Protein Recipes

In the world of vegan protein it can often be difficult to find a food option that is easy to make, offers exceptional flavor and texture and is minimally processed. You can usually pick two of these options. And you can almost forget about finger food that fits this category. Try making tofu cubes, tempeh chunks or seitan strips appeal as hors d'oeuvres at a large party and you’ll see what I mean. “What is this stuff?” Yuba knots are particularly interesting because they have the ability to be assembled into a freeform food while having a mixture of stringy, meaty and puff pastry characteristics, which keeps them from feeling too foreign.

During the holidays of my youth I used to look forward to various animal-based table centerpieces that symbolized the crowning achievement of the feast. This high-protein, savory focal point would involve hours of anticipation, planning and boast a supporting role from several more simple, rustic freshly prepared vegetable dishes. As I became older and came to prefer a vegan diet, holiday meals consisted of me either avoiding the animal-based centerpiece or finding myself lucky enough to be in a situation where all of the dishes consisted of the rustic, vegetable-based fare. 

I still miss the excitement and curiosity that goes along with a savory centerpiece: How tender will it be when I slice into it? What succulent surprises will I find? Oh and the aromas wafting thorugh the house! I wanted to bring this excitement to vegan holiday feasts when I set out to create Seitan Roulade. 

Seitan Roulade consists of a sheet of wheat gluten covered with a panko mushroom stuffing that's been simmered in a red wine balsamic reduction. It's then wrapped into a roll, glazed with Apricot Glaze and sprigs of thyme are placed on top before the roulade is tied with twine. The roulade is then baked in a dutch oven, sliced, served and drizzled with a gravy such as Gracious Gravy. This is a similar centerpiece to Stuffed Seitan but is a little more involved because it involves glaze, and the use of a dutch oven. The dutch oven helps the roulade retain it's shape, stay moist and become infused with aroma from the thyme sprigs.

This Vegan Stuffed Seitan recipe is a holiday centerpiece consisting of savory seitan enveloping Apple Walnut Stuffing or any other stuffing of your choice. It's awesome for holiday vegan feast type dinners with Gracious Gravy drizzled on top and accompanied by Cranberry Sauce. I'm proud to serve this every year during Thanksgiving and again during Christmas dinner. The seitan casing utilizes ingredients like lentil puree, shoyu, marinara sauce, nutritional yeast flakes and a variety of spices to deliver a delectible savoriness that will satisfy vegans and omnis alike.

Tempeh is an Indonesian protein staple consisting of mashed soybeans fermented with a fungus called Rhizopus olligosporus. I purchased tempeh starter that includes this fungus from Top Cultures. This fungus thrives in a warm humid temperature combined with the nutrient rich soybeans and in about 24 hous grows a complex network of white mycelia that binds the soybeans into a dense mushroomy cake. This fermentation process looks simple on the surface but like most fermentation, it's what's going on behind the scenes that matters. Fermentation creates complex flavor compounds and partially breaks down the soybeans, which makes their nutrients more bioavailable and digestible. As the case with sauerkraut, natural probiotics are also produced that populate your lower intestines with beneficial microflora.