Crisp Tofu Croutons- A Tasty Snack or Salad-Booster

This is perhaps too simple to be called a recipe- it's nothing more than a simple way to make plain extra-firm tofu into something a little more... snackable. It's hard to go wrong with anything fried, and these have the added benefit of the protein and vitamins of tofu, making it easier to justify them... Obviously, I'm not advocating for you to fry all your tofu, but it beats chips in more than a few ways if crispy and golden-fried is what you're after.

I call them croutons because they make salads a bit more exciting if you add them in, rather than traditional bread croutons. They've got a good mixture of crisp exterior and moist interior that melds well with a lot of additional flavours, as I detail in my variants.

For me, this is an ideal snack for when you're watching a movie or TV and want some finger food. This was actually something I made when I had leftover oil in a wok from frying other stuff I didn't want to go to waste- but it turned out to be really addictive for something you can make with the bare-bones basics whenever. Still, I plan to come up with recipes for soups and salads that call for croutons just to have an excuse to make more...

Crisp Tofu Croutons

1 Lb. Extra-firm tofu, cut into 2-3 cm cubes
2 TBSP cornstarch or flour (rice flour would likely work fine as well)
Enough vegetable oil for shallow-frying in a skillet or wok (peanut or canola work great)

One of the following seasoning mixes:
Salt and Pepper: 2 Tsp. Salt plus 2 TBSP freshly ground black pepper

Garlic-Herb: 2 Tsp. Garlic salt (or 2 Tsp. Salt plus 1 Tsp. garlic powder) plus 1 TBSP herbes de Provence or Italian dried herb mix

Five-Spice: 2 Tsp. Salt plus 2 Tsp. five-spice mixture

Lemongrass-Chili: 2 Tsp. Salt plus 1 TBSP fresh or frozen minced lemongrass (not dried!) plus 1/2 TBSP red chili flakes

Heat the oil on medium-high heat, taking care for it not to smoke.

Toss the tofu cubes with the flour or starch. Add to the oil (carefully- don't let it splatter on you!) and fry until golden-brown, flipping and adjusting the heat as necessary to keep from burning.

Drain on paper towels or a metal rack to remove excess oil. Toss with the seasoning mixture of your choice and add a little more salt to taste.

Thanksgiving Tofu-Turkey with Apple-Leek-Walnut Stuffing - A Festive Seitan Roast

Though this recipe comes too late for Canadian thanksgiving, I'm pretty sure America hasn't had theirs yet, so this recipe is still relevant in the immediate future! I've always wanted to try making a version of the famous Tofurkey with my own stuffing recipe, and I'd say this one turned out great. The "meat" is made from seitan, tofu and a bit of chickpea flour along with oil and seasonings, and is both steamed and baked for a long time... but that's how it supposedly is with a real bird, too, so just set it cooking on the side while you're preparing other things. Other than that, it's surprisingly labour-unintensive, with the filling being the only thing that requires more than a pop into the blender/mixer/steamer/oven. Still, it's not difficult to make at all, and got raving reviews. Adding a little mushroomey oil like truffle or porcini is really good, and not all that expensive for the tiny amount you need to make a dish extra special with it. I'd highly recommend investing in even a small bottle!

I served this roast with the extra stuffing, cranberry sauce, a mushroom-brandy gravy and loads of side dishes. The mixture of textures and flavours you get from the stuffing, the meat, and the crisped-up outer layer makes it into a serious centrepiece for the dinner. My next steps are to adapt it to have an even more crispy beancurd skin like my previous sunday roast, to figure out how long it takes to cook a more densely meaty loaf (in proportion to the stuffing, I'd like there to be a bit more) and to refine my gravy recipe so I can post it as well!

Even if you're also Canadian and have already celebrated thanksgiving, or don't have thankgiving holiday at all, you should still try this roast. I promise you won't miss the bird.
Thanksgiving Tofu-Turkey Roast with Apple-Leek-Walnut Stuffing

For the "Turkey":
1 C. Vital wheat gluten
1/3 C. Besan/chickpea flour
200 g. Extra-firm or firm tofu
1 Tsp. Vegan Worcestershire sauce, optional
2 Tsp. Poultry seasoning, or a mixture of the following herbs to taste: sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, white pepper, a tiny bit of nutmeg
1/4 C. Oil
3 TBSP Nutritional yeast
1 TBSP Soya sauce
Salt, to taste
1 Tsp. Garlic powder
2 Tsp. Onion powder
1 Tsp. Fresh black pepper
Soya milk, unsweetened (about 1/2 C.)
1/2 C. Faux chicken or mushroom broth

To Baste:
about 1 C. Broth, same as used above
2 TBSP Olive or coconut oil
1 TBSP Soya sauce
Juice of one orange

To finish:
1 TBSP Oil
2 Tsp. Poultry seasoning

Blend the tofu, oil, soya sauce, worcestershire sauce (if using) and enough soya milk to make a very smooth paste in a blender or food processor. Add the broth and blend well.

Separately, whisk together the remaining dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and knead well in a breadmaker or standmixer (or by hand, with some persistence), adding a little more soya milk if the mixture is too dry. Knead for 15 minutes (or more, by hand) until you get a very stringy, stretchy, flexible dough. Let rest for 10 minutes, then roll out and form a larger rectangle on an oiled surface.

Spread filling (you will use about half of the recipe) and tuck the ends of the seitan rectangle around it, pinching the "seams" to seal the filling in tightly: basically, treat it like a giant turnover or dumpling and encase the stuffing well.

Wrap up with a clean tea towel or cheesecloth and place in a steamer. Steam for about 90 minutes, then remove from cheesecloth and put into a large baking pan or dish.

Prepare a basting liquid by mixing well: this will keep your loaf moist throughout the lengthy baking process. Bake for about 2 hours at 230℃, basting with some of the liquid every 15-20 minutes, and covering the roast with aluminium foil for all but the first and last 15 minutes.

When the roast is almost done, brush with the oil and sprinkle with the poultry seasoning and bake uncovered for the last 15 minutes to give a nice, crispy brown top.

Serve with the leftover stuffing, cranberry sauce and/or gravy.

For the Stuffing:
1 Loaf stale white bread, in chunks of about 1-2''
1 TBSP. Olive oil
3 TBSP. Vegan butter
A little truffle or porcini oil, optional
2 Tart apples, e.g. Granny Smith, peeled and diced finely
3 Leek stems, halved, finely sliced and rinsed well to clean: white and light green parts only
(NOTE: don't throw out the darker green parts- use them to make vegetable soup stock!)
4 Ribs celery, finely chopped
1 Yellow onion, diced finely
4 Sage leaves, cut finely
Salt and pepper
Poultry seasoning to taste (about 2 Tsp.)
2 TBSP fresh minced parsley
1/4 C. Dried cranberries, optional
1/2 C. Walnut pieces
Some vegetable broth

Toss the bread pieces with the olive oil and a teaspoon of poultry seasoning.

In a 170℃ oven, toast the bread pieces for 10 minutes, or until a bit dry. Toast the walnuts for around 5 minutes, watching carefully so they don't burn.

In a large skillet, heat 1 TBSP of the vegan butter and add the apples, onion, and leeks. Cook on medium-high heat until the ingredients begin to become browned and caramelized, adding more fat as necessary. 

When the leeks are cooked through, sprinkle with the salt, seasoning and herbs. Add the celery, sage and other herbs and let the celery soften. Add the cranberries (if using), and let cook covered for about 5 minutes. Add the walnuts, remaining butter and bread pieces and stir well to combine, adding vegetable broth to moisten as necessary. Finish with a drizzle of truffle or porcini oil.

Tomatoey Bread and Butterbean Soup with Olives, Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes

 What do you do with a half-loaf of stale sourdough bread? There are thousands of recipes designed for such purposes, and this is my contribution to the world of bread-salvage. Alongside some slightly wrinkled-up cherry tomatoes, the arugula that was on sale, and the olives I'd had sitting around for over a month in the fridge, a can of beans finds its perfect partner in stale bread.

The broth (mostly absorbed by the bread by the time I took photos) is made with herbs and tomato paste, which contribute depth of flavour, and the salty olives give it a little something extra. The Onions, garlic, arugula and cherry tomatoes sautéed in olive oil add more complexity, and the body of the soup is deliciously creamy and aptly named butterbeans (also known commonly as Lima beans). I never much liked white beans when I was younger, but now I can't get enough of them- they've got a subtler, milder flavour than dark beans that goes well with tomatoes, chillies, garlic and resinous herbs. 

Though at first the idea of purposefully making your bread soggy is odd, stale chunks of bread are given new life when imbued with the tomato-and-herb broth, and a mixture of crispy toasted pieces on top and pieces mixed into the soup give a bit of texture. I'm not sure everyone would be fond of the idea of bread as a soup thickener, though- if it doesn't seem up your alley, just leave all the bread chunks on top rather than mixed in.  Still, try it- you'd be surprised with how well it works.

Tomatoey Bread and Butterbean Soup
Makes about 4 servings

4-6 Thick slices of stale bread, toasted and torn up
1 Large sprig of thyme
1 Bay leaf
1 Tsp. Olive oil
1 TBSP Tomato paste
4-5 Garlic cloves, finely minced
1 Small onion, finely sliced
1 Tsp. Smoked paprika
2 Tsp. Oregano
1 Tsp. Dried savory, optional but always great with white beans
1/4 C. Cooking wine or sherry, or dry white wine
8 C. Low sodium vegetable stock (to account for the salty olives)
2 C. Halved cherry tomatoes
4 C. Arugula or baby spinach
1 Can Butterbeans (lima beans)
1/2 C. Kalamata or other black oil-cured olives, roughly chopped
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat up olive oil on medium-high and add the garlic, onions, paprika, bay leaf, oregano and thyme. Saute until the onions are translucent, then add the alcohol. Add the tomatoes, olives and beans and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Pour in the broth and let come to a boil. Add the arugula or spinach and cook until wilted.

Divide the bread chunks into bowls and pour the hot soup on top, reserving some bread to put on top. Finish with black pepper and salt, if desired- keep in mind that both the broth and olives are already salty.

Autumn Butternut, Kale and Barley Stew with Panfried Chili Tempeh and Pepitas

For a dish I totally improvised by what I had on hand, this one turned out too good not to share. The cold days of autumn are upon Canada, which means warm, hearty stews are very welcome indeed. Especially if they don't require a lot of effort to prepare and are loaded with nutritious ingredients!

Here, I use the high-protein grain barley, vitamin-rich seasonal kale and butternut squash, and some panfried tempeh for the star of the show. I would recommend using pot/hulled barley if you can find it, as although it takes longer to cook it retains its bran and thus is higher in fibre than pearl barley. I used pearl barley here, but pot barley also yields "stickier' grains as it cooks that I really like in a stew or soup, though it you want more separate, pasta-like grains, go for pearl barley as it's still plenty nutritious.

The stew comes together incredibly quickly, and you can start up on cooking the barley while the squash is roasting (this gives it an amazing depth of flavour) and you're washing and chopping the kale. The nuttiness of barley, sweet roasted squash, and robust kale all go amazingly together, which is why you don't need a whole lot else.

As for the tempeh, there are few things in this world that I like more than fried tempeh, so it made a natural choice- also, it's extremely high in protein and tastes amazing with a little spicy chili flakes and toasted pepitas. On top of the stew, it gives a little something crunchy, toasty and savoury. You can make extra and use it in sandwiches with a little veg mayo for a treat. 

Autumn Butternut, Kale and Barley Stew with Panfried Chili Tempeh and Pepitas
Serves 2-3

For the Stew:
1/2 C. Pearl or pot barley
1 Large head kale, chopped up finely
1 Small butternut squash
2 Tsp. Olive oil (you can use more for a richer dish)
1 Large or 2 small yellow onions, finely diced
3 Cloves garlic, minced
3-4 C. Vegetable or mushroom broth
1/4 C. Cooking wine, sherry, or dry white wine (I used Taiwanese cooking wine)
Handful of fresh thyme sprigs, or 3 Tsp. dried thyme
2 Tsp. Herbs de Provence
1 Tsp. Sweet paprika
1 Tsp. Freshly ground black pepper
1 Bay leaf
Salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 220℃. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the inner seeds. Turn face-side down onto lightly oiled aluminium foil and roast until extremely tender and soft, about 30 minutes.

Heat up oil in a large skillet and add the onions, garlic, thyme, pepper and some salt. Cook until the onions become more translucent, adding the cooking wine as necessary to keep them from drying out.
Add the barley and toast slightly for a few seconds, then add the broth and remaining spices. Cover and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent burning on the bottom and adding more water as necessary.

When the squash is done, simply peel off the skin- it comes right off after roasting. Take the flesh and add it to the stew, and don't worry about it being chunky as with a good bit of stirring it will dissolve into a purée.

Continue to simmer until the barley is tender and cooked through. Add the kale and cook an additional 5-6 minutes until wilted, then remove from heat and let sit, covered, for about 10 minutes. Taste and add more of the spices as you see fit.

For the Tempeh:
150 g. Tempeh, in 1cm thick slices
1-2 Tsp. Olive oil
2 Tsp. Red chili pepper flakes
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Sweet paprika
2 TBSP Pepitas/pumpkinseeds

Heat up the oil in a small frying pan and add the tempeh slices. Fry on high heat, sprinkling each side with salt and paprika. Once you've already flipped the tempeh once, add the pepitas and chili flakes and toast them alongside the tempeh until it's finished- make sure the pepitas get nicely toasted. Serve on top of the stew.

Seitan Schnitzel/Chicken Scallopini

For when you want something really special as the "centerpiece" for a meal: cutlets of tender, chicken-ey seitan are coated in seasoned breadcrumbs and flour and fried until crisp and golden on the outside. It's hard to get much better than this.

I seasoned these with dried herbs (an Italian or Provençal herb mix will do nicely), some pepper, some paprika, and not much else apart from the basic seitan ingredients. This one uses besan (chickpea flour) to make the dough more tender, and some vegan butter to add extra flavour and melt-in-your-mouthiness. I like to boil the seitan rather than bake it because you want it to be very moist inside to contrast with the crunchiness of the fried crust.

They made for a bona-fide mini feast, with lemon wedges for garnish, rolls, greens and so on to complete the experience. However, there are many ways to eat these and all are delicious. You can top them in tomato sauce and broil them with cheese (dairy or not), make them into a sandwich, or make "chicken" katsu curry. With something that tastes this good, you really can't go wrong.

Seitan Schnitzel/Chicken Scallopini

Makes 12-14 pieces

For the Seitan:

1 1/2 - 1 3/4 C. Vital wheat gluten

1 1/2 C. Vegetable or vegan chicken-flavour broth

2 TBSP Olive oil

1-2 TBSP Vegan butter (optional- for softer texture and more flavour)

1/4 C. Besan/chickpea flour

1/3 C. Nutritional yeast flakes

1 Tsp. Onion powder

1/2 Tsp. Garlic powder

1 Tsp. Paprika

2 Tsp. Poultry seasoning

2 Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Dried marjoram 

1/2 Tsp. White pepper

1/2 Tsp. Black pepper

Whisk together 1 1/2 C. the gluten, besan, yeast, salt and spices. Separately, mix the oil, broth and butter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones and knead until homogeneous and well-developed in texture: there should be thick strands that form when you try to pull the dough apart. Add more of the gluten if the dough is too soft. This will take about 10-20 minutes of kneading, in a machine on medium speed or up to 30 minutes by hand.

Divide the dough into 12-14 pieces- they will grow larger when you boil them. Try to flatten them with your hands- you can also use a rolling pin if they're tough. It's alright if they're a bit irregular in shape.

To Boil:

6-8 C. Vegetable or vegan chicken-flavour broth

Bring to a slow rolling boil and add the seitan, making sure each piece is covered. Simmer gently for 20-30 minutes. Drain on a rack to remove extra moisture before frying.

For the Breading and Frying:

3 Eggs worth of egg replacer: about 1/2 C. of liquid total
1 TBSP Mustard

1 C. Breadcrumbs

1/2 C. Flour

1 Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Paprika

2 Tsp. Poultry seasoning

1/2 - 1 TBSP Mixed dried herbs: e.g. a tsp. each rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram

Oil, to shallow fry

Mix egg replacer and mustard well. This will be your "batter" for wetting the seitan before coating it in the crust. 

Whisk together the dry ingredients minus the breadcrumbs. Dip each piece of seitan into the egg replacer, then into the breadcrumbs, then into the seasoned flour to coat the "naked" bits. 

Fry in the hot oil in a skillet or wok over medium-high until the outside is crispy and golden-brown. Drain off excess oil on paper towels. 

Scrambled "Egg" Tofu

What if I told you that, in addition to making an excellent ingredient in its own merit, tofu could also create a great (possibly better than the original) plate of scrambled "eggs"?

Real scrambled eggs are very difficult to get right- they should be neither too goopy and slimy nor too firm and rubbery, and the line between the states is very fine. You'll find that with this tofu scramble, it's a lot harder to get it wrong, and the mixture of spices gives just enough eggy flavour without being overwhelmingly sulfurous. 

The key ingredient to take this dish from "yellow scrambled tofu" to pseudo-egg scramble is the kala namak, or black salt. Actually pink in colour, this salt naturally contains sulfur compounds- much like eggs. I would highly recommend seeking this out in a well-stocked spice store or Indian grocery store.

I give a range for all of the seasonings because the intensity of flavour is a matter of personal taste- start with the lesser amount and add more towards the end if desired. In addition to being delicious on its own, a bit of fried tempeh "bacon" (more on how to make that later) and toast makes a very complete and satisfying Sunday breakfast that's also very nutritious and high in protein. I plan to adjust this basic recipe for many other recipes, just as breakfast burritos, egg salad sandwiches, Tofu McMuffins... but that's just guilding the lily. These scrambled "eggs" are perfect on their own.

Scrambled Tofu
Serves 4-6 with toast

1 Package firm tofu
1 Package silken/soft tofu
3 TBSP Vegan butter, or coconut oil (or more!)
1/4-1/3 C. Unsweetened soya milk
3-4 TBSP Nutritional yeast flakes
3 TBSP Besan/chickpea flour
1-2 Tsp. Onion powder
1/2-1 Tsp. Garlic powder
1/4-1/2 Tsp. Black salt (kala namak), optional
1 Tsp. Turmeric
Regular salt and black/white pepper, to taste

Crumble the firm tofu with your hands or two forks. Mix well with the nutritional yeast, besan, and other spices.

Heat the fat in a large skillet or pan on medium-high. Add the tofu mixture and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, adding the soya milk a little bit at a time to keep it relatively moist. The important thing is that the besan is cooked through; it will darken and lose the raw-bean smell. You can add more fat at this point for a richer taste. Add the silken tofu and mix well so that it's in pieces, yet not too thoroughly crumbled. Taste and add additional spices as desired.

Serve garnished with minced parsley, chives, green onions or simply on its own. 

Vegan Spicy Fried "Chicken"

It's not hard to love some fried, crispy, savory, spicy seitan. This one mimics the taste of fried chicken petty well- it's got lots of flavour from both the seitan itself and the flour used to encrust it before frying. And while I have no idea what real Popeye's chicken tastes lie (the original recipe I used from The Edgy Veg was based on it) I can safely say that these are delicious.

Though the process of making the seitan, boiling it, flouring and frying it is pretty time consuming, I think the end result is definitely worth the effort. The seitan is juicy and flavourful and the outside is crispy and perfectly spiced.

I would serve these alongside some mashed potatoes and corn-on-the-cob, but I don't think these bad boys would be unwelcome at any meal.

Vegan Spicy Fried "Chicken"
Source Recipe by The Edgy Veg

For the Seitan "Chicken":
2 C. Vital wheat gluten
5 TBSP Tahini paste
5 TBSP Nutritional yeast flakes
2 Tsp. Onion powder
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Poultry seasoning/spices
1 C. Vegetable or chicken-flavoured broth
1/2 C. Vinegar-based cayenne hot sauce, or more broth

Mix dry ingredients well and add the wet ingredients. Knead for 10-15 minutes, or until a stringy, cohesive dough forms. You may need a bit more vital wheat gluten to make the dough firm enough.

Cut into small, chicken nugget-sized pieces- they will grow to about twice their size during cooking.

To Boil:
6-8 C. Vegetable or chicken-flavoured stock

Bring to a rolling boil- not too vigorous and bubbly, or else the seitan will swell up and absorb too much liquid. Place the pieces of seitan into the liquid carefully and make sure they're covered by the broth. Simmer for about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, the let drain and dry off on a baking rack.

For the Binder:
3 Eggs worth of egg replacer (about 1/3 C. liquid)
1/2 C. Hot sauce, same as used above
1 TBSP mustard

Whisk all together well. Dip the seitan pieces in before adding to the below flour mixture:

Flour Mixture:
2 C. Flour
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 Tsp. Marjoram or oregano
½ tsp white pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
1 tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp sugar
¼ chipotle powder

Ensure all are well whisked together before adding the seitan pieces dipped into the binder. Ensure they are well-coated all over in the mixture.

To Fry: Plenty of a good frying oil such as canola or sunflower 

Heat up oil in a large wok, skillet or deep fryer to about 180℃. Add as many pieces of seitan as will fit comfortably and fry until crispy and golden, flipping halfway through- this takes 10-15 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary when cooking to ensure that the oil doesn't smoke but remains hot enough to sizzle.

Drain finished pieces of excess oil on paper towel. Serve warm with your favourite sides.

Peanut-Coconut Red Curry Noodles with Fried Tofu Puffs

Perhaps not an elaborate dish, but everybody needs delicious, comforting convenience food sometimes. This is my (fish sauce free) take on a dish I had in a popular Toronto restaurant, albeit with a heavier portion of tofu and vegetables.

I made this mostly to highlight the natural talent of fried tofu puffs (found in Asian grocery stores wherever the tofu section is) to soak up sauce like little sponges, adding to the deliciousness of the dish. I love to use then in all kinds of Thai curries to this end. The peanut butter, which goes very well with coconut, also adds some more legume power. The coconut milk/peanut butter duo make the dish very rich and satisfying, so a little goes a long way- no need for a huge pile o' noodles. The fat also tempers the spiciness of the curry paste a bit.

Make sure that you soak the noodles ahead of time- trying to boil them like wheat noodles just results in a sticky mess. I cook them shortly in the sauce at the end to get them to absorb some of its flavour. 

Peanut-Coconut Red Curry Noodles with Fried Tofu Puffs
Serves 6-8

1 Can (about 1/4 C.) Thai red curry paste
1/2 C. Peanut Butter
1 Can (14 Oz.) Full fat coconut milk
2-4 C. Water
1 Tsp. Oil
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1 Lb. Fried tofu puffs, halved
1 Red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks
1 C. Baby corn
3 C. Eggplant, in 3 cm cubes (preferably Asian long, thin eggplants)
3 C. Green beans, cut into short pieces (preferably long/dragon beans)
1/2 C. Cashews or peanuts, roughly chopped
1/2 Lb. Rice noodles

Soak the rice noodles in cold water for 30 minutes.

Heat up a large wok or skillet. Stir-fry the tofu and vegetables with the oil on high heat for about 3 minutes. Sprinkle with the salt.

Separately, bring 2 cups of the water to a boil. Pour onto the curry paste and peanut butter and mix to dissolve. Add the coconut milk and pour the whole mixture over the tofu and vegetables.

Bring the mixture to a boil, adding more water as necessary to maintain a thick, saucey consistency. Let simmer until the vegetables are all cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.

Add the noodles and bring to a boil again, adding more water if needed. Remove from heat as soon as the noodles are tender and sprinkle with cashews or peanuts. Serve hot, perhaps with minced cilantro and lime wedges on the side.

Beefy Vegan "Sunday Roast"- Made with Homemade Seitan (Take 1)

For many a vital component of a Sunday meal is some sort of roast meat dish, be it bird, beef or game. I wanted to make my own roast using seitan as the base, and also to mimic the crispy skin that forms on the roast- with beancurd sheets!

The process of making seitan is really incredibly easy, especially if you have a stand mixer to knead the dough for you- after all, seitan is basically a dough made of pure gluten.

This bad boy is made with a mushroom-chestnut-quinoa stuffing studded with dried cranberries and sunflower seeds, covered in crispy beancurd and a mix of dried herbs that is sold with the intent of being used in regular roasts. I used a lot of intensely savoury ingredients to make it more "beefy", such as tomato paste and dried mushrooms in the stock that is kneaded into the dough, and the miracle working Wizard's brand vegan Worcestershire sauce. If you don't have this and can't find it in your local health foods store, try using Marmite for that extra something-something (probably easier to find if you're in the Anglosphere), though I haven't tried it yet myself.

The high-protein seitan roast also contains black lentils, ground pecans and chickpea flour. All in all, it's very filling and luxurious-feeling, but still very nutritious, loaded with protein. The quinoa and mushroom filling is also full of nutritious ingredients- not very traditional, but really good. Chances are you'll have leftovers that taste great on their own as well.

Some improvements I'll need to make- keeping the loaf moist during cooking. I think that wrapping it in foil for the duration of cooking helps, but it would be even better if I basted it with mushroom broth during cooking. I also would want to tweak the skin so that it sticks to the loaf better. Still, for my first attempt with homemade seitan, I'd say it turned out pretty good. Definitely a special occasion or holiday entree possibility! I'll continue experimenting, but this is definitely worth making as it is.

Seitan Sunday Roast
Makes 8-10 Servings

For the Loaf
1 C. Vital wheat gluten
1/3 C. Nutritional yeast flakes
2/3 C. Beluga/Puy lentils
3 TBSP Oil (I used half coconut and half olive)
1/3 C. Chickpea flour (besan)
1/4 C. Teriyaki sauce, or tamari, or soya sauce
1 Tsp. Garlic powder, or 3 minced garlic cloves
1 Tsp. Fennel seeds
3 Bay leaves
1 Tsp. Ground black pepper
1 Tsp. Paprika, sweet or smoked
1 Tsp. Each dried oregano and marjoram
1/2 TBSP Tomato paste
Handful of dried mushrooms, shiitake or boletus/wild mushrooms
1 1/2 C. Vegetable or mushroom broth
1 TBSP Dried onion, optional

Bring the broth to a boil and soak the dried mushrooms for at least 1 hour. Stir in the tomato paste.

Cook the lentils until as soft as possible (they won't fall apart or get completely soft, but should be very tender). Let cool.

Grind the spices as finely as possible in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar, then pass through a fine sieve to catch the larger bits.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl or stand mixer and knead well, about 5 minutes at medium-high in a mixer or 15 minutes by hand. Let rest for 15 minutes, then repeat. Keep doing this until you get long, stretchy strands in the dough.

Roll out onto an oiled surface into a large rectangle. Spread with filling(see below) in the centre, then wrap the edges around to form a large roll. Wrap in aluminium foil and bake at 180℃ for 75-90 minutes. Unwrap from the foil, apply the "skin"(also below) and return to oven on 'broil' setting for 10 minutes.

For the Stuffing
2/3 C. Quinoa
1/4 C. Salted shelled sunflower seeds
1/4 C. Dried cranberries
1/3 C. Pecan or hazelnut meal
1 C. Peeled roasted chestnuts (1 pouch)
1 Tsp. Each dried oregano and marjoram
1 TBSP Parsley, finely chopped
1 TBSP Dill, finely chopped
1- 1 1/2 C. Vegetable broth
1 C. diced brown mushrooms, such as cremini or king
2 Tsp. Oil
1 TBSP Soya or tamari sauce

Rinse and drain quinoa in water at least 3 times, then soak in clean water for at least 15 minutes. Drain again and cook in the vegetable broth (start with 1 cup, adding more as necessary) until tender. Let cool.

Combine the remaining ingredients apart from the mushrooms and oil with the quinoa. Set aside.

In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the mushrooms with a hint of salt until they are well browned. Combine with the rest of the ingredients until loaf is ready to be filled.

For the "Skin"
3 TBSP Oil
About 6 sheets dried beancurd (fresh also works)
2 Tsp. Dried oregano, marjoram, or any dried herb mix
2 TBSP Teriyaki sauce mixed with 1 TBSP water, or 3 TBSP soya/tamari sauce
1 Tsp. Paprika

Soak beancurd in cold water for at least 10 minutes. It will likely fall into pieces- this is fine to use.

On the precooked loaf, layer beancurd (or beancurd pieces), then brush with oil and sprinkle with salt and spices. Once the whole amount of beancurd is used up, add one last coat of oil and brush on the teriyaki/soya/tamari sauce as well. Sprinkle with herbs and bake.

The Aim of the Game

More people than ever are beginning plant-based diets, for various reasons: health, environment, ethics, or religion are some examples. However, many people (especially in the West) are so accustomed to meat as the primary protein source that it can be difficult to figure out how to get the same protein and nutrients from plants. However, there are lots of ways to do this- even if on a budget, time-limited, or for a demanding palette.

You'll find that with a bit of knowledge about the various cornerstones of a vegetarian or vegan diet, there's something delicious for everyone.