I’m sort of into seitan now because it’s as versatile and easy to prepare as tempeh while packing a lot protein – more than many meat products. I was pretty excited when I found a new seitan flavor to try this weekend from Sweet Earth Natural Foods. Why have I never tried any of their products before?!?! I was happy I picked up a package for a simple dinner after a busy day at work yesterday and having to think fast when hubby announced his dinner in the oven would be ready in 10 minutes.
28 grams of protein for only 160 calories is impressive. This 2 serving package was on sale for just over $4 which is pretty reasonable for quality food that’s also a huge time saver and local.
The packaged strips look a lot like actual meat strips and simple to prepare since they’re already cooked and just need heating.
I tossed them briefly in a wok with lightly steamed broccoli, spinach, and chopped tomato. There was plenty of sauce from the package to coat the veggies too for a one-pot meal.
The chipotle kick was a little mild for me, easily fixable with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes since I tend to like spicier foods. But the sauce flavor was savory and tangy.
The texture of the seitan was chewy, hearty, and slightly spongy. It was not at all dry or tough, very easy to chew with a slightly nutty and savory flavor. Overall a great fast dinner and a product I will buy again for quick dinners with hubby, I’m looking forward to trying their other seitan flavors.
Tonight I had more energy and time to get creative in the kitchen and decided it’s been too long since I’ve had a raw soup. I chicken-scratched this recipe in my notebook awhile back and promptly forgot about it. Thankfully I found it again because it’s a keeper!
Carrot Ginger Hemp Soup
- 1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 1 green onion
- 1 tbsp. tahini
- 1″ thick chunk of fresh ginger
- 1 small clove of garlic, or half since raw garlic can be strong
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- pinch of cayenne
- 1/2 cup water
Place all ingredients into a high speed blender and blend to a smooth and creamy texture. Makes 1 serving.
I chopped up a kubocha squash and sauteed the raw chunks in a little coconut oil and salt for a fast and simple side dish.
The soup has a rich and slightly spicy ginger flavor, very bright and fresh. The garlic flavor is there, but not over powering as raw garlic can be sometimes. And the sweetness from the carrots balance the ginger and garlic nicely.
The texture is very thick and hearty, they way I like it for raw soups.
