Want to save hundreds of dollars per year by making this popular, delectable veggie meat?

Really - HUNDREDS of dollars - I am a CPA and I've done the math! Our family eats a dish made with seitan at least once per week. Before Kamaal and learned to make it ourselves, we would spend about $12/pound for pre-packaged seitan, and use anywhere from 3 - 4 pounds per recipe to feed our family of four for the entire day. Making it ourselves is less than $2/pound! That's a savings of over 80%!

This was a game-changer for our family. Not only is it vastly less expensive, but we like our homemade version so much better. It's fresher, and we can add various spices to change up the flavor anytime we want.

It takes a bit of time to prepare (about 1 1/2 hours including cooking time), but I HIGHLY recommend you give it a try. It's VERY EASY and lasts refrigerated for a week or so. You can make a batch once a week and just add it to your recipes as needed. Check out our BBQ Seitan and Curry Seitan (both pictured below) for ideas.

First of all - what is seitan? Seitan is also known as "wheat meat" and is derived from the protein portion of wheat. It has been used for thousands of years by vegetarian cultures, and it is widely rumored that it was discovered "by accident" when vegetarian monks were attempting to make bread. It has approximately 75 grams of protein per 8 ounces as compared to 46 grams for a Porterhouse steak. Therefore, answering the question "where do you get your protein?" once and for all!

Preparation Time: 15 - 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 - 5 cups

INGREDIENTS

2 Cups Vital Wheat Gluten Flour (We use Bob's Red Mill)
2 teaspoons Spike or your favorite veggie seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 ¾ cup warm water

For the broth:
6 cups water
2 Tablespoons Liquid Aminos or Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Molasses
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1 tablespoon oil

DIRECTIONS

Step 1: Put 2 cups of the vital wheat gluten in a large bowl. Add Spike and garlic powder - mix together.

Step 2: Add 1 3/4 cup warm water. Stir.

Step 3: After the water is well mixed, remove the dough ball from the bowl.

Step 4: Knead the dough for about 2 minutes and form into a roll.

Step 5: Cut roll into 4 pieces and then again into smaller pieces - about 30 in total.

Step 6: For the broth, bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add the Liquid Aminos (or Soy Sauce), Molasses, vegetable bouillon and oil. Add the seitan pieces to the broth and cover - letting it return to a boil.

Step 7: After the broth is boiling again, the seitan will "bubble up" and become large, "fluffy" pieces, pushing against the lid. Reduce heat to medium or medium - low and let simmer for 1 hour, keeping covered throughout the process.

Be sure to check every few minutes and use a spoon to "pat down" the seitan pieces when they "fluff up." Also make sure that no pieces are sticking to the bottom or sides of the pan.

Step 8: After about an hour, there should be very little liquid left in the pan. Remove the seitan pieces and let them drain and cool. After cooling, squeeze out excess liquid.

Step 9: Your seitan is now ready to use! Cut into smaller pieces if desired depending upon the recipe. The last image shows how it looks when cut. Notice the fibrous interior which is perfect for soaking up your favorite sauces! These are the actual pieces I used in the Curry Seitan mentioned earlier.

Remember - you can refrigerate the seitan for up to a week and use as needed.

Enjoy!