After making out own chicken patties, we moved on to cold cuts! I used to eat nothing but turkey sandwiches when I was a kid, so I was excited to try out the Gobbler Slices. And we made some Mushroom Tomato Slices to go with. It was a lot of work, and probably better not to make them on the same day, unless you have more than one steamer pot. After more than 3 hours of steaming, the whole house was steamed up. Even the upstairs windows were covered in steam. (We probably need pot with a better fitting lid for better steaming, though). The turkey was just steamed, while the Mushroom Tomato slices were steamed and then baked. Many hours later, I sliced them all down into thin slices and we put two giant bags full into the freezer. They do make a huge amount and last a long time for all that work.
I don’t know how the Gobbler slices taste so much like turkey, but the flavor is perfect. Its just a combination of beans, lots of spices, wine, and wheat gluten. Somehow, all the spices really combine together in the prefect way. And the texture is pretty good, too. The Mushroom Tomato slices are a bit spicy and more dense, filled with porcini mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, black eyed peas, and their own big set of spices. They are really good, although not necessarily comparable to any specific kind of meat. Maybe a mellow salami? Except not the right texture.
I was excited to use both in a big sandwich, so for our first taste we rolled them up into a sandwich loaf, the Party Monster. The recipe calls for a homemade bread dough, Green Monster dough. You can also use a store-bought pizza dough, but the green dough was pretty tasty. It gets its green hue and name from all the spinach packed into it. Once risen, we covered it with both cold cuts, some cooked onion and mushroom, and banana peppers. Then the top of the dough is braided and the giant loaf goes in the oven. It looked pretty nice but kind of flat - I don’t think it rose enough. When dipped in some tomato sauce the squashed appearance didn’t even matter. My only concern was that the flavors all kind of muddled together. I really wanted to taste each cold cut, but I couldn’t exactly tell one from another. We snacked on slices as we were cooking and I preferred that, but I would give this loaf another shot.
After a month or two in the freezer, the cold cuts have gotten a little dried out. Nothing some turkey gravy can’t fix, though. I really want to make a thanksgiving leftover-style sandwich with gravy, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and Gobbler slices. I can eat that all year round, right? Definitely when it involves these spot on cold cuts.
from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!
serves 6
salt and pepper, to taste
1 recipe Green Monster dough (below) or favorite bread dough or pre-made pizza dough
6 oz thin Gobbler Slices (below)
6 oz thin Mushroom Tomato Slices (below)
16 mild banana pepper rings
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms, oregano, and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes longer, or until vegetables are softened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool before using.
After the dough has risen, dump it onto a lightly floured work surface. With a rolling pin, roll into a 12 x 16-inch rectangle. With the short side across, on the center 6 inches, layer half the Mushroom Tomato and Gobbler Slices, and the pepper rings. Leave a 1-inch strip of dough at the top and bottom without filling.
Using a knife, make 6 to 8 cuts on each side of the filling perpendicular to the filling. Make an equal number of cuts on each side. This is the part that will be braided. Starting at the top, fold an empty strip of dough over the end of the filling. Alternating sides, pull one strip from each side across the filling. Continue until you reach the last strips on each side. Fold the bottom in, then finish the braid. Pat with your hands to help seal the braided strips closed.
Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray and carefully transfer the dough to the sheet. let rise, covered, with a towel, for 30 minutes, or until nicely puffed.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until the bottom is browned. Transfer to a rack and let cool for a few minutes before cutting. Cut into six 2-inch strips and serve.
from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!
make 1 loaf
1 packed cup baby arugula or spinach
1 + 1/4 cups water, lukewarm
3 + 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
Place the arugula, garlic, water, and oil in a blender. Blend until smooth.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, gluten, yeast, sugar, and salt.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 - 10 minutes, adding 1 tbsp flour at a time if needed, until the dough is smooth and pliable.
Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it. Turn to coat. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise for 60 - 90 minutes, until doubled.
Lightly coat an 8 x 4-inch loaf pan with spray. Gently punch the dough and press it down into the pan. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough reaches 1 inch over the top of the pan, between 30 and 60 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F. Carefully remove the plastic wrap and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown and the bottom of the bread sounds hollow when tapped.
Remove from the pan, transfer to a wire rack, and let cool before slicing.
from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!
makes 20 ounces
1/2 cup cooked navy beans
1/2 cup vegetable broth, plus more if needed
1 + 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten, plus more if needed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
In a blender, combine the beans, wine, broth, lemon juice, oil, and spices. Blend until smooth.
In a medium-size bowl, combine the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, flour, and tapioca. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork. Add an extra 1 tbsp broth or gluten if needed to make a soft, workable dough.
Knead for a few minutes, squeezing to be sure all ingredients are combined. Transfer to a 12-inch piece of foil. Form into a roll about 6 inches long. Roll the foil around the mixture, twisting the ends to enclose.
Prepare a steamer. Steam the rolls for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Let cool completely before slicing thinly, using a sharp, serrated knife and cutting in a seesaw motion. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.
from Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!
makes 24 ounces
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (moist vacuum-packed, not oil-packed)
1/2 cup cooked black-eyed peas
1/3 cup chopped red onion
1 + 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten, plus more if needed
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
Add the dried porcinis to the water and let soak for 30 minutes. Using a coffee filter, drain the mushrooms, reserving the liquid. You will need 2/3 cup liquid. If you don’t have the full 2/3 cup, add broth or water to make up the difference.
Rinse the mushrooms well to remove any dirt. Combine the mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, black eyed peas, onion, ketchup, soy sauce, oil, liquid smoke, paprika, onion powder, coriander, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, cumin, and white pepper in a blender. Add the reserved liquid and blend until smooth.
In a medium-size bowl, combine the wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, flour, and tapioca. Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork. Add an extra 1 tbsp broth or gluten if needed to make a soft, workable dough.
Knead well, squeezing to be sure all ingredients are combined. Divide the mixture evenly between two 12-inch pieces of foil. Form into 2 rolls about 5 inches long. Roll the foil around the mixture, twisting the ends to enclose.
Prepare a steamer. Steam the rolls for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the steamed rolls on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes.
Let cool completely before slicing thinly, using a sharp, serrated knife and cutting in a seesaw motion. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months.
