Spicy Korean Tacos with Pickled Cucumber Salad

I must confess...these really aren't spicy Korean tacos because I didn't have any Gochugaru (Korean red pepper flakes or paste), but you really don't need it.  I made a quick spicy BBQ sauce using ketchup, sriracha, tamari, rice wine vinegar and water.  But you can just purchase your favorite spicy BBQ sauce, and doctor it up with some soy sauce and you're all set.  Whenever possible try to purchase organic BBQ sauce that doesn't contain high-fructose corn syrup.

What really makes these tacos is the crunchy pickled cucumber salad.  Here's what I used:

1 medium English cucumber sliced into half moons
1/4 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed and julienned into thin strips
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/3-1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1-2 Tbsp light agave syrup
1/4 cup green onion, sliced on a bias
Kosher salt to taste

Method:  Place all ingredients in a bowl (except for the salt) and let marinate in the fridge for about one hour before using.  Salt just before serving so that the cucumbers maintain their crunch.
 

Not only is this a super quick weeknight dinner but it would be great for Memorial Day weekend.  If you can find sheets of seitan, I would brush the grill lightly with oil and grill for 1-2 minutes on each side, then slice into thin strips and toss in the warm BBQ sauce.

For the tortillas you can use corn or flour, but I prefer flour because this is a substantial taco and corn tortillas will not hold up to all the ingredients.  For garnish I used green onion, cilantro and toasted sesame seeds.

Wishing you a safe holiday weekend and I'll post my homemade hot dogs and buns next week (if they turn out...but I think they will)!

 

Classic Cuban Sandwich with Citrus-Mojo Sauce

Miami and Tampa you've got nothing on this sandwich and I challenge anyone who loves Cuban sandwiches to tell me that this isn't the best sandwich they've ever eaten...even though it's 100% vegan!

It all starts with the bread and then goes from there.  Since I couldn't go to my local market and purchase traditional Cuban bread, I went to Le Boulangerie and purchased two freshly baked French rolls--super crispy crust with a soft interior.  Hoagie or sub rolls that you purchase in the grocery store will not hold up to the pressing or substantial ingredients so make sure you search around and find the best rolls.

For a traditional Cuban sandwich the pork is braised and so I wanted to create a mojo braising liquid for the three seitan deli cuts that I used:  Tofurky Smoked, Tofurky Peppered and Yves Ham.  I made the mojo sauce, poured it into a saute pan and then added four slices of each of the deli cuts to heat through and reduce the sauce.  That's 12 slices for one sandwich!

Citrus-Mojo Sauce

1 large Valencia Orange

1/2 lemon

1 1/2 limes

1 TBSP paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp finely minced fresh garlic

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

And now for the assembling...Cuban sandwiches use Swiss cheese, but I don't like the flavor of Daiya Swiss or Provolone and so I used my normal standby, which I love...Daiya Havarti Wedge, thinly sliced.  On one side of the bread I placed a generous slather of spicy brown mustard and the other side Vegenaise.  I then added cheese to both sides, dill pickle slices on one side and then layered on the deli cuts and topped with the reduced sauce and freshly black ground pepper and kosher salt.

 

This is a substantial sandwich folks...enough for two with a side salad or fries, but we each had our own and were stuffed!
 

 

A panini press with grill marks is not traditional and will not do, unless that's all you've got.  I used my trusty cast iron skillet, along with my cast iron Indian bread pan, which provided a perfect weight to press the bread without flattening to a pancake.  I added Earth Balance Butter to pan and cooked the sandwich on medium-low for three minutes, added more butter and flipped and cooked on the other side for three minutes.

  

Fantástico! and Delicioso!  Need I say more?

 

Mexican Yuba Omelet

I love using yuba (tofu skins) because it is so versatile.  It's great for wrapping/stuffing, stir-fry's and soups.  You can purchase yuba at an Asian market, but I get mine freshly made at my local Sogo Tofu shop.  This yuba omelet tasted like the real deal because I also added shredded firm tofu, mixed with turmeric and black salt found at my local Indian market.  Black salt is an Indian spice that tastes like sulfur and imparts an "egg-like" flavor.  It is "rose" in color instead of black and a little goes a long way because it is very salty!   

For the enchilada sauce, you can purchase store bought or make your own using my recipe.  I cut the recipe in half for this dish, but if you want to make the full batch, you can store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks and use it for another meal.  For my avocado emulsion I used:  1/2 large avocado, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp vegan sour cream, a handful of cilantro leaves, the juice from a 1/2 lemon or lime, and salt and pepper to taste--then blended until creamy.

 

And now for the filling...the best part!  I used everything that I love in an omelet or burrito.  I pan roasted baby fingerling potatoes, and sauteed red bell pepper, onion and garlic.  I also sauteed one link of Artisan Tofurky Andouille Sausages (had this in my fridge and wanted to use it up), but sauteed cremini mushrooms would of been my first choice.  I then added fresh spinach, salt and pepper to the mix and cooked until just wilted.

To assemble, I unwrapped the tofu skin.  Depending on the size you may need to cut the tofu skin, but since they are rather thin I like to leave them big so that when I stuff, roll and wrap, I get double the coverage.  I placed a layer of shredded Daiya Havarti Style Wedge on the bottom, followed by shredded tofu mixed with turmeric and black salt, followed by the potato/veggie mixture, topped with more cheese and wrapped it up like a burrito.  I then added a little olive oil to a saute pan and browned on both sides before placing in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes just to make sure that it heated all the way through and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and top with enchilada sauce, avocado emulsion, cilantro and finely sliced green onion.  Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner...I could eat these every day stuffed with a different combination of ingredients and sauces!  For my next one I'm going to stuff with a stir-fry mixture of fresh veggies, grilled teriyaki tofu and serve with Asian dipping sauces!  YUM!      

Healthy Fast Food

Every once in awhile I get a craving for fast food.  We live near a Veggie Grill and we'll stop in several times a year, but it is nice to make it at home knowing that it's really not that bad for you.  We don't eat this type of food every month but as the year-end draws near, I feel that I have to get in my fix for all that is bad and start the new year fresh and healthy.  Seriously though--there's not a lot to give up January 1.  Sure maybe I indulge in sweets sometimes, or don't exercise enough, but in terms of our diet we eat a really healthy and balanced diet. 

I made peppered seitan from scratch the other night and it is perfect shaved and served with BBQ sauce on a sandwich.  Really tender and full of protein.  Most people think that seitan is just like eating bread (full of carbs) because it is made with gluten, but all the starch has been removed during the rinsing and kneading process and you are left with pure protein. 

For the BBQ sauce, I whipped up a quick batch using six ingredients.  BBQ sauce is a condiment that you never should buy.  If you have organic ketchup, mustard, apple cider vinegar, molasses and brown sugar in your pantry then you can make BBQ sauce from scratch.  I added a little soy sauce and sriracha for heat.  And what is a BBQ sandwich without coleslaw.  I made mine with shaved green cabbage, shaved Brussels sprouts, green onion, apple cider vinegar, and a little Earth Balance Organic Mindful Mayo.  Super healthy and adds a nice crunch!

Finally, for the fries I love Cascadian Farms Shoe String French Fries made with organic potatoes, canola oil, apple juice concentrate and citric acid.  No artificial flavors or partially-hydrogenated oils.  Just pop them in the oven for 15 minutes and sprinkle with a little sea salt.  

Tonight's dinner was quick, delicious and healthy in terms of fast food and perfect for a once in awhile treat!

Simple...Elegant Christmas Dinner

I have never made homemade seitan before--well not the kneading, resting, rinsing, kneading, rinsing...rinsing, rinsing, etc., type of seitan.  It is very laborious and I'm not certain if it is worth it or not.  The seitan was very flavorful and would be great sliced for sandwiches or served with a fruit and cheese platter, but sliced into medallions the texture was somewhat chewy.  So the "Simple" in my title references all of the other components of the dish, but not the seitan.  It took about 3.5 hours to make the seitan from start to finish!

 
Demi Glace:  Is a classic French brown sauce--one of the mother sauces that I learned to make in Culinary School years ago.  Obviously the French make the sauce with meat bones, but my recipe uses only homemade vegetable stock and it is rich, glossy and delicious.  To make the sauce I added a couple tbsp of olive oil to a sauce pan, along with one cup sliced white button mushrooms and one cup sliced onion.  I cooked these until brown and caramelized and then added several cloves of crushed whole garlic.  I deglazed the pan with about a cup of red wine and added one tbsp tomato paste.  I reduced this down until almost all the wine was evaporated and then added four cups of homemade vegetable stock, along with a sprig of fresh time, a tsp of fresh rosemary leaves, one bay leaf, and a 1/4 tsp of black peppercorns.  I brought the sauce to a boil and reduced the heat to low and simmered until reduced by half.  I then strained the sauce through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids, returned the sauce to a smaller pan and then whisked in a beurre manie (equal parts butter and flour) to thicken the sauce.  Finally, I seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.   

Sherry Glazed Button Mushrooms:  I used one pound of white button mushrooms, cleaned them with a damp cloth and trimmed the stems. I heated a cast iron skillet and added a couple tbsp of olive oil and sauteed with the tops face down without stirring until golden brown.  I then turned them over and browned the other side.  Once brown I added chopped fresh thyme, rosemary and minced garlic, along with salt and pepper.  I then deglazed the pan with one cup of pale dry sherry and reduced until the mushrooms were coated and all the liquid was evaporated.  If you don't have sherry, any fortified wine will taste great:  Madeira, Marsala or Ruby Port.  

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes:  I used Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into two inch chunks.  I made a cashew cream with one cup raw cashews and two cups of water blended in a VitaMix until smooth and creamy.  I roasted two whole garlic heads in the oven for about an hour until soft and caramelized.  I squeezed out the flesh of the garlic and added it to the cashew cream and blended again.  I drained the potatoes, mashed, added earth balance butter and added enough garlic cashew cream to create a smooth consistency, along with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Homemade Peppered Seitan:  Back to the kitchen to tweak this recipe further.  Again, sliced thinly and tossed with a BBQ sauce and piled high on a sandwich would be great, but still needs some refinement.

 
I hope that you and yours had a wonderful Holiday!  Until my next post...enjoy!
 

 

Oktoberfest: Wurst, Kartoffelsalat und Kraut

Tomorrow is the start of Oktoberfest in München Deutschland and it runs until the 3rd of Oktober.  I've never been to München during the actual Oktoberfest, but I can only imagine how fun it would be having experienced the atmosphere of a Hofbräuhaus while vacationing in Germany.

I grew up eating German food, well actually it was referred to as "Pennsylvania Dutch".  My great grandparents, on my mother's side, immigrated to America from the Rheinland in the 1800's and settled in Pennsylvania.  Funny...but as a young girl I always thought that my family was from The Netherlands "Dutch" instead of Germany "Deutsh".  Anyway, growing up I remember my mom preparing potpie, spaetzle, sauerkraut, sauerbraten, funnel cakes and anything and everything pickled, and I've tried to carry on the tradition of serving a German meal on the first day of Oktoberfest throughout the years.           

I've never made seitan sausages before, but they turned out really delicious.  I'm not a big fan of faux meat, but my husband is and so I made these for him.  If you don't want to go through the trouble of making your own sausage, you can always purchase a brand or leave it out all together.  German food is very rich from all the proteins and starches they use in their cuisine.  They balance this by adding acid from vinegar and a sweetness from the sugar.  I prefer my food on the acidic side, but my husband prefers his on the milder side--so you may need to adjust the flavors based on your preference.

Bratwurst Ingredients:

1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup diced yellow onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup textured soy protein
2 tsp dried rosemary leaves, ground in a spice grinder
2 tsp dried marjoram
2 tsp dried sage
2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp unbleached sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground yellow mustard
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil
Larger Beer/Water for steaming

Method:

• Set up a steamer pot for the sausages. Add equal parts water/beer in the bottom of the steamer.  Do not fill the liquid above the steamer tray.  
• Tear six pieces of aluminum foil to wrap the sausages.  You want them to be about 8"x8" or 10"x8" in size.
• Heat a saute pan on medium, add 1 tbsp olive oil and cook mushrooms until golden brown and all moisture is evaporated.  Add diced onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft.  Transfer mixture to a food processor and let cool.
• Heat vegetable stock to a simmer, remove from heat and pour a 1/2 cup of vegetable stock over textured soy protein to rehydrate.  Let sit covered for 15 minutes.  Drain remaining liquid and press TSP with the back of a spoon to remove any remaining moisture.  Add TSP to the mushroom-onion mixture in the food processor and pulse 10 or 15 times until you have a fine grain.  Do not over mix--you want it to have some texture.
• Whisk spices together in a small bowl and set aside.
• Transfer mushroom-onion-tsp mixture to a large bowl and stir in spice mixture until well combined.
• Next stir in vital wheat gluten until combined and then add 1 cup cooled vegetable stock and stir to combine.
• Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and working with one portion at a time, place the mixture onto the bottom edge of the foil and form into a 4-5" log.  Roll up the foil like a tootsie roll and twist the edges tightly to close.
• Bring the steamer to a boil, reduce heat to medium-high and place sausages on steamer tray.  Cover and steam for 35 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for about 5 minutes and then remove.  Let cool for about 10-15 minutes before unwrapping.
• To serve, heat 1-2 tbsp olive oil in a saute pan and cook sausages, turning frequently until golden brown.  Remove and slice on a bias or serve in a bun.

Potato Salad:

2 lbs red potatoes, washed and quartered
1 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp unbleached sugar or agave syrup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
4-5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Boil potatoes until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.  Be careful not to over cook--you don't want mashed potatoes.
• While potatoes are cooking heat a saute pan on medium and add 3 tbsp olive oil, mustard seeds and red onion. 
• Cook until onion is soft, about 3-4 minutes and then add Dijon mustard, sugar and apple cider vinegar.  Stir to combine and heat through.  Turn heat to low to keep warm.
• Drain potatoes really well and place in a large bowl.  Immediately pour over warm onion-vinegar mixture and stir to combine.
• Add celery, parsley, green onion and salt and pepper to taste.  
• You may need to add more vinegar or olive oil depending on taste.
• Keep warm or serve at room temperature.

Red Cabbage/Sauerkraut:

1 small head of red cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup red wine
1/4-1/3 cup red wine vinegar
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
Note:  I'm not a big fan of caraway seeds and so I do not add them to my cabbage.  If you like them then I'd start with adding a 1/2 tsp.  Also, this cabbage is great with diced apples as well.

Method:

• Heat a large saute pan on medium, add olive oil, cabbage and cook for a couple of minutes until cabbage softens slightly.
• Add red wine and cook until wine is evaporated.
• Next add red wine vinegar, brown sugar and salt and pepper to taste and cook until cabbage is cooked and liquid is absorbed.

   

 

 

BBQ Seitan Quesadillas with Pineapple Salsa

This recipe for BBQ Seitan Quesadillas is really good.  I had left over BBQ sauce from July 4th that I wanted to use up.  You can either make your own sauce or purchase your favorite brand.  I used original seitan from Sweet Earth, but tempeh would also taste really good, or you could easily make your own seitan.

Charred Pineapple Salsa:

1 fresh pineapple, peeled, sliced into 1/4" rings and cored
2 tbsp finely minced jalapeno, seeded first
2 tbsp finely minced red onion
2 tbsp finely minced cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Heat a grill pan or skillet on medium-high and cook pineapple slices on both sides until lightly charred and caramelized.  Set aside to cool and then dice and place in a bowl.
• Add all other ingredients and stir to combine and and chill until ready to use.

Guacamole:

1 large ripe Hass avocado, peeled and diced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp sour cream or Vegenaise
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Mash avocado with a fork until smooth and add other ingredients and stir to combine.

Quesadilla Ingredients/Assembly:

1 8 oz package seitan
1 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup Daiya Cheddar Cheese
1/2 cup Daiya Mozzarella Cheese
1 red onion, sliced
1 package whole wheat flour tortillas
2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced
Juice of 1 lime
Cilantro leaves
Canola Oil
Kosher salt and black pepper

Method:

• Slice seitan into strips and lightly fry in a saute pan.  Add BBQ sauce to taste, heat through and set aside.
• In another saute pan, add a little canola oil and saute red onion until caramelized, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Thinly slice red cabbage, add lime juice and salt and pepper to taste.
• To assemble, heat a large saute pan on medium heat and brush lightly with canola oil.
• Lightly coat one flour tortilla with BBQ sauce, sprinkle with cheddar and mozzarella cheese, add strips of BBQ seitan, caramelized onions and top with more cheese.  Press another flour tortilla on top and transfer to saute pan and fry on both sides until golden brown.
• Transfer quesadilla to a cutting board and cut into slices.  Garnish with guacamole, red cabbage, pineapple salsa and cilantro leaves.

My Big Fat Greek Gyro

One of my favorite countries to visit is Greece.  My husband and I have traveled all over the Peloponnese, the Cyclades Islands and Crete.  But I still remember that it was in Athens, at a street corner stand, where I had my first authentic gyro.  I remember that we had just walked about six miles, it was hot, we were exhausted and we sat under a shady tree in a city park devouring our gyros.  And when we returned from vacation, we would crave Greek food and attend just about every Greek Festival in the San Francisco Bay Area.  Our favorites were the San Jose festival held the first weekend of June, and the Belmont festival held over Labor Day weekend.  San Jose has the best Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), and Belmont has the best Loukamades (warm donuts in a honey-cinnamon syrup).  Both of which I will be making and sharing my recipes in upcoming posts.

Just because we're both vegan now, doesn't mean that we still can't have a gyro.  And I could sell this gyro at any Greek festival and no one would have any idea that it didn't contain meat and dairy.  My husband couldn't believe how authentic the flavor and textures were and said that he could eat this every weekend.  I made my own Greek-Gyro flavored seitan from scratch, but you can purchase whatever brand of seitan you like.  I also made my own Tzatziki made with vegan sour cream, dill, mint, garlic, diced cucumber, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  For the bread, I went to a Middle Eastern market and purchased authentic pita, toasted it slightly and brushed it with olive oil before piling on all the ingredients.       

Most gyros in Greece are topped with Lemon-Oregano fries (Patates Lemonates).  I decided to serve my fries along side the pita which made it a little easier to eat. 

Baked Lemon-Oregano Fries:

1 1/2-2 pounds medium sized Yukon gold or white potatoes, peeled and sliced into wedges.  Make sure that you use boiling or waxy potatoes--not russets.
1 tbsp Greek dried oregano
Juice of two-three lemons
Greek extra virgin olive oil or another quality olive oil
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Toss potatoes in olive oil, lemon juice, oregano, and salt and pepper and spread out evenly on a sheet pan with edges or a large casserole dish.
• Add enough filtered water to just cover the potatoes.
• Bake in the oven until all the liquid is evaporated.
• Drizzle with additional olive oil and bake until golden brown.
• Just before serving, squeeze with additional lemon juice and kosher salt if needed.