schnitzel burger + veganMoFo

Vegan MoFo 2014! Yeah! At least for the first week, then it'll be more like..."what to do I post now?!?"

This will be my FIFTH year participating (attempting to participate?) in what started as Isa's and PPK's answer to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which was itself a challenge to folks to write as much as they could in the span of a month. VeganMoFo challenges us to blog (and therefore, write) about vegan food (adding cooking to writing) for a month.

I think a lot of us forget that the challenge in the first place is to cook and write and not worry about themes or perfection or precision. We tend to get so excited about MoFo that we also stress the hell out.

Word of advice to those new to MoFo-ing - when you hit a snag in your blogging, just remember that you actually did, indeed, consume a meal that particular day and can blog about that particular meal or experience.

As many MoFo-ers, I, too have a theme for MoFo 2014 - burgers. This month I plan on making tons! (20) of vegan burgers and blogging about them. Join me, won't you?

I'll be out and about visiting as many MoFoErs as I can, since I am not only participating in the event but also participating as a Round Up writer. I will be writing the Round Up of MoFo 2014 on Sundays - can't wait to actually have an excuse to HAVE to peruse all the wonderful blogs out there!

Back to my blog and post...

My first MoFo offering in my burger-themed extravaganza is .....

Schnitzel Burger. You saw up there, didn't you? There goes the surprise.

Why choose this burger as my FIRST? Because I'm Hungarian and have served thousands of Wiener Schnitzels (unfortunately) to customers in Florida in my parents' restaurants. Back then the fried protein was an animal, but making a few compassionate alterations, the Schnitzel becomes a vegan delight.

This sandwich is made using a simple seitan recipe I love (my own!) and served over pretzel buns. It turns out that vegan pretzel buns are quite hard to find and I discovered that making my own was as close as a recipe... from Everyday Vegan Eats.

That happens to be my new cookbook which has a recipe for soft pretzels. With a few adjustments to the recipe (such as forming the dough into a bun), the pretzel bun became an easy reality. In case you need an easy, simple and great recipe for seitan, the on I use is in Everyday Vegan Eats (EVE, page 40).

After I battered and fried the seitan, and served it over the homemade pretzel buns with horseradish sauce, I also made my German Potato Salad (EVE, page 96) - such a perfect accompaniment to a schnitzel.

If you happen to be one of the very few folks who do not have Everyday Vegan Eats, you have a few days to enter to win it from Vegan Richa, who is giving away a copy to one lucky winner. If you haven't entered, yet, just look at the German Potato Salad and Soft Pretzels above and don't delay.

And as a side note, I am choosing the winner of Vegan Chocolate: Unapologetically Luscious and Decadent Dairy Free Desserts. There is still a scant few hours to enter to win this incredible cookbook by Fran Costigan.

Who wants the recipe for this super incredible burger?

SCHNITZEL BURGER PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE

Schnitzel Burgers with Dill-Horseradish Sauce

Serves 4

3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

3 tablespoons vegetables broth

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

½ cup dry bread crumbs

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

4 seitan cutlets, gently squeezed of excess moisture

Neutral oil for frying

4 pretzel buns or other soft bun, toasted

Horseradish Sauce, recipe below

4 thin slices red onion

½ cup arugula

1. Combine the mayo and broth in a shallow pan. Season with salt and black pepper. Combine the bread crumbs and paprika in a separate shallow pan. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the flour to a separate shallow pan and season with salt and black pepper.

2. Heat ¼-inch oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 popcorn kernels. When the popcorn pops, the oil is at the correct temperature.

3. Dredge each seitan cutlet first in the mayo mixture, then in the flour and finally in the breadcrumbs, but do not press on the breadcrumbs. This will keep the crust crisp.

4. Cook the cutlets in the hot oil until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Do not crowd the skillet; cook the cutlets in batches. Drain the cutlets on paper towels.

5. Make the sandwiches by spreading the toasted buns with Horseradish Sauce, add a slice of onion and some arugula. Add a fried cutlet and the top bun. Serve with German Potato Salad.

Horseradish Sauce

6 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

¼ teaspoon natural sugar

Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and black pepper. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.

© 2014 Copyright Zsu Dever. All rights reserved.

I am linking to these recipe parties: Healthy Vegan Fridays, What I Ate Wednesday and Virtual Vegan Linky Potluck.