Bryanna Clark Grogan’s Vegan Feast Kitchen/ 23rd Century Table

Printable Recipe

This is my new favorite seitan recipe.  It's easy to make, has more fiber than most seitan, is tender and flavorful, and is very versatile.  The finished cutlets can be cut into cubes for stews and into strips for stir-fries.  I haven't tried this yet, but I think it would also make great sausages-- in fact, when my friend Tanya tasted this seitan in an Italian roasted stew (p. 172 in my vegan Italian cookbook, "Nonna's Italian Kitchen" ) that I made for a birthday potluck, she thought it was chunks of vegan Italian sausage!

So that will be my next experiment, maybe with the addition of some different or additional  seasonings.  If it turns out well, I'll post about it, for sure.

Enough said-- here's the recipe!

Cutlets ready to cook, or to cut up for stews or stir-fries

Cutlet coated with Seasoned Flour, browned in a little oil and served with vegan gravy and sauteed mushrooms and onion

Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S EASY, VERSATILE OAT & OKARA-OR-BEAN-ENHANCED SEITAN CUTLETS (Updated on Sept. 15, 2018)
Servings: 9
Yield: Makes 9/ 4 oz cutlets, or 36 oz. of seitan in total

I usually make 3 times this recipe (makes 27 cutlets-- see below for 3 x the recipe) and freeze them.  They can be used as cutlets for a quick meal, or they can be cut into chunks for stews, or into slices for stir-fries and sautéed dishes, etc.

Dry Mix:
1 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten
3/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1  tsp onion powder
1  tsp garlic granules or powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme or sage (or a mixture)
Wet Mix:
1 3/4 cups water
1 Tbs vegan broth powder (use a tasty one)
2 Tbs soy sauce or tamari
1  Tbs olive oil
1 cup cooked or canned (rinsed and well-drained) white beans OR fresh (or thawed frozen) okara (pulp from making soymilk or tofu) 
NOTE: you could use other types of beans, if you wish.
Cooking Broth:
2 1/4 cups water
4 tsp mushroom powder
NOTE: I grind dry, stemmed Chinese black mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms in a dry blender to make the powder.
4  tsp tasty vegan broth powder
4 tsp soy sauce or tamari
4 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbs ketchup (can be an organic brand)
1 Tbs olive oil or dark sesame oil (or a mixture)
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 Tbs dried sage
1/2 tsp paprika

Mix the Dry Mix ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.

Mix the Wet Mix ingredients together in a pitcher.  Pour into the Dry Mix and combine with a spoon.  Knead for a few minutes by hand, or for about 5 minutes with the dough mixer attachment of your stand mixer, until a cohesive dough results.  Cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, mix your Broth ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and cover.

Remove the dough from the bowl and flatten it out into a more-or-less even rectangle.  Cut with a bench knife/dough scraper or a knife into 9 fairly even chunks.  

It's preferable to weigh the chunks, so, if you have a kitchen scale, use that to make 4 oz. chunks.  If there is any dough left over after weighing, divide it evenly between the chunks and knead it in.

To form the cutlets, pat out each chunk on a silicone mat or clean counter (dampen your hands with water) until you have a fairly thin rectangle. Fold it in half one way and in half the other way.  Pat it again to make a cutlet about 1/4" thick.  It doesn't have to be an even shape, but even thickness is preferable.

On the left is the cutlet before folding; on the right is after folding and patting out again.

Simmered cutlets

Bring the Broth to a boil and slip the cutlets into the Broth one at a time.  It's okay if they overlap a bit and if you have more than one layer.  Turn the heat down to Low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, uncover and let it cool for a bit.

Carefully remove from the pot-- you may have to use a small spatula or table knife to gently pry some of them apart.  

Finished cutlets

Store in single layers between sheets of baking parchment in a large, flat freezer container with a tight lid.

These will keep for about a week in the refrigerator, or for several months in the freezer.

To cook and serve the cutlets:

You can coat the fresh or thawed-out cutlets in Seasoned Flour (see below for recipe) OR panko (Japanese dried breadcrumbs) and sauté in a little oil in a heavy frying pan until golden and crunchy on both sides, OR coat with Seasoned Flour, then dip in soy or hemp milk that has been curdled to thicken by adding a bit of lemon juice (so that it's like buttermilk), then coated with whole grain dried breadcrumbs, such as panko breadcrumbs.  Shallow-fry in a frying pan until golden and crunchy, or air-fry.  Serve either way with a sauce of your liking, or plain with your favorite accompaniment.

The cutlets can also be cut into chunks and sautéed briefly to use in a stew.  They can also be cut into slices for stir-fries, or into thinner pieces (cut horizontally) for scallopine, sautéed and cooked in a sauce.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per cutlet): 158 calories, 21 calories from fat, 2.5g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 366.9mg sodium, 261.3mg potassium, 15.1g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, 1g sugar, 20.5g protein, 4.2 points.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

FOR 3 TIMES THE RECIPE (108 OZ. OR 27/ 4 OZ CUTLETS):

Dry Mix:

4 1/2 cups vital wheat gluten 

2 1/4 cups quick oats
3/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1 Tbs. onion powder
1 Tbs. garlic granules or powder
1/2 Tbs. dried thyme or sage (or a mixture)
Wet Mix:
5 1/4 cups water

3 Tbs. vegan broth powder (use a tasty one)

6 Tbsp. soy sauce or tamari

3 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cups cooked or canned (rinsed and well-drained) white beans, OR fresh (or thawed frozen) okara (pulp from making soymilk or tofu)   

NOTE: You could use other types of beans, if you wish.

Cooking Broth:

7 cups water

1/4 cup mushroom powder

NOTE: I grind dry, stemmed Chinese black mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms in a dry blender to make the powder.

1/4 cup tasty vegan broth powder

1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari

1/4 cup minced garlic

3 Tbsp. ketchup (can be an organic brand)

3 Tbsp. olive oil or dark sesame oil (or a mixture)

1 Tbsp. onion powder

1/2 Tbsp. dried sage

3/4-1 tsp. paprika

Proceed as directed in main recipe (use a large bowl), making 27/ 4 oz. cutlets. Cook in 2 large pots, each with a metal rack at the bottom of the pot.

SEASONED FLOUR FOR DREDGING CUTLETS IF THEY ARE PLAIN, UN-COATED:

(This mixture is also useful for coating tofu, tempeh and seitan before pan-frying or broiling.)

2 cups whole wheat flour 

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

1 tsp salt

1 tsp onion powder

OPTIONAL: 

1 tsp garlic granules or powder

1 tsp paprika or smoked paprika

 Mix well and store in a tightly-covered container in your pantry.

Enjoy!

It's still rhubarb season and that might cause a dilemma if you, like myself, are trying to eat far less sugar than in the past and stick to a low-glycemic way of eating (in my case, for pre-diabetes).  But I wasn't about to let that luscious, organic, local, high-fiber rhubarb go to waste!


I decided to make a "crumble" (or "crisp"), but with far less sugar, and with a crumbled topping of low-glycemic, high-fiber and high-protein flours and grains.  I added some apples to the rhubarb, for natural sweetness, and then used only a small amount of lower-glycemic maple syrup and/or agave nectar instead of the customary sugar.  I was a bit worried that the results would be on the sour side, but, actually, it was perfect and our guests loved it. This recipe contains fewer calories and far less total sugars than my former favorite recipe, as well as less fat, sodium and carbohydrates, and more fiber and protein.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S LOW-SUGAR RHUBARB/APPLE CRUMBLE
Servings: 8

FRUIT MIXTURE:
6 cups diced rhubarb
3 medium  sweet eating apples (with peel), chopped
1 Tbs lemon juice
4 1/2 Tbs agave nectar or maple syrup
2 tsp cornstarch
CRUMBLE:
1 cup  rolled oats or quick oats (slightly heaping)
3/4 cup oat flour  (You can simply blend oatmeal in a dry blender to make flour.)
6 Tbs chickpea flour (besan) or soy flour (or white bean or urad dal flour)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (or other nut or seeds of your choice)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp grated nutmeg
3/8 tsp ground allspice
3/8 tsp salt
4 Tbs melted vegan butter
3 Tbs maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil an 9 x 9" baking dish.

Mix together the Fruit Mixture ingredients in a medium bowl and toss well to evenly coat the fruit.  Spread evenly in the prepared baking pan.

In a smaller bowl, mix together the flours, oats, nuts or seeds, spices and salt.  Add the melted vegan butter and syrup and mix well with a fork.




Distribute the Crumble ingredients over the fruit, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.


Remove the foil and bake for another 20 minutes, or so, or until the crumble is golden brown.

Divide into 8 dessert dishes and serve with vegan yogurt or Gay Lea Real Coconut Whipped Cream (only 2 g sugar and 2 g fat in 1/4 cup), or topping of your choice.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 308 calories, 116 calories from fat, 13.2g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 71.7mg sodium, 508.6mg potassium, 43.5g carbohydrates, 6.3g fiber, 16.1g sugar, 7.2g protein, 8.9 points.

Enjoy!

One of our island friends-- an amazing gardener-- gifted us with a huge bag of rhubarb from her garden.  I normally would have no problem finding some yummy desserts to make with the rhubarb, but now that I have to eat a low-glycemic diet for pre-diabetes (which means very little sugar) I wasn't sure what to do with it.  After some thought and recipe searches, I decided to try making a spicy low-sugar chutney, using some apple, dried raisins (raisins are high in fiber, which lowers the glycemic load) just a little bit of lower-glycemic syrup.  (PS: I don't like stevia, and I prefer not to use artificial sweeteners.)

My first effort was a success!  I used only 1/2 cup of syrup (agave nectar or maple syrup) in a recipe that made about 2 qts.of chutney. It was quick to make, nthickener was necessary, and it is delicious!  It could  be water-bath canned, but I froze mine.


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S SPICY LOW-SUGAR RHUBARB/APPLE CHUTNEY
Makes about 2 qts. or 64/ 2 T. servings

8 cups diced rhubarb
3 cups diced apple (with the skin)
2 cups raisins (You could also use dried cranberries, which would make the chutney more red.)
1 cup finely chopped red onion
1 cup water
1/2 cup organic maple syrup or organic agave syrup
1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
2 T. + 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar (I prefer Costco's Kirkland  Signature brand, which is affordable, yet aged for 3 years and contains no wine vinegar or caramel color, unlike the 60-day-aged supermarket IGP brands. See http://www.costcoconnection.ca/connectioncaeng/20180506/?pg=89#pg89)
1 tsp. EACH ground allspice, salt, red pepper flakes and mustard powder
1/2 tsp. ground coriander

Mix everything together in a large pot and bring to a boil.  Turn down to a simmer and simmer (uncovered) for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally until it has thickened (it will thicken more when cooled).  Cook for about 5 minutes more and turn off the heat. Cool and spoon into sterilized 8 oz. canning jars. Water-bath can (see directions here) or freeze.

Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per 2 T. serving): 30 calories, less than 1 calories from fat, less than 1g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 1.7mg sodium, 96.4mg potassium, 7.6g carbohydrates, less than 1g fiber, 5.3g sugar, less than 1g protein, 0.9 points.

Yesterday, I didn't get around to thinking about what to make for dinner until late afternoon. Rummaging through the fridge for ideas, I saw the black beans that I had cooked the day before, and decided to make a bean stew of some sort, to go with the cooked rice I had in the freezer, and the kale I had picked out of the garden.

Finding some red and green bell peppers, a sweet potato, and some unique new seitan that I made a few days before (see the note about where to find the recipe in the ingredient list of the recipe below) gave me the idea for a spicy black bean and roasted vegetable stew, which resulted in this recipe.

It was a hit-- my husband declared it his favorite bean stew to date! And what's not to like?  Spicy, hearty, full of vegetables and protein and good flavors.  I hope you'll give it a try.


Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S SPICY SPUR-OF-THE-MOMENT MELANGE OF BLACK BEANS, ROASTED VEGETABLES AND SEITAN (OR ALTERNATIVE)
Serves 6 to 8

Roasted or Broiled Vegetable/Seitan Mixture:
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and cut into approximately 3/4” chunks
1 large green bell pepper, seeded and cut into approximately 3/4” chunks
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3/4” chunks
2-3 cups of seitan strips (Or, alternatively, you could use reconstituted Soy Curls™️, smoked tempeh or smoked tofu instead.)
(For the seitan, I used the “Pulled Phauxrk” [pronounced like “fork”] recipe from https://avocadosandales.com/2018/02/06/pulled-phauxrk/, which is amazing!)
about 2 tablespoons of dark sesame oil
smoked sweet or hot paprika
salt to taste
Rest of the Melange:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and minced
4 cups cooked or canned black beans (use 2/ 19 oz. cans), rinsed and drained
2 cups vegan broth
14 oz. whole or diced canned tomatoes and juice (If tomatoes are whole, chop them roughly.)
2 tsp. EACH dried thyme and oregano
1 bay leaf
1 chopped canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, with the a little of the sauce
(Idea: Freeze the rest of the chiles and sauce in the can in an ice cube tray, then pop the frozen chiles and sauce into a freezer container or bag to use in other dishes.) 
liquid smoke to taste (about 1 teaspoon)
Serve with:
steamed rice
braised greens with garlic

Making the Roasted or Broiled Vegetable/Seitan Mixture:
Place the pepper chunks, sweet potato chunks and seitan in a 9 x 13” baking pan and toss with the sesame oil, smoked paprika and salt to taste.  

Now, there are two ways to cook the veggie/seitan mixture (well, three ways actually-- you could grill it, but I'll leave that up to you!)-- roasting or broiling. If you want to roast, place the pan in a preheated 450°F oven and roast for about 15-20 minutes, tossing once or twice, or until the vegetables are tender but not falling apart, and a bit browned. If you want to broil (my choice), add a few squirts of water from a squeeze bottle to the pan and place the pan  about 4 inches under your broiler coils; turn broiler on to High.  Broil until the mixture until the vegetables are tender but not falling apart (adding a few more squirts of water if they are getting too dry), and a bit browned, and the seitan is a bit charred (but not too much!).  Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the Rest of the Melange:
Saute the chopped onions and garlic in the olive oil in your wok or stew pot or large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until softened and perhaps a bit browned. Another option, which will allow you to proceed with the next part of the recipe, is to cook the onions and garlic in the olive oil in a covered microwave-safe pie pan or casserole with a lid. Cook on High for about 5 minutes, then scrape into your pot or pan.

Add the beans, broth, tomatoes, the Roasted or Broiled Vegetable/Seitan Mixture, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, chopped chipotle chile with its sauce, and the liquid smoke.  Mix thoroughly but gently with a large spoon. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer, cover and cook for about 20 minutes.  (That's enough time to cook some rice, if you haven't done it already.) 


Taste for salt and serve with the rice and braised greens.


Nutrition Facts
Nutrition (per serving): 319 calories, 70 calories from fat, 8g total fat, 0mg cholesterol, 468.2mg sodium, 847.1mg potassium, 45.1g carbohydrates, 13.2g fiber, 7.5g sugar, 20.5g protein, 9.2 points.

Enjoy!

Yikes! It's been almost a month since I last blogged!  I'm afraid that I've been a bit preoccupied with changing my diet, cooking and lifestyle somewhat after a diagnosis of pre-diabetes. (You can read a bit about this in this blog post.)

1.) I have stepped up my exercise, for one thing, and, 2.) learned the difference between Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load-- see http://www.mendosa.com/gilists.htm for an explanation and food lists.  (For me, the Glycemic Index/Load type of diet makes more sense than the currently-popular Keto Diet, even the vegan version of it. )

From the above link: "The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical system of measuring how much of a rise in circulating blood sugar a carbohydrate triggers–the higher the number, the greater the blood sugar response. So a low GI food will cause a small rise, while a high GI food will trigger a dramatic spike. A list of carbohydrates with their glycemic values is shown below. A GI of 70 or more is high, a GI of 56 to 69 inclusive is medium, and a GI of 55 or less is low.

The glycemic load (GL) is a relatively new way to assess the impact of carbohydrate consumption that takes the glycemic index into account, but gives a fuller picture than does glycemic index alone. A GI value tells you only how rapidly a particular carbohydrate turns into sugar. It doesn't tell you how much of that carbohydrate is in a serving of a particular food. You need to know both things to understand a food's effect on blood sugar. That is where glycemic load comes in. The carbohydrate in watermelon, for example, has a high GI. But there isn't a lot of it, so watermelon's glycemic load is relatively low. A GL of 20 or more is high, a GL of 11 to 19 inclusive is medium, and a GL of 10 or less is low."

It's a slog finding scientifically accurate, up-to-date and readable material on this subject, but here are a few more helpful links, if you are interested (not necessarily oriented to vegans):

http://bonfirehealth.com/understanding-index-glycemic-load/
https://www.sharecare.com/health/diabetes/soluble-fiber-help-with-diabetes
http://www.montignac.com/en/the-factors-that-modify-glycemic-indexes/
http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/special-diets/glycemic-index-diet/fiber-and-the-glycemic-index/
http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/special-diets/glycemic-index-diet/10-real-life-strategies-to-lighten-your-daily-glycemic-load/
http://www.dummies.com/food-drink/special-diets/glycemic-index-diet/appropriate-portion-sizes-for-low-to-medium-glycemic-dishes/

3.) I've also been educating myself about "resistant starch".  If you haven't heard of this, check it out-- it's a game-changer!
https://yurielkaim.com/resistant-starch/
https://www.consumerreports.org/healthy-eating/resistant-starch-may-speed-weight-loss-and-improve-health/
http://freetheanimal.com/2014/10/reheating-digestive-resistance.html
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/resistant-starch-101

And finally...

4.) I rarely make desserts anymore, except for those special occasions, so I've also been studying how to lower the sugar content (even of "natural" sweeteners) in desserts (and that can affect the structure of baked goods, by the way), and which sweeteners might fit best with my needs, in terms of flavor, health, availability and cost, among other factors. 

I'll write more about this in another blog post, but one of the sweeteners I'm using (with caution, of course!) is dates.  For a simple explanation, see https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/sugar-substitute-medjool-date-recipes-natural-delights/
"Unlike processed sugar (i.e. white sugar, brown rice syrup, cane syrup, and corn syrup), Medjool dates won’t spike your blood sugar levels. Because of their high fiber content—12 percent of your daily fiber per serving—your body breaks them down slowly, giving you a sustained release of energy without the dreaded sugar crash." 
(PS: I've been using Deglet Noor dates, but have even successfully used compressed dates meant for baking to make date paste.)

But, remember-- you want to keep that fiber, so use whole dates (as in my BBQ sauce recipe below), or a homemade date paste, rather than a date syrup. To make Date Paste: puree 1 cup pitted dates with 1/2 to 1 cup hot water (depending on how thick you want it) in a high-speed blender or food processor until a paste is made. Keep refrigerated.

RECIPE #1:


Printable Recipe

BRYANNA'S EASY, INEXPENSIVE, BEAN-ENHANCED VEGAN BURGER BUNS
Makes 10 buns
High-fiber and protein rich beans, whole wheat flour, high soluble-fiber-rich oat flour, and a bit of high-protein vital wheat gluten serve to lower the glycemic load of this recipe-- but it doesn't mean you should "pig out" on it.  Serving size matters!
You can double the recipe, but no need to double the yeast if you do.

Ingredients:
1 cup rinsed and drained canned or cooked white beans OR yellow split pea puree
(NOTE: If the split pea puree is very thick, add about 2 T. water to it.)
1/4 cup water
YEAST MIXTURE:
3/4 cup warm water
2 tsp dry active yeast
1 tsp sugar
ADDITIONAL: (NOTE: If you are on a no-fat, no-oil regime, try using either unsweetened smooth applesauce or aquafaba [liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas] instead/)
2 Tbs oil
FLOUR MIXTURE-- mix together:
1 cup whole wheat flour, preferably stone-ground or whole-milled
(NOTE: You can use sprouted whole wheat flour if you have it.)
1 cup unbleached white flour
1/2 cup oat flour (I just grind oatmeal in a dry blender.)
2 Tbs vital wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
GLAZE AND TOPPING:
soy milk or Starch Glaze (see below)
raw sesame seeds, or poppy seeds

Directions:
Puree the beans or split pea puree with the 1/4 cup water.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, or your food processor bowl, or your electric mixer bowl, mix together the 3/4 cup warm water, yeast and sugar. Let sit for a few minutes.  Add the pureed beans or yellow split peas and the oil.

If you are mixing by hand, stir in the Flour Mixture a bit at a time, until it is a knead-able dough.  Turn out on a piece of baking parchment or silicone mat and knead until you can form a smooth ball.

If you are using a food processor, dump in the Flour Mixture and process until it forms a ball on top of the blade.

If you are using a mixer with a dough hook, add the Flour Mixture, turn on the machine and knead until smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in a medium to large oiled bowl, cover and rise in a warm spot for about an hour, or rise, well covered, in the refrigerator overnight.

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces, shape into balls and press down into flat shapes with the palm of your hand, making the center of the bun a bit concave.  Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, cover and let rise until nicely rounded on top, for about 1 hour. Do not over-rise. (If the dough is cold, you may have to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.)

When the buns are about half-risen, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Glaze the tops of the buns with soy milk or Starch Glaze, sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, and bake for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Remove from the oven and switch the buns from the baking sheets to cooling racks.  Cool thoroughly before using or storing.  (They can be frozen.)

STARCH GLAZE:
(If you can't use corn or wheat starch, see this article or this one.)
In a small saucepan, mix 1/2 c. cold water with 1 tsp. corn or wheat starch.  Stir over high heat until thickened and clear.  This glaze can be used instead of an egg white glaze.





****************************************************************
RECIPE #2:


Printable Copy

BRYANNA'S LOW-GLYCEMIC DATE-SWEETENED BBQ SAUCE
Makes about 3 cups or 24/ 2 T. servings
High-fiber dates subtly sweeten this sauce, and the acidic tomato products, mustard and vinegar also lighten the glycemic load. (See info about dates as a sweetener in the text above.)
I've been using this delicious  sauce instead of ketchup!

Blend until smooth:
1 3/4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup dry red wine (can be non-alcoholic)
6 oz. tomato paste
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (I prefer Costco's Kirkland  Signature brand, which is affordable, yet aged for 3 years and contains no wine vinegar or caramel color, unlike the 60-day-aged supermarket IGP brands. See http://www.costcoconnection.ca/connectioncaeng/20180506/?pg=89#pg89)
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
8 large-ish soft dates, such as Medjool or Deglet Noor, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 T. (or more to taste) Chinese Chili Garlic Sauce (See Note and photos below)
1 T. vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. EACH:
onion powder
garlic granules
smoked hot paprika
salt
liquid smoke
Optional:
black pepper to taste

Scrape into a microwave-proof 2 qt. batter bowl and microwave for 10 minutes, stirring halfway through. OR, scrape into a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring from time to time.

Cool and pour or scoop into a Mason jar.  Twist on the cap and refrigerate. This will keep for several weeks in the refrigerator.


NOTE ABOUT CHINESE OR VIETNAMESE CHILI GARLIC SAUCE:
This product is easily available in supermarkets and Asian grocery stores or online.  Here are two common brands-- Huy Fong foods, Inc. and Lee Kum Kee:





Enjoy!

So, here's what I came up with on short notice. It was easy to throw together and a hit with my husband (and also fed us for two lunches).  I hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!