Braised Cabbage with Seitan

John bought a huge head of cabbage that we have been slowly working our way through, we had leftover seitan from a stew recipe earlier in the week and leftover brown rice. So, this came together really quickly. We were out of garlic so I sprinkled garlic powder and onion soup in for flavor. The recipe is from Appetite for Reduction (Big suprise! I have been making something from it almost everyday since I brought it home).

Portobello Pepper Steak Stew

I am working my way through the recipes in Appetite for Reduction and have not been disappointed with one so far. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants more veggies in their diet, no (or less depending on who you are!) meat, and lots of low-fat nutrition.

As for this recipe, it will be made again...many times! We dumped the stew over crusty ciabatta rolls. The flavor of red wine, fennel seeds, and portobello mushrooms was mouthwatering.

Chickpea and Chorizo Style Soup

When we were in London in December we went to an Animal Rights Fair. Heather Mills was there selling her cookbook, Love Bites, so I bought an autographed copy (all profit goes to charity). The first recipe I followed from it was this really delicious soup. Coconut oil is used in most of the recipes and I love the subtle addition of the flavor. The ingredients for the soup are tomatoes, chorizo style sausage (I made this recipe), onion, garlic, celery, kale, chickpeas, veggie stock, salt and pepper. It all cooks into a really flavorful and filling soup. Half of it is blended in a food processor for a bulkier base.

Many of the recipes call for a specific brand of meat substitute, one I think Heather Mills was a part of creating. Because I do not have access to the brand, I will figure substitutions out. The cookbook is full of curries, salads, soups, dumplings, tarts, and really simple recipes.

Vegan MoFo: V is for Vietnamese Seitan Baguette with Savory Broth Dip

The recipe is from Veganomicon and made an excellent lunch. I followed this seitan recipe. Instead of cucumbers, we added zucchini slices.

I also substituted mayo with leftover sauce from the Kibbeh we had on Thanksgiving.

Chilean Corn and Un-Turkey Chowder

Holidays are my favorite excuse to make elaborate, often expensive, and always gourmet meals that take days to plan and prepare. So, with Thanksgiving only 26 days away, I have already begun the search for the perfect meal!

When I was growing up, holidays were a big deal in my family. We would gather, eat the traditional foods, play games, eat more, and basically spend the day together catching up. Because John and I live so far away from both our families and rarely make the trip back during any of these peak days, friends are crucial to the plan. This year: Hannes and Joy!!!

Anyway, I found this recipe while re-reading the Vegetarian Times Nov/Dec2008 issue. The timing was just right because Joy wanted to make a batch of baked seitan (from this recipe!!!) and seitan was the perfect "un-turkey" for the chowder. Additionally, an important lesson was learned: Gluten flour is NOT the same as Vital Wheat Gluten and will NOT make seitan!

I ran out of veggie broth but substituted water with a few herbs sprinkled in. I used dried thyme instead of fresh and added a carrot and spinach but left out the avocado and cilantro.

The chowder was very hearty and creamy and rich. The flavor of lime was strong, in a good way!

Braised Seitan with Brussels and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

The recipe, along with the recipe for the seitan, are from Veganomicon. It calls for kale but due to the fact that we couldn't find kale at the store, we left it out. There was discussion about substituting spinach, it just didn't happen. I made the seitan the day before. Here is a link to the actual pages from the cookbook, also including the recipe for chickpea cutlets (best. things. ever.) I love this seitan recipe because it is very easy and unlike the recipe for Simple Seitan, the cutlets bake, not boil.

We spooned it all over rice and really enjoyed the flavors of the sun-dried tomatoes, wine, brussels, shallots, and everything else! Easy and delicious.

Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

I had such a craving for pizza today. When I was young, we would order pizza almost every week. I don't feel guilty about eating this pizza though! I used spelt flour for the crust and loaded a ton of veggies including yellow peppers, red onion, mushrooms, and sun dried tomatoes. I used a boxed tomato sauce and made a batch of Seitan Chorizo Crumbles. I also added black olives.

And finally, I added a few slices of this cheese alternative, broken up into bits and spread out over the crust. It melted and added a really nice, tangy flavor.

Meaty Burgers and White Bean Salad

I finally found TVP here in Denmark so I was able to try this recipe from the blog, Your Vegan Mom. The burgers were chewy, like seitan, but the chunks of TVP made some bites spongy. I really liked the texture compared to some of the softer, pastey consistency bean burgers I have made in the past.

I made the buns from this recipe. They are so easy to make yet John still gives me a strange look for making hamburger buns. "Normal people just buy buns." Whatever.

Also from the Vegan Mom blog, I made Teriyaki sauce to top the burgers with. So freaking good!

And finally, I had cooked white beans that needed a nice recipe and this one fit the bill. I also added diced sun dried tomatoes.

Seitan Chorizo Crumbles and Mexican Cole Slaw

We had dinner with a couple; he works with John and she is a spunky housewife like me. She was a vegetarian for 6 years but now eats meat and dairy. I really love these two because they have a ton of food allergies making them the only other couple I know with as many food restrictions as me!

We decided on tacos for dinner. I made roasted potatoes and Seitan Chorizo Crumbles. I have had this recipe bookmarked for a long time but finally got around to making it this week! I cooked the crumbles until they were browned, on the verge of burning. I don't like soggy seitan!

I also made Mexican Cole Slaw but wasn't crazy about this recipe. It was very sweet; I would have preferred a bit more spice. I added corn and used red pepper, instead of green.

They made a fantastic zucchini, red pepper, and tomato mixture (that reminds me, I really need to get the recipe from her!) We also had black beans, sprouts, green onions, tomatoes, and guacamole.

Homemade Seitan and Tomato Gravy

I decided it was time to try my hand at seitan. I have a load of wheat gluten and am trying to dwindle down my food supply as we prepare to move soon. It was really easy using the recipe for Simple Seitan from Veganomicon. The recipe says "you don't want to boil for very long or the outside of the seitan will be spongy." I think I boiled too long! The outside was a lighter color and had a slightly different texture. But, most importantly, the taste was amazing. I have not bought seitan since. I can't believe I was so scared to try making it until now.

We also had a delicious tomato gravy. I didn't follow a recipe because I couldn't find a vegan one that appealed to me. I can't remember exactly how I made the gravy but I am sure it involved crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, milk, flour, agave, garlic, and a mixture of herbs.

Also under the tomato gravy are Zucchini Patties. The recipe is not vegan but easily substituted to be so. And finally, freshly cooked black beans.

Reuben Sandwiches with Carrot and Broccoli Salad

Here is the Reuben recipe I followed. Originally, I bought a loaf of Rye bread by accident. I thought it was Wheat bread. So, I intended to make Reubens with that. But, I waited around too long and it went stale beyond the point of use! (except for croutons, of course.) So, I bought these cute little Organic English-muffin-style Rye breads. I didn't have pickling spice, so that was left out. I used my new Rice Mayo for the sauce. I couldn't find a substitute for Swiss cheese but instead used smoked cheddar by sheese. It was a really good combination of flavors.

The salad is a version of this recipe. I shredded my carrots in the food processor to save time. I also added broccoli and pecans. The dressing is Rice Mayo, sugar, salt, and white wine. It tasted very much like a summer salad!

Easter Dinner: The Vegan Ghost of Julia Child Menu

In the back of Veganomicon, there are menu ideas. Each typically has a main course, salad or soup, and dessert pairing. I selected the Vegan Ghost of Julia Child because I knew it would be as gourmet and fancy as I could handle, and because I have made the salad and dessert in the past, giving me a leg up.


The entree is Sautéed Seitan with Mushrooms and Spinach and Herb-Scalloped Potatoes. It is paired with a Bulgur, Arugula, and Cannellini Salad. For dessert, Heart-Shaped Apple Galettes with Vanilla Soy Ice cream.

Sautéed Seitan with Mushrooms and Spinach
I absolutely love seitan so it isn't hard for me to fall for a recipe that includes garlic and mushrooms and wine and spinach and seitan! I was picking at the leftovers all night.

Herb-Scalloped Potatoes
Okay, first, these potatoes were delicious. Creamy, rich, buttery, and everything you would expect from scalloped potatoes. But, not what you would expect from "herb" scalloped potatoes! John prepared this dish and was so excited by his exquisite layering of the potatoes that he forgot to add the herbs. Missing from the dish is thyme, basil, rosemary, paprika, salt, and pepper! Fortunately, the nutritional yeast, garlic, soy milk, and veggie broth, plus time under the broiler to crisp everything up, provided a wonderful taste! But seriously, just look at that gorgeous layering!

Bulgur, Arugula, and Cannellini Salad (I substituted spinach for arugula)
The recipe says to make this a day, or even two, ahead of time. Mine sat in the fridge for 2 days and the flavor of the dressing was deliciously and evenly marinated into everything. I made half a batch because a full batch makes enough for 8 servings and last time, it went sour sitting in the fridge for so long before we were able to finish it.


Heart-Shaped Apple Galettes

These might be very close to one of my favorite desserts. They are very easy to make and look impressive! Instead of rolling the dough out and cutting hearts with a cutter, I chopped the dough into 6 pieces and finger pressed them into hearts. Their shape is not as defined but it was faster.

The recipe calls for apricot jam. I was hesitant to use apricot jam last time because I didn't think I liked apricots. But, it turned out to be a delicious addition to the crust, spices, and apples. I did switch it up this time because although I enjoyed the apricot jam, I was not able to use the remaining jam before it molded in my fridge. Because there were no smaller jars of this flavor at the grocery store, I opted for a trio of tiny jars in the exact amount necessary for the 6 galettes. The flavors are strawberry, peach, and raspberry.

Easter Treats

For Easter, I ordered John some vegan candy from VeganVersand. It was my first time ordering from them, and I was so excited that the box arrived in just a few days. Most of the things available online are also available in stores near to me, but I could see orders coming in handy occasionally. They also sell refrigerator items like cheese and icecream. I am not sure how those survive the shipping, so I think I will stick to traditional grocery shopping for that sort of stuff.

I did order three of their candy bars: Twilight (Milky Way), Jokerz (Snickers), and Mahalo (Almond Joy). I also ordered gummy Cola Bottles. We saw them in a store one time and John commented how much he loved them, so they were a perfect addition.

Besides the Easter treats, I also ordered Rice Mayo and Wheat Gluten. It is called "Seitan Mix" but the ingredients are simply wheat gluten.

Not-”Chicken” Noodle Soup

I made lasagna earlier today for dinner tonight but had 2 extra cooked lasagna noodles. I chopped them up and made this Not-”Chicken” Noodle Soup. It turned out really flavorful and I can imagine it will be even better tomorrow after the flavors settle. I didn't have celery or turmeric and did not worry about trying to substitute anything.

Chickpea-Quinoa Pilaf with Seitan in Wine Sauce

I had chickpeas in the freezer, leftover from something, and needed to clear out the space. I am also re-evaluating my diet to ensure I am getting enough calcium, iron, and zinc. Those are the three I have always had to be more observant of. So far, so good!

Anyway, I found this pilaf recipe in Veganomicon. I always thought of pilaf as having rice in it. Good to know that is not the case because I tire of rice easily. I didn't have coriander seeds, so instead used oregano. I also didn't have tomato paste (or the desire to buy a can of it only to use 1 Tbsp!) so I used ketchup. It worked just fine!

We also had seitan cooked in a white wine sauce. It consisted of a sauteed onion, and then a mixture of veggie broth, white wine, dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper.

Broccoli slightly sauteed in a bit of olive oil was perfect on the side and I also sprinkled ground flax seed on top of my quinoa.

Seitan Piccata with Olives and Green Beans

It is ridiculous how delicious this meal was. I feel like I have run out of adjectives to describe really good food but if I had a great new word, I would use it for this meal!

The only thing I did that isn't described in the recipe is to dice up the capers. I was really nervous that I wouldn't like them, so I figured smaller would be better. They complimented the sauce so perfectly that I had nothing to worry about.

Here is the seitan I used. The grocery store down the street finally started to carry it!

Lemon-roasted new potatoes and Seitan Nuggets

The potatoes were so easy and the flavor was sweet and tangy mixed with the creamy flavor of little new potatoes. I could have eaten the whole dish. I recommend the very teeny tiny red new potatoes. They absorb the most flavor and get the softest/crispiest. To this, I added rosemary breaded seitan nuggets. I have made these in the past, but left the gravy off this time. They taste like crispy chicken nuggets to me. And, for some added green to the meal, roasted brussels sprouts. They were a great addition because they roasted in a seperate pan side by side with the potatoes. I added a thin layer of olive oil to a baking dish, splashed balsalmic vinegar and salt and pepper and layered the washed and quartered brussels sprouts on top. It all baked at 375 for about 40 minutes.

Black Beluga Lentils and Spinach

I have made the Seitan Marsala before and really love the flavor. I also added chopped white onion this time. It is very easy to make and goes well with many different side dishes. This time, I had black beluga lentils; I buy them at Trader Joe's, pre-cooked. I sautéed garlic, olive oil, and fresh spinach leaves and added the lentils with salt and pepper. It was fantastic because of it was quick, easy, and tastey!

Golden Vegetable Noodle Soup

Because I needed to use leftover veggies that had been used as stock in a gravy last week, this soup came together so quickly. The veggies had been cooked in red wine, shallots, and other seasonings adding a rich, savory flavor to an already tasty soup. I made a few changes to the recipe. I did not blend any of the ingredients only because my veggies were precooked and very soft already, ready to absorb and/or release flavor. And because the description of the soup says it is similar to chicken noodle, I added chicken flavored seitan. It almost makes me feel like getting sick to stay home from work and eat this all day!!!

Rosemary and Hazelnut Encrusted Seitan

I found this recipe a few months ago but didn't make it for fear that it was going to take too much time. It is marinated, then breaded and fried. Then there is a gravy to add and it just seemed a bit overwhelming. I am happy I finally made it though because it was delicious. I was a tad turned off in the beginning of the meal because John made the comment that the seitan tasted like chicken livers. (deep breath). I rolled my eyes and moved past the comment, focusing on the rich, red wine flavored gravy, the smooth, rosemary infused breading, and the chewy texture of the seitan. Next time I make this, I will add mashed potatoes to soak up more of the gravy. On the side, we added steamed broccoli with a dollop of Earth Balance Buttery Spread.