For the love of Seitan

My high school friend, Maggie, commented a while back on her facebook that her boyfriend’s Red Beans & Rice was so good she couldn’t stop eating it. I begged her for the recipe and she gave it quite willingly…but it was loaded with bacon and sausage. Apparently it is an old New Orleans family recipe, but as you all know we just don’t do the meat thing here. So I made some modifications…and found at the last minute I was missing some ingredients, so I made more modifications. Here’s my version of the recipe, which has filled my kitchen with the most scrumptious bacony smells I’ve experienced since I went vegetarian. Also, we’re not eating much rice right now, so I skipped that part. But you can totally top this Red Bean goodness on some freshly cooked long-grain rice and it’ll be delicious. It’s packed with protein, has no sugar, and is bursting with flavor!

Ingredients:

2 pounds red kidney beans, dry

2 quarts vegan chicken broth or vegetable broth

1 large onion, chopped

4 celery stalks

(1-2 green bell peppers – we didn’t have these so I omitted them completely)

(2 jalapenos – we didn’t have these either so I substituted 4 dried aji chilis. The dish is really spicy, which I love)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 packages (12 oz) smokey tempeh “fakin bacon”, broken up with hands

2 tsp salt, to taste

1.5 lbs seitan (we used Isa’s recipe from Post Punk Kitchen), cut or ripped into small chunks

1 tbsp garlic, crushed

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp dried sage

1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Method:

1. Wash beans, soak overnight or for 9 hours. Drain, then add to 2 quarts “chicken” broth. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 30 minutes.

2. Add onion, celery, green pepper, jalapeno pepper and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and cook until beans are tender, about 1 hour. Stir in the salt and smash up some of the beans.

3. Heat oil in frying pan. Add seitan, saute about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and saute another minute or two. Add this to the beans. Deglaze the pan, add to beans. Add the tempeh, bay leaves, sage, pepper and parsley to the beans, mix well. Simmer for 20 minutes or so, then serve with long grain white rice.

We’re trying to follow a starchy carb-free, sugar-free diet right now. It’s been brutal, especially while maintaining our vegan standards. But I think that restrictions make me more creative, which brought me to seitan street tacos. Takes maybe 10 minutes to prepare, and about 2 minutes to comsume. No sugar, no bready floury crap that our bodies don’t need, All Yum.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of seitan, cut into thin strips (We use Isa’s Homemade Seitan recipe from Post Punk Kitchen – it’s amazing)
1 onion, sliced into crescents
Salt and pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
2 avocados
Juice from one lemon
2 tbsp salsa
1 can black beans
1 handful rainbow chard
1 tub of salsa
Corn tortillas (make sure these don’t have wheat in them, many do!)

Method:
1. Saute onion in olive oil until browned. Add seitan strips and salt & pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. Saute until browned. Set aside.

2. Peel and mash the insides of the avocados. Mix in the lemon juice and 2 tbsp salsa. Set aside. This is your guacamole.

3. Heat black beans until warm, set aside.

4. Slice chard into ribbons, set aside.

5. Heat tortillas, about 6 at a time, in a microwave for 45 seconds, set aside.

6. Assemble as desired (I layered from tortilla to top: black beans, guacamole, seitan and onion mixture, chard), top with salsa and chow down.

Oh man. My mother-in-law made this for me after we got back from 4 days of camping in Yosemite. I was filthy and itchy from millions of mosquito bites. The summer evening was idyllic – 75 degrees, a slight cool breeze, sunset, heaven. And then she brings out this salad and I almost died, it was so good. I’ve added balsamic vinegar because I love the snap of the vinegar with the richness of the avocado. A perfect summer salad, and it’s ready in minutes.

Ingredients:

2 heirloom tomatoes, very fresh

2 avocados, ripe

1-2 tablespoons of chopped fresh basil

2 tbsp olive oil (or enough to coat the tomatoes and avocados)

salt and pepper to taste

juice from one lemon

1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Method:

Dice the tomatoes and avocados. Put them in a bowl, add basil, olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and stir. Add salt and pepper to taste. Done!

My husband has begged me to post this recipe, mainly because it’s not written down and he wants to make it for his lunches. It’s loaded with protien and all the goodness of sea vegetables, plus super-healthy sesame seeds.

Ingredients:

About a pound of yuba, fresh and sliced into 1/2″ thick ribbons
1 or 2 green onions, sliced very thin into small round slices
A handful or two of dried arame
Sesame seeds, black and white
Sesame oil
Chili oil
White vinegar or rice wine vinegar
Soy sauce
Daikon radish, jullienned (optional)

Method:

1. Saute the yuba ribbons in a bit of sesame oil with green onions for about 3-5 minutes on high heat. Add soy sauce to taste and vinegar to taste. Set aside.

2. Boil water, soak the arame in the boiled water for about 10 minutes, until soft. Drain well and place in a large bowl.

3. Add the yuba mixture plus about 1/3 cup each of white and black sesame seeds. Mix well. Add soy sauce, a few drops of chili oil and vinegar as needed. Add daikon radish, if desired. Enjoy cold or at room temperature. Keeps for 1 week in the fridge.

Yesterday I went to a BBQ. The last time I had gone to a BBQ, although there were lots of vegetarian options, there was no vegan dessert, which made me cranky, as I wanted to indulge in some serious sugar. So this time I brought my own. And all I got was a small slice; everyone gobbled it up and begged me for the recipe. I only wish I had snapped a photo. But I’m sure I’ll make it again, so I’ll update this post with a nice yummy photograph at some point.

I have to admit though, the recipe is not mine. I used this great recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, which incidentally, is the best vegan baking cookbook I’ve ever found. I’ve made lemon bars, peanut butter cookies, fruit tarts, and even fudge, all vegan, and all turning out perfectly. I highly recommend it.

Ingredients for Crust:

1 cup of raw almonds

1 cup of raw pecans

1 full cup of Medjool pitted dates

1/4 tsp salt

Method for Crust:

Put nuts in a food processor, blend until it’s a coarse meal. Add the dates and salt and blend until thoroughly combined. Press into a nonstick 8 or 9 inch springform pan or tart pan. Set aside.

Ingredients for Pie:

5 cups sliced Chandler strawberries (any variety will do but Chandler are particularly sweet).

1 cup ripe Chandler strawberries, whole with the tops cut off

5 Medjool pitted dates, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water and drained

2 tsp lemon juice

Method for Pie:

1. Arrange the sliced strawberries on the prepared crust, set aside.

2. In a food processor, blend the whole strawberries with the dates and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Pour over the sliced strawberries, smooth out to fill in any holes.

3. Refrigerate one hour at least.

I had a mean craving for huevos rancheros brunch this morning. This is what I whipped up. Yum.

Ingredients:

4 tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 medium yukon gold potato, diced
1 serrano chile, diced
1.5 tbsp fresh oregano, minced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
Salt and pepper to taste
4oz tempeh
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 cup Daiya mozzerella “cheese”
1 can refried vegetarian beans
4 corn tortillas
Tapatillo to taste
1/3 cup soyrizo

Method:

1. Saute the red onion on high in olive oil until it gets soft. Add the potato, garlic, serrano, oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the tempeh and saute another 5 min or so, until the potatoes get a brown crisp.

2. Add the bell pepper and tomato, saute a few minutes more until the bell pepper is soft.

3. Heat the refried beans, set aside.

4. Add the Daiya cheese and cilantro to the tempeh mixture. Stir well, remove from heat when the cheese is melted. Add Tapatillo to taste. Set aside.

5. Heat the soyrizo in the microwave for 1 minute, then the corn tortillas for 1 minute.

6. To assemble, lay two tortillas on each plate, just overlapping at one edge. Smooth half the can of refried beans on top, then top with half the tempeh mixture. Sprinkle the soyrizo on top.

I’m just getting into experimenting a bit with cooking. For most of my cooking life, I have been a strict recipe follower. But having taken a cooking class and having paid attention in the kitchen with my mother in-law, I am slowly learning the fun of no-recipe cooking.

I was craving soup the other day a while back. It was cold and rainy and the end of the week, so I didn’t want to take too long making dinner. I devised this soup while daydreaming about Alice’s broccoli soup and a white bean soup I had at the Ritz Carlton one evening that was flavoured with maple. Both soups were amazing, so last night I thought i’d try a combination and see what happened. It was surprisingly delicious! Good for those cold icky nights when it’s best to just stay indoors in front of a nice fire or watching QI or something.

The next time I make this recipe, I think I’ll try to substitute the maple syrup with 1/4 cup of hot water with rehydrated candycap mushrooms. Same delicious flavor, none of the extra sugar. I’ll let you know how it works out.

2 heads broccoli, cut into florets
1 shallot, sliced
3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, destemmed
3/4 cup fresh sage, chopped
1 can navy beans, drained
2 can cannelini beans, drained
1/4 cup maple syrup
4 cups hot water
1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute the shallot in olive oil on high. When browned, add garlic, rosemary and sage. After about 1 minute, add broccoli and saute until the broccoli turns a bright green. Add maple syrup, cook for another few minutes.

2. Hydrate the mushrooms in the hot water for 5 minutes. Add to the broccoli, and add the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat to boiling, then turn down heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Blend with a hand mixer. Adjust salt and pepper as needed.

I was waiting to post this recipe until I had a good photo of the dish, but my friend has some extra yuba in his fridge and needs a good recipe.  I’ll post one the next time I make this recipe. It’s not to be missed: easy to make, pretty fast, and tastes delicious. Also, it reheats well, in case you can’t finish what you’ve cooked up. If you’re going to reheat it, I recommend using a toaster oven or a large oven. A microwave makes them a bit soggy.

Ingredients:

2 shallots, sliced thin into crescents

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp fresh minced ginger

1 tsp sugar (we used brown sugar – more caramel flavor)

1/2 tsp ground star anise

1 cup roasted butternut squash (kobucha is a great substitute, you can find it in Asian markets. It’s delicious!)

salt to taste

1/2 lb mixed minced wild mushrooms (black chantarelle and maitake are particularly delicious, but if you’re on a budget oyster and shitake would be nice as well)

vegetable oil as needed

ground white pepper, to taste

sesame oil

3 tbsp shoyu or tamari

1 tsp sesame oil

2-3 tbsp black sesame seeds (or substitute with white sesame seeds)

2-3 tbsp white sesame seeds

6 sheets of fresh yuba (Hodo Soy Yuba is the best, hands down)

Method:

1. Saute the shallots with ginger, sugar and star anise until carmelized. Scoop out the roasted butternut squash and puree the shallot mixture with the squash. Add salt to taste.

2. Saute mushrooms in a little oil until soft. Season with a little sesame oil, salt and white pepper.

3. Mix 1 tsp sesame oil and shoyu in a bowl, very well. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

4. Unroll or unfold a yuba to make a sheet. Spread about 1/6 of squash-shallot puree over the sheet. Sprinkle with mushrooms (about 1/6 of your mushroom mixture). Roll in jelly-roll fashion. Cut to about 3 inches long, and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. When all the yuba rolls are on the sheet, brush them with a pastry brush dipped in the shoyu / sesame oil mixture. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Who doesn’t love cupcakes? At work we used to get them every time someone had a birthday. Then I went vegan, and all I could do was stare at the lovely red velvet cupcakes everyone else was eating and dream of cupcakes past.

Enough of that, I said to myself. Here’s an awesome vegan red velvet cupcake recipe with the traditional cream cheese frosting, also vegan. I just made this recipe a few moments ago and it’s delicious! And the cakes rose up and everything – no doorstops here. This recipe makes about 24 traditional sized cupcakes, with just enough frosting for all.

Ingredients:

2 cups soy milk

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

2.5 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 tbsp pureed applesauce

3 – 4 tsp red food coloring

4 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup earth balance “butter”, room temperature

1/2 cup Tofutti “Better than Cream Cheese”, room temperature

1 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp vanilla extract

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

Method:

1. Add vinegar to soy milk, mix well and set aside to curdle.

2. Put flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a bowl. Whisk together. Then sift these dry ingredients together into another bowl.

3. Add to the vinegar / soy milk mixture vegetable oil, applesauce, food coloring and vanilla extract. Whisk together.

4. Pour liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, whisk well. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full, and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or so.

5. Break up the “butter” into little pieces in a large bowl. Do the same for the Tofutti. Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract, then whisk until creamy.

6. Add the confectioner’s suger slowly, 1/2 cup at a time, whisking it into the butter / Tofutti mixture. Keep adding until the 4 cups are done and the frosting is smooth and fluffy.

7. Frost cupcakes when cool.

Last week I was on a project at work where I had to research cinnamon rolls. After viewing millions of photos of these delicious buns, I just had to make them this weekend. Also, it was my first wedding anniversary and I wanted to make my husband something special. Anyway. So I found me a good looking cinnamon roll recipe, but I had to change it to be vegan. The good news? It turned out. Fantastically. These puff up big and chewy like traditional cinnamon rolls and taste rich, decadent and simply delicious. They are not by any means low-fat or healthy. But, they are tasty and easy to make (though quite time consuming – expect the entire process from start to finish to take around 3 or 3.5 hours).

Ingredients:

1-1/2 packages (about 3-1/4 teaspoons) dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 1/4 cup water
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain soy milk (hazelnut milk would be a wonderful substitution)
4 to 5 cups sifted flour
melted Earth Balance “butter”
brown sugar
cinnamon
(optional) toasted hazelnuts, chopped finely
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
soy milk (2 to 4 tablespoons)

Method:

1.Add the warm water to the yeast and soak 10 minutes.

2. Mix the flax seed with water, whisk vigourously for 3-5 minutes, or until the mixture gets thick like egg whites. Set aside.

3. Warm the soy milk; pour over the shortening. Add sugar and salt and cool to tepid. Add the dissolved yeast and flax seed mixture. Add 3-4 cups flour, one at a time, beating after each addition. Dough should be soft and elastic yet firm enough to handle. Avoid too much flour

4. Knead on floured board until elastic and smooth. Place dough into well oiled bowl. Cover with a kitchen cloth, and let rise for 1-1/2 hours.

5. Press dough down and divide in half. Roll half of the dough out into a long rectangle. Baste generously with melted “butter”. Layer a generous amount of brown sugar. Sprinkle on cinnamon as desired, and sprinkle on the hazelnuts, if you wish.

6. Make slices lengthwise, about 1″ thick or so. Roll up into a coil (in jelly roll fashion). Place rolls in an 8 or 9 inch round greased cake pan, with one slice in the middle and other slices around it. Press rolls down to even out and fill pan. Cover with a kitchen cloth, and let rise for 1 hour.

7. In a medium bowl, sift sugar, and add “butter” and vanilla. A nice alternative to vanilla would be lemon extract or almond extract! Stir in the soy milk, a tablespoon at a time, until the mixture is a thick, barely-able-to-stir consistency.

8. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for about 15 – 20 minutes, or until the tops just start to brown. Remove immediately from pan by inverting onto a plate and then tip over onto another plate to right the rolls.

9. Spread icing over warm rolls as soon as they are placed on a plate to let the frosting melt and run into the rolls.