Tamari and lime seitan baked in garlic polenta

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A flavourful seitan baked in warm, garlicky polenta. Pictured here with a red wine tomato sauce and roasted greens.

For the seitan
2/3 cups vital wheat gluten flour
1T tamari
1/2t lime juice
1/2 cup scant cold water
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t coarse sea salt (or to taste)

For the polenta
2 cups water
1/2t coarse sea salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2T unsweetened soy milk
2T olive oil
1T fresh garlic, minced
1/4t dried ground turmeric
2T of nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Make the polenta first, then the seitan.

Bring the water, sea salt and corn mealto a soft boil in a pan with a lid.
Reduce heat to low and cook for roughly 20-40 minutes, stirring frequently to avoid sticking.
The polenta will be done when it’s quite thick and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Cooking time will vary depending on the grind.
Add the nutritional yeast, garlic, turmeric, soy milk and any additional seasonings.
Stir thoroughly to combine.
Let stand five minutes to cool.
Spoon the polenta into a lightly oiled (or nonstick) 3″x9″ baking dish, and smooth the top with a spoon.
Let cool for about 30 minutes uncovered in the refrigerator to setup.
Preheat the oven to 375F and make the seitan.
Combine the all the ingredients but the flour, and then add to the flour.
Make a dough and knead for 5 minutes.
Divide in half and flatten each into oblong or circular shapes.
Carefully turn out the polenta, and cut in half.
Mold the polenta by hand around each piece of seitan until covered.
Lightly oil two pieces of aluminum foil.
Wrap the polenta covered seitan in the foil.
Bake for 40 minutes on the middle rack, turning once.
Remove the seitan and let rest 5 minutes.
Unwrap the seitan and add to a lightly oiled baking sheet.
Bake for another 20 minutes — until the polenta starts to start to lightly brown and the outside is lightly crisp. Ovens vary. Use the texture and colour as a guide.
Remove and let cool for 5 minutes and serve with the sauce of your choice.

Single-serve strawberry cobbler

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Cobbler is a simple alternative to pie, combining seasonal fruit with sweetened biscuit dough. This version is simple, rustic dessert sized for one. The recipe easily doubles with a second ramekin.

Ingredients

For the strawberries
2/3 cup of sliced strawberries
3T sugar (or to taste)*
2t corn starch
1/2 lemon juice

For the dough
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2t baking powder
2T sugar*
A pinch of coarse sea salt
3T unsweetened soy milk
1t apple cider vinegar
1T canola oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Toss the strawberries with the lemon juice, corn starch and sugar.
Add the fruit mixture to the bottom of a ramekin.
For the dough, mix the dry ingredients, the wet ingredients, and then the wet with the dry until you have a wet dough.
Pour the dough over the fruit mixture and smooth.
Bake for 20 – 30 minutes, or until the dough is starting to brown lightly. Ovens vary; use the colour of the dough as your guide.
Cool for 15 minutes to enjoy warm or chill covered with aluminum foil for 2 hours to enjoy cold.

*A growing number of white cane sugar is processed without animal bone charcoal. Organic cane, beet, agave, and other alternatives are available.

Single-serve pistachio pudding with fresh raspberries

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A simple pudding with pistachio’s rich flavour, colour and texture combined with fresh raspberries. The recipe easily doubles.

Ingredients

1.5 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/4t vanilla extract
1/4 cup and 1t sugar separated*
4T pistachios, separated 3T/1T
A pinch of coarse sea salt
1T scant tapioca flour dissolved in 1T cold water
2T fresh raspberries

Directions

Bring the soy milk, vanilla extract, sugar and sea salt to a simmer in a sauce pan on medium.
Reduce heat to medium low and reduce the soy milk by about half (being careful to not let it boil over).
Add about 1/4 cup of the soy milk mixture to 3T of pistachios and let stand about 5 minutes.
Using an immersion blender (or similar) puree the soy milk and pistachios.
Add the mixture back to the pan and puree with the remaining liquid until smooth.
Return the pan to a light simmer.
Whisk the tapioca flour and cold water until dissolved.
Stirring continuously, slowly add the tapioca mixture until the pudding thickens (should be almost immediately).
Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes to cool.
Pour into a martini glass or similar.
Chill for 20 minutes uncovered.
Cover with plastic wrap and chill for another 2 hours at least to setup.
When ready to serve, toss the raspberries with the 1t sugar.
Sprinkle 1T pistachios and then 2T of raspberries over the pudding and serve.

*A growing number of white cane sugar is processed without animal bone charcoal. Organic cane, beet, agave, and other alternatives are available.

Creamed artichoke and walnut soup with kale and kalamata olives

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Served with red Thai chili spiced tomato ribbon and scallions, this soup combines enthusiastic flavours and colours.

Ingredients

4 cups vegetable stock
1t coarse sea salt, divided
1/4t black pepper
1t dried, rubbed thyme
1T lemon juice
2 cups artichoke hearts
4 scallions, minced (6″ of greens reserved for garnish)
2T fresh garlic, minced
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup and 1T nutritional yeast
4T kalamata olives, roughly chopped
1/4 cup passata (tomato puree)
1/4t red Thai chili paste (or to taste)
1 cup kale, finely chopped
2T tapioca flour whisked with 2T cold water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Soak the walnuts in warm water for 1 hour.
When ready to make the soup, preheat the oven to 400F.
Toss the kale with 1/4t of coarse sea salt.
Add the kale to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake on the middle rack until lightly browned (approximately 15 minutes). Ovens vary; use the colour and lightness of the kale as your guide.
Bring the stock to a light simmer in a pan with a lid.
Add 1/2t sea salt, lemon juice and black pepper
Add the artichoke hearts, scallions and garlic.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Remove the kale from the oven when ready.
Toss with 1T nutritional yeast and set aside.
When the soup has simmered 10 minutes, pull out the artichoke hearts with a spoon (and some stock is fine).
Drain the walnuts.
Using an immersion blender, puree with the artichoke hearts until smooth.
Add the pureed artichoke hearts and walnuts to the pan.
Puree soup together until smooth.
Return to a simmer on low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
While the soup simmers, mix the passata with the chili paste and 1/4t of coarse sea salt.
Whisk the tapioca flour and the cold water.
Stirring constantly, add the mixture slowly. to the soup until it thickens.
Add the 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and stir to combine.
Remove from heat.
Season to taste.
Ladle out the soup into bowls.
Sprinkle the soup with roasted kale.
Dribble the passata over the soup and the kale.
Sprinkle about 1/2T olives around the soup with 1/2T in the center.
Garnish with scallions and serve.

Red kale, kamut and wild rice salad

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With sun-dried tomatoes and pumpkin seeds, this salad offers a lot of texture, colour, and nutrition — either as a side dish or a light lunch. Kamut is a relative of wheat. Similar in some respect to orzo, it plumps up when cooked.

Ingredients

3 cups vegetable stock
1/4t coarse sea salt
2/3 cup kamut
1/3 cup wild rice
2T sun-dried tomatoes, diced
4 cups packed red kale, stemmed and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2T olive oil
1T lemon juice
2T nutritional yeast
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring the stock and the sea salt to a light boil in a small sauce pan with a lid.
Add the kamut, cover and simmer on low for 15 minutes.*
Add the wild rice, cover and simmer for another 45 minutes or until the moisture has been absorbed.
Remove from heat.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the nutritional yeast.
Stir until until well-combined.
Cover and let stand 10 minutes to wilt the kale.
Toss with nutritional yeast, season to taste and serve.

*If you prefer, soak the kamut overnight, and then just cook the kamut and wild rice together, reducing the stock to 2 1/2 cups.

Green apple with salted bourbon, chai caramel and peanuts

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A traditional favourite rearranged and accented with a number of rich, complementary flavours.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups bourbon whiskey (1)
1/2 cup cane sugar (2)
1t black strap molasses
2T plant-only vegetable shortening
1/4t coarse sea salt (or to taste
1 cup unsweetened soy milk
2 chai tea bags
1/4 cup cashew butter
1 green apple (e.g., granny smith) cored and sliced in 1/8″ slices
2T peanuts, chopped

Directions

Bring the whiskey to a simmer in a small sauce pan on medium.
Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.
Add the molasses, shortening and sea salt.
Stirring frequently, reduce the whiskey to about 1/4 cup.
Add the soy milk and the chai tea bags.
Simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove the tea bags.
Reduce, stirring frequently, on medium to a heaping 1/2 cup.
Using an immersion blender, puree the cashew butter with the reduction until emulsified.
Return to heat and simmer another 5 minutes, stirring continuously.
The caramel should be a rich brown at this point. If not, continue cooking on medium-low (it will darken). Don’t reduce beyond 1/2 cup.
Remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes to cool.
Puree again if necessary.
Core and slice the apple and chop the peanuts.
Plate the apples, drizzle with caramel and sprinkle with peanuts.

  1. It’s very rare, but some whiskey is produced using animal products.

  2. A growing number of white cane sugars are bleached without using animal bone charcoal. Beet sugar, organic sugar, and other unbleached sugars should be fine.

Warm kamut salad with red pepper, zucchini and kale

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A simple warm salad that goes well as a side dish. Add some walnuts or black olives for a light lunch.

Ingredients

3 cups water
1 cup kamut berries
1/2t coarse sea salt, divided
2T cooking oil
2 scallions, minced
1T fresh garlic, minced
2T fresh basil, minced
1t dried rubbed oregano
2 red peppers, 1/2″ dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 large zucchini, 1/4″ slices (about 2 cups)
2 cups kale, finely chopped
1T lemon juice
1t tamari
2T nutritional yeast
2T olive oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

First, make the kamut.
In a small sauce pan with a lid, bring the water and 1/4t sea salt to a simmer.
Add the kamut.
Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour or until the stock has been absorbed.
Remove from heat and set aside.
Trim the ends of the zucchini, slice in half length-wise and then slice in 1/4″ rounds.
In a large frying pan, bring the oil and 1/4t sea salt to heat on medium high.
Add the scallion and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and herbs and saute for 1 minute.
Add the red pepper and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the zucchini and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the kale and saute for 3 minutes or until the pan is starting to lightly brown.
Add the lemon juice and tamari, and deglaze the pan.
Remove from heat.
Add the nutritional yeast, olive oil and kamut, and toss to combine.
Season to taste and serve.

Orange mushroom gravy

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A simple, flavourful gravy seasoned with ginger, mustard ad other nuances. Good with roasted vegetables, tofu, tempeh and other foods. Pictured here with tofu, and roasted Brussels sprouts, carrots and potatoes.

Ingredients

1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse salt
1 scallions, minced
1T garlic, minced
100 grams cremini mushrooms in 1/8″ slices
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups mushroom stock
2T orange marmalade*
2t tamari
1T balsamic vinegar
1t prepared brown mustard
1 pinch cloves
2t fresh grated ginger
1T scant of tapioca flour dissolved in 1/4 cup of water
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Bring the oil and sea salt to heat on medium high in a frying pan with a lid.
Add the scallions and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms to the pan and saute for 5-7 minutes, until the mushrooms start to lose their moisture and the pan starts to brown.
Add the orange juice and deglaze the pan.
Add the renaming ingredients except for the tapioca flour and related water.
Stir until thoroughly combined.
Reduce to medium low and simmer until reduced to about 1 cup.
Whisk the tapioca with the water until dissolved.
Stirring constantly, slowly add the tapioca mixture until thickened.
Season to taste and serve immediately.

*Choose a marmalade made with organic sugar or other sugar that hasn’t been bleached using animal bone charcoal.

Roasted potato, mushroom and arugula salad with balsamic vinaigrette

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A simple salad with a rich, dark flavour.

Ingredients

1T cooking oil
1/4t coarse sea salt
1 cup diced white potatoes in 1/2″ dice
1/2 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
1 scallion, minced
1t fresh garlic, minced
2T olive oil
2t balsamic vinegar
1/2t prepared mustard
1t nutritional yeast
2 cups packed arugula
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450F.
Toss the potatoes, mushrooms, scallions and garlic with the cooking oil and sea salt.
Roast until the potatoes are fork tender on the middle rack in a lightly oiled baking sheet (approximately 20-30 minutes). Ovens vary; use the colour and texture of the potatoes as your guide.
When done, remove the potatoes and mushrooms from the oven and set aside.
Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, mustard and yeast until emulsified.
Toss with the arugula.
Toss the potatoes and mushrooms with the arugula.
Let stand 10 minutes to wilt the arugula.
Season to taste and serve.

Fried wild rice and cabbage salad with mushrooms, walnuts and scallions

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A good side dish for dinner or for lunch, this is a salad with a lot of flavor and texture.

1/2 cup water
1/2t coarse sea salt, divided
1/4 cup wild rice
2T cooking oil
2 scallions, minced (4″ of green reserved for garnish)
1T fresh garlic, minced
1 cup sliced cremini mushrooms, 1/4″ slices
2 cups shredded cabbage (I used coleslaw mix)
1T apple cider vinegar
1T tamari
1T olive oil
2T nutritional yeast
1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Bring the water and 1/4t coarse sea salt to a boil in a small sauce pan with a lid.
Add the wild rice, cover and simmer or about 40-50 minutes on low until the water has been absorbed.
Remove from heat and set aside.
While the rice finishes, make the mushrooms and cabbage.
In a large frying pan with a lid, bring the cooking oil to heat with 1/4t of coarse sea salt on medium-high.
Add the scallion and saute for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute.
Add the mushrooms and saute for 5-7 minutes (until the pan starts to brown).
Add the cabbage and saute for 3 minutes.
Add the vinegar and tamari and deglaze the pan.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and fry for 10 minutes, or until the cabbage is lightly soft but still chewy, stirring frequently.
Return head to medium high, add the wild rice and the olive oil and saute for 3 minutes.
Remove from heat and let stand to cool 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with nutritional yeast and chopped walnuts.
Stir to combine.
Garnish with scallions and serve.