MUSHROOM SEITAN SAUTE
Crimini mushrooms, sweet onion and celery sauteed with Chicken Style WESTSOY Seitan in a red wine, garlic and smoky paprika sauce. Tossed with Japanese Buckwheat Noodles With Yam. Garnished with lots of fresh cilantro!
Makes 5 cups saute, serves 6 with noodles
3 T. margarine(I used Smart Balance vegan)
1 lb. fresh crimini mushrooms, quartered or sliced
4 stalks celery, sliced on the diagonal (about 1/4 inch wide)
1 jumbo sweet onion; cut ends off, cut in half from end to end, peel, then cut each segment in half again from end to end, then cut crosswise into 1/4 inch wide quarter rings
1 t. salt
2 t. smoked paprika
2 t. garlic powder
1 c. dry red wine – I used a zinfandel
2 T. Balsamic vinegar
1 lb. pkg. WESTSOY Chicken Style Seitan – drain in colander, rinse well, and cut larger pieces into strips (we don’t use the broth in this recipe)
1 T. light brown sugar
tiny pinch dried thyme, finely crushed between fingers – thyme is strong flavored, so use very sparingly
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
extra virgin olive oil
fresh cilantro sprigs
10.58 oz. pkg. Japanese Buckwheat Noodles With Yam – cook all 3 bundles according to package instructions; drain well, drizzle and toss with a little oil, and let sit in colander till ready to use (LOCATE in Asian section of market)
In extra large skillet place margarine, mushrooms, celery, onion and salt. Turn heat to medium and saute till partially wilted.
Add smoked paprika, garlic powder, red wine, Balsamic vinegar and Seitan strips. Turn heat to medium-high and saute 10 minutes, stirring often.
Add to skillet: brown sugar, thyme and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir well, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Ten minutes before done, drizzle saute with extra virgin olive oil. When done, salt to taste.
To serve, toss saute with noodles. Plate, then garnish each portion with several sprigs of fresh cilantro.
Notes: The cilantro compliments the flavors in the saute beautifully.
This dish is good leftover the next day – it’s even good at room temperature.
This was my first time trying buckwheat noodles. I liked them and will definitely eat them again, in fact, the more I ate them the more I liked them. They go great with the red wine in the saute.
If you eat gluten, Seitan (at least this brand) is a wonderful meat alternative. It’s tender, but chewy and doesn’t have an after taste, like many soy products do. The longer you cook it, the chewier it gets, so I can see making many more dishes with this product, experimenting with varying degrees of tenderness. It also takes on the flavors of the dish nicely.
CHEF DAVIES-TIGHT™ 