Holiday Seitan in slow cooker

Ingredients:

3c vital wheat gluten

1/2 c garbanzo flour (= chick pea flour)

1/2 c nutritional yeast

1T poultry seasoning

1t paprika

1t cumin

4T garlic powder or minced garlic

2c water 

1T soy sauce

To Make:

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.

Mix water and soy sauce.

Add wet ingredients to dry and mix.

Knead for 3 minutes. Add more water 1T at a time if needed.

Let rest 10 minutes.

Knead one more minute then shape into an oval and place on top of Rice dressing in slow cooker. It will cook at the same time as the rice on Low for 6 hours.

Serve with Rice Dressing, Mushroom Gravy and Cranberry Sauce.

Seitan Breakfast Patties

Makes 8-10 patties.

Ingredients:

2 cups vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup chick pea flour

4T nutritional yeast

2T brown sugar

1T dried sage

1T dried minced onion

1T garlic powder

2T dried parsley

1t salt

1/4 cup tahini

1 1/2-2 cups water

To Make:

Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and mix with a whisk

Add all wet ingredients and stir

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a ball forms

Knead for 3 minutes

Let rest for 10 minutes

Knead for 1 minute and divide (cut) into 10 portions. Form each portion into a ball then squish the ball into a patty.

Put in a steamer with parchment paper under each layer.

Steam for 30 minutes.

Serve or refrigerate or freeze.

Asian Dumplings

Asian Dumplings (makes approx. 200)

Ingredients:

3 cups mushrooms, chopped

1/3 block firm tofu

1 Tbsp minced ginger

2 Tbsp mince garlic

3 Tbsp smooth peanut butter

2 Tbsp soy sauce (we use mushroom soy)

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds

4 green onions, chopped

Vegan won ton wrappers (we use Sun On Food Company brand)

To Make:

Add all but last 3 ingredients to food processor with S blade and puree.

Add onions and sunflower seeds and pulse to mix in but still leave the texture intact.

Wet the edges of each won ton wrapper with water.

Add 1 heaping teaspoon of filling to each wrapper and pinch the edges together around filling.

Put on parchment paper in a steamer (you can do multiple layers) and steam for 20 minutes.

We put it in a steamer over basmati rice and they are done when the rice is cooked. You can mix 1 tsp of curry into the rice if you prefer.

Serve as soon as they are cooked.

Note: this filling will fill about 200 dumplings so unless you have a large gang or want to eat it for multiple nights you might want to cut the recipe amounts down or freeze part of it. I freeze the filling (without the green onion) in one cup mason jars. The contents of each jar will fill 30 dumplings.

Corn Tortillas/Quesadillas

 Cook each tortilla in a dry pan.

Add Daija Shreds to bottom half of each Quesadilla

Top each with a second tortilla

Warm in the oven until Daiya is melted

Corn Tortillas/Quesadillas

(makes approx. 18 4 inch tortillas per batch)

Ingredients:

2 Cups Instant Masa Flour (we use Gouda brand)

1 3/4 cup water.

To Make:

Place the Masa Flour in a bowl.

Add the water. 

Mix with a spatula until mixed then continue mixing with hands for complete even batter.

Roll mix into one inch balls.

Press each ball between 2 flat surfaces. We have a tortilla press lined with plastic but 2 cutting boards would do the trick.

Cook in a medium-hot dry (no oil or water) pan until dry and tortilla starts to brown.

To make Quesadillas

Add 1 Tbsp /Daiya shreds to half of the tortillas and place on a cookie sheet

http://www.daiyafoods.com/

Top with the other half of the tortillas.

15 minutes before serving place in a 350F oven to melt Daiya. 

Cut each quesadilla in half and serve with Salsa of choice.

Note:

This is a great menu for a picnic.

Veggie Pasta with Tahini Lemon Dressing

I make this dressing every week and leave it in the refrigerator. I add it to salads, cooked veggies and pasta dishes. I have never heated it, just put it in the bottom of a bowl and add whatever it is being mixed with and toss it together. Today I added it to

1 cup chopped kale (stems removed)

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup cooked rice pasta.

I added the kale and carrots to the boiling water along with the rice pasta but it could have been put into the bowl raw and the hot, drained pasta added on top then all mixed together.

Dressing Ingredients:

1 whole lemon, peeled and seeded

6 pitted dates

1 cup water

1 cup tahini

1/4 cup soy sauce (we use low sodium)

2 tsp ground mustard 

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

To Make:

Add the lemon, dates and water to a food processor or high speed blender and puree.

Add the tahini, soy sauce, and mustard and mix until smooth.

Add the nutritional yeast last and puree. This will make the mixture thick.

Use immediately or store in the refrigerator.

Makes 2 cups.

 We served this in a bowl topped with Parmesean substitute.
You can also add pepper to taste.

6 Ingredient Seitan Sausages

These are great to add to any recipe that would normally call for sausage or in a wrap or a sandwich. They are also good on pizza. Seitan usually calls for oil as an ingredient but I have been making these without oil and they are good.

This is the fastest version because there are so few ingredients but really none of them are much work.

Ingredients:

In a bowl combine:

1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup garbanzo flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 tsp Tex Mex spice mixture (we use club House but any brand will do).

In a measuring cup combine:

1 1/2 cup vegan beef broth 

2 Tbsp minced garlic

To Make:

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Stir the wet ingredients together then pour into the dry ingredients.

Knead for 3 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Put at least an inch of water in a large pot and put on stove to boil.

After the seitan has been sitting for 10 minutes knead for another 30 seconds then cut into 4 or 6 or 8 pieces and shape into sausages or patties.

Wrap each piece in foil and place in a colander.

Set the colander over the boiling water and cover with a lid.

Turn the water down to a simmer and steam for 30 minutes.

Let cool and refrigerate or freeze. All Seitan tastes better the second day because the spices blend together better.

Note: all of the ingredients are available at our local Bulk store. Even the regular beef broth cubes at our local bulk store are vegan. Just read the ingredients and you may be surprised.

Spicy Seitan Sausages

These are great to add to any recipe that would normally call for sausage or in a wrap or a sandwich. They are also good on pizza. Seitan usually calls for oil as an ingredient but I have been making these without oil and they are good.

This is a spicy recipe that we prefer but we like hot spices.

Ingredients:

In a bowl combine:

1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup garbanzo flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

In a measuring cup combine:

1 1/2 cup vegan beef broth 

2 Tbsp minced garlic

To Make:

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Stir the wet ingredients together then pour into the dry ingredients.

Knead for 3 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Put at least an inch of water in a large pot and put on stove to boil.

After the seitan has been sitting for 10 minutes knead for another 30 seconds then cut into 4 or 6 or 8 pieces and shape into sausages or patties.

Wrap each piece in foil and place in a colander.

Set the colander over the boiling water and cover with a lid.

Turn the water down to a simmer and steam for 30 minutes.

Let cool and refrigerate or freeze. All Seitan tastes better the second day because the spices blend together better.

Note: all of the ingredients are available at our local Bulk store. Even the regular beef broth cubes at our local bulk store are vegan. Just read the ingredients and you may be surprised.

Mild Seitan Sausages

These are great to add to any recipe that would normally call for sausage or in a wrap or a sandwich. They are also good on pizza. Seitan usually calls for oil as an ingredient but I have been making these without oil and they are good.

This is the recipe I am most likely to serve to company because there are many people who don't like hot spices.

Ingredients:

In a bowl combine:

1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup garbanzo flour

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 tsp poultry seasoning

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 t cumin

In a measuring cup combine:

1 1/2 cup vegan beef broth 

2 Tbsp minced garlic

To Make:

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Stir the wet ingredients together then pour into the dry ingredients.

Knead for 3 minutes.

Let sit for 10 minutes.

Put at least an inch of water in a large pot and put on stove to boil.

After the seitan has been sitting for 10 minutes knead for another 30 seconds then cut into 4 or 6 or 8 pieces and shape into sausages or patties.

Wrap each piece in foil and place in a colander.

Set the colander over the boiling water and cover with a lid.

Turn the water down to a simmer and steam for 30 minutes.

Let cool and refrigerate or freeze. All Seitan tastes better the second day because the spices blend together better.

This photo makes me aware of how casual I am about shaping them. A perfectionist could make them far more perfect in size and shape if desired.

Note: all of the ingredients are available at our local Bulk store. Even the regular beef broth cubes at our local bulk store are vegan. Just read the ingredients and you may be surprised.

Fast and creamy pasta

For a fast and creamy pasta combine 1/4 cup Smoked Not-cheese dip with 1/2 cup salsa and mix together. This can be gently heated but we just add 2 cups cooked rice pasta or wheat pasta while it is still hot and toss together and serve.

Smoked Not-cheese dip

Scrambled tofu and Potato Nachos with pinto beans

We have served this for brunch.

Scrambled Tofu

1 pound firm herbed tofu, broken then mashed with a potato masher.

1/2 tsp ground tumeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 c salsa

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 c water

Mix all ingredients and add to heavy pan.

Heat gently until heated through.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

This can be served over toast if desired.

Potato Nachos

Slice 6 medium potatoes and place in heavy fry pan.

Add 1 cup water. Cover with lid and cook on high heat for 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and most of the water is gone.

Top the potatoes with

1 cup pinto beans

1 cup salsa

2 chopped tomatoes (use 1 cup diced canned if you don't have fresh)

1/2 cup cheddar style daiya shreds.

Cover with lid and heat on low heat until the daiya shreds are melted.

Serves 4

Curried chick peas and spinach

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained.

1 package frozen spinach, thawed.

2 Tbsp Patak's Mango Pickle

To Make:

Mix together and serve cold with a salad or heat gently and serve with rice or over toast..

This makes a very fast meal or packed lunch.

Mango pickle is very salty and not appropriate for those on a low sodium diet.

Spicy sweet potatoes with peas

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, sliced in 1/4 inch thick slices

1 cup water

Place in a heavy pan with a lid and heat on high for 10 minutes until the potatoes are cooked and most of the water is absorbed.

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup daiya shreds.

To Make:

Put the peas and salsa over the potatoes and top with daiya shreds.

Heat on low heat with lid on until daiya melts.

Serves 4.

You can use any vegetable you have. We have also made this with chopped broccoli which is very good.

Potato Nachos

On Sunday we bought a basket of small new potatoes and boiled them all, drained them and p

ut them in the refrigerator. They were now ready for addition to soups, or to be used in a recipe. Potato Nachos are much healthier than buying commercial nacho chips.

Ingredients:

10 small boiled potatoes cut in quarters length wise

1 tsp canola oil to grease the baking pan

1 bell pepper, chopped

1/4 cup salsa (we used

pre-made but you can make your own if desired)

1/4 cup Daiya cheddar style shreads

To Make:

Place the potatoes on the baking pan in 350 F oven until heated through.

Top with chopped peppers, salsa and Daiya

Heat an additional 10 minutes until Daiya is melted.

Serve hot.

We have been watching videos and reading books by Dr John McDougall. Since he really believes potatoes are a great healthy food and we can get them locally we have been eating LOTS of potatoes.

Here is his video called The Starch Solution if you want to watch.

Spinach and Mushroom Pasta

This is a hearty pasta with lots of 'Staying Power" from the large amount of spinach. This is also very high in iron due to the spinach.

Ingredients per person:

1 cup cooked pasta

8 cups fresh spinach

2 T chopped onion

1/2 cup Portobello mushroom, chopped

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 cup water

1 tsp Italian spice mixture

To Make:

Add olive oil, onion, mushroom, to pan

Sauté on gentle heat until mushrooms are soft. Add the Italian spice mixture at the end.

When cooking pasta add the spinach during the last 2 minutes of cooking to allow it to wilt.

Toss the mushroom mixture with the pasta.

Topping per person:

2T Walnuts

1T Nutritional yeast

Quesadilla

There is a new type of vegan cheese available in our area. It is called daiya and comes shredded. This is great for pizza or quesadillas.

We needed a quick meal for unexpected guests so we put together a very easy meal from what we had.

Ingredients:

Chop one green pepper.

Chop one small red onion.

Peel and mash two avocados with 1 Tbsp lime juice.

1 can refried beans.

6 tortillas

1 cup salsa

To Make:

heat the beans in a pot

add the beans to 6 tortillas and place in fry pan (we like heavy cast iron)

sprinkle Daiya vegan cheese on top or inside tortilla

heat until cheese melted.

Serve with salsa, avocado, onion and green pepper.

For more info on daiya vegan cheese check here.

www.daiyafoods.com/