|
VEGAN FEAST SUBSCRIBERS' COOKING AND RECIPE FORUM>
non-chew vegan foods
scj121
1 post
Feb 07, 2005
6:32 PM
|
Hi everyone-
I'm new to the board, but it looks great!
I had jaw surgery this past summer and as part of my recovery, I've been on a non-chew diet for the past 6 months (and will be for 3-6 more months!!). It's not AS bad as it sounds.
I eat lots of oatmeal, very small pasta, tofu and soy yogurt, sweet pototoes, veggie soup, smoothies, and beans (especially indian dishes). In any case, my repetoire is getting a bit old. The hardest part is getting my green veggies, as I can't eat salad. I've made pea soup and asparagus soup.
I've seen the soft food section with smoothies from last year, but I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for things that I could try.
Thanks!
Stephanie
|
Linda
297 posts
Feb 07, 2005
7:24 PM
|
Hi! Nice to meet you. I hope you're feeling well.
How about cream of wheat? I also like amaranth made with lots of water to give it a cream-of-wheat texture for breakfast. It tastes great with maple syrup.
Do you have a juicer? Or, if you don't, how about blending your vegetables? You could blend your greens raw and strain them for a vegetable juice. Add tomato juice, garlic, etc. Or you can cook them well then blend for a soup, like broccoli, for example would be good. You could add choice of vegan milk and make "cream of" soups.
How about breads? You can dip your breads in soup to soften them. Avocados are pretty soft --maybe top a soup with it,mash it, or make a creamy soup with them!
Bryanna's gravy over ANYthing tastes great. You could top potatoes, soft-cooked veggies like cauliflower, mashed or blended.
You could experiment with sauces by blending nuts as a base.
Vegan icecreams? :)
|
cv
53 posts
Feb 08, 2005
6:21 AM
|
Have you heard of congee? It's a very thin soup of slow-cooked grains and veggies. Maybe Bryanna has a recipe in her Chinese book? I think there are some in Paul Pitchford's "Healing with Whole Foods." I'll look for you, if you like. It's easy to make over-night in a one-quart crockpot to eat for breakfast. Anyway, I find it very nourishing, comforting, and healing. You might want to give it a try. Catherine
|
cv
54 posts
Feb 08, 2005
6:26 AM
|
Oh, yeah, and I also just had a really delicious Indian broth, like an extremely watery dal, poured over tiny poori stuffed with cooked potatoes and onions. Maybe you could just pour it over some mashed potatoes?
Someone told me there's an Italian version that translates something like "crazy water." Bryanna, do you know anything about this? Catherine
|
Bryanna
Owner/Moderator
794 posts
Feb 08, 2005
7:19 AM
|
No, I haven't heard of "crazy water"! That intriques me! I Do have a congee or jook recipe in my Chinese cookbook. If you don't have that book, let me know and I'll post it. If you have my Italian cookbook, risotto and polenta might be good foods as well. There is also a great squash and sweet potato soup in that book. There are alot of soup recipes in past issues of the newsletter, too-- check them out! Below are some nut butter smoothie recipes, too. Here is a creamy soup that you can use with almost any vegetable;
BRYANNA’S CREAMY NO-FAT ALL-VEGETABLE SOUP Makes 4 servings
Cooked pureed cauliflower or peeled summer squash makes this soup creamy, without potatoes, dairy or vegan milks or creams, or nuts.
1 large onion, chopped (you could use leek or green onion instead, if you prefer)
1 c. vegetable broth
1/2 a medium head of cauliflower, trimmed, then chopped
OR about 1 lb. zucchini or other summer squash, PEELED and chopped
1 large head roasted garlic (or about 12 cloves roasted garlic from a jar)
(NOTE: If you have no roasted garlic, “sauté” a few cloves of chopped garlic along with the onion)
3 c. vegetable broth
about 7 c. of chopped raw vegetables of choice (see options* below)
about 1 tsp. dried or 1 T. fresh, chopped herb of choice (dill, basil, oregano, summer savory,e tc.—or you could use some curry powder or other spice if it seems appropriate)
salt and pepper to taste
OPTIONAL: 1 more cup of vegetable broth
OPTIONAL: 1 T. soy bacon bits or chips
*VEGETABLE OPTIONS: You can use any low-starch vegetable, really, but I would stick to the same color of veggies, if I was using a mixture, just for the sake of aesthetics. This time, I used kale and broccoli together. Other veggies you could consider are; carrots; chard, spinach, or other greens; green beans; asparagus; any kind of UNpeeled summer squash (if using cauliflower as the “cream” base); or cauliflower (if using peeled summer squash as the “cream” base); cabbage (savoy would be good); Brussel sprouts; celery or fennel (as part of a mixture); tomatoes; etc.. So, you could mix carrots and tomatoes, maybe with some celery or fennel; or yellow summer squash and yellow beans; or any of the green veggies together.
DIRECTIONS;
“Steam-fry” the onion until soft in a lightly-oiled nonstick pan over medium-high heat, adding water a few drops at a time as needed to keep from sticking and burning, just until softened (do not brown). OR microwave in a lightly oiled glass dish, covered, for about 3 minutes.
Add the onion to a medium pot with the 1 c. veggie broth and the cauliflower OR peeled summer squash and cook, covered, over medium heat until very tender OR add the broth and cauliflower or peeled summer squash to the onions in the glass dish and microwave, covered for 6 minutes.
Puree the onion/broth/cauliflower or squash mixture in a food processor until VERY smooth, leaving the pusher out of the cover of the processor, so that hot air can escape.
Meanwhile, bring the 3 c. veggie broth to a boil in a large pot and add the chopped veggies of choice. Simmer, covered, until just tender, but still holding their color. Now chop them up a bit more with an immersion blender, but don’t puree. Add the pureed mixture from the food processor. If the soup looks too thick after stirring together, add the last, optional, cup of veggie broth. Taste for salt and pepper, and add your herb or spice of choice, and the optional soy bacon chips, if using. Simmer a few minutes, just to mix the flavors, then serve.
Here's my dal recipe from my book "The Fiber for Life Cookbook":
BRYANNA'S RED LENTIL DAL serves 6
Red lentils (or masoor dal) require no soaking and cook in 10-15 minutes! Use the dal (pureé) over rice and steamed vegetables, or alongside curried vegetables and rice, for a deliciously inexpensive and simple Indian-style meal, then make a soup by thinning the leftovers out with water and tomato juice and salt to taste (for "noodles", sliver raw poppadams-- round Indian lentil wafers-- with scissors and add to the soup to cook for a few minutes.)
This dish is seasoned with a tempered oil and spice mixture known as a "chaunk", "baghar", or "tadka". I use a flavorful expeller-pressed oil in Indian dishes instead of ghee (clarified butter). If you are on a fat-free regime, you can use broth instead of oil.
4 c. water
1 and 1/2 c. split red lentils (or masoor dal), rinsed and drained
1 and 1/2 tsp. salt
"Chaunk":
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. yellow mustard seed
6 whole cloves
small stick of cinnamon
1/4 tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
pinch cayenne
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil or Chinese expeller-pressed peanut oil, or half and half
(OR vegetable broth, if you are watching your fat intake carefully)
Mix together the rinsed lentils, water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam on the top. Simmer, covered, about 20 minutes, or until very soft.
Meanwhile, heat the oil a nonstick heavy skillet or dry cast iron skillet. Add the spices and fry, stirring constantly, for a few minutes. DO NOT BURN!
TO MAKE THIS FAT-FREE,
dry-fry the spices in a hot pan, stirring constantly. When you smell them, add the broth and stir around for a minute, then remove from the heat.
When the lentils are cooked soft, pour in the "chaunk" and stir. (If you like it thicker, simmer it longer, uncovered.)
NOTE: When cold, this makes an excellent cracker or pita spread or "pâté".
PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIES:
You can substitute other nut butter for the peanut butter.
BRYANNA’S STRAWBERRY PEANUT BUTTER SMOOTHIE serves 1
1 c. lite soymilk
1/2 T. peanut butter
1 c. frozen strawberries
1 T. sugar
OPTIONAL: 1 T. soy protein powder (add 1/2 pro exchange)
BRYANNA’S PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE BANANA SMOOTHIE serves 1
1 c. lite soymilk
1/2 T. peanut butter
1/2 a frozen banana, chunked
1 T. no-fat dairy-free chocolate syrup
OPTIONAL: 1 T. soy protein powder (add 1/2 pro exchange)
Blend until very smooth (can add a few ice cubes to make it frothier, if you like).
BRYANNA’S PEANUT BUTTER BANANA SMOOTHIE serves 1
1 c. lite soymilk
1/2 T. peanut butter
1/2 a frozen banana, chunked
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
OPTIONAL: 1 T. soy protein powder (add 1/2 pro exchange)
Blend until very smooth (can add a few ice cubes to make it frothier, if you like).
----------
"To look like a goddess, eat like a peasant." Karen Andres
|
cv
55 posts
Feb 08, 2005
7:53 AM
|
Bryanna,
I checked with my friend about the "crazy water." She told me it's a fish dish: "Pesce all'acqua pazza"--"fish in crazy water." Maybe you could veganize it with all these fish subs people are talking about! Catherine
Last Edited cv on 8-Feb-2005 7:58 AM
|
cv
56 posts
Feb 08, 2005
8:26 AM
|
The poori dish I mentioned is called "Paani Poori." Catherine
|
scj121
2 posts
Feb 08, 2005
11:28 AM
|
Wow... thanks for all the suggestions!
I like the dahl and congee ideas. I have Bryanna's Chinese cookbook, so I'll check that out.
Linda, do you make the amaranth like oatmeal?
Thanks again
Steph
|
scj121
3 posts
Feb 08, 2005
11:30 AM
|
Oh- Linda, you asked about a juicer. I have a juicer and a Vita-Mix blender (which I can put just about anything in!).
I've tried making veggie smoothies, without much luck. I've used carrots, apples, celery, anything around the house that is green. Let's just say I have a hard time keeping them down! I might not be using the right mix.
For now, I've been using a mix of organic, dehydrated green veggies and grasses. If I make a sauce of some sort, I try to put as much spinach as I can tolerate in it.
|
Debbie
538 posts
Feb 09, 2005
1:35 PM
|
Hi Stephanie,
If you like Chinese food, you can try Bryanna's Ma Po Tofu with silken tofu and grind the TVP in a food processor for a few seconds. It is great, soft, and saucy. You can make soft rice or congee with it.
For dessert, Bryanna's Key Lime Pie is out of this world. It is soft, so delicious, low fat, and very easy to make.
----------
Debbie
Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne
|
Linda
299 posts
Feb 09, 2005
2:16 PM
|
Hi, scj121! :)
I have a vitamix too :). Do you love it?
The juices can be really strong tasting, can't they?! I actually like it though. But even I have my limits! I used to grow my own wheatgrass for juicing and I would add it to veg/fruit combos along with other greens like kale. I overdid it a bit with way too many greens at once, and it caused some serious stomach issues!
I now like to do the wheatgrass occasionally, but hope to get back to a few times a week; and I go a little easier on the juiced greens.
I do different things. For example, I do not add sugar to any of the drinks because the fruit adds sugar; but many times, combined with strong-tasting veggies, like greens, it really needs more. So I add stevia. Stevia works 10 times better when used in conjunction with other sweeteners instead of alone. Additionally, it is enhanced a LOT when a citrus is used.
So, for example, I make crazy concoctions like, pure, unsweetened cranberry juice; kale; wheatgrass; oranges; lemons; beets; celery; apples; and, yes, GARLIC! :O Lol! I know, but it tastes good if seasoned right :)
I recently did a pure veg one with lots of tomatoes and made a V-8-type drink. Really good. I used Miso for added nutrition -- it works as a light seasoning and salt without adding salt.
Oh, and, yes, you bring water to a boil, add amaranth, and simmer. It takes about 45 minutes. It gets very glutinous. Have you ever had amaranth? It may be an acquired taste. Try a small amount first :). Be sure to add a pinch of salt to the cooking water. Maple syrup tastes great for a sweetener. I think it's 4:1 (water to amaranth)...I use a bit more to make it softer and more liquidy. Keep an eye on it and adjust it to your texture preference. This really keeps you going all day if eaten for breakfast! Power food!
I also love amaranth in my grain medlys. It is super nutritious. And I recently started adding amaranth flour to tortillas -- SO yummy!
:)
Last Edited Linda on 9-Feb-2005 2:32 PM
|
scj121
7 posts
Feb 14, 2005
2:38 PM
|
I have a vitamix too :). Do you love it?
The juices can be really strong tasting, can't they?! I actually like it though. But even I have my limits! I used to grow my own wheatgrass for juicing and I would add it to veg/fruit combos along with other greens like kale. I overdid it a bit with way too many greens at once, and it caused some serious stomach issues!
I now like to do the wheatgrass occasionally, but hope to get back to a few times a week; and I go a little easier on the juiced greens.
I do different things. For example, I do not add sugar to any of the drinks because the fruit adds sugar; but many times, combined with strong-tasting veggies, like greens, it really needs more. So I add stevia. Stevia works 10 times better when used in conjunction with other sweeteners instead of alone. Additionally, it is enhanced a LOT when a citrus is used.
So, for example, I make crazy concoctions like, pure, unsweetened cranberry juice; kale; wheatgrass; oranges; lemons; beets; celery; apples; and, yes, GARLIC! :O Lol! I know, but it tastes good if seasoned right :)
Linda-
Yes, I LOVE my vita-mix. It's been a life saver with this whole non-chew thing, but I would still love it regardless. I've been known to destroy blenders. I enjoy fruit smoothies, but I like them to be very thick, and the average blender just doesn't hold up to what I put into it. Some time before my surgery, I was at a smoothie shop with my mom and I pointed out that they had "real" blenders. She bought me one because she wanted to make sure I had things to eat!
I haven't had much luck making veggie smoothies, but that's most likely because I don't follow the recipes... I just throw whatever I have into the blender.
I'll give amaranth a try. I've only had it in bread and I love grain cereals!
Steph
|
|
