Seitan Cutlets with Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans

This is a hearty "comfort food" meal.
Ingredients
For the Rustic Mashed Potatoes:
5-6 Yukon gold or red potatoes, washed and diced
8 cups of water
2-3 T non-hydrogenated vegetable spread, or olive oil
1/2 - 1 cup plain rice, soy or almond milk, unsweetened
1-2 pinches sea salt
Optional*: 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
For the Mushroom Gravy:
Yield: 1 1/2 cups
10 ounces button, baby portabella, or cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 cup onion, diced fine (optional)
2 T water
1/4 cup whole wheat flour or arrowroot
1 cup water or vegetable broth
1-2 T tamari or soy sauce
2 tsps Italian seasoning
1/4 - 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth to dilute if too thick
For the Seitan Savory Cutlets:
1-2 T water
1 small onion, diced
4 mushrooms, sliced
16 oz. seitan strips
1-2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
1-2 tsp Italian seasoning
1-2 T water
Steamed Green Beans
10-12 ounces of fresh green beans, washed and trimmed
Large pot or wok with steaming basket and lid
3-4 cups of water
Preparation
For the Rustic Mashed Potatoes:
Wash and remove eyes from potatoes. Do not peel. Cut into 1-2 inch cubes. In a medium sized sauce pan, bring potatoes and enough water to cover potatoes to boil (approximately 8 cups).
When the potatoes are soft (about 15 minutes), drain (you can keep this water for vegetable stock). Put the potatoes back into sauce pan. Add a couple of tablespoons of margarine or oil, 1/2 cup of rice, soy or almond milk and mash with potato masher (a pastry cutter also works well). If the potatoes are too dry, add more margarine/oil and/or milk until desired consistency is reached. Add salt to taste and serve warm.
For the Mushroom Gravy:
Clean and slice the mushrooms. In a sauce pan, cook the mushrooms and onions in water until soft – about 3-5 minutes. While this is cooking, whisk flour and 1 cup water or broth until smooth (pour the water into flour and whisk constantly).
Add the flour mixture, tamari and Italian seasonings to the mushrooms. Bring gravy to a boil and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often.
If the gravy is too thick, add some of the remaining water or broth. Season and serve warm.
For the Seitan Savory Cutlets:
In a large skillet or wok, heat 1-2 tablespoons of water. Cook the onions and mushrooms until onions are soft. Add separated strips of seitan , tamari, spices, and water. Stir and cover. When seitan is heated, and liquid is nearly evaporated, serve.
For the Steamed Green Beans:
Place the steaming basket and water in the pot or wok and bring to boil. Scatter beans in basket, cover and steam for 4-5 minutes. The beans should be bright green and slightly crunchy. Serve warm.
Additional Tips
* Garlic may be added to the mashed potatoes for more zing. Just throw 1-2 peeled cloves into the pot when the potatoes are boiling.
For home made seitan see the How to Make Seitan video.
Use any combination of potatoes you want – purple, red, yellow, white, sweet, yams, etc.