A Fully Vegan ThanksLIVING Feast

A Fully Vegan ThanksLIVING Feast

Maybe it's your first holiday season eating plant-based. Or, maybe, it's your thirtieth! Or, maybe, it's your first-time cooking for a vegan family member. Or, maybe, you just love cooking and as long as it tastes good, it doesn't matter that it's vegan! Whatever your reason, these recipes are perfect for the season. Scroll on down for an entire feast of recipes from soup and salad to start, to sides, a show-stopping stellar main dish, and even a no-fuss dessert.

Harvest Butternut Squash Stuffing and Seitan Roulade En Croute

Thanks to everyone who came out to Tanaka Farms on Saturday for the Plant Powered OC Vegan Holiday Cooking Demo and Talk. It was a great turnout and we had a super fun time!

A couple of notes about the following recipes. THEY ARE FLEXIBLE! Don't like pecans? Use walnuts. Don't like yellow onions? Use red ones. Don't like cranberries? Use raisins. Don't like wild rice stuffing? No worries, use your favorite stuffing recipe instead. Don't want to put the puff pastry on? Don't! It's all about making food that YOU like. Not me. So have fun with it.

Hot, Sweet, and Sour Seitan Ribs with Lemongrass Bones

It's #ThrowbackThursday so I thought I'd throw it back to these amazing ribs from Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen. This was one of those recipes that gave me goosebumps. It's one of those things that my dad would eat. And he never likes to eat "weird vegan food." So, that, my folks, is a vote of approval if I've ever seen one.

An Open Letter to Arby's from the @UnhealthyVegan

My vegan version of Arby's Roast Beef and Cheddar as part of @UnhealthyVegan's Open Picture Book to Arby's

Maybe you've seen the Open Letter to Vegetarians that Arby's wrote last month. Then maybe you, like me, were like, "That's pretty f'd up!" Not to mention just plain stupid. (I mean, I'm up for a good joke, but this was just a dumb marketing idea.) A couple of vegan folks have written responses on their Facebook pages, blogs, and took over the comments...but the @UnhealthyVegan took it next level and started an entire book. A picture book, to be exact. Instagrammers united to post a vegan version of an Arby's menu item, but BETTER. Better for the animals. Better for the planet. Better for our health. Andre's there to make sure Arby's knows that #WeMadeArbysBetter and #WeMadeBaconBetter.

"Happy Clam" Chowder Day!

New England Can Kiss My Clam Chowder from Going Vegan, photo by Celine Steen

In honor of National Clam Chowder Day I thought I would share my recipe for a truly "Happy Clam" Chowder which is featured in Going Vegan, which I co-wrote with Gerrie Lynn Adams.  No clams were harmed in the making of this chowder, yet this hearty soup is full of all of the seafood-y flavor one would expect from this classic soup.  If you want to get extra fancy, make up a batch of my virtually indestructable bread bowls to serve it up.

And in honor of the clams, I am giving away a copy of Going Vegan to one reader anywhere in the world.  Simply follow the prompts in the widget at the end of this post.

Vegan MoFo VIII, Day 22: Green Castle Sliders

Green Castle Sliders from The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet (page 87)

Today's recipe comes from The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet: 101 Globally Inspired Vegan Creations Packed with Fresh Flavors and Exciting New Tastes.  It's a testament to the fact that great things come in small packages.  These little sliders are so cute, and they just happen to taste good too.  Dress 'em up any way you want to.

Throwback Thursday! Breakfast Style Chicken Fried Seitan Steak Smothered in Sausage Gravy

Throwin' back this Thursday to 500 Vegan Recipes, Celine and my first book together.   It's fun to look back and see what VegNews had to say about the book way back when!  And as Celine and I just started working on our fourth book together (Can you believe it's already time to write The Complete Guide To Vegan Food Substitutions, Volume 2?) it was predicted the two of us would go on to write recipes together for a long time to come.

Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen is Going On Tour!

Spicy Seitan Potstickers (page 43) Photo by Wade Hammond Recipe can be found HERE.

Fusion Food in the Vegan Kitchen is going on tour.  We will start our Journey right here in California, and work our way all across the United States, ending our adventure in New York at the New York Vegitarian Food Festival, where I will be serving up some awesome Fusion Tacos.  I am keeping the schedule posted on the Calendar page HERE (or just click the Calendar tab above) and will update it as each date is comfirmed.  If there is a place you'd like to see me and my book, please leave a comment below and I will see if I can fit it in to the schedule.

BBQ Seitan Ribs (and Giveaway RESULTS!)

BBQ Seitan Ribs (complete with Cedar Bones!) found on page 140 of
The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions.  Photo by Celine Steen.

I am a complete sucker for the small town, idyllic idea of a country hoe-down or county fair. Unfortunately, I live in Orange County, California, and if you've seen the ad for our county fair, you'd see that the romantic visions of a barn dance, red and white gingham tablecloths, hay rides, banjo plucking bands, under the big blue sky, in a big green meadow are just that...romantic visions.

So, I have my own hoe-downs.  Me and my husband in my backyard.  (And yes, I do own an old wooden wagon wheel!)  One of my favorite things to throw on the grill is a big ol' slab of Seitan Ribs, complete with cedar bones.

If you like to cook outdoors, leave a comment below telling me your favorite foods to eat or cook outside!  I will choose 3 comments at random to receive your choice of any of my 5 cookbooks!  Yes, I will ship internationally.  I will choose the winners on Saturday night. (After I get home from the fair.  Ha!)  I only ask one favor...if you enter this giveaway, please check back to see if you have won, otherwise, I have no idea how to get your book to you.


CONTEST NOW OVER.  WINNERS ARE #28, 21, and 2.  CONGRATULATIONS VIC, ERIN, and BETH!

#2  Vic Robinson July 18, 2012 11:08 AM

These look fantastic! I really like the unique addition of steak sauce! Yum!

#21 Erin C. July 18, 2012 4:27 PM

I usually go for a simple tofu/veggie kabob. Once I did pizza on the grill and that was yummy!!!

#28  Beth July 19, 2012 8:17 AM

Corn all the way! Dang it, I wish we had a grill.... those ribs looks INSANE.

Please send me an email with your mailing address and choice of cookbook to joni AT justthefood DOT com so I can send you your book ASAP!

Barbecue Seitan Ribs

3 cups (432 g) vital wheat gluten flour

1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour

1/4 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast

2 tablespoons (16 g) onion powder

1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic powder

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups (470 ml) water

1/2 cup (125 ml) barbecue sauce, store-bought or homemade

1/4 cup (60 ml) steak sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce

2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid smoke

2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil

2 cups (470 ml) additional barbecue sauce for baking and grilling

6 bones (See note below)

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).

Line a 9×13-inch (23 x 33-cm) baking pan with foil or parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix together wet ingredients.

Add wet ingredients to the dry and knead for 5 minutes.

Let mixture rest for 20 minutes.

Shape mixture into a large rectangle, to fit in the pan, with at least an inch of space around the edges.

Push the bones through the mixture, at equal distances from each other.

Pour additional 3/4 cup (180 ml) barbecue sauce into the bottom of the baking pan.

Place “rack of ribs” in the pan.

Spread another 3/4 cup (180 ml) barbecue sauce over the top.

Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 90 minutes.

You can enjoy these as is, or refrigerate for later use.

To reheat, fire up the grill to give ribs extra smoky flavor and grill marks. Brush with 1/2 cup (125 ml) even more barbecue sauce while grilling!

Finger Lickin' Good: Disposable bamboo chopsticks or even Popsicle sticks work wonders here, but if

you want to kick it up a notch, try food-grade cedar cut into 1/2-inch x 6-inch (1.27 x 15-cm) “bones,” makingsure to sand down any rough edges. Whichever you choose, start by soaking them in a mixture of 2 cups (470 ml) warm water mixed with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) liquid smoke to add some smoky flavor to the ribs. For an edible set of bones, try taro root. Although this method will yield edible “bones,” they will be more flimsy after cooking, thus requiring a fork and knife for eating.

Yield: 6 large ribs

Cooking Class & Demo on Monday: Vegan Easter Feast!

This coming Monday, I will be doing a cooking class and demo at the Whole Foods Market in Torrance, California.

We will be making a Vegan Easter Feast, featuring the wildly popular Seitan En Croute!

Complete 5 course meal to include:
Green Salad with Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing
Stone Ground Mustard Roasted Brussel Sprouts
Seitan en Croute (Like a Beef Wellington, but VEGAN!)
Piled High Strawberry Pie
...and just for fun, a vegan version of Cadbury's famous Creme Eggs!



For more info & to RSVP CLICK HERE!

Truth is...

I've been eating leftover soup, and cold cereal for the last 2 days. Not very exciting. But you know what is exciting? 500 Vegan Recipes comes out on November 1! That's less than 2 weeks away!

Here's a little teaser to get you as excited as I am:

Seitan en Croûte
A juicy, savory seitan wrapped in a flaky pastry crust… Need we say more?



Inside Shot:


The Recipe:

2 cups (288 g) vital wheat gluten flour
1 cup (120 g) whole wheat flour
1/4 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup (235 ml) beef flavored vegetable broth (or plain veggie broth)
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce or tamari
3 tablespoons (50 g) tomato paste
1 tablespoon (45 g) prepared stone ground mustard
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 sheets vegan frozen puff pastry

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).
Have ready a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat such as Silpat.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together, gluten flour, wheat flour, nutritional yeast, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper.
In a separate bowl, mix together broth, oil, soy sauce, tomato paste, mustard, and liquid smoke.
Add wet to dry and knead together until well incorporated and until moist dough forms.
Let rest 20 minutes.
Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.
Form into a loaf (similar to a meat loaf shape) and place in the center of the baking sheet.
Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).
Cover the loaf entirely with one of the pastry sheets, tucking the edges underneath the loaf.
Slice the other sheet into 10 even strips for weaving. Weave the strips, on the diagonal across the top of the loaf. Tuck loose ends under the loaf.
Sprinkle a little paprika and parsley on top for color.
Return to the oven and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until pastry is fluffy and golden brown.

Yield: 1 loaf (about 8 servings)

Happy Father's Day! Have some Ribz!

I totally stole the idea from Tracy over at A Veg*n For Dinner. She has some amazing seitan creations. I admit that I am not as "careful" about my presentation of these ribz as she was, but I thought these ribz were fantastic. Although I did steal her method for using "bonz," I came up with my own recipe for the "meat." I baked mine on Saturday night and threw them into the fridge. On Sunday, I threw the whole rack on the grill to warm 'em up and give them an even smokier flavor.



Chipotle Barbecue Ribz on Cedar Bonz
Dry Ingredients
3 cups gluten flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp granulated onion
2 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp chipotle powder (This makes 'em pretty spicy, feel free to reduce the heat if you need to.)
6 1 inch cedar bones (optional)*
Wet Ingredients
+/- 1 cup veggie broth**
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup Bragg's or soy sauce
1/3 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (I used a chipotle hickory flavor)
extra bbq sauce for basting
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil. In a large mixing bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add in the wet ingredients and knead about 5 minutes. Let mixture rest about 20 minutes. Pour a generous amount of barbecue sauce into the bottom of the baking pan. If using bonz, divide your "dough" into 2 equal pieces. Press one piece into the bottom of the pan, until it is in the shape of a large rectangle. Lay in the bonz equally apart from eachother, press the other piece of dough onto the top of the bonz, making sure to press in between the bonz so that the seitan sticks together. If you are not using the bonz, simply spread your dough into a nice flat rectangle. Spread another layer of barbecue sauce all over the top. Cover the entire pan tightly with foil and bake for about 75-90 minutes.

*If you can get your hands on a food safe cedar plank, cut it into 1" bonz uzing a saw, and then sand down the edges. Soak the bonz in warm water for at least an hour before use.
**If you find you mixture too dry, just add in a bit more broth.

New Year's Eve...resolutions anyone?

Every year I make the same resolutions.


Lose weight, eat better, work out and generally be a healthier person.


I am going to Hawaii in March, so weight loss between now and then is CRUCIAL! Now I know this blog is about JUST THE FOOD, so I will try to make sure to post some healthy recipes, that TASTE GOOD TOO! I'll even try to post some nutritional info on the recipes I post that I get off of the Sparkpeople website, which I also resolve to start using again after tomorrow.





To start off I am having a wonderfully fancy "steak" dinner tonight with good friends to ring in the new year. I am in charge of the vegan "steaks" since several of the dinner guests will be vegetarian or vegan. I used a traditional method of rinsing, kneading and boiling the seitan tightly in cheesecloth, using the recipe in Cozy Inside. The only thing I did differently than normal, was to shape the "log" a little fatter before wrapping in cheesecloth, so that the slices will be larger and more "steak" like.


After boiling, I let the logs rest in their broth to stay moist. Just before serving, I sliced them into nice thick slices, sprinkled with some fresh cracked black pepper and pan "seared" for a few minutes on each side, in just a smidge of olive oil, just to give them a crispy bite.


Seitan is one of my favorite protein foods. It is so versatile and it tastes so good. Other than the fairly high sodium content, seitan is pretty healthy too! It is generally low in fat, high in protein and relatively low in carbs.


A basic search for nutritional facts gives the following info:


A typical 4 oz T-bone steak provides:
Calories: 149.7 (30% from fat!!!)
Total Fat: 5.15 g
Saturated Fat: 2.0 g
Cholesterol: 44.25 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 0.0 g
Fiber: 0.0 g
Protein: 48.4 g


While an equal sized portion of commercially available WhiteWave brand seitan provides:
Calories: 112.5 (only 11% from heart healthy fats!)
Total Fat: 1.5g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0g
Total Carbohydrate: 4.5g
Fiber: 1.5g
Protein: 27g

So make some seitan, make it often, eat it and enjoy it often! I think you might even burn a few calories kneading and rinsing it!


Traditional Boiled Seitan (from Cozy Inside)
Ingredients:
1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
5 cups whole wheat flour
2 ½ cups water (or vegetable broth)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2 tbsp garlic, minced (dried is fine)
2 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl mix the flours, slowly add water and form a stiff dough. Knead the dough about 70 times. I do it right in the bowl. Let rest 20 minutes. After resting, take dough, in the bowl, to the sink and cover with water. Knead the dough until the water becomes milky, empty the water from the bowl and repeat. Do this 10-12 times. By the 10th to 12th time, the dough will feel and look like the consistency of brains. After the last rinse, add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, parsley, and pepper. Mix thoroughly, by hand.

Divide dough into two equal pieces. Place one piece of dough in the center of a large piece of cheesecloth and roll in tightly into a "log" shape. Tie the ends to secure. Repeat with the other piece. Place both "logs“ in the broth (recipe below) and simmer for 90 minutes. Remove from broth and set on a plate to cool. Remove from cheesecloth. If the cheesecloth is sticking, run under some water, and it should come off easily. You can store it in the fridge (in foil) or in a plastic container. To keep it really moist, place some of the broth in the container.) Keeps in the fridge about two weeks, or indefinitely in the freezer


Traditional Boiling Broth for Seitan
Ingredients:
10 cups water
2 cups soy sauce
10 cloves garlic (chopped in half)
5 whole bay leaves

Directions:
In your largest stock pot, put all ingredients in and bring to a boil, add seitan pieces and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 90 minutes.

A MonteChristo Reuben?

I was getting the two confused, thinking a reuben was served on French Toast. Apparently I was incorrect, and I was thinking of a MonteChristo, which is served on French toast. Nonetheless, I made this sandwich for dinner tomight. I guess you couls call it a MonteChristo Reuben? I used thw VWAV recipe for Fronch Toast and in between those two golden delicious slices was a pile of thinly sliced and pan fried seitan form Cozy Inside, topped with Sauer Kraut. Super yum!

Busy Day = Easy Food

Some days are just too busy to create a masterpiece in the kitchen. Today was one of those days. Although I wanted to just kick back and order pizza, I still mustered up enough energy to make myself a nice, and easy dinner. Usually on nights like this, I just boil up some pasta, melt a little EB on it and call it dinner, but I wasn't in the mood for that. So as I tried to think of things I liked together, and stared into my pantry, I came up with this.

Out of my pantry (and fridge) I took:
1 13.5oz can of coconut milk
1 15oz can of peas
1/4 cup of cashews
1 cup of brown rice
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 cup of water
1/4 of a log of Lachesis Seitan'O'Greatness (sliced into strips)
a pinch of salt
a dash of pepper

Then I threw it all in a nice big skillet, let it simmer until most of the moisture was absorbed and the rice was tender and called it done. There's even enough leftover to take to work tomorrow for lunch.



Other things I ate today: Coffee, a zucchini mushroom burger on a bun with vegenaise for breakfast, a scarborough fair burger on a bun with vegenaise for lunch and above recipe for dinner.

A Complete Wiener

With Sauer Kraut and Agave Mustard:


And thanks everyone, for the birthday wishes!

Octoberfest Wieners

Tomorrow is my birthday. I wanted to go to Octoberfest. Why? You know, to drink beer and eat brats. Truth is, I don't like beer, and I obviously don't eat brats, so why should I go to some wacky overcrowded beer garden and pay $15 to get in the gates and $9 a beer, that I don't even drink?

Solution. My husband suggested we make our backyard into a beer garden and have Octoberfest in our own backyard. Genius! I knew there was a reason I married that man.

Then I got to thinking...he and some of our friends are still gonna be eating brats covered in kraut and drinking lots of beer, so whattabout me? It is MY birthday!

I wanna have brats! So here they are...Octoberfest Wieners:

Naked in all of their krauty glory. Tomorrow I will smother them with sauer kraut and mustard on a nice crusty roll! And I'll be drinking Kahlua and Vanilla Soymilk!


Dry Ingredients:
2 cups gluten flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tsp ground black pepper

Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup sauer kraut
+/- 1 1/2 cups veggie stock

Directions:
Preheat oven to 35o. In a mixing bowl, whisk all dry ingredients together. Than add the sauer kraut and 1 cup of the veggie stock. Knead together (if it's too dry, add in the remainder of the veggie stock) about 5 minutes until it looks like brains


Divide into little logs and place on a square of aluminum foil.


Roll up the foil tightly and twist the ends closed.


Bake for about 60 minutes. Remove from the oven. Remove from foil, when cool enough to handle.

Really "Meaty" Veggie Burgers with Lot's of Protein!

If there was an Atkin's diet for vegans, this burger would definitely be on the menu! It is the "meatiest" veggie burger I've ever had. Dan, my husband, likes it too!

Uncooked:


Cooked:

Really “Meaty” Burger

If there was an Atkins'™ diet for vegans, this burger would definitely be on the menu! It is the meatiest veggie burger I've ever had. It's a bit labor intensive, unless you make the Seitan ahead of time, but OH MY! They are really meaty.

Serving Suggestion: This one really is a standard meaty burger that goes great with the standard fixin's (ketchup, mustard, lettuce, tomato, mayo...) and a side of fries (or Tater tots!).

2 cups (170 g) of seitan, chopped up into tiny bits
2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut oil
1 cup (96 g) TVP granules
1/4 cup (60 ml) soy sauce
3/4 cup (180 ml) veggie broth, or water
1/2 cup (72 g) vital wheat gluten flour
1/4 cup (30 g) nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic powder
1 tablespoon (8 g) onion powder
pepper to taste

+/- 1/3 cup (80 ml) additional veggie broth

Reconstitute TVP granules with the soy sauce and veggie stock either by mixing together, covering tightly with plastic wrap and placing in the microwave for 5 to 6 minutes or by pouring the boiling liquid over the granules, covering and let stand for 10 minutes.

            Preheat oil in a frying pan over medium high heat. 

            Sauté seitan, until browned, but not too crispy.

            Add seitan along with the remainder of the ingredients up to the additional veggie broth to a large mixing bowl.

            Mix well, using your hands to make sure the flour and spices get fully incorporated.

            Add in the additional broth until you get a patty-able consistency.

            Form into patties and prepare as desired.

             I really like these fried. About 4 to 5 minutes per side until crispy and golden brown.

            If baking, cover with foil to keep moist. 15 minutes per side at 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4).

Yield: 6 to 8 burgers

Seitan Sliders on Biscuit Buns

Using a very variated variation of the Seitan O Greatness, I made sliders. I served 'em up on little biscuit buns! Everything is cute when it's ittle-wittle!

Fun with Nut Cheeze!

Patty Melts:

(Seitan patties on crusty dinner rolls with lettuce, vegan mayo, grilled onions and smoky "nutty cheeze")

Grilled Cheeze:

(Smoky "nutty cheeze" between two slices of whole wheat, smothered in EB and fried. Served with a heaping helping of Joanna's Goddess Pasta Salad.)