Seitan with Mushroom Wine Sauce

While walking around Boston yesterday, I visited my neighborhood Whole Foods Market. I love this market, specifically for the amazing vegan food options, variety of spices and fresh local produce they offer. Additionally, I appreciate the enormous amount of vegan fair trade certified products available. However, the prices do not always sit well with me which is the reason I do majority of my food shopping elsewhere.

Anyhow, I purchased a few things there yesterday including this! I really dig the old style graphics on the packaging.

Seitan is a high-protein vegan/vegetarian food made from cooked wheat gluten.  

I must admit the texture of seitan itself disturbs me, but now and again, I reach out for this accessible and affordable product to make a quick dinner. It should be noted I have made seitan in my home kitchen before sucessfully. However, I continue to prefer store purchased seitan.

Before I begin Seitan with Mushroom Wine Sauce recipe, you should know seitan ingredient in this recipe may be substituted with any protein of choice. My favorite vegan proteins include organic tofu, chickpeas and red kidney beans. Be sure to contact me if you have questions about substitutions or otherwise.

Seitan with Mushroom Wine Sauce served over mashed potatoes I prepared earlier and garnished with fresh dill.  

Seitan with Mushroom Wine Sauce Ingredients 

1 (8-oz package) seitan of choice, sliced (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon sunflower seed or canola oil
3 cups mushrooms of choice, sliced (I used cremini mushrooms)

Sauce Ingredients
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup white wine of choice (do not use cooking wine, it sucks!)
*If wine in not your thang, strong vegetable broth may be substituted. However, the flavor will be different as the wine enhances this sauce. 
1 tablespoon corn starch
pinch of salt, optional (add at the end)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or parsley for garnish, optional

Directions
Preheat a large cooking pan over a medium heat. Add oil and mushrooms and cook for about 6 minutes, until the mushrooms become brown, but not burnt. Stir often. Do not be tempted to season the mushrooms with salt at this stage of cooking because this will cause the mushrooms to release water while slowing down the browning process.

While the mushrooms are cooking, prepare the sauce ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together all the sauce ingredients except for salt and dill. Set aside.

The mushrooms should be ready or almost ready by now. Add the sliced seitan to mushrooms sautéing in the cooking pan. Continue sautéing mushrooms with the seitan for another two minutes until the seitan browns and warms through. Add the sauce you set aside, stir for about two minutes, until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and taste for additional seasonings. At this point you may add that pinch of salt, depending on preference.

Serve over prepared rice, mashed potatoes or anything you fancy. Garnish with fresh dill or parsley when serving. Store in the refrigerator, in a closed container for 3 to 4 days.

Rock on!