This week for hive top chef we were given some choices which I chose black beans as the main ingredient. I always have dried and canned black beans in the cupboard.
I make seitan (vital wheat gluten) differently almost every time. This time I used black bean. I didn't have time to soak and cook dried beans so I used a can
Black bean seitan
1 can black beans or two cups cooked black beans
3 to 3 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup or more of vegetable broth or water
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 or 3 drops liquid smoke
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
Saute the onions and garlic then add to black beans and other ingredients except for vital wheat gluten. Put in a blender and blend until smooth. Mix the blended bean mix to a bowl with the wheat gluten. Slowly add the wheat gluten until you can make a dough.
I sometimes boil the seitan in vegetable broth, but this time I steamed it. It's a toss up for me. I knew I would be turning it into steak and adding gravy.
Cook it for around one hour. I left in in a little longer because I was busy. It really swells up almost double.
Cut steaks to a desired thickness. I did it fairly thin.
After coating with black pepper I grilled it on an electric grill.
Meanwhile I made a dandelion greens saute. I love the bitterness and roughage of it. I usually pick my own when I can but it's not possible these days. I am in the city and there aren't many dandelions right now. I purchased some cultivated dandelions from the local super market.
This was done simply by cooking red onion, red bell pepper, salt and pepper vegetable broth, a little flour to thicken and a little soy cream.
I made a mushroom gravy by cooking 3 shallots minced in a dollop of vegan butter, a pint of mushrooms, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 cups vegetable broth or you could use vegan beef broth, a splash of wine, black pepper, thyme. Taste and add as you go. Add a tablespoon of potato starch or flour mixing until smooth.
At the end I added green onions after I blended the gravy with a hand blender.
Marc was saying how hungry he was today so this was the thing to shut him up.
Around seven years ago we worked in a steakhouse. I was eventually offered to train on the grill. It's the last thing I would have wanted. There were so many cuts of steaks and a different doneness. It would have been too high stress. After this we quit and stopped animal products all together.
I always thought when people ordered a well done steak that they deep down inside didn't want meat. I was the same when I was younger but at some point I opted for a medium rare.
Too much meat talk for a plantbased post. Sorry.
This was so filling for me. I can't imagine being hungry again.
Thanks for stopping by!
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