SEITAN PICCATA:

seitan:
2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
2 cups water
2 tbsp salt
2 qts veggie stock, salted to taste like soup

Bring the veggie stock to a simmer and season to taste. Mix the salt into the water until dissolved, and then mix with the gluten flour. Once combined, stretch the dough into a log, fold it back on itself and stretch again. Repeat this process until the dough is tough and elastic strands can be seen along the sides. Simmer the seitan dough for 20 minutes per pound, or until it is springy the whole way through. A good way to test is to grab it with a pair of tongs. If it tears, it isn't ready yet.

dredge:
2 cups flour
2 tbsp garlic powder
2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp smoked paprika or pimenton
1 tbsp aleppo pepper or chili flakes
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp salt

mix all ingredients to combine. Slice your seitan into half inch medallions and dredge in the mixture. pan fry on medium until golden brown on both sides.

Sauce:
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tbsp capers
1 clove chopped garlic
2 tbsp vegan butter (Homemade is best!)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 cup shallots, diced

In the same pan you fried your seitan, remove the excess oil and begin caramelizing the garlic and shallots. Once they have taken color, add the capers and allow them to get a little crisp. Deglaze the pan with the wine, allow the alcohol to simmer off, and then add the stock and the lemon juice. Reduce the sauce by half, adjust the salt if necessary (be careful, capers are salty!) and turn off the heat before adding the butter. Now swirl the pan gently until the butter is completely incorporated into the sauce. It is important to move the pan constantly after you add the butter, because if it sits still the oil will not emulsify with the sauce. garnish with parsley and pour directly over your seitan medallions.


VEGAN BUTTER
1 cup homemade almond, cashew, or store bought soy milk
1 pint refined coconut oil
1/4 tsp soy lecithin granules
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
salt, if desired (for spreading)

combine the lecithin, xanthan gum, and nut/soy milk in the bottom of your blender and blend until dissolved. If you are salting your butter you can also add a tbsp now. Now start your blender on a low setting and begin drizzling the oil into the blender (if the oil is solid, steep the whole jar in hot water for 10 minutes prior to blending). As you add the oil, incrementally raise the speed of the blender until you have it set on high. Add the last of the oil slowly, as it can seize and break if you are too hasty, and if the butter turns solid in the blender and you can no longer see the vortex feeding down into the blades, then just stop and shut it off; that butter's done. (If you are feeling adventurous you can also add 2 tbsps of your favorite flavored oils like truffle oil before you add the coconut oil. great for spreading and finishing sauces.)


NUT MILK AND CREAM
1/2 cup blanched, peeled almonds or raw cashews, soaked overnight
2 cups of water

blend vigorously! If it's lumpy blend it again! and if it is still lumpy, strain it through a nutmilk bag or new (and washed) paint strainer. Making nut cream is the same process, but just use 1 cup of water.

NUT CHEESE
1 cup blanched, peeled almonds or raw cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp agar agar
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a lemons juice, about a tbsp OR
1 tbsp rejuvelac (make rejuvelac by putting 1/4 cup of wheat berries in 1 cup of water and letting sit under a tea towel for 2 days.) OR
1tbsp live active vegan yogurt
1-2 tbsp salt, to taste

Simmer the water and add the agar flakes. Once they are totally dissolved, pour into a blender with soaked nuts, olive oil, salt and your choice of lemon juice or culture. Blend until very smooth. If it needs more liquid, add a splash of water a tbsp at a time. once combined, scoop with a 2oz disher/ice cream scoop into an ice water bath and allow to rest for ten minutes. Remove from bath, and serve or wrap in cheese cloth and age if you like!

CAPRESE ALLA VEGANERONI
5 large ripe tomatoes, cut into nice, large bites. Eight to ten pieces per tomato
4 2oz vegan cheese balls, cut into similar wedges
1/4 cup lemon juice
15-20 small leaves of basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
10-15 roasted cherry tomatoes

simply combine all ingredients and serve over a simple *roasted tomato sauce

ROASTED TOMATO SAUCE
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 sprig of rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tsp chili flakes
1 pint of cherry tomatoes (try sungold tomatoes, if you can find them.)

preheat oven to 375. In a baking dish, dress the tomatoes, garlic and rosemary in olive oil and season with salt and chili flakes. Roast for 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes turn bronze. Remove 10 or 15 tomatoes for your salad, drop the rest in the blender with all the juice, and puree until smooth.

RISOTTO DI FUNGHI ALLA VEGANESE
1 diced onion
1# cremini mushrooms, cut into three flat slices each
2 cloves of garlic
2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine (red works too!)
1 1/2 quarts of mushroom stock
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves picked and chopped fine
3 tbsps vegan butter
1/2 cup cashew cream (optional, but makes the rice extra velvety)
salt and pepper to taste

over medium heat in a deep saute pan, begin to caramelize the sliced mushrooms in 5-6 tbsps of olive oil. let them roast until brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per side. Scoot the mushrooms into a pile in one corner of the pan (or remove from the pan to add back later) and add the onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and remove from pan (if you have really big pan, you can just move the onions to the side with the mushrooms. Otherwise remove everthing to a big bowl.) Pour the rice into the pan and allow it to toast for 2 minutes, then add the white wine. Season the rice, add everything back to the pan, begin adding the mushroom stock, 1 cup at a time. As each cup boils off, add then next, stirring constantly as you do so. After the last cup is in the pan (should take about 20-30 minutes) add cashew cream and butter. This is a great dish to use truffle oil in too. Just a tbsp or so at the end will add a great flavor.