Vegan Yum Yum (23 page)

step 2
In a different small bowl, combine the water, tamari, soy milk, and olive oil, stirring well.

step 3
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and knead until a dough forms. Add more liquid if needed to moisten all of the dry ingredients.

step 4
Knead the dough a few times on your counter and form it into a ball. Cut the ball into quarters, forming four triangular wedges. Squish, pound, and pull the wedges into ½-inch-thick cutlets, taking your time to shape them and letting them rest first if they won't stretch out.

step 5
Once they're the proper thickness, put a large, high-walled skillet on medium heat, adding the water and bouillon cube to make a braising broth. Once it starts simmering, add the cutlets and turn down the heat to low and cover. It's important that you
do not
boil the cutlets. Check several times to make sure the broth is just barely simmering. Boiling isn't a disaster, but it will change the texture of the cutlets, making them spongier and rubbery.

step 6
Simmer covered for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through. You can now refrigerate the cutlets in their broth for later use, or fry them immediately. I personally think cutlets that have been refrigerated overnight before frying have a better texture, but you can use them right away if you need to.

Ingredients

Chicken-Style Seitan

1½ cups vital wheat gluten

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

cup cold water

1 tablespoon tamari or low-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons soy milk

1 tablespoon olive oil

Braising broth

2 cups water

1 vegetable bouillon cube

Country-Fried Seitan

4 chicken-style seitan cutlets (recipe on page 117)

step 1
Heat the oil to 350 ºF in a 10-inch skillet (cast iron is best).

step 2
Mix together the flour, yeast, and Old Bay Seasoning.

step 3
In a separate bowl, mix together
cup of the dry mix, water, soy milk, and mustard.

step 4
Add the baking powder to the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.

step 5
When the oil is heated, dip a seitan cutlet into the wet mix, coating well. Then dredge the cutlet in the dry mix and gently slip it into the oil. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown and crispy. Drain well on a paper towel and slice to serve, if desired.

Ingredients

Fried Seitan

32 ounces high-heat oil for frying
(canola, peanut, etc.)

Seasoned dry mix

1½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup nutritional yeast

3 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

4 teaspoons baking powder

Wet mix

cup seasoned dry mix
(from above)

¼ cup water

¼ cup soy milk
(or water)

3 tablespoons mustard
(Dijon or stone-ground)

Caesar Salad

A
good vegan caesar salad dressing is hard to find. When I make this, I add garlic to my husband's portion, but leave it out of mine. It'd be extra tasty with some Country-Fried Seitan (page 118) sliced on top, but I like the dressing enough to eat it plain. If you've never made your own croutons before, you're in for a surprise; they're so easy and tasty, you'll wonder why you've never made them before!

Caesar Salad

One head of lettuce makes a dinner-size portion for two or several starter salads

step 1
Wash the lettuce, remove the outer leaves, and leave in the drainer to dry.

step 2
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF. Toss the bread cubes in olive oil to coat and then sprinkle lightly with salt and the dried herbs of your choice. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy but not browned. Let cool and set aside. (Keep in an airtight container if making ahead of time.)

step 2
Rip the lettuce into bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.

step 3
Make the dressing by blending the almonds, miso, mustard, Worcestershire, garlic, vinegar, salt, tofu, olive oil, yeast, and water in a food processor or blender until smooth.

step 4
Toss the lettuce with the dressing and add the croutons right before serving.

Ingredients

1 head of Romaine lettuce

Croutons

3 cups sourdough bread cubes

Olive oil

Salt, to taste

Herbs
(an Italian-type blend works nicely, such as basil, marjoram, and oregano)

Caesar Dressing

¼ cup sliced almonds

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon miso

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

4 pinches salt

½ block silken tofu
(about 6 ounces)

¼ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
(optional)

2 tablespoons water or more oil, to thin

Golden Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

T
his is a very easy, quick, high-protein dish that's great as a side or even a whole meal. Sautéing the chickpeas brings out a lovely nutty flavor, almonds add crunch, and fresh parsley and artichokes round out the dish.

Golden Chickpea and Artichoke Salad

Makes one meal or 4 side salads

step 1
Heat the oil in a seasoned wok or a cast-iron skillet. Add the chickpeas and cook on medium-high for 10 minutes, stirring only occasionally to prevent burning, until the chickpeas are golden brown all over. When done, put them into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

step 2
Add more oil to the pan and cook the sliced artichoke hearts until browned. Add them to the bowl of chickpeas.

step 3
Toast the almonds in a dry skillet (if desired) and then grind them in a food processor. Add the almonds to the artichokes and chickpeas. Season the salad with lemon juice and salt and stir in the chopped parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature, adjusting the seasoning if needed.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained

5 to 7 artichoke hearts, drained and sliced lengthwise

¼ to
cup sliced almonds
(toasted if desired)