Dinner ~ Curried Seitan Cutlets & Calypso Beans

Seitan is a meat substitute that is made of wheat gluten, has no cholesterol, and is high in both calcium and iron.  It is a food staple in countries from Japan to the Middle East.  It can be shaped and flavored to mimic many meat products.  While you can buy prepared seitan at the store, it doesn't compare to the flavor that can achieved by preparing it at home.

Homemade Gluten

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups white flour

1 3/4 c water

In large bowl, combine flours. Add water and mix by hand, kneading for several minutes until flour is combined and somewhat elastic. Cover and let sit for 1 hour. Knead dough for 2 more minutes then place bowl in sink. Slowly add steady stream of warm water to wash away the starch away from the gluten. Pour off milky water. Slowly add steady stream of cool water to wash away the starch. Pour off milky water. Continue to alternate between warm and cool rinsing until you are left with only the elastic gluten. At this point, seitan can be frozen, refrigerated, or flavored for meal.

Curried Seitan

3 cups water

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 inch piece of kombu

6 slices of fresh ginger

1 tbsp curry

1 tbsp sesame oil

Boil water, soy sauce, kombu, ginger, and curry in large saucepan. Shape seitan into cutlets and drop into boiled broth. Simmer for 2 hours. Once simmering is complete, remove from broth. Cook cutlets for 1 minute each side in wok with sesame oil.

Dinner: Curried seitan cutlets on a bed of steamed kale, calypso beans with ginger dressing and sprouts, carrots, buckwheat with red carrots, leeks, and parsley, steamed green beans, carrots, and clementines.