Thanksgiving Roast for Kourtney

Kourtney is a friend of my sons whom I've been very happy to come to know.  She asked for one of my Thanksgiving main dishes, so here goes: it's much less trouble than it looks! I'm pretty sure that I have a picture to scan somewhere in the archives, so hopefully I'll find that and post it soon.

I'll skip my usual format on this one, since it might get a bit long. The results are beautiful, and it can be made the day before and cooked a bit longer. This recipe is for a smaller version which feeds 4 to 6. Double everything and cook about 20 minutes longer if you're expecting more hungry people.

PART 1 : The Base

1 package Morningstar Farms or Boca Chik Patties, or four homemade seitan pieces of about the same size

Lay these on your greased baking sheet. Top with Gravy :



PART 2 : The Sauce

In a microwavable bowl, stir together 3 cups of cold water and 4 tablespoons of cornstarch until the lumps are gone. Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce and a few shakes each of garlic salt, pepper, and thyme. Microwave this for 2 minutes. Stir well, then microwave for a minute more; stir again, microwave another minute until the gravy is mostly clear and a bit bubbly.

Pour about 1 cup of the gravy over the chik patties. On to :


PART 3 : The Stuffing

You can use any stuffing here. To keep it simple, buy a bag of stuffing mix, moisten as directed and add your choice of sauteed onion, mushrooms, celery, water chestnuts, etc.  Or go all the way and make your own:

Dry 6 cups of  bread, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes more or less, on the counter overnight.  Use a mixture of breads if you have them around.

Saute 1 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1 cup chopped mushrooms in a bit of oil or margarine. Add  a drained, chopped can of water chestnuts if you wish. 

Add the saute to the bread cubes along with 1 teaspoon sage and some dashes of salt and pepper. Mix 1 cup of hot water and a tablespoon of soy sauce and pour over the stuffing. Mix well and mound over the base.

Top with the rest of the gravy.


PART 4 : The Topper

This is what will set your Thanksgiving Roast apart and insure your place in the Pantheon of Vegetarian Cookery.

Choose Puff Pastry or Phyllo (Fillo) Dough. They're usually located near the frozen pies and desserts at the grocery.

For Puff Pastry: Let the pastry thaw in its' package for half an hour or so, while you make the rest of the stuff. When it's time, unwrap it and lay it on a clean counter that's been dusted with a bit of cornstarch. Roll it out to make a large rectangle (or two, if you need it to cover your roast entirely). Pick up your piece  and gently lay it over your roast. Shape it a bit to the form of the roast, then cut along the edges and remove the excess. If your want to make a grand entrance, cut the scraps into clever shapes and use a few drops of  milk to attach them to the roast.Cut a few decorative slits in the top to let out steam.

When it looks as you wish it to, place the roast into a 350 degree oven and bake for about 40 minutes, until nicely browned.

With Phyllo, it's pretty much the same as Puff Pastry, except that you must thaw the dough in the refrigerator overnight, then on the counter for twenty minutes or so before using. Keep the sheets that you are not using covered while you work. Peel off a sheet or two to cover the roast, drape it over, then brush with melted butter or margarine. Add more sheets, alternating with butter, until you have seven or eight layers of soon-to-be-crunchy goodness. Top with a last layer of butter and bake as above.

It may seem like a lot of work, but it really isn't as much as it looks. You can make the stuffing and the sauce simultaneously a day or two before, and the topping really only takes about ten or fifteen minutes at the most. The slices look and taste delicious!

Be sure to take pictures!

Basic Seitan (Faux Meat)

Here is the basic recipe from the Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten package. Yummy, and very easy!

2 cups wheat gluten
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups water

Broth:
6 cups water
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 fake chicken broth cubes

1 ) Bring the broth mixture to boil while you mix up the 2 cups water, flour and spices. Knead the dough for a few minutes.

2 ) Cut the dough into small pieces, about 1/4 the size of the pieces you'll need. Drop them into the broth and simmer for at least an hour. If you like, use a crockpot and cook on low for several hours. Drain and use in stir-fries, fry for sandwiches, etc.

Another Faux Meat

This seitan recipe is adapted from the package of Bob's Red Mill Vital Wheat Gluten Flour. It is very simple and tasty. It makes enough to get through three or four five-person meals. Or so.

Be sure to do the boiling in a dutch oven or other large pan, or cut the recipe in half.

2 cups wheat gluten
1/2 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups water

Mix all this together well with a spoon, then knead for a few minutes by hand. Cut into small pieces, much smaller than you want them to be when finished. They will expand!!

6 cups water
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons soy sauce
(1 fake chicken bullion cube, if you like)

Bring to boil, then add the seitan pieces. Boil for an hour or more.

-OR-

Heat water and additives in a Crockpot until very hot, then add seitan. Let cook for 3-4 hours on high or overnight on low.

Drain and use for stir-fry, stews, frying, casseroles,etc..pretty much wherever you'd use chicken.

Making Faux Meat with Wheat Gluten - The Basic Recipe

I always thought that making fake meat was difficult. It's not, but it does take time to boil. Here is a very simple recipe that will start you on your way to making your own. Since the kind in the freezer section of most grocery stores is now up to about four dollars for ten ounces, the homemade kind is really cheap, too!

Basic Recipe - for three or four servings. Doubles or triples easily.

1/2 cup cool water
1/2 cup wheat gluten (you can find this in bags or boxes in the natural foods section, or in bulk at places like Whole Foods.)

Mix these thoroughly, then knead for about three minutes until fairly smooth. Cut into pieces that are very small versions of the shape that you want - they will expand a lot during cooking.

In a dutch oven, cover the pieces with water. Add:

2 vegetable or not-chicken or beef bullion cubes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning or other seasoning mix


Bring to a boil and simmer for about two hours, stirring frequently. Then dip in seasoned flour and fry or use in a recipe that calls for chicken or meat.

Faux Swiss Steak

This is adapted from a recipe that I found at Recipezaar.com. It got rave reviews from nearly everyone in the family. My husband thought that it was a Morningstar Farms product, only better. Since MSF burgers are now nearly $1 each, I am very happy to have found this recipe!

The bullion cubes without animal products can be found  at natural food stores or even in the natural food sections at Kroger.

1/2 pound mushrooms, grated or run through a food chopper

1 medium onion, likewise chopped

1 not-quite-chicken or beef bullion cube (if you have it)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 cups uncooked oatmeal

1-2 teaspoons garlic powder

1-2 teaspoons onion powder

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning

1/2 cup water

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

2 eggs

salt and pepper

1 ) Mix all of the above thoroughly. Let sit while you stir up the topping.

1 cup light sour cream

1 can mushroom soup

1/4 cup water

2 ) Heat frying pan and spray with non-stick spray. Put a bit of oil in. Make mushroom mixture into small patties and fry until golden.

3 ) Put fried patties into a greased baking pan, preferably 9" x 11". Pour sauce over patties and bake at 375 for about 1/2 an hour, until the top is browning.

Serves 6 or so. If you'd like to make it a little more quickly, microwave the sauce while you fry the burgers. That will cut cooking time by about 10 minutes.

The burgers can also be fried and served on a bun, or covered with sauces of your choice. They're very versatile!



This is perfect with Potatoes Romanoff!