Seitan steaks

Vegans don't often get the chance to eat something you need to cut with a steak knife - most of our food is soft enough and/or small enough that you need only a fork (tofu, beans, etc.).  Enter the seitan steak.  It's chewy and substantial, really flavorful, and a great source of nutrients.  Each serving of seitan has about 26 grams of protein (43 - 50% RDA) and 3.6 milligrams of iron (20% RDA), 2 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbs and, of course, zero cholesterol, since cholesterol is found only in animal products. 

One of my friends e-mailed me to ask what seitan steaks taste like - are they like meat steaks?  I have been trying to come up with an answer, but I just don't have one - they taste like seitan steaks!  They're savory and juicy, and they take on the flavor of the onions, garlic and herbs in the broth they're cooked in.  That's the best I can do.  These steaks have been a hit with my non-vegan friends, and they're really easy to make with inexpensive ingredients (you can get vital wheat gluten in bulk for around $2.00 a pound). 

Here, they're served with quinoa and broccoli with a little cashew cream (recipe here) and lemon zest.

In the past, I have used recipes where the spices are incorporated into the seitan, and the seitan is boiled in plain water or broth.  This recipe does it the other way around - the seitan is plain, and the broth is highly flavored - and makes a much better result: the seitan becomes fully infused with the flavor of the broth, and you don't have to contend with little hard bits of herbs in the middle of the steaks.  Here's what I do:

1.  Make broth by combining:

• 8 cups water
• 2 cubes vegan bouillon - I love this kind from Rapunzel
• 2 onions, sliced into big chunks
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• a tablespoon or so of whatever dried herbs you like - I use Herbes de Provence

Bring broth to a boil, then reduce heat and allow it to simmer while you prepare the seitan steaks.

2.  Meanwhile, combine in a large bowl:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vital wheat gluten flour

Mix it together with your hands or a fork.  Once you have a smooth ball, massage it in your hands and squeeze the little bit of excess water out.  Form the mixture into a smooth log, about 3 inches across.  Slice into 8 steaks, then flatten each steak.  They will look something like this: 

3.  Drop steaks into boiling broth.  Cover, and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes.  The steaks will double in size, so make sure you have plenty of room in the pot.  Serve with a little bit of the broth ladled on top.  You can also save the delicious broth (strain out the onions, garlic and herbs, and discard them) and use it throughout the week to add flavor to quinoa, rice, etc.

Enjoy!

Salad of the week: pears, pecans, dried cherries

I decided recently to start making a big salad for dinner once a week.  This week, we were invited to a raw vegan potluck, and I had planned to make a huge kale/beet/carrot salad for the event.  However, the produce market didn't have the dinosaur kale that's so good for salads - they only had curly kale, which is thicker and, I think, better cooked than raw.  So I changed course at the last minute and decided to build a salad around some nice-looking pears I found.  Then, it turned out that the potluck wasn't scheduled for that night - it's NEXT Sunday.  Oops!  No worry - we packed up the salad and took it to Steph's for big salad night.  I had two bowls, and Lenny and Steph each had THREE bowls, and we finished it off!  Here's a list of everything that went into the salad:

It was pretty good.  If I had it to do again I would use less of the tart cherries - they go a long way.  The lemon zest, which is my favorite thing in the world right now, was a nice touch.

Enjoy!

Fettuccine with Spring vegetables

I saw my first bunch of in-season fresh asparagus at the produce market recently, and couldn't wait to get it home and make a pasta primavera.  I was hoping to find some fresh baby peas, but the market didn't have any.  No worry - I got baby spinach instead, and some mushrooms to round it out, and some fresh lemons that I wanted to zest with my new Microplane Grater.  How I ever lived without this kitchen tool I will never know.  It makes beautiful, baby-fine lemon zest that adds a huge punch of flavor to whatever you're cooking - pasta, vegetables, rice, etc.

Here's what I did when I got home:

Cook a package of fettuccine according to package directions.

Cut asparagus and mushrooms into 1-inch pieces, then place in large saute pan along with baby spinach and some herbs - I used fresh dill and dried thyme.  Cook/steam in 1 cup of vegetable broth until vegetables reach desired tenderness.  Retain whatever vegetable broth hasn't been absorbed.

In separate pan, saute a few cloves of garlic in olive oil, then add diced extra firm tofu and cook until lightly browned.

Toss all ingredients together, then add the juice of one lemon.  Top each plate with a fresh grating of lemon zest. 

Enjoy!

Muesli

I had been buying muesli in 18-ounce bags that aren't very good for reusing, and all that waste was driving me nuts.  Now I buy all of the ingredients in bulk and mix it up myself, at a much lower cost than buying it already mixed and without wasteful packaging.  It's endlessly customizable, with different grains, nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.  This is the mixture I like.

Combine, and store in an airtight container:

• 3 cups medium or thick rolled oats
• 3 cups rolled barley flakes
• 1 cup slivered or chopped almonds
• 1/2 cup dried raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped dates (I get the ones that are rolled in flour)
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseeds

Lots of healthy fiber!  Serve with nondairy milk of your choice.  I love it with my homemade soymilk. 

Enjoy!

Pasta with cashew cream

I had noticed that a lot of vegan bloggers were raving about cashew cream, and decided to try it for myself.  I'm so glad I did - it's amazing.  Very easy to make with just a few ingredients, and you can pour it over pasta, vegetables, potatoes, grains, or whatever your heart desires.  It actually doesn't really taste like cashews - it's just a perfect light,versatile cream sauce.  You have to try it.

Start by soaking 1 cup of cashews in water for at least 2 hours, or overnight.  Use plenty of water, because the cashews will absorb quite a bit.

Drain and discard the water.  Put the cashews in your blender with 1/2 cup of filtered water, and lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  I use the juice of one lemon, and white pepper instead of black pepper.

Blend in blender for a while - my blender is pretty powerful and I let it go for about 5 minutes.  It's done when it has turned into a smooth cream with no lumps.

Now it's ready to serve - no need to cook or heat it.  The blender will warm it up enough that you can pour it right over whatever you're serving it with.  It keeps beautifully in a sealed container in the fridge, and I understand that it freezes well.

In the photo above, I served it over pasta, broccoli, and Gardein Chick'n Scallopini slices, and topped it with some lemon zest.  It was really delicious and satisfying.

Enjoy!

Vegan quiche

I have been lax in taking photos of my food lately - I really need to step it up.  These are quick shots taken with my BlackBerry and they're better than nothing, but I should put more effort into making my photos look as great as the food tastes.  Stay tuned for some improvements in that area!

This quiche is hearty and delicious.  I found the recipe on vegweb (amazing source of many, many vegan recipes), and made both variations - broccoli quiche and spinach quiche.  I made the broccoli quiche first, following the recipe exactly except that I omitted the vegan parmesan cheese.  A few days later I made the spinach version; I again omitted the vegan parmesan cheese, and I added chopped artichoke hearts, more garlic, and more herbs and spices.  It's tofu-based, so it can absorb quite a bit of flavor - I recommend increasing all of the seasonings by about half.

Enjoy!

Secret-ingredient mashed potatoes

Again, on the subject of reducing kitchen waste, I was trying to figure out what to do with broccoli stalks.  We eat a lot of fresh broccoli - it's one of my favorite foods - and consequently had a lot of broccoli stalks making their way into the compost bin.  I searched online for ways to use the stalks, and found the idea of adding them to mashed potatoes.  This doesn't really change the flavor or the texture, but it does add vitamins, bulk, and healthy fiber - all from something I was going to throw away. 

Here's what I do:

Scrub some potatoes - enough to serve 2 to 3 people.  I use Yukon Gold potatoes, and since the peels are so thin, I don't remove them.  Chop into 1-inch chunks.

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer from two or three broccoli stalks.  Discard the peels.  Chop the peeled stalks into coins about 1/4-inch thick.

Transfer the chopped potatoes and broccoli stalks into a large pan.  Add enough water to cover, and a teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil then simmer until tender - about 30 minutes. 

Drain water.  Add some Earth Balance margarine, salt, pepper, and celery salt to taste.  Mash with potato masher.  Serve, and ask your guests if they can identify the secret ingredient.  They'll never guess it's broccoli stalks!

Enjoy!

Neatloaf

I have been making this for years; I think it's a combination of a couple of different recipes.  It's really delicious and flavorful - I think the parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme is what does it.  In the photo above, it's served with collard greens and leeks and secret-ingredient mashed potatoes.  I served it to a couple of people on Sunday, and we all agreed that it was best if every bite included a little neatloaf, a little mashed potatoes, and a little collards.  Then commenced a period of silence while everybody ate instead of talking - a cook's best compliment!  And they both had seconds.  It was really good.  I need to make it again soon and replace this photo, which really doesn't do it justice.

This recipe requires a lot of chopping, but I do it all in my food processor.  You can assemble your neatloaf and cover it with foil and put it in the fridge for a day or so, then bake it when you're ready.  It would probably freeze well too.

Combine all ingredients and mix well:

• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 2 cups breadcrumbs
• 1 cup finely chopped walnut
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped
• 14 oz. firm tofu, mashed
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 3 T tamari
• 2 t stone ground or Dijon mustard
• 1/4 t black pepper
• 1/2 t each dried thyme, rosemary and sage, crumbled
• finely chopped fresh parsley to taste

Transfer mix to a loaf pan and pack it down so that the top is flat. Cover the top with a generous layer of ketchup and/or barbecue sauce (I use both, mixed together).

Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Soymilk!

One of my New Year's resolutions has been to reduce the amount of landfill waste that comes from our home - especially kitchen waste.  Even though most of the ingredients I use in cooking are whole foods, I was still making a lot of trips to the trash can to throw away plastic and waxy wrappers from tofu, fake meats, packages of rice and other grains, cereal, etc.  I have made a lot of progress by choosing my purchases carefully and buying as much as possible in bulk, and I'm continuing to try to improve on all of my choices and processes.

One particular source of a lot of waste was the aseptic cartons of soymilk I was using at the rate of about two per week.  That's over 100 containers - which are not recyclable - going to landfill each year just from my two-person home.  I set about figuring out whether I could start making my own soymilk.

After several batches worth of trial and error (and a lot of online research and watching people make soymilk in youtube videos), I have settled on a great recipe.  The key, believe it or not, is baking soda - it took my soymilk from beany and bitter to smooth and mild.  The finished product is truly absolutely delicious.  And very inexpensive, at just pennies a serving, and not hard to make.  And the company that makes the soymilk I was buying in nonrecyclable aseptic packages is owned by a huge food conglomerate whose practices I don't like, so I'm very happy that I'm not supporting it any more.

There are six steps - here they are:

1.  Soak.

Soak 1-1/2 cups of soybeans in a large pot of water for 8 to 10 hours.  I use organic soybeans. 

2.  Boil.

Drain the water out of the pot, and replace it with new water, filling the pot about 3/4 full.  Add 3 tablespoons of baking soda.  Boil for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Keep a close eye on it, because if it boils over it will make a big mess.  Drain.  

3.  Blend.

Blend in your blender in three batches: each batch will contain 1/3 of the soybeans and 3-1/2 cups of filtered water.  Blend each batch for 5 minutes.  After each batch is blended, pour it back into the big pot.

4.  Boil again.

Once all three batches are blended and poured back into the pot, boil again for 20-25 minutes, stirring frequently.  Again, stay close by, because you don't want it to boil over.

5.  Strain.

Let the soymilk cool a bit - I usually put the whole pot in the freezer for half an hour.  Then line a large bowl with a cotton flour sack cloth, and pour the soymilk in.  Carefully gather the edges of the cloth into one hand, so that you create a pouch full of soymilk, then give it a twist to seal the soymilk in.  Use your other hand to squeeze the soymilk out.  There is no quick and easy way to do this - it's a little messy and you can't make it go faster than it's going to go.  Squeeze and squeeze until all (or almost all) of the liquid is in the bowl.  When you open up your cloth you will find a solid substance that is called okara; some people save it and bake it into muffins or bread, but I have never tried that - I just put it in my compost bin.
   
6.  Flavor.

You now have about 64 ounces of unflavored soymilk.  I add about 1/3 cup of sugar, a dash or two of salt, and a healthy splash of vanilla extract.  You can adjust these quantities to your liking.  Your soymilk will store in a container in the fridge (I have this 67-ounce container, and it's perfect) for at least 4 days. 

A few notes:

- Since the soymilk I was buying was fortified with Vitamin D, calcium, and other vitamins, I have started taking a multivitamin every day.

- This recipe may seem a little time-consuming, but most of the steps are about setting something in motion then waiting.  Still, you need to stay nearby when you're heating the soybeans or soymilk on the stove - they really do boil over very easily.  I use this time to do something else in the kitchen - either cleaning or cooking a meal.  This way, the amount of time I spend in the kitchen making soymilk is really minimal - really just a few minutes of hands-on time over the course of about an hour and a half.

-  You will notice that soybeans have thin clear skins that separate from the soybeans when the soybeans are soaked, heated, or handled.  I have to admit that these little skins seem to trigger some latent bit of OCD in me - I end up spending quite a bit of time massaging them off and picking them out, and I actually enjoy it!  It's addictive - kind of like popping the bubbles in bubble wrap.  However, from what I have read, removing the skins is not a necessary step at all, because the skins don't affect the taste or quality of the finished product.  If you want to spend just a little bit of time removing the skins, the easiest way is to do it after Step 2: pour the soybeans in a big bowl and run lukewarm water into the bowl - the skins will float to the top of the water and you can just dump them out into the sink (then scoop them out of the sink and compost them).  If you repeat this process three or four times, massaging the beans a little bit while the water pours into the bowl, you will get rid of most of the skins.

Enjoy!

Lemony spinach lentils and rice

 This was delicious, satisfying, healthy and easy, and made enough for four big portions.  Don't skip the lemon juice - it's the key to transforming a pile of lentils and rice into something special. 

1.  Soak 1-1/2 cups dry brown lentils for an hour or two.  Drain.

2.  Dice 1 large yellow onion.  Saute in olive oil for 8-10 minutes, stirring frequently.

3.  Add 2 carrots and 2 celery stalks, diced, and salt and white pepper to taste.  Saute for another 4 minutes or until softened, stirring frequently.

4.  Add 4-5 cloves of garlic,* minced, and 1-1/2 cups brown rice.  Toast, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes.

5.  Add 6 cups vegetable broth and 2 bay leaves.  Stir well, bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.

6.  Add the lentils, and stir well.  Simmer 20 minutes.

7.  Add 3 or 4 big handfuls of fresh spinach (baby spinach, or regular spinach chopped into 1/2-inch strips),** and stir well.  Simmer 10 minutes.

8.  Ladle onto plates.  Add a generous squeeze of lemon juice to each serving, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley if you have it.

*  I use a lot of garlic in just about every recipe.  If you're not a big garlic lover, you can reduce it to 1-2 cloves.

** I have also made this with kale - it was just as delicious, and gave it a little more of a bite.  I added the kale a little earlier to give it a chance to get tender.

Enjoy!

Stuffed mushroom caps

I bought a bunch of different kinds of really beautiful vegetables that I planned to cook for Mother's Day dinner, but then I had a small accident and had to put everything in the fridge and go to bed for a couple of days.  Now those delicious ingredients are calling to me from the kitchen - I want to hurry up and use them while they're still in their prime.  Last night's quinoa with LOTS of fresh asparagus and English peas was fantastic, if a little decadent for just two people.

So tonight I tackled the mushrooms - wish I had taken a photo, but they're all gone now!  I found these really big white mushrooms at Whole Foods - I don't know what kind they are but I got four of them.  I decided tonight that it would be interesting to stuff them and have them all hot and garlicky from the oven.  Here's what I did (all of these proportions can be adjusted to your liking):

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. 

Step 2: Clean:

• 4 big mushrooms (you could also use 6 or 8 medium ones)

Then remove the stems, and set them aside.

Step 3: Chop in food processor until small:

• one small onion (I used a Spring onion, but white or yellow would work, or shallots)
• 3 cloves garlic

Step 4: Saute the onions and garlic until translucent in:

• a Tablespoon or so of Earth Balance margarine

Step 5: Trim the ends off of the mushroom stems and discard; then chop the rest in the food processor.

Step 6: Add the chopped mushrooms to the onion/garlic mixture.  Then add:

• a generous splash of mirin
• a handful of panko bread crumbs (any kind of break crumbs would work)
• a dash or two of black pepper
• a pinch or two of dried parsley

Mix until combined, adding more mirin if it's too dry; continue to saute until heated through.

Step 7: Place the mushroom caps in a shallow ovenproof pan.  Brush them all over with some:

• olive oil 

Step 8: Divide the onion/garlic/etc. mixture into as many parts as you have mushrooms (in this case, four parts).  Stuff each mushroom and mound the filling over the cavity. 

Step 9: Top each stuffed mushroom with a little smear of:

• truffle oil

Step 10: Bake at 350 for 10 or 15 minutes, depending on how big your mushrooms are.  When they're done they will be brown on top and they will have started leaking a little moisture in the baking dish.

Serves 2.  Enjoy!

Red Lentil Pasta with Cauliflower

I've made this three times now, and it's a really satisfying meal - warm and hearty, with two sources of vegan protein: red lentils and roasted cashews, and a good dose of Vitamin C from the cauliflower and tomatoes.  The cinnamon adds a nice depth.  Adapted from La Dolce Vegan by Sarah Kramer.  Makes about 4 big servings.

Step 1:  Chop into small florets, and steam until done to your liking:

• 1 head cauliflower

Step 2: Cook, then drain:

•  16 ounces pasta - I like rotini for this recipe

Step 3: Saute in large saute pan:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp oil; more if needed

Step 4: When onions are translucent, add the following to the large saute pan:

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 large tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup red lentils
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Stir until well-combined, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Step 5: While the lentil mixture is cooking, place in a dry pan:

• 1 cup chopped cashews

Roast the cashews over medium heat for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently

Step 6: Once the lentil mixture in your saute pan is cooked, pour it carefully into a food processor and blend until thick and creamy.

Step 7:  Add the cooked cauliflower florets to your cooked pasta.  Pour the sauce over it and mix it up.  Ladle it on to plates, and sprinkle some of the roasted cashews over each serving.  This would be nice (and pretty) topped with a sprinkling of fresh parsley.  Enjoy!

Cilantro-lime salad dressing

This salad dressing is delicious and fresh - great spooned over a green salad made with lettuce, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, avocados, pumpkin seeds and slices of vegan Gardein Chick'n Scallopini.  Very easy too, and all natural - no high fructose corn syrup or xanthan gum or other scary stuff you find in many bottled salad dressings.  Adapted from a recipe found in VegNews. 

This makes enough salad dressing for about 8 people; it's best when eaten right away but will keep in a jar in the fridge for a day or two.

Put all ingredients in a food processor, and blend to your liking:

• 1/4 cup honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
• 1/3 cup red onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (approximately 4 limes)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 3 lemons)
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 Tablespoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Miso-ginger soup with tofu and chard

I love a soup like this - warm, healthy, cures all that ails you, easy to put together, and makes the house smell great.  You can add pretty much whatever vegetables you have in the fridge - just saute them in a little olive oil until soft and add to the pot around Step 6.  This recipe very generously serves two.

Step 1:  Make vegetable broth in a big soup pan by combining the following:

• Bouillon and water to make 6 to 8 cups of broth (depending on how broth-y you like your soup - I tend to like only a little bit of broth)
• 2 bay leaves

Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and let it simmer while you prepare everything else.

Step 2:  Add the following to a saute pan:

• a 1-inch piece of fresh finely-chopped ginger
• fresh minced garlic to taste - I use about 6 cloves
• a small onion, chopped small
• 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil

Saute over medium heat until onions are translucent, stirring constantly so that nothing burns.  Add to soup pot.

Step 3: Add to saute pan:

• 2 or 3 carrots, chopped small (a few pulses in a food processor will do it)
• generous splash of mirin

Saute for 4 or 5 minutes, until the carrots have softened a bit, stirring frequently.  Add to soup pot.

Step 4: Add to saute pan:

• One package extra firm tofu, drained and diced into soup-sized bites
• Hot chili sesame oil to taste - a tablespoon will probably do it

Saute until the tofu is slightly browned.  Add to soup pot.

Step 5:  Add the following to soup pot, and stir:

•  Half a package of wide, flat rice noodles, broken in half.

Step 6:  Add to saute pan:

• One bunch of red chard (or any dark leafy green), deveined and chopped into 1/2-inch ribbons
• A little olive oil

Saute until chard is small and tender.  Add to soup pot.

Step 7:  Once the noodles are fully cooked, turn off the heat and add:

• 2 Tbsp miso paste (I have mild yellow miso paste, but other kinds would work).

Stir until the miso paste is completely dissolved.

That's it.  Basically, get the broth going, then keep cooking things in your saute pan and adding them to the soup pot until you're done.  Don't forget to remove the bay leaves before serving.

Aloo gobi

Again, no photo, but this was too good to not post.  I pretty much followed the aloo gobi recipe in Sarah Kramer's La Dolce Vegan! cookbook, with just a few adjustments.  This is my favorite kind of comfort food - warm, soft, and fragrant - and it's nice and healthy.  The cauliflower is full of Vitamin C, and the spices have all kinds of restorative properties.  Have this for dinner, and you'll wake up the next morning feeling great. 

1.  Mix the following spices together in a small bowl, and set aside:

• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 

2.  Combine and set aside:

• 1 vegan bouillon cube (I like this bouillon by Rapunzel)
• 1 cup hot water

3.  Add the following items to a soup pan, and saute until the onions are translucent:

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger, grated
• 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced (I use a garlic press, similar to this one)

4.  Add the spice mixture to the pan, and saute for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

5.  Add the vegetable broth to the pan.  Then add the following:

• 2 lb. small red potatoes, skin on, diced into bite-sized pieces.

6.  Stir, cover with lid, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

7.  Add to the pan:

• 1 large head cauliflower, chopped into bite-sized florets.

8.  Stir, cover with lid, and cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

9.  Stir in the following:

• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

10.  Cover with lid and let sit for 5 minutes.  Serve over fluffy jasmine rice mixed with Earth Balance margarine.

Kale-beet-carrot salad

This was one of the most delicious salads I've ever had, and really easy to put together.  Here's what I did:

1.  Wash and de-stem two bunches of kale.  Cut into bite-sized pieces and put in a big bowl.

2.  Wash a red beet, a golden beet, and a few carrots.  Chop each into a few pieces, then grind in the food processor into easy-to-eat pieces.  Add to the kale.

3.  Make salad dressing by combining roughly equal parts (start with a tablespoon of each) of: olive oil, rice vinegar, lemon juice, miso paste, and honey.*  Add salt and pepper to taste, then whisk together until well-combined.  Sample it, then adjust until it tastes amazing.

4.  Add dressing to your portion of salad only when you're ready to eat it.  That way, if there are leftovers, you can store them in the fridge without the vegetables becoming wilted.     

* Some vegans don't eat honey.  You could use agave nectar instead.

Gyro-ish seitan wrap

Well, we ate all the evidence, so there's no picture of the delicious dinner I just made.  We've been doing that more frequently than not lately, then I decide not to blog the recipe since there's no photo, but now I'm re-thinking that idea.  The point of this blog is to share my recipes, so here we go.

First, I sliced the homemade seitan I made last night* into large coins.  Then I sauteed about 4 cloves of garlic in olive oil until tender, then added about 3/4 teaspoon each of cumin, oregano, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and stirred until combined.  Then I added the seitan coins and cooked until they were warm and well-coated with the garlic-spice mixture. 

I also made a small pot of quinoa, then when it was done I added a healthy squirt of lemon juice and mixed it in.

Then I pulled out some dinner plate-sized wraps and laid them out on plates, then started layering:  First, a smear of vegan sour cream sprinkled liberally with dried dill weed.  Then a layer of lemony quinoa.  Then a layer of the spiced seitan.  Then a layer of chopped, salted, fresh tomatoes, and finally a layer of chopped fresh spinach.  Amazingly delicious, and fresh-tasting and healthy.  A great way to kick off the first day of Spring!

* Here's the recipe for my homemade seitan.  I got it from the Chicago Diner cookbook.  It's delicious, and pretty fun to make, although the kneading can be hard work.  I usually cut the recipe in half because the full recipe is just too much for a two-person household.  The following is the full recipe; it makes four big chunks of seitan:

Mix together:

-  4 cups vital gluten flour
-  3/4 cup whole wheat flour
-  3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
-  2 Tbsp onion powder
-  1-1/2 Tbsp garlic powder
-  1-1/2 Tbsp salt
-  2 Tbsp Italian spices
-  2-1/4 cups warm water
-  1/4 cup tamari

Knead well to combine, then knead for about 10 minutes more.  You have to work pretty hard to get all the dry ingredients worked into the dough.  Then let the dough rest 15 minutes.

While the dough is resting, fill a large pot about 3/4 full of water and put it on the stove to boil.  Throw in 3 or 4 bay leaves, 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled, and the trimmed ends and tops of a few carrots and celery stalks.

After the dough has rested for 15 minutes, cut it into 4 pieces, then put it in the boiling water. Let it boil for about 1-1/2 hours.  The seitan will grow as it cooks, so keep an eye on the pot to make sure they're not sticking out of the water.  If this happens, add more water and/or turn the seitan chunks over with a big spoon periodically.

Once the seitan is done cooking, you can slice it and eat it or use it in a recipe right away.  It has now become what some people call "wheat meat," and you can use it the same way you would use tofu or fake meats.  Store it in the refrigerator covered with water with a splash of tamari.

I'll definitely make this again, and I'll take pictures then!

Collard greens with leeks and garlic over jasmine rice

I have my CSA box to thank for my new-found love of collard greens and leeks.  Here's most of my haul from the recent CSA box - lots of greens, some really delicious seedless satsuma mandarins, and some amazing carrots, and there were also some great kiwis that didn't make it into the picture.  There are things that I don't love about the CSA box - they never send me what they say they're going to send me, they give me way too much lettuce, and the produce is very dirty and sometimes full of bugs, among other things.  But, on the plus side, it's delivered right to my door, it's organic and fresh and amazingly healthy, it allows me to support local agriculture, and it forces me to break out and try new fruits and vegetables - all good things.

Anyway, I am now in love with both collard greens and leeks.  The photo above is of a second batch of collard greens I bought at Whole Foods after liking the first batch from my CSA box so much.  How beautiful are those dark leafy greens?  One of my favorite things to eat in the whole world. 

And leeks - I had never really worked with leeks, and I think I had only really encountered them in potato-leek soup, where they tend to be overpowered by the other ingredients and you don't get a chance to appreciate their amazing leek-ness.  They're smooth and buttery and wonderful, and even though you want to think they're going to be like mild, quirky onions, they really have a personality all their own.  They're even beautiful as you chop them - fresh and spritely, shades of spring green, so tender on the inside that they almost fall apart.  I'm a big fan. 

So here's how I cooked the collards and the leeks together:

1.  Prepare some vegetable broth: in a big saucepan or soup pot, dissolve a couple of vegan bouillon cubes in 2 cups of water.  I really like this bouillon from a company called Rapunzel.  Then throw in two bay leaves, because bay leaves make everything better.  Let it boil away while you prepare your collard greens. 

2.  Wash two big bunches of collard greens.  Remove the center stems and the larger veiny stems, and roughly chop the remaining greens.

3.  Take the bay leaves out of your broth and discard them.  Put the chopped collard greens in the broth.  Boil for 10 or 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

4.  While the greens are cooking, get out three leeks.  Cut away the leafy part, leaving just the tender white part.  Dice the white part and put the diced pieces in a saute pan with some minced garlic (I really like garlic, so I use 8 or 10 cloves; if you don't like it so much you could scale it back to even just 1 or 2 cloves or maybe even leave it out altogether) and some olive oil.  Saute over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring pretty much constantly so that you don't burn anything.

5.  Drain the collard greens, then stir in the leek/garlic mixture. 

6.  Serve with fragrant jasmine rice.  The best way to eat this is to have a little bit of rice, a little bit of collards, and a little bit of leek in every bite.  Buttery, nutty, velvety smooth and delicious - and, of course, full of all kinds of great nutrients that will make you strong and powerful and able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.  I could eat this every single day.  I also added some Gardein Chick'n Scallopini patties, which I have blogged about before, for protein and bulk and further deliciousness.  This has become one of my favorite dinners.  Enjoy!

Sweet and salty butternut squash

Haven't been posting much lately - I'm super busy and will continue to be so through February.  After that, I'm looking forward to doing lots of cooking!

I have made some yummy things recently, but I don't always get around to taking a picture - or things taste delicious but aren't very photogenic.  But here's a picture of the "sweet and salty butternut squash" recipe I made last night.  It might not look like much, but it's outrageously yummy.  It was inspired by the huge butternut squash that came in my CSA box a couple of weeks ago and a container of maple syrup that my Secret Santa at work got for me. 

The recipe is online, here.  I tweaked the quantities a little to account for the fact that I had a HUGE squash and the recipe called for a medium one.  Here's what I did:

- Peel an enormous butternut squash and cut into 1-inch cubes.  Put the cubes in a large soup or stock pot.

- Add 2 cups vegetable broth, 4 tsp soy sauce, and 2 Tbsp maple syrup.

- Cover, and bring to a slow simmer.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until soft.

I served it with brown rice and Gardein Chick'n Scallopini.  It was filling, warm, nutritious, savory and delicious.  I think I'm getting another squash in my CSA box tomorrow - if so, I'll repeat this recipe!

Vegan pumpkin pie

I had trouble with my pie crust this morning - I used a random recipe that I found online and the proportions were all wrong.  It called for 3 cups of whole wheat flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup margarine and 5-6 tablespoons cold water.  I mixed the first three ingredients (using my brand new pastry blender from Williams Sonoma, which is awesome and only 10 bucks), then added water, water and more water, and it still wouldn't hold together.  I then looked at my tried-and-true pie crust recipe (why I didn't use that in the first place I really don't know) and saw that there needed to be either less flour or more margarine.  So I added some more margarine and it still wouldn't hold together, so I decided to just press it into the pan like a graham cracker crust.  It worked out okay, but was a little too thick for my taste.  But I did manage to do my first sort-of fluted pie crust edge, which looks pretty good.

Then I assembled my ingredients for the pie filling and discovered that my newish jar of applesauce that had been in the fridge for a little while had somehow grown some mold - blech.  No worry - I peeled and chopped a Granny Smith apple, cooked it in a little water with some sugar for 10 minutes, then pureed it in my food processor.  Voila - applesauce!  It was pretty good, and super easy.

So here's what I did after I finally finished making the pie crust and the applesauce.  I'm really pleased with the result - my in-house photographer and I each just had a big slice and it was delicious!

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine:

   3/4 cup vegan sugar
   1/2 teaspoon salt
   1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
   2 teaspoons cinnamon
   1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
   15-ounce can pumpkin puree
   2 teaspoons applesauce
   1 cup soymilk

Whisk until the mixture has thickened a bit, then pour into the pie crust.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Then reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake for 40-50 minutes. Cool in refrigerator for about an hour then serve.