Seitan Pot Roast

Many vegetarians I know don't enjoy this wonderful wheat meat as much as they should. It's versatile and extremely easy to make home made. Not to mention that it's way cheaper to make it then to buy it at the store. You can use it in stir fries, burritos, tacos, fajitas, "meat" sauce, sandwiches, and on and on. A favorite All American Vegan recipe book of mine is calledVegan Vittles. I suggest this book as a staple for anyone interested in learning some great, healthy alternatives to common recipes. You can get Vital Wheat Gluten at most grocery stores these days. It's in the natural and organic section usually in the baking section. Another ingredient is food grade Nutritional Yeast. This product might sound gross to many, but it's a yellow flaky substance that is packed with B vitamins. While some vegetarians have a difficult time ingesting B vitamins because they're packed in meat products. It can be used as a seasoning since it's slightly salty. You can use it in many things including home made seitan. In saying that, I wanted to share this Seitan Pot Roast.

Ingredients:
Seitan :
Dry ingredients-
1 box of Vital Wheat Gluten or approx 2 cups
1/3 cup of Nutritional Yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder or roasted minced garlic
1/2 tsp onion powder

Liquid Ingredients-
1 1/3 cup water
4 tabls Tamari or soy sauce

Vegetables
1 medium onion, chopped
2 carrots, thinly sliced
4 0z baby bella mushrooms, sliced (optional)

Cooking Broth
1 box of all natural tomato soup or 3 cups of broth and tomato paste (I used Wholefoods 365 brand since we had it on hand)
2 tblsp red wine vinegar
2 tblsp of soy sauce
1/2 tsp fresh or dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp Liquid Hickory Smoke
1 bay leaf

EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) for sauteing

1. Place the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, and stir them together.
2. Mix the liquid ingredients in a small bowl, and then pour them into the flour mixture. Mix well. If it appears to be too dry, you can add one or two tablespoons of water. This spongy mass is called gluten.
3. Knead the mixture in the mixing bowl for about a minute. Make a loaf on a surface, and then return it to the mixing bowl to rest.
4. Heat up a Dutch Oven on med/high heat with a couple tblsp of olive oil. When it's hot, add the loaf to brown it on all sides making sure that it doesn't stick to the sides or bottom of the pan. Transfer it back to the mixing bowl.
5. Add another teaspoon of olive oil, and add the onions. Brown them until almost carmelized then add the carrots and saute 5 more minutes. Add the mushrooms.
6. Mix the broth ingredients into the Dutch Oven. Bring to a boil, lower heat to low. Add the gluten loaf.
7. Simmer for an hour and a half making sure that you flip the loaf every thirty minutes.
8. Remove the loaf to a slicing board.
9. Make a pureed gravy using a blender or better yet an immersion blender directly in the pot.
10. Slice the "pot roast" and serve with the gravy.

I didn't accompany this with anything because I think it's perfect as a meal by itself, however rice or smashed potatoes would be a lovely accompaniment to this delectable Vegan dish. The leftovers are just as delicious, and you could always make a sandwich with or without an open face.