Seitan & Green Beans

A quick post for a quick meal. I adapted an old and very simple family recipe into a vegan form and it's luckfully still quite simple and tasty. It's basically just green beans and seitan in a simple sauce, and the recipe is as follows:

1 medium onion
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tbsp Pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
~2 cups of green beans (You can wing this part and the seitan part to whatever is good for you)
1 medium to large seitan steak, cubed

Brown Rice

Slice the onions into rings and throw in into a deeper pan with the oil, pepper, and salt. Fry until the onions are translucent and then pour in the broth and bring it to a boil. Mix the arrowroot powder with a bit of water(if you put it straight in the broth it'll gel almost instantly and fail to thicken the mixture) and pour it into the broth. Add in the beans and seitan at this point, cooking them while the broth thickens. It's ready when the beans are tender and the seitan is heated through. Enjoy over some brown rice while still hot.

Animal Rights Vs. Welfare

At one time or another, people always inquire as to our reasons for veganism. Not that I mind at all, but it is a bit drab answering the same question again and again & the my justification is a bit elaborate to explain in a normal conversation without sufficient time and attention. However, this post also has the purpose of explaining the oft-misunderstood(even by me not too long ago) differences between those arguing for animal welfare and those arguing for rights(intertwined with those for animal "liberation"). Finally, I'm just plain interested in your opinions and need a way of passing these long summer days.

The majority of the reasons for not consuming animal products are fairly straightforward but, unfortunately, the more straightforward they are the less actual persausive power they seem to have(they are the one of those arguments people tend to agree with but are too immaterial to have an effect in a practical sense except in a few people). The main reasons fall into the following categories:

• Ethical


• Environmental


• Health

Health is the most obvious, as animal products contain cholesterol, fairly large amounts of saturated fats, more calories, and are more a strain on your digestive system than most plant foods. As long as one pays attention to their diet(which most vegans do quite closely due to natural reasons) then protein will not be a an issue: Legumes, soy products, grains(especially wheat gluten, which is over 70% protein), some vegetables(more notably broccoli), and nutritional yeast all contain good sources of protein. Furthermore, there have been notable athletes who did fine on a vegan diet(look up UFC Fighter Mac Danzig as an example[no, I don't watch UFC]). The only real issue is vitamin B12, which is only from animal based sources, and that can be solved by taking a supplement or fortified foods. But honestly, I find this argument the least persausive; Americans, as a culture, have a habit of being more talk than action when it comes to healthy intentions and we often brush aside such intentions when the plate is put in front of us.

Environmental is a bit less obvious but is often cited as a reason for vegetarianism/veganism so people are often familiar with it. It takes an extraordinarily large amount of resources to raise animals, especially cattle(pigs are actually the most "efficient", I believe), for slaughter. The UN estimated that around 18% of the world's greenhouse gases are from animal production, more than all the transportation sectors in the world combined(I still want electric cars though). Furthermore, I've read it takes anywhere from twelve to twenty-two pounds of feed(comprised mainly of corn and soy, unless you explicitly buy grass-fed meat) to make one pound of beef; most of the estimates I've seen are actually towards the higher end of this margin but even giving the benefit of the doubt this is atrocious(which will be addressed in the ethics section). Finally, the literal rivers of waste filled with antibiotics that can easily destroy land it is put upon is another reason as well. However, due to the disconnect between the people and the methods of production and the tainted land, this argument often fails.

Ethics is the most persausive argument, in my opinion, but also most dependent upon personal philosophy and morals. I'm not going to say anyone's morally wrong because they fail to adhere to this philosophy, just that I think this is a sound system. I'm not going to address the wrong of killing animals(that's a much more elaborate argument that I do not think I can do justice to here), instead focusing on the other main ideas. The principle one is the idea, often based off of utilitarianism but does not have to be, that causing unnecessary pain is a moral wrong. Whether or not it is to a non-human animal doesn't really have a bearing on that idea, as people become outraged when they see people abuse their animals, farm animals are malnutrition or harmed, or the pain caused by things such as horse or dog racing. Animal welfare laws exist for this reason as well as bans such as the one recently passed by Massachusetts getting ride of greyhound races. Getting back to the point, the vast majority of the meat created in the developed world comes from inhuman conditions(they are worse in the US than in Europe) that cause a large amount of unnecessarily cruel pain to a millions of animals just to provide people the pleasure of eating meat. Causing a pig to live a life where it is crammed in small cage and brutalized for its entire lifespan cannot be justified by the pleasure of eating meat, no matter how much you love your bacon. Additionally, that pig is smarter than most dogs(pigs are quite intelligent animals) and definitely animals such as horses(which aren't usually the brightest animals relatively); the reason we protect the latter animals, as one cannot kill a dog or horse for meat, is purely sentimental reasons that have no logical foundation. There is no real reason to make a distinction between a sheep, pig, horse, dog, or pretty much any such animal on the basis of pain, though some do have a cognition of a future and therefore make it more unjust on the basis of pain (I'll explain that more if requested). Now, there is a more elaborate argument that argues against the common notion that humans have the right to exploit "lower" animals and that we are distinctly separate from them but I'm not going to go into that here because I have the feeling this is already along enough for our brains during the summer.

Finally, as a short blurb, the actual difference between Welfare and Rights: Welfare activists do not think it's intrinsically wrong to raise animals for meat, eggs, or the like as long as it is done within a humane fashion; Rights activists disagree with this stance, saying it is intrinsically wrong to exploit animals due to inherent immorality and cruelty involved with such a thing. I, and most vegans(I think), are more on the Animal Rights side of the argument thought there is a lot of gray area. However, this is why I disagree with people when they say they can still consume animal products and be for animal rights—they are contradictory. To help finish explaining that, I leave you with an excerpt from Peter Singer's Practical Ethics:

Killing animals for food makes us think of them as objects that we can use as we please. Their lives then count for little when weighed against our mere wants. As long as we continue to use animals in this way, to change our attitudes to animals in the way they should be changed will be an impossible task. How can we encourage people to respect animals, and have equal concern for their interests, if they continue to eat them for their mere enjoyment?...

Comments? Ideas? Indifferent Shrugs?

Udon Noodle Bowl!

By far one of my favorite things to get when I go out to eat are Vietnamese(Pho) noodle bowls. However, since I live in the middle of bloody nowhere and I have never seen a Vietnamese restaurant in all of Southeast Michigan(I'm sure one does exist somewhere, I just don't know where that is). So, naturally, I had to find an acceptable recipe so I could make it myself. It did take me until last week to actually find some udon noodles that didn't have cornstarch though(Eden Organic is the brand if you happen to be in Michigan, I've never seen them outside of here). Anyway, I took the majority of this recipe from a gluten-free website that I can no longer remember. If I do, I'll say it in the comments.

Broth:
8 cups vegetable broth (either make your own[look at veganyumyum for a good recipe for that] or Pacific and Imagine brands both make corn-free pre-made broths)
1/3 cup Tamari (a more flavorful kind of soy sauce)
2 small unpeeled onions, chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled (still whole)
A 1-inch piece of ginger, coarsely sliced
Two 3-inch cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp szechuan peppercorn
3-4 allspice berries (these may be small but they pack a wallop, so watch out)
1/4 teaspoon tumeric (optional, and I accidently put in too much last time which created a bitter aftertaste unfortunately)
Sprinkling white pepper
Sesame Oil
Lime juice

Soup Fillings:
1/2 Pound Udon Wheat Noodles or Rice Noodles

1/2 of a large Radikon
3-4 cups Sugar Snap Peas
2-3 medium carrots
1/2 package(of a total six ounces, I believe) baby bella mushrooms
A small head of broccoli
1/2 cup bean sprouts
A few green onions
Whatever else you want (I actually put parsnips in this one actually, as I had one sitting around)
Optional: 8 oz pan browned tofu, to give some more protien and filling power.

To start the broth, throw everything in a stock pot except for the broth and dry char everything until the onions and garlic are starting to blacken a bit then slowly add in the broth. Let the brother slowly simmer for an hour covered, then run it through a colinder to filter out all the onions, garlic, etc...

Once the broth is finished, things move fairly quickly. Cook the noodles and add the prepped(mostly chopped) vegetables to the soup itself, only around five minutes before actually serving (leave out the green onions for now). If you're adding in tofu, do it at the same time as the vegetables. After cooking all the vegetables, add in some sesame oil(I'd start with 1/4-1/2 tsp) and then serve the soup onto the noodles. This is actually somewhat important, as if you leave rice noodles sitting in water they'll disinigrate and become fairly unappetizing (very important if you have leftovers). Add in the chopped green onions at the last moment for the best flavor from them. If the flavor is too spicy or intense from the allspice, I recommend adding in the lime juice to help counter that.
My final product(my broth is dark because I cook it in a poorly seasoned cast iron pan, which causes the iron to leech in and darken the broth):

Seitan!

Having had nothing on the itinerary today, I decided to make myself up some more seitan as I had run out a while back after making a teryaki stir-fry. Seitan is by far my favorite meat substitute, kicking tofu, tempeh, or any mushroom's ass in my opinion. For anyone who does not know what "seitan" is, it's vital wheat gluten mixed with water and boiled (hence it commonly being known as "wheat meat") and it works as an excellent high-protein meat substitute. Now since most people don't know what "wheat gluten" is either, it is the protein within a whole wheat flour(the manual way of extracting gluten involves washing wheat flour repeatedly until all the starch is gone, leaving just the protein left). The wheat gluten has a very sticky consistency, much like a very wet bread dough(gluten is actually what holds bread together and helps with the rising process). Anyway, I'm digressing. The point is I made some seitan to freeze up for future use(it holds up very well if frozen and can last quite a long time). The recipe I use for seitan(strictly speaking, all that is necessary is water and wheat gluten) is as follows:

1 cup vital wheat gluten (I recommend finding it in bulk form, much cheaper than other ways)
~3/4 cups water
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp Garbanzo bean flour
2 Tbsp Tapioca Starch (find the stuff that has the fine, cornstarch-like consistency. The pearls would just be weird)
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast (I will explain what this is later)
6 cups of broth for cooking (start heating this right away if you want to save time)

To make the seitan itself, mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl well then add in the fluid ingredients and stir by hand. If you use a machine, I can only imagine bad things happening to all objects involved. After ensuring that all the dough is mixed in entirely(little pockets of the dry dough have a habit of forming due to the nature of the gluten), knead around 15 times and let it sit for five minutes. Knead again 5-10 times(the kneading activates more of the gluten, making it sticker and more dense). By this point it should look like this:
The next step is to tear this apart and form cutlets out of the raw dough. I usually have my cutlets be around 3x3 when stretched out(the cutlets will retract in size when you set them down, as you will see) and only around 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Don't worry, the seitan will expand dramatically while it cooks(don't underdo the fluid). Put the cutlets in the broth when it is simmering and lightly simmer it for around one hour. The seitan will have expanded a considerable amount and be fairly meaty when finished. Refrigerate or freeze as soon as cooled, but either way you should contain it somehow so it doesn't dry out. When being used in recipe, the seitan merely needs to be reheated(take out 1-2 hours before hand if frozen). Finished Product:
There is a different way of making seitan, easily found by googling the term "Seitan O' Greatness". That way involves making a loaf, wrapping it in foil, and baking it. It also unfortunately involves vegetarian Worcestershire sauce, which contains friggin' xanthan gum. It does look good otherwise though.

*Nutritional Yeast is a product made by Red Star, who also makes a corn-free activated yeast product. It is debatably a whole protein(I honestly don't know or care what non-animal products constitute as a "whole protein" anymore, it's all just so damn contradictory) and is fortified with B vitamins, including the quite important B-12 for vegans. It is commonly used in fake cheese dishes but also as a garnish upon many a different dish. Not a huge fan of the straight up taste though.

Orange Chipotle Tofu Stir-Fry

As my first actual post, I may as well give a recipe I made up today that I'm glad to say turned out pretty well, even if a bit odd. It's a stir-fry with a chipotle and vinegar marinade on the tofu; the recipe is as follows:

Tofu & Marinade:
3 Chipotle Peppers
2 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce(This is what the peppers will come in when you buy them canned)
3 Minced large cloves of garlic
1 Medium Onion
1/2 Cup Jalapeno Oil(a few Jalapenos with a half cup olive or equivalent oil will work)
1/2 Red Wine Vinegar
14 ounces cubed tofu(it can be more or less than this, as long as it can be covered by the marinade)
A pinch of pepper and sea salt.

Orange Glaze:
2 Whole Oranges(zest one)
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1 1/2 Tablespoons Tapioca Flour(Arrowroot can be used as well, just a bit less)

Stir-Fry Vegetables:
1 Medium Daikon, chopped
2 Cups Fresh Sugar Peas
1/2 of a large Parsnip, chopped
1 colored Belle Pepper, chopped
(Carrots, Broccoli, or anything you else can be added in as to your preference)

To start the marinade, throw some of the oil, the chopped onion, the adobo sauce, and the chipotle peppers in a pan and fry them until the onions are translucent. Add this mixture to the rest of the oil and vinegar in a bowl and add the tofu. Let marinate for a few hours.

When read to make the stir-fry, brown the tofu with the peppers from the marinade and set aside. While this is going on, add the orange zest, the juice from said oranges, the water, and the brown sugar to a pot and heat the mixture slowly(make sure to be fairly slow, as brown sugar can char easily). Once it is boiling, add in the tapioca starch, mixing well the entire time to thicken the mixture. If you don't consistently mix while it is added, it will gel up and form clumps which is just a pain.

After having removed the tofu, throw all the vegetables into the pain and steam them for a few minutes, probably around 4-5. More oil may be needed to prevent any kind of charring. Once the vegetables are all finished, mix the tofu, vegetables, and orange glaze together and serve over rice(I recommend a brown aromatic rice the like.)

Picture of the finished product:

Introduction

To all those who may peruse this blag:

The purpose of this blag is multifold: To help give people vegan, corn-free recipes(hence of the name of the blog, but that will be explained later), to chronicle and spread knowledge of small-scale organic farming, such as the type that would be used in urban/suburban settings, and to occasionally propose the random philosophical question that I want other's opinions upon.

Now there may not be many other vegans who have corn-allergies out there(I have no idea actually; I just haven't heard of many) but due to it being vegan and relatively unprocessed food, pretty much anybody with a corn allergy can have these meals. Our recipies work for us all, which is pretty sweet. Anyway, to explain the title: Xanthan Gum is a commonly used polysaccharide(a carbohydrate class which includes things like starch) which is used to stablize emulsion(the seperation of oil from other liquids), add stickiness to Gluten-Free cooking, and many other things. The only issue is that the vast majority of it is created by a bacteria grown upon corn, so it cannot be eaten by people with a corn allergy. It, along with corn syrup, are the bane of a corn-free existance when it comes to processed foods, hence the title.

As for gardening, it's been a personal hobby for years but has a more important purpose. That is, the greater creation of locally created foods that are organic; this reduces fossil fuel consumption greatly, increases the nutritional value of the food, and, honestly, the food tastes a hell of a lot better than it does at the store. I personally find it satisfying to eat your own personal harvest as well; a pinch of self-sufficency is good for your state of mind.

I'll write more soon about gardening and veganism but I'll have to formulate that more in my head more before I write it down. A recipe should be up pretty soon though.