FNF: Korean Style Wraps with Chili Sauce + American Vegan Kitchen

No blog updates for days, then two days in a row. Go figure! With my new goal of Food Network Friday on alternate Fridays, I really didn't want to miss this one. This week's recipe is from Emeril and it is great summer food. Below is the revised version, but if you'd like to see the original it's here.

Korean Style "Pork" Wraps with Chili Sauce
Serves 2 (as a meal)

Wraps:
10 ounces seitan (any kind - I used beefy)
1/4 cup tamari
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 cup cooked rice
1 head Bibb lettuce
1 carrot, shredded
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Sauce:
1 tablespoon sriracha
2 teaspoons agave
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Cut the seitan into thin strips, about 1/4-inch thick, 1/4- inch wide and 2 1/2 inches long. Mix the tamari, sugar, sesame oil, scallions, garlic and ginger in shallow dish or plastic bag. Marinade the seitan overnight.

For the sauce, just mix the ingredients together.

To prepare the wraps, heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat. Using a slotted spoon, remove the seitan from the marinade and place in the skillet. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until nicely browned.

Peel the lettuce leaves from the head and place a scoop of rice inside. Top with 4 to 5 strips of seitan, some shredded carrot and some sesame seeds. Drizzle with a little sauce, roll up and enjoy!

Notes on this recipe:

1. I know they're a pain to use, but I really think I'd like the crunch of iceberg lettuce for these. Or maybe some sprouts along with the carrot would do the same job.

2. The flavors are great! I made 1/2 the sauce rather than the original amount and it was plenty.

3. I saved the leftover marinade to toss with some cappelini for an Asian style cold noodle salad.

Would I make it again? Probably. It would be worth making again, but with so many fantastic wrap ideas, I'm not sure that I would. That's definitely not a knock on this recipe, because it really is delicious.

And one more thing:



The book is now available for preorder on Amazon! If you decide to preorder it, it would be great if you ordered through Vegan.com to help support Erik's wonderfully informative site.

A big thanks to all of you for the support and encouragement during this book-writing process and especially to my testers.

Have a great weekend!

Book Review and Contest: Sublime!

The Sublime Restaurant Cookbook is written by Nanci Alexander, originally an animal rights worker in Florida. Her commitment to animals led her to opening a restaurant showcasing how wonderful a plant based diet can be. Thanks to the always awesome Book Publishing Company, I have a copy of this book to give away.

The book has 12 recipe chapters, starting with Hors d'Ouevres and ending with Cocktails. While none of the chapters are jam-packed with loads of recipes, each chapter of about 5 to 10 recipes has several recipes that make you want to get into the kitchen and cook. The book is nicely organized with individual chapters for Pizzas, Pastas and Entrees, among others. The Entrees (5 recipes) include a Grilled Seitan Steak (right up my alley) and a Portobello Tenderloin which sounds like it would satsify any omni. The Pasta chapter has a Puttanesca, a Mac and Cheese (using soy cheddar cheese) and a few other recipes. Of course, the most eye-catching to me is the Pad Thai. The Pizza chapter (5 recipes) has a 7 Layer Pizza (Mexican themed) which would top my list of things to make. Other chapters include Soups, Salads, Sushi, Sides and Desserts, which includes Smore's Brownies!

None of the recipes look very complicated, and some basics are included, such as making stock (light or dark), pizza dough and roasting garlic. All in all, this is a book I'd like to own. And now you get a chance to make this book your own! All you have to do is post a comment to this post about your favorite vegan restaurant, or about the one you'd like most to visit. Be sure to check back to see if you win!

Now, for a food photo so I don't leave you picture-less. This is a breakfast from Friendly Toast in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. If you happen to be in the area, they are very vegan friendly and a fun, eclectic place to eat. It's a tofu scramble with home fries and a bagel.


Next post: Food Network Friday!

Cashew Cheeze Stuffed Squash Blossoms

In working on the book, some of the wonderful recipe testers were making suggestions of other recipes to be included in my cookbook (that sounds so surreal when I say it) and a squash blossom recipe was one of the ideas. That's all it took for me to try to get my hands on some.

This is the first year I've ever played with squash blossoms. It turns out that one of the farmers (read: the only vegetable farmer!) at our local farmer's market is happy to sell them as long as you order ahead. After a few test batches, this is what I came up with.



Cashew Cheeze Stuffed Squash Blossoms
Makes 8

Cheeze:
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 tablespoon white miso
2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon capers plus 1 teaspoon caper juice

In a small bowl, soak the cashews in 1 cup of water overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, drain the cashews and process them in whatever works for you. My blender (aka Linda Blair) didn't do the trick, but my Magic Bullet did. Grind them up then add the rest of the ingredients to the cashews. Process them until smooth and set aside. You can do this ahead of time or right before filling the blossoms. (Side note: this cheeze is great on crackers, too.)

For the blossoms:
8 squash blossoms
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup cold club soda
1/3 to 1/2 cup cold water
oil for frying

Gently open the squash blossoms and stuff with about 1 tablespoon of cheeze filling. Somewhere on the net I had read that you could kind of twist the ends of the blossom closed. That worked well....for one. But others tore. So instead I gently pasted them together by letting some of the cheeze be between the leaves rather than just in the blossom cavity. Fill them all, then start the batter.

Heat about 1/8 inch of oil in a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.

Now, for the batter. You will have extra, but it's easier to coat them this way. In a bowl just bigger than the blossoms are across (so you have more depth to the batter), combine the dry ingredients. Mix them together with a fork, then add the soda and 1/3 cup cold water. If the mixture is too heavy, add some additional water. Dip the blossoms in the batter, turning to coat them well. Place in the hot oil and fry until golden, about 5 to 7 minutes, turning as needed so all sides brown. Be sure to adjust your heat if it is getting too hot or too cool. Drain on a paper covered baking sheet and serve hot.

For what it's worth, I actually pinched out that nubby inside part in some of my early batches, but didn't bother in later versions. I couldn't tell the difference and decided it wasn't worth the effort.

I'd always thought these would be incredibly hard to make and was surprised that the technique really isn't as challenging as I thought. The combination of the creamy cheezy filling, the delicate blossom and the amazing crisp outside combine to make something so much bigger than the parts. These are something I'll make again and again.

Kirsten is the tester who suggested these and you can check out her blog here.

Don't forget-- a new book give-away is coming soon!

Food Network Friday: Seitan Cutlets with Avocado Sauce

That's right! You're seeing an actual recipe on this blog. It's been a little while, I know. That's because I've been plugging away at the book and having a blast doing it. But last night, I took a stab at Sauteed Turkey Cutlets with Avocado Sauce from Aida Mollenkamp. I was in the mood for something that I could make in one shot and not keep rewriting and remaking to get it just right, like I'm doing for the cookbook. In other words, this was going to be sink or swim. Couple that with a major score from a Farmer's Market I didn't even know existed, and it made for an incredible - and easy!- dinner.

Chickeny Cutlets with Avocado Sauce
Serves 2

Sauce:
1 ripe Haas avocado, cut in chunks (reserve 1 slice if you want)
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cutlets:
2 chickeny cutlets
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
canola oil for panfrying
basil for garnish

To make the sauce, combine the ingredients in a blender. I reserved one slice of avocado for garnish and really upped the water amount from the original recipe. Even with the increased water, my blender was working pretty hard. A food processor might work better next time. The original says this can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in the fridge, if you're feeling daring. But it only takes minutes, so why bother?

For the cutlets, combine the flour, salt and pepper on a plate. Dredge the cutlets in the flour. Heat just enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet over medium to medium high heat. Panfry the cutlets until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Turn to brown second side.

Pour the sauce over the cutlets and garnish. I added some cherry tomatoes for color, but they also added to the flavor.

Notes:

1. I was tempted to add garlic to this, and I didn't. I think it was the right choice.

2. The avocado was perfection in itself, possibly the best avocado I've ever eaten and I'm sure that helped make the sauce as good as it was.

3. When I think avocados, I think lime and cilantro rather than lemon and basil. But it turned out to be a great combo.

4. I used 1/3 of the cutlet ingredients, but kept the seasoning closer to half because we tend to like salt and pepper. You may want to stick closer to the original.

5. This sauce would be just as delicious over some marinated grilled tofu or tempeh, too.

6. I think I need a new blender. Mine spins around sometimes like it's Linda Blair's head and has been for about 6 months now. At least it doesn't spit stuff.

7. If you make one Food Network Friday recipe from this blog, make it this one.

Would I make it again?
Absolutely. This sauce is incredible and will have a permanent place in our kitchen. The cutlets were terrific in the supporting role, too.

We had this with some local sweet corn and green beans, both cooked on the grill. The beans were simply trimmed, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper and wrapped in foil. The sweet corn is just coming in and when Ohio corn kicks in, there is nothing like it! This might be one of the best summer dinners we've ever had.

Coming soon: Another book give-away! Be sure to check back!

Local Bounty Winner! and our Garden!

Drum roll, please....the winner of Local Bounty (generously donated by the Book Publishing Company) is Susan, number 33, who had this to say:

"zucchini zucchini zucchini....its coming out of my ears right now...three different recipes in the fridge at the moment...i love summer gardens"

Please contact me through blogger or my address at the right with your mailing address so I can get this book out to you. And thank you again to everyone who entered.

Many thanks to the Book Publishing Company for their non-stop awesomeness. Did I ever tell you that way back in the '80's I got tempeh starter from them? Well, I did.

In keeping with the theme of this post, let me show you some pictures of our garden, before the deer had a midnight snack.

Our little garden: 1 cuke, 1 lettuce, peppers and tomatoes

Green Zebra heirloom tomatoes!

The pepper the deer ate

The cherry tomatoes we ate!

So far, we've enjoyed 1 jalapeno, 1 green pepper, 4 more cherry tomatoes than pictured and some of the lettuce. The deer have enjoyed the red pepper plant (yes, plant....), the tops of 2 tomato plants (with a bunch of tomatoes) and that almost ready-to-pick pepper. Since it's our first garden, we're learning as we go and having a blast. We've already decided to double it for next year. If anyone has humane suggestions on how to keep the deer away, please let me know.

Enjoy the great local bounty this time of year, wherever you are!

New contest coming soon!

Book News and a Peck of Peppers

How about some book news? The title of my book is American Vegan Kitchen and it will be released by Vegan Heritage Press in 2010. It still doesn't feel real to me and I'm not sure it will even when I'm holding it in my hands. Thank you to all of you for your kind comments and support...and of course, to all of you incredible testers!

If you've noticed a lack of posts lately on my blog, it's because I'm rather book-focused these days. But it doesn't mean I'm not thinking about you, Dear Reader, I'm just not keeping up with reading your blogs as much as I'd like or posting to my own.

Check out this incredible package of peppers that the wonderful Veg-in-Training sent my way! I've never seen so many peppers in my life. The variety! The colors!I can't wait to start using these and am overwhelmed by her vegan kindness. (Don't tell her, but I'm trying to come up with a way to return her generosity.) I now have a Pepper Basket.


And one more thing: don't forget to comment about a vegetable on this post for a chance to win a copy of Local Bounty! I'll leave it open a little longer.

Happy Weekend!

Book Review and Contest: Local Bounty

With farmer's markets really picking up in most parts of the United States this time of year, Local Bounty seems so timely. I know, out in the Pacific Northwest, farmer's markets are a year-round affair. But many parts of the U.S. aren't as fortunate. Luckily for us, this book makes the most of available produce (any time of year!) and offers suggestions and substitutions when possible. It's no surprise that the author is Devra Gartenstein, who lives in Seattle according to the back cover, where markets abound. She is also the author of Accidental Vegan, if her name rings a bell with you.

Here's the really good news about this book: no matter what the season, this book has you covered. It opens with general thoughts and an introduction about why eating local is so important. Next comes "A Brief Tour of the Vegetable Kingdom" with info on the plant families, including my favorite: a section on chiles. Some guidelines about vegetable cooking round out the beginning of the book, along with a handy dandy seasoning chart. Then we get to the recipes, which are sorted by season.

If you've got a fruit or vegetable, Devra's got a way to cook it. She even has a scape recipe! That's big news to me since it's the first scape recipe I've ever seen in print. Her recipe style is simple and direct, combining the peak flavors of a season to create easy but delicious dishes. This book would be a great addition to any vegan's collection.

And now you've got a chance to win it! All you have to do is leave a vegetable comment on this post along with your email address. Or be sure to check back in case I can't get in touch with you. What I want you to tell me is something about a vegetable. Maybe you could say your favorite veg of the minute, or one you thought you'd never like, or one you still can't cosy up with, or a favorite cooking method... you get the idea. Just make sure you mention a specific vegetable. I'll do the random drawing thing and will get a copy of Local Bounty out to one lucky winner, thanks to my friends at the Book Publishing Company.

Just so I don't leave you without some food, here's a quickie stir fry from the other night. It's just snow peas, tofu, mushrooms, red peppers and the very last of our scapes. I'm sad to see the end of them, but I'm looking forward to the garlic right around the corner.


Ready, Set, Comment! And good luck!

Basil, Basil, Basil!

It's hard to tell from this picture, but that's a beautiful, whopping, 3 cups of fresh basil. Three packed cups, which is probably the most basil I've ever had at one time. It's a ginormous pile that we were given at our trip to Whole Foods! How cool is that?

Here's the story: we were poking around the plants outside the store, admiring the basil. They had extremely vibrant basil plants. The nice lady who works in the flower section was out there, too. We've already got lots of basil planted in pots, but it's at the point where I really can't pinch them back anymore and expect them to survive. So we chitchatted a bit and then went in to do our shopping, plantless. The next thing I knew, the plant lady was giving us this huge bag of fresh basil from pinching back the store plants! She said she couldn't make anymore pesto and nobody at the store would take anymore basil either.

When we got home and got all the groceries put away, I ate a few leaves then I made pesto. It turned out to be the best pesto I've ever made! I'm convinced it's all because it was given to us so generously.

Thank you, Whole Foods Plant Lady!

And...guess what? The next post is going to be another book contest. So get ready!

Happy Almost Weekend!