Using Holiday Leftovers: Seitan Salad Sandwich Filling Recipe

In my previous life as a meat eater, I enjoyed eating the leftover food from Thanksgiving, but I also enjoyed not having to cook much over the course of the next few days.  Even if I'd whip up something small to go along with the leftovers, the leftovers themselves were the main focus!  Turkey was the biggest leftover, and maybe that's part of why I grew to dislike eating turkey.  Even though I would only eat turkey once or twice a year, I wasn't a huge fan.  So I don't miss turkey at Thanksgiving, and I wouldn't even if I weren't vegan!

Anyway, one thing I did miss was the sandwiches I'd make.  Again, I wasn't a huge turkey fan, but I'd make a turkey salad sandwich that I absolutely loved.  A problem now, as a vegan, is that those sandwiches had two no-nos:  turkey (of course) and mayonnaise.  I didn't miss them last year, but I thought about them this year.

I had a huge spread this year, because I made a lot of the traditional foods my family loves (and there are five others in my immediate family), but I made several dishes that were exclusively vegan (like seitan roast, a recipe I found on VegWeb) and veganized many of my old dishes (like sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes).  Well, I had some seitan roast left over, as well as almost two dozen rolls.  I also had lots of celery and onions I'd bought, overanticipating how much of those I'd need in my holiday cooking, and while the onions will fare all right before I get them used up, the celery might not.  So I decided to give this recipe a shot.  Now, all this said, you obviously don't have to wait until Thanksgiving to make this tasty sandwich filling, and I don't intend to wait a year for them either--you can use any seitan you have on hand.  Now, my one dilemma is finding sweet pickle relish without high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  I looked at all the ones at my local grocery store, and even the high priced brand names had it!!!  I was very disappointed.  Guess I'll have to find a recipe for that as well.  If any of you know of a brand of sweet pickle relish that doesn't use HFCS (or if you have a great recipe), please let me know.  In the meantime, please enjoy my newest creation!

Seitan Salad Sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups seitan, cubed
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• ½ small onion, diced
• ¼ cup sweet pickle relish
• ½ cup Vegenaise (I use Grapeseed Oil Veganaise)
• ¼ chopped nuts (optional)
• Bread or rolls (toasted, if desired)

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet. Add seitan cubes and sauté over medium-high heat until it begins to brown. Add parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the seitan mixture to cool. Meanwhile, combine celery, onion, relish, Veganaise, and nuts (if desired). Once the seitan mixture is cooled, add it to the Veganaise mixture until thoroughly combined. Spread between two slices of bread or rolls to desired thickness.

Happy eating!

Vegan Stuffing Recipe

Okay, I've said this before, but I'll say it again.  Yesterday wasn't my first vegetarian Thanksgiving, but it was my first vegan Thanksgiving.  And I'll admit it--I was a little worried.  I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to replicate all my favorite things.  I can tell you now, though, that I came pretty close!  And that makes me ecstatic! 

Stuffing was one of those things that I've been struggling with.  Last year, I just gave up, because every store-bought brand had meat products in it (like chicken broth).  I knew my relatives made stuffing from scratch so I figured it shouldn't be too difficult.  And, yes, I see the humor, believe me.  Stuffing is meant to stuff a bird, so why would I even want it?  Well, my extended family for years has called it "dressing," and they typically make it in the oven apart from the bird.  So why couldn't I?

Earlier this year, I purchased a number of perennial herbs, and one of them was a sage plant (Salvia de Berggarten, to be exact).  A recipe came with the plant, and I wound up saving it, even though it was not vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination.  However, I used it as the basis of and inspiration for what is now going to be the stuffing I make every year.  It was wonderful!  So, without further ado, here's the recipe.  I hope you like it too!

Vegan Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients:

• 3 cups toasted whole-grain bread cubes
• 2 cups day-old cornbread cubes (make vegan cornbread the day before and use leftovers)
• ½ cup vegan margarine (I use Earth Balance)
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup celery
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
• 7 leaves finely chopped sage
• ½ cup vegetable broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Saute onion and celery in margarine. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Add sauted mixture; mix well. Bake in casserole dish or baking pan for 30 minutes.




Some Thanksgiving Ideas

Okay, just a quick note...I know it really is Thanksgiving week, but I'm trying to make my menus "generic"; in other words, I want people to be able to just pull up a menu and pick some dishes off, no matter what time of year it is.  That said, I do want to direct my readers to some great Thanksgiving recipes in case they need some inspiration:

• Susan Voisin of FatFree Vegan Kitchen has a yummy-looking Thanksgiving Meatless Loaf that I intend to make on Thanksgiving.
• Chef Chloe has several mouth-watering recipes, like Harvest-Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms and Maple Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Toasted Hazelnuts.
• VegWeb also has a large collection of various Thanksgiving recipes, certain to round out your holiday meal!

So...if you use these menus on occasion (or often!), definitely take time off for Thanksgiving.  It's probably one of my favorite holidays--good food and good times with family.

Last year was a challenge for me--it was my first Thanksgiving as a vegetarian, so I had to be careful with all the food choices (and even had an unintentional slip-up).  This is my first vegan Thanksgiving.  Of course, the rest of my family will be having the usual fare, but I intend to provide a dozen delicious dishes that are irresistible!

A Vegan Halloween

(Happy birthday to my hubby!)

What's a vegan to do on Halloween?  Well, she does the same thing she does on any holiday!  She eats what she can and disregards the rest.  Needless to say, she won't be eating any Milk Duds or anything with milk chocolate.  But that doesn't mean she can't eat a little candy with the kids!

Luckily for us, PETA has put together a vegan-friendly list of candy.  However, just because it's vegan doesn't mean it's necessarily healthy, so don't overdo.  But at least you won't feel deprived!