“I remember all the tastes and sensations from my omnivore days, even though they were so long ago. My grandmother’s meatballs, burnt on one side. Slurpy seafood pasta at a café along the bay, my teeth scraping against the hard oyster shells. My favorite pizza burger from a diner underneath a Midtown office building; the feel of the vinyl seat as I bounced with excitement at the sight of the melty mozz arriving at the table. “These are the moments you could say I miss. Maybe you do, too. But we don’t have to.” —from the Introduction is packed with 125 recipes that will satisfy every kind of meat craving, from a vegan Philly cheesesteak and a basket of wings to a rich, gooey lasagna. Cover design by Headcase Design Cover photography by Justin Limoges ISBN: 978-1-4197-4745-8 9 7 8 1 4 1 9 7 4 7 4 5 8 5 3 5 0 0 U.S. $35.00 Can. $44.00 U.K. £25.00 is the bestselling author of I Can Cook Vegan, Isa Does It, Veganomicon, Vegan with a Vengeance, The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook, and many more. She created the beloved website Post Punk Kitchen (theppk.com), and her restaurant, Modern Love, has locations in Omaha and Brooklyn.ICONIC S AND WICHES19 JOIN THE CLUB TURKI SANDWICHES Makes 4 sandwiches Let’s start with the classic club! Juicy turkey piled high with crisp lettuce, heir- loom tomato—or use regular tomato, I can’t stop you—and smoky bacon. Add some cheddar to the mix and you’ve got yourself a sandwich that Dagwood would be proud of. And if you’re too young to know who the hell Dagwood is, how about swapping in a real stoner like Pete Davidson? He’d absolutely murder this sandwich. So how to make vegan turki slices? The alchemy is simple. A blend of pureed tofu for flexibility, a little textured vegetable protein pulsed in for gris- tle, and agar seals the deal with a nice chewy bite that slices beautifully. If you don’t feel like stacking, the turki slices are perfectly happy being tucked between two slices of whole wheat bread for a wholesome lunch instead. Pete Davidson would still absolutely destroy it. 1 Use a steak knife to thinly slice the turkey on a bias, about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Slice the tomato about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick as well, and lightly blot with a paper towel so it doesn’t make the sandwich too wet and slippery. 2 Toast the bread. Dry off the cutting board and place eight slices of the toast in a single layer. Have the other four slices at the ready. Spread mayo on the eight slices. 3 Top four of the slices with the lettuce and tomato. Sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. Layer four slices of bacon on top of each stack. 4 Spread mayo on both sides of the four remaining slices of toast and place them on top of the bacon layer. 5 Layer a good amount of folded turki slices on each sandwich. Then add the cheddar slices. Top with the last four pieces of bread, mayo side down. 6 Place a toothpick in each quadrant of a sandwich, and use a serrated knife to carefully slice it into four triangles. Repeat with the other sand- wiches. Serve a few triangles on their sides, so diners can see how much work went into this! • 1 loaf Roast Turki (recipe follows) • 1 large heirloom tomato • 12 slices soft but sturdy white bread • Vegan mayo, prepared or homemade (page 309) • 12 crispy romaine lettuce leaves • Salt and freshly ground black pepper • 1 recipe Trumpet Mushroom Bacon (page 167), or bacon of your choice • 8 slices vegan cheddar, prepared or homemade (page 291) • 16 long toothpicks HOT TAKE If you choose not to make or buy vegan cheddar, there is no shame in an avocado club sandwich! Just replace the cheese with thinly sliced avocado.ICONIC S AND WICHES33 PEPPERJACK CHEESESTEAKS Makes 4 sandwiches Phillies are great, no one is denying that. But have you tried a Pepperjack Cheesesteak? Shaved seitan sautéed with all the spicy yums: jalapeño, red bell peppers, and red onion. Then it’s stuffed into a toasted hoagie and topped with a snap-to-prepare pepperjack cheese sauce. The recipe is more weeknight friendly than you’d think, if you’ve got some seitan around, and you do, because you’ve listened to me and have seitan around at all times. I sear the peppers and onions first, then set them aside while I sear the seitan. This way, all the ingredients are cooked perfectly, with just the right amount of smoky blistering. The seitan ends up soaking up some of the great flavor the veggies leave behind in the pan. It’s just win after win. Like Rocky! Who is from Philly. And I hope he doesn’t fight me over these cheesesteaks. 1 Preheat a large skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and sauté the bell pepper, onion, and jalapeños with a pinch of salt, until nicely seared but still snappy. Transfer to a plate and set aside. 2 Do not rinse out the skillet because you’re going to sear the seitan in it. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil to the pan. Scatter the seitan in as much of a single layer as you can. Let cook for about 4 minutes, until lightly browned and charred in some spots. Use a thin metal spatula to flip. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just as long as you get some sear on each piece. Cook for 5 more minutes, flipping occasionally. 3 In the meantime, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) to toast the hoagies. Split the rolls open (but not pulled apart) and place them facedown on a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes. 4 Pour the vegetable broth into the pan and deglaze the bottom, scraping up any yummy bits. Let the broth cook for 2 minutes. Add the pepper mixture back to the pan and toss to combine. Cook 3 more minutes. 5 Assemble the cheesesteaks. Use tongs to fill each hoagie roll with the beefy seitan and place them so that they’re standing straight up with the meat exposed on top. Drizzle with plenty of Pepperjack Cheese Sauce. Garnish with scallions and serve! HOT TAKE The best way to toast the hoagie rolls is in the oven, so they’re all ready at once. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Split them open (but don’t them pull apart) and put facedown on a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes. Pull out some toasty rolls! • 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided • 1 red bell pepper, sliced in ¼-inch strips • 1 medium red onion, sliced into ¼-inch half-moons • 6 jalapeños, seeded and sliced in long thin strips • Pinch salt • 1 pound (455 g) Beefy Seitan (page 28), thinly sliced • 4 hoagie rolls • ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable broth or Beefy Broth (page 302) • Pepperjack Cheese Sauce (recipe follows) • ⅓ cup (30 g) thinly sliced scallionsICONIC S AND WICHES49 HOT DOG SUMMER WITH HOT DOG ONIONS Makes 8 hot dogs You can’t have a fake meat cookbook without a hot dog recipe, now come on. And this one is perfection adorned in hot dog onions! Sweet, smoky, almost BBQ-ish dollops of these onions will complete your NYC hot dog experience. I put them on knishes, too. But this is not a knish cookbook so you don’t need to worry about that. The key to perfect onions is to cook them low and slow! Obviously, you can also skip all that and serve these the old-fashioned way, with mustard and sauerkraut. Steaming the dogs creates a skin that really pops, and grilling them to order adds another layer of meatiness. This recipe is modified from one in The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook. 1 Make the hot dogs: In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree the tofu, ketchup, broth, olive oil, and soy sauce until completely smooth, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to make sure you get everything. 2 In a large bowl, mix together the vital wheat gluten, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and white pepper. Make a well in the center and add the tofu mixture. Use the rubber spat- ula to mix until well combined, and then use your hands to further knead the mixture until it’s a well-formed dough with a little spring to it. 3 Prepare your steaming apparatus. Have ready eight 10-inch (25 cm) squares of parchment and eight 10-inch (25 cm) sheets of aluminum foil. 4 Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a hot dog shape. Place a dog at the bottom of a square of parchment and roll it up. Then place it in a piece of foil and roll it up, this time, tightly sealing the ends like a Tootsie Roll. Repeat with the remaining dogs. 5 Steam the hot dogs for about 40 minutes, until very firm. Let them cool completely before unwrapping. Then preheat a grill pan over medium high. Unwrap the cooled dogs and grill for about 3 minutes, turning them once, until grill marks appear. 6 Serve in toasted hot dog buns with hot dog onions. • 6 ounces (170 g) extra- firm silken tofu, such as vacuum-packed Mori-Nu brand • ¼ cup ketchup (60 ml) • 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable broth • 1 tablespoon olive oil • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • 1½ cups (180 g) plus 2 tablespoons vital wheat gluten • ¼ cup (15 g) nutritional yeast flakes • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika • 1 tablespoon onion powder • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • ¾ teaspoon salt • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper • 8 hot dog buns • Hot Dog Onions (page 311)CHICK'N DINNER S F OR WEEKNIGHT S AND WEEKEND S99 BUTTERMYLK FRIED CHICK’N Serves 6 This recipe needs no introduction. But my publisher insists that every recipe gets one! So listen up, this is FRIED CHICK’N. Pull out that Dutch oven or the tabletop fryer you received for Mother’s Day and were like “What! I’m not even a mother!” And let’s fry these babies UP. Chick’n is soaked in a seasoned buttermylk batter for a few hours, then coated and fried to crispy magnifi- cence. It’s pure indulgence and, I believe you are obligated to say this where fried chick’n is concerned, it’s . . . finger-licking good [audience groans]. Serve with all the sides: Mashed Potatoes (page 110), Coleslaw (page 27), Onion Gravy (page 152),or just eat out of a bucket! 1 Tear each bundle of chicken into 3 pieces, so that you have 12 pieces that are about 4 inches (10 cm) long, and organically shaped. Lightly squeeze each over the kitchen sink to remove excess broth. 2 Make the buttermylk batter: In a large bowl, stir together the soy milk, vinegar, lemon pepper, salt, paprika, and poultry seasoning. Add the chicken pieces and let marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours, flipping occasionally. 3 Prepare the seasoned flour: In a baking pan, mix together the flour, salt, paprika, white pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder. Have an empty baking sheet ready to place the coated chick’n on. 4 Place the bowl of marinated chick’n next to the flour mixture. Take a piece of marinated chick’n and dredge it in the flour, using your dry hand to coat it. Transfer to the empty baking sheet. Continue until all the chick’n pieces are coated. 5 Have paper bags lined up on a counter to absorb the oil after frying the chick’n. In a large Dutch oven, heat about 3 inches (7.5 cm) of peanut oil to 350°F (175°C). Add half the chicken and cook for about 8 minutes, until golden, using tongs to turn so all sides are fried. If you want to use a table- top fryer instead, then prepare the oil according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 6 Transfer to a paper bag to drain (see Hot Takes). Cook the remaining chick’n the same way. • 1 recipe Pull-Apart Seitan Chick’n (page 115) FOR THE BUTTERMYLK BATTER: • 2 cups (480 ml) unsweet- ened soy milk • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar • 1 teaspoon lemon pepper • 1 teaspoon salt • 1 teaspoon paprika • 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning, prepared or homemade (page 89) FOR THE SEASONED FLOUR: • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour • 1 teaspoon salt • ½ teaspoon paprika • ½ teaspoon ground white pepper • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 teaspoon onion powder • Peanut oil, for frying HOT TAKES Peanut oil is the way to go for fried chick’n. It tastes the best. It fries the best. But if you have an allergy or some other reason, then safflower oil is a close second. I’ve always used brown paper grocery bags to absorb extra oil. But do people (besides me) even have paper bags anymore? If you don’t, then paper towels will work, too. If people even have paper towels.Next >