Loafing

Occasionally, we all get strange, unexplainable cravings and I have had one recently for 'meat' loaf. I know, I know: very retro. And it's evil twin? Lentil loaf? A favorite of aging hippies everywhere. You can buy a good loaf from a couple of the natural food purveyors in the frozen food section, but I wanted to make my own. After doing some research, I combined several different ideas into something delicious, but pretty darn good for you! Tofu, lentils, oats and flax all come together with spices and vegetables to create a savory dinner perfect with roasted veggies...but next time I'm serving it with mashed potatoes!

Recipe: Lentil-Tofu Loaf
For the loaf:
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
14 oz. tofu, drained, patted dry
4 oz. mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, shredded (about 1/2 cup)
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 16. oz. can lentils (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 tbsp ground flax
1/3 cup vegetable broth

For the glaze:
3/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tsp. vegetarian Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. spicy mustard
Dash of Tabasco or other pepper sauce

Preheat oven to 375℉.

Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook until soft and translucent; loosely crumble the tofu into the skillet and sauté until it begins to lightly brown. It will crumble into smaller pieces as you cook it. Add the mushrooms, garlic and spices and continue to cook until the mushrooms have softened and their juices have cooked off. Add the carrots, soy sauce and liquid smoke, then cook for two more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

For the glaze, combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

In a small bowl, mix the ground flax seed and broth to make a 'flax egg,' set aside.

In a food processor, process one cup of the lentils and one cup of the oats until coarsely ground. Spoon into a big yellow bowl. Add the cooked onion/mushroom/carrot mixture, remaining lentils and oats. Add the flax egg and 2/3 cup of the glaze. Mix to combine. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning.

Line a 9"x5" loaf pan with non-stick foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon the lentil mixture into the loaf pan and press into the pan. Spoon about half of the remaining glaze on top of the loaf.

Put the loaf pan in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, tent with foil and allow to cool for ten minutes.

Tuna-less salad

It's been more than fifteen years since I've eaten tuna salad, so I make no claims that this tastes 'just like' the original. What I will say is that my vegan version of the classic sandwich spread is delicious whatever you want to call it. I love it on lightly toasted wheat bread, crackers or just with some celery sticks. I've worked out the basic proportion of the tasty spread, so you can make as little or as much as you like--although I never make less than a double batch!

Recipe: Tuna-less Salad
Per 16-ounce can of chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
1 tbsp unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp Tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp Vegenaise
2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 1/2 tsp dulse flakes*
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 green onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp spicy or Dijon mustard (optional)
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced (omit, if you intend to serve the salad with celery sticks)

The most important thing here is texture, so it may take you a batch or two to get it to where you like it. The trick is to use a potato masher, which splits the chickpeas into small flakes. You might be tempted to break out the food processor, but I've tried that technique to try and speed up the process and you only end up with pulverized chickpeas.

Place the chickpeas in a big yellow bowl, add the vinegar and Tamari--the liquid helps the mashing process and fully incorporates it with the beans. Mash with the potato masher until there are very few whole beans--although a couple certainly don't hurt. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until combined. It's delicious right away, but even better after sitting in the fridge overnight, all of the flavored melding together.

*What the heck is dulse? It's a form of seaweed that has been dried and coarsely crumbled into flakes. It has vitamins and minerals in it, plus adds a salty or briny flavor to the salad. You don't have to use it, but it does add flavor and nutrients to the dish.

Our Lord Seitan

I've been trying to make a good seitan at home for years now. I've tried a variety of recipes, mixes and techniques. I wanted something that could be used in different applications, had a good flavor and, most importantly, the perfect texture. For me the target has always been the seitan White Wave used to have in the freezer section that is no longer available. I think I about have it down and several people who have tried (or heard) of my homemade seitan have asked for the recipe. So, I'm going to put it all down here--or attempt to. If you try it, please let me know how the instructions read and how the variations work for you. I'd love any feedback.

Recipe: Basic Seitan
This is a basic recipe, but there are two different textural variations and a myriad of seasoning options. Pick and choose what you would enjoy.

Basic ingredients:
1 16 oz. can chickpeas, drained and well-rinsed
2 tbsp. olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup vegetable broth (use chicken-flavored bouillon if you have it. or even beef-flavored is good.)
4 tbsp. soy sauce (I generally use Tamari in the kitchen, but here use a classic, basic soy sauce. You'll notice there isn't any additional salt, so all it comes from the soy and vegetable broth.)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-2 tsp. liquid smoke (Optional, but the liquid smoke adds a very savory component.)

Seasoning variations

You can use a few of the following. When I'm making it, I consider what the end recipe will be and include those same flavorings in the seitan. If I'm going to do something simple with it, like make fried chicken or chicken salad, I'll just use poultry seasoning or thyme. Maybe lemon zest? If I'm going to do something Asian, I'd probably use all sesame oil (instead of half olive half sesame as above), ginger and the garlic powder. It's up to you!

1 tsp. of paprika
1 tsp. onion and/or garlic powder
1 tsp. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 crushed red pepper
1 tbsp. tomato paste
Freshly ground black pepper

Textural variations:

For a more tender seitan you can shred to make pulled 'pork' or Korean BBQ, use the first one. For a firmer seitan you want to dice or fry, use the second. Yes, I bread and fry this like conventional fried chicken in a giant, cast-iron skillet. And, just like its real-life counterpart, it's so good the next day, cold out of the fridge.

Tender
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten*
Firmer
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 3/4 cup vital wheat gluten

Putting it all together

This may seem like a lot of work, but honestly, you can have this cooking on stove in a matter of minutes once you get all of your ingredients together. The trick? Food processor. Or as they say en français, robot coupe!

1. Heat a large pot with water and fitted with a steamer on high until it's steaming, then turn down to medium. Cover.
2. Tear off four sheets of aluminum foil, about square in shape.

3. In a food processor, combine all of your ingredients from the garbanzo beans through whatever seasoning you decide to use. Pulse, then run the processor until everything is very smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl once.

4. Add the combination of nutritional yeast and vital wheat gluten that you're using, then pulse until it comes together and a dough forms.

5. Turn the dough out onto a cutting board and divide into four pieces. Knead each for two to three minutes, making sure all of the ingredients are well combined. After kneading each piece, gently pull it apart, knead it back together, and pull it apart. This helps the gluten to form and really improve the texture. I made a short video, because I'm not sure I can explain this technique very well. Tell me how you would?

6. Wrap each piece of seitan in foil tightly, folding the ends over each piece. Place in the pot, cover and steam for 40 minutes, turning once about halfway. Remove from heat and let cool.
7. You can use the seitan immediately, and if you are going to shred it with a couple of forks, it's easiest to do while it's still warm. But, the flavor and texture does improve from it cooling completely and resting in the fridge overnight.

And that my friends, is making seitan!

*I prefer Bob's Red Mill. I have tried other brands, but this is really the best.