Month: January 2021

Seared Seitan with Tarragon Pan Sauce

The best vegetarian gravy we’ve found, this will be at every Thanksgiving from here on out.

Tarragon adds a feeling of elegance and rich flavor to pan sauce that’s made with seitan. Serve it with green beans and mashed potatoes for a classic, comforting meal.

Ingredients

For the seitan

  • 16 oz seitan (cubed; sub firm tofu)
  • 2 cloves shallots (diced)
  • 2 tsp tarragon (finely chopped, fresh)
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp mustard
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 1 1⁄2 cups stock

For the green beans

  • 1 lb green beans (trimmed)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp mustard
  • 1⁄2 tsp balsamic vinegar

For the mashed potatoes

  • 1 lb russet potatoes (cubed)
  • 2 tbsp Greek yogurt (sub sour cream)
  • 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

Prep

  1. Seitan / Shallots / Green beans – if prepping right before cooking, get oven heating first. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead.)
  2. Tarragon — finely chop tarragon. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead.)
  3. Potatoes — peel and cube potatoes.

Make

  1. Heat oven to 425°F / 218°C.
  2. Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold water and some salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Remove lid from potatoes and simmer until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, 12 to 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, toss green beans with olive oil, mustard (portion for green beans), and balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and spread out on a sheet pan. Roast until tender, shaking the pan halfway through cooking, 18 to 20 minutes.
  4. Once green beans are roasting, heat a large skillet with cooking oil over medium heat. Add seitan and sear on all sides until golden, 6 to 8 minutes.
  5. Add butter (portion for seitan) to pan with seitan. When butter melts, add shallots and tarragon. Saute until shallots are soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in apple cider vinegar and mustard (portion for seitan).
  6. Add flour to seitan and stir until no dry spots remain. Slowly pour in stock while whisking. Simmer sauce until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside, covered, to keep warm.
  7. Drain potatoes and let sit in a colander for ~5 minutes to allow the steam to escape (this creates creamier potatoes vs. liquidy potatoes).
  8. Use a masher to mash potatoes with sour cream, butter (portion for potatoes), and some salt.
  9. Serve seitan and sauce over mashed potatoes. Enjoy green beans on the side.

Notes

Shredded Brussel’s sprouts salad

This is a sprouts salad that my friend Brussel (the weightlifter) taught me. I usually have this with chicken tendies, which I’ve included as well.

Chicken tendies seared and tossed with mustard and tarragon pan sauce, aren’t you fancy? Shredding brussels sprouts to serve in a salad on the side gives them flavor and crunch.

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 1⁄2 cup pecans (chopped)
  • 1 lb brussels sprouts (shredded)
  • 1 tsp mustard (use Dijon if you want texture, but just know that “fancy” mustard is all bs — make it yourself and you’ll know why)
  • 1 tsp wine vinegar (red or white wine)
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 3 tbsp olive oil (avoid all European OO, it’s unregulated crap; California / Australian is the best)
  • 1⁄2 cup cranberries, dried
  • 4 oz goat cheese

For the chicken

  • 2 cloves shallots (diced)
  • 2 tsp tarragon (chopped)
  • 1 lb chicken breasts (cut into big strips, like tenders)
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 tsp wine vinegar (red or white)
  • 1⁄3 cup stock (I use Better Than Bouillon and it’s great)
  • 1 tbsp mustard (again, whatever mustard you want; I go with generic because the ingredients are pure & simple)
  • 2 tsp honey

Instructions

Prep

  1. Pecans / Shallots / Tarragon — prep as directed. Store separately. You can leave the pecans raw for the salad, or if you prefer, toast them in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently until fragrant, ~4 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead.)
  2. Brussels sprouts — put the slicing disk in a food processor and shred sprouts. If using the Breville Sous Chef, turn the slicer to just under 2. We’ve had it thinner as well; it makes it more voluminous which you may prefer, but make extra dressing to compensate. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead.)
  3. Chicken breasts — slice into thick strips. Season with salt and pepper and tenderize with a fork. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead.)

Make

  1. Combine mustard, vinegar, honey (the portions for the sprouts), and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Toss with brussels sprouts, cranberries, and pecans. Crumble goat cheese over top.
  2. Heat a skillet or saute pan over medium-high. Add cooking oil. When oil begins to shimmer, add chicken and saute until golden brown and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate and return pan to heat. Add shallots and vinegar (portion for the chicken) and saute, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan, until shallots become tender, ~3 minutes. Add stock, tarragon, mustard, and honey (the portions for the chicken) and whisk. Simmer until sauce thickens, ~2 minutes. Add chicken back into the skillet and stir to coat in sauce.
  3. Serve chicken with extra pan sauce over top and salad on the side. Enjoy!

Notes