Basic Simmered Seitan

Up until now, I haven't had the best of luck making seitan.  In fact, I haven't been all that happy with the seitan I buy from the store.  But all this has changed, now that I've tried the "Basic Simmered Seitan" (page 305).  In my effort to avoid soy isolates and other highly processed soy foods, I've been trying to use seitan more often as a meat substitute.  I know there are those who wonder, why bother?  But I really do enjoy the texture and versatility offered by faux meats, and if I can find a healthy alternative, so much the better. 

As this recipe promised, I ended up with nearly two pounds of seitan after simmering the "dough" for about an hour in the very flavorful broth.  The seitan pieces more than doubled in size during the simmering process, puffing up and absorbing all the wonderful flavors of the simmering broth.  When the cooking time was up, the seitan, much to my delight, turned out oh-so-tender, not at all tough and chewy like some of my past experiments. 

I'm so happy I've found the right formula for making my own seitan, as now I will have all kinds of options available for a number of preparations.  As you can see from the picture, I sliced some of the seitan (to be dice up later into strips to add to soup), and I chunked some of it to add to a stew.  I also sliced some for sandwiches, and froze some for later.  This recipe is a really great find!

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Omit the olive oil from the wet ingredients. Use 1 tablespoon of water or vegetable broth instead.