Sweet and sour seitan

This is a quick and delicious way for your meal. Though it is not that healthy since it is fried, but you should try it once in a while.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
• 1/2 cup water
• Oil to fry

Ingredients for sauce:

• 2 table spoons vinegar
• 2 table spoons brown organic sugar
• 2 table spoons Kikkoman soy sauce
• 1/2  teaspoon minced hot pepper (optional)
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger

Methods:

1. In a big bowl, add water, sprinkle vital wheat gluten to mix well. Form gluten into a roll.  Let it rest for 15 minutes.

2. While waiting for the gluten to be ready, mix the sauce until well blended.

3. Slice the gluten length wise then cut into strings.

4. Deep fry gluten in medium heat, when gluten puffs up, turn over to fry evenly until golden brown.

5. When finish frying, pour out all oil from the pot (I used the pot to fry). Add sauce to the pot, bring to a boil, add fried gluten, cook in medium heat, mix well until no more liquid.

6. Served with rice.

Happy vegan cooking .

Mai

Seitan balls

Seitan balls are used in place of beef balls in rice noodle soup (pho chay).

Seitan:
. 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten
. 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast

. 1 tablespoon soy sauce
. 7 tablespoons water (1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon) or broth (the same broth for rice noodle soup can be used)

1. Mix soy sauce and broth together.

2. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.

3. Pour the liquid over the dry ingredients.

4. Mix well, kneed with your hands for 2 minutes.

5. Shape seitan into a roll, let it rest for 15 minutes.

6. In a 4-pot, bring 2 quarts of water or broth (the same broth for rice noodle soup can be used) to a boil, reduce heat to low medium.

7. From 1 end the seitan roll, pull out a thin slice of seitan, as you pull, roll the slice to together. When it gets to size of a thumb, cut it off from the seitan roll. Fold the 2 ends together to make a ball. Drop the ball into the broth pot. (The broth should be just to the boiling point or the seitan will be hard, reduce the heat or add a little more water if the broth is over boiled.)

8. Repeat the above step for the rest of the seitan roll.

9. Simmer uncovered for about 2 hours or transfer to the slow cooker and cook on low overnight for about 6 hours.

Seitan stew (bò kho chay)

I finally learned how to make seitan to have the right taste and texture. I have tried many ways: steam, bake, boil; they turned out to be okay, but the best way is to cook it in the crock pot overnight. This is from a very famous Vietnamese dish, beef stew, that I used seitan to substitue for the beef.

Makes 4 servings

3 lemon grass stalks, use the handle of a knife or something heavy to crust each stalk, cut into inch-long
6 bay leaves
6 anise stars
2 cloves
10 pepper corns
1 4-inch long cinnamon stick

1 m table spoon canola oil

4 carrot, cut in half length wise then cut into 2-inch long
4 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch long
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2x2 inch pieces

1 gallon water
5 table spoons sugar or equivalent sweetener
2 1/2 table spoon salt
3 oz tomato paste

1 box of 10 oz vital wheat gluten (can be bought in whole foods in flour section)

1. Toast all the spices on medium in the toaster oven.
2. In a 6 quart pot, add oil, then add spices, stir until fragrant.
3. Add carrots, saute 1 minute.
4. Add celery, saute 1 minute.
5. Add pepper, saute 1 minute.
6. Add salt, sugar, stir well for about 2 minutes.
7. Add water, bring to a boil, transfer to a crock pot cook on high.
8. Take about 2 1/2 cups of the broth above, cool to touch to make seitan.
9. In a big bowl, add gluten flour, pour the broth to the bowl, mix well. Make into a roll, let it rest for 30 minutes.
10. From one end of the seitan roll, pull out a very thin piece, roll it to size of a thumb, cut it off from the seitan roll, add to the crock pot. Continue to do so for the rest of the seitan. Stir frequently.
11. Add tomato paste, cook on low over night or 8 hours.
12. Served with toasted French bread or with flat rice noodles, bean sprouts and basil leaves.