Vegan Garlic Naan served with Indian-Spiced Cauliflower and Potato Casserole
This recipe doesn’t use yeast which means no waiting for the dough to rise. When serving with a casserole like the one in the photo above, this bread can easily be prepared while the casserole is in the oven.
Dough divided into 4 portions
Once the dough has rested for around 15 minutes, divide it into 4 portions.
Dough rolled out of a floured surface
I prefer the dough rolled out fairly thin, it does puff up a bit in the skillet. You can brush the naan with butter, or sprinkle with additional garlic or cilantro if desired.
This has been a labor of making and tweaking and making and tweaking. I have pages of crossed out notes and things that I added and tried. Finally this is it! The finished product!
In our meat eating days, we enjoyed Hickory Farms turkey sticks. They were sold as a seasonal item and we waited with anticipation. Let me just say its been a long time since those days but this is a similar taste to what my family and I remember, albeit not as rich.
This recipe makes two medium sized logs. They are easy to slice for sandwiches and wraps. I recently added slices to a veggie stir-fry. We have served slices with crackers and vegan cheese as a game snack. I’ve put chunks into vegan Mac and cheese. The possibilities I am discovering are endless. Anywhere you would typically have used processed meat, this is a perfect plant-based alternative.
The recipe calls for a block of tofu drained. Drain the tofu, wrap it in paper towels to pull off the excess water, it doesn’t need to be pressed. There are two flavors of liquid smoke available I have used both, so you can use whichever you prefer. The more flavorful BBQ sauce you use the more flavorful your logs will be, so select based on your tastes.
I froze seitan log in slices and it thawed just fine. The pieces I thawed I used in a stir-fry so perhaps the best way to use seitan log that you have frozen is in something you are cooking.
Begin by placing a large pot of water on medium heat so its heating while you are preparing the seitan logs. In a food processor, add everything except for the vital wheat gluten. Once you have the tofu and the seasonings pureed add in the vital wheat gluten and just pulse until it’s incorporated. Take it out and knead it just a bit until it’s not crumbly and its more like dough.
Seitan log dough before kneading
Once you knead it a few times, it gets a smoother surface. Don’t knead it too much as it will make the meat log have a rubbery texture. Tear off two sheets of aluminum foil, and divide the dough into two equal portions.
Two equal portions of seitan log dough.
Roll the dough with your hands until you have two log shaped pieces.
Two log shaped pieces.
Wrap each log in aluminum foil, twisting the ends closed. If you don’t roll it up and seal by twisting the ends the cooked log looks more like a loaf than a meat log, so twisting the ends is an important step.
Seitan logs with the ends twisted and folded down.
Place the seitan logs in boiling water and allow to simmer on a low boil for 1 hour. Then just cool and enjoy. Store them in the refrigerator or freeze in an airtight container.
Collared greens are rich in nutrients and come from the same family as their fellow cruciferous vegetables, cauliflower florets, turnip greens, mustard greens, broccoli florets, and kale. Among these collard greens are typically more affordable with the same nutrient power pack.
Collared greens are a loose leaf species, they don’t grow as a head but as individual dark colored edible leaves. They are typically found in small bundles in the refrigerated section of the produce department. Smaller leaves are more tender, larger leaves are tougher and you would want to cut the stem out and perhaps some of the center rib.
These plants have been eaten for at least 2000 years and evidence has shown that ancient Greeks cultivated several varieties of collards as well as kale.
When I purchased these two bundles at a farm market the vendor was kind enough to fill me in on her preparation method. First she said they cook up great with a little bacon, but if you want to eat healthy don’t do that.
First cut the stems off and then blanch the leaves for 5 minutes. Remove from the water and roll each leaf on the diagonal and then slice in strips on the diagonal the other direction. Sauté the strips with a little garlic, red onion, and balsamic vinegar. Keep a little cup of water handy to prevent your veggies from sticking to the skillet. Enjoy this healthy little side. I used this as a side one night and as a section of a Buddha bowl the next.
Be creative and try new foods! Plant strong and heart healthy! ❤️ur❤️
My mother in law used to make the most fabulous potato salad, the kind that is so rich and creamy it just melts in your mouth. But alas, it was far from plant-based with its mayo and eggs. So this is the substitute, not as creamy but certainly as tasty. We test made this over the Labor Day holiday weekend, when all my kid’s were home. They are always good taste testers. They agreed it passed and could be added in to those family gatherings where we used to enjoy grandmas potato salad. It’s fairly quick and easy to pull together and best yet, it can sit outside at the family picnic without any worries about whats going on with the mayo sitting in the sunshine. We chose to leave the skin on the potatoes but you can certainly peel them if you want. Potato skins are actually quite healthy. One whole baked potato amazingly has more potassium than a banana. Spuds are also rich in iron, magnesium, and fiber, and fiber my friends is only found in plant food, and is a must have for our bodies to run efficiently. Enjoy!
