Monday, September 10, 2007

Roasts...Tuna...delicious

So I cooked some stuff over the last couple of months (of slack absenteeism).

Sanitarium Roast served with herbed wedges and avocado cucumber salad.






I was quite bemused upon opening the Sanitarium Roast packet...the cylindrical "roast" appeared to more resemble what I feed my dog (also known as "dog log") than something I would willingly choose to eat myself. But, being the brave warrior for the vegan cause that I am, I rolled that thing in the provided (luridly orange) herb and spice mix and wacked it in the oven, cosied up to some potato wedges.

Whilst baking I prepared a simple salad consisting of an avocado that was going mooshy, 3/4 of a cucumber that was just wasting space in the fridge and some random tomato, spiced up with a healthy dash of balsamic and some olive oil. Simple, but delicious.


The roast emerged from the oven looking surprisingly edible, brown and crusty on the outside, a somewhat springy texture was revealed to my forky probings. Sliced and generously doused in packet gravy, it actually tasted not too bad! Not sure that it would have been quite so consumable minus the lashings of gravy and stuff on the side, but it worked well in this instance. I'd like to try it maybe in some sort of sandwich, with some sort of mustard..perhaps a pickle.

Mock Tuna Salad

I first spied this recipe whilst browsing http://yeahthatveganshit.blogspot.com/. I think mainly because the photo on Lindyloo's blog had a potato chip in it, and I quite like potato chips.



The recipe is remarkably simple to prepare, makes a decent amount, and you could probably use it in a whole heap of recipes

INGREDIENTS:

1(15 oz.) can chick-peas, drained (or 1.5 c. cooked)
1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise (I use 97% Fat Free Praise, which is vegan)
1/3 cup minced celery
2.5 T. minced dill pickle (about 1 pickle-slice, give or take)
1/2 T. nutritional yeast
1 green onion, chopped
1 t. soy sauce
1/2 t. kelp powder (optional, I didn't, though I'm sure it would give it that tunaish taste)
pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

In a medium bowl, mash the chick-peas coarsely with a fork. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Use on sandwiches or on a bed of salad greens.

I served it in some cos lettuce leaves with some (rather pale) lemon fries. Just chips with herbs and lemon zest on them prior to baking. Tasted good but not enough crunch. I need to work on my baked chips routine, either that or resort to deep frying them. Any hints? I did parboil them first but it helped not a thing. Le sigh.

Anyway regarding the mock tuna, I've never actually tasted real tuna so I dont know how similar it is, but Rocket said it had a similarity, and it looked a damn sight like it! It was really tasty, tangy and nicely textured, would go well in sandwiches and just as a snack, and seems like it would be something that would keep well in the fridge over time.

You should try it!

7 comments:

Cindy said...

I tried Lindyloo's mock tuna on the weekend too! Loved it and will be blogging it in fairly unoriginal fashion any day now...

I've never been much of a soft-serve kinda gal, but that tofu stuff in Richmond has me intrigued. Maybe it's just the pig fat thing that's been putting me off all these years...?

Lidia said...

The mock tuna salad is the first recipe of Lindyloo's I have tried, and I indirectly have you to thank for it, as the link on your page sent me there - thankyou Cindy!

The soft-serve at tofu shop is in an entirely separate league to that of the pig fat enriched variety, trust me! For one, it doesn't leave a fatty oil slick feeling in your mouth, and that's always a good thing, right? :) Damn, I probably should have told you about it before you got your wisdoms out..hoping that's all better now?

Anonymous said...

I love avocado's but the one's i have been buying lately have some sort of bitter aftertaste =( I fully ripen them but i just find avocado's these days lack the flavor they used to carry back in the 90's hehehe.
Or perhaps im buying avocado's from bad places?

meatwad said...

I loved that Roast -- had it with mash, gravy and peas - a yokisha delight!
Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Simon said...

Oh, oh my, vegan tuna you say?

I used to love tuna in a big way as a kid.

I may faint. 'scuse me.

*faints, but will link in blog upon regaining consciousness*

Anonymous said...

Please come back and do a post :(

Anonymous said...

i have tried that roast too! its pretty awesome if you're into "fake meat".. i had it with mash potato, peas etc.