BBQ Ribz, Baked Beans & Potato Salad (High Protein)

I've been wanting to work on seitan ribz for almost two years now, and I finally got the chance over Labor Day weekend late last month. The process took longer than I thought, only because I had left town for pretty much the whole day when I planned on putting these lovelies on the smoker-grill. They were so tender with a slight chew and very juicy with a hint of smoke and a caramelized crust from the dry rub. To serve with the BBQ dinner for one, I made a big pot of baked beans and made some quick, single-potato salad for atmosphere.

(BBQ Baked Beans Ingredients)

• 1/2 pound of Navy Beans&
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 8 cups of Cold Water
• 1/2 cup of Agave Nectar
• 4 tbsp BBQ Sauce

(BBQ Baked Beans Directions)

• Combine all of your ingredients except for the salt into a slow cooker and cook for eight hours.
• Add salt after tasting.

(Potato Salad Ingredients)

• 1 Medium-Sized Potatoes(diced)
• 1/4 Minced White Onion
• 5 tbsp Vegan Cream Cheese
• A splash of AC Vinegar
• A pinch of Salt and Pepper

(Potato Salad Directions)

• Boil the potatoes until tender. Drain and rinse in cold water.
• Mix your cheese and vinegar together and toss in your potatoes.
• Fold in your onions and season with salt and pepper as you like.
• Refrigerate for at least an hour.

(BBQ Ribz Ingredients)

• 2 and 1/2 cups Vital Wheat Gluten
• 2 tsp Oil
• Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt, Onion Powder and Black Pepper
• 2 cups Cold Veg Broth

(BBQ Ribz Dry Rub Ingredients)

• 1/4 cup Raw Sugar
• Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper and Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Salt

(BBQ Ribz Directions)

• Mix your dry ingredients together with your oil and then slowly pour in the broth.(Don't use all of this, because you will need some later.) Knead fifteen times.
• Let your seitan rest for about 30 minutes and set your oven to 300 degrees.
• Fill a long casserole dish with more broth and your preferred seasonings, then spread out the seitan into it.
• Roast your seitan for 30 minutes, flip and cook for thirty minutes more.
• Cut into ribz and slice off anything uneven. Pop a few popsicle sticks into them, then allow to cool in the fridge.
• Coat the ribz in the dry rub. Grill/smoke for 20 minutes to an hour and serve with the rest of your meal.

Hope you have a great BBQ!

Mama Pita Here I Go Again

How can you resist this? Thinly sliced and lightly crisped seitan filled with the aroma of Greek oregano, rosemary, cumin and garlic topped with a healthy dollop of a creamy and cool tzatziki sauce with onions and tomatoes all supported by a fresh and fluffy piece of pita bread. The flavors all balance so well together and the sauce is practically to die for! You could eat a gallon of it or put it on your favorite salads for that Middle Eastern feel. The best part of the meal besides the amazing flavor is that it's low in fat and good for you. You get your protein, your carbs, your vegetables all on one little piece of bread.

(Vegan Gyro Meat Ingredients)

• 1 and 1/4 a cup of Vital Wheat Gluten
• 1/2 a cup of washed and mashed Pink Beans
• 3/4 - 1 cup of cold Shiitake Broth (soak Shiitake Mushrooms in hot water for a few minutes)
• 1/2 a teaspoon of Iodized Salt
• 1/2 a teaspoon of Cumin
• 1/2 a teaspoon of Oregano
• Desired amount of Rosemary and Thyme
• A few dashes of Black Pepper

Served with:

Vegan Dad's Tzatziki Sauce (not mine. I left out the dill and canola oil.)

http://vegandad.blogspot.com/2008/02/tempo-gyro-with-vegan-tzatziki.html

Pita Bread Recipe from Novel Eats (not mine):

http://www.noveleats.com/bread/how-to-make-pita-bread/

(Directions)

• Combine the ingredients together and add the cold Shiitake Broth after all of the other ingredients have been mixed together. Make sure to only mix the seitan enough to form it so as to not toughen it up.
• Prepare your steamer. You can use more shiitake broth or use plain water for this, maybe even add in a few fresh herbs for extra flavor if you like.
• Steam the seitan whole for about one hour or so, then let it cool. Pat it dry and slice it to your liking.
• Fry it up in some olive oil.
• Serve with Tzatziki and Sauce Pita Bread along with your favorite veggies.
• Enjoy!

This is an extremely filling meal but you can serve plenty of vegetables to dip into your sauce such as carrots, broccoli or cucumbers, but if you're in the mood for a few extra calories you can bake off some french fries in the oven with some garlic, olive oil and rosemary and serve them right up too!