Spicy Fennel Seitan Sausage Grilled Pizza

Spicy Fennel Seitan Sausage Pizza, on a patriotic plating.

With even more patriotic color play, this is a close up of the topping; check out the grill marks!

Burying the lede a bit: here's the grilled crust.

Who says vegans can't have grill marks?!

Spicy Fennel Seitan Sausage and Porcini Mushroom Mixture

Notes
Recipes, Substitutions, and Tips

1. Crust

I followed the Vegan with a Vengeance Pizza Dough Recipe, using whole wheat pastry flour, a pinch of ground black pepper, and ample amounts of semolina to prevent tackiness in the humid East Coast weather. This recipe was really easy and though it requires a bit of forethought to prepare, the time spent making it is almost entirely passive. Worried about equipment? If you're thinking "Yeah, this looks awesome, but I couldn't possibly without a rolling pin," you'd be wrong. I bet you have one of these:

It's a shot glass, a double shot (or 2.5 ounce glass) to be precise. I actually thought this "tool" worked really well given the small size of the crusts and the subtle transference of body heat through the glass kept the dough pliable. Also, the heft of a wooden rolling pin would have caused the delicate dough to tear. A word of caution: friends have told me I have "kindergartener hands;" if yours are larger or stronger, roll with caution or else the marinara won't be the only red sauce you're adding to the dish. Once you've shaped the dough, place a few drops of olive oil--I used white truffle olive oil to kick up the smoky flavor--on either side of the flatted crust and spread to coat with a brush or your fingers. Heat a grill pan (or grill if you're so lucky) and then grill for about three minutes at a time on a side, flipping four times to create hatched grill marks. You'll need to watch the crust closely to ensure the grill marks develop but that it doesn't overly brown. Once cooked, set the crusts on a baking sheet covered with foil.

2. Spicy Fennel Seitan Sausage

I followed The Artful Vegan Seitan Sausage Recipe. However, instead of making the seitan from scratch, I used store bought and made a few other adjustments. I started by putting 1/2 cup dried porcinis in 1 cup of boiling water with 2 bay leaves to reconstitute. I chopped three cloves of garlic and fried them for about three minutes in 1 TBSP of white truffle olive over medium heat in a small sauce pan. I then added a box (8 ounces) of West Soy Ground seitan and cooked for another five minutes. To this mixture, I added the seasonings suggested in the Artful Vegan Recipe, omitting the Chili Powder, Paprika, Sage, and Tamari, and adding a TBSP of chopped fresh rosemary and 1.5 TBSP fresh basil. I then added in the dried porcinis, bay leaves, and reconstituting water and allowed them to simmer for about twenty minutes or until most of the cooking water had evaporated.

3. Assembly

While other things were going on, I reheated1 cup of frozen Viva Vegan! Basic Onion-Pepper Sofrito over medium heat in a sauté pan. The mixture is essentially green bell peppers, onions, garlic, salt and pepper, chopped and sautéed. While this was caramelizing, I chopped five slices of Tofutti Mozzarella Cheese. I then coated each crust with about 2 TBSPs each of Middle Earth Tomato Basil Marinara, added half of the chopped cheese, about 1/2 cup of the porcini mixture, and 1/2 cup of the sofrito or pepper mixture. I then placed the crusts under an extremely warm broiler for four minutes; again, be extremely attentive so that the soy cheese melts without scorching.

Tasting

Honestly, if I had been served the seitan-porcini mixture at a non-vegan restaurant, I would have sent it back thinking that the kitchen had made a mistake. It has everything that good Italian sausage has: ample seasoning, fattiness from the truffled olive oil, umami savoriness from the porcinis and their reconstituting sauce, protein and chewiness from the seitan. The crust was also perfect: smoky and earthy (obviously enhanced by the truffle oil), with a density that could stand up to the weighty toppings despite its small dimensions. The other components round out the dish nicely: the cheese is light but fatty and actually melts, unlike many other vegan cheeses, and the caramelized onion and pepper mixture add another flavor dimension of smoky sweetness. In closing, please note: the bay leaf is an inedible garnish, as are the quilt and cutting board.

Drunken Beans with Seitan Chorizo, Jalapeño-Onion Cornbread Muffins, and Grilled Vegetables

Drunken Beans with Seitan Chorizo, Jalapeño-Onion Cornbread Muffins, Grilled Vegetables, and Pacifico Cerveza

Grilled Vegetables on Le Creuset Grill Pan

Chorizo and Vegetable Mixture

Beans, simmering away

Notes

Recipes, Tips, and Substitutions

1. Drunken Beans with Seitan Chorizo

a. I followed the Viva Vegan! Drunken Beans with Seitan Chorizo Recipe, replacing the eponymous chorizo with Field Roast Mexican Chipotle Sausages.

b. To save time, I used canned Pinto Beans. I recommend Eden Foods Brand, which does not use BPA in its cans.

2. Jalapeño-Onion Corn Muffins.
a. I followed the Veganomicon Skillet Corn Bread Recipe, which gave the options of incorporating corn into the batter or adding a jalapeno-onion topping; I chose both, and thought the flavor was excellent. I might have sauteed the onions a bit longer to get a touch more caramelization, but that is entirely a matter of personal preference

b. I baked these for 23 minutes and they came out just about perfectly. Keep in mind that cornbread can become very dry very quickly; this is especially important in warm, dry climates. I would err on the side of under-baking, as you need to let them sit in the pan for at least five minutes anyway before attempting to remove them and they will continue to cook during that time.
c. I used light brown sugar in lieu of white, not only because I didn't have any white sugar but also because I really like the complexity of the taste.
d. In the event it isn't obvious from the picture, I used white corn meal instead of yellow; if you desire a deeper color intensity, use yellow.

e. I baked the cornbread muffins nearly a week before I made this meal. To prevent the cooked muffins drying out, I stored them in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

3. Grilled Vegetables

I got a lovely new Le Creuset Grilling Pan and this was her maiden voyage. Tip: if you're using it inside an apartment, you should turn your exhaust fan on high and open all the windows; I narrowly avoided setting the smoke alarm off, as the vegetables and oil give off a fair amount of emissions as they're grilling. In terms of recipe, just pick up whichever vegetables look freshest at the market (I used green bell peppers, yellow onions, and zucchini), slice to about a quarter inch thick, lightly coat with vegetable oil, and a salt of salt and pepper to taste, then cook for about 10 minutes, ensuring that the grill marks come out but that the delicate vegetables do not over cook.

Tasting

If it's possible, even better than it looks! This was truly divine: the smoky, spicy beans excellently complimented the flavorful cornbread, and the crunch of the lightly grilled vegetables was a welcome contrast to the soft bread and bean mixture. I definitely recommend grabbing a second bottle or saving a bit of the beer (I used Pacifico) and a hearty lime wedge for pairing, which echoes and enhances the lime juice in the bean topping. Add warm weather and just try not to smile.

Tomatillo Enchiladas, Slaw, and Squash Casserole

Tomatillo Enchiladas, Slaw, and Squash Casserole

Tex-Mex Squash Casseroles in glass ramekins

Enchiladas, pre-baking

Notes

Recipes, Tips, and Substitutions

1. To make the enchiladas, I used the Viva Vegan! Green Tomatillo Sauce Recipe; the Viva Vegan! Pan-Fried Tempeh with Sofrito recipe, substituting seitan for tempeh; the Viva Vegan! Pine Nut Crema Recipe for the creamy topping; and assembled, accoridng to the Viva Vegan! Potato-Chickpea Enchiladas with Green Tomatillo Sauce Recipe. The sides are Cabbage Slaw, adapted from the Viva Vegan! Classic Cabbage Recipe, and Tex-Mex Squash Casserole, veganized from the Homesick Texan Tex-Mex Squash Casserole Recipe.

2. The ratio I used for the enchilada filling was: 1 Tablespoon of cheese (Chopped Tofutti Mozzarella, about 2 slices), 1/2 Tablespoon of diced onions sauteed in canola oil, and 1/3 cup of the seitan filling. Each tortilla was gently coated in the tomatillo salsa, filled with the filling ingredients, then rolled tightly and placed in a glass baking dish over a layer of tomatillo salsa. To give you a better sense, this is a photo of my enchilada prepping station, with tomatillo sauce, prepped tortilla, and fillings:

I then covered the tightly rolled enchiladas with the remaining tomatillo salsa and a layer of pine nut crema, and baked according to the recipe's instructions.

Tasting

This may have made me even more homesick! She's not much of a looker but overall the enchiladas were an excellent dish and all the components constituted a well-balanced meal. The caramelized onions added an amazing crunch and I greatly preferred the flavor and texture of this filling to that in the Sour Cream enchilada recipe. The tomatillo sauce is exactly what I was hoping for and easy enough to make; my only recommendation is to roast the raw tomatillos, rather than boiling them, to kick up the smoky flavor.The casserole is rich and indulgent; not very nutritious, but comfort food is meant to nourish the mind rather than the body. Besides, when you portion the casserole into ramekins, you can snap lids on 'em and place them uncooked in the freezer for later. Not to mention that the slaw is exceptionally healthy (and fat free); the crunchy tang balances out the creamy pine nut crema and mushy fatty casserole and the roughage ensures that your metabolism will keep purring.

Sour Cream Enchiladas with Saffron Garlic Rice

Sour Cream Enchiladas (R), with Garlic Saffron Rice (L).

Parsley, an enchiladean sombrero de fiesta (or party hat, for the uninitiated).

Freshly Baked
Prepped for Baking
Peekaboo!

Notes

Recipe:

The sour cream enchilada sauce is veganized from the Homesick Texan Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas Recipe; the enchilada filling is the Viva Vegan! Latin Shredded Seitan, Mexican Chile-Braised Variety Recipe; and the Saffron-Garlic Rice is adapted from the Veganomicon Saffron-Garlic Rice Recipe, which I discuss in the Paella with Soy Chorizo post.

Cornmeal-Crusted Seitan and Balsamic Roasted Petite Brussels Sprouts

Cornmeal-Crusted Seitan and Balsamic Roasted Petite Brussels Sprouts.

Cornmeal-Crusted Seitan.

Balsamic Roasted Petite Brussels Sprouts.

Notes

Preparation

Cornmeal-Crusted Seitan

Prepared according to The Candle Cafe Cookbook Cornmeal-Crusted Tempeh Recipe, with the following substitutions:

1. I used White Wave Seitan instead of Tempeh.

2. I used regular soy sauce instead of Shoyu or Tamari Sauce.

3. I used the Wholesome Sweetners Organic Blue Agave Syrup instead of Maple Syrup.

Balsamic Roasted Petite Brussels Sprouts

1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar (I used Whole Foods 365 Organic Balsamic Vinegar of Modena)

1/2 tsp Coarse-grained Sea Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/2 pound of Brussels Sprouts (I used Whole Foods 365 Brand Frozen Petite Brussels Sprouts, thawed; if you use larger sprouts, they should be halved).

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking pan with raised edges with foil.

Mix the first five ingredients in a medium sized bowl and then add in the Brussels Sprouts, gently tossing until coated. Spread the mixture in one even layer across the foiled pan. Roast for 45 minutes, until crispy and caramelized. Serve immediately.

Tasting

Cornmeal-Crusted Seitan

The cornmeal crust was awesome and held up well while cooking. However, the dish was unbelievably salty, almost to the point of being inedible. I think it was probably the combination of too much sodium in the soy sauce and store bought seitan.

Balsamic Roasted Petite Brussels Sprouts

The high temperature cooks out all the bitterness and they come out crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, and delicious all over. The resulting caramelization is mildly sweet but savory, a perfect foil to any residual bitterness. The combination of balsamic and olive oil is classically Italian, but the dish will work with most anything.

Conclusion

Cornmeal-Crusted Seitan

I liked the texture and visual result enough to might try this again, but with Tempeh and the proper soy sauces to determine the source of the salt problem.

Balsamic Roasted Petite Brussels Sprouts

The Brussels Sprouts recipe is my favorite preparation. In fact, it's converted a few Brussels Sprouts atheists to Bassicaceae devotees. It's also Quick and Easy, so long as you have 45 minutes to let them cook, i.e. while preparing a protein.

Caribbean Seitan Sandwich

Caribbean Seitan Sandwich with Tomato, Avocado and Chipotle Aioli on Whole Foods's Onion Foccacia. Adapted from the Caribbean Seitan BBQ Wings and Vegan Chipotle Crema recipes in the Horizons Cookbook.

Chimichurri Seitan Skewer Salad

Chimichurri seitan skewers on a bed of leaf and romaine lettuces, pear tomatoes, and carrots dressed with citrus-herb vinaigrette. Based on the Candle Cafe Cookbook Seitan Skewers with Chimichurri Citrus-Herb Sauce.

Raw materials in the Garden

Notes

Recipe and Substitutions:

To prepare the skewers and sauce, I faithfully followed the cookbook recipe. After removing them from the grill, I plated them on the raw vegetables and then drizzled residual marinade and chimichurri sauce over the whole thing.

Tasting:

This salad was labor intensive but incredible. I've had Candle Cafe's skewers both at the restaurant and from the prepared food case at Whole Foods yet I preferred the homemade iteration for at least three reasons: 1) the seitan was served immediately off the grill so it didn't have time to cool and stiffen; 2) it was nice to have a full salad and both of the sauces to round out the meal; and 3) while I love the smoky flavor of grilled food and the aesthetics of char marks, I don't like food overly scorched (it's carcinogenic) and so I was able to control and reduce over-browning.