Sometimes I’m in the mood for a big ol’ slab of protein… seitan, that is!

A couple of days ago, I made Matt’s recipe for Chickeny seitan cutlets. I tweaked the spices slightly (I omitted the bay leaf and instead added celery seed and freshly ground pepper); used regular tofu instead of silken; and made half a recipe.

I like this recipe because it involves cooking the seitan cutlets in broth in the oven. This is easier than cooking them in a pot on the hob, where inattention can mean the difference between seitan cutlets and seitan brains. I checked them after about an hour, and they still seemed a long way from cooked, so I increased the temperature to 180C (350F). That did the trick and they were perfectly cooked in a total of just over 1-1/2 hours.

I then dusted the cutlets with flour and panfried them.

We served them with Mr Thrifty’s special mash, creamy mushroom gravy and a red cabbage salad from Epicurious.

The cutlets were delicious, tender and tasty, and the gravy was a perfect accompaniment. As for Mr Thrifty’s mash… well let’s just say, this is the mash that turned me into a mashed potato lover. The salad, I have to admit, was not my favourite; the flavours just didn’t seem to work together very well.

The best thing about the cutlets is that there were four left over. Yesterday I thinly sliced two of them to use as chickeny strips in Buddha bowls, and they were excellent in that role as well.

So when you have a few minutes, go and check out Matt’s blog My Veggie Kitchen, he’s got a lot of great vegan recipes.

Creamy mushroom gravy

1. Reserve two tablespoons of the bouillon and heat the rest in a small pot over medium heat. As it is heating, add the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, thyme, and salt & pepper to taste.

2. Meanwhile, mix the cornflour (cornstarch) into the reserved bouillon and set aside.

3. When the bouillon in the pot comes to a simmer, give the cornflour/bouillon mixture a stir and add it to the pot, whisking continuously, and bring again to a simmer, whisking all the while. The mixture will thicken as the cornflour cooks.

4. Whisk in the optional cream cheese until incorporated.

5. Add sliced mushrooms and stir. Cover, turn heat to low, and cook at a gentle simmer until mushrooms are cooked, about five minutes.

Edit: I had one of these burgers for lunch, reheated from frozen, and it totally fell apart in the pan. Argh. I still need to work on the cohesiveness. It tasted fantastic, though.

I had another go at making the nutty wild rice burgers I’d first made a few months back.

This version held together better, and the tweaks I made to the seasonings worked well. The chewy rice is a nice contrast to the crunchy nuts and seeds.

This probably won’t be my final version of this burger, but because I’ve had a couple of requests for the recipe, I’m posting this latest version.

Enjoy!

Nutty wild rice burgers

* For two cups of well-cooked brown basmati / wild rice blend, start with 70g (3/8 cup) raw brown basmati plus 40g (3 tablespoons) raw wild rice, cooked in a generous amount of boiling salted water for about 50-55 minutes, then drained.

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and saute the onion and mushroom for 5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and continue to cook for another minute or two.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked vegetables with rice, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds and walnuts. Mix well.

3. Add vegan cheese and breadcrumbs and mix again.

4. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, besan and arrowroot or cornflour (cornstarch). Add to mixing bowl and combine well.

5. Divide mixture into four portions and shape into burgers.

6. Saute in a bit of olive oil until lightly browned on each side.

Makes four burgers.

First off, for any of my American readers who may be thinking, “a flapjack is a pancake, and that’s not a pancake”, let me assure you that the delectable goodie in the photo above is indeed a flapjack… at least on this side of the pond. We have only one word for pancakes over here, although I should perhaps mention that an American pancake is different from an English pancake, just as an American muffin is different from an English muffin.

A flapjack is a snack bar made from oatmeal, margarine and sweeteners — usually golden syrup and sugar (or honey). Common additions are dried fruit, nuts and chocolate.

Commercial flapjacks are very popular, and can be bought pretty much anywhere. For anyone unfamiliar with just how popular flapjacks are, check out the Blackfriars Bakery website, which lists 23 different varieties of flapjacks. Commercial flapjacks are usually VERY sweet and sometimes contain questionable ingredients. They’re often not vegan either, although vegan varieties are available.

These homemade flapjacks are moist & chewy and just bursting with oaty goodness. They don’t just taste as good as the commercial variety, they taste better! They’re also very cheap and easy to make.

Furthermore, making homemade flapjacks means eliminating the plastic wrap that commercial ones have, a small step in the plastic reduction challenge.

This version is made with dessicated coconut, maraschino cherries and sultanas. I usually wouldn’t buy maraschino cherries because of the colourings and additives, but in a moment of madness I bought some a while back to put in Christmas cake, which I subsequently didn’t make.

Many thanks to Hanan of the blog Sunshine Cooking, whose flapjack recipe I modified. I substituted margarine for butter, added extra oats, cut the amount of sugar, and subbed maple syrup for honey & golden syrup (golden syrup is traditionally used for flapjacks, but I didn’t have any). They were still really sweet, so next time I’ll cut the sugar further.

Coconut cherry flapjacks

1. Grease a 22cm (9″) square pan (I used a glass pan) with margarine, then cut a piece of baking paper to cover the base and two opposite sides. Grease the baking paper with margarine.

2. Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

3. In a mixing bowl, combine oats, sultanas, flour, sugar, cherries and coconut.

4. Stir maple syrup or golden syrup into melted margarine.

5. Pour margarine over oats and mix well.

6. Press mixture into prepared pan, pressing firmly. A potato masher works well.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, rotating pan halfway through.

8. Cool in pan before cutting into bars.

Makes 8 flapjacks.

Plastic, plastic everywhere…

From food wrappings to drink bottles, razors to shampoo bottles, carrier bags, packaging, car bumpers, flooring, shower curtains, televisions, and on and on and on, plastic is a ubiquitous part of modern life.

It’s also become part of our ocean environment… a floating rubbish dump that stretches from Hawaii to Japan. Bad news for marine life.

This year I am really going to make an effort to reduce the plastics that I buy and use, and to look for and implement alternatives, though I’m under no illusion that I’ll be able to eliminate ALL plastics from my life.

So why am I doing this?

In terms of “short-use” plastics, like soy yogurt pots, fruit & veg trays, etc: Not all of these types of plastics are recyclable (our local council accepts types 1, 2, 5 and 6 for recycling). Non-recyclable plastics end up in the landfill, and I really want to reduce the number of items that I send to the landfill. Even those plastics which are recyclable are using energy and resources to be recycled. Plus there is the danger of chemicals leaching into food and drink from these containers, with all the associated health implications, like cancer.

In terms of “long-use” plastics, like food storage containers, clothes hangers, etc: I’m becoming fed up with how cheap and nasty some of this stuff is, how it breaks and then must be discarded. Plus they’ve got the same recycling issues that short-term plastics have when they become unusable. And the same health risks.

Then there are “hidden” plastics. Did you know that tin cans are lined with plastic, as are Tetra-pak type containers? Tin can linings contain BPA, which has been implicated in a wide range of health problems.

I’ll be looking into alternatives for all types of plastic products that I use, and sharing them on my blog, so stay tuned!

Read more:

Scientists uncover new ocean threat from plastics

Why plastic is the scourge of sea life

Plastic breaks down in ocean — and fast

Plastics component affects intestine

Heart disease risk of chemical used in food and drink containers

Cancer alert over tin can and plastic bottle chemical

Although I usually use veggie mince to make taco filling, last night I wanted to make a less processed meal, and decided to use lentils as a base for making a taco filling.

The original idea was to make tacos and not taco salad. I found half a box of taco shells in the cupboard, and although their age was unknown (and with no “best before” date to guide me), I figured they’d be fine once they were heated in the oven.

Except they weren’t. Even after heating, they had a strange chemical taste and a stale, chewy texture. Bleurgh.

Fortunately, there was a fresh package of tortilla chips in the cupboard, and lentil tacos became lentil taco salad.

The lentil filling was really scrummy, and I wouldn’t hesitate to make it again. It’s a variation of this recipe from epicurious. This will become my standard taco filling, as I like it as much as the one made from veggie mince, and it’s cheaper and healthier to boot. I think I’m even going to try it next time I make my Mexican tortilla bake.

I used Puy (French) lentils, because I like the texture better than regular brown or green lentils. Puy lentils don’t have that mealy texture that other lentils have, and they don’t fall apart when cooked (provided they’re not overcooked).

I topped the salad with lettuce (in retrospect, that probably should have gone on the bottom, underneath the tortilla chips), tomato, vegan sour cream and vegan Cheddar cheese. I didn’t have any avocado in the house, but that would be a great addition, as would tomato or tomatillo salsa, spring onions, olives, fresh coriander (cilantro) or any other Mexican-type toppings.

Lentil taco salad

1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and red pepper until vegetables begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and continue to saute another minute.

2. Add lentils and taco seasoning. Cook until spices are fragrant and lentils are dry, about 1 minute. Add broth or bouillon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, 30 minutes to 40 minutes. Stir occasionally, and add a bit of boiling water if liquid has evaporated before lentils are cooked through.

3. When lentils are tender or almost tender, uncover and simmer until extra liquid has evaporated. (If you have a lot of extra liquid, uncover before lentils are completely tender, so you don’t overcook them.) The lentils should be tender but not falling apart.

4. Arrange half the lettuce on each of two plates. Top with tortilla chips, then with lentil mixture. Add toppings of choice.

Makes 2 servings.

Last year, one of the varieties of winter squash that we grew was Jaspee de vende.

I like Jaspee because the rind is fairly easy to cut through, and can be trimmed quite close… there isn’t a thick layer of hard flesh next to the rind like there is with some varieties. (Then again, maybe it was just because the squash was fully ripe.)

The thing with winter squash is that when you’re cooking for two people, one squash seems to last ages. Though uncut squash lasts months, once cut it needs to be used fairly quickly.

I roasted some of the squash with other veggies, roasted some on its own, and also made a delicious soup. And there is still a chunk left over!

The soup was inspired by one found here. Besides squash, it has potato, red lentils and spices. It’s a smooth and creamy soup, and light in texture… it doesn’t remind one of baby food, like some pureed vegetable soups. It’s easy to make and really tasty, a great winter warmer!

Winter squash & red lentil soup

1. In a medium pot, heat vegetable oil over low heat and saute onion for five minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for two more minutes.

2. Add cumin, coriander, curry powder & cayenne, and saute an additional minute.

3. Add squash, potato, lentils & stock or bouillion. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook over gentle heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables and lentils are soft.

4. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Ladle into bowls and top with freshly chopped coriander (cilantro).

Makes 2 servings.

Happy New Year!

On Sunday, Mr Thrifty and I went for a 10.5-mile (17km) hike. When we got back, we were in the mood for something belly-warming and tasty.

I decided to make a red lentil soup which turned out to be most delicious. I slightly modified this recipe from the New York Times.

I doubled the amount of tomato puree (tomato paste). I didn’t add lemon juice because I didn’t have a lemon in the house, and the soup was really tasty without it. But in case you want to add it, I’ve left it in as an optional ingredient.

We ate the soup with toasted sourdough French bread. Then we each had a big plate of roasted veg: brussels sprouts, oca and potatoes. Yummtastic!

Red lentil soup with carrots

1. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over low heat and saute onion for two minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for two more minutes.

2. Add cumin, salt, pepper and cayenne, and saute an additional two minutes.

3. Add stock or bouillion, water, lentils, carrots and tomato puree (tomato paste). Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook over gentle heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lentils are soft. Taste and add more salt if necessary.

4. Using an immersion blender, puree about half of the soup.

5. Stir in lemon juice (if using). Ladle into bowls and top with freshly chopped coriander (cilantro).

Makes 2 servings.

This year for Christmas Day dinner, I made the same centrepiece as one year ago: seitan turkey roast with wild rice stuffing. This scrumptious vegan dish is similar to commercial products like Tofurkey or Cheatin’ Roast. Only better.

For side dishes, we had stuffing balls; veggie bacon-wrapped sausages; various roasted veggies: potatoes, oca, parsnips, carrots and brussels sprouts; along with braised leeks. All served with homemade turkey-style veggie gravy and lingonberry sauce (which is like cranberry sauce), accompanied by delicious homemade wine from our postman and friend, Hugh.

A vegan feast!

I decided to do the seitan turkey a bit different from last year. The technique of kneading the seitan dough, letting it rest, then kneading it again is rather time-consuming. And I found that it is not necessary to do it this way, as the texture of the seitan is not any different than simply using a basic seitan deli slice recipe. This method involves blenderising the wet ingredients, then stirring in the dry ingredients to make the dough. No kneading and no waiting.

I made the seitan turkey the day before. This meant that on Christmas day all I had to do was wrap the roast in the beancurd sheet (optional, but gives it a nice crispy “skin”) and heat it in the oven. I think the texture is a bit better if the roast is left to rest in the refrigerator overnight, but it isn’t absolutely necessary.

If you don’t want to use beancurd sheet to make a “skin”, I suggest basting the roast so that it doesn’t dry out. There are a few basting suggestions on the Tofurkey site.

I’m posting this seitan turkey roast recipe as the “new and improved”  version over last year’s.

Happy Christmas to all creatures!

Seitan turkey roast with wild rice stuffing (version 2.0)

1. First, make stuffing. Rinse rice thoroughly with cold water. Bring a small pot of water to the boil, add rice and simmer for 40-45 minutes, until grains are beginning to pop.

2. Heat margarine in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat and saute onion, celery and mushroom until tender, about 5-10 minutes.

3. When rice is cooked, add to the sauteed vegetables along with the breadcrumbs, cranberries and pecans; mix thoroughly. Add enough broth to make the mixture moist but not soggy. Add salt, pepper and herbs to taste. Set dressing aside.

4. If you’re starting with whole cashews or almonds, grind them in the blender first while it’s still clean and dry, then remove and set aside.

5. Crumble the tofu into the blender. Put the bouillon cube in a glass measuring cup and add a couple tablespoons of boiling water to dissolve the cube. Add the soy sauce, then add enough water so the mixture equals 100ml  (6-1/2 tablespoons). Add this to the blender.

6. Add remaining ingredients to blender EXCEPT gluten. Blenderise until completely smooth. Empty into a large mixing bowl.

7. Whisk together the gluten and arrowroot or cornflour (cornstarch), then stir into the wet ingredients and mix until evenly combined. You’ll have a soft dough.

8. Place a large piece of cling film (Saran wrap) onto the work surface. Turn dough out onto the cling film and press flat into a 25×38cm (10″x15″) rectangle.

9. Spread stuffing evenly over dough, leaving a 1″ border at the edges. Roll into a log (starting from the short end), then press the ends together to seal. Make sure the log is short enough to fit into your steamer. You can gently press the log into a shorter, fatter shape if it’s a bit too long.

Seitan turkey before rolling

Seitan turkey after rolling

10. Wrap the log in a piece of baking paper (parchment paper), then in muslin and tie the ends with cotton string.

Seitan turkey wrapped in muslin

11. Bring water to boil in a pot that has a steamer insert. Steam turkey for two hours over gently simmering water, turning a quarter turn every half hour. Check water level regularly to ensure the pot does not boil dry and add boiling water as necessary.

12. The roast can be prepared ahead of time to this point. If preparing ahead, let cool and refrigerate.

13. For “skin” on turkey: Preheat oven to 400F (200C). When finished steaming, let turkey cool until it can be handled. (Or remove from refrigerator if prepared ahead of time.) Unwrap from muslin and baking paper/parchment. Take the sheet of beancurd skin and dip it into a bowl of warm water until it softens. Don’t oversoak it or it will start to fall apart. Fold beancurd skin in half and place on work surface. Place turkey on top of beancurd skin, fold in the sides and wrap around the turkey.

14. Combine oil and soy sauce. Brush over surface of turkey.

15. Bake in preheated oven for 30-45 minutes, rotating halfway through, until “skin” is crispy. Slice and serve with gravy and all the trimmings.

Serves 4-6.

Vegan turkey gravy

1. Bring 310ml (1-1/4 cups) water to a simmer with bouillon cube. Add soya cream, onion, garlic, sage, thyme, salt & pepper.

2. Mix 2 tablespoons cold water with cornflour (cornstarch) until blended.

3. When broth mixture is simmering, slowly whisk in cornflour (cornstarch) mixture, until gravy is as thick as you like it. Continue to gently simmer for another couple of minutes.

Serve with seitan turkey roast.

Happy Holidays from our home to yours!

Way back at school, my least favourite class was Phys Ed. I was pretty clumsy, and the only sports I was remotely good at were basketball, and long jump in track & field (one of the few advantages of being tall for my age).

I was utterly hopeless at softball… both hitting the ball with the bat and catching the ball with the glove remained out of the scope of my athletic abilities. Gymnastics was another class I loathed. I had no strength in my arms, no flexibility in the rest of my body, and my sense of balance sucked. Not the best combo for gymnastic-type activities.

After 10 long years of being forced to take Phys Ed, finally in grade 11 it became an optional, instead of a required, class. I dropped it faster than all the times I’d ever dropped a fly ball on the field.

I didn’t worry much about exercise or fitness for years.

Then as I got older, I made an effort on and off to implement a fitness programme in my life. Nothing would “stick” for more than a few months at a time. I didn’t like gyms with all their fancy equipment and lycra-clad bodies. Group sports didn’t interest me in the slightest. Nor did competitive sports like tennis or squash.

When I lived in Vancouver, I discovered running (jogging to be more accurate, though apparently it’s de rigueur these days to refer to it as running). Now here was a sport I could get into. Minimal outlay, no monthly fees, no competition, fresh air, etc etc.

The problem with running in Vancouver was that come autumn, the weather got not only cold but wet, and it’s not very pleasant running in cold, wet climes. So for a couple of years, I started up a running programme in the spring only to abandon it in the autumn.

After I moved to this side of the pond, I conveniently “forgot” about any kind of regular fitness programme. I wasn’t a total couch potato, walking a half mile to the shops in town a couple of times a week, working on the allotment in the summer, occasionally going for a bike ride or hike with Mr Thrifty at the weekends.

But nothing regular, and I knew my fitness level sucked.

Then one day my weight — never a problem before — started creeping up, and my waist started thickening. I could pinch more than an inch on some parts of my body, and I felt a like a podgy blob.

So a few weeks ago, at the end of October, I decided that it was finally time to start a lifetime fitness programme. (I like the word “fitness” so much better than the word “exercise”!)

I discovered my old friend, running. I still had a pair of decent running shoes from a couple of years ago, and a pair of old sweats. I found a Couch-to-5k running plan from Cool Running. I remembered that I feel most energised when I drink a protein shake during the day, so I added that to my daily menu. I started using this printable fitness calendar, as I find it motivating to fill in the squares.

I’ve been running for eight weeks now, though I’m only on “Week 4″ of the Cool Running programme because I stretched it out a bit.

I’ve only dropped four pounds, but I’ve got my waist back and I feel less podgy.

Even though it’s pretty cold now (barely above freezing during the day), it’s dry most days and I’m sticking with it, four times a week.

It’s now about time to add a strength-training component to the mix, so I will be looking into that next.

How do all of you stay fit… and stay motivated to keep fit?