Main Dishes « Low Fat Vegan Cooking

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: low fat, pasta with tofu, vegan, vegan mac and beef — admin @ 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%)

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May 29, 2010

Spinach Quiche Revisited

Filed under: Higher Calorie Density, Main Dishes — admin @ 1:05 am

Spinach Quiche with Herbed Bread Crumb Crust

Spinach Quiche Revisited

You might remember this quiche from last December. This time i made individual ramekins and put the crust on top after the quiche had baked. I sautéed the breadcrumbs with fresh herbs in 1 T. almond butter to give it a little crisp. The crust i put on the bottom of the quiche got brown before the tofu was really firm enough. This method avoids that problem.

Quiche is a traditional part of many teas. Give this a try and tell me if you miss the cheese!

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May 22, 2010

Japanese Stew

Filed under: Gluten Free, Japanese Cuisine, Low Calorie Density, Main Dishes — admin @ 1:05 am

Japanese Stew with Carrot, Daikon Radish, Burdock, Cauliflower, and Onion

Japanese Stew

One of my first vegetarian cookbooks was Tassajara Cooking by Edward Espe Brown. I read it a lot, and though i never made many of the recipes, it helped me to feel creative in the kitchen, to try things, and see what happens. When i came upon a copy after several years away from it, i burst into tears, thinking of those early years of cooking a then totally new cuisine. Yeah, well, i love cookbooks, but none ever made me do that before. So i still own a copy, and looking at it makes me smile.

This Japanese Stew seemed a little less wintery than my traditional Irish type stew with potatoes and hardy vegetables. Here also are root vegetables, but they are Japanese type vegetables, and seasoned with kombu and miso or tamari. This stew would be good of course on a cold day, but it would also be good on a summer evening with a cool breeze, especially after a day at the beach or sailing.

Miso is said to be very good for us, and you are only supposed to add it at the last moment, and never cook it, which would kill the good Lactobacillus acidophilus or whatever it is that makes people feel healthier, get over hangovers, and even heal from radiation poisoning. However, Mr. Brown puts it in the stew and bakes it. After hesitating several times, i decided that it would flavor the stew quite differently if it were baked with it, so i put it in. It did make a savory sauce, which was different than miso added at the last, but either way would be good, or you can add tamari.

Kombu is flat greenish brown seaweed that gives a salty seafood kind of taste to food. I cut mine up with a pair of kitchen shears into tiny pieces. The first time you cook with it, you might want to use a small piece to see if you like it. We Americans largely didn’t grow up with seaweed, and although i have liked it since my first bite, i find some of my friends find it too strange. But give it a try, especially if as a vegan you liked seafood but never thought to have it again. This is the flavor that satisfies that seafood desire for me.

You can also try wakame, hijiki, or dulse seaweed, or kelp powder.

The vegetables can vary, depending on what you can find. I like burdock, but i couldn’t find it when i made this. I also like daikon radish, but too much gives a strong cooked radish flavor. I also cut it up fairly small, and it gave just the right flavor to the stew. If you have to buy a big daikon, and don’t want to use it all in the stew, it’s good in salad or with a plate of relishes. Grated daikon salad with rice vinegar really sets off the taste of sushi or miso soup.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation about 45 minutes

Can be made ahead

Freezes well

4 inch piece of kombu

2 c. vegetable broth or water

1 large onion (about 1 ½ c. sliced)

4 carrots (about 2 ½ c. sliced)

4 inches medium daikon radish (about 3/4 c. sliced)

2 burdock roots

1 head cauliflower

1 bunch kale, any kind

2 T. or more miso or low sodium tamari

Cut up the kombu into small pieces and cook in the broth about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, get out a big casserole with a lid. Slice the onion, and peel and slice the carrot, daikon radish, and burdock. Put everything in the casserole as you finish slicing it.

Chop the cauliflower into pieces similar in size to the carrot and other roots. Remove the center stem from the kale, and chop. Add these to the casserole.

Stir the miso or tamari into the kombu broth. Pour over the vegetables and mix.

Bake 1 hour at 350°, or until the thickest pieces are tender. It’s tastier if you stir it several times, but the lid will help circulate the flavors. With the long cooking time and nothing that needs the full heat to seal in the flavors, you can turn on the oven when you put the stew in it.

There you have it – a simple, filling stew. Serve with bread or brown rice.

A nice dessert if it’s the right time of year is honeydew melon. Many Japanese people are nuts about melon. They sometimes sell for more money than a whole restaurant meal!

Adapted from Miso Stew in Tassajara Cooking by Edward Espe Brown

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per serving: 157 calories/7.8 g protein (19.8%)/1.5 g fat (8.4%)

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May 15, 2010

Tofu Benedict with Roast Beets and Asparagus

Filed under: American Cuisine, Breakfast, Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Main Dishes, Sauces, Side Dishes — admin @ 1:05 am

Tofu Benedict with Roasted Beets and Asparagus

Tofu Benedict with Roast Beets and Asparagus

My special treat for breakfast was Eggs Benedict. It turns out this was probably an American invention, which was either invented from scratch several times, or adapted without noting the original dish that the chef knew about. I see chefs often do this if they change the dish. I know that recipes can be invented in more than one place, as i have invented something myself, and then found other quite similar recipes.

In any case, i saw several recipes for Tofu Benedict which didn’t differ much from the recipe i originally tried, which like so much else, was by Sarah Kramer, and was far superior to any other version. I wanted a special occasion breakfast, and pulled out my notes on that recipe, and then made it lower fat, and here is the result. I must say, i did like it with the veggie bacon as well as the tofu of the original version, but it is satisfying both from taste and from knowing you are eating a relatively healthy dish.

Tofu Benedict would be good for supper or lunch, too.

My tofu comes in 14 oz. packages, though i often see recipes for 1 lb. I think either amount works, if you don’t want to waste food, although the smaller amount is fine, if you want to use it.

If you are going to serve roast vegetables, start them first, as they take longer to bake.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation about 45 minutes

Tofu can be marinated and sauce made ahead

14-16 oz. firm tofu, drained and pressed

¼ c. apple cider vinegar

¼ c. low sodium tamari

4 slices whole wheat or gluten-free bread

4 large or 8 small slices tomato

Sauce:

½ c. nutritional yeast

2 T. whole wheat flour, or brown rice

½ t. salt (optional)

1 c. water or vegan milk

1 t. low sodium tamari

1 t. Dijon mustard (optional)

Whisk together vinegar and tamari. Pour this into an 8 x 8 baking dish. Slice the tofu and put it into the pan, then turn it over. Marinate at least15 minutes, turn the tofu, and marinate at least 15 more minutes.

Preheat oven to 450° the last fifteen minutes you marinade the tofu.

Bake the marinated tofu in the marinade about 20 minutes, until it is browner and a little firmer, and the marinade is largely absorbed or evaporated.

Meanwhile, stir the nutritional yeast, flour, and optional salt together. Add water or vegan milk and tamari and stir well. Stir in optional mustard. Simmer on low heat, stirring frequently, until ready to serve.

Toast the bread a few minutes before the tofu is done.

On each slice of toast, place 1 tofu piece, 1 or 2 slices of tomato, and 1/4^th of the sauce. Serve immediately.

Adapted from Faux Eggs Benny in How It All Vegan by Sarah Kramer.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per Serving – 346 calories/38.2 g protein (11.1%)/10.1 g fat (26.2%)

Roast Beets and Asparagus

Makes 4 servings

Preparation about 10 minutes

Can be made ahead

Freezes well

4 large beets

2 bunches asparagus

salt and/or spices such as barbecue spices

The secret to roasting vegetables without oil is to cover them. You still get most of the roasted flavor, but without the dryness that you can easily get with roasting without a moistening ingredient.

Slice the beets about 1/3 inch thick, and either leave the asparagus whole or cut it into bite sized pieces. Break off the tough ends of the asparagus. Just bend it and it will break along where the tough part begins. Or you can cut it off about where it gets thick, if you want straight ends.

Put the vegetables on a baking sheet in a single layer. You might want to use two separate pans so the asparagus doesn’t turn beet red. Sprinkle with the seasoning of your choice, and cover with parchment paper. Seal this in with aluminum foil. The parchment paper stops any aluminum from contaminating the veggies.

Bake at 450° about 45 minutes, or until tender. Serve warm or room temperature.

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May 1, 2010

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Brown Rice Pilaf

Filed under: Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Holidays, Main Dishes, Middle Eastern Cuisine — admin @ 1:05 am

Delicata Squash with Brown Rice Carrot Celery Onion and Italian Herbs served with Fresh Broccoli

Delicata Squash Stuffed with Brown Rice Pilaf

Last year my good friend Melissa made a vegan version of a Sunset recipe for stuffed squash. It was wonderfully delicious, and i have been meaning to try a lower fat version of it. There were a lot more nuts in her squash, and in reducing them, i needed something else, and I thought rice would be good. When i Googled the word pilaf to see if i could use that for my rice concoction, i read that it was originally a Middle Eastern dish, most likely starting in Iran/Persia. That really tickled me, as i had already found that the cardamom in the cakes i made was also a Middle Eastern ingredient, and i already knew that the hummus i modeled my salad dressing after was Middle Eastern. So i guess I just intuitively put these three things together, that actually all had origins in the same part of the world.

Melissa used acorn meal as part of the nuts. It was great, and if you ever have a chance to use some or even make some acorn meal, by all means try it! Acorns are said to not be hard to process, and they’re free! Acorns are lower in fat than most other nuts, although they are still too high for every day use. The meal is good in baking, too.

http://www.backwoodshome.com/articles2/clay79.html

Any squash would do in this recipe, although Delicata is a nice, mild, sweet squash that is particularly nice. I included this recipe in the category Holidays as i think it would be perfect for a fall/winter holiday such as Thanksgiving, Equinox, or Christmas.

The fresh herbs are better, if you can get a hold of them. You probably can only find fresh marjoram if it is in your garden. I can’t even find the nutritional information for it online. But i had fresh sage in my freezer, and can get most of the Italian herbs year round at our produce market. Any herbs would make this nice, i think, and next time, I want to try it with Middle Eastern spices, like cardamom, cumin, maybe even apricots.

There probably will be more rice than will fit in the squash. I just piled it on my plate after i took the picture. But if you are cooking other starches, as for a big feast, you might want to increase the number of squashes, or reduce the rest of the recipe by about half, so that you just have the stuffed squash on the plates with other dishes.

Delicata Squash with Brown Rice Pilaf

Makes about 4 servings

Preparation about 45 minutes, but you need to start about an hour and a half before you want to eat

Can be made ahead

4 Delicata or small squash

3 c. cooked brown rice

2 large onions

8 medium carrots

10 stalks celery, leaves are okay

¼ c. fresh or 1 T. dry sage

¼ c. fresh or 1 T. dry thyme

¼ c. fresh or 1 T. dry marjoram

½ t. salt (optional)

6 oz. plain soy yogurt

1 T. whole almonds

1 T. walnut halves

1 T. shelled pistachios

It isn’t really necessary to preheat the oven for this, but i like to time things carefully, so i usually do, so i know just how long a dish has been cooking. This saves me checking the oven a few times, but of course it is more expensive not to use every bit of the heat once you turn it on.

Prepare the squash by cutting in half and scooping out the seeds, which some people wash and bake with salt and/or spices. Place the squash halves on a baking sheet and bake about 30-45 minutes, until tender, but not too brown.

Meanwhile, cook the rice, if necessary.

Toast the nuts in the oven, watching carefully, or on the stovetop in a heavy pan like cast iron over medium heat. Stir the nuts frequently, and i never leave the stove or oven when I have nuts toasting, as i have burnt so many – probably half of all i ever have tried to toast! Until i learned that stir constantly means stir constantly – or at least do not leave unattended… they burn so fast! Take the nuts off/away from the heat and out of the pan as soon as they are lightly browned. They will still cook as long as they have heat, so you want to cool them down quickly by putting them on a cutting board.

When the nuts are cool, which doesn’t take long, chop them pretty finely. You don’t chop them until they are toasted, because chopped nuts burn incredibly fast!

Chop the onion, carrots, and celery, and herbs, if necessary, and salt, if using, and cook in about ½ c. water until just tender. You want the water almost all absorbed, but you don’t want the vegetables over-cooked, as they will cook further in the oven.

Stir the soygurt into the cooked vegetables and herbs and set aside until the squash is done.

When the squash is done, fill each half with as much pilaf as you can stuff into it and put the stuffed squashes back on the baking sheet (you may need to wash it first). Bake about 20 additional minutes, until the top is lightly browned. This step isn’t really necessary, but it makes the whole thing a little nicer.

Top with a sprinkling of 2 t. of the nut mixture just before serving.

Adapted from a recipe from Melissa, from Nut-stuffed Delicata Squash in Sunset Magazine, October 2008

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per Serving – using acorn squash, as i couldn’t find accurate nutritional information specifically for Delicata squash – 431 calories/12.4 g protein (11.5 %)/8.2 g fat (17.2%)

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April 17, 2010

Spinach Tofu Pie with Brown Rice Tahini Crust

Filed under: Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Main Dishes — admin @ 1:05 am

Spinach and Tofu with Basil and Nutritional Yeast on Brown Rice with Tahini and Tamari

Spinach Tofu Pie with Brown Rice Tahini Crust

I was never disgusted by fat. My husband will never let me forget a favorite dish from the local Chinese restaurant which was a few shrimp on lettuce with deep-fried walnuts in a mayonnaise sauce. A slice or two of orange accompanied this.

I didn’t have spanakopita growing up, but as soon as i discovered it, swimming in butter, and later, as a vegan dish, swimming in oil, it was a favorite entrée. I have been thinking for some time how to make it lower fat. I read a lot of sites on making phyllo dough, but i decided that though it didn’t look hard to make, it would not be possible to have anything resembling the crispy layers of thin phyllo without fat. I have had no luck making decent pie dough with nut butters, and i absolutely refuse to use oil of any kind. So i decided this was one of those dishes that could not be a very exact copy, and that freed my mind to start thinking of other things that could go with the delicious filling. Mixing the tahini and tamari from the filling into brown rice was a happy solution. I like to make this as a pie, with the rice as a crust, but the rice mix and the spinach mix certainly don’t have to resemble a pie to be tasty. The spinach-tofu mix would be good with pasta, for instance, either layered as lasagna or topping brown rice spaghetti, or mixed up with whole wheat macaroni… You might want to mix the tahini and extra tamari in with the spinach mix if you use pasta.

Makes about 4 servings

Preparation about 45 minutes

Can be made ahead a few hours

Have ready:

4-6 c. hot brown rice

2 onions

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 T dried or ¼ c. fresh basil

1 t. dried or 1 T. fresh thyme

1 t. dried or 1 T. fresh marjoram

½ t. ground nutmeg

¼ t. or more ground black pepper

14-16 oz. firm tofu

2 lb. spinach, fresh or frozen

¼ c. lemon juice

¼ c. nutritional yeast

1 ½ T. low sodium tamari

¼ c. tahini (optional)

Start cooking the rice.

Get out a big pan and sauté the onion and garlic in ½ c. water. The water should reduce to ¼ c. or less. Add the herbs and spices. Crumble the tofu and stir in. Add the spinach.

Watch as the mixture cooks so it doesn’t burn. You don’t want any extra water, but you need enough to cook the spinach, and it will make some broth too. Turn off the burner as soon as the spinach is done, and stir in the tamari.

Stir the tahini and tamari into the rice.

To serve: make a layer of the rice mixture on a plate or bowl. Top with the spinach-tofu mixture.

To reheat: Layer the rice and spinach-tofu mix in an oven-proof casserole or baking pan, or individual dishes that you can serve the dish in. Heat the pie in a 350&deg oven about 20 minutes, depending on how cold your food is.

Adapted from Spanakopita in May All Be Fed by John Robbins.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per Serving – 539 calories/38.2 g protein (28.3 %)/16.2 g fat (27.1%)

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April 10, 2010

Potato Corn Chowder

Filed under: Low Calorie Density, Main Dishes, Mexican Cuisine, Soups — admin @ 1:04 am

Potato Corn Chowder with Red Pepper, Chilies, Broccoli, and Carrot

Potato Corn Chowder

A simple soup sometimes is more satisfying than a complex dinner, and this is the case with this Mexican influenced chowder. I made it without thinking that my husband would like it, but, as i usually do, i gave him a bite to taste, and he quite liked it, which surprised me, as he does not like plain boiled potatoes, let alone anything mixed up. But, Ah! The difference here is wonderful!

Makes 4 small servings

Preparation about 45 minutes

Can be made ahead

2 c. vegetable broth

1 onion

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 c. potato, chopped

1 ½ c. fresh or frozen corn

¼ c. fresh or canned chilies, mild or hot

1 carrot

1 red pepper

1 stalk broccoli

¼ c. fresh basil

Chop onions, and cook them with the garlic and potatoes in the vegetable broth about 10 minutes, until the onions are tender and translucent.

Meanwhile, chop the rest of the veggies into bite sized pieces, and if necessary, cut the corn off the cob. Put the corn, chilies, carrots, peppers, and broccoli in with the onions, garlic, and potatoes and cook about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the potato is done.

Add the basil, and serve.

You might want to serve this with warm tortillas or no-fat corn chips.

Adapted from Chipotle Potato Corn Chowder from Vegan Yum Yum Cookbook by Lauren Ulm.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per Serving – 195 calories/6.7 g protein (13.6%)/2.4 g fat (2.7%)

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April 3, 2010

Spring Rolls

Filed under: Feasts, Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Main Dishes, Salads, Thai Cuisine — admin @ 1:03 am

Spring Rolls with Thai Basil, Red Cabbage, Scallions, Lettuce, Cucumber, Mung Bean Sprouts, Daikon Radish, Mint, and Thai Sweet Sauce

Spring Rolls

So far in LFVC, i have only used whole grains, whether milled or whole. But i am making an exception for these spring rolls, as i cannot find anyone who knows how to make brown rice paper or bean threads. For a once in a while meal, i think a little refined rice is okay, as long as you know it is not an ideal food.

Spring rolls as i make them are really a salad, so that is why i put them at 1:03, (did you notice that’s the time for salads?) with salad postings.

Some people seem to enjoy being a guest and doing a lot of work to put their dinner together at the table. If you are serving some of these, or if you are a cook who doesn’t have a lot of time, you can shred the ingredients, and let people make their own spring rolls. Otherwise, you can do them all yourself, or with a friend. These are definitely easier with two people. If it’s just you, be sure to have some happy music to keep you going. Or you might prefer to use the time as a meditation in a repetitive task.

Spring rolls don’t keep marvelously. The rice paper gets fragile, but you can definitely eat leftovers the next day as long as you understand they won’t be so pretty.

I first remember having these Thai type of oil free spring rolls at my daughter and son-in-laws. They are both great cooks.

I tend to just put everything in a bowl and mix it up, but it is nicer to layer the ingredients on each rice paper.

Start with the sauce. You can buy Mae Ploy Thai Sweet Sauce, but it is quite easy to make an almost exact copy. Again, this is for Special, because it’s hard to believe how much sugar there is in the sauce. And yes, i have tried it with just a couple of teaspoons of sugar, and it is not worth the effort, at least to me.

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

Makes about 8 servings, unless you like a lot of sauce

Preparation about 7 minutes

Can be made ahead

Keeps well in the refrigerator at least a couple of weeks

8 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

4 T. Thai Kitchen Red Curry Paste or

8 Thai chilies or

½ c. chilies, mild or hot

2 c. sugar

1 c. rice vinegar

2 t. salt (optional)

Cook the garlic and chilies or chili paste with the sugar and vinegar about 10 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and sauce thickens. Cool.

Adapted from Thai Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce from She Simmers.com.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per Serving – 196 calories/.2 g protein/0 fat

Spring Rolls

Makes about 8 servings

Preparation about 90 minutes

Best eaten soon after completing the rolls

Thai Sweet Chili Sauce

7 – 14 oz. firm tofu (optional)

2 T. low sodium tamari

1 T. maple syrup

1 t. ground ginger

4 oz. rice vermicelli (bean threads)

32 (more or less) rice papers

2 carrots

1 c. mung bean sprouts

1 large cucumber

¼ red cabbage

3 inches large daikon radish or 8 red radishes

½ head leaf lettuce

1 c. daikon sprouts (optional)

8 scallions

½ c. cilantro

½ c. mint leaves

½ c. fresh basil

About 4 hours before your meal is to be eaten:

Press the tofu by draining and wrapping in a towel and putting something heavy on top of it for half an hour or so (i use a stack of cast iron pans). Chop the pressed tofu into small squares and sauté in about 2 T. tamari and about 1 T. sugar or maple syrup and a little fresh grated or dried ground ginger, until the liquid is absorbed and the tofu is lightly browned. Set aside to cool.

Cook the rice vermicelli according to its package or boil some water and put in the noodles for about 2 minutes, until they are easy to bite. Drain and cool.

Wash all the veggies and spin in a salad spinner or dry with a towel and leave on a dry towel to further dry.

About 90 minutes before the meal:

Grate the carrot, daikon, cucumber, and cabbage. A food processor makes short work of this.

Chop the sprouts into 1 inch pieces.

Chop the cilantro, mint, and basil.

Chop the lettuce.

Mix the vegetables together or set out in bowls.

Fill a large low bowl or plate with water to dip the rice paper in.

To Assemble:

Put one rice paper in the bowl with water for about 90 seconds, until it is pliable and soft enough to eat. Take it out of the water and let it drip for a few seconds, then smooth it out on a plate or board.

Spread out a teaspoon or two of the sauce in the center of the rice paper.

Top with a Tablespoon or so of each vegetable. Add a couple of Tablespoons of rice vermicelli and a Tablespoon of the optional tofu. You might want to use two forks to pick up the vermicelli so you don’t have to be constantly washing your finger between each spring roll.

Fold the top of the wet rice paper down to the bottom and center the vegetables and things. Fold in one side and then the other. Push the vegetables back to the fold and roll the two bottom ends over the fold.

See if you need to use more of less of each thing for the next roll.

Set on the plate you intend to serve them on, as they stick to each other and shouldn’t be moved.

Continue on, having a pleasant conversation or music or meditation until one of the ingredients is used up. Then you can make a few smaller rolls or just put the rest together for a salad later. (Not much later: the next meal, hopefully. Or no later than the next day.)

Serve with more of the sauce (that’s why you make so much) and garnish the plate, if desired with sprigs of the basil, mint, and cilantro.

Enjoy, and wait to make them again when you’ve forgotten how much work they are, and only remember how good they are.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per Serving, with 7 oz. tofu and Thai Sweet Chili Sauce – 281 calories/6.2 g protein (8.8%)/1.6 g fat (5%)

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March 20, 2010

Low Fat Vegan Moussaka

Filed under: Gluten Free, Higher Calorie Density, Main Dishes, Middle Eastern Cuisine — admin @ 1:05 am

Moussaka with Eggplant and Potato, Cinnamon Tomato Sauce, and Tofu Bechamel Sauce, Accompanied by Asparagus

Low Fat Vegan Moussaka

The first time i had moussaka, i was a vegetarian, and the topping was a savory custard that was absolutely divine. For some reason, it was almost a decade before i tried to make moussaka myself, and although i don’t remember where or when this was, i didn’t save the recipe, so i know it was not a big success.

Then last November, Ellen at I Am Gluten Free posted a recipe for moussaka, and i remembered how much i had liked it, and decided it was time to try it again. Moussaka is a Middle-Eastern dish. The Greeks usually use a béchamel sauce, and the Balkans are the ones that use a custard. My sauce is half way between a béchamel and a custard.

Moussaka

Makes 4 servings

Preparation about 60 minutes, but you need to start cooking about 2 hours before you plan to serve the moussaka

Can be made ahead

Don’t even try to freeze it; the tofu won’t be creamy anymore

The Main Vegetables:

1 large eggplant or 4 small ones

2 large potatoes

TheTomato Sauce:

1 large onion

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

14 oz. can diced salt-free tomatoes

1 large red pepper

½ c. red wine (optional)

¼ t. ground cinnamon

2 T. fresh or 2 t. dried oregano

1/8 or more t. ground black pepper

½ t. salt (optional)

¼ c. fresh parsley

The Cream Sauce:

14-16 oz. silken tofu

1 c. soy or vegan milk

¼ c. tahini

1 T. lemon juice

¼ c. brown rice flour

Garnish:

¼ t. ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350&deg. You can peel the potatoes and eggplant or not. Slice about ¼ inch thick and place on two baking sheets. Cover with a piece of parchment paper and then aluminum foil (the parchment keeps the aluminum from leaching into the food). Tuck the aluminum foil securely under the edges of the pan. Cook about 1 hour, until the eggplant is tender and sort of puffy, and the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.

Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce:

Chop the onions and red pepper, and put them in a medium saucepan with the tomatoes, garlic, red wine or ½ c. water, cinnamon, oregano, red pepper, black pepper, and optional salt. Cook about 30 minutes until it has thickened a bit. Cover to keep warm.

While the tomato sauce is cooking, make the cream sauce:

Put the silken tofu in a blender and whirl until it is smooth. Set aside.

Heat the soymilk in a medium pan. Add the tahini and stir it in well. Add the lemon juice and watch the milk curdle. Stir in the brown rice flour (it doesn’t cake as wheat flour does, but add it bit by bit to get it all stirred in). Cook about 2 minutes until thickened.

Add the silken tofu and mix well. Heat, stirring constantly. Cover to keep warm and set aside until the eggplant and potatoes are done.

Mix the parsley into the tomato sauce.

Assemble the moussaka in a 8 x 8 inch baking pan, or a casserole. You can put the eggplant on the bottom and make layers, or alternate a slice of eggplant with a slice of potato until the slices are all used up. I had just a couple more slices of potato than eggplant.

Pour the tomato sauce evenly over the eggplant and potato.

Top with the cream sauce, and smooth it to the edges.

Bake about 20 minutes, until the cream sauce is lightly browned and the rest of the dish is hot.

Adapted from Vegan Meatless Moussaka by Ellen Allard, and from Eggplant-Potato Moussaka with Pine Nut Cream by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, with a careful read of the Wikipedia article on Moussaka.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per serving – 413 calories/22.4 g protein (21.7%)/13.7 g fat (29.9%)

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March 17, 2010

Colcannon – Mashed Potatoes and Kale

Filed under: Gluten Free, Holidays, Irish Cuisine, Low Calorie Density, Main Dishes — admin @ 1:05 am

Colcannon - Irish Mashed Potatoes and Kale

Colcannon – Irish Mashed Potatoes and Kale

My mother celebrated all the traditional holidays, and some not so traditional, like Japanese Boys Day. When i left home, at first, i didn’t celebrate much of anything for a few years, but then i started celebrating in a small way, and on the major holidays i have at least a special meal. For years, my St. Patrick’s Day meal was a stew with Irish soda bread and apple pie (the true Irish love apple pie, or so i’m told). But this year, in the wonderful Vegan Yum Yum, i read about Colcannon for the first time, and i knew i had to try that. It’s a very simple dish that you could picture on many a country table, but it’s really delicious.

Colcannon

Makes 4 servings

Preparation about 45 minutes

Best served as soon as it’s done, but try reheating it in the oven

Potatoes do not freeze well – they get watery

6 large potatoes

1 large onion

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 bunches kale

¼ c fresh or 1 T. dried thyme

1 packet vegan bouillon for 1 c. liquid or Braggs or ½ t. salt

¼ c. nutritional yeast

½ c. vegan milk

As Colcannon is best served as soon as it’s done, it’s best to get the rest of the meal ready before you start – a salad, fruit, the table set, etc. Or you could get everything ready to cook and then do the cooking at about 25 minutes before you plan to eat.

Wash and chop the potatoes, with or without the skins. Cook the potatoes in a pot with water just covering them about 15 minutes or until tender but not mushy. Drain well in a colander.

Chop the onion and cook it and the garlic in ½ c. water until just tender, about 7 minutes. The water should be mostly absorbed, but that’s fine – you don’t need much water to cook the kale, although you might need to add a little if there isn’t a couple of tablespoons.

Meanwhile wash the kale (i usually put it in a big pan or bowl, and swish it around in three changes of water – you do not want any grit in your greens!) Lay the kale leaves one at a time on a cutting board and cut out the center stems. I usually slice down the leaf on either side of the stem and remove it, then slice down each leaf half so you have four long leaves. I then set the leaves aside until i have three or four stacked up, and then i chop the stack up and put it into the pan. Repeat until all the leaves are chopped up, and then put them in the pan with the now cooked onions and garlic. Cook about 3 minutes until bright green and just tender.

Add the bouillon or other salty seasoning, the thyme, and the nutritional yeast, and stir them in. Add the potatoes and about ¼ c. vegan milk, stir, and then mash. You could heat the vegan milk if you want to keep the dish piping hot. I love my potato masher, which makes easy work of the mashing, but a fork will do in a pinch. Add more vegan milk until you have the potatoes more or less mashed. The mashing will help stir the ingredients together, too.

Serve as soon as you can.

Adapted from Colcannon by the very good cook Lauren Ulm.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Per serving – 461 calories/20.1 g protein (17.4%)/2.3 g fat (4.5%)

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