This seitan stew is a sumptuous vegetarian take on an old Catalonian/Spanish dish. It utilizes a traditional Catalonian sauce component—the picada-—which consists of breadcrumbs, almonds, garlic, and sometimes parsley and other seasonings. This cooking technique and the ingredients can be traced back to the Moorish occupation of Spain.
16 oz (450 g) seitan, drained well and cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) chunks
1/4 cup (60 mL) whole wheat pastry flour
3 Tbsp (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 cup (250 mL) low-sodium chicken-style vegetarian broth
1 cup (250 mL) fruity dry white wine such as dry Riesling, Chablis, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc; can also be a nonalcoholic variety
1 pinch of Spanish saffron
Zest of 1 medium lemon
2 tsp (10 mL) unbleached sugar
8 medium mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup (60 mL) panko or dry breadcrumbs
1/4 cup (60 mL) blanched, slivered almonds
3 or 4 garlic cloves, sliced
1/4 cup (60 mL) chopped parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Sweet Spanish paprika or sweet smoked paprika for garnish
In shallow bowl or baking pan, toss seitan chunks with flour to coat.
In 12 in (30 cm) heavy skillet, heat 2 Tbsp (30 mL) olive oil over medium-high heat. Add floured seitan chunks and brown them on all sides. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Pour broth and wine into same skillet and bring to a boil. Whisk in saffron, lemon zest, and sugar. Add browned seitan chunks and mushrooms and bring to a simmer. Cover and turn heat to low.
In smaller heavy skillet, heat remaining 1 Tbsp (15 mL) olive oil over medium heat. Add breadcrumbs, almonds, and garlic. Stir mixture constantly until it begins to turn golden. Scrape mixture into food processor. Process cooked breadcrumb mixture to a paste in food processor.
Add breadcrumb mixture to large skillet containing seitan mixture. Turn heat to medium-high and stir gently as it comes to a simmer. Lower heat to a low simmer and cook covered for about 15 minutes. If sauce is too thick for your taste, add a little water or vegetarian broth. Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
Serve stew, each serving sprinkled with paprika, with crusty bread or steamed long-grain brown rice.
Serves 4.
Each serving contains: 470 calories; 27 g protein; 16 g total fat (2 g sat. fat, 0 trans fat); 50 g carbohydrates; 7 g fibre; 300 mg sodium
source: "Seitan", alive #358, September 2012
Tourtière is, for me, the dish that best represents Québec. It can be traced back to the 1600s, and there’s no master recipe; every family has their own twist. Originally, it was made with game birds or game meat, like rabbit, pheasant, or moose; that’s one of the reasons why I prefer it with venison instead of beef or pork. Variation: If you prefer to make single servings, follow our lead at the restaurant, where we make individual tourtières in the form of a dome (pithivier) and fill them with 5 ounces (160 g) of the ground venison mixture. Variation: You can also use a food processor to make the dough. Place the flour, salt, and butter in the food processor and pulse about ten times, until the butter is incorporated—don’t overmix. It should look like wet sand, and a few little pieces of butter here and there is okay. With the motor running, through the feed tube, slowly add ice water until the dough forms a ball—again don’t overmix. Wrap, chill, and roll out as directed above.
My love of artichokes continues with this classic recipe, one of the best ways to eat this interesting, underrated, and strange vegetable. Frozen artichoke hearts are a time-saving substitute, though the flavour and texture of fresh artichokes are, by far, much superior and definitely preferred.
Cervelle de canut is basically the Boursin of France, an herbed fresh farmer’s cheese spread that’s a speciality of Lyon. The name is kind of weird, as it literally means “silk worker’s brain,” named after nineteenth-century Lyonnaise silk workers, who were called canuts. Sadly, the name reflects the low opinion of the people towards these workers. Happily for us, though, it’s delicious—creamy, fragrant, and fresh at the same time. Cervelle de canut is one of my family’s favourite dishes. It’s a great make-ahead appetizer that you can pop out of the fridge once your guests arrive. Use a full-fat cream cheese for the dish, or it will be too runny and less delicious.