Food Talk And Fabulous Finds - fake meat recipes

i have this great vegetarian tomato sauce that all my friends love (even the non-veggies!)... it goes great over pasta or as a soupy kind of chili when thinned out:

you will need:
one onion, diced
one green bell pepper, diced
one package of morningstar farms vegetarian "meat" crumbles
one can crushed tomatoes
two bay leaves
one can diced tomatoes
olive oil
salt, pepper, oregano and hot chili powder to taste
optional: add another bay leaf, one can tomato paste and water to dilute when making the soupy chili

saute the diced bell pepper and onion in olive oil till onion turns translucent. add bay leaves. after 2 mins add all the tomato products and spices/seasonings and heat till simmering. add the vegetarian crumbles and simmer for 10-12 mins. the product will be "meaty" enough to satisfy any veg's (and non-veg's) tastes!

This is a great tasting and versatile low-fat vegan protein source. A little time consuming but so worth it!

Seitan Recipe
Recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

2 cups vital wheat gluten
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup cold water or vegetable stock
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely grated
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

For the broth:

12 cups water or vegetable stock
1/2 cup soy sauce

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl; mix the wet stuff (including garlic and lemon zest) in a smaller bowl. Pour the wet into the dry and combine. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes until spongey and elastic. Let it rest for a few minutes while preparing the broth. Combine the stock and soy sauce in a large pot, but don't turn the heat on yet.

Roll the dough into a log about 10'' long; cut it into 6 equal pieces. Drop the pieces into the cold broth. Partially cover the pot and bring the broth to a boil. After it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for an hour. Gently turn the pieces every once in a while.

Turn off the heat and let everything cool for at least 30 minutes - letting it cool completely is better.

From this point, do with it what you will. It can be stored, covered with broth, in the frige for 5 days or so. It also freezes well.

Makes about 6 cups of seitan. I count 1/2 cup as a serving, so for me this recipe yields 12 servings.

Nutritional Information: 126 calories, 1.25 g fat (0.1 g saturated fat), 1 g fiber, 16 g protein @ 12 servings. Holy protein, Batman! Note that this does not include whatever calories, etc. may be absorbed from the cooking broth, but since that's just stock and soy sauce it shouldn't make that much of a difference.

I've sliced it thin and heated in a pan with BBQ sauce for a great sandwich filler, used it in stir frys, marinated and grilled it. Really you can use this stuff pretty much anywhere you would use a meat product. Have fun with it!

tofu sloppy joe. I bought the mix at wild oats market!!! Its just too good!