Mar 23, 2015

seitan steak sandwich

It's been a seitan steak kind of week over here. My hubby asked for a repeat of the Cajun SteaK, using my seitan SteaK recipe, but I wanted to mix things up and use the seitan in other ways.



 I made a Seitan Steak Sandwich with Creamy Mushroom Sauce. Searing the seitan and then basting it with au jus gives it a wonderful flavor. Topping it with the creamy mushroom sauce is spectacular. Serve it with a fluffy baked potato, and you've got yourself a compassionate meat-and-potatoes dinner.




I used fresh homemade almond milk for the sauce, but I am sure a store-bought vegan milk will work equally well. It is important to caramelize the mushrooms just enough to give them flavor, but not so much that they shrivel up into nothing but a pile of dried fungus.

I will be posting how I make my almond milk over the next few weeks because even though a lot of people say that it is easy and there is nothing much to it, except soaking some nuts, blending with water and then straining, I find there are a few nuances that are good to know.

On a personal note, my sister will be visiting us from Hungary this week. I haven't seen her for close to 30 years, so it should be an exciting week. I learned that she is also vegan. Imagine that! Three decades and a world apart and both of us live cruelty-free.

Because we live in San Diego, we'll be heading up to LA to dine on some kick-ass vegan food. I've not been to Crossroads, yet, and then there is Doomies, which I hear makes a great batch of vegan fried chicken. I've also heard through the grapevine that there is a vegan cheese shop in LA. I hope she'll have a good time in the states!








Seitan SteaK Sandwich with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Serves 4
Steak:
2 teaspoons fresh cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
¼ cup au jus (recipe below)
Mushrooms:
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup sherry
¼ cup au jus (recipe below)
1 cup nondairy milk

4 hoagie rolls, split almost completely through
1.SteaK: Combine the black pepper and salt in a small container and set aside. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seitan, topping each pieces with 1 tablespoon of the au jus and about a quarter of the seasoning mix. Cook until golden brown, about for 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the seitan, add more au jus and more seasoning mix. Cook for another 3 to 5 minutes. Drizzle the seitan with 1 teaspoon oil, flip and cook until lightly charred. Drizzle another teaspoon of oil and flip. Cook until the other side is lightly charred. Transfer the seitan to a work surface and cut into slices.
2. Mushrooms: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until golden, stirring only occasionally. Add the garlic and the remaining seasoning mix. Stir and cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the sherry and au jus and cook until almost evaporated. Add the milk and cook until the sauce is reduced by half. Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Assembly: Toast the split hoagies. Divide the seitan among the hoagies and top with the mushroom sauce. Server.  

Au Jus:
1 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons vegan steak sauce (such as A-1)
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari
¼ teaspoon dried parsley
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon oregano
⅛ teaspoon rosemary
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

To make the au jus, combine the broth, steak sauce,tamari, thyme, oregano, rosemary, and black pepper in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Whisk well to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until reduced by one-third, about 10 minutes. Keep warm until needed.

© 2012 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

Mar 16, 2015

"nutrition champs" cookbook + giveaway

Today I am reviewing a new cookbook by Jill Nussinow's, Nutrition CHAMPS. CHAMPS stands for Cruciferous vegetables, Herbs and spices, Alliums, Mushrooms, Peas, beans and lentils and Seeds and nuts. Jill says that these are the components of a healthy lifestyle.




Jill is a Registered Dietitian and has been teaching healthy eating for over 25 years. She is the author of The New Fast Food, a pressure cooking cookbook and The Veggie Queen. In fact, she is popularly known as the Veggie Queen.

CHAMPS is a healthy cooking cookbook, ranging from raw to pressure cooked foods, from breakfast to dessert and the book contains recipes from over 45 authors, bloggers and chefs, including Jill herself, Robin Robertson, Dreena Burton, Kathy Hester and Chef AJ, just to list a few.

The book is available as an ebook or paperback. The recipes are low-fat and most are gluten-free!




The only note of concern to some folks might be that, while there are beautiful illustrations by Emily Horstman, there are no actual photos in the book.

Jill has offered an international giveaway for the ebook, so after you make and enjoy the Pinto Bean Quinoa Burger below, enter to win the cookbook via Rafflecopter.




Pinto Bean Quinoa Burgers

This will likely work with any cooked grain or bean with slight adjustments in amounts. I developed this recipe for one of the many Barbaras in my life who wanted something tasty and easy to eat.

Makes 6 medium burgers


1⁄2 to 3⁄4 cup cooked quinoa
1 1⁄2 cups cooked pinto beans
1⁄4 to 1⁄2 cup onion

2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons ground cumin
Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil or cilantro
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1⁄2 teaspoon salt, if using fresh cooked, not canned, beans
2 tablespoons hemp seed, if you have it


Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Put the quinoa, beans and onion in the food processor. Pulse a few times until slightly mixed. Add the garlic, cumin, herbs, yeast, and salt, if using. Pulse again, adding 1–2 tablespoons bean liquid, stock or Bragg Liquid Aminos if it needs it. Stir in hemp seeds. Form into patties. If the mixture doesn’t feel thick enough, add more quinoa and combine again.
Bake on oiled baking sheet for 10 minutes. Turn over and bake another 10 minutes. Eat, refrigerate or freeze.




©2105 Jill Nussinow, MS, RD, from Nutrition CHAMPS: The Veggie Queen's Guide to Eating and Cooking for Optimum Health Happiness, Energy and Vitality www.theveggiequeen.com



a Rafflecopter giveaway