Herbed Seitan Roulade with Dried Cherry and Wild Rice Stuffing and Roasted Veggies

Did I mention how much I love Autumn?  As I type this, I'm sitting in my living room, stuffed with seasonal, local food.  A cup of Pistachio Cream tea is steeping on my coffee table, and crisp, early autumn air is breezing through the open window.  I can't wait until it gets a bit cooler so I can turn on my fireplace!  

For us Canadians, Thanksgiving is around the corner.  It was always one of my favorite holidays.  My family would congregate at both my maternal and paternal grandparents' houses...usually my Dad's parents for a late lunch, and my Mom's parents for dinner.  Mom would be up at 6 am, making pies to bring, and I'd "help" in the kitchen by taste testing everything...and then trying to convince Mom that it was terrible so she'd leave it all at home and I'd have it to myself.  (It never worked.  My mother was super crafty.)  I love pumpkin and apple pies- but my favorite thing ever was stuffing.  Both my grandmothers had wonderful stuffing...and it seemed there was never enough.  

Here's a recipe for a turkey-style seitan roulade with my favorite dressing.  Enjoy!

Herbed Seitan Roulade with Dried Cherry and Wild Rice Stuffing and Roasted Veggies

Ingredients

For the Seitan:

• 2 c vital wheat gluten
• 1/2 c nutritional yeast
• 1/4 c chickpea flour
• 1 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tbsp miso
• grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 c cold veggie broth (I used vegetarian chicken style broth)
• 2 tbsp tamari

For the stuffing: 

• 4 c bread crumbs (I used ShaSha spelt crumbs)
• 2 tsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tsp sage
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 c wild rice, cooked and drained
• 1/2 c dried cherries, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped finely
• 3 c cold veggie broth mixed with 2 tbsp tamari

For the veggies

• 3 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch thick coins
• 2 large potatoes, cubed
• 1 onion, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 sprig fresh theyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• 2 c veggie broth

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

1. Mix the chickpea flour, gluten flour, nutritional yeast, sage, poutry seasoning, and onion powder together in a large bowl.
2. In another bowl, whisk together broth, tamari, garlic, lemon zest, and miso.  Pour into gluten flour mix.   Knead until the mixture is a stiff dough.  Roll it out into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle.
3. Saute onions over medium heat until browned.  Mix bread crumbs, sage, poultry seasoning, onion powder, and cherries together.  Add in wild rice and sauteed onions.  Mix in the veggie broth/tamari mixture.  
4. Spread about two cups of stuffing on the seitan, leaving a 1-inch space on each side.  You won't use all of the stuffing here- that's okay, there's extra for serving on the side. Roll the seitan up, and place it seam side down into a greased roasting pan.  Dump in the 2 cups of veggie broth, then arrange veggies around the roast.  Top with rosemary and thyme sprigs.
5. Cover tightly and bake for 1 and a half-2 hours, until roast is firm to the touch and veggies are tender.  Serve with the extra stuffing on the side (heat it up in the microwave or in a small pot over the stove), and your favorite gravy.  Enjoy!

What's your favorite Thanksgiving meal?

London Fog Blondies

I am a tea fiend.  I have an entire cupboard devoted to teas and tisanes.  The only tea I disliked was Earl Grey- I used to think it tasted like old lady perfume.  However, I learned to love the heady aroma of bergamot when my partner, who loves Earl Grey, moved in and I bought him a tin of The Earl's Garden from  David's Tea.  Earl Grey is my favorite now!  London fog lattes are one of my favorite indulgences.

Here's a recipe for those of you who made my vanilla Earl Grey apple butter and don't know what to do with all of it- and these blondies would be wonderful for a tea party!

London Fog Blondies

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsps almond milk boiled and brewed with two bags of Earl Grey tea, cooled
• 2/3 c Vanilla Earl Grey Apple Butter
• 1 tsp tapioca starch
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 2/3 c sugar
• 2/3 c canola oil
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 c flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c toasted chopped pecans
• optional- 1/3 c chocolate chips
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line an 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Mix  the apple butter, tapioca starch, sugar, and canola oil in a large bowl.  Really mix this well.  Add in vanilla, 1/4 c of the almond milk, and scrape half of the vanilla bean into the bowl.  Mix again.
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix until just combined, and then fold in your nuts and chocolate chips.
4. Pour the mixture into your pan and smooth the top.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the mixture comes out clean.
5. Make the glaze- mix the rest of the almond milk and scrape the rest of the vanilla bean in with the icing sugar.  Mix well and bring to a boil, then remove from heat and pour over blondies.  
6. Enjoy!

What's your favorite kind of tea?

A Trio Of Apple Butters, Part 3- Gingered Butternut Squash and Apple Butter

No picture today, because I lost my light before I finished cleaning my place.  Trying to tidy up with a toddler makes me deeply sympathize with Sisyphus. They're like little walking agents of chaos and destruction.  No sooner would I clean one thing, then I'd go back and he'd be ripping apart the thing I had cleaned before I cleaned the last thing.  I'll try to take a picture and update this post tomorrow. In better news... I made Adventuretime Bacon Pancake cookies!  I'll post about it tomorrow.  For now, though, here is the last post about apple butter this month.  I swear.

Gingered Butternut Squash and Apple Butter

Ingredients

• 10 apples, cored- no need to peel
• 1/2 a medium-sized butternut squash, cooked, cubed and peeled
• 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/4 cup carrot juice, apple cider or water (the carrot juice was spectacular here)

Directions:

1. Throw all ingredients into a slow cooker and cook for four hours on high, or until apples are soft.
2. Remove the cinnamon stick and blend until smooth.
3. Throw the butter and the cinnamon stick back into the slow cooker and cook on high for an hour and a half with the lid cracked open for steam to escape.  Let cool and enjoy.

What geeky foods would you like to see me replicate?

B.

A Trio Of Apple Butters, Part 2: Spiced Fig and Apple Butter

The best part about making apple butter is how your house smells while it's cooking.  For the past few days, my house has smelled like the personification of Autumn.  This apple butter is no different; it's heavily spiced with cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.  The addition of figs give the butter a sweet richness.  Enjoy!

Spiced Fig and Apple Butter

Ingredients

• 15 medium apples, cored (no need to peel)
• 6 figs, sliced in half
• 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
• 1/2 cup apple cider
• 6 whole cloves
• 20 green cardamom pods, split and seeds scraped out
• 1 cheesecloth or nut bag
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Pour apple cider in slow cooker. 
2. Put the whole spices in the cheesecloth.  Fasten so they won't come loose.
3. Layer on figs, apples, and spices.
4. Cook for 4 hours on high, Stirring occasionally.
5. Let cool, then put mixture in vitamix (except for spice packet) and blend until smooth.
6. Put mixture back into slow cooker, add the spice packet, and cook on high until desired consistency.
7. Remove spice packet, add in ground cinnamon and let cool, then jar.  

Enjoy!

What's your favorite Fall scent?

A Trio of Apple Butters, Episode 1: Earl Grey Vanilla Bean Apple Butter

My family and I took a trip to the orchard at Archibald's Winery on Saturday.

I'm a city girl now, but having grown up in rural Ontario, I still feel very much at home in the country.  There's something cathartic about fresh air and rows upon rows of crisp, ripe apples that nothing in the city can compare to.  The air smelled heavenly.

The wonderful little general store there sold a number of local goodies, and they had a row of fruit butters.  I almost picked up a few, but then I remembered the half bushel of apples I was bringing home.

I decided to fool around with some recipes, and though my third experiment is in the slow cooker now, I already know what my favorite apple butter is- Earl Grey vanilla bean.  The vanilla bean and Earl Grey add a wonderful, sophisticated flavor to the stewed and pureed apples, complementing that bright apple taste without being too overpowering or heavy.  I could put this stuff on everything...toast, ice cream, making it into a tea latte...this butter is seriously wonderful, and super easy.

Here's the recipe; it makes about 3 jars with enough left over for a little dish for your ice cream!

Earl Grey Vanilla Bean Apple Butter

Ingredients

• about 20 medium apples, cored and sliced (no need to peel)
• 4 Earl Grey teabags
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 vanilla bean, halved and then split lengthwise
• 2 tsp loose Earl Grey tea

Directions

1. Pour water into slow cooker.  Layer a teabag, 1 piece vanilla bean, and a quarter of the apples.  Layer another teabag, 1 tsp of the loose tea, 1 piece vanilla bean, and another quarter of the apples.  Keep layering until everything is in the slow cooker.
2. Cook on high for approximately 4 hours, until apples are soft and breaking apart.  Let cool slightly.
3. When cool enough to handle, remove the vanilla bean and teabags and set aside.  Pour the apple mixture into your blender and blend until smooth.
4. Add the mixture back into the slow cooker.  Scrape out the seeds to the vanilla beans and add seeds into the slow cooker.  Throw the empty pods into the slow cooker as well.  Squeeze the remaining liquid out of the teabags into the slow cooker.  Discard teabags.  Cook down for about an hour with the lid to the slow cooker ajar, or until desired thickness.  Discard vanilla beans.  Let cool and then pour into jars.  Should keep for about 2 weeks or so.  Enjoy!

What are some of your favorite Autumn memories?

I am wiped out.

2 new blogs tomorrow, after I'm back from apple picking.
Until then,

Thai-style Butternut Squash Stew with Lentils

My eating habits come in waves.  For a week or two at a time, I'll eat indulgently- a lot of olive oil, nuts, processed meats and cheeses and heavy flours and decadent pastries- and then I'll go through a week where I eat nothing but whole foods.  There's no rhyme or reason for it- I just eat what my body wants.  After days of pastry, olive oil, fake chick'n, cashew sauces, and the like, my body wanted something clean and whole today.

I've had a big butternut squash from my CSA sitting on my counter all week, just begging to be used in something special, and Thai pumpkin soup is one of my favorite dishes.  There's this wonderful place in the city called King's Cafe, and sometimes they'll do this wonderful seasonal pumpkin stew that I'm absolutely in love with.  I had some cauliflower and red pepper that needed to be used up, as well as 2 cups of cooked lentils.  The beauty of stews and curries and soups is that it's really anything goes.  This ended up being SO good.  Is something still healthy when you've had three bowls of it?  Anyway, I hope you enjoy.

  Thai-style Butternut Squash Stew with Lentils

Ingredients

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 piece of ginger, about 2 inches big, peeled and minced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, sliced in half and scored all over with a sharp knife
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 2 tbsp red curry paste
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 small butternut, kabocha, or buttercup squash, or 1 pie pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
• 1 red pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 3 cups lentils (if you're using green or brown lentils, cook them first; if you're using red lentils, no need to pre-cook)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 can coconut milk

Directions

1. Saute the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass in a 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat until fragrant.  
2. Add spices, salt, and curry paste and saute another minute.  
3. Add squash, cauliflower, and red pepper.  Saute a few minutes.
4. Add the lentils, coconut milk, and veggie broth.  Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low and simmer for half an hour, stirring occasionally.
5. Blend a quarter of the stew with an immersion blender or in your blender.  Stir back into stew.  Enjoy!

What are your typical eating habits like- do you go for healthier fare, or are you an indulgent eater?