seitan divan

Seitan Divan is a classic American casserole consisting of bread, meat, broccoli or asparagus and then topped with Mornay Sauce.

Mornay Sauce sounds exotic, but it is actually just a cheese sauce made using a simple Bachamel Sauce (a white sauce of thickened milk) with cheese melted into it. Nothing complicated but the name there.

Toast is typically used for the Divan, but I used English Muffins. I sauteed the seitan cutlets until they turned golden brown and layered the casserole: English Muffin, seitan thinly sliced, cooked broccoli florets and Mornay Sauce.

While you could simply make the Mornay Sauce with the Bechamel and melt 1/2 cup of vegan cheese in it to create the sauce, I also made the Mornay using Bechamel with no commercial (or difficult to make) cheese.

We all loved it! It really was easy to make and not at all a conventional casserole.

The pragmatic in me thought this was a great dish not just because it was good and easy to assemble, but because I was able to clean up after the initial cooking while the casserole baked for the required twenty minutes. Had the baking required a longer time I might have left the kitchen, and the mess, behind. Bonus.

Cost Breakdown

broccoli: $2

seitan: $1

English Muffin: $2

tahini, nutritional yeast, flour, lemon, milk: $1.50

Total to make 4 servings:

$6.50

Seitan Divan Recipe

twice-baked crispy gluten

Happy last day of August!

It is that time again, when this blog participates in Tami's Vegan Appetite's Food Network Friday challenge. If you do not know of Tami, she is the fabulously talented author of American Vegan Kitchen, a must own cookbook.

This Friday's challenge was Tyler Florence's Double Dipped Fried Chicken. As soon as I saw fried chicken, I immediately thought of my Twice-Baked Crispy Gluten. This is not any of my typical gluten/seitan recipes since there is nothing in the gluten recipe except vital wheat gluten and water. It is kneaded by hand for a few minutes, allowed to sit for 30 minutes to relax the gluten, kneaded by hand for another few minutes and allowed to sit for a few more.

Then it is portioned into pieces, rolled out thin, thin (the gluten can do that with the above described method since the gluten strands would have been developed) and filled with a savory nutritional yeast-onion-tahini-paprika filling. It is rolled up into the gluten, dredged in seasoned saltine cracker crumbs and baked on an oiled baking sheet. 

At this point it can be eaten as is or, and here is the great part, frozen and broiled on low for 10 minutes when you want some! I make bags and bags of the stuff to freeze and have ready at a moment's notice! It is incredible!

The Twice-Baked Crispy Gluten is crunchy, savory because of the filling, chewy a bit, but not too much and the rolling of the thin gluten pieces around the filling make it happen in every bite. Not to mention that it isn't fried! Some gravy and mashed potatoes is what this loves to be eaten with and it is worth every minute of rolling - which is the most time consuming part. 

We love! love! love! this!

I ship them domestically for a nominal fee :)

Cost Breakdown:

gluten flour: $1

nutritional yeast, tahini: $2

cracker, onion, garlic, spices: $1

Earth Balance and oil: $.50

Total to make 8 pieces:

$4.50

5 out of 5 stars

Twice Baked Crispy Gluten Recipe

falafel

Picnic

Probably the only thing better than eating falafel at a picnic is making falafel - once you find an easy, quick, tasty recipe, that is.

If you are searching for the perfect falafel recipe, look no more.

For those that are unaware of what falafel is, it is ground chickpeas, parsley and carrots, made into balls or patties and are typically fried in plenty of oil. Not here, oh no! Frying them in a teaspoon or two will get you crispy and delicious flalafels. This recipe is not any more complicated than opening a can of beans into a food processor along with the veggies. Buzz, form into patties and pan-fry.

The tahini sauce is made with yogurt, garlic, homemade tahini (much cheaper than buying at the store), lemon juice,a little olive oil and a dash of sweetener.

The kids loved it. I loved it. David will love it, too.

Cost Breakdown:

pita:$1.50

chickpeas: $2

vegetables: $3

tahini and yogurt: $1

lemon: $.50

Total to make 10 patties, 5 servings:

$7.00