Soup of Baby Kales w Potatoes & Chickpeas

Little did I know, when I started this journey 13 months ago that I would grow to love the heartiness of kale. I was never a fan of tough greens and to be perfectly honest, I am still not a fan of raw kale. There are recipes for massaged kale which apparently allow it to lose some of its toughness, but I've never tried making those ... mostly because I'm lazy and also because I'm perfectly happy eating baby spinach in my salad - seven days a week. This soup, comes together in 20-30 minutes, in one-pot, and is loaded with more than 2 pound of greens. I added Seitan and Chick Peas for protein and a potato for starch. 

Soup of Baby Kales w Potatoes and Chickpeas

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients (Serves 4): 

1. 1 lb Baby Kale (whole)
2. 4 Heads of Baby Bok Choy (~1.1 to 1.2 lbs), sliced
3. 1 x 15oz can of Hunts Fire-Roasted Garlic Diced Tomatoes
4. 1 Russet Potato, diced into small pieces
5. 8 Dry Sun-dried Tomatoes (I buy the Whole foods 365 brand), sliced/diced.
6. 8 oz Cubed Seitan
7. 1 tbsp minced garlic
8. 1 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt
9. 1 tsp Cumin
10. 3 tsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce) 
11. 3 tbsp Nutritional Yeast
12. 6-8 cups of Water, or home-made (no-added-salt) Vegetable Broth
13. Pepper, to taste. 

Directions: 

Line a deep pot with water or vegetable broth and add garlic and seasonings. Once the garlic releases its aroma, add remaining ingredients (except nutritional yeast), bring to a boil and simmer until greens are wilted and potatoes are tender. Mine took about 27 minutes because I added the potatoes last. I only used liquid aminos because I'm trying to finish up my trial bottle. In my opinion, it is very salty. I prefer low-sodium soy sauce. Neither adds any substantial calories so nutritional content remains the same. Sodium content does vary. Once the potatoes are tender, add nutritional yeast and boil for a minute or two. Serve with freshly cracked black pepper. 

My Assessment: I love this soup because it is a very nutrient dense meal, for being only 300 calories. Each serving provides a whopping amount of food, 11 g of fiber and almost 28 g of proteins. The addition of the tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes together gave the broth a slight 'sweet & sour' flavor which worked perfectly with the kale. Great for leftovers too. 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)*: Calories 291

Total Fat 3.3 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 44.3 g; Fiber 11.1 g; Sugars 13.1 g; Protein 27.7 g

* Nutrition facts are provided for the water option as vegetable broth calorie content can vary tremendously.

Seitan & Broccoli Korma

I posted a recipe for TVP Korma a few months ago. Today, the cold temperatures outside again made me yearn for the richness of a korma. I've been wanting to make it for the last couple of days and decided that a Friday night definitely called for a little extra effort for dinner. I modified my previous recipe just a tad today and used several whole spices (instead of powdered Garam Masala) and used a special ingredient :) - which made it pretty close to the authentic version found in Dhabas across India - i.e. a mom & pop style restaurant, which  are generally found along highways and interstates and usually serve home-made local cuisine; they often also serve as truck stops, so are best visited with locals, or at least someone who speaks the local language. 

Seitan & Broccoli Korma

Wikipedia describes a Korma as a South/Central Asian dish that can be made with yogurt, cream, nut and seed pastes or coconut milk; it is usually considered a type of stew. The korma I grew up eating in India was almost always made with a rich paste made with minced onions and tomatoes and heavy cream. Korma is a key dish in Mughlai cuisine which has strong cultural roots in India and Pakistan. Its flavors are based on mixing a variety of (very typical) Indian spices - ground cumin, coriander, onions, ginger, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper corns and cardamom. The traditional Shahi (Royal) Korma is often simmered for hours on a charcoal fire which gives it a nice smoky flavor.  

I also use Seitan (New Veggie #36) which is essentially gluten - the main protein in wheat. Its an ideal chewy addition to this plant-based version of Korma. Commercially available seitan is light to dark brown in color (it is much lighter in color when made at home using vital wheat gluten). Like Tofu, it easily absorbs whatever flavors and seasonings are added to it, much like tofu. It is nearly fat free, and has 0 saturated fats and cholesterol. Because the starches have been washed away, it is also low in carbs but remains high in protein.

Prep Time: 30-40 min

Ingredients (4 servings):

1. 8 oz Seitan strips 
2. 1 or 2 large heads of Broccoli
3. 1 medium to large Red Onion, minced
4. 4-6 tbsp Hunt's Crushed Tomatoes 
5. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
6. 1/4 cup Raw Cashews
7. 2-3 cups Water, or Vegetable Broth
8. 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
9. 2 tsp Cumin powder
10. 2 tsp Coriander seed powder
11. 1 tsp Red Chili powder
12. 2-3 pieces of each Whole Spice 
• Cloves 
• Green Cardamom
• Black Cardamom
• Black Peppercorns, 
• Cinnamon stick
• Bay leaves
13. Special Ingredient - 2-4 drops of Liquid Smoke
14. Salt and Pepper, to taste
15. Fresh or Dried Cilantro  

Directions:

Line a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat with water and add minced onions (I used a food processor to mince really fine) and caramelize using splashes of water or vegetable broth (see previous recipe for details on how to caramelize). Once onions are done, add the tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste, and caramelize. Cook until the tomatoes, ginger-garlic paste and tomatoes are cooked down to make a thick red paste. At this point add all the spices and salt, mix well and add a splash of broth.  As the whole spices release their aromas, add Seitan and a cup of vegetable broth, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Pulse the raw cashews in a coffee grinder until they are ground to a granular powder. Add cashews to the simmering mix, adding more broth as needed and simmer for a minute or two and then add liquid smoke and broccoli. Cover and simmer for another 7-10 minutes until broccoli pieces turn bright green in color (at this point, the broccoli is just steamed, still retains its crunch and hasn't become mushy). Garnish with fresh or dried Cilantro, freshly cracked black pepper. I served it over steamed brown rice. 

Smoky Seitan Korma

My Assessment: I liked this version of my Korma recipe a lot more than the previous version. The inclusion of liquid smoke and the whole spices gave it a more authentic flavor, without the heat of some of those spices (e.g. black pepper corns). 

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving): Calories 213
Total Fat 9 g; Cholesterol 0 g; Carbohydrates 14 g; Fiber 2.7 g; Sugars 2.7 g; Protein 17.9 g

Seitan Tikka Masala, with Kale

As I've frequently alluded to before, my dear husband only eats 2 items off the menu in Indian restaurants. Dal Makhani and Chicken Tikka Masala. While I've tried a tofu version of tikka masala, I decided a while back that Seitan - New Veggie #36, would be an excellent substitute for chicken. So finally I decided to try it today.  

Seitan Tikka Masala

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients:

1. 8oz cubed Seitan
2. 1 bunch Kale, stems removed, coarsely torn
3. 1 can (6 oz) Hunt's Tomato paste
4. ~2 cups Vegetable broth
5. 2-3 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
6. 2 tsp Cumin powder
7. 2 tsp Coriander powder
8. 1 tsp Chili Powder
9. 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
10. 2-3 tsp Garam Masala
11. 1/2 to 3/4 cup nondairy milk
12. Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Seitan Tikka Masala
(pressure cooker version)
Before drying in a skillet for 5-7 min 

In a deep stock pot, add about half a cup of vegetable broth and kale. Bring to a boil and cover for 5 minutes to allow the kale to wilt. Drain kale using a colander and set aside. Save the vegetable broth. Line a skillet (on medium heat) with saved vegetable broth from wilting kale. Bring to a boil and add ginger-garlic paste. As the aromas are released, add all the dry spices and tomato paste. Mix well, adding vegetable broth as needed, to make a thick sauce. Let it simmer for a few minutes before adding nondairy milk; mix well to make the consistency uniform. Lastly, add kale and Seitan cubes and simmer for 5-7  minutes. Garnish with freshly cracked pepper and fresh/dried cilantro. Serve over brown rice. 

Pressure Cooker Directions: Add everything (except the nondairy milk) to the cooker and steam under pressure for 10 min; immediately release steam. Mix well; add non-dairy milk, garnish and serve. If the pressure cooker version is a little soupy (see picture), you may need to dry it in a skillet for a few minutes before adding milk. Both taste just as good; one looks more like the restaurant version of tikka masala :) 

My Assessment: I liked it. T did not try it. I made it in a pressure cooker today and ate a serving for dinner before drying the rest in a skillet for lunches. I don't think Seitan works as a 'great' substitute for chicken  .. because its a so spongy in texture, but overall, even with the kale, I think the dish was very reminiscent of Chicken Tikka Masala :)

Seitan & Miso Soup

Even in the middle of summer, some days I crave soup. My sister is a soup-fiend. She always wants more. I'm not as bad as her but a good soup gets me all excited about my dinner. I've been thinking for a few days about making a Miso soup and finally got around to it today. Since this is the first Miso-based recipe I've made, I'm also going to use this opportunity to assign Miso to my new veggie list as New Veggie #35. In addition to Miso, I had 2 other lovely ingredients that also made it to my new veggie list: Seitan - New Veggie #36 and Kombu - New Veggie #37.  At some time in the past 6 months, my new veggie list has been transformed into my New Plant-Based Products :) and that's okay. I'm still exploring and finding new veggies to try and then I come across ingredients such as Seitan and Kombu .. which I've never tried before and which need to be on the list!! 

Seitan & Miso Soup

Prep Time: 20-30 min

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups of water
2. 1/3 cup White Miso
3. 2 Baby Bok Choy, stalks chopped
4. 6-8 oz White mushrooms, quartered
5. 1/2 cup shredded carrots
6. 1-2 inch piece of Kombu (optional)
7. 8 oz Cubed Seitan 
8. 2-4 tbsp Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
9. 1 tbsp Vegetarian Oyster Sauce
10. Pepper to Taste

Directions:

Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add miso to the pot and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Once miso is dissolved, slowly add mushrooms, carrots, kombu, soy and oyster sauce and allow to simmer. Then, add chopped stalks of bok choy and save the leaves for later. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. For the last 2-3 minutes add seitan cubes and leaves of bok choy. Garnish with freshly chopped black pepper and Enjoy!!

Seitan Miso Soup

My Assessment: I LOVED IT!!! No rugrat assessment today!! Didn't want anything to do with it :) !! Seitan tasted a lot like boiled chicken to me ... somewhat chewy and hearty. I loved the flavor of white miso in this soup - savory and sharp, almost like a sharp cheddar (maybe I'm crazy ;-)!!) ... and the Kombu imparted the flavors of the sea ... !! Great combination of ingredients overall. 

Veggie Fact of the Day

Seitan Cubes

Seitan or Wheat gluten is simply a food made from gluten, the main protein in wheat. It is made by washing wheat flour dough with water until all the starch dissolves, leaving insoluble gluten as an elastic mass which is then cooked before being eaten. 

It is an alternative to soybean-based meat substitutes such as tofu and tempeh. Interestingly, seitan is believed to have been developed by Mahayana Buddhist monks in ancient China, who were strict vegetarians. Legend also attributes the invention of gluten to the kitchens of Chinese emperors, who developed it for the royal family to enjoy during a week of vegetarianism each year. Commercially available Seitan is brown in color and chewy in texture. It easily absorbs whatever flavors and seasonings are added to it, much like tofu. It is nearly fat free, and has 0 saturated fats and cholesterol. Because the starches have been washed away, seitan is low in carbs and high in protein.