Seitan has been a staple food of vegetarian monks of China, Russian wheat farmers, peasants of Southeast Asia, and Mormons. Seitan is essentially a dough made with wheat gluten, a high-protein wheat flour. Before using in a recipe, the dough is formed into balls or logs and poached or boiled. This produces a food that is healthy, full of protein and wonderfully versatile.
I recently made these Simple Seitan Skewers for a late-night summer dinner for non-veg guests. I'm not sure they understood what seitan was when I explained it, but I will tell you that there wasn't a single crispy, spicy chunk left on the platter that night. A dollop of dairy-free Cucumber Yogurt Sauce on top of the seitan elevated the experience, so if time allows, be sure to include it as part of the meal. I served this along with Saffron Couscous and added dried apricots and pistachios. Our meal looked – and tasted – like I'd spent hours in the kitchen.
If you've got them on hand, feel free to jazz up your skewers by adding mushrooms, par-boiled potatoes, peppers, pineapple, or summer squash.
To make the seitan skewers, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Add seitan chunks and toss to coat evenly. Allow seitan to marinate for several hours or overnight, covered in the refrigerator.
Thread seitan on skewers, dividing equally. If using bamboo or wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 15 to 30 minutes. Pre-heat grill and set to medium/high. Brush grill with oil. Lay skewers on grill and cook for about 10 minutes, carefully turning once or twice during cooking. I like to use a spatula first to loosen the seitan from the grill before turning with tongs. Look for a slightly charred exterior, then remove and serve on a platter.
To make the seitan skewers, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Add seitan chunks and toss to coat evenly. Allow seitan to marinate for several hours or overnight, covered in the refrigerator.
Thread seitan on skewers, dividing equally. If using bamboo or wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 15 to 30 minutes. Pre-heat grill and set to medium/high. Brush grill with oil. Lay skewers on grill and cook for about 10 minutes, carefully turning once or twice during cooking. I like to use a spatula first to loosen the seitan from the grill before turning with tongs. Look for a slightly charred exterior, then remove and serve on a platter.
