Seitan No-Chicken Piccata

I have always loved veal and chicken piccata. So I began wondering if I could re-create the flavor in either tofu or seitan. The tofu was alright, but not a recipe I felt that I could pass along with any sort of honesty. However, the seitan version turned out well. The mind and mouth both knew it wasn't chicken picatta, but the flavors I love were there so I called it a success. Give this recipe a try and then tell me your thoughts.

SEITAN PICCATA

8 oz. of home made seitan (you can use purchased, but it isn't as tasty)

2-3 Tbs. olive oil, depending on how large your skillet is

1 small onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. basil (I used dry, but you can use fresh if you have it)

1 tsp. thyme

1/2 cup good white wine

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 Tbs. chopped parsley

1-2 Tbs. capers, depending on how much you like these pickled flower buds

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup water (club soda gives the crust a flakier texture)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 lb. diced mushrooms (I left them out as I had none on hand)

Mix the flour, water, and salt in a medium size bowl. It will be a thick-ish paste. That is what you want.

Dip the sliced seitan into the batter and fry in a hot skillet until nice and crisp on each side. Remove to a plate, cover with foil to keep it warm.

Do NOT clean the drippings out of your skillet. They are all flavor.

Into the skillet put another TBS of olive oil if needed and cook the onions, salt and pepper until the onions become somewhat soft. (If using the mushrooms, add them here)

Add the garlic, parsley, basil, thyme, and a dash more black pepper and cook for about 2 minutes.

Now add to the skillet:

1 cup vegetable broth (I used No-Chicken broth for a better taste)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 Tbs. lemon juice

Cook on low heat until the liquid reduces by half. Stir in the capers and 1 Tbs. vegan margarine to give the sauce a glossy finish.

Serve the seitan with the sauce spooned on top and sprinkled with the diced parsley.

Serves 4

Taco Salad--Vegan Style

My air conditioning broke--right in the middle of a horrid heat wave that rolled across the Southwest and decided to stay, albeit very much unwelcome. I don't know what the humidity is, but let's just say that the air is so moisture-laden I find it hard to breathe. I'm supposing a lot of AC's have gone out by now, having run 24/7 for almost two weeks because when I called my service contractor, I was informed that he was super busy and would get to me as quick as he could. I'm still waiting.

Now all of that to say that I could no longer even think about standing at the stove, let alone turning on the oven. Even if I had put something in the crock pot first thing this morning, there was no way I wanted to eat anything hot and steamy. That's why I racked my brain to come up with a cold supper. Thus it was that I thought of taco salad. It has always been a family favorite. But could I turn it into vegan and still have the taste I wanted?

You know me. I just had to give it a try. Doggone good if I do say so myself. I had company coming to dinner, so I made enough for four and there was even a little leftover. Does it taste like it has beef in it? Not really. But it's so tasty, my carnivore company ate with relish and even went back for more.  I'd call that a successful swap.

VEGAN TACO SALAD

1 lb. veggie crumbles or seitan, food-processed to look like crumbles

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. Montreal steak seasoning

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. onion powder

1 sweet onion, chopped

10 cups lettuce, any kind, cut into bite size

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup shredded vegan cheddar cheese

2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown the veggie crumbles or chopped seitan in 2 Tbs. olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Add the garlic, onion powder, and steak seasoning. Allow the mixture to sit off the heat while you prepare the rest of the dish. This will give it time to absorb the seasonings.

In a very large bowl, put the onion, tomato, lettuce, vegan cheese and salt and pepper. Mix together as you would a salad so all the ingredients are dispersed. Add the crumbles. Add the crushed tortilla chips. Taste for seasoning.

Serve with an array of sauces on the table. My favorite is taco sauce, but salsa or any hot sauce would be good, depending on personal preferences.

Serves 4

The recipe above is my standard taco salad. You can add anything else
you wish: avocado, beans, black olives or whatever floats you boat.

Eggplant And The Best Caponata Ever

I love eggplant. Always have. Mom used to slice it into circles, sprinkle with salt, set the slices in a colander and let the " bitterness" run out. I don't mess with all that. I don't know, maybe eggplant growing has changed since I was a kid. Maybe the vegetable isn't bitter at all and mom just thought it was. Once the slices were ready for cooking, she'd give them a good rinse under cold water, dry them well, dip them in beaten egg then into crushed cracker crumbs and fry them in a whole lot of butter. My sisters and I always fought over who got the most and if but one slice was left on the serving plate, we had to draw straws to see who got it.

In all those years since the 1940s, we've learned a thing or two about cooking healthy. And while I would dearly love to eat eggplant fixed mom's way, I don't allow myself to do it. What I have discovered though is that eggplant is just plain good the way God made it. I do tend to peel it because to me, the peel is difficult to chew. Other than that, the vegetable is good baked or stewed or grilled or roasted.

I've tried caponata before and truthfully, never thought it was anything to rave about, let alone take the time to make. That is until I saw Chef Anne Burrell cook it up on the Food Channel. Doggone, the recipe was vegan and the only thing I tweaked was to add some tofu to make the dish a complete meal. I could barely wait to get into the kitchen and if you've known me long, you know that I absolutely hate cooking. But something about this recipe called to me. And guess what? It is undoubtedly the best caponata I've ever eaten--bar none. Thanks, Anne.

1 large eggplant, peeled and diced into 1" cubes
3 Tbs. olive oil

Fennel has a licorice taste and while some
like it raw, I prefer it cooked.

Salt and pepper

1 large red onion, cut into medium dice
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1 fennel bulb, cut into half-inch dice
3 celery ribs, diced
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 red and 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into medium dice
2 zucchini, cut into medium dice
8 oz. firm tofu, drained and pressed, cut into half-inch cubes
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 Tbs. sugar
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup golden raisins (I used regular since I was out of the golden ones)
1/4 cup capers, drained
1/4 cup pine nuts (I used almonds as that's what I had)
1/2 bunch of fresh mint, cut into slivers

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the cubed eggplant with the olive oil, salt and pepper and lay it in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast it for 15-20 minutes.

Coat a deep pot with olive oil. Toss in the onion and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium high heat until the onions are soft. About 8-10 minutes.

Spend the $ for fresh mint. It makes
all the difference in the world.

Add the fennel, celery, garlic and tofu and cook another 5-6 minutes. Stir in the peppers and cook another 6 minutes. Add the zucchini and season with salt and pepper once more. Cook over medium heat until all the vegetables are soft. Toss in the eggplant, the water and the tomato paste. Cook until the water is evaporated. Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a small bowl and add it to the mixture. Stir in the raisins, capers, nuts, and mint. Cook another 5-6 minutes.

Serves 6-8 and while I served it hot with garlic bread, it's good cold too.

You know how some recipes just get better and better the longer they sit?
Well this is one of them. It was great on day one. Better on day 2. But
by day 3, what little was left, had an incredible depth of flavor.

Mushrooms, Spinach & Noodles--Oh My!

I've always loved spinach but have had an off-putting relationship with mushrooms since I was a kid. To me, they were rubbery and had little to no taste. I pretty much stayed away from them till becoming a vegan. Then I looked them over, saw how many recipes used them and decided to find out how to cook them so that I could eat them without gagging.

Well, I did it. For me, a fresh mushroom is still boring and way too chewy. I just plain don't like the feel of it in my mouth. But cook the fungi in a bit of vegan margarine till it is absolutely soft and glazed a dark brown, mix it with a few onions and a bit of garlic, and I have a starter for something tasty.

This whole recipe evolved from a dish I saw cooked up on television when Ina Garten made mushroom lasagna. Since I'm a lazy cook, I turned it into a simple noodle dish and added in some of my own ingredients-- all while turning it into a vegan meal that was beyond delicious. I served it alongside a dinner salad and some garlic toast. If you're a noodle lover, my guess is you'll like this meal. Let me know what you think.

MUSHROOM, SPINACH & NOODLES

In a large skillet put:
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 lb. any kind of mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
4-6 sun dried tomatoes, sliced
Big pinch of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms begin releasing their water. Cover the pan and move it to a low-heat back burner for at least 30 minutes or until the mushrooms are well browned and soft. When the mushrooms are to your liking, add 1 bag of baby spinach to the pan. Cover and leave it on the back burner another 20 minutes. If the vegetables get too dry, add 1 Tbs. water and put the cover back on the pan.

Cook the noodles in a large saucepan:

4 quarts water, salted and brought to a boil
8 oz. noodles (I used No-Yolk)

Cook the noodles until they are al-dente, about 10 minutes.

Drain the noodles and transfer them into the pot with the mushroom ingredients. Pour the white sauce over the top and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup nutritional yeast and mix again. The nutritional yeast has a Parmesan flavor that goes well with the dish.

Serves 3-4

Vegan White Sauce

Into a saucepan put:

2 Tbs. vegan margarine or olive oil
2 Tbs. flour
Cook over medium heat until the roux is light tan in color. Do not let it burn or you'll have to start over.

Add in 2 cups non-dairy milk
3 Tbs. nutritional yeast
A dash of nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk, stirring constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens into a white sauce that coats the back of a wooden spoon--about 8-10 minutes. Use as directed above.

Eating vegan is good for your heart!

A Health Report Plus Soup You'll Love

This month I am a year vegan. If you haven't read how that all came about, I'll give a short re-cap.

After about fifteen years fighting intestinal disease that landed me in the hospital way too many times--four were for major surgery and one included a colostomy reversed after nine months--the hospital finally called in a new doctor to see me rather than those who had always attended me in the past. I was there, once again, because of a twisted colon. I hadn't requested a new doctor nor had I ever heard of this one. He just showed up one day as I was laying in bed with a tube up my nose and down the back of my throat and into my stomach. He introduced himself and told me the hospital had asked him to come see me.

After five days of laying in a hospital bed with tubes everywhere, I got to know him a bit, for he came twice a day to check on my condition. The day came when I was going to be released and when he popped into my room for the last time, nobody was more shocked than I was when he  told me I needed to eat vegan if I wished to stay out of the hospital.

I was taken aback. In fact I was just plain disbelieving. "But," I said, "that isn't what all the other doctors and surgeons have told me in the past. I'm always told to go home to a liquid diet for two days and semi-soft for two days and then go back to regular eating."

"Has it worked?" is what he said.

"No, I always end up throwing up and in excruciating abdominal pain after a bit. By the time about three months has passed, when I can no longer keep food down or stand the pain, I come to Emergency. By then I know I'm in trouble."

Then he began drawing diagrams of a stomach and intestinal tract, showing me what was happening and why it was happening and how a vegan diet would change everything. I agreed to give it a try, though I doubted it would work or even help the situation. The whole plan seemed far-fetched, but I gave my word I'd give it an honest shot.

Foods that are always
in my home

My first day home, my daughter stocked my cupboards with beans and grains and vegetables and fruits and soy curd and non-dairy milk and all the other things she saw listed. With great unbelief, I did what I'd been told and waited for the abdominal pain to lay me flat. It didn't happen. I figured by day two  it would begin. Didn't happen. The first week went by and while I fought a lot of flatulence, I felt fine. Still, I refused to take hope. I'd been disappointed too many times before.

Before and After

Four months later I was down forty-five pounds. The weight fell off so fast my grandma skin didn't have time to catch up and was now as wrinkled as a crumpled paper. I didn't care. I felt great. I hadn't expected to lose weight. Nor had I expected my skin to come back to life. People who hadn't seen me for a long time stopped me to ask what I'd done to myself. They weren't interested in being vegan, but the women sure were interested in why the skin on my face glowed with health.

The same question everyone
asks me

This month it is a year since I've eaten meat or dairy or any of the other things not on the doctor's list. I look good and I feel good. To my surprise, my primary care doctor gradually took me off blood pressure meds, ulcer meds, and pain pills, saying I no longer needed them. He also told me he thought the doctor who'd put me on a vegan diet was a genius. He admitted that he would never have thought to do that.

Since my clothes were now literally falling off my body, I dug around in the back of my closet for things that might fit me. I'd let my hair go straight and gray because I was tired of paying for tints and perms. I informed my hairdresser to do something new and I actually loved the cut she created. Then I called a good friend who sells Mary Kay and set a time for a make-over.

I think I still carry too much weight, but I believe my body is in a holding pattern, trying to figure out what's going on. My skin is in a holding pattern too--still wrinkled from the fast weight loss. How grateful I am for my mom's English genes, for while my arms and legs resemble elephant skin, my face is surprisingly free of any deep wrinkles, just as my mom was when she passed away at 82. She never did look her age. Maybe I won't either.

My most-used cookbook

All of the above to say, it's been a challenge to find recipes that please my palette. I generally begin with an idea or even a recipe from a vegan cookbook and then start throwing in the herbs and spices and other things I enjoy eating. I've had people question as to how I'm able to stay vegan, for I spent 70 years as an omnivore. I always tell them the same thing.

"FEAR." Fear is a great motivator. Fear of the pain, fear of more extensive surgeries, fear of long hospital stays, fear of being sick all the time, living on pain pills and tossing my cookies at least once a day. Who do you know that would like a life like that? I am truly grateful that growing up, our family ate tons of vegetables from our garden and fruit from our trees. I never met a bean I didn't like and grains have always been a favorite. Changing my diet wasn't a dreaded thing. Learning how to prepare vegan meals was a challenge, but I learned.

What I've learned, I've passed on to you. I think you'll like today's Sweet Potato And Chard Soup. I went back for seconds. I bet you will too. Blessings.

SWEET POTATO AND CHARD SOUP

Into a soup pot put:

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 small onion, cubed

1 large zucchini, sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

1 small jalapeno, minced, seeds and ribs removed

1 tsp. tikka masala (can use garam masala as a substitute)

1/4 tsp. turmeric

3 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

2 Tbs.nutritional yeast

3 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Bring the mixture to a boil, turn heat to simmer and cook, covered, for an hour. 

Add 1 large bunch of Swiss chard, rinsed and rough chopped. Turn the heat to medium and cook another 10 minutes. Serve with any favorite bread or biscuit.

Serves 4

VEGANS ARE A COLORFUL BUNCH!

Meatloaf And Gravy That's Doggone Good

My husband loved meatloaf. Not me. No matter what I did to the fixings, the meatloaf was always too dry for my taste. Even smeared with catsup, it was barely tolerable. Fact is, I'd never had meatloaf in my life until I married my husband. He always raved about his mom's meatloaf, so I asked her to teach me how to make it. Jim always thought it was the best supper ever. He even liked leftover meatloaf in sandwiches. I tried. Honest, I did. But I just never liked it.

So last November, when I brought home a copy of the Everyday Happy Herbivore cookbook from my local bookstore and saw the meatloaf recipe, I skipped over it. Again and again and again. There would be no meatloaf in this house, even though all the other recipes in Lindsay Nixon's book had turned out delicious. Still, I had no hopes for anything called meatloaf.

Then came a dark and dreary winter eve when I looked into the pantry and came up with nothing that sounded good. Same with the refrigerator. But wait. I did have an unopened package of tempeh. What could I create with that?

Out of curiosity, I hauled out the Happy Herbivore cookbook and looked up tempeh, trying to get some ideas for dinner. Actually, the meatloaf recipe sounded like it might be tasty so I decided to give it a try. I added a few more ingredients than the recipe called for and stuck the dish in the oven. Thirty minutes later out came something that actually resembled meatloaf. I served it with my own version of brown gravy, along with creamed cauliflower, and garden peas.

It was delicious. I even have enough left to make sandwiches. Who knew?

MEATLOAF AND GRAVY

Set your oven to 350.

Place in a mixing bowl:

1 c. instant oats

1 8 oz. package tempeh, shredded with a box grater

1 small onion, minced

1/2 celery stalk, minced fine

4 Tbsp. ketchup

2 Tbsp. yellow mustard

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 Tbsp. nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning

2 cloves of garlic, minced fine

1 jalapeno pepper, minced fine, seeds and ribs removed

Salt and pepper

Mix all the ingredients together and let it set for a few minutes. In the meantime, grease a small casserole dish or small breadpan. I used a casserole dish so I wouldn't have to slice an already delicate product.

Pack the ingredients tightly for good cohesion. Bake 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Smother with my own version of brown gravy if so desired. Serves 4.

Faux brown gravy:

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. flour

Mix together in a saucepan set over medium heat, stir until the mixture looks somewhat like paste. Add 1 cup vegetable broth. Whisk to make sure there are no lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add 1 Tbsp. Kitchen Bouquet if a deep gravy color is desired. Serve over the meatloaf.

I apologize there is no photo of this delicious dish. When I went to download my pictures, I accidentally clicked remove instead of upload and before my brain registered what I'd done, the photos were gone. Some days it doesn't pay to get out of bed.

Crock-Pot Chowder For Busy Days

I have mixed feelings about my crock pot. Sometimes I absolutely love it; sometimes I hate it. The love part comes in when I know I have a busy day ahead and won't feel up to dealing with dinner. That's when it's good to toss a bunch of odds and ends into its great abyss, set the cover in place, and turn it on to do its thing while being ignored by me.

The hate part comes about because after a while everything begins to taste the same. That's when I relegate the vessel to the large cupboard that sits on my back porch. It's been residing there nearly two years now.

But then the rain rolled in and decided to stay. I wanted soup, but figured I wouldn't feel like going to all the trouble at the end of the day and began thinking of a way I could indulge my senses without having to spend much time in the kitchen. It was then that the light came on. Crock pot something. So I brought the unwieldy appliance into the house, cleaned it all up, and set about throwing things into it that I thought might go together. Nobody was more surprised than I was that the resultant chowder actually tasted great.

Next time you want dinner without much work, give this recipe a try. Let me know if it works for you. I want to warn you in advance that this soup isn't the prettiest one on the block. But it sure tastes great. Happy Slurping!

CORN, BEAN, & COLLARD CHOWDER

Place into the crock pot:

2 cups of frozen corn

1 can of any favorite bean, undrained

1/2 cup diced onion

1 diced Anaheim chili or chili of your choice

1 medium potato, peeled and diced

1 cup frozen collard greens

1 cup soy milk

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 cup of quinoa, millet, amaranth, or grain of choice

1 Tbs. poultry seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced

Few drops of your favorite hot sauce

2 Tbs. agave nectar

Salt and pepper to taste

Turn the crock pot to low and ignore it until you get hungry. I served this tummy-filling chowder with biscuits, but any bread of choice will be good for sopping up the last bits of juice. Serves 4

Happy Slurping!

Breakfast Burrito Bonanza

Many people say breakfast is their favorite meal of the day. While I've never been a big breakfast eater, I do love what's come to be known as "Brunch." Mid-morning is when I get hungry. And breakfast is what I want.

Imagine my joy when I found a scrambled egg  recipe in the Happy Herbivore cookbook that turned out to be so delicious I adapted it to my version of a breakfast burrito. My mid-morning tastebuds jumped up and did the Mexican Hat Dance. Honest. Can't you just picture it?

The interesting part is that this completely  eggless recipe ends up looking just like scrambled eggs. Not only that, it has the mouth feel of scrambled eggs and a flavor reminiscent of the same. But it's all crumbled tofu with some added spices and a few vegetables tossed in for good luck. I loved it and so did my guests. Happy dancing.

MEXICAN BREAKFAST BURRITO

1 lb. firm silken tofu, drained and crumbled with fingers to look like feta cheese. See the above photo.
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. adobo seasoning (I got mine at www.penzeys.com)
1 red jalapeno, diced, seeds and ribs removed
1 small zucchini, diced
8  crimini mushrooms, sliced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a shallow pan. I used one of my cast iron skillets for better heat conduction.

Crumble the tofu into a large bowl. Stir in the nutritional yeast along with all of the seasonings. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well so everything combines. Let it sit while you pre-cook the vegetables.

Cook the vegetables in a small skillet, about 5 minutes or just long enough to take the hard bite out of them. I cooked all of mine together, but if you prefer, you can cook each one separately. Add the vegetables to the tofu/spice bowl. Stir together till everything is mixed.

Put the tofu mixture into the greased or sprayed skillet and pat down firmly so there is good contact with the bottom of the pan. Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until the top is firm and slightly brown. Let it sit a few minutes while you prepare the tortillas.

Warm 6 flour tortillas in the oven, microwave, or stove top. Spoon a generous portion of the scramble mixture down the center of each tortilla. Pour 1 Tbs. of red salsa over the top and sprinkle generously with chopped cilantro. Roll the tortilla into a burrito shape and serve immediately.

Makes 6

I served red rice as a side and baked apples for dessert. We were all too full to move, but our tummies were doing a happy dance.

These burritos will set your feet 'a-dancin'.....

Faux Chicken And Dumplings

My aunt made the best chicken and dumplings I've ever eaten, although I've learned to make a dish that tastes reasonably like hers. The chicken and vegetable part is easy. It's getting the dumplings to cook up into huge fluffy clouds that are dry in the center, but saucy on the outside that stumped me for a time. After a lot of experimentation, I finally figured out her secret. Read on....

Noodle-like dumplings

Through the years, I've tasted many chicken and dumpling offerings. For the most part, the broth and veggies were fine. The problem has always been the dumplings. Now I know a dumpling war rages, with some people liking those flat, thin things that look like dried pasta and taste just about as good. Others like those tiny balls that resemble gnocchi except that they are firm to the tooth and bear no semblance to anything fluffy or cloud-like.

Gnocchi-like dumplings

But I wasn't raised on those versions. I come from the other side of the dumpling tracks and for me, nothing but what I consumed as a child will do. So here's what I'm saying: Begin your soup as I suggest and then try my light as air dumplings and see if they please your taste buds. Made right, their consistency will remind you of those huge bakery muffins we all relish, albeit savory. If the other kind suit you better, you can always make this dish again and use your dumpling of choice.

Since chicken and dumplings has always been a favorite dish, I've been working on a vegan version for nearly a year and with the inspiration of a few vegan cookbooks, I finally came up with a recipe that's heart-warming, filling, and reminds me of those cold winter days in Minnesota when all a body wanted at dinner was something hot to warm you from from the inside out. This recipe does that for me. My hope is that it not only warms you up but makes you smile.

FAUX CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Soup part:

1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup pea and carrot mix (I used frozen)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 Tbs. poultry seasoning
1 tsp. dried parsley (fresh if you have it)
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 Tbs. nutritional yeast (a must for flavor)
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 cup drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, often called chickpeas
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper

Brown the vegetables in 2 Tbs. canola oil. Add the spices, milk, and beans, along with 1 1/2-2 cups of No Chicken Broth from the Health Food Market. Use Vegetable stock if the above isn't available. Set the pot on a back burner, cover, and simmer about an hour. Taste for seasoning before adding the dumplings to the broth. If the broth has gotten too low, add more stock. Dumplings need a good bath of liquid to cook right.

Once the pot is bubbling, drop the dumplings by teaspoon-full into the hot broth. Adjust the burner so the liquid simmers and leave the pot uncovered for ten minutes. Then cover and simmer another ten minutes. No cheating on the time or the dumplings will not turn out right.

NO PEEKING ALLOWED! If the built up steam escapes, the  dumplings will not be fluffy. Trust me on this. It's where I made my mistake. When the time has elapsed, uncover the pot. Put one or two of those big fat dumplings in a large bowl and ladle the soup over the top. Sprinkle with minced green onions or fresh parsley. Go back for seconds!

Serves 3-4

DUMPLING DOUGH

1 cup white flour (wheat just doesn't make a good dumpling)

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. vegan margarine, melted

1/2 cup non-dairy milk

Stir all ingredients together with a fork until the dough just comes together. It will be wet and sloppy. That is how it should be. Drop by rounded teaspoon fulls into the bubbling broth. They will look small now, but will be huge when finished as they expand a lot. Cook as directed above. Serve immediately.