Spicy Noodles with Mushroom & Seitan

“I am not a glutton - I am an explorer of food."

 - Erma Bombeck

Greetings my friend!  May culinary kismet be found on a plate near you today.

I found culinary bliss upon my plate this evening!  Remember the seitan that I finally gained nerves to make?  I was able to use it in a dish that I made for Tiffany tonight.  No, it certainly wasn't a dish served at Kate and Will's wedding luncheon but it wasn't half bad if I may say so myself.

Spicy Noodles with Mushroom & Seitan

A simple, quick and amazingly delicious dish.  Tiffany gave me the ideal when we purchased a bottle of Salad Elegant from Penzey's Spices a few weeks back.  Upon an initial sniff of the spice sampling jar, Tiffany immediate said, "Wow!  I just know that this would be simply wonderful on some pasta!"  So, thanks to Tiffany and my seitan experiment I am proud to present "Spicy Noodles with Mushroom & Seitan".

Soup base, mushrooms, mixed vegetables, rice noodles, and spice mix

Ingredients:

• Rice noodles
• Soup base to cook seitan and noodles
• 1/2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 can sliced mushroom, drained
• 1/2 cup sliced seitan
• Olive oil
• Penzey's Salad Elegant spice blend

Stir fry

Directions:

1. Add soup base to water and boil.
2. Cut and cook seitan chunks until they float.  Reduce heat to simmer and cook an additional 15-minutes.
3. Remove cooked seitan and set aside to drain.
4. When drained and cooled, select appropriate amount of seitan and slice into thin strips.
5. Return soup base to boil and add rice noodles.
6. In meantime, heat wok on high and stir fry mixed vegetables, mushrooms, sliced seitan strips, and spice in olive oil.
7. Quickly drain rice noodles, reduce wok temperature and introduce cooked rice noodles to wok.
8. Stir vegetables, seitan and noodles until mixed thoroughly.
9. Dish onto plates and serve.  Bon apétit.

I kid you not... This dish was spectacular on the taste buds.  "Hello seitan!  You will be made frequently in the kitchen of Tiffany and Chucky!"  Neither Tiffany nor I could get enough.  I can't wait to make my next dish using the stuff.

Oh?  What does freshly made seitan taste like?  It's like a spongy, moist, and chewy substance that takes on the predominant taste of the dish.  Think of crusty bread in a bowl of French Onion soup or a good quality crouton in some Creamy Tomato Basil soup.  Only, this is a chewy texture.  I honestly cannot think of one food item having the same qualities.  I suppose that I would say that it's a delectable vegetarian non-meat alternative by its own merits.

Hi-dee hi-dee you-have-to-make-seitan-for-yourself-ho my friend!

Recipe