More of Wailana's Recipes

So... I tried out another one of Wailana's recipes today... they liked it at the party!

Seitan Kebabsor these delicious and easy kebabs, try preparing the seitan the night before when you are cooking dinner. Soak it overnight in the marinade and the next night it will take only a few minutes to assemble and grill or broil the kebabs. These kebabs make a very attractive addition to any party menu, especially an outdoor barbecue-style buffet. You'd better make plenty, though; they won't last long!

Kebabs:
4 cups seitan (double the Seitan recipe below)
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil for pan-frying
4 cups sweet pineapple chunks (fresh if possible)
1 to 2 red or green bell peppers, cubed
Bamboo skewersMarinade:
1 cup tomato sauce or puree
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup pineapple juice, fresh or canned

1. Prepare the seitan as directed below, making a double batch of it. Drain well, cool, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Gently squeeze any excess water out if possible.

2. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the seitan and pan-fry until golden brown but still soft. Avoid letting the seitan become dry and hard. Set aside.

3. Mix the marinade ingredients together in a medium saucepan. Add the seitan and place on medium heat. Bring the sauce to a boil. Turn the heat to low and gently simmer for about 1 hour covered.

4. Stir often to ensure that the seitan doesn't stick. Cook the sauce until it's quite thick. (Add a little water if it becomes too thick and pastelike.) Remove from the heat and cool enough to handle.

5. To assemble the kebabs, alternate pieces of seitan, pineapple, and bell pepper on the skewers, leaving space at the base for holding the skewer. You should be able to fill 12 sticks with 2 pieces each of pineapple and bell pepper and 3-4 pieces of seitan.

6. If barbecuing, place the skewers on a barbecue grill and cook until lightly browned, basting with the leftover sauce. If broiling, place the kebabs on a baking tray and baste each kebab with the remaining sauce. Broil until browned on the edges, turning to cook evenly.

Serves 6

Calories: 393, Fat 4.5g (40 cal), Carbohydrate 62.4g (250 cal), Protein 25.9g (103 cal)
Added information: Saturated Fat 0.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 1019mg, Dietary Fiber 3g

Basic Seitan

Seitan dough is very quick and easy to prepare, but it needs to be cooked for a full hour to soften the protein and give it a tender texture.

1 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. asafetida
3/4 cups gluten flour (slightly less for a very tender seitan)

4 cups water
2 whole star anise
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbsp. raw sugar

1. In a small bowl combine the water, salt, and asafetida. Slowly whisk in the gluten flour a small quantity at a time until all the water is absorbed and the flour has formed a ball. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then place in a wire sieve and drain for 5 minutes.

2. In a large saucepan (the seitan will swell during cooking), bring the remaining ingredients to a boil on high heat. Add the seitan, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer for 1 hour, turning from time to time.

3. Remove from the heat, drain well, and set the seitan aside to cool for 30 minutes. Cut into 1-inch chunks or whatever shape desired and use as needed. Leftovers can be frozen for future use.

Makes 2 to 2 1/2 cups

~Wailana lifestyle