Mother Vegan Seitan Stroganov

If you've followed me for a while, you're probably familiar with
my complicated relationship with mushrooms. You'll also be glad to
hear that I am still working on it. In fact, I actually had a craving
for a dish with mushrooms. Yeah, weird huh? Craving something that
could potentially trigger me to start gagging.

(If you're not so familiar with my mushroom problem-- for some
reason, ever since I was little, they cause me to gag. Not that
I don't like them, they just trigger me to puke. Yes, a complicated
relationship indeed.)

A few months ago I had a dish of middle eastern vegan stroganoff.
It was pretty good, I guess. But it was one of those dishes that you
sat at a restaurant eating while only thinking about how much better
you could make it. (Why the hell am I paying $12 for this!?)

I've also noticed that I have recently been ordering things that
Monkey-man would be more likely to pick off the menu, I suppose it's
my way of eating outside my comfort zone. It hasn't gone wrong so far!

Yet, since I knew he'd enjoy this Russian comfort food, I had to
make it for dinner. I believe that middle eastern versions usually
contain tomato paste, so mine is more Russian. I'd use a different type
of pasta than the little UFO guys we had here-- or even make it again
with some roasted potatoes, even better!

Mother Vegan Seitan Stroganov



2 tbsp earthbalance
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups white button (or any) mushroom, chopped
1/2 cup cup dry red wine
1 vegetable bouillon cube
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp mustard
1/4 cup water
1 cup seitan, chopped*
1/3-1/2 cup vegan sour cream
salt and pepper
pinch of tarragon

Melt the earth balance and add the onion and garlic, sauteing
for a few minutes until it become translucent and fragrant.

Add the mushrooms, bouillon cube, and wine. Cook the mushrooms
until the start to look a little soft. Add the flour and mustard
and cook for a few minutes more.

Add the water if it looks like it needs a little liquid.
Toss in the seitan, sour cream and seasonings and heat through.
Serve once the mushrooms are tender and it is thoroughly hot.

Made about enough for 4 servings, maybe more depending on what
you serve it with. I used my homemade cracked pepper seitan.
But use whatever works for you, as long as it has a good flavor.

If it is the unflavored seitan maybe add an extra bit of soysauce
and seasonings.



And if you haven't watched it yet, check out our video entry for
the Daiya cheese contest. And please share it too!

Plethora of Panini: pairing and pearing

I know when I've hit the tail end of a series. It is usually when I
really can't imagine eating that dish once more in a very long time.
I still have the last few paninis on the docket, but I am growing
very near to not being able to eat another for a while.

In fact I'm starting to crave chimichanga... If I can't grill
sandwiches, I'm gonna find something else to grill.

Since this Panini was so extraordinarily simple and not very
high in vegetable content, I had to pair it with another more
nutritious dish. Monkey-man has been complaining about wanting
soup because he doesn't want to get sick. So instead of arguing
that it isn't soup that will keep him from getting sick it is
a good load of vitamin heavy veggies, sleep and exercise--
I quietly made him some sweet potato stew and he was content.

The stew had sweet potatoes, russet potato, bell pepper, turnips,
onions, garlic, cabbage, and carrots. It was a simple base of broth,
soy milk, whole wheat flour, sage, paprika, bay, oregano, sea salt,
black and white peppers, and peanut butter. I don't usually pair stews
and sandwiches, I usually go with a bisque or blended soup.
But as long as you are sure to moderate with a smaller sandwich,
it is perfect.

The panini was stuffed with vegan rice pepper jack cheese, sliced
apples and pears, a sprinkling of garlic powder, and if you're
adventurous, some jalapenos! The sweetness of the fruit is perfectly
balanced with the spiciness of the 'cheese' and peppers.
I've also heard of pair peaches or apricots with brie, but
I'm not sure what vegan cheese I'd use for that. The vegan brie
we did make from The Uncheese Cookbook had much too much onion
powder in it and I cannot imagine that going with peaches...
I'll keep experimenting and get back to you on that one.

Get your fix with sweet, spicy, and savory all at once.
That's an order!

Curry in a Hurry

It never ceases to amaze me that although I really don't have

tremendous amounts of stuff going on in my life-- at least

compared to what I was doing during my undergrad--

Everyday I still feel like everything is done in a hurry.

I cannot say if it is our culture, our society or just me, but

I always feel like I have so much to do, never get anything done

and am always HUNGRY!! Hee hee. Well, maybe not always,

but when I get home I want food right then in my face!

And the joy of being on one's own? I get to make whatever I want.

... Sort of. Although I dream of eating gooey brownie ala mode

every night and pie every morning for breakfast, I don't because

I don't wanna look as round as a pie. So instead I look to my other

favorite foods for respite.

All time, absolute favorite, king of them all?? Curry... *wipes drool*

You can get curry powder pre-mixed ready to go or you can throw

in the spices separately. Amusingly enough curry is not a traditional

indian dish, as many of us believe. Its actually a westernized take

on an indian blend of spices in a sauce used on whatever. Funky, eh?

Although each curry powder you buy is gonna be different most do

have a blend of coriander, turmeric, cumin and fenugreek. Red or orange

curry powders have different kinds of chillies and peppers.

Here I just used an average blend of yellow curry powder and

added some extra surprises.

Yellow Curry in a Hurry

1 tablespoon of olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

1 large bell pepper, chopped

2 carrots, cut into rounds

3 potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 package of tofu, cubed (can be fried beforehand)

2 tablespoons of curry powder

2 tablespoons of hot chili sauce

1 cinnamon stick

1 can of coconut milk

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

Add the onion and cook until translucent and tender.

Add the garlic and ginger and keep stirring until fragrant,

about a minute or so. Next add the spices and chili.

Next drop in the slower cooking vegetables-- mainly the

potatoes. Add a little water, while these are all cooking to

prevent sticking. You can use vegetable broth if you like too,

I like adding a bouillon cube to add a little extra flavour.

Throw in the cinnamon stick and continue to cook on low-med

heat until all the vegetables start to cook. Stir in the coconut

milk and tofu and cook until heated through. Season with

salt to taste.

Serve over basmati or jasmine rice topped with fresh cilantro!

Peanut and Black-eyed Stew

Last weekend my Dad made a huge huge pot of black-eyed beans.

So after I got home with my brothers I wanted to make something

quick, easy, and something that would make a dent in that bucket

of beans that was smiling at me from the refrigerator.

We just had hoppin' john not too long ago and I came across this

in my copy of Vegetarian Meat and Potatoes. I think the recipe

is actually called "African Groundnut Stew" because of the

peanuts.

My version had to be twisted a little because I had no onions on

hand and chillies would have been too spicy for my little brother.

And I used cashews instead of peanuts... and I cut it in half

because there were only three of us... ha ha so I messed with it alot.

Ingredients

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small green bell pepper, cleaned and chopped

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp fresh grated ginger

1 1/2- 2 cups butternut squash, seeded-peeled-cubed

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp water

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp cashews chopped

3/4 cup cooked black-eyed beans

Cook the garlic, pepper and spices in a tsp of oil for about a minute.

Add the squash and 3/4 cup of water and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat. Mix the peanut butter and 2 tbsp water and add to the

pot. Allow to simmer until the squash begins to look tender, about

15-20 minutes. Add the cashews (or originally peanuts) and the beans

and allow to cook for about 10 more minutes or until hot all the way

through. Serve over rice!