Seitan Pepperoni

[Ravella and X]

I was going to post this link to this recipe for a far healthier version of pepperoni a while ago, but decided not to after I saw some folks negative views of non-meat meat like foods. But ya know what? I'll just say up front...

If this recipe link recomendation isn't your kind of thing, just move along, please. I'm posting this for those it may find it helpful.

https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/241963/seitan-pepperoni/

I'm making my third batch of this stuff tomorrow. I really, really love those processed meats, but have sworn them of in my quest to improve my diet.

It certainly tastes and chews like  the real thing-- but it doesn't have that slippery orange oil feel. Honestly, I love that about real pepperoni. I have tried putting some slices in a baggie with a little olive oil, and that gave it the familiar shine and even turned the oil orange. But it really isn't necessary, so I'm not likely to coat future seitan pepperoni in oil. It's not worth the extra calories.

Seitan of all flavors is good for nomads with limited refrigeration, because none of the ingredients require refrigeration beforehand. So you can be out as long as you want and make your own non-meat meaty protein thing. It's also good for the C in CRVL. I get Anthony's vital wheat glueten and nutritional yeast in big bags. When I see them in grocery stores, the packages are small and expensive.

Oh! One more thing-- the reviews leaned toward doubling spices, which I did the first time. I didnt the second time and liked it just as well. Flexible taste buds?

 

[user 30781]

I like seitan! I wonder if you could use it to make summer sausage with?

 

[Ravella and X]

It seems to me that you'd only have to get the spices and seasonings right.

 

[maki2]

The drawback for many van dwellers is it needs to be baked in an oven for 90 minutes.

 

[Ravella and X]

Seitan can be steamed or simmered or baked. I steam mine. No oven in my Scamp.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

Cheers for that I am going to try that recipe.

 

[maki2]

It will work for some as a recipe for cooking in van life but not an easy to make dish because of the length of cooking time. As you know it is difficult to do a slow ssimmer on a portable propane stove. Plus that recipe will use a lot of fuel due to how long it has to cook. But it does sound interesting to try sometime when at a sticks and bricks.

Wonder if it can be sized as smaller diameter pepperoni sticks to reduce the cooking time? That would make it more adaptable to do in smaller batches and significantly reduce the cooking time to something more manageable, especially during hot weather season. Or perhaps it could be done in a pressure cooker? It is intruiging but for van life it needs more consideration to get the time requied for cooking as well as the fuel cost reduced.

Tina, I know you are a very good cook. I have no doubt you can figure out how to make those changes in the cooking method so it works better with our lifestyle restrictions.

 

[Cammalu]

Tina I’ll wait till winter and sneak in your camper when u aren’t looking and try it

 

[vanbrat]

This sounds interesting. I wonder if other spice flavors would work? Time to experiment

 

[shadowmoss]

Time for a sun oven?

 

[Ravella and X]

That is a fantastic idea for folks motivated to be able to cook things that they're unable to cook now. Maybe retained heat cooking would work, too. Or a crock pot. In any case, where there is a will, there is a way.

I fully understand that this kind of kitchen work/eating isn't for everyone. Just posted it for those who might want to try.

I know that my 3qt instant pot ultra could handle this job, because it is completely flexible on temperature and pressure/no pressure. I don't know anything about the settings flexibility on other models.

Once a month I treat myself to an honest to goodness steak. I cook it sous vide in a baggie in my instant pot ultra, and quick sear it on the stove or over charcoal. Yum! Best steak method, ever.

Michael Pollan says,
Eat food.
Not too much.
Mostly plants.

Between that pithy advice and the more detailed guidance of the medeterranian diet, I can feel (and see!) myself getting healthier.

 

[john*thomas]

Thanks for pointing this out. I love actual meat but I've got the where I like to try new things also. I have to imagine it's healthier if I like it also.

I generally do not like things like this as much as the real thing but if it's good I do appreciate the healthier aspect.

Thanks

 

[Ravella and X]

I will say that if the seitan pepperoni and the real thing were side by side and healthier/not so healthy were not a factor, I'd choose the real thing. But since healthy is a goal of mine, the seitan version scratches the processed meat itch enough to make it worth making and eating.

I just gave a willing neighbor subject a little snack sized sample to try. I'll post her comments here if she says anything particularly positve or negative.

 

[user 30781]

Hmm.....Vegan summer sausage

https://theheartie.kitchen/2020/02/29/vegan-seitan-log/

 

[Ravella and X]

Hmmm for sure! I have every ingredient except two -- BBQ sauce and maple syrup. However, I know how (and have ingredients) to make BBQ sauce, I'm I'm betting that molasses is a suitable substitute for maple syrup.

Thanks for the link! I'll be trying this when the seitan pepperoni is gone!

 

[maki2]

In the winter. I will camp near a friend who has lots of sun ovens. He used to teach Sun Oven cookingat the RTR and there are dome videos showing him doing it on the CRVL youtube channel.

 

[VanFan]

Time for a sun oven?

Absolutely.  No reason at all this can't be done with a simple panel cooker.  Can't wait for a clear day to try it!

 

[VanFan]

This recipe is much appreciated, as I am striving to eliminate any processed meat from my diet for health reasons.  My only concern is the number of ingredients I might not otherwise have on hand--especially in the van pantry.

 

[Ravella and X]

If you love processed meats like I do, the shopping list is definitely worth all the "meat" you'll get out of it. You can mix all of the dry ingredients in bulk (figure what 1x recipe of mixed dry ingredients is first) and store it in whatever you store dry stuff in. Throw away the empty spice/seed bottles, and use any leftover spice in other foods. If you like pepperoni, the spices/ingredients will go fast and not take a bunch of pantry room forever.

Two adventurous eaters have tasted my current batch of pepperoni and they both say its good and tastes like pepperoni. So it's not just me lol.

If you do it, please let us know how it goes.

 

[VanFan]

Thanks for the nudge about the mix-ahead plan.  That totally works.  I do enjoy a little processed meat, but it has to go.  I can hardly wait to try this.  It might just save the day for this pizza lover .