Chinese Takeout Style Lemon Seitan

Chinese Lemon Seitan

1.35 kg cooked seitan (about four fillet sized pieces)
2 tbsp soy sauce
1.5 tsp salt
250 ml vegetable oil
5 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
5 tbsp caster sugar
250ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 lemon, sliced

Southern Fried Chickenless Nuggets

Seitan:
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
3 heaped tbsp chickpea flour
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp dried sage
Lots of fresh ground black pepper

Wet Ingredients:
¾ to 1 cup cold vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

Coating:
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp corn flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp chilli powder

Mix the dry seitan ingredients in a large bowl then add the oil, soy sauce, and ½ cup of the veg stock. Mix well adding more stock as needed (this will vary from batch to batch) until you have a stretchy, moist lump of seitan dough. Knead for a minute then cut/rip into pieces half the size of how big you want the final product to be.
Boil a large pan of water/veg stock with a tbsp of soy sauce then turn down to a very gentle simmer (the surface of the water should barely be moving). Drop the seitan pieces into the water and partially cover. Leave to cook for 45 minutes then turn off the heat and leave for another 15 minutes.
Mix the coating ingredients in another large bowl.
Drain the seitan and leave to cool in a sieve until you are able to handle it without burning yourself (don’t allow to cool completely though) then toss them in the coating mixture. Give a good mix to ensure every piece is fully coated and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Heat a deep pan of oil until a piece of bread dropped in turns brown in 10-15 seconds then fry the seitan, in batches, until golden brown and crispy. Drain on a wire rack.

This recipe has been entered into the Virtual Vegan LINKY Potluck

Veggie Barley Stew with Cheezy-herby Dumplings

It’s less than two weeks until christmas, the ground is frosty and the air is crisp. I’m trying to keep my Christmas binge to Christmas Eve, Day, and Boxing day this year so I’ve been looking at coming up with warming, filling, yummy meals that feels luxurious but are still low in fat. If you want to reduce the fat in this recipe further then skip the dumplings. This serves 4 with the dumplings or 3 without them.

2 medium onions, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, sliced
2 large parsnips, sliced
1 medium leek, sliced
1/2 whole swede, diced
175g Pearl Barley, rinsed
1 ltr vegetable stock
1 tbsp shoyu
1 tsp miso
1 tsp dried Thyme
1 tsp dried Parsley
1 Bayleaf
1 tsp vegetable/olive oil

Dumpling Mix:
100g Self-raising Flour
50g vegetable suet, grated
50g vegan cheese, grated
2 tsp rosemary, finely chopped
1 tsp dried thyme, lightly ground
2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp fresh chives, chopped

Carrot and Potato Gnocchi

This simple recipe is very time-consuming but definitely worth the effort if you have an afternoon free. This makes a large amount but, if you line the formed gnocchi on a lightly dusted tray and pop in the freezer for a couple of hours, you can store the extra in bags in the freezer for future use.

450g potatoes, whole and unpeeled
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
450g plain flour

Low-Fat Veggie Pasta Sauce

This is probably the easiest pasta sauce I have ever had but stills packs a flavourful punch.

1 medium bell pepper (any colour), roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
1 stick celery, roughly chopped
3 fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 tin tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
1 large courgette, sliced into rounds and quartered
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp olive oil
Salt & Fresh black pepper to taste

Extra Tasty Gluten-Free Vegan Mac & Cheeze

I use store-bought vegan cream cheese in this recipe but you could replace this with your own home-made v-cream cheese. Try this recipe here or this one here

Don’t worry it’s not burnt, the crispy onions just get very dark

 250g rice pasta (dried weight)
100g vegan cream cheese (with garlic and herbs if possible)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
100ml unsweetened plant milk
1 tsp english mustard powder
Crispy onions (optional)
Vegan hard cheese of choice, grated (optional)
salt and black pepper to taste

Soya-Free Vegan Sage and Red Onion Bangers

1 cup vital wheat gluten
3 tbsp chickpea flour
1/2 cup cold vegetable stock
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped fresh sage (or 2 tsp dried sage)
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground ginger
pinch ground nutmeg
1 tsp garlic powder (1 one glove garlic, minced)
1 tsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp whole grain mustard
1 large red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Curried Cauliflower with Cumin Roasted Vegetables

600g medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
1 medium red onion, halved and cut into thin wedges
1 yellow pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 red pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
1 orange pepper, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 medium courgettes, cut into 1 cm slices
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tsp garam masala
1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped
1 tin tomatoes, blended
salt & black pepper

Preheat oven to 210C/Gas 7.

Boil the potatoes in water for about 5 minutes. Just parboil them, you don’t want them cooked through. Meanwhile, place the cauliflower florets in a bowl and cover in cold water to soak for 30 minutes.

In a large non-stick frying pan toast the mustard seeds and 1 tsp of the cumin seeds over a medium heat for about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 tbsp of the oil, the garam masala and 1/2 tsp of turmeric. Cook for a few minutes to release the fragrance before adding the onion. Fry the onion in the spices for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.

Drain the potatoes then toss them in the pan with the onion and spices, season with salt and fresh black pepper. Tip everything into a large baking tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.

Take the tray out of the oven and add the peppers and courgettes. Toss together gently to coat in the spiced oil and place back in the oven for a further 30 minutes.

While the potato and veg mixture is roasting, put the rest of the oil into a large pan and set over a medium heat. Add the rest of the cumin seeds to the oil and allow to sizzle for a few seconds. Now drain the cauliflower and add to the pan. Stir constantly for about 2 minutes to coat the cauliflower well in the spiced oil and is starting to brown in places. Add the ground cumin, coriander, green chilli, and the rest of the turmeric as well as some salt and black pepper and gently mix while cooking for 30 seconds. Add the blended tomatoes, bring to the boil then reduce to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until the cauliflower is cooked but still has some “bite” to it. (Feel free to add peas, beans or greens so the pan for extra tasty vitamins and minerals)

This serves 4-6 people and can stretch even further if served with a cup of cooked rice per person.

Virtual Vegan LINKY Potluck

Vegan “whatever’s on hand” Pizza

Everyone loves pizza! Some times I really want one but haven’t thought ahead to buy in what I want. When this happens I raid the freezer, cupboards, and back of the fridge to see what I can throw together. It’s one of the reasons I keep frozen mushrooms, peppers, and other pizza-able veg in my freezer.I haven’t used amounts for the topping here as there is no right or wrong when it comes to what you like on your pizza!

Vegan Pizza

Dough:
1.5 cups plain flour (if I have any I like to use 1/2 cup spelt flour with 1 cup plain flour)
1/2 cup warm water
7g fast acting dried yeast
1/2 tbsp coconut sugar (or regular brown sugar)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp olive oil

Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl and add the wet ingredients. Mix with a spoon (or your hands) to form a dough. You may need to add more water depending on the flour so do so 1 tsp at a time. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed for 10 minutes. Lightly oil the bowl and place the dough in. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour.

While the dough is proving, it’s time to prepare your topping.

Tomato sauce base:
1 tin tomatoes (blended until smooth)
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1 tsp mixed italian herbs
1 tsp olive oil

Heat the oil in a pan and add the onions. Cook until translucent then add the garlic, tomatoes, and herbs. Bring to the boil before reducing to a simmer and leave to reduce by half, stirring occasionally. Once cooked allow to cool.

Topping vegetables:
Frozen spinach
Frozen Peppers
Frozen mushrooms
Frozen sweetcorn

Defrost the spinach with warm water but the other veg can be used from frozen.

Knock back the pizza dough by punching it with your fist then turn it out onto your pizza pan (or any baking tray you happen to have). Push the dough out to fill the pan. Spoon on your tomato base leaving a gap at the edge to form the crust. Next, fill the tomato area with all the veg you want! If you have any vegan cheese then grate that on now. If you like added crustiness to your crust then brush them with a little olive oil.

Place your pizza in a pre-heated oven at 200C/400F/Gas 6 for about 20 minutes.

Gotta love the Noosh!

I like to sprinkle with nutritional yeast (noosh) and have oodles of bbq sauce on the side for dipping!

Enjoy!

Did I mention I like Noosh?

Sweet & Sour Mushrooms

Sweet & Sour Mushrooms
Serves 2-4 people

500g mushrooms (I like to use a mix of white and chestnut)
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tbsp oil
1/2 pint vegetable stock
2 oz (roughly 2 heaped tbsp) sugar (I prefer coconut sugar)
3 heaped tsp corn flour
2 tbsp vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce
1 small can pineapple (in juice is good, in syrup is better)
1-2 cups rice, cooked as per packet instructions

Heat the oil in pan then sauté the onion and peppers. Add the mushrooms and stock, bring to a boil then simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked but the onions still have a little bite to them.

Blend the sugar and cornflour with the vinegar, soy sauce and liquid from the tin of pineapple. Ensure there are no lumps.

Pour the mixture into the cooking vegetables along with the pineapple pieces. Cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring continuously until sauce has thickened.

Serve with the cooked rice.