Sesame-Crusted Seitan

If you are looking for a meat substitute that doesn't rely on soy isolates for that chewy texture, you might want to try seitan, a much healthier alternative made from wheat gluten. (Of course, if you are gluten sensitive, this wouldn't be the choice for you.) The "Sesame-Crusted Seitan" (page 309) is a flavorful way to prepare either store-bought or homemade Seitan chunks, and can be made in under 30-minutes if you have a batch on hand. Small chunks of seitan are dipped in soymilk and dredged in a mixture of ground sesame seeds, flour, salt and pepper, then quickly "fried" in a skillet on the stove. Instead of adding a lot of extra fat to this dish, I used a non-stick skillet and bypassed the two tablespoons of oil called for to fry the chunks. (The natural oil in the ground sesame seeds help with browning.) The final result is delicious and chewy! For a complete meal, serve with a scoop of brown rice and a side dish such as Crunchy Sesame Slaw, as the recipe notes suggest.

Keeping it "McDougall Friendly" checklist:

• Use whole wheat pastry flour, brown rice flour, or potato flour instead of all-purpose (white) flour.
• Use a high quality non-stick skillet and omit the two tablespoons of oil called for when "frying" the seitan chunks.