Strawberry Marinara with Asparagus and Seitan, Whole Wheat Orzo with Fennel and Ginger-Miso Sauce (No Added Fat)

The experiment with using strawberries in a tomato sauce that I tried on May 4th was a success, so I want to try other ways of using such a sauce, which I'll call "strawberry marinara". Tonight, we came back with over twenty-three pounds of organic, biodynamic strawberries from Whitted-Bowers Farm. A friend had gone picking with us, and her boyfriend was coming to meet her once we got back home, so I put together a late dinner for all of us.

In a small stainless steel sauce pan, I made the strawberry marinara very simply. All I did was:

1. Sliced six medium dehulled strawberries into halves, and put them in the pan. Over medium heat, I cooked, stirring, a few minutes till the strawberries were cooked down and jam-like.
2. I added about a half cup of a prepared marinara sauce and another six medium dehulled halved strawberries, as well as about 3 tablespoons of large 1/2" cubed onion and a quarter red bell pepper, cut into 3/8" cubes.
3. I cooked another 3 or 4 minutes till the new batch of strawberry was cooked down to jam consistency.

In the meantime, in a stainless steel saute pan:

1. I put in about a third of a medium Vidalia onion cut into 3/8" thick half moons and turned the heat on to medium-high.
2. I sauteed (with no oil, water, or broth) by stirring for a minute or two, then added an 8 ounce box of seitan strips. I continued stirring for about 5-7 minutes till the onion was slightly carmelized and the seitan lightly browned.
3. I then added the strawberry marinara, as well as a light sprinkle of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano. If I weren't rushing to make this meal, I'd have added some fresh herbs as well just before serving the meal.
4. I also added about a half dozen stalks of asparagus cut into 1" lengths.
5. I mixed all the ingredients and let them simmer on low heat for a few minutes, then served.

I also made a whole wheat orzo dish. The orzo needed nine minutes to cook; this is what I did:

1. In a medium stock pot 3/4 filled with water, I added a vegan bouillon cube and brought the broth to a boil.
2. I put in a cup or so of orzo into the pot and let it cook about nine minutes, as the package indicated, till the orzo was al dente.
3. While it was cooking, I made a quick miso sauce. I put into my VitaMix blender a chunk of peeled ginger (maybe a 1/2" cube), a tablespoon of miso, and a quarter cup of water. I blended just a few seconds till liquified.
4. Once the orzo was done, I mixed in the sauce, as well as just a little bit of 1/4" cubed onion (maybe 3 tablespoons).
5. I also added some fennel root (about a tablespoon of the root, cut into small 1/8" cubes) and a little bit (maybe a tablespoon) of fennel greens cut into 1/2" lengths.
6. I added two tablespoons of nutritional yeast, mixed, and served.

I served this with a simple salad of cucumber slices topped with lemon juice and hemp seeds. It was tasty!