Homemade Seitan That's Easy And Delicious

Family recipe for the best beef stew
ever. Recipe coming next week.

I actually like using seitan in my vegan recipes. And no, it doesn't taste like chicken or beef or pork  or any of the other "meat" products out there, but when it's part of a great recipe, those chunks of seitan have so much the mouth feel of meat that they can fool the brain.

Now you may be the sort of vegan who doesn't miss meat. But I grew up eating it and while I now gladly forgo it in order to follow doctor's orders to avoid a possible fifth intestinal surgery, adding seitan to my recipes gives me the satisfaction of biting into something that feels like a chunk of meat. Besides the psychological pleasure I derive, seitan is easy for me to digest--whereas the real thing was partly responsible for too many intestinal surgeries. But that's another story.

In the last year and a half I've doled out more than a few bucks buying seitan at my local health food store. It was a product I always kept in the refrigerator in case whatever recipe I was working on would benefit from the taste of "meat." But since my budget is tight, I began wondering if I could make the seitan myself. I questioned my few vegan friends and from their answers, I decided that I didn't want to tackle such a time-consuming project, especially when the general consensus was that the end result was just too nasty to eat.  

Then I bought Chloe Coscarelli's book, "Chloe's Kitchen" and right there in the back was a recipe for seitan. The reason it intrigued me was because every recipe of hers I'd tried had been a blue ribbon winner. Surely her recipe for seitan would follow suit. The ingredient list was small and the directions were simple. I changed only a few spices to suit my personal taste and doggone if it didn't come out perfect on the first try. To make things easy, I mixed all the ingredients in my food processor (one of my tweaks) and had that ball of slippery dough in the cooking pot in less than ten minutes. I dare you to give this a try. My guess is you'll never spend the money for commercial seitan again. The home made stuff costs much less per pound and tastes way better. Who can argue with those odds?

EASY HOME MADE SEITAN

Makes 1 1/2 pounds 

Into a food processor bowl put:

1 1/3 cups vital wheat gluten

1 cup water

Knead the dough until it is smooth and shiny, about 5 minutes in the processor. Do not under knead.

The dough will feel tough, unlike any other dough you've ever made. Relax. That is how it's supposed to be.

Allow the dough to rest 5-10 minutes. Cut it into as many pieces as you wish. I cut mine into three sections so I'd have a ball of seitan ready for use in any recipe I might choose to make.

While the dough rests, get out a BIG pot and fill it with:

4 cups of vegetable stock or no-chicken broth. I used the no-chicken for the added flavor to the seitan.

1/4 cup soy sauce

Pinch of red pepper flakes

1 tsp. dry parsley

Stir to combine. Add the dough balls to the cold broth. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer the dough balls for 30 minutes. Be sure you use a large pot. The balls expand during cooking and become rather like gigantic dumplings.

After 30 minutes, turn the dough balls over, and simmer another 30 minutes uncovered.

Allow the seitan balls to cool in the broth.

Once thoroughly cooled, I put my three dough balls into separate freezer containers, along with enough broth to cover the seitan. The product will last up to 4 months frozen; about 3-4 days refrigerated.

I found that freezing the seitan increased its meaty mouth feel, though I can't explain why. 

As is, the seitan has little taste, rather like a mushroom. But it's porous texture allows all manner of spices and sauces to sink into it and so far I've been delighted at how it can take on the flavors I love. I can make it taste like chicken or beef. I can slice it as I would a roast or grind it into taco meat. The herbs and spices you surround it with will determine the end flavor. 

The homemade seitan is only the beginning. I defrost a ball of prepared dough then either cook it atop the stove or in the oven, turning it into stew or chicken picatta or teriyaki steaks. I am limited only by my imagination.

My seitan chicken pot pie is a favorite. For this photo, I removed
most of the top crust to make the filling visible.

Mongolian BBQ--Seitan Style

Mongolia is a land of high desert studded with
mountain ranges. Perfect for the contry's meat and dairy
industry.

I confess that I've never eaten any kind of food called Mongolian--let alone had it barbecued. The only thing I ever heard about Mongolia was that some parents threatened their kids with being sent to Outer Mongolia for misbehaving, though I never knew any kids who ended up there. At least I don't think I do as none of my pals growing up ever disappeared overnight.

Now I'm pretty good in geography, but I'm going to tell you that I had to get down my globe to find out where Mongolia is. I know, I know, you're all laughing because you know it's a country bordered by Russia and China. Truthfully, I think I must not have been paying attention in geography class the day that part of the globe was being discussed.

So I Googled the country and found out more than my brain wished to remember. All of that research just because I came across a recipe for Mongolian BBQ made with Seitan--a faux meat product made of protein-rich wheat gluten. The dish sounded like something I'd like eating. Spicy. Sweet. Crunchy. Chewy. The accompanying photo made me drool. Well, not really, but almost. And then I discovered that the recipe I was so crazy about wasn't even from Mongolia. Some clever chef once fried up a bunch of beef and put a hot, spicy sauce on it and called it Mongolian BBQ.  That's been it's name ever since. And from what I've learned, the dish is now served in that country, even though it didn't originate there. Figure that one out.

It doesn't matter what you name this recipe. It would taste great if it was known as "Gunk". But I warn you. It is warm on the tongue and the back of the throat, though it doesn't make my mouth hurt or my lips swell in pain. And while the food is spicy, it's a good kind of heat that I found addictive and I wished I'd doubled the recipe. By the time my guests and I finished eating, all that remained was a bit of the steamed rice I'd served as a side. Everything else was gone. Which only means I'm going to have to make it again. And soon. Because yes, it was that good.

MONGOLIAN BBQ

1/4 cup hoisin sauce

1/4 cup water

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. agave nectar

1 tsp. lemon juice

2 tsp. sirracha

2 Tbs. vegetable oil

8 oz. mushrooms of your choice

8 oz. package of seitan, cubed or cut into strips

2 tsp. grated ginger, fresh

1 good pinch of cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 big handful of snow peas

2 green onions, sliced thin

1/4 cup diced cilantro

3 cups steamed rice

Make the sauce by combining the first six ingredients together in a small bowl.

Place a large wok or skillet on medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil and stir fry the mushrooms and seitan until they are lightly browned. Add the snow peas, scallions, and cilantro and and cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the spices and stir fry another 3-5 minutes.

Add the sauce to the pan, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking until the sauce has thickened. Serve over the steamed rice.

Try not to smack your lips while eating.

Serves 3-4, depending upon how many sides you have.

Vegans are always ready to try something new and tasty.

This recipe has been adapted from the cookbook, Chloe's Ktichen.

Busy Day Stir Fry As Good As Take-Out

Every Christmas I ask myself the same question: If Santa has elves to help him get ready for the big day, why can't I? I never receive an answer, so this year I took myself seriously and began hunting for elves for rent.

I looked in the yellow pages, the want ads, Googled elves for rent, put an ad on Twitter and posted my desires on Facebook. Not a single elf to be found. I suppose Santa has them all tied up this time of year. Personally, I think that's being selfish. But then again, the elves are likely thrilled. Seems they are the only ones who never have to deal with being unemployed.

My wishes were few: elves to make the presents or shop for the presents; wrap the presents; write the Christmas cards and get them in the mail; fill the candy dishes with goodies; put up the tree and decorate it; then make the cookies for Santa and make sure they were on the table Christmas Eve, along with a glass of milk. After all, sliding down chimneys has to be hard work.

After reaching the conclusion that no elves were available, I picked myself up and decided to do things myself. Just like always. I'm busy, busy. Just like all of you. That's why I dug out a favorite vegan cookbook and stirred up a favorite recipe. I like Robin Robertson's "Vegan On The Cheap", not only for its tasty offerings, but because everything in it is economical to make.

Since I love Chinese food, and Robin's recipe for stir fry that's as good or better than take-out is not only a favorite dish, but quick to make, I thought you might like to give it a try during this busy season. I made a few adjustments, as I always seem to do. You know me by now. I always have to change something for my own palette. You can do the same. Oh, and by the way, if you hear of any elves for rent in your neighborhood, send me a note so I know where to find them next year.

BETTER THAN TAKE-OUT STIR-FRY

3 cups broccoli florets, cut small

1 large carrot, thinly sliced

1 pound extra firm tofu, drained and pressed

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbs. cornstarch

4 green onions

2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 tsp. grated fresh ginger

1 cup vegetable stock

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 Tbs. brown sugar

2 Tbs. rice vinegar

2 Tbs. dry sherry (I left out since I didn't have it on hand)

1 Tbs. ketchup

1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1/2 tsp. Asian chili paste

2 Tbs. water

Freshly cooked rice

I used my big wok since it makes stir-frying a cinch.

The recipe calls for steaming the broccoli and carrots until tender, but I don't care for steamed veggies, so I stir fried them and placed them aside till later in the recipe.

Cut the tofu into small dice and place in a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of the corn starch over the tofu and toss to coat.

In the wok, place a thin layer of vegetable oil and set the heat to medium. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove the tofu from the wok and set aside.

Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil in the wok set over medium heat. Add the green onions, garlic, ginger, and cook till soft. Stir in the stock, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, sherry, ketchup, sesame oil, and chili paste. 

Combine the remaining 1 Tbs. of corn starch with 2 Tbs. of water and pour into the wok, stirring to thicken. Add the tofu and cooked vegetables back into the pan and cook long enough to heat everything through. Serve over hot rice.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I do. Even the non-vegans I've served it to always go back for more.

Serves 4

These are the non-vegans who ate my stir fry. Don't they look happy?

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Lazy Sundays

And frankly, I don't want to cook. I've hauled rocks, dug bulbs, moved soil, sold some wonderful flowers and worked for my friend Pam on a beautiful wedding at the Pratt Place Inn. I'm whooped and I have a hitch in my getalong. But I am hungry.

Tonight, vegan fried rice. Quick, nutritious and delicious. And I am breaking one of the cardinal rules for making fried rice. I am using brown rice.Not that heavy, sticky, gloppy brown rice that gives brown rice a bad name. Light and fluffy brown rice whose kernels separate and resembles not that crap we were served in health food restaurants of years past. The trick is to boil your brown rice for twenty minutes in plenty of salted water like you would for pasta. Drain it and then steam it until tender and fluffy, another twenty minutes or so. Spread it out on a baking sheet to cool in your refrigerator. When it is cold, it is ready to use for fried rice. A revelation!

Quick Vegan Fried Rice

1  red bell pepper, chopped
5 green onions, sliced on a diagonal
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup, frozen peas
2 tablespoons ginger, minced or grated
1/2 package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/3 cup Braggs  Liquid Aminos or tamari soy sauce
1/3 cup dry sherry or rice wine
1 lb more or less of leftover COLD rice
Extra virgin olive oil for sauteeing
a few splashes of toasted  sesame oil

Saute the drained tofu over medium high heat until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Add more oil and saute the garlic and ginger for a minute or two until fragrant but not browned. Add the bell pepper and saute until crisp tender. Add the carrot and sliced green onions, saute for a minute or two and then add the cold rice. Saute for a few minutes then add the soy sauce and sherry or rice wine and tofu. Heat through. Add a splash of toasted sesame oil.

Get out the chopsticks and dive in!. It's Sunday, relax!

Pot Pie Redux

Spring is teasing us here. It pops in and then out. A cloudy day with drizzle, but warm enough to work in the yard(construction site) and move a few thousand pounds of rocks. More rocks.They seem to multiply. I'm hungry. Ready for a Hungry Man dinner. Without the chicken.

I posted a recipe for a Vegan Pot Pie a little over a year ago. It was delicious. I wanted to simplify it a bit and I wanted to try it with seitan. I have never made or had seitan. Allegedely it tastes like meat and some vegetarians avoid it because of that. I don't think it tastes like meat. It is high in protein. You can buy it pre-made, make it yourself or buy a mix. Premade is pretty expenseive. The mix is not. And it's easy. You add water, mix it around, knead it for a few minutes, shape it and then simmer it for 45 minutes in broth. Then you chop it up and use it in your recipe.



This is a pretty loose "recipe". Saute your seitan in hot oil until browned. Remove and set aside. Saute some chopped onion , some herbs, garlic, celery and carrot in three tablespoons of olive oil for a few minutes with a sprinkling of salt. Add peeled, diced potatoes, a bit of vegetable stock and cover for about 10 minutes until your vegetables are soft but not mushy. Add a handful of frozen peas,some frozen corn and the browned seitan.







Stir in three tablespoons of flour and cook for a few minutes to get rid of any raw flour flavor. Slowly add two cups of vegetable stock and 1/2 cup of red wine. Stir and bring to a boil. Add some lemon juice to brighten the flavors a bit of soy sauce or Marmite. Take off the heat and put into an ovenproof casserole dish.



Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, pulse 1 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons baking power to mix. Pulse in 6 tablespoons COLD vegan margarine until the consistency of coarse corn meal. Slowly add 1/2 cup Soy Milk and blend until the mixture comes away from the side of the food processor bowl. Drop by spoonfuls onto the vegetable mixture. Don't worry if the vegetable mixture is not completely covered by the biscuit mixture. It will rise and fill in nicely. Bake for 30 or 40 minutes and then let rest 10 before serving.





Next time you make it, make it with mushrooms and not seitan. I don't know what the hell all the fuss is about. It does not taste like meat. It tastes like rubbery, boiled wheat gluten. Not bad but not what I am craving after a day of moving rocks. The cats seemed to like it though



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