Something special for Yule

[Lady Willow]

What are you having/usually have/have had for Yule lunch/dinner?


I want to make something different this year and am looking for inspiration .... meat free only please.
I'm OK for side dishes (though always open to new ideas ) ... but want something for main dish and for starters.

Will have visitors this year so want to try it out first.

[Green Aura]

I've got a recipe for seitan and tofu turkey, complete with skin that goes brown and crispy.

My vegan daughter loves it - the only thing she seems to remotely have missed is crispy skin. Weird huh? Sailed through bacon butties but nearly fell at the turkey skin.

Anyway I can post it if you fancy it - the 'skin', by the way, is made of yuba.

[hedgewitch]

I had a MacSween's Haggis last year - very yum! You can buy them from Waitrose.
This year I will do a Stuffed Seitan Roast

[eccentric_emma]

i would be interested to see the 'crispy skin' recipe!

[mrsflibble]

we're having a turkey crown. Or possibly pork, not sure yet.

[Green Aura]

SOY AND SEITAN "TURKEY"

DRY MIX:
2 c. pure gluten powder (instant gluten flour; vital wheat gluten)
1/2 c. full-fat soy flour or chickpea flour
1/2 c. nutritional yeast flakes
2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic granules
1/4 tsp. white pepper

WET MIX:
12 oz.firm to extra-firm tofu
1 and 1/2 c. water
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. olive oil

BASTING BROTH:
2 c. hot water
1/3 c. “chicken-style” vegetarian broth powder
2 T. olive oil
OPTIONAL: 4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2-1 tsp. poultry herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary), crushed well

STUFFING of your choice

SKIN
2-3 large sheets of yuba (beancurd skin)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

This can be made in 2 ways - with or without stuffing and skin.
To make without, mix the Wet Mix ingredients in food processor until smooth. Add the Dry Mix and process briefly until it forms a ball on blade. Remove and, with wet hands, form into 2 loaves. Place each loaf in an oiled loaf pan and press down
a bit with your hand. Mix the Basting broth ingredients in a small bowl and pour about 1/2 a cup over each loaf.
Cover each loaf pan with foil and place in the oven.

Bake for 30 minutes, add about half of the remaining Basting broth and bake another 30 minutes, basting the top
now and then. Turn the loaves over, carefully loosening around the edges and from the bottom with a small, thin
spatula first. Add the remaining Basting Broth and bake about 30 minutes more, basting frequently. The loaves
should completely soak up the broth by the end of the cooking time. If they don’t, cook until they do. Remove from
the pans and serve or let cool. Can be frozen.

Slice this VERY thinly for sandwiches, or you can slice it into 1/4"-thick "cutlets" for scaloppine, into chunks for stews and potpies, slivers for stir-fries, or oblong chunks for "fried chicken", or other "chicken" dishes, browning first in a little oil.


If adding stuffing and skin make each half of the dough into a flat round disk about 8” across. Bake them, as directed, in two 10” round baking dishes. (This can be done a couple of days ahead, if you like.) When they are done, make a large “sandwich” with one of the loaves on the bottom, a layer of stuffing on top of that (you’ll need more stuffing baked on the side) and the other loaf on top of that. Then wrap and bake again with a yuba (beancurd skin) “skin”, as directed below.

You will need 2-4 large sheets of dried or fresh (probably frozen) Chinese beancurd skin (yuba in Japanese). This
product is simply the "skin" that forms on the top of soymilk when it is heated (just as it does with ordinary
milk). The "skin" is lifted off and dried, and is considered a delicacy in Chinese and Japanese cuisine. In its
dried form, it keeps for a long time, as long as it is stored airtight. When reconstituted, wrapped around tofu
or other fillings, and baked, it becomes delicately crispy.

Soak the dried beancurd skin in warm water to cover while you make the assemble the “turkey”. If you are using
fresh or frozen, fresh yuba, thaw it out, if necessary. If it is pliable, you can use it “as is”. If it seems a
bit dry and hard to fold, etc., then dip it in warm water for a minute—just to soften. If you leave it in the
water too long, it will start falling apart.

Oil a baking pan that the “turkey" fits into with a little room to spare, or a cookie sheet with sides (jelly
roll pan) with the Chinese sesame oil. Line another pan, such as a cookie sheet, with the prepared beancurd skin,
overlapping if necessary to make it big enough to cover the whole “turkey”. (There will be overhang—this is good.)
Place the roasted (stuffed or unstuffed) “turkey" on top. Fold the overhanging beancurd skin over the ”turkey” to
cover. Brush with olive and/or Chinese roasted sesame oil. Now invert the wrapped "turkey" onto the prepared baking
pan. If made ahead, cover the pan and refrigerate until baking time.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake the ”Turkey”, uncovered, for 1 hour, basting now and then with oil (olive/
sesame oil combination). Loosen the edges carefully and slide it onto a serving plate.


I found this recipe by Bryanna Grogan, on her website. My gal loves it. I have to say I don't bake it in advance, just mix it, and layer it inside the yuba, then wrap it in foil and bake it. I uncover it about 15 mins before the end to crisp it. Seems to work and a lot less faffing (sorry Bryanna).

[hedgewitch]

WOWZERS!
That sounds amazing - thanks for that. I might have to give this a try.

[Green Aura]

Thank Bryanna Grogan not me - her stuff is amazing. And the thing I like best is that even though she writes and sells vegan recipe books she's still happy to put loads of recipes on the WWW.
Her vegan tiramisu is lurvely.

[hedgewitch]

TIRAMISU!!!?????

*speeds off to Bryanna's site*

[carolinej]

So do you make the yuba yourself or can you buy it?

It sounds like a great recipe, and I really fancy giving it a go.

Thanks for posting it.

cj

[Green Aura]

I buy it from a chinese warehouse type place in Manchester, I'm sure they're all over. It's huge - at least 2 feet in diameter, because it's a by-product of making soya milk. I suppose you could make it - in theory it should be easy enough but you'd have to do it several times to get enough skin I suppose.

[eccentric_emma]

i am currently hunting down where to get yuba, as i dont have an asian supermarket near me at all, and the internet hasnt yielded many results, however im going to london in a few weeks so hopefully will manage to get some then!!

if anyone finds an internet source for yuba though, please let me know as im not in london very often (im only going for my birthday yippee!)

EDIT: I did find this on the internet for those who may be interested in making their own http://www.veggieboards.com/boards/arch ... 15847.html

[carolinej]

Thanks for that . I may try making my own if I cant find any in the shops.

Hopefully will be in Cardiff next week, so will check then.

cj

[Graye]

I understand yuba is easy to make yourself, just boil up soymilk and let it cool and the skin forms on the top. I haven't tried it but I would be interested to hear from someone who has. It is cream which forms the skin so presumably soymilk is creamy?

I know that you can make clotted cream by boiling full cream milk with some single cream. A very thick layer of clotted cream can be spooned off once it has cooled down.