Seitan Cutlets &Truffle Mashed Potato

It was 'Backwoods meets New York City' here on the hill tonight.  A few weeks ago I overheard a friend raving about the truffle mashed potato she had at a restaurant.  TV is as close to a truffle as I've ever come; and given that truffles are considered a delicacy and that I consider mashed potato by itself a valid reason for living, I decided I'd give it a whirl.

I also tried a new chicken-esque seitan recipe today.  It's a keeper.  It was far less spongy than others I've tried, and the noochy saucy crust that forms at the end of cooking was difficult to keep my hungry paws out of...so hot and delicious out of the pan!

So, anyway...let's bring this meal together:

You can find the recipe for the seitan cutlets here:  http://thevegetariancarnivore.blogspot.ca/2010/02/seitan-chicken-its-whats-for-dinner.html
Notes/changes I made:  Instead of bouillon powder, I used "Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base," and I just used as much as the directions say on the container, for the amount of water used in the recipe. 
I kept the pan covered, on low, for about 90 minutes, flipping, until the last 20 minutes or so when I uncovered it and let the sauce concentrate until it formed a nice coating on the outside of the seitan.  I let the cutlets cool completely and then reheated for dinner in a frypan.

Mushroom topping for the cutlets:
Saute some sliced mushrooms in a bit of olive oil until browned.  Coat with a bit of flour, and cook another minute.  Slowly add veggie stock and keep moving in the pan until thickened to the consistency you like.

For the mashed potato:
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup Earth Balance buttery spread
2 Tbsp white truffle oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup almond-cashew cream (or other nondairy milk/cream of your choice)

Heat a pot of water to boiling, enough to cover potatoes.  Peel and dice potato and add to water.  Boil for 10-15 minutes, until fork tender.  Drain.
Add the rest of the ingredients and mash. 

My electric hand mixer went up in smoke last week, so I went old-school mashin' tonight. 

Roasted Asparagus:
Preheat oven to 350.  Trim ends from asparagus.  Place on a baking sheet, and toss in a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Mine were really thin, delicate spears and roasted up perfectly after 25 minutes.

Outcome/Impression:
While this "meat and potatoes" meal made for a totally comforting and delicious Sunday dinner, I have to say I was a bit underwhelmed with the truffle oil.  With all the hype about how magical and deep the flavor is (not to mention the expense), I expected essence of Unicorn and Rainbows with earthy golden undertones.  However, when I opened the bottle and gave a sniff and then when I tasted it in the potato, my one and only impression was:  Garlic.  It just smelled and tasted like a really nice garlic!  Perhaps my palate is too simple...perhaps this brand of truffle oil didn't do the product justice...I don't know.  But I think it'll be my first and last bottle.  Garlic is cheaper and easier to come by, after all.  If nothing else, though, "truffle breath" sounds so much more appealing than the other. 

Tempeh Tikka Masala



So, I'll confess right up front - this comes from the McCormick Recipe Inspirations spice pack/recipe for Chicken Tikka Masala.  I switched it up a bit, of course. You might have most of the necessary spices in your cupboard already, but buying a one-meal spice pack is a good way to find out if you like a spice or spice blend you haven't tried before, like garam masala (which translates to "hot mixture").  I know I like it now and won't be afraid to buy a container of it to use again in this recipe and others. 

Serves 4

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional - this dish is pretty spicy!)
2 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
12 oz tempeh, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium onions, chopped
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1-1/2 cup marinara sauce (or diced tomatoes)
1/3 cup almond-cashew cream (or other non-dairy cream)
1/2 tsp salt

Melt butter in a large skillet over low-medium heat.  Add tempeh chunks, onion, and lemon juice; cook and stir until onions are transparent, adding a little water if necessary.



Add all of the spices, stir, and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in marinara/tomatoes, then the cream and salt. 

Simmer until heated through. 

I simply served this over quinoa...

....but the second night I added in a layer of fresh baby spinach and baked sweet potato chunks (the sweetness helped cut some of the heat, along with adding to the delicious factor).