seitan piccata

seitan piccata is a meat-free version of a tangy italian dish typically made with chicken. this recipe (adapted from veganomicon) uses just one pan, is a nice twist to typical comfort food and also great for entertaining.

ingredients:

6 seitan cutlets (roughly 6"x2" and 1/2 an inch thick)
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour, seasoned with salt an pepper
extra virgin olive oil, enough to coat the bottom of a heavy duty large skillet
3-4 shallots, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup dry white wine
2 cups veggie broth (if you made the seitan, you can use the broth you've stored it in)
1/4 tsp fresh thyme leaves (you can use dried if fresh isn't easily available)
1/4 cup capers with a bit of brine
1/2 cup kalamata, nicoise, or other black olive variety, roughly chopped
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup italian parsley, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. add the olive oil and allow to get hot, but not to smoke. place the seasoned flour into a shallow dish and dredge half of the seitan cutlets so they are completely coated in a layer of flour. carefully add them to the hot oil and cook for about 2 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. once browned, remove from the oil and wrap in foil to keep warm. repeat the process with the other 3 cutlets and when they're done, keep them wrapped in foil as well. do not reduce the heat in the skillet, and if most of the oil has been soaked up by the cutlets, add more to coat the pan (the residual flour from the cutlets will help thicken the sauce).
saute the shallots and garlic for about 5 minutes or until softened, but watch them closely to prevent them from burning. add the wine to the mixture and raise the heat to bring it to a boil. once boiling, add the veggie broth and thyme. allow it to come to a boil again and wait for it to reduce by half (about 10 minutes). add the capers and olives to the sauce once it has thickened and continue to cook for 3-5 minutes. add the fresh parsley and lemon juice and remove the pan from the heat.
serve each cutlet covered in sauce, and keep in mind that this dish is great accompanied with garlic-y mashed potatoes and a blanched green veggie like asparagus or green beans. enjoy!