This stuff is pretty awesome. I've been a vegan for 17 years, and not really a fan of 'mock meat', or trying to find meat substitutes - I don't crave meat, I have no taste for it, I don't miss it. Seitan is often touted as a 'mock meat' or meat substitute. If anything was to ever put me off buying something, it would be that - I don't need or want a 'meat substitutes'. I have nothing against those who are fond of mock meats, it's just not for me. I personally feel to pursue a successful vegan diet, it's more helpful to get out of the 'meat and two veg' mindset and open up to a new cooking style full of creativity and tasty never ending obscure foods lol! I love the new textures, flavours, creativity and whole new way of creating tasty food that being a vegan has given me - since becoming vegan I've never eaten such tasty food. I've never had a problem staying healthy on a vegan diet and I've certainly had no problem getting enough protein.
But, I have started to weight lift and was looking for cheap ways to get extra protein. I have no problem eating soya (whatever form it comes in), or nuts, but lets face it, they are pretty expensive. As much as I love me some legumes, I don't want to endlessly gorge on them. My favourite protein sources is tofu, tempeh and cashews, but getting the amount I need for pretty intensive weights is very expensive.
So, I turned to seitan. It took a while for me to get over my 'imitation meat' dislike, but as soon as you start playing around with seitan (it fascinating stuff when you add water to it), you soon realise that whether its in meat form or plant form, it's just protein fibres. I don't even consider seitan 'mock meat', just protein, and at 80%, it is almost pure protein. In common use of the term 'mock meat', vital wheat gluten is 'more meat than meat'. Anyway, as soon as you add fluids to it, you can see the protein fibres form! If you like a bit of science, it's pretty cool stuff.
Just water and seitan would be pretty bland. So I add all sorts to it. My favourite seitan recipe at the moment is:
Liquids - mushroom stock, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, soya sauce. I sometimes add a dash of bbw sauce or cajun sauce to the liquid mix. I then pour this over the gluten flour and mix until I get a.... well, it's certainly not a dough, and feels nothing like dough. Lets call it a 'protein ball' lol.
I then shape them into large round patties and gently simmer them for about 45mins. They expand, so be sure to leave room in your pot. I make big batches and then freeze them. Freezing seitan doesn't really change the texture of it like freezing tofu does. Seitan is pretty robust, it can be roasted, grilled, baked, fried etc. It will take on any flavour you give it. At the moment, my favourite is to marinade it in a BBQ sauce and put it on the griddle.
Or I make veggie burgers out of it by mashing up some chick peas roughly, putting in some finely chopped peppers, garlic, onions, and fresh herbs. I then add some spices, vital wheat gluten (add enough so it gets pretty dense), whole oats and tahini, form into patties and cook them in the oven or griddle.
Or, I make chorizo, mushroom and cashew nut veggie sausages (vital wheat gluten flour, gram flour, chorizo spices and herbs, finely chopped crispy fried mushrooms, broken cashew pieces, tomato puree, stock and cashew nut butter all mixed up, form into sausage shapes, wrap in foil and baked for about 45 mins). Or I just very thinly sliced the cold-but-cooked 'protein balls' and stick them in a sandwich with whatever relish, sauce or veggies I fancy. As you can see, its pretty versatile stuff. If you like making new recipes, you'll love this stuff. It binds, adds texture and takes on whatever flavours you give it.
If like me you hadn't had seitan before, and are pretty accustomed to less dense forms of protein it will come as a bit of a shock. To be blunt, it sits on your belly like a brick, it keeps you full for hours, and you certainly don't need much of it. At a few pounds per kilo and at 80% protein, it has to be one of, it not the, cheapest way to get protein in your diet, whether you are herbivorous or omnivorous.
| Package Dimensions | 25.4 x 18.8 x 4.57 cm; 1 Kilograms |
|---|---|
| Item model number | SKU51004 |
| Weight | 1 Kilograms |
| Units | 1000.0 gram |
| Country of origin | Belgium |
| Brand | Buy Whole Foods Online Ltd. |
| Format | Dried |
| Speciality | High in Protein |
