Friday, October 28, 2011

Jamaican Jerk Seitan with Coconut Rice

I've been eyeing the jerk seitan recipe in Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan with a Vengeance for a while now and tonight I was feeling adventurous enough to try it!  I paired it with Coconut Rice and Sauteed Swiss Chard and it turned out to be scrumptious! Here's how to make it:



Ingredients for Jerk Seitan
Marinade:
  • 1/2 large white onion, coarsely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1.5T fresh ginger, chopped
  • 3T fresh lime juice
  • 3T tamari
  • 2T olive oil
  • 2T pure maple syrup
  • 1T dried thyme
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cayenne
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
Seitan:
  • 2 cups seitan, cut into thick strips (store-bought is easier, but you can make your own here)
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, thickly sliced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and thickly sliced
Ingredients for Coconut Rice
  • 2 cups jasmine rice (I used brown jasmine)
  • 1 (13.5 oz.) can coconut milk
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Finely grated zest of 1 lime
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
How to make it:
Prepare the marinade by pureeing all of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth, but slightly chunky.


Place the seitan in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade over it. Toss to coat. Cover and let it marinate for an hour.


After about 30 minutes, you can get started on the rice! Combine the rice, coconut milk, water, cinnamon stick and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the lime zest and stir with a fork. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 more minutes.


You can also prepare the shredded coconut by heating a skillet over low-medium heat. Add the coconut and toast, turning frequently, for about 3 minutes until the coconut is browned. Be sure it doesn't burn!


Remove the cinnamon stick from the rice and set aside.

By now, your seitan should be ready to cook. In a large skillet, saute the onions and peppers in olive oil over medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.  Remove the seitan from the marinade and reserve the liquid. Saute it for 10 minutes, until the seitan has browned. Add the remaining marinade and cook for about 2 minutes to heat the sauce through.

To serve, plate it with the rice on the side and sprinkle the shredded coconut on the rice. I also sauteed some swiss chard in olive oil with some chili peppers to accompany the meal. The seitan is incredibly spicy and flavorful and pairs well with the greens and rice. This is a time-consuming dish, but well worth it in the end. Enjoy!

4 comments:

  1. Thank you sharing this! Will be trying soon!!

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  2. Great! Let me know how you like it!

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  3. Just cooked this! DELICIOUS! A+ recipe. I'm definitely using it for entertaining (:

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  4. Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know!

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