Homemade Seitan

Seitan is a meat substitute some say was invented by Buddhist monks. Seitan is made from wheat instead of soy which is better for some. It has a really nice texture which is great for dishes that require something a bit more "meaty" such as satay, or stroganoff. Many vegetarians feel that one is somehow compromising their values by eating something that tastes or has the texture of meat. Personally, I grew up loving meat in all of it's forms. I chose to be a vegan for ethical and health reasons. I do not feel there is anything wrong with eating something that is similar to meat because it is not the flesh of a dead animal but a plant. Don't be intimidated by this process. I was for the longest time but now that I make my own seitan, I just can't seem to stop! There are many variations but this is a good basic recipe that will get you started.

2 cups Vital Gluten Flour (usually refrigerated)
1 cup Panko
4 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (optional but adds a nice flavor and color)
2 Tbs basil
2 teaspoons thyme
1 1/2 tsp salt

Mix all these ingredients in a bowl
Then mix together the below liquids
2 cups cold vegetable broth
1/4 cup tamari
2 Tbs. olive oil

Stir the liquid into the bowl of dry ingredients then knead with your hands for about 5 minutes. It should be elastic and stick together well although some of the panko might drop out which is no big deal.

Boil 6 cups of veggie broth and 1/4 cup tamari
Tear strips of seitan about 4 inches long and 1 inch wide. Throw it into the boiling broth and continue until all the seitan is in the pot. Bring the broth back up to a boil for a minute and then set in to simmer(bubbling very lightly). Cover loosely with a lid but let a little steam escape. Give it a stir if it looks like the pieces are sticking together. Cook for about 45 minutes. When it is done it should taste chewy and spongy but not like raw dough in the middle.

From here you can do lots of things with it. a simple method is to cut the seitan into long strips, coat with flour and then pan fry. This is a good method for a picata for example. I made the seitan picata in Veganomicon with my last batch. You can also fry in olive oil and then coat with tamari for a thai noodle dish. Let me know how it comes out! For photos and more recipes visit VO2!

Flour's Fabulous Vegan Spring Risotto

Ingredients:

• Arborio or Carnaroli rice....2 cups
  
• Olive oil....3/4 cup
  
• Onions....one medium, diced small
  
• Garlic...6 cloves, 3 minced, 3 smashed
  
• Water or vegetable stock....4-5 cups
  
• Fresh morel mushrooms....1/4 pound of fresh mushrooms, sliced thin
  
• Asparagus: tough ends snapped off and cut into one inch pieces....one pound
  
• English peas, fresh or frozen....3/4 cup
  
• Ramps, cleaned....1 cup
  
• Lemon zest....1 tbsp
  
• Lemon juice.... 2 tbsp
  
• Salt and pepper...to taste
  

Directions:

1. In a medium sauce pan, heat about a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. 
   
2. Sauté the onions and garlic until soft. 
   
3. Add the rice with a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant. 
   
4. Add 4 cups of water or vegetable stock and bring to boil. 
   
5. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. ( this is different than the usual risotto method but it's faster and yields the same result! ) 
   
6. Cook for 15 minutes. Checking after ten, and adding more liquid if necessary.
7. While the risotto cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and fill a large bowl with ice and water. 
   
8. Add the asparagus and peas to the water and blanch for 3-4 minutes. Immediately transfer them, with a slotted spoon, to the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. 
   
9. Next add the cleaned ramps and blanch for 2-3 minutes. Transfer the ramps to a colander and place under cold water until chilled. 
   
10. In a sauté pan over med-high heat, heat another tablespoon of olive oil. 
    
11. Add the mushrooms and quickly sauté them for about two minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small plate to cool.
    
12. Check the risotto. If the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, remove it from the heat, keeping the cover on.
    
13. In a blender, add the three cloves of smashed garlic, lemon juice, and ramps. (squeeze the ramps in a kitchen towel to remove any excess moisture and chop them roughly to remove any excess moisture.) Turn on the blender and puree. 
    
14. Slowly add the olive oil until a smooth texture is achieved. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.
    
15. Remove the cover to the risotto pot and add the ramp pesto, stirring until fully incorporated. 
    
16. Next add the mushrooms, blanched vegetables and lemon zest. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
    

That's all there is to it! Easy, fresh and a delicious way to celebrate the arrival of spring. Enjoy!

Braised Celery Root with Chickpeas and Saffron

Living in New England and trying to use local ingredients, one ends up with a lot of root vegetables during the winter (we get ours in the Dogma box from Boston Organics).  One recurrence in our house has been Celery, or Celeriac, root.  But, what to do with these monstrosities???

This fantastic recipe was taken from Vegetarian Times magazine. It is surprisingly easy to make, with only 2 actual cooking steps.  The biggest pain is peeling the Celery root.  Once that's done, everything else is a breeze, and you'll be glad you spent the time.  This is an extremely delicious dish, is great over farrow or brown rice, and tastes better over time (fantastic leftovers)!!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium, divided
• 1 1-gram package of saffron
• 1 Tbs olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1 and 1/2 cups)
• 4 cups celery root, peeled and diced
• 3 cups cooked chickpeas (or 2 15-oz. cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced (1 Tbs)
• 2 Tbs. drained capers, optional
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbs. pine nuts
• 1 Tbs. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Bring 1/2 cup broth to a boil in a small saucepan.  Stir in the saffron, cover, and remove pot from heat.  Let stand 5 minutes or until saffron has softened and broth is a rich, gold color.  This will smell fantastic
2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion, and cook 7 to 9 minutes, or until soft and golden, stirring often.  Stir in remaining 1 cup vegetable broth, saffron broth mixture, celery root, chickpeas, garlic, capers, and red pepper flakes.  Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 15 minutes, or until celery root cubes are tender when pierced with tip of knife.  Stir in pine nuts and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper if desired, and sprinkle with parsley.