American Cuisine « 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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June 5, 2010

Three Bean Salad

Filed under: American Cuisine, Gluten Free, Low Calorie Density, Salads — Tags: beans, low fat, salad, summer, three bean salad, vegan, vegetables, vinaigrette — admin @ 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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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 8, 2010

Banana Bread with Optional Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

Filed under: American Cuisine, Breads, Breakfast, Higher Calorie Density — admin @ 1:02 am

Banana Bread with Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

Banana Bread with Optional Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

My daughter has been making gluten free banana bread with chocolate chips recently, and i decided to try a version myself.

The plate you see the result on was made by laying a piece of lace cloth on the wet clay, and glazing in two different colors. I found it at a crafts fair some years ago.

There are many versions of low fat banana bread. You might like a more sweet or a less dense loaf, both of which are attained by adding more bananas. But i think this amount balances best with the chocolate chips, if you are going to use them. Walnuts relieve the sweetness, but you don’t need a lot to do that.

For some reason, raw sugar crystals don’t melt well in this recipe. Whole Foods carries granulated vegan sugar.

Makes 1 large loaf or about 12 muffins

Preparation about 30 minutes

Can be made ahead

Freezes well

2 ½ c. whole wheat flour

1 ½ t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

½ t. salt

¾ c. granulated vegan sugar

3 medium bananas, about 1 ¾ c. chopped

½ c. almond or other vegan milk

2 t. apple cider vinegar

1 t. vanilla extract

½ c. chopped walnuts (optional)

½ c. vegan chocolate chips or a fair trade chocolate bar, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Prepare baking pans or tins with oil or paper liners.

Mix dry ingredients.

Mix wet ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

Add optional nuts and chocolate and mix well.

Bake 50-60 minutes for a loaf, or 40-45 minutes for muffins, until top is browned and toothpick comes out clean – you may have to try several times not to hit a chocolate chip.

Adapted largely from two recipes:

Banana Split Tea Bread in Vegan Planet by Robin Robertson.

Banana Bread from Post Punk Kitchen by Isa Moskowitz and Terry Romero.

Nutritional information – not guaranteed to be accurate:

Plain 1/12th recipe: 155 calories/3.5 g protein (9.2%)/.6 g fat (3.6%)

With walnuts: 187 calories/4.3 g protein (9.3%)/3.8 g fat (18.4%)

With walnuts and chocolate chips: 233 calories/5 g protein (8.5%)/6.4 g fat (25.2%)

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