Seitan Worshipper

Ok, clearly if you don't get that joke, you are not, have never, or never will be a vegetarian. :)
I made seitan tonight.  There's a reason we buy this stuff from the grocery store, friends... OMG IT'S A MESS!!!  Ok, if you don't like messes (like me - I'm getting better but I've still got that weird 'omg don't make a mess in my house' gene stuck deep in my - um, i dunno whatever) anyway this is a messy job, folks.. messy messy messy! (wasn't that the words of some Christmas cartoon character?)

the dough that gave me bulging biceps.

glutenous mass, washed.

All joking aside and mess aside, it was 'fairly' easy - if you don't care that you will WORK YOUR ARMS OFF!  Now I know why bread makers from the 18th century had muscles of steel.  I think I used more muscle kneading, squeezing and washing my dough to make it into gluten, than I ever have lifting a weight or two working out (save for that time I lifted 100lbs of pure steel on a weight bench) - but I'll not gloat - because I'm not 'a gluten for punishment'.. ahahahah hahah haha haaaa... ok, bad joke.

the brown vegan broth that makes "beef".

Anyway as I said - what a mess.  The dough is one thing, it's the washing of the stuff to create gluten which is the nasty part.   My once black tank top is now powdery and dusty, all the stuff on my sink was spattered with glutenous masses... just yickity yick all around.   The fun part about this was creating the broth that it cooks in to make it taste like the meat that it's supposed to be mimicking.  This particular half of my gluten is mimicking 'beef' so I made a beautiful brown broth, complete with a 'smokey' flavor and plenty of seasoning.. I even gave it the special 'black lava' sea salt - which is usually only reserved for reeeeealy special things.  I usually only use pink himalayan, but this was special enough for black lava.  MmMm.   I kept the other half of the gluten mass to create 'chicken' for the chicken and noodles I plan to make later in the season.

the 'beef' cooking!

I'm tellin you what though - as far as looking a bit like beef - it does, and it SMELLS divine in all sense of the word.  

finished, hand made,  'beef flavored' seitan!

This whole concept has me EXHAUSTED.   I am hoping it tastes like the seitan I purchase at the store and not some weird, chewy, "makes no sense why it's in here and tastes like crud" something or other in my stew.  Live and learn I guess.   It's time for me to go to bed!  Long day tomorrow.  Tomato juice making and bread making... oooh it never stops!  It's a good thing I'm busy.. if I wasn't, I'd be in trouble.  (I would! Doing what, I dunno I just know i'd be in trouble.)

Music Enjoyed while cooking AND writing this blog:  Goldfrapp - Head First - The whole album  --  http://www.goldfrapp.com/discography/head-first

Current Motivation: Every cow on it's way to the slaughterhouse, every calf who'll never see the light of day, and every bull who never knew any kindness....  this one's for you, kids.. if you don't think anyone loves you - know that there's one girl out there, trying to make it so that your ancestors don't have to go thru all of this horrible stuff.  <3

Current Craving:  Chocolate

The cluck and the moo and the everything in between.

Feeling a bit stressed today...boohlahh.

Anyway - -

Good Ol Cinci Freedom

I just love local celebrities, don't you?
I've decided that this weekends recipe is going to be dedicated to a local celebrity and one of the lovely ladies of 'feather' who is now living on the same farm as she did.  But who am I speaking of?   Cincinnati Freedom!! Who else?
Although Cinci Freedom has passed on, she was still a staple of talk here in the Cincinnati area for a short time.  I believe she actually made an appearance at a Reds game as well. Do any of you remember this?   Cow love!

Along the same lines - I am dedicating part of this recipe to Fiesta the chicken as well, a fellow 'Farm-Mate' of Cincy Freedom at The Farm Sancutary in New York.
Although not local, it's important to know that these animals do need our help.  The Farm Sanctuary is very dear to my heart.. I make sure to donate at least yearly (Usually around Thanksgiving I donate to a couple of very happy turkeys and make a recipe in their names for our family get-togethers!) 

lil miss 'Fiesta'
 

So, without further ado - this weekends recipe is going to be called:
Cincy's "Freedom tastes good" Vegan Stew in Fiesta's "Party on" Bread Bowls!
The bread was adapted from "The Fresh Loaf" Sourdough Bread Bowl Recipe.  The Stew was adapted from Ms Paula Deen's Southern Beef Stew Recipe - 'ya'll'  ;)   My Guinea Pigs? - Well, my sister and my mom again.. although I think my sister might be scared of the bread bowl.  I'm hoping the neicage will be around to have a bite too!   And maybe daddy (Mr. 'there's no fiber in milk' - {inside joke}) himself will have some bread.  We'll see!

My biggest research here was that I promised myself I was not going to buy all the 'fake meat' products and anything already pre-made from the store.  Sometimes, with certain things, this might be an option - but right now, it's not for me... so the hardest thing I'm about to do with this is make fake 'beef'.

I have such a busy weekend ahead that my plans to be shoulder deep in foodstuffs will be all weekend and then some!  Tonight (after tomato pickin with mommy for tomorrows juice canning experience)  I will be making fake beef.  Tomorrow - while the tomatoes are cooking down to make the heavenly tomato juice that my baby mama LOVES, I'll be making Fiesta's bread bowls, by hand tvym.. knead, rise, punch, knead, rise........   That being said I still have to make room for toning exercise, kundalini, a five mile jaunt and a cleaning.   Woah is meeeeeeeeeeee!!  I still have to cook this stew sometime Sunday too! 
   Next weekend may be just as busy... but let's not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?
So - research finds that the nutrition information is as follows and once again, thanks to 'The Sister' for figuring out the Weight Watchers Points on this.


Nutritional Info:
Cincy's Freedom Stew                   Paula Deen's Beef Stew
1 Cup                                                         1 Cup              

Calories:              140                               222
Carbohydrate:       24g                            20g
Protien:                   7g                              14g
Cholesterol:           0mg                        35mg
Fat:                         3g                             10g
Fiber:                    4.5g                          3.5g
WW Pts:                  4                                6


Fiesta's Party On                 The Fresh Loaf's Sourdough
Bread Bowl - 1 bowl             Bread Bowl - 1 bowl

Calories:                     284                        400
Carbohydrates:           34g                      42g
Protien:                       24 g                      25g
Cholesterol                  0mg                       2g
Fat:                            5.4g                          7g
Fiber:                         1.3g                      2.0g
WW Points                   7                            8

It's lookin' good!   (I think)  now, hopefully I can do Ms. Freedom and Ms Fiesta prouder than a moo and a cluck!
And I've got too much to do today than to sit here and idley blog... just wait though.
You'll hear more when I'm complaining at some point this weekend that I'm 'bored'. :P

Music enjoyed while writing this blog:  Dr. Oz.
Current Craving:  I plead the fifth
Current Motivation:  Loving farm animals. <3