Seitan, aka “wheat meat,” is a vegan meat substitute made from the gluten, or protein, portion of wheat. It’s extremely flexible in both the flavoring you can impart — in that sense, it’s very much like tofu in the way it soaks up marinades and incorporates spices — and the textures you can create thru differing ratios of dry to wet ingredients and cooking techniques.
In other words, it’s a lot of fun for the creative cook! 
There was a time when I was making and eating the stuff almost daily since it’s basically pure protein and therefore fit perfectly into my CRON (calorie restriction with optimum nutrition) regimen by providing so much proteinous bang for the caloric buck. Alas, I think I overdid it, because I eventually started to exhibit some of the classic gluten intolerance symptoms, such as the foggy head and so on.
After a long break from gluten in all forms, I reintroduced it in cereals, etc., some time back. More recently, even seitan has returned to my diet, albeit in a moderated fashion this time. Indeed, it wasn’t until a couple days ago that I broke out the bag of wheat protein isolate to once again make some homemade seitan, inspired by Easter dinner with my friends who’ve just started making their own as well.
Gone are the days of having to wash and rewash wheat flour to get to the gluten; now you can just buy it in pre-separated bags. This experimental recipe shows just how quick and easy it can be and should serve as a useful jumping off point for your own creations. Enjoy!
Dry Ingredients:
60 grams vital wheat gluten (I actually use WPI)
20 grams brewer’s yeast
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
dash black pepper
“Wet” Ingredients:
2 oz tomato paste
2/3 cup water
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
minced hot peppers of your choosing – optional
(I used habanero, you could also use ground/powdered)
After combining the two groups in their own bowls, mix together into the bigger bowl until no dry spots remain. I refrained from kneading, so the final result was rather soft, though certainly not unpleasantly so. (Here’s one spot you could deviate by kneading a bit and/or using more vital wheat gluten for a chewier end product in either case.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread mixture into a well-oiled baking dish or loaf pan and bake for at least 35 minutes.
Allow to cool before cutting out pieces or scooping out as crumbles.
Use as a filling for burritos or a sub, with a leafy green, tomato, and a vegan mayo and/or barbecue sauce. This is a small batch, but if you make more, it’s great reheated in a fry pan for a little char.
If you’ve ever made your own soy milk, you’re familiar with the left-over soybean mash known as okara which remains in the basket.
