I finally did it! I've been working on my seitan recipe for several years now, borrowing tips from cookbooks, bloggers and the like. I've never been truly happy until now. You see, I have always been able to taste that wheaty taste, and the texture has been just a bit too rubbery for my liking. Yesterday, I was determined to make a cutlet that met my admitidly high standards. This recipe will be going in my cookbook for sure! I just want to make it one more time, so I can measure the exact ingredients I put in as far as spices, and I'll send it to my testers. It is a simple recipe, cooked on the stove, requiring no long kneading or resting time, added fat or tofu. Woohoo! This sandwich was just the cutlet coated in dijon and breadcrumbs and "fried" in my cast iron with cooking spray. My husband had it for lunch and loved it. I also baked a slab of ham style seitan for sandwiches, but didn't take a picture. I'm sure it will make it's way into the blogosphere this week though.
I had planned on testing one of my new recipes for a quinoa stuffed poblano, but decided to put that off for another day so I could use up some of the ingredients in the fridge. Made a quick pico/black bean salsa, roasted garlic tofu cream and quac. (the quac started to discolor, I got distracted by my dog and company).. I used half the salsa when I cooked the quinoa. Delicious and very healthy. Around 8 points for the whole dish. (I am going back and forth with the weight watchers thing. I REALLY need to get totally serious again, count all of my points and get back to meetings.
So many bloggers have been posting pics of baked goods made of barley flour. I decided to try my hand at some corn muffins, so I pulled out my Vita Mix and ground a cup of whole barley into flour for these little gems. I purposely made them smaller than a normal muffin to control calories. Verdict: Awesome! I will be using barley more often. The texture was so similar to wheat. The muffins went perfectly with a bowl of split pea soup for lunch.
When life gives you seitan cooking broth, you make soup! This is my fat free split pea soup with chicken style broth. So good. The pink pieces are bacon bits. I just added sweet potato, celery and liquid smoke. Perfect for this cold, snowy New Hampshire winters day.
Wow, your 'chicken' cutlets look like real chicken. Congrats on finalizing the recipe!
ReplyDeleteI love all the colours and freshness of your foods.
Melody - everything looks so beautiful! I've never seen quinoa look so bright and tasty.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on perfecting the seitan recipe...can't wait to test it out for you. I too have had some questionable trips into seitan land and have never been completely happy.
I'm loving the pictures, too!
Wow thats a lot of food.All of it looks fantastic.so fresh and yummy.i know my hubby would love the cutlets too.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to test your new seitan recipe! The perfect seitan recipe is so elusive. Although I really enjoyed the baked seitan log Jess blogged about (texture-wise) but I'm anxious to try it with different seasonings too. Everything else looks great. I love the idea of sweet potatoes in your split pea soup.
ReplyDeleteOmniman will be so happy about your chicken cutlets! (And so am I). Little doggy is sooo precious. How could you ever resist that "shmooshy" face?
ReplyDeleteI am so happy for you! I am so excited to test your seitan recipe. I am with you on the rubbery wheaty taste. I have not made a batch of seitan that meets my standards either. My omni man thought yours looked so good. He love chicken fried steak. I was thinking of making quinoa today and yours looks wonderful. Another great post! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteYum! I cannot wait to try the seitan! Your soup looks great too--don't you love fat free veggie soups?
ReplyDeleteCourtney
Those chicken cutlets look fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be one of your testers, I need something JUST like that for a recipe I'm making for Persian New Year! I'll have to be patient, I guess!
So much tastiness...
Kiss that adorable puppy for me!
ReplyDeleteYour food looks so beautiful, especially that colorful pico de gallo, but I have to admit, I'm really intrigued by the seitan. Much like you, I've never loved seitan 100% but yours looks so perfect. Congrats on perfecting it!
A great seitan is hard to find! Yours looks so good!!
ReplyDeleteYour photos are beautiful! The quinoa is especially pretty!!
Congrats on the seitan recipe. It looks awesome. So does the stuffed chile. I love quinoa and black beans. I am so ready for summer and lots of fresh pico!
ReplyDeleteIf you need a tester for the muffins, I would be happy to oblige!
I've never stuffed a poblano before. yours looks wonderful
ReplyDeleteteddy
Those cutlets are amazing. I'm totally thrilled for you, getting it just right! Rockin'!! The colours of all that incredible food here on your page and your doggie's great face at the bottom makes this one of my fave Melody posts of all time! (And there have been so many standouts, too!)
ReplyDeleteThe chicken-style seitan cutlets look amazing as does the stuffed poblano chiles. What beautiful presentation too. Your dog is adorable! :)
ReplyDeleteMelody, that's some good-looking food for sure. I'm glad your seitan recipe turned out so well! Mmm, and split pea soup is something I'd love to have again--I just never think to buy split peas, but it's really so easy. Yours looks incredible.
ReplyDeleteAs always, gorgeous photos and incredible looking meals!
ReplyDeleteI love how that cutlet looks, and the split-pea soup, too. Your pics just get better and better!
ReplyDeletei cant wait for the book!
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to testing out the seitan recipe! My seitan is always okay, but not great. The muffins sound really nice...I love barley! And the doggy pic is so cute!
ReplyDeleteOh my, that looks delicious, I'll bookmark your site to follow and see more delicious pics.
ReplyDeleteSee ya.