Our Veggie Kitchen

It's been a long time since I've had something on my plate that stared back. This weekend, I elected to go with the reprehensible and wholly inedible. For a week, my wife had been saying "you're not actually going to do that are you?", "why are you doing that?", Do I need a divorce?" The answers were "yes!", "IDK, therapy maybe?" and "might be a good plan"



I can't explain myself, but ever since learned about vegan jello, I've had an uncontrollable urge to build a mass of suspended jiggly, I don't even know. I'd once seen a picture of corn dog jello and I wanted to try to duplicate that feat. I also intended to make a Mexican fiesta of Orange jello, refried beans, and birds eye chili peppers and, maybe a peanut butter and olive platter. Vegan jello gels faster than actual jello and I wasn't quick enough so you'll be spared all but the corn dog masterpiece. Morningstar's Corn Dogs aren't vegan, but, I'm not sure you can even call this food. Oh well, it was fun.



I also made funeral potatoes. If you have any Mormon friends, there's a good chance you know what funeral potatoes. Basically, they're a quick casserole of butter (like a cube!), cheese, sour cream, Campbell's Cream of Something soup and frozen potatoes. I ran some recipes through my cookbook and some topped out at over 60g fat per serving and were definitely Not vegan.

In my version, I used homemade mushroom soup, homemade nacho sauce and Tofutti sour cream and it tasted pretty good. And if you've got everything in the freezer, it's just as quick.

Funeral Potatoes
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
32 oz frozen potato cubes
2 cups cream of mushroom soup
8 oz sour cream (why does Tofutti have trans fat?!)
1 cup nacho sauce, warmed if refrigerated
1 1/2 cups corn flakes
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine, melted

Heat oil in a medium sauce pan. Saute onion until translucent. Add garlic and saute a minute more. Remove from heat and stir in mushroom soup and sour cream. In a 9x13 casserole, add frozen potatoes and stir together with nacho sauce. Fold in the mushroom mixture. Toss the cornflakes with margarine and sprinkle across the casserole. Bake, uncovered for an hour in an oven, preheated to 350 degrees.

Summer has faded, mornings are nippy and the kids are back in school. The season for soup has arrived. I already had plans for some cream of mushroom, didn't know what else I'd be making until I was struck with cauliflower sale sign. So, I'd be making cream of mushroom soup and, my wife's favorite, gobi ka. I originally got the mushroom soup recipe from Cooks Illustrated, and I've made it a few times, but never without cream. The gobi ka, a gingery cauliflower soup with cumin & coriander, was a Madhur Jaffrey recipe that I've only modified a little. It is golden, creamy thick with just a hint of heat. What a wonderful way to bring in the new season!



Gobi Ka
3 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbs fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 lbs califlower, chopped (1 smallish head)
6 cups no-chicken stock (or golden hue veggie stock)
6 oz silken tofu

Heat oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and saute until browned. You want the onion to carmelize, so cook it, stirring frequently, until it is golden with bits that have browned. If you don't cook it long enough, your soup will take on a green tint. Add ginger, garlic and spices and cook for a minute longer. Stir in the potato, cauliflower, stock and water. Bring to a boil and simmer until the cauliflower and potato have softened, about 20 minutes.

Blend the tofu, with a little of the soup and set aside. Thoroughly blend the soup in batches and return to the pan with the tofu. Bring back to a boil, stirring, and remove from heat.

5 Servings: 221 cal (10g fat, 28g carbs, 9g protein)

Cream of Mushroom:
4 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
3/4 cup shallots (about 6 large ones)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 lbs button mushrooms, sliced (add creminis for darker color)
4 cups no-chicken stock
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1/3 cup dry sherry
6 oz silken tofu
1/2 large lemon, juiced

Melt margarine in a large soup pan. Add shallots and saute until translucent, then add garlic and nutmeg. Cook a minute longer, until the garlic becomes fragrant. Add the button mushrooms and saute until they've softened. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until they have released all their liquid, about 20 minutes. Add the stock, water and porcini mushrooms, bring to a boil, then simmer for another 20 minutes, until the porcinis are fully softened.

Blend the tofu, lemon juice and sherry and pour into a large bowl. In batches, blend the soup to the consistency you like. Return soup and tofu to the soup pan, heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve.

4 Servings: 250 cal (13g fat, 20g carbs, 12g protein)


A note on broth: every recipe, it seems, calls or chicken stock. I normally just sub for vegetable stock and that usually works just fine. In soups, especially when much of the flavor is derived from the broth, it can be a bit trickier. There is a wide variability in stock flavors, some are mushroomy some are carroty. When I make my own, I strive for a neutral base of onions, celery and garlic. In the end, know your stock and be willing to mix it up. The ones I use most frequently are Imagine No Chicken Stock, and a mix of Better Than Bouillon (a bit strong) and Swanson's Veggie Broth (carroty). I've heard that there are good vegetarian cubes, but I've not found one.

In both of these recipes I use No-Chicken Broth. In the mushrooms soup, veggie stock would be fine, the mushrooms dominate the flavor anyway. In the gobi ka, the golden hue is very appealing so make sure you use something that is complementary.

My favorite part of Thanksgiving has always been my mom's stuffing. In order, it ranks slightly above football and family, and well above pie, gravy and in-laws. Last year, I had no problems going turkey free, but had a serious relapse with the stuffing.

I wanted to be prepared this year, so I thought I'd make my stuffing a head of time. Make sure it translates well with seitan. I added a little extra oil (still way less than greasy sausage has)and, I cracked pepper over the top, but Its definitely ready for Thanksgiving.

Incidentally, when you don't have meat, gravy is really easy: Melt a couple tbs of margarine in a pan. Whisk 2 cups chicken flavored stock with 1 tbs cornstarch. Pour into the sauce pan and stir until it comes to a boil. Done!



Italian Sausage Stuffing
4 links Seitan Italian Sausage, minced or 1 lb of your favorite
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs dried basil
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, shredded
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed & drained
2 cups chicken flavored broth
12 oz stuffing cubes
salt and pepper to taste

Mince the sausage links. I've tried blending the links, but don't like the texture. Either way will work. Heat the olive oil in a large pan and brown the sausage a bit. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and continue cooking until the onion is soft. Add drained spinach. Chop it up some more if it is stringy. Stir into the sausage and veggies.

In a separate bowl, pour the broth over the stuffing cubes and toss until the stock is evenly absorbed. Stir the cubes in with the sausage mixture. Press the stuffing and sausage mixture into a casserole, smashing it down in with a wooden spoon. The mixture will fit into a 9 x 13 casserole or a deeper 2 quart casserole. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

8 Servings: 331 cal (8g fat, 26g carbs, 20g protein)

I used to make a basic white sauce, loaded with Romano Cheese and toss it with rigatoni and cauliflower. It had been quite a while since I made it, but it was one of those easy meals that we all looked forward to. Last week, my youngest decided that she no longer likes cauliflower. She is randomly picky and believes her taste buds change on a weekly basis. It was time to challenge her recent assertion.

For a basic white sauce, I use unsweetened soy milk. Plain soy milk is too sweet and adds an unwanted flavor. I added ground cashews for creaminess, miso and lemon to replace the cheese and a little wine for depth. This was a great Alfredo and I tossed it with roasted cauliflower and fresh tomato. Best of all, it went together in less than half an hour.



Roasted Cauliflower Alfredo
1 small head cauliflower, chopped into bite sized florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs olive oil
2 tomatoes, chopped and seeded
1 lb rigatoni, penne or similar pasta
Sauce:
3 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cup flour
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
12 oz silken tofu
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 small lemon, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs mild miso

Pre-heat the oven to 425°, set a pot of salted water to boil and chop the cauliflower. Each of the remaining steps can happen concurrently while the pasta cooks.

Cauliflower: Toss cauliflower with olive oil bake for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle minced garlic over cauliflower and toss to combine. Continue baking until the cauliflower is tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes longer. Remove and set aside. Pasta water and bechamel can be started when the cauliflower is put in.

Sauce: While cauliflower cooks, heat the margarine over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the mixture turns a light, golden hue, about 5 minutes. While the flour browns, add the remaining ingredients to a blender thoroughly until smooth. Remove from heat and pour into the margarine/flour roux. Whisk to combine and return to low heat until the pasta and cauliflower is ready.

Pasta: Cook pasta according to package directions, so that is done about the same time as the cauliflower and sauce. Drain, reserving some of the water.

Combine: When pasta, bechamel and cauliflower are done, combine all with the tomatoes. If the sauce is too thick, stir in a little of the reserved pasta water. Serve immediately with plenty of cracked black pepper.

5 Servings: 584 calories (14g fat, 87g carbs, 24g protein)

The sun is rapidly fading here in Eugene. I've been working hard to use all my basil before it withers and I've had a healthy Thai Basil plant that needed to be on my plate. I've been kicking some ideas around and invited a nice family of willing guinea pigs. We had taco fixins left over from yesterday, so I made no attempt to make our meal kid friendly. In the end, we had a nice meal of mostly good food and always good company. Here was my menu:



Thai Fried Rice - I'd made this before. I love it. It's a mixture of fried tofu, thai basil, cilantro, thai peppers and ginger. Not hot, but a nice warm treat.

Thai Sausage - I'd been reading about Thai street food and came across this. Originally cased and skewered, I decided to make patties. I've been eating it all weekend; on a bed of jasmine rice and doused in sweet chili sauce. One day soon, this will make a great hamburger, pot stickers too.

Thai Basil Pesto - I had high hopes for this. I blended cashews with lime juice, thai basil, cilantro, galangal (yum), Kafir Lime leaves (double yum)and birds eye chili peppers. I marinated it in tofu and baked it. . . I'm going to call this a work in progress.

Red Curry - Sweet potatoes and spinach in a red coconut curry. Pretty simple, pretty tasty, but, as you can see, it only barely looked edible. Probably the subject of a future post.

Not on vegan Thai cousine - Thai cooks are amazingly adept at concealing non-vegan food in their meals. Eggs are easy to spot, but sauces and pastes commonly have fish parts. Curry paste, especially red, usually (but not always) has shrimp paste, and fish sauce is in everything. I use Golden Mountain Sauce as a substitute for fish sauce. It has a more authentic Thai flavor and a bit of a fishy taste. Its worth getting. You may sub soy sauce instead, though.



Thai Sausage
Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup cooked & chilled white rice
1/4 cup shallot, minced
1 tbs galangal (or ginger), minced
1 tbs lemongrass, minced
1 tbs green Thai birds-eye peppers
1 tbs garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup cold vegetable broth
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbs Golden Mountain Sauce (or soy sauce)
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten

Mix the vital wheat gluten with the other dry ingredients. Make sure that they are thoroughly mixed and no lumps of rice remain. Use your fingers! Mix in the wet ingredients, adding a (very) little gluten or water to make a moist dough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Form into 15 small patties and fry in a large fry pan (or double batch) in a little oil, over medium-high heat until brown on both sides (about 10 minutes). Transfer patties to a 9 x 13 casserole, cover and bake for about 40 minutes, turning once. Test a patty to check consistency and cook more if necessary.

5 servings: 253 cal (7g fat, 19g carbs, 30g protein)

Thai Fried Rice
2 tbs vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbs ginger, grated
1 tbs chopped red chilies
4 oz fried tofu, chopped small
3 cups jasmine rice
2 tbs golden mountain sauce
2 green onions
1 cup thai basil, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add garlic, ginger and chilies. Stir fry for a couple, until fragrant. Add the rice and toss well, breaking up any lumps. Add the golden mountain sauce and toss through with the green onions, tofu, thai basil and cilantro.

4 Servings: 335 cal (13g fat, 45g carbs, 10g protein)

I've been working on these for a while now. I made zucchini cakes earlier this summer and, on a whim, decided to add some quinoa. They tasted great, but the patty squished out the back of the bun with every bite. I've been playing with consistency and cook times and arrived on this fairly simple version. This is a great weeknight meal, because you can make the dough a day ahead of time and just form the patties and pop them in the oven after work. They freeze and reheat well too.

These patties had an unexpectedly meaty tooth. I intended to make zucchini cakes that were not meat and didn't try to be meat. I rather enjoyed the texture. I'm making some sausage tomorrow and I think I'll try some quinoa in a batch of Italian Sausage.

Anyway, here it is:



Zucchini Cakes
3 medium zucchini, grated
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 cup water
2 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cups shallot, minced
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning (a little more if you like)
Vegetable oil for baking sheet.

Shred zucchini into a colander and sprinkle salt over the shreds. Allow to drain for 30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and put into cheese cloth. Twist and squeeze to remove any remaining moisture.

While the zucchini drains, rinse quinoa. Bring 1 cup of water and quinoa to a boil. Simmer, uncovered until the water has been absorbed. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until cool. When zucchini and quinoa are ready, combine all ingredients, stir thoroughly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

Pour just enough oil to coat a cookie sheet and put in oven while it preheats to 425°. Fashion zucchini mixture into six patties. Place patties onto cookie sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, turning once.

Last week, my grandpa died. He was 87, and lived a long, good life. He'd be happy knowing that his death brought the family together from all over the west coast. So, last Thursday, we packed and spent 7 hours on the road, packed a week of family time into two days and returned home on Sunday. This week, I've got a board meeting to prepare for, so time is at a premium.



So today's dinner had to be quick and I decided to make tacos and quesadillas. I fried up some tofu, heated up some left over nacho sauce and made some guacamole and chopped veggies. Tacos are quick and always a treat and they turned out fine. I tried something different, though, and this post is more about a neat idea than a recipe. I stole this tip from another cooking board and its stupidly simple.



Baked Corn Tortillas
This is simple, makes a crisp, and slightly pliable tortilla that doesn't tear every time you fill it with food. Just fit your taco shell over the bars of your oven's wire rack. Bake in a preheated oven at around 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. That's it! Done!

Feta Cheese, Parmesan, an eggy, creamy bechamel sauce and, of coarse, fresh eggplant and zucchini; these were the cornerstones of my favorite Moussaka. It's a little non-vegan, though, and a little on the fatty side. I've wanted to recreate this for a while and finally had cause to do so.

Recently, I've had a couple of breakthroughs that lead me to revisit this dish. First, I stumbled upon a fake feta in the Uncheese Cookbook that I had to try. I made a batch, used some in a spinach/kalamata calzone and had lots left over. Second, I'd been playing with ground flax and was wondering if I could make a custard-like bechamel with flax.

This vegan moussaka is firm and flavorful, not at all greasy, and adds a nutty flavor. The flax made the sauce more creamy than custard-like and flavored the sauce in a very positive way. The tofu feta has a flavor and texture similar to real feta. The tomato/lentil sauce is subtle and not at all overpowering. The eggplant is a predominant flavor.

Please note, though, this moussaka is an endeavor. The 'feta' marinades for, at least, a couple days. You'll spend an hour chopping and baking veggies, and it'll bake in the oven for another hour. Moussaka takes some work and planning, but it is well worth it for a treat or special occasion.



Vegan Moussaka
Layers:
2-3 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced (1/2" slices)
2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
3 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 recipe 'Betta Feta' (Recipe follows)
1/4 cup ground almonds
Sauce:
1 Onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs white wine vinegar
14 oz diced tomatoes
14 oz can lentils, drained
1 tbs oregano, chopped
2 tbs parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Bechamel:
3 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
3 tbs flour
2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbs ground flax seed

VEGETABLES: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice the eggplant and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and leave in a colander or propped baking sheet. Allow to drain for 20-30 minutes. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Spread potatoes evenly on the sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, until slightly browned, turning once. Slice the zucchini and set aside. Thoroughly rinse the eggplant slices, pat dry and bake in the same way as the potatoes, for about 30 minutes. The zucchini need not be cooked, so long as it is sliced very thin, around 1/8 inch. If you like thicker zucchini slices, bake the slices until they begin to soften. I don't like soft zucchini, so I don't precook them.

SAUCE: Saute the onions, adding garlic just before done. Cook until fragrant and add the vinegar and let reduce. Add the tomatoes, including juices and 1/2 can of lentils (and ½ of the juices), and the oregano, parsley and cinnamon. Let simmer for about 15 minutes and set aside.

BECHAMEL: Melt the margarine and stir in the flour, stirring out the lumps. Remove from heat and add the milk. Return to heat and cook the sauce until it thickens. Set a side and let cool slightly. Stir in ground flax seed.

TO ASSEMBLE: Layer the eggplant in a 9 x 13 casserole. Add the Potatoes and zucchini. Pour the tomato/onion sauce evenly over the potatoes, then spread the crumbled feta. Repeat with eggplant, potatoes, zucchini, tomato/onion and feta. Pour the bechamel over the top and sprinkle with parmesan the ground almonds. Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour. Remove the cover for the last 15 minutes.

6 Servings: 421 cal (15g fat, 55g carbs, 20g protein)

Betta Feta
1 lb firm tofu, drained
1 1/2 cup water, + more to cook tofu
1/2 cup light miso
3 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tsp salt

Cube tofu into 1" cubes. Submerge in boiling water and simmer for about 5 minutes. Drain. Whisk together the water, miso, vinegar and salt. Put cubes into a marinade container and pour marinade over the tofu. Stir gently and refrigerate. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 days or up to 1 week. Shake the container periodically until used. To use, remove from the marinade and crumble each cube with your fingers and use in place of feta. Use within 2 weeks.

Source: The Uncheese Cookbook

I first tried to make scrambled tofu about year ago for the first time, for the last time ... er ... or something. It was bad. It was somehow dense and gooey at the same time. It glopped in my stomach and stayed with me through the next day. I failed. I'd eaten it in restaurants. I knew how it should taste. I also know that I couldn't make it myself.

Well, I've been on a tofu kick lately and wanted to revisit the tofu scramble. I did some internet research, queried some friends at Veggie Boards, bought 3 pounds of tofu and developed a plan: Try eight combinations, playing with texture, consistency and liquids to capture the eggy quality that a tofu scramble can be. Here's my story. If you're looking for a recipe, scroll to the bottom. Otherwise, bear with me, this is therapeutic.

I started at Morning Glory, a local breakfast & lunch eatery, for a taste of what a tofu scramble should be. I needed a refresher and their tofu scramble is good. Their potatoes and sauce are definitely a plus.



I went home, drained 3 pounds of tofu, cut them into 8 sections and crumbled half and shredded the other half. I chopped some onions and shredded some zucchini. Finally, I concocted a a liquid mixture soy milk, nutritional yeast, Indian black salt and a couple other spices. It smelled wonderful, a lot like egg yolks. I was feeling confident. As I worked, I learned some quick tips.

• Crumble the tofu, but not too much, and firm, for me works better than medium.
  
• Shredded tofu had it merit, but I preferred crumbled for 'eggs.'
  
• Fry the tofu without flipping or stirring until it begins to brown. Then turn.
  
• pour in the liquid until it begins to pool, then cook it out quickly while stirring.
  
• Indian Black Salt (kala namak)is awesome. Find it and use it. Also, it's not always labeled in English
  
• Scrambled eggs are actually quite white. A little nutritional yeast or mustard is plenty of color.
  
• Conversely, turmeric turns tofu unnaturally yellow. You don't need it.
  

Here are the eight results:


#1 - mashed with 1/4 cup soy milk. A little dry.
#2 - shredded with 1/4 cup soy milk. Better.
#3 - mashed with 1/2 cup soy milk, my favorite.
#4 - shredded with 1/2 cup soy milk too wet, I thought.
#5 - mashed, cooked with some onion & zucchini. Turmeric added.
#6 - shredded, cooked with some onion & zucchini. Turmeric added.
Note: You do not need turmeric for color.
#7 - mashed, cooked with some onion & zucchini.
#8 - shredded, cooked with some onion & zucchini.

My wife sampled each and, at #8, said "this tastes like chicken salad." I disagreed on the flavor, but it does have its merit. I chilled it added some apple (also good with minced celery) and it made for a tasty sandwich. Really!

I scrambled an egg and compared it to my tofu. For color, consistency and flavor, my favorite was #3. I chopped up some onions, cubed some zucchini, and fried up some field roast sausage and prepared to make pancakes with scrambled tofu. I must say, it was a huge hit.



Tofu Scramble
1 lb firm tofu, drained, crumbled or mashed
1 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup soy milk
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp Indian black salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Fry the onion in a little melted margarine until soft. Add crumbled tofu and cook over medium-high heat without stirring or turning until the tofu just begins to brown. Flip/stir and slightly brown again. While the tofu cooks, whisk together the remaining ingredients. When the tofu has firmed and the moisture cooked out, pour in the sauce and stir continuously until absorbed.

Feel free to add potatoes, veggies or whatever you like. I made this batch with zucchini chunks and Field Roast Italian Sausage.

4 Servings: 114 cal (6g fat, 4g carbs, 10g protein)

I love this pasta sauce for its simplicity. It's creamy, fresh tasting and goes great with whole wheat pasta. The vodka adds a crispness and sets off the tomatoes well. Make sure you use a good brand of diced tomatoes. I use Muir Glen Organic Tomatoes.

This is a quick pasta sauce that goes together in about 20 minutes. You set your pasta water boiling at the same time you start your sauce, and the pasta and sauce will finish together. Twenty minutes means 20 minutes.



Fusilli with Vodka Sauce
28oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup cashews
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3 oz tomato paste (1/2 can)
1/3 cup vodka
1/4 cup basil, chopped
1 lb whole wheat pasta (penne, fusilli, etc)

Set a pan of salted water to a boil for pasta. Blend cashews to a powder, then add half of tomatoes and blend until smooth. Combine the tomato/cashew puree with the rest of the diced tomatoes and set aside.

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about a minute.

When the pasta water is ready, add pasta and cook until al dente. Meanwhile, stir tomatoes and puree into the onion mixture. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes too vigorous.

When pasta is done, drain in a colander, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water, and transfer pasta back to pot. Add sauce to pasta and toss over medium heat. Add reserved pasta water (1/4 cup to 1/2 cup) back to the pot until a desired consistency is reached.

4 Servings: 536 cal (12g fat, 95g carbs, 20g protein)

There are lots of great Ribz recipes out there, and I've been using many of them to come up with mine. I must say, it was a great experience that started 3 months ago and included pounds of seitan that I felt obligated to eat. For me, ribs have always been about the BBQ sauce, so use your favorite.

The trick here is in maintaining the ribz' consistency. You need to pull them out of the oven when they're firm enough for the grill, but not dry. On the grill, they're basically already cooked, so you just want to char the sauce without turning the ribs into crispy nuggets of coal. It's worth a little experimenting.



Seitan Ribz
Dry Ingredients:
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 tbs paprika
3 tbs nutritional yeast
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
Wet Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tbs soy sauce
3 tbs tahini
1 tbs Earth Balance Margarine, melted.
2 cups barbeque sauce for basting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the water, barbecue sauce, liquid smoke, and soy sauce. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Use your hand, it works best. You should have a wet, but kneadable dough. If not, add a little water (too dry) or gluten (too wet).

Roll the dough out with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/2 inch, or a little thicker. Turn onto a baking sheet. Combine the tahini with melted margarine and pour half on the dough. Spread with your fingers (really!) and make lots of pock marks in the dough as you go. Flip the dough and do the same on the other side. Bake for about 20 minutes, turning once. The dough will darken, but will still be pliable and soft. Remove from the oven and, when cool enough to handle, cut into rib-sized strips. I will often make them an hour before I'm ready to cook them.

On the grill, the timing will depend on the heat source. I use charcoal, so I never have the same temperature. Basically, you are adding layers of cooked sauce to the rib and letting the sauce char. At cooler temperatures, you may want to cover and wait between bastings. On a hot grill, by the time you're done basting, it may be time to flip and start over.

Anyway, lay the ribz on the grill and brush sauce onto each rib. Flip and brush the other side. When that side begins to blacken (just barely), flip and repeat. You should have enough sauce to brush again, flip, then pull them off the grill. Messy, gooey and delicious.

It's kind of hard to gauge servings here, but a similar quantity (370 cal) of pork ribs had 24g fat, 8g saturated fat, 100mg cholesterol and no fiber. A serving of these ribs have 3g saturated fat, 4g fiber and are a much better source of vitamins & minerals, including iron.

5 Servings: 378 cal (11g fat, 29g carbs, 44g protein)