CLASS #2: Vegan Staples (Plant-based Meat Substitutes and more!)

Seitan skewers and vegan sliders

Where's the meat? 

Sure, everyone knows that fruits and veggies and whole grains are healthy. But most of us are used to eating meat (and enjoying it), and it can be hard to imagine never again sinking your teeth into a meaty morsel.

This class introduces four of the classic meat substitutes of the vegan world: Tofu, Tempeh, Seitan, and TVP.

Embrace the TOFU!

Nasoya brand organic tofu, about $2 each at the local Market Basket

Yes, there are lots of jokes about vegans and tofu. But guess what? Tofu (pronounced TOE-foo), also known as bean curd, has been around for 2,000 years, so it must have something going for it. Cream colored with a texture not unlike firm custard, tofu is notably low in calories and saturated fat, hight in protein and iron, and has no cholesterol.

Tofu comes from soybeans and is produced similar to the way farmers' cheese is made — soy milk is curdled, and the resulting curds are pressed into blocks. It's readily available in grocery stores and comes in several varieties, from silken (which is very soft and creamy) to extra firm (which is much denser). There are even aseptic packages of tofu that do not need refrigeration. While tofu has little taste on its own, it takes on the flavors of whatever it is mixed with—making tofu a very versatile ingredient.

Tofu cubes browning in a skillet.

The easiest way to use tofu is to press it to release all the excess moisture (even the firm tofu is quite moist), and then marinate it in whatever flavors you enjoy. Try this trick: Buy a package of tofu and toss it in the freezer until it is frozen solid. Leave it out on the counter to thaw, then slice it and press it between clean kitchen towels until it is very dry. At this point you can cube it and brown it in a pan with a bit of oil. After it's nicely browned, toss it in a flavorful mix of seasonings (or your favorite BBQ or teriyaki sauce). The longer it soaks in the flavor, the better it will taste.

Say It with SEITAN!

Seitan, pronounced SAY-tan, is another versatile, high-protein, low-fat meat replacer. Seitan, also known as wheat meat, is made from gluten, which is the protein in wheat. Seitan is generally chewy in texture and mild in flavor. Store-bought seitan is available in markets like Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and health food stores, such as Roots in Leominster. 

Package of store-bought seitan, Westsoy brand. 

Store-bought seitan, carton opened to reveal appearance of seitan strips. 

 But don't be intimidated! With only a few ingredients and a basic kitchen steamer, homemade seitan is simple to make and delicious to eat!

Elizabeth’s Easy Seitan Recipe (may be doubled)

In a large bowl, whisk together:

1½ cups vital wheat gluten

¼ cup chickpea/garbanzo bean flour

2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast

2 Tablespoons chicken-flavored broth powder*

¼ teaspoon onion powder and/or garlic powder (optional)

In a blender, or a small bowl, mix together:

1 cup water

2 Tablespoons olive oil

STEP #1 BLEND: Pour most (not all!) liquid blend into dry ingredients. Mix by hand (your actual hand, not a spoon) to form a ball of dough. Continue to mix, incorporating all flour stuck to the sides and bottom of the bowl. If dough is too dry, add more liquid one teaspoonful at a time until dough is tacky to the touch.

Knead for 1 to 2 minutes.

STEP #2 STEAM: Place steamer basket in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, add 1 inch of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Divide dough and shape into into 3 or 4 smooth loaves and place in steamer without overlapping. Close lid and steam for 20 minutes. Use tongs to turn loaves over (they will be larger but still somewhat gummy), and then close lid and steam for another 15 minutes or until dough is firm and springy to the touch. (Check the water level at this point, adding more if needed!) If dough feels too soft, steam an additional 10 minutes or until desired firmness is reached.

STEP #3 COOL: Remove cooked seitan from steamer basket and let cool.

STEP #4 FLAVOR & EAT! Once cooled, it’s ready to use in recipes! One of the tastiest ways is to MARINATE cubed or shredded seitan, and then bake it at 350° until edges are nicely browned. Reserve extra marinade (adding a touch of oil if desired) to glaze the freshly baked seitan. (See recipe for Asian-style marinade below.)

*Substitutions: Dry gravy mix, bouillon (add to wet ingredients), or any other highly concentrated, salty flavoring.

Savory Asian-Style Glazed Seitan 

Shred the seitan:
Shred cooked, cooled seitan into bite-sized chunks, enough to make about 2–3 cups of shredded seitan. 
The rougher and more irregular-looking, the better. 


In a bowl, blender, or food processor, mix together:
Blend all ingredients except sesame oil and taste, adjusting seasoning to your liking. Pour marinade into bowl and add shredded seitan; allow to marinate for as long as possible (15 minutes to several hours). 
After marinating, remove seitan chunks (reserving the leftover liquid) and bake at 350° until nicely browned (turning over if necessary to brown evenly).

After browning, while still hot, pour pieces back into the leftover liquid adding the sesame oil to create a glaze. Toss so that pieces are completely coated. They should look meaty, savory, and glossy.

2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, finely minced
2 Tablespoons fresh garlic, finely minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
2 Tablespoons agave (or ¼ cup sugar)
2 Tablespoons canola oil
4 Tablespoons water
1 teaspoon Asian chili oil/chili paste/chili sauce, or to taste
1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil (for later)

Easy Dessert: Chocolate Pudding/Mousse (secret ingredient - avocado!)

Scrumptious, healthy, and 100% vegan!

Ingredients:

2 ripe Hass avocados, pitted and peeled*

4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

2 oz dark or semisweet chocolate, melted (or to taste)

3 Tablespoons maple syrup, more or less to taste

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (more or less) coconut milk, well-stirred; or use any non-dairy milk you like

Instructions:

Put everything but the coconut milk in a food processor and blend it up! Add only enough coconut milk to get the consistency you want, bearing in mind that it will thicken as it chills. The more liquid you add, the more pudding-like it will be; less liquid will make it more mousse-like.

As far as the chocolate goes, the higher quality the better. You may also increase the quantity of both the cocoa powder and the melted dark chocolate for more intensity.

Chill for several hours before serving (if you can wait that long...but the taste really does improve when the flavors have a chance to meld for a while).

*Variation for Florida (green) avocados:

Because green avocados are less flavorful and more watery, added liquid and sugar are not needed! 

1 ripe Florida avocado, pitted and peeled (these are much bigger!)

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 Tablespoons cocoa powder

2 ounces melted dark chocolate and/or 1/2 cup melted chocolate chips

Blend everything in a food processor until smooth. If you want it sweeter, add maple syrup to taste.