Provenance September Staff Selection

Upton's Naturals 10% off All Month Long!


Read on for staffer Aaron Golding's selection this month:

"We're eating Satan?" I said. My mind immediately thought of a horned beast on a spit slowly roasting over a fire. "Not Satan, seitan (pronounced say-tan). It's good," a vegan friend said as she placed her version of a sausage, peppers, and onions sandwich in front of me. A few sprigs of arugula lined the opening of the bun. Beyond the arugula foliage I could see the red and green peppers intertwined with the soft and translucent onions.
I lifted the sandwich to have a bite. The Midwestern values instilled in me at birth demanded that I eat whatever was placed in front of me. It would be rude not to. This wasn't my first encounter with faux-meat. I have memories of that one Thanksgiving when a vegetarian family member persuaded me to try the log-shaped tofu-turkey roast. If anything they solidified my love for pork, poultry, lamb, and beef because nothing faux ever seemed to come close to the real thing.

My vegan friend watched me as I took the first bite, anticipating my approval. The sweet scent of sautéed peppers and onions filled my nostrils. Everything seemed right. If I closed my eyes the smell was what I would expect from a sausage, peppers, and onions sandwich. My incisors pierced the bread and tore away the first bite. I chewed. And chewed. And what I pleasantly discovered was a pretty damn good sandwich. The peppers and onions were cooked to perfection. The arugula added a little kick up front. She'd drizzled a little balsamic just over the veggies to give them a little zip. But the star of the show was the meat- I mean, seitan. I was confused. This wasn't the faux-whatever I had encountered before. The texture and flavors were there. "This is really good," I mumbled through a mouthful (another Midwestern faux-pas). I proceeded to devour the sandwich and then inquire as to the possibility of another.

So when I started working at Provenance Food & Wine, I was happy to discover that we carry Upton's Naturals Seitan. I bought a package of the Italian Sausage-Style and recreated at home the sandwich that changed me from a strict meat-a-saurus to an equal opportunity protein eater. Don't get me wrong, I still love steaks and chicken and Carolina-Style pulled pork sandwiches with slaw and just a dab of hot pepper sauce - yum - but now I mix in a little seitan into my diet and am just as happy with my meal as when I am eating meat. Unlike tofu masquerading as meat, Seitan is different. Upton's Naturals describes it as, "a traditional Japanese product made from the protein in wheat (aka gluten). With an impressively meat-like texture and robust flavor, seitan is both high in protein and low in fat without the cholesterol associated with meat." It's its own thing, and dates back centuries to Buddhist Monks looking for a meat alternative.

Upton's Naturals, based in Skokie, IL, uses all-natural ingredients that are GMO-free. It's high in protein and low in all the stuff you'd want it to be low in, like fat and carbs. It gives you a lot of bang for your buck. I use it as a substitute in any dish, mix it in with cheeses to make lasagna, stuffed shells, enchiladas, tacos, and chili. The consistency favors a dish that would have crumbly or ground meat, although I'm thinking of using some egg to hold it together and see if I can create a meatball out of it. I used it as a pizza topping the other night. I fed some to my fiancé, who is strictly a meat-and-potatoes-kind-of-girl, without telling her that it was seitan and not ground sausage. She couldn't tell the difference. Give it a try if you're looking for something different but remarkably familiar.

Italian Sausage-Style Seitan, Peppers, and Onions Sandwich
1 Package of Upton's Naturals Italian Sausage-Style Seitan
1 Onion, sliced
1 Green or Red Pepper. (I like red) Sliced
A hand full of Arugula
A splash of Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper
Crusty rolls

Heat oil in a hot skillet and then sauté peppers and onions, adding salt and pepper, until onions become translucent and tender. Remove from pan.
Break the seitan into pieces and heat in a pan until hot. This won't take very long.
Assemble sandwich. Line the bottom of the bread with seitan. Stack peppers and onions on top and then add a few sprigs of arugula. Lightly drizzle with balsamic. Enjoy.

Chorizo-Style and Potato Quesadilla
1 Package of Upton's Naturals Chorizo-Style Seitan
4-5 Russet Potatoes
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Onion, diced
1/2 Onion, sliced
1 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper
1 avocado
Sliced Cheese
1 package Tortillas (I like to use flour but corn works fine)
Tomato, sliced
1/2 cup salsa
Hot Sauce (if desired)
Oil

In a skillet, heat oil and add, garlic, onion, cumin and salt and pepper until onion starts to look translucent. Add salsa and then potatoes. Cook potatoes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked and edges start to take on color. Add Upton's Natural Chorizo-Style Seitan and cook for a couple more minutes until the seitan is hot.