Remembrance and Renewal: Rosemary Salt, Spice Shakers, Cakes, a Pie, and lots of Gingerbread

Happy New Year, everyone!  

While my computer is behaving, let's catch up with some things I’ve been making, including my holiday projects. Then onward into 2013.

Handmade holiday gifts.  

I made the Rosemary Salt with my house organic rosemary and Kosher salt.  

For each cup of Kosher salt, add 1/4 cup of packed, fresh herbs.  

Process in a food processor a bit until flecked with green snow.

Now you need to dry it for a bit before packing and storing.  The fresh rosemary or other herbs will make the salt damp.  Spread out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (so you can easily pour it off later).

Dry for a few hours at room temperature, then stir up from the bottom (it will be stiff/dry and have caked a bit).  Or for quick drying, put in a 200 degree oven for ten minutes at a time until nice and dry.  Stir.  

Evergreen Snow.  

Pack in pretty jelly jars with tight fitting lids (I used my canning funnel so the salt didn't spill everywhere).  Keeps indefinitely.

If you want to do gift shakers of spices, order some in bulk (like from Penzeys) or use your dried herbs from your garden if you got a lot.  I got those cute shakers at Bed, Bath and Beyond for a very reasonable price.

Yeah, I know how it's starting to look.  No, I'm not making any money from this operation.

 I used a plastic funnel to load the jars with Za'atar or Zatar, or whichever spelling you like.

I had to make a special wax paper funnel for the cinnamon because it is such a fine powder, it wouldn't go through the narrow spout of the plastic funnel.

I did Rosemary salt for family, teachers and friends and added the spices for special family members.  

Here is another vegan food gift that I made:

Another batch of Soft Gruyere from Artisan Vegan Cheese!
My vegan friend (another mom at my son's school) got this.

We both made pasta with it!

YUM-O.

I also made my famous Tortilla Pie again recently:

I do need to do a recipe post for this one day.  I have done so many variations! 
I love Tortilla Pie!

And I've been doing a lot of pancakes lately...

Apple Walnut Cakes

Blueberry Flax Cakes, with a Strawberry Blend

Plain Maple Flax Cakes with Fresh Strawberries.

The apples (Organic Galas have been cheap!) and berries from Wegmans (Cali and Chile imports) have been really good lately.  And all the winter citrus is arriving!

I also did three rounds of gingerbread house crafts:

 My son and I made this at his school holiday party, my favorite one of the year...
The Cookie House Party!  Note the extensive landscaping (Landscaper's Daughter, here!).


And, to prepare for Santa's Arrival, a Sleigh Train of Santas:

A Swish Tail makes for a faster Santa Train.

The Slowest Santa!

Hope he made his way swiftly to all of you, perhaps with the help of
 Supergingerbreadman!

And a church:

Santa visits churches, right?

And little mini gingerbread loaves I made for more gifts:

These were so super tasty.  I can post the recipe if you guys want.  It was easy!

Here's a salad for good measure.  

Spinach Strawberry Salad with Chickpeas. Nekked.
I've been trying to eat a lot of greens lately, as post-holiday nutrient replacement!

Phew! And we didn't even get to see what Santa brought me this year...but, we will, yes indeedy.

Happy New Year, everyone!  

May you all eat well, cook well and be well in 2013.

XOXO

Crispy Chipotle Seitan (Gorditas)

This recipe is amazing.  The crispy outside and juicy yet firm insides of the chipotle seitan will call to you in your sleep.  This seitan would be great in many recipes, but works especially well in a gordita style tortilla wrap because of the flavor and texture of it.  It would also be great over rice, veggies, or in any Mexican dish that calls for beef.  I cannot stop eating this.  If this weren't a vegan blog, you might be scared by some of these pictures.  The seitan really, really looks like beef in most of them.  

So, first make some homemade seitan, don't be afraid!  I used the seitan recipe in American Vegan Kitchen, which worked out extremely well.  Here are some pictures of the seitan making process, again, if you didn't know this was a vegan blog, you might be scared!

 Mix the dry and wet ingredients.  The wet ingredients are already in the bowl, I always just sift the dry into the wet like this, so easy, and saves a bowl!

 Knead the dough, let it rest, and shape it into steaks!

 Pan fry your steaks for about 4 minutes a side.  Scary, right??

Now, bake them with the broth.  These steaks are done!  Are you scared now??

I took the steaks out of the broth, patted them dry a bit and stored them in zip lock bags.  I froze half the batch (it makes eight large steaks like this, or about two pounds of seitan).

Now that you have your seitan steaks, get crackin' on Crispy Chipotle Seitan Gorditas!

Crispy Chipotle Seitan Gorditas

Ingredients:

Homemade seitan steaks, dried a bit by wrapping them in paper towels or kitchen towels and pressing gently on them.  This is to remove excess moisture and get them really crispy when you fry them.  You are supposed to dry the outside of real steaks, too, when you saute them, so this is very similar.  

Premade or homemade gordita-style tortillas (these are nice and big, giving you enough room to make a great burrito, and very tasty).  Mine are from Wegmans, but my favorite are from Trader Joe's.  Keep them in the freezer and they last forever.

Chipotle Chili Powder (I used Penzeys) to taste

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Fresh tomatoes, chopped (I use Roma in the winter, they are pretty good)

Sliced avocado (if you like it)

Daiya Cheddar Cheese (shredded)

Tofutti Sour Cream (if you dig)

Hot sauce (whatever kind you like, for Mexican foods, I love Cholula and it can usually be found in any grocery store).

Chopped onions (if you want), whatever else you like in your gordita/burrito.

Salt, pepper, garlic powder (to season your tomatoes and avocado, I always preseason them before adding to the gordita for extra flavor!)

Olive oil for sauteeing your seitan. I used my jalapeno oil for this and it was amazing.

 Here are the key players.

See that little take out container? I just used it to shake up the sliced seitan with some chipotle powder so it wouldn't get too airborne.  

Method: 

So, all you have to do is take your seitan steak that has been dried according to my note above, and slice it up.  Slice on a bias if you want to be fancy and really trick your omnivore friends.  Sprinkle a bunch of chipotle powder on your sliced seitan, you can do this in a closed container if you want to, and just shake it up a lot to evenly distribute the powder (and keep it from getting airborne, because you will cough a lot if you inhale it, it's pepper!).  Or, just mix it up with your hands. Preheat your cast iron skillet for two minutes on medium heat, then add about two teaspoons of olive oil (or jalapeno oil if you have it!).  Add your seitan to the pan and arrange it cut side down.

Fry the seitan on medium heat (about #5 on my gas stove) for three minutes.  I cover it with a lid to keep chipotle smoke from going all over the house :-).  Flip them over, and fry another three minutes to crisp the other side.  Seitan should look caramelly brown with nicely crisped edges.  Stir it all up and fry for another minute to get any parts you might have missed.  

In the meantime while your seitan is frying (set a timer!!) get your gordita ready.  I just microwave mine with some Daiya on it.  Just heat it enough so that the Daiya melts and the tortilla is nice and hot.  Then, when your steak is done, load up your gordita:

 Unadorned, but not for long!

 Loaded up.  I still added Tofutti sour cream and Cholula to it before rolling up!

Roll and go.  BEST GORDITA EVER!!!

I anticipate making this seitan a LOT and using it in a lot of recipes.  Horray for the homemade!