Crispy, pan seared tempeh pairs perfectly with this sweet, slightly spiced red wine gravy and the bouquet presented by herbed mashed garnet yams. Fennel and rosemary work really well with the naturally sweet flavor of the yam, combining for a complex and tantalizing array of flavors.

To get started, scrub two large garnet yams well, place in a large pot of water and bring to a boil. You’ll cook them until the skins are breaking, ~25 mins.

While yams are cooking get together the ingredients for your tempeh and sauce, here’s what you’ll need:

1 block tempeh
2 T olive oil
1/2 C red wine
1 T tomato paste
2 t tamari
1 t garlic, microplanned
1 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t maple syrup, agave or cane sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 T Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)

Slice your tempeh block in half and boil for 10 mins. Next, slice it into 1/2″ thick strips. Heat 2 T olive oil in a large, nonstick pan. When hot, add tempeh strips and saute until golden/browned on all sides.  While tempeh cooks, combine ingredients for sauce (except for Earth Balance) in a bowl, making sure to mix well. When tempeh is browned, remove the pan from heat and add the sauce, stirring well to coat. Return pan to medium heat and saute until sauce is reduced by half.

At this point, your yams should be finished. Drain them of their cooking water and mash, skins and all. Add 1 T olive oil, 1 t dried fennel, 1 t dried rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, cover and set aside.

When the wine sauce has reduced, add the Earth Balance and salt and pepper to taste. Heat through and serve immediately, alongside yams. Serves 2-3.

First of all, big thanks to the wonderful Maya Drozdz at Visualingual for the new logo!

Oh how I love a good white sauce pasta. Creamy, slightly sweet and very satisfying, here, savory lemon/wine braised tofu scallops and mushrooms pair up wonderfully with a nut-based “alfredo” sauce. If possible, I recommend oyster mushrooms for this dish, but regular button mushrooms or cremini would work fine as well.

To get started, you’ll first want bring a pot of water to a boil for your linguine and begin preparing your tofu scallops. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 block extra firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 T olive oil
juice of one lemon
3 T mirin (or white wine), divided
fresh ground black pepper
sea salt to taste

Once your tofu is pressed, using a very sharp knife, cut it into 5-7 “scallop” shapes. Heat olive oil on a non-stick skillet and add tofu cutlets.  Grind some fresh pepper on top of the scallops and add salt to taste. Flip scallops when browned on the button. At this time, add 1 T of mirin or wine and some lemon juice. You may also want to add additional olive oil, salt and papper as well. Repeat process until all sides are golden brown. Wrap scallops in a paper towel or two and set aside.

At this point, begin preparing your sauce. Get all your ingredients together first, because the sauce comes together quickly. Around this time, you may begin cooking your linguine as well. Here’s what you’ll need for the sauce:

2 shallots, thinly sliced
3 T garlic, minced
1/2 C fresh white mushrooms
2 T Earth Balance (or other non-dairy margarine)
1/2 C Mimiccreme (or almond milk and non-dairy creamer)
3/4 C water
1 t olive oil
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1 t dried oregano
1 T nutritional yeast
1 t sea salt
1/2 t agave
1 t fresh ground white pepper
1/3 C fresh basil, chopped
1/4 C almond meal
parsley for garnish

Begin by sauteing shallots, garlic and mushrooms in the Earth Balance, being careful not to burn. When mushrooms and shallots are tender, add all ingredients through basil, stirring well to combine. Simmer over medium heat for about 6 minutes, until water is slightly reduced . Add reserved tofu scallops and heat through. Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly. When linguine is finished, add the almond meal to the sauce. Top linguine with alfredo and scallops and garnish with fresh parsley. Serves 2-3.

Purple cabbage is wonderful. Striking in color and very nutritious, it’s great in everything from salads to stir-fries, from risottos to thorans.  I particularly like braised cabbage, prepared here with a bit of marsala and apple cider vinegar. To aid in your planning, you should allow about 40 mins of braising time for the cabbage to reach ideal tenderness.

Begin by preparing your seitan, which should take you about an hour. Start braising your cabbage in last twenty minutes of the simmering cycle. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 T olive oil
1 C purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1/3 C marsala
2 T apple cider vinegar
1/3 C water

Heat the oil in a large, heavy saucepan. Add cabbage and saute over med. heat for ~2 mins. Add marsala, vinegar and water, stir well and cover. Reduce heat to med-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 35-40 mins.

At this time, prepare the breading for your seitan filets. Combine the following on a large plate, mixing well:

1/4 C whole wheat flour
1/3 C almond meal
1/4 C ground flax seed
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground pepper

Also at this time, begin preparing your sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 T extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 C Mimiccreme
1/3 C water
1/2 t nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 C fresh chopped sage

Heat oil in a nonstick saucepan, add shallot and garlic and simmer over med. heat for 2-3 mins, being careful not to burn. Add Mimiccreme, nutritional yeast, and water, stir well and reduce heat to med-low. The sauce should simmer for about 10 minutes, in the last 2 mins, add sage and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and remove from heat.

When seitan filets are finished, press them firmly to remove excess broth and dredge in dry mix. Pan-sear the filets with 1 T olive oil on a nonstick skillet until each side is browned (~5 min per side). Dress filets with sage-shallot sauce and serve along with braised cabbage and some nice leafy greens. Serves 2-4.

Truth be told: I’m a sucker for rosemary. It’s definitely a go-to herb around the house when I’m putting together a makeshift dinner and looking for a surefire winner. I’m also a sucker for almonds, and almond meal is simply superb for a breading base. Here, a combination of onion and garlic flavors, almond and rosemary – along with the satisfying crunch of corn meal – work wonders when slathered over savory tamari marinated tofu cutlets. Pair with pan-seared rainbow chard and roasted corn and you have one tasty, easy to prepare dinner indeed.

Here’s what you’ll need for the almond breaded tofu:

1 block extra firm tofu, pressed and cut into 10-12 bite sized triangles
1/4 C tamari
1/2 C water
1 T olive oil

1/3 C almond meal
1/4 C corn meal
1 T nutritional yeast
2 T dried rosemary
1/2 t sea salt
1 t fresh ground white pepper
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder

Begin by draining your tofu, wrapping it with a clean kitchen towel and placing it under a heavy object. After 10 mins, flip over and press for an additional 10 mins. Meanwhile, prepare your marinade and breading. Whisk together tamari, water and olive oil in a large bowl. When your tofu is finished being pressed, add it to the marinade. Marinate for at least 30 mins, stirring periodically.

Combine all the ingredients for the breading on a large plate, making sure to mix well. Also at this time, preheat oven to 350 for your corn, and begin steaming your rainbow chard. Place one bunch washed chard into a steamer basket and steam until just tender (~10 mins), then set aside. When your oven is ready, put in your corn, husk and all, and bake for 30 mins.

Dredge your tofu in the dry mix, making sure to shake to remove excess breading. Once all cutlets are breaded, heat 3 T olive oil in a non stick pan and add cutlets one by one. Saute over med. heat until golden on all sides. While the tofu and corn are cooking, devein your reserved chard and chop roughly. Heat 1 t canola oil in a saucepan or wok, add chard and stir fry for about a minute, adding 1 t of tamari at the end of the cooking cycle. Top your finished chard with toasted sesame seeds and serve alongside the breaded tofu and roasted corn.

Here in Cincinnati this time of year, it’s aubergine city. Farmer’s markets, home gardens, Whole Foods – EVERYWHERE there are gorgeous eggplants begging to be taken home. So, accordingly, lots of them find their way into my kitchen. This compels me to be creative, often times. Lots of baingan curries, raw salads, stir fries, risottos – you name it. That being said, sometimes it’s best to go traditional and simple. Like this breaded, pan-fried eggplant linguine slathered in wine sauce with kalamata olives, pine nuts and parsley.

Firstly, begin heating the water for your linguine. Next, prepare the dry mix for your breaded eggplant. Here’s what you’ll need:

2/3 C whole wheat flour
1/3 C corn meal
1 T nutritional yeast
1.5 T dried Italian herbs (sage, marjoram, basil, oregano, savory, etc)
1 t salt
1 t ground black pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder

Mix the ingredients well on a plate and set aside. Slice an eggplant into 1/2″ slices, leaving the skin on.  Dip the slices in a 2/1 mixture of water and tamari (~1.5 C total liquid) and dredge through the dry mix, shaking to remove the excess. Heat 1/2 C olive oil (or canola oil) over med-high heat in a nonstick skillet and pan-fry eggplant slices in batches until golden. Set aside.

At this point, your water should be boiling. Add the linguine and cook according to directions on the box. Next, begin working on your sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:

2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1/2 C tomato paste
1/2 C pitted kalamata olives
1 T dried Italian herbs
1 t red pepper flakes
1/2 C red wine (I used Frey Vineyards’ pinot noir)
1/3 C bread crumbs
1/4 C pine nuts
3 T fresh chopped parsley

Saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant, being careful not to overcook. Add the tomato paste and, using the back of a cooking spoon, mash it into the garlic/oil. Saute over med-low heat for 2-3 mins, stirring regularly. Next, add Italian herbs, olives and red pepper flakes, stirring to combine. Saute for an additional 1 min., then add the red wine. Bring to a high simmer, then reduce heat to low and partially cover. Cook for ~3-4 mins, stirring occasionally, until reduced. Add bread crumbs, pine nuts and parsley, and salt to taste, stir to combine, heat through, and remove from heat.

Top linguine with the breaded eggplant and wine sauce. Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley.

Fact: Tangy, toothsome tempeh filets go great with the bite of horseradish or a nice stone-ground mustard.  Here, I baked tempeh in a mustard-miso sauce and paired it with quinoa loaded with currants and cashews. Prepare your marinade and begin marinating tempeh a few hours in advance. Here’s what you’ll need:

1 package tempeh, cut into 8 rectangular pieces
1/3 C horseradish mustard (or stone-ground dijon)
2 T yellow miso, dissolved in 3/4 C water
2 T tamari
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t agave nectar
2 t sherry

Mix marinade ingredients well and combine with tempeh in a plastic container with a lid. Marinate for at least 4 hours. When ready to use, pre-heat oven to 450 and combine tempeh and marinade in a baking dish with a lid, reserving 1/4 C of the marinade. While oven is preheating, prepare quinoa by combining these ingredients in a medium sized pot:

1 C quinoa, rinsed well and picked through
1/2 C raw cashews
1/4 C good tasting, low sodium vegetable stock
1 C water
1/3 C dried currants
1 T olive oil

Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20 mins until quinoa is tender and fluffy. Bake tempeh for 10 mins, while baking combine in a small saucepan

1/4 C reserved mustard-miso marinade
1 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 C water

Saute sauce over medium heat until reduced by half. Remove tempeh from marinade, top with sauce and serve with quinoa.

I think a lot of people are under the impression that vegans don’t do “homestyle” foods. C’mon people – at one point we ALL went to Cracker Barrel, ate hash browns and left with slingshots and toy boxcars. We love mashed potatoes too, we just like ours with Earth Balance instead of butter and gravy that’s made with mushrooms or shallots rather than turkey innards. This savory dish features delectable marinated tofu filets topped with a creamy, rich gravy that’s sure to impress even the most skeptical omnivore at your table. Serve with some fresh artisan bread and rice or risotto  (an asparagus/king oyster mushroom risotto is pictured above).

You’ll want to begin marinating your tofu filets well in advance so they can soak up all these tasty flavors. For the marinade, whisk together the following ingredients in a plastic container with a lid or deep bowl.

Tofu Marinade
1 C water with 1 T dissolved red miso
1/3 C tamari
1/2 t onion powder
1 t rubbed sage
1/2 t dried thyme
1 t dried rosemary
1 clove of garlic, peeled and microplanned
1 T olive oil

Slice a block of pressed, extra firm tofu into 8 rectangular cutlets and slide them into the broth. Cover the container and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

When tofu is ready to be used, begin preparing your gravy. Here’s what you’ll need:

Porcini Mushroom/Cashew Gravy
3/4 C porcini stock
1 t miso dissolved in 1 T water
1 t No Beef Better Than Bouillon paste dissolved in 1 T water
1 T Mimiccreme (or soy creamer)
4 oz silken tofu
2 T tamari
1/2 C cashews
1 t fresh ground pepper
1/2 sea salt
dash nutmeg
dash thyme

To get your mushroom stock, soak 1/2 C dried porcini mushrooms in 1 C very hot water for 10 minutes, until water is dark brown. Strain mushrooms out of water, pressing them to get out all the liquid. Combine stock with the rest of the gravy ingredients in a blender and blend on high until creamy and uniform. Pour into a small saucepan and heat on low, stirring occasionally while you saute your tofu.
Remove tofu from marinade and saute on nonstick pan over medium heat until browned on all sides. Top the cutlets generously with gravy and serve immediately.

Chanterelles are prized all over the world for their delicate, beautiful appearance and tantalizing taste and texture. Gorgeous, huh?

Here, these exquisite mushrooms are served with tender, savory seitan filets  in a delectable white wine cream sauce and paired with breaded, braised heirloom tomatoes.

First off, get your seitan cooking broth started and preheat your oven to 350 for the tomatoes. Combine the following in a deep stockpot and bring to a high simmer:

6 C water
1 C Mimiccreme
6 cremini mushrooms
a sprig of fresh thyme
2 sprigs of fresh parsley
2 T No Chicken Better than Bouillon paste dissolved in 1/3 C water
1/2 rapunzel bouillon
2 t salt
1 t white pepper
1/2 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder

At this time, you also want to begin working on your seitan dough. Combine the following in a mixing bowl:

1 C vital wheat gluten
1 T Mimiccreme
1 t miso dissolved in 1 T water
1 t No Chicken Better than Bouillon paste dissolved in 1 T water
3/4 c water

Mix ingredients well until you have a wet dough which stretches easily but does not fall apart. Make sure not to overwork. Flatten your dough on a cutting board with your palms and, using a sharp knife, cut into 5 filets.  Slide each filet into the broth, which should be simmering but not boiling. Cook for an hour, flipping the filets every 15 mins.

While seitan is cooking, combine 2 C chanterelles and 2 T Earth Balance in a medium saucepan. Cook until chanterelles are just tender and remove from heat.  Next, begin preparing your white wine sauce. Here’s what you’ll need:

3 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1 C chardonnay
1 t No Chicken Better Than Bouillon paste dissolved in 1/3 C water
2 T Mimiccreme
1/4 C fresh parsley, chopped
1 t fresh thyme

Saute shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until shallots are translucent. Add chardonnay and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 5-8 minutes or until wine has reduced by about half.

While your sauce is cooking, prepare your tomatoes. Cut 2 large heirloom tomatoes (we used brandywines) in half and de-seed them. Brush a nonstick skillet with olive oil and, over medium heat, sear the tomato flesh for about a minute. Sprinkle tomatoes with a mixture of the following:

2 T olive oil
1/2 C bread crumbs
2 c garlic, minced
sea salt to taste
1/2 t white pepper
1 T dried italian herbs (marjoram, thyme, savory, basil, etc)

Place tomatoes on a cookie sheet and put into the oven. Bake for about 8 mins, or until softened. You don’t want to bake too long or the tomatoes will get mushy.

At this time, add Mimiccreme, salt and pepper to taste and fresh herbs to your wine sauce and continue to saute, uncovered, over low heat. Your seitan cutlets should be about done by now. Remove them from the broth and press to drain. Brush the filets with a mixture of tamari and olive oil and coat with bread crumbs. Pan-sear them on a non-stick skillet over med-high heat, 2 mins per side or until browned.

Slice the seitan filets into thick strips and place atop rice or perhaps orzo, then top with wine sauce.

Ahh vital wheat gluten… Sometimes you really amaze me. Here you sit in a bulk bag from Whole Foods, a mere brownish powder. Yet even in this basic state I know that within the hour you will be as succulent and plump as… well, you get the picture.

A lot of people I know get hung up on the mechanics of making seitan. How much wet to dry? What if the stock boils?! To steam or to simmer… I think once you realize that seitan is, in essence, a pretty forgiving dough that really just wants to work with you, things will be a lot easier. Obviously the key to any successful batch of seitan is texture. Follow these simple steps and your cooking pot will yield juicy, savory seitan with texture magnifique.  Served here with shallots and mushrooms in a rich pinot noir gravy, this gluten-centric entree is a real keeper.

First things first, get your seitan broth started. Combine in a large stock pot:

6 C water
1 C Mimiccreme
3 bay leaves
1/2 C dried porcini mushrooms
1 T Better Than Bouillon No Beef base
2 T tamari
1 t onion powder
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med-low to maintain a simmer. While stock is heating up, prepare your seitan dough. In a cooking bowl combine

1 C vital wheat gluten
3/4 C water
1 T Mimiccreme
1 t Better Than Bouillon No Beef base dissolved in 1 T water
1 t red miso dissolved in 1 T water

Mix well with your hands, making sure to not overwork the dough. You’ll know if it’s becoming overworked if it starts to feel overly elastic and begins to resist stretching. If this occurs, don’t fret – just let dough sit on a cutting board for 10-15 mins; it can self-soothe. If you’ve made seitan before, this dough may seem a bit wetter than usual. The ideal consistency here is for the dough to be wet enough to stretch and be easily manipulated, but not so wet that it falls apart. When you’re satisfied with the consistency, cut dough into 4 “steaks” with a sharp knife.

Slip steaks into your cooking broth and cover the stock pot. Simmer for an hour, flipping every fifteen minutes or so. When the cutlets are finished remove them from the broth, and, when cooled, wrap them in paper towels and press well (as you would tofu); it’s imperative that you get out the excess cooking broth so they can absorb the flavors of the gravy.  Here’s about what your raw steaks should look like.

At this time, get your seitan rub together.  On a large plate, mix together:

1/2 C crushed raw cashews
1 T dried rosemary
3/4 C unbleached flour
1 t salt
1 t fresh ground white pepper

Rub each seitan steak with a 1/1 mixture of tamari and olive oil. Then dredge steaks in dry mix, making sure to coat evenly. Shake each steak to remove excess flour and set aside.

Next, begin preparing your gravy. Here’s what you’ll need:

2 T olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C mushrooms (I used lion’s mane, but cremini would work fine)
1 C pinot noir
1/2 C water, with 1 t No Beef bouillon dissolved
2 T Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
1 t corn starch dissolved in 1 T water
1 T fresh chopped thyme
salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a nonstick saucepan, add shallots, garlic and mushrooms and saute over medium heat until shallots are translucent. Add pinot noir and water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to med-high, partially cover pot, and saute for ~5 mins. Stir in Earth Balance and dissolved corn starch and saute for an additional 2-3 mins. Add fresh thyme and salt and pepper to taste, stir well to mix, remove from heat and cover.

Coat a nonstick skillet with a thin layer of olive oil and begin to saute seitan steaks over medium heat. Cover skillet while steaks are cooking to make sure that they heat through. Saute until steaks are browned on both sides (3-4 mins per side).  Top steaks with gravy and serve with some nice greens on the side.

I picked up some beautiful lion’s mane mushrooms this past Sunday at Hyde Park Farmer’s Market. Maybe it’s just me and my fungus fanaticism, but anytime I have access to mushrooms of this quality I always want them to be the star of the dish. Lion’s manes are known for having what I’m told is a “crab-like” texture and taste.  Paired here with tender, steamed green beans in a  savory risotto, the mushrooms are at center stage. Alongside the risotto, I prepared golden brown, pan-seared tofu which was marinated in lemon juice, chardonnay (why not use Frey Vineyards’ delectable chard – it’s organic and sulfites free) and olive oil, then seasoned with herbes de provence and lemon zest.

First, get your risotto stock going. Combine 1.5 bouillon cubes (I use Rapunzel’s vegan, unsalted variety) and 6 cups water in a large pot over high heat. Drain tofu, wrap in paper towels and press under a heavy object for 10 mins, flip over and repeat. Prepare tofu marinade and dry mix at this time. When tofu is finishing being pressed, slice in half longways and begin to marinate, flipping occasionally.

Tofu Marinade
1/2 C chardonnay
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 t olive oil

Dry Mix
3/4 C unbleached flour
1/2 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
1 T herbes d’ provence
1/2 t lemon zest

Now, begin preparing the risotto. Here’s what you’ll need, in addition to your stock:

1 C arborio rice
2 shallots, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T olive oil
1/3 C chardonnay

Combine shallots, garlic and olive oil in a deep, nonstick pan. Saute over medium heat until shallots are soft, then add 1/3 C chardonnay and saute until reduced. At this time, slowly add rice, stirring to coat. Next, add 1 C of your risotto stock. Stir to combine and simmer, stirring regularly, until liquid is absorbed. You’ll repeat this with the rest of your stock (5-6 more times).

While risotto is cooking, begin preparing your other veggies. Combine 1 C chopped lion’s mane mushrooms with 1 T olive oil, 1/2 t salt and fresh ground pepper to taste and saute until tender. Add a splash of tamari and remove from heat.

Place  1/2 C chopped green beans in a steamer basket and steam until fork tender (I placed the steamer basket over my simmering risotto stock to save space). Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove tofu from marinade and slice into 8 large triangle pieces. Dredge each piece in the dry mix, making sure to coat evenly and shaking to remove excess flour. Heat a thin layer of olive oil on a nonstick skillet (~1 T). Add tofu filets and saute over med-low heat until golden brown on each side.

When you’re down to about a cup of your risotto stock, add reserved mushrooms and green beans, and stir well to combine. Simmer, stirring often, until liquid is absorbed and risotto is nice and creamy. Plate with tofu and garnish with fresh thyme.