serves four
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/4cup rice vinegar
2cloves garlic, mashed or pressed
few drops of sriracha hot sauce (optional)
3T sesame or peanut oil
1package chicken style seitan, drained & sliced
2large carrots, julienned
1red bell pepper, juilenned
1 white onion, sliced into thin half moons
8large leaves red lettuce, for wrapping
2-4cups steamed white rice*

whisk together the hoisin, vinegar, garlic, and sriracha (if using); set aside. heat a large skillet or wok to high. coat with oil, then very quickly stir-fry seiten, carrot, bell pepper, and onion (in that order). when veg has achieved desired doneness (i like a little char on mine), pour over with the hoisin glaze and cook about one minute more. remove to a serving dish. serve immediately, providing 2lettuce wraps per person and a good scoop of rice on the side.

*because it is quicker, and always perfectly steamed, i spring for rice from my local chinese takeout. i am a starch nut, so i love just plain rice, but you can serve with soy sauce or extra hoisin for a garnish.

serves 4-6
3/4cup natural peanut butter
2 1/2T fresh lime juice
1Tagave nectar
1/4cup soy sauce
1/2cup veg broth
2tsp sriracha sauce
1bag (7oz) rice stick noodles
1box Helen’s Kitchen Chik’n gardensteaks
3T peanut or sesame oil
2cups julienned thai veggies (bean sprouts, carrots, cabbage, etc.)
1/4cup each chopped peanuts and chopped fresh cilantro
lime wedges, for garnish

in a blender, whiz together the first six ingredients to make a smooth sauce. prepare rice stick noodles according to package directions, then drain and set aside. heat 2T oil in a wok or large, deep skillet to medium high. add tofu steaks, searing and cooking until golden brown; remove from pan and cut into small squares or triangles. add remaining oil to hot pan and, quickly, stir fry veg, then add back in tofu and noodles, stir-frying for a few minutes. top with sauce and stir-fry a few minutes more. distribute onto four plates and top each with about a tablespoon each of the chopped peanuts and cilantro. make sure each plate gets a lime wedge to squeeze!

what is gluten? gluten is actually a protein that occurs naturally in wheat, barley, rye, and some other grains. it gives dough made from these products elasticity and helps it to rise. it is a 100% naturally occurring protein that helps give baked goods their proper texture and lift.

what is it not? gluten is not an additive, preservative, or chemical. it is not synthetic and, for most people and animals, has no side effects.

who should not eat gluten? some folks have developed gluten sensitivities, which make most bread-type products uncomfortable to digest. then there are people with gluten allergies or coeliac disease, for which eating gluten products is downright dangerous.

if you think you may have gluten sensitivities or allergies, you should be tested immediately. this is nothing to fool around with! gluten is in MANY foods, and it takes a rigorous makeover of your diet to eliminate it. if you do not have gluten problems, relax. stop trying to find the secret mystery food that is causing you to gain weight or be tired; gluten is not an evil particle waiting in your bread to sabotage your health.

i, myself, do not plan on going gluten free ever, because i have no need of it. i eat what i know is healthy, including whole grains, knowing for sure that when gluten is taken out of bread products, many other chemicals and additives are put back in to give the chewiness that gluten naturally provides.

serves four
1large loaf whole wheat lavash
1recipe sarah’s garlic hummus
1/2medium fennel bulb
1/2small sweet onion
1recipe jenan’s spinach salad
good quality olive oil

preheat oven to 375. (if not using leftovers, whiz together the hummus while the oven is heating.) place lavash on the middle rack of the oven for just a few minutes to crisp up. remove from the oven and spread over evenly with the hummus. place lavash back into the oven for about 5-8 minutes, until the bread is brown and crispy and the hummus is piping hot. meanwhile, using a mandolin slicer, slice the onion and fennel bulb as thinly as possible. this would also be a good time to assemble the spinach salad. when the lavash “pizza” is removed from the oven, sprinkle it over evenly with the fennel and onion, then drizzle with the olive oil. use a pizza cutter to slice it into four squares and serve each with a nice pile of spinach salad.

serves 4
1/2cup canola oil
8small corn tortillas
2-16oz can vegetarian refried beans (casa fiesta brand is AWESOME!)
2-513g packages chicken style seiten, drained and shredded
6roma tomatoes, quarterd
2cloves garlic
1/4 of a small onion
2T fresh cilantro
1tsp cumin
pinch dry oregano
sea salt to taste
1head dark green lettuce, shredded
2large avocados, sliced

preheat oven to 300. put beans in a small saucepan and heat over low, stirring occasionally. heat the oil well in a deep skillet (to about 375degrees); a few at a time, fry the corn tortillas on each side, just until crisp. transfer to a sheet pan and place in the oven to keep hot. in a food processor, place all veg, spices, and seasoning. pulse to make a chunky sauce. drain most of the oil from the skillet, keeping just enough to barely cover the bottom. gently stir-fry the seiten for just a few minutes, then pour in the tomato salsa and turn the heat to medium. allow the seiten to stew in the sauce for about 10minutes, then assemble the tostadas. on each plate, place 2crispy corn tortillas. spread with a thin layer of beans and sprinkle with lettuce generously. cover with a good scoop of the seiten in salsa and a few slices of avocado.

serves four
2lbs fresh hericot vert (french green beans)
2T each fresh lemon juice & extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup each agave nectar & dijon mustard
sea salt
2tubes Pillsbury reduced-fat crescent rolls
1cup Vegan Gourmet jack cheese, shredded
2packages Smart Deli baked ham style soy slices

preheat oven to 375 and set hericot vert to steam lightly. whisk together the agave, mustard, lemon juice, oil and salt to taste; set aside. on eight of the crescent rolls (one package), arrange 2T grated “cheese” and a few slices of the “ham” evenly. use the remaining eight to cover and seal, making little pocket sandwiches. bake in the preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, until golden brown. meanwhile, dress the steamed (but still crunchy!) green beans with the agave dijon sauce. each plate should get 2 croissants and a nice scoop of beans.

note of caution: many of these recipes are not terribly “outside-the-box”, because that’s not the way that i work (for example, quick thai dinner is simply my quick answer to pad thai). i want every person to be able to feel that international cuisine is within their reach in their own kitchen, and so have foregone most of the complicated instructions and obscure ingredients that are so often called for in more creative cooking.