Bánh mì vegan sandwich: pickled daikon

When I was in Toronto over the holidays we were 2 blocks away from the best Vietnamese sandwich place, I went there every day and picked a couple up. Who can argue with a delicious $1.75 sandwich?  Being back home is nice but I miss the perks of city living.

With all the left over seitan, that I made on my last post, I decided to try and recreate them. I learned how to make pickled daikon when I was working in the restaurants. I have a jar in my fridge!

What you  need:

buns or baguette
grated carrot
fresh cilantro
mushroom ( not necessary, but I love'm)
seitan- sliced
onion- sliced
vegan mayo
pickled daikon 

Vinaigrette 

4 tbsp tamari
4 tbsp canola oil
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 tsp dulse flakes
1/4 tsp sesame oil
pinch of chilies

Combine all ingredients into a mason jar and shake.

Saute the seitan with the onions and mushrooms. 
Assemble sandwich style



To make pickled daikon: peel and chop daikon into sticks. Make a solution of 1 to 1 vinegar/sugar. Blend until dissolved. Fit as much of the daikon into mason jar and pour the vinegar over. 
Keep in the fridge

Sweet and sour seitan with oranges and almonds

served with quinoa

Seitan is really easy to make, providing you have a bag of wheat gluten on hand. You can season it anyway you wish just make sure you cook it in a vegetable broth.

Basically you use 2 cups of gluten flour, add spices, 1 cup of cold water and a little oil, stir until its combined.(It reminds me of a heart or some kind of body part once its wet) Then I separate it into smaller pieces and tie it up in cheesecloth using twine. It looks like sausages. Submerge it in a pot of boiling stock and simmer for 1 1/2hours. Untie it and slice it as you need it.

It can be eaten like that but its much better fried up again. I used broccoli and fresh cilantro in mine.

Seitan

2 cups gluten flour
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp sea salt

1 cup cold water
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
1/4 cup olive oil

10 cups of vegetable stock

Combine everything in a bowl. Mix until well combined (you might have to get your fingers dirty).
Separate into smaller pieces, using cheesecloth and twine tie it up to look like sausages.
Submerge into boiling stock and let simmer with lid on for 1 1/2 hours.
Keep in an airtight container in the fridge.


Sweet and sour sauce

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup sugar
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh orange juice
zest from 1 orange
2 tbsp cornstarch

combine everything and set aside.
Add sauce to wok once everything is cooked, allow to thicken.
Enjoy!


Find more of my delicious seitan recipes here and here!

The bad ass of the vegan world : SEITAN

Seitan...the bad ass of the vegan world. If you have a wheat allergy stay away. For all those who don't. GIVER!

This is the best "meat" alternative to overly priced store bought stuff. Super easy to make, if you buy the gluten flour. There is a method to making your own gluten flour...but that isn't what I used for this.

I have only a little experience in seitan making, from a previous restaurant that I worked at.  I used the method that I learned. Pretty much you add seasoning to the gluten flour, stir until combined, and pour in cold water or stock. Stir that up until it resembles dough like consistency. Shape into a log. Wrap in cheese cloth or a clean kitchen towel ( I didn't have any cheese cloth lying around :P) Tie up with string or twine, submerse in a pot of boiling stock. Let cook for 1 1/2 hours. Topping up the water as it evaporates.

It is best to cook it again,as if you were using raw tofu. We made the most delicious Vietnamese style sandwiches...After the seitan is cooked, slice about a cup worth of the log, and saute in garlic, onions, soy sauce, chilies, red wine vinegar, maple syrup, sea salt. On a bun add vegan mayo, shredded carrot, shredded cabbage, fresh cilantro and the sauteed seitan. I wish I had a picture, but we took the sandwiches down to the beach, and gobbled them up :P

I found this recipe on the web...and changed it a little bit.

2 cups gluten flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp paprika
2 tbsp fennel seeds- toasted and crushed
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup veggie oil
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp white vinegar

1 large pot of boiling water/stock

Combine dry ingredients
Combine wet ingredients
Add wet to dry, stir until mixed up good
Form dough into a log shape and roll up in a kitchen towel/ or cheese cloth.
Tie ends and wrap around the log with string.
Submerse in a pot of boiling water or stock, for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove cloth, and store in an airtight container in the fridge.