Paella with Seitan Spanish Chorizo

Hello, my dear ninjas!  I realize it's been a while since my last post, so here's one that came out extra-specially good for you to sink your teeth into.  Basically, I veganized a paella recipe to the best of my ability...as with all of my "ethnic" recipes, I must preface this post with the disclaimer that I am not Spanish, that I have never eaten paella in my life until I veganized it, and that this recipe is likely incredibly inauthentic.  It is, however, completely delicious, so I hope that you will love it as much as I do and not be offended if I'm totally trampling on any of your culinary cultural traditions.

After reading a bunch of paella recipes on the web, I realized that many of them included Spanish chorizo as an ingredient.  Apparently Spanish and Mexican chorizo are quite different (I already have a recipe for tempeh chorizo flavored with Mexican spices that is quite tasty), and I figured that the crumbly texture of tempeh probably wouldn't work well here, so I decided to try my hand at making a Spanish chorizo out of seitan.  Again, not sure as to the authenticity of the taste, but damn did this stuff ever kick ass.  The mellow spiciness of the paprika and cayenne pepper plays off the sweetness of the brown sugar and makes a freakin' fiesta of awesome nomz in your mouth.  Feel free to use just the seitan chorizo recipe in sandwiches, pasta, for breakfast, or anywhere you think some yummy, spicy-sweet sausage would be delicious.  Now....onto the recipes!

Paella with Seitan Spanish Chorizo

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, cut into thin half moons
2 red bell peppers, sliced into strips
6 cloves garlic
28 ounce can diced tomatoes (fire roasted if you can find them)
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 recipe seitan Spanish chorizo (recipe follows), cut into bite-sized pieces
2 - 15 ounce cans of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup frozen peas
2 Tablespoons roasted red peppers, chopped finely
1 cup kalamata olives
1 1/4 cup rice
parsley for garnish

First, make your saffron broth.  Bring your vegetable broth to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat.  Add the saffron threads and simmer for 15 minutes.  Remove the threads by skimming the top of the broth with a wire strainer or a slotted spoon.  Set the broth aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook until the onion is translucent - about 10 minutes.  Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, paprika, salt, and bay leaf and cook for another 10 minutes.  Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the seitan until browned, about 5 minutes.  Add the seitan and beans to the tomato mixture along with the peas, minced roasted red peppers, olives, and rice.  Cook for 2 minutes and then add the saffron-infused vegetable broth.  Bring the mixture to a boil, stir, lower the heat to low, and cover the pot.  Cook for 35-45 minutes or until all the moisture is absorbed. 
Turn off the heat and allow the paella to rest for 10 minutes.  Remove the bay leaf and fluff the rice with a fork and serve.  Garnish individual servings with chopped parsley.

Tips and Tricks:

1. Holy @#$%, saffron is expensive!  True.  Saffron is the most expensive spice in existence.  The container I bought ran me around $16.00 and I used all of it for this recipe.  The saffron is pretty integral to this being "paella," although - let's be serious - this is far from "authentic" paella, so if you can't afford it, just leave it out and use regular old vegetable broth to cook your rice in.  If you do this, obviously you can skip the first part of the recipe where you simmer the broth and just start with cooking the onion, pepper, and garlic.

2. I believe most "actual" paella requires one to make their own vegetable broth from scratch.  However, anyone who is even a semi-regular reader of this blog knows that I am way too damn lazy to deal with stuff like making my own broth.  If you'd like to make your own - go for it.  Just add the saffron in the last 15 minutes of simmering all the other stuff you put in there.

3. There are actual specific types of rice for making paella.  I couldn't find any "paella rice" so I just used brown rice and it was fine.  Use brown or white if you can't find any rice specific to paella but I'd stay away from jasmine or sushi rice which might get too mushy.

4. Some of the paella recipes I looked at called for "piquillo peppers," which I have never heard of before.  I was able to find them after a hard and frustrating search of the grocery store, and discovered upon opening the jar that appear to be really nothing more than roasted red bell peppers.  If I'd known that I would have just bought some jarred roasted red peppers and saved myself the annoyance.  So that's why I have "roasted red peppers" on the ingredients list instead of "piquillo peppers."  If you're a purist though, or you just have easy access to them, feel free to use the real thing.  And if you're someone who actually knows what the difference is, please feel free to enlighten me.



Seitan Spanish Chorizo

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed slightly
3/4 cup vegetable broth + enough to cover the seitan in the pot (about 6 cups)
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic

Mix the gluten, spices, and brown sugar in a large bowl.  Mix the 3/4 cup vegetable broth, vinegar, olive oil, and garlic in a smaller bowl.  Mix wet into dry and knead with your hands until a stiff, stretchy dough forms, about 5 minutes.  If the dough is too wet, add more gluten, if it is too dry, add more vegetable broth.  Your end result should be a very firm dough that stretches when pulled.  Split the dough into 3-4 roughly equal pieces.  Each piece should be a little smaller than your fist.  Flatten the pices out a bit - this will help them to cook evenly.  Place them in a pot with enough vegetable broth to cover them (you can use water too if you don't have enough broth) and bring to a boil.  Once the pot is boiling, lower the heat to a low simmer and cover the pot.  Simmer for 1 hour.  Remove from the broth, allow to cool, and slice/cook as desired.  If you want to store unused seitan, either refrigerate in the cooking broth or freeze it.

Tips and Tricks:

1. It might take a few tries to get the texture of seitan right.  Too wet, and the pieces will fall apart when you try to simmer them in the broth, too dry, and your finished product will be hard and yucky in places, or the dough might not hold together at all.  Keep trying and you'll figure it out.  I've been making seitan for years and sometimes mine still doesn't turn out quite right for completely unknown reasons (actually when I made this recipe it turned out rather soft) but don't give up - seitan is so tasty and versatile, it is worth making the effort to master, and is a food that every vegan should know how to make.

2. This recipe makes relatively spicy seitan.  If your palate is very sensitive to spicy foods, you may want to halve the amounts of cayenne and paprika.

3. Make sure you cook your seitan at a low simmer - turn the heat down on your stove as low as it will go.  If you boil it too hard it will develop a spongy texture.  If this happens, it is still ok to eat, it just won't have as much of a "meaty" feel.


Well ninjas, that's it for now!  I realize that Thanksgiving is coming up, and I also realize I majorly failed at giving you any Thanksgiving recipes last year.  However, this year I have been invited to possibly spend Thanksgiving with my mom, and Mamma-Ninja is super awesome when it comes to eating all of my culinary creations.  Plus, her oven works, whereas mine has been broken for 6 months.  My tentative Thanksgiving fare:

Garlic mashed potatoes with homemade gravy
Mushroom and roasted fennel stuffing with toasted walnuts
Vegan green bean casserole
Homemade cranberry sauce (with a "ninja" twist - this means alcohol in the recipe, folks)
Roasted brussels sprouts with dried cranberries
Cornbread
Pie - not sure what kind yet; I have tons of recipes I've been wanting to try out but haven't had an oven for so long....I may get slightly "pie-happy" if I get to use Mamma-Ninja's oven.

So hopefully all that works out and I'll have a ridiculously long Thanksgiving-feast post coming soon.  If you can't wait that long, please check out last year's Thanksgiving recipe: Rum-spiked pumpkin pie with candied pecans and drink some extra rum for me!  See you all again soon!

<3 The Fur Ninja

Creamy Bean and Vegetable Soup

So it appears that fall is upon us - the weather is cooling, the days are getting noticeably shorter, and a warm bowl of soup seems like a better idea now than it did even a few weeks ago.  Here's a recipe for a creamy, high-protien and nutrient-dense soup that will keep ninja bellies warm and full against the early fall chill.  Coconut milk, garlic, and jalapenos create the perfect backdrop to lots of mushrooms, potatoes, butternut squash and pretty little pink beans.  Serve with fresh-baked, crusty bread and you'll find yourself actually looking forward to the long, dreary winter months ahead.

Creamy Bean and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic

2 jalapenos, seeded and coarsely chopped

3 Tablespoons olive oil

6 scallions, thinly sliced

8 oz sliced white or cremini mushrooms

2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks

1.5 lbs yukon gold potatoes, cut into bite-sized chunks

14 oz can coconut milk

15 oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

6 cups vegetable broth

1/2 of a 16 oz block of silken tofu

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 Tablespoons lime juice

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon ginger

freshly ground black pepper



Place the garlic and jalapenos into a small blender or food processor with the olive oil.  Puree until there are no large chunks of pepper remaining and the mixture resembles a paste.  Heat a large saucepan or stockpot over medium heat.  Add the garlic and jalapeno paste and mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes, until the mushrooms begin to brown.  Add the corn, potatoes, butternut squash, salt, pepper, cumin, and ginger and cook for 5 minutes.  If the mixture starts to look dry, add splashes of water or vegetable broth to keep everything from sticking.
Meanwhile, puree the coconut milk and tofu in a blender until smooth and creamy.  When your vegetables have been cooking for 5 minutes, add the vegetable broth and coconut milk/tofu mixture to the pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes and squash and tender.  Add the pinto beans and scallions and cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through.  Turn off the heat and add the lime juice and maple syrup.  Allow the soup to cool for a few minutes and then put about 2 cups of the soup into a blender and puree until creamy.  Add the puree back into the pot with the rest of the soup and stir well.  Add the cilantro and taste for spices and adjust if necessary.  Allow the soup to sit for 5 minutes before eating.

Tips and Tricks:


1. The half-block of tofu problem - as I mentioned in my last post for Pan-Fried Vegetable Fritters, you can save partial blocks of tofu by freezing them, or you can use them up by pureeing them with pasta sauce, soup, or smoothies.  Pureed tofu can also be used as a substitute for eggs in baked goods with 1/4 cup pureed tofu equalling one egg, so maybe make some brownies for dessert (and then invite me over so I can help eat them).

2. This soup is relatively spicy; if you think it might be too much, halve the spices and taste it and add more if necessary.  You can also use only one jalapeno instead of two if you'd like your soup less spicy.


Well I hope making this soup starts off everyone's fall season in the most ninja-esque way possible.  As the leaves start to drop, be sure to keep fingers, toes, hearts, and tummies warm and full and happy by sharing food and snuggling with those you love.  Lucy, Skye and I plan to do just that.  Until next time!

<3 The Fur Ninja

Pan-Fried Vegetable Fritters

Good day, lovely ninja readers!  Today's recipe is for vegetable fritters.  A "fritter" is basically anything that is batter-coated and deep fried, so be forewarned that this recipe is not going to be at the pinnacle of ninja-healthiness.  However, you can also be assured that these little crunchy veggie discs are DELICIOUS!  I mean, hey, what isn't delicious when it's dipped in batter and fried?  Feel free to try this recipe with other types of veggies (I think root vegetables like shredded carrots and parsnips would be great!) although stick to vegetables that have some "substance" to them and will hold up to the frying.  Leafy greens and veggies with a very high water content like tomatoes or cucumbers are probably not going to work here.  Most anything else is probably fair game though, so go nuts, get creative and fry up a storm!  These little fritters are best if eaten right away (well....let them cool off first!) so invite over some ninja friends to help you.  They have a tendency to get mushy if you keep them as leftovers.  If you don't have any hungry ninjas to help you eat them, you may want to halve the recipe, or just mix the batter and only fry up what you need while keeping the rest of the batter refrigerated in a tightly-lidded container; it should keep for a day or two in the fridge this way.

Pan-Fried Vegetable Fritters

Ingredients:


2 small zucchini, grated
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed under warm water to thaw
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/3 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 of a 16oz package water-packed silken tofu
1 teaspoon oregano
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
Several grinds black pepper
vegetable oil for frying

Place the grated zucchini in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt.  Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, 3-5 minutes.
Mix the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, oregano, cayenne pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper in a large bowl.
Take your 1/2 block of tofu (to divide the block just eyeball it and cut it in half with a knife; it doesn't have to be perfect) and put it in a small blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Add the pureed tofu to the dry ingredients in the bowl. 
Go back to your zucchini, squeeze as much water out of it as possible, and add it to the bowl with the corn.  Mix everything very well.
Coat the bottom of a large cast iron or non-stick skillet with a 1/8" layer of vegetable oil, and heat over medium-high heat.  Test to see if the oil is ready by dropping a small amount of the batter into the pan.  The oil is ready when bubbles form around the edge of the batter and it starts to sizzle.
Drop about 3 Tablespoon-sized scoops (a scant 1/4 cup) into the oil and flatten them out slightly with a spatula.  Fry until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes.
Drain the fritters on paper towels and allow them to cool for a few minutes before eating.  These are great with ketchup and hot sauce!

Tips and Tricks:

1. Don't make your fritters too large, or they will fall apart when you try to flip them, and make sure you squash them down a bit while cooking both sides so the middles get cooked evenly as well as the outside.  Also be sure not to under-cook them or they will fall apart as well.  You want them a deep, golden-brown color.

2. Please flip carefully!  Burning yourself with hot oil or setting your kitchen on fire would be bad!  To flip without splashing, try using two spatulas - one slid underneath and the other on top so you can flip and set the fritters back down into the oil gently.

3. What to do with your leftover 1/2 box of tofu - you have a few options here.  My favorite is to blend leftover tofu into pasta sauce, which gives you added protein and also turns red sauce into a nice, creamy pink sauce.  Just take about a cup of your sauce and put it into a blender with the tofu and blend until smooth, then mix it back into the rest of the sauce and stir until blended and heated through.  You can also freeze leftover tofu (although this works better for firm rather than silken); it will turn a weird yellowish color, but it's still okay for eating.  Just thaw and use however you normally would.

4. Thawing your frozen corn - it doesn't need to be totally thawed, but you want to make sure there aren't lots of ice crystals that will melt and make your batter too runny.  Just run the frozen corn under some warm water until most of the ice is melted.


So that's all for today....more recipes to come!  Creamy avocado dip and 3-bean vegetable chowder recipes soon to come!

<3 The Fur Ninja