What is seitan and how do you cook it?

Who says being a vegan means you have to eat bad food? Well, seitan is just another delicious meat alternative.

Tofu is a great meat alternative as well and it packs in a lot of protein for sure, but it keeps things fresh when you run out of options when looking for something hearty to eat.

But what is seitan and how can I make delicious recipes at home?

Primarily it is made from the protein found in wheat. A wheat flour dough is washed until most of the starch value has been taken off, and the gluten-rich product that’s left over is cooked, as per Wikipedia.

The difference between tofu and this alternative is a big one, though. While tofu is made from soy beans, our ingredient in question here is all wheat protein and gluten, so it is definitely a way to go if you’re worried about your soy protein intake.

Overconsumption of soy protein may lead to stomach issues (upset stomach, etc..), as well as reducing fertility in women and all because of the high quotient of isoflavones, which of course boost estrogen levels, as per scientificamerican.com, and although a woman’s body needs estrogen, too much can indeed be a bad thing and ultimately hurt a woman’s “reproductive health”, as per my.clevelandclinic.org.

So a balance between the two is a good idea. So many vegan foods found at the grocery store contain soy, so finding a place to get this item in question makes a lot of good sense, dear readers.

How do you prepare seitan?

Tofu is pretty easy and straightforward…just sauté and add to a nice pasta dish or rice dish, or even batter and deep fry cubes of it. Tofu can be eaten raw in a salad or rather right out of the packet and the list goes on, but seitan is quite different.

Now you can find pre-made seitan in certain stores. Hon’s makes a good fried version and you can work from there, treating it like you treat your packaged variety tofu (as mentioned above), but it is pretty easy to make at home from scratch if finding a store that carries it is difficult.

We found some interesting recipes you can check out…

Plant Based Bistro on YouTube has a great recipe in which you can make the dish from scratch and is definitely worth a watch if you’re looking to make it right in the comfort of your own chicken.

Yessica Infante on YouTube makes a delicious Vegan Brisket with seitan and you won’t believe how easy it is.

And finally It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken on YouTube also offers a delicious recipe that will most definitely impress your friends at your next dinner party.

Maybe don’t tell them it’s vegan…surprise them.

In the end, and since I brought it up, you do not at all have to be vegan to enjoy these. I’m not vegan and I absolutely loved these three recipes when I tried them.

At the end of the day, dear readers, we’re foodies; that’s what brings us together time and time again here at Guilty Eats, and as foodies we have an obligation to try anything and everything at least once. But trust me when I say that trying seitan isn’t at all a chore but a pleasure.

Have you tried seitan, dear readers? What do you think of it?