Quick and Easy Vegan Slow Cooking (28 page)

A
LTHOUGH MANY VERSIONS
of vindaloo contain potatoes, the traditional kind does not, so I don’t feel bad about not putting them in mine. I’ve thickened the rich, spicy sauce using red lentils and added sour notes (in the form of both wine and vinegar) so the heat isn’t too over the top. It may seem that the amount of cayenne you’re adding is extreme, but remember that the power of ground spice decreases somewhat throughout the long cooking time. If you are a real hot food lover, you’ll need to add a little more heat at the end. Serve with rice and an Indian bread such as a roti, naan, or chapatti to soak up the spice and make it a little easier on your tummy.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes

1 tablespoon canola oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger

3 serrano or jalapeño peppers, minced (see Note)

3 shallots, minced
 

1½ teaspoons coriander

1½ teaspoons paprika

¾ to 1 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

¼ teaspoon turmeric
 

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons red wine or vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
 

3 cups soy curls

¾ cup red lentils

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

6 cups vegetable stock

1½ tablespoons tomato paste
 

Salt, black pepper, and hot sauce

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat; add the garlic, ginger, chiles, and shallots and allow to sizzle for 2 minutes. Add the coriander through the turmeric; sauté for 1 minute. Transfer to the slow cooker.

2.
Deglaze the skillet with the wine; add to the slow cooker with the soy curls through the tomato paste. Stir to combine.

3.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6 hours, or until the vindaloo is very tender and thick.

4.
Taste and season with the salt, pepper, and hot sauce as required.

NOTE
: If you like more heat, go with serrano chiles; otherwise, use jalapeño chiles. Alternatively, add as much as you think you can handle, or leave out completely.

Tempeh Tikka Masala

T
HIS IS MY
nonauthentic take on chicken tikka masala, itself a nonauthentic take on traditional Indian curries! This curry is rich and heavy. The serving size is small, but you don’t need much to be satisfied. There may not be any oil in the recipe, but it is certainly not low fat! If you’re not a huge tempeh fan or don’t have any, feel free to substitute pressed extra-firm tofu or any seitan (store-bought or homemade), though results may vary. If you’re using tofu, be aware that it will absorb more of the marinade and you may have to add a little extra liquid if you want a saucier end result. If you’d like more sauce, stir in more vegan sour cream at the end of the cooking time. If you like heat in everything, increase the amount of chile flakes or add ¼ to ½ teaspoon cayenne with the spices. You can also always add hot sauce to taste at the end.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 10 minutes

8 ounces tempeh, cut into ½-inch cubes

¾ cup canned crushed tomatoes

¾ cup canned coconut milk

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1½ teaspoons cumin

1½ teaspoons smoked paprika

1½ teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon cane sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon cardamom

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon turmeric

¼ to ½ teaspoon chile flakes, to taste
 

¼ cup vegan sour cream
 

Salt and black pepper
 

1 seeded tomato, finely chopped

Vegan sour cream, optional

*To ensure the dish is gluten free, if necessary, please check all packaged ingredients, as noted on
page 39
.

1.
Combine the tempeh through the chile flakes in the slow cooker.

2.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6 hours, or until the tempeh is very tender and the sauce has thickened.

3.
Stir in the vegan sour cream. Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

4.
Serve hot, garnished with the tomato and vegan sour cream, if using.

Pineapple Sweet and Sour Seitan

if using vegetable stock

T
HICK, GLOOPY, AND
sticky, just like your favorite Chinese takeout. Wonderful served with Coconut Rice (
page 216
) or any aromatic long-grain rice. This is lovely, mostly sweet and spicy with a just hint of sour, and loaded with all the vegetables you’d find in takeout sweet and sour. Most of the sweetness (and liquid) comes from the pineapple, so canned pineapple really doesn’t work. I’m sure you’ll be able to find a delicious use (like eating as is) for the remaining pineapple. Adjust the amount of jalapeño to your heat preference.

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 20 minutes

½ large fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into ½-inch chunks

½ medium red pepper, cut into ½-inch chunks

¼ medium green pepper, finely chopped

½ medium red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons agave

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

¼ teaspoon chile flakes

2 tablespoons seasoned rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lime juice

½ to 1 jalapeño pepper, minced

½ pound (2 cups) seitan, preferably light, store-bought or homemade (
page 47
, ½ recipe), cut into ½-inch chunks

½ cup seitan cooking broth or vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
 

1½ tablespoons arrowroot powder or tapioca starch (see Note)
 

Salt and black pepper

1.
Combine the pineapple through the broth in the slow cooker. Stir well.

2.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 5 hours, or until the liquid is released and the seitan is tender.

3.
Mix the arrowroot with a little water to make a slurry, add to the slow cooker, and stir for 2 minutes, or until thick.

4.
Taste and season with the salt and pepper as required.

NOTE
: If you don’t have arrowroot powder, use tapioca starch because cornstarch will make the sauce cloudy.

Red Seitan Curry

T
HIS CURRY IS
Thai inspired, aromatic, thick, and perfect with rice, though I do cheat and use premade vegan chili paste. The raw seitan pieces are tossed in flour and seared to give a nice crust, which holds the color and shape for the remainder of the cooking time. The little flour left after searing also acts as a partial thickener, so you may find the curry plenty thick enough without the arrowroot slurry at the end. If so, omit that step. Make and sear the seitan pieces up to a day ahead of time if you wish, holding in the fridge until required. If you’d prefer to use store-bought seitan, please see the variation. This curry is not too over the top heat-wise, so feel free to use more of the paste if you know you like it hot. If you are spice phobic, start off with only ½ teaspoon with the stock; you can always stir in more later. If you prefer a green curry, check out the Green Seitan Curry (
page 126
).

Serves 4 to 6
Preparation time: 30 minutes

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

1 onion, half finely chopped, half in ½-inch chunks

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 to 1½ teaspoons Thai red curry paste, more or less to taste

One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 cups vegetable stock, store-bought or homemade (
page 43
)
 

½ cup vegetable stock, at room temperature

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste
 

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon cumin

3 tablespoons chickpea flour, sifted if lumpy

½ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon garlic powder
 

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten
 

¼ cup all-purpose flour
 

2 tablespoons canola oil
 

1 cup green beans, trimmed and cut in ½-inch lengths

1 cup frozen peas, thawed
 

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch, optional
 

Salt, black pepper, and Asian hot sauce

1.
Combine the celery through the 2 cups stock in the slow cooker.

2.
In a medium bowl whisk together the ½ cup stock through the curry paste.

3.
Add the coriander through the garlic powder and whisk in.

4.
Stir in the wheat gluten and mix to form a stiff dough. Knead in the bowl for about 3 minutes to develop the gluten.

5.
Let the seitan mixture rest while you place the flour in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow bowl and heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.

6.
Cut the seitan into no more than ½-inch pieces (they will expand as they cook) and toss in the flour to coat and keep the pieces from sticking to one another.

7.
Sear all sides of the seitan until the outsides are browned and firm, about 5 minutes in total. Transfer the seitan and any excess flour in the skillet to the slow cooker.

8.
Cover, set heat to LOW, and cook for 6 hours, or until the seitan is cooked through and no longer tastes like raw chickpea flour.

9.
Add the beans and peas; cook for 1 hour, or until tender.

10.
If necessary, make a slurry with the arrowroot and a little water. Add to the pot and stir in to thicken the mix.