Seitan's first touch

The original recipe can be found here.

Ingredients:
DRY
1 1/2 cups wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Spanish paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
trace cayenne pepper (I didn't have enough to sneeze at, so I put in 2 tbsp of hot pepper flakes)
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tsp garlic powder

WET
3/4 cups water
4 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp braggs
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp vegetarian Worcestershire sauce

Method:
This is one of those special cases where I basically followed the recipe, if only because this was a first for me and I thought I'd better try to be a good girl and make the recipe as posted. So, I threw all the dry ingredients in one bowl and in the other I put the wet ingredients and whisked due to the tomato paste (which is why I had leftover tomato paste to put into the crustless quiche) - whisk until there aren't huge tomato paste blobs.

When done whisking, pour the contents of the wet bowl into the dry bowl. Mix with a spoon but roll your sleeves up. I kneeded for about 5 minutes because things weren't sticking nicely. I made the blob of dough into a log and stressed a bit that there was part of the log that wasn't sticking together and thought I'd have air bubbles. The stress was for naught.

Wrap the log in tin foil or parchment paper then tin foil (as you wish) twist the ends like a candy. I baked for 90 minutes, as the directions dictated, at 325F in a preheated oven. I baked it in my toaster oven and think 90 mins was a bit long because the log ended up slightly dry. The log expands in the foil and when it comes out, and as you can see above it does look like some sort of meat you'd find in the deli. I took it out and did not let it cool before cutting off a piece to try. I didn't like the first taste, to be honest with you. After the log cooled, I cut it into slices and put it in a container in the fridge. The taste is much better after it has cooled. With the hot pepper flakes, I suspect it tastes similar to pepperoni, without the fat (or meat obviously).

I'm going to try other recipes and will post them and give my opinion.

I'm pleased with my first brush with seitan.

Crustless swiss chard quiche

The original recipe can be found here. Again, I don't seem to be able to follow a recipe. As you can see below. I have to use up the cheese that is still in the fridge before I swear off cheese and this is certainly well worth making - I would even say this is a jaw dropping recipe. I shall miss it.

Ingredients:
1 healthy dollop of olive oil
1 white onion
3 big leaves of swiss chard (any green leafy veg will do)
2 1/2 cups cheese (I used mozzarella and old cheddar)
6 eggs
1 cup almond milk with some of the ground almonds
3 healthy squirts of braggs
several shakes of frank's hot sauce
salt & pepper
fresh or dry herbs (I used fresh basil, oregano, thyme, sage, and rosemary)
a bit of leftover tomato paste
1 can mushroom stems/pieces

Method:
As is the rule, do everything to your taste, not to a recipe. I threw olive oil into a frypan, chopped up the onion and let it cook for about 30 minutes (everyone who knows me knows how lovingly I cook and coddle onions) on lowish heat. I salted and peppered it about 20 minutes into the venture. Between turning the onions, I cut up the swiss chard, separating the stem from the leaf and cutting the stem into easily chewable pieces, then the leaf split down the middle, then into ribbons. I grated the cheese and set it aside. Whisked up the eggs, added the fresh almond milk (and some of the ground up almonds from the milk maker), added the tomato paste, then squirted in the braggs and shook the hot sauce in. It took some whisking to get the paste into a less paste like state but was successful in the end.

After the onions were ready, I threw in the stems of the chard and let them cook a minute or two before I threw in the leaves and cut up the herbs into the pan. Once that was done, after initially bringing out the glass pie plate I had a heart to heart with myself about the absence of the kitchen police and put the pie plate back. I brought out the 9x9" pyrex dish and sprayed the sides. I wonder what it is about quiche that forces people into thinking it must go into a pie plate, or at least made me mindlessly grab the pie plate. Last time the pie plate was brimming to overflowing because I almost always throw in more than I should. It fits very happily in a 9x9.

At any rate, I almost forgot to put in the canned mushrooms, debated if I wanted them, decided I did, and in the blink of an eye they got mixed into the pan. So, I put the stuff from the pan into the 9x9, then folded the cheese into the egg mixture, then put it all into the 9x9. I took a knife and shimmied things about so everything was well mixed and put the 9x9 into the preheated toaster oven.

This would make between 4-6 lunches or, if you're as pleased with your cooking as I am at times, it will last you two days eating it for lunch and dinner. By the third day you are pleased not to be eating it, but sad that you've eaten it all - if that makes any sense. It's that good.

Oven: 375F
Time: until a knife comes out clean - this will depend on how much stuff you put in it. Approximate time? 35-45 minutes

Further suggestion? Fake bacon bits. Awful for you, very salty, but man alive do they taste great along side this dish!

I just ate dinner and it is superb. I would recommend letting the quiche cool a bit but I couldn't wait. It's great cold (as per the last time I made it). All you non-vegans, if you like quiche start your engines.

Chickpea, corn, & jalapeño salad

Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
1 can corn
1 large jalapeño (no seeds=less intensity - please your palate)
1/2 cup greek olives (the real ones in brine that you don't have to refrigerate)
1 squirt of lime juice
1 drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
salt & pepper to taste
fresh/dry herbs, whatever you have on hand. I had fresh Thai basil, regular basil, oregano, silver thyme, and lemon balm

Method:
Rinse chickpeas well in a colander and put in a bowl. Add corn and throw in olives. I washed the jalapeño, cut off the top and just cut it up into the bowl into ring slivers seeds and all. No, I did not wear gloves. Yes, later when I rubbed my nose the blood under the skin was rushing to and fro - it felt like rubbing vicks on in cold season. I gave a good, healthy squirt of lime juice and a drizzle of olive oil. After mixing well, I tasted it to see what my base was, then salt/peppered it and cut up the leaves of the herbs directly into the bowl. Mixed again, tasted, and thought it was divine - hot, but good. Perhaps next time I'd go with 1/4-1/2 pepper.

Makes 2 meals or 4 side salads. Keeps extraordinarily well if it is only for yourself and you don't feel like having it as leftovers the next day. All of the measurements are rough and can be modified as your fancy takes you. There are no kitchen police standing over you.