17 August 2006

Savory Seitan Stew

Since we're getting back to cooler nights and since I wanted to make an easy one-pot dinner, I decided to throw together a beef-less stew using seitan for the "meat". It turned out so well, I thought I'd share.

Savory Seitan Stew (3-4 servings)

8 oz. (240gm) seitan in traditional broth
1 can (12 oz./360gm) of whole kernel corn (maize)
1 medium-sized onion
½ of a green bell pepper (or a whole one if you prefer)
2 carrots
½ - ¾ cup (maybe 150-175gm?) of sun-dried tomatoes
2-3 Tablespoons (30-45mL) of extra virgin olive oil
Approximately 1½ cups (360mL) of water
thyme, sage, coriander, black pepper, bay leaves, or any other herbs/spices to taste

First, the disclaimer: I don't generally measure when I cook. I've been cooking most of my life and do most of it on the fly, as I did with this stew. The measurements above are mostly rough approximations, not absolutes. Results may vary, but variation is a beautiful thing and should be embraced.

My original plan, in the interest of expediency, was to use a can of tomato paste, but we were all out, so instead I placed the sun-dried tomatoes along with the broth from the seitan and the water from the can of corn into a blender and pureed. I chopped the onion and bell pepper into smallish pieces (chunky would be fine, if you're so inclined) and sauteed them in the olive oil. I sliced the carrots thinnish (to cook them faster, but again, it's a matter of preference) and added them to the pot along with the corn once the onions were translucent. Then I added the water and seasonings and brought everything to a boil. Then the seitan (chopped into chunks) and finally the tomato puree. I then simmered it until the carrots were tender (approximately 20 minutes). Preparation & cooking took all of about 30 minutes. We ate it with toasted multigrain bread, and it was yummy.

I also had a bottle of Wolaver's brown ale. This was an impulse purchase the other day from our local supermarket. I had never seen it before and liked the idea of organic beer - two great concepts in one product - so I bought their sampler, which contains 4 each of their brown ale, pale ale, and IPA. It was tasty, and I'm looking forward to trying their oatmeal stout come October.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Organic beer - I like the concept too, I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for that stuff. Thank for the recipe!

Anonymous said...

That sounds great! I'll have to try it one of these nights.

Thanks for sharing!