Our Veggie Kitchen

I used to make chicken Parmesan whenever I wanted a good old-fashioned indulgence, but I'd abandoned thoughts of veganizing it long ago. After my fist bite of Daiya vegan cheese, though, I thought "I've gotta make Seitan Parmesan." I added some lemon zest and salt to the breading and it made for a tasty crust and, with the cheese and sauce, I was back in good-old-fashioned heaven again.



Seitan Parmesan
1/2 Recipe Marinara Sauce (about 2 cups)
4 Chicken-y seitan cutlets
1 cup vegan mozzarella cheese
oil for frying
Breading:
1 cup bread crumbs (I used whole wheat)
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
Batter:
1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk
1 tbs Vegenaise

Prepare the marinara ahead of time or have your favorite jarred sauce ready. Mix the Vegenaise with the soy milk in a wide bowl. This thickens the milk just a bit and helps with binding. Mix together the breading ingredients and pour onto a plate.

For each cutlet, dip into the milk, then toss with the bread crumbs. I just set into the crumbs, toss the crumbs over the top with a fork, flip and repeat. Shake off the excess and set on a wire rack. Repeat the process once, dipping the breaded cutlet into the milk, then the breading and set back on the rack. Let the breaded cutlets dry a bit, for 10-15 minutes.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large saute apn. The oil should completely cover the pan, maybe 1/4 inch deep. Fry each cutlet, in batches if necessary, until both sides are browned and crispy. Set back on the wire rack as they finish cooking.

While frying, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put each cutlet onto a baking sheet, top with 1/4 cup of shredded vegan cheese and bake until the cheese softens. You don't necessarily need the cheese to melt, as long as it is gooey. The sauce will cover the cheese anyway. Also, watch closely as vegan cheese has a tenancy to dry out. Mine baked for about 5 minutes.

To plate, spoon a little marinara on the plate, add the cutlet and top with some more marinara sauce. I made a full batch of sauce and served with spaghetti.

4 Servings: 771 cal (30g fat, 89g carbs, 38g protein)

Mussaman curry evolved with the emigration of Indian Muslims into Thailand. So it began with infusion of a North Indian pallet with Thai ingredients and technique. It is usually associated with beef and potato curries and its especially good with root vegetables.

For this soup, I brought the flavors closer to India by using amchur (dried green mango) instead of lemongrass and lentils instead of beef. Duh! The flavors blended so nicely with elements of sweet, bitter, hot and creamy. And it is neither Indian nor Thai.



Mussaman Lentil Pumpkin Soup
1 tbs vegetable oil
Whole Spices (see below)
1 cup shallots, chopped
1 tbs galangal, chopped (you could use ginger)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tbs amchur (dried green mango powder) or 1 lemongrass stalk, chopped
1 small pumpkin, peeled and cubed (about 5 cups)
2 quarts water
4 cups potatoes, cut into large cubes
6 carrots, diced
1 cup lentils
1 bunch spinach, stems removed, chopped (or 1 package frozen & drained)
11 oz coconut milk (2 small cans)
1/4 cup golden mountain sauce (or soy sauce)

Whole Spices:
3 dried hot chili peppers (I used arbol), seeds removed
1 tbs coriander seed
1/2 tbs cumin seed
4 cardamom pods
2 whole cloves
1 tsp peppercorns

Heat oil in a cooking pot over medium heat. Add the whole spices and saute for a few seconds, until the cumin begins to pop. Stir in the shallots, galangal and garlic along with the turmeric and amchoor (or lemongrass if using) and saute until soft. Add the pumpkin and water, bring to a boil and simmer until soft. In batches of about 2 cups each, thoroughly blend. If you don't blend in small batches, it will be difficult completely blend the whole spices.

Return the blended mixture to the cooking pot and add potatoes, carrots and lentils. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, stir in the spinach and simmer another 10-15 minutes, until the potato, carrot and lentils are tender. Stir in the coconut milk and golden mountain sauce and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat and serve.

6 Servings: 448 cal (15g fat, 68g carbs, 16g protein)

I've still got some pumpkin kicking around from November. I'm hell bent on using all of it,so I've been looking for some creative uses. I made some Southwest Pumpkin soup that I'll post next week. It was a perfect winter treat. Tomorrow, I'll make some Massaman Pumpkin Soup, that I'll post if it's any good. But today, I've got one of the better pizzas I've made: pumpkin, spinach and mushroom pizza!

I've been reading up on bread and playing with my new mixer and I created some of the best crust I've ever made. I used a Cooks Illustrated recipe that was similar to this with no sugar and a cup more flour. I kneaded it until it was nice and pliable, gave it a good first rise, then spread the dough and plopped it on a heated pizza stone. The dough rose quickly from the heat of the stone. It was neat.

Bread Note: I am a novice bread-maker at best. I am relating my experience and I explore an art that I am slowly learning. Please don't mistake this for direction. I might be right, I might be wrong, but it's fun learning.

Update: After a few trials and a lot of reading, I've come up with a pizza dough recipe that I'm very pleased with. Here it is.



Pumpkin Pizza

Pizza Dough for 1 12" pizza
1 1/2 cups Daiya Italian Style or other vegan cheese
8 oz pizza sauce (1/2 can)
1 bunch spinach, washed & stems removed
(or 1 package frozen spinach, thawed)
1/2 lb mushrooms, wash and sliced
1 small pie pumpkin, peeled & seeded (about 5 cups)
3 tbs maple syrup
1/4 tsp rubbed sage

Chop the spinach add to a saute pan with a little water until wilted. Press the spinach between two plates to remove any excess water. Saute the mushrooms in a little oil or steam with a little water and drain. Set both aside or refrigerate until needed.

For the pumpkin, chop into quarters and, using a vegetable peeler, peel into ribbons. This creates a texture that is perfect for pizza. It's not chunky and every bit will have pumpkin melting in your mouth. Add the pumpkin to the saute pan with a cup of water. Cover and simmer for a few minutes, until the pumpkin is soft. Drain, stir in the syrup and sage and set aside.

When the pizza dough is rolled and ready, spread the pizza sauce, then the Daiya. Then spread the pumpkin evenly over the pizza. Add the spinach and mushrooms in a pleasing pattern. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for about 10 minute, until the crust is brown.

I got a Kitchen Aid stand mixer for Christmas and have been diligently making bread, loaf or two each week. One of my first loaves was a loaf of rye from a very helpful home baker named Joe. Of coarse, I used Earth Balance instead of butter, flax instead of bread and soy milk. The flavor was delicious. It was a little brick-like, but I'm sure that was a result of my newness as a baker and not allowing the dough to rise enough. So far, I've improved with each loaf.

For the sandwich, I added some vegenaise, mustard and mixed greens to VeganDad's Hickory Smoked Turkey (awesome!) and homemade cranberry sauce. I've posted this cranberry sauce before, but, since it is so good, I thought I'd post it again.





Final Note: Even the densest, masonry-worthy loaf of bread can make incredible bread crumbs. I chopped the leftovers from this loaf of rye and it made a wonderful breading for fried zucchini.




Cranberry Sauce
12 oz cranberries, picked over
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup Marsala Wine
1 tsp orange zest (about 1 orange)
1 cup sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
5 whole cloves

Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the cranberries have burst, about 20 minutes. Fish out the cinnamon sticks and whole cloves (if you can find them). Serve warm or chill for later. Makes about 3 cups.

I couldn't find the cloves at all. I don't know if they broke apart, dissolved, or if someone ate a clove without noticing. Can you do that??

6 Servings: 167 cal (0g fat, 39g carbs, 0g protein)

I love chili, but a spicy, bean heavy chili can really do a number on my digestive system. So this chili developed out of an attempt to make a gentler chili. I got the idea to use bulgur from this vegan Texas chili and it worked beautifully. As for the beans, I cook them slowly and rinse them twice to remove some of the typical gaseous effects. The asafoetida and fennel also make beans more digestible.

The results were much more pleasing. The bulgur added a terrific texture. The combination of the ancho and chipotle peppers give the chili a fruity flavor with just a hint of after burn and the presentation is exactly what I was looking for. This chili is good alone, but I've also used it on tortilla chips with nacho sauce or as a filling in tacos or, of coarse, for chili dogs. It tastes even better as leftovers.



Chili
3 cups kidney beans (or mix of kidney, pinto or black), soaked overnight
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 onions, finely chopped
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 Anaheim peppers, seeded & finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1.5 cups bulgur
28 oz crushed tomatoes
28 oz diced tomatoes
2 quarts water
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar

Ancho Spice Blend:
2 oz dried ancho peppers
1 chipotle pepper
1/2 oz dried shiitake mushrooms
2 tbs coriander seed
1 tbs cumin seed
1 tbs fennel seed
1 tbs oregano
2 tbs paprika
1/2 tsp asafoetida (optional)

For the beans, drain and rinse the beans, then put in a pot of water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour. Drain and rinse again. I start the beans, then do all the chopping and make the spice blend, then drain the beans when I'm done. The beans will not be fully cooked.

For the spice blend, heat a frying pan over medium heat and add the whole coriander, cumin and fennel seeds. Dry fry, stirring frequently until the seeds develop a toasted aroma. Set aside and let them cool for a few minutes. Tear the dried ancho and chipotle peppers apart and discard the seeds. In a spice grinder or coffee grinder, blend the peppers, whole spices, dried shiitake mushrooms and combine with the other spices. This will take several batches. Set aside.

Once the beans have been drained, heat the oil over medium high in a large stock pot, or the pot you cooked the beans in. Add the onions, celery, and Anaheim peppers. Saute until soft, then add the garlic and saute until the garlic is fragrant. Add all the remaining ingredients, including the spice blend and the beans. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer, stirring occsionally until the beans are soft. Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.

12 Servings: 351 cal (8g fat, 59g carbs, 15g protein)

I was scanning the internet for some good-luck black eyed pea ideas this new year. I came up with this dish, entitled Texas Caviar. I got the original recipe from a fellow Oregonian (see it here) and it's naturally vegan. Black Eyed Peas, tomatoes, onions, peppers and cilanto in a sweet & tangy sauce make for a delicious salsa. I wasn't sure about avocado and I added some the next day, which was even better.



Texas Caviar
2 15 oz cans Black Eyed Peas, drained & rinsed
1 can Hominy or corn, drained & rinsed
3 Tomatoes, diced
2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded & diced fine
1 Green, red or yellow bell pepper, seeded & diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped fine
1 avocado, cubed

Sauce:
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tbs salt
1/2 tbs paprika

For the sauce, combine the vinegar and sugar and microwave until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lime juice, olive oil, salt and paprika. Set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients, except the avocado in a mixing bowl. Pour the sauce over and fold into the salsa. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Before serving, cube the avocado and stir into the salsa. Serve with chips or just east a bowl with a spoon.

8 Servings: 213 cal (8g fat, 32g fat, 7g carbs)

The first specialty dish that I remember mastering was Fettuccine Alfredo. With just cream, butter and Parmesan cheese, it was simple, elegant and decadent. It was also 80 grams of fat and a cholesterol bomb. This recipe hearkens back to those beginnings. A simple sauce, white and creamy, whose flavor and texture drudges up those old memories. This would be especially good with some sauteed mushrooms added to the pasta.

The bread also deserves mention. I found this at Vegan Appetite and it was amazingly good. A mixture of Daiya vegan cheese, Vegenaise and some garlic and scallions, it was aptly named Ooey Gooey Garlic Bread. I spread it across a full loaf of baguette and ate half the loaf myself.



Cashew Alfredo
1 lb pasta noodles
2/3 cups Cashews
2 cups unsweetened soy milk, divided
1/4 cup Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cup shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbs miso
1/2 tsp salt
pinch nutmeg, for garnish

Note: I previously forgot to add wine to the ingredient list.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta until al dente. Drain in a colander, reserving some of the water.

While the pasta water comes to a boil, melt the margarine over medium heat, then add the shallots and garlic. Saute until the shallots are soft, just a couple of minutes, then add the wine. Boil for a couple more minutes and remove from heat.

Combine the cashews with 1 cup of soy milk in a blender and blend until the cashews have been completely liquefied. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, except the nutmeg and blend thoroughly. When the pasta is done and draining, add the sauce to the pan and bring just to a boil. Combine with the pasta and stir, adding some of the reserved pasta water, if necessary.

5 Servings: 581 calories (21g fat, 78g carbs, 19g protein)