Slice-able Seitan Salami... of Sorts

I really, really like the Yves Cuisine Veggie Salami. It's got the right amount of spice and flavour going on, and makes a great way to add protein to a sandwich. That being said, I still wanted to see if I could come up with a seitan version, since I love seitan so much.

Because I came up with this recipe only vaguely following my existing knowledge of a) what tastes good in a veggie ham, b) what might help to keep it together and c) what I had in my pantry, I refer to it as an "improvisation sensation"... because it's one of the few times my kitchen improvisation turned out something surprisingly good that I'd want to make again. While it is a lot browner than you'd expect a salami to be... It still tastes really good. You can add some beetroot juice instead of water if you want a pinker loaf.

You can adjust the spices to suit whatever your own tasted are. If I'd had it, I might have added some whole coriander or fennel seeds, two aromatic spices I love in "meat". I made mine on the spicy side with lots of black pepper and chili, but you can reduce or even eliminate these if you want.

While this recipe takes a lot of time, it's mostly non-active waiting time for steaming and roasting, so it's still very easy to do. The final product makes a delicious sandwich with some mustard and veggies, or you can chop it up small and sprinkle it onto pizza.

Seitan Salami
A T&B "improvisation sensation"

1 C. Vital wheat gluten
200 g. Firm or extra-firm tofu
2 TBSP Olive, canola or liquid coconut oil
2 TBSP Tapioca or arrowroot starch
1/4 C. Sunflower seeds
2 Tsp. Smoked paprika, or regular paprika plus 2 Tsp. Smoke extract
2 Tsp. Italian dried herb mix, or oregano
1 Tsp. Sage
2-3 Tsp. Coarsely ground black peppercorns
2 Tsp Vegan Worcestershire sauce
1-2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Dried mustard
1 TBSP Sambal oelek, or dried chili flakes
1 Tsp. Garlic powder
1 Tsp. Onion powder
1 Tsp. Tomato paste

To brush:
1 TBSP Olive oil, extra
3 TBSP Soya sauce, extra

Set up an apparatus for steaming- I used a bamboo steamer, but you can also set a large pasta strainer over boiling water and cover with any lid that fits. Start heating up the water now.

Mix the vital wheat gluten, salt, starch, spices and herbs. Crumble the tofu into small, gravel-sized pieces into the dry mixture. Add the sambal oelek, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, sunflower seeds and oil. Add about 1/2 C. of water and knead until a cohesive mass comes together, adding extra water if necessary. You can taste the raw mixture and add more spices if you wish.

When the dough sticks together nicely, wrap it up in baking parchment or aluminium foil and secure with twine or kitchen string into a fat sausage shape. poke with holes all over using a skewer or fork. Place inside your steaming apparatus.

Steam for about an hour. Remove from the steamer and unwrap once cool enough to touch. Set onto a baking tray and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the outside is lightly browned- this helps to firm it up for easy slicing.

Remove the seitan from the oven and immediately brush with the olive oil and soya sauce using a pastry brush, or just rub it in with your hands. This will help to develop the flavour and soften the "rind" of your salami.

Allow to cool completely. The longer you leave it in your fridge, the firmer it gets, and the easier it is to cut thin slices. Enjoy!

High-protein, whole-grain Ginger Date "Molasses" Cookie Porridge (with 5 grains!)

I'm a huuuuuuuuuuge oatmeal fan. Mind you, I'm pretty picky about it. I'm not crazy about instant oats, which never develop the proper ratios of stickiness and toothsomeness that regular rolled oats or steel-cut oats do. I like a porridge with a bit of bite that's still cooked until gooey and thick. For a change, I decided to try a new mix of grains to add nutrition, protein and flavour. Here, the pot barley adds extra gooeyness, the rye adds a new flavour to the mix, buckwheat gives an earthy roasted flavour, and millet adds some fun to the texture with its tiny grains.

I also added dates for some of their natural sweetness (and high iron/fibre content!), and coconut sugar for the rest- because of its intense molasses-like flavour, it reminded me of a molasses cookie when I tasted it, so I decided to stick with the theme and add some fresh grated ginger and cinnamon. To make it richer without any sort of oil or butter, I mix in ground flaxseed once the mixture has already cooled down to preserve the integrity of the essential fatty acids they have as much as possible from oxidation/heat. However, even without these, flaxseeds pack an additional punch of protein and help achieve that perfectly gooey consistency (I can't stop going on about how much I love the goo in my breakfast, can I?).

While this is a perfect autumn or winter's day breakfast, I'm sure happy to eat it in spring, too. Although, if you're in the Southern hemisphere, the perfect time to try this out is just coming up...

Ginger-Date Molasses Cookie Porridge
3 to 4 C. water
Fat pinch of salt
1 Large cinnamon stick
1-2" piece of peeled fresh ginger
1/2 C. Old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 C. Rye flakes
1/4 C. Pot barley
3 TBSP Buckwheat groats, preferably roasted (a.k.a. Kasha)
3 TBSP Millet
6-8 Dates, pitted
1/4 C. Ground flaxseed
Coconut sugar or date sugar, to taste
Your favourite kind of milk, to serve (optional)

Bring water and salt to a boil. Add all of the grains, the dates, and the cinnamon stick. Let simmer at a very low temperature for about 40 minutes, or until all of the grains are soft. Check periodically and add more water if needed- you want to keep the mixture relatively thin as it will thicken a lot when you add the flaxseed later.

Grate the ginger in and add about 1/4 C. of your sugar. Let rest off the heat, covered, for 10-15 minutes.

Once warm but not hot, stir in the flaxseed. Add more cool water if the mixture becomes too thick.

Serve with your favourite plant milk (if desired, for a little extra creaminess), and extra sugar and cinnamon to taste.