Seitan Saltado ( Peruvian Seitan and Potato Stir-Fry )

Ever since making my own seitan a week ago, I've been in love. I used to dread having to cook with store bought seitan and would marinate it for hours, trying to make it taste better than it was. The difference between this seitan and what I use to buy is huge and on top of that, the cost is much cheaper.

I came across this recipe last week and it reminded me of a meal my mom used to make when I was little. I remember her buying frozen fries, mixing it with meat and serving it over white rice ( yeah, my mom's food usually is not very healthy ). I gotta remember to ask her if she has heard of this dish or if she just created something similar.

Anyways, a little about this recipe is that it is a Peruvian recipe that was influenced by Japanese and Chinese immigrants. I can totally see that because it does have a tangy soy-based sauce. If you are watching your carbs and don't want to serve rice along side this meal, a side of salad would work just as well.

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Ingredients - Baked Fries
* 2 pounds russet or other high-starch potatoes, scrubbed clean, peeled ( or leave them unpeeled for a rustic look )
* 2 Tb peanut oil or olive oil

Stir-Fry
* 1/2 recipe ( two loaves ) Steamed Red Seitan( Recipe Here ), or slightly less than 2 pounds purchased seitan
* 4 Tb soy sauce
* 3 Tb red wine vinegar
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* A generous pinch of dried oregano
* 1/2 pound yellow onions
* 1 to 2 Tb aji amarillo paste or hot red chiles
* 3 Tb red cooking wine or vegetable broth
* 3 large, firm plum tomatoes
* 4 Tb peanut oil
* Freshly ground pepper
* Steamed long-grain white or brown rice, about 1 cup per serving ( optional )
* 2 Tb finely chopped cilantro


Directions
1. Make the baked potatoes fries first. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the potatoes into french fry sticks about 1/2 inch thick, pour the 2 Tb of oil onto the large, rimmed baking sheet, add the sliced potatoes, and toss thoroughly with the oil. Don't crowd the pan; use two pans if the fries are overlapping. Bake the fries for 20 to 24 minutes, flipping once halfway through the baking, until the potatoes are golden and the edges are crisp and browned. Sprinkle with a little salt, if desired. Turn off the oven, open the door just a little, and leave the baking sheet in the oven to keep the fries warm.

2. Prepare the seitan and prepare the stir-fry ingredients. Slice the seitan into 1/4 by 1 inch strips. In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce and the red wine vinegar, garlic, cumin, and oregano. Add the seitan strips and use tongs to toss and coat the seitan completely with the marinade. While the seitan is marinating, peel the onion, slice it in half, then slice it into thin strips. If using fresh aji amarillo or other chiles, remove the seeds and mince. Slice the plum tomatoes in half, remove the seeds, and slice into thin strips. Measure the cooking wine and have it handy in a small cup.

3. In a 12 inch nonstick skillet ( or wok, if you have one ), heat 2 Tb of the peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add half the seitan strips and fry on each side for about 2 minutes. The seitan should be browned on the edges but still juicy. Transfer the seitan from the pan to a dish and repeat with the remaining seitan. Add the remaining 2 Tb of oil to the pan and add the onions. Stirring, fry the onions for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to softened and turn golden on the edges. If using minced chiles, stir into the onions and fry for 1 minute. If using aji amarillo paste, whisk into wine.

4. Pour the wine over the onion mixture and stir to deglaze the pan ( dissolving any browned bits from the bottom of the pan ). Scrape in any remaining seitan marinade. Using tongs, stir in the tomato strips to coast them in the bubbling wine mixture. Sprinkle within remaining Tb of soy sauce and season with plenty of freshly ground pepper. Add the seitan strips and continue using tongs to coat them with the sauce, then turn off the heat. Have ready serving dishes and mound a serving of rice into the dishes, if using.

5. To put everything together, place a serving of baked fries in a large mixing bowl ( maybe even the one you use to marinate the seitan with ). Use tongs to add a portion of stir-fried seitan and vegetables on top of fries and drizzle a little bit of the pan juices over the whole thing. Toss the fries with the stir-fry, taking care to coat the potatoes with the seitan juices. Slide onto a serving dish, sprinkle with some chopped cilantro, and serve immediately.

Peruvian Seitan and Potato Skewers ( Seitan Anticuchos )

Wow this recipe was amazing! So so amazing! And as you can probably tell from the recipe, a lot of work to make. Today is not a special occasion but I just had to try these skewers from my Viva Vegan cookbook. The So Good, So Green sauce is not necessary to make but it does add a nice touch. The seitan was like nothing I've ever tried before. Probably because I always buy my seitan from the market and only attempted at making my own once, when I really didn't know what I was doing in the kitchen. This meal is great for all the upcoming outdoor summer parties. I hope you all have the chance to try it. Again, so worth all the extra work!

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Steamed Red Seitan
Makes 4 seitan "loaves," each loaf serving 2, generously incorporated into entrees and other dishes
Time : Less than 45 minutes

( I found that the liquid was too much for the flour mixture. My seitan got drenched in liquid and I had to try to save it by adding more wheat gluten and chickpea flour. So please add a little liquid at a time and not just pour the entire thing in the bowl. )

Ingredients
* 1 1/2 cups cold vegetable broth
* 4 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed or grated with a Microplane grater
* 3 Tb mild soy sauce
* 4 Tb tomato paste
* 2 Tb olive oil
* 1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
* 1/4 cup chickpea ( garbanzo ) flour
* 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Directions
1. In a measuring cup, whisk together the broth, garlic, soy sauce, tomato paste, and olive oil. In a large bowl, combine the wheat gluten, chickpea flour, nutritional yeast, oregano, and cumin and form a well in the center. Pour the liquid ingredients ( remember a little at a time )into the well and stir with a rubber spatula until the dough leaves the sides of the bowl. Knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes to develop the gluten. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes; knead again for 30 seconds. Place the dough on a cutting board and with a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4 equal pieces and lightly knead each piece a few times. Shape each into a roughly oblong loaf shape.

2. Tear off four 12 inch square sheets of aluminum foil. Place a piece of dough in the center of a piece of foil. Fold the short sides of foil over the loaf, then fold over the ends. The foil should be secure but there should be some loose space around the dough to allow it to expand during steaming. Repeat with the other three pieces of dough. Place the wrapped dough in a steamer basket and steam for 30 minutes. Allow the dough to cool to the touch before chilling in the fridge for an hour or overnight.

3. Store the seitan in the fridge, tightly sealed in a plastic bag or airtight container, for up to 2 weeks. Seitan can also be frozen ( wrapped tightly ), then thawed in the fridge for later use.


So Good, So Green Dipping Sauce ( Green Aji Sauce )
Makes about 2 cups sauce
Time : Less than 10 minutes, not including chilling time

Ingredients
* 1 to 3 fresh green chilies, such as jalapeno, or serrano, seeds removed for less heat, if desired
* 2 cloves garlic, chopped coarsely
* 1/3 cup vegan mayonnaise
* 2 Tb olive oil
* 3 Tb lime juice
* 1/4 pound romaine lettuce ( about 1/4 of a large head ), thick base removed, leaves chopped coarsely
* 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, lightly packed
* 3 whole green onions, trimmed and chopped
* 3/4 tsp salt, or more to taste
* 2 to 4 Tb water

Directions
1. In a food processor or blender, blend all the ingredients except the water until smooth and creamy; stopping occasionally to scrape the sides or the processor bowl with a rubber spatula. Add a Tb of water at a time to thin the sauce to your desired consistency, if at all necessary. Taste the sauce and season with more lime juice or salt, if you like. Chill the sauce in a tightly covered container for 30 minutes or overnight before using. Keep chilled when not using.


Peruvian Seitan and Potato Skewers
Serves 2 to 3 generously as a main dish, or 4 as an appetizer
Time : About 45 minutes, including assembling the kebabs

Ingredients
* 1/2 recipe ( two loaves ) Steamed Red Seitan, or 3/4 pound seitan

Marinade :
* 5 cloves garlic
* 3 Tb aji panca paste or 3 tsp mild ground red chile powder, such as ancho
* 1/4 red wine vinegar
* 3 Tb peanut oil or vegetable oil
* 1 Tb agave syrup or brown sugar
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper, or to taste

Skewers
* 1 pound waxy potatoes, preferably very small new potatoes ( about the size of a Bing cherry or smaller )
* 1 bell pepper, red or green, seeded and sliced into 1 inch pieces ( optional )
* 1 large yellow onion, sliced into 1 inch pieces ( optional )
* 12 to 14 bamboo or metal skewers ( if using bamboo, presoak skewers according to the package directions )

Directions
1. Slice the seitan into bite-size cubes, about 1/2 inch across, and place in a large mixing bowl. If using onion or pepper slices, add along with the seitan. In another mixing bowl, use the Microplane grater to grate the garlic into the bowl. Add the aji panca paste, red wine vinegar, peanut oil, agave syrup, cumin, oregano, paprika, salt and pepper and stir until smooth with a whisk or fork. Pour the mixture over the seitan cubes and veggies ( if using ) and toss to coat completely with marinade.

2. While the seitan is marinating, cook the potatoes. Thoroughly clean the potatoes first, leaving the skins on. If you're using potatoes other than small new ones, cut them into bite size chunks; leave small new potatoes whole. Place in a large, heavy pot and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then lower the heat to a simmer and cook the potatoes until they are tender but still hold their shape, 12 to 14 minutes. Drain and spread the potatoes on a dish to cool enough to handle.

3. When the potatoes have finished cooling, preheat your grill according to the manufacturer's directions. Since these are quick-cooking ingredients, you want your grill to have an evenly hot, not blazing, heat that can crisp the outside of these skewers without over drying the seitan. If you're using a grill pan, you'll probably need 6 to 8 minutes to get your grill ready to go over medium-high heat. Make sure to oil your grill well, as seitan and veggies ( even the marinade ) doesn't contain loads of fat to keep things from sticking. I like to use those new high-smoking-point cooking sprays ( including ones designed for grilling ) just for this.

4. Prepare your anticucho by alternating pieces of marinated seitan with onions, peppers, and an occasional potato piece on the skewers. Brush with additional marinade, taking care to especially coat the potatoes. place the kebabs on the preheated grill. Don't crowd the pan; leave enough room so the edges of the ingredients can cook evenly. Occasionally brush the cooking kebabs with leftover marinade. Cook on each side for 3 to 4 minutes, until the seitan and vegetables are browned on the edges and look juicy. If the ingredients stick to the grill, spray more oil onto the grilling surface. Take care not to overcook the skewers. Remove from the heat and serve immediately with a cold beer, any potato dish, and So Good, So Green Sauce, if desired.

Chickpea Cutlets with Mashed Potatoes and Broccoli

Sunday always seems to be the day that I run out of ingredients to make a decent meal. This is probably because I go grocery shopping every Sunday. I tend to just grab a quick bite at In-n-Out, veggie burger with no spread in case you were wondering. I didn't feel like having that today and decided to make something with the chickpeas I had on hand. By searching more in my fridge, I found some potatoes and broccoli and turned what would have been an okay lunch, to something great! I got the recipe for the chickpea cutlets from Veganomicon.

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Serves 4

Chickpea Cutlets
* 1 cup cooked chickpeas
* 2 Tb olive oil
* 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
* 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
* 1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
* 2 Tb soy sauce
* 2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a microplane grater
* 1/2 tsp lemon zest
* 1/2 tsp dried thyme
* 1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika
* 1/4 tsp dried rubbed sage
* Olive oil for panfrying

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, mash the chickpeas together with the oil until no whole chickpeas are left. Add the remaining ingredients and knead for about 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed.

2. Preheat a large heavy-bottomed nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide the cutlet dough into four pieces. To form the cutlets, knead each piece in your hand for a few moments and then flatten and stretch each one into a roughly 6 x 4 inch rectangular cutlet shape. The easiest way to do this is to first form a rectangular shape in your hands and then place the cutlets on a clean surface to flatten and stretch them.

3. Add a moderately thin layer of olive oil to the bottom of the pan. Place the cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. Add more oil, if needed, when you flip the cutlets. They're ready when lightly browned and firm to the touch.

4. Just in case you were wondering, you can also bake these too! Baking these patties gives them a tooth-some chewy texture and firm bite. Preheat oven to 375 F, lightly oil baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8 to 10 minutes until firm and golden brown.

Cannellini Bean Veggie Burgers

Happy Memorial Day! I hope everyday had an awesome day celebrating with your friends and loved ones. I had a little quiet lunch with my boyfriend and kitty. We just bought a new gazebo yesterday and the weather was just perfect for taking our lunch outside. These burgers were a nice change from the Boca burgers I occasionally buy. They are also loaded in protein, I calculated 18 gram from each patty alone. Serve with the side of your choice.

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Yield: 4 veggie burgers

Ingredients:
* 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
* 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
* 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
* 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
* 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
* 1 15 oz can of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
* 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/2 cup dry unseasoned breadcrumbs
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* Hamburger buns, for serving
* Sliced tomatoes, onions, lettuce leaves, pickles, avocado, etc., for garnishing, as desired
* Condiments for serving, such as ketchup or salsa, mayonnaise, mustard, as desired


Directions
1. In a nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the onion, bell pepper, celery, carrot, and garlic until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, mash the beans with the back of a fork. Stir in the cooled vegetables, vital wheat gluten, water, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper and mix well.

3. Proceed to knead with your hands, until the mixture is firm and uniformly mixed ( about a minute ).

4. Divide the burger mixture into four equal pieces. Roll each piece into a firm ball. Use your palm to press the ball down on a clean surface to form a patty that is about 1 1/2 inch thick. Press so that the patty is flat on both sides. Make four patties.

5. Preheat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Pour a thin layer of olive oil into the pan. Cook the patties two or three at a time for 5 minutes on each side, gently but firmly pressing down on them with a spatula. Spray with olive oil before turning over, for uniform browning. Once cooked, the patties should be very firm when you press down on them.

Serve warm, on lightly toasted buns, garnished with desired condiments.