Seitan! Recipes and Ideas for making faux meat at home

Thank you for coming to my seitan atelier at My Kitch'n! These recipes make it easy for you to make seitan at home, just like we made in class, only in the comfort of your own kitchen. Be sure to experiment with different flavor additions (suggestions below), and follow the two basic rules--1. equal ratio of liquid to dry ingredients and 2. always use cold water, never warm--and you'll never go back to overpriced store-bought seitan again!

Basic seitan charcuterie recipe
Makes 4 sausages 

This is the perfect starter recipe for anyone interested in trying seitan at home. Besides being simple and easy to prepare, it's adaptable to so many different seasonings. Once you get the basic recipe down, try different flavor combinations to give your sandwiches, charcuterie plates, and main courses unique flavors.
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Dry ingredients
1 cup gluten flour (try Primeal "gluten pur")
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon chickpea flour (find at Indian markets)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground black pepper

Wet Ingredients
1 cup cold water
2 teaspoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons liquid smoke (at Un Monde Vegan)
1 giant clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil

To prepare
1. In a large glass or porcelain mixing bowl, add dry ingredients and stir gently to combine.

2. Add wet ingredients and stir VERY GENTLY, using a fork. DO NOT OVERWORK THE DOUGH!

3. Divide the dough--which should be slightly wet and pliable, but not sticky, into four cylindrical pieces. (like a hotdog or sausage).

4. Wrap each sausage, burrito style, onto a rectangle of aluminum foil, twisting the ends to secure. Steam for 30 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to cool. 

5. To serve, try these methods (more ideas over here>>):

• slice into coins and serve with crackers and dipping sauces
• cover in barbecue sauce and grill over a flame
• stir-fry with vegetables and serve over rice or noodles

Seitan loaf recipe
Makes 2 small loaves 

This method of preparing seitan give you lots of options and a stiffer texture; we omit the chickpea flour and reduce the liquid by a smidge, then simmer it in a flavorful broth for a second layer of flavor. Try a homemade vegetable broth, faux chicken broth, or the Southeast Asian inspired broth below. 
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Dry ingredients 
1 cup gluten flour (try Primeal "gluten pur")
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sugar
freshly ground black pepper

Wet Ingredients
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1 teaspoons tomato paste
1 giant clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil

Southeast Asian-Inspired Simmering Broth
2 cups water
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemongrass
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 teaspoon chili paste
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar

To prepare the dough
1. In a large glass or porcelain mixing bowl, add dry ingredients and stir gently to combine.

2. Add wet ingredients and stir to blend using a fork. Once the flour is mixed in, knead dough for 1 minute.

3. Divide the dough into two loaves and set aside.

To prepare the simmering broth
1. Pour all the ingredients into a small casserole and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and gently add two gluten loaves.

To prepare the loaves
1. After adding the two loaves to the bowl, cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then carefully flip each loaf and simmer for 25 minutes more.

2. Remove pot from heat and allow to cool. Remove loaves from the pot and slice into cutlets, strips, or slices.

**Note! 
Either of these basic recipes can be doubled, tripled, or halved.

Flavor combinations/seasoning ideas

• Mexican: add chipotle chiles, cumin, and garlic to the wet ingredients
• Italian: add fennel seeds, 1 extra teaspoon sugar, and italian spices to the dry mixture
• Vietnamese: add lemongrass, 1 extra teaspoon sugar, and double the red chili flakes
• Barbecue: double the tomato sauce, liquid smoke, garlic and sugar.

Prepare and serve ideas

• Shredded or sliced thinly and folded into tortillas 
• Finely chopped and tossed over nachos 
• Sliced thin and breaded and fried, then served with rice or noodles and a salad
• Cut into chunks, braised with onions and carrots and tossed into a stew
• Sliced thin and served in a Vietnamese style Pho soup
• Cut into chunks and tossed into Chinese stir fries
• Shaped into balls instead of links and added to your pasta sauce