Thursday Dinner - Artichoke and Sun-Dried Tomato Italian Easter Pie with Herbed Crust(June 10)

This is my version of the classic Italian Easter Pie. 

This is a meal that is typically served on holidays. I can almost understand why: there are a dozen reasons. Because I did not use the DOZEN eggs most recipes I looked at called for, I needed to up the ingredients, and therefore I wound up enhancing the flavor. I put artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, sausage and homemade tofu ricotta in there. The crust was a snap to make, using the food processor, and I added a teaspoon each of oregano and basil to it. It came out flaky and crispy and oh, so delicious.

I am not a fan of bland, so I am glad this turned out so wonderful.

Cost Breakdown:

crust: $1

sausage: $1

artichoke and spinach: $3

onion, seasoning, garlic: $1

tofu, lemon, almond: $3

salad: $3

Total to feed a family of 5:

$12.00

5 out of 5 stars

Italian Easter Pie Recipe

Sunday Dinner - Schlotzkys-style Sandwich (June 6)

We are originally from Texas, where Schlozkys was founded. In fact, my husband came with the love of this fast food joint. They are famous for their sourdough sandwich bread, reminiscent of a sourdough English muffin. We are no longer in Texas, and no longer omnivorous either, for that matter, but we still love this sandwich! While I was making the sausage yesterday, I also made Bryanna Clark-Grogan's salami - an ingredient on the Original Schlotzkys Sandwich. Of course we all liked it, as before when I've made this, but this time I used all whole wheat flour, and although still tasting great, it was a little crumbly. I also used hemp milk, which shouldn't affect it, but more experimentation is required.

Poor, unfortunate family.

Cost breakdown:
Homemade bread: $1.50
Seitan: $1
Tofurkey: $2
Tomato, lettuce, olives, onion, pickles: $3
Vegenaise and Daiya: $2.50
Total for 5 large sandwiches:
$10.00

4 out of 5 stars

Saturday Dinner - Chicago Deep Dish Pizza (June 5)

Visions of Uno's and Lou Malnati's Pizza has been dancing in my head.

And now on my palate as well.

American Vegan Kitchen by Tamasin Noyen has a pretty authentic recipe (minus the spinach), complete with the sausage (also in the cookbook, and also an easy recipe),  tomato sauce (can it really be called that, it just being drained, seasoned tomatoes?), and dough. The dough, which I popped into my bread machine and forgot about it until it was ready, turned out golden brown and crunchy - no soggy dough here! 

I'll stop raving now, but I do admit pizza is one of my old-time faves.

Suffice it to say everyone loved it.

Ahh.

Cost Breakdown:
1/2 Daiya, 1/2 Follow Your Heart: $5
Can of Eden tomato: $2.50
Homemade crust and seasonings: $1
Homemade seitan: $1
Salad: $3
Total to feed a family of 5:
$12.50

5 out of 5 stars 

Thursday Dinner - Yakitori with Seared Cabbage and Almonds (June 3)

This was awesome! Yakitori is 'grilled chicken' in Japanese.

 The seitan 'meatballs' I made turned out just right - flavorful, held together very well, and moist (is that too cake-y a description?). I made the teriyaki with mirin (Japanese rice wine), tamari, ginger, garlic, and sugar. I quickly grilled the cooked 'meatballs' on my enameled grill pan (highly recommended - food does not stick and it is not non-stick), basting with the sauce. The cabbage was flash seared on the same grill pan (just not at the same time), with some carrots, garlic and tamari. Garnishing the dish are toasted almonds and sliced scallions. I served the teriyaki on the side as extra dipping sauce. Yum! Youngest daughter does not like ginger (too 'spicy'), but otherwise it was a meal we all loved. It was sweet, salty, and a little spicy. Great combination, ask any giant food processing company.

Cat loaned me her manga for the picture. I am such a lucky mother to have a daughter so interested in Japanese culture to have some props ready for my pic.

4 out of 5 stars

Tuesday Dinner - Thai Seitan Satay (May 25)

Interesting meal!

 It seems everyone found something different to criticize about this meal. If it wasn't the brown rice, it was too spicy, or he doesn't like tomatoes, or he dislikes peanut butter, which is what the sauce was made of. I guess the only thing we ALL agreed on was:

3.5 out of 5 stars

Friday Dinner - Seitan Scallopini (May 22)

If you are not familiar with Bryanna Clark Grogan, it is time you should be. Tonight's dinner was inspired by her scallopini recipes in

 Nonna's Italian Kitchen.

I made some seitan a few nights ago, and if you are intimidated by making seitan, don't be. (I am in the process of making a video to help you conquer the fear of seitan.) I made a 'light', 'chicken'-flavored seitan, and sliced it 1/4 inch thin. After breading the slices, I pan-fried them until golden, added mushrooms, shallots, and garlic, and about a cup of wine (or Marsala, sherry, or just vegetable broth). I let the sauce reduce and served the cutlets with whipped potatoes and sauteed garlic spinach.

Originally I had the cutlets over pureed baby turnips, but that was a bit much for the rest of the family - too bitter for them - so the picture is of whipped potatoes. If you do use potatoes instead of turnips, consider changing the greens to kale or rapini (broccoli rabe). - it will give a nice flavor contrast. I liked it a lot with the turnips, however, so here is your chance to use up those last turnips in your CSA box. 

4.5 out of 5 stars

Seitan Scallopini Recipe

Thursday Dinner - Georgian Potato and Seitan Filled Flat Bread (May 20)

I must admit that this was very close to a knish, but the dough was risen and the filling was outstanding. I diced the seitan and pan-fried it until it was crispy. It was mixed with mashed potatoes that were seasoned with chives and sauteed onions. Everyone thought it was very tasty. Next time I will make some gravy to go with it, but tonight I was sidetracked with making sweets for the kids for tomorrow's end-of-year-party.

4 out of 5 stars

Brownies three ways:

Chocolate
Death by Chocolate
Strawberry-Chocolate

Recipes from Sinfully Vegan by Lois Dieterly

... and Almond Toffee Bars

Sunday Lunch - Seitan Kabobs and Patatas Bravas (May 16)

We are still camping.

I had been marinating the kabobs since Friday night, and had half-cooked the potatoes and marinated them as well. At camp, we got the fire going, placed the kabob pieces - seitan, artichokes, cherry tomatoes, elephant garlic, and yellow peppers - in kabob baskets, and grilled them. I highly recommend these baskets; seitan pieces, as well as veg dogs and tofu tend to break apart and fall off the skewers. No more lost tofu to the fire! They should be called 'vegan kabob baskets' as far as I'm concerned. Aldi has them for $1.50 each.

The potatoes were grilled as well, after all, we are camping and B-B-Q-ing, then covered with a spicy tomato sauce I prepared at home. That's right, I tried to prep everything so I wouldn't have to do anything. It worked really well. The kabobs were nicely charred, as you can see in the photo.

4 out of 5 stars

Saturday Dinner - Gyros (May 15)

Gyros!! We love Gyros!

Since we were going camping, I prepared all the food the night before and had everything ready to go on the grill.

Gyros have been a favorite of mine and to recreate them vegan was of the utmost importance. I make the 'lamb' seitan using gluten flour and other flours, and cook it in a broth that is a combination of 'beef' and 'chicken.' After the seitan is cool, I sliced it into thin pieces and marinated it overnight in olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, rosemary, and oregano. At the campsite I grilled the slices until they were crisp, but not dry (important - we aren't trying to make jerky). Tzaziki sauce was prepared at home, and the seitan was assembled in a pita with slices of onions and tomatoes.

So incredibly delicious!

6 out of 5 stars

(My husband recommend that once in a blue moon we assign 6 stars to truly exceptional dishes. This one definitely qualifies.)

Tuesday Dinner - Sechuan Beef and Broccoli (May 11)

Tuesday night is Asian/rice night.

Tonight we had cornstarch-crusted-beefy-seitan browned in a well-seasoned wok. After they were browned and removed, sliced broccoli, onions, and peppers were added to the wok, a little water, steamed for three minutes, and a sauce of garlic, chili, tamari, vegetable broth, and cornstarch, was introduced to make a flavorful sauce to coat the vegetables. After adding the seitan back into the wok with the vegetables, it was served with brown rice.

This recipe was adapted from Bryanna Clark Grogan's "Authentic Chinese" cookbook. It was excellent.

5 out of 5 stars