HAIL SEITAN!

So...I made seitan for the first time today...I will say that it came out pretty good!! I was always kinda leery about seitan. I don't know why, but I was. BUT - I've really been in the mood for gyros, seeing as someone I know has been eating and talking about real ones non-stop since they've been home (you know who you are!) and I've read that seitan is probably the closest I'm going to get to gyro meat. Below is the recipe for a Greek style seitan. I won't claim credit to this recipe, but I've had it so long I don't remember where I got it. ANYWAYS - slice it up and add it to a pita with some lettuce, tomato, and (if you aren't vegan) tzatziki....nom, nom, nom....


This recipe is for a half log of seitan...it looks REALLY small once it's made, but it produces enough to make about 4 gyros.

Greek Style Seitan

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 c vital wheat gluten
1/8 c nutritional yeast
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
1 t dried oregano
1/4 t salt
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper (this is optional as it does give a slightly spicy taste to the seitan)

Wet Ingredients:

1/3 c water
2 T lemon juice
1 T soy sauce
1 T finely minced, fresh mint
1 T + 1/2 t tahini

What To Do:
1. Preheat oven to 325F

2. Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then add mixed liquids to dry ingredients. Quickly combine (hands are the easiest to use) until a dough forms. Knead for a few seconds making sure to combine all ingredients well and evenly disperse herbs. The dough should remain moist, so if it feels a little dry add a splash of water.

3. Wrap tightly in a double layer of foil, twisting ends tightly (reminiscent of a peppermint candy wrapper.) Bake in the oven for about 70 minutes (if you're doubling the recipe to make a full log, bake for about 90 minutes.) Once it's done baking, remove the foil and let the seitan rest on the counter or wire rack for about 10 minutes before you slice it.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains:

141 calories
4 g fat
8 g carbs
20 g protein

While it may not taste EXACTLY like real gyro meat (that's kind of a no-brainer), it is a really great substitute!! ENJOY!