Day 15: Lunch

I grew up with my grandmother's recipe for sauce Bolognese, so I have trouble eating Ragu. Likewise, my Russian-American friends have given me a look of utmost repulsion when I tell them that my only experience with stroganoff has been the Hamburger Helper kind. They'd probably really hate me if I told them I made the beef, sour cream, and egg noodle classic with chicken-style seitan, rombi (the closest egg-free pasta I could find to those wavy egg noodles), and such cultural anachronisms as soy sauce and tahini.

Nonetheless, it was a keeper. Tahini is a great component for a creamy, thick gravy, and while the seitan tasted a lot like turkey (no wonder it's the basis for Tofurky) vegan stroganoff is a hearty and tasty dish. It contains a LOT of onions. While chopping them we elected to open the back door, which is an option now that the freeze has passed over us. (It got down to twelve degrees here in the Ham last week! Of course, I know the folks in North Dakota are laughing at us for complaining, eh?)

The recipe for vegan stroganoff:

• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
• 3 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 1/3 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 2 cups thinly sliced onions
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups sliced mushrooms
• one package sliced seitan
• egg-free noodles

1. Make the gravy: Stir the cornstarch and soy sauce together in a small saucepan, being careful not to burn. Once you have a thin paste stir in broth and two cloves of garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring until it comes to a boil. Remove from heat and beat in tahini. Cover and set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet. Saute onions and remaining garlic for 10 minutes.

3. Add mushrooms and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes.

4. Add seitan and gravy. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, or until seitan is heated through. 

5. Serve over egg noodles.