Seitan & Scalloped Potatoes Casserole

The "Seitan & Scalloped Potatoes Casserole" (page 317) is not a dish to start on the spur of the moment. It requires prepared seitan, but you can use store-bought instead of homemade if you want to skip this step. It also requires a recipe of the Basic Brown Sauce (page 545), but in my opinion, there is no shortcut for this. This golden sauce is the heart of the casserole, imparting a rich gravy-like essence to the dish, and worth the extra effort and time to make it. In addition to the preparatory steps, the casserole bakes in the oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. With all this in mind, I still highly recommend you set aside the time to try this. The layers of onion, bell pepper, potatoes, seitan, and sauce mingle in a perfect union of flavor, texture, and satisfaction. This makes a great dish to serve to guests, as it is sure to please vegan and non-vegans alike.

 

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

ü  Omit the oil when sautéing the veggies. Use a nonstick soup pot and/or a little water, broth, or sherry for the sauté liquid.

ü  Buy or make an oil-free version of seitan.

ü     Be sure to adapt the Basic Brown Sauce to make it oil free (see my review here).

ü  Skip adding the dots or margarine to the top layer of the casserole. You won't miss it!