Vegan Yum Yum (8 page)

step 2
Slice
-inch slices of bread from your loaf. Slice each slice in half again, without cutting all the way through, to form a pocket. Place the bread into the batter, letting it sit for a few minutes.

step 3
While the bread is soaking, heat a nonstick pan or cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Melt a teaspoon or two of margarine on it. When the margarine begins to bubble, the pan is ready.

step 4
Take the bread out of the batter and place a few strawberries and bananas in the back of the pocket to crack it open a bit. You'll fill the pocket with more berries and bananas after cooking, so don't worry if it's not super pretty yet. Carefully stuff the fruit deep inside so it won't easily fall out when you flip the bread.

step 5
Brown the bread on both sides, then set it onto your serving plate. Add more berries and bananas as desired. Top with the strawberry sauce (optional; see recipe at left), maple syrup, and powdered sugar. Serve immediately.

Ingredients

1½ cups soy milk

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon cinnamon

teaspoon nutmeg

teaspoon allspice

1 tablespoon sugar

1 pinch salt

1 loaf good-quality, day-old bread
(I prefer sourdough)

1 to 2 teaspoons Earth Balance margarine

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

3 large, firm but ripe bananas
(little brown spots just starting)
, sliced

1 pint blackberries, raspberries, or blueberries

Strawberry sauce
(optional; see recipe below)

Maple syrup, to serve

Powdered sugar, to serve

Strawberry Sauce:

1 cup sliced strawberries

¼ cup powdered sugar
(plus a dusting more for garnish)

¼ teaspoon orange extract
(use a different flavor if you prefer)

Strawberry Sauce

step 1
Measure 1 cup of sliced strawberries into a blender or food processor. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve or nut milk bag to remove seeds, if desired. (This step isn't necessary, but it gives the sauce a nicer mouthfeel and a more professional appearance.)

step 2
Heat the sauce in a small saucepan until simmering and slightly thickened. Remove from heat, add the extract and stir. You can make the sauce ahead of time and then warm it just before serving.

Tofu Scramble with Seitan Sausage

T
ofu Scramble is one of those dishes that is just as easy to make right as it is to mess up. Making sure your tofu isn't too wet and is adequately flavored are the two main tips for scramble success.

Tofu Scramble with Seitan Sausage

Makes 3 to 4 servings

step 1
Preheat the oven to 375 ºF.

step 2
Prepare seitan sausage. Mix the gluten, nutritional yeast, salt, and paprika together until well combined. Mix the water, olive oil, mustard and tamari together another bowl. Add wet to dry and knead the dough for a few minutes. Let it rest for 3–5 minutes, then form the dough into a log.

step 3
Roll the log up in aluminum foil, pinching in the ends. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes. Remove and let cool.

step 4
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the chopped broccoli and seitan and cook until the seitan is browned and the broccoli is bright green and tender-crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.

step 5
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, add the tofu to the pan and mash, allowing it to cook for a few minutes while excess water evaporates.

step 6
Once the mixture is drier, add the turmeric, beans, vinegar (or lemon juice), soy sauce, nutritional yeast, and shredded carrots. Heat through.

step 7
Add the broccoli and seitan and mix well. Season to taste with more soy sauce or vinegar as desired.

Ingredients

Seitan Sausage:

Makes approximately 4 cups

1½ cup Vital Wheat Gluten

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon mustard

1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce

Tofu Mixture:

¼ cup olive oil, divided

1 head broccoli, chopped into florets

1 cup chopped, baked seitan sausage

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

1 block extra firm tofu, drained

½ to 1 teaspoon turmeric

cup rinsed black beans

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar (or lemon juice)

3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

½ cup shredded carrot

Weekend Pancakes Made Easy

I
usually think about making pancakes sometime during the weekend, but rarely do I get around to it. I don't always want to break out my whisk and bowls and create a lot of dishes that I'll have to clean up later. One night, I had an idea: What if I made the batter the night before in my blender? One container for mixing. I could store the blender jar right in the refrigerator overnight and pour my pancakes from the blender directly into the pan the next morning. Was it as easy as I hoped? Yes, it was.

I used spelt flour, because once I realized it wasn't as scary as I thought, I figured it'd be perfect for pancakes—and it is. It's whole grain, which is always a plus, but it's much lighter and has a sweeter, milder flavor than regular whole wheat flour. Feel free to use regular flour; they'll be just as good without the spelt.

Weekend Pancakes Made Easy

Makes 2 servings

step 1
Add the soy milk to a blender, followed by the spelt flour, all-purpose flour, oil, sugar, baking powder, extract, and salt. Blend for a few seconds until combined. Scrape down any dry flour stuck to the sides and blend again. You can use the batter immediately or place the top on the blender and refrigerate overnight. If using the batter the next morning, place the blender back on the base and add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water, and then blend to mix. This thins the batter, which thickens overnight.

step 2
Preheat the oven to 200 ºF, or the lowest setting, and put an oven-safe plate on the middle rack.

step 3
Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes, then pour the batter directly into the center of the pan. I like silver-dollar-size pancakes, 2½ inches to 3 inches in diameter, but you can make any size you want. This batter should create fairly thin pancakes.

step 4
After a few minutes of cooking, you'll see the bubbles form on the top of the pancake. The batter will start to set, and it will change color from white to dull yellow. This is when you should flip the pancakes. If your pancakes aren't brown by this time, turn the heat up a bit. If it is overly brown, turn the heat down. While cooking the pancakes, place the finished ones directly into the oven on the plate. Stack the pancakes as you go. This will keep the whole stack warm while you're cooking them.

Ingredients

1½ cups soy milk

1 cup spelt flour
(or substitute all-purpose)