The Canny Vegan

Bánh Bao are Vietnamese steamed dumplings usually filled with ground pork, sausage, and egg. Roughly translated, the name means “ball cake” in Vietnamese. And these are like fluffy dough balls filled with tasty goodness. When I was growing up, my mother used to make big batches of dumplings that we’d eat over several weeks. When I was at college, she’d freeze bags of dumplings and send them with me to school. They could be thawed in a steamer or microwave in just minutes. I used to eat them late at night while I was studying.

Well, I’m back in grad school now. My mother was visiting during finals weeks. She was staying with my aunt Hoa, the one who perfected the dough recipe and gave it to my mom in the first place. So I got the bright idea of asking both of them to make vegan versions of the dumplings. My mother was skeptical. Bánh Bao can’t be made without pork, she said. But I pressed her to try anyway. As it turned out, the dough is very simple and totally vegan. For the filling, I got some ground soy and vegan sausages. These worked perfectly and the vegan dumplings were delicious!

I served them at the final presentation for our Contemporary Issues class and everyone raved. So here is the recipe. This makes about 12 dumplings.

The Dough — Part 1

• 1 package active dry yeast (about 2 tsp.)
• 4 tbsp. warm water
• pinch of sugar (about 1 tsp.)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 3 cups white flour

Put the yeast in 4 tbsp. of warm water, then add the sugar. Let the dough rise about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix the yeast with the vegetable oil, 3/4 cup warm water, and flour. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth and put in a warm place (outside if it’s a warm day, or in the oven set on very low). Let the dough sit and rise for about 30 minutes.

The Dough — Part 2

• 1 cup tapioca powder
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder

After letting it rise, mix the dough with tapioca powder, sugar, and baking powder. Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough is thoroughly blended. This will be easier if you use a little bit of vegetable oil on your hands. Let the dough rise for another 30 minutes. The tapioca is the secret ingredient that makes the dough fluffy, chewy, and scrumptious!

The Filling

• 1 package (12 oz.) of ground soy — I used Yves Meatless Ground
• 2 vegan sausages — I used Tofurky brand
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1/2 cup peas
• 2 tbsp. Roast Red Pork Seasoning Mix

Or make your own seasoning:

• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Despite its name, Roast Red Pork Seasoning Mix does not contain any meat. It is just a mix of spices, sugar, salt, and soy sauce powder. You can find it in Asian groceries. Look for the Lobo brand which does not have any MSG. You can also make your own seasoning for the filling with soy sauce, sugar, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes.

Slice the vegan sausage into quarter-size chunks. Mix the seasoning with the ground soy. Saute the sausage and ground soy with a little vegetable oil until browned. Add the mushrooms and peas, then cook until just softened.

On a large table or cutting board, roll the dough into a log shape. Cut into 12 pieces. Form a ball with each piece, then roll flat. Place about 1/4 cup of filling in the middle of the dough. Pull the dough over the filling and pinch on all sides to form a ball shape. You can leave some gaps in the dough at the top of the dumpling. Cut a small square of wax paper and place under each dumpling to prevent it from sticking when it cooks.

You can use a bamboo or other type of steamer to cook the dumplings. Boil 2 cups of water in a large pot. Place a few dumplings in a steamer tray, arranged so they don’t touch. You’ll probably need to cook the dumplings in several batches. Put the steamer on top of the pot, cover tightly with a lid, and let steam for about 15 minutes.

The dumplings are delicious when still fresh from the steamer. They can also be refrigerated for up to a week, or frozen up to a month. To reheat frozen dumplings, place them in a steamer for 10 minutes or microwave them on medium setting for about 2 minutes.

Enjoy!

Some interesting posts from around the web:

One of the Best Ways You Can Help Reduce Global Warming — Can’t afford a Prius or solar panels? Here’s a basically free way to reduce your carbon footprint: Eat Less Meat.

A Few More ‘Inconvenient Truths’ — A great article debunking the excuses that stop many people, even so-called “green” advocates, from going vegan.

The Connections Between Meat and Climate Change — Responses to The New York Times’ recent article on the environmental impact of meat consumption.

The front page of The New York Times this morning has an article addressing the environmental impact of meat consumption. Have they been reading this blog? It’s a good summary of many of the topics I’ve been discussing here. However, the article’s main focus is on some of the high tech solutions being proposed for curbing livestock emissions. Those include cooking manure from pigs to capture the methane, then using the gas to make electricity for the local power grid. Other proposals range from inventing feed that will make cows belch less methane to growing genetically engineered meat in vats.

But Dr. Rajendra Pachauri of the United Nations has a simpler solution: “reduce meat consumption.” A change that would have more effect than switching to a hybrid car, according to U.N. studies. Meat consumption is increasing with globalization. High tech fixes will not be enough to address the enormous environmental costs of clear-cutting forests, growing feed, and diverting water to livestock. Much more effort needs to be put into changing people’s habits, not allowing the industrialization of meat to continue unabated. Public education about healthy alternatives to meat would go a long way to curbing emissions.

The mainstream media often adopts a dismissive tone when talking about vegetarians or vegans. Case in point is The Wall Street Journal which takes a look at vegan alternatives to the Thanksgiving meal. The derision is right there in the headline: “Any Way You Slice It, It’s Not Turkey.”

The article implies that anyone who doesn’t want to partake in the killing of 46 million turkeys is some kind of spoilsport. Nevertheless, the WSJ deigns to sample a few vegan Thanksgiving options, from a Tofurky to the Vegetarian Plus “meatless turkey”. The panel of tasters – including “a vegetarian, a teenager and an executive chef at a Manhattan restaurant” – call the Tofurky “surprisingly edible” but gag on the meatless turkey.

They all agree that the best of the bunch is the Celebration Roast. I happen to agree with them because that’s what I served for my vegan Thanksgiving this year. The great thing about the Celebration Roast is that IT DOESN’T TRY TO BE A TURKEY. Imagine that! No faux turkey shape. No weird “turkey” giblets or soy “skin”. It has a dense, nutty flavor. It slices really well and tastes great with mushroom gravy. It also happens to be very affordable. I got mine at Whole Foods for $6 the day before Thanksgiving. It’s big enough to serve 4 people. A whole bunch of roasts could feed a crowd for less than the cost of a turkey.

When I bought the roast at Whole Foods, the girl at the checkout perked up and said, “That’s what I’m having for Thanksgiving too!” Turns out she’s been a vegan for 4 years.

The boy bagging my groceries, however, was more skeptical. “What’s that made of? Soy?” he asked. (Actually, the roast is made with high-protein wheat gluten, mushrooms, butternut squash, and apples.) “I hate when they try to make stuff look like meat that isn’t.” There’s the dismissive attitude again. But I do agree with the sentiment. Vegans don’t need pretend “turkeys.” There are good alternatives out there. I made a whole vegan Thanksgiving feast this year – and didn’t miss stuffing that dead carcass one bit!

Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Alternative Food Fair last week!

I made these spicy tempeh rolls for the Alternative Food Fair. Adapted from the Post Punk Kitchen.

• 1 cup sushi rice (Koda Farms grows locally in California)
• 1-1/4 cup water
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 4 sheets of nori
• 4 oz. tempeh
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 tbsp. vegan mayo (I like Vegenaise made with grapeseed oil)
• 1 tsp. togarashi (Japanese chili sauce) or Tabasco sauce
• Avocado slices
• Soy sauce for dipping, pickled ginger & wasabi

1. Mix the soy sauce and sesame oil. Coat the tempeh with the sauce and let marinate.
2. Boil the water in a pot. Add rice, cover, and lower heat to simmer. Cook until the water is fully absorbed, about 15 min. You can also use a rice cooker.
3. Empty the rice into a large bowl. Whisk together the rice vinegar and sugar, then pour over the rice. Mix well and let stand until room temperature.
4. Grill or fry the tempeh approx. 5 min. on each side.
5. In a large bowl, break up the tempeh and mash together with the vegan mayo and chili sauce.
6. Now you’re ready to make the rolls! Place one nori sheet on a bamboo sushi mat (use a piece of cellophane if you don’t have a sushi mat). With wet hands, take a snowball shaped handful of rice, about a cup’s worth. Gently pat onto the bottom 2/3 of your nori sheet. The layer of rice should be less than 1/3 inch thick.
7. In the center of your rice, spread tempeh filling horizontally to the end of each side—the less filling, the easier it will be to roll. Aim for about 1-1/2 tablespoons of Spicy Tempeh, plus three slices of avocado per roll.
8. Using the mat, gently roll up the sushi from the end facing you; try to keep your grip relatively tight for a firm roll. When you’ve reached the seaweed-only end, pat gently with a little bit of water to seal the roll.
9. Slice the roll into 1-inch pieces with a sharp, serrated knife. Enjoy with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and a dash of wasabi!

Rosanna had a mini-livestock party on Saturday night. I just had to bring something vegan for all the non-bug-eaters! This is a really quick ginger & garlic tofu stir-fry.

• 12 oz. fried tofu
• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 piece ginger (about 2 inches long)
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp. oil

1. You can find fried tofu in most Asian markets. Chop the tofu into bite-size pieces.
2. Cut the skin off the ginger and peel the garlic cloves. Mince into small pieces, or chop in a food processor.
3. Place the sugar, water, and oil into a large frying pan. Heat the sugar mixture over medium heat for 5-10 minutes. You want to caramelize the sugar without burning it. Cook until the sugar starts to turn a golden color.
4. Lower the heat and toss in the ginger-garlic mixture. Be careful not to splatter the hot oil.
5. Cook ginger and garlic for a few minutes. Then toss in the tofu pieces.
6. Mix pieces until coated and cook for about 5 minutes. Serve hot!

Caroline made this spicy tamarind tempeh for Kate Q.’s potluck. It’s delicious! She adapted it from her mother’s traditional Indonesian recipe. Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans. Unlike tofu, it uses whole soy, so it has a higher protein and fiber content. It has a nutty flavor and firm texture which makes it great for grilling or stir-frying. This recipe pairs well with quinoa salad.

• 8 oz. tempeh
• 1 cup rice flour
• 1 tbsp. oil
• 2 tbsp. tamarind pulp, soaked in 1/2 cup warm water
• 1-2 red chilis (depending on how spicy you want it)
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 3 shallots
• 3 tbsp. Indonesian sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis ABC)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Cut the tempeh into bite size pieces.
2. Add salt and pepper to the rice flour, then coat tempeh pieces with rice flour.
3. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Fry the tempeh until it turns a golden color. Set aside.
4. Chop the chili, shallot, and garlic. Sautee in the frying pan them until fragrant, but make sure the shallots are not browned.
5. Take the tamarind pulp and push through a strainer, retaining the juice. Stir the tamarind juice into the chili mixture.
6. Stir in Kecap Manis. Mix until slightly thickened.
7. Toss the sauce with tempeh until pieces are coated on all sides.
8. Let tempeh cook for about 5 more minutes over medium heat. Ready to serve!

Kate Q. had a potluck party on Tuesday and I decided to make quinoa salad. Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is a South American grain, revered by the Incas, which is a great addition to the vegan repertoire. It’s higher in protein (12% - 18%) than other grains such as rice or wheat. In colonial times, quinoa was scorned by Spanish colonists as “food for Indians” and suppressed in favor of other crops. But in recent years, it’s gained acceptance as part of a healthy, sustainable diet. It can be found at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Rainbow Grocery, and some local groceries.

The following recipe uses red quinoa, but any color will do. I liked pairing the red grain with orange kabocha, a Japanese squash which tastes a bit like sweet potato. If you can’t find kabocha, use pumpkin or butternut squash.

• 2 cups quinoa, drained and rinsed
• 1 small kabocha or other squash
• 8 oz. baked tofu
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 green pepper, seeded and diced
• 1 tbsp. curry powder
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tsp. dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. sugar

1. Wash and rinse the quinoa thoroughly. In a large pot, boil 4 cups water and add quinoa. You can also use a rice cooker. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until all water is absorbed, 10-15 minutes.
2. When done, the quinoa appears translucent and small sprouts will be visible on each grain. Stir in the curry powder and set aside to cool.
3. At the same time, cut the squash in half and remove seeds. Cut into wedges and cook in a large pot with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain and put aside to cool.
4. Chop the onion, green pepper, and baked tofu into small squares. Place in a large salad bowl and mix with the quinoa.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sugar, and dijon mustard together. Pour the vinaigrette mixture over the quinoa salad.
6. Remove the skin of the kabocha and slice into 1-inch pieces. Mix into the salad. Chill and serve when ready.

It’s now been 10 weeks since I decided to become a vegan. So I wanted to give a little update on how things are going:

• I went out of town this weekend to visit my parents. They were a bit perplexed when I told them I wasn’t eating meat. They were even more put off when I told them it was part of a school project. “I thought you were studying computers,” my father said. My mother wanted to make all kinds of Vietnamese dishes. She had to readjust her whole meal plan, making “vegan” versions for me and “regular” versions for herself, my father and my brother. Those “vegan” dishes may have been meat-free, but I’m pretty sure some other ingredients slipped in. The sweet and sour soup had tofu instead of shrimp, but it still had fish broth. I ate it anyway. So I broke my PSP rules for the sake of maintaining family peace. Sometimes you just gotta compromise.
• I’ve now lost 5 pounds since the semester started. That’s 1 pound every two weeks, which I think is healthy. I wasn’t overweight before the PSP project, but I was about 10 pounds heavier than my college weight. A few more weeks and I may get down to fighting weight again!