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).
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.
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
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.
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.
Just wanted to throw my “welcome back!” out there along with everyone else. As an occasional (and usually accidental) vegan, I’m excited to have more recipes to try.
That looks AMAZING!
Maybe now you will send your testers the books they were promised. Way to show your appreciation!
Looks delicious!
I love the recipe. I love the pictures. My omni boyfriend loved the Hurry up Alfredo (I was told I should make it at least once a week), perhaps this teriyaki dish will get him eating green things! Thank you!
these look absolutely delicious!
Dirk
yay, you’re back!!!!!!!! <3
Welcome back!
I haven’t had Seitan is so long. What a great way to eat it again. I love the recipe and the photos make it look irresistable.
YAY! So glad you’re back!
I am soooo glad you are back! it looks delish!
Welcome back!
I hope you are feeling better!
Can’t wait to make this, but right now am making three spice potatoes for breakfast. I’d held off buying your cookbook because I “knew” one of my daughters would get it for me for Christmas, and I was not disappointed. I’d like to try more of the recipes but can’t get past this one… it is so darn good!
Just laughing because the recipe says “serves two” but I can eat the entire amount and still want more. Those potatoes are addictive.
Thanks for making such a wonderful book and website, and have a happy and healthy new year!
Thank god your back! I was so hoping for a new recipe tonight!
It’s so nice to see you posting again! Your photos are always so enticing they cause me to salivate!
It’s great to have you back :) and what a fantastic note on which to begin! Cheers! This recipe looks beautiful. Thanks for your unique outlook on cooking.
I was at work, end of day, starving as usual. Saw this post and had to make it for dinner. I cheated in a big way, bought bottled teryaki (loser that I am!) but I want to thank you for the inspiration. I ate quite well that night. Had my seitan with sauteed chard and brown rice. The leftovers were equally delicious.
Looks delicious! Glad to see you back! :-)
Take it easy, Chef. I hope that break helped you out a bit :)
Yay, you’re back! Not that I am not totally supportive of ‘you’ time : ) But – I am almost done with your book and am super excited you’re back!
oh goodness. YOU”RE BACK.
WE MISSED YOU <3
and keep the recipes rollin' please. *pathetically pitiful pleading face*
Yaaaaayyyyyyyy! You’re back!!!!!!! Bought the book, loved every recipe in it and have recently had a very successful wanton night thanks to you. I read a lot of cookbooks, but your style and approach is my favourite.
Thanks for another wonderfully simple, tasty and adaptable recipe. Please don’t stop.
I made this the other day. SO good! You’ve got a knack for
Asian sauces. I’ve been home-cooking for over 20 years…
everything from Indian to Moroccan to Middle Eastern. But the Asian dishes I’ve made, never quite came out right until I got a seasoned cast-iron pan and started making your Asian sauces.
Glad to see that you’re feeling better. It’s hard to gain perspective, find balance, find your center when your mind is overwhelmed with all-encompassing fear and worry. So it’s great to see that you’re back and to see another wonderful creation from you!
Dare I say it, I’m not a Vegan(more like a flexitarian who believes in humane, organic farming.) But, your blog is special and your cooking is special. That’s what I love so much about Vegan Yum Yum. Can’t wait to buy the book!
welcome back!
I have not tried Tempeh just yet. Looking forward to trying this recipe though
The ingredients lists “2 Clementines” in the top section but I don’t see anything about them in the directions (or the photos). Am I missing something? Do you just toss sections in at the end?
great to see you back. i bought your cookbook today at porter square books — and i love it! congrats on making it all happen.
I am so glad you’re back! I didn’t think I would be the only one to say that, but I am glad. Hope you are well. Thank you for the post!!!!!!!!!!!
Hooray!!! I’m so glad you’re back, especially since I just discovered you, your blog and your fantastic book all while you’re away! I’m OBSESSED with your IPhone app too…I just blogged about it tonight and made your Hot and Sour Cabbage Soup! It’s amazing and so are you!
So happy to have you back! And can’t wait to be a regular commenter here from now on!
XO,
Erin
wow…..welcome back! it look yummmm….. keep well ya:-)
The flavors for the sauce go so well together. Your images just totally enhance the upcoming delightful experience. I can’t wait to try it.
Im so thrilled to see you back and running again! I made this last night with a few more veggies ( I like asparagus + red bell peppers and onions) and my BF and I inhaled it.. we didnt even come up for air.. it was so yummy! thanks so much for this recipe, I look forward to more!
So glad that you’re back!!! The recipe looks amazing!! (of course) and I simply cant wait for more!
I swear, it feels like Christmas morning! :)
Thanks for the yummy recipe and kudos to the photographer on your site, the pictures (and recipes :-) as always awesome. Welcome back too!
Wow, those are amazing shots. What camera/lens are you using to shoot these? I recently bought my first SLR (D40) and have a lot to learn.
mmm I made this with tofu, broccoli and potstickers. It is so good! What a delicious recipe (and the pictures are gorgeous, too). Thank you so much! I think it’s wonderful that you are back, but please don’t feel like you have to do too much too soon. Your fans will support you no matter what.
Yay! You’re back! I REALLY missed you. Glad you’re feeling better. Now I get my pretty pictures of food fix…of course the recipes are great too LOL!
YAY she’s back! This looks great!
So glad to see you back, Lolo! I am making this for dinner tonight. My boyfriend is going to flip.
Okay, this was really fantastic. I doubled the seitan & broccoli amount (and added some kale), but kept the sauce amount the same. It was perfect! Really, really delicious. Served with rice noodles.
I’m glad you’re feeling better!
This looks awesome, but I’m missing a huge component of this recipe, as well as many others on your blog… I don’t know where to find seitan and tempeh! It’s not that I live in a small town… on the contrary, I live in a major city! I’ve been to the major grocery chains with no luck, and I’ve even visited a popular organic store in my area that doesn’t carry it either. Any suggestions as to where I can purchase them?
Yay! You’re back! Nice to see this lovely post.
This looks really great! I will have to try to cook this. I haven’t had broccolini before…but I will pick some up now!
I think you may have place the chopsticks the wrong way. But the pictures looks good, I will try this out.
Holy cow, this was great! I used tofu and asparagus since that is what I had, and I cooked brown rice to serve it with. It was amazing. I can’t wait to take the (scant) leftovers to my next class so I can taunt all of the non-vegans with my great lunch. :)
I made this last night with rapini and tempeh – it was delish! I used all the sauce, but I should have kept half for tonight!
have never commented before but just wanted to say good to see you posting again! have followed your blog for a while all the ways from ireland- your food is amazing!!!
Wow, this looks so tasty. Going to try making Seitan some time this week and this will be the first recipe I try with it. Thanks x
ABSOLUTELY DELISH!!! Just discovered your blog yesterday, made this dish last night – SO GOOD!!! The first teriyaki recipe that has ever come out right for me! This is a keeper! Thank you so much!
I just wanted to say welcome back!! I have been checking your site every week or two hoping for a new recipe and also glad that you have been takng care of yourself, but I’ll admit I almost did a little dance in my office when I clicked on the website and found that you had posted two new recipes YIPPEE!!!
Glad to see you are back at it again, hope all is well and thank you so much for creating this website!
Happy Tuesday!