Vegan Spring "Chicken" Parmesan
Simple and delicious "chicken" seitan patties, breaded and topped with spring pesto and vegan Mozzarella.
Servings: 6
Calories: 515kcal
Ingredients
"Chicken Seitan"
- 1 Block(15oz.) Extra firm tofu
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 2/3 Cup Vegetable broth
- 1/4 Cup Soy sauce
- 1 Cup Vital wheat gluten
- 1 1/3 Cup Panko
- 1 teaspoon Poultry seasoning (usually contains Thyme, Sage, Rosemary and Nutmeg) or vegan chickenless seasoning from Trader Joe's
- a pinch of Salt and pepper
For The Crust
- 1 Cup Panko
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons Nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 1/2 Cups Vegan Mozzarella, I used Violife
- 1/3 Cup Vegan Parmesan, I used Follow Your Heart
Spring Pesto
- 2 Cups Fresh basil
- 1 Cup Arugula
- 3 Green onions, trimmed
- 1/4 Cup Almonds, roasted
- 3-4 Cloves Garlic
- 1/4 Cup Vegan Parmesan
- 1/4 Cup Olive oil
- 1/4 Cup Vegetable broth
- 2 teaspoons Lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Lemon zest
- Pinch of Salt and pepper
- Pinch of Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Make the seitan "chicken" first. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees(F).
- Drain the tofu, and squeeze some of the liquid out of the block of tofu over the sink. As much as you can, it is fine if the tofu starts to crumble. Then add the tofu to a food processor.
- Then add the olive oil, broth, soy sauce, vital wheat gluten, panko, poultry seasoning and a pinch of salt and pepper to the food processor. Process until everything is completely smooth(make sure there are no tofu chunks) and it will start to form a dough ball. Let the dough ball process for a minute or until it is very stretchy. You can check by pulling on the dough.
- Remove the dough ball from the food processor and separate into 6 equal portions. Press them flat in a chicken breast type shape. Set aside.
- Now mix together the crust ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the panko, Italian seasoning, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and stir to combine.
- Take a "chicken" breast and push it down into the crust on each side until it is fully coated. Place on a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with a silicone mat.
- Repeat with all the "chicken". Spray the tops of the "chicken" with non-stick spray to help with browning. Or you can brush the tops with a little oil.
- Bake for 15 minutes, flip and spray again with non-stick spray. Bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown and firm. They will puff a little, but they will go down once you take them out of the oven.
- While the "chicken" bakes, make the pesto. Wipe out the food processor. Add all the pesto ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Once the "chicken" has baked for 30 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven. Spread the pesto evenly on the top of each piece of "chicken". Then sprinkle vegan mozzarella and vegan Parmesan on top of the pesto.
- Put the "chicken" back in the oven for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese is as melted as possible.
- Serve with pasta if desired. I just like to toss some in olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Notes
I know many seitan recipes have you steam the seitan. I promise cooking it this way works!
Nutrition
Calories: 515kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 5mg | Sodium: 1662mg | Potassium: 251mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 678IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 207mg | Iron: 4mg