World Wide Vegan

Seitan, pronounced say-Tahn (emphasis on the second syllable), is a high protein, wheat gluten product that is easily used in place of meat in traditional meat recipes. To make authentic Seitan you need the right equipment and a lot of time. But I'm all about making something delicious without spending all day in the kitchen. Thus my Mock Seitan.

Once you make this recipe you will want to use any leftovers in stew, casseroles, and stir-frys so I suggest that you make a single batch the first time to get the feel of it. But after that you will want to make a double batch in order to have leftovers for tomorrows recipes. If BBQ sauce isn't your thing make up a garlic herb marinade or one of your favorite BBQ recipes and marinate the seitan for an hour prior to cooking.

I have even made these in the oven when a BBQ wasn't an option. Unlike traditional seitan this wheat-meat is a bit spongy which allows it to quickly soak up the sauce.

I should say that I found the original recipe online sometime ago and have since lost the reference address. Oops. So sorry.

Mock Seitan BBQ Ribs

1 cup wheat gluten (I use Bob's Red Mill)
2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
2-3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon red miso
2/3 cup water (slightly more if needed)
2 Tablespoons tahini or other nut butter
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 Tablespoon high quality soy sauce
about 1 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8X8 pan with aluminum foil lightly sprayed with oil.

Mix together the dry ingredients. In another bowl stir together miso, water, tahini, liquid smoke and soy sauce. Pour liquid mixture into dry mixture and stir to blend ingredients together. Then kneed dough lightly for about 3 minutes until it forms a workable, but sticky, ball.

Place ball of dough into baking pan and flatten it evenly over entire bottom of pan.

With a sharp knife slice dough into 1/2 inch strips, turn pan and cut slices in half making strips that are 1/2" wide and 4 inches long. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes.

Pour about half of the BBQ sauce onto baked seitan and spread it evenly and into cuts. If you are going to grill the seitan just turn the pan upside down over grill and ease baked seitan out, sauce side down. Slather remaining BBQ sauce on bottom of seitan. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until sauce is sufficiently browned.

Place on platter and finish cutting ribs apart for serving.

If you plan to bake it in the oven just spread BBQ sauce evenly onto baked seitan and bake for about 10 more minutes. Turn out strips and spread sauce onto backside of ribs before serving.

Labels: BBQ, gluten, ribs, seitan, Vegan, Vegetarian, wheat meat

I let my son take the photos of tonights dinner. I really didn't think I would blog about it but after eating it I changed my mind. For one thing the mock seitan ribs were really delish, and the second reason is that I wanted to help spread the word about purple potatoes. Granted this picture doesn't do them justice, but I'm telling you, any way you make them, purple potatoes are fabulous.

White potatoes cause a rapid increase in blood sugar followed by a medically dangerous drop in blood sugar and for diabetics that can lead to a trip to the hospital. So many years ago I discovered purple potatoes. They weren't popular then like they are now, so I had to grow my own. Purple - Peruvian - Potatoes were some of the first potatoes harvested by humans. Because of their beauty and appealing taste they were saved for Inca kings. They have a naturally creamy flavor and texture and they hold their shape in salads.

What I love most about these purple gems is their sweet, moist taste. If you have ever had well prepared taro from Hawaii - or taro chips - you have tasted something that resembles the taste of a purple potato. And as with all darkly colored vegetables purple potatoes are brimming with all types of nutrients that your body craves.

Purple potatoes (sometimes called blue or black potatoes) have the same powerful antioxidant that give blueberries their bright color. They are a very good source of vitamin C, vitamin B6, copper, potassium, manganese, and dietary fiber. They also contain a variety of phytonutrients that have antioxidant activity. Among these important health-promoting compounds arecarotenoids, flavonoids, and caffeic acid, as well as unique tuberstorage and proteins, which exhibit activity against freeradicals, and newly identified blood pressure-lowering compounds called kukoamines.

Use them any way you would use other type of potato. Mash them, Slice them and BBQ them wrapped in foil with onions and margarine, steam them, microwave them, use them in potato salads, or just eat them raw. You will love them. They have so much flavor by themselves that I often just steam them and eat them naked.

In short, Purple potatoes do a body good! Better health, better flavor, it doesn't get any better than that.

For my seitan BBQ Ribs recipe click here.

Labels: BBQ, blue, Peruvian, purple potatoes, seitan, Vegan, Vegetarian