Smoky Balsamic Seitan

Ever since my local bodega in Brooklyn started carrying Ray’s Seitan, I have been in culinary heaven. It’s tender, lean, succulent, and versatile. It comes in what you’d think is a luscious oil, but it’s actually a flavorless seaweed jelly that you can cook the stuff in and avoid using any oil at all (aside from a sprinkle of infused oil for a finishing ambrosial touch). Seitan sucks up flavor and begs to be slow-cooked in wine, sauce, broth, tomato juice or simply your favorite dressing. It is high in protein (11g per 3 oz) and contain zero fat.
For more info, Ray’s Setian is distributed by the company, Fresh Tofu Inc out of Allentown, PA. Seitan, however, is not a tofu-product and is free of soy.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED (serves 2):

  • • 6 oz of Ray’s Seitan (with jelly)
  • • 1 large shallot, sliced
  • • 2 cloves garlic, crushed & diced
  • • 1/2 cup cooking wine (white or red)
  • • 1/2 cup mushroom broth
  • • 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar
  • • 1/2 tsp liquid smoke
  • • 1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
  • • Salt & Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Easy! Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Cover, and cook on low/med heat for 15-20 min, then uncover and continue cooking until the liquid dissipates. Drizzle on the truffle oil, and serve over veggies, quinoa, pasta or rice, or slap it on a sandwich.

TIP: For a delicious and juicy effect that’s great for pasta, add 1/4 cup water or wine at the very end – while still sizzling- and stir.

Pumpkin Pockets with Smoky Seitan, Mushroom Mousse, & Braised Apple

I tested this recipe out for thanksgiving, and it was a huge hit! It’s savory, handsome, and sophisticated. It will please vegans and non-vegans alike! Try it out at your Chrismahanukwanzarammada table!

Make these now!    ©TheDiscerningBrute.com

Make these now! ©TheDiscerningBrute.com

Continue reading below for the recipe! Read more…

Cooking Up A Storm in Nantucket

I took a few days off to lay on the beach and eat good vegan food with some amazing friends in Nantucket this past week.

Benay, Hedda, James, Jeremy, Joshua, Chloe, John

Benay, Hedda, James, Jeremy, Joshua, Chloe, John

We made so much amazing food that I’ll have to spend all week at the gym. We cooked day and night and could have given any top restaurant a run for their money. I especially enjoyed the pistacio-crusted seitan with mushrooms in a balsamic-reduction with garlic-roasted potatoes and the fresh lemon-tahini-garlic hummus.

Pistacio-Crusted Seitan w/ Garlic Roasted Potatos

Pistacio-Crusted Seitan w/ Garlic Roasted Potatoes

Hummus w/ Lemon, Tahini, and Garlic

Hummus w/ Lemon, Tahini, and Garlic

RECIPES:

For the Pistacio Crusted Seitan with Roasted Garlic Potatoes (serving 4) you’ll need:
• 1/2 cup of pistacios
• 1 Vegan Bullion cube
• 4 tbs Vegan Butter
• 2 tbs Olive Oil
• 1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1 lb of seitan
• 2 cups of mushrooms
• 6 cloves of garlic
• 3 small/medium red potatoes
• 1 tbs Nutritional Yeas

Directions:
• Marinate the seitan in the olive oil, half of the vinegar, nut. yeast, pistacios, and salt & pepper to taste for at least 30 minutes. (Seitan is quite absorbant).
• Put the additional Balsalmic in a small saucer and bring to a simmer on low heat. Let this slowly reduce over about 20 minutes. Meanwhile:
• Heat a skillet with 2 tbs of the Vegan butter in it. Sauteé 3 cloves of garlic, the mushrooms and the bullion cube. Add the seitan mixture including all the remaining liquid in the marinade. Cover and let stand for about 15 minutes on medium heat. Flip the seitan and continue cooking for an additional 15 minutes. (You can add 1/4 cup of red or white wine at this stage if additional savory flavor is desired.)
• Cut the 3 potatoes in half, and place on a baking-sheet face-up. Melt the remaining 2 tbs of butter, adding the remaining diced garlic. Using a teaspoon put the garlic-butter on the open face of each potato half. Bake on 350 for 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the potato is soft.
• Once the seitan had crisped (not burned!) edges, plate beside the potatoes and drizzle the balsamic reduction and serve!

for the Hummus, you’ll need:
• 2 cups of garbanzo beans (not dry).
• 1/2 cup tahini
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 cube vegan bullion (I use Rapunzel with no salt)
• paprika and olives for decoration

Directions:
•Simply puree all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Dude Food: Cornmeal-Crusted, Drunk-Seitan w/ Dijon Tartar Sauce & Cauliflower Mash

Last night, my roommate Jodi and I made this recipe to add to our catering company, Savory & Seed‘s arsenal – it’s crispy, filling, and tender – satisfying enough for the skeptical meat-eater and delicious enough for people to ask how the heck you made that seitan so juicy and flavorful. So the next time you are having a few people over for grub – this recipe can be whipped up in under 30 minutes.

Cornmeal Crusted Seitan

(serves 4)

You will need :

Seitan:
1 cup vital wheat glutan
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup matzoh meal or bread crumbs
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup beer (lager)
2 tbsp tahini or cashew butter
2 cubes (or 2 Tablespoons) vegan bullion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Soy or Tamari
1 tsp seat salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
canola oil

Tarter Sauce:
1/4 cup vegan mayonaise
1/4 cup sweet relish
2 tbsp dijon mustard
cayanne pepper

Cauliflower Mash:
1/2 head cauliflower
2 tbsp Earth Balance (or other non-dairy butter)
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (rice, soy or almond)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp allspice

Directions:

  • In a mixing bowl combine the wheat gluten with the nutritional yeast, bread crumbs, salt, and dry spices. Mix until uniformly combined.
  • Add (but do not mix) the oil, tahini, soy, vinegar and bullion (dissolve bullion in 2 tbsp hot water if necessary)
  • Add Beer
  • VERY GENTLY fold the batter only a few times (this ensures the seitan will not become rubbery) then using your hands – form into a long, flat dough.
  • If the dough is too wet (falling apart in your hands) add more gluten flour until it holds together.
  • In a large pot of boiling water, boil dough for 15 minutes, flipping once. It will grow in size.
  • In a separate shallow bowl, place cornmeal with salt and pepper
  • remove seitan from boiling water, let cool for a few minutes
  • cut seitan into 4 pieces, then press each side in cornmeal
  • pan-fry on medium-high heat in 1/4 inch of canola oil until crisp and golden on each side

Tartar sauce

  • combine vegan mayo (Veganaise, Nasoya) with sweet relish and mustard.
  • add cayanne to taste

Cauliflower Mash

  • Steam cauliflower 15 minutes until tender
  • in a small pan, sautee garlic in Earth Balance until golden
  • in a bowl, mash cauliflower with fork or mixers, adding all other ingredients

Serve on a large steamed leaf like swiss chard or collard. Try this dish with a spicy Malbec red wine from Argentina.

DB’s Etiquette Recommendation: When hosting a dinner, make sure your guests feel comfortable by cleaning up and setting the table ahead of time. Unless it’s a movie party, turn the TV off. Soft music is always welcome, but make sure to ask your guests if they mind – and lastly, don’t talk about yourself the whole time!

Benefit Dinner: Candle 79

candle

 

Renowned restaurant, Candle 79 will host a fundraising dinner for DB’s favorite animal advocacy organization, Farm Sanctuary on Wednesday, January 30th.

insideseitan

Candle 79 is an elegant, organic, vegan escape in the heart of Manhattan’s Upper East Side. A favorite of local regulars and eco-chic celebrities like Sir Paul McCartney, Alicia Silverstone and Woody Harrelson, Candle 79 was voted best Vegetarian in the Zagat’s Guides for 2007 and 2008, and Reader’s Choice in this year’s VegNews. A gorgeous duplex space, beautifully presented, healthful and delicious seasonal cuisine and superb organic wines keeps Candle 79 at the forefront of a movement to bring the concept of local, seasonal, organic vegan cuisine into the culinary mainstream. Delightful dishes like “Live Coconut Pad Thai” and “Seitan Piccata,” and decadent desserts like “Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss” convince their guests that at Candle 79, dining with a conscience is truly a pleasure!

Candle 79
154 East 79th Street near Lexington Avenue
New York, New York 10021
Reservations: (212) 537-7179
PLEASE MAKE SURE TO MENTION FARM SANCTUARY DINNER NIGHTS WHEN MAKING YOUR RESERVATION.
Candle 79 accepts dinner reservations between 5:30pm – 10:30pm

10-20% of your dinner bill go directly towards protecting farm animals!
Join us at the first “Farm Sanctuary Dinner Night” this year, celebrating the new year at Candle 79 on January 30th 2008 for dinner. Please mention Farm Sanctuary when making your reservation.

farm sanctuary

DB’s Etiquette Recommendation: Dining out for a good cause with a date or your friends is both sophisticated and sexy. Dress to impress – if you are single, benefits are a perfect place to meet other people with similar values. Always remember to treat your servers with respect and tip generously if you are treated well. Don’t talk about yourself the whole time and avoid getting into heated debates (save those for after dinner, especially if there are many people present). You’re all there for a good reason, so chill out and enjoy.