Gluten En Croute

2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup beef flavored vegetable broth (I'm using Beef McKay's)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari (I'm using Bragg's)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon prepared stone ground mustard
2 teaspoons liquid smoke
2 sheets vegan frozen puff pastry

Preheat oven to 350°F
Have ready a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone baking mat such as Silpat.
In a large mixing bowl, mix together, gluten flour, wheat flour, nutritional yeast, parsley, paprika, garlic powder, and pepper.
In a separate bowl, mix together broth, oil, soy sauce, tomato paste, mustard, and liquid smoke.
Add wet to dry and knead together until well incorporated and until moist dough forms.
Let rest 20 minutes.
Thaw puff pastry according to package instructions.
Form into a loaf (similar to a meat loaf shape) and place in the center of the baking sheet.
Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
Increase the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C, or gas mark 5).
Cover the loaf entirely with one of the pastry sheets, tucking the edges underneath the loaf.
Slice the other sheet into 10 even strips for weaving. Weave the strips, on the diagonal across the top of the loaf. Tuck loose ends under the loaf.
Sprinkle a little paprika and parsley on top for color.
Return to the oven and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes, or until pastry is fluffy and golden brown.

Yield: 1 loaf (about 8 servings)

Crock Pot Wild Rice

Crock Pot Wild Rice

Makes 4-5 servings
Ideal slow-cooker size: 3-4-qt.

1 cup wild rice, or wild rice mixture, uncooked
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup diced onions
½ cup diced green, or red, peppers
1 Tbsp. oil
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2½ cups 98%-fat-free, reduced-sodium chicken broth



1. Layer rice and vegetables in slow cooker. Pour oil, salt, and pepper over vegetables. Stir.

2. Heat chicken broth. Pour over ingredients in slow cooker.

3. Cover. Cook on High 2½-3 hours, or until rice is soft and liquid is absorbed.

** I'm going to be adding Italian marinated chops as the top layer**

Company Mashed Potatoes

Company Mashed Potatoes

Makes 12 servings
Ideal slow-cooker size: 6-qt.



15 (5 lbs. total) medium-sized potatoes
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 small onion, diced fine
1 tsp. salt
1/8-¼ tsp. pepper, according to your taste preference
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh, chopped spinach, optional
1 cup grated Colby or cheddar cheese, optional


1. Peel and quarter potatoes. Place in slow cooker. Barely cover with water.
2. Cover. Cook on Low 8-10 hours. Drain water.
3 Mash potatoes. Add remaining ingredients except cheese.
4. Cover heat on Low 4-6 hours.
5. Sprinkle with cheese 5 minutes before serving.

Oven Roasted Tom Tofu

While making out our Thanksgiving menu, I ran across this little jewel. Won't hit my table this year (we're going w the Tofurkey and the Dinner Roast combo), but maybe it'll hit yours :)

1 pound regular tofu (firm), rinsed and patted dry
Marinade:
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoon soy sauce -- I use Bragg's
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning -- I use the chik-it seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Coating Mix:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal -- I like panko instead
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices, and place them in a wide, shallow mixing bowl.
Place all the ingredients for the marinade in small mixing bowl and whisk them together.
Pour the marinade over the tofu, spooning it over each slice.
Turn the slices over so that all sides are coated well with the marinade.
Cover bowl and place in refrigerator.
Let tofu marinate for several hours or overnight, turning slices over occasionally.
When you are ready to cook the tofu, place the ingredients for coating mix in a shallow mixing bowl, and stir well.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Mist a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
Remove each slice of tofu from the marinade, and dredge it in the coating mix, covering it well all over.
Place tofu on baking sheet.
Mist the tops lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake the tofu until the bottoms are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Turn slices over, and bake until other sides are golden brown.

Makes about 8 slices (4 servings).

Elvis Fried Tofu

All credit for this beauty goes to the master at What The Hell. There's some seriously mad genius at work over there!!



Elvis Fried Tofu
(makes 16 pieces)

1 block of firm tofu
smoker box with hickory chips (optional)
1 1/2 tbs. tamari

Cut the tofu into eight rectangular cutlets, then cut each cutlet diagonally into long triangles.

Smoke the tofu with hickory chips for 25 minutes.

Remove from the smoker box, place the tofu on a flat plate and add the tamari, turn to coat both sides, let marinate for 5 minutes.

3/4 cup of AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of (smoked) paprika (if you have it, if not regular will do)
1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

Oil (for frying)

Add the flour, paprika, salt and pepper in a medium-sized brown paper bag and shake to mix.

Add half of the marinated tofu cutlets and shake until well coated. Remove from bag and knock off excess flour. Repeat with the second batch.

Using two cast-iron skillets add about 1/8" of oil over high heat (If you're using just one cast-iron skillet, divide the tofu into two batches and fry separately). When oil has come to temp, add the coated tofu pieces gently into the oil and fry until well browned on both sides (about 3-4 minutes per side). Drain on a rack (or the brown paper bag).

Serve with a fresh made mushroom roux gravy, mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. WOW!!

Fettucini Zucchini Alfredo

2 servings, 1 1/2 cups each Active Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes

•3/4 cup veggie chicken broth
•4 large cloves garlic, peeled
•4 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
•1 small zucchini, cut into matchsticks
•2 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
•2 Tbs reduced-fat sour cream or Greek yogurt
•Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
•1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper, or to taste
•3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
•1 Tbs chopped fresh parsley


1.Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Combine broth and garlic cloves in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the garlic cloves are soft, about 15 minutes.

2.After the garlic has simmered about 10 minutes, cook fettuccine in the boiling water, stirring often, for 8 minutes. Drop in zucchini and cook until the fettuccine is just tender, about 1 minute more.

3.Meanwhile, transfer the garlic and broth to a blender. Process until the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. (Use caution when blending hot liquids; see Tip.) Return the mixture to the pot and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add cornstarch mixture; whisk it until slightly thickened, about 15 seconds. Remove from the heat and whisk in sour cream, nutmeg and pepper. Return the pot to very low heat to keep the sauce warm. (Do not boil.)

4.Drain the pasta and place in a large bowl. Add the sauce and 1/2 cup Parmesan; toss to coat well. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately, passing the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan separately.

Hot Potato Salad

I didn't measure anything, so all I can do is give you the general idea. Most folks seem to prefer cold, creamy, mayonnaise-y style potato salads. I like them too. But I occasionally get a hankering for a warm potato salad, particularly when served with skillet fried sausages and chops. The concept is extremely simple… start with several boiled potatoes straight out of the hot water. Heat up a large saucepan and add some olive oil, lots of chopped veggie bacon and let that caramelize, add sliced red onions and or shallots/leeks and when these are wilted enough, add the boiled potatoes, cubing them first into bite size pieces and leaving the skin on. Add more olive oil, lots of salt and cracked black pepper, and some vinegar or balsamic if you like and mix this all up. The hot potatoes will absorb a lot of the flavor so copious amounts of seasoning are required. Serve warm. Any extras can be stored in the fridge and microwaved the next day. Perfect with sausages and steaks. I'm serving it with veggie bbq ribs. Super easy to make, always a crowd favorite. Starchy, salty, faintly vinegary… maybe a 1/4 cup or so of soy cheddar throughout the mix, but it certainly doesn't need it!! Enjoy! :)

Maple Parsnip Cake

Yield: One 9-inch cake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups almond meal or very finely ground almonds
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup pure maple syrup
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
6 medium parsnips, peeled and grated (about 2 cups)
½ cup toasted pecans


1. Preheat the oven to 350° and position a rack in the center. Butter the bottom of a 9-inch-round cake pan and line it with a round of parchment paper. Butter and flour the parchment paper and sides of the pan.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the almond meal with the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the maple syrup, butter and eggs. Beat at medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute, scraping the side of the bowl as needed. Add the reserved dry ingredients a cup at a time, mixing between each addition until just combined. When all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated, stir in the ginger and parsnips.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and scatter the pecans over the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before unmolding. Let cool to room temperature, slice and serve.