Seitan Holiday Ham

We always have ham for Christmas and Easter which I used to love.  Now when the holidays come around I've been left wondering what I will eat along with my family.  I have finally come up with the solution.  Seitan Holiday Ham!  I haven't had ham now for almost 4 years, but I think this recipe is a great substitute if you are looking for something a little "meaty".  The flavor is a lot like those hams you buy with glaze packets, if you have ever tried one of those - kind of sweet.  I love to use my meat slicer (I got one for really cheap at Shopko) and slice it really thin to make sandwiches later.  This recipe makes a fairly large roast, but you could try halving the recipe.  I haven't tried halving it yet, (and probably won't because I love the leftovers, but I'm guessing you would only cook it for 90 minutes rather than 2 hours.  Just make sure it seems pretty firm to the touch before you take it out of the oven.  If you try halving it, let me know how it turned out!  One more thing - don't forget to buy the olives for your fingers - it makes eating even more enjoyable!

Seitan Holiday Ham

Ingredients
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp liquid smoke
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

n a large bowl, mix together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, chickpea flour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, smoked paprika, and ground cloves.

In a large measuring cup or separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.  Gently stir into the dry ingredients until totally combined.  It should be a ball of dough.  Knead it for a couple of minutes until it becomes very elastic, adding a little vital wheat gluten if needed. It should hold it's shape.

Shape the dough into a roast shape and wrap in a large sheet of aluminum foil, twisting the ends to seal.  Then wrap in another sheet of foil.  Bake for 2 hours.  Carefully remove the roast from the aluminum foil and let it cool.  Refrigerate it once it's cool.  Tastes best the next day!

To make the holiday ham glaze:
1/3 cup pineapple juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1/2 Tbsp mustard
1 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp molasses
1 Tbsp vegan butter (such as Earth Balance) or coconut oil
a few drops of liquid smoke
salt to taste
whole cloves (approx. 20-30)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all the ingredients EXCEPT for the cloves in a small saucepan.  Heat to boiling, then reduce to a simmer. Continue to cook reducing until thickened.

Score the ham in a crisscross pattern, making little diamonds (like in the pictures - if you can see it). They should only be about 1/4 inch deep, 1/2 inch at the most.  Put cloves into the ham.  Glaze the ham and bake in oven for 20 minutes.

Vegan Panda Express Chow Mein

We like to go out to dinner now and then as a family - who doesn't it?  Eating out at a restaurant in Idaho that caters to a plant based diet however isn't the easiest thing.  One of the big restaurants in our area is Panda Express.  My whole family loves it.  However they don't have vegetarian/vegan options.  So while my family eats there now and then - I end up having to get something to eat from somewhere else.  My family loves Chinese/Thai food - so I am always trying to come up with new recipes for us to try.  So I've created a vegan friendly Panda Express "style" chow mein.  Now I can enjoy a little "Panda Express" at home with my family AND - my whole family gobbles it up.  We eat it as a main dish - but you could use it as a side if you'd like.  It is so easy and fast to make too!

I use a well seasoned cast iron skillet for this recipe.  I try to cut out oil when I saute veggies to be a little healthier.  I often don't need the oil and if things start to stick a little I add a little water which works just as great as oil in my opinion. But, feel free to use a little oil to saute the veggies if you feel you need to.

 

Vegan Panda Express Chow Mein
Makes 6-8 servings (depending whether it is a side or main dish)

Ingredients

1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
ground black pepper, to taste
1(17.76 oz) package refrigerated Yaki Soba noodles (found in the produce section of the grocery store)
1 cup chopped celery (chopped diagonally)
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cups chopped cabbage

Directions

In a small bowl combine soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and black pepper. Set aside.

Remove Yaki Soba from package and discard included flavoring packets. Rinse noodles well, drain, and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add celery and onion and saute for about 1-2 minutes or until onions start to become soft and transparent. Add cabbage and saute an additional minute or so.

Toss Yaki Soba noodles and soy sauce mixture with the vegetables over medium-high heat for an additional 2-3 minutes or until noodles are heated through.

 

Seitan With Broccoli

 

My kids aren't the best at eating vegetables on their own, so I try to think of ways to throw a variety of veggies together in one meal so they get a good variety in one shot.  Stir-fries are a good way to accomplish this.  My husband used to love Beef and Broccoli so I have created a "plant" version so we can still enjoy it.  He loves this recipe - even the seitan.  My kids aren't big seitan eaters, but they also love this recipe.  I hope your family enjoy it too! 

We serve it over brown rice or quinoa usually but any grain will do.  OR you can just eat it by itself. You will also want to make the baked seitan recipe ahead of time (it takes 90+ minutes). Otherwise this is a pretty quick meal to make.  If you want to go without seitan - just throw in some extra veggies that you like instead.

Seitan with Broccoli

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

3 Tbsp hoisin sauce

2 Tbsp rice wine

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp cornstarch

½ recipe baked seitan, thinly sliced

1 lb (4-5 cups) broccoli broken into bite-size pieces

1 bell pepper, cored and sliced

1 carrot, sliced on the diagonal

¾ cup onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

¼ tsp Better Than Bouillon, No Beef Base

¼ cup water

Directions

Combine the soy sauce, hoisin, rice wine, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a mixing bowl.  Whisk to combine the liquid with the cornstarch.  Mix in the seitan and let marinate for 30 minutes.

 

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add the broccoli, bell pepper, carrot, onion, garlic and ginger and stir-fry.  Stir the vegetables frequently for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables have softened.  Add the seitan and its marinade and continue cooking, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes. 

 

Whisk together the bouillon and water in a small bowl.  Add it to the vegetables and seitan and cook for another 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and clings to the seitan and vegetables. 

 

Serve over brown rice or quinoa if you like.

 

Chickpea and Rice Soup

I have a new recipe that I know you are going to love.  This is one my family races to the fridge the next day, and this only if we didn't pig out on it the night before!  I found it on one of my favorite blogs http://www.theppk.com/.  I tweaked it for my needs and it turned out so delicious!  It reminds me of a creamy chicken soup - except there is no chicken.  I made it for my parents and a non-vegan friend of theirs and it was definitely a hit!  My mom is not a big fan of chickpeas, but she loved the soup!  The chickpeas are so creamy they almost seem to melt in your mouth.  And if you are new to kale - this is a good recipe to try.  This is one soup you will want to make over and over again!

Chickpea and Rice Soup
Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  1 hour
Makes:  4-6 servings

Ingredients:
3/4 cup cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours or overnight
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried rosemary
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
Fresh black pepper
3/4 cup brown rice, rinsed
3 ribs celery, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, diced chunky
5 cups no chicken broth (Better Than Bouillon)
2 15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (about 3 cups)
4 cups chopped kale

Directions:
Drain the cashews and place them in a blender with one cup of fresh water. Blend until completely smooth, scraping the sides of the food processor with a spatula occasionally to make sure you get everything. This could 1 to 5 minutes depending on the strength of your blender.

Preheat a stock pot over medium heat. Sauté onion with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and sauté a minute more.

Add rice, celery and carrots and then pour in the broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, bring down to a simmer, add the chickpeas, and let cook for about 30 more minutes, or until rice is cooked and carrots are tender.

Add the cashew cream and kale, and simmer until kale is wilted, 3 to 5 more minutes. You may need to add water to thin the soup if it seems too thick. Taste for salt and seasonings and let sit for 10 minutes or so to allow the flavors to marry.

It thickens as it cools, so if you have leftovers, just thin with a little water when you reheat.

Seitan and Black Bean Tacos

 

My husband and I love Mexican food.  My husband especially loves the tacos he can get from the restaurant Los Betos.  He loves adobada, carnitas, carne asada, chicken and fish.  So to better suit his needs, I have come up with a seitan taco which turned out so good!  He loved it (I found him in the kitchen eating just the seitan)!  The marinade gives the seitan a very delicious flavor and grilling it makes it that much better! 

If you need a seitan recipe you can use my recipe for baked seitan on my blog.  However, instead of making a log, I flattened the seitan (kind of like steak) and then wrapped it in tin foil and baked it.  That way I could cut thin "steak-like" strips.

We like to make our tacos nice and full as you can see in the pictures, but our kids tend to make them smaller.  So, it's up to you - whatever you like!

Seitan and Black Bean Tacos
makes 4 servings

Ingredients

½ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce
1 tsp cumin
4 cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb seitan cut into really thin strips
Corn tortillas
½ cup shredded Daiya pepperjack cheese 
Guacamole
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Pico de Gallo
Shredded cabbage

 

Directions

Combine the juice, oil, chipotle, cumin and garlic in a blender and puree.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Place seitan and marinade in a plastic bag or in a dish with a lid and marinate for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.
 
Preheat grill over medium heat (cast iron).  Oil the grill when hot and place seitan on it, turning occasionally until it nicely browned.
 
Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Place a tortilla in the center and warm on both sides.  Place in folded dish towel to keep warm.  Continue with more tortillas. 
 
Place cheese, guacamole, beans, seitan, Pico de Gallo, and shredded cabbage on tortillas.  Fold and eat!

 

Vegan Zuppa Toscana

When I used to go to Olive Garden I would love to order the soup, salad, and bread sticks deal!  All of them were so delicious, I felt like I was getting the best of everything.  PLUS it was unlimited so I could pig out.  (It was so hard not too!)  Of course none of those things are vegan (except for one of the soups) unless you arrange it with your waiter/waitress.  One of my favorite soups I'd order is Zuppa Toscana.  SO NOT VEGAN!!  But it was so delicious.  So...one cool, rainy day I decided I NEEDED this soup and I would "veganize" it.

It has been a while since I've had the original now, but I think this recipe is pretty close.  This version is so yummy, it is by far my favorite soup!  We had it for dinner last night, and everyone went back for seconds (even my picky eater)!  It is a good way to incorporate all the kale from my garden too - which by the way is super good for you!  I don't usually eat soy, but we indulge with this soup, because it just adds so much to the flavor and texture.  You could probably substitute beans if you wanted but it just won't be the same. 

Vegan  Zuppa Toscana
Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

14 oz. pkg. Gimme Lean Sausage

¾ tsp crushed red peppers
1 cup diced white onion
2 tsp minced garlic
8 cups water
3 Tbsp No Chicken Bouillon
¼ tsp liquid smoke
1 cup coconut milk (or 1 can to make it extra creamy)
3 medium sized potatoes, thinly sliced
5 Kale leaves (approx 4-5 cups), chopped with stems removed

Directions

Saute sausage, crushed red pepper, onions and garlic until sausage is heated through and onions are soft.

Add the water, No Chicken Bouillon  and liquid smoke.  Cook until boiling and then turn heat down to low and let it simmer.  Add potatoes and cook until soft (approx. 15 minutes depending on how thin potatoes are sliced). 

Add coconut milk and kale and cook until thoroughly heated. 

 

Asian Salad Bowls

Sometimes when I've had a busy day, cooking dinner is one of the last things I feel like doing.  But I don't want us all to have to go without dinner!

A robot like Rosey from the cartoon The Jetsons would be nice.  Probably not going to happen anytime soon (or ever - unless my engineer daughter makes me one)!

So, besides maybe a bowl of cereal (my family would probably protest) I like to try to keep it simple.  So here is a quick and easy dinner for those nights I feel lazy.  It's so delicious and a nice light meal for a summer night too!

Asian Salad Bowls
Serves 4

1/4 cup water
1Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup teriyaki sauce (I like to use Kikkoman from the Asian aisle)
2 rounded cups chickpeas
1 8 oz. can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped
Crunchy chow mein noodles
2 carrots, shredded
spring salad mix

Whisk together water and cornstarch in a bowl until smooth.  Stir in teriyaki sauce.  Add chickpeas and water chestnuts, stir to coat.  Marinate for 30 minutes. 

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Pour the chickpea mixture into skillet and heat until it is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Serve the hot chickpea mixture over the spring salad, carrots, and chow mein noodles (in that order) in individual bowls.

Alfredo

 

My daughter needed me to make a main dish for her tennis banquet at school.  I was a little nervous about making something that everyone would like, especially teenagers, that didn't SCREAM vegan or healthy.   From my experience here in Idaho, most people freak out if you mention vegan - they just won't touch it.  My daughter and I came up with alfredo.  She absolutely loves it and it doesn't scream healthy or vegan.  In fact it seems very NOT vegan.  My mom gave me this recipe a while back and it is really delicious.  I have doubled the recipe, because it was not quite enough for my family of 4 (two teens).  I think I might put less salt in it next time though because it seems like a lot of salt to me.  I have also tried this with chopped broccoli and it was so delicious! I think peas would also be very good. It if fun to change up the kind of pasta you use too.  I would use probably 12-16 oz of pasta for this recipe.  I have not tried this recipe with the basil - so if you do, let me know what you think!

Alfredo
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp flour
½ tsp onion powder
2 ½ cups water
2 ½ tsp no chicken bouillon
2 tsp salt
2 tsp basil (optional)

 

Directions

Blend all ingredients really well in blender, until smooth.  Cook until hot and thick, stirring often with a wire whisk.  Pour over noodles.

BBQ Beans and Macaroni

One of my favorite things to eat growing up was my Mom's hot dog casserole - one of many yummy comfort foods she'd make me! (We were a family of 6, but I like to think she made it for me!)  I was a major hot dog lover.  I still (secretly) have pains for hot dogs.  I know there are vegan versions, and I've only tried one brand, but it just wasn't the same.  Anyway, I have been cooking many recipes from my childhood (my Mom is a great cook), but now that I am a plant eater I've had to put on my thinking cap on and try to veganize my favorite home cooked meals.  Some are much easier than others.  The longer I've been doing this though, the easier it has been getting.  Besides leaving out the hot dogs, I was on a mission to make this a healthier, less processed meal for my family.  So, I believe I have come up with a good substitution for my Mom's hot dog casserole and now call it BBQ Beans and Macaroni.  AND since my family scarfed it down for dinner last night, I think it is a success.  I didn't even miss the hot dogs!  One little note for thought - you could use mustard powder instead of yellow mustard.  I didn't think of that until now!  I will definitely try it next time!

BBQ Beans and Macaroni
Serves 4-6

2 cups whole wheat macaroni
2 ribs celery, chopped
3/4 cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
15 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
1 16 oz. can chili beans
1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed (or YOUR favorite)
2 tsp yellow mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 Tbsp oregano
1/4 cup molasses
fresh ground pepper, to taste

Cook and drain the macaroni according to your package's directions. 

In a large pot saute the celery and onions in about 2 Tbsp water.  Cook until they start to look translucent adding more water if needed to keep from sticking.  Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds. 

Stir in the rest of the ingredients and cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the cooked macaroni, stir and serve.

Hawaiian Haystacks

This is probably my favorite summer dish.  It is a fun one to do with your kids or when you have friends over.  It is kind of like visiting a salad bar, or baked potato bar - so many yummy things to stack on your plate.  My kids like being able to decided what goes on there plate and how much. This recipe is a good starting place, but feel free to add to or decrease the amount of each ingredient according to your family's taste. You can also use your own favorite gravy if you want. 

It is a nice, light dinner for a hot summer day and filling.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Hawaiian Haystacks
Serves 4

1 cup brown rice (or favorite grain - quinoa is also really good!)
1 15 oz. can navy beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups crunchy chow mein noodles
1 tomato, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, or chives are good also
1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup shredded coconut
shredded vegan cheese, optional

Gravy
1 cup water, plus 1/4 cup cold water
1 tsp vegan chicken bouillon
2 Tbsp flour
salt and pepper to taste

Cook rice according to your package's directions.

To make gravy, pour 1 cup water into sauce pan.  Stir in bouillon.  Mix 1/4 cup water and flour in a small bowl and whisk together.  Pour into the broth.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir for 1 minute.  Take off heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To make your haystacks spread rice out on your plate.  Then stack the chow mein noodles, beans and gravy.  Add tomatoes, celery, bell pepper, and green onions.  Top with pineapple, cheese (if using), almonds and coconut.  Then dig in and enjoy!

Raviolis

My girls love raviolis - it is one of their favorite things to eat.  They often ask for me to make them for dinner.  I haven't had any luck finding any vegan versions at the grocery store so I have had to get a little creative.  I don't want my girls to feel like being vegan you are missing out on anything, so I try to accommodate them when I can.  So I have come up with a delicious alternative to the traditional ravioli, and I do have to say...they are awesome.  I can't wait to make this recipe again!  They are actually pretty fast and easy to make because I used gyoza (wonton) dough from the store.  You could always make your own dough if you wanted to take the time.  I just don't have a lot of time to spare with two teenagers in the house.  I make the filling with garbanzo beans, although I think most people would typically use tofu.  I personally try to stay away from soy when I can and I think the garbanzos are great in this recipe!  This recipe will probably only serve 2-4 people.  For my family I would definitely double it, because they eat them like they are going out of style!

Raviolis 

1 15.5 oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (1 ½ cups)
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 ½ Tbsp Vegenaise
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp barley miso
Salt and pepper to taste
Gyoza wrappers (24)
 

Combine all the ingredients except for the gyoza wrappers in a food processor.  Mix until creamy, it doesn’t need to be completely smooth – some texture is good. 


Put a slightly rounded ½ Tbsp of mixture on the center of a gyoza wrapper.  Moisten the edges lightly with water and fold over.  Press the edges together to seal.

Drop the raviolis in boiling water for about 3-5 minutes.  Drain water and serve with your favorite sauce.

Chickpea Lasagna

My favorite food is pizza, but lasagna is a very close second.  Lasagna has to be one of the unhealthiest things a person can dive into, but ohhh.... so delicious!  I really hated the thought of not being able to splurge on this heavenly dish, so I made it my mission to try and find a vegan way to make it. 

When I first started out as a vegan, I was eating a lot of soy and was able to find some really yummy vegan lasagna recipes with tofu.  But after a while I decided maybe soy wasn't for me and so I needed to find a way to make lasagna without tofu.  I think I have been able to come up with a good alternative.  My real test was having my kids try it.  When they ate almost a whole 9x13 inch dish of it I figured it was a winner!  Surprisingly the chickpeas are delicious in this lasagna.  It is really creamy and oh so good!  It isn't the normal "American" lasagna that everyone loves, but it is much healthier and yes healthy (at least in this case) is a good thing!  You don't have to be vegan to enjoy this recipe, sometimes it is just nice to try something different and healthier.  I would love to put some chopped mushrooms in this recipe, but my kids hate mushrooms.  So for now I am going to enjoy my kids' delight when I make lasagna for them and leave out the mushrooms, but I highly suggest putting some in the sauce if you'd like.

If you are one of my many non-vegan friends, you can replace the Vegenaise with regular mayo since you probably don't have Vegenaise in your fridge.  Nutritional Yeast is a very good source of vitamin B12 and has a "cheesy" flavor - so I highly suggest you give it a try.

Chickpea Lasagna

Ingredients

9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
12 oz. can tomato paste
2 cans of water
1 pkg. spaghetti sauce mix
4 ½ cups chickpeas
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp nutritional yeast
4 ½ Tbsp Vegenaise
1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
1 Tbsp parsley
½ Tbsp minced garlic
18 oz. pkg. Daiya mozzarella (optional)

Directions

Cook noodles according to package directions. 

In a medium saucepan, stir together the tomato paste, water and spaghetti mix.  Let it simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pulse the rest of the ingredients (except for the mozzarella) in a food processor until there are no more whole chickpeas and you have a somewhat chunky paste.  It is OK to have small chunks of chickpeas left.

Spoon just enough sauce to cover the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan; top with 3 of the cooked lasagna noodles.  Spread with 1/3 of the chickpea filling.  Sprinkle with a handful of cheese if you are using it.  Repeat layers twice more, except after the last chickpea layer spread the red sauce over it then sprinkle the cheese.  I usually have some leftover cheese when I am done, but feel free to use the whole package if desired.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes to set layers.