This is for week 9 of plantbased cooking challenge
I have chose the item, gluten. I always have a stash of vital wheat gluten in my cupboard. I am not going to do the washing wheat method at this point in my life. That will be for another day.
There are so many different ways and recipes for wheat meat. I am keeping the first stage of making seitan, simple. This is a great alternative for chicken which some people miss because of memories, and tastes, that we grew up with.
Along with vital wheat gluten I have chosen chickpeas. I just used one small can for convenience. I put it in a food processor and added around 1/4 cup veggie broth and 1/8 cup olive oil. Blend until smooth.
This is an approximate amount of what I used. I just wing it and feel it when I cook.
Chick wheat (seitan)
1 can chickpeas
2 cups vital wheat gluten
3 tablespoons "no chicken" broth (vegan)
1teaspoon garlic powder
1teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/8 cup olive oil
Mix all of the ingredients together and knead. Don't worry if it seems a little tough. It will be boiled in broth and absorb more liquid and expand in size.
After kneading and putting in a ball, set aside for a while. Do the other prep for your dish.
Cut into pieces.
Add it to a pot of boiling vegetable broth. Enough to cover the pieces.
After around forty minute, it should be swollen. Remove from the broth and cool.
I did a basic stir fry.
Stir fry
4 cups seitan
1 carrot julienned
1 broccoli stem julienned
1 shallot
1 small onion
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon chili or fresh chili minced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegan hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon vegan mushroom sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 tablespoon cornstarch to coat the chickwheat
1 cup broccoli florets
Fry the onion, garlic, ginger then add the chick wheat. Set aside.
Saute the rest of the ingredients with additional onion, garlic and ginger. Add veggies and the rest of the ingredients leaving broccoli florets for the end.
This is the first time I have boiled seitan (wheat gluten). I usually steam it. I like the boiling method better. It seems to be much more tender and more flavorful.
I topped with peanuts, green onions and a squirt of lime.
I accompanied with a salad which is a daily thing now that fresh produce is a little less expensive. None of it comes from within the country, if you can imagine that. I hope soon we will have some produce not imported.
I had quite a bit of the seitan left over which I will do something different with later. I just felt like a stir fry today but there are many ways to use seitan. The packages of seitan in the grocery stores are much more costly then making it yourself. It is a great substitute for meat and shouldn't be intimidating. I make it differently every time.
Hope you all have a great day/evening/night!
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