Is it....Seitan?

(To find the humor in the title, you must know seitan is pronounced Satan and  have watched SNL during the late 80s.)

I really don't mean to be a no meat groupie, but IT IS SO EASY TO NOT EAT MEAT!  I have less than 3 weeks until my "no meat training period" is over and honestly, I don't know that I will go back.  I haven't missed it, at all, and I feel good.  I have always been freaked out by WHERE meat comes from, went a month not eating chicken after I made eye contact with a chicken on a Tyson truck that immediately turned into the Tyson plant, and hate dark meat because I think it tastes too bloody and that freaks me out. I needed the meat to be totally cooked through because rare meat or even shades of pink made me gag.   It's been a comfort not having to think so much, and really, how often do you eat meat with no flavorings, marinades or sauces?  Rarely.  

So last night I tried seitan for the first time and was so pleased.  Seiten is a wheat gluten,  first developed in China and is popular in the cuisines of Japan and other East and Southeast Asian nations. In Asia, it is commonly found on the menus of restaurants catering primarily to Buddhist customers who do not eat meat. It is super high in protein and has a chewy texture so is often called the Wheat Meat.  Read more here.  

I have been craving curry chicken salad with grapes, but knew tofu, even extra firm tofu, would not have the texture or the solidity needed for the recipe.  Intrigued by the wheat meat name, I decided to try seitan. IT WAS SO GOOD!  It really does have the same texture as chunks of chicken and the curry dressing was the flavor I wanted.  Add in grapes and some almonds, and this was the texture and taste I had been craving, without meat!  I used this super simple recipe, went light on the curry since this was my first time and am giddy with the result.   

I have never been one to experiment in the kitchen, but there is something incredibly freeing about using plant based products that do not need to be COOKED as much as prepared. I don't have to worry about not cooking the chicken enough and getting sick.  I am EXCITED about recipes now, no longer JUST searching for vegetarian options, but knowing I can substitute in a meat alternative and be good to go. 

Yes, I know that me not eating meat is not going to stop the world from killing animals.  I actually agree with self sustaining farms and that way of life.  But for ME, I feel better not eating meat, and that is the most important thing.  And now that I know I can just substitute plant based product in my favorite meals, I don't have to miss a thing!   PS Happy World Vegetarian Day!  Yes, it's a thing. 
http://www.worldvegetarianday.org/