a detailed list!"

About those "fine quality ingredients"-- you don't need to buy mail-ordered [from Italy] "artisan-made" pasta extruded through bronze dies, and "estate-bottled" olive oil and balsamic vinegar at upwards of $60 a bottle!. (It seems to me that as soon as what was once an impossible-to-find ingredient becomes readily available, the "food gurus" introduce a few more rare and expensive ingredients. This keeps so-called gourmet cooking in the realm of the elite.) Buy the best that you can afford, grow your own herbs, buy fresh produce from a good vendor (and grow some of your own, or buy locally). If you have time, make your own pasta, broth and bread, but, if you don't have time, experiment until you find some ready-made that fits both your budget and your taste buds-- it can be done!

And, if we don't always have the "right" ingredient, use what you do have-- in my book "Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen", I wrote:

"After all, Chinese cooks are nothing if not inventive, and have always worked wonders with whatever ingredients were available to them in the far-off countries to which they have emigrated over the years. The most important ingredients have always been fresh, good-quality vegetables."

I think it's inevitable that we WILL have to cook with a more limited pantry and many of us with a limited budget. For those who don't learn to cook, this will mean poorer health, because they will probably fall even deeper into the fast-food trap. Those of us who love to cook, and those willing to learn to cook, or to cook differently, will fare better. And we can eat wonderful food-- look at the peasant cuisines around the world!

Anyway, I'm rambling, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Home cooking has always been my strong suit and vegan home cooking has been a real exploration for me. I've also been eager to make delicious home cooking accessible for those of us with little time, and those of us who want to eat more healthfully and without a dependence on fat for flavor. So, I'll keep exploring for the next generation of cooks. (Notice my new subtitle?)

Happy New Year!