"Chicky Fingers" and Fries

Hello gorgeous ones,

I have been busy busy busy since Thanksgiving (the home made tofurkey was a HIT as well as the pumpkin pie, I'll post recipes soon!) and haven't been making anything worth blogging about (lots of toast!).  Today, I made a big batch of seitan and was immediately inspired to create a vegan version of my favorite meal when I was little.  Chicken fingers and fries are on just about every family restaurant menu and kids go CRAYZAY for them.  Sadly, they are often full of fillers and all kinds of crap (and chicken of course which is a definite NO for all you vegetarians out there) so they aren't always the healthiest choice.  It should be said that I have a reputation for making the BEST oven baked french fries.  It has taken me years to perfect the combination of oven temp, seasoning, potato variety and timing and I am ready to pass on the recipe to YOU!

There's only a few hours left before Sunday Night Football starts, so get your butt into the kitchen and whip up this classic diner staple - perfect for game night fare!

"Chicky Fingers" and Fries

Ingredients:

2 seitan cutlets, sliced into 'fingers'

2 tbsp djon mustard

1 tbsp shoyu

1/4 - 1/3 cup whole wheat flour

3 tbsp canola oil

2 russet potatoes, scrubbed, sliced into fry shapes

2 tbsp canola oil

S&P

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Toss the fries in the canola oil and arrange them on a large baking sheet in an even layer (this is crucial for even browning, you may have to use more than one sheet).  Bake in the oven for about 20 min, then flip and bake for another ten.  Season with S&P as soon as you take 'em out of the oven.

Meanwhile...mix the shoyu and mustard together in a bowl.  Toss with the seitan fingers to coat them well and then dredge with flour.  Make sure each finger is well coated!  Heat the oil in a skillet oven med high-ish heat and saute the fingers until golden on all sides.  

Serve with lots o' ketchup and you fave dipping sauce!

XOXO,

V.V. 

French Lentil Pate

Hello, Dollies. 

It's so nice to have you back where you belong. 

Last night I made a big pot of Cauliflower Bisque with Buttered Bread Crumbs from Alicia Silverstone's (yes, as in 'Cher' from Clueless) blog The Kind Life.  It was mighty delish and her blog is definitely worth a visit.  If you dig her blog, pick up a copy of her book The Kind Diet.  Great for non-vegan's who are curious about goin' veggie, vegan's and also crazy health nuts (reffered to in the book as Superhero's).  

As part of my continued effort to consume more protein, I made a very chic French Lentil Pate.  What`s with all the legumes?  Why don't I just eat more tofu as it's low in fat and sky high in protein?  I have a soy intolerance, folks.  Tofu gives me a mighty tummy ache.  Although sometimes, in the name of vegan cheesecake, I'll grin and bear it.  So the occasional soy based recipe may pop up on here.  

ANYWAYS, back to the pate.  SO easy to make, whip it up the next time you have people over for some vino and you are sure to impress :)

 French Lentil Pate
Ingredients:
1 cup french lentils (green lentils)
1 bay leaf
2 cups water or veggie stock
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp thyme (or whatever savory herbs you like!)
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp djon mustard
1 glass red wine
2 tbsp shoyu
S&P
olive oil

Bring the lentils and bay leaf to a boil in the water or stock.  Reduce to a simmer and cook the lentils with a lid on the pot until all the liquid is absorbed. 

Meanwhile, saute the onions and garlic until soft in a bit of safflower oil.  Add the thyme, paprika, wine, mustard and shoyu and stir until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Add the onion mixture to the cooked lentils and puree with an immersion blender or food processor until very smooth.  Season with S&P!

Serve the pate in a ramekin with a thin layer of olive oil drizzled over the top and lots of fancy crackers or crostini.

Ooh lala!

Kisses, V.V.

Spaghetti Overload

Dudes and Dudettes,

I haven't posted for a week already, how time flies!  I made a huge pot of spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce (same sauce as the one from the Penne with White Beans recipe, minus the beans and you can leave out the wine and just replace it with a little of the water that your spaghetti has cooked in) and have been living on it for about three days.  I call it the Sophia Loren Diet ("Everything you see, I owe to spaghetti." - Sophia Loren, when asked about how she maintained her famous figure). 

My multitude of siblings and their significant others (I was the ninth wheel) had a Mexican themed potluck dinner on Sunday night.  The Boom bought all the ingredients for my guacamole and I whipped it up for her (will post the recipe soon!) and my stepsista Teff made a DELISH couscous salad with black beans, corn, red onion, avocado, cilantro and lime...mmmmmmMMMMMMM.  I made a mock up of the twelve pound burritos of amazingness served at Burrito del Rio, all too conveniently located down the street from me here in Osborne Village.  Okay, maybe they aren't exactly twelve pounds, but the vegan burrito is ENORMOUS (when I carry it home, I carry it like a small infant...awww...but then I EAT IT!) and full of fresh, authentic flavours.  This ain't no Taco Bell, people!  My version of burritos is basically a filling made of up two cups of cooked brown rice mixed in a pot over medium heat with a can of diced tomatoes and a can of black beans that have been drained and well rinsed.  Then I throw in some sauteed onions and garlic, cinnamon, cumin, chili powder, cilantro, a drizzle of olive oil, maybe a splash of white wine if there's some lying around, and a squeeze of lime is nice too.  Season with S&P and roll 'em up in some homemade whole wheat tortillas.

It's Thanksgiving weekend coming up and I have a couple dinner's to attend so I will definitely have some festive recipes for ya!

Until then,
XOXO V.V.