What's your experience with seitan?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

I've never tried it but am intrigued. I'm looking for a vegan alternative to meat in chili. TVP is okay, but I'm trying for an improvement.

I finally found this group..never thought to look in politics!

[LeftyMom]

1. Seitan is good anywhere you'd use chicken

There's a recipe for chili using it in the recipe thread I think, (if not I'll post it) and you can use it in any chili recipe that calls for chicken, but if you want something sort of like ground beef but more flavorful than TVP Gimme Lean http://www.lightlife.com/gimmelean.html in ground geef or sausage flavor is a good choice for chili.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

2. Thanks, Lefty

Do you make your own or buy it pre-made?

[LeftyMom]

3. I have never made seitan that comes out nearly as good as homemade

I hear people have good luck with the recipe in Vegan With A Vengance, which wouldn't surprise me because everything I've made out of that book comes out well, but I haven't tried it yet.

[LeftyMom]

7. as good as storebought I mean

my attempts have all been spongy

[expatriot]

4. OHMIGOD!!!! Seitan ROCKS! I love it. Here is our fav seitan recipe

For chili, though we use Amy's Chili in the cans or you can just put Morningstar crumbles in for the beef in a regular chili recipe.
Here is our favorite seitan recipe: It is Fried "Chicken." It is a recipe in the PETA veggie starter pack that we got at a PETA conference we went to (which was the clencher for me to turn hardcore (not this seitan recipe per se, but the conference)). But this recipe rocks! It has become a regular treat for us.

I also posted this on the recipe thread.

1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. pepper
2 cups unbleached white flour
4 Tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
3 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 lb. mock chicken (we use "White Wave's Chicken-Style Seitan Seasoned Wheat Gluten" - the recipe also recommends "Worthington Chic-Ketts" but we haven't tried that)
3 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Mix together the salt, onion powder, pepper, garlic powder, flour, and nutritional yeast in a deep bowl. In a separate bowl, dilute the mustaid with 1/2 cup water. Add 1/3 cup of the flour mixture to the mustard mixture and stir. Add the baking powder to the diy flour mixture and mix.

Dip chunks of the mock chicken into the mustard batter,then drop each chunk into the flour mixture and coat with the desired amount of "crust." Fry the chunks in hot oil on medium-high hear in a large skillet or deep fryer until crispy and golden brown, turning as needed.

[NMMNG]

5. All hail Seitan!

My first known experience with seitan was in last year's Un-turkey. I've noticed, though, that it is in lots of other faux meats as well (though it's not typically listed as seitan but as wheat gluten). I love the texture--it's very close to meat. I've never used it from scratch myself but have only eaten products in which it's an ingredient. Maybe it's time for me to branch out. :shrug:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. Thanks, everyone for your responses

so far. I went vegan a couple of months ago for health/weight reasons I was going to eventually add back eggs and milk, but I am having so much fun exploring new things and I feel great so I believe I am vegan for life. As is my husband. We are enjoying our food for the first time in years. AND I have lost 14 pounds.

It is interesting that now that I have no animal products in my life and see it is possible (well, except a leather couch!) I am thinking harder about animals and our relationship to them.

I can't predict that I will never eat meat again, ever, but right now it just seems so unnecessary. I'm lucky, though. I actually LOVE tofu and soy milk and everything made from it. Soy creamed cheese and sour cream...better than the originals! Way better. Same with yogurt.

I am going to find seitan today and play around with it.

[yewberry]

8. Wow, TG.

You're just knocking my socks off!

Your openness to new stuff is amazing! Lots of people don't want to even try the kind of experimentation you're embracing. And I agree--it is *fun* to play around with new/different foods, especially if you can get past the "flavoring with fat" tendency that most meat-laden diets rely on.

It sounds like you're feeling good, too. Glad to hear that. If there is any support I can offer or question I can help with, please let me know!

[TallahasseeGrannie]

9. Thanks!

I AM feeling good. Great, as a matter of fact. Lighter. But not weight. Lighter internally. My digestion is much better, as well.

I have been following the Eat to Live diet and it suggests at least six weeks vegan and there is a lot of wisdom to that suggestion because it breaks years of engrained habits and forces one to try new things. I never would have made the switch without that encouragement. I have always said I never met a cow or pig that I didn't love and it's true. So if I can do this, anyone can. I truly have not felt deprived because there are so many good, even great, substitutions. I think if I had a steak now my insides would close up and die!

[yewberry]

10. I know what you mean about feeling "lighter."

It's not weight--you just don't get that over-full, logey feeling after eating.

I'm glad to hear that you're feeling good and putting a lot of thought into this. Congratulations on the weight lost, too!

[idgiehkt]

11. when I worked at Earthfare we used in chicken pot pie

Our chef made a wonderful faux chicken pot pie using seitan and using filo dough for the crust. I was out of this world.

[Goblinmonger]

12. Oh, shit

I thought I was in R/T and Grannie was asking for experiences with satan. :rofl:

I think seitan adds a nice texture to stuff like that. We don't eat it a lot at my house because the rest of the family doesn't like it. Satan, on the other hand, is not so good in chili. Too sulphory

[flamingyouth]

13. ...

:spray:

We're very much pro-seitan here in this house. Not so big on Satan. He's rude and never cleans up after himself, we've found.

[calico1]

14. I wasn't even sure what it was until I looked

it up and realized what it was made of. It is supposedly easy to make on your own. Has anyone here done that? I may try this recipe:

http://www.innerself.com/recipes/entrees/seitan.htm

[flamingyouth]

15. I have not had good luck making seitan

See this thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=231&topic_id=9234

However, since some time has passed, I think I'm ready to give it another go. :D

[calico1]

16. How do you pronounce it?

Like "satan?"

I just got an order of books including some cookbboks. A lot of the recipes look scrumptious. There is a lot of information to absorb but already the idea of eating meat is making me want to gag. Should be interesting when I visit Dad for Thanksgiving.

[K8-EEE]

17. When I Make It, It's More Like Satan

But I've had it at restaurants and it's devine!! Vegan cooking is a little different and I'm def on a learning curve with it.