French Inspired "Venison" Seitan Casserole

Yesterday was Litha, or Summer Solstice. I made lots of delicious food and sweets, but one of the dishes I want to share most with you is a French Inspired Casserole. The Original Recipe calls for Venison but I used Gardien Beef Tips, though you could easily use homemade seitan (I would have, if I'd had any prepared.)  The dish is super rich, and flavorful and tastes wonderful alongside roasted tomatoes with thyme, charred asparagus and soft bread for sopping up excess sauce. It's a fairly simple recipe though does require some advanced prep.

French Inspired "Venison" Seitan Casserole.

1 Yellow Onion
4 Cloves
8 Juniper Berries Crushed
8 Black Peppercorns Crushed
1 1/2 Cup Red Wine
2 Celery Stalks
2 Carrots
2 Bay Leaves
6 Whole Garlic Cloves sliced
Zest of half a lemon
5 Sprigs Rosemary
2 Packages Gardien Beefless Tips (or Equivalent amount of homemade Seitan)
All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Earth Balance
4 Shallots Sliced
2 Cups Brown Stock
2 Tbsp Raspberry Jam
1 Heaping Tbsp Marmite
1 Vegan Beef Bouillon Cube (Optional but recommended)


- First defrost Tips or Seitan (if frozen) Place seitan in a large bowl.

- Quarter the Onion and stick a clove in each quarter. Place the Onion Quarters into the bowl with the seitan.

- Add Juniper Berries, Crushed Pepper, Chopped celery Stalks, Chopped Carrots, Sliced Garlic, Bay Leaves, Lemon Zest, and Minced Rosemary from the five sprigs to the bowl. Stir with a large wooden spoon to combine.

- Place a medium sized sauce pan on the stove. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, and add in the Marmite and Bullion Cube. Whisk until the marmite and cube dissolve and you have a nice brown liquid. Add in 1 cup of the red wine, and raspberry jam, whisk to combine and lower the heat. Simmer for five minutes.

- Pour the stock/wine mixture over the beef and veg in the bowl. Stir to combine and make sure everything gets nice and covered. Place the bowl in the fridge and let marinate overnight.

- After the stew has marinated. Melt the Butter and oil in a large fry pan on the stove. remove the Onions from the bowl discard cloves and slice onions thin. Slice the shallots as well. Add both onions and shallots to the butter in the pan, fry until brown.

- Place the Tips or Seitan in a zip-lock bag and dump in enough all purpose flour to cover all the pieces. Shake the bag around to make sure evenly coated.

- Once onions are cooked place them in a well oiled cast iron casserole dish.

- Use the same pan to fry the floured seitan. Fry until brown, and add it to the Casserole.

- Add the remaining veg to the casserole. Then strain the marinade into the casserole through a fine mesh sieve. Discard bay leaves, peppercorns and juniper berries. You can season to taste with additional pepper and salt if you like but it should be salty enough.

- Bake in the oven at 350'F for 1 1/2 hours until tender and marinade has reduced by half. Serve with roast tomatoes, asparagus, a salad and soft bread like pita.

PS: Sorry for the poor picture quality I was more interested in eating, drinking and being marry to care much about photography.

Classic Ratatouille...

It had been way to long since my last blog entry, I realize that. I had hoped to get back to regular blogging after we returned from our Washington/Oregon Road Trip, but things were just hectic, and I didn't have the time nor the energy, nor the inclination to do much cooking, or blogging. I don't know if today will mark my return to blogging or not, but I did want to post this recipe that I made last week because I thought it turned out rather good, and who couldn't use more vegetables?

Classic Ratatouille

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
4 Large Tomatoes
1 Large Onion Diced
1 Red Pepper Diced
1 Yellow Pepper Diced
1 Medium Eggplant Diced
2 Large Zucchini Diced
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste Mixed with 1 Tbsp Water
1 tsp Sugar
1 Bay Leaf
3 Springs Thyme
1 Tbsp Minced Basil
1 Tbsp Minced Parsley
1-2 Additional Garlic Cloves to taste
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Black or White Pepper to taste


- Score a cross into the bottom of each tomato.  Plunge into boiling water and boil for 20 seconds. remove from the water and blanch in ice water. peel the skins away from the tomato, and chop the tomato. Reserve.

- Heat 1Tbsp Oil in a pot. Add the onion and cook for 10 minutes. Add the 4 garlic cloves, the red and yellow peppers. Cook for about 4 minutes and then remove the vegetables from the pan.

- Heat the second Tbsp of Oil in the same pan. When it's hot add the eggplant and cook for 4 minutes until beginning to brown. Add the zucchini and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes or until the veggies are a nice deep brown.

- Add the Onion and Pepper mix back to the pot.  Add in the tomato paste mixture and stir well to combine. Cook for 2 minutes and then add in the tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme and basil. Stir well and cover to cook for 20 minutes. Check the vegetables after 10 minutes and if they look too dry add in about 1/4 cup water.

- Mix the remaining 1 or 2 garlic cloves with the minced parsley. When your Ratatouille has finished cooking add the garlic/parsley mix and stir lightly just to combine.

- Serve your Ratatouille hot with crusty French Bread or Garlic Bread. Enjoy with a glass of red wine for good measure.

Vegan Mofo #23: Seitan with Blackberry Sauce...

I’m telling you, there is something about fruit in savory dishes that just gets me. The idea of seitan steak covered in blackberry sauce just sounded to good to pass up. The original French recipe calls for Venison medallions but I think beef seitan works just as good. I’ve had venison plenty of times growing up and I don’t like it, never did so I didn’t bother with trying to make my seitan taste like venison, any richly flavored seitan will do I think. It’s so much tastier this way anyway!

It might sound weird to you to serve blackberry sauce with seitan but trust me on this, give it a try and you’ll be amazed. This sauce is so flavorful, it will literally blow your tastebuds out of your mouth! Plus the recipe is relatively simple yet elegant enough for you to make to impress company! How can you go wrong?

Seitan with Blackberry Sauce 

4 Beef Style Seitan Cutlets
3 Tbsp nondairy butter
20 Pearl Onions Blanched and Peeled
8oz Fresh Blackberries
3 Tbsp Blackberry Jam
1/4 Cup Red Wine
1 2/3 Cups Vegan Beef Stock or water mixed with Vegan Beef Bouillon
1 Tbsp All Purpose Flour

- Heat 1 Tbsp of the Butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the Seitan Cutlets and fry on each side for 8 minutes until nicely browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

- Heat remaining butter in the pan, and add the onions. Saute for 15 minutes until nicely golden brown and beginning to caramelize.

- Meanwhile in a small pan combine the blackberry Jam with 3 Tbsp of water. Whisk until smooth and then bring to a boil, add in the fresh berries and simmer for 5 minutes until berries are soft and beginning to break down. Set aside.

- Add the Wine to the pan and boil for 30 seconds. Add the Stock and simmer until reduced by half. About 10 minutes.

- Melt the remaining Tbsp of butter in a bowl, then whisk the flour into it. Add this into the stock and simmer for two minutes constantly stirring.

- Add in the Blackberry Sauce and stir to combine. Pour the sauce over the cooked seitan steaks and serve with your favorite side. Something simple like garlic roasted potatoes works well.

Vegan Mofo #21: Seitan aux Pruneaux d’Agen...

I came across this recipe in Joanne Harris’s book “The French Market” and found it interesting. The original recipe calls for Rabbit which I have no idea how to veganize since I’ve never eaten it before but I thought seitan would make a good stand-in. I love the idea of cooking savory dishes with fruit, and so the combination of seitan and prunes really got me thinking. A bit of Googling told me this is a pretty popular recipe in Southern France where Prunes from Agen are a pretty big deal. I like interesting culinary traditions so I was excited to give it a try. Obviously the original recipes call specifically for prunes from Agen but you can use any large plump pitted prunes, California Plums are what I used and it worked out great. I know it probably sounds weird to you, but give it a try, you might be really surprised.

Seitan with Prunes 
(A.K.A Seitan aux Pruneaux d’Agen) 

2 Tbsp Nondairy Butter
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 Bay Leaves
1/3 C Brandy
2 Stalks Celery Diced
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme
2 Cups Red Wine
1 ½ lb’s Beef Style Seitan
25 Pearl Onions
2 tsp Liquid Smoke
20 Agen Prunes (or Large Dried California Plums) Halved
Sea Salt and Black Pepper as Needed

- Heat a small pot of water over high heat, when boiling add the onions. Boil 1 minute then drain and drop into a bowl of iced cold water to blanch. Slide off the skins and put the onions aside.

- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Melt 1 Tbsp of the nondairy butter and cook the seitan until brown on all sides. In batches if necessary. About 8-10 minutes. When browned, remove from the pan and set aside.

- Heat the remaining nondairy butter in the pan and add the peeled onions. Saute for 5 minutes until golden, add the garlic and celery. Saute another 3-5 minutes until celery is soft.

- Pour the wine into the pan, and add bay leaves, thyme, and the browned seitan back with it. Let come to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

- Add in the Brandy, the Prunes, liquid smoke and season with salt and pepper as desired. Let simmer another 20-30 minutes.

- Remove from the heat, taste for seasonings and adjust as needed. Remove the bay leaves and serve with mashed potatoes and peas as I did, or whatever your favorite side dish. Some crusty bread wouldn’t hurt either!

*** Note - Unfortunately this recipe is my best approximation as I didn’t actually write anything down while cooking. Since I made this several days ago I’m relying solely on memory here.*** 

Vegan Mofo #20: Entrecote a la Bordelaise...

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Entrecote a la Bordelaise is a classic French dish, simple yet elegant as so many classic French dishes.  Apparently there is a bit of a distinction between Entrecote a la Bordelaise and Entrecote Bordelaise. The first being a dish of seared steak served in a red wine and shallot sauce, the second being a seared steak dish served with raw chopped shallot, and no wine.  I liked the idea of the wine sauce and so that’s why I decided upon veganizing this version. The original recipe uses bone marrow as an ingredient, since there is no real way to veganize that I didn’t bother trying and I don’t think the dish suffers from the lack of it. I suppose if you want a ‘richer’ sauce you could simply add more fat in the form of oil or butter to make up for the lost marrow, but really, it isn’t necessary. In French Entrecote basically means rib steak, or more generally it’s known as a prime cut of meat, so I recommend using good quality seitan, or really good home-made seitan cutlets. Again for this recipe I made The Gentle Chef’s Filet Mignon seitan, and it turned out so good!

Entrecote a la Bordelaise 

2 Tbsp Nondairy Butter
3 Shallots Diced
2 Cups Red Wine (Preferably Bordeaux)
1 Cup Vegan Beef Stock or 1 Cup Water with 1 Vegan Bouillon Cube
1 Tbsp Parsley Minced
4 Beef Style Seitan Cutlets
Olive Oil as needed.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste

- Splash a bit of olive oil in a large saute pan and heat over medium high heat. Add the Seitan Cutlets and cook for 5-8 minutes per side until nicely browned. Remove the steaks from the pan and put on a plate.

- Melt the butter in the pan and add the shallots.  Saute for 7 minutes or until they are soft.

- Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by two-thirds.

- Add the stock and continue to simmer until reduced by half.

- Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and parsley.

- Pour the Sauce over the Cooked Steaks and serve. I served our steaks with Boulangere Potatoes but you could serve then with any roasted, boiled or mashed potatoes too.

Vegan Mofo #18: Toulousaine Sausage and Bean Salad...

I don’t know how traditional this recipe is or how common, but after doing a bit of googling I found there are all kinds of recipes for sausage salads in Toulouse, the ingredients vary but usually it’s a vinegar mustard dressing, and has beans and sausage. This particular recipe I found when flipping through an interesting book called “The French Market” written by Joanne Harris and I thought it sounded so good that I wanted to try and veganize it, just to see how it was. I think it ended up being really good, and even my husband loved it which amazed me since he typically is no fan of beans, certainly not this many beans all at once!

I love the simplicity of the dish, I love both the bold and subtle flavors, the creamy beans mixed with the chewy sausage. Loved it over a bed of greens though you can simply eat it as is without the lettuce. Obviously the original recipes call for sausages from Toulouse, but in liu of that Harris recommended Italian Sausages so I went with my favorite, Field Roast.

Toulousaine Sausage and Bean Salad
(AKA Salade Toulousaine) 

4 Vegan Italian Sausages
1 15oz Can Chickpeas Rinsed and Drained
1 15oz Can Navy Beans Rinsed and Drained
1/4 Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
1/4 tsp Dried Sage
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
4 Ripe Tomatoes
Lettuce, Arugula or Mixed Greens for serving (Optional)

- Heat a bit of Olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Slice the sausages into rounds and fry in the oil until browned on both sides, 5-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and place on a plate.

- Place the Chickpeas and Navy Beans in the same pan. Add the Oil, Vinegar, Mustard, Sage, Salt and Pepper. Mix to combine well and then cook for about 5 minutes until heated through.

- Add the tomatoes to the beans, mix well, and cook about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, and place the bean mixture into a large serving bowl. Add the sausages and toss to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

- Line serving bowls or plates with a bit of lettuce or mixed greens, then top with 2 generous scoops of the Sausage and Bean Salad. Enjoy Hot, at room temp, or cold, I personally liked it best at room temperature.

Vegan Mofo #17: Boulangere Potatoes...

This is a classic French Gratin dish that tastes similar to scalloped potatoes but doesn’t make use of a lot of heavy cream or butter. The name apparently translates to ‘Potatoes in the Style of the Baker’s Wife’ and the story goes that French families used to make this dish then take it down the baker or the Boulangere to be cooked in the big ovens. Who knows if that’s true or not, but it’s kind of a fun story no?

Anyway, it’s a simple dish - even if it takes time to cook - and it’s super tasty, a great accompaniment to any hearty fare, and a nice alternative to the richer gratin’s out there.

Boulangere Potatoes

2lb’s Potatoes sliced thin on a mandolin
2 Large Yellow Onions sliced thin on a mandolin
2 Tbsp Parsley Minced
2 Cups Hot Water mixed with 1-2 Vegan Chicken Bouillon Cubes
1oz non-dairy Butter Cubed
Sea salt and Black Pepper to taste

- Preheat the oven to 350'F

- Grease a large glass baking dish and place a layer of sliced potatoes in the bottom. Top with a layer of sliced onions and season with salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of parsley. Over top of this place another layer of potatoes and keep layering in this fashion until you run out of ingredients or space.

- Pour the stock over top and dot with the butter. Season the top lightly with salt, pepper and any remaining parsley.

- Place in the oven and bake for an hour (maybe a little more depending on your oven) or until the potatoes are tender and the top is golden brown.

- Remove from the heat, let cool about 10 minutes and serve.

Vegan Mofo #16: Seitan a l’Orange...

I’ve never had Duck a l’Orange before, because I never liked duck, but there was something really intriguing to me about trying to veganize this recipe. I thought it might work out well with seitan in place of duck and since I had some ‘duck’ style seitan left over from making the Duck with Raspberries I thought I’d give it a try. I have to admit I was really skeptical about it, because I had to really play around with the cooking method and times, and I wasn’t at all sure it was going to be any good, but much to my surprise it turned out really, really well. The sauce is so flavorful and on a nice juicy piece of seitan it works so well. Though I imagine the sauce would also be a nice accompaniment to tofu or tempeh as well.

Certainly there is a bit of work involved in a recipe like this, but that’s French cooking for you right? The end result is worth it, so I hope you give it a try. Enjoy your seitan a l’Orange with some simple sides like rice and broccoli as we did, or potatoes and asparagus.

Seitan a l’Orange 
(AKA Canard a l’Orange, AKA ‘Duck’ a l’Orange, ) 

2-4 Homemade or store bought Chicken Style Seitan Cutlets
5 Large Oranges
2 Cinnamon Sticks
1-2 Tbsp Minced Fresh Mint Leaves
½ Cup Brown Sugar
½ Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/3 Cup Grand Marnier
4 Tbsp of Nondairy Butter + 1 Tbsp
1 Tbsp Cornstarch


- Preheat the oven to 300'F

- Grease a glass baking dish that’s large enough to hold your seitan. Slice two of the oranges into thin slices. Line the bottom of the glass dish with the slices from one orange. Place the cinnamon sticks over top of the oranges and sprinkle with mint. Layer your seitan cutlets over top, and then top those with the remaining orange slices.

- Roast in the Oven for roughly 30 minutes.

- Meanwhile zest and juice the remaining 3 oranges.  Heat a small pot of water over high heat. When it’s boiling blanch the orange zest Refresh under cold water, drain, and set aside.

- Heat the sugar in a saucepan over low heat until it melts and caramelizes, use a whisk to whisk the sugar a bit so that it caramelizes evenly. When the sugar is a rich brown add in the vinegar, but be carefully as it might splatter.  Boil for three minutes then add the reserved orange juice and grand Marnier. Simmer the mixture for 2 minutes.

- Remove the seitan from the oven, and pour a third of the sauce over the cutlets. If using 2 cutlets place 2 Tbsp of Butter on each Cutlet, if using 4 Cutlets place 1 Tbsp on each cutlet. Then Sprinkle the cutlets with about a quarter of the orange zest. Place back into the oven and roast for another 30 minutes.

- Mix the Tablespoon of cornstarch with a bit of water and whisk to combine. Slowly add it into the pot with the sugar, vinegar, juice mixture. Increase heat and simmer, whisking constantly until the sauce has thickened. Add in the remaining tbsp of butter and the orange zest stir to combine and turn off the heat. Set aside.

- When the seitan is ready, remove it from the oven. Place one cutlet on each plate, and top with as much sauce as you like. FYI the sauce also tastes great over broccoli and rice!

Vegan Mofo 15: French Onion Soup...

When we were in Paris we went to this incredible vegan restaurant. I don’t recall the name of it at the moment - I’ll have to consult my travel notes because I do plan to post about it at some point - but while there I had the most incredible French Onion Soup. Seriously, I’ve had some decent vegan French Onion Soup before but it never quite lives up to expectations in my opinion. This soup however was out of this world amazing! It had such a rich flavor, and I loved that instead of using Nutritional Yeast or shredded store bought cheese that they melted on top, the soup actually had slivers or shavings of vegan cheese right in the soup. Large thin squares of vegan cheese, that hadn’t melted in, but were soft and melted easily when they hit the tongue. It was such a good soup, such a different experience that ever since getting back I’d been thinking of trying to recreate something similar at home. Well, this year’s Mofo provides the perfect opportunity, so here’s my take. I think it turned out really well, though it doesn’t quite live up to that restaurant soup I had. Something tells me, no French Onion Soup ever will, and how can you really beat French Onion Soup eaten in France anyway, right?

French Onion Soup 

2 Tbsp Nondairy Butter
1lb Yellow Onions Sliced
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
1/3 Cup Plain All Purpose Flour
8 Cups Vegan Beef Stock or 8 Cups Water + Vegan Beef Bouillon Cubes.
1 Cup Red Wine
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme
1 Tbsp Marmite
Sliced Baguette
Sea Salt if needed
1/4 tsp Black Pepper or more to taste
Vegan Cheese sliced into thin squares. (I used Provolone.  In France they use Gruyere, but there is not vegan Gruyere on the market. You can really use any flavorful vegan cheese that isn’t mozzarella or cheddar. Havarti or Swiss would be good in place of Provolone)

- Melt the butter in a large sauce pan over medium high heat and add the onions. Lower the heat and cook on low for about 25 minutes stirring occasionally until golden brown and beginning to caramelize. .

- Add the garlic and flour to the pan and stir continuously for 2 minutes.  Gradually blend in the stock and wine, bring to a boil.  Add the Bay leaf, thyme, pepper, marmite and season with salt if desired. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.

- Preheat the broiler. Place the baguette slices on a broiler sheet and toast on each side for a minute until golden. Remove from the oven.

- Add the sliced cheese to the soup and let simmer for 5 or so minutes just to let the cheese incorporate and blend. It’s okay if it melts in, but if it stays in tact that’s good too.

- Divide the soup into serving bowls, break the toasted baguette into crouton sized pieces and top each bowl. Taste or seasoning and add more salt or pepper as desired.

Enjoy with a glass of wine and a nice side salad.

Vegan Mofo #7: Beef Carbonnade...

So, I found Beef Carbonnade listed in a French Cook book, but the internet says it’s a Belgian dish originally. Since the French are more accustomed to cooking with wine instead of beer I suppose that wouldn’t surprise me but the truth is I don’t know where it comes from and I don’t care to wager a guess. They eat a lot of French food in Belgium, and what with the countries bordering one another, and sharing similarities in cuisine origins can be confusing. In any case the dish is delicious regardless of whether it’s French or Belgian. Think of it as a more basic Bourguignon but just as delicious!

I never actually ate Carbonnade in France or Belgium but from the moment I saw the recipe for it I knew it was something I’d have to veganize and I’m really glad I did. Typically in Belgium a dish like this would be served with Frites (Fries) but in France it may be served with boiled or mashed potatoes. On the day I made this I decided to opt for something a little lighter and served our Carbonnade alongside Salade aux Noix. You could do either or both, and make sure you enjoy a nice glass of wine or a bottle of beer with your meal too!

Beef Carbonnade

2-4 Tbsp Non-Dairy Butter
2lbs Home Made or Store Bought Beef Style Seitan Cubed
4 Onions Sliced in Quarter Moons
4 Garlic Cloves Minced
2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
1 Bottle of Stout Beer
2 Bay Leaves
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
1 tsp Sea Salt
Black Pepper to taste
6-8 Slices Baguette
Dijon Mustard

- Preheat the Oven to 300'F

- Heat 1 Tbsp Butter in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the beef seitan in batches and brown on all sides. Add a second Tbsp of butter for the second batch if needed. This could take up to 10-15 minutes and it’s okay if they get a little extra brown. If they stick to the pan deglaze with a splash of water.

- Once the seitan has browned remove from the heat and place in a large lightly greased Dutch Oven.

- In the same pan add the sliced onions. Add a little more butter if needed and saute for 10 minutes until softened.

- Add the garlic and sugar to the pan with the onions and saute another 5-10 minutes until the onions are nicely browned. Then remove the onions from the pan with a slotted spoon and add them into the Dutch Oven.

- Stir the seitan and onions together until they are well mixed.

- If the pan is a little dry, heat one more Tbsp of butter in the pan, and add the Tbsp of flour. Stir to make a roux, and cook it for a minute or two until it’s golden. Add in the beer, the bay leaves, the salt and pepper, and let simmer gently for 3-4 minutes.

- Pour the beer mixture into the Dutch Oven with the Seitan and Onions, add the thyme leaves, and mix to combine.

- Place a lid over the Dutch Oven and place into the oven and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour. After it’s done cooking remove from the oven, take the lid off and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

- Lightly toast the baguette slices on both sides, then spread one side with Dijon Mustard. Arrange the slices mustard side up on top of the Carbonnade, then return the dish to the oven and broil on high for a minute.

- Remove from the oven, serve and enjoy!

Vegan Mofo #6: Tarte au Citron...

So... I wanted to make a dessert, and not just any dessert but a French dessert, and not just any French dessert but a tart. Why did I want to make a tart when I hate working with pastry dough? Who knows, but at the time it seemed not only to be a good idea but a delicious one as well. I chose something simple, Lemon Tart, it has few ingredients and seemed fairly easy to veganize and so without much experience making tarts from scratch I dove in.

The thing I really loved about this tart is that the pastry dough was a sweet dough - as many French pastry dough’s are - it perfectly complimented the simple tart. This also happens to be the easiest vegan tart or pie pastry I’ve ever worked with. Seriously, it doesn’t seem to matter who’s recipe I use or what is in it, but I am never able to get a vegan pie or tart crust off the counter in one piece, my pies are always misshapen - though no less delicious - but this tart turned out pretty darn perfect, except I’m not an expert at crimping.

Unfortunately there was a minor problem unrelated to the crust, while the overall flavor of the tart was amazing, and the texture was pretty good, there was this white foam that settled on the top. I’m not sure why, or what caused it. It didn’t change the taste at all, just doesn’t make the tart look very professional. Possibly I should have used a different milk, maybe soy was not a good choice and I might have been better off with coconut. At first I thought I wouldn’t bother with posting the recipe but blogging isn’t always about success right? And it isn’t about being perfect, you can easily use this as a guide and change the milk to see if something else works better. If you know why this went foamy on top drop me a line, and maybe I can try it again so the finished product ends up looking as good as it tastes.

Tarte au Citron 

1 Recipe Sweet Pastry (Recipe Follows)

1 Cup fine sugar
1 Cup Lemon Juice
1 Cup Soy Milk
3 Tbsp Grated Lemon Zest
2 tsp Agar Agar Powder

Sweet Pastry 

2 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
Pinch of Sea Salt
½ Cup Non-Dairy Butter
3/4 Cup Powdered Sugar
5 Tbsp Non-Dairy Milk or as needed.

Instructions - Crust 

- Combine the flour and salt in a bowl.

- Cut in the butter and combine it with the flour until it forms coarse pebbles.

- Add in the powdered sugar and mix to combine

- Drizzle in the non-dairy milk a couple of Tbsp at a time until the dough comes together enough to be workable. You can add more milk or a little water as needed to make the dough stick together but make sure you add a little at a time, you don’t want the dough to be wet.

- Once dough is at the consistency you like, place it in the fridge for 20 minutes to chill.

- Remove the dough, roll it out onto a floured work surface. Roll the dough to fit your fluted tart pan. Then carefully transfer rolled dough to the pan. Crimp the edges, and use the tines of a fork to poke holes in the bottom.

- Put the crust in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the crust is cooked through but not browned. You want the pastry to remain as pale as possible.

- Once crust has finished baking, fill, and chill.

Instructions - Filling

- Whisk the Sugar, Lemon Juice and Soy Milk together in a medium sized pot on the stove over medium heat. Bring to a boil.

- Add in the agar agar, and whisk together. Continue whisking as it gently boils, about five minutes or until thickened slightly.

- Remove the pan from the heat. Gently fold in the lemon zest Pour the lemon mixture into the cooked crust and then place the tart in the fridge.

- Refrigerate for 4-8 hours until tart has set. Slice and enjoy plain, or dusted with a bit of powdered sugar.

Vegan Mofo #5: Steak au Poivre...

Steak au Poivre is a pretty typical French dish, and one that can be found in most traditional French restaurants. I saw it on a lot of menus when we were walking around Paris and I found the concept intriguing because I’ve never tried it before as a meat eater. I thought it might be a fun, and relatively simple recipe to veganize. The internet says the dish comes from the 19th Century, and became popular In restaurants in Normandy where men would take their women in the hopes that the peppers aphrodisiac properties would work their magic. I don’t know how true that is, but it’s a cool story.

For my veganized version I decided to go with some homemade Seitan Steaks. I used Skye Michael Conroy’s Filet Mignon recipe from his book “The Gentle Chef Cook Book” because traditional Steak au Poivre used cuts of filet mignon, though I think any seitan steak would work just as well, and you could probably even use steamed tempeh for a gluten-free version, or perhaps even large portobello mushrooms for a gluten and soy free version, though obviously taste and cooking times would be different. I also decided to use a blend of peppercorns rather then just regular black pepper, and I did so because I wanted a richer more unique flavor, but any old peppercorns would do just as well I think.

Overall I think the dish turned out quite well. I was pretty nervous about the flambe because I’ve never had to do that before, and being so close to a large open flame kind of freaks me out, but I had some help with that and because the alcohol content is so small the flame didn’t get all that big. The ‘whoosh’ was kind of fun! My only complaint - okay I have two - is 1) A large dose of pepper can be quite overpowering, I ground the peppercorns by hand and I think it might be easier to grind them coarsely in a grinder, also use less then suggested if you don’t want as much heat. 2) As with before I found the texture of the seitan a bit soft for my liking, I said the same thing the last time I made the Filet Mignon and I thought that a longer cooking time would firm it up a bit but it did not. I realize traditional Filet is quite soft, because it’s served rare but I guess that just isn’t my thing. Flavor wise the seitan is great, and I recommend the recipe if you like Filet. My husband loved the dish, and so I would make it again with a few changes. Anyway, without further adieu, here is Steak au Poivre, enjoy!

Steak au Poivre 

4 Seitan Steaks (Homemade or Store bought)
6 Tbsp Black or Mixed Peppercorns Crushed
2 Tbsp Non-Dairy Butter
3 Tbsp Cognac
1/4 C White Wine
½ C Cashew Cream (for a thicker sauce) or ½ C Non-Dairy Milk of Choice for a slightly thinner Sauce.
Olive Oil as needed.
Sea Salt to taste

Instructions

- If your seitan steaks are a bit dry rub them in enough Olive Oil to coat. Spread the crushed peppercorns on a plate and place the seitan down on top, pressing each side into the crushed pepper, use your fingers if needed to press the pepper into the steak so it sticks.

- Melt the non-dairy butter in a large pan over medium high heat. When melted add the steaks and let them sizzle. Let brown on each side for 4-5 minutes or until they’ve reached your desired brown/doneness level.

- Once your steaks are cooked to your liking add the cognac to the pan.  Using a long match, or barbeque lighter quickly (and carefully) light dish on fire. You want to make sure you light the dish as soon after adding the cognac as possible, leaving the cognac in the pan too long will result in the steak having a bitter or alcohol taste. Also please make sure you are not sticking the flame into the pan and lighting the actual food, what you want to do is light the alcohol fumes on fire. Stand a little bit back so you don’t get engulfed, and make sure you have a lid ready to throw over the pan incase things go awry.

- Once the alcohol has burned off and the flame has gone out on it’s own (it will happen quicker then you think!) Remove the steaks from the pan with a spatula and place on individual serving plates.

- Now add the wine to the pan and boil stirring for one minute to deglaze the pan.  Then add the cream and stir to combine, simmering one to two minutes or until the cream has warmed through and the sauce is combined. Taste, and add some sea salt to season, and extra black pepper If you desire.

- Spoon the Sauce over your steak, and serve with a side of steamed asparagus, and a mound of mashed potatoes, plus a glass of wine, you deserve if after your flambe experience!

For anyone interested I lightly steamed my asparagus so that they were tender crunchy, then I drizzled them in Lime Olive Oil, and tossed them with Sea Salt and Course Ground Lemon Pepper. The Mashed Potatoes were made with Unsweetened almond milk, Earth Balance, Sea Salt, Garlic Powder and a little of the leftover crushed peppercorns. I used 4 Medium Sized Russet Potatoes, and FYI the Cognac sauce tastes just as good over the potatoes as it did over the steaks. Actually the sauce was probably my favorite part of the whole Steak au Poivre experience!

Vegan Mofo #4: Salade aux Noix....

Today we’re moving on from Ireland and onto France with this tasty yet simple salad.  Honestly I don’t know much about the origins of this salad, but it’s a pretty typical and traditional French Salad, I saw it on a lot of menus when I was there this past Spring but unfortunately because the traditional version contains bacon I was never able to eat it. Traditionally the dressing also uses the leftover bacon drippings as an ingredients, which I think is kind of gross, but to mimic the flavor I used the leftover liquid from cooking my coconut bacon. If you want it a bit more ‘greasy’ you could add some additional oil - perhaps coconut oil - and a dash more of liquid smoke for extra bacon flavor.

Originally I hadn’t intended to make this salad but I’m happy I decided to put a vegan spin on it after all, because it turned out great. It’s the kind of salad that’s perfect for a light lunch, or as the first course to a larger meal.

Salade aux Noix

1 Head Green Leaf Lettuce
Handful of Arugula.
½ Cup Walnuts
½ Cup Coconut Bacon (recipe follows)
5 Thin Slices Baguette
1 Garlic Clove
1 Tbsp Walnut Oil
1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
Olive Oil as needed
Coarse Black Pepper to taste.

Coconut Bacon 

½ Cup Dried Unsweetened Coconut Flakes
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
½ Tbsp Liquid Smoke
Dash of Smoked Paprika
Dash of Garlic Powder
Dash of Smoked Sea Salt

Instructions - Coconut Bacon 

- Combine all liquid ingredients in a bowl, and pre-heat a small pan over medium heat. Once heated add the coconut flakes and pour the sauce over, mix with a spatula to combine. Fry for 3-5 minutes turning occasionally so the flakes don’t burn. Once browned and most of the liquid has been absorbed turn off the heat and remove the coconut to a plate to cool. Let cool 5 minutes. Leave any remaining liquid in the pan.

Instructions - Salad 

- Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl along with the arugula.

- Re-heat the pan in which you cooked the coconut bacon, and add the walnuts. Toast them until browned then remove them to a plate.

- To the pan add the walnut oil, red wine vinegar, and Dijon Mustard. Whisk to combine, and simmer for a minute until warmed though. Turn off the heat and set aside.

- Preheat your Broiler. Slice the garlic clove in half. Drizzle the baguette slices in a bit of olive oil and rub the garlic halves over the bread.

- Place the bread on a broiler sheet and broil on high for 1-2 minutes a side until brown. Remove from the broiler and let cool.

- Finally, add the cooled coconut bacon and walnuts to the salad. Breaking the pieces a part as necessary. Crumble the sliced baguette pieces over top, and then drizzle the dressing over. Toss the entire thing together, and sprinkle with black pepper if desired. Enjoy!

Braised Endive...

And I’m home again. I believe I mentioned some time last month that during March I’d be away on holiday in Europe, but in those busy, havoc filled days leading up to our departure I completely forgot to leave a note saying that I was going, and wouldn’t be back until the end of the month. Whoops!  Anyway, I’m home now, and I’ll try to be a good blogger. I feel very inspired after our getaway and have come back with all sorts of interesting ideas for recipes and dishes that I can’t wait to start making. The one thing about vacation, and it doesn’t matter where we go, or how well we eat when we’re there but upon returning home I am always, so, so grateful to be cooking for myself once more. Vacation is all about decadence, local vegan eats, local vegan delicacies, good wine, great coffee, and a lot of food that’ll fill you up! We eat a lot of bread on vacation especially for breakfast - something I don’t do at home - and it seems we never eat as many vegetables or drink as much water as we would at home. So, even though I never want to come home, the one thing I’m always grateful for is to be in possession of a kitchen again.

One of the first recipes I made after returning was this deliciously French preparation of Endive. You know, it’s funny, I never gave much thought to endive before but we ended up eating quite a lot of it in France, Luxembourg and Belgium. Not that I didn’t like endive before, I just never did anything with it. Kind of like how I used to dislike and ignore Arugula until we went to Germany in 2012 and I came home with a new appreciation for it. Funny how stuff like that works huh? Anyway, this recipe is simple to prepare and would make a great side dish to any hearty French inspired meal. I’m thinking Portobello Frites!

Braised Endive 

6-8 Endive
1 Tbsp Non-Dairy Butter
1-2 tsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tsp dried Tarragon
½ C Vegan Chicken Stock
*** 2 Tbsp Unsweetened Soy milk

- Trim the ends of the endive, and melt the butter over medium heat in a large pan on the stove.

- Fry the Endive on all sides until it browns slightly. Add the sugar, vinegar, tarragon and stock and then bring to a boil.

- Reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and let simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until endives are tender and nicely browned. Turning over once halfway through cooking.

- When the Endives are nice and tender remove the lid from the pan and let simmer 3-4 more minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. (Keep in mind you want some liquid for serving, but you don’t want an entire pan full of it) Add in the soy milk and simmer another 2 minutes.

- Remove Endive from the pan and plate. Drizzle with some of the remaining sauce and garnish with minced chives or parsley. Serve and enjoy!

***Note - For a soy-free version make sure to use soy-free non-dairy butter, and sub coconut milk for the soy milk.***