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

UPDATE: For recipes using this Lemon Curd, see my recipe for Creamy Vegan Lemon Curd Ice Cream with Rhubarb/Ginger Jam Swirl



and The Blooming Platter's Betsy DiJulio's recipes for Vegan Lemon Verbena Shortbread Sandwich Cookies with Vegan Lemon Curd Filling and Vegan Basil-Blueberry and Lemon Curd Ice Cream (with Lemonade Cooler Option).
This sweet spread is adapted from a recipe by food writer William Woys Weaver. It's a really novel recipe using parsnips, of all things, as the base! That intrigued me, because it sounded a lot more healthful than a sugar/cornstarch mixture (although I do have a recipe for that type of vegan lemon curd, because I don't always have parsnips around the house!). However, I found his recipe way too sweet and not lemony enough, plus I wanted to make it quickly, so here's my version.

BTW, parsnips are virtually fat-free and very low in calories (only 60 calories in 1/2 cup when cooked). Parsnips are a good source of folate and also contains some iron. This root vegetable is also a source of magnesium, potassium, vitamin C and pantothenic acid. 1 cup of cooked parsnips gives you a hefty 6.4 grams of fiber, too!

The finished product

                              Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S QUICK VEGETABLE-BASED VEGAN LEMON (OR LIME) CURD
Yield: 2 1/4 cups

This lemon curd is delicious in tarts, as a cake filling, or as a spread on scones. NOTE: You can add a tiny bit of  natural food coloring for a more yellow or green look, if you like! (Here's another brand and one more.) You can also devise your own natural food color from your kitchen. For instance, some kale or spinach juice (from raw greens) can be used for a green color; or a bit of saffron water (soak a bit of saffron in hot water), or carrot or yellow beet juice to make the lemon curd a bit brighter yellow (you don't need much of either).  Here's an article on making food colorings.

NOTE: if you don't have a microwave oven, steam the cubed parsnips until tender instead of microwaving them, and cook the processed mixture in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking all the time, until thick and glossy. Proceed frm there as instructed in the recipe.

1 lb parsnips, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cup light granulated unbleached organic sugar
3 tablespoons vegan butter (try my homemade palm oil-free vegan "Buttah")
3/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon or lime juice (or you can use bottled organic juice)
finely grated zest of two large organic lemons or limes
1 pinch turmeric
1 tablespoon more lemon or lime juice

Microwave the parsnips with 1 cup water in a covered 2-qt. Pyrex dish for 10 minutes, or til very tender.

Drain if necessary and place in a food processor with the remaining ingredients, except for the last tablespoon juice. Process until very smooth.

Scrape the mixture into a 2 qt microwave-proof bowl. Microwave on 100% power for 4 1/2  minutes, uncovered. Whisk until smooth and microwave on 100% power for 4 1/2 minutes more. It should be thick and glossy. Add the remaining tablespoon juice and whisk vigorously for a minute or two. Scoop the mixture into a jar or dish, cover and refrigerate. Keeps 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts 
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 100.3 calories; 14% calories from fat; 1.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 11.7mg sodium; 110.0mg potassium; 22.2g carbohydrates; 1.3g fiber; 18.1g sugar; 20.9g net carbs; 0.4g protein.






Enjoy!

What is Vegan MoFo? Click here to find out!





We had our Thanksgiving dinner last night with 3 vegan couples, good friends and fellow food-lovers. We had a great time and ate way too much, as usual! One really nice thing about the meal was that most of the vegetables and fruits-- the chard, the squash, the potatoes, the apples, the pears, the chantarelles, the beets, even the gourds decorating the table-- were locally grown (mostly by ourselves or our friends) and organic!

I made most of the meal, but I spread it out over the week, making the "Turkey" 4 days ahead, the stuffing, Cashew creme Topping, and Pear Cranberry Sauce 2 days ahead, and the Tofu Pot Pie and pastry for the tart the night before.

Our menu this year was:

Chard and Apple Salad with Maple-Glazed Butternut Squash and Raspberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette (recipe below)



Soy and Seitan "Turkey"

Tofu Pot Pie

Traditional Sage and Onion Bread Stuffing

Pelka's Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

Rich Brown Gravy

Pelka's Orange and Wine-Glazed Beets

Pear Cranberry Sauce



Italian Pear Tart with Cashew Creme Topping



Sarah's Vegan Steamed Pumpkin Pudding with Pecan Topping and Brown Sugar Sauce


Sarah's Steamed Pumpkin Pudding was absolutely stunning and scrumptious!

I'd like to share the salad recipe with you. I wanted to use our chard and a nice local butternut squash that I had, and I needed a salad, so this is what I came up with. It was super-delicious and a big hit!



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S CHARD AND APPLE SALAD WITH MAPLE-BRAISED BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND RASPBERRY-BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
Servings: 4-8

Salad:
8 oz. Swiss chard (Ruby chard is nice), washed and spun, and thinly sliced
2 medium apples (crisp ones), thinly-sliced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Squash:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cups cubed, peeled butternut squash
1 tablespoon soy bacon bits or chips
1/4 teaspoon salt
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons maple syrup
OPTIONAL:
8 oz thickly-sliced chanterelle mushrooms, sauteed in 1 tablespoon Earth Balance
Raspberry-Balsamic Vinaigrette: (you can make this ahead of time)
4 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons mashed fresh or frozen, thawed raspberries (unsweetened)
1/3 cup aquafaba or Fat-Free Oil Substitute for Salad Dressings
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 tablespoon agave nectar
1/2 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
3/8 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, crushed
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

In a large bowl, mix together the chard, apples and lemon jujice. Cover and set aside in a cool place.

Heat the olive oil for the squash in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the squash cubes and soy bacon bits, the salt and pepper. Quickly brown the squash a bit on all sides, then turn the heat to medium, cover, and braise for about 10 minutes, or until the squash is cooked through but not mushy. Check it every few minutes. Stir in the maple syrup and turn up the heat, stirring gently to glaze the squash cubes. remove from heat.

To make the Vinaigrette, mix all of the ingredients together and whisk, blend or shake.

Divide the chard-apple mixture between your plates and then top each with some of the squash. If you are using the optional chantarelles, top the squash with them. Drizzle each portion with a little of the Vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 138.9 calories; 45% calories from fat; 7.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 229.0mg sodium; 381.5mg potassium; 19.7g carbohydrates; 2.7g fiber; 10.4g sugar; 17.0g net carbs; 1.5g protein; 2.8 points.

For 4 larger servings, the Nutrition Facts are: Nutrition (per serving): 277.8 calories; 45% calories from fat; 14.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 457.9mg sodium; 763.1mg potassium; 39.4g carbohydrates; 5.5g fiber; 20.7g sugar; 34.0g net carbs; 3.0g protein; 6.0 points.

For 6 servings: Nutrition (per serving): 185.2 calories; 45% calories from fat; 9.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 305.3mg sodium; 508.7mg potassium; 26.3g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 13.8g sugar; 22.6g net carbs; 2.0g protein; 3.8 points.


Enjoy!

What is Vegan MoFo? Click here to find out!

BTW, I'm not posting on weekends during vegan MoFo!


My high-Fiber Gluten-Free Yeast Bread, baked and photographed by Brenda Wiley.

I am not, as you probably noticed, gluten-intolerant. But several years ago, a friend who is asked me for a good gluten-free bread recipe, because the commercial brands were very expensive (up to $9 a loaf in our area), and not very good. I searched many books and website, and most of the bread recipes I found were not very high in fiber, and contained alot of eggs for structure. So, I did some research and came up with a High-Fiber Gluten-Free Flour Mix (I was doing my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook" at the time), which can be used for breads, but also muffins, cakes, cookies, etc.. I had intended to include it in that book, but there wasn't room. So, it hasn't been published anywhere-- just sent to friends or readers who requested it.

I used the flour mix in the yeast bread and produced a loaf that my husband and I (both NOT gluten-intolerant) liked-- the taste and texture were good. I posted the recipe for my newsletter subscribers on their forum, and Brenda Wiley, an adventurous cook and author of the tofu-making page on my website (which is soon migrating to her own in-progress website), was curious about it.

She has recently been bitten by the webpage-building bug, and is creating her own breadmaking site. Her husband is gluten-intolerant, so she had tried my bread recipe, among several others. Here is what she says about it:

"My husband is gluten intolerant, so over the past few years I have discovered how totally different eating gluten free can be. Many items I have tried are "ok for gluten free", but not items I would make just to enjoy for myself (who is able to eat gluten without problems).

Then I found this bread recipe. This is honestly THE BEST gluten free bread I've tried (and I've gone through a lot of different recipes). This bread is tasty and enjoyable in its own right ... gluten free or not!"

AND:

"Her development of a gluten free yeast bread is quite an accomplishment. As noted in other parts of this web site, it is the gluten that gives yeast bread its most wonderful taste and texture. Bryanna has a winner of a recipe here: a tasty bread with wonderful texture."

I consider this high praise from a fine cook! You can find the recipes for the Gluten-Free High-Fiber Flour Mix, and my Gluten-Free High-Fiber Bread on Brenda's website. And there are more things to peruse, with lots more to come! So, if you like to make healthful breads, bookmark Brenda's website and check back often!


Meeting Brenda Wiley at the 2006 Vegetarian Awakening Conference.

Thank you, Brenda!
Enjoy!

Homemade ketchup? It's super-easy!

This is an old recipe of mine, slightly revised over about 15 years time, but it's never really been published anywhere. It's easily and quickly made from ingredients you probably have around the house. Okay, it's not made totally "from scratch", as it would be if you started with fresh tomatoes. But most of the year we don't have good fresh tomatoes, and if I can find them I just want to eat them, not make them into ketchup!

But you can tailor this recipe to your family's tastes, and to allergies that family members may have, as well. You can use supermarket ingredients, or organic ingredients. Judging by the price of organic tomato paste and organic frozen OJ (from my Web searches), this would be almost $1 cheaper per 24 oz. to make with organic ingredients than it would be to buy commercial organic ketchup, and it's nice to be in control, too! It also happens to taste great, too, and you can make it more tart, or more sweet, according to how YOU like it!

NOTE: You can turn this into your own gourmet ketchup by adding liquid smoke, chipotle chilies, curry, using gourmet vinegars,etc.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S QUICK FRUIT-SWEETENED KETCHUP
Yield: about 1 quart
This recipe passed the teenage taste-test some years ago, carried out by three male members of my in-house Heinz ketchup cult of food-disguising (aka, my son and stepsons when they were teenagers), plus it has the approval of DH, who is a ketchup maniac!

1 1/4 cups water
2 small (5.5 oz.) cans tomato paste
1 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (If you have no OJ concentrate, try using about 1/2 a cup of citrusy agave nectar, but you might need to add more vinegar after the mixture has cooked down.)
1/3 cup vinegar (any kind-- I prefer apple cider vinegar) OR lemon juice
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
freshly-ground black pepper to taste, if desired
1 bay leaf
OPTIONAL:
1/4 cup dark (amber) agave nectar, if you like it sweeter (add after simmering-- taste first)
NOTE:
In case of a citrus allergy, use apple, pear or pineapple juice concentrate instead of orange-- but you might need a tiny bit more vinegar to achieve the right tartness.

Whisk together the water, tomato paste, and orange juice concentrate in a medium bowl.



Whisk in the vinegar or lemon juice, along with the salt and seasonings (except the bay leaf). Pour the mixture into a large nonstick, cast iron, or stainless steel skillet. (The reason you use a skillet is that the wide surface makes the mixture cook down faster.)

NOTE: A plain stainless steel pan tends to have "hot spots," which makes food cook unevenly and stick and scorch. So, a layer of heat-conducting metal, such as aluminum, is often bonded to the bottom of the pan in order to conduct the heat evenly over the entire area and provide even cooking without hot spots. Or the pan can be made from two thin sheets of stainless with a middle layer of aluminum. If you use a stainless steel skillet, make sure it is made in one of the above two ways.



Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil, watching carefully, because it will spit! Immediately turn the heat down and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time.



Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the mixture and add the optional agave nectar, if you wish. Pour into clean jars or bottles. It will keep 2 months refrigerated. Otherwise, seal and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.

Nutrition Facts (Nutrition Facts calculated with optional agave nectar added.)
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 22.8 calories; 2% calories from fat; 0.1g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 89.4mg sodium; 153.2mg potassium; 5.7g carbohydrates; 0.5g fiber; 4.6g sugar; 5.2g net carbs; 0.6g protein; 0.4 points.


Enjoy!

Do you like doughnuts? Silly question--who doesn't? I love them, but I rarely eat them from doughnut shops and bakeries because they are a.) fried, probably in questionable fat, and b.) usually not vegan. But, over the years, I have discovered two ways to make yummy vegan doughnuts without frying them.

It took quite a bit of experimenting because "veganizing" the baked doughnut recipes that I found did not seem to work, so I had to start from scratch. Below is what I have come up with, and the recipes are open to variation!

RECIPE #1:



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S BAKED MAPLE-SPICE CAKE DOUGHNUTS (Wheat-free? Possibly!)
Yield: 12 doughnuts

If you are lucky enough to have some of those black, nonstick baked doughnut pans (you need two pans for this recipe, or you can make 2 batches in succession), you are in for a treat! These are truly satisfying for doughnut cravings! WHEAT-FREE VERSION? I haven't tried this yet, but I think this recipe would work with my High-Fiber Gluten-Free Flour Mix in place of the pastry flour— see recipe here.

Liquid Mixture:
1 cup soymilk
1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
2/3 cup light unbleached sugar
2 Tbs oil
1 tsp vanilla
Dry Mixture:
2 cups cake or pastry flour (white or wholewheat, or a mixture)
1/4 cup soy or chickpea flour
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/2 tsp freshly-ground nutmeg
Glaze and Topping
1 cup organic powdered (icing) sugar
1/4 cup real maple syrup (Grade B is good)
1 cup chopped roasted nuts of choice (walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts/filberts are excellent choices)

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Spray the pans (see photo of pans below recipe) with an oil pump-spray bottle and sprinkle each one with a little unbleached sugar (this makes the bottoms crispy).

Beat the liquid ingredients together in a medium bowl. Whisk the dry ingredients together in another smaller bowl, then add to the liquid ingredients and stir briefly, just to mix.

Divide the batter evenly between 2 nonstick doughnut pans and smooth it out evenly (use about 3 Tbs. batter per doughnut). Bake 15 minutes. Remove the doughnuts to a rack to cool.

Whisk together the sugar and maple syrup. Dip the doughnuts in the glaze, or spread it over the top of the doughnuts. Sprinkle the tops with chopped roasted nuts while the glaze is still wet.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per doughnut): 227.1 calories; 36% calories from fat; 9.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 184.0mg sodium; 172.3mg potassium; 33.5g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 16.2g sugar; 4.5g protein; 4.6 points.



Nonstick doughnut pan


RECIPE #2:



Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN MINI DONUT MAKER DOUGHNUTS
Yield: 30 small doughnuts

I found one of those old Salton mini donut makers at a thrift store. It looks like a big white doughnut and has 6 nonstick doughnut-shaped depressions for the dough, with a lid with matching depressions that comes down over it.  There are quite a few new models on the market now-- for example, here and here and  another one.




Also look for these in thrift stores, at garage sale, or online auctions, etc.

Most of the recipes I found online contain not only eggs, but a fair amount of fat. I have been experimenting with vegan doughs and have found out that, contrary to the directions for this type of machine (other companies make similar ones), a pourable vegan batter does NOT work. You need a thicker batter. It's a bit more trouble spooning the batter into the bottom depressions than pouring it, but it works beautifully! This batter contains no added fat, but the doughnuts are tender and tasty.

Cooking Tips
Glaze these doughnuts with a plain glaze of organic powdered sugar and hot water (1/2 cup powdered sugar and start with 1 tbs. boiling water-- mix, adding more water as necessary, but in minute amounts, until a dipping consistency), or any favorite glaze. Then they can be dipped in colored sugar, etc., if you wish. OR use a chocolate icing. OR brush with melted Earth Balance and dip in cinnamon sugar.

WET MIX:
8 oz medium-firm tofu OR extra-firm SILKEN tofu
3/4 cup vegan sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs vinegar or lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp almond extract
DRY MIX:
1 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
6 Tbs corn flour (grind cornmeal in a coffee mill until fine, if necessary)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp powdered ginger

VARIATIONS:
Spicier Version:
Use brown sugar, if you like. Use 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger, and 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg. Optional is 1/4 tsp. ground cloves or allspice.
Chocolate Version:
In the basic version, use 6 Tbs. organic cocoa instead of the corn flour. Omit spices and almond extract and use 1 Tbs. vanilla. You can use cold liquid coffee or coffee substitute instead of water

Instructions:
Plug in your donut maker. Spray the top and bottom depressions well with oil from a oil pump sprayer. Close the lid and let heat for about 10 minutes.

Blend the Wet Mix ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth. Whisk the Dry Mix ingredients well in a medium bowl. Add the wet mix and whisk in just until blended-- briefly, like a muffin batter.

When ready to cook, scoop out EXACTLY 1 level Tbs. of batter (use a measuring tablespoon, not a soup spoon) and use your finger to scoop it into one of the bottom depressions, evenly spreading it around the center. Repeat until all are filled. Immediately close the machine and set a timer for 4 minutes.

When 4 minutes is up, the cover should open easily and the doughnuts will be golden-brown. Use a wooden skewer to loosen and remove the doughnuts to a baking rack. Repeat until all of the batter is gone.

Glaze the doughnuts while still hot, setting them on a baking rack over a cookie sheet to let the glaze drip.

Nutrition Facts (analyzed without glaze)
Nutrition (per doughnut): 46.6 calories; 5% calories from fat; 0.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 57.7mg sodium; 54.5mg potassium; 10.1g carbohydrates; 0.8g fiber; 5.1g sugar; 1.4g protein; MyPoints 1.1

Enjoy!

What is Vegan MoFo? Click here to find out!



If you don't already have a copy of Fran Costigan's More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally, then put it on your holiday wishlist immediately! It's a vegan kitchen must-have.

Fran herself is a wonderful, warm, funny, loving, hard-working and knowledgable person. I'm privileged to be able to call her my friend.



We met at a NAVS SummerFest quite a few years ago. She was presenting the day before I was. She had a mini-disaster while baking some cookies in her workshop-- one of the helpers placed cookie dough on baking-parchment-covered trays as directed, but used plastic serving trays instead of metal baking trays! They were slipped into the oven as Fran demonstrated another dish. She began to smell plastic and peeked into the oven to see the trays melting! She quickly shut the oven door and turned off the oven, and kept going.

I needed to use the oven in my workshop the next day, so Fran and I met over a garbage can-- scraping hardened plastic off the oven racks! We had a great time, though, and discovered many similarities in our personal backgrounds, as well as both being Geminis and cooks. Even though we live on opposite ends of the continent, and usually only meet at vegan conferences, we keep in touch and have a great time when we meet.


Me and Fran in the middle, between chefs Eric Tucker and Sualua Tupolo at the airport, all looking a bit worse for the wear after the 2007 Vegetarian Awakening vegan chef's conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.


The chefs at the 2007 Vegetarian Awakening Conference Back Row (L to R): Tal Ronnen, Chad Sarno, Ian Brandt, Kevin Dunn, Eric Tucker, Sualua Tupolo; Front (L to R) Bryanna, Cathi Di Cocco, Fran Costigan


I visited briefly with Fran when I was in New York last March. In her tiny apartment kitchen, she was making a vegan wedding cake for her daughter, plus about 400 biscotti!


The Chocolate Cake to Live For, for Tracy & Rob by Mom Costigan (Mocha ganache and white vegan buttercream)-- spectacular!!

Fran uses the best natural ingredients, and, unlike alot of pastry chefs, she doesn't go crazy on the fats! Her desserts are absolutely fabulous and have won over traditionalists such as Deborah Madison:

"I’m a fan of traditional pastry – flaky, buttery pie crusts, sugar cookies made with white sugar and wheat flour, rich pastry creams and all of that. I’ve even worked as a pastry chef. But when I wanted to make a chocolate cake for a vegan friend, I didn’t know where to begin. Thankfully Fran Costigan came to the rescue. I made her Chocolate Cake. I couldn’t believe how utterly delicious it was! No one who tasted the tender-crumbed, dark chocolate cake guessed that it was made with whole-wheat pastry flour, maple syrup, no eggs and oil instead of butter. Even I, the big doubter, was terribly impressed and very pleased to know that such good confections can be made in a healthful manner without losing their taste. Cooking from Fran’s book has taught me to open my mind to new possibilities. Vegan I am not, but I’d make this cake (and many of her other recipes) again, purely for my own selfish enjoyment."
Deborah Madison, award-winning author of Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

Fran also gives explicit directions and lots of information about ingredients-- so important with any baking, but especially vegan baking!
She's going to have a blog soon, so keep an eye out for it!  UPDATE: The blog is still in the making, though you can see pictures at her website at that link, but you might want to "like" her Facebook page.

Get this book and start baking vegan!

Enjoy!

What is Vegan MoFo? Click here to find out! (Sorry to be so late with this posting! Computer issues!)


Salt Spring sea view

We traveled south on Vancouver Island this weekend and took a ferry to a much larger island than ours (Denman Is.)-- Salt Spring Island. DH has a stepdaughter (Kathy) and three step-grandchildren there, and even 2 step great-grandchildren! (We have a complicated blended family because we were both widowed when we got married, with large families in tow!) Denman Island has a population of about 1500 now, and Salt Spring has about 14,000, so it's almost like going to the "big city" for us, with rural and alternative twists!

After a leisurely drive down, stopping in Nanaimo, which is where you get the big ferry to Vancouver) to check out DH's favorite music store, Fascinating Rhythm, and have a delicious vegan Lebanese lunch at Aladdin's Cafe. (They have a generous vegetarian plate with spicy carrots, fantastic tabbouli, baba ganoush, creamy hummous, vegetarian stuffed grape leaves, olives, homemade pita, and felafel.) Nicely sated, we continued on to the little town of Crofton, where you catch the salt Spring ferry.

We arrived with plenty of time to settle in and have a good chat with Kathy and her husband before they took us to the Rock Salt Restaurant & Cafe in tiny Fulford Harbour, near their house. This is a charming restaurant with an interesting menu. They make everything from scratch and try to use as many local and organic products as possible. There were plenty of vegan options (and vegetarian stuff that could be made vegan).

I had the Organic Smoked Tofu Burger (Salt Spring's Soya Nova Tofu makes it-- delicious smoked tofu!) seared in tamarind chipotle bbq sauce, and topped with sweet caramelized onions and sautéed mushrooms (I ask them to leave off the cheese), on a homemade ciabatta bun. There was a delicious Asian slaw on the side.

DH had the Roasted Yam (actually sweet potato) Quesadilla, grilled with tamarind tomato chipotle sauce, toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro, green onion, served with salsa, and Asian slaw (you can ask to have the cheese left off). Kathy had the Tokyo Spinach Salad, which consisted of warm sugar baked yams, cucumber, julienne carrots and toasted sesame seeds tossed in house-made miso vinaigrette. All of our dishes were delicious and filling. They had a very nice house wine, too! I would recommend eating there if you ever visit Salt Spring!

Even though the weather was lousy, we had a good time. On Saturday, DH and I walked all over Ganges, the main town, which is really bustling-- it's hard to find a parking space! We meandered through the Saturday market, which is smaller than it was in the summer, but still entertaining. We walked along the dock to see all the boats, and we checked out the local shops, including the health food store. In the afternoon we went back to Kathy's house, just as it started to pour!


Kathy's back deck in the rain


Kathy's beautiful sumac tree through the rain

DH had made his famous spaghetti sauce to bring, because the family always misses his spaghetti. (The recipe is in my book Nonna's Italian Kitchen-- Brian's Ragu.) Because we had a crowd, we stretched it out by adding some red wine, mushrooms, and a package of Yves Ground Round. With a beautiful salad by Kathy (with Annie's Natural's [vegan] Green Goddess Dressing-- I had never had this before, since I rarely buy salad dressing, but it was yummy!), dishes of avocado and olives, red wine, and Brians' great bread(recipe here), we had plenty for 9 adults and two kids (also there was Kathy's daughter and husband and two children; Kathy's son and his girlfriend; and Aimee, Kathy's niece and Brian's step-grandaughter, who graduated from high school this summer.


(Unfortunately, the light wasn't good, so the photos are a bit fuzzy.)


Brian's spaghetti


A beautiful salad!


Brian's bread

For dessert, Kathy made a delicious apple crumble, which got eaten before I could take a picture!

I was happy to get home on Sunday (we attended a play in Nanaimo on the way home-- first live theater I've seen in a long time!), but it was a lovely, relaxing weekend!

I hope you had a good one, too!

More vegan comfort food! When I had company, I was trying to make some easy dishes that would feed a crowd and that omnivores would like. I had reconstituted Soy Curls® (see info here) and lots of corn. I remembered this soup from somewhere in my memory. It usually just has corn in it, but I added some celery and carrots for body and interest. I left out the usual hard-boiled egg that is sprinkled on top, of course! It was a winner.




Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S VEGAN PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH-STYLE "CHICKEN" NOODLE AND CORN SOUP
Servings: 8

This is so simple, but my DH and omnivore guests just gobbled it up! It's really low in calories, but it seems "rib-sticking"! The quality of the broth is REALLY important to this recipe. Other alternatives to the broth paste I suggested are below in Cooking Tips.

8-10 cups good vegetarian "chicken-style" vegetarian broth
(I used Superior Touch "Better than Bouillon" No-Chicken Vegan Base, which is a paste-- see Cooking Tips below recipe for alternatives and measures)
2 cups re-hydrated Soy Curls® or other vegan chicken sub, in strips
(2 oz. dry-- see here for info on Soy Curls® and how to reconstitute)
2 to 3 medium carrots, scraped and diced small
2 stalks celery, with leaves, sliced
1 3/4 cups egg-free tagliatelle (see note just below), OR linguine or fettuccine, broken up OR use egg-free ribbon noodles
(NOTE: Tagliatelle is a dry flat pasta, often sold rolled up in "nests"-- see photo below [use 4 "nests", if they are packaged that way]. Check labels as it is often made with eggs. My supermarket carries 2 kinds of egg-free ribbon noodles [broad and medium], and a house brand of egg-free tagliatelle, so read labels and you should be able to find a flat pasta that will will work.)
2 cups    fresh or thawed frozen sweet corn kernels
salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

Mix together the broth, Soy Curls®, carrots, and celery. Bring to a boil. Add the pasta and corn. Turn the heat down and simmer, covered, until the pasta is tender. Taste for salt and pepper. Sprinkle each serving with chopped parsley or chives.

 Tagliatelle nests

Nutrition Facts 
Nutrition (per serving): 141.0 calories; 10% calories from fat; 1.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 718.6mg sodium; 218.7mg potassium; 27.2g carbohydrates; 3.0g fiber; 3.9g sugar; 24.2g net carbs; 7.4g protein; 2.4 points.

Cooking Tips
CHICKEN-STYLE VEGETARIAN BROTH

The product you use should contribute full flavor, not just saltiness. Unfortunately, many vegetarian broth powders do not deliver in the flavor department! And, sadly, the major organic brands are inadequate--too salty and not enough real flavor.

Brands of instant vegetarian broth, or bouillon, powders, pastes, and cubes seem to vary from region to region, even within North America. Many readers use brands that I have never heard of, or cannot get where I live in Western Canada. Fortunately, we can now order specific brands online if we can't convince our local grocer or health food store to carry the ones we like.

HERE ARE SOME THAT I LIKE:

#1 Seitenbacher Vegetarian Vegetable Broth and Seasoning Powder, a German brand which is widely distributed in the USA and in Europe. It is the #1 choice for the recipes in this book. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find it in Canada, but Canadians can order it from veganessentials and the shipping to Canada is very reasonable.

Seitenbacher is MSG-free and "All natural; Vegan; No Gelatine; No Dairy; No Meat; No Eggs; No Artificial Flavor Enhancer; Fat Free; Cholesterol Free; Gluten Free; No Oil". (Another good MSG-free broth powder is Massel-- see below.)

#2: An excellent homemade alternative is my own broth powder mix. It's easy and cheap to make and has excellent flavor--but you must use 2 teaspoons for each cup of water.

#3: One of my favorite broth products--but not a powder: "Better than Bouillon" "No Chicken Vegan Base" (a paste) is delicious (and it's what I used in the soup above).  Ask your health food store or grocery store to carry it. "Better than Bouillon" also has a "No Beef Vegan Base", which is good, and a "Vegetable Base", which also comes in an organic variety (available at a good price in large jar form at Costco, even in Canada), but, while it's good, I wasn't super-impressed with the Vegetable Base. (Unfortunately, their "Mushroom Base" contains dairy products.)

#4: "Massel Vegetable Style Stock Powder", all vegan, MSG-free, palm oil-free and gluten-free, now available in the US and Canada from VeganEssentials.com, and also from amazon.com and many kosher outlets. There is Vegetable-Style, Chicken-Style and Beef-Style, all vegan.  Massel broth powder contains no trans-fats, and has good flavor, without too much salt.

For 1 cup of broth , use 1 cup water and add:
* 1 teaspoon Seitenbacher or Massel vegetarian broth powder
* OR 2 teaspoons Bryanna's Homemade Broth Powder (see recipe here )
* OR 1 teaspoon Superior Touch "Better than Bouillon" Vegan No-Chicken Base

Enjoy!

The weather changed abruptly today and we have dark clouds, wind and rain (not really that cold, though). This makes my thoughts turn to homey vegan comfort food. What could be more homey than mac'n'cheese (or cheeze)?

I'm always trying to improve on my vegan macaroni and cheese recipe. I think I have two different recipes published in books, and probably more online somewhere. This latest is creamy and yummy, and it can be be made both soy-free and gluten-free, if need be. It's good both plain and with additions, such as the broccoli suggested in my recipe. But why not add red peppers, vegetarian "ham", vegetarian "sausage", olives...?


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S NEW BAKED VEGAN MACARONI AND CHEEZE
Servings: 6
For a spicy version, add some canned chipotle pepper to taste and maybe some Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausage.

8 oz macaroni or penne (can be whole wheat; can be gluten-free)

Cooked Mixture for Sauce:
1 1/2 cups plain (original) nondairy milk
1/2 cup extra-firm silken tofu  
OR (for soy-free):
1/4 cup raw cashews plus 1/4 cup more non-soy, non-dairy milk instead of the tofu (soak the cashews in hot water for 5 minutes and drain before blending)
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
OR, for gluten-free, use GF oat flour, or  white rice flour (or mochiko-- sweet rice flour)
1 tsp chicken-style vegetarian broth powder or paste (see info here)
1 tsp salt

Additional Ingredients for Sauce:
1 cup water (OR use 3/4 cup water + 1/4 cup beer or dry white wine)
1/2 cup tahini
1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 cup chopped roasted red pepper (from a jar, rinsed) (OR 1 tsp. paprika)
1 1/2 Tbs white miso
1 tsp Dijon mustard OR 1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder or granules
freshly-ground black pepper to taste

Optional:
8 to 16 oz broccoli or cauliflower flowerettes, sliced into thin slices and blanched (partially-cooked)

Topping:
1/2 cup breadcrumbs (panko is fine; can be gluten-free bread or fine cracker crumbs)
oil from a pump-sprayer

Boil the macaroni in lots of salted water until tender, but al dente. Drain. (If you are using the broccoli, prepare that as directed and set aside.)

While the macaroni cooks, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Mix the "Cooked Mixture for Sauce" ingredients in a blender and process until very smooth. Pour the mixture into a medium, heavy saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until it thickens and boils; turn down and simmer on low for a few minutes.

MICROWAVE OPTION: Pour the mixture a 1 qt. microwave-safe bowl measuring pitcher. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Whisk. Microwave for 2 more minutes. Whisk. Microwave for 2 minutes more.

Rinse out the blender.

Place the "Additional Ingredients for Sauce" into the blender. Add the Cooked Mixture to the blender. Process until very smooth.

In a large bowl, mix the cooked macaroni (and broccoli, if using) and the sauce together well. (It will seem like you have too much sauce, but, don't worry, the pasta will soak it up!) Scoop the mixture into a "buttered" (with Earth Balance) 2 qt. casserole or baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with the breadcrumbs and spray lightly with oil from a spray-pump. Bake for about 30 minutes (uncovered). Serve hot.

(Nutrition Facts were calculated using Silk Original soymilk, silken tofu, whole wheat macaroni, and panko, with the optional broccoli.)



Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 357.8 calories; 27% calories from fat; 11.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 648.6mg sodium; 561.7mg potassium; 50.4g carbohydrates; 7.6g fiber; 2.2g sugar; 42.8g net carbs; 18.4g protein; 7.3 points.


Enjoy!