Caramelized Onion and Kidney Bean Seitan Pallard

I have not been updating much but I think that should change. As you can see I have posted two days in a row and maybe, just maybe, there will be a consecutive third post tomorrow. We will have to see.

In other news, I found this really amazing magazine back at my mom's house called The Animals' Voice and it was dated 1989. Much of the issues are still the same within the vegan movement today. This is good and bad at the same time. We have stuck to our ideals of fighting for eliminating the exploitation of animals, but on a sour note we are still trying to accomplish similar goals that have yet to have been reached. That is not to say that the vegan movement has not made much progress in 20 years because it certainly has.

I found the website for the magazine here.


So back to the food.....

Caramelized Onion and Kidney Bean Seitan Pallard

(this is loosely based on the chickpea cutlets from veganomicon)

1 large onion, chopped fine
1/2 sweet bell pepper, chopped fine
splash olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can kidney beans, mashed
1/2 cup veg broth
splash tamari
salt and pepper

1/4 nutritional yeast
1 cup gluten flour
2 tsp paprika

Get your onions in a hot large skillet with a bit of olive oil. Let cook for about 10 minutes. Splash the pan with the veg broth and add the peppers. Cook until all the liquid is gone. Add the tamari, season with salt and pepper. Combine in large bowl with mashed kidney beans. Add the dry ingredients in with the kidney bean mixture until sticky dough forms. You can add more seasonings if you desire. To cook the seitan, first shape into very thin, 1/2 inch thick patties, then pan fry over low heat for about 7 minutes per side. You can finish them in a 350 degree oven if they need it. Serve a simple salad of mixed baby greens tossed with olive oil lemon juice salt and pepper. On the side we had some mashed yukon golds with a buttery brocolli chop on top. The sauce on the plate is a maple dijon bbq sauce (which you cant see because its under the seitan). This was a good and fast dinner.

Dinner and A Birthday Cake

After hitting up the local farmers market and scoring some zucchini, onions, tomatoes, eggplant and greens I decided to make a little fry up with some of my favorite shaped pasta. Gemelli pasta are these little twisty knots reminiscent of a dumpling or thick noodle that holds sauce really well. Especially when the sauce is garlic and olive oil. The pasta part of this dish is good on its own, but with the addition of a ratatouille it really begins to transform into a hearty meal, instead of eating these things separately as Italians usually would. I am not claiming to be an expert on Italian food culture but I am pretty sure its sacrilegious to mix the pasta and anti-pasta into one. Thats alright by me though because I dont like religion anyways.

Gemelli Pasta with Broccoli Rabe and Homemade Seitan Sausage

1/2 lb gemelli pasta
1 bunch brocolli rabe, rough chop
3-4 Seitan sausages, based on Julie Hasson's recipe
6 cloves garlic, sliced thin
good glug of olive oil
salt + pepper
vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast, optional

Cook the pasta in salted boiling water for about 7 minutes, then add brocolli rabe to blanch for about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, get a large pan on medium heat and add olive oil and garlic. Cook the garlic slowly, then add seitan sausages to get them nice and brown. When the pasta and brocolli rabe finish cooking remove them from the boiling water with a spider or slotted spoon and add to the pan with sausages. You want about a half a cup of that pasta water mixed in to make a sauce. Cook pasta in pan for 2 more minutes until all coated in the olive oil sauce. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil on top and some vegan parmesan.



Ratatouille

Get out all them farmers market goods....

1 medium onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, smashed

2 medium japanese eggplant, diced

1 can tomatoes in puree, preferably San Marzano

1-2 fresh tomatoes

2 medium zucchini, diced into large chunks

small bunch basil, chiffonade

olive oil

salt + pepper to taste

Sauté the onion and garlic until tender. Add eggplant and tomatoes, bring to simmer. Simmer, covered for 15 minutes. Add zucchini. Simmer for about 10-15 minutes un-covered to allow concentration of flavors and to thicken sauce. Remove from heat. Stir in the herbs, season to taste.

Based on this.


And here is an awesome cake. Compliments to the pastry chef kelsey with sous chef morimoto.

What is Fulton doing on that cake?

Diner Style Skillet

This meal was amazing. Basically, its an awesome variation of the traditional diner style skillet you could find at any greasy old spoon except way better. There is a real hearty potato hash with a vegan omelet/frittata/scramble topped with some homemade vegan cheese. Try this dish anytime you have a hankering for something delicious and filling.


Diner Style Skillet

4 med russet potatoes, diced
1-2 sweet potatoes, diced
1 med onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 cups diced seitan or seitan sausage
3 tbsp tamari mixed with 2 tsps liquid smoke
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp good chili powder
2 tbsp cumin
3 cups spinach or greens
salt
black pepper

1 block of silken tofu
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2-3 tbsp non-dairy milk
2 tbsp arrowroot
1 cup broccoli florets
1/4 diced onion
1 clove garlic
3/4 cup vegan cheese (that melts), sliced or shredded
4-5 green onions sliced thinly on bias
black pepper
salt
oil to coat pan

For the hash
Start with the oil in a pan over medium heat and add the potatoes. Cover and let cook for a while. After about 5-10 minutes add the onions, garlic, seitan, smoke and spices. Let cook and get brown for about 5-10 minutes. Add the spinach to wilt and splash with tamari and season with salt and pepper. Serve trying to get a good mixture of everything. We also added some broccoli chunks in that we had on hand.

For the tofu
Blend all ingredients in the blender except brocolli, cheese and oil. After the mixture is smooth add brocolli and process until only small bite sized chunks are left. Heat a pan to get it real hot, add the oil, then add the mixture to the pan. After about 2 minutes turn the heat to low and cover. Cook for about 10-15 minutes. Add cheese. Let it melt or broil in the oven to get it browned on top. Tofu is ready whenit gets firm.

Stuffed Tofu, Wheat Berry Succotash, Purple Cauliflower Puree

So I have been missing in action for quite some time now. I would like to say that I have been busy, but the truth is I have just been quite lazy (both in the kitchen and in life). However, i was inspired by the farmer's market bounty and decided to make a nice dish. The tofu takes on a similar texture and flavor to that of a cordon bleu without the cruelty or environmental destruction. The succotash is reminiscent of a light summer chili and the sauce offers up a rich creamy contrast to the smoky tofu and crunchy-spicy succotash.







Garlic Scape Stuffed Tofu, Wheat Berry Succotash, Purple Cauliflower Puree


Garlic Scape Stuffed Tofu
1 block tofu, pressed and sliced into 6 slabs
4 Tbsp tamari
3 Tsp liquid smoke
pepper


1/2 shredded cashew cheese
3 garlic scapes finely sliced
salt
pepper


Brown both sides of the tofu slices in a bit of olive oil. Splash with tamari and liquid smoke just before transferring to a tray to cool. Season with balck pepper and let cool.

Get the same pan and saute the garlic scapes in oil over low heat. Once just brown remove from pan and mix with cashew cheese. Slice a pocket in the tofu and stuff with the cheese mixture then bake at 350 for about 15 mins.


Wheat Berry Succotash
1 cup wheat berries
salt
2 cloves garlic


1 med onion, diced
1 zuchinni, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 handful cauliflower florets
1 cup of chickpeas,
1 Tbsp ancho chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
4 Tbsp of sunflower seeds
salt and pepper to taste


Boil wheat berries, garlic and a pinch of salt in 4 cups of water until cooked.

Saute onions, carrots and zuchinni for about 5 minutes in some oil. Add chili powder, chickpeas, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add sunflower seeds and cooked wheat berries. Mash up the garlic and mix that in too.



Purple Cauliflower Puree

1 head purple cauliflower, steamed until well cooked
2 cloves garlic, steamed or boiled with cauliflower
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp light miso
salt
pepper


Puree all ingredients in blender until well pureed. Serve over tofu and succotash.

Vegan Cheese

Holy cow!

I think I finally mastered the art of making vegan cheese without using any sort of aging process. The trick is to use already fermented ingredients to lend the flavor without actually spending the time or risking a moldy waste of good ingredients. So here is my recipe.

Beautiful Vegan Semi-Firm Cheese

2 cups raw cashews
3/4 cup raw pine nuts
1 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 safflower oil
3tbsp sea salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 heaped tbsp white miso paste
1 pinch cardamom
1 tbsp onion powder
1 pinch cumin
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 package silken tofu
1 tsp xanthum gum, optional

1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp agar agar powder

Method

Blend all the ingredients (except the water and agar agar from the bottom) until very smooth. You can soak the cashews and pine nuts if you would like, but it is fine without that step. Meanwhile, simmer the water and agar agar powder for about 10-15 minutes until completely dissolved and thickened, stirring continuously.
Get a vessel, mold, dish, or whatever fits all your cheese mixture ready by coating it with oil or nonstick spray. I used a ceramic loaf pan. Avoid metal for this because it may impart some weird flavors.
Now, add the not agar agar mixture into your blender with all the other ingredients and blend until very well combined. Scrape down sides, blend again. Pour mixture into prepared mold and chill for at least two hours.

Enjoy!