Seitan in a Crock-Pot

Making seitan is a breeze thanks to Webmistress Laura. She posted this awesome recipe for making seitan in a crock-pot in the VegWeb weekly newsletter! You can sign up for your free newsletter here: Vegweb This recipe is super duper easy here it is:

What You Need:
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
9-1/4 cups faux chicken stock (vegetable stock or water work fine too)
3 tablespoons soy sauce

What You Do:

1. In a large bowl, mix vital wheat gluten, garlic powder, and onion powder. Next, stir in 1-1/4 cups of faux-chicken stock and soy sauce and continue to stir. When it forms a stiff dough, knead for 10 to 15 times. Let dough rest for 10 minutes, then knead for 5 minutes more. Let it rest another 15 minutes. Cut dough into slices (or "steaks"). You should get about 6 "steaks".

2. Oil or spray the inside of a slow-cooker or pot, and pour in remaining faux-chicken stock. Place the slices of dough in the cooker, making sure they have enough room float without touching. Cover tightly and simmer on low (180 to 200 degrees) for 6 to 8 hours.

My personal notes:

-This took me 6 hours in my crock-pot and let me remind you DO NOT forget to spray the crock-pot (like I did) or your seitan will stick, without a doubt!
-I let my seitan and broth cool completely in the crock-pot before removing it.
-Keep unused seitan in a tupperware, refrigerated, in the broth that it was cooking in.

Lucky you, after you make this you will never want to buy prepackaged seitan again!

Iron Chef Fried Sesame Garlic Tofu

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

1/4 cup Iron Chef Sesame Garlic Sauce & Glaze
10 asparagus spears, tough ends snapped off and cut into 1" chunks
1 cup cauliflower, cut into small bite-sized pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sesame seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1) Complete all tofu and veggie preparation. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
2) Heat oil in a large nonstick pan on medium-high heat. Add tofu and fry until most of the tofu appears golden on all sides. Add prepared cauliflower and cook a few minutes. Add prepared asparagus and cook till tender crisp.
3) Turn off the burner and add sauce, mix around to evenly coat the tofu and veggies.
4) Serve with rice and garnish tofu and veggies with sesame seeds.

So easy and delicious!

Makes: 2 or 3 servings
Preparation time: Less than 5 minutes
Cooking time: 10 to 15 minutes

My Boy

This is me and the love of my life, Erik! I never thought in a million years I could convince him to stop eating animals... He was in an agricultural program in high school and his grandpa was a farmer... Erik doesn't care about how horribly animals are treated but does care about his health apparently... After watching Eating (3rd Edition) he decided to quit eating meat... Now if only he could overcome his cheese addiction...

Try to eliminate animal products from your diet... You will feel lighter, more energetic, and your karma will improve... Promise!

Here is the link to buy the video off amazon:
Eating - 3rd Edition

Food, Inc. is also a great video but not as good at spreading the message that animal products are bad for your health, period, end of story. Here is the link for Food, Inc. off amazon: Food, Inc.

Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) Salad Sandwiches

Everyone has their own "special" way of making Chickpea Salad Sandwiches, so of course I think my way is the best. I never measure anything, I just do all my favorite ingredients to taste. So here's the deal: I will list the must-haves to make this sandwich awesome and you can adjust it to your liking. So here we go!

INGREDIENTS:

-Mashed chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
-Vegan mayo (Vegenaise)
-Yellow mustard
-Sweet pickle relish
-Celery, finely diced
-Red onion, finely diced
-Green onion, thinly sliced
-Carrot, finely diced
-Fresh cracked pepper
-Celery salt

-Optional: kelp seasoning for "tuna" flavored salad or curry powder for a Middle Eastern style salad

DIRECTIONS:

-I find it easiest to mash the chickpeas with a bean masher at first then get all the chickpeas you missed by mushing them up with a fork.
-Mix all ingredients together and you got yourself an amazing sandwich... My boyfriend eats these right when he gets home from work (sadly at Mc Donald's) everyday, their his favorite, especially the version with curry powder.

Preparation time: About 15 minutes

Sprouting!

Just last month I started sprouting my own alfalfa sprouts after checking out this AMAZING website: Sprout People

My alfalfa sprouts turn out amazing every time and it only takes about 5 days to grow a HUGE cup full!

I also bought seeds for chia and wheat grass... I tried eating the chia sprouts and they were absolutely disgusting, so I will just find some ways to use up the seeds. I will get around to growing the wheat grass here eventually.

Check out my alfalfa pics:

Awesome Spicy Orange Tofu

INGREDIENTS:

-1 (12-ounce) block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
-olive oil, for frying
-1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced (optional)

Bowl #1 Sauce Ingredients:

-2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
-1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
-1/2 cup orange marmalade
-1 tablespoon freshly grated orange peel
-1 tablespoon chili paste*
-1 tablespoon vinegar

Tofu Coating:
Bowl #2: 1 tablespoon Ener-g egg re-placer mixed with 4 tablespoons of warm water
Bowl #3: 3/4 cup cornstarch (you might end up needing a bit more)

DIRECTIONS:

*This makes the dish really spicy you might want to start with 1/2 tablespoon*
1) Cut your drained and pressed tofu into cubes, set aside.
2) Mix the cornstarch and water in bowl #1 until smooth. Then add all your remaining sauce ingredients and mix together, set aside. Mix ingredients in Bowl #2 until smooth, set aside. Place cornstarch in Bowl #3, set aside.
3) Take a small handful of tofu cubes and coat with Ener-g/ water mixture in Bowl #2, try to let any excess liquid drip off before placing the tofu into the cornstarch in Bowl #3, coat the tofu with the cornstarch and set aside. Continue until all the tofu is coated.
4) Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large NON-STICK pan on high heat and add coated tofu cubes and fry until all sides are golden, adding additional oil if needed. Try to keep the tofu pieces from sticking together as your frying them by separating them with your spatula.
5) When tofu is golden on all sides, add the sauce mixture from Bowl #1 and the green onions, stir around until the sauce mixture is thickened.

Serve with rice for a fabulous meal!

Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Preparation time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Zuppa Toscana

INGREDIENTS:

-2 Feild Roast Italian Sausages, cut into thin rounds
-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-1 teaspoon fennel seed (optional)
-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
-1/2 white or yellow onion, diced
-1 tablespoon garlic, minced
-5 cups faux chicken broth
-3 russet potatoes, diced
-1 cup vegan creamer
-2 cups kale, chopped
-1/4 cup water

DIRECTIONS:

-Saute onion, garlic, fennel seed, and red pepper in water over medium heat until onion is translucent.
-Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and boil until fork tender.
-Reduce heat to medium and add soy creamer, milk of choice, nutritional yeast, sausage, and kale and cook until heated through.

Makes 3-4 servings.

This is a slightly modified version of this amazing recipe: Zuppa Toscana

Orange "Beef"

INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups seitan, cut into bite sized chunks (I used seitan made from this recipe)
- 1/4 cup East-West Zesty Orange Cooking & Dipping Sauce* or to taste
- 1 tsp crushed red chili's (optional)
- 1/4 cup water chestnuts, sliced
- Oil or cooking spray

DIRECTIONS:

-Brown your seitan in a fry pan with olive oil or cooking spray.
-Once browned, add crushed red chili's and water chestnuts, cook for a minute.
-Take fry pan off heat and add enough East-West Zesty Orange Cooking & Dipping Sauce to generously coat your seitan, mix around until everything is evenly coated.
-Serve with rice and drizzle more East-West Zesty Orange Cooking & Dipping Sauce on top of your seitan.

*East-West Zesty Orange Cooking & Dipping Sauce: If you can't find this sauce try to find another brand. This brand is very good and is what makes the dish! Ingredients are: Sugar, soy sauce (water, wheat, soybeans, salt), distilled vinegar, water, modified corn starch, ginger, citric acid, natural flavoring, spice, garlic, orange peel granules.

Makes 2 to 3 servings.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

CPK's Veganized Barbecue Chik'n Pizza

INGREDIENTS:

-1 vegan pizza crust*
-Vegan Chicken Strips (1/2 an 8 oz. bag of Soy Curls or 1 8 oz. bag of Morningstar Farms Chik'n Strips)
-Your favorite barbecue sauce (Practically a bottle for coating the chik'n and for the pizza sauce)
-1/2 of a thinly sliced red onion, cut into rings or half moons
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro, optional
-1 small can of pineapple chunks, pineapple chunks cut in half
-Vegan ranch dressing for dipping, optional**

DIRECTIONS:

-Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
-Make your pizza crust.
-Fry the Chik'n Strips or re-hydrated Soy Curls in a non-stick fry pan with some oil until they begin to brown.
-Once browned, remove fry pan from heat and coat the chik'n with barbecue sauce, mix until all the chik'n is coated, set aside.
-Chop up your pineapple, cilantro, and red onions.
-Cover your pizza crust with barbecue sauce, then top with the chik'n, pineapple, cilantro, and red onions.
-Throw (not literally) your pizza in the oven for 20 minutes.

Makes 1 big pizza.
Preparation time: 5 minutes (plus 30 minutes inactive)
Cooking time: 30 minutes (20 minutes to cook pizza, 10 minutes to brown chik'n)

*Link to the Pizza Crust
For the crust I added 3 tbsp Smart Balance Light, used 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour and 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, used rapid rise yeast, and sprayed the cookie sheet the pizza was on with cooking spray

** Link to the Awesome Vegan Ranch Dressing
For thick vegan ranch I modify this recipe by doubling the vegan mayo and halving the vanilla "milk" or else it will be way too runny

Vegan Luvies?

So where did I think of the name for my new vegan blog? My 2 vegan luvies of course <3 My happy vegan adopted chihuahua mix babies Bella and Mason, the luvs of my life who thrive on a vegan diet just like their momma!