Chow mein noodle stir fry with Seitan

I am quite the fan of mock-meat. I know some people will berate a vegetarian for eating the stuff (if you eat mock-meat, why not just real meat?) - but there is a difference.
 About the only thing in common with real meat that mock-meat has is a chewy texture. It is made from all sorts of different seeds/nuts and it can be flavoured any way you like. And really - the texture is not very like meat at all.

I found some unflvaoured Seitan (wheat gluten) in these weird looking rolls at the asian grocer in West End. Having never cooked with it, I thought I would give it a try.  Using unflavoured seitan will make a quick stir fry take longer to prepare, but you can dictate the taste - it is worth it.

First - prepare the seitan.

1 packet Seitan - sliced
1 litre strong vege stock
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs vegetarian oyster sauce (mushroom sauce)
2 tbs kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
1 tsp of my killah chilli sauce (or any very hot chilli sauce/paste)
a bowl with 1/2 cup plain flour
4 eggs, beaten.
vegetable oil and sesame oil for very shallow frying

Put 2tbs soy sauce in with the stock in a saucepan, bring to boil and add the seitan. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove seitan with a slotted spoon and put into a seperate container. Reserve 1 cup of stock.
In the seperate container, add the vegetarian oyster sauce, kecap manis, chilli sauce and the rest of the soy sauce. Coat the seitan well. Allow to marinade for 2 hours, frequently mixing to evenly coat the seitan. Heat vegetable and sesame oils in a fry pan. Take batches of seitan and coat evenly in flour, then shallow fry for 3 minutes on each side. Set aside on paper towel. After all seitan is cooked use the leftover oil (which will be deliciously flavoured from the marinade) to cook the eggs - just pour the eggs into the pan, allow to cook on one side then scramble them till cooked. set aside.

Then make the Stir fry.

1 packet fresh chow mein noodles
1 onion, halved then quartered
2 carrots, sliced
1 capsicum, sliced
1/3 sugarloaf cabbage, sliced chunky
100gm button mushrooms, sliced thick
3 tbs minced garlic
2 tbs killah chilli sauce (or any hot chilli sauce/paste)
1 tbs minced ginger
4 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs kecap manis
1 tsp chinese five spice
2 tsp flour mixed into the cup of reserved stock.
2 tbs vegetable oil, 1tbs sesame oil

Heat oil in a wok. Stir fry onions, garlic, chilli and ginger. Add carrot and stir fry for 1 minute. Add soy sauces and 5 spice, and 2 tbs of stock. Stir well.
Add mushrooms and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add capsicum and cabbage and stir fry for 5 minutes.
Put noodles in a large bowl and cover with boiling water - sit for 2 minutes then drain.Add the seitan to the vegetables, as well as the rest of the stock. Mix well and cook, covered, for 3 minutes.

Add noodles and egg, mix well to combine evenly and coat noodles in sauce. Cook for 2 minutes to heat noodles.
Serve - top with fried onion if you like.

Foul Medames (Fava beans)

Only have 30 minutes to cook and eat? Want something delicious, filling and healthy? Got a can of Fava beans in the pantry?

This is pretty much the lebanese version of tacos - minus all the fat and cheese.

1 can Foul Medames (fava beans) drained.
2 lebanese breads, quartered
3 tomatoes, halved then quartered.
1 large cucumber, sliced long.
a handful of fresh mint, chopped finely
1tsp crushed garlic
3tbs olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice
a pinch of paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Heat drained beans in microwave for 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl, add garlic, 1tbs olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice. Mash well with fork.
Make a well in the centre, add rest of olive oil and sprinkle paprika.

Sprinkle foul medames and tomatoes/cucumbers with chopped mint and add salt and pepper to taste.
Fill bread quarters with foul and add veges. Enjoy!

If you dont have fava beans, you can also make this with any canned beans (chick peas, kidney beans, borlotti beans etc) you have in the pantry.

Killer Coleslaw

This looks like any regular coleslaw - a melee of carrots, cabbage and onion... but inside lurks the fire of the worlds hottest chillies - And I used two of them ;)

I used a mandolin slicer with the wide blade to cut the carrots, cabbage and onions, and a bean stringer to "french" the beans.
Use a really sharp knife for the chillies (wear gloves if you really have to)


2 carrots, chunky shred
1/2 sugarloaf cabbage, shredded
1 red onion, shredded
100g fresh green beans "frenched" (use a bean stinger, or just cut them lengthways)
100ml Ceasar salad dressing
salt and pepper to taste

Optional:
2 naga jolokia chillies, chopped very finely (remove the seeds - they aren't good for texture)
or use less firey chillies if you would like the flavour without the burn.

Layer it all in a salad bowl, toss well.  Dont rub your eyes for the next day if you didnt wear gloves (I learnt this the hard way...)

ahhhh - sweet orange fire!

Stuffed Mushrooms

A dinner party with vegetarians isn't complete without... Stuffed Mushrooms!!

These look a lot better before they are cooked - they taste soooo much better afterwards though.
And they are versatile - they can be cooked on the stove top, cooked in the oven or put in a foil baggy and cooked on the BBQ! They taste best on the BBQ actually.
You can top them with cheese for a more pizza-ish mushy, or rub the skins with oil and garlic for a super-flavour explosion mushy!

5 portobello mushroom caps, or any flat field mushroom.
3 finely chopped garlic cloves
1/3 finely chopped red onion
2 tomatoes, sliced
freshly chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste
5 small cubes of butter

Remove stalk and extra membrane from mushrooms. Sprinkle garlic and onion evenly over caps.
Arrange tomato slices so that they cover the entire cap - you may need to cut pieces to fit.
Sprinkle on chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste.
Add a small cube of butter to the centre of each.

Cook for 5-10 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and the tomato is cooked.
(Spoon the mushroom juice over the top, put in other dishes/sauces or freeze for later use.)

If you are making the sauce equivalent of crack to serve your dinner guests with their leek, proscuitto and chicken - mushroom juice goes really well :)

Thanks for joining us, Ozfiredancer and Senor del Davis :)

(and thanks for taking the last 2 photos Senor!!!)

Tri-colour Pasta Salad

A delicious, light pasta salad that is best eaten cold.
Its the perfect student meal as you can whip it up in 15 minutes and eat it for the next 3 days when you remember to get out of the laboratory!

375 g Tri-colour spirals - cooked al dente
1 and a half zuchini - grated
4 big tablespoons pesto
100g sheeps milk fetta - crumbled finely
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste.

layer all ingredients in a large salad bowl. Toss well. Enjoy!

Choc Chili Cup Cakes!

Its Chocolate! Its Chilli! Its in Cup-Cake form! What more could you possibly ask for?
(the recipe perhaps?)

150g butter
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup corn flour
1 3/4 self raising flour
1/2 cup bournville cocoa
100g melted dark chocolate (at least 45% cocoa)
2 tbs kahlua if you have it.

whisk softened butter, sugar and egg.  Add vanilla and baking powder and mix well.
Sift in dry ingredients. Use a spatula to fold into wet ingredients.
Add melted chocolate and kahlua and give a quick stir.

Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons into large cup cake cases or muffin cases. Cook at 180 degrees for 30 minutes or until centre springs back up when touched.

50g dark chocolate
75ml thickened cream
pulp of 2 birds eye chillies
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
1 1/2 birds eye chillies - sliced finely lengthways

Remove seeds from chillies. Use the edge of a sharp knife to scrape the pulp from the chillies.
Melt chocolate in saucepan over low heat. Stir in  cream, chilli pulp and black pepper. Stir until thickened.

Spread over cooled cup cakes and top with chilli slivers.

Makes 10 big cup cakes.