CLASS #5: Easy Asian Favorites

On the menu today:
Savory Seitan Potstickers
Vietnamese Summer Rolls (Goi Cuon)


Also techniques:
Basic Asian dumpling (for potstickers, wonton soup, and fried wontons)
Dealing with rice paper
Cooking rice noodles
Handling ginger
Slicing mango

Learning about sauces:
Hoisin sauce



It's interactive day! So wash your hands and be prepared to wrap and roll!

CLASS #4: Vegan Brunch!

Vegan breakfasts are easy and delicious. With the easy availability of vegan cream cheese, a toasted bagel with a "shmear" makes for a quick bite.

There's also vegan waffles in the frozen food section, and many of your favorite cereals are already "accidentally" vegan. (Just read the label.)

But it's also easy to make more hearty breakfast and brunch items! On the menu today:

Tofu Bacon

Tofu Scramble (with potatoes, peppers, and onions)

Blueberry Pancakes

...and Carrot Cake

SCRUMPTIOUS TOFU BACON

Ingredients

1 14-ounce package extra firm tofu (prepared & pressed as described below)

1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup maple syrup (or maple-flavored brown rice syrup)

3 Tablespoons liquid smoke hickory seasoning

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)

Prepare the Tofu: Freeze the package of tofu, then thaw completely. (Freezing changes the texture of tofu, making it drier and more absorbent.) Remove thawed tofu from package and gently press between your palms to squeeze out water. Cut tofu into 12-15 thin slices.  

Press the Tofu: Lay tofu slices on a flat surface between two clean, absorbent kitchen towels. Place a cutting board or other stiff item on top (such as a book), add some weight (such as a bag of potatoes, jug of wine, or a couple of heavy books), and allow to press for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients in food processor/blender or whisk by hand. TASTE and adjust to your desired preferences (sweeter? smokier? saltier?). Pour into shallow container and add the sliced, pressed tofu. Make sure each piece of tofu comes in contact with the marinade; then refrigerate for 1 hour (minimum) or overnight (better). 

Bake: If desired, cut tofu slices lengthwise to make thinner strips. Arrange tofu on baking sheet (I line mine with parchment paper) and bake in a 350° oven for 20–30 minutes, turning pieces over halfway through. Check toward the end of cooking time to ensure that bacon does not become too hard—this can happen quickly! Bacon is done when pieces are brown, lightly crisp on the edges, but still mostly chewy. 

Bacon is great for snacking, as a side dish with breakfast, or in a BLT sandwich. See recipe below to make your own mayo for BLTs (and other uses!)

EASY VEGAN MAYONNAISE (EGG- AND OIL-FREE)

Ingredients

½ package soft tofu (about 6 ounces)

½  teaspoon salt

¼  teaspoon garlic powder

¼  teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon agave nectar (or other sweetener)

1 ½  teaspoons cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons cold water

Mix all ingredients in blender until smooth and creamy. Makes approximately 1 ½ cups of mayo.

TOFU SCRAMBLE

Ingredients

1 package soft tofu

1 Tablespoon vegan butter and/or oil

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon tamari, optional

1/2 teaspoon (or to taste) kala namak ("black salt"), optional

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat butter/oil in large skillet. 
• Add tofu, crumbling it into desired size, and stir while the tofu heats through. (If you like well-done "eggs," allow to brown slightly. 
• Add nutritional yeast and turmeric and stir to blend well (this will color the tofu).
• Just before removing from the pan, add tamari and kala namak, if using. Stir one more time, adjusting seasoning if desired. 
• Serve hot. 

EASY PANCAKES

Don't be afraid to "veganize" your favorite recipes, especially something simple like pancakes. In this version, all I've done is substitute a vegan "egg" for a chicken egg and used vegan butter instead of dairy butter. The results are wonderful!

Original recipe, veganized:

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I use white whole wheat flour)

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cups milk (I use unsweetened, unflavored soy milk)

1 egg (I use Ener-G Egg Replacer)*

3 Tablespoons butter, melted (I use Earth Balance)

Instructions

• Preheat a griddle or large frying pan over medium heat. Grease lightly, just enough to prevent pancakes from sticking. 
• In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. In a 2-cup glass measure, pour milk, egg, and butter; blend well. Pour liquid all at once into dry ingredients; stir together just until all flour is moistened. 
• Pour batter, about 1/4 cup for each pancake, onto a hot griddle. Cook until bubbles form and edges appear dry. Turn pancake with a wide spatula to lightly brown the other side. (Turn pancake only once). 

*Vegan egg equivalents: 

1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G powder plus 2 Tablespoons cold water = 1 egg.

1 Tablespoon ground flax meal plus 3 Tablespoons hot water = 1 egg. 

SUPER MOIST VEGAN CARROT CAKE

I found this recipe online at http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegancakerecipes/r/vegancarrot.htm

CLASS #3: Italian Favorites, Vegan-Style!

On the menu:

• Meatballs, both seitan-based and gluten-free, in marinara sauce
• Fettuccine Alfredo, made with cashew cream sauce
• Homemade Parmesan-style sprinkles
• Pan-roasted Garlicky Brussels Sprouts
• Chickpea Blondies (gluten-free)

SEITAN MEATBALLS

Meatball recipe adapted from www.food.com recipe #445275

In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients: 

1 cup vital wheat gluten flour

3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup vegan stuffing mix, breaking up larger bits (I use Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned stuffing)

Mix wet ingredients in a blender or food processor:

3/4 cup cold vegetable broth

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, pressed

Pour wet mixture into dry mixture and mix with your hands until all moisture has been absorbed. Add more broth if the dough is too dry; add more gluten and/or stuffing mix if the dough is too wet. Separate the dough into 12 - 15 pieces. Using your hands, knead each piece until smooth and elastic, then roll into a ball. The meatballs will expand greatly when cooked, so keep the raw meatballs small!

To cook:

Add about 6 cups of salted water to a large skillet or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid. Bring the water to a gentle simmer (DO NOT BOIL), and add the raw meatballs one by one. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes. (Optional: The water may be flavored with a bay leaf, onion, soy sauce/tamari, and/or garlic if desired). 

When done, remove meatballs from broth serve with your favorite marinara sauce. The meatballs may be pan-fried to brown them a bit on the outside, but it's not necessary. 

VEGAN ALFREDO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

2 shallots, thinly sliced

1to 2 Tablespoon olive oil and/or vegan butter

1 to 1 ½ cups raw, unsalted cashews (soaked in water at least one hour) 

1 cup water

1 ½  to 2 cups unsweetened, unflavored non-dairy milk or water

½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil/vegan butter in a large pan. Add shallots and cook until soft. Drain and rinse cashews, then place in blender with 1 cup fresh water and blend to pulverize the nuts. Add softened shallots (as well as the oil/butter used to cook shallots), 1 ½ cups of non-dairy milk, and salt. Blend on high speed until smooth.

Pour sauce into large pan and heat while whisking until sauce thickens and bubbles. Add more non-dairy milk if sauce needs thinning to reach desired creamy consistency. Remove from heat and, if needed, adjust seasoning to taste with salt and/or pepper. 

Toss with hot, cooked fettuccine noodles for a delectable Fettuccine Alfredo!

Vegan Parmesan-style Sprinkles

Only 3 ingredients!

Ingredients:
2 parts slivered almonds (from the baking aisle) or raw cashews
1 part nutritional yeast
salt to taste

Instructions:
Process nuts in a food processor or blender until desired crumbly consistency is reached. Mix in nutritional yeast. Salt to taste. That's it!

Chickpea Blondies (gluten-free!)

Makes a 9 x 13 pan

Ingredients:
3 cups cooked chickpeas (2 small cans or 1 large can)
1½ cups brown sugar
½ cup ground flaxseeds
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup vegan chocolate chips (for later)

Instructions: 
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray or lightly grease.
2. Drain and rinse chickpeas, shake off excess liquid.
3. Add all ingredients except chocolate chips to food processor and blend thoroughly. Scrape down sides once or twice to make sure everything is mixed.
4. Spread batter into the prepared pan, smoothing top. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over the surface.
5. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before cutting and eating. Store leftovers in fridge.

CLASS #2: Vegan Staples (Plant-based Meat Substitutes and more!)

Seitan skewers and vegan sliders

Where's the meat? 

Sure, everyone knows that fruits and veggies and whole grains are healthy. But most of us are used to eating meat (and enjoying it), and it can be hard to imagine never again sinking your teeth into a meaty morsel.

This class introduces four of the classic meat substitutes of the vegan world: Tofu, Tempeh, Seitan, and TVP.

Embrace the TOFU!

Nasoya brand organic tofu, about $2 each at the local Market Basket

Yes, there are lots of jokes about vegans and tofu. But guess what? Tofu (pronounced TOE-foo), also known as bean curd, has been around for 2,000 years, so it must have something going for it. Cream colored with a texture not unlike firm custard, tofu is notably low in calories and saturated fat, hight in protein and iron, and has no cholesterol.

Tofu comes from soybeans and is produced similar to the way farmers' cheese is made — soy milk is curdled, and the resulting curds are pressed into blocks. It's readily available in grocery stores and comes in several varieties, from silken (which is very soft and creamy) to extra firm (which is much denser). There are even aseptic packages of tofu that do not need refrigeration. While tofu has little taste on its own, it takes on the flavors of whatever it is mixed with—making tofu a very versatile ingredient.

Tofu cubes browning in a skillet.

The easiest way to use tofu is to press it to release all the excess moisture (even the firm tofu is quite moist), and then marinate it in whatever flavors you enjoy. Try this trick: Buy a package of tofu and toss it in the freezer until it is frozen solid. Leave it out on the counter to thaw, then slice it and press it between clean kitchen towels until it is very dry. At this point you can cube it and brown it in a pan with a bit of oil. After it's nicely browned, toss it in a flavorful mix of seasonings (or your favorite BBQ or teriyaki sauce). The longer it soaks in the flavor, the better it will taste.

Say It with SEITAN!

Seitan, pronounced SAY-tan, is another versatile, high-protein, low-fat meat replacer. Seitan, also known as wheat meat, is made from gluten, which is the protein in wheat. Seitan is generally chewy in texture and mild in flavor. Store-bought seitan is available in markets like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and health food stores, such as Roots in Leominster. 

Package of store-bought seitan, Westsoy brand. 

Store-bought seitan, carton opened to reveal appearance of seitan strips. 

 But don't be intimidated! With only a few ingredients and a basic kitchen steamer, homemade seitan is simple to make and delicious to eat!

Elizabeth’s Easy Seitan Recipe (may be doubled)

In a large bowl, whisk together:

1½ cups vital wheat gluten

¼ cup chickpea/garbanzo bean flour

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 Tablespoons chicken-flavored broth powder*

¼ teaspoon onion powder and/or garlic powder (optional)

In a blender, or a small bowl, mix together:

1 cup water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

STEP #1 BLEND: Pour most (not all!) liquid blend into dry ingredients. Mix by hand (your actual hand, not a spoon) to form a ball of dough. Continue to mix, incorporating all flour stuck to the sides and bottom of the bowl. If dough is too dry, add more liquid one teaspoonful at a time until dough is tacky to the touch.

Knead for 1 to 2 minutes.

STEP #2 STEAM: Place steamer basket in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, add 1 inch of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Divide dough and shape into into 3 or 4 smooth loaves and place in steamer without overlapping. Close lid and steam for 20 minutes. Use tongs to turn loaves over (they will be larger but still somewhat gummy), and then close lid and steam for another 15 minutes or until dough is firm and springy to the touch. (Check the water level at this point, adding more if needed!) If dough feels too soft, steam an additional 10 minutes or until desired firmness is reached.

STEP #3 COOL: Remove cooked seitan from steamer basket and let cool.

STEP #4 FLAVOR & EAT! Once cooled, it’s ready to use in recipes! One of the tastiest ways is to MARINATE cubed or shredded seitan, and then bake it at 350° until edges are nicely browned. Reserve extra marinade (adding a touch of oil if desired) to glaze the freshly baked seitan. (See recipe for Asian-style marinade below.)

*Substitutions: Dry gravy mix, bouillon (add to wet ingredients), or any other highly concentrated, salty flavoring.

Savory Asian-Style Glazed Seitan 

Shred the seitan:
Shred cooked, cooled seitan into bite-sized chunks, enough to make about 2–3 cups of shredded seitan. 
The rougher and more irregular-looking, the better. 


In a bowl, blender, or food processor, mix together:
Blend all ingredients except sesame oil and taste, adjusting seasoning to your liking. Pour marinade into bowl and add shredded seitan; allow to marinate for as long as possible (15 minutes to several hours). 
After marinating, remove seitan chunks (reserving the leftover liquid) and bake at 350° until nicely browned (turning over if necessary to brown evenly).

After browning, while still hot, pour pieces back into the leftover liquid adding the sesame oil to create a glaze. Toss so that pieces are completely coated. They should look meaty, savory, and glossy.

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
2 Tablespoons fresh garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 Tablespoons agave (or ¼ cup sugar)
2 Tablespoons canola oil
4 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon Asian chili oil/chili paste/chili sauce, or to taste
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil (for later)

Easy Dessert: Chocolate Pudding/Mousse (secret ingredient - avocado!)

Scrumptious, healthy, and 100% vegan!

Ingredients:

2 ripe Hass avocados, pitted and peeled*

4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 oz dark or semisweet chocolate, melted (or to taste)

3 Tablespoons maple syrup, more or less to taste

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (more or less) coconut milk, well-stirred; or use any non-dairy milk you like

Instructions:

Put everything but the coconut milk in a food processor and blend it up! Add only enough coconut milk to get the consistency you want, bearing in mind that it will thicken as it chills. The more liquid you add, the more pudding-like it will be; less liquid will make it more mousse-like.

As far as the chocolate goes, the higher quality the better. You may also increase the quantity of both the cocoa powder and the melted dark chocolate for more intensity.

Chill for several hours before serving (if you can wait that long...but the taste really does improve when the flavors have a chance to meld for a while).

*Variation for Florida (green) avocados:

Because green avocados are less flavorful and more watery, added liquid and sugar are not needed! 

1 ripe Florida avocado, pitted and peeled (these are much bigger!)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons cocoa powder

2 ounces melted dark chocolate and/or 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips

Blend everything in a food processor until smooth. If you want it sweeter, add maple syrup to taste.

CLASS #1: Transitioning to Veganism

Veganism's Roots in Vegetarianism

Veganism came out of vegetarianism, which has been practiced by people since antiquity. Far from being a relatively new phenomenon, vegetarianism dates back to a time before recorded history. Many anthropologists believe that most early humans ate primarily plant foods, being more gatherers than hunters. This view is supported by the fact that the human digestive system resembles that of other plant-eaters rather than that of carnivores. (Forget about "canine" teeth, other herbivores have them too. But no meat-eater has molar teeth, like humans and the other plant-eaters.) The early human as plant-eater view is also supported by the fact that humans on meat-based diets contract major ailments such as heart disease and cancer much more frequently than people eating vegetarian diets.

Certainly humans started eating meat at some point before recorded history, but only because unlike animals, humans are capable of that kind of experimentation. However, this short period of meat-eating is not nearly long enough to have had an evolutionary impact on us — hence the fact, for example, that animal foods will raise human cholesterol while dogs fed solid bricks of butter maintain the same cholesterol level.

The Greek mathematician Pythagoras was a vegetarian, and vegetarians were often called Pythagoreans until the word was created. The term "vegetarian" was coined by the British Vegetarian Society in 1847; the American Vegetarian Society was formed in 1850. By the 1880s, vegetarian restaurants were popular in London, offering cheap and nutritious meals in respectable settings. Notable vegetarians of times past include Leonardo da Vinci, St. Francis of Assisi, Mahatma Gandhi, Leo Tolstoy, George Bernard Shaw, and toward the end of his life Albert Einstein.

The Vegan Movement Begins

Donald Watson (1910-2005), inventor of the word "vegan" and founder of the Vegan Society

There were always some members of the Vegetarian Society who ate no animal-derived foods at all, including eggs and dairy products, usually known as "non-dairy vegetarians." In 1944 they decided to formally organise themselves by launching a new organization, the Vegan Society, which is still thriving today.

Types of Vegetarians

LACTO OVO: A lacto ovo vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, and poultry but includes dairy products and eggs. Most vegetarians in the U.S., Canada, and Western Europe fall into this category. Lacto ovo vegetarians eat such foods as cheese, ice cream, yogurt, milk, and eggs, as well as foods made with these ingredients.

PESCETARIAN: Same as lacto ovo, but also eats fish and seafood. 

LACTO VEGETARIAN: A lacto vegetarian diet excludes meat, fish, and poultry, as well as eggs and any foods containing eggs. A lacto vegetarian would, however, eat dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.

VEGAN ("ethical vegan"): Technically, the term vegan refers to more than just the diet alone. A vegan is a vegetarian who avoids eating or using all animal products, including meat, fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, honey, any foods containing by-products of these ingredients, wool, silk, leather, and any nonfood items made with animal byproducts. Most ethical vegans are opposed to the status of non-human animals as human property.

PLANT-BASED DIET ("health vegan"): Some people choose a vegan diet purely for health reasons and are less interested in issues of animal welfare and animal rights. Since veganism is a holistic philosophy and not just a diet, the term "plant-based" is useful to distinguish those whose focus is on the health benefits of a diet free of animal ingredients (but who may still wear leather, for example). However, it's common for people who start out as "health vegans" to eventually learn about the broader issues and gradually adopt a vegan lifestyle. 

Convenience Foods - Easy and Tasty!

Array of vegan convenience foods, found at Market Basket in Fitchburg, MA.

Once someone makes the decision to adopt, or experiment with, a vegan diet, the question that immediately arises is: What will I eat?

Most of us can't completely overhaul our diets overnight. This is where vegan convenience foods come into play. Nowadays, vegan versions of the most common foods — hot dogs, hamburgers, cold cuts, chicken nuggets, and more — are readily available in our neighborhood supermarket. These foods are an easy way to start eating vegan, without having to completely change your taste buds or deprive yourself or do any hard work. 

Dessert Recipe: Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread

Adapted from WishICouldCook recipe on Food.com. Makes 1 loaf (12 slices). 

The moist tastiness of classic Banana Bread, with a decadent swirl of chocolate...mmmmm!

INGREDIENTS

1 cup mashed banana, very ripe (about 3 bananas)

3/4 cup sugar, or to taste

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/3 cup plant-based milk (I used Blue Diamond Almond Breeze)

1 1/2 cups flour (I used King Arthur's white whole wheat)

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cocoa powder and/or 1 ounce high quality chocolate (I used both)

hot water

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°; lightly spray or grease a standard loaf pan.

2. In a large bowl, mash banana until smooth. Add the sugar, vanilla, canola oil, and milk. Whisk until well-blended.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. (I sift these though a metal sieve to avoid lumps.)

4. Add the blended dry ingredients to the wet banana mixture. Stir gently until no dry bits are remaining. (Do not over-stir, as this will create a tough loaf.) If batter seems too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons water to achieve desired consistency.***

5. Remove 3/4 cup of the batter and set aside in bowl. (I used the bowl that had the flour mixture in it).

6. In another small bowl, place cocoa powder and/or chocolate. Add 1-2 tablespoons very hot water, and stir to moisten the cocoa powder and/or soften the chocolate. (If using chocolate, it may be necessary to heat in microwave to soften completely.) If you like a sweeter loaf, you may add 1-2 tablespoons sugar in this step.

7. Add the chocolate/cocoa mixture to the 3/4 cup of batter you set aside. Blend well, creating a chocolatey batter.

8. Now for the fun part! Pour 1/3 of the plain banana batter into the greased loaf pan. Then pour 1/2 of the chocolate-banana mixture on top (it doesn’t need to completely cover the first layer). Continue to alternate between plain and chocolate batters. Once all of the batter is in, take a butter knife and, starting at one end of the loaf, move the knife in a figure-8 motion toward the opposite end to create the marbling effect.

9. Bake for 50-55 minutes, or until the center is no longer gooey. Insert a wooden toothpick to test this. Allow to cool (if you can wait that long) and enjoy!

*** For a simpler recipe, you may stop at this point (skipping the cocoa/chocolate marbling part) and just pour the banana bread batter into the pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until the center is no longer gooey.  

NOTE: To make a gluten-free version, try substituting Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour and adding 1 teaspoon Xantham Gum to the dry ingredients.