Turkish-Style Seitan Shish Kebab
Seitan is perfect for vegetarian kebabs—it’s firm enough to withstand barbecuing or grilling and absorbs the flavours of this scrumptious marinade.
Marinade:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup (80 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
1 Tbsp (15 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp (15 mL) minced garlic
1 Tbsp (15 mL) paprika
2 tsp (10 mL) dried mint
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried red chili pepper flakes
12 oz (340 g) seitan, cut into 32 chunks
8 bamboo skewers
1 large bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) squares
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) chunks
8 medium white button or crimini mushrooms
Combine marinade ingredients and mix with seitan chunks in shallow container with lid. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, shaking container every so often.
When ready to cook, soak bamboo skewers in water for 15 minutes.
Thread a square of bell pepper, 2 marinated seitan chunks, a mushroom, 2 more seitan chunks, then a chunk of zucchini, on each skewer. Repeat until all seitan is used up, adding any extra vegetables to skewers.
Grill kebabs on barbecue, on open indoor grill, or under broiler (place skewers on cookie sheet 3 to 4 in/6 to 8 cm below heat source). Grill or broil until they start to char a bit, turning and basting with marinade several times. Serve hot on bed of steamed rice.
Serves 4.
Each serving contains: 205 calories; 18 g protein; 9 g total fat (1 g sat. fat, 0 trans fat); 17 g carbohydrates; 3 g fibre; 249 mg sodium
source: "Seitan", alive #358, September 2012
Turkish-Style Seitan Shish Kebab
Directions
Bryanna Clark Grogan
Bryanna Clark Grogan is the author of World Vegan Feast (2nd ed., Vegan Heritage Press, 2014) and eight more vegan cookbooks.
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblano Peppers
In this enchilada riff, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell, rather than tortillas, to pack an extra veggie serving into your meal and trim the starchy calories. If you can’t find poblanos, which are mild, dark green Mexican peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers. Flour power Made from nixtamalized corn (corn soaked in limewater), masa harina flour adds a touch of corny flavour to enchilada stuffing or a pot of chili.
Crab Cap Salad
These crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can do double duty as a fancy starter for a casual dinner party or a light main course on any given night. Meaty and umami-rich portobellos serve as a holder for a light-tasting seafood salad. Gills begone Even though the gills of mushrooms are edible, they will darken and discolour everything they touch. Besides, after you scrape out the gills, you’ll have more room for stuffing. And don’t discard the stems; they can be saved and used when making veggie stock.
Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash
Serving saucy lentils in squash halves is a sure-fire way to elevate your plant-based menu. And, yes, the whole bowl is edible, skin and all. If desired, you can add dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Spice of life Garam masala, a blend of spices traditionally used in Indian cooking, usually includes cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, cumin, and coriander. It’s great on roasted meats and vegetables.
Kartoffelknödel Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Toasted Bread and Spinach
“Germans do potatoes in general very well,” says Canadian expat Chris Gilles, who now lives in Munich and has celebrated many an Oktoberfest there. “Knödel seem kind of rubbery. You don’t really think it’s potato when you first see it, but it’s tasty.” But he might be surprised to find that this alive -inspired version of Bavarian potato dumplings is made with a combination of potato and cauliflower, because as anyone who’s eaten cauliflower gnocchi knows, the low-carb vegetable is a great way to lighten up starch-heavy foods (and Biergarten menus). Happy Knödelfest! The original version of these snacks are so popular that it even gets its own food fest: Knödelfest, which happens in September in Austria, about a 1 1/2-hour drive from Munich. If alive threw a Knödelfest, these dumplings would definitely be on the menu, served simply as snacks with sliced radishes and fresh parsley or dill, or topped with butter, beer gravy, or mushroom sauce. The dumpling test You can test one dumpling by shaping it and then boiling it before shaping the rest. If the water is lower than a boil and it still falls apart, add more starch to the batter before shaping another ball and testing again.