Southern Style Potato Salad

Ingredients

Salad

• 8 - 10 medium red potatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 sweet pickles, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped (optional)

Dressing

• 1/2 cup Vegenaise or other mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup soy milk
• 2 tbsp stone ground mustard
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (optional)
• 2 tbsp fresh dill
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp black salt (optional)

Preparation

1: Chop potatoes into chunks and boil on medium heat for 20 minutes or until softened.

2: While potatoes are boiling in a bowl prepare the dressing, combine all the ingredients in the dressing. Mix well.

3: Add the onion, pickles, and celery. Stir until coated.

4: Drain the potatoes. Let cool for about 15 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and pour dressing over potatoes.

5: Place in refrigerator to chill for about 3 hours.

6: Serve.

Notes

Southern Style potato dressing is creamy, with a sharp mustard tang and notes of dill, lemon, and paprika. It is a flexible dish, and every household in the South has a different variation. This vegan version is punchy and pronounced.

Lemon juice helps brighten this dish, but some may find in combination with the mustard is unnecessarily sharp.

Black salt adds an eggy flavor to the dish, omit if you do not like eggs in your potato salad. You may also wish to half the amount for a less pungent flavor.

Cuban Black Beans

Ingredients

Black beans

• 2 cups dried black beans, soaked overnight
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 poblano or cubanelle chili (or green bell pepper), chopped
• 1/4 tsp liquid smoke
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp coriander
• 1 tbsp sambal ulek (or hot sauce)
• 1 tbsp mushroom powder
• 1 tbsp vegetable stock base
• 6 cups water
• 1 tsp oregano

Optional Toppings

• nutritional yeast
• scallions
• avocado
• cilantro

Preparation

1: Heat oil in dutch oven. Add in onion, garlic, and chilies. Saute on medium-high heat for three minutes. Add in liquid smoke, cumin, coriander, and sambal ulek. Saute another three minutes or until onions are translucent and the peppers soft.

2: Add in the powdered mushrooms and stock base. Mix well then add in the water and cover. Bring to a boil then simmer one hour on medium-low heat. Stir periodically to ensure bottom of the pan does not burn. Add in oregano during the last fifteen minutes of cooking.

3: Serve with the optional toppings or your own.

Notes

This meal is traditionally served with brown rice and fried plantains.

Chili Lime Plantains

Ingredients

• 4 plantains
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 tbsp maple syrup (or molasses)
• 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, chopped (optional)
• 1 tbsp adobo sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 2 tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tbsp wheat germ
• canola oil for frying

Preparation

1: In a small pot or frying pan begin heating oil over medium-high heat.

2: Peel and cut the plantains into thick rounds, set aside.

3: For the batter add the wet ingredients into a small bowl: lime juice, syrup, chipotle, adobo sauce, chili powder, and salt. Mix well.

4: For the dry mix, in a separate bowl combine the cornstarch, wheat flour, wheat germ and mix. Combine the wet batter into the dry until thoroughly incorporated. Toss in the plantains and coat well.

5: Fry the plantains in batches. If using a large pan, no more than 8 or so rounds at a time to ensure they get that nice, crispy golden brown coating. If not deep frying, turn each round about 2 minutes through frying.

6: Once done frying transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels and let cool.

7: Serve.

A Seitan How-To Guide

Vital wheat gluten, wheat-meat, or seitan as it is called in Japan is a vegan substitute for meat that is noted for its texture and ability to take on a robust meaty flavor that is so close to the Real Thing a lot of vegans and vegetarians dislike it for its likeness. It has been a popular stand-in used for decades by Buddhist monks, Seven Day Adventists, Mormons, and other people who followed the Pythagorean diet.

A Quick Note: Is Wheat Gluten Healthy?

Seitan has also gotten a bad rap among the “health conscious” community lately because of its composition being of gluten; however those assumptions about gluten being unhealthy and the overall concept of gluten intolerance has been always been in question and new studies are sealing the opinion that there is no such condition outside of allergies and Celiac associated with gluten consumption, or in the least actual gluten sensitivity is very rare and these people may not even be reacting with gluten but perhaps a specific type of carbohydrate. What we do know is that the seitan has been eaten for thousands of years across cultures around the world including Buddhist monasteries which actually had some of the highest average lifespans in the world. That being said, if you have Celiac disorder or are allergic to wheat: keep on doing what you are doing.

Where to Find Seitan?

Even though seitan has historically been a popular substitute for meat in vegetarian dishes, because of recent fears associated with gluten it has been slowly eclipsed in popularity by other stand-ins such as tofu, tempeh, quinoa, beans, etc. Prepared seitan will be the most difficult variety to find if you are looking for an unflavored variety but many faux sausages do contain it as well.
The good news here is that you can get wheat gluten in flour-form and its very easy to prepare and not at all messy. What you need to look for is “vital wheat gluten” or “gluten flour”. Some of the most popular brands include Bob’s Red Mill, but some grocery stores may also sell it in their bulk section: shout out to Winco in the Pacific Northwest! Also, check your grocer’s organic section as well or just ask an associate.

Making the Perfect Seitan

So this is the part you’ve been waiting for? I know, you’re thinking: “Gee, what’s with the exposition?” Well now its time to get your hands… well good news is this stuff doesn’t actually stick you your hands so they won’t be getting too dirty.
I really recommend to start that you purchase the flour form simply because it is far more pliable with what you can do with it. Basically what you need to know is that for every part gluten flour you add equal parts water per volume: So two cups seitan means you will need two cups of water.

Starting Out: Dry Ingredients

To begin, just like any other recipe involving flour you are going to dump all your dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix them well. The most common starting spices are onion power and garlic powder. Most recipes call for about 3 tbsp of each if you are starting with two cups of seitan. You’ll also want to add in some nutritional yeast here to improve nutritional quality and add a bit of sharpness to the dish. If you want to go lighter flavors herbs like sage, tarragon, marjoram, and thyme will do the trick. If you want something more hearty add in chili powder, cumin, coriander, basil, oregano, paprika, etc. It really is the spices that make seitan what it is.

The Wet Mix

Once your have compiled your dry mix, its time to prepare the wet ingredients. For this you can just use water, but using vegetable broth works much better. Popular add-ins to bulk up the seitan include tahini (around 1/4 cup for two cups gluten flour), soy sauce, tamari, and olive oil. If you want a heavy beefy flavor, adding in tomato paste with a darker broth with create a hearty rib that would pass with any meat-lover. I guarantee it. You can also add in a teaspoon or so of liquid smoke here as well if you want a nice smoky flavor.

Mix & Knead

Now that both your wet and dry ingredients are prepared, it is time for the fun part. Just pour your wet ingredients into the dry and mix. You will end up with a dough with a nice clean consistency that should not stick you you hands. Begin kneading for five minutes, let the dough rest for five to ten minutes. Repeat until you have kneaded three times.
You will know if your dough is ready because it will be elastic, firm, and want to snap in place. At this point it is ready to cook or you can put it in the refrigerator to work with at a later time. If you do this make sure you take it out of the fridge, let it sit to warm up to room temperature, and then give it a good kneading. You may need to add a teaspoon or tablespoon of water to the dough, but test first. You can also simmer the dough as well (keep reading) then place if the fridge.

Cooking Seitan

You’ve prepared the seitan and are ready to cook it. First, cut the dough into serving sized pieces for whatever you are going to use it in. If you are serving as an entrée like ribs give them a nice sausage. If you are making a stew, cut them up into little pieces. There’s not much you can do wrong here. If you want a more moist experience and are grilling or baking them you can go a couple steps further here:
Before you place seitan on the grill or in the oven you will want to either give it a nice simmer or steam. The steaming method is good for larger cuts like steaks, logs, and such. You will want to wrap the seitan in aluminium foil and place into a steamer for about 30 minutes. Make sure you do not wrap the foil too tightly because the steam will expand it in.
The more traditional, and easier method is to simply drop the seitan into a slowly simmering pot of broth. Its best to use the same broth as the one you added previously to your seitan if you did use broth earlier. Make sure you simmer on low or medium-low heat. Allowing the seitan to boil will turn it to mush. Let simmer for about 45 minutes covered, turn off heat and let the pot cool for 15 minutes with the lid off. This is another point at which you could place the seitan in the refrigerator as well.

To the Grill, Griddle, or Oven

Now for the second part of the cooking process. Once you have steamed or braised your seitan you will want to bake it or toss it on the griddle, grill, or even fry it up. This is pretty self explanitory. Basically, you will just add whatever dry-coat seasoning, marinade, sauce etc you want then bake, grill, or fry to your liking. If baking the general rule here are about one hour at 350 °F, turn half-way through. You will want to give them a good baking or grilling first if you are adding them to a stew as it will prevent them from turning to mush.

Experiment!

The great thing about seitan is that it is a great palette to experiment with. It incorporates flavors very well and there is so much you can do with it. You can be as lazy or as detailed as you like with it and still make an excellent meal. One thing I like to do is make seitan rings and fill them in with mashed potatoes and gravy on the plate. A little imagination goes a long way.

Recipes

For some great recipes I suggest you check out my friends over at One Green Planet for more great ideas. They even have their own how-to which does cover most of the same information. However to give you some inspiration I will provide a basic example recipe for seitan dough.

Example

Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups vital wheat gluten flour.
• 3 tbsp onion powder.
• 3 tbsp garlic powder.
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast.
• 3 tbsp chili powder.
• 1 tbsp thyme.
• 1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper.

Wet Ingredients

• 2 cups water + 2 tsp vegetable bullion, or 2 cups broth.
• 1/4 cup tahini.
• 1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari.
• 1 tbsp vegan Worcester sauce (optional).
• 1 tbsp olive oil.
• 1 tbsp tomato paste.
• 1/2 tsp liquid smoke.

Preparation

1: Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl and combine the wet into the dry.

2: Knead the dough for five minutes and let it rest five to ten minutes, repeat three times.

3: Cut into servings and broil, steam, or bake as desired. For this recipe I recommend adding a little dry rub, your favorite barbecue sauce and tossing in the oven but you can do whatever you like.

Continental Split Pea Soup

Split pea soup is the quintessential autumn soup and this version is sure to be a crowd pleaser. With a little cayenne for an added warmth plus cumin and smoke flavor to give it the classic depth. It goes alongside rice or garlic flat bread for a full meal.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil.
• 1 medium onion, chopped.
• 3 medium carrots, chopped.
• 3 stalks celery, chopped.
• 3 medium red potatoes, chopped.
• 3 cloves of garlic.
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper.
• 1/2 tsp cumin.
• 1 tsp of Liquid Smoke.
• 2 cups split peas.
• 8 cups water + 4 tsp of vegetable base, or 4 cups vegetable broth + 4 cups water.
• 1 tbsp soy sauce.
• 1 bay leaf.
• 1 tsp oregano.
• 1 tsp basil.
• black pepper to taste.
• soy milk (optional).
  

Preparation:

1: In a dutch oven heat olive oil and add onions, carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, cayenne pepper, cumin, and Liquid Smoke. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

2: Add split peas, water, soy sauce, bay leaf to pot and cook at medium-low to medium heat covered for 45 minutes or until split peas have broken down. Stir occasionally.

3: Transfer half of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth.

4: Return blended soup back to pot. Add oregano, basil, and black pepper to soup and cook uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes or until desired thickness. Remove from heat.

5: Serve in a bowl with a dollop of soy milk.

Yields: 6 to 8.

Avocado Cucumber Raita

This is a great side dish that goes with almost anything and is an analogue to the traditional avocado salad using mayonnaise. This variation has a bolder flavor with more tang. Overall I feel the yoghurt provides a far superior taste and dimension to the dish and gives it a more authentic character.

This dish goes great with almost any meal and can be made vegan by substituting with vegan yoghurt. I really recommend this as a side for tacos, chilies, and bean soups.

Ingredients:

1 cucumber

1 avocado

1 diced red chili, seeded

1/2 large onion or 3 - 5 sprouts of green onion

1 tbsp diced cilantro or parsley

3 tbsp Greek yoghurt

3 tbsp lime juice

fresh ground pepper

kosher salt

Preparations:

1: Chop up avocado and cucumbers into small cubes and place them in a large serving bowl.

2: Finely dice chili, onions, and cilantro and toss in serving bowl.

3: Add the yoghurt, lime juice, salt, and pepper into the bowl. You will want to use about half as much salt as pepper.

4: Mix all ingredients thoroughly in bowl and place in the refrigerator for 3 - 8 hours before serving to chill and allow flavors to meld.

Serves: 4 - 6.

Chipotle Roasted Butternut and Apple Soup

Another instant classic. I can't fully claim this as my own since I got the idea from a recipe on About.com and by reading the comments I was able to reconstruct and improve upon the original recipe. Every time I made this recipe I have made more and more refinements with each iteration and this is the latest that has yielded the best results. This soup is an instant hit no matter where I serve it and a great fall recipe that will liven up any occasion. It is a little bit time because it involved roasting, but it is well worth the effort and really brings out the aromas of all the spices. This dish can also be made vegan with a few adjustments.

Ingredients:
  1 1/2 tbsp butter (omit if vegan)
  3 tbsp olive oil, (divided, 4 tbsp if vegan)
  1 tsp of chipotle chili powder (divided)
  1/8 tsp of ground cloves
  1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
  1/4 tsp of coriander
  1/2 tsp of cumin
  1/2 tsp of cinnamon
  1 tbsp ginger, grated
  1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  1 1/2 large onions
  4 cups of butternut squash, pithed, peeled, chopped
  4 cups of chopped apples
  1 1/4 cup of vegetable broth
  1 1/4 cup of unfiltered apple juice
  Greek yoghurt or sour cream (optional)
  a few sprigs of fresh parsley (optional)
  a few warm flat breads such as pita (optional) 

Preparation:
1: Preheat oven to 400 °F.

2: Place chopped butternut squash and apples into a bowl and dump in 2 tbsp of olive oil, 3/4 tsp of chili powder, cayenne pepper, coriander, cloves, cumin, and cinnamon. Mix the spices and oil to coat the squash and apples well and pour onto a baking sheet. Place in oven and allow to roast for 40 ~ 45 minutes at 400 °F.

3: In a large pot or dutch oven, place 1 tbsp of olive oil and butter (if vegan 2 tbsp olive oil) in pot on medium high heat. Be careful not to brown the butter. When mixture is hot place onions, garlic, ginger, and 1/4 tsp of chili powder to the pot. Allow to cook for ten minutes stirring frequently, taking care not to brown the onions. Turn heat down to medium if necessary.

4: Pour in vegetable broth, apple juice, and the roasted squash and apples. Bring mixture to a boil, cover, and cook for 30 minutes on low heat. The squash and apples should be very soft and this is crucial for the next step.

5: Pour the soup into blender or food processor carefully and puree until the texture is thick and creamy. This step can be done in batches. Pour the pureed soup into the pot or storage dish making sure consistency is even.

Can be served with a dollop of Greek yoghurt or sour cream and a few sprigs of finely chopped fresh parsley. Goes great served with a warm flat-bread.

Vegan Adjustments:
To make this vegan make the following adjustment: replace 1 tbsp butter with 1 tbsp olive oil or margarine and forgo the Greek yoghurt or sour cream.

Notes:
This will yield a reasonable amount of about 7 or 8 cups, but will leave you with some extra squash most of the time. This dish has an excellent assortment of flavors, encompassing all of the various palettes. It has an almost Indian feel to it in many manners, but also a very Meso-American quality as well. It's a sophisticated spin on a very simple autumn dish and has a lot great side dish parings.