I Have Issue with Satan

Okay, sorry. I just can't resist a good seitan/Satan pun. I do have issues with it, though--the food. I think I would like the taste if I never saw it before it was cooked, but the texture just sort of does me in. It seems to feel a lot like fatty chicken in my mouth--and if I wanted to eat fatty chicken, I wouldn't be a vegetarian now, would I?

Truthfully, this Veganomicon recipe for Sauteed Seitan with Spinach and Mushrooms has good flavor. Bite sized pieces of seitan are sauteed in olive oil until they develop a bit of a crust. Onions are then added to the pan and covered to cook until softened. Mushrooms and spices dive in next, with more sauteeing. Finally, white wine and vegetable stock are added to deglaze the pan, then bright green spinach is added and cooked until wilted.


I think this could be improved with a bit more white wine, and perhaps a bit of lemon juice--maybe even a handful of capers. It's not that it was bad--I just could have used a little more flavor to overcome the wiggly, jiggly seitan. However, all is never lost when there is a bowlful of mashed potatoes and some crispy roasted broccoli to take up the slack.

So, if you haven't dug your heels in, resisting the temptation of seitan, this one is probably worth a try. For now, I'm tired and headed to bed. Sorry I have nothing truly entertaining to offer tonight, but tomorrow is always another day!

Sauteed Seitan with Mushrooms and Spinach

Copyright: Veganomicon

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups seitan, sliced on the diagonal into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, sliced into thick half-moons
2 cups sliced white or cremini mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
Several pinches of freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup vegetable broth or water
6 cups spinach, washed well
Lemon slices (optional)

Preheat a large, lidded skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the seitan for about 2 minutes.Add the onions and saute for another 5 minutes, until softened, covering the pan but lifting it to stir occasionally, to make the onions and seitan cook faster.

Add the mushrooms, garlic, thyme, basil, salt, and pepper, and saute for another 8 minutes, again, covering but occasionally stirring. Once the mushrooms are cooked and soft, add the wine and broth. Add the spinach in batches and use tongs to incorporate them with everything else. Cook for about 5 more minutes.

Serve immediately, with slices of lemon, if desired.