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.