Tamari-Dijon Marinade [Pan-Seared Seitan with Herbed Potatoes]

I had just made simmered seitan (a.k.a. “wheat meat”) for the first time and was looking to do something with it aside from freaking out about how I’d just created, from flour and some vegetable stock, cutlets that looked and felt and, uh, kind of smelled disquietingly like slices of pigs. But they weren’t!

So I was ready to pan sear them and serve them alongside some herb-baked potatoes. Not, however, before marinating them in some Tamari-Dijon Marinade (page 576). I chose it because it’s composed solely out of standard-pantry ingredients. I wasn’t expecting much, given the brief list of pedestrian ingredients. To my surprise, I couldn’t’ve chosen a better marinade. Uncomplicated, it was the perfect accent to the honest simplicity of my meal.

I’ll most definitely be keeping the Tamari-Dijon Marinade in mind for the next time I need to give something a good pre-preparatory soak.

-- Ulpia, gives savory baths to slices of wheat - -

Winter Pasta Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette

For an interesting twist on your standard creamy pasta salad, why not give Winter Pasta Salad with Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette {page 90} a try?

This simple salad features vegetables that are easily found during the winter months {and coincidentally are hardy enough to keep around in your fridge as staples}, and is dressed in a deceptively healthy creamy mustard vinaigrette.

The salad was quite easy to put together, and was rather flavorful, but had a couple of shortcomings. First, I would have liked some sweetness in the dressing. I think if I make it again, I will include a tbsp or two of agave nectar. Second, the mustard was very strong and almost too tangy to eat the first night it was made {this may be corrected with the use of the agave nectar mentioned}. However, upon trying to leftovers the next day, most of the dressing had soaked right into the noodles, and the salad was then dry and quite flavorless. This definitely seems to be a salad that needs to be eaten the day it's prepared.

Overall, I really liked the idea. I thought it was very unique. With a couple of tweaks, I think this recipe could be a keeper!

Arugula and Apple Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing

Oh my. Another stellar success. The Arugula and Apple Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing (p50) is super simple to put together and would be great for a quickie weeknight meal or side, but it would also be just as at home on your fanciest dinner party table. Its flavors and textures are perfectly balanced and impressive. It's the type of salad you would get in a nice restaurant, only it comes from your kitchen for a fraction of the cost.

If you're skeptical of apples and onions together, let that go. They play off of each other in the most delightful way, and the dressing--oh the dressing--brings everything together so stupendously you (and your guests) will be in awe of what you created.

For my trial run, the dressing was made as written (Have I mentioned the dressing? Oh the dressing!). My modifications were slight--romaine instead of leaf lettuce, and a baby arugula/spinach mix instead of straight adult arugula. It was still enough to get that lovely peppery bite from the arugula, which was only enhanced by the creamy mustard dressing. Have I mentioned how good the dressing is?

Both Mr. V and Grandma V were enamored. And me? Well, I was a tad disappointed I had to share. The only thing I would do differently next time--and oh yes, there will be many more to come--is to make more of everything.

--The Divine Miss V

Tempeh with Maple, Mustard, and Balsamic Glaze

Wow, it has been quite some time since I last posted. I'm such a slacker! Anyway, here's Tempeh with Maple. Mustard and Balsamic Glaze (page 299) served with some roasted yellow cauliflower and mustard greens.

I should preface this review by saying that both me and the Mr. are extremely picky when it comes to tempeh.

For the recipe, all the ingredients are easy to find and probably already in your pantry. It is super easy to put together with the most amount of work being to fry the tempeh. My only changes were that I simmered the tempeh for only 5 minutes instead of 30 minutes (30 always seems excessive to me), substituted a strong dijon mustard for the spicy mustard and doubled the tabasco.

Taste-wise, we thought it was okay. Good, but not fantastic (remember we are picky). I found that the balsamic vinegar really overpowered the other flavours so that the predominant taste was sweet (from the maple) balsamic. I love balsamic but I wanted to taste the mustard in it as well as more maple since mustard + maple is a wonderful combination. I think that the glaze recipe as is would make an excellent salad dressing if emulsified with some olive oil. Or maybe I'm just saying that because I use most of those ingredients in my own balsamic vinagrette. :p

I think if I make it again I would cut the balsamic down to 1 tbsp and I would probably skip the vegetable stock step. It really didn't need more liquid especially since it was already plump from simmering and after frying, the tempeh lost its crispiness.

Having said all that, it's a good recipe but may need to tweaked to your liking. Do give it a try though. All this talk of tempeh makes me actually crave this tempeh again.

— Ms. Veganorama