homemade seitan

seitan is my favorite meat substitute, but i don't buy it that often because when compared with tofu, it's quite expensive. it is made from wheat gluten which is extremely elastic and gives the seitan a nice hearty texture. and unlike tofu it can be made flavorful from the start. this recipe, adapted from vegonomicon makes a about 12 large setian cutlets, and it does take some physical exertion, but i recommend making a large batch and freezing extras if necessary.

(shown here on a warmed pita, cut into strips, pan seared, and topped with greek yogurt, cucumbers, italian parsley leaves, a squeeze of lemon, and salt and pepper. super simple and very satisfying)

broth ingredients*:

24 cups veggie broth
1 cup balsamic vinegar

cutlet ingredients:

5 cups vital wheat gluten
2 tsp garlic powder
3 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/3 cup ground flax
1/2 tsp freshly grated pepper
2 cups cold veggie broth
1 cup low sodium tamari**
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 gloves of garlic, finely grated
zest of 2 lemons

preheat oven to 350 F.

in a large pot, prepare the broth by combining it with the balsamic and bringing it to a boil. once boiling, turn off the heat and keep covered.

in a large bowl, combine the gluten, garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, flax, and pepper. in another bowl combine the cold veggie broth, tamari, olive oil, grated garlic, and lemon zest, and mix well. pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until large clumps start forming. the gluten has hydrophobic tendencies, so combining the wet and dry ingredients may seem difficult. once the clumps begin to form, continue to knead the dough by hand until all the dry gluten has been incorporated (about 3 minutes). transfer the dough from the bowl and form it into a rough log. slice the log into 12 pieces, by cutting it half, then cutting each half in half, and cutting each of those in thirds. take each piece, knead it, and stretch it out as much as possible without ripping it apart. the cutlets should be about a little less than 1/2 an inch thick. you may need to throw your body into this, and you may be a bit sore the next day, but it's definitely worth it.

once your cutlets are ready, take the prepared veggie broth and put about 6 cups each into 4 9x13 baking dishes. arrange 3 cutlets per dish, bake them for 30 minutes uncovered, flip them and bake an additional 20 minutes. remove the cutlets from the oven and place them in a colander to drain, but do not discard the broth. extra seitan can be stored in the cooking broth, and the broth can be used in recipes to come!

*alternatively, half the broth can be prepared and re-used, by baking the cutlets in 2 rounds. this works well if you don't have 4 baking dishes.

**i was going to make this recipe soy free by using bragg's liquid aminos, but that contains soy protein. feel free to make the substitute.

to corrie: thanks for inspiring tim with diffusers : )