Seitan Cakes

I was lucky to get a Candle 79 cookbook for Christmas this past year.  My hubby and I ended up having our New Years Eve plans get cancelled on us right before NYE, so we decided to spend some quality time together and just ‘chill’ and have a laid back NYE on our own.  We wanted to do some smaller appetizer type foods & finger foods versus a big dinner.  We decided the Seitan Cakes looked way too good not to try.  So we set out to first make some Seitan, as it is very easy to make yourself (see my post on DIY Seitan,) and then to make these lovely cakes for dinner.

The recipe uses a granny smith coleslaw, as well as a cashew cream sauce to top them, but since we sort of spur of the moment decided to make them, we had to use what we had.  I decided to grab some horseradish from the store and use Veganaise to make a yummie horsie sauce, as I call it.  I determined that we would top with the horsie sauce and some capers.

We didn’t have any breadcrumbs either, so I improvised and used some plain ‘Shake & Bake’ in place of the breadcrumbs.

The recipe itself is fairly easy to make as all you’re doing is chopping up some Seitan, adding egg replacer, leeks, scallions, and some seasoning and rolling them in breadcrumbs then lightly pan frying them.  I have to say, the Old Bay Seasoning smelled heavy of celery, and I absolutely hate celery.  We do not get along at all.  I am no fan of that stuff.  So I was immediately disappointed thinking that I would hate the seasoning and taste of the cakes.  Even though celery is the first, and therefore main, ingredient in the Old Bay Seasoning, these Seitan Cakes did not disappoint.  I was really quite glad I used the horsie sauce and capers as I thought it gave them a great flavor and just added to the already amazing taste.  I believe if you attempted it ‘Candle 79’ style, you would likely have felt they were very comparable to crab cakes, sans death and cruelty.  I will absolutely be making them again, as they were easy and absolutely delish!  I think even non-vegans would enjoy these as an appetizer.  I think they’d also do well as a mock ‘crab’ stuffing to other items…like mushrooms, etc.

First Candle 79 cookbook recipe experience: Success!