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No Fat Vegan Cooking


Carole Grogloth Hawaii

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Aloha eGullet Members,

Can anyone share some recipes or techniques for cooking tasty vegetables without oil?

I am following Caldwell Esselstyn's diet for good health (Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease). He is part of a growing team of doctors who want to do more than fix up sick people, but want to prevent illness from starting. And they have compelling science that shows diet is the answer. Other doctors include: T. Colin Campbell, China Study; Dean Ornish, Eat More Weigh Less; John McDougall, The McDougall Plan; and Joel Fuhrman, Eat to Live. These are all very convincing books, if you are interested in good food and good health. However, this movement can use some help from knowledgeable culinary artists, which is why I joined this forum.

The Low Fat Vegan Chef, Veronica, has some great instructions with pictures on how to fry onions without oil. I never thought this could be done, but they are delicious.

http://lowfatveganchef.com/how-to-cook-without-oil-or-how-to-cook-fat-free/

I'm looking forward to trying some new cooking ideas.

Carole Grogloth Hawaii

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Carole Grogloth Molokai Hawaii

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Good unrefined fats in moderation are good for you. They have been in our diets as long humans have lived on our earth. Heck, babies need saturated fats that are present in their mother's milk to develop their body and brain properly.

Here is an great article by a doctor (Dr. Cate Shanahan) that practiced and observed the healthy population in Hawaii and wrote a book from her experience (DeepNutrition).

Why good fats are good for you

former CacaoFlower.

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I was just going to chime in the same thing: what's wrong with olive oil? The Mediterranean diet seems to be getting (yet another) round of positive publicity from the health press based on (yet another) study demonstrating its health benefits.

And if you're seriously vegan, then my fat free veg cooking tips won't help you, as they often involve meat/poultry stocks/broths or reductions.

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I tried to think of a no-fat way of cooking each of these vegetables. I tend to prefer simple recipes, which is reflected in the list.

Artichoke - chargrilled: prepare the artichokes as for boiling, stuff a lemon wedge and a bayleaf in each, wrap in a damp sheet of baking paper and then in foil and place on the edge of a coal fire or at the back of a gas barbecue for about an hour, turning to cook all sides. Remove lemon and bay and serve with a dip of roasted garlic mixed with lemon juice, parsely, smoked paprika and salt and pepper

Asparagus - chargrilled: grill on a ridged skillet - no oil necessary (or, of course, boil or steam). Dress with salt and lemon juice.

Aubergine - boiled: cut into 1cm slices, then cut the slices into quarters. Distribute over the bottom of a heavy-bottomed frying pan in an even layer or layers. Add tomato juice to cover and chopped tomatoes in the same volume as the aubergine with 1Tbs fresh mint, and simmer until the aubergine is soft but not entirely translucent. Add cooked chick peas (a slightly smaller volume than the aubergine) and simmer until the aubergine is translucent. Season.

Beetroot - roasted: roast the beetroot doused in orange juice and sprinkled with grated root ginger and and little honey. Serve sprinkled with some toasted caraway seeds.

Bell pepper - flame roasted: roast it over an open flame, turning until all the skin turns black and blisters. Put it immediately into a plastic bag and close the bag to trap the steam. Leave the peppers to cool, then remove from the bag and peel the skins off. Eat in salads or blend with garlic, raw or roasted cherry tomatoes, a few sundried tomatoes and some basil for a pasta sauce.

Brussels sprouts - roasted: roast doused in vegetable broth, soy sauce and lemon juice in a hot oven for 10mins.

Carrot - roasted: chop and roast the carrots doused in orange juice and sprinkled with cumin seeds, alongside oranges cut into eight wedges. Once roasted, chop the orange wedges finely and caramelise them with caster sugar in a frying pan. Coat the carrots in the caramelised orange.

Celeriac - soup: Roast a head of garlic still in the skin. Cut the celeriac in 1in cubes and steam until soft. Blend garlic and celeriac with a couple of soft pears, put in a saucepan and add vegetable broth until soup consistency over a low heat. Serve garnished with finely grated apple.

Celery - braised: cut the root off a head of celery and cut the stalks in half. Slice 1lb of onions and lay the onion slices between the celery stalks in an oven-proof dish. Pour over vegetable stock to cover and cook in a medium oven for an hour. Serve sprinked with chopped parsely.

Cabbage - sauerkraut: shred the cabbage as finely as possible. Stuff into a mason jar sterilised with boiling water for five minutes. Take a rolling pin and smash the cabbage a bit, then sprinkle a tsp of salt on top, cover the cabbage in water and use a whole cabbage leaf as a lid to keep the shredded cabbage under water. Seal the jar and leave in a warm place for four days (or more; the longer the sourer). You can add whatever other hard vegetables edible raw that you like. Keeps for a month in the fridge.

Cauliflower - riced: pulse in processer until you achieve a rice-like consistency. Serve the cauliflower rice with the same quantity of chopped mint and chopped tomato and twice the volume of chopped parsely, dressed with lemon juice and salt.

Corn - brined: cut 2 hulled corn cobs into 1 1/2in rounds, steam for four minutes and allow to cool. Put in a mason jar with 1Tbs salt, 1tsp black peppercorns, a sliced red chile and 3 garlic cloves. Cover with water and use a saucer that fits inside the jar to push the vegetables underwater. Seal the jar and leave for 4 days or longer (the longer the sourer). Keeps for a month in the fridge.

Courgette - stuffed: cut the ends off the courgettes and cut them in half. Roast the courgettes in a hot oven, sprinkled with sliced garlic, water and lemon zest, until soft but not charred or translucent. Carefully remove the centres with an apple corer and blend the flesh removed with cooked peas, lemon juice and a small amount of raw garlic, and toasted pistachios if you eat them, diluted with vegetable stock to form a smooth paste. Use an icing bag to pipe the paste into the empty courgette cavities. Serve stacked like logs or end-up arranged in the centre of the plate, garnished with courgette flowers.

Florence fennel - salad: slice very thinly along with a pink grapefruit and a small red onion. Cut a clove of garlic in half and smear it over the inside of your salad bowl. Put the salad ingredients in, toss and sprinkle over chopped black olives and parsely.

Garlic - aïgo boulido: boil 14 cloves of garlic in 4 cups of water with 5 sage leaves and a bay leaf until the garlic is soft. Strain out the garlic and herbs; discard the herbs. Season the broth. Squish the softened garlic onto croutons, place in bowls and pour the broth over.

Green beans - boil the green beans; add half the volume of cherry tomatoes chopped in half. Season with salt.

Jerusalem artichoke - salad: cut a quantity of mushrooms equal to that of the artichokes into 1/2cm slices and marinate for an hour in lemon juice and salt. Roast hazelnuts, if you eat them, in a hot oven until the skins go brown, then rub the skins off in a teatowel. Peel the artichokes and slice them on a mandolin, then hold in acidulated water if preparing in advance. Toss the ingredients together, spinkled with white wine vinegar. Put a heap of rocket in each bowl, place the dressed ingredients on top and garnish with chopped parsely.

Kale - spiced: steam 1lb finely chopped kale until soft. Meanwhile toast 1tsp cumin seeds and 1/2tsp each turmeric, ground coriander and black mustard seeds, or more to taste. Finely chop 3 green chillies and an inch of fresh ginger; add these to the spices with a few Tbs water and simmer for 5mins. Add the spices to the kale in a serving bowl and toss with a large handful of chopped coriander leaves and the juice of one lemon.

Leek - puree: cut the leeks into 1in lengths and boil in stock for ~15mins. Drain and puree in a blender. Transfer to serving bowl and mix in lemon juice and seasoning to taste.

Lettuce - wilted: boil 300g peas and 15 halved pearl onions in separate pans for 5 mins. Add to a frying pan with 3 finely chopped baby gem lettuces and a little cooking water, simmer until lettuce is just wilted.

Mushroom - marinated: marinate in lemon juice and salt, with sliced garlic if desired (slice thickly to make it easy to remove after). Eat in salads or sandwiches.

Parsnip - crisps: slice the parsnips on a mandoline or with a vegetable peeler. Toss the strips in lemon juice. Arrange on baking sheets in single layers and bake in a preheated medium oven for half an hour, turning halfway through. Salt.

Peas - crushed: boil and drain; crush with plenty of chopped mint, salt and pepper.

Spinach/chard - with apples: chop an onion and simmer in scant water until soft. Meanwhile soak 3Tbs sultanas in boiling water, remove the tough stem parts from 2lb washed chard leaves, chop the leaves finely and core and dice two sweet apples. Add the chard to the onion and cook for 5 minutes, then add the drained sultanas with the apple and cook until the apple softens. Take off the heat and add 1Tbs cider vinegar.

Swede - roasted: peel the swede and chop it into large chunks. Pour over a cup of vegetable broth and roast in a hot oven for half an hour, turning half way. Meanwhile toast 2tsp cumin seeds and chop a handful of parsely and a deseeded red chili. Pour off 1/2 cup of the broth into a cup and discard the rest; dissolve 1Tbs clear honey in the reserved liquid, then add it back to the roasting tin and roast the swede for 10 more minutes. Remove the swede from the pan and toss in the chilli and parsley.

Sweet potato - wedges: mince 2tsp rosemary. Cut 3 small sweet potatoes into 1/8ths and place on a baking tray; sprinkle with rosemary and 1tsp mustard powder. Bake in a very hot oven for 1/2 hour, turning half way.

Tomato - home-dried: put halved and deseeded cherry tomatoes on a baking tray lined with baking parchment in an oven preheated to the lowest setting for 3hrs, or with the pilot light on over night.

Turnip - creamed: peel and roughly chop 1lb turnips and boil in water with 2 cloves, a bayleaf and some salt. Remove the turnips and discard the water and aromatics. Return the turnips to the pan and add 1/2 cup almond or other non-milk. Squish with a potato masher. Add salt, white pepper and grated nutmeg to taste.

Watercress - salad with horseradish and apple dressing: roast 2lb whole beetroot wrapped in foil in a hot oven for 1-2 hours, depending on size. Chop 2 peeled apples and cook with 1Tbs sugar and 1Tbs water, covered, until the apples go mushy. Add 2Tbs cider vinegar and blend, then add 5Tbs grated horseradish and ~3Tbs non-milk to make a sauce. Lie piles of watercress on plates, put the chopped beetroot on top and dress with the sauce.

Temperatures: low oven gas 2; medium oven gas 3-4; hot oven gas 5-6; very hot oven gas 7-8

And of course you can simmer any boilable vegetable in vegetable broth, not just onions!

Edited by Plantes Vertes (log)
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Plantes Vertes ... Thanks for some great ideas! For health reasons I must cut back on my fat intake, and it's been difficult for me to find low fat or fat free vegetarian recipes and ideas ...Shel

 ... Shel


 

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Plantes Vertes, welcome to eGullet and thanks for the great ideas.

As an experiment, last night I braised some escarole in a little veg broth, with some chopped roasted garlic added for good measure. After the escarole had cooked down, I cranked up the heat to brown it a bit, which ordinarily I'd have done at the start--with oil, before the braise. The end result was very good, and no oil at all.


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I was just going to chime in the same thing: what's wrong with olive oil?

There's nothing wrong with olive oil, however, it's nice to have options. Cooking with a lot of oil adds calories, calories add body fat. So, as has been posted in this forum many times, "everything in moderation," and let me add "even good things." ...Shel

 ... Shel


 

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Plantes Vertes ... Thanks for some great ideas! For health reasons I must cut back on my fat intake, and it's been difficult for me to find low fat or fat free vegetarian recipes and ideas ...Shel

Plantes Vertes, welcome to eGullet and thanks for the great ideas.

As an experiment, last night I braised some escarole in a little veg broth, with some chopped roasted garlic added for good measure. After the escarole had cooked down, I cranked up the heat to brown it a bit, which ordinarily I'd have done at the start--with oil, before the braise. The end result was very good, and no oil at all.

A pleasure! and thank you for the welcome, LindaK! I have only recently discovered eGullet, but have very quickly become addicted, and am delighted to be able to join in now :)

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Braising vegetables in flavorful stock and then puree'ing is a good way to make a soup or vegetable puree. Of course, it's always nice to add butter or oil but it isn't mandatory. Here's one I made recently (minus the butter):

Dashi

  • 2-3 large pieces of dried Kombu
  • .5 oz bonito flakes (maybe sub for some dried shiitake to achieve vegan status?)
  • .5 gallons water
  1. Soak Kombu in water for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  2. Bring the mixture to just under a boil and remove the kombu.
  3. Once boiling, add the bonito flakes and reduce heat to low.
  4. Infuse for 10 minutes and strain.

Pureed Dashi Soup

  • 1 lb carrots, chopped
  • .25 lb Daikon Radish, Chopped
  • 1 lb shiittake mushrooms, chopped
  • .25 cups roasted pistachios
  • Dashi (from above)
  • Soy Sauce
  • Mirin
  1. Combine carrots, daikon, mushrooms, and pistachios in a large pot. Pour dashi onto the veggies until they are covered
  2. Let simmer for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
  3. Strain, reserving the liquid
  4. Puree the vegetables with enough cooking liquid to achieve the desired consistency
  5. Season with soy sauce and mirin

There's a lot of things you can do with this general approach. Instead of Dashi, you could use plain old vegetable stock. Add some miso to spice it up, etc. If you add just enough cooking liquid to make a puree you could serve it with roasted veggies topped with some greens.

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Some special equipment can be fun for this type of cooking too; a spiraliser, dehydrator, turning strip slicer and sprouter (you can make sprouts with a sieve or jar; the special item is for convenience), as well as the more common blender/food processor, microplane, spice and nut grinder, steamer, pressure cooker, mandoline and so on. It is also interesting to know that microwave steaming is the cooking method by which the maximum of nutrients are preserved - better even than traditional steaming.

Edited by Plantes Vertes (log)
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Hi CacaoFlower,

I've been happy with the response to my posting. There are lots of interesting and controversial studies on fat in the diet, and yes, the Mediteranian diet has gotten good press. Thanks for the link, i read it. For myself, I throw my lot with Esselstyne, Campbell, McDougall, Ornish, and Furhman. They have extremely good credentials and I’m convinced. Here is one of many YouTube links you may want to watch.

Carole Grogloth, Hawaii

Good unrefined fats in moderation are good for you. They have been in our diets as long humans have lived on our earth. Heck, babies need saturated fats that are present in their mother's milk to develop their body and brain properly.

Here is an great article by a doctor (Dr. Cate Shanahan) that practiced and observed the healthy population in Hawaii and wrote a book from her experience (DeepNutrition).

Why good fats are good for you

Carole Grogloth Molokai Hawaii

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Hi HungryC,

Thanks for taking the time to write.

Best Wishes,

Carole Grogloth Hawaii

I was just going to chime in the same thing: what's wrong with olive oil? The Mediterranean diet seems to be getting (yet another) round of positive publicity from the health press based on (yet another) study demonstrating its health benefits.

And if you're seriously vegan, then my fat free veg cooking tips won't help you, as they often involve meat/poultry stocks/broths or reductions.

Carole Grogloth Molokai Hawaii

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Hi LindaK,

You are so right, steamed vegetables with some salt and spices are delicious.

Carole Grogloth, Hawaii

I steam a lot of vegetables and then finish them with a sprinkle of salt, maybe some lemon juice or aleppo pepper flakes. No oil required.

Carole Grogloth Molokai Hawaii

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Aloha Plantes Vertes,

Thanks for all your suggestions. Your tool suggestions will add a lot of fun to my cooking.

I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to reply. eGullet is turning out to be a helpful, fun, educational source for me.

Mahalo

Carole Grogloth, Hawaii

Some special equipment can be fun for this type of cooking too; a spiraliser, dehydrator, turning strip slicer and sprouter (you can make sprouts with a sieve or jar; the special item is for convenience), as well as the more common blender/food processor, microplane, spice and nut grinder, steamer, pressure cooker, mandoline and so on. It is also interesting to know that microwave steaming is the cooking method by which the maximum of nutrients are preserved - better even than traditional steaming.

Carole Grogloth Molokai Hawaii

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  • 2 weeks later...

There used to be a mailing list called fatfree.com where members discussed fat free vegetarian and vegan recipes. (Below a certain amount of calories derived from fat was the way fatfree was defined for the list.) It dates back to the early 1990's and I don't think it's active anymore. However, the archives of discussions from 1997 onward are still available as is a recipe database at http://www.fatfree.com/. There's also an FAQ there with a lot of information and resources. I realize that the website might be of limited use since the recipes themselves don't have the comments or ratings that are present in many current recipes websites. Also, some of the information can be out of date.

There were a lot of creative cooks out there so you might like some of the recipes. Very often, people were trying to modify a standard recipe to be fatfree. (Some attempts were more successful than others.)

Jayne

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Jayne,

Thanks for the link to fatfree.com. I briefly looked it over and was struck by the volume of information there. I was also struck by how much our tastes change over time, and not just vegan tastes, but our culture in general. Just look at an old edition of Fanny Farmer or Joy of Cooking. Most of the recipes I looked at on the fatfree.com site were from 1993. In 20 years vegan cooking has made a remarkable journey.

I've performed a lot of internet searches for fat free vegan cooking sites, but never came up with this one, maybe because it is archived. So thanks for the tip, I may never have found it on my own.

Aloha,

Carole Grogloth Hawaii

Carole Grogloth Molokai Hawaii

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