Seize the Seitan

Seitan is a brown, chewy protein food (pronounced SAY-tahn) that’s made from gluten, the protein portion of wheat. If you live in a small town, it may be difficult to find. It’s usually only available in natural food stores. It can be purchased as a mix, but it’s most commonly purchased ready-made.

If you’ve never had seitan, try it the next time you’re at a Thai or Chinese restaurant, served in a stir-fry or other dish. It’s delicious and a terrific low- fat source of protein. Once you try it, you’ll want to use it in sandwiches, simmered in vegetable broth or baked in the oven; the texture is different depending on how it’s prepared. It’s also excellent as a substitute for beef in Stroganoff.


Those Great Grains

As you stroll the aisles of your natural foods store, you’ll find a treasure trove of grains with exotic names and a wide variety of textures that you never ever knew existed. Whole grains are a vital part of the vegetarian diet, and learning how to use different grains in your cooking will add variety and excitement to your menus.


Just the different types of rice take up several shelves at a good health food store. You’ll find short, medium, and long-grain white and brown rice, arborio rice, sushi rice, jasmine rice, sweet rice, and white and brown basmati rice. Then there are the whole grains—amaranth, barley, buckwheat, bulgur, cornmeal, kamut, millet, oats, quinoa, spelt, and more. All have different tastes and textures, and all deserve a chance to shine on your dinner table.

Before cooking whole grains, rinse them thoroughly to remove dirt and debris, especially if you are buying from bulk bins (and you should buy in bulk whenever you can—it costs less). Some grains, like quinoa, need to be rinsed to remove their bitter outer coating. To cook them, use a heavy nonaluminum pot (some grains interact with the aluminum) with a tight- fitting lid. Cover the grains with cold water, and stir gently to separate the grains. Bring the water to a boil—with a pinch of salt, if you like—then lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, until done.

Cooking times (by grain):

GRAIN WATER (salted) COOKING TIME YIELD (1 cup dry) (cups) (minutes) (cups)

Amaranth
2

25–30

2–2
Barley, whole/hulled
3

90

3–4
Barley, pearled
3

45

3–4
Buckwheat groats
2

15

2–2
Corn grits
3

20

3–4
Kamut
3

120

2–3/4
Millet
2

25

3–4
Oats, whole
3

60

3
Oats, rolled (oatmeal)
2

15

1–2
Quinoa
2

20

3–3

RICE:


 Arborio 2 30 2–2

149



Basmati, brown

2

45
3

Basmati, white

1–3/4

15
3

Brown

2

45

2–3
Sushi

2

45
2

Sweet

1

45
2

Spelt
3

90–120

2

WHEAT:

Whole berries

3

90–120

2
Bulgur

2
15

2
Couscous
2

1

2–3

Grains are delicious, nutritious, and versatile foods, and great sources of fiber. Because of this, they’re very chewy, so make sure you eat slowly, thoughtfully, and thoroughly for proper digestion. Grains rushed through the system can cause gas and bloating, so slow down and enjoy your food!