Low Fat Vegan Cooking

I am a friend of the footless,
I am a friend of all bipeds,
I am a friend of those with four feet,
I am a friend of the many footed!

                           Anguttara Nikaya IV 67

June 13, 2012

Mushroom Gravy

Filed under: Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Sauces — Tags: , , , — Raven @ 1:09 am

Mushroom Gravy

Mushroom Gravy

Hello. It’s been a while. I am still eating the dishes I have posted here most of the time, over and over in rotation, with a special meal once a week. Here’s an addition to my meals. It’s a very simple gravy that I use on vegetables. I often use potato starch for the flour, but whole wheat flour or brown rice flour is good too. If you are using wheat flour, stir particularly carefully when you add the water. Brown rice flour is more forgiving, and doesn’t seem to lump as badly. In any case, if you do have lumps, you can just put the gravy in a strainer and stir it through the mesh – voila, no lumps.

 Mushroom Gravy

Makes 3 servings
Preparation about 25 minutes including cooking
Freezes well

1 onion (about 1 ½ c. chopped)
12 mushrooms (about 2 ½ c. chopped)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
¼ c. flour (see note above)
2 c. water or vegetable stock
2 T. low sodium tamari
¼ t. ground nutmeg

Sauté the onion, garlic, and mushrooms in about ¼ c. of the water until tender. Add the flour bit by bit while stirring with your other hand. This really makes you feel like a professional cook! Slowly slowly add the water while continuing to stir. Add the tamari and nutmeg and let it bubble about another minute, while stirring.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate: Per Serving made with brown rice flour and ¼ c. tamari – 104 calories/6.1 g protein/.5 g fat/22.4 g carbohydrate

July 3, 2010

The only constant is change

Filed under: Uncatagorized — Raven @ 1:07 am

When i started this website, i had a lot more time to devote to it.  My other work has been taking up more and more of my time, and i finally had to decide to give some things up.  The future will change – it always does, and who is to say which way it will go?  But for now, this is the last post of LFVC.  I hope you’ve enjoyed it.

Have a healthy and delicious life.

Raven

Hash Browns

Filed under: Uncatagorized — Raven @ 1:05 am

Hash Browns

Preparation about 15 minutes, cook about 10 minutes.

I wanted some hash browns but i didn’t want to go into the huge chain grocery store to get them, so i decided to make my own.  I read a dozen hash brown recipes.  The main thing seemed to be to have to potatoes dry. 

I grated the potatoes into a bowl and then put them in a doubled large piece of cheesecloth.  I squeezed the potatoes, waited, and squeezed again.  Then – and this might be overkill – i rolled the squeezed potatoes up in a dry terry cloth towel, and let them set a bit, to dry them out more, like you would with lettuce.

Then, a large non-stick skillet was put on the stove and i spread the potatoes out about ½ inch thick.  Everyone said not to touch them, but just let them cook.  So i turned the heat to medium and cooked them until they smelled a little browned, about 5 minutes.

I slipped the non-stick spatula under a fourth of the potatoes and turned them over – nicely brown, and about half the inner potatoes seemed cooked.  I turned over the rest, and relaxed.  They were going to come out fine. The second half took a little less time to brown, and it was cooked all the way through.

Next time, i’m going to try some onion mixed in with the potatoes.

Hash browns go with so many things – catsup, barbecue sauce, scrambled tofu, toast, veggies…

Enjoy, and save some money!

June 26, 2010

Multi-Grain Gluten Free Pancakes and Raspberry Sauce

Filed under: Breakfast, Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density — Tags: , , , , , — Raven @ 1:02 am

Multi-Grain Gluten Free Pancakes featuring Buckwheat with Raspberry Sauce

Multi-Grain Gluten Free Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce

The first five times i made this recipe, the pancakes were different every time, as i adapted the recipe depending on how my husband and i liked the last batch.  From then on they have remained more or less the same, depending only on what flours i have.

I have come to like these particular pancakes better than my long favorite whole wheat ones.  And with all the flavors, even a person new to low fat cooking might not miss the oil.

Makes about 21 ¼ c. pancakes

Preparation about 45 minutes, including time to do other things like the rest of the meal

Freezes well

Best fresh off the stove

¾ c. brown rice flour

¾ c. buckwheat flour

¼ c. sorghum flour

¼ c. amaranth flour

2 T. ground flax seeds

¼ c. vegan sugar (raw is fine)

1 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. agar agar (flakes or powder)

½ t. salt

2 c. vegan milk

Heat oven to 170°.

Mix dry ingredients together (everything but the vegan milk).  Add milk and stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened.

Heat a non-stick skillet or two briefly.  Drop batter on the skillet and cook about 1 minute per side.  Keep warm in the oven until all are done and/or all partakers are assembled.

Serve with raspberry sauce, maple syrup, or fresh fruit with or without soy yogurt.

Raspberry sauce:

Makes about 4 servings

Preparation about 5 minutes

Freezes well

Can be made ahead

Wash 1 ½ c. fresh raspberries.  Drain well.  Put in a small pan with 2 T. vegan sugar.  Heat about 4 minutes, until the berries release their juice.  Stir frequently at first, and then constantly.

Adapted from Ellen’s excellent website I Am Gluten Free

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per pancake if 21 are made:  65 calories/1.4 g protein/.9 g fat

Per Serving if you have 4 servings:  342 calories/7.8 g protein/4.7 g fat

June 19, 2010

Note

Filed under: Uncatagorized — Raven @ 1:01 am

No post today, i’m afraid.  I’ve been sick.  I hope to see you in a week.

Raven

June 12, 2010

Pasta with Tofu, Veggies and Tomato – A Low Fat Vegan Mac and Not-Beef

Filed under: American Cuisine, Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Main Dishes — Tags: , , , — Raven @ 1:05 am

Brown Rice Pasta with Tofu, Tomato, Celery, Onion, and Broccoli

Pasta with Tofu, Veggies and Tomato – A Low Fat Vegan Mac and Not-Beef

I have heard people rapturous over the original version of this dish, though it is not one from my childhood.  But the first time i made a vegan higher-fat vegan version, i recognized it as classic down-home cooking.  When i started eating full-time low fat vegan food, i tried to make a low fat version, but i was mystified how to get it right.  Lately i have been cooking tofu for stir-fries in tamari and maple syrup, and it finally occurred to me that although nothing like vegan beef strips, it would go well with the rest of this dish.  And it did.

To my mind, this is one of the medium low fat dishes that omnivore eaters might like.  You might try it at a barbecue or potluck this summer.  (It’s okay cool, but it’s better warm.)  If you want the tofu to taste more like the packaged baked tofu you can buy, double the tamari and maple syrup.

I prefer kale in this dish, as you can just stir it in, but broccoli is also good.  If you’re using kale, or another green, add it when the other veggies are almost done.  But with broccoli, put it in at the beginning with the onions and celery.

I’ve made this with diced canned tomatoes, and it comes out all right, but i prefer fresh tomato.

Makes about 4 servings

Preparation about 30 minute

Can be made ahead

Freezes okay, although the tofu texture changes

The pasta:

2 ¼ c. brown rice or whole wheat pasta such as macaroni or fusilli

The tofu:

7 – 8 oz. firm or extra firm tofu

2 T. low sodium tamari

2 T. maple syrup

The veggies:

1 large onion (about 1 ½ c. chopped)

4 stalks celery

½ – 1 bunch kale or other greens or:

1 – 2 stalks broccoli

1 t. dried ground chilies

1 t. ground cumin

1 t. dried basil (fresh is okay too!)

1 t. dried oregano (fresh is okay too!)

1 t. ground paprika

1 – 2 large or 4 medium tomatoes

Boil pasta according to direction.  Drain.

Meanwhile, chop tofu into about ¼” x ¼” dice.  Stir together the tamari and maple syrup in a heavy skillet like cast iron.  Add the tofu and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is absorbed.  Watch closely and stir frequently when the liquid is almost absorbed.

As you have a moment, chop the onion, celery, and greens or broccoli.  Put them in a medium pot with ½ c. water but don’t turn it on until it is all chopped.  Add spices but not the tomato – not yet.  Add broccoli, if using, but not other greens.  Remember to take out the tough center stem of greens like kale, or cut out the stems of chard, and chop and add to the onion mix, but reserve the leaves for later.

Cook the onion and celery mix until tender, about 7 minutes.

When everything is done, combine well.

Adapted from Veggie Beef Pasta in the incomparable La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer

Nutritional information for the dish using 2 c. broccoli – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per Serving – 300 calories/12.8 g protein (17%)/5.6 g fat (16.6%)

Curried Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Salad

Filed under: Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Indian Cuisine, Low Calorie Density, Salads, Side Dishes — Tags: , , , , , — Raven @ 1:03 am

Curried Cauliflower and Sweet Potato with Currants and Red Onion

Curried Cauliflower and Sweet Potato Salad

This is another adaptation in my attempt to learn to present my cooking more attractively.

I really loved this salad, and as i always do, i made enough for the next day too.  But overnight in the frig did not improve it.  The onion “cooked” in the vinegar, a flavor i love in pressed salad, but it did not go at all with the curry spices.  So that’s why i am saying serve it the day you make it.  It needs to sit an hour or two for the curry to flavor the cauliflower, but that’s all.

The recipe called for currants.  I thought i didn’t like them, and have been substituting raisins for any currants i come across in recipes for years, but i decided to try them again, just to be sure, and i loved them.  The organic ones i tried were sweeter than raisins and didn’t have the annoying little seeds i remembered.

I also recommend the optional toasted pine nuts and sunflower seeds.  They really add beauty and flavor to the salad.  Sunflower seeds are another food i thought i didn’t like, except for in granola.  I figured out this is because they are toasted – it makes all the difference.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation about 15 minutes

Serve within a few hours

The veggies:

1 head cauliflower, any color

1 small red onion

2 medium sweet potatoes

The dressing:

½ c. rice vinegar

2 T. vegan sugar

2 t. curry powder, hot or mild

½ t. salt (optional)

1/8 t. ground black pepper

The currants:

½ c. currants

The garnishes (optional):

½ c. toasted pine nuts

¼ c. toasted sunflower seeds

½ c. chopped cilantro

Early in the day, bake or microwave the sweet potatoes until quite soft and tender.  Cool.  Peel and chop into bite sized pieces.

Cut the cauliflower into florets, or half florets, if they are not bite sized.  Steam the cauliflower in or over boiling water about 4 minutes, until just tender.  Drain.

Meanwhile, mince the onion, and start the dressing:

Mix the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl.

Put the cauliflower, onion, sweet potatoes, and currants into a bowl or storage container.  Pour the dressing over this and mix well but carefully so as not to damage the florets.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Sprinkle with the pine nuts, sunflower seeds, and chopped cilantro, if using.

Adapted from Great Chefs Cook Vegan by Linda Long

Soy Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries and Two Sauces

Filed under: Desserts, Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Italian Cuisine — Raven @ 1:01 am

Soy Milk Panna Cotta with Blackberries, Raspberries, Grapes, Apricot and Blackberry Sauces

Soy Panna Cotta with Fresh Berries and Two Sauces

I recently decided to learn more about presentation, and got two books by vegan chefs to work my way through.  Here is my first attempt.  It’s actually a pretty simple pudding made elegant with agar agar and two simple sauces, plus fresh fruit.

Panna Cotta comes from Italy originally, but from there it has become widely diverse.  I have seen Panna Cotta with fruit from mangosteen to raspberries, plus chocolate and caramel sauces.

The beauty of this dessert lies in the agar agar making the pudding stiff.  It looks elegant, but it is pretty low fat.

I recommend using a vanilla bean if you can afford it, for the more intense vanilla flavor, but also for the little black specks in the pudding and apricot sauce.

I used soy milk, as this was my first attempt, but i plan to try almond milk.  Now that i see how easy it is, i think any vegan milk would do.

I actually got the fruit for this twice.  Last week i got too busy to experiment, and i ate the fruit before it went bad, so i got it all again – luckily raspberries and blackberries are in season, and are not too dear.  But it’s all for a good cause.

Last night i made the blackberry sauce and went to put it in the freezer to cool quickly for dinner.  It slid off the shelf and the bowl shattered and the blackberry sauce went everywhere!  After i cleaned it all up, i made the sauce again, but this time i just put it in the refrigerator in a jar until today.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation about 1 hour, divided

Panna Cotta keeps in the refrigerator for a couple of days

The pudding:

4 c. vegan milk

2/3 c. refined sugar

1 vanilla bean or 2 t. vanilla extract

4 t. powdered agar agar (not flakes)

Blackberry Sauce:

6 oz. fresh blackberries (about 1 c.)

2 T. refined sugar

Apricot Sauce:

¼ c. apricot jam (sugar free if possible)

1 c. white grape juice or sweet white wine

½ vanilla bean or 1 t. vanilla extract

The fruit:

1 c. fresh blackberries

1 c. fresh blueberries

1 c. fresh raspberries

½ c. seedless grapes

Make the pudding:

Have ready ramekins or small bowls that will give a nice shape to the finished pudding.

Measure the vegan milk and sugar into a heavy medium pan.  Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and stir in well.  A whisk makes short work of this.  Add the bean to further flavor the pudding and heat to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.

Sprinkle the agar agar a teaspoon at a time and stir in well after each teaspoon.  Stir until it boils, then boil and stir two minutes.  The mixture will be thin.

Scoop out the vanilla bean, or strain it out, if it isn’t all in one piece.

Pour the pudding into the ramekins.  You can measure ½ c. if you want to have them all the same.  Cool at least 2 hours.  The pudding should be quite firm.

Make the blackberry sauce:

After you get the pudding squared away, make the sauces, as they need to cool too.

Crush the blackberries and 2 T. sugar in a small saucepan with a fork.  You have to press pretty hard to get the juice out. Make sure the sugar is all dissolved.  Let this sit at least 10 minutes.

Then put the mixture on the stove and stir and simmer about 5 minutes, until there are several tablespoons of juice in the pan.

Make the Apricot Sauce:

Meanwhile, heat the apricot jam and grape juice/wine with ½ scraped vanilla bean, stirring constantly until it is smooth.  Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and take out or strain out the vanilla bean, and chill at least 2 hours.

Assembling or plating the Panna Cotta:

Put each ramekin of chilled pudding into a bowl of warm water that will heat the pudding but not flow over the top.  Count slowly to 5.  Dry off the ramekin and invert it over the center of the plate or bowl you will be using.  Be sure the bowl is big enough for the presentation of fruit and sauce around the edges.  If the pudding stubbornly won’t come out, run a sharp knife, or, ideally, a small icing offset metal spatula carefully around the edge.  Invert again, and maybe tap it a little.  Repeat if necessary.

Spoon the apricot sauce around the edges of the pudding, using about ¼ of the sauce.

Spoon the blackberry sauce along one side of the pudding, on top of the apricot sauce.

Arrange the berries and grapes on top of the pudding and sprinkle a few in the sauce if you want, but you want the sauce to show clearly.

Carry carefully to the table.  Accept accolades.

Adapted from Great Chefs Cook Vegan by Linda Long

June 5, 2010

Gazpacho

Filed under: Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Low Calorie Density, Soups, Spanish Cuisine — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Raven @ 1:04 am

Gazpacho with Tomato, Cucumber, Zucchini, Celery, and Scallions

Gazpacho

Gazpacho is one of the few dishes from my childhood that is vegan, and the way my mother made it, low fat.

I think of it as soon as the days start to lengthen and warm up.

I have heard this called “salad in a soup,” and it certainly is raw veggies like a salad.  I prefer them chopped, as i first had it, although many people prefer gazpacho completely pureed.  Of course, you get more fiber if you don’t blend the whole thing, and the soup will fill you more for fewer calories.

You can use fresh tomatoes if they are in season, and blend them with herbs before you add the other vegetables, or you can use tomato juice.  (Or both!) If you are doing this, it’s nice to put in some chopped celery, which doesn’t seem to fit in the soup with the other chopped vegetables, but adds a nice taste if pureed.

(Note:  For the last decade, i have been sensitive to canned tomatoes. I get uncomfortable and sometimes have an itchy throat.  Once i was making a large pan of tomato sauce and it splashed on my arms and left little red marks and heat, like chicken pox).  I am fine with fresh tomatoes, so i thought it must be something in the canning process.  I eventually thought to try organic canned tomatoes and got no reaction.  I then learned that most tomatoes are peeled with lye, but not organic tomatoes, and i wondered if that could be it.  I’ve had canned tomatoes in a dish made away from home a few times, and had the same reactions. Anyway, i would recommend organic tomato juice if you plan to use juice.)

I have lately decided that dry minced garlic gives a less strong, raw taste, which i don’t mind, but try to avoid if i’m going to be around other people.  I use about ¼ t. dry minced garlic per clove of garlic called for in a recipe if it’s not going to be cooked.

Other vegetables can certainly be added, or subtracted, depending on your taste, and what you have on hand.  You probably don’t want anything too crunchy or stringy unless you are going to puree it in a Vita Max type blender.

You will see that i include Italian herbs in the recipe, although the soup originated in Spain.  (Would you know what i meant if i said Spanish herbs?  I’d have to look it up.) There it was often made with stale cubes of bread, which you might want to try.  (Personally, i don’t like soggy bread.)

Gazpacho

Makes about 4 servings

Preparation about 30 minutes

Can be made ahead

4 large tomatoes, pureed or 2 c. tomato juice

1 large cucumber

2 small zucchini

1 large red pepper

1 avocado (optional)

4 scallions

½ c. fresh minced Italian type herbs, such as basil, thyme, sage, marjoram, and/or oregano

2 T. red wine or balsamic vinegar

2 T. lemon juice

1 clove garlic, minced or pressed (or dry minced garlic)

5 – 25 drops Tabasco

Garnish:  fresh herb leaves

Chop all the vegetables into small dice, about ¼ inch x ¼ inch.  Mix with the rest of the ingredients and allow to marinate in the refrigerator 2 – 24 hours.

Garnish with a few fresh herb leaves.

Thanks Mom.

Three Bean Salad

Filed under: American Cuisine, Gluten Free, Low Calorie Density, Salads — Tags: , , , , , , , — Raven @ 1:03 am

Three Bean Salad with Green, Garbanzo, and Kidney Beans and Grape Tomato and Cucumber

Three Bean Salad

This is more of a reminder than a recipe for something new to most of you.  Three bean salad, which most of us Americans know from our childhood, is usually vegan, and can easily be low fat.

Three Bean Salad is something we can put together quickly, although it improves if it sits and marinates for a few hours or overnight.  If you don’t just make it and eat it, be sure to stir it up every time you get a chance.  Low fat salad dressings never stick as well as those with oil in them, but this can easily be remedied by a little stirring, and isn’t that worth missing a lot of calories?  My old recipe called for ¾ c. olive oil – that’s 1440 more calories, or 2 T. per small serving (which is 120 calories).  You can have almost a whole cup more salad for those calories and that will fill you up better and make you healthier.

I am in love with balsamic vinegar, and think it is perfect with Three Bean Salad, although any vinegar will do – red wine, apple cider, champagne, even raspberry, although that last would not be to everyone’s taste.

As the word salad is in the name of this recipe, i think it calls for salad vegetables, although you often see it served with just green beans as any kind of light low calorie vegetable in it, and not a lot of those!

A typical can of beans has about 1 ½ c. of beans in it.  If you look at the label, it will tell you there is more, but they seem to be counting the bean juice, which many of us believe causes gas, and in any case is not going to be a part of this recipe.  I like to cook my own beans, and not have the extra salt, but i usually use canned beans (which can be washed to get rid of some of the salt), so i can throw together a quick meal, with nuked (microwaved) potatoes or popcorn (spritzed with a little water so the salt or seasoning sticks) and some fruit.

Of course if you are not trying to stand out as a vegan, you can take this to many potlucks and picnics and eat a lot of it and a little bit of whatever else you can find that doesn’t make you ill… French bread?  Green salad (you could bring your own fat free dressing)?  Baked potatoes?  Corn on the Cob?

Many recipes vary the beans with black beans, cannellini, white, and also wax beans mixed with the green beans.  All of these are interesting and worth pursuing, but this is the classic recipe which you can’t go wrong with.

 

Three Bean Salad

Makes about 4 servings

Preparation about 15 minutes

Marinate 5 – 24 hours (refrigerate if time allows)

Freezing changes the texture of the beans in a way i don’t like

The Beans:

1 ½ c. garbanzo beans, drained

1 ½ c. kidney beans, drained

3 c. green beans, cooked and drained, or raw, chopped

½ – 1 onion, preferably red (about ¾ c.)

The Dressing:

½ c. vinegar, red wine, balsamic, or champagne

½ t. ground paprika

1 t. Dijon mustard

1 t. sugar (optional)

½ t. salt (optional and unnecessary if the beans are canned with salt)

2 T. water (optional for those who find full-strength vinegar too much)

The Salad Vegetables:

4 c. lettuces

1 c. tomatoes, chopped

1 c. cucumber, diced

Mix the beans and onion.  Mix the dressing well to dissolve the sugar and add to the beans.  Marinate 5 – 1440 minutes.

Serve over salad vegetables as above or of your choice.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per Serving – 185 calories/9 g protein (19.4%)/1.5 g fat (7.2%)

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