Seitan Sausage and Peppers

Note:  If you have the seitan premade, then this recipe does not take much time at all to put together.  The longer it simmers, the better it will taste and is best the next day.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 8

Ingredients: 

1 batch of Italian Sausage Cutlets, sliced
2 large green bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips
1 large onion, coarse chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
crushed red pepper (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
4 cups of cooked rice, pasta or other whole grain

Directions:

1. In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes or until they are soft.
2. Add the all the remaining ingredients, except for the grain or pasta, and bring to a simmer.
3. Simmer for about 40 minutes.
4. Serve hot over rice, pasta or some other grain.

Inside Out Peanut Butter Cups

Note: The recipe was created by accident.  I was actually trying to use up the cocoa butter that had been in my pantry a long time by making some fudge.  When I realized all of my pans were dirty, I searched for something else to put it in and stumbled upon my mini muffin pan lined with silicon mini muffin liners.  They were a happy accident and hard to resist!

Cocoa butter can be hard to find.  I get mine on Amazon for a pretty good deal.

Makes 12 cups

Ingredients:

1/3 cup melted raw cocoa butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup grain-sweetened vegan chocolate chips (I use Sunspire or make my own chocolate, which is better.)

Directions:

1. Line a mini muffin tin with silicone mini muffin liners.
2. In a double-boiler, melt the cocoa butter on low heat.  I don't have a double-boiler, so I make one with small pot and bowl.  Just make sure the bowl sits on top.  Measure out 1/3 cup of cocoa butter.  If you were a little short of the 1/3 cup, then just add the melted back to the put and put in a few more chunks.  
3. In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa butter, peanut butter and maple syrup.  
4. Return it to the double-boiler on low heat and stir until well mixed.
5. Will a spoon, pour the mixture into the candy cups until they are about 3/4 full.  You need to leave room for the chocolate.
6. Put the chocolate chips in bowl and melt them on the double-boiler on low heat.  
7. Pour about a teaspoon of the melted chocolate chips into the middle of the cups.  The chocolate will sink to the middle, but if you want a design on top you can let them cool a little. 
8. Freeze for 30 minutes or until set.  
9. Remove the cups carefully from the silicone candy cups.
10. Store in the refrigerator.
11. Enjoy!  Try not to eat them all at once :)

Italian Sausage Cutlets

Note: I've done Southern Fried Seitan (pictured to the right), where I bread and fry the cutlets.  I've made Seitan Parmigiana, which is a breaded and baked cutlet with melted vegan mozzarella served with pasta and tomato sauce.  They are also just great to snack on. This recipe is adapted from Vegan Diner by Julie Hasson.  Her book has the BEST seitan recipes and I highly recommend adding it to your collection. I've made all sorts of recipes with these.


Ingredients:

2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup chickpea flour
1 tablespoon fennel seed
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups cool water
3 tablespoons soy sauce

Directions:

1. Fill the bottom of a large steamer with later and preheat.  
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients and mix well.
3. Add the water and soy sauce.  gently combine until all the flour mixture is in the dough.  Do not over mix.
4. Scoop about 1/3 cup of the dough onto an approximately 6x6 inch piece of aluminum foil.  Continue until all the dough is used.  It should make 8-9 cutlets.
5. Place the cutlets in the steamer.  It's okay to stack them on top of each other. 
6. Steam for about 45 minutes or until the cutlets are firm.  
7. Transfer to a plate to cool.  Then refrigerate until ready to eat, or just snack on them as I do.