Notes from the Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 21st Century Table

A VEGAN ROBBIE BURNS' DAY SUPPER

2012-01-24T21:35:00.000-08:00

I've attended only one formal Burns' Supper, in honor of the immortal Scots bard, oh, about 40 years ago (I remember because I was pregnant with my youngest daughter, Justine). My late husband, Wayne Clark, was working with a bunch of "Geordies" from northern England and they invited us to the dinner. These folks were so much fun, kept me in stitches all night. I wasn't drinking (can't handle hard liquor anyway, even when NOT pregnant!) but, boy, could they drink! It was a really enjoyable evening, despite the elderly band .(I was all of about 23, but they were really pretty elderly.) There was the ceremony of piping in the haggis, which I actually didn't think it tasted too bad--kind of like a bland meat loaf (this was pre-vegan or even vegetarian days.).

Years later, here on Denman, I tasted haggis again at a friend's house. There was memorable for the moment when one young lady of about 7 put some haggis in her mouth, promptly spit it out and deposited it on the first available receptacle, which happened to be my husband's plate!

In England and Scotland you can actually buy vegan haggis at butcher shops, but here in North America we have to make our own, as far as I know. With my, albeit limited, taste memories, and some knowledge of the ingredients, a few years ago I headed into the kitchen to develop a vegan haggis recipe (I do have some Scots blood on my maternal grandmother's side), for vegans of the Scots persuasion, or Scots of the vegan persuasion. The recipe is in my new book World Vegan Feast. (BTW, if you don't know what a haggis is or how it is made or what it is made from, see this page but, be warned, it isn't pretty!)

I use some oatmeal, of course--it's traditional-- but also potato, which is not, but it is common in Scottish cooking. I tried it originally with ground seitan, then with textured soy protein, then with vegan "hamburger crumbles". It works with all of them. You don't want it too spicy, but I find that vegan foods often need more seasoning, so I use plenty of onion and some traditional spices. I make it in an authentic way called “pot haggis”, which means that it is formed in a bowl or pudding basin, packed into a bowl and steamed. You can wrap it in a cloth first, like a real savory pudding, if you like. It's actually very tasty, especially with some vegan gravy. Here are some photos from various times I've made haggis:

Using a traditional British pudding basin

Steaming it wrapped in cloth

We like to celebrate Robbie Burns' Day every year on January 25th-- my husband is only half Irish, after all-- his mother was the only one of her siblings not born in Scotland. We have the vegan haggis, of course, with gravy. For the rest of the meal, it's traditional to have Scotch whiskey, of course (I don't like Scotch, but DH enjoys it now and then) and Cock-a-Leekie Soup (a chicken and leek soup) to start, but a potato and leek soup is a great vegan alternative.

Tatties'n'neeps (mashed potatoes combined with mashed turnips) are the traditional accompanying dish. I like to roast the turnips in the oven first and then mash them into the potatoes-- the turnips have so much more flavor that way-- or even just serve mashed potatoes accompanied by roasted turnips, usually roasted with parsnips, carrots and onions.

For dessert, a gorgeous sherry trifle called "Typsy Laird" is traditional and there is also a recipe for this in World Vegan Feast, including the vegan sponge cake used in this delectable dessert

Vegan Sponge Cake baked in a tube pan

Vegan Sponge Cake baked in layer cake pans

THE FORMAT FOR A BURNS SUPPER

Chairperson's opening address

A few welcoming words start the evening and the meal commences with the Selkirk Grace

(Vegans can adopt another traditional Scottish Grace without all the references to meat, such as this one:
"Grace be here, and grace be there,
And grace be round the table;
Let ilka ane take up their spoon
And eat as muckle’s they’re able.")

The company are asked to stand to receive the haggis. A piper then leads the chef, carrying the haggis to the top table, while the guests accompany them with a slow handclap. The chairman or invited guest then recites Burns' famous poem To A Haggis (translation included), with great enthusiasm. (My friend Fireweed can read Burns' To a Haggis in its original form (quite a feat and she does it beautifully!), in translation, and also in a veganized translation, clever girl. I'll have to ask her transcribe that for next year's post.

When the person reciting reaches the line 'an cut you up wi' ready slight', he cuts open the haggis with a sharp knife. It's customary for the company to applaud the speaker then stand and toast the haggis with a glass of whisky.

(An aside: Reading To a Haggis reminds me of an incident when my stepson Sean stopped in Aberdeen, Scotland after serving for a few weeks on a Dutch tall ship where no one would speak English to him. He thought, "Finally, they speak Englush here!" No such luck-- he couldn't understand a word they said! The Aberdeen brogue was like another foreign language.)

I hope this inspires you to celebrate with a Burns' Supper, if not tomorrow, then next year on January 25th.

PS: Another day when haggis is often served is St. Andrew's Day (patron saint of Scotland), November 30th. I have even read of "Haggis Puffs" being served-- I assume that refers to the haggis mixture being baked in puff pastry.

Cheers!

MY FIRST PIZZA FROM "ARTISAN PIZZA AND FLATBREAD IN FIVE MINUTES A DAY"

2012-01-16T20:57:00.000-08:00

I have the first two "5 Minute" bread books ("Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day" and "Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day") by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois in my growing collection of no-knead bread books, but I've been looking forward to getting my hands on their newest, "Artisan Pizza and Flatbreads in Five Minutes a Day". I'm always on the lookout for a new, fabulous pizza dough recipe, and I hadn't had much success so far with my own experiments in making a no-knead pizza dough.

Note: The books are not vegan, or even vegetarian, but most of the dough recipes are or can be vegan and, well, we vegans are good at adapting!

The book arrived last week and yesterday (Sunday), three of my granddaughters were coming over for lunch. Pizza seemed like the perfect thing to serve. So, on Saturday, I stirred up up a batch of "Crisp-Yet-Tender Pizza Dough Even Closer to the Style of Naples"-- literally stirred; no kneading. It probably took 5 minutes or under. After letting it rise for a few hours, I stashed it in the refrigerator in a snap-lid bowl with room to rise overnight.

That odd-looking implement is a Danish dough whisk, perfect for stirring thick batters and soft doughs.

This particular (fat-free) dough is supposed to be made with Italian "00" flour, which is lower in protein (gluten) than North American flour. "00" flour is available in North America now, at amazon.com and King Arthur Flour. Both contain about 8% protein ( as a comparison, ordinary all-purpose flour contains about 11%). I didn't have any of this, but, fortunately, the book contains a formula for making your own Italian-style flour blend using unbleached flour and pastry flour. I couldn't resist using half whole wheat pastry flour in place of some of the white pastry flour called for, and that worked well, so next time I'll take a chance and use more. I also used a bit more salt than they called for (the book contains a great section on ingredients and how to change some things to your own taste).

The dough after about 18 hours in the refrigerator.

I should have made the dough a few days earlier, I realize, because, being familiar with no-knead dough by now, I could see that another day in the fridge would have ripened the dough more thoroughly. But it was still no trouble to roll out and stretch 6 pizzas in a short amount of time. (I roll it out on baking parchment and also bake it on the parchment-- no sticking to the peel that way!)

(BTW, If you want to learn how to throw pizza dough, see the videos and instructions here: http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/2012/01/03/how-to-throw-pizza-dough-new-video )

I baked one pizza at a time in a 14" cast iron skillet (you could also use a cast iron pizza pan), which is my new favorite way to bake pizza (cast iron pans heat up twice as fast as a pizza stone, and the pizza cooks in about 7 minutes with a nice speckled crust). I was happy to see that the authors of this book gave this as an option.

I used my pizza sauce from my book World Vegan Feast and what I had around for toppings-- Daiya vegan mozzarella, green pepper, kalamata olives and Yves veggie pepperoni (thought the girls would like this) cut into slivers, pepper and a little olive oil.

I won't say that I will always use this dough, because I like to change it up, but this is certainly a great pizza dough, and very easy and convenient to make. The dough will keep refrigerated for about 2 weeks, so, if you don't have company and eat the whole thing in one sitting, you can pull out a piece of dough and whip up a pizza (no rising necessary) in no time at all.

(PS: No, we didn't eat the whole batch, but we had collectively eaten 5 of them by the time the girls left -- I managed to save one for my stepson, who came along later. Fast-growing12 year-old girls can eat alot of pizza!)

I'm anxious to try the focaccia, Cornmeal Olive Oil Dough, Chapati, Corn Masa Dough, Crisp Pita Bread Bowl, and several other goodies, but I'm only going to make them when we have company to eat most of it-- otherwise my good intentions to lose weight will fall by the wayside!

Even if you have never made any sort of bread before, fear not-- you can make some mighty good pizza with this book, pizza suited to your tastes and busy schedule. Kudos once again to authors Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois!

Enjoy!

STILL WORKING ON THE "VEGAN BUTTER" RECIPE; MUSHROOM-TEMPEH BURGERS

2012-01-12T17:43:00.000-08:00

Today's trials

I'm still toiling away on the palm-oil-free vegan "butter" recipe (and have invented a "shortening" as well, as you can see). I'm waiting for some more supplies to arrive before I can finish up some refinements and share it with you! So, for now, here's one of the few tempeh recipes that my husband actually enjoys!

BRYANNA'S MUSHROOM-TEMPEH BURGERS
Makes 9 burgers
DH ordinarily dislikes tempeh, but he loves these. They are moist and tasty. I usually double this recipe and freeze leftovers. I use a food processor and/or mini-chopper to mince everything finely, which saves alot of time. The pre-steaming of the burgers cooks the gluten and keeps the burgers moist. After they are cool they can be browned in a non-stick pan or a flat indoor grill. I have been working on this recipe off and on for a few years. (Sorry the pics are so fuzzy!)
Note: If you prefer to serve these on a bun, check out the homemade vegan bun recipes at this blog post.

TVP Mixture:
1 cup textured soy protein (TVP/TSP) granules
7/8 cup boiling water mixed with a vegetarian broth cube, powder or paste for 1 c. broth
1 Tbs soy sauce
Steam-Fried Mixture:
1/2 Tbs olive oil or dark sesame oil
water, broth or dry sherry for steam-frying, if necessary
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, minced
6 oz raw mushrooms, minced finely
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 Tbs yeast extract (Marmite, etc.) OR 2 T. red or dark miso
freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Tempeh:
8 oz tempeh (I prefer the milder 5 or 7 grain tempeh), thawed and crumbled
1 Tbs soy sauce
Additional Ingredients:
1 cup well-cooked cooked bulgur wheat (fine [#1] or medium [#2])
(See Cooking Tip below)

1/2 tsp EACH dried thyme and marjoram, or other herbs or spices that you like
1/3 cup pure gluten flour (Vital wheat gluten)
1/2-1 tsp liquid smoke (OPTIONAL)

1.) In a large bowl, mix the textured soy protein with the boiling water, broth cube, and 1 T. soy sauce. Let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.

NOTE: FOR THE STEAM-FRIED MIXTURE, I mince the garlic in a food processor, then add the onion, chunked and mince it well. After I empty that out, I mince the halved mushrooms in the same processor container-- you don't need to wash it first.
2.) STEAM-FRYING
Stove-Top Option: Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and garlic til the onion starts to soften, adding a bit of water, broth or sherry as needed to keep the mixture from sticking.

Add the mushrooms, and cook 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and stir in the tomato paste and Marmite or miso, and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet. Place in freezer to cool quickly for a few minutes.

Microwave option: This saves time and effort, so it's the one I use. Place the onions and garlic in a microwave-safe pie plate or casserole with the oil, and cover. Microwave 5 minutes. Stir in the minced mushrooms and microwave 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and Marmite or miso, and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture on a cookie sheet. Place in freezer to cool quickly for a few minutes.

3.) Crumble the tempeh into a bowl and stir in the 1 T. soy sauce. Mash it with the tines of a fork, mixing well.

4.) Add the bulgur, herbs, and optional liquid smoke, if using, to the soaked TVP mixture. Mix in the tempeh and the cooled sautéed mushroom mixture. Mix well.

5.) When the mixture is on the cool side (you can spread it on a cookie sheet and put it in the freezer for a few minutes for a quick cool-down), add the gluten flour (don't add it to a hot mixture, or it will be” stringy"). Mix well again.

6.) Divide the mixture into 9 / 1/2-cup balls and pat into patties (4" across) with wet hands. I pat them down on a parchment-covered cookie sheet to get an even shape.

7.) Steam over simmering water for 20 minutes. (I line the steamer with cooking parchment, with holes poked in it with a bamboo skewer.) Place on cookie sheets and chill thoroughly before stacking with sheets of waxed paper in between and refrigerating or freezing in a rigid plastic container with a tight lid.

One lone burger in a steamer basket on its own-- the rest are in big steamers.

The steamed burgers before they are browned.

8.) To brown, use a non-stick pan with a bit of olive or toasted sesame oil, or a flat nonstick sandwich grill. Serve on buns, or on their own with a favorite sauce or gravy.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 138.9 calories; 22% calories from fat; 3.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 221.3mg sodium; 329.5mg potassium; 13.4g carbohydrates; 1.5g fiber; 1.4g sugar; 14.7g protein, 2.8 points.

Cooking Tip:
To cook bulgur wheat-- use a fine or medium grain bulgur. Bring 1 cup bulgur to a boil in a small saucepan with 2 cups water and a little salt. Turn down to low, cover, and cook 15 minutes. Use leftovers for a dinner grain side dish, like rice.

Enjoy!

A NEW, IMPORTANT EXPERIMENT, AND CHOCOLATE/COCOA NIB SCONES

2012-01-05T20:51:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm feeling pretty energized and ready for some new projects (three lined up for myself so far) to get me through the winter. I'd like to tell you a little about one of them in this first post of 2012, and post a successful recipe utilizing an experiment on that project.

Several people whom I really respect have been reminding me about the problems with palm oil. We generally eat pretty low-fat and don't eat alot of packaged foods or use solid shortening, so I was, I admit, pushing it to the back of my mind. But the elephant in the room, so to speak, was Earth Balance, the best-tasting and vegan butter substitute around, which is good for baking, too. (Should we start a writing campaign to convince them to change their formula?) And, yes, we are careful with our use of it, have our toast only with low-sugar jam or marmalade, use homemade low-fat spreads whenever possible, use primarily olive oil in cooking, etc., etc. But, for many of us, unless we are on a fat-free regime, there are those times when you need a vegan butter substitute, particularly for baking.

So, long story short, my first project of 2012 is to develop a homemade version of vegan "butter" that is a.) easy to make; b.) tastes good and "buttery"; c.) is made from simple ingredients that are not difficult to find; d.) has the potential to be made from organic and even some fair trade ingredients; e.) is similar to butter in the balance between fat, solids and liquids; f.) has a better balance of fats than Earth Balance and other solid fats (my goal is more monounsaturated fats than saturated or polyunsaturated fats); g.) contains little or no coconut oil ( see this short video from Dr. Michael Greger and this also), and, of course, no palm oil; and h.) can be used both as a good tasting spread or in baking, substituting across the board for butter or Earth Balance (and instead of palm oil shortening).
After many hours of research and some experiments I think I'm almost there! Here are some photos of my latest experiment (which meets all the criteria above) and it's pretty darn good, if I do say so myself. I have another version to try before I share it (providing that works!).

I used silicone muffin cup liners for molds.

You can scrape it easily for spreading.

Of course, while I'm doing this I'm trying to stay on a low-fat diet! But I wanted to try it in baking, so I made some scones (I only made half the recipe)-- some fancy ones, I admit. The vegan "butter" (I need to find a name) worked just like the "real thing" in the recipe and the scones came out beautifully! The recipe is below-- it's not low-fat but makes a lovely treat for a company tea or coffee party.

I'll post my "butter" recipe as soon as I'm completely happy with it, so stay tuned!

BRYANNA'S CHOCOLATE CHIP/COCOA NIB SCONES
Servings: 6

Yield: 6 large scones

Dry Mix:

1 cup wholewheat pastry flour

1 cup unbleached white flour

2 tablespoons unbleachedorganic granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Additions:

1/4 cup vegan "butter", chilled and cut into small pieces

1/4 cup organic cocoa nibs

1/2 cup organicdairy-free chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

Wet Mix:

5 tablespoons non-dairy milk (preferably soy or hemp, in that order-- they curdle better)

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Finishing:

non-dairy milk for brushing

about 1 tablespoon coarse unbleached organic sugar for sprinkling

Optional Additions:

chopped organic candied ginger

grated organic orange zest, or chopped candied orange peel (If you can't find this-- and it is NOT the same thing as "candied citron"!!-- you will find an easy recipe to make your own here. You can make it up to 2 weeks ahead of time.)

Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Have ready a cookie sheet or 2 cake pans sprayed with oil or lined with baking parchment.

In a large bowl whisk together the Dry Mix ingredients. Cut in the chilled vegan “butter” until the mixture looks like coarse meal. Stir in the Additions to distribute evenly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the Wet Mix ingredients. Pour this mixture into the dry mixture in the large bowl and stir with a fork until just moist. Turn out onto a piece of baking parchment, lightly floured and pat the dough into a 6 x 8-inch rectangle. Cut in half to make two 6 x 4-inch pieces. Cut each rectangle into 3 more-or-less triangular pieces (see photo).

Place the scones on the prepared pan(s), not touching, and brush the tops lightly with non-dairy milk. Sprinkle evenly with the coarse sugar. Bake for 15-16 minutes, or until nicely golden brown.

Serve hot with marmalade.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per serving): 343.2 calories; 36% calories from fat; 14.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 144.7mg sodium; 183.1mg potassium; 49.2g carbohydrates; 4.0g fiber; 6.7g sugar; 45.2g net carbs; 6.6g protein; 7.3 points.

Cheers!

ANTIDOTE FOR TOO MUCH HOLIDAY FOOD? A QUICK, LIGHT SPICY THAI TOFU DISH!

2011-12-29T17:03:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday! Ours was fun, hectic, and full of family! We had too much good, Christmasy food and still have lots of leftovers remaining, even though I sent some home with guests. After several days of this, I'm craving rice, pasta, soup, tomato-y dishes, spicy food! So, when it's just us after the festivities, this is the sort of thing that does the trick...a really quick, nutritious and delicious dish, a simplified, veganized version of a Thai dish called "Praram", which is often made with chicken. (A birthday and the New Year to go now!)

BRYANNA'S THAI-STYLE SPINACH AND TOFU WITH PEANUT SAUCE (SIMPLIFIED VEGAN "PRARAM")
Serves 3

Quick Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup vegan broth
1/2 cup plain nondairy milk
2 tablespoons coconut flour or creamed coconut
NOTE: Instead of the soymilk and coconut flour or creamed coconut, you can use a generous half cup of lite coconut milk.
2 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce (there are many brands of this-- here's one)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or 2 tablespoons lime juice)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
The rest of the dish:
2 tablespoons mushroom-based vegetarian "oyster" sauce (Lee Kum Kee brand is called "Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce", and I have a homemade recipe here)
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
a few shakes of Thai or Vietnamese hot sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil, or other oil
12 ounces firm tofu (NOT silken), cubed
12 oz fresh, cleaned baby spinach
freshly-steamed basmati rice

Whisk together the peanut sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup of this sauce with the vegetarian "oyster" sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Reserve the rest of the sauce in the pan.

Heat the peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok. Add the tofu cubes and quickly brown them. Add the peanut sauce/"oyster" sauce mixture in the small bowl to the tofu. Stir this around until the tofu absorbs most of it.

Add the spinach to the tofu and stir over high heat JUST until the spinach wilts. Spoon the mixture immediately over steamed rice and top with the remaining peanut sauce.

Nutrition Facts (without rice)
Nutrition (per serving): 352.4 calories; 62% calories from fat; 24.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 582.7mg sodium; 1049.2mg potassium; 15.9g carbohydrates; 5.1g fiber; 7.2g sugar; 10.8g net carbs; 19.7g protein; 8.3 points.

Happy New Year!

HOMEMADE POMEGRANATE AND WALNUT TURKISH DELIGHT-- A WONDERFUL LAST-MINUTE GIFT IDEA

2011-12-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

Before Christmas arrives, I'd like to share one more recipe from my new book, World Vegan Feast...a beautiful and mouthwatering modern version of a Christmas treat with over two centuries of history behind it.

I am not regular a candy maker, but one day I had some pomegranates that needed using, so I juiced them and decided to try making this old-fashioned treat for the first time, but with my own new flavoring combination. We had just seen the film The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and Turkish Delight figured in the story: "Lokum, called Turkish Delight, plays an interesting role in CS Lewis’ novel The Chronicles of Narnia and its Hollywood counterpart The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which was released in 2005. The film in particular introduced Americans to the age old Turkish candy. The White Witch of Narnia tempts young Edmund to bring his siblings to the ice castle with Turkish Delight. The irresistible temptation peeked the interest of many American viewers, and Turkish Delight sales hit a sudden high." From englishteastore.com)

Doing a little research, I discovered that Turkish Delight, traditionally known as Lokum, indeed originated in Turkey, invented in 1777 by famous confectioner named Bekir Effendi (known as Haci Bekir after his hajj pilgrimage). Haci Bekir owned a candy shop in the Bahcekapi district of Istanbul, which is still open today in the exact same location.

Haci Bekir’s 5th generation descendants believe the first recipe for Lokum originated from an Anatolian candy traditionally made using honey or grape molasses (pekmez) and flour. Haci Bekir transformed this into Lokum, using the at-that-time-newly-available ingredient, sugar, and cornstarch (called cornflour in the UK and many other regions). Turkish Delight, or Lokum, if you prefer, has a soft, gelatin-like texture, often with chopped nuts inside, and subtle flavoring. It is cut into small cubes and coated in powdered sugar.

Lokum became very popular among Turks and Haci Bekir was appointed Chief Confectioner for the Ottoman Court and awarded a medal of honor by the Sultan. This jewel-like treat was soon discovered by an English traveler who called the candy “Turkish Delight” and introduced it to Europe. Today, in many countries around the world, Lokum is still known as Turkish Delight.

Haci Bekir’s confectionery is the oldest company in Turkey to operate from its original location. It now has representative companies in several countries and , though the original recipe for Lokum has changed very little, the company sells Turkish Delight in 12 flavors, but not pomegranate! I thought that pomegranate juice would be an ideal base for this candy, not only because of its tart/sweet flavor and nutritional qualities, but because if is beautiful color. Walnuts seemed to me to be an ideal addition. This actually turned out to be very simple to make and a very satisfying and eye-appealing Christmas treat.

BRYANNA'S POMEGRANATE AND WALNUT TURKISH DELIGHT

Makes 36 pieces

This candy is quite refreshing and very beautiful. The recipe is from my new book, World Vegan Feast .

NOTE: If you follow the links in the ingredient list, you can see that you can make this with organic, fair trade ingredients.

1 3/4 cup water, divided

2/3 cup pomegranate juice (unsweetened bottled, or fresh-- see below)

2 cups organic unbleached granulated sugar

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch, divided

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup chopped, lightly-toasted walnuts

1/2 cup organic powdered sugar

Mix 1 cup water with the pomegranate juice and set it aside in a medium saucepan.

Combine the sugar and 3/4 cup water in another medium saucepan over medium-high heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid starts to bubble. Allow the mixture to boil, without stirring, until it registers 260ºF on a candy thermometer (this takes about 15 minutes).

While the sugar mixture is coming to temperature, sift the 1/2 cup cornstarch and cream of tartar together into the water/pomegranate juice mixture. Whisk it until all of the lumps are dissolved. Cook it over medium heat, whisking constantly, until it becomes very thick and clear looking. Reduce the heat to low and continue stirring with a wooden spoon.

As soon at the candy thermometer in the sugar/water mixture registers 260ºF, remove the mixture from the stove. Pour the hot mixture slowly into the cornstarch mixture, whisking vigorously. When it is thoroughly combined and formed into a thick sticky paste, add the walnuts and continue cooking, stirring all the while with a wooden spoon, over low heat for 45 minutes longer. The paste will continue to thicken during this time and should be very thick.

Microwave Option: I get impatient with making candy, which is one reason why I seldom make it, so I only cooked the mixture on the stove for 10 minutes and then I scraped it into a 2-quart Pyrex batter bowl (you need plenty of room for boil-ups!) and cooked it, uncovered, in the microwave at 50% power for 15 minutes, by which time it became a very thick paste. You can microwave it from the time you add the walnuts for approximately 20 minutes at 50% power.

Whichever way you cook it, when the paste is very thick, remove it from the heat and use a spatula to transfer the paste into a well-oiled 8-inch square baking pan. Press the mixture evenly into the pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator to cool for at least 2 hours. The finished product should be quite firm when cool.

Remove the pan from the refrigerator. The bottom of the pan should be cold. If it is still warm, chill longer.

Mix the remaining cornstarch with the powdered sugar. Spread 1/4 cup of this mixture over a sheet of baking parchment on your work surface. You should be able to lift the Turkish Delight out of the pan with your hands. Place the square of Turkish Delight on top of the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture and spread more of it over the top of the square with your fingers. Once the square is covered on all sides with a layer of powdered sugar/cornstarch mix, use a sharp knife to cut it into 36 squares.

Toss the small squares with more powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture to coat them on all sides. Store the candy in an airtight container.

TIP: How to juice a pomegranate

Just cut it in half horizontally and juice it on a orange juicer-- I use a manual one. You get lots of juice out of one large pomegranate!

Happy Holidays!

HAVE A LOOK AT MY RECIPE FOR VEGAN GF, SF WAFFLES W/ CRISPY SWEET POTATOES & LIGHT CHIK'N GRAVY

2011-12-15T10:36:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot to announce this! Go to this link for the recipe(s) , which I developed a few weeks ago for the So Delicious Dairy Free blog, using their Coconut Milk Beverage (Original) in all three (dairy-free, soy-free, and gluten-free) components of the recipe. These recipes might seem complex at first, but as you'll see, with all three components, you'll be creating a stupendously delicious dairy-free (and gluten-free!) meal—or you can enjoy the waffles, crispy sweet potatoes, or chik'n gravy served with your favorite accompaniments. And since most of the recipes can be made well ahead of time, this hearty meal will be a snap to put together when it's time to serve!"

Enjoy!

VEGAN SPANISH TORTILLA DE PATATAS (SPANISH POTATO OMELET) AND ROMESCO SAUCE

2011-12-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

This blog post is going to be truly short and sweet, as I am recuperating from my first cold in 2 years and trying to summon up enough energy to organize and clean my house, and plan menus and make-aheads for my holiday guests.

I want to share a brunch recipe from my new book, The World Vegan Feast. (Actually, you can serve it any time of the day, and it's often served as a bar snack in Spain.) It's a Spanish omelet that is similar to an Italian fritatta, but it always contains potato. In Spain this omelet is called a tortilla de patatas or tortilla española.

I had developed a tortilla española recipe earlier on, but I'm always trying to improve on recipes. I was in the mood for a hearty Spanish potato omelet one day when we were taking lunch over to our friends Jane and Matsuki's house. I chose to make this dish because it’s a perfect choice for toting to potluck meals and picnics, given that it can be eaten hot or at room temperature. It's also open to many variations-- for instance, you might want to add sliced roasted red bell peppers or cooked artichoke hearts. But I thought that my recipe lacked something, so I changed my formula to add some chickpea flour-- bingo! Firmer texture and more eggy flavor-- just what I was after.

Just a little aside about spelling: "Omelet" or "Omelette"?

This omelet was made a bit thicker than the one pictured above-- those are my friend Jane's cute little bluebird salt and pepper shakers peeking from behind.

Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S TOFU AND CHICKPEA FLOUR TORTILLA DE PATATAS (SPANISH POTATO OMELET) WITH ROMESCO SAUCE
Serves 4 to 6

This recipe may become a staple in your house, as it is in ours. The Romesco Sauce (a vegan version of a classic Spanish sauce), though not traditionally served with this, is a tangy, nutty, tomato-ey surprise! (NOTE: This is not Spanish, but another excellent condiment to serve with the tortilla, is Ajvar, a Balkan eggplant and pepper sauce [my recipe is posted here], widely available, in mild or hot versions, in ethnic grocery stores and gourmet stores, and online).

1 tablespoon olive oil

Batter:

8 ounces (1 cup) medium-firm tofu, or extra-firm silken tofu, drained and crumbled

1/4 cup nondairy milk

1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan)

3 tablespoons unbleached white flour (or 2 tablespoons brown rice flour)

1 tablespoon dry sherry, white wine or water

2 tablespoons Homemade Tofu Scrambler Mix

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Additions:

1 large onion, thinly sliced

4 medium cooked thin-skinned potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick

freshly-ground black pepper

9 slices commercial vegan "ham" or "bacon" (such as Yves or Lightlife) cut into thin slivers

Romesco Sauce (see recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Add the olive oil to a 10-inch cast iron skillet or pie pan and place the pan in the oven while the oven heats up.

Blend all of the Batter ingredients in a food processor until very smooth. Scoop the Batter into a medium bowl and stir in the sliced "ham" or "bacon".

Add the sliced onion to the hot oil in the pan in the oven, salt lightly and toss it to coat with the oil, spreading it out evenly. Bake the onions for about 5 minutes. Transfer the onions to the Batter and fold in. Lower the oven temperature to 350°F.

Distribute the sliced cooked potatoes evenly in the same hot cast iron skillet or pie pan, brushed with a little more olive oil and spread the batter evenly over the potatoes and out to the edges of the pan. Grind black pepper over the top.

Bake the tortilla for 20 to 30 minutes or until the batter is set. Cool the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then loosen the bottom of the omelet carefully with a thin spatula-turner and cut it into 6 wedges. Eat warm with the Romesco Sauce served on the side. The leftovers are good cold and can be made into a delicious sandwich on crusty bread.

Nutrition FactsNutrition (per serving): 234.4 calories; 15% calories from fat; 4.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 707.5mg sodium; 829.8mg potassium; 25.9g carbohydrates; 2.7g fiber; 2.1g sugar; 23.2g net carbs; 23.5g protein; 4.5 points.

BRYANNA'S ROMESCO SAUCE

Makes approximately 1 1/2 cups

There are many versions of this classic Spanish sauce of Catalonian origin, which is usually served with seafood, but we used my personal version the Spanish Potato Omelet, to our delight.

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup chopped onions

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup slivered blanched raw almonds

1 large roasted red pepper from a jar, seeded, rinsed and patted dry

4 large sun-dried tomato halves in oil, rinsed with hot water and patted dry

5 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon dry red wine

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon vegan broth powder

1 pinch cayenne pepper

Heat the oil in a small skillet and add the onion and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until the onion is wilted. Transfer the onions to a food processor along with the remaining ingredients. Process the mixture until smooth. Taste for salt. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition (per 1/8^th recipe): 70.6 calories; 68% calories from fat; 5.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 77.0mg sodium; 95.5mg potassium; 3.4g carbohydrates; 0.8g fiber; 0.8g sugar; 2.6g net carbs; 1.4g protein; 1.7 points.

Enjoy!

REVAMPED BLACK BEAN (OR OKARA) BROWNIES-- ALMOST-FAT-FREE, STREAMLINED, CAN BE GF

2011-12-08T17:24:00.000-08:00

This was definitely Brownie Day for me! I posted three past brownie recipes from this blog on Facebook today (Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies, Chai-Almond Brownies with Double Ginger Gelato, and my Almost No-Fat Brownies), and a new post here on this blog with a recipe for S'more Brownies that I had previously developed for my now-defunct newsletter. But I just had to make some, even though DH and I are on Weight Watchers again. So, I decided to test out an idea I'd been thinking about for quite a while. If it turned out, we'd taste-test a couple each and freeze the rest for our company who will be here over the holidays.

Those of you who read my blog may have read the entry about the black beans and brownie mix recipe that I tried from the Internet. I followed the directions and used canned black beans and their juice. The texture wasn't bad, but it tasted so "beany". But not "nice beany"-- it was "nasty beany"! Yuck! A waste of a can of beans and a box of organic brownie mix! I was determined to make my own version, though, because it intrigued me to use black beans as part of the fat and instead of the eggs in a brownie. My omni friends had no idea there were beans in these brownies, and gobbled them up! But they were quite rich for my style of cooking and I wanted to test out a fat-free version of the black bean brownies as well as for the okara brownie variation that I had also developed from that recipe.

So, below is the result of today's labors, the Earth Balance replaced with applesauce to eliminate the fat (except in any nuts you care to add), and the method streamlined. Another blogger had tried them but had forgotten to add the Earth Balance-- but they still rated high with her and her tasters, so, I was confident that they would be acceptable without the fat. But I was nervous that just leaving out the Earth Balance would result in a dry brownie, so when I made them today I used a thick, smooth, unsweetened organic applesauce in place of the Earth Balance, in both the black bean brownies and in the okara variation (yes, I made both!). They both turned out to be amazingly rich-tasting and moist, without having that raw, over-gooey texture that I dislike. (And the nutrition stats are pretty good, too!)

You will notice that there is only 1/2 cup flour to 1 1/4 cups cocoa powder-- this is one reason that the brownies are so chocolate-y despite containing no solid chocolate. Also, you will notice that I bake the brownies at a low temperature (300°F) for fairly long time compared to other brownie recipes. This ensures the proper fudgy-ness without what I consider that distasteful raw texture and taste.

I'm going to use this version from now on-- who needs the fat? A bonus-- I have goodies for my company in the freezer!

BRYANNA'S REALLY GOOD (ALMOST-FAT-FREE) BLACK BEAN VEGAN BROWNIES (Soy-Free and can be GF), WITH DARK, FUDGY OKARA BROWNIE VARIATION (Can be GF)

Yield: 16 brownies

FLAXSEED AND EGG REPLACER "GLOP":

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons flaxseed, ground into a fine meal, almost a powder, in an electric coffee/spice grinder or dry high-speed blender

2 tablespoons Ener-G or Orgran No Egg egg replacer powder

ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS:

1 cup home cooked black beans (or well-rinsed canned ones), mixed with about 3 tablespoons water or home-cooked (NOT canned) bean liquid

1 cup light organic sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup smooth unsweetened applesauce

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

DRY MIX:

1 1/4 cups organic unsweetened cocoa (yes, really... that much! I use Cocoa Camino fair trade brand)

1/2 cup wholewheat or unbleached flour , OR use a GF flour mix

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

OPTIONAL ADDITION:

1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts or other favorite nuts

Preheat the oven to 300°F. (Yes, trust me-- only 300°F! See note about this in text above.) Spray a 9-inch square pan with oil from a punp sprayer and line the bottom with baking parchment cut to fit, with the parchment going up 2 opposing sides to the rim of the pan. This allows you to lift the cooled brownie, uncut, out of the pan with no muss or fuss, if you wish.

Combine the water and ground flax seeds in a bowl and let them soak while you assemble the other ingredients. Place the soaked mixture into your food processor and process until the mixture is gloppy, somewhat like egg whites. Add the egg replacer and beat until thick and foamy.

Add the Additional Ingredients and process until smooth. (You may see some flecks of beans skins-- nothing to worry about.)

Combine the Dry Mix ingredients in a medium bowl. Pour in the mixture from the food processor and fold and stir briefly, just to blend. Fold in the nuts, if using.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes. Check for doneness with a cake tester or toothpick, it may be a but sticky, but you should not see raw batter. My goal was to make a moist, fudgy brownie, but with no “raw batter” texture and mouthfeel. When it's done, remove the pan to a cake rack to cool. IMPORTANT NOTE: Ovens can vary, pans can conduct heat differently, so test at 40 minutes. If you happen to use a smaller pan, say an 8-inch square one, which will make a thicker brownie, you may have to cook for as long as 65 minutes.

Do not cut until the brownies are cool. You can lift the whole thing out of the pan onto a cutting board, using the parchment liner, if you like, or just cut them in the pan. Use a very sharp knife to cut into 16 squares.

Nutrition Facts for the mixture with 1 cup nuts:

Nutrition (per brownie): 206.4 calories; 24% calories from fat; 6.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 67.0mg sodium; 268.3mg potassium; 38.3g carbohydrates; 4.6g fiber; 26.1g sugar; 33.7g net carbs; 4.2g protein; 3.9 points.

With only 1/2 cup nuts: Nutrition (per brownie): 182.5 calories; 16% calories from fat; 3.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 66.9mg sodium; 252.2mg potassium; 37.8g carbohydrates; 4.4g fiber; 26.0g sugar; 33.4g net carbs; 3.6g protein; 3.2 points.

With no nuts at all: Nutrition (per brownie): 158.6 calories; 6% calories from fat; 1.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 66.8mg sodium; 236.1mg potassium; 37.3g carbohydrates; 4.1g fiber; 25.9g sugar; 33.2g net carbs; 3.1g protein; 2.5 points.

VARIATION:

BRYANNA’S DARK, FUDGY VEGAN OKARA BROWNIES (Can be GF)

Yield: 16 brownies

Follow the recipe exactly as above, but omit the black beans and their liquid and use instead:

3/4 cup packed, well-squeezed okara (soybean pulp from making soymilk or tofu)-- do NOT use very wet okara, please

+ 1/4 cup water

Nutrition Facts for the mixture with 1 cup nuts:

Nutrition (per brownie): 196.6 calories; 25% calories from fat; 6.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 67.4mg sodium; 242.4mg potassium; 36.5g carbohydrates; 3.7g fiber; 26.1g sugar; 32.8g net carbs; 3.4g protein; 3.7 points.

With only 1/2 cup nuts: Nutrition (per brownie): 172.7 calories; 17% calories from fat; 4.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 67.4mg sodium; 226.2mg potassium; 36.0g carbohydrates; 3.4g fiber; 26.0g sugar; 32.5g net carbs; 2.9g protein; 3.1 points.

With no nuts at all: Nutrition (per brownie): 148.8 calories; 6% calories from fat; 1.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 67.3mg sodium; 210.1mg potassium; 35.5g carbohydrates; 3.2g fiber; 25.9g sugar; 32.3g net carbs; 2.3g protein; 2.5 points.

Enjoy!

LOW-FAT VEGAN S'MORE BROWNIES FOR NATIONAL BROWNIE DAY!

2011-12-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

For National Brownie Day, I'm re-posting an updated version of this recipe that I developed for my now defunct Vegan Feast Newsletter several years ago.

BRYANNA'S S'MORE BROWNIES
Servings: 16 (It's possible to make these GF-- see notes in recipe)
These are to die for, except you don't have to! Dark vegan brownies, baked on a graham cracker crust, with a luscious vegan marshmallow crème on top-- inspired by the old Girl Scout camp dessert.

INGREDIENTS
Graham Cracker Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (See Cooking Tips below, including ideas for GF)
1 Tbs organic unbleached sugar
3 Tbs melted Earth Balance
Brownie layer:
3 Tbs Earth Balance OR 3 T. oil (this works just fine!)
3 Tbs water
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup organic cocoa powder, unsweetened (I use Cocoa Camino fair trade brand)
1 Tbs espresso powder, or instant coffee or coffee substitute granules
1/4 cup water
1 Tbs flax seeds
1 Tbs Ener-G or Orgran No-Egg egg replacer powder
1/2 cup regular whole wheat or unbleached flour (NOTpastry flour) (OR use a GF flour mix)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Topping:
1 cup (approximately) Suzanne's Ricemellow Creme (see where to buy and alternative products above in Cooking Tips)
NOTE: You can try using my homemade "Marshie Fluff" if you like, but I haven't tried broiling it yet-- I just spread it on top like an icing.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the Graham Cracker Crust: Mix the crust ingredients and press in the bottom of a greased 8-inch square cake pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a cake rack.

To make the Brownie Layer:
In a small saucepan, melt the Earth Balance and 3 T. water gently over medium heat, OR melt it in a medium microwave-proof bowl in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then stir in the cocoa, vanilla and coffee powder. Set aside.

IF YOU USE OIL INSTEAD OF EARTH BALANCE, skip the melting step. Just mix the oil with 3 T. HOT water and stir in the sugar, then the cocoa, etc. (I use a whisk for the cocoa).

Place the 1/4 c. water, flaxseeds and egg replacer in a 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, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir briefly.

To bake the brownies:
Spread on the brownie batter top of the baked graham cracker crust. Bake for about 15 minutes. You may have to experiment with timing, according to your oven (try to use an oven thermometer to check the temperature, which can vary even in new ovens), and according to how fudgey you like the brownies.

Topping the Brownies:
Spread the brownies with the Ricemellow Crème while they're still hot-- and don't be tempted to spread on too much. It's very sweet and gooey and a little goes a long way! Use just enough so that the brownie layer is covered.

Place the pan 4 inches under the broiler and WATCHING CAREFULLY, broil until it bubbles up and browns. This takes very little time!

Cool on a rack, then cut into 16 squares. Serve at room temperature.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 154.0 calories; 29% calories from fat; 5.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 107.4mg sodium; 130.6mg potassium; 26.8g carbohydrates; 1.7g fiber; 18.8g sugar; 25.1g net carbs; 1.5g protein; 3.2 points.

Cooking Tips
Instead of the Ricemellow Creme, you could place vegan marshmallows ( this brand or this one) on top of the brownies, broil as instructed. You can make your own vegan marshmallows with the easy Angel Food Marshmallow Mix-- see where to buy in your country.

VEGAN GRAHAM CRACKERS:

Some bulk graham cracker crumbs are vegan-- check the label or ask your grocer to let you see the original bag. The following are vegan:

Keeblers Original and Cinnamon Graham Crackers (but not their graham crumbs)

Murray Cinnamon Grahams

Nabisco Original Graham Crackers

Nabisco Teddy Grahams (Chocolate and Cinnamon)

Health Valley makes three kinds of vegan graham crackers:

Original Oat Bran Graham Crackers

Original Amaranth Bran Graham Crackers

Original Rice Bran Graham Crackers

NOTE: for vegan gluten-free graham crackers, you'll have to search out a recipe online (there are several)-- I haven't seen a commercial GF brand yet that doesn't contain honey (correct me if I'm wrong!).

Happy National Brownie Day!

A GOOD HOLIDAY APPETIZER: SMOKED ALMOND MUSHROOM PÂTÉ

2011-12-04T18:19:00.000-08:00

I made this the other day for my husband's photography students (they were having a little party at the end of the course), and I'd like to share it with you for holiday entertaining. It's adapted from my book, The Fiber for Life Cookbook.This type of vegetarian pâté appeared in mainstream magazines in the early 80's and became deservedly popular party fare. I think it must have originated with this Blue Diamond® Almonds recipe, which is listed on their website as one of their "classic" recipes.

For the book, I modernized (and veganized, and lowered the fat) it by omitting the butter, using fewer almonds and more mushrooms, and using slightly more authoritative seasoning. This time I decided to use smoked-hickory almonds for even more flavor, and it worked beautifully-- it's even more delicious, I think.

BRYANNA'S SMOKED ALMOND MUSHROOM PÂTÉ

Servings: 6

Yield: 1 1/2 cups
Very easy to make!

1/2 medium onion

1 large clove garlic, peeled and crushed

3/4 lb fresh white or cremini (brown) mushrooms, cleaned and thickly-sliced

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/8 tsp freshly-ground black pepper

1 cup hickory-smoked almonds or any smoked almonds (sift off any excess powdery coating)

1 Tbs dry sherry

Garnish

Fresh parsley or rosemary or thyme leaves

chopped hickory-smoked almonds

Process the onion and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the mushrooms through the top with the motor running, until they are all chopped. Spray a large nonstick, anodized or cast iron skillet with a little oil from a pump sprayer and heat it over medium-high heat. When it's hot, add the chopped vegetables, salt, thyme and pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid exudes from the mushrooms, and then has pretty much evaporated again. Remove from heat.

While the mushrooms cook, clean and dry the food processor bowl and blade.

Place the smoked almonds into the cleaned and dried food processor and process them until they almost become a paste. With the machine turned off, scrape them from the sides toward the inside and then add the cooked mushroom mixture and the wine. Process the mixture until quite smooth, stopping the machine to push the mixture towards the blade if necessary.

Pack the mixture into an oiled shallow bowl, cover and chill. When cool, serve in the bowl, or invert the mound onto a serving plate. Garnish as desired and serve with crusty artisinal bread, crackers, rye crisp, and/ or raw vegetables. (If you make this ahead of time, or have leftovers, keep it covered and refrigerated.)

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per 1/4 cup): 158.5 calories; 64% calories from fat; 12.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 237.5mg sodium; 369.5mg potassium; 7.7g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 2.6g sugar; 4.2g net carbs; 7.0g protein; 3.5 points.

Enjoy!

JUST-ABOUT-FAT-FREE HOMEMADE MAPLE-CHERRY-COCONUT GRANOLA

2011-12-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be posting more low-fat or fat-free recipes this month (interspersed with holiday recipes) because DH and I are back on our vegan version of the old WW Core Plan (lost 4 lbs. each last week). This morning I had a rare craving for granola, so I dug out my old recipe for almost-no-fat granola made in the microwave and tweaked it for my new, more powerful microwave, and also to what flavors I fancied.

A microwave works so well for making small batches of granola without added oil. (Many homemade and commercial versions of granola contain over 3 times the fat grams as this recipe.) It takes less than 10 minutes all together, so it's no trouble to make a batch when you run out. (Afraid of microwave ovens?) I also found that this did not make my jaw hurt from chewing so hard, as is the case with some granola cereals I have encountered! But it could be "chunkier", so I have an idea for overcoming that-- I'll keep you posted.

Half a cup of this cereal with half a banana and some soy milk kept me going all morning!

Want to know the origins of granola? Here's an interesting history.

BRYANNA’S JUST-ABOUT-FAT-FREE HOMEMADE MAPLE-CHERRY-COCONUT GRANOLA (WITH NUTTY ORANGE-APRICOT-COCONUT VARIATION)

Yield: 4 cups; Servings: 8

This recipe is adapted from one in my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook". NOTE: Without fruit, this makes a good nut substitute for low-fat baking.

2 cups oatmeal (or other rolled whole grain cereal)

3/4 cup whole wheat flour, or any other whole grain flour

1/2 cup wheat bran, oat bran or rice bran

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unsweetened desiccated coconut

1/2 cup dried tart cherries

VARIATION: NUTTY ORANGE-APRICOT-COCONUT GRANOLA

For the sweetener, use 1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate and 2 tablespoons agave nectar

Instead of 1/2 cup coconut, use only 3 tablespoons coconut, along with 1/3 cup chopped pecans or other nuts

Add 1/2 teaspoon pure orange extract, orange oil or 1 tablespoon grated organic orange zest

Instead of the dried cherries, use 1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

NOTE: You need a 2.2 cubic ft. capacity microwave for this recipe. Mine is 1200 watts. If yours is weaker, you may have to cook it in 3 minutes increments instead of 2 minute ones.

Mix all of the ingredients (except the dried fruit) together thoroughly in a medium bowl.

Spread the mixture evenly on baking parchment cut to fit the microwave carousel.

Cook on full power for 2 minutes. Stir gently and spread out evenly again. Cook 2 minutes more, stir gently, and push the granola in the center of the carousel out toward the edges, leaving an empty space in the center of the carousel about 3-4 inches across. The reason for doing this is that the center tends to burn towards the end of cooking. Cook for 2 minutes more. The mixture should be light golden.

Dump the granola onto a baking sheet with sides and add the dried fruit. Cool completely, stirring once in a while.

When completely cool, store in an airtight container.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving): 220.5 calories; 18% calories from fat; 4.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 64.5mg sodium; 213.2mg potassium; 41.7g carbohydrates; 6.3g fiber; 8.6g sugar; 35.5g net carbs; 5.9g protein; 4.0 points.

Enjoy!

OUR VEGAN DINNER GROUP'S "THANKSMAS" DINNER LAST SUNDAY

2011-11-24T10:10:00.000-08:00

Our vegan dinner group of 5 couples enjoyed our 2nd annual "Thanksmas" dinner last Sunday. It's a joyful celebration of vegan holiday food on a date halfway between Canadian Thanksgiving and the Christmas/Winter holidays. Our dinners are sort of "planned potluck". The host/hostess sends out an email asking what people want to bring and it usually works out to be a quite balanced meal. If not, the host/hostess will fill out the menu or put it out there that there is a gap in the menu. It always works out perfectly.

The female half of the table-- our friend Ellen was unable to attend-- in Sarah's kitchen.

I wrote a post about the Fluffy Vegan No-Knead Hazelnut/Bran Dinner Rolls I made as part of my contribution in my last post (recipe included):

They were a perfect accompaniment to Fireweed's ambrosial Wild Mushroom Soup, which was our first course, and nary a one left over.

The first course could have been a meal in itself, but we soldiered on and filled our plates with:

Fireweed's delectable Roasted Vegetable and Spud Platter:

Pelka's Creamy, Cheezy Cauliflower Casserole:

My Seitan Wellington (served with Madeira Gravy and homemade Cranberry Sauce with Orange, Ginger and Rum-Soaked Raisins )-- recipe in World Vegan Feast:

Pelka's colorful, fresh and crunchy Winter Holiday Salad:

Here are two views of the main course buffet table (we filled our plates and met around Sarah and Gordon's lovely large square table):

And, then, even when we thought we could not eat another morsel, we were tempted further by Sarah's gorgeous and sensational Steamed Pumpkin Pecan Pudding with Brandy Sauce & Tofu Whipped Creme:

Ellen was not able to join us on Sunday, but her husband Rudy brought some of her wonderful traditional Scandinavian treats and truffles that are a tradition in their family, so we nibbled ourselves into blissful oblivion:

Until next time!

Happy Vegan Thanksgiving to all of my American friends, relatives and readers!

FLUFFY NO-KNEAD HAZELNUT/BRAN DINNER ROLLS (NO SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED!)

2011-11-21T15:37:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a fabulous vegan "Thanksmas" dinner (which is becoming a yearly tradition) at our friends Sarah and Gordon's lovely house with our 5-couple vegan dinner group. I'll post about the dinner in a day or two, but there was some interest expressed on my Facebook page about the recipe for the dinner rolls I was making, so that's the subject of this blog post.

My contributions to the vegan "Thanksmas" feast-- Orange Cranberry Sauce with Ginger and Rum-Soaked Raisins, Seitan Wellington from my book World Vegan Feast, and the rolls in the background.

I wanted to make a nice fluffy roll, but with some fiber, and I wanted to go the no-knead route because it's so easy and convenient. I couldn't find a suitable recipe in any of the six no-knead bread books that I own, or even online, so I "winged" it. I kept it simple, using a combination of unbleached white flour with wheat bran for added fiber (without cutting down on the "fluffiness"), and using soy milk for most of the liquid, because soy acts as a "dough conditioner", making light, soft breads. (I already know that the no-knead method allows the dough to develop exceptional flavor and gives strength to the gluten the way kneading ordinarily would [see the following posts for more info: 1.), 2.), 3.)].) The hazelnuts add an elegant touch.

Well, it turned out to be a great success (not one left!) and I'm happy to share the recipe with you-- these rolls would be great with just about any holiday dinner.

BRYANNA'S FLUFFY NO-KNEAD HAZELNUT/BRAN DINNER ROLLS

21 rolls

1/4 cup warm water

2 tsp dry active baking yeast (or 1 1/2 tsp. instant yeast)

2 cups warm soy milk (soy milk helps make great soft breads, but use another type of non-dairy milk if you must)

1/4 cup unbleached organic granulated sugar

1/4 cup Earth Balance (softened or melted)

4 cups unbleached white flour

1/2 cup wheat bran

2 tsp salt

Topping:

non-dairy milk (preferably soy milk or nut milk) for brushing

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts

At least the evening before you wish to serve the rolls, mix the yeast in the warm water in a small cup and set aside for a few minutes. In a medium to large bowl mix the warm soy milk with the dissolved yeast, sugar and Earth Balance.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, bran and salt. Dump this into the bowl with the yeast mixture. Stir the soft dough together briefly, using a wooden spoon or a Danish dough whisk. The dough will be loose and "shaggy".

Cover the bowl and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour. (You can use a bowl with a snap lid, or use plastic wrap or a clean disposable shower cap to cover the bowl.) After an hour or so, Place the covered bowl in the refrigerator. Leave the dough in the refrigerator until about 2 1/2 to 3 hours before you wish to bake the rolls. You can leave the dough in the refrigerator for about a week, if you wish.

2 1/2 to 3 hours before baking, remove the dough from the refrigerator. Have ready two round 9-inch cake or pie pans, greased and lined on the bottom with baking parchment. Form the dough into 21 equal-sized round rolls (the balls of dough should be about golf-ball-size) and place a little bit apart in the prepared pans. Place the pans large inside food-safe plastic bags, or cover with damp clean tea towels. Place in a warm spot for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the rolls are fully risen.

Turn the oven to 400°F about 20 minutes before you anticipate the rolls to be fully risen. Before baking, brush the rolls lightly with soy or nut milk and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden. Place the pans on racks to cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per roll): 146.3 calories; 27% calories from fat; 4.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 214.1mg sodium; 102.1mg potassium; 22.9g carbohydrates; 1.7g fiber; 3.2g sugar; 21.2g net carbs; 3.9g protein; 3.0 points.

Enjoy (and an early "Happy Thanksgiving" to my American relatives, friends and readers)!

MUFFINS, SWEET AND SAVORY, VEGAN AND LOW-FAT

2011-11-14T18:27:00.000-08:00

Almond Crumb Cake Muffins

I don't make muffins very often these days, since it's just the two of us most of the time. (You can indeed have too many low-fat muffins, by the way!) But we had a visitor for a few days and one of my granddaughters came over as well one day, so muffins seemed appropriate. Below are the recipes for the two muffin recipes I made during the last few days.

Muffins are pretty easy to veganize, and to make lower in fat. I like muffins that are moist, not crumbly and dry, too, and it's not difficult to achieve that. My muffin batters are a little bit runnier than you might be used to (like my cake batters), but that seems to be a plus.

My standard procedure is to use pastry flour (usually a whole wheat type) instead of all-purpose flour because it contains less gluten. If you are using plenty of fat, the flour's not a problem, because the fat coats the gluten in the flour and makes it tender. However, if you use less fat, you want to use a flour that is lower in gluten content, such as pastry or cake flour. This is made from a soft wheat, whereas bread flour is made from hard wheat, and all-purpose is in between.

I generally substitute smooth unsweetened applesauce for up to 3/4 of the fat called for. I freeze canned or homemade applesauce for baking in ice cube trays and pop the cubes into zipper-lock bags. Each one equals 2 tablespoons, making it easy to measure it out and eliminating waste. I use 1/4 cup nondairy milk (I generally use soy, which contains some lecethin, as egg yolks do) in place of each egg-- sometimes I add flax, sometimes I use a little egg replacer, but I usually keep it simple in muffin recipes.

I made the following muffins as a breakfast muffin. They are not super-sweet, which I prefer.

BRYANNA'S VEGAN ALMOND CRUMB CAKE MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
These muffins are super easy and quick to make, but nice enough for afternoon tea or coffee.

Dry Mix:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Wet Mix:
1 3/4 cups soy milk
1/4 cup smooth applesauce
(TIP: Freeze canned or homemade applesauce for baking in ice cube trays and pop the cubes into zipper-lock bags-- each one= 2 tablespoons)
2 Tbs oil
1/2 cup unbleached sugar
1 Tbs vinegar
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
Topping:
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 Tbs melted Earth Balance

Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease 12 muffin cups, or use paper cupcake liners or parchment muffin cup liners (how to make your own), I don’t like to use silicone liners with muffins because I like a bit more f a crust on muffins, as opposed to cupcakes, which need to be softer.

In a small bowl, mix together the Topping ingredients with your fingers and set aside. Whisk together the Dry Mix ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk together the Wet Mix Ingredients in a medium bowl or measuring pitcher until smooth.

Add the Wet Mix to the Dry Mix and mix briefly. Spoon evenly into muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins evenly with the Topping. Bake for about 22 minutes. Place pan on a baking rck to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving. The muffins can be eaten hot or at room temperature. Cool leftovers thoroughly before storing in a plastic bag or rigid plastic container. These freeze well.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per muffin): Nutrition (per serving): 214.4 calories; 25% calories from fat; 6.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 172.2mg sodium; 170.2mg potassium; 36.0g carbohydrates; 3.0g fiber; 13.9g sugar; 33.1g net carbs; 5.1g protein; 4.2 points.

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These next muffins are a favorite of mine, because I love anything corny, and these are double-corny! The stoneground cornmeal contains more fiber than the ordinary refined type. The creamed corn (which actually contains no cream) adds more fiber, and makes the muffins moist and sweet without added sugar and with very little oil. A perfect go-with with our Border Beans and braised greens for dinner last night.

BRYANNA'S CREAMY CORN MUFFINS
Makes 12 muffins
This recipe is from my book, "The Fiber for Life Cookbook".

DRY MIX:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (stoneground, if possible)
1/2 Tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
WET MIX:
3/4 cup non-dairy milk
1 Tbs oil or melted Earth Balance
1/2 Tbs powdered egg replacer (Ener-G or Orgran)
ADDITIONAL:
1 can (14-15 oz.) cream-style corn (this product does not contain dairy products)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups, or use paper cupcake liners or parchment muffin cup liners (how to make your own), I don’t like to use silicone liners with muffins because I like a bit more f a crust on muffins, as opposed to cupcakes, which need to be softer.

Mix the Dry Mix ingredients together well in a medium bowl. Blend the Wet Mix ingredients together well in a deep bowl or medium measuring pitcher, using a hand/immersion blender or whisk. Pour the contents of the can of creamed corn into the blended Wet Mix and stir gently but thoroughly. Pour this mixture into the Dry Mix and mix briefly. Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin tin. Bake 20 minutes.

Place the muffin tin on a rack, cover the muffins with a clean tea towel and cool for a few minutes before serving hot.

Cool leftovers thoroughly before storing in a plastic bag or rigid plastic container. These freeze well.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per muffin): 110.8 calories; 14% calories from fat; 1.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 227.8mg sodium; 121.0mg potassium; 22.3g carbohydrates; 2.4g fiber; 1.5g sugar; 19.9g net carbs; 3.2g protein; 1.9 points.

VARIATIONS:
NUTTY AND/OR FRUITY CREAMY CORN MUFFINS: Add 2/3 c. chopped toasted walnuts or pecans; and/or 1 c. fresh cranberries or blueberries, or 1/2 c. dried cranberries or blueberries, or 3/4 c. chopped pitted prunes. Bake the batter in 12 greased muffin cups for about 25 minutes at 400 degrees F.
HOT CHILE SURPRISE CREAMY CORN MUFFINS: Make muffins as directed above, but spoon only half the batter into 12 muffin cups. Spoon about 2 tsp. of hot red pepper or jalapeño jelly into the center of each portion. Top with the remaining batter and bake as usual.
GREEN CHILE CREAMY CORN MUFFINS: To the batter, add 1 (4 oz.) can , drained well, of chopped green California chiles. Sprinkle the top of each unbaked muffin about 1/2-1 T. vegan parmesan or other vegan cheese.
BASIL PARMESAN CREAMY CORN MUFFINS: To the batter, add 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil and 2 T. vegan parmesan. Sprinkle the top of each unbaked muffin about more vegan parmesan.

Enjoy!

MY FAVORITE GINGERBREAD CAKE, ALL DOLLED UP (OR NOT)

2011-11-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

As a little prelude to holiday cooking, I made this recipe from my book, The Fiber for life Cookbook last week. Not only is it moist and dark and rich with spices and molasses, but it also happens to be whole grain, fiber-rich and low in fat. I had a bit of my vegan caramel sauce leftover from another recipe, so I decided to "doll up" my homespun gingerbread with a drizzle of that and some toasted hazelnuts. Perfect!

I called this recipe "Gingerbread" in the book because that's what we always called this type of dark, spicy, moist ginger cake baked in a square pan when I was growing up. But, it occurred to me that "gingerbread" is a cookie, too, so it's confusing. I'm hedging my bets and calling it a "Gingerbread Cake" this time!

Researching gingerbread quickly, I see that it can refer to anything from this type of moist cake to a fairly dry cookie (or biscuit, as it's called in the UK). What they have in common, besides the ginger, is the uses of molasses (or treacle), or possibly honey for at least part of the sweetener. The following type of recipe is much like the British ginger cake, but without the traditional lemon sauce.

Try this with tea on a cold day!

BRYANNA’S WHOLE WHEAT GINGERBREAD CAKE (can be SF or GF or both)
makes 1/ 9” square pan/ 9 servings
Moist, dark and spicy—also low-fat and fiber-rich.

WET MIX:
1/4 cup water
1 T. flax seeds
1 cup dark molasses
1/2 T. lemon juice + any nondairy milk to make 1/2 cup
1/2 cup light organic granulated sugar
1/3 cup smooth applesauce

(TIP: Freeze canned or homemade applesauce for baking in ice cube trays and pop the cubes into zipper-lock bags-- each one= 2 tablespoons!)

2 T. oil (olive oil works well in this)
DRY MIX:
2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (a GF flour mix would probably work fine with this-- they usually work well with simple cakes)
1 T. powdered ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. grease and flour a 9" square pan.

In a blender, blend the water and flaxseeds until “gloppy” like egg whites. Add the remaining Wet Mix ingredients and blend well.

In a medium bowl mix the Dry Mix ingredients well. Pour in the Wet Mix and mix briefly. Spread the batter in the prepared pan and bake 25-35 minutes, testing with a cake tester. Serve warm or cool.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 285.8 calories; 12% calories from fat; 4.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 267.2mg sodium; 699.4mg potassium; 61.1g carbohydrates; 4.0g fiber; 32.4g sugar; 57.0g net carbs; 4.3g protein; 5.3 points.

"DOLLED UP" VARIATION:
Drizzle the top of the warm cake with about 1/4 cup Caramel Sauce (see recipe below) and sprinkle with 3/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts.

With the Variation the Nutrition Facts are as follows: Nutrition (per serving): 396.4 calories; 25% calories from fat; 11.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 288.0mg sodium; 796.9mg potassium; 71.4g carbohydrates; 5.1g fiber; 40.3g sugar; 66.4g net carbs; 6.2g protein; 8.1 points

BRYANNA'S VEGAN CARAMEL SAUCE (makes about 1 cup):
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs Earth Balance
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup organic vegan creamer
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Bring the syrup, brown sugar, Earth Balance and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan and boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the consistency of heavy syrup.

Remove from heat and cool a bit. Heat the creamer just until warm. Whisk into the syrup along with vanilla.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 2 tablespoons): 173.1 calories; 18% calories from fat; 3.4g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 93.7mg sodium; 59.9mg potassium; 37.9g carbohydrates; 0.0g fiber; 33.1g sugar; 37.9g net carbs; 0.7g protein; 3.7 points.

Enjoy!

CRANBERRY DAY 3: "DECADENT" CARAMEL-CRANBERRY-PECAN CAKE TO WRAP UP VEGAN MOFO

2011-10-31T14:22:00.000-07:00

THE LAST DAY... WHEW!

I'm ready for a rest (and have a long list of things I've neglected all month), but it's been a great challenge and so much fun following the other bloggers! Thanks so much, Vegan MoFo Organizers!

Today's Cranberry Fact: "Cranberries are rich in polyphenolic antioxidants which protect against cancer and cardiovascular disease. The proanthocyanidins and other compounds inhibit the oxidation of LDL cholesterol while cranberry powder has been observed to decrease the LDL cholesterol levels of animals with elevated blood cholesterol levels. The proanthocyanidins in cranberry and lowbush blueberry are known to inhibit tumor growth." http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/herbs/cranberry.php

Well, we've had our cranberry-laced breakfast, cranberry-studded dinner, and now dessert! This is one of my favorite cakes. Not only is it delicious and easy to make, but it gives you the feeling of being decadent when, really, it's pretty low-fat and it's made from whole wheat pastry flour. How good can it get?

I had a bite or two of a similar cake at a local restaurant a few years ago and the memory lingered. It took me a while to get around to making a vegan version that came "up to scratch" with what I remembered, but I'm happy with this recipe. That particular restaurant still has the cake on its menu, but they've omitted what I would consider the essential caramel sauce and instead drown it in a pile of whipped cream! You can "gild the lily" with a small dollop of vegan whipped topping or non-dairy ice cream if you like, but don't leave out the caramel sauce!

BRYANNA'S “DECADENT” CARAMEL-CRANBERRY-PECAN CAKE
Serves 8
This cake actually isn't that decadent, but it really seems so! This is a great choice when you want something rich, not too sweet, and special, but not chocolate. It can be made either with fresh cranberries or dried cranberries.

THE CAKE:
Dry Mix:
1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup chopped lightly-toasted pecans
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (or 2/3 cup dried cranberries, soaked in hot water and drained well)
Wet Mix:
1 cup water
3 Tbs oil
3 Tbs smooth unsweetened applesauce (TIP: Freeze canned or homemade applesauce for baking in ice cube trays and pop the cubes into zipper-lock bags-- each one is 2 tablespoons!)
1 Tbs cider vinegar
1/2 Tbs pure vanilla extract
CARAMEL SAUCE:
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs Earth Balance
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup organic vegan creamer
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Oil an 8" square pan and line the bottom with cooking parchment cut to fit.

Whisk all of the Dry Mix ingredients, except for the pecans and cranberries, together in a medium bowl. Add the pecans and cranberries and mix briefly.

Whisk together the Wet Mix ingredients in another bowl. Pour into the Dry Mix ingredients and stir briefly, just until mixed. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes.
Cool the cake on a rack.

To make the sauce:
Bring the syrup, brown sugar, Earth Balance and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan and boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the consistency of heavy syrup.

Remove from heat and cool a bit. Heat the creamer just until warm. Whisk into the syrup along with vanilla.

The cake can be served warm or at room temperature, but the sauce should be hot. Cut the cake into 8 triangular servings and drizzle each serving generously with some of the hot sauce. You can also serve this with a scoop of your favorite vanilla non-dairy ice cream, or a little of your favorite non-dairy whipped topping.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 485.6 calories; 33% calories from fat; 18.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 163.5mg sodium; 368.6mg potassium; 80.5g carbohydrates; 4.9g fiber; 54.1g sugar; 5.4g protein; 10.5 points.

CRANBERRY DAY 2: RICH VEGAN STEW WITH CRANBERRIES AND MUSHROOMS

2011-10-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

The contest is over "Vintageelena", you are the winner of a free copy of"Vegan Diner", but I haven't heard from you and have no way to contact you-- congratulations, but please contact me via this page or my FB page. If I don't hear from you soon, we'll have to pick another winner!

Tonight's stew in the pot!

Today's Cranberry Fact: "Helicobacter pylori is the major cause of gastric and duodenal ulcers. This bacterium penetrates the mucus lining of the gastrointestinal system and adheres to the underlying epithelial layer. Recently, it was found that a cranberry fraction disabled some strains of H. pylori so that they could not stick to the epithelial surface. Through this mechanism cranberries could help prevent ulcers. A cranberry fraction also reduces the stickiness of oral bacteria and may be useful for delaying the development of dental plaque and gum disease." http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/herbs/cranberry.php

Yesterday we started my 3-day cranberry-fest, suitably, with dried cranberries in our breakfast pancakes. Today, it's dinner (and we actually did have it for dinner tonight, with our friend Brenda, who is not a vegetarian, but loves my vegan stews). I like using fruit in savory dishes, especially tart fruits. I'm not sure exactly when I invented this stew-- it was at least three years ago-- but it was on a cold day, I know that for sure. I remember wanting to come up with a stew with complex flavors, rich with wine, mushrooms, onions, and subtle herbs and spices. I think the dried cranberries were an inspired addition, if I may say so myself. They add a little edge of tartness (along with a bit of balsamic vinegar) to complement all the rich, deep flavors. It's become one of our favorite winter stews, and definitely a favorite for winter dinner parties.

Reconstituted TVP chunks tossed with Seasoned Flour and ready to brown.

I need to add that I prefer textured soy protein chunks in stews-- I like their tender chewiness and their ability to absorb flavors. In the recipe, I have given you some possibilities for substitutes if you don't want to or can't use them, or have none available, but here's a little info. Textured soy protein is sometimes called TSP, but is also known as the brand TVP®. It's a low-fat, inexpensive dry product that’s useful as a meat substitute. It is not the same thing as “ hydrolyzed plant protein” or “soy isolate,” BTW. It is made from de-fatted soy flour, cooked under pressure, then extruded to make different sizes and shapes, then dried. Organic varieties are available: Frontier Co-op has unflavored textured soy protein in 2 different sizes, both organic-- 1/4-inch pieces (similar to granules) and 1/2-inch pieces (small chunk). The Mail-Order Catalog also carries a granulated version and a chunk version, both organic.

One of the alternative suggestions in the recipe is commercial "meaty" vegan strips, "tips" or "tenders". These products are generally made from a combination of soy and wheat proteins. Common brands are Gardein, Yves, Lightlife, Morningstar Farms, White Wave, and PC Blue Menu (Canada). They are available in natural food stores and large supermarkets, either refrigerated or frozen. Some online vegan vendors will ship them with cold packs.

Now, on to the recipe...

Ready to eat on a nice mound of mashed potatoes.

BRYANNA'S RICH VEGAN STEW WITH CRANBERRIES
Serves 6-8
Quick to put together; elegant enough for company. All you need is mashed potatoes, maybe some crusty bread, and a salad.

3 cups textured soy protein (TVP) chunks, reconstituted (about 4 1/2 cups; see info in text above)
(Other options for the protein: seitan cubes; "meaty"commercial vegan strips, "tips" or "tenders" [see notes above for brands]; or Butler Soy Curls reconstituted in a "beefy" vegetarian broth.)
Seasoned Flour (below)
2 T. olive oil
1/2 T. dark sesame oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced (a regular yellow onion will work if you have no reds)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetarian broth
1/2 cup hot water + 1/2 T. Marmite (yeast extract)
4 medium to large carrots, peeled and sliced into thin “fingers”
8 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and cut into chunks or slices (If you don't have shiitakes, you can use portobellos, criminis, or white mushrooms)
1 cups dried cranberries
1/2 cup dry or medium sherry
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 T. soy sauce
1 large bay leaf
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 large pinch allspice

Heat the oils together in a large cast iron or non-stick skillet. Coat the TVP chunks with the Seasoned Flour, shake off excess, and brown them in the hot oil. Remove the browned chunks to a bowl and then add the onion and garlic; sauté, adding a little water if necessary, until the onions are softened. Mix the onions and TVP chunks in a large, heavy pot along with the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour. Add freshly-ground black pepper to taste. Serve hot with mashed potatoes.

BRYANNA’S SEASONED FLOUR
Keep some of this in a tightly-covered container in the refrigerator-- you'll find many uses for it.

Mix together 2 cups whole wheat, or other wholegrain, flour, 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes, 1 tsp. salt, and, optional, 1 tsp. onion powder and freshly-ground black pepper to taste.

Nutrition Facts for 6 servings:
Nutrition (per serving): 567.4 calories; 11% calories from fat; 7.6g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 327.4mg sodium; 928.9mg potassium; 104.0g carbohydrates; 8.5g fiber; 2.9g sugar; 95.5g net carbs; 16.9g protein; 11.2 points.

Nutrition Facts for 8 servings:
Nutrition (per serving): 425.6 calories; 11% calories from fat; 5.7g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 245.5mg sodium; 696.7mg potassium; 78.0g carbohydrates; 6.4g fiber; 2.2g sugar; 71.6g net carbs; 12.6g protein; 8.2 points.

Enjoy!

CRANBERRY DAY 1: VEGAN ORANGE-CRANBERRY-PECAN MULTIGRAIN "BUTTERMILK" PANCAKES

2011-10-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

Cranberries are one of my favorite foods and the holiday season gives me plenty of opportunities to use this tart, healthful fruit in many dishes, both sweet and savory. I'm going to devote the next three days' posts, the remaining days of MoFo, to the cranberry and its uses, along with three of my favorite recipes using this ruby-red berry (in the case of the aforementioned recipes, it will be in the dried form).

I developed this recipe about 3 years ago when I was determined to make a light, fluffy vegan pancake that was all whole grains but didn't SCREAM whole grain. For a holiday recipe, I added one of my favorite flavor trios: orange, cranberry and pecans.

Some of you may know that I'm in favor of using our healthful, antioxidant-rich North American berries, such as cranberries, blueberries, blackberries and currants, instead of jumping on every passing bandwagon of exotic, supposed "super-fruit" (such as goji or acai, for instance). I wrote a bit of a rant about this, as a matter of fact, about 4 years ago, so I'll let you read it if you like, rather than repeating myself.

But a few facts: Native Americans used cranberries for food and medicine, both raw or or cooked and sweetened with maple sugar. In addition, they used them in poultices for treating wounds, and the leaves for diarrhea and urinary disorders. Cranberries were also used to prevent scurvy.

Cranberry juice may prevent the formation of certain types of kidney stones. A glass or two of cranberry juice every day for 1 to 2 weeks will increase the acidity of the urine, and decrease the risk of a kidney stone formation. As an added bonus,cranberry juice does not contain high levels of oxalate, a substance which can promote the formation of kidney stones.

That's enough science for today-- more facts to follow in the next 2 days! Give the pancakes a try. They contain four different kinds of whole grain flour, a combo that makes a very light pancake. I like to keep all of these flours together in the freezer to have at a moment's notice when we feel like having pancakes, without scrambling around to find everything.

BRYANNA'S VEGAN ORANGE-CRANBERRY-PECAN MULTIGRAIN "BUTTERMILK" PANCAKES
Serves 8
Yield: about 32/ 3 1/2" pancakes
Light, fluffy ALL-whole-grain vegan pancakes with the added fiber and antioxidants of flax, cranberries, and pecans. You can use this recipe as a template for plain multigrain pancakes or pancakes with other flavors, fruits and nuts or seeds.

VEGAN "BUTTERMILK":
Juice of 2 medium organic oranges + soy, hemp or nut milk added to make 2 1/2 cups
Grated zest of 2 organic medium oranges
VEGAN "EGGS":
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons golden flaxseeds, ground in a dry electric coffee/spice mill (one that is NOT used for coffee)
2 teaspoons Ener-G or Orgran No-Egg egg replacer powder
DRY INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oat flour (or grind rolled oats to powder in a DRY blender or coffee/spice mill and then measure)
6 tablespoons corn flour (NOT cornstarch—this is finely-ground cornmeal; you can grind cornmeal as for the oats above if you can’t find corn flour in a HFS)
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
ADDITIONS:
2/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped
1/3 cup chopped pecans
WET MIX:
Vegan "Buttermilk" (above)
Vegan "Eggs" (above)
2 tablespoons oil
VARIATION: For plain pancakes or other flavors: omit the orange juice and use 2 tablespoons lemon juice plus non-dairy milk to make 2 1/2 cups). Omit the cranberries and nuts for plain pancakes, or use other dried fruits and nuts or seeds.

Step 1) Mix the juice and nondairy milk of choice and set aside. (This is the vegan "buttermilk".)

Step 2) Heat up your pancake griddle- - you can use good, heavy, large nonstick or seasoned cast iron skillet or griddle on top of the stove instead, or an electric griddle-- and spray with oil from a pump-sprayer or wipe with non-hydrogenated shortening before each batch. You may want to wait until your batter is almost finished before heating the pan/griddle on medium-high heat. Drops of water should sizzle when sprinkled on the surface if it's ready. (On the flat plate[s] of an indoor grill, use the high or "sear" setting.)

Step 3) Mix together the Dry Mix ingredients together in a medium bowl-- I use a whisk. Stir in the cranberries and pecans. Set aside.

Step 4) Mix the water, ground golden flaxseed and the egg replacer powder with a hand/immersion (stick) blender or electric hand mixer until like a thick, frothy egg white. (If you don't grind the flaxseeds first, you will have to use a regular blender or VitaMix to blend the wet mixture.)

Step 5) For the Wet Mix, combine the Vegan "Buttermilk" and the Vegan "Eggs" together briefly, and stir in the oil. Pour it into the Dry Mix. Whisk briefly just until no dry flour is visible-- it will be lumpy and quite thick.

Step 6) Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the batter onto the hot, oiled griddle and spread it out gently to a 3 1/2" circle with the back of the spoon. (I use a small gravy ladle that holds about 3 tablespoons of batter and that's perfect.) Cook until it has puffed a bit, bubbles appear in the surface and the bottoms are golden.

Carefully loosen with a spatula/pancake turner (if using a plastic one, make sure that it has a nice thin edge on it) and turn over gently. The center will rise a bit and be set, and the other side golden when done. Don't overcook the pancakes, or they fall and lose their lightness.

Serve on warm plates with Earth Balance and warm syrup (we like real maple syrup) or amber agave nectar. Yum!

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 4 pancakes): 415.0 calories; 20% calories from fat; 10.0g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 310.8mg sodium; 373.9mg potassium; 77.5g carbohydrates; 10.4g fiber; 3.5g sugar; 67.1g net carbs; 7.2g protein; 8.3 points.

WITHOUT THE NUTS AND DRIED FRUIT the nutrition facts are as follows:
Nutrition (per 4 pancakes): 214.2 calories; 24% calories from fat; 5.9g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 309.0mg sodium; 332.3mg potassium; 36.3g carbohydrates; 6.8g fiber; 3.3g sugar; 29.5g net carbs; 6.8g protein; 4.0 points.

Enjoy!

PUMPKIN TUNNEL CAKE W/ LEMON-GINGER CREME CHEEZE FILLING, CARAMEL SAUCE, & TOASTED PECANS, FOR THE HOLIDAYS

2011-10-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Photo by Debbie Knight

I've been saving this recipe to post for a special occasion, and there are three special occasions coming up that could benefit from the addition of this dessert to the menu-- Halloween, American Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I developed this cake a few years ago for my now defunct newsletter, The Vegan Feast, and this is the first time I've shared it with the public-- I hope some of you will try it and enjoy it as much as we do. The ginger-y vegan cream cheese filling is a perfect foil for the soft moist, lightly-spiced pumpkin cake, and it's complemented very nicely with a drizzle of sumptuous vegan caramel sauce and a sprinkling of toasty pecans.

Tunnel cakes now come in all flavors, but the original was the "Tunnel of Fudge Cake". Tunnel of Fudge Cake was created by Ella Helfrich of Houston, Texas. She was a Pillsbury Bake-Off 2nd place winner (she won $5,000) in 1966. Her Tunnel of Fudge cake is a walnut-studded chocolate pound cake that comes out with a fudgy-wet center and a crusty, dryish brownie-type surrounding. The cake became an immediate national sensation. In fact, it introduced the Bundt pan to mainstream America. Until then, it was mainly ethnic bakers who used the pan, but once the recipe was printed in newspapers and magazines, Pillsbury alone received 200,000 requests for this newly designed type tube pan.

Pillsbury came up with a "from scratch" version of the original recipe (which used an icing mix no longer in production), which contained 6 eggs and resulted in the fudge center. However, other versions eventually came about with a solid filling sandwiched between the two layers of batter. Since a vegan cake can't use 6 eggs, and it's very difficult to "veganize" a recipe with that many eggs in it, that's the version I opted to start with when I developed this recipe. It's not difficult to make and, as you can see from my friend Debbie's photos, if you follow the directions, it will come out perfectly!

Photo by Debbie Knight

BRYANNA'S PUMPKIN TUNNEL CAKE WITH LEMON-GINGER CREME CHEEZE FILLING, CARAMEL SAUCE, AND TOASTED PECANS
Serves 16
UPDATE: For a soy-free version: In the Filling, use the Soy-Free Cream Cheese-Mascarpone on p. 202 of my book World Vegan Feast. Make 1 1/2 times the recipe and then add the vanilla, sugar, lemon zest and ginger in the filling recipe for the cake. In the cake, use non-soy nondairy milk or creamer and use Soy-Free Earth Balance.

LEMON-GINGER TOFU-CASHEW CREME CHEEZE FILLING:
1 (12.3 oz.) box extra-firm silken tofu, squeezed dry as instructed below in recipe text
1/3 cup (1.66 oz.) raw cashew pieces, ground fine in a mini-chopper or coffee/spice mill, or almost to a paste in the food processor
1/4 cup organic unbleached granulated sugar
2 Tbs fresh or bottled organic lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
grated zest of 1 small organic lemon
2 Tbs minced organic candied ginger
CAKE:
Dry Mix:
1 1/2 cups sifted white pastry flour (stir well before measuring)
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour(stir well before measuring) (preferably white whole wheat pastry flour)
1 Tbs baking powder
1 tsp powdered ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves or allspice
Pumpkin Mix:
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup nondairy milk
Sugar Mix:
1 cup organic unbleached granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup Earth Balance, softened a bit
1/2 cup nondairy milk
1 Tbs Ener-G egg replacer powder
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
VEGAN CARAMEL SAUCE
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs brown sugar
2 Tbs Earth Balance
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 cup rich soymilk or nutmilk, or nondairy creamer
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
GARNISH:
1 cup chopped toasted pecans (or you can use pecan halves)

To make the Filling:
Crumble the tofu into a clean tea towel or a nut bag and gather up the ends. Twist and squeeze repeatedly until the tofu is as dry as possible.

Beat all of the frosting ingredients EXCEPT the candied ginger in a food processor until very smooth. Stir in the candied ginger. Refrigerate until ready to fill the cake roll.

To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease a 10" nonstick bundt pan with non-hydrogenated shortening and dust with flour.

Sift together the Dry Mix ingredients into a medium bowl and stir them together well.

In a large measuring pitcher, mix together the pumpkin and 1/2 c. nondairy milk; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat together the Sugar Mix ingredients with an electric mixer at high speed for about 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl with a silicone scraper now and then.

At low speed, beat in the Dry Mix, alternately with the pumpkin mixture, 1/3rd at a time. Then beat for 1 minute.

Spread half of the batter in the prepared bundt pan. Drop small spoonful of the Creme Cheeze Filling in a ring in the center of the batter, all the way around, as evenly as possible. Carefully top with the remaining batter and smooth the top over the Filling.

Bake the cake for 50 minutes, then test with a cake tester. Bake a little longer if necessary (in 5 minute increments). Cool in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then loosen carefully around the edges and invert on a serving plate.

Allow to cool thoroughly before serving.

To make the sauce:
Bring the syrup, brown sugar, Earth Balance and salt to a boil in a heavy saucepan and boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the consistency of heavy syrup.

Remove from heat and cool a bit. Heat the nondairy milk or creamer just until warm. Whisk into the syrup along with vanilla. This sauce is served hot on some desserts, but I like it better chilled for this cake.

To serve: Drizzle the cake with chilled Caramel sauce and sprinkle with toasted pecans.

Photo by Debbie Knight

Nutrition Facts: Nutrition (per serving/1/16th of cake): 291.1 calories; 23% calories from fat; 7.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 217.0mg sodium; 309.7mg potassium; 51.6g carbohydrates; 2.4g fiber; 30.3g sugar; 49.2g net carbs; 5.5g protein; 6.0 points.

Enjoy!

VEGAN DINER BOOK GIVEAWAY AND REVIEW!

2011-10-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

OUR 1ST WINNER DID NOT CONTACT ME AFTER 1 WEEK, SO WE HAVE ANOTHER WINNER, in2insight! I will contact you. Congratulations!

It's past due for me to do a review AND a book giveaway (see info at the bottom of this post) of my friend Julie Hasson's wonderful book, Vegan Diner, on this blog. If you haven't seen this book, or purchased it yet, you are in for a treat! Not only do we all have some diner favorites that we would love to be able to eat again as vegans, but it looks wonderful, with delectable color photos of many of the recipes, and stylishly retro diner scenes. The content is a perfect combination of familiar and original. There are old favorites like All-American Beer-Battered Onions, Ooey-Gooey Brownies, and Biscuits with Creamy Sage Gravy, and then innovations such as Spelt Chai Pancakes, Vampire Fries, and Philly Seitan Sliders, to name but a very few of the tantalyizing recipes in this book.

Recently we had a couple of really delicious and quick meals from Julie's book that I'd like to tell you about. I had a yen for "macaroni and cheese" the other day, and needed a quick meal at the same time. (Actually, I had just got home from work on the 6:30 ferry. DH usually has dinner waiting for me on Friday nights, but he's been teaching a photography course at the college in Courtenay for a few weeks, so we've both been coming home on the same ferry.) I had heard so much about Julie's Cheezy Mac that I decided to try it. It looked quick and easy-- and it was!

I was out of elbow macaroni, so I used medium shell pasta, and I think I'll use that from now on! The shells make little "cups" to hold more of the sauce, so each bite is sumptuous!

While the pasta boils, you make the sauce, which tastes much richer than it actually is. I cheated a bit and cooked the sauce in the microwave, which worked perfectly.

The recipe specifies just mixing the hot pasta and sauce together and serving immediately, which is perfectly fine, but I want a crunchy topping. So, I sprinkled the top with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) and ran it under the broiler, watching carefully. So it looked like a baked macaroni and cheese:

It was creamy and rich-tasting-- a very satisfying meal!

Another night I made two recipes from Vegan Diner: the Smoky Soy Curls and the Dill and Garlic Potato Salad. They were both very easy to make and we could pretend that, despite the cold weather, we were having a scrumptious summer BBQ meal:

We served the two dishes together on a bed of lettuce with pickled beets and marinated artichokes-- fantastic!

I love Soy Curls anyway (you can read about them here), but this simple recipe takes them to a new level! DH devoured them and we both can't wait to try them in a big, messy sandwich! The potato salad was creamy and tangy,complementing the Smoky Soy Curls perfectly. (By the way, DH tends to prefer my cooking, but he's a great fan of Julie's cooking and NEVER looks dubious when I say I'm trying out one of her recipes. He certainly wasn't disappointed in these dishes.)

I haven't even gotten to the desserts yet-- there are so many recipes to choose from! If you'd like to win a copy of Vegan Diner, comment below on why you'd like to lay your hands on this book and DH will choose a winner on Thursday night (the 27th). I'm afraid that the publisher has stipulated that only Americans can join in the contest.

All the best!

BIG VEGAN POTLUCK DAY 2: ARMENIAN RED LENTIL-APRICOT STEW WITH SESAME RICE

2011-10-25T12:13:00.000-07:00

Don’t forget to comment on all the posts if you want to win a copy of Big Vegan. If you are a twitter user, you can also tweet why you go vegan with the hashtag #bigvegan by midnight November 4 to enter to win a copy.

It's the 2nd Big Vegan (by Robin Asbell) Potluck day and I chose to make the Armenian Red Lentil-Apricot Stew with Sesame Rice. I love Armenian cooking and this sounded like a lovely blend of sweet and savory. The ingredients for the stew are so colorful!

As Robin mentions in the book, all you need to make this a whole meal is a salad. A bonus is that it's a very easy meal to prepare-- a little chopping, rinsing the lentils, measuring out the spices and that's it, really!

After you get the stew simmering, you can start on the rice:

Chopping the shallots.

Sauteing the shallots, sesame seeds, and rice kernels before adding the liquid.

My husband and a friend shared this together and were all impressed by the combination of the rice bathed in mild humus flavors (tahini and lemon juice, in addition to the toasted sesame seeds) with the hearty, flavorful stew. We particularly liked the addition of the dried apricots, which added a real zing to the dish, already redolent of sweet and hot spices and the fragrance of mint. It is actually a perfect autumn meal!

ARMENIAN RED LENTIL-APRICOT STEW WITH SESAME RICE
Serves 6
Red lentils simmer into a creamy stew, piqued with bits of tangy apricot and tender eggplant. The warming spices make it even more delicious, perfect over the sesame-fortified brown rice.

1 cup/250 g red lentils, rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
14 oz/400 g canned/tinned diced tomatoes
1 small Japanese eggplant/aubergine, peeled and diced
½ cup/85 g dried apricot, chopped
2 tsp paprika
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 cup/30 g chopped fresh parsley
½ cup/15 g fresh mint, chopped
Rice:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 large shallots, chopped
¼ cup/35 g sesame seeds
1 ½ cups/320 g long-grain brown rice
½ tsp salt
3 tbsp tahini paste
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1. In a 4-qt/3.8-L pot, combine 1 qt/960 ml water, the lentils, and onion. Bring them to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the eggplant/aubergine, tomatoes, and apricots and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes.

3. When the lentils are falling-apart tender and the vegetables are also tender, add the paprika, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and cayenne and simmer for another 5 minutes to marry the flavors to bring the flavors together. Add the parsley and mint just before serving. Keep the stew warm while cooking the rice.

1. To make the rice: In a 2-qt/2-L pot over medium heat, sauté the shallots in the oil . When the shallots are clear and soft, add the sesame seeds and sauté for 5 minutes.

2. Add 3 cups/720 ml water, the rice, and salt. Bring them to a boil, then reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover. Check after 35 minutes. When all the water has been absorbed, remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, to finish steaming the rice, 5 to 10 minutes.

3. In a small cup, stir together the tahini and lemon juice, then fold them into the rice. Serve the rice hot with a ladleful of stew on top.

Robin Asbell http://robincooksveg.wordpress.com/
Author of Big Vegan (Chronicle Books, Fall 2011)

Click here to follow Big Vegan's virtual potluck and get more of Robin's recipes.

To learn more about Big Vegan, check out Robin Asbell's YouTube video.

UPDATE: Here are all of the Potluck Posts:

DAY ONE:
Baguette French Toast Stuffed with “Cream Cheese” and Topped with Apples
Leinana Two Moons
Matcha Scones with Golden Raisins
Caron Golden
Maple Barley Granola with Pecans
Robin Asbell

DAY TWO:

Mango-Jícama Salad with Lime Dressing and Pepitas
Susan Russo

Armenian Red Lentil Stew with Sesame Brown Rice
Bryanna Clark Grogan

Korean Miso-Tofu Soup
Nancie McDermott

Squash Quesadillas with Cranberry-Jícama Salsa
Jill Nussinow

DAY 3:

Green and Red Spaghetti
Sandra Gutierrez

Bengali Curry of Cauliflower and Kidney Beans
Robin Robertson

Spanish Chickpea Fritters
Julie Hasson

New Potato Rendang with Green Beans
Pat Tanumihardja

Sundried Tomato-Kale Calzones AND
Pumpkin Cherry Bundt Cake
Leinana Two Moons

Peanut Butter Tart with “Ganache”
Tara Desmond

Please read, comment, and take a moment to scroll through these wonderful blogs. Every one of these writers has great articles, recipes, and books that might just make you a regular reader.

Don’t forget to comment on all the posts if you want to win a copy of Big Vegan. If you are a twitter user, you can also tweet why you go vegan with the hashtag #bigvegan by midnight November 4 to enter to win a copy.

Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE-PECAN MUFFINS

2011-10-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

This will be a short post-- it's been a long week of writing and cooking! This is a muffin (almost a cupcake, really) that I developed for my old newsletter, The Vegan Feast, about four years ago and it has remained a favorite ever since-- maybe because they contain three of my favorite dessert ingredients (make that four-- I forgot the cocoa nibs). They're not as caloric, fat-laden or decadent as they seem, and they are whole grain, but they satisfy a sweet craving most delightfully! What can be better than biting into that moist sweet crumb, releasing the fragrant oils of the orange zest, with chunks of dark melty chocolate, toasty pecans and the unexpected crunchy bitterness of roasted cocoa nibs?

BRYANNA’S VEGAN CHOCOLATE-ORANGE-PECAN MUFFINS

Makes 12

Wet Mix:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tbs oil

3/4 cup nondairy milk

1/4 cup unsweetened smooth applesauce (TIP: Freeze canned or homemade applesauce in ice cube trays and pop the cubes into zipper-lock bags-- each one is 2 tablespoons.)

2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp Ener-G Egg Replacer powder

grated zest of 2 medium organic oranges

Dry Mix:

1 2/3 cup whole wheat PASTRY flour (do NOT use regular whole wheat flour or your muffins will be tough!)

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Additional:

1 cup (100g or 3.5 oz.) organic bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chunks or chips

1/2 cup coarsely-chopped pecans

1/4 cup roasted cocoa nibs

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare 12 muffin cups by greasing or spraying with oil (if you use paper liners, also spray them with oil), or lined with silicone muffin cup liners.

Combine the Wet Mix ingredients in the blender or food processor.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the Dry Mix ingredients. Stir in the chocolate, pecans and cocoa nibs just to coat. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir briefly just to mix.

Spoon evenly into 12 prepared muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool the pans on racks for 5 minutes, then carefully loosen the muffins with a table knife and turn them on their sides to cool a bit more before serving (low-fat vegan muffins are quite tender when they are very hot-they firm up with cooling).

Nutrition Facts

Nutrition (per muffin): 244.0 calories; 41% calories from fat; 11.8g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 145.1mg sodium; 176.8mg potassium; 33.9g carbohydrates; 3.6g fiber; 9.5g sugar; 30.3g net carbs; 4.0g protein; 5.2 points.

Enjoy!

THE URBAN VEGAN'S NEW BOOK, "CELEBRATE VEGAN"

2011-10-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

THIS CONTEST IS OVER-- "KITTYWITHAWHISK" WAS THE WINNER.

"KITTENWITHAWHISK" IS THE WINNER OF THE "CELEBRATE VEGAN BOOK GIVEAWAY! CONGRATULATIONS!

MY HUSBAND WILL CHOOSE THE WINNER FOR THE "CELEBRATE VEGAN" BOOK GIVEAWAY FIRST THING TUESDAY(25TH) MORNING (BEFORE 8 AM PDST)!

BOOK GIVEAWAY: Dynise's new book will be out very soon, and you could win a copy right here on this blog! All you have to do is write a little blurb (in the comments here) about your favorite holiday and perhaps why it's your favorite or what you like to serve. Make sure I have some way to contact you, or check the blog for the winner and contact me. I forgot to add that my husband will pick a winner on Tuesday October 25th.

The promise of a new book by Dynise Balcavage, the Urban Vegan, has caused eager anticipation among fans of her blog and her first book The Urban Vegan. The complete title of her new book is The Urban Vegan: 250 Simple, Sumptuous Recipes from Street Cart Favorites to Haute Cuisine, and it delivers! Dynise covers 48 holidays, divided into the following categories: New Year's Celebrations (from four cultures); American Celebrations (the usual ones, plus Martin Luther King day and Festivus, the festival for nonconformists, of Seinfeld fame); nine International Celebrations; Religion-Based Celebrations (from Candlemas to Eid al-Fitr); Milestone Celebrations (from birth to burial); and seven fun Everyday Celebrations. Dynise likes to surprise, so be prepared.

Consider her Lunar New Year Supper, for instance, featuring Lemon-Champagne-Braised Baby Bok Choy, Tofu with Broccoli and Black Bean Sauce and, for dessert, Mandarin Orange Upside-Down Cake (“a fun twist on a classic American dessert recipe”-- indeed!). Or, from the American Holidays section, the Martin Luther King Day "Soul Food Fit for a King" supper, sometimes traditional and sometimes darn right innovative: Sweet Mint Tea, Thai-Centric Creamy Mac (“not your grandma’s mac and cheese”), Dirty Rice and Lemon-Cornmeal Diamonds.

In this book, the "Heartfelt Linzer Cookies" are for Valentine's Day, not Christmas!

Guy Fawkes Day, a British Holiday with a long and rather violent past, inspired "Kinder, Gentler Bonfire Fare", featuring London Particular (a split pea soup), Indian Shepherds Pie, and Pimm’s Cup (a British cocktail). I made the Indian Shepherds Pie for dinner a few nights ago. This recipe is a brilliant idea, given the long relationship of the British Empire with the Indian sub-continent, continuing to this day with the large Indian population in the UK. Dynise described the dish as a sort of "deconstructed samosa", which is very apt. I used the cauliflower option in the filling because cauliflower, pea and potato is a popular samosa filling.

The spicy filling features tempeh, which my husband claims to dislike, but I had some in the freezer, I had everything else in the house to make this dish, and I decided to take a chance. The dish was calling to me, and, besides, I like tempeh, and I don't have it very often. This has a happy ending, though. I didn't tell him that the dish contained tempeh until he had tucked in and started going on and on about how great it was!

The spicy tempeh and vegetable filling.

The festive and unusual Christmas Eve "Feast of the Seven Grains" is the vegan equivalent of the traditional Pan-European "Feast of the Seven Fishes"-- genius! In the Everyday Celebrations section, the "Tailgate Party" features Spicy Seitan Wings, pretty traditional, but wait-- there's a surprising Cumin-Harissa Dipping Sauce and Chocolate Popcorn to finish. And then comes the "Raw Celebration": Zucchini “Linguine” with Lemony Spinach Pesto, Truffle-Stuffed Dates and Ruby Red Cocktail.

Zucchini “Linguine” with Lemony Spinach Pesto

That's just a small sampling of the original menus and recipes that go with them. Traditional sometimes, but always with a (sometimes quirky) twist. You'll have fun with the food in this book, and so will your guests. As an added bonus, Dynise has included a list of online resources, a recipe index by category, and some reassuring information on "veganizing" traditional recipes, baking without eggs, and much, much more. You're going to love this book!

Enjoy!

UPDATED AND IMPROVED VERSAWHIPPED CREME

2011-10-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

I fnally posted my in-progress recipe for a low-fat, fluffy, light vegan "whipped creme" made with the product Versawhip 600K™ almost a week ago. Please go to that blog post to read more about the product and the story behind this recipe and its development (as well as where to buy Versawhip 600K™).

RETHINKING THE RECIPE:

I was thinking about that recipe all week because the main failing of the recipe is that it won't hold it's fluffy texture for very long. The air seem to go out of it. Mind you, you can beat the air into it again and it's good as new. But this bothers me anyway and I was looking for an improvement, if not a solution.

Look at what happened when I left the batch from that last post in the refrigerator for about 5 days, which I did on purpose just to see if it would whip up again after so long. It went from this:

To this in 5 days of refrigeration:

I whipped it up again with a hand-held beater and it got right back in shape!

AN IDEA:
But I got to thinking about something I had read when I was researching xanthan gum in relation to gluten-free baking. I read in one article: "Xanthan gum can be used to thicken or stabilize liquids, suspensions or emulsions...Xanthan gum is a hydrocolloid (link) which means it works by controlling the structure of water within foods and liquids. Its long, chain-like, molecules increase the thickness and viscosity of liquids."

Pondering this gem of information, I wondered if a tiny bit of xanthan gum, in addition to the slightly larger amount of agar I had used in the last batch, might be able to provide enough structure to hold in the air that is beaten into the mixture. I also thought a tiny bit more sugar might help because Versawhip 600K™ seems to react well with sugar. It was worth a try, and the recipe below is the result, which is still not perfect, but IS improved. (The little bit of extra powdered sugar did not make it overly sweet, by the way-- it actually improved the flavor.)

BRYANNA'S VERSAWHIPPED CREME, TAKE 3 (OCT.21, 2011)
Yield: 3 cups
IMPORTANT NOTES— Fresh or canned coconut milk [even the "lite" type], or homemade full-fat nut milks do not work with this mixture. Versawhip 600K™ does not seem to do well with fat (it deflates the mixture), and coconut or nut milk is too high in fat. However, commercial soy milks or nut milks (such as Silk Almond or Almond Breeze) and So Delicious® Coconut Milk Beverage work because they are quite low in fat. Tofu also makes it refuse to whip up—even as little as 3 tablespoons!

Please follow the steps, timing and combinations as outlined in the recipe.

Mixture A:
1/4 cup soymilk (homemade or commercial) or other nondairy milk (Please read Notes above.)
1/2 teaspoon agar powder
Mixture B:
1/4 cup original or unsweetened soymilk or other nondairy milk (Please read Notes above.)
1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup organic powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon organic grated lemon zest
Mixture C: (have this measured out ahead of time)
2 teaspoons Versawhip 600K
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 pinch table salt

Mixture A:
Mix the 1/4 cup soymilk and the agar powder together in a deep 2 cup heat-proof bowl (the size is important because the mixture boils up). Mix with a small whisk or fork. Let stand while you proceed.

Mixture B:
Place Mixture B ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer with a whip attachment that touches the bottom of the bowl, or in a bowl that you can use with an electric hand-held mixer (do NOT use an immersion/stick blender).

Combining A, B and C:
Whisk Mixture A again and then microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds. Whisk and repeat once. (IF YOU HAVE NO MICROWAVE, place the bowl in a small to medium saucepan which will accommodate it [use a canning jar ring or something similar to rest the bowl on] and which contains enough simmering water to come about halfway up the sides of the bowl. Stir the mixture constantly with a small whisk until the agar is dissolved and thickened and feel silky when rubbed between your fingertips, not grainy.)

WORKING QUICKLY, scoop the cooked agar mixture into Mixture B in the mixer bowl, using a small spatula to get all of it out of the bowl or pan. Dump in Mixture C and immediately (this is important!) start beating at medium speed for a few seconds. Stop and quickly scrape the sides of the bowl downward so that all of the powder gets incorporated into the liquids. Quickly turn the machine on again and beat on high speed for 4 minutes.

The creme will increase in volume by about 5 times, and should be white and fluffy and hold a peak. You can use it immediately or scoop it into a bowl or container, cover and refrigerate. If you serve it immediately it will not be cold, but it will be the consistency of whipped crème. If you refrigerate it first, it will lose some of the air that was beaten into it, so you will need to beat it in a stand mixer or with a hand-held electric mixer (NOT an immersion/stick blender) back to its original fluffy condition. But it will be cold—it’s up to you.

It will look more airy after a time in the fridge.

BEFORE SERVING AFTER REFRIGERATION (IMPORTANT):
Whip again until the volume increases again and it is creamy and smooth. Use immediately.

This was analyzed using soy milk; it will be lower in fat and calories using some other non-dairy milks.
Nutrition (per 1/2 cup serving): 55.8 calories; 3% calories from fat; 0.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 80.6mg sodium; 37.4mg potassium; 10.4g carbohydrates; 0.1g fiber; 9.9g sugar; 10.3g net carbs; 1.3g protein; 1.1 points.

To finish off this particular experiment, topped a couple of pumpkin cupcakes with some of the Versawhipped Creme and left one in the refrigerator overnight.

This is a freshly iced one:

This is after spending a night in the refrigerator:

It actually spent all day in the fridge as well (we just split it) and looked pretty much the same as when I took this photo. And the stored second batch of Versawhipped Creme? This is what it looked like after a day and a half in the refrigerator:

Compare it to the first batch:

There is quite an improvement, even if it isn't perfect (yet!). It's tricky stuff, that Versawhip.

Enjoy!