Seitan is a delicious and versatile meat substitute, well loved by meat eaters (like my husband) and vegetarians alike (like me). Sadly though, most of the recipes I've seen require around an hour of either boiling or baking, which is not really reasonable when you're in the midst of a record-breaking hot summer. But there's good news! I found this great recipe for making seitan in a crock pot, posted by Webmistress Laura on VegWeb Weekly. I'm going to spice it up a bit the next time I make it, but wow--it's so easy and doesn't make our apartment unbearably hot, and the seitan is perfect for sandwiches or with the veggies we've been getting from our CSA. Yay!! Please note: I read some reviews of this recipe online before making
it, and everyone says that it's critical to oil the inside of your crock
pot or you'll have a sticky seitan mess.
What You Need:
2 cups vital wheat gluten
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
9-1/4 cups faux chicken stock (vegetable stock or water work fine too)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
What You Do:
1. In a large bowl, mix vital wheat gluten, garlic powder, and onion
powder. Next, stir in 1-1/4 cups of faux-chicken stock and soy sauce and
continue to stir. When it forms a stiff dough, knead for 10 to 15
times. Let dough rest for 10 minutes, then knead for 5 minutes more. Let
it rest another 15 minutes. Cut dough into slices (or "steaks").
2. Oil or spray the inside of a slow-cooker or pot, and pour in
remaining faux-chicken stock. Place the slices of dough in the cooker,
making sure they have enough room float without touching. Cover tightly
and simmer on low (180 to 200 degrees) for 6 to 8 hours.
