How to Make Substitutions Without Loosing Your Mind - Part 2

A Veg Turkey From: http://why-veg.com/tag/vegan/

Two of the dishes that may be the hardest to successfully replace or recreate at the VGF holiday table are: a satisfying main dish and stuffing.  Compounding this problem is that to many, this is part of/the whole/the only reason to be having this dinner anyway.  But don’t despair!  Being open to replacing the traditional roast meat and it’s breadcrumb stuffing, rather than recreating them, leaves many more avenues open to experiencing delicious (and usually more healthful)  alternatives. 

Alternatives?! No, I am not saying that instead of ham you should be happy with a beancurd and kale casserole.  Rather, I mean being happy with a dish that fulfills all of the scrumptious functions of, let’s say a roast turkey, can be had without, let’s say, relying on the main dish being sculpted like a turkey. Personally, I find the ‘fake drumsticks’ and the like to be deeply disturbing (and keep in mind, I still eat meat, occasionally – the hubbie is the veggie; see the first post for details). 

So, I guess that is my long and drawn-out point: you can recreate or replace.  If you desire the meaty chew and the slather-it-in gravy attributes of the roast beast, then by all means make a main that has those qualities (see homey & substantial below).  If you really just want a meatless main that is visually appealing and elegant enough to win over {your significant other’s} {special people}, go for a version of the ‘elegant & contained’ option below.  Breading/Stuffing/Dressing will be covered in 'Part 3'

Making a Meatless Main

Press-In Crust ready for filling

For something elegant and contained, try a savory tart or individual tartlets.  A lovely seasonal combination of chanterelles,leek and kale (and one of my favorites) is great place to start, but any of your favorite vegetables roasted or sautéed could take their place using the same press-in crust.

Shmeat Loaf with Mmmm mushroom gravy

For something homey and substantial, try a meatless loaf that can be presented more like a roast and served with traditional accompaniments like gravy and cranberry sauce.  Shmeat Loaf is a crowd pleaser, for vegetarians and omnivores alike – it and the Mmmm mushroom gravy are both vegan(!) too, but you’d never notice.  You can make this ahead of time too and just reheat in the oven the day of your feast.

For something comforting yet refined, try a layered dish of grains and vegetables in a pretty oven-to-table dish.  While calling it a ‘casserole’ conjures up images of Tuesday tuna surprise, more sophisticated dishes like the classic Italian tiella di verdura sound as special as they taste.  I found just such a recipe in Nancy Harmon Jenkins’s New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook that I’m dying to try.  Here is a very similar version, albeit without the rice (which you could easily layer in, or substitute with millet or quinoa).

Eggplant Timpano

Or the slightly more labor-intense but parcel-perfect Eggplant Timpano featured in this Tuesday’s FoodDay in the Oregonian.

Somewhere between comforting and contained is the tamale, a Mesoamerican staple of the Christmas table.  Tamales consist of a filling, either sweet or savory, surrounded by a corn-based dough and them steamed in a leaf wrapper (corn husk, banana or plantain leaf) which is removed before eating.  The sky is the limit when considering fillings so these can be very fun to experiment with.  There is even a local food cart, Koi Fusion, that is making tamales with an Asian twist, filling them with longbeans, daikon, short-rib and some fabulous spices.  I know the short-rib is less-than-vegetarian, but you get the point.

The ingredient list is short, and their only need a small tweak to make vegetarian or vegan as you like.  The corn base is actually masa, a special treatment of dent corn (as opposed to sweet corn) with lime to remove the husks and, as it turns out, unlock some of the bound nutrients in the kernels.  Most well-stocked grocery stores now carry masa, a common brand is Maseca which also makes a blend of masa especially for tamales, though this is not crucial and you can use just masa (I don’t know what makes them different).  Traditionally made with lard, you can substitute vegetable shortening, coconut oil or vegetable oil to make them vegan. We are making these today, so I will post it soon!  If you have access to a copy of The Veganomicon by Moskowitz & Romero (truly, the vegan bible) I am using their recipe as a base – you can find it on page 59.   Otherwise try this recipe from Vegetarian Times

 Note: They mention that ‘masa for tamales’ contains fat, presumably they mean of animal origin, and so to use plain masa instead.  The ingredient list on my bag of Maseca for Tamales states only: “selected corn treated with lime”. If you are unsure however, uses plain masa.

For the first in this series, check out Part 1 - aka 'The Crazy Season is Upon Us'

The Crazy Season is Upon Us

As the happy commotion of late summer activities made way to the blazing glory of fall, I find myself now contemplating the dying light of December(!). How quickly we find ourselves at the precipice of the shortest day, and headlong into ‘the crazy season’ in more ways than one.  ‘Tis the season to remember the important things in life: friends & family, a warm meal, shelter from the storm.  So as you gather round to celebrate, give thanks for this day: the present.

I am thankful for all the wonderful meals that I have had the pleasure of sharing with friends and family over the years.  I am grateful too that many loved ones have graciously adapted their favorite recipes to accommodate JJ’s and my restrictions with meat and wheat, among other things.  Whether you are new to the substitution game, or just stumped on specifics, making holiday dishes allergy friendly might be easier than you think.  Here are a few of the most common encounters: breadcrumbs, chicken stock, and the magic that is bacon.

How to make substitutions without loosing your mind - Part 1

Breadcrumbs

Conventional Subs

• GF Breadcrumbs are more widely available now in many specialty grocery stores
• If you have GF bread around, toast the slices until dry and then pulse in a food processor
• As long as the favor was not the failed part, I keep the results of ‘bread experiments’ sliced up in the freezer, and then thaw for making into crumb or croutons as needed

Creative Subs

Popped Amaranth

Depending on the function the breadcrumbs are fulfilling, numerous other ingredients, or combinations thereof, could be successfully employed:

• Topping/Crunch/Coating: quinoa flakes, slivered or sliced almonds, popped amaranth
• Body/Moisture Absorption: cornmeal/polenta, almond meal, GF flour like brown rice, or simply cooked rice or another GF grain; any of these could also be combined with some veg starch, such as potato or tapioca, especially if making a patty or loaf

Animal Stock/Broth

Chicken/Light Broth

Option 1 – Premade Vegetable Stock – good quality is important!

My favorite pre-fab veggie broths are from Wolfgang Puck (which I can't seem to find anymore) and Field Day Organic.  I've tried others and they can be exceptionally anemic and/or salty.  That being said, unfortunately the low-salt versions tend to also suck.  You can add a little poultry seasoning to reinforce the idea of ‘chicken’ if you like.  You can make your own veggie stock too, and I applaud you, but don't have the time myself, nor the freezer space to do this regularly.

Option 2 – Bouillon cubes

Good bouillon cubes are by Edward & Sons or Rapunzell.  Using bouillon you can get a little closer to the flavor right off the bat, with Edward & Sons Not-Chick’n 

Option 3 - Substitution

Depending on the recipe, you could sub all or part of the stock called for with water, white wine (diluted if necessary), or even a splash of rice wine vinegar.  Use your judgment accordingly when augmenting water as a substitution – I’m not telling you to make ‘chicken noodle soup’ with a bottle of wine!  Whatever you choose, amping up the spices can help to make up for any deficit in flavor.

Beef/Dark Stock

'Mushroom Liquor' from soaking dried ones

Option 1 – Premade liquids

Pacific Foods brand is ok for vegetable stock, but where they really shine is with their mushroom broth.  Mushrooms in general have great umami flavor that helps to give depth.  Using the soaking liquid from reconstituting dried mushrooms is another great option too, just be sure to strain it through a coffee filter or paper towel to catch any grit.

Option 2 – Bouillon cubes

Go for Edward & Sons Not-Beef bullion cubes.

Option 3 - Unctuous Onion Base

UOB - Unctuous Onion Base

Make a batch with this recipe, then thin it with a mixture of red wine and vegetable stock.  Let it simmer, the longer the better, to cook the alcohol out of the wine and allow the flavors to marry.  Add any spices you desire – bay leaf, black peppercorn and herbs complementary to the rest of your dish would be a nice start.

The 'secret' to veggie bacon flavor! Smoked paprika

Pork Products

Bacon

Flavor – smoked paprika, liquid smoke mixed with maple syrup, smoked salt

+ Texture – For a bacon-y base, sauté

• mushrooms, swiss chard stems &/or cubed firm tofu in
• caramelized onions, garlic, and
• a healthy dose of either smoked paprika or the liquid smoke & maple syrup mix, salt & pepper
• add a splash of veg stock

Swiss Chard stems - don't throw them out, make bac'n!

And you will have delicious smoky nuggets!

If you have neither paprika nor liquid smoke, try finishing the above with smoked salt before serving.  The grill can also impart vital smoky flavor – combined with a salty sweet glaze, you can get close to why all the reasons people love bacon.

Sausage

Tomato sauce with soyrizo

Flavor – many Italian seasoning mixes that contain fennel can really mimic the flavor that sausage imparts to a sauce (such as Williams-Sonoma Italian Sausage Seasoning). Another option is Montreal steak spice, or try a diy srasoning mix by combining:

• 2 T hungarian or sweet paprika
• 1 T coarsely crushed fennel seeds
• 2 t each of dried thyme, oregano, ground coriander, and garlic powder
• ¼ t – 1 t crushed red pepper flake depending on the desired level of heat

Mix together thoroughly and store in an air-tight jar. Use by the tablespoon (About 2 T for 1 lb of 'shmeat' or 30 oz of sauce).

+ Texture - Try commercially available ‘soyrizo’ or a like product, which tastes like spicy Mexican chorizo.  Read the label to ensure that the product is also gluten-free, most are.  Other options are to include one of the seasonings above with Quorn meat-free grounds, crumbled firm tofu, and/or ground or diced mushroom (especially portabello, porchini, shitake or crimini) which will give you a good texture and flavor approximation.

Hope this gives you some ideas on how to substitute for meat and/or wheat in your holidays dishes, and throughout the year.  For tips on how to reinvent some traditional side dishes in the VGF fashion, check out last year's post:
Very Good Food for the Holidays: Side Dishes Reconsidered

Or Check Out Part 2 of this 'series' - Making a Meatless Main