Thursday, November 23, 2006

Family Food and Fun

That's what the holidays are about for me. It is satisfying to create a yummy, pretty, or unique food. My family knows that this is what makes my holiday - - - that and seeing them also learn the skills needed to make a day special. For these things I am thankful.

So starting with family...

Melissa's thumb is healed and she was able to participate in a sparring tournament. She brought home a third place trophy and a really cool medallion for participating.

Her teacher was impressed because they didn't plan on her to spar due to her thumb but the little rascal did it anyways... fortunately she was two days away from Dr release and didn't re- injure it.

My darling DH built me a fold down table attached to the peninsula (yes, normal people have kitchen islands, but my kitchen has a peninsula due to a cold air exchange vent required by our furnace). When I am baking I can lift it up and place my cooling racks on it or when we have family gatherings we can use it as a buffet serving table. Here it is in the down position. Today it is in the up position because I have food everywhere.

FOOD
I love Bryanna's seitan roulades for a holiday meal. I used a roasted vegetable and sun dried tomato stuffing inside the poultry style seitan. I am going to display the pictures in the order of the seitan making process.

Picture one: Rolling out the seitan roast dough. My current roulade recipe says to cut it in half and make two roulades. I make one large roast though and use my clay cooker to do it in.

Picture two: The uncooked dough rolled up with the stuffing inside of it. I pinch the seitan dough to create a seal and then poke it with a fork five times on the top and then three times on each side.


Picture three: The cooked roast. I cook it for three hours in the soaked clay cooker at 350 degrees F. Then I open the lid, spoon the remaining juice over the top, recover it, and turn the off the oven to let it sit for 1/2 to one hour. Then I take two large pancake spatulas to pry it away from the sides and lift it onto a large oval platter.

Picture four: Here's the roast cut in half. I love the festive swirl of stuffing.

Picture five: A close up of the swirl.

Picture six: A close up of the roasted vegetable stuffing. I used a purchased loaf of bread called seedilicious. It was an organic enriched flour loaf chocked full of various seeds



To FINISH...
This roast makes me one happy veg foody. Although my first few attempts at making a roast were not totally successes, I am glad that I hung in there and kept trying.

Pix: Me with Snowball
A happy and spoiled fat cat
(adopted by us)


And Last I mentioned FUN....
No pictures of that yet. I am posting this before our first family gathering (at my aunt's house) and then we will do tomorrow (Friday) for supper at my house with my oldest sis. She is flying home from New York.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love that picture of you and the cat. The roulade looks awesome. I hope you have a nice holiday!
Cherie

Anonymous said...

Wow! I'm really impressed with the roulade. It looks so beautiful. I am anxiously awaiting Bryanna's new seitan and tofu book!!

That's a really gread idea for the fold down table. There are many times I could use that! I love to see all your spices and kitchen goodies in clear jars above the peninsula.

Super cute pic of you and Snowball. I hope you all have a very wonderful holiday.

bazu said...

Congrats to Melissa! That is really impressive and I'm glad she's healing nicely. And the fold-down table- I know how it must have to have such a useful new addition to the kitchen. Hope all your fun goes well and you get some rest and relaxation.
And thank you so much for voting for me, that means a lot. =)

Anonymous said...

beautiful rouland!

Casey Galatos said...

Well this is the season for all fun and food....and some good fun with the family....i just love the holidays...and hey great pics too...they look awesome....but i liked the pic with your cat..it's adorable....and hey to share some more of the holiday fun please do drop by my Holiday Blog sometime and enjoy all that's there....have a great time!!!!

laura k said...

You and your cat look so sweet together. And I'm so glad to hear about Melissa's thumb! I love all your food--I am sure your holiday was quite nice--and I can't wait to hear about the fun part!

Isil Simsek said...

I also loved the pic of you and your cat.Have a nice holiday!

Anonymous said...

The roulade looks so beautifull!
congrats to Melissa. your husband do a good job too :)

Carrie™ said...

Isn't it nice to have a handyman? My dad is like that. Always building and fixing. And, you can never have too much extra space.
Your Thanksgiving roulade looks and sounds scrumptious. Definitely worth trying.
Congrats to your daughter! And a big thank you for the pretzel recipe posted earlier. I'm going to make them for hubby. He'll be surprised.
Have a great weekend Dori!

Anonymous said...

Wow, that food looks terrific. As always. ;)

Glad everything is going well. You all look so happy. :)

Tanya Kristine said...

that looks amazing!!! i have to try that!