Bouncing 'Meat'

I am still trying my bestest to become vegan. I find it really expensive around here, to source ingredients. Anyway, there is a fine, family run outlet not too far away that sells all manner of flours. You name it, they have it. So, off we trots (in car) to buy some gluten flour. It is used in making seitan, which is vegan meat/mock meat. You make it up, flavour it which way whatever...pretend beef, chicken, bacon, pepperoni, veggie, curry.....on it goes. It is the stuff that gluten-free eating people avoid at all costs....and no wonder!

As I lovingly carressed my bag of gluten flour, I proudly told Junior that we could have all the 'meat-substitutes we want....courtesy of seitan.

Well, I followed a recipe. Cup of this flour, add flavourings, add water, knead, wrap in clingfilm and plop into pot of simmering water and leave to simmer for a good hour. When it's done, you are supposed to be able to cut slices of it. (I fashioned my seitan into a sausage shape)

We cooked the stuff and oiked it out of the simmering water. On cutting the seitan away from the clingfilm and popping it on a plate, it looked okay. Do we wait 'til it cools or not? Typically, we couldn't wait, so we cut a couple of slices....and tasted!......mmmmmm...not! I didn't like the flavouring...think I should have wrapped it in foil, instead too, as I could taste chemicals....from the cling film. Still...'don't be so bloody paranoid or picky' I tells myself. 'Wait 'til it cools'. So, next day, we have another taste test. Same. Yuk.

Have to say, that this stuff could maybe be put to good use in another way. When Junior 'dropped' it on the kitchen work surface, it bounced. So she did it again....bounce. Might have happened on an eco-friendly recipe for.....squash balls. That's how GOOD my seitan is! lol