More with Brussel Sprouts

(the only pic I could find that closely resembles the recipe, my blackberry pic is ugly.)

Last night I worked at school and was lucky enough to prepare one of the most delicious items on the menu: shaved Brussel sprouts with poppy seeds and Meyer lemon vinaigrette. The recipe I have was scaled for 100 so I'll do my best to reproduce it.

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad with Poppy seeds and Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette
2 LBS Brussel Sprouts
1/2 T. sea salt
2 T. poppy seeds

Vinaigrette
1/2 C. Meyer lemon juice
3 Shallots, thinly cut
1/2 t. sea salt
pepper to taste
1 1/2 C. olive oil

In food processor using shredding attachment (or by hand for a mind clearing zen exercise) shave Brussel sprouts. In large bowl add sea salt and poppy seeds. Let sit for one hour at room temp.

In separate bowl, prepare vinaigrette. This vinaigrette is delicious but I'm pretty sure any vinaigrette you like would work, especially a citrussy one.

Add vinaigrette to Brussel sprouts, let sit for another hour at room temp.

Serve and have mind blown by deliciousness.

Repeat after me: Noon, Panir, Sabzi!

For most Iranians (or maybe just me?) , these three things are like the holy triumvirate of Persian cuisine accompaniments. It's a staple on the tables of most every household or restaurant.

'Noon' means bread (usually pita or lavash-type thin flatbread), 'panir' means feta cheese (French and Bulgarian are the best in my opinion- more creamy and mild), and 'sabzi' means green herbs. The sabzi usually consists of fresh basil, tarragon, watercress, or mint.
On the same plate you'll often find spring onions, red radishes, and fresh walnuts, which have usually been soaked in water (it tastes so much better, trust me).

I was in Maryland this past week visiting my parents and was happily reminded of how a plate of noon, panir, sabzi is present for every meal- breakfast, lunch, dinner, and anything in between (including my parents 5pm wine-fueled happy hour). It could pass for a light meal in itself, because it's so satisfying...creamy, sharp, fragrant, herbal, crunch, all these different textures and sensory aspects.

It's like an Iranian taco of sorts. You just pick a piece of bread, a teared off piece of lavash- squish in some feta, some herbs, roll it up and chow down. While you're eating that with one hand, bite into a radish or a spring onion or walnut with the other...it's so simple and so very good.

The Secret To Hummus

I recently discovered the secret to making hummus soft is cooking the chick peas, even if they are canned.

here's what i just did:

1 can organic chick peas, cooked and drained (cook in liquid for 5 minutes, set aside liquid)
1 T olive oil
3 T organic lemon juice (recipe calls for two lemons, next time I think I will add a little more)
2 cloves garlic (recipe calls for 1 but I like garlic)
3 T tahini

mix ingredients together in food processor (blender will work), add liquid from chick peas until you thin it out how you like it (i put about 2 T in)

serve warm with pita
drizzle with olive oil

so good!

recipe is from this book:

Carrot ginger soup, poached pears

My midterm is over thank goodness. Theoretically it wasn't hard, but we learn things so quickly in class, it's easy to miss steps or details. For the practical part of the exam we were required to make a creamy carrot soup, a vinaigrette for a salad and poach a pear. All sound simple and they are, but there are tricky details you can get marked down for. For example, I was marked down for blending all my soup. I should have reserved some in the event that I needed more liquid (which I did.) I also added the olive oil to my vinaigrette to quickly and even thought the chef said it tasted perfect, he caught me doing it and it's not the proper technique. I learned from this, and got an A anyway, so we move on.

Here are the recipes anyway. They really are surprisingly good.

Creamy Carrot Soup
This version is thickened with butter, other options are potatoes, Aborrio rice or oats. The butter version is so mega easy and tasty, I highly recommend. I don't honestly see what the butter does to make it so creamy so try it without any added ingredients for a veegs version.

2 T. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 t. sea salt
2 Lbs. carrots, about a 1/4 inch thick
5 Cups vegetable stock (no salt added)
2 T. butter
1 T. ginger juice (grate ginger and squeeze out juice)
1/2 T. lemon juice (fresh is best)
dill or parsley to garnish

In a medium stock pot heat olive oil. Add onion and a pinch of salt to sweat the onions (make sure they don't brown.) After about 5 minutes, add carrots and cover pot to soften the carrots. After another 5 minutes add stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and leave soup simmering for about 30 minutes or until the carrots are completely soft. Blend about 3/4 of the soup in a blender or with a wand blender. Add butter. When creamy consistency is achieved (it should be like cream)add ginger and lemon juice. Serve hot and garnish with dill or parsley.

Poached Pears in Apple Reduction
This is so simple and tasty it's hard to believe. Serve with any kind of ice cream, vegan ice cream, whipped dairy or nut cream.

2-3 cups apple juice
2 cinnamon sticks, star anise pods or cloves. Try to keep it simple.
2 pears, peeled, halved, seeds and core removed

In a small pot, bring apple juice and spices to a boil. Reduce heat (poaching liquid is 160-180 degrees F. and since you probably won't have a thermometer, just make sure it's not boiling anymore.) Add pears and try to keep them submerged in the liquid. After about 15 minutes check for doneness with a toothpick, they should be soft but not falling apart. Remove from the liquid and set aside. Raise the heat on the liquid and cook for another 20 minutes or so until liquid is reduced but not quite syrupy. Pour over the pears and serve with whatever creamy stuff you like.

Cream of Refrigerator Soup.

by Donna Dresch

This is a lovely soup to make when you look in the fridge and realize if you don't eat all that crap you are going to waste all that money you spent at the store last week.

This specific recipe is what I made last night.

Ingredients:

• 20 desperate brussel sprouts
• 1/2 jar of trader joes marinara sauce
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 shallots
• olive oil
• that soymilk in the fridge, it still smells ok.
• 1/2 tub of tofu
• the rest of the frozen corn
• that veggie broth that becca brought over when i was sick like 3 weeks ago.
• salt
• Tabasco (Tabasco is the most important ingredient in all my soups. I think it's the vinegar)

Directions:

In a large pot sauté the chopped garlic and shallots for five seconds. Add halved Brussel sprouts and toss with the oil, garlic, shallot combo.

Here is an important point in the recipe, at this point you can decide if you really want this soup or eat these soon to be delicious brussel sprouts.

after 2 minutes add the extremely well rinsed cubed tofu. (this still could be a delicious meal....) and cook another couple minutes.
with these cooking it is an excellent time to rummage through the fridge and freezer and cupboards to find what else you need to get rid of.

Now add the container of vegetable broth and bring to a simmer.
Once simmering add the rest of the ingredients except soymilk. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and taste often to adjust for the varying flavors.

Cook until the sprouts (or whatever else is in there) are tender.
Add the soymilk to taste or until the container is empty. Readjust the flavors. (the fancy restaurant lady down the street always asks, "how are they flavors?". Simmer a bit longer, until you have killed any potential soymilk bacteria.

now comes the important part: blending everything.
I like to blend about 2/3rds of the soup, the left behind broth and chunks give the soup more texture when you add the blended portion back into the soup.


garnish with Molly's cheese that you made last week.

Bon Appetit!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Thanks, Molly. You popped my guest blogging cherry!


Ingredients
1 1/2 cups organic unbleached all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher or fine grain sea salt
1 cup plain yogurt (preferably raw and organic)
1 1/3 cup unbleached organic cane sugar
3 large organic eggs
The zest of 2 organic lemons
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup neutral flavor vegetable oil
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (approximately 3 small lemons)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Prepare a loaf pan by greasing, laying down parchment on the bottom of the pan, greasing again, and dusting with flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into one bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. In thirds, slowly fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until fully combined. Fold the oil into the batter, until completely combined. (Don't overmix)

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45- 50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

Meanwhile, make the lemon syrup by melting the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in the lemon juice in a sauce pan over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and the mixture is clear. Remove from heat and set aside.

When the cake is done, cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then while the cake is still warm, pour the lemon syrup over the cake (keeping it in the pan will make less of a mess) and allow it to soak until the cake is cool.

Midterm Study Group Menu

I'm in the chef's training program at the Natural Gourmet Institute which is rad. Next Wednesday we have our midterm exam which is 2 hours written (reviewing everything we've learned so far) and 2 hours practical where we make a creamy carrot soup which is perfectly textured and seasoned, a poached pear with a reduction sauce and a salad and vinaigrette. It sounds simple and it is, but it's easy to psyche yourself out in these situations. My classmates are awesome and last night we had a little party to study and also sort of ease the anxieties we have. None of the dishes were crazy complicated but they were all delicious.

Here was the menu
Molly: tortilla de patata, asparagos con romesco, pan con tomate
Kristine: lemon yogurt cake (I asked her to join the blog and post the recipe!), goat cheese profiteroles
Toshiko: green tea, chocolate and vanilla cookies. Perfectly designed.
Georgia: mixed green salad with apples and balsamic vinaigrette
Danielle: wines from the fingerlakes region of NY
Vanessa: cheeses and bread
Asami: Japanese eggplant with delicious sauce

My tortilla de patata was definitely the worst one I've ever made. I was rushing after work and didn't have time to pace myself properly. I didn't season the potatoes and onions and I thought it was bland bland bland. I have high standards for that! It's my signature dish!

But the romesco was a hit. So I'll get to the point and give the recipe!

10-15 marcona almonds toasted
1 tomato seeded
4 piquillo peppers
2 large cloves garlic
juice of one lemon
one slice rustic bread toasted
1/2 cup olive oil (more if needed)
salt to taste
water if needed

heat oven to 400˚, place almonds in a heavy skillet and toast about 5 minutes
in food processor add all ingredients and combine until smooth. Slowly add olive oil until you achieve the right consistency and flavor. Add water to thin it out if you need to.

Honestly, like a tortilla de patata, I think everyone has their special touches that make romesco their own. Come over and I'll show you mine!

STS makes miso gravy

STS gave me this recipe for my cookbook zine a loong time ago and I've been wanting to make it again so I'm posting the recipe. I better tell her!

1. start w/ making a roux

- olive oil or margarine in a bottom of a pan, heat it up.

- when hot, add some flour to make a paste, take off heat.

- add warm water and push it around with the paste and make a kind of saucy feeling thing (add water, stir, add more, stir, add, etc..)


2. Now that you have this white gravy, you must add seasoning, anything will do, (i.e. nutritional yeast, soy sauce, vinegar makes a fake cheese for pasta) but here's something good for dipping in sweet potato fries

- miso (spoonful)
- soy sauce (a little)
- balsamic vinegar (little)
- sesame oil
- garlic salt or powder
- nutritional yeast powder
- ginger powder
- cayenne or black pepper
- curry


mix up good, eat with everything in sight.

Tomato Jam

Tomato Jam

1 container/pint of cherry tomatoes pierced with a knife
1-2 roma tomatoes roughly chopped
½ yellow onion finely chopped
1 large spoonful of tomato paste
1/8 or 1/4 cup of apple vinegar
4 – 6 large heaping s of sugar
Olive oil
Salt

1) Cover the bottom of a warm pot with olive oil
2) Once the oil is heated, sweat the onions until it starts to change color
3) Add the tomato paste and stir as to not burn the onions and paste. The paste will darken in color as the natural sugars starts to caramelize. This takes about 2 minutes
4) Add the tomatoes, 1/8 of the vinegar, 4 spoonfuls of sugar, and some salt. As it cooks, check to see if it needs more vinegar, sugar, or salt.
5) Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to medium or medium-low heat
6) Let it simmer for 15-20 minutes until a lot of the moisture is gone and the mixture is chunky. Stir once in a while.
7) You can add a spoonful of olive oil in the mixture once cool to round the flavors (but I usually don’t)

Serve with toasted bread
Great with cheeses (mozzarella, machego, Monterey jack, etc) and olive tapenades
Goes great with Spanish tapas like tortilla, broiled potatoes, and croquetas
Delicious with a simple grilled chicken and wilted spinach and garlic
Use in sandwiches like croissant with sharp cheddar cheese
Best at room temperature
Can last up to 2 weeks

Tips:
For an Italian jam, you can add fresh tarragon and black pepper. Serve with crostinis and top with goat cheese
For a Southern jam, you can add red pepper flakes and fresh rosemary. Serve with biscuits
For spiced jam, you can add garlic, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, etc.
* Add herbs and spices into the pot at the same time as the tomatoes during the cooking process

Egg Tortilla Soup (Sopa de Tortilla de Huevos)

Egg Tortilla Soup (Sopa de Tortilla de Huevos)

Published: February 10, 2009
Adapted from Gladys Puglla-Jimenez

Related
For Dinner (and Fast), the Taste of Home (February 11, 2009)

Time: 25 minutes

Vegetable oil
1/2 cup small, dry tubular or shell-shaped pasta, such as penne or conchiglie, optional
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt, or as needed
1 teaspoon adobo powder
2 large all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 2-ounce piece of queso blanco, grated
1 large Anaheim pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup whole milk, or as needed
1/3 cup cooked white rice, optional.
1. If desired, place 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When oil is hot, add pasta and fry until lightly browned. Remove immediately and drain on paper towels. Set aside pan with oil in it.

2. Place a medium (5- to 6-quart) soup pot over medium-low heat, and add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil. Add scallions and sauté until softened, about 30 seconds. Add salt, adobo powder, potatoes, queso blanco and fried pasta, if using. Add just enough water to cover. Cover and simmer until potatoes and pasta are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. While soup is cooking, place a small skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add Anaheim pepper and sauté until softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs and cook until firm, another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove omelet from pan and cut into 1-inch-wide slices.

4. When potatoes are tender, add milk, omelet slices and, if desired, rice, to pot. Simmer gently until reheated, and serve hot.

Yield: 4 servings.

Hungarian Lentil Stew

Hungarian Lentil Stew

Published: February 10, 2009
Adapted from Renata Olah

Related
For Dinner (and Fast), the Taste of Home (February 11, 2009)

Time: 1 hour, plus optional overnight soaking

1 1-pound bag brown lentils
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons sweet Hungarian paprika
3 bay leaves
2 cups whole-fat sour cream
3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon salt, or as needed
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons brown mustard, or as needed
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or as needed.
1. If desired, place lentils in a bowl with water to cover, and soak overnight; this step may be skipped, but makes lentils more digestible.

2. Place a large (5- to 6-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat, and add oil and onion. Sauté until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Add garlic and paprika, and sauté until garlic is fragrant, 1 minute more. Add lentils, 8 cups water and bay leaves. Increase heat to bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lentils are tender, about 50 minutes; add water as needed if mixture seems too thick.

3. When lentils are tender, in a small bowl stir together sour cream, flour and milk. Add to lentils and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Add salt, brown sugar, mustard and lemon juice, adjusting amounts as needed for a slightly piquant flavor. If desired, remove and discard bay leaves. Serve hot.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

Korean Pancakes (Pa Jun)

today's times has some awesome recipes. I'll post all of them, they look good and adaptable.

Korean Pancakes (Pa Jun)
Published: February 10, 2009
Adapted from Ji Yoon Yoo

Related
For Dinner (and Fast), the Taste of Home (February 11, 2009)

Time: 15 to 20 minutes

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar, optional
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes.
For the pancakes:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour or rice flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup very finely chopped vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, green beans, scallions) or chopped cooked leftover meat (chicken, beef, pork) or both.
1. For dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine vinegar, soy sauce, sugar (if using) and red pepper flakes. Mix well and set aside.

2. For pancakes: Fill a pitcher or glass with ice and 1/2 cup or more cold water; set aside. Place a small (6- to 8-inch) nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium-low heat. Coat bottom with vegetable oil and allow to heat.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs just until frothy. Add flour and salt and whisk to combine. Add vegetables or meat and stir to blend. Add 1/2 cup ice water and mix again to blend.

4. Fill a 1/2-cup measuring cup with batter; pour into hot pan. Allow to sit until browned and crispy on bottom, about 2 minutes. Flip pancake and cook another 2 minutes. Place on a serving plate and keep warm (or set aside to serve at room temperature). Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with dipping sauce, tearing or cutting off pieces of pancake to dip in sauce with fingers or chopsticks.

Yield: 2 to 4 appetizer servings (3 pancakes).

BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Here is what I do with brussies:

get your skillet medium hot
slice in half
toss in lemon and olive oil
place all your halves face down
slap on a cover
wait a good 4 mins
test if they are tender
if not a couple more mins
sprinkle with kosher salt
serve!

also

finely shred your brussies
add a fat of your choice
saute until tender but still firm
sometimes we put in lemon juice or throw in nuts or cabbage
treat it like a slaw

and let's not forget roasting!

fire up that oven
slice or quarter your brussies
toss em in some oil
add their friends onions and shallots or garlic
roast until they look a bit charred and are tender
eat like popcorn

who has a good brussel sprout recipe?

i think brussel sprout time is almost over so i'm going to
be cooking up a lot of them before they are gone.

what are your favorite recipes?

Parsnip, Yam & Watercress Chowder

I'm addicted to making this soup, I've been making it at least once a week and chow on the leftovers all week for lunch cuz it's so filling, a little goes a long way...I used veggie broth instead of chicken and I also puree all of the apple/parsnip part of it (instead of only 2C. as directed, which makes it less chowder-ish) as parsnips are really intense and pureeing them calms them down a bit.I also use baby spinach instead of watercress when I can't find decent watercress. I'll take a pic next time I make it for a visual...

I got this recipe from Bon Appétit Dec. 2007

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled parsnips (about 4 large)
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)
• 3 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
• 1 cup chopped peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 medium)
• 1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled yam (red-skinned sweet potato; about 1 large)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 4 cups watercress sprigs (tops of 2 bunches)

Preparation

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add parsnips and onion. Sauté until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add 3 cups broth and apple. Cover and simmer until parsnips are tender, about 12 minutes. Puree 2 cups parsnip mixture in blender until very smooth. Return puree to pot. Add yam cubes and nutmeg. Cover and simmer until yam cubes are tender, about 12 minutes. Mix in cream, then watercress. Stir until watercress wilts, about 2 minutes. Thin chowder with more broth, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

homemade cheese

originally posted at http://simplesocialgraces.blogspot.com/

The one sort of odd thing about joining the raw dairy club is I don't actually drink milk at all. I use a little in oatmeal or the infrequent times I eat cereal for the last 10+ years I've used non dairy milk mainly. I do love cheese though, and have begun to be more adventurous with it especially as I travel more through Spain and learn more about the regions and the specific details of the typical cheeses of those regions. And now that I've learned more about the benefits of raw dairy and the negative effects of too much soy, I'm eager to incorporate more into my diet. All the recipes I've read about making cheese have seemed fairly easy so having these wonderful and fresh products gave me the perfect incentive to finally give it a try. I used Mark Bittman's recipe in How To Cook Everything Vegetarian as it's my current go to book for almost anything that I want to get right. The instructions are coherent, the ingredients simple and I've always always had good success with it. Here is his recipe:

Fresh Cheese

• 1 1/2 gallon whole milk
• 1 quart buttermilk
• 2 tablespoons salt

1. In a large sauce pot with a heavy bottom heat over medium high until it starts to boil, stirring consistently so as not to burn the bottom of the pot, about 10 minutes
2. Line a strainer with three layers of cheesecloth, get string or rubber band ready
3. add buttermilk to the boiling milk solids should start to form "curds" and "whey". It will look sort of like cooked egg whites suspended in a slightly thick yellowish liquid. Remove from the heat and stir in salt.
4. Pour mixture though cheesecloth and let curds collect and whey drain off. Run cold water over it so it's easy to handle and squeeze out whey until bundle feels firm.
5. Tie string or rubber band to close the cheesecloth and fasten to a wooden spoon and suspend over a bowl or pot to let drain for about an hour.

The cheese was so fresh and clean tasting, largely I'm sure do the the high quality of the dairy but also because it's hell of fresh! It's almost like mozzarella in it's cold texture but when I heated it it didn't seem to melt like mozz, that's cool though! Seriously, the best thing about this is how easy it is. It might be sweet for a party to cut it into cubes and marinate it in herbs and olive oil. You're friends will be like: "what??!!"

vegan donuts

I can't believe a search for "vegan donuts" on flikr doesn't bring up my donuts in the first few pages!


I took this recipe from the food networks website and adapted to be vegan and they came out great.

I mean look at the picture! and the picture was taken with my old cellphone and they still look delicious




vegan Old Fashioned Yeast raised donuts




1/2 stick soy margarine
2/3 cup hot soy milk
2/3 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
2 packets active dry yeast
3/4 cup sugar
5 cups sifted flour (approximately)
6 teaspoons enrg egg replecer w/ 4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
canola oil for frying

Topping: powdered sugar mixed with soymilk or water.
after that if you like, some kind of frosting, such as chocolate.

Melt margarine in the hot soymilk and cool to lukewarm.
Place water in a warm large mixing bowl, sprinkle in yeast,
and stir until dissolved; add soymilk mixture and sugar.

By hand, beat 2 1/2 cups flour in until smooth; mix in eggreplacer, salt, and spices.
Mix in remaining flour, adding a little extra, if needed, to form a soft but manageable dough.

Knead lightly 1 minute on a floured pastry cloth; shape into a ball, place in a greased large bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down, roll 1/2-inch thick on pastry cloth, using a floured, stockinette-covered rolling pin.

Cut with a floured doughnut cutter and place 1 1/2-inches apart on un-greased baking sheets.
(who has a donut cutter??)

Reroll and cut scraps.
Cover with cloth and let double in bulk.

Meanwhile, begin heating oil in something like a cast iron skillet or a deep fat fryer.

When doughnuts have risen and oil has reached 375 degrees F, ease 4 doughnuts into oil, 1 at a time.

Fry about 2 minutes until golden brown all over, using tongs to turn.
tongs.

Drain on paper toweling.
dip into a bowl of the glaze and set on a rack to get hard.


tada!

oh my god you beat me to it!

although i was asking you to help me with my seitan.

i still say this is a great seitan recipe.

whenever i make it, it comes at fairly spongey. but I've brought it to meat eating parents twice now and both times they loved it. (two different sets of parents, not the same ones twice)




from chow.com
"vegan filet mignon"

INGREDIENTS

• 6 oz silken tofu (1/2 box of Mori-Nu)

• 3/4 cup cold water

• 1 1/2 Tbsp ketchup

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 1 1/2 Tbsp Braggs Liquid Aminos (You can substitute Soya Sauce)

• 1/2 Tbsp steak sauce

• 1 tsp vegan Worcestershire Sauce

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning

• 1/4 tsp powdered sage

• 1 Tbsp Red Star Nutritional Yeast

• 2 Tbsp beef style vegan boullion

• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornmeal

• 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Put all ingredients except gluten and cornmeal in a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Place gluten and cornmeal in a large bowl. Pour contents of blender in and mix together. Knead into a firm ball. You may need to add a little more gluten flour as you knead. Dough should be still soft but not sticky.
3. Cover bowl and let sit for one hour.
4. Dust counter with gluten flour, and roll out the dough. Using a biscuit cutter, cut out six “steaks”.
5. In a large pot, mix the following ingredients: 3 cups cold water, 3 Tbsp beef-style boullion, 1 1/2 Tbsp oil, 2 Tbsp Soya Sauce, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp onion powder.
6. Place steaks into the cold broth, cover, and bring the contents to a slow simmer.Cook on low for about seventy-five minutes, turning occasionally.
7. Allow steaks to cool about ten minutes, then place steaks and broth in a sealed container. To reheat later, put the steaks and the broth back in the pot and simmer just long enough to heat through.
8. Serve with a spoonful of broth on top.

there was a shitload of broth left so i made an awesome gravy with it by making a roux of margarine and flour then just adding the broth and nothing else.

Seitan at Home

Ingredients:
Gluten
7 cups Whole Wheat Bread Flour
7 cups unbleached white flour
7 cups cold water

Stock:
7 cups water
1/2 cup-1 cup shoyu (If you want to make it less salty, use less shoyu.)
3 1/4 inch slices ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
1 piece kombu (sea kelp you can get at any Japanese market)


combine flours in large bowl
pour in water gradually, stirring well to form a sticky dough. Add only enough water until dough is a kneadable consistency.
punch dough with fists several HUNDRED times, kneading well to thoroughly and evenly develop the gluten (abt. 15 mins)
cover dough with cold water and keep submerged for 30 minutes

transfer dough to colander and place in sink
under cold running water, carefully knead dough to rinse out starch. water will become milky.
after several minutes of cold water rinsing, alternated between tepid and cold water rinses until water runs clear and dough has a firm rubbery texture. it will lose about 2/3's of its size.

in a 6 qt. pot, combine stock ingredients and bring to a boil.
form pieces of gluten into billiard sized balls, drop into liquid one at a time.

cover and simmer. (given the heat of your stove, it might be best to do plan on a minimum of three hours.)

remove from broth.

After it has cooled, you have seitan! You can refrigerate it in it's broth or freeze it!