Chikin Cacciatore

Chikin Cacciatore
An orifinal recipe by Alaine Chang
(Orzo accompanies the Chikin Cacciatore in the recipe’s photo)

My Grandmother was a fantastic cook. She loved clipping interesting recipes out of the newspaper’s food section and then making them her own. It was in the late 1970’s that a recipe for “Chicken Cacciatore” caught her eye. As it made quite a lot, she invited my husband & me over to try it. Back then I was an omnivore. Still, the great flavor combination of the garlic, tomatoes, onion and peppers served on a bed of hot seaming rice, was such a hit, that it became a family favorite. When I became vegetarian, it was one of the dishes I really missed. It took me twelve years to come up with a really good vegan copy of my Gramma’s recipe (one that was just as delicious the day you made it, or reheated the next…or even frozen, thawed and reheated), but the wait was worth it. This recipe is simple comfort food; the hallmark of my Gramma’s cooking.

FYI: This recipe uses Elephant Garlic and I know it looks like a lot, but Elephant Garlic is a member of the Leek family and has a milder, sweeter flavor with no after bite.

Makes about 1 ½ Quarts (10-12 Servings)

Ingredients:
16 oz Vegan Seitan (chikin flavor: homemade or store bought)
½ to 1 Cup Unbleached Flour
½ to 1 Cup Vegan Shortening (I used Spectrum)
1 lb Onions, cut into wedges top to root
8-10 oz Pepper (Any kind or color; chopped, sliced or in chunks)
7-8 oz. Elephant Garlic, very thinly sliced
16 oz. Sliced Baby Bella or White Button Mushrooms.
28 oz. Can Whole Tomatoes & their Juice
28 oz. Can Plum Tomatoes & their Juice
15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
1 tsp. Sea Salt
½ tsp. Dried Oregano

Instructions:
Cut seitan into pieces like chikin tenders approximately 3 inches long by 1-2 inches wide.

Chop or slice peppers, onions & garlic. Open tomato cans and slice tomatoes into long strips. Set all aside.
If mushrooms are not sliced, do so & set them aside too.

Place flour in a bowl. Lightly dredge seitan pieces in flour & place the coated pieces in a single layer on a tray lined with parchment paper.

Melt ¼ Cup of the shortening over medium heat in a large Dutch oven. When shortening is melted and hot, lightly brown the dredged seitan pieces on all sides, adding more shortening as needed Remove lightly browned seitan to a separate dish or bowl & set aside. I usually do the browning step in several batches.

When all seitan is done & set aside, turn the heat up on the pot. When the pot is hot, add the peppers and onions. “Stir-fry” on high for ie. 30 seconds. Add salt and stir fry another 30 seconds. Add garlic and mushrooms and stir-fry another 30 seconds. Cover. Reduce heat to low or medium-low and let simmer till all vegetables are tender (about 15-20 minutes).

When vegetables are tender, add the canned tomatoes (including their juice). If you didn’t slice then earlier, break the tomatoes up as you add them. Add tomato sauce and oregano. Mix well. Turn heat up to high.

Return seitan to the pot, gently mixing it with the pot contents so that all seitan pieces are covered.

Reduce heat to low or medium-low, cover the pot and simmer on low for 30-40 minutes. You may want to check it about half way through and gently mix it to be sure nothing is sticking on the bottom.

Serve over cooked rice, mashed potatoes, orzo or any pasta or grain of your choice.


Notes:
I used Morning Star Farms Meal Starter Chikin Strips, but you can use any mock chicken seitan, homemade or store bought. To make this a truly whole foods recipe, make your own chikin seitan from scratch.

The flour and shortening amounts will vary based on the size and type of seitan, just use as much flour as you need to lightly coat the seitan pieces and as much shortening as you need so you do not have a dry pot bottom and can lightly brown all your seitan pieces.

Buying fresh sliced mushrooms is the same price as buying whole ones, but less work.

I just thinly slice each whole elephant garlic bulb. A mandolin works great for this, but I sometimes just do it by hand.

This recipe freezes really well.

You May post this original recipe elsewhere if you credit me, Alaine Chang, The Vegan Whole Foodie and provide a link to this site http//vegwholefoodie.blogspot.com

Previous Recipe posts: Better than Chicken Soup Miso Soup, Asian Scallion Hummus, Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes w/ Garlicky Mushrooms, Vegan Borchst (Red Beet Soup)

Watch for these Recipes to be posted: Wasabi Hummus, Peanut Seitan Congee

Better Than Chicken Soup Miso Super Soup

Better Than Chicken Soup Miso Super Soup
Reconstituted: Makes 10 Servings ( ie. 16 2/3’s Cups Soup)
Each Serving about 1 & 2/3 Cups

One the things that inspired me to create this recipe is that I never seem to have enough room in my refrigerator. Soup takes up so much space, especially if you want to make enough for a week. Years ago I had a cold and really wanted a substitute for Chicken Soup that was quick & chock full of vitamins and minerals. The result was this soup…super nutritious, easy to make and tastes great from the first reconstituted bowl to the last. It’s my “go-to instead of Chicken Soup” soup for winter especially during cold & Flu Season. The soft texture and soothing creaminess slides down sore throats easily and its warmth opens sinuses and eases flu-like aches. It’s a great cold and flu preventative, too. But these days it’s the taste I really make it for…simply a great comfort food…like heaven in a bowl.

Ingredients:
4 Cups Vegetable Stock
3 tsp. Naturade Soy Free Protein Booster (a Peas based Protein Booster)
1 ½ Tbsp. Red Star Nutritional Yeast (Vegetarian Support Formula also called T-6635)
12 oz. Onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 ½ Cups – it’s roughly 1 softball sized onion))
1 lb. Carrots, chopped (ie. 2 ½ Cups chopped – roughly 3 super large carrots)
1 lb. Frozen Broccoli Florets
1 lb. frozen Cauliflower Florets
1 Cup Quinoa (not cooked)
¼ Cup Tahini
½ Cup Sweet White Mellow Miso (or Barley Miso or any light color miso)
½ Cup water (to add at the end)
2 ½ 8oz. pkgs. Smokey Baked tofu, cubed ¼” X ¼” (I used Soy Boy Smoked Tofu)
2 ½ Cups Minced scallions

Instructions:

1. Put Vegetable broth, Vegetable protein booster and Nutritional Yeast in a large size pot or Dutch oven.

2. Add chopped onion, carrots, frozen broccoli & cauliflower. Mix well.

3. Bring pot of veggies & broth to a boil.

4. Cover, Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add quinoa & cook for 10 minutes (if quinoa is not all “puffed up” cook cover for 10 more minutes or until quinoa is cooked)

6. When quinoa is done, add miso, and tahini. Stir & simmer (do not boil) for 5 minutes, then stir in ½ cup water.

7. Remove from heat. When cooled completely transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate.


(Photo of Finished Concentrated Soup)

Notes:
I have noticed that what you use as you vegetable stock (either homemade or powder based or store bought may vary the color and taste of the soup, but whatever I’ve used it’s still always turned out great. The same can be said of brands of Tahini and brands and flavors of miso. I use a thinner Tahini. My favorite brand is Krinos. If all you have available is a very stiff thick Tahini, you may need to add extra water at the end. Of the light miso’s, I like Miso Master’s Sweet Mellow White Miso . My 2nd favorite is their Barley Miso. The color of the miso will change the color of the soup somewhat.

RE: Cooking Miso: According to the website: Living without Drugs, Natural Cures for Colds to Cancer
Gentle simmering stops the fermentation process, so that the miso will not continue to ferment – and produce gas – in your stomach and intestines. However, the simmering heat is not strong enough to kill the friendly bacteria present in the miso. Thus, miso soup prepared in this manner will nourish you with beneficial friendly bacteria, which helps disgestion and enhances immunity. http://www.natural-cancer-cures.com/miso-soup.html

When I can get them on sales, I love using baby carrots and then I just coin them.

If you can use fresh broccoli and cauliflower; just chop it a little smaller so it will be tender by the end of the 1st 20 minutes of cooking. And yes…the frozen cauliflower & broccoli will kind of disintegrate into the broth, but that’s what makes it creamier 

This recipe turns out best with White not Red Inca Quinoa and with sweet white mellow miso.

I wouldn’t recommend freezing this soup because that might kill the beneficial bacteria of the miso in it.

This makes a concentrated soup. Depending upon how thick or thin you like your soup add either 1 cup of concentrate to 2/3’s cup of water or 1 Cup of Concentrate to 1 Cup of water.

For an individual serving: Combine 1 Cup Concentrated soup to 2/3 Cup water. Add 2 Tbsp. of cubed smoked tofu and 1 Tbsp. minced scallions. Mix well and microwave covered on 50% power for 5-5 ½ minutes.

For 4 Servings: 2 Cups Soup Concentrate Plus 2 2/3 Cups Water. Add ½ Cup Cubed Tofu and ¼ Cup Minced Scallions

To Reconstitute the entire recipe: Add 6 2/3’s Cups water plus 5 Cups cubed smoked tofu and 2 ½ Cups Minced Scallions. Reheat on stove or in microwave. If you are making this and then serving it, you can just add these after step 6. In that case I would add 6 2/3’s cups hot (not boiling) water instead of cold.

You May post this original recipe elsewhere if you credit me, Alaine Chang, The Vegan Whole Foodie and provide a link to this site

Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlicky Mushrooms

Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlicky Mushrooms
Created 1.28.10 by Alaine Chang
Serves 3

This recipe is really easy to make and tastes amazing! The sweet potatoes, oregano, mushrooms and elephant garlic are a great mix of sweet and savory. I was thinking it would be a great side dish for a black bean cutlet or some grilled seitan. Add a mixed greens salad and follow it up with a beautiful bowl of mixed Blueberries, Blackberries & Honeydew melon chunks and you have a great meal that’s healthy and ready in 30 minutes!

Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:
2 ¼ lbs. Sweet Potatoes (or 3-12 oz. potatoes)
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Dried Parsley
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
½ tsp. Sea Salt

Instructions:
Preheat Oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit
Peel & slice Sweet Potatoes into ½ inch thick coins.
Place on a jelly roll pan in a single layer.
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs and spices.
With hands, mix, flip & rub oil, salt and herbs all over both sides of coins.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 30 minutes, or until fork tender.
Remove from oven and serve hot topped with Garlicky Mushrooms.

Notes:
Look for potatoes that are about two inches in diameter and fairly cylindrical to make nice even coins with and check that there are no bruises, dents and few or no eyes.

While Sweet Potatoes are roasting prepare the mushroom recipe below.

Garlicky Mushrooms

Ingredients:
3 oz. Elephant Garlic Cloves (roughly 2 cloves)
8 oz. Mixed Sliced Baby Bella, Shitake & Oyster Mushrooms
14 oz. Onion, Chopped
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
½ tsp. Sea Salt
2 Tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine

Instructions:
Preheat a frying pan on the stove.
Peal & thinly slice elephant garlic, set on to of mushroom
Peal & chop Onions.
Turn stove up to high heat.
Add Oil to frying pan.
When oil is hot add chopped onions. Stir fry for 30 seconds.
Add ¼ tsp. salt. Stir fry on high till onion starts to caramelize.
Add Garlic and Mushrooms. Stir fry on high for 1 minute.
Add ¼ tsp salt. Reduce heat to Medium and let cook for 2 minutes.
Turn heat up to high. When hot, add Chinese Cooking wine to deglaze the pan.
Cook stirring for 30 seconds.
Reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve over Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

You May post this original recipe elsewhere if you credit me, Alaine Chang, The Vegan Whole Foodie and provide a link to this site

Asian Scallion Hummus

Asian Scallion Hummus
By Alaine Chang
Makes ie. 6 Cups

I love hummus….all kinds! It is full of protein and makes a great lunch or snack. So…I’ve been working on creating as many different kinds of hummus recipes as I can. For the past few weeks I’ve been making batch after batch of my newest creation…Asian Scallion Hummus. It makes up so fast and is so yummy that I’ve even been dipping fresh spinach leaves into it as a dip every time I pass the fridge. I will warn you though…this is a scallion lover’s dip…and if you love scallions…this dip is addictive! Let me know if you try it and what you think of it. In the picture above I toasted a crusty Tuscan Bread, topped it with baby spinach and tomato slices and heaped on the scallion hummus, then garnished it with some minced scallions. Steamed carrots, broccoli and sugar pea pods were the perfect side. Coffee au Vanilla Almond Rice Lait was all the dessert I needed. A Simply Scrumptious Lunch!

Ingredients:
4-15.5 oz. Cans White Cannellini Beans, Rinsed Well and Drained
¼ Cup Tahini
2 Tbsp. Toasted Sesame Oil
1tsp. Fresh Ginger, Peeled & Grated
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice
¼ Cup Fresh Tangerine Juice
2 Tbsp. Vegan Teriyaki Sauce
1 tsp. Sea Salt
1 ¼ Cup Scallions (aka Green Onions), Chopped…Plus Extra for garnish if desired

Instructions:
Put all ingredients in a food processor & pulse till all is smooth, creamy & well blended.
Chill & serve with vegetable dippers or use as a sandwich spread or in a pita with fresh greens and tomato.

Time Saving Tips:
You can also just toss all the ingredients in a deep bowl and use an immersion blender till the desired creaminess is achieved.

If you’d like to make less just cut the recipe in half. As 4 Tablespoons equals ¼ cup, just use 2 Tbsp. where the recipe calls for ¼ Cup.
Coarsely chopping the green onion before processing it will assure that you won’t get an uneven consistency or any long stringy pieces.

Re: the fresh ginger: I always have this on hand. I just put the fresh ginger in a Ziploc freezer bag & and keep it in the freezer. The thin skin comes off easily, even frozen, with a peeler. I just peel what I need to grate and return the rest of the root to the freezer.

Lastly: Anytime I have extra fresh citrus juice leftover from this or any other recipe, I put it in a small container in the freezer. I thaw the mixed citrus juices and use them to marinate tofu, tempeh or seitan…before BBQ-ing them.

You May post this original recipe elsewhere if you credit me, Alaine Chang, The Vegan Whole Foodie and provide a link to this site

Vegan Borchst (Red Beet Soup)

Vegan Borchst (Red Beet Soup)
When I was in elementary school, my Mom & I visited some people near our house that had a huge garden. They gave us a large bunch of fresh beets, and when we got home, my Mother made a delicious creamy red beet soup. I fell in love with the sweet flavor and comforting aroma. When I turned vegetarian and then vegan, as the soup was beef based, I thought I would never enjoy this rich soup again. Years later, more comfortable with vegan cooking, I began a project to veganize all of my family pre-vegan favorite recipes. The recipe for Red Beet Soup (or Borscht) that I chose to convert was from The 1975 Good Housekeeping Cookbook that my husband had (out of self preservation) given me for our first Christmas together. For those who aren’t fond of creamy soups, it is delicious without the sour cream and for those who love them; it is a feast for the taste buds, tummy and soul. Because it makes up in one pot, it’s easy and as you can freeze it (pre-sour cream) you may want to double it and store the extra in single serving freezer containers for future lunches or meals. FYI: My omnivore husband gave this recipe a BIG Thumbs up!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 lb. Seitan (I used 2-8 oz. boxes West Soy Seitan Chunks – each chunk cut into small pieces about same sixe as other veggies)
8 oz. Sliced Baby Bella Mushrooms, coarsely chopped Optional
2 lbs. Fresh Red Beets (about 4 Medium-Large or 3 cut into ½” X ½” cubes - 4 cups and 1 shredded - 2 cups)
9 oz. Carrots, Coined (About 3-4 medium Carrots or 2 cups, coined)
11 oz. Sweet Onions, Coarsely Chopped (About 1 Med-Lg. Onion or 2 ½ Cups chopped)
4 oz. Celery, sliced (About 1-2 Large Stalks or 1 Cup, Sliced Crosswise as thick as carrot coins)
3 Cups Water
3 Tbsp. Bills Best Vegetarian Beaf Seasoning (see note below)
1 Bay Leaf
2 ½ tsp. Sea Salt
32 oz. Vegetarian Chicken Broth (I used Imagine No Chicken Broth)
1-6oz. Can Tomato Paste
1 ½ tsp. Vegan Organic Sugar (I used Turbinado Sugar)
2 ¼ lbs. Cabbage (About 1 Small Head Cabbage or 9 Cups Shredded)
Vegan Sour Cream, such as Tofutti’s Better Than Sour Cream (Optional)

Instructions:
Early in the Day
Chop Onions, Coin Carrots, Slice Celery, Shred Cabbage, Chop Seitan. Set aside.
Remove Beet Greens (wash & store in a bag in the fridge) and then peel & cube 3 Beets. Set Aside.

When You are Ready to Make the Soup:
Heat a large soup pot or kettle. Add 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil. When oil is hot, sauté seitan pieces, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside. Then add chopped onion, celery and carrots and mushrooms. Sauté for 2 minutes on high heat, add 1 ½ tsp. of salt, then cover and reduce heat to low. Cook till all are tender (ie. 15 minutes).

If using a powdered beaf broth, add the 3 Tbsp. to 3 cups of hot water. Mix until dissolved then add the broth, plus the cubed beets, shredded cabbage and a bay leaf to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 2 hours.

Add shredded beets along with tomato paste, sugar and 1 tsp. salt. Simmer 20 minutes. Discard Bay leaf.

Serve hot with a dollop of vegan sour cream on top.

NOTES:
You can do the “Early in the Day” Prep work the day before and store prepped ingredients in the fridge till you are ready to make the soup.

This soup freezes well, so you may want to double the recipes and freeze extra in individual or family meal size containers. If you double this recipe, be sure to use a really large soup pot. The cabbage reduces in size, so if you can add it in batches if your pot won’t take it all at once.

Although it doesn’t make use of the Beet tops, or Beet Greens, don’t throw them away. Use them in other soups, stir-fries or sauté them with some onion and garlic for a great side dish.

Re: the mushrooms: Buy them already sliced. They are the same price and will save you some work. If you prefer not to use the seitan, buy whole Baby Bella mushrooms and cut them into chunks the same size as the beet cubes.

Re: Water & Beaf Powder: You can use 3 Cups of any vegan mock beef broth or a combination of water and any mock beef flavor powder you like…or even just all Imagine No Chicken Broth. I had the seasoning below in my cupboard and found that it usually takes more of this powder than instructions say to make a really “beefy” broth…but it’s still good.

Bill’s Best Seasonings: Great for broths, seasoning seitan and tofu, vegetable dishes, gravies, dips, and spreads, marinades and more. Totally vegan, no MSG, black or white pepper, sugar, or fillers.

Beaf Seasoning – Brown, beef-style flavoring. Contains soy flour, torula yeast, soy sauce, onion, garlic, salt, herbs, and vegetables. Makes 33 cups broth. 52096 Beaf Seasoning, 9.5 oz. regularly $6.29
http://www.healthy-eating.com/flavorings.html

Makes 1 Gallon, 1 Pint & 1 Cup

You May post this original recipe elsewhere if you credit me, Alaine Chang, The Vegan Whole Foodie and provide a link to this site