Home made Seitan

Thursday was a very rainy day in Arvada.  So I decided to spend all day in the kitchen.  Made nearly 4 lbs of Seitan, in  separate batches.  Pecan Crusted Seitan from Alicia Silverstone’s book, The Kind Diet, is one of my husband’s favorite non-meat foods.  Found an article written by Jill Nussinow, M.S.,R.D. called Seitan—The Vegetarian Wheat Meat

Jill says
 "Seitan is derived from the protein portion of wheat. It stands in for meat in many recipes and works so well that a number of vegetarians avoid it because the texture is too "meaty." As gluten is a low sodium and extremely lowfat protein (containing around 10 mg. sodium, 0 g. fat, and 7.5 g. protein per ounce in its raw state), additional processing is what may add unhealthy attributes. Most of the commercially prepared seitan contains a considerable amount of sodium (up to 100 mg. per ounce)."

Here’s Jill’s shortcut recipe for making Seitan. 

(Makes 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 pounds or 2 to 2-1/2 cups)

This is the basic recipe for gluten.

2 cups
vital wheat
gluten flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1-1/4 cups water or vegetable stock
- I used vegetable stock
3 Tablespoons lite tamari, Braggs liquid amino acids, or soy sauce
- I used Braggs

1-3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (optional)
– I used 2 tsp

Add garlic powder and ginger to flour and stir. Mix liquids together and add to flour mixture all at once. Mix vigorously with a fork. When it forms a stiff dough knead it 10 to 15 times.

Let the dough rest 2 to 5 minutes, then knead it a few more times. Let it rest another 15 minutes before proceeding.

Cut gluten into 6 to 8 pieces and stretch into thin cutlets. Simmer in broth for 30 to 60 minutes.

–(I simmered for 60 minutes, turning them over in the broth half way through.)

Broth:
4 cups water
1/4 cup tamari or soy sauce
3-inch piece of kombu (a type of seaweed)
3-4 slices ginger (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring broth to a boil. Add cutlets one at a time. Reduce heat to barely simmer when saucepan is covered. Seitan may be used, refrigerated, or frozen at this point.

Total Calories per 4 oz. Serving: 77
Fat: 0 grams

I ended up with 3 1/2 lbs  and vacuum sealed 2/3 of  the seitan and put 1 lb in the refrigerator, so that I can marinate that in a couple of days.  It takes some time to make, but if you regularly eat Seitan, as I do, it's worth the time, especially on a bad weather day, to make it and freeze it.  Bon Appetit.