We like gluten steaks and other types of patties, but when I made these Vegan Lentil Salisbury Steaks, Jack really liked the meatiness of the patty. There is more substance to it than a gluten steak. These steaks use vital wheat gluten flour, in addition to other ingredients like lentils, breadcrumbs and seasonings. I think it’s the sauce that makes the entire dish so good. This is a recipe I found online about a year ago, so it doesn’t have quite the back story as most of my other menu recipes do. I have to say it was a big hit with us, definitely worth sharing. As I have stated in previous posts, I am not a mushroom lover, so I have never made this gravy with the mushrooms it calls for. I substituted onions one time and that was good. Or I just leave out the onions and mushrooms. I don’t make the steaks as big as the recipe says to make. Sometimes I use a canning ring to form my patties and I get 12 patties about the size of the regular canning lid ring when I make a whole recipe. For this menu I made the 12 steaks and put some in the freezer for another time.

Vegan Lentil Salisbury Steak
Twice Baked Potatoes
Asparagus
Red Pepper strips
Cinna-bun Cake

Pre-Sabbath Prep:
   Patties: Make the patties and the mushroom sauce.
   Potatoes: Bake the potatoes, mash, and stuff the potato skins.
   Asparagus: Prepare the asparagus.

Sabbath Prep: I place my food in my propane oven after breakfast with the pilot flame on and then turn the heat up to around 300° about an hour before I plan on serving. If you have a time-bake feature on your oven, this is a good time to use it.
   Patties, Potatoes, & Asparagus: Put steaks, potatoes, & asparagus in oven.

Lentil Salisbury Steak (1/2 recipe)
1 cup cooked lentils
1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
1/2 cup breadcrumbs, or Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon salt [I omitted salt because of the soy sauce]
Olive Oil

In a medium sized mixing bowl, add the cooked lentils. Using either a potato masher or fork, mash the lentils until they are almost all mashed, leaving a bit of texture.

Add all the remaining Salisbury steak ingredients to the bowl except the olive oil; that is for cooking them. Start to stir to mix the wet and dry together, then using your hands, continue to mix until fully combined. Knead the mixture together for a few minutes until it forms a nice dough ball that isn’t sticky anymore. (The longer you knead them, the firmer they will be.)

Taking large balls of dough, roll then flatten to look like steak. Repeat until you have formed all the dough into “steaks”. [I make mine smaller, about the size of a regular canning lid ring]

For a firmer steak, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the steaks on a sheet pan sprayed with non-stick spray and bake them for about 20-30 minutes or until the steaks are firm. [I find mine are firm enough with the frying only]

For a more tender steak, heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or non-stick pan on medium high. Add the steaks to the pan, as many as you can fit. You can do it in batches. Cook the lentil steaks on each side for 2-3 minutes until brown and cooked through. [I cooked my steaks for about 8-10 minutes over a medium heat]

If you baked the steaks first, just add them to the pan with olive oil to brown on each side for a minute, just to form a nice crust.

Remove the steaks from the pan and set aside while you make the gravy.

Mushroom Gravy (1/2 recipe)
This is the gravy recipe that comes with the Salisbury Steak recipe.

1 teaspoon olive oil
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 Tablespoons vegan butter
1 1/2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon thyme
Salt to taste

Now make the gravy, heat the olive oil in the same pan on medium high, add the mushrooms and garlic. Sauté for a few minutes, sprinkle with a bit of salt. Sauté until soft and a bit brown. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to low. Add the vegan butter and flour. Whisk together and cook for 1-2 minutes to make a roux. It should be a bit thick and paste like.

Add the veggie broth, whisk to combine. Simmer until it has thickened 2-4 minutes. Add the mushrooms back to the pan, and the spices. Stir. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Now either add the steaks back to the pan and cook with the gravy for a minute, then serve; or put the steaks on a serving dish and cover with gravy! Serve with veggies and carbs!

Twice Baked Potatoes
1 large baking potato per two people being served
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Buttery Stick or Spread
2-4 tablespoons Tofutti Sour Cream
2 tablespoons plant-based milk
1 green onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce the potato(es) and rub with a little oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for an hour, making certain they are sufficiently cooked through.

Place the “butter” and sour cream in a mixing bowl. Remove the potato(es) from the oven. With a sharp knife cut each potato in half lengthwise. Scrape out the insides into the mixing bowl, being careful not to tear the shell. Leave a small rim of potato intact for support. Lay the hollowed-out potato shells in a casserole dish or a baking sheet.

Smash the potatoes into the butter and sour cream. Add the milk, green onion, and salt to taste and mix together well. Fill the potato shells with the filling. Make it look as generous as possible.

Asparagus
1 bundle of asparagus
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 teaspoon dill weed, or to taste
Dash of garlic powder
Salt to taste

Wash and stem the asparagus. Cook in frying pan with just enough water to cover the asparagus for about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain.

Put margarine on a piece of aluminum foil large enough to wrap the asparagus. Place the cooled asparagus on the buttered foil and sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and dill weed, or any other seasoning you like to use with asparagus.

Wrap the foil around the asparagus and refrigerate.

Cinna-bun Cake in the Oven (1/2 recipe) also known as Cinnamon Roll Cake
This recipe calls for eggs and there are plenty of egg substitutes on the market. Certain foods can be used as egg replacer depending on the desired end product. For a light, soft sandwich bun, applesauce was my favorite egg substitute. As a binder, 1 tablespoon cornstarch can be a good egg replacer. In some cookies, mashed banana works. We were recently introduced to a plant-based product called JUST Egg whose foundational ingredient is the mung-bean. It’s a nice substitute to use in recipes such as the cake recipe below. It can be found in the egg department of the grocery store beside the Egg Beaters. 

1 1/2 cups flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup JUST egg = 1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup vegan butter, melted

Topping:
1/2 cup vegan butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons plant-based milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8 x 8 baking pan (buttered).

Mix all the base ingredients together, except for the butter. Add the melted butter last, and then pour into your prepared pan.

Mix all the topping ingredients together in a separate bowl. Mix well. Drop by teaspoonful over the base, as evenly as you can over the entire base. Take a butter knife and swirl the topping into the base.

Pop into the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes.

While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze and set aside.

Remove from oven and glaze the cake while still warm.