Vegan Pumpkin French Toast with Caramel Maple Bananas and a Nutella Drizzle.

Ok- so, I like to invent recipes. It's just kind of one of those things. Sometimes they're simple... sometimes they're a little on the extravagant side. This one is definitely on the latter side, at least taste wise. It's one of those recipes that TASTES like it requires a lot of skill & looks kind of fantastic, but, really, it's pretty simple to make.

Toast:
1 1/4 cup plain almond milk.
1/2 c chick pea flour
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice.
3/4 cup pumpkin puree.
8 slices oat bread, toasted.

Bananas:
4 medium-small firm bananas, peeled
1 tablespoon vegan margarine
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 cup pure male syrup.

Nutella Drizzle:
1/4 c Nutella.






Toast:
Begin by heating 2 tbsp cooking oil in a very large skillet over medium high heat. Add almond milk, flour, pumpkin puree, and spice to a blender to blend, or whisk together by hand. This batter will be kind of thick, but should not be lumpy. Keep mixing, if it is. Pour into a shallow dish. Pierce each slice of toast several times over the entire surface with a fork. Lay toast slices on top of pumpkin batter in dish, and spoon some of the batter mixture on to the tops of the toast. Turn as needed to thoroughly coat each slice evenly. Gently lay battered toast slices on hot pan, and let cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes. Flip, add more oil, if necessary, and cook the second side another 3 minutes. The toast will be browned and crispy on the outside, and will stay moist and soft on the inside. Transfer 2 toast slices for each serving to plates.

Bananas:
Cut bananas into rounds. Melt margarine in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and lay the banana slices on top. Cook undisturbed for 20 seconds, then add maple syrup. Cook for 10 seconds, then turn bananas carefully and cook for 45 to 60 seconds more, basting with the pan sauce. Top french toast slices with bananas and sauce.

Nutella Drizzle:
Place 1/4 cup  nutella in the bottom corner of a zippered sandwich or storage bag. Microwave for about 20 seconds. Snip end corner from bag, and pipe warmed nutella stripes over each toast serving.

ENJOY! (sorry, I didn't take pics of this one while in the making. It wasn't really a planned thing. I will try to get pics next time I make it, and update this recipe with step-by-step photos of the directions.)

Vegan Quinoa Burgers

Kicking the Frozen Veggie Burger Habit

This is the burger that got me to kick the frozen veggie burger habit. If you're a fan of the onion/ mustard combo, this is the recipe for you. The shallot gives it a VERY bold flavor and the texture, after a quick saute combined with a bake is pretty sweet. This recipe was adapted and veganized from "Veggie Burgers Every Which Way" by Lukas Volger. The recipe originally called for egg but I've used a mashed potato to help with binding.

Quinoa Burgers

Ingredients

2 cups cooked quinoa

1/4 cup steamed spinach

1 medium sized shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ small potato, boiled and mashed

3 T all-purpose flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

¼ t ground black pepper

1 T olive oil for sauteing

Directions:

Follow your directions for cooking quinoa, though it seems boiling 1 part quinoa with 2 parts water for about 12 minutes generally does the trick,

1. Cook your quinoa. Skin and boil (20 minutes) half of a potato. Steam a good enough bit (1 cup of fresh) of spinach so you'll have roughly ¼ cup packed once steamed. Drain the potato and mash when cooled a little. Finely chop the steamed spinach.

2. Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Mince shallot and garlic. Combine with quinoa. Add flour, salt, pepper, spinach, and baking powder. Using a fork combine as well as you can. Add mashed potato, and using fork, continue to mash and combine. This will take a few minutes. When properly combined, the mixture should be quite dense and moist.

3. Form burger patties. This recipe yields about five 3” by 1 ½” burgers.

4. Saute each side of patty for 3 or so minutes on medium heat, or until slightly browned.. Transfer to baking sheet and bake in oven for 12-15 minutes.

5. Remove from oven. Place on bun (toasted pretzel bun is perfect)! Add condiments – mustard, with a little ketchup works best here.

Seitan gyros

 


These things are AMAZING, people. Seriously... try them. Even meat eaters go wild for these veggie delights. They use the steamer method for making seitan- which is super easy, and pretty much fool proof. I could eat these pretty much daily.

Seitan Gyros

1 c vital wheat gluten
1/4 c nutritional yeast
2 tbsp gyros seasoning (recipe for seasoning at bottom of gyros recipe)
1 c cold water
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
4-6 vegan pitas
finely sliced onion (optional)
finely sliced tomato (optional)
cucumber sauce (optional)

Directions:

This recipe uses a steamed in a foil pack method as opposed to boiling. A steamer (electric, or stove top steamer basket) is needed to make these.

Directions:
1. Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl, and stir with a fork until well mixed. Add in cold water. Stir with fork until well blended. Knead dough about 23-30 squeezes by hand to make sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Let dough rest 10 minutes or so, and knead dough again for another 2-3 minutes to build up elasticity. (see recipe for steamed seitan for a pictorial, if needed.)

2. Form dough into loaf type shape, keeping the loaf about 1" thick (will rise while steaming). Tear off tin foil sheet about 12" long. Spray shiny side of foil with cooking spray. Lay seitan loaf in center of foil. Fold tinfoil up around seitan loaf making an envelope type shape (be sure to leave room around loaf to allow dough to expand while steaming). Fold and pinch outside edges of foil together to make a tight seam (middle seam should be overlapping- it is ok if it is not pinched). Steam dough in foil envelope for about 50 minutes.

3. Remove from steamer, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Unwrap finished seitan loaf, and slice into strips 1/8- 1/4" thick.

4. Squeeze lemon juice over seitan slices, and allow to sink in while oil heats in pan.

5. Heat oil in a large pan. Add seitan slices, and fry until slightly browned on all sides. About 3-5 min each side. Remove from pan, but keep warm. Heat pitas, one at a time, in hot pan. Place on a plate and spoon gyro "meat" mixture into each pita.

If desired, top with favorite cucumber sauce recipe, finely sliced onions, and finely sliced tomatoes.

ENJOY!

Recipe by Jamie Monster, photos by Grimly Fiendish


** gyros spice mix
This makes enough spice for several batches of gyros. Store in a tight lidded container between uses.

2 tablespoon chili powder (NOT cayenne powder- just chili powder)
1 tablespoon curry spice powder (I use McCormick mild for this recipe)
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon allspice

A good cucumber sauce recipe (you could use soy yogurt if you want to make it vegan)

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) containers plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cucumbers - peeled, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled

Directions

1. In a food processor or blender, combine yogurt, cucumber, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, dill and garlic. Pulse until well-combined. Transfer to a separate dish, cover and refrigerate for at least one hour for best flavor.

So yummy!



Gyros, get in my belly!

Chili lemon seitan fajitas.

Need something to do with that steamed "chicken" seitan loaf you made? Try these! The chili & lemon pair nicely to give the seitan a rich flavor, that is warmly rounded out with the addition of a little garlic, cumin, and cayenne. These have a very bold flavor all on their own- I swear, you won't even miss the cheese!

Ingredients:
1 loaf "chicken" seitan
2 bell peppers (color of choice)
1 medium/ large onion
2 tsp minced garlic (in olive oil)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 c lemon juice

Spice blend:
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/8- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you want)

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients from the spice blend together well. Slice the seitan loaf into 1/4" strips, then turn the strips on their side so they are laying flat and slice them up the middle long ways so they are half as thick. Set aside.

2. Start heating the oil in a large pan over medium/high heat. Add minced garlic, and stir occasionally so it won't burn.

3. Chop your onion to thick slices. When the garlic is sizzling in the oil, add onion. Stir occasionally so it won't burn. while you clean and chop your peppers into chunky strips.

4. Once the onion is starting to go translucent, add the peppers to the oil. Cover with a lid and sautee for about 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently. A little browning on the veggies is fine, but you definitely don't want them to get too browned. Veggies are ready for the seitan to be added when the onion is completely translucent, and the peppers have begun to soften.

5. Add the seitan strips, and stir occasionally. Cook until the strips are a little browned. About 6minutes. (cook for 3, then stir to flip the seitan over, and cook for another 3.)

6. Add lemon juice, and stir around well to deglaze pan. Add spice blend, and stir well again. Be careful not to end up with large clumps of spice & lemon stuck to the veggies & seitan. You want it to be pretty uniformly coated. You can add a tbsp of water or 2 if you need to to get it this way. Reduce heat to low, cover and let cook for about 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

7. Remove from heat, and serve with flour tortillas, or on large romaine lettuce leaves (if watching your calories).

8. Get out the tequila, margaritas, or mexican beer & ENJOY!

~ Jamie Monster~




Seitan sliced into fajita sized strips.



The onions have gone translucent, and the peppers are just starting to soften- time to add the seitan!



After adding the spices, & everything is mixed up & ready to serve.


Ready to NOM, served on romaine lettuce leaves instead of tortillas. (you can use tortillas, though.)

Sausage of intensity!

There are quite a few recipes out there that use the seitan steamed sausage method, and every one I have tried has always turned out GREAT! After getting bored in the kitchen one day, decided to try making my own, and a rich, bold, and intense flavor is what I really wanted. These sausages definitely hit the mark with a heavy kick of red wine, sun dried tomatoes, roasted red pepper, and a little bit of heat from red pepper flakes. These are great sliced up and sauteed in a little olive oil with some sweet onion, garlic, and zucchini served over some whole wheat pasta, or garlic cous cous, as well as lightly browned on the grill and served to your vegetarian and vegan comrades at your next BBQ

Materials needed:

Blender (immersion or standard)

a large mixing bowl (2 if using immersion blender)

a rubber scraper

a fork

steamer basket, or electric rice steamer

tin foil

Optional- a kitchen chopper (like the slap chop)

Wet ingredients:

½ cup canned beans (white beans, black beans, black eyed peas, pinto beans, etc)

2 tbsp vegan worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp tomato paste

1 tsp Liquid smoke

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

½ c vegetable broth

½ c full bodied, dry, red wine (I used a Spanish Grianza)

Dry ingredients:

1 ½ c vital wheat gluten flour

¼ c nutritional yeast

2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp sweet paprika

2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning

1 tbsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp salt

Other ingredients:

¼ c sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped

¼ c roasted red peppers, finely chopped

2 tbsp dried onion flakes, reconstituted with ¼ c hot water

Directions:

1. place all wet ingredients in the blender pitcher, or in a large bowl. Puree together until completely smooth.

2. Place fennel seeds in a plastic zippered bag, and roll over them with the side of a coffee mug until lightly crushed.

3. Mix together dry ingredients & seasonings in a large bowl with a fork, Make sure that everything is well blended & well incorporated together.

4. Add dried tomatoes, peppers, and onions to dry ingredients. Pour in wet ingredients and mix well together with the fork until all is well mixed (you will have lumps of tomatoes, peppers, & onion- that is OK).

5. Measure out 1/3 c of dough, and form into a log .(this will feel disgustingly close to raw hamburger- be prepared). Place the log on a sheet of tin foil, & roll up tootsie roll style. Make sure to seal the dough inside well, or it will burst out during steaming. Repeat process until all dough is finished- you should get 8- 10 sausages.

6. Steam in a steamer basket, or electric rice cooker for 50 minutes.

7. Remove, unwrap, and serve as desired.

I store these in the fridge in a sealed plastic container- they should keep for a week, but never seem to last that long! ENJOY!

Is this a brains & guts margarita for a zombie dinner party? Nope- this is the wet ingredients all blended together.



Dry ingredients mixed.


Still not brains, just the mixed dough, ready for making sausages.



Sausage log on the tin foil, ready for rolling.



All rolled up, with ends twisted tightly.



A whole batch in the steamer.



This is what they look like after cooking.



Ready to eat, served with sauteed veggies & garlic & olive oil cous cous.

ALL HAIL SEITAN! (steamer method)

Grimly already covered how to make a boiled seitan in a previous blog. Here is a method that steams the dough in a foil pack. The results are a more firm textured seitan that lends its self well to dishes like gyros, fried "chicken" strips, and fajitas, or anything else that you want a drier and more firm finished product. I sometimes have trouble getting the consistency right with the boiled seitan, this one makes it easier to get the same results time & again. If you're a seitan novice & keep failing with the boiled kind, give this one a try until you get the hang of making the dough. There are a few different variations for spices at the bottom of this recipe to try out, but also feel free to experiment with your own!

Steamed seitan

Ingredients:

1 c vital wheat gluten

1/4c nutritional yeast

1 c cold water

seasoning mixes (see additional recipes for seasoning instructions)

Other equipment necessary:

large bowl

fork

measuring spoons/cups

tin foil

electric steamer or steamer basket for the stove top

non-stick cooking spray

Directions:

Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl, and stir with a fork until well mixed. Add in cold water. Stir with fork until well blended. Knead dough about 23-30 squeezes by hand to make sure all ingredients are well incorporated. Let dough rest 10 minutes or so, and knead dough again for another 2-3 minutes to build up elasticity.

Form dough into loaf type shape, keeping the loaf about 1" thick (will rise while steaming). Tear off tin foil sheet about 12" long. Spray shiny side of foil with cooking spray. Lay seitan loaf in center of foil. Fold tinfoil up around seitan loaf making an envelope type shape (be sure to leave room around loaf to allow dough to expand while steaming). Fold and pinch outside edges of foil together to make a tight seam (middle seam should be overlapping- it is ok if they are not pinched). Steam dough in foil envelope for about 55 minutes. Remove from steamer, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Unwrap finished seitan, and slice as needed for recipe.

Chicken flavored seitan= 1 tbsp prepared poultry seasoning, 1 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp garlic powder. Add 1 tsp liquid smoke flavoing to the water used in recipe. (see chili lime fajita recipe for use in a recipe. Also good on its own for making fried "chicken" strips and etc)

Seitan gyros= 2 tbsp gyro seasoning (see seitan gyros with cucumber sauce recipe).

Mexican seitan= 3 tbsp- ¼ c prepared taco mix or other mexican seasoning. (can be pulsed in a food processor to make a ground taco "meat")

Here's the dough after mixing. Use cool water so it turns out spongy and elastic rather than a sticky, gooey mess.


On the foil, ready to be folded up.


Folded in the foil pack. Fold up one side, then the other so they overlap on top. Then fold the loose edges over several times to make the envelope. Be sure to leave about a half inch on all sides so the seitan an expand while cooking.


In the steamer, ready to be cooked.


A finished loaf of steamed seitan!

Tofu - getting the texture right

The early 20's. At the time I was weighing pros and cons. My brother had gone veggie a little before but I hadn't thought much about it. I was pretty thick (and remain so these days.... ooooppppsss,) and had recently been pretty disgusted by the fact I was able to pound through multiple triple cheeseburgers at McDonalds. 

I'm not entirely sure why I chose to go vegetarian, but whatever the reason, it has not been a struggle to remain one.

However, one of the original selling points was the one could easily mimic “meat” tastes and textures with different ingredients, specifically tofu. So I tried... and I tried... and tried. Nope... didn’t happen.

Cooking tofu was one of my super frustrations when I was younger, and those frustrations gave way to a lot of Morningstar, Boca, etc.

A year or two back, Kams suggested freezing the tofu for a few days then defrosting it before you cook with it. This, along with a good press, eliminated the texture problems I had when it came to cooking tofu. While I generally prefer seitan to tofu, I have been having great success recently with most recipes for which I use extra-firm tofu. Here are some quick steps and a pic or two detailing freezing and pressing tofu. If you're a texture person, this is important stuff.

Ingredients/ Materials Needed:

1 lb. Package of extra firm tofu

1 large book

2 plates

1 fairly large piece of cheese cloth or paper towel

Process:

1. After purchasing tofu (the refrigerated kind,) pop it in the freezer for 2-3 days (longer if you don't need it right away.)
2. Defrost overnight for use the next day.
3. Slice open package and drain out liquid over a sink. Give it a firm squeeze, while still in the package, to get most of the water out.
4. Remove tofu from package, wrap in a cheese cloth. Place on a plate. Cover on top with another plate and rest a large, heavy, book and leave to rest for about 20 – 25 minutes.
5. Unwrap tofu and slice, crumble for whatever recipe you will use.

1. Tofu fresh from the freezer.

2. The great press.