Vegan Kamut® whole grain Seitan Scaloppine with Caramelized onion and red bell peppers

Early-on when I started this glorious blog, I shared a great way to go meatless and save money that I had used for a few years using vital wheat gluten and savory stock or broth to make a meat replacement. That was the  Meatless Wonders Seitan (Wheat-meat)Tutorial. Today, after being on the Jan D'Atri radio show for 2 hours with the famous David Cherry...well known vegan TV star here in Phoenix I promised to give a full tutorial on how to make the seitan scaloppine we enjoyed. Making a seitan from the gorgeous and well known organic non-GMO grain Kamut® is a little more work than just using a powdered vital wheat gluten.  The results are fantastic and meaty! 

 If you missed the show, you can listen to the podcast:

02-09-13 3PM
· Click Here to Download MP3
In the Kitchen goes vegan!
02-09-13 4PM
· Click Here to Download MP3
Jan and Momma try more Vegan treats and find out what toxins are in our food.

If you've never heard of this amazing form of ancient grain, you really need to visit my friends at Kamut ® International. In order to carry the name Kamut®, there are very remarkable purity standards involved. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised to find a grain of this quality. 

Tess' Vegan Kamut® grain Seitan 
with roasted red bell pepper and red onions

Ingredients for Seitan:

7 cups Kamut ® flour

 3 1/2 cups water

3T vegan broth seasoning or very reduced vegetable stock

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup vegetable stock

2T grape juice

2T fig balsamic vinegar

½ cup olive oil (1/4 cup of it being a basil infused or garlic infused)

2 cups white button mushrooms (sliced)

1 cup sweet red onion (finely chopped)

1 cup diced roasted red bell peppers

1 tablespoon fresh Italian flat leaf parsley (finely chopped)

1 cup Kamut ® flour (for dredging)

¼ cup vegetable  broth (if needed - or water)

1 teaspoon kosher salt (or sea salt)

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions: For seitan, combine the Kamut ®flour and water and knead in an electric stand mixer  7-10 minutes on medium speed. 

 Remove from mixer. 
Rinse fists-full of dough under slow running cool water until all the starch has been removed and the protein is only present.

It will be an almost grey sponge-like mass. 

 This will yield about 1 lb of seitan dough. 
 Squeeze all excess liquid out of the seitan and season well with stock or veggie seasoning.

 Roll into 2 tight tubes of foil, as you would a candy roll (see Meatless Wonders Seitan (Wheat-meat)Tutorial. ). 

 Simmer in hot water in a crock pot 3-4 hours or pressure cook 25 minutes (according to manufacturer's directions). 

 Cool and remove from foil. Slice into 1/2 inch medallions. 

Dredge each piece in flour.
In a large saute pan, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When the pan is hot, add the dredged scaloppine of seitan a few pieces at a time.Do not overlap pieces. Brown each piece quickly on both sides, about 30 seconds per side, making sure the heat is on high.

  When all pieces are browned, add onions, bell pepper and mushrooms. Cook 3 minutes. Gently add vegetable stock, grape juice and vinegar. Turn down to medium heat and simmer. Add parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Place seitan medallions over a bed of rice or quinoa. For more flavorful rice, cook rice in chicken broth instead of water. Serves 4 to 6. Serve with fresh vegetables as a side.

There you go my darlings! Now you can isolate the protein and make seitan from scratch. Enjoy!

Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

The Nitty Gritty on Grits (How to cook Grits class notes)

 It's Tuesday...and that means either a great tutorial here on the blog or I'm teaching a class...but either way, we're learning something!  

The Nitty Gritty on Grits
By Chef Stephanie Petersen
There are nearly 400 different varieties of corn. From that corn, thousands of corn products are productd.  One of the corn products is called a grit. If you’re not from a Southern state or from a culture that uses corn grits often, there may be some things you don’t know about making grits. Today we’ll be covering the basics on how to cook them and sharing some remarkably good recipes you can use often. Ask any number of Southern cooks and they will each tell you a different way to cook grits. Buying high-quality, stone-ground grits is half the battle.  I use the white most often, as it has a less pronounced corn flavor and my family prefers them. The other half of the battle for amazing grits is patience and stirring. Lumpy grits are usually un-stirred. Cooking the grits slow and low seems to be the best method for getting a good creamy texture.
To cook regular grits:

• Use a heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight lid for the best heat distribution and heat retention.
• Stir constantly when you first put the grits and liquid over heat, until the mixture first begins to thicken. You will need to continue stirring frequently, though not constantly, from that point on.
• Grits cook best over low heat. Most recipes will have you start them at medium heat and then immediately reduce the heat to low once they begin to thicken. You should see large, soft bubbles on the grits' surface occasionally, but no rolling bubbles. Quick grits can survive slightly higher cooking if you are in a rush, but coarse grits truly need low and slow heat.
•  Quick grits usually need to cook for about eight to ten minutes over medium heat. I like them most at 15 minutes.
• Soaking. Many recipes recommend soaking grits the night before you are going to cook them. I do this on the stove in the pan I intend on cooking them in if I decide to go that route. Supports of soaking say that this reduces cooking time and also results in a superior final texture, as the corn will hold its shape better in the pot. I’ve tried them both ways and did notice a difference. The ones that were soaked overnight were indeed better at holding their shape and were a little bit creamier in texture. You will also find the cooking time is reduced to about 6 minutes on the Honeyville grits using the soaking method.

Tess' Food Storage Basic Grits
4 cups water or milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup  white or yellow grits
1 Tbsp butter. 
Directions
In a small pot, bring the water, milk powder and salt to a boil. Slowly stir the grits into the boiling mixture. Stir continuously and thoroughly until grits are well mixed. Let the pot return to a boil, cover with a lid, lower the temperature, and cook for approximately 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary. Grits are done when they have the consistency of smooth cream of wheat. Stir in the butter powder and serve.

Tess Sour Cream Cheese Grits
½ cup sour cream
3 1/2  cups water
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup white or yellow grits
1/2 tsp Chef Tess All Purpose Seasoning
½ cup crumbled crispy bacon
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
Directions Place the sour cream , water, and salt into a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Once the mixture comes to a boil, gradually add the grits while continually whisking. Once all of the grits have been incorporated, decrease the heat to low and cover. Remove lid and whisk frequently, every 3 to 4 minutes, to prevent grits from sticking or forming lumps; make sure to get into corners of pot when whisking. Cook for 10-15 minutes until mixture is creamy. Remove from the heat, add the seasoning, cheese and bacon and whisk to combine. Serve immediately with additional crumbled bacon bits if desired.

Sweet variations: Omit cheese and bacon from the recipe. Add ½ cup sugar to the recipe along with 1 tsp caramel flavored oil, vanilla, and a dash of Chef Tess Wise Woman of the East spice blend. Add ½ cup fruit to the mixture once it has thickened.  I love it with raspberries, apricots, and blueberries along with some toasted walnuts, hazelnuts or pistachios.

.
Tess Roasted Corn Grits
Recipe adapted from the Jeff Blake, Zea Rotisserie and Brewery (The Tastebuds)
Ingredients:
5 cups water
1T low sodium chicken bouillon powder
½ cup sour cream powder
¼ stick butter
1 cup  corn
1 cup white or yellow grits
Green onions for garnish
Instructions:
1. To grill corn, Lightly toast corn in a dry pan until slightly browned.
3. Bring water, bouillon powder and sour cream to a boil.
4. Slowly whisk in the grits and then the corn.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and cook 20-25 minutes. Add more water if needed (about 1/2 cup at a time and stir well.)
6. Add cracked black pepper to taste. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions.


Always My Very Best,
Your Friend Chef Tess

Pressure Cooking Simple Basics with Tutorial Tuesday

Creative Pressure Cooking

with Chef Stephanie Petersen

What is your motivation?

At one time in my life it was a simple matter to find a recipe and prepare a meal. I had a lot of time. That may not be as true at this time in my life. Family meals need to be balanced with nutrition and health concerns, as well as convenience. Speed is pivotal. Enters...the Pressure cooker. 

My mother used a pressure cooker often...

She'd shoo us out of the kitchen and warn us that the pressure cooker could explode and to stay away from the stove. I was always impressed with her bravery! I know now that it was just her excuse for some silence in the kitchen. Do with that information what you may. It may be just the ammo you need as a mom. However, I am here to assure that not only is pressure cooking more safe than ever before, it is also hasn't changed much as far as healthy, tasty and quick! It is outstanding for beans, grains, tender meat dishes, potatoes, and desserts.

What Does A Pressure Cooker Save?

• Time: 3-10 times faster than ordinary cooking methods.
• Money: Fast cooking=lower fuel bills. Budget cuts of meat can easily be turned into tender meals.
• Nutrients: Almost airless environment with a small amount of liquid means nutrients aren't boiled away
• Work: simple entree or gourmet meals in minutes
• Energy: Eco-friendly reduces cooking time and conserves energy

How Does It Work?

Www.gopresto.com “When water (or any liquid) boils, it produces steam. A tightly-sealed pressure cooker traps this steam, which then builds pressure inside the cooker. Under pressure, cooking temperatures can be raised significantly higher than possible under normal conditions. The super-heated steam created by these higher temperatures cooks foods quickly, evenly, deliciously. It's that simple!:

Getting To Know Your Pressure Cooker

See the Presto website for your specific pressure cooker manual here: http://www.gopresto.com/products/manuals.php 

The following section is directly from the Presto Website:

"Since all pressure cookers work on this same simple principle, there are few fundamental differences among them. The following diagram illustrates the basic features of most newer pressure cookers. Of course, you'll also want to study your own model and get acquainted with exactly how it works.

PRESSURE REGULATOR
Controls and maintains pressure inside the cooker and indicates when the ideal cooking pressure - usually 15 pounds - is reached.

VENT PIPE
The pressure regulator fits on the vent pipe and allows excess pressure to be released.

AIR VENT/COVER LOCK
Automatically exhausts air and serves as a visual indicator of pressure within the cooker. When pressure begins to build, it slides up, causing the LOCK PIN to lock the cover on.

SEALING RING
Forms a pressure-tight seal between the cover and the pressure cooker body during cooking.

OVER PRESSURE PLUG
Automatically releases pressure in case the vent pipe becomes clogged and pressure cannot be released normally.

COOKING RACK
Holds foods out of the cooking liquid. The rack also allows several different foods to be cooked at the same time without an intermingling of flavors. When a blending of flavors is desired, the rack is not used.

COVER HANDLE
The top of the air vent/cover lock can be seen through a hole in the cover handle, enabling you to tell at a glance if there is pressure inside the unit.

The Pressure Cooking Method (www.gopresto.com)
These easy steps serve as a simple guide to using a pressure cooker. They are not intended, however, to be a substitute for the manufacturer's instructions which accompany your pressure cooker model.

	1. Check recipe for specific cooking method and cooking time. Pour required amount of liquid into the pressure cooker, then add food. Use the cooking rack, if desired.
	2. Hold cover up to light and look through the vent pipe to make certain it is open and unclogged. Then, place cover on pressure cooker and close securely (cover handle should be directly above the body handle).
	3. Place pressure regulator firmly on the vent pipe. Heat the pressure cooker until the pressure regulator begins to rock slowly. Adjust heat to maintain a slow, steady rocking motion. Cooking time begins at this point.
	4. Cook for the length of time specified in recipe, then reduce pressure as specified. When recipe states "let pressure drop of its own accord," set the cooker aside to cool. When recipe states "cool cooker at once," cool immediately under a water faucet or by pouring cold water over it.
	5. Pressure is completely reduced when the air vent/cover lock has dropped. Remove the pressure regulator. Then, remove pressure cooker cover and serve food.

Frequently Asked Questions ( from :www.gopresto.com )

Whether you’re a novice or an experienced pressure cooker user, questions do crop up. This list of answers to the most frequently asked questions will provide you with the skill and confidence necessary to make your pressure cooking experiences successful and rewarding.

Q. How do I convert conventional recipes for use in a pressure cooker?
A. Experience is the best teacher. A good rule of thumb to follow is to decrease the length of cooking time for a conventional recipe by two thirds. The amount of liquid used may also have to be adjusted because there is very little evaporation from the pressure cooker. Generally, decrease the amount of liquid so there is only about 1/2 cup more than desired in the finished product. Remember, however, there must always be water or some other liquid in the pressure cooker to form the necessary steam.

Q. Won't flavors intermingle when several foods are cooked at the same time in the pressure cooker?
A. Not if you use the cooking rack properly. Flavors of foods are blended when they are cooked in the same liquid. When using a pressure cooker, however, only a small amount of cooking liquid is required so the cooking rack can be used to hold some or all of the foods out of the liquid. This permits the cooking of several different foods at the same time without the intermingling of flavors. Of course, for foods where you do want flavors to blend, don't use the cooking rack.

Q. Can cooking liquids other than water be used in a pressure cooker?
A. Yes. You're only limited by your imagination! Wine, beer, bouillon, fruit juices and, of course, water are all excellent cooking liquids for use in the pressure cooker. Just remember that you always need some cooking liquid in order to produce the steam necessary for the pressure cooker to work.

Q. What does it mean when a recipe says to cook "0" minutes?
A. This is a technique used with delicate foods to prevent overcooking. It indicates that food should be "cooked" only until the pressure regulator begins to rock and then the pressure cooker should be cooled according to recipe instructions. (With Presto Pride® and Presto® Professional units, you should release pressure immediately after pressure cooker reaches cooking pressure.)

Q. When is it necessary to quick cool the pressure cooker?
A. Quick cooling of the pressure cooker is usually used for delicate foods such as custards and fresh vegetables. To quick cool a pressure cooker, simply place the cooker under cold running water or place in a pan or sink full of cold water. For other foods, like roasts and stews, it is usually recommended that you let the pressure cooker cool of its own accord by setting it aside until the pressure drops. 

Q. Can cookware can be used in a pressure cooker?
A. Glass, metal and earthenware molds and other small, heat proof items such glass custard cups can be used in the pressure cooker. These types of containers are especially helpful in preparing beautiful desserts and side dishes. Use individual or small molds, glass custard cups, 4-6 ounce metal or tin gelatin molds or earthenware souffle dishes. Fill molds 2/3 full to allow for expansion of food, and fit them loosely into the pressure cooker on the cooking rack.

Q. Do I need to make adjustments when pressure cooking at high altitudes?
A.   If you are at altitudes over 2000 feet, the cooking time should be increased. Increase cooking times 5% for every 1000 feet above 2000 feet. Increase cooking times:

3000 ft: 5%	4000 ft: 10%	5000 ft: 15%
6000 ft: 20%	7000 ft: 25%	8000 ft: 30%

Class Pressure Cooking Recipes

Gingham Indian Chicken

1 (3-pound) chicken, cut up
1 cup water
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2T Chef Tess Gingham Masala Spice Blend
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cold water

Place chicken in a single layer in a glass or pottery dish. Combine water, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger, tumeric, salt, paprika, curry powder, and pepper; pour over chicken and marinate at room temperature for 1 hour. Remove chicken from marinade, brushing off as much of marinade as possible (reserve marinade). Heat oil in a 4- or 6-quart Presto® pressure cooker. Brown chicken, a few pieces at a time; set aside. Return all chicken to pressure cooker. Pour marinade over chicken. Close pressure cooker cover securely. Place pressure regulator on vent pipe. Cook for 8 minutes, at 15 pounds pressure, with regulator rocking slowly. Cool pressure cooker at once. Remove chicken pieces to a warm platter. Mix cornstarch with cold water; blend into hot liquid. Cook and stir until mixture boils and thickens. Pour sauce over chicken. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Chef Tess Creamy Coconut Lime Millet Breakfast Pudding
2/3 cup millet
 13.5 oz can coconut milk
1 cup water
zest of one lime
 pinch of salt
1/2 tsp Wise Woman of The East Spice Blend
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup toasted coconut (optional)

Place pressure cooker on a dry, level heat resistant surface in center of counter top. As s general rule, prepare ingredients according to the directions in the pressure cooking recipe you have selected. If larger quantity is desired, you may increase the ingredients by half. Be sure not to overfill the pressure cooker. It's also very important to look through the vent pipe in the lid of the pressure cooker to be sure it is clear of any blockage. You don't want to find that out later when the heat is on.

Here's the Tutorial:

This little doo-hik-ee is called a "pressure regulator". It goes on the top of the vent in the lid.

Like this.

On the handle and lid there are arrows that need to line up. Hold the body handle with your left hand and the cover handle with your right hand and twist using a slight downward pressure to get the lid to seal on. Wait. First put the pudding stuff in there.

2/3 cup millet

1 can coconut milk and 1 cup of water.

pinch of salt
add the 1/2 tsp Wise Woman of The East Spice Blend
and the 1/2 tsp vanilla

Now align the arrows by placing one hand on the cover near the helper hand and applying a slight downward pressure. The pressure cooker is completely closed when the cover handle is directly above the body handle.

This model shows it is locked.

You will notice a little rubber knob on the top of the pressure cooker. It is an air vent.

Turn up the heat to 400 degrees or high.

The air vent will pop up and then...

The pressure regulator begins a rocking motion. Cooking time starts at this point. 12 minutes for this pudding. Allow the pressure regulator to rock vigorously for 1-2 minutes and then slowly turn the heat control down, stopping just at the point where the pilot light goes out. As cooking proceeds, the heat control will cycle on and off to maintain the proper cooking pressure. The pilot light will go on and off and pressure regulator will rock occasionally indicating that the pressure is being maintained. Note: If the pressure regulator does not rock every 2-3 minutes, it is likely that the heat control has been set too low. Turn the heat control up slightly until the the pilot light comes on. 

To prevent excessive liquid loss, do not allow pressure regulator to rock vigorously for more than 3-4 minutes. If the regulator is allowed to continuously rock, excess steam will escape. This will cause too much liquid to escape and food to scorch. Do not leave pressure cooker unattended. After 12 minutes, turn off heat.

Wait for pressure cooker to decompress naturally. This may take about 10 minutes.

Remove pressure regulator only after air vent cover has returned to the flush position.

The pudding is creamy and ready to be sweetened...
I like my coconut crispy. It's a nice crunch on top of the creamy pudding. So I stir in the lime zest and sprinkle the coconut over the pudding.
We serve it up warm.

There you go. 

Always My Very Best,

Your Friend Chef Tess

4 Ingredient No Knead Whole Wheat Bread Anyone Can Make and Everlasting Yeast Tutorial w/ printable!

I have had a lot of requests to combine the recipe an tutorial for the no knead whole wheat bread and the everlasting yeast into one post. I'm happy to do it.  If you would like the printable tutorial, you can email directly stephanie@cheftessbakeresse.com . Or you can get the printable PDF by going  Here!

By Chef Stephanie Petersen

      This is the method I use for never having to buy yeast again and basically perpetuating everlasting yeast. It is strengthened by the length of its existence and a remarkable skill to have for not only saving money but for any emergency situation or camping. The bread made with it is not a sour dough, but can be a sourdough if you let the yeast go too long between uses. I'm amazingly fond of this method for the fact that I'm a cheap-skate and I really don't like spending money on something that should be free. For thousands of years people made yeast-raised bread without commercial yeast. Somewhere along the way we've become totally dependent on the powdered active-dry and instant yeast in our bread making. This doesn't have to be the case. In fact, in my house it is usually the exception. The bread made with everlasting yeast has remarkable depth of flavor and beautiful results. I make bread often enough that I haven't had a problem with my lump of dough ever getting too sour or molding. It has been a dear friend for quite some time. I dare say...about 5 years.

First, retain a small amount of dough from the next loaf of No Knead 4 Ingredient Overnight Wheat Bread (recipe here). I usually save about a half a cup of dough and keep it moist with 1/2 cup of cool water. Covered in a bucket 24 hours or less from the time I made my bread. It can be up to a week in the fridge, but in the summer here at room temperature I haven't gone longer than a day or two.

 Chef Tess’ No Knead 4 Ingredient Overnight Wheat Bread Anyone Can Make!

4 cups hard wheat flour (mill your own or use Ultra Grain Flour) 500 g

1 ½ tsp salt (6 g)

1/4 tsp instant yeast (or 1/2 tsp active dry yeast) (1 g)

2 cups water (under 110 degrees)

Directions:  Combine the ingredients in a 1 gallon food-grade bucket or a large 1 gallon bowl with a lid, just until everything is mixed and smooth. It takes about 20-30 turns by hand to get it all combined. Cover with a lid and keep covered 10-12 hours at room temperature until you're ready to bake bread. Once it has risen overnight you have two options. Form into bread (or rolls, cinnamon rolls, whatever) OR it can be kept in the fridge up to 7 days and warmed to room temperature to use for bread or pizza etc. It takes about 45 minutes to an hour to get it up to room temperature (70 degrees).

Form into a loaf (see detailed tutorial here) and place on a lightly oiled baking stone or in an 8 inch loaf pan that has been greased. Allow to rise in a warm room until doubled, about 2 hours. Bake at 375 degrees 35-40 minutes (meat thermometer will register 165 degrees or more). Enjoy!

Yields:  1 loaf of Whole Wheat Bread, 11 slices. 154 cal each slice

Everlasting Yeast Tutorial

I'm going with the old-school method here and just showing you what I do. I'm not going to weight the dough. You're just going to have to trust me. This is your yeast-dough-ball. It's is what I got from my last loaf of bread and is basically now the yeast you will use forever. Make friends because this can be around for many years to come.

Dissolve the yeast-dough ball in 3 1/2 cups of cool water in a food-grade gallon size bucket with a lid or you can also use a large plastic bowl. I don't use metal because if the dough does sour, I don't want to deal with a mess. It hasn't so far, but ya know...there's always a first time.
Smoosh and swirl it around until it is a liquid mixture.

To the bucket or bowl add 8 cups Hard White Wheat Bread Flour  and 2 tsp salt.

Mix and combine the dough by hand about 2 minutes. You don't need to knead it. Just combine it.

If it appears a little dry, add 1/4-1/2 cup more water.

It should be moist enough to stick to your hands, but not moist enough to fall in pools of pathetic sadness on the bottom of your bucket. It will hold it's structure.

Now that the dough is combined, cover it with a lid and let it sit at room temperature 12-14 hours. It can go up to 24 hours but not much longer. In cooler weather, it will take the full 24 hours to raise.

This is what it will look like when you take off the cover.

The dough will have some pretty nice gluten development.

It should look almost stringy.

Lightly flour your counter-top and transfer to dough to be made into 2 loaves of bread.


Retain one small handful of dough.

Add 1/2 cup of cool water to the handful of dough and put it back in your bucket. Cover. Use within 24 hours for more bread or put the lump and water in your fridge after 24 hours for up to 1 week. It will become sourdough after that time and will need to be discarded or it can be used for a sourdough bread starter in any of the many recipes I've done here on the blog for sourdough .

With the dough you have on your counter, follow the directions of the Sandwich loaf molding tutorial, but allow the loaves to raise about 3 hours (it may take up to 4 hours the first few times you use the yeast), covered at room temperature. The longer and more often you use your everlasting yeast-dough-ball the stronger it will be and that time will shorten dramatically.

Bake your bread in a hot oven or you can  use this: Baking Bread in a Solar Oven Tutorial. All I know is that the bread ends up being moist, delicious and well...amazing. You're going to love this method. It will save a lot of yeast money for other things...like grain to feed your family. There you go. Make some everlasting yeast.

©2012 Chef Stephanie Petersen. All Rights Reserved. Copies permitted only with permission and only with author information included.  http://www.cheftessbakeresse.com