Thai Spring Rolls
Posted by Jennifershmoo in Guest Posts on Apr 22nd, 2009 | Comments Off
I finally, FINALLY came across vegan spring roll wrappers in a local grocery store! All the wrappers I had seen before contained egg; these contain flour, coconut oil, and salt — that’s it. Time to whip out the Fry Daddy!
I had never made fried spring rolls before, but back when I was 17 I cut out a recipe from our local newspaper, and I still had that yellowing slip of paper in my recipe binder. I swore one day I would get around to making them, and today it was finally time to get on a roll (doh)!
The filling is a mix of blanched cabbage, carrot, and mung bean sprouts mixed with fried onion and cellophane noodles. The wrappers were easy to work with and needed just a nudge to stay sealed when they first went in the fryer.
The dipping sauce is a mix of sugar, vinegar, and sweet chile sauce from the Asian market.
Below the spring rolls we have my other recent discovery at the grocery store: enoki mushrooms, roasted in olive oil and tied with green onion stems. I placed the enoki bundles (they look like sheaves of wheat to me, wouldn’t that be cute in a harvest-themed lunch box?) on a bed of brown rice. A serving of Japanese Spinach (from Vegan Lunch Box) is along the base.
Verdict: My husband was thrilled with the sudden appearance of a deep fryer in our kitchen this morning (it’s just on loan from mom, so don’t get used to it). He ate at least four rolls for breakfast at 6:00am before heading out for work. At lunchtime, he showed off his lunch and reports the rolls and sundry were fantastic. The mushrooms, however, were a bit chewy. 4 stars.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Earth Day 2009
Posted by Jackie in Guest Posts on Apr 22nd, 2009 | Comments Off
A happy Earth Day to everyone. May we all be more aware and caring of our one and only home, the Earth.
Most people by now are aware that the animal factory farming produces more greenhouse gases than all the SUVs, cars, trucks, planes, and ships in the world combined. Yet even with the stats that are available the majority are not willing to stop eating or reduce the amount of animal products consumed by their families. Hopefully this year will be different as people are now seeing the huge impact Global Warming is already having on our climate.
Also, do not to forget health issues encountered by more and more children, due to medication and additives given to animals and then passed on to them by this factory farmed meat, chicken and fish.
The horrors faced by animals in this industry is disgusting and certainly one wonders where the words humane and humanity come from, as many “humans” do not fall within either category by their ill use of them.
Useful Earth Links
GoVeg Factory farming video “Meet your Meat“.
Farm Sanctuary Campaigns and Fact Sheets
Earth Day Network environmental fact sheets.
The World’s Shortest Comprehensive Recycling Guide .
Kaboose Earth Day Crafts and Printables for Kids.
From Peter Glickman of the Master Cleanse
For those concerned about their protein in the morning or wonder what to have instead of eggs to start their day, this smoothie makes a wonderful start.
Ingredients: Soaked flax seeds, Banana, Fresh or frozen fruit and water (dates and grated orange rind optional)
1. Place 1-2 heaping tablespoons of soaked Flax Seeds* in your blender.
2. Add 1-2 cups of water.
3. Turn on high speed until the seeds turn thick and “goopy.” Add more water if needed.
4. Add one peeled banana.
5. Add frozen or fresh fruit. If you didn’t add frozen fruit and want it chilled, add ice cubes.
6. If you want it sweeter, add 4 – 6 soaked dates without the pits.
7. If you want a nice orange tang, add a bit of grated orange rind.
8. Mix and match any fruits you like:
Strawberries and bananas;
Peaches, strawberries and bananas; or
Peaches, pineapples, bananas and coconut.
9. Add raw (unroasted) carob powder to any smoothie.
* I keep a container of flax seeds soaking in the refrigerator just like other people keep milk or eggs on hand. I also keep a small dish of soaking dates in water to use as a sweetener.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Hemp-y Yogurt
Posted by Dreena in Guest Posts on Apr 22nd, 2009 | Comments Off
Here’s a quick food idea for you that is very nourishing. I’ve been eating it most mornings recently, after having my green smoothie. As with my last post, hemp seeds are the star here. This time, it’s as simple as topping some non-dairy yogurt with a whollop of those nutritious hemp seeds!
I use a soy yogurt, since that’s the only non-dairy yogurt available in my area, but if you can try it with coconut or rice yogurt, I’m guessing it might be even better! My mornings are hectic, and breakfast is the only meal that I eat “on-the-go” during the week (well, some weekend mornings as well). Yogurt + hemp seeds is about as quick as you can get!
And, honestly, I don’t think I’d bother eating the yogurt if it wasn’t for the hemp seeds. I realize I speak about hemp more than other vegan cooks, and really, it’s not like I eat hemp foods all day long (really, I don’t)! But, it has its place in some recipes (especially healthful baked goods), and also for quick snacks through the day – such as this one. And, I really enjoy the slightly-sweet nuttiness that the hemp seeds bring to the yogurt. In fact, I can eat far more hemp seeds in proportion to the yogurt. Two tablespoons of the hemp seeds offers up 11g of protein, along with essential fatty acids. I tend to go generous with the hemp seeds, and it’s easy for me to use 3 or 3 1/2 tablespoons. Pair that with a small amount of soy yogurt and you have a very nutritious bite! Admittedly, after taking this photo, I realized that this was much more yogurt than I usually eat and I couldn’t finish it all… but, as for the hemp seeds, I sprinkled on a lil‘ more!
Guess it was that parfait glass throwing me off. Whoops…. I mean the size of that parfait glass. I always use a parfait glass… you do too, right? 
Tips:
- try a sprinkle of cinnamon with the hemp seeds too!
- also, if you find hemp seeds expensive in your area, consider ordering them directly in a larger quantity, such as the 5 lb container – if you have somewhere cool to store the seeds!
Popularity: unranked [?]
Simple Supper Series
Posted by The Voracious Vegan in Guest Posts on Apr 20th, 2009 | Comments Off
What do you do when you have one lonely potato in your pantry? Why, you make a simple supper, that’s what!
I love potatoes prepared any different way, but this just might be my favorite. Crunchy and crispy on the outside with a tender center of fluffy potato goodness. Just perfect!
Ingredients:
one potato – shredded
all purpose flour – 2 or 3 Tbsps
nutritional yeast – 2 or 3 Tbsps
2 cloves garlic – diced fine
creole seasoning
hot sauce
salt and pepper
There isn’t a precise recipe, it is pretty basic. Take the shredded potato and pat it dry with a kitchen towel. Mix in the other ingredients and form into a thick patty and fry it in a bit of olive oil on both sides, till it is golden brown and crunchy. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt and a handful of green onions and enjoy!
Popularity: unranked [?]
Nutty Chocolate Brownies
Posted by Vegan Planet in Vegan Recipes on Apr 19th, 2009 | Comments Off
My husband Jon is a card-carrying brownie lover. Not just any brownies — he especially likes chocolatey brownies with lots of nuts, and he prefers a cakey texture (as opposed to fudgy). Perhaps second only to his penchant for cakey nutty brownies is his devotion to all things coconut. The idea of combining these elements to create his “dream brownie” was the inspiration for “Nutty Chocolate Brownies,” which will appear in my upcoming book, 1,000 Vegan Recipes, coming out later this year.
Jon couldn’t even wait for these brownies to cool out of the oven, much less until the book comes out, so you shouldn’t have to either — the recipe is below. Another great thing about these brownies is their versatility: if you’re not a fan of coconut, leave out the coconut extract and shredded coconut and use soy milk or other non-dairy milk instead of the coconut milk. If you don’t like pecans, swap them for another nut. You can even leave the nuts out entirely, but then they wouldn’t be very nutty brownies, would they?
Nutty Chocolate Brownies
This recipe is from 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson © 2009.
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup neutral vegetable oil
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup coarsely chopped raw pecans
1/2 cup vegan semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar and oil until well blended. Stir in the coconut milk, vanilla and coconut extracts, and blend until smooth. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring to blend. Fold in the pecans, chocolate chips, and coconut.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, and bake until the center is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let the brownies cool 30 minutes before serving.
Popularity: unranked [?]
GOOD VEGAN MEALS ON THE WW CORE PLAN; LOW-FAT TIP; & UPDATE ON NONSTICK SKILLETS
Posted by Bryanna Clark Grogan in Guest Posts on Apr 19th, 2009 | Comments Off
The ingredients for a delicious stir-fry using what I had available, and what needed using up.
DH and I have been on the Core Plan for almost 3 weeks now and have done pretty well, even with Easter and eating out a few times. I’d like to share some of the meals we’ve had (that I photographed, anyway!), and a tip for cutting down on oil. You will see that I DO use my own cookbooks!
One day we just HAD to have some Pasta alla Puttanesca, and it fit right into the plan! I used whole wheat pasta, and we used up our daily ration of 2 tsp. of oil (olive, of course) and 4 kalamata olives each on this recipe (I really like some olive oil in this dish– I used 4 tsp. total in half the recipe):
One night I decided to have an Asian version of “weiners and cabbage”– stir fried veggie weiner slices (I use the Yves Veggie “Bavarian Sausages”) with Brussels sprouts. It was delish! I was a remake of a recipe for stir-fried weiners and cabbage that I used to make over 40 years ago:
We took this Vegan “Chicken” Caesar Salad to a dinner party at a friend’s house, to rave reviews. I used reconstituted Soy Curls® stir-fried with chopped garlic (no oil) for the “chicken”, the Caesar Dressing that’s in my books “Soyfoods Cooking for a Positive Menopause” and “20 Minutes to Dinner”, whole wheat garlic croutons (tiny bit of oil in a nonstick pan), and my New, Improved Okara Parmesan Substitute.
Another day I made a big pot of Vegetarian Feijoada (Brazilian Black Beans– the recipe is in my books “The Almost-No-Fat Holiday Cookbook” and also in “The Fiber for Life Cookbook”) and we had a simple meal of rice and beans:
Then I made my Spicy Mexican Bean Dip (or “Refried Beans”) with some of the pot (the recipe for the dip is in several of my books), which we used as a dip for veggies, and also in some tacos. I froze the rest of the beans for future meals.
I made a variation one night on my Asparagus Tofu with Black Bean Sauce from my book “Authentic Chinese Cuisine for the Contemporary Kitchen”, using ingredients that needed using up and that I had on hand (see photo at top of his blog post). I used I used reconstituted Soy Curls® instead of tofu, because I had just the right amount in the fridge:
Instead of rice, we ate the stir-fry with a mixture of steamed bulgur and quinoa:
I really like this mixture (it’s cheaper than straight quinoa, too), and we use it alot instead of rice on the Core Plan. I make it in my electric rice cooker. I just cook 1 part medium bulgur, 1 part quinoa, 4 parts water, and a little salt. I make quite a bit at a time and freeze portions of it to microwave for quick meals.
Quinoa and bulgur in the rice cooker.
One evening we had a lovely Syrian Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Mint (using our daily quota of olive oil and olives!), a recipe from Habeeb Salloum’s lovely book, “Arab Cooking on a Saskatchewan Homestead: Recipes and Recollections” (you can read more about it at this blog post):
One recent meal was a virtually-fat-free version of my Vegan “Chicken” Divan Casserole (I wrote about it and gave the original recipe in this blog post). I had a whole bunch of broccoli to use up and felt like something “homey” and comforting. I stir-fried the Soy Curls® with the garlic in a nonstick pan, and I omitted the fat from my Vegan Bechamel Sauce (just blended the flour in with the ingredients and cooked it in the microwave). I omitted the bread crumb topping and used a light sprinkling of my New, Improved Okara Parmesan Substitute. I didn’t have any vegan cheese handy to grate, so I made my easy Melty Chedda Cheeze (2 x the recipe), also in the microwave, just before assembling the casserole, and drizzled half of it in the middle:
and half of it on the top, covered with the Okara Parmesan sprinkle. It came out very well! The Bechamel puffed up nicely during the baking:
Here’s a little preview of an upcoming post I’m working on about using chickpea flour for various treats. This was my first attempt at making Panella, which is a sort of deep-fried Italian chickpea polenta, only I oven-fried it. It was too thin, but otherwise very tasty:
One night we had a craving for peanut sauce, and some fresh spinach to use up, so I made low-fat version of my Thai-Style Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Sauce. The only changes I made to the recipe were to omit the 1 tsp. sesame oil and to dry-fry the tofu in a nonstick skillet instead of frying it in oil. The peanut butter made up our daily fat ration.
Today for lunch we had my vegan Minestrone alla Milanese (from my book “Nonna’s Italian Kitchen”). I used cooked brown Basmati rice in it and used no oil:
A FAT-SAVING TIP:
The way I saved on oil in the Minestrone recipe was something that I use frequently– I “sweat” the onions, and other chopped or sliced veggies, in a covered Pyrex casserole or pie plate in the microwave. Then you can use your oil or fat ration in a more interesting way– a salad dressing or whatever. (PS: If you are afraid of using a microwave, please email me for some up-to-date information: bryannaclarkgrogan@gmail.com )
Microwave option for “sweating” the vegetables: Spray a microwave-safe pie plate or casserole lightly with oil from a pump sprayer, add the chopped or sliced vegetables.
Cook the mixture on high power for about 5 minutes, covered with a microwave-safe lid, plate or pie plate. If you are doing alot at one time, you might need 10 or more minutes. Cook until they are softened.
(To “sweat” vegetables with no oil on the stove-top: Spray a sturdy nonstick skillet lightly with oil from a pump sprayer, heat over high heat, then add the chopped or sliced vegetables. Stir-fry for a few minutes over high heat, then reduce the heat, cover the pan and cook gently over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes to soften the vegetables.)
I made the following soup using this method to cook the leeks, onions, and garlic:
BRYANNA’S FAT-FREE CREAMY LEEK AND POTATO SOUP
Servings: 4
A very easy and deliciously rich-tasting leek soup. I like the green parts of the leek, so I use them as well as the white part.
3 medium leeks, cleaned and sliced thinly crosswise
1 small onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
4 cups good vegetarian chicken-style broth
2 cups (@ 12 oz.) diced, peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (or Russets, in a pinch!)
1 small bay leaf
Garnishes:
a few tablespoons minced fresh parsley (or dill)
Tofu Sour Creme (Tofutti or homemade)
freshly-ground black pepper
Combine the white part of the leeks with the onion, garlic, coarse salt and thyme in a Pyrex casserole sprayed lightly with oil from a pump sprayer. Cover and microwave on High for 10 minutes. (Or use the Stove-Top Method above.)
In a heavy soup pot, mix about half of the leek-onion mixture (reserve the rest) with the broth, potatoes and bay leaf and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Remove the bay leaf from the pot and discard. Blend the soup right in the pot with a stick/immersion blender until smooth. Add the reserved cooked leek mixture and stir briefly. Taste for salt and pepper.
Serve immediately, garnished as you wish.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 134.0 calories; 1% calories from fat; 0.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 1179.7mg sodium; 717.2mg potassium; 32.4g carbohydrates; 2.9g fiber; 4.3g sugar; 29.5g net carbs; 4.3g protein; 2.1 points.
(It’s important to have a sturdy pan with some heft– otherwise it will warp. That’s what usually happens to the cheaper pans, even the “green” ones. [I have some myself!] The popular Green Pan™ feels too light to me.)
There is a Cuisinart Green Gourmet Hard-Anodized line of cookware and a Stainless Steel Green Gourmet line, but the inner surface is the same. In the USA, they offer full lines of Green Gourmet cookware, not just skillets. (Only the hard-anodized seems to be available in Canada, and only some of the skillets.)
The 12″ Cuisinart Green Gourmet skillet usually sells for $69.95 in the USA. You can get it for $49.99 Cnd or $41.31 USD at this Canadian source (they ship to the USA)!
They also have the 10″ model for $34.99 Cnd or $28.92 USD. These are the hard-anodized line only. But that’s a great price either side of the border!
Here’s a blog review.
Bryanna Clark Grogan, author of 8 published vegan cookbooks and The Vegan Feast quarterly cooking newsletter. Moderator of the beginners’ vegetarian forum on vegsource.com.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Pancake Day!
Posted by Dreena in Guest Posts on Apr 19th, 2009 | Comments Off
It’s Sunday, and once again “pancake day” in our house! Though, this photo is from several weeks back when I was testing out another newbie – Apple Spice Hemp Pancakes.
I’ve created both a traditional whole-wheat flour version and also a spelt flour version of this recipe. These pancakes required quite a few trials, because I wasn’t content with the texture in the early tests. Probably because there is a hefty measure of hemp seeds added (2/3 cup), and they affect the consistency of the batter. But, after enough tweaking the recipe is complete! And, they are tasty, and light and fluffy… but, the true taste testers are… the kidlets!
With that dose of hemp seeds you wonder… will the kids notice them, and more importantly, will they eat the pancakes? Maybe it’s the diced apple that distracts them – or maybe the combination of sweet spices does the trick – ’cause our girls gobble these pancakes up in a flash! At one point I asked our older daughter what she thought was in the pancake (we sometimes do this with recipes, she likes to try and guess the ingredients). She questioned the small greenish flecks in the pancakes after investigating them a little more closely. “Ahhh“, I said, “that’s your mommy getting sneaky and adding some hemp seeds to your pancakes”. Didn’t seem to phase her much – unlike when I revealed that the Vegveeta Dip had a smidgen of mustard in the recipe… “ewwwww, mustard?!!”, she exclaimed, with a gag! Hah, well I’m glad that wasn’t the reaction with the hemp seeds. Really, both girls didn’t seem to care much as they drizzled on the maple syrup and chowed down….
(Yeah, maybe the maple syrup deserves all the credit for disguising the hemp seeds. Credit well deserved, in my opinion!)
Popularity: unranked [?]
Plant-Based Nutrition Online Courses Offered by Cornell
Posted by Billy in Go Vegan on Apr 17th, 2009 | Comments Off
My wife just shared some great news with me: Cornell University is offering a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate, which you can obtain completely online.
The three-course series (with each course running two weeks) is led by T. Colin Campbell, author of The China Study.
The program looks really interesting. The only downside? The price: $795.
Here’s some information about the course that my wife received in an email from an Enrollment Counselor at Cornell:
Plant-based nutrition represents a forward-looking view of nutrition that Dr. Campbell developed during his more than 40 years experience in experimental research and 20 years in public policy. This course series presents a different paradigm, considering the topic of nutrition both as a science and as a component of the practice of medicine. It is an expansion of NS 200, a successful Cornell course approved by the Department of Nutritional Science and offered for 7 years. This new online series offers the best of his work as well as the latest information from leading experts in the field.
This certificate series is designed to introduce the ability of properly executed nutrition to maintain health and prevent disease. These courses would be of interest to healthcare professionals, corporate policymakers, individuals wishing to improve health, parents, teachers, and school administrators
Course topics include:
1) Nutrition Fundamentals
2) Diseases of Affluence
3) Principles in PracticesHow the Course Works:
In our 2 week long courses you will learn through watching lectures, participating in discussion boards and taking evaluations. The coursework is available to be completed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week on an asynchronous platform so you do not have to be online at the same time as the instructor or other students in order to complete the coursework.
I’m strongly considering enrolling, even though I’m broke right now. I think this would be very useful information to have.
If you’re interested you can get more information on the program at eCornell.
Popularity: unranked [?]
Chocolate Thrill Ice Cream & Flirty Apron
Posted by Dreena in Guest Posts on Apr 16th, 2009 | Comments OffBefore I begin, I extend my appreciation to those of you commenting on my last post with such warm and cheerful congratulations. It is touching to have so many well wishes and positive energy sent my way, and I thank you for sharing your kindness.
Now, on to some food business! When I posted the Vegveeta Dip, I did promise to also post the Chocolate Thrill Ice Cream. Here it is folks! Now, all of you in my sweet-toothed club also have a new recipe to dig into!
Here’s a fun apron photo that I want to show you. I recently won a contest through the Foodie Blogroll. What a treat… and a surprise! I was able to pick my fave style from Flirty Apron (they have such cute styles, and some cheeky men’s aprons – gotta’ love “I turn grills on“)! I chose this “Blue Chocolate” style, and absolutely adore it. It’s fun and bright and cheerful… and yes, a little flirty.
Now, go get your coconut milk, chocolate, and the rest of your ingredients ready for your ice cream maker… and enjoy some smoooooth chocolatey homemade ice cream!
Popularity: unranked [?]
EASTER DINNER; A VEGAN DINNER PARTY; VEGAN S’MORE BROWNIES; & MY FAVORITE SPINACH SALAD!
Posted by Bryanna Clark Grogan in Vegan Recipes on Apr 13th, 2009 | Comments OffIt ‘s just a social whirl around here, I tell you! Just kidding! But we have had some good feasts lately, in between some yummy Weight Watcher’s Core Plan dinners. (DH and I are on the Core Plan– together this time, which makes it alot easier for me! But, more about that in another post.)
We attended a vegan potluck dinner party with a birthday them last week with four other couples. It turned out to be a pretty much Italian affair, just by accident. The food and wine was delicious, the company was great, and my friend Fireweed made a grand chocolate cake for her DH Mike’s birthday!
My plate:(from the top, clockwise) a sort of Italian colcannon, with kale; a yummy cauliflower roasted dish; hummous with wholegrain focaccia; farinata– an Italian savory “chickpea pancake” (I brought this); a savory tofu cake (in the middle); and Giant Lima Beans (Gigantes) Italian-style (another one of my dishes). There was also a lovely salad with lots of different vegetables and nuts– you can see it in the photo above this one.
I am currently on a chickpea flour kick and will do a post about the farinata and other tasty things very soon!
Here’s Mike’s birthday cake:
Mmmmmmmm-mm!
We had two Easter dinners this year. Saturday was Family Day, and my oldest daughter and her daughter were there, with a friend. My middle daughter came with her DH and 3 girls; my foster son Daiv came up from Victoria, and my son put in a quick appearance (they were hosting a giant birthday party at his house!). My stepson Sean and his girlfriend were also with us for a while. We had my McDougall hummous with crudites for starters, and then roasted potatoes, Italian Rice salad with asparagus, my seitan “ham” with “ham gravy”, and a broccoli salad that my daughter brought– a pretty modest feast for us. (My grandaughter’s friend, however, was impressed!) My oldest daughter brought our traditional Italian Easter bread ring.
(I forgot to take pictures– I have a tendency to get distracted with grandchildren around!! in a good way!)
On Sunday we hosted two friends, who gladly helped us finish up the second “ham”, the rest of the “ham gravy” and the Italian Rice salad, some crisp freshly-roasted (Denman Island-grown) potatoes, and a spinach salad with thinly-sliced artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes and mushrooms, in a creamy, lemony agave-spiked dressing (see recipe below).
For dessert on both evenings we had my S’More Brownies, which I developed for my Vegan Feast Newsletter, but I made a lighter version. (See recipe below.)
My recipe for the vegan “Marshie Fluff” (marshmallow creme) topping will be available from the upcoming Everyday Dish TV subscription service soon! But Ricemellow Creme Fluff can be used
BRYANNA’S LOWER-FAT S’MORE BROWNIES
Servings: 16
These are to die for– dark vegan brownies, baked on a crunchy crumb crust, with a luscious vegan marshmallow crème on top– inspired by the old Girl Scout camp dessert. The original recipe that I created for my Vegan Feast newsletter was richer, but this is easier and just as yummy, I think!
PS: I used my homemade “Marshie Fluff”, which I haven’t published yet, this time– but I didn’t broil the top because I wasn’t sure it would work. I’ll give it a try one of these days.
INGREDIENTS
Graham Cracker Crust:
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (most are vegan if purchased as crumbs, and Health Valley has some good Amaranth Graham Crackers)
(NOTE: If you can’t find vegan Graham crackers or crumbs, use organic whole grain animal cracker crumbs, plus 1/4 cup of bran.)
1 Tbs organic sugar
3 Tbs melted Earth Balance
Brownie layer:
1 cup brown sugar
4 oz (1/2 c.) medium-firm tofu OR firm or extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
1/4 cup water
4 tsp Ener-G powdered egg replacer
1 Tbs coffee (or coffee substitute) granules or 1/2 tablespoon espresso powder
1 Tbs vanilla
1 1/2 tsp vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
Topping:
1 cup (approximately) Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme (see where to buy and alternative products above in Cooking Tips)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
To make the Graham Cracker Crust: Have ready an 8 x 8″ square cake pan sprayed with oil and lined on the bottom with cooking parchment.
Mix the crust ingredients and press in the bottom of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on a rack.
To make the Brownie Layer:
In the food processor mix until smooth the sugar, tofu, cocoa, water, egg replacer, coffee granules, vanilla and vinegar.
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and soda. Add the cocoa mixture and mix briefly.
To bake the brownies:
Spread on the brownie batter top of the baked graham cracker crust. Bake for about 25 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 with the Ricemellow Crème while still hot-don’t be tempted to spread on too much. It’s very sweet and gooey and a little goes a long way! Just cover the top so that the brownie layer is covered.
Place 4″ 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): 141.8 calories; 26% calories from fat; 4.3g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 245.1mg sodium; 96.7mg potassium; 24.0g carbohydrates; 1.6g fiber; 8.7g sugar; 22.4g net carbs; 2.1g protein; 2.9 points.
Cooking Tips
Check out Suzanne’s Ricemellow Creme. It’s a delicious vegan marshmallow creme made with brown rice syrup. It’s available at veganstore.com, veganessentials.com and http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/candy.html
If you can’t find it, buy vegan marshmallows and place them on top of the brownies, broil as instructed. You can buy Vegan Marshmallow Kits by Angel Food at veganessentials.com and http://store.foodfightgrocery.com/candy.html
You can by Sweet & Sara’s Marshmallows at veganessentials.com and veganstore.com
IN CANADA Viva Granola Boutique sells Sweet & Sara Vegan marshmallows and the Angel Food Marshmallow Kits.
BRYANNA’S FAVORITE SPINACH SALAD
Servings: 6
A luscious veggie combination with a creamy, tangy-sweet dressing. It is practically a meal in itself! TO MAKE THIS RECIPE SOY-FREE, omit the tofu and use 1/3 cup more nondairy milk and 1/3 cup raw cashew pieces. Blend until VERY smooth.
CREAMY LEMON-AGAVE DRESSING
6 oz. (1/2 a 12.3 oz. box) extra-firm SILKEN tofu
1/4 cup non-dairy milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 Tbs agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1 small clove garlic, crushed
THE SALAD
12 oz organic baby spinach leaves, from a bag or box already cleaned and dried
14 oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and sliced thinly
8 oz fresh crimini mushrooms, sliced thinly
24 large pieces sundried tomatoes in oil, well-drained and thinly-sliced
To Make the dressing:
Blend the Dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth. Place in a covered jar in the refrigerator until serving time.
Just before serving, distribute the spinach between 6 salad plates and top evenly with the sliced mushrooms, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes. Drizzle each salad with about 4 Tbs. of the dressing and serve.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 109.2 calories; 9% calories from fat; 1.2g total fat; 0.0mg cholesterol; 457.3mg sodium; 1065.8mg potassium; 21.2g carbohydrates; 6.2g fiber; 8.5g sugar; 15.1g net carbs; 8.4g protein; 1.5 points.
Enjoy!
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