Mexican Stacked Sandwich and Contest!

Sandwich Filling

This is a monster sandwich, there are no two ways about it. And it has some kick, so feel free to modify the spices if you don't like hot food. Nobody will know that you wussed out. But we think it's pretty much perfect as is.

Mexican Stacked Sandwich
Feeds 3 people generously

1/4 cup vegannaise
1 Tbsp prepared salsa
1/4 tsp cayenne (drop it if you want)
1/4 cup broth
1 Tbsp tamari
1/2 a chipotle with adobo, minced as finely as possible
juice from 1/2 a lime
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder (any kind, we like chipotle), divided
pinch of sugar
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 an onion, sliced thinly (about 1/2 a cup)
1/2 a red pepper, sliced thinly (about 1 cup)
2 Tbsp pickled jalapenos, chopped and blotted dry (optional, but awesome)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
12 oz seitan, cut in thin stips (kind of like shaved)
salt and pepper to taste
sandwich parts : rolls/bread, lettuce and sliced tomatoes

Make the dressing for the sandwich. Combine the vegennaise, salsa and cayenne. Stir to mix and set aside to meld.

Make saucy part. Combine the broth, tamari, chipotle, lime juice, cumin, 1/2 tsp chili powder and a pinch of sugar. Set aside.

Cut your bread in half and remove some of the insides so the filling will fit a little better. Broil it, cut side up, until lightly browned. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Saute the onions until almost clear, then add the peppers, garlic, the rest of the chili powder and seitan. Cook for a few minutes, lightly browning the seitan. Add the broth mixture and toss and cook until the liquid has evaporated. Parts of the seitan will probably break up, but that's ok. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slather some sauce on the top and bottom of the bread. Layer the seitan, lettuce and tomatoes and dig in. Here it is in all its glory, on homemade bread.


Now for the CONTEST! This is cross posted from the PPK, where Isa kindly let me post it for better exposure.

Some of you may already know this, but if you haven’t heard we’re trying to keep Hezbollah Tofu up and running while Equus takes a mini break. To do that, I’m asking for your help!

If you’ve enjoyed the Hezbollah Tofu blog and thought about doing a recipe but didn’t get around to it, please do it now! We desperately need recipes to post and to keep this awesome collective project going.

To entice you just a little more (and hopefully motivate you), how about a Recipe Drive? If you submit a recipe between now and the end of January, you’ll be randomly entered in a drawing to win a free cookbook put out by the VeganEtsy Team.

All you need to do is veganize a recipe originally written by Anthony Bourdain (some are available online, or get the book from your library) and send it to us.

To keep going, Hezbollah Tofu needs you. Please send your recipes to us at heztofu@yahoo.com

Thanks! And get cooking!

Testers Galore featuring Robin Robertson

Get ready for some goodness. These are some of the latest testers for Robin Robertson.

Artichoke, Tomato and Roasted Pepper Relish

Robin calls this a relish. We ate it like a salsa and loved it. Next time I'm going to plan ahead and be sure to have some portabello burgers to top with it.

Lettuce Wraps

Just like the name says, these are vegetable stuffed with a terrific dipping sauce. I kept the extra sauce to add to soup. It's that good. These are simple and will be even better in the summer when it's just too hot to cook.

Grilled Vegetable Skewers with Charmoula Sauce

This recipe comes with a broil option, which is a good thing since I made these during a snowstorm! Great flavors, a really pretty dish....these would be great for company.

Spaghetti and T-Balls

We love spaghetti, and oddly, I don't make it very often. Probably because there are so many other recipes I want to try. But this one is worth getting excited about. Really great Tempeh Balls!

Singapore Noodles with Tempeh

It's pretty much a given that I would like this one. Tempeh + Noodles + Vegetables + Asian Sauce = Success in my book. Everything just works and tastes great.

Want to see more? I didn't manage to get pictures of everything I tested, but check out these previous posts:

Spicy Tempeh Empanadas and Sesame Spinach Pasta Bake

Queso Dip

Breads: Sundried Tomato and Olive Focaccia, Oatmeal Bread, Rustic Olive Loaf

Spaghetti with Red Lentils and Chard

Jerk Spiced Chili

This book is going to be full to the brim with all kinds of wonderful recipes.

Coming soon: a recipe, I promise.

A Whole Lot of Tester Cookies

Brownie Bites for Urban Vegan

By now, you've probably heard that the Urban Vegan is writing a cookbook that should hit the shelves in Fall, 2009. It's going to be brimming with 250 recipes...and I just got lucky in being a tester for her. Watch for a ton more photos. But about these little Brownie Bites...nice and chocolatey but overly sweet, these go down super easy. Especially since they're small. That means you eat them by the handful, right?

Espresso Chip Oatmeal Cookies

That's right. Coffee, Chocolate, Chips and Oatmeal! That's a square meal cookie with at least 3 food groups represented. Wonderful cookies, just like they sound. This is a tester for Terry and Isa.

Mocha Mammas

Another tester for Isa and Terry, mine don't look like anyone else's. Apparently the extract in Ohio is black like tar where other places it's light. Go figure. So mine are the only ones that aren't Ebony and Ivory. Whatever. Yum. I think these should be called Fancy Pants Cookies instead of Mocha Mammas.

Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti

From Isa and Terry...these just taste like Christmas. That's not going to stop me from making them year-round. I'm not always a big biscotti fan (because I don't drink coffee) but these little beauties can really stand on their own.

Old Fashion Pie Plate Shortbread

Just what the name suggests, but better. Rich and buttery and just the thing when you've had enough chocolate. I've heard that happens to some people but haven't experienced it myself. These have an awesome texture and are perfect with tea. It's a tester from Isa and Terry.

Tonight's dinner: Nouveau Pot au Feu, a tester for Urban Vegan. And if you're wondering, it's simmering on the stove making my house smell wonderful!

Beer Battered Fried Avocado Wedges

Beer-Battered Fried Avocado Wedges

These are decadent and delicious. Crispy, creamy green fried goodness. Really, they're almost too good for words.

Beer Battered Fried Avocado Wedges
Originally from the California Avocado Commission
1 cup lager or ale
1 cup all p flour
1 1/2 tsp paprika
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 avocados
oil for frying
1 cup salsa (to serve with them)

Whisk beer, flour, paprika, garlic (I added 1/2 tsp salt) until blended. Let stand at least 2 hours.

Peel avocados, cut each into 6 wedges. Dredge each wedge in batter. Deep fry until golden.

This was great with onions, too! That batter is definitely a keeper for me.

If your avocados are ripe and you refrigerate them, they hold their shape better for cutting.

The inside shot

Tonight's Dinner- something with tofu. I'm thinking Pad Thai.

It's Sunday.... How About a Contest?

Mystery Spice Blend

Can you tell what that spice blend is for? It's from one of Isa's books and is measured to the letter. First person to guess it in the Comments gets a prize!



And....we had this fantastic White Bean Dip tester from Yellow Rose Recipes over the weekend. Omni friends really liked it.

As if that wasn't enough, check out some of these other delicious testers from Robin Robertson.

Empanadas

My first empandas ever! I couldn't believe how easy they were to make. These are really satisfying.

Pasta Bake

This is comfort food....creamy, rich and sooo delicious. Another omni-approved dish.

So, yeah. We've been eating well.

Don't forget to enter the contest!

Tonight's Dinner: Marinara.

Buddha's Sesame Seitan

Sesame Seitan

If I've said it once, I've probably said it 5 times on this blog. A Single Pebble in Burlington, Vermont is my favorite restaurant. Considering the fact that we live about 13 hours away, it's a really big thing for me to get there once a year. Last year, we made it a few times...and every time I got the same dish: sesame "beef" made with seitan. I've tried to copy it a few times with different parts working but never the whole thing. But this time, I'm pretty happy with how it came out! The only thing that is really missing is the deep fried crunch to the seitan that I can't seem to get at home. The sauce, however, is pretty right on. This is the closest I think I'll ever get to making a homemade version. It's not the exact same, but it's sooo good! At least it hits the spot until our next trip to Vermont. (9 months and 23 days away, but who's counting?)

The vegetables have just the right crunch, the sauce has a a hint of sweetness under the heat and really makes the dish. I know, there are a ton of ingredients in the sauce, but you can tinker with it however you want. Part of what makes it work for me is that it's not just one element for heat, but a couple of them to play off each other. Same with the sweetness, with the mirin and sherry. The sauce has a really good bottom note. But tinker with it. Add more of what you like and less of what doesn't do it for you. Just so you keep a good balance of spicy/sweet/salty and it will be awesome! Oh, and about the vegatables? Sometimes they use carrots. Other times they use more bok choy. Whatever works for you!

Buddha's Sesame Seitan
8 oz seitan, cut in thin bite size chunks
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp cornstarch, divided use
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 Tbsp rice flour (you can use all AP if you prefer)
oil for frying the seitan chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 Tbsp mirin
2 tsp molasses
2 tsp sriachi
1 Tbsp sherry
1 tsp chili oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup broth
1 cup broccoli florets, steamed
1/2 cup carrots, cut in 1 inch pieces and steamed
1 cup onions, large dice
1/2 cup red pepper, large dice
1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Make a slurry with the cornstarch/soy milk. Combine the flours in a shallow dish. Heat about 1/2 inch oil in a wok or frying pan. Toss the seitain pieces in the slurry, then in the flour and fry until browned and crisp-ish. Remove from wok and place on a brown bag to drain a little. Set aside.

Dump the remaining oil out of the wok. Don't wipe it completely dry but get most of the oil out. Leave just enough for the vegetables.

Combine all sauce ingredients from the soy sauce to the salt and set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup broth with remaining 1 Tbsp cornstarch. Set aside.

With the wok hot, add the onions and red pepper. Cook on really hot heat until just barely cooked. You want to keep the crunch. Add the broccoli and carrots, sesame seeds and seitan, heating throughout. Add the sauce and stir for a couple of minutes, then add the broth/cornstarch, stirring until thickened. Serve with rice.

Here's the restaurant version from our last trip.

Buddha's Sesame "Beef" - A Single Pebble

And here is the Ma Po Tofu, if that's more your thing. My take on their recipe is here.

Ma Po Tofu - A Single Pebble

Tonight's dinner: not Asian. Damnit.

Tempeh Sauerkraut Brew Stew

Tempeh Sauerkraut Brew Stew

This ended up being a theme dinner without my intention. The theme is fermented. It's kind of like a goulash, but not. A little like a cacciatore, but so different. It really is its own unique thing and so delicious! On with the recipe!

Tempeh Sauerkraut Brew Stew
1 package tempeh
1 1/2 tsp cumin, divided use
1 1/2 tsp paprika, divided use
1 1/2 tsp coriander, divided use
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup onions, diced
1/2 cup red peppers, diced
1 1/2 cups mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, squeeze it a little before adding
1 Tbsp capers (optional, but good!)
1 1/2 cups beer (12 oz bottle)
3/4 cup green beans, cut in 1 to 2 inch pieces
1 can diced tomatoes
1 tsp caraway seeds, ground
1/2 tsp celery salt (optional)
1 tsp mustard (the wet stuff, not the dry)
black pepper to taste

Steam the tempeh for about 20 minutes. While it's steaming, mix 1 tsp each of the coriander, cumin, paprika, 1/2 tsp salt and flour together. Drain the tempeh, cut in cubes, and while it's still hot, toss it with the herbs and spices.

Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Lightly brown the tempeh cubes, then remove and set aside.

In the same pot, add the onions and cook until softened. Then add the red peppers and cook for a few more minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic and sautee. Add the sauerkraut, capers and about 1/2 the beer to deglaze the pot. Reduce to about 1/2 the liquid. Add the rest of the ingredients, adding beer as needed (I used the whole bottle) to keep it as wet as you'd like and let simmer 1/2 an hour. Add black pepper to taste. Serve over noodles or potatoes.

I have to thank Isa for the idea of combining mushrooms and sauerkraut. It's in one of her tester recipes for pierogies and I really liked the combo.

Given the kind of salty ingredients, you might not want to use the celery salt, but we really liked the addition. This stew is complex and flavorful, yet not super heavy. Hope you like it if you try it!

Mocha Cappuccino Cookies

Mocha Cappuccino Cookies

I don't know about you, but I've noticed a distinct lack of cookies around this blog lately. That's not to say I haven't been making cookies now and then, just that most of them haven't been "new" recipes. Now I'm shaking things up with that delicious tester from Autumn Vegan and Garrick. This cookie has a great crunch to the outside, but soft (not cakey) insides and terrific flavor. I knew I'd love this just by the name...and I do. Yes, I pick books by the cover, too. Don't you?

Chipotle Country Fried Seitan

Chipotle Country Fried Seitan

The idea of frying seitan is not a new one, but it's a good one that will never go away. This method probably isn't the most original, but it's got a little quirk* to it and it's delicious!

Chipotle Country Fried Seitan

4 chicken seitan cutlets
1/2 cup soymilk
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 chipotle pepper with adobo
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/2 tsp paprika
black pepper
oil for frying

Heat the oil in a frying pan, using as little or as much as you're comfortable with.

Blend the milk, cornstarch and chipotle pepper with adobo in the blender, then pour on a small plate. Combine the flour, salt, chili powder, paprika and pepper in a shallow pan. I usually use a pie pan. Dredge the cutlet in the milk, then the flour, then the milk and the flour again. When the oil is really hot, fry it, turning once so both sides are done. Drain on a brown bag.

In the picture above, it's served with the Jalapeno Corn Gravy from V'con. I have no idea why I waited so long to make that gravy...but hopefully, dear Reader, you won't make the same mistake. You can eat it with anything, even just from the spoon.

*I'm calling that you blend the milk with the chipotle pepper and cornstarch a quirk. I know a lot of recipes call for a slurry, but some just have you toss the food with the cornstarch dry. The slurry is the way to go.

Red Hot Chile Tofu

Red Hot Chile Tofu from Vegan Fire and Spice

Ok, this is my favorite tofu recipe of the entire month. And I'm already looking forward to making it again. This is spicy hot and soooo satisfying. The texture of this tofu is really incredible and different than most tofu dishes I've made. The coating gives it more crunch. I think that's the best way to describe it, but you've got to try it for yourself. We had it with rice and a side of stirfried vegetables and "ooohed" and "aaahed" all the way through dinner.

It's from Vegan Fire and Spice by Robin Robertson. This is definitely one of my favorite cookbooks, with loads of great ideas that can easily be spiced up or down depending on your tastebuds. If you've been thinking about getting it, now is the time. It's on sale!

Get it Ripe Vegan is the next book on my wishlist. What's yours?

Yellow Rose Recipes: 1 Year Old!

Black Bean Soup from Yellow Rose Recipes

It's hard to believe, but this book came out one year ago this month! Time really flies, doesn't it? We've really enjoyed a lot of recipes from this book. Some of the standouts include Tofu Marsala, Red Pepper Hummus, Spinach Lasagna and the Beer Battered Seitan Cutlets. The Mustard Seitan Cutlets are a go-to for me and can be ready in no time. That Black Bean Soup above is billed as the only black bean soup recipe you'll ever need and it's true. So versatile, so good and you can totally make it your own.

Mushroom Dressing

Not only did I love Joanna's first book, but I'm lucky to be a tester for her next book. That's a photo of the Mushroom Dressing....and it's wonderful! Guess what? The recipe is even posted to the Yellow Rose blog, so you can try it, too.

Some of my other Yellow Rose cooking can be seen here. Check it out!

I'm going to have to try the Tamale Pie next, I think. But tonight's dinner might have to be something Asian.

The Not Very Pretty Roulade Saga

Jim was painting our dining room for most of the weekend, so I spent a lot of time in the kitchen. Especially on Saturday. I made more of Isa's test bagels (for about the 10th time, I think) and then I thought I'd do a special dinner. I'd seen some incredible looking roulades posted at What the Hell does a Vegan Eat Anyway, Vegan YumYum and Vegan Planet. Rolling out seitan has never been easy for me, but I really wanted to give it try. *

First mistake: making those bagels. Just wait, you'll see.

Second mistake: making up my own seitan recipe...which required ONE HOUR of rolling out. It was so springy that I had to keep letting it sit. I'd wrestle with it for about 5 minutes, let it sit for 10, etc. In the end, I thought I'd beaten it.

Now for a good thing: making awesome mushroom roulade filling. With some Gimme Lean sausage and red wine.

Third mistake: thinking I had really rolled those roulades thin enough. I'd cut them into quarters and thought I'd sear them. Let's just say they 'pan-expanded' to about an inch thick.

Then I stuffed them, rolled them and tied them. At this point, I'm starting to think they look a little like intestines being tied off and it's not all that tempting. My solution was to keep snitching the stuffing.


For a second good thing: I decided to baste them with some red wine, tamari and sesame oil.

Into the oven they went for about 45 minutes, turning and basting and all that. I moved on to the vegetables and the garlic mashed potatoes.

4th mistake: they weren't cooked all the way. Next time I'd try to simmer the slabs of seitan before searing them, like What the Hell does.

Here's the final plate, which isn't a pretty picture. Focus, much? And the roulade? Well, it was slimy/crispy. The crispy parts were pretty good but the texture of the underdone seitan (which plumped when I cooked it) wasn't very pleasant. The rest of the dinner made up for it.



5th mistake: same as the first mistake. Remember those bagels? Jim ate 3 in the hour before dinner. The result being he ate about 3 bites of everything on his plate. This from a guy who always gets seconds.

His defense: "I can't help it. I'm a bagel whore. "

In truth, I can't really blame him. Those bagels are that good... and the roulade wasn't.

The moral of the story is don't make bagels when you want make an impressive dinner. And it would probably be a good idea to follow someone else's roulade recipe, at least for the first time.

*Bryanna's Chicken Seitan Cutlets from the Everyday Dish DVD rolled out between parchment as suggested by Joanna of Yellow Rose Recipes is the exception to this rule. I personally think that parchment idea is the greatest cooking tip of 2008. I just may write a blog post dedicated to just that idea, that's how much I love it!

Chickpea Cauliflower Crepes with Carrot Squash Sauce

Before I launch into this recipe, behold this crepe photo. They are the best crepes I've ever made. They swirl in the pan like there is no tomorrow, store great, reheat well... and best of all, taste incredible. I keep ogling that photo, and now you can, too. The crepes are filled with this chickpea and cauliflower mixture....

And are finally topped with the a carrot and squash sauce. I'm trying to incorporate more squash in our diets this year and this was an easy baby step.


Now for the full on recipe!

Chickpea Cauliflower Crepes with Carrot Squash Sauce

8-10 crepes, wrapped in foil and reheated (or fresh made, of course!)
(for the sauce...)
1/2 cup carrots, cut in 1 inch long pieces
1 acorn squash, but in about 2 inch slices
2 Tbsp oil (divided use)
2 cloves garlic
3/4 cup broth
1 Tbsp tamari
1/4 tsp ginger
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

(for the filling...)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp tamari
1 can chickpeas, drained

3 cups cauliflower, cut in florets
1/2 an onion, cut in 1/2 mooons
1/2 cup red pepper, cut in slices
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp curry powder

Note- everything gets roasted. If you can fit them all in your oven and just keep an eye on your times, it's the most efficient way. I'm writing it more linearly so it will hopefully make sense. But keep that in mind.

Preheat oven to 400 and start by roasting the sauce vegetables. Toss the carrots with about 1 Tbsp of oil and pop in the oven for an hour. Brush the squash with a layer of olive oil (keep out a tiny bit of oil), and pop in the oven. After 1/2 an hour, wrap the garlic cloves (unpeeled) in foil and drizzle with the tiny bit of oil. Add them to the oven so they roast for the last 1/2 hour. When everything is done, cut the squash from the skin, squeeze the garlic from the skins and dump all the rest of the sauce ingredients in a blender. Puree, then pour them in a saucepan to reheat. Check the seasonings.

The filling will also have to roast. Toss the chickpeas with 1 Tbsp olive oil, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika and tamari. Roast for 1/2 an hour.

Toss the cauliflower with the onion, red pepper, 1 Tbsp oil, ginger and curry. Roast for 1/2 an hour, then combine with chickpeas. Check the seasonings.

Then, just assemble the crepes! Stuff 'em, top 'em and sprinkle with some tamari pumpkin seeds if you want.

By the way, that incredible crepe batter is a tester for Isa. The Vegan Brunch book would be worth if for this recipe alone. And this if from a big fan of the previous crepes by Isa and Terry. But imagine if it were filled with Sweet Lemon Cashew Cream and topped with a Berry Sauce. Like this. It's pretty much perfect day or night.



My next post will be my roulade saga...and it's not pretty. Stay tuned.