You guys, again I apologize. I've really let time get away from me on this thing. I mean to update more often, and I'm going to try harder to do so. I also apologize for the lack of pasta pictures. I know I said I'd have some pictures of my homemade pasta and seitan pepperoni, but wouldn't you know it I took one photo and then completely forgot. That photo above is the only one I remembered to take. However, I do have a learning experience to share! Namely, when trying to make a pepperoni log or something like it, MAKE SURE YOU USE ENOUGH FOIL! The foil I used was too weak, and it ended up splitting open and puffing up a lot. The foil is what keeps it dense like a pepperoni or a salami, and since mine burst it was a lot lighter and spongier. Now, don't get me wrong, it was still rather tasty (I was much more generous with the spices, which made all the difference). It just wasn't really like pepperoni.
I ended up slicing it and frying it in olive oil, which went nicely on top of the pasta. We also made some fresh breadsticks (mom and I are a fantastic flour-product team) and some lovely lemon broccoli.
For Easter my parents and my younger brother came into town to visit, and before they left I made them some vegan gyros. It was a fun attempt and came out pretty good, but again I under-seasoned it.
I cooked the seitan using my pork flavor seasoning and some other spices such as cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon. I definitely should have flavored it more, but with everything else in the wrap it was more than flavorful enough. I served it with lettuce, tomato, sweet onion and garlic hummus, and overall I was really pleased. I find it makes a great and easy meal because you can get all your veggies in there too, eliminating the need for a side dish.
Thirdly we've got a special guest cook, my boyfriend Will! A while back he told me that he had been wanting me to try making a vegetarian meatloaf, but last week he decided he would try to make his mom's meatloaf vegetarian style, and gave me the night off. He used the sausage-style smart grounds because we thought they'd hold together like hamburger (as opposed to the Yves brand crumbles we usually buy). I thought it gave it a really interesting yummy flavor. What he did is roll it out flat, then spread A1 sauce in a thin layer over it, sprinkled it with shredded cheddar (for a vegan version I think daiya would be perfect) and rolled it up into a log. He put a little A1 and cheese on top and baked it at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes.
Rather lovely, isn't it? It was quite tasty, and we'll definitely be having it again. My boy did a good job.
Now, this isn't everything I have backed up to share with you, but I'm saving the last one because I think it deserves it's own post, and because I want to make sure I have something else I can post soon. Until then!
