Taco Salad

Ingredients
sliced carrot
sliced jalepeno's
diced cucumber
chopped green pepper
chopped tomato
chopped onion
chopped Romaine lettuce
jalepeno's
shredded cheese
sour cream
taco sauce
taco seasoning
tortilla chips
Gardein burger (thawed, ground)

Preparation.  I thawed three vegetable burgers and ground them in a chopper.  Using a couple of T of olive oil, add ground burgers to skillet, Brown, season, then de-glaze pan with a little water.

Prep your salad.  I like to do this in layers, placing lettuce on the bottom then a few chips, add small drops of sour cream, cheese, veggies, repeat.  When you reach the top, sprinkle your vegetable crumbles and the rest of your toppings.  Add more sour cream and taco sauce.  And you're done!

Rediscovering Vital Wheat Gluten

If you are wheat sensitive, this post is not for you or you may substitute for tofu, if you fancy it.

I fortunately affirm that I have a tolerance for these processed plants, and lately some interesting ideas have come out of using them.  First, in this post, I dedicate to Vital Wheat Gluten.

A couple of months ago, I purchased a bag of Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten for the purpose of making Seitan.  When I originally tried it, the preparation did not agree with me.  I hated the flavor suggestions.  I swore I would never venture that way again.

But a friend who flexes vegetarian inspired me to take another shot at it.  If a family that stumps for meat can love Seitan, why can't I?  And so I drilled up the courage to make last Sunday the day.  Let me tell you, the ideas have gone through the roof.

The bag has instructions and you should follow them.  In terms of savory seasoning, go with your own taste. 

I did a bang up job.  I left out the once suggested 'liquid smoke' (yuck) and stuck with my homemade broth with some store bought included. 

I increased the kneading time as well as the boil.  I had everything from a stir fry, to nuggets, to a steak sandwich!

I still have more left.  I will follow the instructions for storing it.  In the meantime, I plan to continue exploring Seitan.




Check out this collage...

Clockwise: Vegetable Fried Rice, Nuggets w/ Green Beans,
Stew, and Steak Sandwich!

Vegetable Pot Pie (Vegan)

Ingredients
1-2 16 oz pkg frozen mixed vegetables
1 pkg Beyond Meat (beyond chicken) cubed
1/8 c diced celery
1/8 c diced onion
1/4 c diced mushroom
diced garlic cloves (1-2)
flour for roux, hot water
Oil for saute (safflower, sunflower, or canola)
Pie shells (1-2) 9 inch

Preparation:
Heat a large skillet, add oil, season, then lightly saute celery, onion, mushroom, and garlic cloves.  Remove to an adjacent plate or dish. Mix 2-4 teaspoons of flour with equal parts hot water to make a slurry.  Add more oil, saute beyond chicken cubes until brown bringing up heat to create a slight tacky sear.  Add a little more oil, pour in slurry, stir, and more water 1/2 cup at a time, creating a roux around your beyond chicken pieces.

Your roux should be thick and creamy.  Add in your mixed vegetables and your saute vegetables.  Take your skillet off of the heat to bring down temperature.

Cover your crust edges.  Pre-bake your crust for 10-15 minutes on 300-350 but watch it so that is not over browned.  Let it stand for 5-10 minutes.  Fill your pre-baked shell to your desired height, taking into consideration the size of your second shell for the cover/seal. Close your pie with the second crust. Recover the outer edge, bake at 350-400 (350 if convection).

Slice or prick the center to allow steam to escape. Place pie on a baking sheet. Bake 30-45 minutes until golden brown/crust is flaky. 

Sweet Sour Cauliflower & Vegetable Fried Rice

Sweet Sour Cauliflower was a hit!  Let's first start with the recipe for the sauce, since I started there! Meanwhile, find a nice cauliflower, preferably one that is on sale, because we know it can be pricey.

Also, FYI, I soak my brown rice for several hours (mostly over night), rinse thoroughly, and this shortens the cooking time.  Cold or room temperature is sufficient for a 'stir fry'.  Use any of your favorite vegetables, pre-steamed, add Vegetarian Oyster Sauce (mushroom), oil, and seasons to your large skillet or Wok.  Fry rice and toss in vegetables. 

Sauce

2 T White Vinegar or Rice Wine 
1 T Brown Sugar
1 T Ketchup
1/4 T lime juice
1 t Soy Sauce
Starch Slurry (2 T Corn Starch, 4 t Water)
Water 
Pinch of Pepper Flakes, Onion Powder


Directions: Combine ingredients over medium heat, add more water to thin.  Keep Warm, cover.

Fried Cauliflower

Preheat a medium sauce pot with canola oil, 1/4 of from the bottom of the pot, but not more than half full.  

Cauliflower, washed, cut into florets and small pieces (not tiny).

In a large mixing bowl, assemble your favorite seasons (season salt, onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dried parsley, ranch flavor, coarse ground pepper) with 2 T golden flax meal, 1 t baking powder, 1/3 c flour, 2 T corn starch, very hot water (hot water will bloom the flax meal) which will make a med. loose batter, thick enough to coat your cauliflower and stick, but still able to see the cauliflower through batter!

Toss your pieces into the batter coating each piece.  If you have a lot of batter and your cauliflower is swimming in it, remove your coated pieces to another mixing bowl, but first add a few teaspoons of flour to the bottom of the bowl to keep them from sticking and losing their batter. 

Store this excess batter for your next fry within a day or two.

Now, sprinkle gently some flour on top of the cauliflower pieces to help seal that batter and promote a nice crunch.  Make sure your oil is hot.  Have your drain pan available (paper towel and a cookie sheet).  Drop your cauliflower into heat, but do not over stuff which will bring down the temperature and your pieces will be soggy.

The goal is to fry the cauliflower in a flash, to form a hard crispy brown coating.  Fry a few at a time!  Drain on the towels.  Drizzle your sauce over them serve with your fried rice.