The Diabolical Seitan

Satan? Nope. Seitan is a chewy meat substitute made from wheat gluten. Originating from Asia, seitan has been a staple in Buddhist cultures and macrobiotic diets. It works well in stews, stir fries, soups and barbecues as it holds it texture beautifully. Seitan is created by washing the starch of wheat dough till only the gluten remains.

Obviously, celiac disease sufferers will want to stay away from this “wheat meat”, but seitan often welcomed by new vegetarians seeking something high in protein other than the usual tofu or veggie burger. Seitan can be purchased at health food stores, but if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can try to make it at home.

I’ve made several attempts to produce a good, heartily textured seitan a few times in the past – and failed. The reason I call it the diabolical seitan is 1) it’s darn catchy and 2) I personally have found it so tough and tedious to make.

Luckily I ran into this recipe from Joni Newman (who I’ve mentioned before) and now I will never need another seitan recipe again.

Here was my former problem. After the wheat dough is produced, it is cooked in simmering water. The other recipes I’ve tried involved cutting the wheat dough into pieces, but this recipe directs you to fashion the dough into two logs. The logs are wrapped in cheesecloth and then dropped into the broth. I couldn’t believe how solid it turned out. I wanted to share with you the photos from my journey. Be sure to check out the original recipe (Joni’s look even better than mine). The active preparation time was only about an hour, and then simmered for 90 minutes.

This is the stiff dough made from only wheat gluten, whole wheat flour and water.

This is what it looks like after the starch has been washed from the dough. It feels like it will fall apart in your hands, but magically sticks back together – I’m guessing because it is so high in protein.

Seasonings are added to the mixture and then the logs are shaped and wrapped in cheesecloth. I secured the ends with thread.

A very salty broth of 10 cups water, two cups soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and ginger.

The final product. Unbelievably salty at first, but after a couple of days the flavors melded together and was quite perfect. I used most of mine for a lazy meal: a seitan grinder with tomato sauce and cheese instead of meatballs. Loved it!

Nutritional Information (not based on this recipe):

Seitan, 1/3 cup (30g)
Calories: 160
Protein: 23g
Carbohydrate: 11g
Total Fat: 0.5g
Fiber: 2g

Protein and the Vegetarian Diet

The most commonly voiced concern regarding vegetarianism is that of protein. Many think it is difficult or impossible to obtain the protein needed from a meatless diet. On the contrary, it is actually rather simple to meet the FDA’s recommended allowance of protein. In fact, some carnivores consume too much protein in their diets, which in extreme excess can lead to kidney problems and osteoporosis.

According to studies referenced by the American Dietetic Association, typical vegetarian diets “meet and exceed [FDA] requirements”.

Males over 25 years of age require 63 grams, and females require 50 grams. Another way to determine the requisite amount is to calculate .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For instance, a 150-pound person is about 68 kilograms, X .8 = 54 grams of protein.

The United Kingdom recommends slightly less: 55 grams for adult men and 45 grams for women.

One debated issue is that of the essential amino acids. It had been commonly thought that one must ingest each of the eight essential amino acids, and protein “combining” be practiced in order to ensure these needs were met. An example of this is to eat beans and brown rice to produce a “complete protein”. This theory has been recently debunked, and is no longer heeded by many vegetarians. Instead, a variety of protein sources should be consumed, as a varied diet will maximize the body’s ability to obtain not only adequate protein, but vitamins, minerals and other nutrients as well.

Here is a list of foods high in protein (all protein counts from nutritiondata.com):

Spirulina, ½ ounce: 8 grams
Soybeans, ½ cup cooked: 16 grams
Chickpeas, ½ cup cooked: 8 grams
Brown Rice, 1 cup, cooked: 5 grams
Milk, 1%, 1 cup: 8 grams
Oikos Yogurt, Plain, 5.3 oz.: 15 grams
Cottage Cheese, 1%, ½ cup: 14 grams
Tempeh, ½ cup: 16 grams
Tofu, ½ cup: 10 grams
Lentils, ½ cup, cooked: 9 grams
Black or kidney beans, ½ cup, cooked: 8 grams
Quinoa, 1 cup cooked: 8 grams
Peas, ½ cup, canned: 4 grams
Almonds, ¼ cup: 8 grams
Bulgur, 1 cup, cooked: 6 grams
Whole Wheat Bread, 1 slice: 4 grams
Soy milk, 1 cup (Silk): 6 grams
Sunflower seeds, ¼ cup: 6 grams
Egg, one large: 6 grams
Parmesan, 1 Tablespoon: 2 grams
Boca Burger, original vegan: 18 grams

A good resource with a vegan spin on the issue can be found at The Vegetarian Resource Group website.