Seitan Steak and Asparagus Roll-ups with Hollandaise Sauce

I saw a version of this recipe in a carni (or omni) cookbook, and I thought, "I could do this." The original called for thinly sliced top round sandwich steaks, pounded, so I started to think how I could come up with a seitan version. It also called for Swiss cheese, but I did not add any vegan cheese, and it tasted great. I've been experimenting with my own seitan recipes, and working them until I like the texture and flavor, and when I like one enough, I'll present it to you. This was a tad fancier than my family's used to, but a little fanciness does them good! With the asparagus tucked in the roll, and with the Hollandaise sauce drizzled on top, I loved this dish. I hope you do too. This recipe makes eight steaks, but I only used five for my family; I sliced up the remaining three for a stir-fry later. You can use any leftover sauce poured over steamed veggies the next night!

A Seitan Steak and Asparagus Roll-up with Hollandaise sauce, served with a helping of cous cous. The picture unfortunately came out a tad blurry.

When you shape the steaks, I suggest doing it directly on the foil, so they don't stick to the cutting board. Here are all the wrapped steaks in the pot, waiting to be steamed. See how I've kept them flat and rectangular.

Here are the Roll-ups on a platter, with their strings still on, just waiting to be served!

Seitan Steak and Asparagus Roll-ups with Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients:

Seitan Steaks:

1 cup slow-cooked pinto beans
2 cups vegetable broth
1 Tbs. garlic salt
1/2 cup steak sauce - The 365 organic brand at Whole Foods is vegan and free of corn syrup
1 Tbs. vegan Worchestire sauce
1/4 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. pepper
1 Tbs. dried oregano
3 cups gluten flour

3 asparagus spears per roll-up, bottoms trimmed
String for tying
Water for steaming and baking

Hollandaise Sauce:

6 Tbs. vegan margarine
4 Tbs. flour
2 cups original soy milk
1/2 tsp. turmeric
4 Tbs. nutritional yeast flakes
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/16 tsp. pepper

Directions for the Roll-ups: Put all the ingredients, except the gluten flour, in a blender, and process until mostly smooth. I have an ordinary blender, and it works just fine in mine. In a large bowl, add the blended ingredients and the gluten flour, and mix with a spoon thoroughly. Knead for a couple of minutes, to make sure it is blended well. Divide the dough into eight parts. On a large section of aluminum foil, pat out one of the dough parts into a rectangular shape the best you can on one edge of the foil. You want it approximately eight inches in length and the width of your hand. (You will be rolling this around the asparagus, so you don't want it so thin, it will break apart, but you want it long enough, so that the ends reach around.) Once you have your shape, flip the foil and steak over one time, fold down the top and bottom edges, and continue to flip the steak over until it reaches the other edge. You don't want to roll it, you want to keep it flat. Hopefully, you'll have about three flips total. Do the same with the other steaks. Place in a large pot with a steamer basket and a couple of inches of water, and steam over medium heat for forty-five minutes. Take the wrapped steaks out of the pot. You can put in the fridge those you won't be using in this dish; this recipe is using five steaks. Quickly unwrap the steaks and let them cool slightly while you prepare the asparagus. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bring a medium pot of water to boil. Carefully drop in the asparagus spears and blanch for three minutes. Drain the spears and rinse under cold water. Put each steak over a long piece of string length wise. Place three spears across the center of each steak, so it forms a "t" and fold the ends over, so they touch. Holding the steak edges in place, tie the string securely in a bow. I had GR help me pinch the ends together in place while I tied the string. I found I needed that little extra help. Place the roll-ups in a baking pan, and pour 2/3 cup of water in the bottom of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Pull the pan out, flip the roll-ups over, add another 2/3 cup of water, and bake for another 20 minutes.

Directions for the Hollandaise Sauce: During the last ten minutes of baking, start the sauce. In a medium pot, melt the margarine over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until there is a sort of paste. Add the soy milk slowly and continue to whisk, so there are no lumps. Add the remaining ingredients, and continue whisking until the sauce thickens. This only takes a few minutes. If you find it's cooking too fast, turn the heat down to medium low. Once it's thickened, set aside for the roll-ups.

Plate each roll-up, cutting away the string. Drizzle the desired amount of sauce over each roll-up. Round out the dish by serving a healthy grain. A nice meal. Feeds five hungry vegans.