Free The Sexy Vegan Cookbook by Brian L. Patton Page A

gently slosh them around so they get coated, squeeze the bag to suck out as much of the air as possible, and then seal it. Let the seitan marinate in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours.
    Heat a grill, grill pan, or skillet to high. Remove the cutlets from the bag, shake off the excess marinade, and season with salt and pepper. Place the cutlets on the grill or skillet, and sear each side for 2 to 3 minutes, until you have grill marks or brownage.
    Divide the pilaf onto 4 plates, lean two seitan cutlets against each pile of pilaf, and spoon ½ cup of the caponata on top of each plate. Garnish with basil and parsley.
LEMON PILAF
Makes 4 cups
    1 tablespoon vegan margarine
    1 cup diced yellow onion
    1 cup diced celery
    4 cloves garlic, chopped
    Salt
    1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
    2 cups brown rice
    4½ cups vegetable stock, plus more if needed
    1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
    Zest of 2 medium lemons
    2 teaspoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
    2 cup slivered almonds
    Pepper
    In a pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and a pinch of salt, and cook for 4 minutes. Add the thyme, and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the rice to the pot, stir to coat it with the margarine and veggies, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the rice starts to become translucent. Add the vegetable stock and cover the pot. When it boils, reduce to a simmer and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is fully cooked. If the rice is not fully cooked, add more stockand continue cooking. Finally, transfer the rice to a bowl, and stir in the lemon juice, zest, parsley, and almonds. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
CAPONATA
Makes 4 cups
    6 large ½-inch-thick rounds peeled eggplant
    Salt
    2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    4 cloves garlic, sliced
    4 medium shallots, sliced
    ½ pound cremini mushrooms, halved
    2 cups diced zucchini
    1 cup diced red bell pepper
    ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
    1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
    2 cups Tomato Killer (see recipe, page 200 )
    ½ cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
    2 tablespoons capers, drained
    2 cups drained freshly cooked cannellini beans or one 15-ounce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
    1 tablespoon fresh basil chiffonade (see WTF, page 103 )
    Pepper
    Before you do anything else you’ve got to salt your eggplant. This removes excess water and bitterness. Place your eggplant rounds in a colander in the sink, and dust both sides generously with salt. Let them sit like this for 90 minutes, then rinse and pat dry, and dice them.
    In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, shallots, and a pinch of salt. When the garlic slices become slightly brown around the edges, add the mushrooms, zucchini, bell pepper, eggplant, chili flakes, oregano, and a pinch of salt, and stir. Cook for 6 minutes, or until the veggies become soft, then stir in the tomato killer, olives, and capers. Simmer for 8 minutes. Finally, stir in the beans and basil, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
    TIP
    This will yield more caponata than you’ll need! It will be used again in the pizza chapter, so store it in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

COLONEL SCHMOLONEL’S FRIED SEITAN WITH MASHED TATERS, GRAVY, AND GREENS

    White suit–wearin’, stupid facial hair–havin’, false military rank–assumin’ poultry peddlers, better head for the hills — your days are numbered.
Serves 4
    1 cup unsweetened nondairy milk
    ½ teaspoon Crazy Shit Vinegar (see recipe, page 194 ) or apple cider vinegar
    8 Basic Seitan Cutlets (see recipe, pages 24–25 )
    2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    ¼ cup nutritional yeast (see WTF, page 27 )
    4 teaspoons garlic powder
    4 teaspoons onion powder
    2 teaspoons paprika
    Pinch of cayenne
    ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
    ¼ teaspoon dried sage
    ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
    1 teaspoon mustard powder
    1 teaspoon celery seed
    1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
    ¼ teaspoon pepper, plus more as needed
    ½ cup