Seitan and Broccolini with Clementine Teriyaki

Seitan and Broccolini with Clementine Teriyaki

So how about we get this yummy vegan train back up and running again? Let’s talk teriyaki.

This isn’t a real teriyaki sauce, but it’s definitely inspired by one. Teriyaki sauce is one of those things that is really easy to make at home successfully, so if you’ve been going without or buying expensive bottles of the stuff, you can stop! It literally has three ingredients, but you can obviously get fancier with it if you like.

Soy Sauce
Sugar
Mirin or Sake

That’s it, people. Mix, reduce over heat, and eat up.

So this sauce isn’t really a teriyaki sauce because I use rice vinegar instead of mirin. Mirin is a sweet, thick rice wine that’s very commonly used in Japanese cooking, but I happen to be out of it at the moment. I’ve found that rice vinegar makes a good substitute (though not 1:1, necessarily), and can be much easier to find in supermarkets.

I’m not sure if this is a common substitution or not, and perhaps people familiar with Japanese cooking would screw up their face at the idea, but it works. And it’s tasty. So there you have it.

I also added clementine zest and juice to my teriyaki sauce. I love the sweetness and the bright citrus note it adds to the dish. I think any citrus you have would work here, and you can even leave it out altogether if you like (sub water for the juice, add a little more sugar if you like).

Clementine Zest

It’s winter, and it’s high season for clementines. If you haven’t already picked up one of those enticing wooden crates full of them at the supermarket, I encourage you to do so. They are sweet, seedless, easy to peel, and all-around amazing. You will finish the entire crate, I promise you. And if not, now you have a recipe to use some of them in. And if you still have leftovers, send them to me.

Sushi Rice

As with most of my recipes, this one is pretty flexible. I used broccolini because I LOVE the stuff, but regular broccoli, asparagus, or your favorite veggie will stand in nicely. I served this with sushi rice, but noodles would be welcome. The seitan is perfect here, but tofu or even tempeh would be lovely as well. Orange juice will cover for clementine. This is a great recipe to adapt to use your favorite ingredients, or at least the ones you have sitting in your fridge at the moment.

If you like, add some sesame oil, or garlic, or ginger to the sauce. I love it how it is, and appreciate its simplicity, but this sauce can be used more as a base sauce you can embellish any which way you like.

Seitan and Broccolini with Clementine Teriyaki

Seitan and Broccolini with Clementine Teriyaki
Serves Two

8 Ounces Sliced Seitan (I use West Soy brand)
1 Cup Sushi RIce
6-8 Stalks of Broccolini
2 Clementines
1 Tbs Vegetable Oil
Japanese Seven Spice, optional

Clementine Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 Cup Low Sodium Tamari
1/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Fresh Clementine Juice
1/4 Cup + 1 Tbs Rice Vinegar
1/4 Cup Water
Zest from 1 Clementine

Rinse your sushi rice in cool water and drain. Cook in your rice cooker or on the stove according to package directions, but 1 cup of sushi rice is usually cooked in 1 1/4 cups of water. Allow to cook completely and steam for 5-10 minutes off the heat while you are preparing the rest of the meal. Total cooking time for the rice will be around 20 minutes.

Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small pan let it go at a lively simmer for 20 minutes, until reduced and slightly thick. The sauce will NOT be super thick when it is hot. It will very slightly cover the back of a spoon and look syrupy, but it’s not going to be thick until it cools, so don’t worry if it seems runny. At the end of the cooking you should see large, excited bubbles (this is the sugar caramelizing), so if you don’t see those, keep cooking. Once the sauce is done, it’ll taste good but pretty strong. Set aside.

Sliced Seitan

While the sauce and the rice are cooking, prepare your seitan and broccolini. Slice the seitan into 1/8″ thick medallions, or something similar. I usually don’t prep broccolini any more than rinsing it and chopping off the ends, but if the stalks are particularly thick, you may wish to half them lengthwise. This shouldn’t be the case with most bunches you find in the store, however.

Heat a large non-stick or cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the seitan and let brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a bowl, turn up the heat to high, and add broccolini in one layer. Once you get color on one side, flip, reduce heat to low, and cover the pan to finish the cooking, another 2-3 minutes. The broccolini should be bright green and cooked to a tender-crisp.

Once you are ready to serve, add the seitan to the pan with the broccolini. Drizze enough teriyaki sauce in to coat everything. Beware, if the pan is too hot you risk burning your sauce, so take good care here. Once everything is heated and covered in a nice glaze, serve immediately with the sushi rice. Top with seven spice if you like a little heat.

This sauce is strong so you just need enough to coat — save any extra for a future meal.

Seitan and Broccolini with Clementine Teriyaki

129 comments

  3. Elle

    This looks gorgeous! I’ll admit, I love buying the adorable little crates of Clementines–and now I have another reason to do just that.

    Reply
  13. stidmama

    Glad you’re back . This looks perfect for Saturday (I need to get clementines..)!

    Thank you for the great ideas. I cook at least once a week from your cookbook, too!

    Reply
  15. Jennifer M

    So glad to see you’re back! Love this new recipe. I got your cookbook for Christmas, and have been loving that I don’t need to bring my laptop into my kitchen to cook anymore! Thanks for all you do for vegan food. You rock! :)

    Reply
  16. Bethany

    Yeah, thanks for the recipe. It looks so good and simple. I have never made a teriyaki sauce and can’t wait to try it. So glad to have you blogging again. You are much appreciated.

    Reply
  19. Kristina

    We will have to try this one with a gluten-free alternative. I have been using your recipes for lunches lately and receive lots of compliments on how yummie my food looks and smells. I tell them all to head over to your site! Thanks!

    Reply
  20. Kyle

    heavens, you sure do make a beautiful food photo!! So glad you’re feeling like blogging again – talent like yours can’t be kept hidden for too long. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  28. Delyla

    Yay, yay, yay! So glad you are back and I cannot even get half of the ingredients you use. Even so, I can still be fully inspired!

    Reply
  29. Louise

    So glad you’re back, Lo! It looks amazing! But please feel free to take another break any time, even though we’ll miss you of course.

    Reply
  31. windycityvegan

    So glad you’re back!! I can’t wait to try this recipe out. I’ve already made broccoli twice this week so I’m resisting the urge to make this tonight, but by this weekend my husband and daughter will be ready for another broccoli dish. And thanks for breaking down the teriyaki basics – it’s one of the few prepared things I still buy, I can’t believe I never figured out how easy it would be to make from scratch.

    Reply
  32. sarah

    So glad you are feeling well enough to blog again. I said, “YES!” out loud when your blog came up in my google reader. Thanks for taking care of us (and taking care of yourself first)

    Reply
  35. allison

    I’m glad you’ve made it back. I have some clementines and homemade seitan on hand and this will be what we’re having tonight. Yummy.

    Reply
  37. Greengate

    I have seitan in the fridge! I can do this recipe with a bit of fudging here tonight. Mr. Williams and Dad will be surprised! Welcome back — I am looking forward to a YumYum spring. xo

    Reply
  40. Shawna

    welcome back, and thanks for yet another easy to make yummy sauce! have been really loving the cookbook, too. thanks for keeping the new ideas coming… your recipes have changed my life/cooking habits in more ways than one.

    Reply
  41. Anne

    Welcome back! This looks delicious. Also, you can use the clementines for the wonderful clementine cake you posted last year!

    Reply
  43. thomas j.

    Made this last night, turned out amaaaazing! And there’s definitely lots of room for variation like you metioned w/ subbing seitan for tofo and/or tempeh. The clementines added a nice touch, but I definitely want to try it w/o as well for comparison. But thanks for this awesome recipe, and glad to have you back!

    Reply
  44. karla

    Welcome back Lauren! You have been missed :)
    Btw made your napoleon stacks for xmas dinner and the family absolutley devoured them! thnx for the great recipe!

    Reply
  45. Karen Cooley Jennings

    I cannot begin to tell you how happy I am that you are back. Have so enjoyed all your recipes and posts. May 2010 be a better year for all of us. Warmest regards

    Reply
  46. Raven

    I can only say what others have already said: It’s great to have you back! I hope you will be happy and healthy from now on. Thanks for this and all of your recipes.
    Raven

    Reply
  48. D

    Missed you! I am so excited to try this recipe out! And so glad you shared the secret of Teriyaki sauce – I have not only been buying it at the supermarket, but also always buying the most expensive brand I can find, in the hopes it will be good quality. I had no idea it was something basic enough that I could make it myself -I can’t wait to get home and experiment!

    SO good to have a new recipe from you!

    Reply
  49. Crystal

    I substituted rice wine vinegar for mirin in a recipe just last night. And to think I thought I was clever for doing so.

    Reply

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