Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwiches!

So there's this sandwich idea that's been floating around in my little foodie head for a while now. The dream sandwich of which I write is my Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwich.
This is exciting because I have felt in a little bit of a creative slump with all the cookbook testing I have been doing...lots of cooking, almost none of it my own recipes! I'm not complaining, of course, I 'm just sayin. So this recipe finally came to fruition last week! And it was everything I wanted it to be. And more. I had been playing around with the idea of a chili-coffee rub for seitan, and it just screamed messy, delicious sandwich to me. And that's what I did! It turned out soooo well! You just have to try it! The smoky, savory quality of the dry rub is balanced out perfectly by the spicy, tart quality of the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce, creamy avocado, and sweetness of the caramelized onions. zomg you guys. zomg.Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan Sandwiches (serves 4)
For the seitan:
1 lb seitan, thinly sliced (I used my homemade seitan, but use whatever kind you like.)
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1/4 cup coffee grounds (freshly-ground is best)
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
pinch or two of cayenne

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients, except the seitan, until well mixed. Add the sliced seitan in the mixture and toss with mixture to coat completely. Let marinate for 4-6 hours or overnight. When preparing to use, heat a large cast iron (or your favorite) skillet over medium heat. Lightly coat with canola oil or non-stick spray. Add the seitan and any remaining marinade to the heated pan, making seitan is in a single, even layer. Cook for 5 minutes without stirring or turning the seitan. Flip the seitan and cook for 5 more minutes, until the marinade has mostly reduced. Turn off heat and cover until ready to use.

For the Raspberry Chipotle Sauce:
1/2 cup vegan mayo
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs dijon mustard
1 cup raspberries (thawed if using frozen)
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3-4 chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
2 Tbs maple syrup
dash or two of hot sauce, to taste

In a food processor or blender, puree all of the ingredients together until well mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the caramelized onions:
Cut 1 red onion in half and thinly slice. Saute onion slices in 1 Tbs canola oil, over medium heat, until lightly browned and caramelized. Set aside until ready to use.

To assemble the sandwiches:
4 hamburger buns or ciabatta rolls, split and toasted if desired
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 batch caramelized red onions
2 cups spinach or mixed greens
1 recipe Raspberry Chipotle Sauce
1 recipe Chili-Coffee Rubbed Seitan

Open bun or roll so both insides are face up. Slather each inside with Raspberry Chipotle Sauce. Mound 1/4 of the seitan on the bottom bun. Pile caramelized onions, sliced avocado, and spinach on top of the seitan. Top with the other bun half. Repeat with other three buns until all the seitan is used. Serve hot!

One of the best parts of this creation was that I used homemade buns!! These were my first homemade bun attempt, and they were great! I used Melisser's Cornbread Burger Buns. Soooo sweet and savory and good.
Aaaaaand I served these messy guys up with Sweet Potato Oven Fries and slices of my momma's homegrown tomatoes!! Yipee!

It was truly a party in my tummy! And mouth!

Lazy Weekend Food and A Little Survey

So this weekend, Steven and I didn't really feel like doing dishes or cooking a ton, so we ate out. A lot of the meals. We were lazy, but we hit up only local restaurants and ate some good food, and had some fun. Yay!

Dinner at Main Squeeze (where I work): The Buddha Bowl...organic brown rice, seasoned organic tofu, broccoli, carrots, cabbage, sprouts, scallions, sesame seeds, and the BEST sauce ever, homemade Sesame Ginger Sauce. Seriously, I want to bathe in this sauce! It is a great combination of salty and sweet and savory and delicious. mmmm....Dessert at Sparky's Ice Cream: Vegan Chocolate-Cherry Sorbet! Sparky's is great because they are a local joint and they always have at least two flavors of vegan sorbet. This was a really great flavor, but my favorites are the chocolate peanut butter and the chocolate banana...

Traditional Sunday Breakfast at Cafe Berlin: The Veggie Tofu Scramble...organic tofu scrambled with onion, garlic, bell peppers, spinach, yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and spices, served with Roasted Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes, and Sourdough Wheat Toast from Uprise Bakery in Columbia...smeared with locally-made organic apple butter, of course! Ooooh, and I had to wash this all down with several mugs of piping hot black coffee, from local Lakota Coffee Company! I love Sunday breakfast!

I did do a little cooking, though! I was craving something really tangy and salty, like the nasty, processed salt and vinegar chips I loved as a kid. Sooo, I made up these Sea Salt and Vinegar Oven Fries! They are really delicious and can go with anything!

One night, I served them with my homemade seitan brats and braised cabbage'n'apples...a nice German feast for a chilly night.

Another night, I served them with my homemade seitan buffalo wings (I am still perfecting this recipe!), sauteed collards, and homemade vegan ranch dressing....a tribute to bar food, but healthy-style.

Sea Salt and Vinegar Oven "Fries" (serves 2)

2 medium russet potatoes, sliced into stick or wedge fries

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 cup red wine, cider, or malt vinegar

Preheat oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a sheet pan with non-stick spray. Toss cut potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion. Spread in an even layer on the sheet pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, turning after 20 minutes. Remove from oven and toss with vinegar. Serve hot.

And now, a survey! Bianca of Vegan Crunk tagged me to complete this survey, so I will obey!

If you want to do the survey, too, then leave a comment saying "interview me!!" and I will pick a couple to tag! GO!

1) If you could only get your protein from one source, which food would you choose?

Seitan! I love its taste and texture, and just how darn versatile it is! Granted, there probably aren't a lot of dessert recipes you can make with it, but I still choose it any day.

2) How did you choose the name for your blog?

My friends are in a band called Peace by Punching, so it is kind of a tribute to them mixed with my love for pastries and my belief that you voice your opinions and beliefs with your food choices.

3) What's your all-time favorite dessert?

That is so hard!! I think I will choose the Raspberry Chocolate Chip Blondie Bars from VWAV for the homemade dessert, and the Cookies and Cream Cake from Chicago Diner for my favorite restaurant dessert.

4) How long have you been veg? And what sparked the change in you?

3 years. I was watching Supersize Me and something just clicked in my brain....it has stuck ever since.

5) If you were president, what's the first thing you would do?

Create a bill that simultaneously bans the death penalty, bans guns, bans factory farming, legalizes gay marriage, gives subsidies to organic and small farms, greens the White House, ends the war in Iraq, and makes gym mandatory in schools. That's a big bill, but I would be up to it!

To play along: 1. Leave me a comment saying, "Interview me." If a few people want interviews, I will randomly pick a couple 2. I will respond by commenting on your blog with five questions. (I get to pick the questions). 3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions. 4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview others in the same post. 5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.