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The Accidental Vegetarian: Chefs have no beef with mock meat

Amanda Berne, Special to The Chronicle

 

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

 

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The Accidental Vegetarian

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For a rousing round of dinner roulette, bring a vegetarian out to eat and watch

chefs scurry to cobble together a suitable meal.

 

Will it be risotto or pasta? A large plate of all the finest vegetable sides?

Those are often good, but these piecemeal entrees can give non-meat eaters an

inferiority complex.

 

Yet, a quick survey of some fun, funky Bay Area restaurants reveals some hidden

gems that let vegetarians and vegans move out of the poor eating relation

category to full-fledged members of the dining-out set.

 

It's all about the fake meat. Although carnivores have derided vegetarians' use

of such gems as mock bacon, the original meat substitutes - tempeh, tofu, and

seitan - have been working hard for years in Buddhist cultures as stand-ins for

duck, pork, chicken and beef in traditional regional dishes.

 

While tofu has been commonplace, chefs are now playing with the other faux

products. Instead of just being stand-ins, they take center stage.

 

A stroll down the grocery store freezer aisle reveals options like fake riblets,

chicken nuggets and bacon. Imitations are made with various soy, wheat and whole

grain products, and restaurants are experimenting with what's available or

making their own products, like seitan, from scratch.

 

Although many of the imitation processed products were and are dreadful, the

overall variety and quality of the seitan, tempeh and tofu has improved. They

come in a range of firmness, with an option for whole grain, cooked, raw and

pre-marinated. They all cook quickly, making dinner from scratch as easy to do

as putting those mock nuggets and riblets in the oven.

 

Seitan, tempeh and tofu are the building blocks many chefs and vegetarian home

cooks often use due to their high protein, low fat and robust vitamin content.

 

Wheat gluten, also known as seitan (pronounced " say-than " ), is made by removing

the starch from flour, leaving the gluten, which is made into a flour. Liquids

can be added to the gluten flour and the mass is kneaded into a spongy,

doughlike ball. Seitan was first developed in China, where it was used to

replace meat in dishes served to Buddhists. It became popular in Western

countries in the 1950s when the macrobiotic diet gained more attention. It is

high in protein (with more grams per serving than tofu), low in calories and

fat, and freezes beautifully for four months.

 

Seitan is a great replacement for soy, and most commonly is used in preparations

that emulate chicken or other poultry. While wheat gluten was once available

mainly in Asian markets, now major supermarkets carry it in the refrigerated

section, and stock products made with this wheat meat in the freezer aisle.

 

It's not difficult to make seitan from scratch using Vital wheat gluten or wheat

gluten flour. Brad Levy, chef-owner of Firefly in San Francisco, flavors

homemade gluten depending on what he's making that night - basil, oregano and

garlic for Italian dishes; five-spice, ginger and garlic for Chinese dishes.

 

By flavoring the seitan flour with Italian seasonings before adding water or

stock to make a dough, Levy can then use the sausages in sandwiches, for

breakfast, or chopped into a vegetarian Bolognese. The texture is bouncy, but

when used in appropriate preparations it adds just the necessary chew to dishes

like stews, stuffed vegetables or hearty sauces.

 

Levy has had seitan on the menu since Firefly opened in 1993 He wanted to

provide options, including vegan items, that " catered to everyone. "

 

" I know so many couples where one is vegetarian and the other is not, " he says.

" They always end up having one making sacrifices when they eat out. "

 

 

At Weird Fish, a fish-meets-vegan restaurant in the Mission District, many of

the dishes incorporate seitan, tempeh or tofu. I never missed the chicken in

Buffalo Girls (see recipe), a seitan version of the classic bar wings. Though it

takes a few steps to make at home, the payoff comes when biting into the

crisp-coated, spicy snack.

 

" Everyone is sick of tofu because when people started going in the direction of

fake meat, that was your first meat substitute, " says Weird Fish owner Peter

Hood. Seitan has a very different texture than tofu. " Even firm tofu isn't as

sturdy as seitan, " he points out.

 

Eric Tucker, the chef of Millennium, the vegan restaurant near Union Square,

prefers tempeh as a main ingredient. While much of his menu relies on vegetables

rather than meat substitutes - " We don't do big slabs emulating a cut of beef

any more, " he says - he usually offers one seitan-based and one tempeh-based

entree.

 

His Tempeh Picadillo Empanada filling recipe is versatile and spiced enough to

be used as a stuffing for vegetables, served plain over rice, or as a filling

for empanadas.

 

Tempeh is a high-protein, fermented soybean cake originally created in

Indonesia. It can be baked or grilled, and in Indonesia it is often deep-fried

before being added to curries. It has a crumbly texture that makes it a good

substitute for ground meat in chili and ragus.

 

Tempeh is more robust and mushroomy than seitan, so it should be used in

preparations that call for strong flavors. And, it requires eight to 10 minutes

to be cooked through. Tempeh is porous and can soak up a lot of flavor, so it's

typically marinated before it's cooked.

 

On its own, tempeh is low in calories, but high in protein and B vitamins. It

can be kept refrigerated for 10 days, or frozen for several months.

 

Tofu, the " meat substitute " most people are familiar with, can be used in any of

these recipes, though the texture will change. Whereas the seitan provides a

nice, chewy texture within the crisp crust in the Buffalo Girls, tofu would be

softer and moister inside, and the crust might not remain crisp.

 

Tofu provides calcium, protein and other minerals, including B vitamins, iron

and potassium. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, as long as

it's covered in water that's changed daily. Tofu can also be frozen for a few

months, but the texture will change. It should be defrosted then squeezed as dry

as possible. The tofu will be a bit spongier, but is ideal for saucy dishes.

 

Tofu is often included on standard menus, but a recipe from Ryan Scott of Myth

Cafe, is more unusual. His Tofu Aioli (see recipe) can be used in place of

mayonnaise, or leave it thicker as a great dip. It makes a fine substitute for

ubiquitous hummus. One of my tasters liked it spread on seitan sausage

sandwiches.

 

Tofu is an easy sell. But how about fermented soy cake? Or chewy wheat gluten?

 

" It's not hard to convince people, " says Hood. " It's kind of nice not to have

that half-pound burger. "

 

 

The restaurants

Here are a few restaurants that serve the vegetarian or vegan recipes that

accompany today's cover story

 

Cafe Myth. 490 Pacific Ave., S.F.; (415) 677-4289. Lunch Mon.-Fri.

 

Firefly. 4288 24th St., S.F.; (415) 821-7652. Dinner daily.

 

Millennium. 580 Geary St., S.F.; (415) 345-3900. Dinner nightly.

 

Weird Fish. 2193 Mission St., S.F.; (415) 863-4744. Lunch, dinner daily.

 

Alex Arguellos' Pickled Red Onion

Makes 11/2 cups

 

 

1 red onion, sliced into thin crescents

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at least 1 hour

before serving to meld flavors.

 

Per 1/4 cup: 15 calories, 0 protein, 4 carbohydrate, 0 fat (0 saturated), 0

cholesterol, 89 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

 

Mint Mojo

Makes about 3/4 cup

 

 

1/2 bunch of mint leaves

1 clove garlic

1/2 serrano chile

Juice of 2 limes

1/2 cup light olive oil

Salt to taste

Instructions: Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until fairly smooth,

but still has texture.

 

Per 2 tablespoon serving: 165 calories, 0 protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 18 g fat (2

g saturated), 0 cholesterol, 2 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

 

Tempeh Picadillo

Makes 2 cups

 

One of the keys to this filling is to saute the tempeh with the onions and

spices to infuse the it with the seasonings and bring out the slight nutty

characters from the tempeh and chile. This also makes a great filling for

stuffed eggplant, gypsy peppers or other vegetables and even a Latin-inspired

" Sloppy Joe. "

 

1/2 yellow onion, small dice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon smoked pimenton (see Note)

1/2 teaspoon ancho chile powder or other mild to medium chile powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 pound tempeh, crumbled

Juice of 1 orange

11/2 teaspoons sugar

11/2 teaspoons tomato paste mixed into 1/4 cup vegetable stock + more stock as

needed

3 tablespoons raisins

3 tablespoons chopped pitted green olives

Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: In a large skillet, saute the onion and garlic with the oil over

medium heat until soft and lightly caramelized. Add the cumin, pimenton, chile

powder and cinnamon. Saute stirring for 30 seconds. Add the tempeh, saute

stirring often for 5 minutes, until browned. Deglaze with the orange juice,

scraping up the bottom. Add the sugar, tomato paste and stock, raisins and

olives. Bring to a low simmer. If the liquid is absorbed too quickly and the

mixture seems dry, add a little more stock. Cook until the mixture is thick with

just a little moisture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cool to room temperature.

 

Note: Pimenton, smoky Spanish paprika, is available in the spice section of most

well-stocked supermarkets.

 

Per 1/3 cup): 130 calories, 8 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, 6 g fat (1 g

saturated), 0 cholesterol, 157 mg sodium, 3 g fiber.

 

Tempeh Picadillo Empanadas

Serves 6

 

This recipe is from Eric Tucker of Millennium, adapted from " The Artful Vegan, "

($35; Ten Speed Press) by Eric Tucker, Bruce Enloe, Renee Comet and Amy Pearce.

The picadillo can be made well ahead. The dough needs to chill for an hour, so

that time can be used to make the mint mojo and the pickled onions.

 

The empanadas

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup fine cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup unrefined corn oil or neutral vegetable oil

-- Tempeh Picadillo (see recipe)

To serve

-- Mint Mojo (see recipe)

-- Pickled Red Onion (see recipe)

Instructions: Combine the flour, cornmeal and salt. Work the oil into the flour

with your hands or fork until evenly distributed. Slowly drizzle in water, up to

1/2 cup, until the mixture holds together as a soft dough. Cover tightly with

plastic wrap and refrigerate dough for 1 hour.

 

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Flour a work surface.

Divide dough into six pieces. Roll each piece of dough about 7 inches square,

then cut into a 6-inch circle. Fill each empanada with 3-4 tablespoons of

picadillo, leaving a 1/2-inch rim. Brush the perimeter with water, fold over and

crimp the edges.

 

Arrange empanadas on lined baking sheet. Bake about 15 minutes or until crust is

lightly browned and dry.

 

Serve each empanada with 2 tablespoons of the Mint Mojo and Pickled Red Onion.

 

Per serving: 460 calories, 12 g protein, 49 g carbohydrate, 25 g fat (3 g

saturated), 0 cholesterol, 336 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.

 

Firefly Seitan Italian Sausage

Serves 8

 

This is great to have on hand for breakfast, with sauteed peppers, or in

lasagna. It's also good in a sandwich with Mock Aioli (see recipe, above) The

wheat gluten and other specialty ingredients are available in natural foods

stores and, sometimes, in well-stocked supermarkets.

 

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons coarsely chopped toasted fennel seed

1/2 teaspoon (more or less to taste) crushed red chiles

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil

2 cups Vital wheat gluten " flour "

1 tablespoon nutritional

(brewer's) yeast

1 tablespoon flour

3 cups vegetable stock

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon molasses

1 tablespoon mirin

Instructions: Preheat oven to 375°.

 

Saute garlic and onions in the oil over medium heat until light brown. Add

fennel seeds, chiles, thyme, oregano and basil and cook another 30 seconds. Cool

and reserve.

 

In a large bowl, combine gluten, yeast and flour; set aside. In a medium bowl,

combine 2 cups stock, soy, molasses and mirin. Add liquids and the reserved

vegetables to the dry ingredients and knead until liquid is absorbed.

 

Form into tubes or patties and place on a lightly oiled baking dish. Add

remaining vegetable stock and cover dish with foil. Bake for about 1/2 hour,

then remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

 

Per serving: 120 calories, 8 g protein, 9 g carbohydrate, 5 g fat (1 g

saturated), 0 cholesterol, 273 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.

 

Maverick's Pan-Fried Tempeh

Serves 6-8

 

 

At Maverick in San Francisco, this upscale treatment of a meat alternative has

been well received. Chef-owner Scott Youkilis serves it with a snap pea salad to

cut through the rich sauce. The vegetables for the sauce can be prepared up to

three days ahead.

 

The tempeh

2 eight-ounce packages Wildwood tempeh (plain), or your favorite tempeh

4 cloves garlic

1 inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Pinch of chile flakes

The sauce

3/4 cup rice bran oil or vegetable oil

1 pound cremini mushrooms, cleaned

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

4 stalks celery, chopped

4 shallots, peeled and halved

1 head garlic, halved

2 bay leaves

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

2 cups panko

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 pound mixed mushrooms, possibly including shiitake, chanterelle, beech and

hen-of-the-woods, cleaned and sliced or torn into strips

1/2 cup Madeira

Instructions: Cut each block of tempeh into four pieces lengthwise, then cut

each piece into 6 triangles. Place in a nonreactive bowl. Mix the garlic,

ginger, soy, vinegar, 1/2 cup water and chile flakes and pour over tempeh. Cover

and let stand 1 hour, preferably overnight.

 

Heat a stockpot over high, then add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Immediately add

the cremini mushrooms and saute until they start to brown. Add the onion,

celery, shallots, garlic, bay leaves and 4 cups water. Simmer for 45 minutes.

Strain, then set aside. This can be made up to 3 days in advance.

 

Remove the tempeh from the marinade, and strain off excess liquid.

 

Heat 1/2 cup oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Put the flour on a plate, the

eggs in a bowl and the panko on another plate. Dredge the tempeh in the flour,

then in the eggs, then the panko. Fry the tempeh for 3-4 minutes per side, or

until the panko is golden brown. Remove to a paper towel to drain, and season

immediately with salt and pepper.

 

In a saute pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and add mixed mushrooms.

Saute until they start to turn golden, then add the Madeira. Scrape up bits and

cook until almost dry, then add the reserved stock and boil down until most of

the liquid is gone.

 

To serve, place the tempeh on a plate and pour mushrooms and sauce over and

around.

 

Per serving: 380 calories, 16 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 20 g fat (4 g

saturated), 66 mg cholesterol, 48 mg sodium, 5 g fiber.

 

.. The calories and other nutrients absorbed from marinades vary and are

difficult to estimate. Variables include the type of food, marinating time and

amount of surface area. Therefore, the marinade is not included in this

analysis.

 

Buffalo Girls

Serves 6-8 as an appetizer

 

This recipe comes from Jess North, the chef at Weird Fish. North is allergic to

processed soy, so she likes using seitan for this take on Buffalo wings, but

says that firm tofu is a fine substitute. Frank's Hot Sauce is available at

Safeway and other major supermarkets.

 

The blue cheese dressing

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon lemon juice

The Buffalo sauce

1 cup Frank's Red Hot Sauce, or your favorite hot sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

The fried seitan

1 cup flour

1 cup rice flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Pinch of white pepper

1 egg

6 ounces mineral water

6 ounces beer

Oil, for frying

2 (8-ounce) packages seitan

Carrots and celery, for serving

For the dressing: Mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, pepper,

garlic powder and lemon juice; set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

 

For the sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, heat the hot sauce and the sugar.

Add the butter slowly, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.

 

For the fried seitan: In a bowl, mix flours, salt, paprika and white pepper. In

another bowl, whisk egg, mineral water and beer. Slowly add wet ingredients to

the dry ingredients, thinning with water if needed until the mixture has the

consistency of thin pancake batter.

 

In a medium pot, heat 3 inches of oil over medium high heat, until the oil comes

to 375°. If you don't have a thermometer, test the oil by dropping in a cube of

bread cube. If it sinks slightly, then rises and sizzles at the top, it is

ready. If it cooks too quickly, turn down the heat slightly. Cut the seitan into

two-bite pieces. Dip the seitan into the beer batter and place one piece at a

time into the hot oil. Fry 3-5 minutes, or until the batter is crisp and golden

brown.

 

Toss the fried seitan with the Buffalo sauce and serve with carrots, celery and

blue cheese dressing.

 

Per serving (with 2 tablespoons dressing): 310 calories, 15 g protein, 14 g

carbohydrate, 22 g fat (6 g saturated), 31 mg cholesterol, 523 mg sodium, 1 g

fiber.

 

Mock Aioli

Makes 3 cups

 

This mock aioli comes from chef Ryan Scott of Myth Cafe, where he serves this on

a grilled Vietnamese tofu sandwich with spicy pickled vegetables. It's great as

a mayonnaise substitute, if you are looking for a vegan option, and swapping out

the herbs can change the flavors. This is also a nice alternative to hummus, or

used as a dip or sandwich spread.

 

1 pound firm tofu packed in water (see Note)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

Juice of 1 lime

1 bunch scallions, chopped

1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only

1/2 cup basil leaves, loosely packed

1/4 cup mint leaves, loosely packed

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions: Dice the tofu and put it in a food processor with the remaining

ingredients. Blend until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Chill for at

least 1 hour to let the flavors blend.

 

Note: Do not substitute extra firm or vacuum-sealed tofu.

 

Per tablespoon: 20 calories, 2 g protein, 1 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat (0

saturated), 0 cholesterol, 91 mg sodium, 0 fiber.

 

Amanda Berne is a former Chronicle Food staff writer. E-mail her at

food. Find previous Accidental Vegetarian columns at

sfgate.com/food.

 

 

 

 

I never thought about the universe, it made me feel small

Never thought about the problems of this planet at all

Global warming, radio-active sites

Imperialistic wrongs and animal rights! No!

Why think of all the bad things when life is so good?

Why help with an 'am' when there's always a 'could'?

Let the whales worry about the poisons in the sea

Outside of California, it's foreign policy

I don't want changes, I have no reactions

Your dilemmas are my distractions

I never looked around, never second-guessed

Then I read some Howard Zinn now I'm always depressed

And now I can't sleep from years of apathy

All because I read a little Noam Chomsky

I'm eating vegetation, 'cause of Fast Food Nation

I'm wearing uncomfortable shoes 'cause of globalization

I'm watching Michael Moore expose the awful truth

I'm listening to Public Enemy and Reagan Youth

I see no world peace 'cause of zealous armed forces

I eat no breath-mints 'cause they're from de-hoofed horses