Seitan Bourginon

This is a lovely recipe - which is simple, yet elegant and a cheap treat for yourself or when you have guests coming.
I will give you two variations - one is the quick approach - the other is the “no work at all since I am going to dump everything into the crock pot” approach. Either way very tasty!

For either version you will need for 4 servings:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 small onions peeled, 2 minced and two cut in fours

5 medium carrots roughly chopped in rounds

2 sticks celery roughly chopped

1 cup whole mushrooms - any kind will do - or omit if you are not a mushroom fan
about
1 cup leafy greens - kale, collard or spinach work well - or omit
3 cups homemade seitan - if using store bought - one tub will do
 if you need a refresher on how to make your own seitan check here
1 tablespoon tomato paste - diluted in ½ cup water or broth
or use canned crushed tomatoes ( which you will have to drain) about ½ cup total
2 cups potatoes quartered - or left whole of they are small

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 cup heavy red wine 


1 bay leaf - can be omitted or substitute dried basil, oregano or sage

3 cloves garlic - grated

1 teaspoon thyme dried - or ½ teaspoon fresh thyme

3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped or omit but rather nice if you have it at hand

salt and fresh pepper

two tablespoons flour or instant mashed potato to thicken the sauce

Crock pot version:


1.Add all ingredients into crock pot, except for the fresh parsley and flour/ instant mashed potato.


2. Cook on medium for 6 - 8 hours. Add the fresh parsley and let sit for 5 minutes. Transfer into serving dish - draining some of the liquid. Thicken the drained liquid with some of the flour/mashed potato and mix back in with the rest of the dish. Serve with side of potatoes and wilted greens or a green salad.


On the stove version:

Can be cooked in under 30 minutes - and is still a great dish.
Adjustments to be made - you want all the veggies to be chopped finer.

1. In a steamer basket set the potatoes to steam over water.

2. Saute the onion, carrots, celery and garlic until soft and aromatic.

3. Add the drained tomatoes, mushrooms, seitan, parsley, spices and soy sauce and saute for another two minutes.

4. Add the red wine, and season with salt and pepper - cover and simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat.

5. Check on the potatoes - pierce with a knife to ensure they are soft all the way through - set aside and let cool.

6. Transfer the bourginon to a serving dish - draining the liquid. Mix the liquid with just enough flour or instant mashed potato to give it some substance then mix it back in with the veggies and serve with the potatoes rubbed in a bit of sea salt.