The last couple days, The Chickpea has been trying to prove his manliness to me.
I think it all started a couple weeks ago, when I caught him watching Ally McBeal reruns. When he saw me in the doorway, he quickly changed the channel to baseball. This raised my suspicions because I know he doesn't like baseball...
Then a few days later, I caught him scrapbooking while listening to Sarah McLachlan. When I asked him what he was working on, he quickly sputtered something out about it being a gift for his mom.
Since then, The Chickpea has been walking around in a faux-leather biker jacket and talking about his motorcycle, which he's nicknamed "The Destroyer." He's been trying to grow a mustache, but the poor thing is just going to be baby-faced forever, so he's been wearing a fake one (at first glance, you would have no idea it's him! He's a dead ringer for Tom Selleck!). The other day he came into the room, wearing a flannel shirt, jeans, suspenders, and hiking boots (and the mustache), a hammer in his hand, and asked "Is there anything around the house that you need fixed? Because that's what I do. I fix things. Because I'm a man." I told him "I know you're a man, sweetie! You don't need to fix anything to prove that to me." He then proceeded to go into the bathroom and start hammering at things, just to seem like he was being helpful.
All of this has been very cute to watch and I've just been letting him do his thing. Then one day, he said "I'm making dinner tonight! I'm a 'Seitan & Caulipots' kind of guy and I need something more substantial than stuffed squash or chocolate chip cookies!" I wasn't going to stop him from giving me a break in the kitchen (though, I did end up helping him with the caulipots. His arm got tired from all of the mashing). The result? The Chickpea did a fantastic job of making dinner (I can't get over how talented he is)! We feasted on a sumptuous seitan mushroom roast that was juicy and full of flavor with flecks of crimini mushrooms throughout. Served alongside Chickpea Caulipots and covered in Miso Mushroom Gravy on a cool fall night, this meal was so satisfying and definitely proved to me what how manly The Chickpea can be. Although, he did want to listen to Taylor Swift while we cooked...
Ingredients
- 2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 2/3 cups vegetable broth
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tsp liquid smoke
- 2 cups vital wheat gluten flour
- 2/3 cup chickpea flour
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- olive oil spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the garlic cloves a few times and then add the mushrooms. Pulse until the mushrooms are in small pieces, no bigger than ¼ inch long/wide. Pour the mushrooms and garlic into a small bowl and add the other liquid ingredients. Mix to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and use a wooden spoon to mix them together as much as possible. Once you can no longer use your spoon, use your hands to knead the dough until it comes together into a ball.
- Set out 2 pieces of aluminum foil, each about 16-18 inches long. Lay them out so that one overlaps the other, horizontally, by about 5-6 inches. Lightly spray the aluminum foil with olive oil spray. Turn the ball out onto the aluminum foil and use your hand to roll it into a log shape, about 12-13 inches long.
- Fold each side of the aluminum foil over the top of the log until it is tightly wrapped. Fold over the ends so the log is tightly sealed.
- Place the wrapped log on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake for 60-70 minutes. Rotate the log 3-4 times while it’s cooking to ensure that it cooks evenly. Use a fork to test the roast, once it feels pretty firm, it is done. Let the roast stand for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
Technique adapted from this recipe.
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Photography by Chris Miller
Abby
I've never made seitan, but I've been considering it for a couple weeks now and basically have all the ingredients. However, I can't have soy. Do you think I could sub in vegetable broth for the soy sauce?
keepinitkind
You probably could sub vegetable broth for soy sauce, but I like to use Bragg Liquid Aminos most of the time (I had run out when I made this so I dusted off the bottle of soy sauce). It adds a little bit more of a savory flavor. If you use the vegetable broth, I would add a bit more salt to make up for a little of the difference.
Cadry
I loved this whole post, and especially the line about your boyfriend, the chickpea, being a "seitan & caulipots" kind of guy. Too funny!
Homemade seitan is so easy and delicious, I have a hard time paying for it already prepared! I bet the mushrooms in this version amp it up in terms of deliciousness even more!
Something I love about homemade seitan (or any seitan for that matter) is how well it freezes and thaws. That means with a bit of preparation, I can have several varieties available in the freezer for any need!
keepinitkind
Thank you, Cadry! It makes me so happy to know that I had you laughing- almost all of your posts seem to make me giggle at least once. 🙂
It's been a very long time since I've bought pre-made seitan. It's just so easy to make really good seitan at home, and you're so right- it freezes and thaws really well. It's a good staple to have a back-up of. 🙂
Deb
This answered my question; thanks! 🙂 I'm going to try this recipe for Easter this year with my non-vegan family. Glad to know I can make it ahead of time. Would you recommend just microwaving it to heat it again?
keepinitkind
Hi Deb- I'm so happy your family will get to enjoy this recipe on Easter! There are a few ways to reheat it. If you make it ahead of time, just keep it wrapped in foil. When it comes time to reheat, spray the log with oil or a little water and re-wrap. Bake in the oven until heated through, roughly 20-30 minutes. You could also microwave, or slice the log and pan-fry each individual piece. Good luck and enjoy!
Melissa
I love this post! Your "boyfriend" sounds like a pretty funny guy. This roast looks really tasty too. 🙂
keepinitkind
Thank you- he always puts a smile on my face. 🙂
Richgail @AstigVegan
Your delicious chickpea recipes just keep on coming. You should write a chickpea cookbook 🙂 This recipe btw is perfect for a Thanksgiving dinner.
keepinitkind
Thank you, Richgail! I'm consdiering this for thanksgiving, but I might end up doing that stuffed squash from last week... Decisions, decisions... 😉
Somer
Kristy, you may have saved Thanksgiving. Maybe I won't just do the millet and lentil loaf I had planned. Let's just say that seitan and I have a troubled past and we really haven't been getting a long. Thanks to this post, I think he and I are encouraged to try and work things out and give it just one more chance!
keepinitkind
I hope you two can work things out- you're both so great and could be such great company for each other. 😉 I'm glad you're willing to give it another go. Doing a roast, like this, produces a much different seitan than the boiling/steaming methods. I hope you like it! 🙂
Laura
I make a big batch of seitan every couple months and freeze it in portions. You've inspired me to try adding mushrooms to the next batch, thanks!
keepinitkind
Thanks, Laura! I hope you like it! 🙂
Annie
Looks very comforting and homey! Perfect for cool fall days.
keepinitkind
Totally comforting and homey. THanks, Annie!
Richa`
i am not seitan kind of girl.. but i need to give it a chance in my kitchen i think:) all those flavors in it sound fabulous together.
keepinitkind
Thanks, Richa!
Heather
Hahahaha this entire post had me cracking up - you are so freaking funny and adorable! I made my first seitan roast last year and I have to say yours looks 10 times better....by the way "wearing a flannel shirt, jeans, suspenders, and hiking boots (and the mustache), a hammer in his hand" this describes my Dad to a T (he is a general carpenter)- his standard winter outfit growing up: Levis Jeans, Hanes T shirt with Flannel, hanes blue sweatshirt, suspenders and hi tech hiking boots - do you think Chickpea and my Dad are brothers?
keepinitkind
Oh my gosh, your dad sounds just like my dad! My dad was a tile setter, so that sounds pretty much exactly like his daily attire as well. Perhaps they are all related!
Sarina @ Earthgiven Kitchen
The seitan looks great! Good fall comfort food!
keepinitkind
Thank you! It is totally perfect for fall! 🙂
Lisa
Hi there! I tried this recipe twice today and was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me..
1. What is the consistency of the dough like after everything has been incorporated? Mine was very, very soft, and never got to a point where I couldn't stir it with a spoon; it wasn't very "springy" like other seitan recipes I've tried. I ended up having to add more of both flours to the second batch, which helped.
2. Does this recipe halve well, in your experience? The reason I'm asking is that I attempted half-recipes both times, with less-than-ideal results (too soft), and wondered if maybe it's just one of those recipes which doesn't halve well.
Either way, the flavor is great! I dialed back the thyme and sage a lot, and added some white miso. Thanks for sharing! I'll continue to play with it, maybe just decreasing the liquid a bit.
keepinitkind
Hi Lisa,
The dough is a little soft- it isn't as tough or elastic as a seitan you were going to steam or boil. With that said, you should see the elastic "strings" if you pull the dough apart.
I've never halved the recipe- I've actually only doubled it. It may be that it doesn't halve well. Are you on instagram? There is a user named @leslieconn who has made this recipe many times. You could possibly compare notes with her too. 🙂
I hope that helps! Good luck!
Lisa
Thanks so much for the quick reply! 🙂 Will hunt down the instagram user and compare!
Kristina
Do you think all-purpose flour would work for this recipe? I don't know that I'd be able to get my hands on chickpea flour.
Tamara
Can I steam this instead of baking?
keepinitkind
I have not tried it. It would likely take much longer than roasting.
Holly
How many does it serve? x
keepinitkind
It serves about 6-8. 🙂
Allison
I made this yesterday for Easter but the texture of it inside was mushy so i cooked it a bit longer but it still was kinda mushy. nobody liked it 🙁 Any advice??
keepinitkind
I'm sorry to hear that. Unfortunately, it's hard for me to pinpoint what went wrong. I've made this recipe a variety of ways and it's never turned out mushy and it's always a crowd-pleaser. It's possible that too much liquid ingredients were accidentally added or the tin foil wasn't wrapped tightly enough. Maybe the oven wasn't cooking hot enough? Like I said, it's very hard for me to say. I'm sorry that your guests didn't enjoy it.
Allison
Thanks. Can i just clarify that the amount of water is 1 and 2/3 cups water? Is that correct?
Allison
Adam
The flavor and overall texture of this was amazing! However, it did seem just a bit too dry. Any suggestions?
keepinitkind
I would add a little more liquid next time.
David
Is the nutritional yeast really needed? I'm pretty much over that taste, I think, and it makes my wife reject food.
keepinitkind
It can be left out.
Lenoir
This was great!! I love it and am serving on Thanksgiving.
Renee
Any recommendations for substituting the gluten flour? As someone with Celiac I would need to use something else? Perhaps Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour?
Thanks! Cant wait to try this!
keepinitkind
Seitan cannot be made gluten-free, unfortunately. Seitan is a wheat-based meat and vital wheat gluten is the number 1 ingredient. Sorry.
Ari
I've come across renditions of seitan on the web that are gf. Here's one...http://mysweetfaery.blogspot.fr/2015/04/seitan-maison-sans-gluten-homemade.html?m=1
Keepinitkind: Looks great! May try it for thanksgiving. I prefer my seitan crunchy so I just might stirfry slices after baking..
Good luck!
Lillian Betancourt
I made this yesterday and it was fantastic. I would not tweak a thing!
Catherine
Very Good! I was expecting more of a mushroom flavor, but it was delish just the same. We are going to use it for gyros today.
I had the same problem as some, which was that it wasn't coming together. I am not an exact measure kind of person, so I'm sure it was my own fault. I added some more vital gluten and that did the trick!
Thank-you for an excellent recipe!
Beatriz
Made this beauty last night, but did some modifications...
-no nutritional yeast, so I added 1Tbsp of white miso paste for that unami flavor you get with nuch.
-Switched chickpea flour for the same amount of canned chickpeas. These were blended in to the liquid step. I feel this added more to the liquid, so I added 3/4 cup of vital wheat gluten and 2/3 cup flour so it would come together better. It was still a bit mushier than other wheat meats I've made, but I was able to easily wrap it up and cook it as specified. After it cooled off, I placed in the fridge... It was late.
-Next day, I pan-fried it in a bit of vegan butter chopped it up and put it in a tortilla wrap with the works and it was oh so good!
-I pan fried some with BBQ sauce, so goooood!
-This is my first time adding mushrooms to wheat meat and I admit it adds a wonderful flavor.
-I divided the rest of the log into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Then I made 7 serving sizes of 3 rounds each. Wrapped them in wax paper, then in foil paper and froze it for future meals.
-My family and I loved it, so... I will make it again. Thank you for a yummy versatile recipe!!
G / Vegan Catering
I've never made Seitan before, but I look forward to trying it! I bet this is perfect for cooler weather.