Sweet Earth Chipotle Seitan Review, Yummy Fajitas And ‘Meat’ Defined

As you may have read in a recent post “Learning to Crawl”  my husband Don has been somewhat out of commission while he deals with an old recurring issue with his knee that flared up on Saturday.

I did our typical Saturday grocery store run alone, and pondered what to buy that would make for an easy lunch.

I was craving a good hit of some protein rich savory goodness, but I didn’t feel inspired enough to create on my own without some help.

Enter Sweet Earth Natural Foods Chipotle Style Seitan.   It delivered on all counts, and made for some yummy fajitas.

When I was a meat eater, my favorite way to enjoy beef was the way it was prepared in Chinese food ~ super tender strips sautéed with plenty of vegetables, like a ‘Beef Broccoli’ or like the well seasoned grilled meat used in fajitas.

Considering the chipotle flavoring, the fajitas seemed the perfect fit.  Plus I happened to have some of these super yummy tortillas our local store (Sprouts) has unfortunately discontinued.   (Although because of that, we picked up several for only .99 cents.)  They rock!  The sprouted tortillas are soft, (I prefer them to the Food For Life brand) and the whole wheat ones taste like sourdough.

Sweet Earth Chipotle Seitan has the look of a skirt steak that was marinated and cut into strips.  It was very tender.   I’m not someone that eats plant meats because I miss meat, (for a long time I didn’t like beef at all) but I do sometimes crave something really savory, and protein-rich.

I happen to enjoy ‘meats’ made from plant foods, and don’t like that the animal industries (and many others) have hijacked the word ‘meat’ to equate to animals, (as in ‘meat, it’s what’s for dinner) as that never should have been the case.  It wasn’t until around the 13th century that meat became more associated with animal flesh.  Here is an earlier definition of meat:

archaic:

food of any kind.  Synonyms:  food, nourishment, sustenance, provisions, rations, fare, foodstuff(s), provender, daily bread

I particularly like the last one, ‘daily bread’ as seitan is the high protein part of whole wheat, and is very nutritious, contrary to what many believe.  Not only is it nutritious, but it is the quintessential food of America, along with corn, if ever there was one.  So, you could say that eating this Sweet Earth Chipotle Style Seitan is among the most pro-American patriotic, locavore and macrobiotic food of choice!

Miriam Webster also includes as one of the definitions of ‘meat’ as:  The part of something (such as a nut) which can be eaten.  For those interested, here is an interesting post chronicling the etymology of ‘meat.‘

I don’t consider plant meats made from gluten, soy or other sources to be akin to a second class (plant-based) citizen like seems vogue to do these days.  I’m an equal opportunity plant eater!  I think if you try this Sweat Earth Chipotle Seitan, you may agree ~ plant meats rule!

As is written on the label, this seitan is ‘clean protein.’  Four ounces of the Chipotle Style Seitan has 30 grams of protein, 9g of carbs, 170% of the RDI for vitamin E (based on a 2,000 calorie diet), 240% of B3, 140% of B2, 45% of B6, and 8% of vitamin A and only 2.5g of fat, no cholesterol and 170 total calories.

The Sweet Earth Chipotle Style Seitan has the perfect blend of spices too, savory with a hint of smoky sweetness.  I didn’t add any extra spices while cooking these fajitas.  They only need a quick reheat, preferably in a little bit of oil, but adding the onions, peppers, mushrooms and a little garlic provide flavor and moistness, and make for a quick and tasty fajita style burrito.

For the fajitas:

1 small onion, cut into thin half moons or slices
1/2 large red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
A dozen or so mushrooms, sliced
Optional garlic clove
2 tsp. oil for cooking
2 Tortillas per person
Brown rice (already cooked) (About 1/2 cup per person, or more if desired.)
Any other toppings you like, such as avocado, chopped cilantro, scallions, etc.

Pre-heat a wok or pan to medium-high heat.  Add a pinch of salt granules to the pan, followed by the sliced onions.  Let cook for a few minutes without stirring.  As the onions begin to stick, and the edges start to turn brown, add mushrooms and garlic.  Stir with a wooden spatula.

LO brown rice and tortillas getting steamed

Meanwhile, if using LO (left over) brown rice, place in a heat proof bowl and add to the steamer pot, or in a pot with a couple inches of water added.  Cover, and let steam while cooking the fajitas.

The mushrooms will release some juices.  At this point, you can either add the oil if using, or a tablespoon or so of water or veggie broth.  (I think using just a couple teaspoons of oil will help prevent the seitan from sticking, and adds a little richness to the final flavor.)

Add the peppers, then the seitan.  Continue cooking on medium-high for several minutes, stirring continually.  Add a splash of water, veggie broth, or low-sodium soy sauce to scrape off anything sticking, and add just a touch of moistness without creating a broth.

Turn to low, and let simmer a couple minutes more while you prepare the tortillas.

To prepare tortillas, wrap them in foil (or a clean dish towel) and place in the  steamer pot with the rice (as above.) Alternatively, wrap in foil and place on top of the fajita mixture.  Cover pan and let steam for a few minutes.  If needed, remove fajita mixture so it doesn’t dry out, however, it should be fine simmering on low.

Assemble fajitas as desired, with a about 1/4 cup of  rice, fajita mix, and anything else you may be using.

Wrap, and enjoy.