THE PRINCESS BRIDE – Fezzik’s Seitan Stew & Dumplings (aka Thieves Forest Stew)

Okay… for those of you who know me, you are probably surprised I haven’t had a Princess Bride “Dinner and a Movie” night yet!  I am a long time fan of this movie. Ever since I saw it, this movie has always been in my top 5.  As everyone in my family knows, I LOVE this movie and I often quote it (and so do they!). I was once even Princess Buttercup for Halloween 🙂

(As a mom, I must warn you, there is a bit of mild violence… there are several sword-fighting scenes, but you may also want to watch out for the scene with Westley & “the Machine”… the part when they are in the Fire-swamp where Westley wrestles (& kills) a Rodent of Unusual Size… & when Inigo finally meets up with the 6-fingered man – those parts may need a little parental guidance for your little ones.  The movie is rated PG. That being said, read on!)

This beloved classic fairytale begins with a grandfather reading his favorite book “The Princess Bride” to his hard-to-impress grandson. This book, he promises, has everything – “Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Revenge. Giants. Monsters. Chases. Escapes. True love. Miracles.” http://www.princessbrideforever.com/

Also, this movie is full of so many wonderful actors… Carey Elwes, Andre the Giant, Mandy Patinkin, Robin Wright (Penn), Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, Chris Sarandon, Carol Kane, Wallace Shawn, Fred Savage, Peter Falk… who am I forgetting?! Check out these pictures below of the characters!

My kids LOVE this movie and most recently I have recently witnessed them quoting it, which I find hilarious! (Or should I say “inconceivable”!) We were out at a restaurant, & my daughter switched cups with her brother and very excitedly said “Mom! I switched glasses when his back was turned!” (which is one of many memorable moments in the movie). For a while there, my daughter demanded that we play “Princess Bride” daily. Sofia is always Buttercup, Arlo is always Westley – aka the man in black- and I am always Inigo (LOL why this is, i don’t know!)… I think the plot of our game is to capture the 6 fingered man, because we are always pretending we are going after him!

So, I got the idea for pairing this movie & stew from the part where Fezzik nurses his friend Inigo back to health (pictured above). I couldn’t decide whether to call it “Fezzik’s (Get Well) Seitan Stew” or “Thieves Forest Stew” (which is where this scene takes place). Call it what you want! It’s really the perfect meal for this movie though, since stew is often considered a poor/peasant-type meal and most of the characters fit into that category.  Also, this is a good meal for THIS present moment, because the flu is going around and wintery weather calls for a nice filling hearty get-well soup!

Fezzik’s (Get Well) Seitan Stew & Dumplings/ Thieves Forest Stew

For the stew, you will need:

• 1 small onion, sautéed
• 2 cups seitan, torn into small pieces and sautéed (2  8-oz. boxes of Westsoy seitan strips gave me more than what I needed)
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3 cups chunked potatoes (about 3 medium Yukon gold)
• 2 cups carrots, sliced into thin rounds
• 1 cup peas
• 1 cup mushrooms (I used a 4 oz can of sliced mushrooms)
• 5 Tbsp unbleached flour
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup tamari
• 1/2 cup soymilk (add an extra > 1/2 cup of soy milk or broth if you want to make the dumplings)
• 3 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1) First saute your onion. Set aside in a bowl. Use the same pan to saute your seitan until lightly browned. Set aside for a few minutes.

2) Pour your broth into a large non-stick pot. Add potatoes & carrots. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer. Stir in peas, mushrooms, flour, olive oil, tamari, soy-milk, nutritional yeast, & the sautéed onion & seitan. Simmer until potatoes and carrots are soft. This should take about 45 minutes-1 hour.

Vegan Dumplings

These dumplings are optional but they are a delicious addition! (This is my mom’s egg dumpling recipe, veganized! Thanks Mama!) **If you decide to make the dumplings on top, add an extra 1/2 cup soy milk or broth to your stew first since the dumplings will absorb some of the stew.**

• 1  1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg equivalent (I used the boxed Ener-G-Egg Replacer for this)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup soy milk

Mix dry. Mix wet separately, and add to dry. Drop onto gently boiling stew, about 6-9 “biscuits”. Cook, gently bubbling, uncovered over low heat for 10 minutes. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Scoop into bowls and serve! (Please see notes under the pictures below.)