Seitan Pot Roast & Truffled Mashed Potatoes

Nothing says fall comfort food like pot roast, gravy, and mashed potatoes!

First I made the Seitan Pot Roast from The Happy Herbivore Cookbook. It called for No-Beef Broth and Vegan Worcestershire Sauce, also recipes in the cookbook. They were so quick and easy to make, I didn't mind the recipes within recipes. The seitan is quick and easy to put together, then you simmer it in the no-beef broth with veggies for an hour, then bake it for another 25 minutes until it's firm and the outside is crispy.

I topped it with No-Beef Gravy, which was also simple to make because I'd already made the No-Beef Broth.

Yum! The pot roast was meaty without being, well, meaty. It was tasty, filling, and a true comfort food with the gravy on top.

I made Truffled Mashed Potatoes, a new recipe from Vegetarian Times, as a side. Recipe below. Confession: I've never made mashed potatoes before! The version from my childhood is full of butter and sour cream. It looms so large and perfect in my memory that I've never wanted to make another version...and I haven't tried a vegan version.

The Truffled Mashed Potatoes didn't disappoint. It was definitely different, but the truffle elevated it to a level of fanciness not normally found in this gold ole' dish. It was also very quick and easy to make, which is always a plus in my book.

Truffled Mashed Potatoes from November 2011 Vegetarian Times

• 2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled and halved
• 2-3 Tbsp truffle oil (I used 2)
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley (I used dried)

1. Bring potatoes, garlic, and enough water to cover all by 1 inch to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
2. Transfer drained potatoes and garlic to a mixing bowl and mash or mix with hand mixer (what I did) with enough cooking liquid until everything is smooth and creamy. I didn't use much cooking liquid--probably 1/4 cup. 
3. Stir in truffle oil and parsley and season with salt and pepper if desired. 

Veganomicon Review: Chickpea Cutlets

WOW. This may be my favorite Veganomicon recipe so far. I planned to make the Red Wine Roux to go with them but ran out of time. After I pan-fried them, I ate one plain, and it was awesome just like that. I couldn't stop myself from reaching for a plain one for breakfast the next morning too.
The next day for lunch I had one on a homemade pita, topped with greens and Veganomicon's Mediterranean Olive Oil and Lemon Juice Dressing. Really delicious.
These are so simple and quick to make (about a half-hour) and packed with protein (15.25 grams per cutlet). And taste amazing. I'm planning on making another batch this weekend with the Red Wine Roux and baked french fries.

I'm posting the recipe because the authors posted it on their blog, so I'm not spilling any secrets.

Chickpea Cutlets
Makes 4 Cutlets

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
• 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth or 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 garlic cloves (pressed or grated)
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika (smoked paprika)
• 1/4 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
• olive oil, for pan frying

Instructions

1. Mash the chickpeas and oil together until no whole chickpeas remain.
2. Add remaining ingredients and knead for 3 minutes until strings of gluten have formed.
3. Preheat large nonstick skillet over medium heat.*
4. Divide dough into four equal pieces. Flatten each piece and stretch to roughly 4x6 inches.
5. Add a thin layer of olive oil to to the pan. Place cutlets in the pan and cook on each side for 6 to 7 minutes. They are ready when lightly brown and firm to the touch.
   

*You can also bake them. Preheat oven to 375 and lightly oil a baking sheet. Brush both sides of each patty with olive oil, place on baking sheet, and bake for 20 minutes. Flip patties and bake another 8-10 minutes till firm and golden brown.