Shepherd's Pie (Vegan)

Another modified version of a recipe. This one is “Shepherd’s Pie” from The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman.2011, pg. 127.

I made it for Thanksgiving without the red pepper flakes and it was a crowd pleaser. I froze the extras and warmed it in a skillet and also in an electric steamer at work for lunch and it freezes great!

Gravy:

1 vegan bouillon cube *

½ cup red wine *

2 tablespoon soy or Tamari sauce *

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic *

¼ nutrional yeast

2 tablespoons cornstarch

For the Filling:

½ lb tofu (previously frozen)*

½ lb seta (homemade, or use more tofu) *

1 teaspoon celery seeds

1.25 pound veggies * I used fresh carrots, celery, onion & peas (frozen).

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon rosemary

For the potato topping:

6 medium potatoes, cubed, boiled

½ cup or less of non-dairy milk  (non-sweetened Eden Soy)*

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) *

Olive oil. No more than ¼ cup plus some to brush on top. I used 1/8 a cup. *

Gravy: Whisk the ingredients together. Set aside.

Filling: You’ll need a fairly large pan. Sauté in the following order:  Oil, onion (until clear). Add garlic, tofi/seitan.  Brown a little. Add celery, carrots, salt, pepper, and celery seeds to the point where it is getting cooked a little. Add the gravy, and cook until a little thicker. About 3-5 mins.

Use a 9in square pan. I lined the pan with parchment. Put the Filling/gravy in the pan. 

Topping: While the potatoes are hot, mash all the ingredients together.  You may want to keep the red flakes aside to sprinkle on top.  I kept the skin on the potatoes. Taste, and add more milk or oil if needed.  Put on top of the filling. Brush olive oil on the very top.

Bake 25 mins. You can brown it using the boiler at the end to brown the top if you would like.

Seitan in the Crockpot + French Onion Soup (Vegan)

Seitan can be simmered on the stove for about 1 hour. When I cook it on the stove, I use a large pot and no onions. 

In the slow cooker, it is a tight fit and the onions help keep the seitan from burning on the bottom of the pot.

Some people like soy sauce in their seitan, but I don't like it very much which means I don't like the store bought seitan much. Seitan freezes well.

Seitan:

1 10 oz box of Vital Wheat Gluten. I used Arrowhead Mills.

1/8 cup or so of nutritional yeast

2 cups water

Or less water, and add some soy sauce (1-2 tablespoon).

2 tablespoons olive oil + 1 more tablespoon of olive oil

1 bouillon cube or vegetable broth

Water to fill the crockpot

2-3 onions sliced.

Soup: Tamari sauce (or soy sauce) to taste. Or, vegan worcestershire sauce.

Add toast rounds or vegan cheese if desired. We use a brand of  vegan cheese call Daiya. Or, make a different type of soup with the onion base.

Mix the wheat gluten with the nutritional yeast. Add about 2 cups of water, and 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Kneed about 5 mins until elastic.  I finish mine by making a mound. Wipe the olive oil on the mound.

Slice the onions. Wipe the inside of the crock-pot with olive oil. Add the sliced onions to the bottom of the crock-pot. Place the mound on top. 

I usually heat water in a kettle, then mix a little water with the bouillon cube. Then add it to the crock-pot.  Lastly, I fill the crock-pot within an inch of the top of the crock-pot with the rest of the hot water.

Cook for about 4 hours on low.

Take out the seitan. Add tamari, soy, or vegan worcestershire sauce to the broth for French onion soup.