Taking on the V-Con

This is the first Tuesday of the rest of your culinary life...

So recently some extremely charming and beautiful women asked if I would like to be in a threesome, I blushed and politely declined but then was informed it was a cooking threesome in which I replied, "Hells yeah!" and then something along the line of, "Bitches get stitches," and I still have no idea why I said that. But seriously folks this is a serious matter, Katie, Courtney and I are taking on the V-con, the Veganomicon to you newbies. This is an amazing cookbook that was published in 2007 and though only three years old will go down in the annals of history. Penned by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero (yeah both ladies have three names, not unlike John Wilkes Booth, except they are out to assassinate your taste buds with killer foods) this book is filled from cover to cover with vital information, mouth-watering recipes and seventh grade humour everyone can enjoy. Our goal is to post a new recipe every Tuesday and share our results, whether disastrous or brilliant.

This book is rather new to me and I am very excited to cook my way through every recipe along with giving reviews and feed back on the difficultly/easiness of each recipe, a comprehensive review of flavor, texture etc... and also any modifications I may make.

The first recipe was chosen by Katie, she decided on the Simple Seitan (my namesake) as the starter. The reason being that seitan (pronounced say-taan, not Satan) is a basic mock meat that is chewy in texture but like tofu can really be made to taste like anything. Seitan is made from vital wheat gluten, so not a good idea for any of you Celiacs out there. I have purchased pre-made seitan before and was very pleased and really had no desire to make my own. Timmy has been known to whip up a batch or two and surprise me with a wicked good lunch, but it is a bit of a process, mostly a sit down, pick up a book and wait process, but a process none the less.

Simple Seitan
1 cup vital wheat gluten flour
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used Braggs)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated

BROTH:
8 cups cold water plus 3 bouillon cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce

Mix together the gluten flour and yeast in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, mix together veggie broth, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic. Pour the wet into the dry and stir with a wooden spoon until most of the moisture has been absorbed and the ingredients are clumped together. Knead the mixture for about 3 minutes until the dough is elastic. Divide into 3 pieces and then knead those in your hand to stretch them out a bit.


Prepare the broth: Fill a stockpot with the water, bouillon cubes, soy sauce and add the wheat gluten pieces. Cover and bring to a boil. Try to catch it as soon as it boils and then lower the heat to simmer. Partially cover the pot so that the steam can escape and let it simmer for 1 hour, turning the seitan occasionally. Turn off the heat and take the lid off; let it sit for 15 minutes.


Remove from the broth and place in a strainer until it is cool enough to touch. It is now ready to be sliced up and used.

I followed the recipe pretty much to a T but instead of bouillon cubes I used a condensed liquid vegetable broth from Trader Joe's. The recipe is pretty simple (as the name suggests) and easy to follow. I was a bit concerned at first when my seitan was done simmering because it was pretty spongy but once it cooled and dried a bit it was like the good ol' seitan I know and love. The flavor was mild, I was worried it would be a bit salty because of all of the Bragg's Liquid Aminos used but it was just right.



I decided to make chicken fried steaks with my seitan. I paired it with mashed sweet potatoes, cooked in the left over seitan broth and I also made lemony green beans. The dinner was amazing!


steaks up close and personal



Since there are only two of us we had a bit too much seitan so I was able to make spicy chicken wings as well. I paired the wings with sliced carrots, celery and home made vegan ranch dressing.


Timmy helped me make wing sauce even though his right wing is broken



should be called "kicken wings"

Ask A Vegan! Pt. 2

This week's Vegan is none other than the wonderful Katie at Unkamama. She is so friggen' cool and creative I had to feature her on my blog. I have a list of all the Vegans I want to feature and she was right near the top! I was introduced to Katie (via blogspot) by the amazing Courtney (also Vegan) and I have been one smitten kitten ever since. I hope you enjoy her answers and check out her blog. She is truly something special.

Name: Katie
Age: 29
Location: Gilbert, AZ
Website: kjjventura.blogspot.com


at an anti-fur protest with son John

How long have you been Vegan?
Since February 2009

What made you decide to go Vegan?
I had been a vegetarian for about 5 years. I knew that I needed to make the next step, but I kept talking myself out of it and just generally deluding myself about the egg and dairy industries. In February 2009, I saw a small documentary called Seeing Through the Fence. The movie really resonated with me, and made me feel like a hypocrite for being a lacto/ovo vegetarian. I really felt like I wasn't doing enough, so many animals are hurt because of the factory farming industries that I was still supporting. The next day I became a vegan and never once have I regretted it.

How do you feel health wise with this diet choice?
I lost about 60 pounds after I went vegan. I feel much better, but I still have a long way to go. I am a strict vegan, but I am not the healthiest vegan. I am learning to be a better cook and to make my own stuff as opposed to buying pre-packaged stuff.

Are you open about your Veganism?
Totally, I am proud to be a vegan and love to answer questions for people. I just try very hard not to be too pushy and preachy.

If so, are you involved in any activism i.e. protests, leafleting etc…
I try to be, but this is another area that I know I can grow in. I enjoy going to protests and I am anxious to do some leafleting when the weather cools down again.


Farm Sanctuary walk

What does your family, friends, co-workers think about your diet?
Everyone close to me is supportive, but they all pretty much wish I wasn't a vegan. I know a lot of my family feels like it is inconvenient for them because meals are different now. My husband, who is not vegan is incredibly supportive, and supports raising our two year old as a vegan. Most other people are just very curious about the lifestyle.

What advice would you give those interested in becoming Vegan?
I would say not to worry about all of the things that you will be giving up because there are so many wonderful vegan options out there now. You can almost always find some sort of vegan substitute to replace a non-vegan option. Remember that you are doing something that is going to make and impact on countless lives, including your own, so you should be proud!

Would you eat at Mc Donald’s if they carried a Vegan burger?
No way, I have major issues with McDonald's aside from just the food that they carry.

What is your least favorite question that you are asked about your diet?
I have two:
1. The famous, "Do you get enough protein?"
2. A lot of people ask me, "But you still kill plants, how do you know that they don't feel things?" I think most of the time people just to it to aggravate me, because no one could honestly believe that. (I get this same harassment. Plants have feeling too...give me a break!)

What is your favorite dish?
Veggie bake is a staple in my fridge. We just buy a bunch of veggies, prepare them, put a little oil and rosemary on top and bake it for 45 minutes or so. Awesome and easy!

What do you typically eat at Thanksgiving?
It is our new family tradition to go to ThanksLiving at green. Last year we had a breaded "chicken" stuffing, corn, salad, bread, pecan pie...and more that I can't remember.


ThanksLiving at Green

If I could make you any flavor cupcake in the world what would it be?
Hmmm, is there such a thing as a vegan cheesecake cupcake? That sounds awesome :)
(there are cheesecake brownies, so a cheesecake cupcake is VERY possible)


Thanks Katie! You are super awesome!