Vegan Diner (25 page)
Authors: Julie Hasson
Once the cutlets have cooled down slightly, remove them from the foil and transfer to a plate to cool completely. Once they are cool, refrigerate the cutlets until ready to eat. After cooling, they may feel a bit dry on the outside. Don't worry, as they will firm up considerably after chilling.
This savory loaf reminds me a lot of my mom's meatloaf,
especially served alongside fluffy mashed potatoes and lots of gravy. If you are lucky enough to have any leftovers the following day, it makes an awesome sandwich with some good rustic whole grain bread.
MAKES 1 LOAF
10 ounces firm tofu
½
yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 (12-ounce) package vegan soy crumbles, refrigerated or frozen
1
¼
cups quick oats
1 cup raw walnut halves, finely ground in food processor
3 tablespoons soy sauce
½
cup ketchup, divided
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
2 teaspoons dry sage or poultry seasoning
½
cup minced fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 à 5-inch loaf pan with olive, vegetable, or canola oil.
Rinse the tofu and pat dry with a paper towel to absorb any extra water. Crumble the tofu into a large bowl, or grate using the holes of a large grater. Add the chopped onion, celery, garlic, soy crumbles, oats, walnuts, soy sauce,
¼
cup ketchup, mustard, sage, and parsley. Stir until well mixed. Add salt and ground pepper to taste.
Scoop the mixture into the prepared loaf pan, lightly packing it in and smoothing the top. Spread the remaining
¼
cup of ketchup into a thin layer over top of the loaf, and place in the oven.
Bake the loaf for 55 to 60 minutes, or until the loaf is firm. Remove loaf from the oven and let cool for at least 20 minutes before serving. If serving the loaf the next day, let cool completely, cover, and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Tip:
Although you may be tempted to sauté the veggies before adding them to the mixture, it's not necessary. The veggies will soften and cook while the loaf is baking.
This roast is both fantastic and versatile. You can
thinly slice it and serve on sandwiches, sauté in a hot skillet or even batter and fry it. This is a recipe that you'll find yourself reaching for over and over again. See the tip on
page 116
for help wrapping and slicing the roast.
MAKES 1 LARGE ROAST
2 cups vital wheat gluten
½
cup nutritional yeast flakes
¼
cup chickpea flour
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon granulated onion or onion powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
½
teaspoon ground white pepper
2 cups cool water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
In a large bowl, mix together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast flakes, chickpea flour, poultry seasoning, granulated onion, salt, and white pepper.
In a large measuring cup or pitcher, whisk together the water, olive oil, and soy sauce, and gently stir into the dry ingredients. Stir just until ingredients are mixed.
Shape the dough into a roast shape and wrap in a damp tea towel or a double layer of dampened cheesecloth, tying the ends with cotton twine. Fill the bottom of a steamer with water and heat until simmering. Place the roast in the steamer, cover, and steam for 45 to 50 minutes or until firm to the touch. If a steamer is unavailable to you, you can place a small collapsible steamer insert in a large stock pot, with simmering water underneath. Alternatively, you can wrap the roast in a large piece of aluminum foil, twisting the ends to seal. Although you want to wrap it well, don't cover in too many layers of foil or else the steam won't be able to penetrate the roast. If steaming the roast in foil, steam for 60 minutes, open foil and steam again for an additional 5 minutes. The roast should be fairly firm to the touch. Uncover the steamer and let stand 5 minutes.
Carefully remove the roast from the steamer to a cutting board. Unwrap. Let the roast cool on the board and refrigerate in a covered container until ready to use.
Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Double Chocolate Strawberry Pie
Dark Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
I dare you to eat just one! These cookies have quickly
become our family's favorite, which says a lot. We're a very tough crowd to please when it comes to chocolate chip cookies. These babies are soft and chewy, and take only minutes to whip together. They also happen to be much lower in fat than traditional chocolate chip cookies.
MAKES ABOUT 18 COOKIES
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½
teaspoon baking soda
Dash of fine sea salt
¾
cup lightly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons soymilk or other non-dairy milk
1 tablespoon flaxseed meal, preferably golden
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
¾
cup nondairy semisweet chocolate chips
