Sunday, September 19, 2010

Un-Meat & Taters

I consider myself a steak-and-potatoes vegan. Not real steak, of course. That's gross. But I'll take a hearty plate of faux meat and potatoes over a veggie-based dish any day. What can I say? That may be the most calorie-laden choice or the least healthy one, but whatevs. I like to eat.

Take for example, my Dijon Pecan Seitan Medallions:

I've blogged about these before, and they're definitely going in my Southern vegan cookbook. The seitan is homemade, of course, and it's encrusted with chopped pecans and a delicious maple-soy butter glaze.

I enjoyed my seitan with an equally-hearty Twice-Baked Tater:

Another recipe for my cookbook, these taters are creamy and loaded with noochy, cheezy flavor. The melted vegan cheese on top is optional (as is vegan cheese in most of my recipes), but it certainly adds an element of awesomeness. I used Daiya Cheddar here.

Of course, I still needed to get my veggie group in. Potatoes are vegetables, but that's an awfully carby, starchy meal without some green. I tossed together this simple side salad of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, raspberry vinaigrette, and nooch.

Wanna hear something really gross? After I shot these pictures, I accidentally knocked the plate of seitan and potatoes off of my back porch railing (I take most of my pics outside on the porch for natural light). The plate landed upside down on top of my nasty, old unusable grill, sandwiching the food in between the overturned plate and the grill lid.

But I wasn't about to let this yumminess go to waste. So I quickly scooped the food up, picked off a few visible pieces of dirt, and ate it anyway. Five second rule, right?

17 comments:

Erin said...

Food overboard! It's okay, I probably would've done the same thing.

Anonymous said...

Yummy goodness all around! I haven't had a twice-baked tatie in forever!! Now, I must make one. I heard it was the 10 second rule, by the way!!

Anonymous said...

Delicioso! the potatoes are my favorite :)

JL Goes Vegan said...

Everything looks great! And that's my biggest fear when taking pix of my food! LOL I do believe you did what any one of us would have done ;)

Anonymous said...

I bet those seitan medallions are delicious! I finally tried seitan a few months ago and have been in love with it ever since. While I don't particularly care for the 10 (or 5) second rule, my boyfriend would totally have applauded you for that one. lol

The Voracious Vegan said...

5 second rule FOR SURE! I wouldn't have thought twice if I'd seen you do that, totally normal. Cody might have fainted though. He's a bit prissier than me when it comes to things like hygiene and cleanliness! HAHAH! That's why he's in charge of cleaning.

Your meal looks amazing, as usual. Those seitan medallions look so crunchy and perfect. YUM.

Jessica said...

I bet the pecans made a kind of protective layer against any kind of grill-grime.

Vegan In The VI said...

I've dropped food on the carpet, picked it up, picked off all the animal hair, and enjoyed!

Jess - The Domestic Vegan said...

Hahaha. I would have done the same as you re: "5 second rule"! Nice work.

That seitan looks incredible!!

Leslie Richman said...

Five second rule totally with deliciousness like that!

Melisser; the Urban Housewife said...

Oooh, sign me up! yum.

Katie said...

Tee hee. I ate a butternut ravioli that fell on the kitchen floor yesterday. Whatevs. :D

I am for sure going to make some twice-baked tatoes after I go grocery shopping!

jodye @ 'scend food said...

Those seitan medallions sound super good. Maple butter glaze? Count me in!

LisaMarie said...

OMG after all that hard work and you knocked over the food!! I would have ate it too!! Looks so yummy!!
http://thislittleshabbychicvegangirl.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

That potato looks divine - after seeing these photos I can see why you still ate the food after that minor mishap!

Monique a.k.a. Mo said...

I'm definitely a meat and potatoes vegan. I have to tell myself to throw in some freshness so I don't feel bad about it.

Anonymous said...

I could not have let that tasty meal go to waste either. A little dirt can't hurt. I'm an avid "5 second rule" enforcer