Festive Phyllo Triangles

As you can see by the paltry number of posts this month, December has been a pretty busy month in every sense but the culinary. I had all sorts of plans to do baking and post a bunch of ideas for the holiday season, but alas . . . . What is it they say about the best laid plans? I did make Peter Reinhart's stollen recipe (awesome), and I have finally figured out what to make for Christmas dinner. Since I will be feeding vegans and omnis alike, I wanted to make something that could be enjoyed for what it was, and not some imitation of a meat dish. Enter the phyllo! The filling is chickpeas with cranberries and spinach: tasty and also red and green for Christmas.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 19 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1 cup packed baby spinach
- 10 roasted chestnuts, chopped
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 tsp rubbed sage
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pkg phyllo dough
- melted margarine, or oil

METHOD
Makes 16 Preheat oven to 375 degrees
1. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and celery for 5-7 mins, until soft and translucent.
2. While onions are cooking, pulse chickpeas, cranberries, and spinach in a food processor. Make sure not to process into a paste.
3. Place chickpea mixture in a bowl, then add onions. Add chestnuts, flour, and spices and mix well. Season to taste.
4. Place one sheet of phyllo on the counter and brush with melted margarine or oil. Place another sheet on top and brush with oil. Cut phyllo lengthwise into three long strips of equal width. Place a scant 1/4 cup of filling at the bottom of each strip. Fold like you see here. Brush folded triangle with oil or margarine. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Repeat with remaining filling. Bake for 15-20 mins, until golden brown.

I served mine with roasted mushroom gravy. As you can see, I could not really figure out how to present the dish. On Christmas day I just plan to put them on the plate with all the other veggies and not worry about how it looks in a picture.

Seitan Roast with Wild Rice and Chestnut Stuffing

As I mentioned yesterday, Canadian Thanksgiving will soon be upon us. And by us I mean mainly me since most of my readers are American. I thought I had better take some dishes for a trial run before I make them for members of my family next weekend, like this roast. I will warn you now that the stuffing is a tad finicky. I think when I make it next week I will add in a slice of bread or so to make it all stick together. I also discovered that I made the chestnuts pieces way too big--small is the way to go with stuffing.

INGREDIENTS

Stuffing

- 12 roasted chestnuts, chopped

- 1/2 cup wild rice, cooked

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- 1 tbsp margarine

- 1 large shallot, chopped

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 rib celery, finely chopped

- 1/4 cup water

- 1 tsp sage

- 1 tsp thyme

- 1 tsp salt

- freshly ground pepper

- 1 cup fresh cranberries

- 1 tbsp flour

- you may want to add a some bread cubes to help hold it all together

METHOD

1. Roast chestnuts and cook rice according to the directions (usually 1/2 cup of wild rice is cooked in 2 cups of water for 50-60 mins. Drain off any excess water).

2. Melt margarine in oil on a saucepan over medium heat. Saute shallot, garlic, and celery for 5-7 mins, until soft and translucent. Add water, spices, and cranberries and cook for 3-4 mins, until cranberries begin to soften. Add rice and chestnuts and cook for 2 mins. Then add flour and mix well. Remove from heat and transfer to fridge to cool. (If you are using bread cubes, omit the flour and toss mixture with the bread)

3. While stuffing is cooling, make seitan. Your stuffing needs to be cool or it will make your seitan break apart during rolling.

Seitan
Get your water on its way to boiling in your steamer
- 1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp poultry spice
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup soy milk
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

METHOD
1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk together wet ingredients in a separate bowl and add to dry. Mix with a wooden spoon into a wet dough. If it seems too wet, add a bit more gluten flour. It should be soft and pliable, but still hold together.
2. Transfer dough to counter top or board. With your hands, flatten into a rectangle, about 1/2" thick. The width will depend on how wide your steamer is. Make sure it will fit.
3. Put stuffing in a line the center of the dough. Compress the stuffing in your hands so the center of the roast will be firm. Gently but firmly roll the seitan with the stuffing in the middle (i.e. make sure there is a cavity in the middle with the stuffing in it--don't roll it like a jelly roll). Seal the ends and seam as best you can.
4. Transfer the roll to a piece of extra wide, extra strength aluminum foil (it is important to have this), and tightly roll up like a Tootsie Roll.
5. Steam for 30 mins, turning over after 15 mins. While steaming, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Then, place roast in a loaf pan and bake for 25 mins.

6. Let roast stand for 15 mins before unwrapping and slicing with a very sharp knife. Serve with your favourite gravy.

The roast, unwrapped, after coming out of the oven.

Tofu with Sweet Cranberry Glaze, with Stuffing and Glazed Potatoes and Gravy

Tonight's goal was to create a Christmas-style meal in 1 hour. Mission accomplished! I am not the biggest fan of cranberries, but this glaze was perfect and worked well with the other flavours of the meal. I broiled the tofu on a stoneware baking sheet (this way you don't have to use oil-- well-seasoned stoneware is non-stick). I have texture issues and like a firm and chewy tofu. If you don't have texture issues you can skip this step and save some time.

Tofu with Sweet Cranberry Glaze

INGREDIENTS

- 1 pkg firm tofu, cut into 8 triangles

- 2 1/2 cup fresh cranberries

- 1 cup water

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- pinch of allspice

METHOD:

Preheat broiler

1. Slice tofu and dab with a paper towel to absorb excess moisture. Place on a stoneware baking sheet and broil about 5 mins per side, until golden brown. Be careful not to burn.

2. Meanwhile, make the glaze. Place cranberries and water in a saucepan. Bring to boil, cover, and cook for about 15 mins, until cranberries are soft, Blend with a hand blender until smooth. remove from heat and stir in sugar and spices.

3. Turn oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place tofu on sheet, leaving ample room between. Spoon cranberry glaze over tofu, making sure to coat the sides. Bake for 15 mins. Turn over, coat again, and bake 15 more mins. Turn over, coat one last time, and bake 15 more mins.

Not all the glaze will be used. I boiled Yukon Gold fingerling potatoes, and tossed them with the remainder of the glaze.

Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

- 1/4 cup margarine

- 1 onion, diced

- 1 rib of celery, diced

- 8 slices of thick sliced whole wheat bread, cubed (I used Wonder Texas toast)

- 2 tsp sage

- 1 tsp thyme

- 1/2 tsp salt

METHOD

1. Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions and celery until soft. Add spices. Pour over bread cubes and toss well.

2. Press bread into a stoneware loaf pan, cover with foil, and bake for 45 mins (i.e. while tofu is baking).

Easy Gravy

INGREDIENTS

- 2 tbsp oil

- generous tbsp flour

- 2 cups plain soy milk

- 2 tsp sage

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. Heat oil in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Whisk in soy milk and bring to bubbling. Stir in sage and salt and pepper.

Holiday Stew

I have been tossing around this dish in my head for a few days. How to make something that tastes like Christmas is coming? Do you serve with rice? Noodles? Do you bake it? Roast it? Fry it? I finally settled on a stew--warm and hearty. The thyme and sage remind me of stuffing, and the roasted chestnuts and chickpeas work really well together. Cranberries add a nice splash of tart flavour to finish everything off.

INGREDIENTS

- 30 chestnuts

- 2 tbsp oil

- 1 small yellow onion, diced

- 1 small red onion, diced

- 1 celery stalk, diced

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- 3 tsp sage

- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed

- 2 tsp thyme

- 1/2 tsp paprika

- 1/2 tsp cinnamon

- 1 cup apple juice

- 2 large (or 4 small) Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced

- 1 cup fresh cranberries

- 3 cups of water

- 2 tsp soy sauce

- 3 generous tbsp flour

- 1/3 cup plain soy milk

- 1/4 cup vegan "chicken" broth powder

- 1/2 cup dried cranberries

- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD

1. First, roast the chestnuts. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use a sharp paring knife to cut/punch an X through the shell of each chestnut (lets the steam escape). Place nuts, X side up, on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 mins, until shell splits and peels back around the X. Set aside to cool.

2. Heat oil in a stockpot over medium heat. Saute onions and celery until browned. Add chickpeas and spices and saute an additional two minutes. (While onions are cooking, slice chestnuts in half and peel).

3. Add in apple juice to deglaze pot. Add in potatoes, cranberries, water, and soy sauce. Bring to bubbling. Lower heat, cover, and simmer for 15 mins, or until potatoes are softened.

4. Mix flour into soy milk (I put both in a small container with a lid and shake). Add to pot and mix well. Add in broth powder. Bring to bubbling and let thicken.

5. Add in dried cranberries and chestnuts and cook for 5 mins. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Tofu with a Cranberry Balsamic Glaze, with Scalloped Potatoes

Tonight I had a real hankering for scalloped potatoes--must be the cold weather and snow (it's going down to -17 degrees Celsius tonight (that's about 1 degree Fahrenheit for those outside the Commonwealth)). This recipe is modelled after a Betty Crocker recipe I used to make in my pre-vegan days, and they are, in my humble opinion, the best vegan scalloped potatoes I have ever had. The key is slicing the potatoes really thin, so you must use a food processor. The smooth creaminess of the potatoes is nicely complimented by the crispy and tangy tofu.

Scalloped Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

- 1/3 cup non-hydrogenated margarine (Earth Balance)

- 1 large onion, diced

- 4 generous tbsp flour

- 5 cups plain soy milk

- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast

- salt and pepper to taste

- 8 yukon gold potatoes, very thinly sliced (use a food processor)

METHOD

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large Corningware dish (9x14)

1. Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook onions for 10 min, until translucent.

2. Add in flour 1 tbsp at a time, stirring constantly. Slowly add in soymilk. Add in nutritional yeast and season to taste with salt and pepper (I would suggest making it slightly saltier than usual since potatoes seem to suck up salt). Bring to bubbling, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

3. Slice potatoes (if you do this too far in advance they will brown). Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with a layer of potatoes. Top with a layer of sauce, then more potatoes. Repeat until all potatoes slices are gone, and top with the last of the sauce.

4. Cover dish and bake for 1 hr. Uncover and bake for 30 mins, until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let sit for at least 15 mins before serving.

NOTE: You can play with some of the quantities here. If you like more "liquidy" scalloped potatoes, make the sauce as is. If you like them a little drier, add in an extra tbsp of flour for a thicker sauce. No matter how you like them, make sure you use thin layers of sauce between the potatoes. Depending on the size of the potatoes you use, you may need to slice more than I indicate here.

Tofu with a Cranberry Balsamic Glaze

INGREDIENTS

- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

- 1 tsp sugar

- 1/2 cup cranberry juice

- 2 tbsp non-hydrogenated margarine

- 1 pkg firm tofu, cut into 16 triangles

- 1/2 cup cornstarch

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- 2 tsp dried parsley

- 2 tsp dried tarragon, crushed

- 1 tsp salt

- oil for frying

METHOD

1. Combine vinegar, sugar, juice, and margarine in a saucepan. Bring to bubbling, reduce heat, and simmer for about 20 mins until reduced to a thin glaze.

2. While glaze is simmering, heat oil on med-hi heat in a frying pan. Combine cornstarch and spices in a bowl, dredge tofu triangles, and fry on both sides until golden brown.

3. Toss tofu in the glaze and serve immediately.