french twist pressed sandwich

Another insanely busy week this week. My girls are planning their new semesters in college and my son is moving back home until the spring. He leaves his the apartment he and his boyfriend shared for almost a year, so the time is bitter-sweet: Berkeley done, but USC beginning.

This, of course, means that the garage needs cleaning to accommodate the things he's picked up in Berkeley. I'm not sure I know of anyone who relishes cleaning the garage. 

So, I prepared a quick pressed sandwich, reminiscent of the French Twist from Roly Poly sandwich place. 

If you have a large tortilla, use that, but to make things easy, these are the regular sized tortillas. I prepared a French-style cheese sauce, which is made from yogurt and not oil or cashews. I really liked it and will be modifying it with other flavors. It's easy and fast and tastes good. My favorite things.

Inside the wrap is Swiss chard, mushrooms, scallions and tomatoes. The sauce is an easy Dijon mustard-maple sauce without mayo. If you like, you can add a few tablespoons of mayo to make it creamy, but I liked it without the added fat.

That's it for the sandwich. Serve it with chips, steamed broccoli or edamame. Enjoy!

French Twist Hot Pressed Sandwich
Makes 4 regular pressed sandwiches

Cheese Sauce:
1 (5.3-ounce) container nondairy yogurt
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons tapioca starch
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon lactic acid (optional)
2 teaspoons white miso
1 teaspoon dry vermouth
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Mustard Sauce:
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 to 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Pinch cayenne

Vegetables:
2 leaves Swiss chard, shredded
1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
1 tomato, sliced 
4 scallions, sliced

Rolls:
4 (6-inch) flour tortillas, warmed

1. Cheese Sauce: Combine the yogurt, starch, yeast, salt, lactic acid (if using), miso, vermouth and vinegar in a small blender. Blend until very smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook until thickened over medium heat, about 4 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. Mustard Sauce: Combine the mustard, syrup and cayenne in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside. 
3. Chop the vegetables. Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Warm the tortilla before rolling to prevent splitting. Spread 1/4  of the cheese sauce on a tortilla. Add chard, mushrooms, tomato and scallions. Fold over and place in skillet, seam side down. Use another pan to press on the sandwich. Cook until golden. Flip and repeat. Cook 2 tortillas at one time. Repeat with the other 2 tortillas. Serve with the mustard sauce. 



© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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larb spring rolls

Heads – up: I’m still on my sandwich kick, but this time without a bread. Folks might argue that spring rolls aren’t “sandwiches” but I strongly believe that anything rolled, wrapped or stuffed into a vessel counts in this arena and I’m quite comfortable with my definition.

I am such a sucker for larb, the Laos minced meat dish, which is traditionally flavored with lots of lime, mint and fish sauce. I love it so much that I include this unique and unusual combination in a bowl version in my book, Vegan Bowls.

These spring rolls are stuffed with the larb mixture (made of seitan, cashews and onion), noodles, herbs, carrots and cabbage. They are pretty quick to make and taste great!

To make eating the rolls easier, slice the seitan or mushrooms instead of mincing them – which is what I should have done as well, but I forgot about my intentions before pulsing the seitan in the food processor and by that time it was too late.

If this one looks good, check out my Bulgogi Spring Rolls from a few months back. That one is a bit more involved, but worth every tasty bite.

Larb Spring Rolls 

Serves 4

Sauce:

¼ cup lime juice

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium tamari

2 teaspoons sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

Filling:

1 teaspoon oil

2 cups ground seitan or 1 pound minced mushrooms

½ small red onion, cut into thin half moons

½ cup cashews

Rolls:

8 (9-inch) spring roll wrappers

¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

½ cup mint, coarsely chopped

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 medium carrot, julienned

4 ounces dry rice noodles or bean thread, cooked, drained and cooled under running water, reserve the hot water for the spring roll wrappers

1. Sauce: Combine the lime juice, tamari, sugar and salt. Mix well. Set aside. 

2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the seitan and cook until golden, about 4 minutes. If using mushrooms, cook until the mushrooms are golden, about 8 minutes. You might need to cook the mushrooms in batches to avoid steaming them. Add the onion and cashews and cook until the cashews are golden, about 2 minutes. Add half of the sauce and cook until it evaporates, about 30 seconds. Set aside. 

3. Dip a spring roll wrapper into the hot water reserved from the pasta and soak for 5 to 10 seconds, depending on how hot the water is. Soak only until the wrapper is pliable. It will soften once you add the other moist ingredients. To the lower half of the wrapper, add herbs, the filling, cabbage, carrot and noodles. Roll up like a burrito: from the back roll to halfway and then fold in the sides. Finally roll it all the way up.  Serve with the rest of the sauce or store, covered, for later enjoyment. 

© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

grilled cuban tofu sandwich

I've had a very busy few months taking a few community college classes, but now they are over and I find some time to blog... and finally cook  - something that has been on the back burner.

I've been on a sandwich kick of late, so it seems to be a good place to pick things back up.

This is a Grilled Cuban Tofu Sandwich:

The tofu is cut into slabs and marinated in a mojo sauce. The marinade is made of fresh orange juice, fresh lime juice, oregano, garlic and brown sugar.

The tofu is then grilled and topped with watercress, bread and butter pickles and whole grain mustard. Pretty simple but very flavorful. Press the tofu first for maximum flavor and marinate overnight, but if you can't wait, thirty minutes is fine, but baste the tofu as it grills.

Grilled Cuban Tofu Sandwich
Makes 4 servings


Mojo Marinade:
½ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
4 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
1 (14-ounce) firm or extra firm tofu, pressed 20 minutes

8 slices bread
½ cup shredded vegan cheese or 1/2 avocado, mashed
4 tablespoons whole grain mustard
16 slices bread and butter pickles
1 cup watercress

1. Add the orange juice, lime juice, garlic, oregano and salt to a small blender and blend until smooth. Cut the tofu into 4 slabs (about 4x4-inches) and place in baking dish. Add the marinade and set aside until needed (or at least 30 minutes).
2. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of cheese (or avocado) to 4 slices of bread. Spread 1 tablespoon mustard on the other 4 slices of bread. Set aside.
3. Grill the tofu slabs until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side. Baste the tofu as it cooks. Add a slab on top of the cheese on the slices of bread. Place one slice of bread with the tofu and one slice of bread with the mustard on the grill pan, cover the pan and cook until the cheese melts. 
4. Add ¼ cup of watercress to the tofu and close the open-faced sandwich. Repeat with all the sandwich halves. Serve.



© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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"veganize it! + giveaway

I'm back for the third week in a row, and with another cookbook review. It seems that more than flowers are sprouting up for spring.

This new book is from Robin Robertson - another in the "win" pile! This is called Veganize It! Easy DIY Recipes for a Plant-Based Kitchen (AMAZON, B&N).

As always, Robin is very thorough and imparts tons of information in this newest volume. As the title indicates, this book turns non-vegan ingredients and recipes into delicious vegan ones! Robin starts with a pantry list then moves into ingredients to know and also shares a few basic tips and tricks. Then come the recipes!

The chapters range from DIY Dairy-Free and Egg-Free, Too, and Plant-Based Meats to Vegan Charcuterie and Instead of Seafood, to list a few.

I decided to test the book thoroughly and make as many of the ingredients at home as was called for in the recipes - because although Robin gives you basic recipes to veganize, she also assembles those recipes into a dish.

For my first main recipe I chose to make Cheesy Sausage Biscuits because I figured it would make a wonderful breakfast dish with some tofu scramble. This recipe includes DIY ingredients such as vegan butter, Maple Breakfast Sausage, nondairy milk and vegan sour cream. Although all of these recipes are in the book you can certainly use store-bought ingredients when you like. I decided to make the sour cream and the sausage:

The sausage was easy and quick to make and it was as promised: delicious.

The sour cream was just as easy to prepare and just as tasty. I used the remaining sour cream to make a salsa-ranch dressing. Yum!

When you add all these ingredients together, it makes this cheesy, sausage-y, fluffy and buttery biscuit. We all really enjoyed these! In fact, the biggest problem was that I didn't make enough!

The next main recipe I wanted to make was Cheesy Steak-Out Sandwiches. This recipe needs Vegan Worcestershire Sauce, Cheddary Sauce and either portobellos or seitan. I chose to make Baked Seitan Roast because I have a mushroom hater in the family.

I am a seitan lover and this simple roast was wonderful, especially in this sandwich.  I also made the Cheddary Sauce, which was equally amazing and brought this sandwich up another level.

Wrap all these scrumptious ingredients into a freshly baked roll and you have this perfect sandwich! If you are wondering if mushrooms would do this justice, I can assure you that it would!

This book is definitely an asset to your collection - or the beginning of your collection of cookbooks! It is unique and varied enough that the book is worth its price in gold. It has recipes such as scrapple, hot dogs, wellington, ribs, omelets, feta, butter, jerky, pepperoni, sea scallops, fish-free fillets, oyster sauce, kimchi, pasta, ganache, and the list goes on!

Robin has offered to share a recipe with you and since I focused so much on seitan for my review, I wanted to show you some more range and am sharing Robin's Clam Free Chowder.

After the recipe, be sure to enter the contest to win Veganize It! from Robin and her publisher. It's easy to enter - leave a comment (and be sure I can contact you, should you win!) Contest is open to US residents only and will conclude April 3, 2017. Good luck!

Photo by William and Susan Brinson.

Text excerpted from VEGANIZE IT! © 2017 by Robin Robertson. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved. Photo by William and Susan Brinson.

CLAM-FREE CHOWDER

Oyster mushrooms star in this vegan interpretation of New England clam chowder made with diced potatoes, onion, and celery with a creamy, cashew-based broth. If oyster mushrooms are unavailable, substitute white button mushrooms, chanterelles, or a combination of both.

SERVES 4

2 tablespoons vegan butter
8 ounces oyster mushrooms, chopped
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 celery rib, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dulse or nori flakes
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups vegetable broth
¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
½ cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 1 hour, then drained
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the same pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the potatoes, bay leaves, dulse, thyme, Old Bay, salt, pepper, and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil and then decrease the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are just tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the liquid smoke.

2 While the soup is simmering, blend the cashews and 1 cup of the almond milk in a high-speed blender until smooth. When the vegetables are tender, stir in the cashew mixture and the remaining 1 cup almond milk. Stir in the reserved mushrooms and heat the soup for a minute or two until hot. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if needed. Serve hot, garnished with the parsley.

ultimate vegan cookbook for instant pot

First things first - I promised to announce the winner of Becky Striepe's 40 Days of Green Smoothies (Kindle, Amazon)! This is an amazing book that will help you on your way to forming the healthy and delicious habit of enjoying a green smoothie daily. Since posting the review last week I have treated myself to another week of this invigorating habit and I love it!

The winner of the ebook 40 Days of Green Smoothies is: .... comment number 5 - Jennifer Bliss! Please contact me so I can get the book to you! Congratulations!

Now for some new business:

This new book by Kathy Hester is just what you need for your Instant Pot.  

I have 2 Instant Pots myself, sitting on the kitchen island and in use almost everyday (and I even have one in the garage, in case one of the in-use ones breaks). I purchased them during Amazon's holiday sales, but if you don't have one, you might consider getting one now and not wait another 9 months. 

Kathy's book speaks directly to the Instant Pot users and the book is a wealth of information: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot (Amazon).

There are a lot of wonderful features of this book: each recipe has a full color photo! the book lays flat when open, Kathy's first chapter is Five Recipes to Start You Out, Kathy provides a chapter on Quick and Easy Homemade Staples, and even has a chapter devoted to Cook it All at the Same Time: Layered Meals with Sides that you can prepare in one cooker all at once. I have to say that I think that's my favorite chapter. Kathy even has a chapter devoted to Desserts. 

This book has Soy-free, Gluten-free and Oil-free options throughout and that should makes most everyone happy. 

Now for what I cooked!

The first thing that caught my eye was Vegan Cauliflower Queso. I love cheese sauce and I am always looking to discover new ways to make cheese sauce with whole foods. Kathy's sauce was on point! Rich, thick and just what a cheese sauce should be.

Then I tried the Southern Breakfast. This recipe is from the Cook It All at the Same Time chapter. You cook the grits layer and the scrambled tofu layer (and then I added collard greens that I cooked with the rest of the layers) in the Instant Pot. There are tricks to cooking everything together, which Kathy shares in the book. This was an easy and delicious breakfast meal!

Next I tried a one-pot meal from the Fast and Comforting One-Pot Meals chapter: Ricotta Penne Pie. This was another delicious meal, but because I used Toffuti brand Ricotta it came out a bit too sweet. Kathy has a ricotta recipe in the book, one I should have taken the time to make!

Finally, we tried the Easy Andouille Jambalaya from the Fast and Comforting One-Pot Meals chapter. This recipe uses vegan andouille links from the book (but, again, I used store-bought links because of time restriction). This was mighty delicious and it made plenty to last for a few meals. 

Now for a recipe for you to try! How about a healthy and delicious dessert? Kathy has graciously offered to share her Holiday Orange Spice Cake! The photo below was taken by Kathy, along with all the other gorgeous photos in the book!

Holiday Orange Spice Cake

Recipe from The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook for Your Instant Pot by Kathy Hester. 
Printed with permission from Page Street Publishing.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

DRY INGREDIENTS
1¼ cups (150 g) whole wheat pastry flour (or *use a gluten-free baking mix)
1½ tsp (4 g) ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground allspice
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cloves

WET INGREDIENTS
½ cup (120 ml) orange juice with pulp (about 1 medium orange)
⅓ cup (80 ml) maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tbsp (14 g) ground flaxseeds
3 tbsp (41 g) melted coconut oil (or **use applesauce)

MIX-INS
2 tbsp (12 g) orange zest (or 1 tsp orange extract)
¾ cup (75 g) dried cranberries or diced dried dates
½ cup (55 g) chopped walnuts or pecans
Oil a 6- or 7-inch (15- or 17.5-cm) Bundt pan and set aside.


INSTRUCTIONS

For the dry ingredients, mix the flour, cinnamon, allspice, baking soda and cloves in a medium-size mixing bowl.

For the wet ingredients, Combine the juice, syrup, flaxseeds and oil in a large measuring cup. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well. Fold in the mix-ins.

Spread the cake mixture into your prepared pan and cover with foil.

Put the steel insert into your Instant Pot, pour in 1½ cups (355 ml) water and add the stainless steel steam rack with handles that came with your Instant Pot.

If your pan does not fit inside the rack handles, you will need to fashion some handles out of aluminum foil to lower the pan into the cooker. Tear off two pieces of foil about 3 feet (1 m) long, fold each one lengthwise two times. Lay the foil handles out on the counter in a plus sign near your cooker. Place your pan in the center, where the two pieces cross. Pull the handles up and carefully lift the pan into your Instant Pot.

Place the lid on with the steam release handle set to sealing, or closed; cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.

Once the pressure indicator goes down, remove the lid, lift out the pan using the foil handles and remove the foil that’s covering the pan.

Let cool so that it cuts easier; it will crumble if cut warm.

40 days of green smoothies + giveaway

Hello! Hello! It's been a while since I've posted because I've been taking a few classes at my local community college and they are kicking my butt, but now I am here to apologize for my absence in the nicest way possible - a cookbook giveaway!

Not just any cookbook, though... one that is near and dear to me because it is written and published by my fellow blogger and cookbook author friend, Becky Striepe from Glue and Glitter. She is one ambitious and amazingly talented young woman!

I wanted to present my review of this fabulous book when the weather started warming up because I know that smoothies sound better then, instead of in the winter months - and that's coming from my kids, who, you know, know everything.

Becky's green smoothie book is her second self-published volume (after Bowls! - which is another fantastic book and I encourage you to get your own copy; it is available in ebook and print.)

This book isn't just any smoothie book, however. Becky presents 40 smoothie recipes that each make one smoothie (easily doubled, however), which means that if the family isn't partaking your green smoothie adventure with you, you don't need them to!

The book presents the smoothies in weekly order, with a short shopping list preceding each week. Helpful, I know! The smoothies won't break your bank or your waistline with tons of included fruit - the fruit in each smoothie is just enough!

I started my 40 day smoothie adventure with the basic Strawberry Banana green smoothie and it was as delicious as it was easy to make.

Slight confession: I tend to be a bit heavier handed with the greens than Becky suggests using, so my smoothies aren't quite as colorful as hers are, but they are just as delicious, I am sure!

In that same weekly rotation was this scrumptious Chocolate Shake, which, again, I overdid with greens.

Note that all 40 days of green smoothies are completely different! The range is extraordinary and Becky shows off her creativity with smoothies such as Peachy Chocolate Blast, Spicy Mango Tango and Almond-Horchata, to name a few.

There are 6 weeks of unique, healthy and amazing smoothies in this beautiful little book and it will get you started on your smoothie habit with ease and simplicity.

Becky has offered to share one of the recipes from her book: Coconut Blackout Smoothie AND she has graciously offered to allow me to giveaway an ebook copy of 40 Days of Green Smoothies (Kindle, Amazon)! To enter the contest to win simply leave a comment (and make sure I can get in touch with you!!!) and come back here next Thursday (March 16) to see if you are the winner. Good luck!!

Coconut Blackout Smoothie

Lettuce has an even lighter flavor than spinach in a smoothie, so don’t be shy about adding a healthy handful. Most lettuce is pretty watery, so your lettuce smoothies will be a little thinner than the green smoothies you’re used to.

Ingredients
1 banana
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1/2 cup of lettuce
1/2 cup light coconut milk
1/4-1/2 cup of water, as needed to get things moving
1 tablespoon chia seeds
3 ice cubes

Method
Puree until smooth.

Yield: 1 serving



Reprinted with permission from 40 Days of Green Smoothies, © Becky Striepe.

moroccan chickpea salad

The final amazing meal in this Prep Ahead Week 4 menu is Moroccan Chickpea Salad.  This salad features chickpeas marinated with dried apricots in a garam masala sauce. It is then added to greens and steamed rapini. The salad is served with Seasoned Pita Wedges and is completely unique and delicious.

The sweetness of the apricots mingled with the spices from the marinade, meld perfectly with the bitterness of the rapini. There is plenty of sauce to act as a marinade and a dressing and everything is whole foods plant-based.

I loved this salad and even my husband, who does not care for fruit in his savory dishes, loved this as well. The almonds add a light crunch and the pita wedges help scoop everything up.

This is very easy to throw together on the Prep Ahead menu, but in this case, I recommend allowing the chickpeas to marinade overnight.

Moroccan Chickpea Salad
Serves 4 

Marinade ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon sweetener
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/4 cup parsley (1/4 bunch), minced
1/4 medium onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (about 2 cups, cooked)

1 bunch rapini (or see below for substitute)
Marinade chickpeas
3/4 cup almonds or 1/2 cup pepitas
2 heads romaine lettuce, chopped

4 pita breads.
1 tablespoon vegetable broth

1. In a medium storage container, combine the lemon juice, vegetable broth, tahini, garam masala, smoked paprika and sweetener. Mix very well. Add the apricots, the parsley, the onion
and the chickpeas. Mix well and cover. Refrigerate overnight. 
2. Steam until tender, about 5 minutes, and chop. 
3. Taste and adjust seasoning of marinated chickpeas.
4. Toast the almonds, if desired. Chop the almonds (not pepitas). 
5. Divide lettuce among 4 bowls. Add the steamed rapini. Add the chickpea salad and the almonds. 
6. Brush the pitas with the broth. Season with salt and pepper. Add to a baking dish and broil until toasty. Cut into wedges. Serve the salad with the pita.


Substitute 1 bunch watercress for the rapini. Do not steam the watercress. Add it on top of the romaine lettuce.



© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

black bean chili

Meal 4 in the Prep Ahead Week 4 plan is a warm and comforting Black Bean Chili. This chili is packed with wholesome hull-less barley, black beans, bell pepper, onion, tomato, spinach and spices.

On the prep ahead menu the vegetables are cooked before hand, the barley soaked the night before and the whole dish is assembled and cooked in the slow cooker. It takes about 6 hours to cook on low (you can set the delay function).

Add some chopped canned tomatoes and a bunch of spinach during the last five minutes of cooking, and your chili is ready for the tables.

I topped mine with some finely grated vegan cheese, cilantro and chopped onions, but you can serve it as you like.

The chili is a welcome meal on a long cold day and there is wonderful chew that comes from the whole grain barley.

Black Bean Chili
Serves 4 to 6 

The night before:
3/4 cup hull-less barley
4 cups vegetable broth

1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (use gloves, if needed)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 1/2  tablespoons chili powder
2 cups cooked black beans (1 can)

1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes
1 bunch spinach

For serving:
1/2 cup cilantro (1/2 bunch), minced
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 cup vegan shredded cheese
Vegan sour cream (optional)
Tortilla chips (optional)

1. Soak the barley in the vegetable broth the night before. 
2. Add the onion to a large skillet or pot (on the Instant Pot insert). Cover and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, oregano, cumin, bay leaf and
the mustard. Cover and cook until the onions are golden, about 5 to 8 minutes. 
3. Add chili powder and the black beans and move to a slow cooker, if needed. Add the soaked barley with the broth and cook on low for 6 hours, until the barley is tender. 
4. When the chili is ready, chop the tomatoes and add to the chili. Add the spinach and cook 5 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Serve the chili with the cilantro, onions, cheese, sour cream, and tortillas, if using.




© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

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baked broccoli and seitan pasta

Meal 3 in the Prep Ahead Week 4 plan is a creamy, cheesy, pasta bake. The sauce is a sun-dried tomato bechamel that coats the pasta perfectly. In fact, if you aren't a fan of whole grain pasta, this sauce is the ultimate foil.

The sauce has just the right amount of sun-dried tomatoes and gives the sauce its own unique flavor. I love sun-dried tomatoes but even I notice when there is just too much of it, so I was very pleased with the flavor outcome of this bake.

For the Prep Ahead meal the pasta and broccoli are cooked the night before and then melded with the sauce and seitan. For this stand alone version, you cook the pasta and broccoli and bake. You can even increase the broccoli in this dish to 2 pounds and skip the seitan altogether, if that's your wish.

I had a little bit of a Daiya block leftover from another dish that needed using up, so I finely grated some on the pasta, but that is just extra icing on the cake. If you like your broccoli green and crisp-tender, cook it separately and add it to the pasta in the last few minutes of baking.

Baked Broccoli and Seitan Pasta
Serves 4 to 6 

Béchamel ingredients: 
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dried thyme

12 ounces penne pasta
12 ounces broccoli, chopped
1/2 pound seitan, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 400-degrees F. Combine the broth, miso and nutritional yeast in a bowl or blender. Whisk or blend until smooth. Set aside. 
2. Add the onion to a large pot over medium heat. Cover and cook. Chop the tomatoes into 1/4-inch slices and add to the pot. Add garlic to the pot. Add a splash of broth if the onion is burning. Cook until the onion is golden. Add the flour. Add the thyme and mix well. Cook for 1 minute, stirring.
3. Slowly add the broth mixture to the pot and use a whisk to mix until the sauce is smooth. Bring to simmer to thicken. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Cook the pasta al dente. Add the broccoli during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving 1 cup of cooking water and add to a 13x9-inch baking dish.
5. Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Spray with oil or add 1 teaspoon oil. Cook the seitan until golden. Add the seitan to the baking dish.
6. Add the bechamel sauce to the baking dish and toss well. Add some of the reserved cooking water, as needed to make a creamy sauce. Bake until bubbly and heated-through, about 30 minutes. Stir once halfway through baking. Serve.




© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

firecracker chickpeas and vegetables

Meal 2 of Week 4 Prep Ahead menu is Firecracker Chickpeas and Vegetables.  This delicious dish is full of vegetables and beans and is cooked in a spicy chili sauce.

This fiery dish is very versatile because you can adjust the heat level to suit your taste. You can use the called-for jalapeno or not. Or you can use 3 jalapenos. You can increase the garlic chili sauce or reduce it - the choice is yours.

This is a very easy and quick dish to make - made even faster as a Prep Ahead meal, but can still be ready in around 30 minutes, if you make the rice using my Fast and Easy Brown Rice recipe.

The dish is served with steamed broccoli but you can serve it with mustard greens, bok choy or even cauliflower.

Firecracker Chickpeas and Vegetables

Serves 4 to 6 

Firecracker sauce ingredients:

1/3 cup ketchup

1/2 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon reduced-sodium tamari

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon sweetener

12 ounces broccoli, cut into florets

2 bell peppers, sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced (use gloves if needed)

1/2 medium onion, sliced

1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas (2 cups cooked)

3 cups cooked rice

1. Combine the ketchup, vegetable broth, garlic chili sauce, garlic, tamari, cornstarch and sweetener in a small bowl. Stir very well and set aside. 

2. Steam the broccoli until tender. 

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced peppers and onions. Stir-fry (cook, stirring constantly) until lightly charred. Add the chickpeas, cook to heat. Mix the sauce and add to the vegetables. Cook until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve the stir-fry with the broccoli and rice.

© 2017 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.