♥ Beer Can Chick’n

I’ve wanted to try beer can chicken for ages (except in our house it’s ‘beer can chick’n’ because we don’t eat food that had a face). As it turns out, it was a great way to celebrate Labor Day and (sniff) the end of summer. The inspiration for the seitan recipe came from Vegan Dad. The beer can chicken holder came from Walmart (of course).

The chick’n was tender and moist. And SO good. The next time I make this (and there most definitely will be a next time!) I may try doubling the seitan dough recipe so that the roast is thicker. That way, the roast will take longer to grill and will have longer to absorb more of the boiling beer marinade. Having said that, I’m posting the trial recipe that I followed, because it’s darn tasty just the way it is.

We kept the side dishes simple: grilled corn on the cob and watermelon slices. Grilling the watermelon makes it an extra special summertime treat. It enhances its sweetness and really makes the flavor ‘pop’. It’s simple and very satisfying, too.

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Beer Can Chick’n

What You’ll Need:

Beer can holder (if you don’t have a beer can holder–and don’t want to schlep to Walmart–you can use a clean 14-ounce can with the label and top removed. It should be sturdy enough to hold the chick’n upright)

Empty beer can (I used the beer can left over from making the barbecue sauce)

Pint Mason jar (or a clean 14-ounce can with the label and top removed)

A large stock pot with a steamer insert

Aluminum foil

Seitan recipe (below)

6 ounces of good beer (although, ‘good’ is a subjective term)

Beer And Molasses Barbecue Sauce

Seitan:

1-1/2 cups vital wheat gluten

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons poultry spice

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons canola oil

Directions:

Fill a large stockpot (and steamer insert) with water and bring to a boil while you prepare the seitan. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl, then add the wet mix to the dry mix. Stir with a large spatula or a wooden spoon until well incorporated, then turn out on to the counter or a large cutting board. Shape the dough with your hands into a rectangle no wider than your steamer insert and long enough to roll up with the pint mason jar (or can) inside.

Place the jar or can on the dough, flush with one end (this will be the end that the beer can is inserted through), and roll the seitan with the jar inside of it. Seal the ends together so that the seitan roll, with the jar inside of it, is the shape of a cylinder with one end open (for the beer can) and the other end is loosely gathered together at the top. Don’t seal the top tightly; leave a small opening for the beer and steam to escape when grilling. I used my pinkie finger to make the hole.

Transfer the seitan roll to a piece of wide aluminum foil and tightly roll it up (like a Tootsie roll). Place the seitan roll in the steamer insert, seam side up. Place the lid on the pot, slightly askew.

Steam for 30 minutes total, flipping the roast after 15 minutes. At the end of 30 minutes, remove the pot from the burner and allow the roast to cool (I set the roast upright so that it wouldn’t cool with a flat side). At this point, you’ll want to start up the barbecue grill (or pre-heat the oven to 350F).

While the grill is heating, prepare the beer can holder. Carefully remove the top of an empty beer can with a can opener and then place it in the beer can holder. Fill the beer can half full of beer (a full beer can wastes beer, which is just plain wrong).

When the roast is cool enough to handle, unwrap it and carefully remove the Mason jar. Slide the roast on the beer can in the beer can holder. Place the roast on its holder on a small baking sheet covered with aluminum foil (I reused the foil that the roast was steamed in). Baste the roast generously with barbecue sauce.

Grill (or bake) for 30 minutes, keeping the grill temperature at 350F. Baste with barbecue sauce every 10 to 15 minutes. At the end of the grilling time, remove the roast from the grill and allow to stand for 5 to 10 minutes before removing it from the holder to a cutting board or serving plate. Slice as desired.

Baste with additional sauce when serving, or serve extra sauce on the side.

Serving the beer can chick’n with beer is optional, but if you’re heavy-handed with the hot sauce like I am when making the barbecue sauce, you’ll definitely want the beer!

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♥ I Feel It In The Air

Okay, the summer is not quite out of reach yet, but the last few mornings I’ve been remembering one of the best songs (and videos) that I recall from my teen years (I’m showing my age here). If my life had a soundtrack, this song would definitely be on it.

I actually had to pull my fluffy robe out of the closet this morning.  The sun is setting earlier as each day passes and the mornings are coming later. With some regret, I’ve begun closing the windows at night before going to bed since the weatherman has issued freeze warnings this week. Freeze warnings. Before Labor Day. Big sigh.

As if the need for a warm robe in the mornings isn’t indicator enough, Music On The Beach held its last concert of the season last night. I think this free event is one of Tahoe’s best kept “secrets”. So, Thursday evenings, all summer long, we hauled our beach blanket, a bottle of wine and snacky foods to the shores of Lake Tahoe to enjoy a spectacular sunset.

And some fine music, too.

The music venue, clearly, did not suck. Did I mention it was free?

Our favorite portable picnic dinner is Chicken-Out Salad from Vegetarian Meat & Potatoes Cookbook. There are variations of this recipe posted all over the web, so I won’t bother posting it here. But, I suggest omitting the salt and reducing the Vegenaise in the recipe. Folding halved red grapes into the salad makes it extra special. We like to “Chicken-Out” with assorted crackers, sliced vegetables and pita halves.

Lately, I’ve been perusing Middle Eastern cookbooks. I adapted this recipe from Secrets of Cooking: Armenian/Lebanese/Persian. This dip is a nice break from the usual hummus and it’s a perfect picnic snack with sliced veggies and plain rice crackers.

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Mouhamara (Red Pepper And Walnut Spread)

Ingredients:

2 cups walnut pieces

1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 16-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers, drained

2 Tablespoons minced onion

1 large clove garlic, crushed

1 to 2 Tablespoons pomegranate concentrate* (I bought mine at Whole Foods)

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 to 2 Tablespoons pine nuts to garnish along with a drizzle of olive oil, if desired

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to mix. Finish mixing by hand for a coarse texture or continue to pulse for a finer texture.

Spread in a shallow serving dish and garnish with pine nuts, if desired.

*Note: Use less pomegranate concentrate if you prefer your Mouhamara a little less sweet.

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Fare thee well, summer. I miss you already.

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♥ Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

Or Kebobs. Or Kabobs. I don’t know, apparently there are a few acceptable spellings for food skewered on a stick. No matter, with the Labor Day weekend fast approaching, I want to post another one of my favorite grilled meals.

I’ve made these vegetable kebabs for years, and they are always well received by meat and veggie eaters alike.

We like to grill slices of tofu or tempeh along with the kebabs, slathered with homemade barbecue sauce.

I usually serve the kebabs with steamed brown rice on the side to soak up the extra marinade. But since this weekend is the Labor Day holiday and it’s practically law to celebrate with outdoor grilling and picnic foods, I suggest serving with the appropriate side dishes:

Classic Potato Salad

Vegan “KFC” Copycat Coleslaw

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Grilled Vegetable Kebabs

Ingredients:

Marinade:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 Tablespoons Bragg’s Liquid Aminos

1 Tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons dried oregano or 2 Tablespoons fresh, finely chopped

2 teaspoons dried savory or 2 Tablespoons fresh, finely chopped

1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 1 Tablespoon fresh

2 teaspoons dried basil or 2 Tablespoons fresh, finely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Vegetable Suggestions:

Red or sweet onion

Red and/or yellow bell pepper

Green bell pepper

Zucchini or summer squash

Whole mushrooms

Whole cherry or grape tomatoes

Baby (or fingerlings) potatoes, pre-steamed

Directions:

Mix the marinade ingredients. Place the cut vegetables in a large, shallow dish and add the marinade. Cover the dish and refrigerate for several hours.  Stir occasionally while marinating.

While the grill is heating, skewer the vegetables. If using wooden skewers, soak them first in water for about 10 minutes.

Grill the vegetable skewers, turning and basting frequently with the marinade.  Pour the remaining marinade over the vegetables on a serving platter or use as a sauce for dipping. It’s great over steamed brown rice, too.

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Some time ago, I posted pictures of Snacky-The-Bear in our yard. He (she?) still visits infrequently, although he usually doesn’t leave much evidence of his nocturnal trips across our property. Unless the neighbors happen to leave a garbage can outside; in which case he will carry his stolen loot to a dark corner in our yard and rifle through its contents (bears are surprisingly neat, I have learned). Mr. Snacky enjoys grazing through the compost bin, too:

Another surprise for me, bears like wheat grass (this new pot of wheat grass–set out for the dog and cats–was four to five inches long). Who knew?!

I also posted pictures of Fatty-The-Squirrel, having some trouble getting his big behind in the new feeders that J made for them.

Mr. Fatty has busied himself making some architectural adjustments to the squirrel feeders. Problem solved!

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