Country Style Breakfast: Crispy Seitan Cutlets, Potato Hash and Raw Zucchini Salad

This morning I wanted a big hearty breakfast. I don’t know why I was so hungry this morning, but whatever the reason a big “country style" breakfast was in order. I decided to crisp a couple of seitan cutlets this morning and serve it with potato hash and raw zucchini salad. It sounds like a lot of work but I had breakfast ready in about 15 minutes.

First I sliced the zucchini and onion thinly and moved it to a big bowl and topped with sherry vinegar, oil, oregano, salt and pepper to marinate while I made the hot dishes.

The hot portion of the breakfast was made this morning in my cast iron skillet. When I put the skillet on the heat to warm up I also set my onion to 200 degrees to keep the cutlets warm while I made the hash.

For the cutlets I crisped them quickly in the cast iron skillet in a touch of canola oil. This took just a couple of minutes per side and then moved them to a baking sheet in the oven.

While the cutlets were crisping I had the potatoes in the microwave getting soft.

Next I placed the sliced onions and poblano pepper in the skillet and quickly cooked them in the skillet until the onions soften and the peppers blister. I then added the potatoes and cooked them until they began to get a little crunchy on the outside. It is important not to move the potatoes around often so that they will form a little crust. Add the sliced roasted red pepper for a couple a minutes and then plate the potatoes. I moved the seitan back to the skillet briefly to make certain that it was warm enough and then moved it to the plate. Add the raw zucchini salad and you are ready for breakfast.

If you are looking for a very filling country style breakfast, we thought this was a very nice breakfast this morning. This breakfast also contains a nice amount of protein (36 grams) and fiber (7 grams). The total fat was a little higher than I wanted (18%), but when that happens I lower the fat content in the remaining meals to get the total down for the day.



Raw Zucchini Salad
Serves 3

Ingredients:

3 cups of zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
a few thin slices of red onion
2 tablespoons of sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil
dried oregano, to taste
kosher salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Allow the salad to sit for a few minutes before serving (longer is also good). You could add fresh parsley or capers to this salad.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 37.67
Calories From Fat (40%) - 14.92

Total Fat - 1.75g
Saturated Fat - 0.26g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 12.84mg
Potassium - 339.41mg
Total Carbohydrates - 5.48g
Fiber - 1.57g
Sugar - 2.15g
Protein - 1.61g



Crispy Seitan Cutlets
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 pressure cooked seitan cutlets – mild flavor
½ teaspoon of canola oil

Directions:

Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat and wipe the pan with a paper towel coated with a little canola oil. Cook the seitan for a couple of minutes per side. You want the cutlet to form a nice crust on the exterior. Move the seitan to a 200-degree oven to stay warm while you make the rest of the meal.

Nutritional Information:

Amount per Serving
Calories - 205.74
Calories From Fat (20%) - 41.32

Total Fat - 4.67g
Saturated Fat - 0.4g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 390.31mg
Potassium - 331.19mg
Total Carbohydrates - 11.62g
Fiber - 0.73g
Sugar - 0.65g
Protein - 29.8g



Potato, Poblano, Roasted Red Pepper and Red Onion Hash
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 large red potatoes (approximately 6 ounces each)
1 poblano pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red onion, sliced
2 roasted red peppers, sliced
1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar
kosher salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel that has a little canola oil. You won’t need any more fat than what is on the towel. It works well to use tongs to hold the towel.

Clean the potatoes and pierce them with the tip of a paring knife. Microwave the potatoes until they are just tender.

Add the poblano pepper strips and onion slices to the pan and cook until the pepper skin blisters and the onion has softened. Add the roasted red pepper strips and the sherry vinegar and cook until the red peppers have been heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot.

Nutritional Information:

Amount Per Serving
Calories - 198.38
Calories From Fat (12%) - 23.2

Total Fat - 2.64g
Saturated Fat - 0.22g
Cholesterol - 0mg
Sodium - 155.6mg
Potassium - 1049.43mg
Total Carbohydrates - 40.77g
Fiber - 5.02g
Sugar - 1.15g
Protein - 5.05g

Comments:

This is what I consider a vegan country style breakfast. My grandmother used to make big southern breakfasts when I was a small child. Potato hash was something she included in her weekend breakfast feasts. This breakfast was very quick but somehow felt like a weekend breakfast. Both my husband and I liked the mixture of hot and cold items. We are both fond of the acidity from sherry vinegar, which is why it appeared twice this morning. The seitan cutlets that are pressure-cooked have such a nice tender texture with a little crispiness on the exterior from the cast iron pan. We both enjoyed this weekend breakfast on a Friday before work. I hope you like it as much as we did.