Culinary Capers 1 - Seitan Cutlets

Seitan is a plant-based meat alternative that is nutritious, versatile, affordable and delicious.  It was also the topic of a two-part project I did for Toastmasters.  In Culinary Capers 1, we made "cutlets" that are fun to cook and ideal for adding protein and deliciousness to any dish.  You don't have to be a vegan to enjoy this food!

Kung Pao on Rice Noodles

Stroganoff on Gnocchi

Stew with Root Vegetables

Seitan Cutlets
I usually make half this recipe, as I did in the video for 9 pieces.​  I tend to eyeball recipes rather than measuring out every little thing.  Provided the infrastructure (wet to dry ingredients) is correct, feel free to add any herbs, spices or other flavourings you fancy.  ​
 WET INGREDIENTS
1 cup water (generous)
2 tbsp. soy sauce (for colour, extra water is ok too)
DRY INGREDIENTS
2-1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
2 tsp. baking power
Pinch of salt
1 to 2 tbsp. seasonings (optional – I usually leave this one plain so it can be used with a variety of dishes)

Watch the speech and video


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HOW TO
Add wet ingredients to dry, and knead for 1-2 minutes until a sticky dough forms. Don’t expect it to be perfectly smooth.  Allow it to rest for 15 minutes covered with a tea towel.
Drop pieces in plenty of boiling water or stock.  When the slices float to the surface, lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Leave the slices whole or cut them into slices or chunks, depending on your intended usage.  Brown them before serving.
STORE
Seitan keeps in the fridge, covered with the cooking broth, for 5 days.  I haven’t tried this, but apparently it freezes well.  Just drain the broth first.