Basic Beer Simmered Seitan

Ingredients:

1.75 cups vital wheat gluten
1.3cup nutritional yeast
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
0.5 tsp salt
1.75 cup vegetable broth
2 tbsp EVOO

Simmering Liquid:
2 bottles of pale ale, whatever you like
2 cups vegetable stock
extra water as needed.

Method:
In a large stock pot heat the simmer liquid over medium high heat. Sift together all the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet and kneed the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, until a nice firm dough is formed. Form into an oblong loaf and gentle set into the simmering liquid. Be sure the seitan does not rest on the bottom of the pot and is fully covered with liquid. Simmer for 1 hour, do not boil.

Remove from simmering liquid and cool in an 8×8 pan (it works well to keep any excess liquid from spilling while it cools. Cool the simmer liquid as well. To store you can slice and submerge the slices in the simmer liquid. Refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to 3 months (maybe longer, that’s the longest any has lasted for me).

Sausage

Makes 8 sausages.

Ingredients:

1 cup pinto beans, mashed
1 TBSP Fennel Seeds
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion granulars
1.5 tsp oregano
1.5 tsp rubbed sage
1 tsp thyme
1/2 cup nutritional yeast (nooch!)
3/4 cup TVP
1.5 cup Vital Wheat Gluten
4 TBSP Soy Sauce (I used low sodium)
2 TBSP EVOO
2 cups water (or vegetable stock, whichever you prefer)
a few dashes liquid smoke

Method:
Set up a large pot with a steamer basket and water over medium heat, covered, get it steamy. Get 8 sheets of aluminium foil ready to wrap the sausages in. The rest comes together quickly, so by the time you’re ready to steam, you should have actual steam!

Mash pinto beans, then add all the remaining dry ingredients, mix until everything distributed (the last thing you want in a mount full of fennel seeds!). Then in a large measuring cup (4cup size) or a bowl combined all the wet ingredients. Pour the wet inter the dry and then knead with your hands. Knead until combined and the liquid is all absorbed and then knead a little bit more (about 2-5minutes of kneading total)

Break the dough in half then keep breaking each half until you have 8 pieces. Shape into logs, they don’t have to be perfect logs as they’ll even out in the steaming process. Wrap in foil, much like tootsie rolls. Set on to the steam basket and steam for an hour.

Remove from steamer and let cool. They can then be frozen for several months (I leave them in the foil, inside of a ziploc freezer bag, remove individually to thaw what I need) or in the refrigerator (still in the foil, in a ziploc bag or container) for several days.

Once thawed or ready to eat you can either heat it up, grill it, slice it, whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!