Thanksgiving -- Without the Meat!

Nov. 21, 2007 — -- What's Thanksgiving without the meat?

The answer: It can be tasty, traditional -- and even healthy. This according to the chefs at Candle 79 restaurant in New York, who appeared on ABC News Now's "Healthy Life" program Wednesday.

The following recipes -- and many more -- can be found in their book "The Candle Cafe Cookbook: More Than 150 Enlightened Recipes from New York's Renowned Vegan Restaurant".

Serves 4-6

This is a very versatile dish that we've made in many ways. In addition to coating the seitan cutlets with walnuts, you can also use pecans, sesame seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Serve with Tomato Sauce and Garlic Mashed Potatoes and sautéed greens. Very tasty!

Ingredients

3/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup umebashi vinegar
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup shoyu
1/4 cup garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
8-10 seitan cutlets (about 1 pound), preferably homemade
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup finely ground pecans
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

1. Place the tomato paste, vinegar, wine, orange juice, shoyu, garlic, parsley, tarragon and rosemary in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the seitan and marinate in the refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight.
2. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, pecans and chopped rosemary together and place in a shallow bowl. Dredge the cutlets.
3. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and sauté the cutlets until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Serve at once with desired sauce.